At the time I'm writing this, the required favs and follows for the extra long chapter has been broken by 10.
You guys rock!
Much love,
Den R.
Yang and Ruby scanned the room for any sign of their knight, but the only thing that was in the room was a befuddled and dazed Pyrrha, a thousand pieces of wood scattered about the floor, and an open window sill on the far side. The red curtains fluttered in the breeze, almost giving them the appearance of life.
Pyrrha, who was on the floor, stood up, using the wall for support, and brushed herself off. The look on her face had given away that she was annoyed, and greatly so. Whatever - or whoever - had stopped her in the midst of her makeout session would pay. Dearly.
Ruby and Yang sighed dejectedly. Once again, they had lost Jaune, but to who? Or what?
They turned their attention to Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, what exactly happened?" Yang was the first to ask, scouring the room in case Jaune was hiding somewhere.
Pyrrha shook her head, reluctant to divulge information to her competition, but what was the harm? She didn't know where he went, so she was pretty much in the same situation as Yang and her sister. "Beats me. I had Jaune in here, with both the door and window locked. Next thing I know, a black shadow leapt through and snatched him away, springing off the ledge. I didn't even see where the person was going, nor did I get a good look at their face."
Ruby bit her lip, and Yang rubbed her gloved hands anxiously. The hunt for Jaune Arc was about to begin.
Meanwhile, at a small cafe in downtown Vale, sat two students of Beacon academy. The bookworm of Beacon, Blake Belladonna, and the hooded knight, Jaune Arc. They sat at the farthest end, enjoying some of the peace and quiet. It was a much needed change of pace for poor Jaune. He really enjoyed the music; they played Mirror Mirror, Red like Roses, Gold, I Burn, From Shadows, and This will be the Day. They were on his playlist, and it put him in a good mood to know that they played those songs here. A small smile crept onto his face.
"Someone's in a good mood." The normally quiet girl voiced, pouring some extra cream into her tea. Blake thought that it was from the earlier events that transpired from the other females this morning. She would say that she was amused from the developments from Jaune and her friends, but she didn't think he enjoyed it that much.
"Of course. I love the music." Jaune replied, closing his eyes in a dream like state.
Oh. Thought the Faunus simply. She misjudged him. She thought he was like all the other guys. The kind that try to get with every girl they could and not feel any remorse for their actions. Someone who hurt others without a thought otherwise. Like Adam. She lamented, wrenching her lips into a small frown.
Her thoughts now focused on her past, she stared at the tea, sorrow and regret shone in her amber eyes.
Jaune seemed to sense what was wrong. He leaned over and stroked the top of her head fondly, paying extra attention to not cause any pain to the ears that hid behind the bow.
She jerked away in surprise, unused to any form of contact. She usually never let anyone touch her. It was just...uncomfortable.
"Sorry, did I hurt you?" Jaune withdrew his hand, concerned for her. He would admit one thing. He wasn't very good when it came to women, excluding the last few hours. All he had was his fake confidence, which was what his dad said women looked for in a man. But when it came to actual conversations, or trying to comfort them, he wasn't exactly the best. He tried though.
She shook her head. "No. I was just caught off guard." She sipped at her tea awkwardly. For her to be caught off guard was something that amazed Jaune. Usually, she was the calm, level-headed member who kept her wits about her. Blake being caught off guard was...a rarity for Jaune Arc.
"You? Off guard? That doesn't sound like the Blake I know." Jaune said in a casual tone.
She raised an eyebrow at him. Jaune grinned slightly, his mouth curling up, framing his personality perfectly. So Blake thought. The only sound that was playing was the music, but she could swear that her own heart would've drowned out any other noise.
To her, there was no music, just the two of them, in a cafe.
"Sup, freak?" An unusually annoying voice sounded from behind her, tugging on her bow, right where her ears lay. It was a voice that held no emotion other than humored hate. The kind that gets a kick from marring others. His voice grated against her and Jaune's ears, and they could feel the twisted smile that wasn't natural on his own face. It only appeared when he was getting some form of entertainment from someone elses suffering. To him, it was even better when he caused it. Cardin Winchester.
Blake tried to ignore him, but her ears were sensitive to each pull and rough tug. She gnashed her teeth as she struggled to keep herself from growling out from the pain. With each passing moment, her patience wore thin, and her ears began to throb from the pain. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't suppress a hiss that escaped her.
"Aw, is the kitty gonna scratch me?" Cardin asked in a mocking tone, threatening to tear the very thing that helped her become human; the bow that helped hide her...imperfections.
It didn't take long for Jaune to respond. Standing up from the table, he strode over to Cardin, each footfall matching his own angry heart that pumped throughout his body. Even a volcano that was about to erupt would be tepid to Jaune's own seething hatred to the reddish brown headed teen. Cardin didn't see him coming.
Jaune's vision was clouded by the red mist of hate and anger from all the abuse he put up with from Cardin, and now he was hurting one of his friends. That was the last straw.
When Cardin finally took notice, Jaune's fist connected with Cardin's stomach. Cardin let go the bow in favor of his bruised stomach and grunted with pain. "What the he-" Was all he managed to sputter out before he felt a pair of gloved hands pull him up to Jaune's height. Blake let out a breath of relief, glad that Cardin finally let go.
Jaune's eyes were furious and pierced through Cardin, making the reddish brown-headed teen squirm. His eyes weren't the only one that were watching. In the midst of a bunch of eyes, a pair of amber eyes stared intently.
"What did I tell you about messing with my friends?" Jaune asked, his voice low and guttural, nearly like a growl.
Cardin, still defiant, spat out, "I didn't know this faunus freak was your friend."
Jaune sighed, shaking with barely contained resentment, "Just because she's a faunus doesn't mean that she's any less of a person." Blake knew that he was courageous before, but actively standing up for a faunus, standing up for her? It was enough for Blake to see past Jaune's goofy exterior and see him for the person he really is.
Jaune let go, his fist shaking violently. "Leave."
Cardin looked disgusted, but left after a moment, both his stomach and pride hurt. He swore under his breath.
Jaune sat back down, taking a few deep breaths before finally calming himself.
"You alright?" He heard the black-themed girl ask. He replied with an idiotic grin.
"I should be asking you that."
"I'm fine, but my ears kinda hurt." Blake admitted, her bow twitching slightly. She winced, as if to emphasize her point.
Jaune replied, "Hmm...I think I know just the thing!"
He gently placed his hand on her bow, gently feeling for the ears that he had never seen but heard of from Ruby and Weiss. He slowly pumped his aura into the troubled area. A little fun fact about Jaune's aura: he specialized in defensive and healing aura, which made him useful for situations such as these.
These were just the areas he excelled at. Of course aura could be used offensively too, which was what his partner, Lie Ren, specializes in, but he hadn't developed that much in way of offensive aura. He was hoping Ren could teach him, but it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon.
Blake found her pain dissolving, little by little. Who knew that Jaune had this hidden power? Blake was rather impressed with the goofy blonde boy. To see him improve his aura use this much after a few short months was amazing. She didn't think he would've come this far this fast.
Once her ears stopped hurting, Jaune withdrew his hands, smiling gently. "They feel better now?"
Blake nodded, her ears twitched in agreement.
Jaune smiled, "That's good to hear."
Jaune crossed his arms, appearing a little hesitant to ask this question that had been bugging him for a while.
"Hey, Blake?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you save me?"
The question was innocent enough, but the actual thought of why she did it was another matter altogether. She blushed but managed to keep herself calm to answer his question.
"No reason."
"Jaune!"
"Jaune!"
"Jaune!"
His name was called three times, one for each female in the search party. Ruby, Yang, and Pyrrha all walked down the streets of Vytal, looking for the blonde goofball. They had asked around for a while but they didn't really get any solid answers from anybody.
"Ugh," Ruby said, trotting down a different street with her co-conspirators. The three of them had been searching for a few hours, but no sign of Jaune anywhere. The dust plane driver said that a blonde male did sit with a girl with a black bow, but he didn't really pay them much attention. That was the reason why the three of them were in town.
"Do you really think Blake might've taken Jaune?" Yang asked the cloaked girl, her hands casually behind her head.
Ruby pondered this a moment. It was true that Blake had been missing since the same time that Jaune had been, and that Blake wasn't in any of her usual reading spots was also curious, but not enough to actually warrant any suspicion from the red-headed reaper. But if what the driver of the dust plane was true, then it was probably Blake that had managed to get him away from the three of them. For what reason, Ruby didn't have the answer. She shrugged in response.
Yang was about to pose another question, but Pyrrha cut her off.
"What made you change your mind about Jaune?"
Yang and Ruby knew that the question was going to come sooner or later. They didn't expect it to be so soon, though. They both knew why they had fallen for the knight.
Yang answered first. "Well...I noticed he started having more confidence over the past few months thanks to your training, and he actually stood up for me when Cardin backed me into a corner and started to...suggest certain things. Don't get me wrong, I could've pummeled the four of 'em by myself, but Jaune beat me to it. Ever since then, I've noticed that he's really kind to people and helps them. Not to mention he's extremely attractive." Her mind wandered back to the day when she saw him in the weight room with her. His chiseled chest and taut muscles, it was enough for even Yang to consider him attractive. Not to mention how he dealt with the ugsome Cardin.
Pyrrha didn't like the glint of lust in Yang's eyes, so she turned to Ruby, hoping for a more...innocent answer.
Ruby shifted under her gaze, uncomfortable with any type of examination upon her.
"J-Jaune's just a really nice person. He helped me out after my little misunderstanding with Weiss. I think he's just a l-lovable kind of guy. And the way he stands up for his friends, even in the face of danger, is awesome! His fake confidence is cheesy, but in the kind of goofy way that only he could pull off. And...he looks like a knight." Ruby said the last part quietly. Her own fondness of heroic knights stemmed from her reading tons of fairy tale books, and it certainly helped flesh out her attraction to Jaune. Jaune was just nice, and seemed like the hero in many of her books.
Pyrrha was a little surprised at Ruby's answer, but smiled, nonetheless. She agreed with Ruby, to a degree.
"C'mon," Pyrrha said, clasping a hand on Ruby's cloaked shoulder. "Let's go find our knight in shining armor."
Ruby smiled and nodded her head vigorously in agreement. Yang grinned, her smile giving way to her own excitement. They continued their search.
The sun was setting, giving way to a linear gradient of red, orange, and purple. Jaune leaned against the railing of the dock, admiring the picturesque scene. To his left was Blake, standing about arm's length away from him. Surprisingly enough, she wasn't reading a book.
A few dust boats were in the marina and the sailors went about their business. Out on the horizon, Jaune could see a few fishermen trying get their last catch of the day before they went home. All in all, it was a gorgeous sight.
Blake, on the other hand, was more transfixed by the young man who stood beside her. His courage gleaming almost as brightly as his chest plate against the setting sun. She had heard of his exploits-his acts of heroism- from Yang and Ruby. She knew he was nice, but what she saw today only confirmed what the two sisters said.
She stood up straight, one arm dangled loosely while the other was on her hip.
"...Pretty." Jaune commented to no one in particular. Blake thought it was a compliment and blushed a little.
"Umm...what?" Blake queried, her cheeks warm.
"Oh. Didn't think you heard me. I was talking about the view here. It's nice." Jaune said, a small smile playing on his lips.
Blake was a little disappointed, but she did have to agree that the scene was nice...she wondered if they had any tuna.
"Jaune," Blake said, but trailed off, pondering what she should say next.
Jaune looked over, interested in what she had to say.
"There was a reason why I saved you today."
Jaune was even more intrigued. "Go on..."
"I...kind of...have a...crush...on you." There. She finally said it. It was good to get off her chest.
Jaune, despite all past occurrences, found this shocking.
"Woah woah woah! You-the beautiful, smart, and skilled, Blake Belladonna-have a crush on me? Jaune Arc? Residential goofball and overall idiot?" Jaune pointed to himself. He was genuinely confused.
She reddened, but not much. "Yes. You. I had to see for myself if you would be the knight that everyone had fallen for. And sure enough, you were. I pulled you away from Ruby, Yang, and Pyrrha to test your gallantry. Cardin was an excellent test. I had something else lined up, but Cardin being here was perfect."
Jaune was really confused, but flattered. It was cute, but he didn't know how to react.
It surprised him so much, that when he took one step back, he tripped over a small ledge that jutted out of the ground.
He let out a small squeal as he fell, "Woah!". His arms flailed frantically, desperate to grasp anything to help right himself. He was hoping to at least grab the metal railing. However, his luck was wont to go the other way.
Jaune gripped Blake's clothes. This sent her toppling on top of Jaune.
Jaune felt a weight on his chest. He looked up, seeing Blake straddling his chest. His cheeks turned scarlet, and his heart rate skyrocketed. Not as nearly as much as when Yang had him in her grip, but nearly had the same effect.
Blake didn't fair much better. Her own face, normally sallow, was turning a dark crimson. Her burning cheeks contrasted with the cool breeze that swept over them. Her long, black hair billowed gracefully in the wind.
Jaune noticed that her touch, unlike Yang's and Pyrrha's, was much more compassionate. He was thankful for that. Her and Ruby were the only people that seemed to treat him like a human being. Also, he swore that he felt steam coming off his cheeks from where her hands lay, gently caressing his face.
Jaune, even though he had been in this situation three times, it didn't make it any easier on him or his heart. He breathing turned sporadic, coming in quick and shallow. His heart-as weak as it was from previous encounters- was hammering against his chest plate. He could almost feel the crack in his armor as his heart thumped in an erratic rhythm. Blake's own heart pumped as erratically as Jaune's.
Now or never. Blake thought, hoping that her own cardiac organ would slow down.
She inched her own face closer to Jaune's, moving painfully slow. Jaune was afraid time would stop if she stopped moving.
She continued her snail's pace until:
Five inches...four inches...three inches...two...one
With a bit of hesitation, her own lips met their mark.
The sensation engulfed Jaune's entire being. He shivered from how smooth and silky her lips were. This reaction caused Blake to smile against him, causing him to melt even more.
Screw it. I might as well enjoy this. Jaune determined, closing his eyes from the bliss. His hands wandered to the small of her back, and clutched her closer to him. This elicited a few catcalls from some of the dock workers, and a few rolled eyes from people passing by. Jaune couldn't care less.
At the end of the pier, an off center, snow-white ponytail stood out from the crowd.
Thank you all for your support.
I love you all!
This story may wrap up around 10 chapters or so. No more than 15. Gotta set limits.
Read and review if you would be so kind!
I'm gonna try and update every other Friday.
Much Love,
Den R.
P.S. I have another story idea, but I'm not giving away too much yet. It'll probably be after this story is done.