I've kept you waiting long enough, so here's part one of my epilogue.
I'm still not done writing the entire thing, but you've been waiting for months, and I apologize.
Morning rays and the smell of fresh spring meant one thing for Jaune: spring break. It had been a few weeks since the incident with a few females of Beacon Academy. After the entire situation, Jaune had found that his friendships with any of them had not been compromised in the slightest; the only person who acted differently was Ruby. Jaune couldn't fathom why the young reaper would be trying to be constantly trying to get him alone. (Jaune is still clueless, to this day.)
Jaune was actually surprised that his relationship with the girls hadn't dwindled in any way shape or form. He was also intrigued to find out that none of the girls had hated each other after the event had occurred as well. He supposed that he was truly lucky, despite him mistaking his luck for misfortune.
Now that spring break's started, I wonder what everyone will want to do? We get about two weeks off, so... I suppose the beach is always a viable option, but may not be so popular with Weiss. Everyone else would want to go. I'll ask her later, but for now, sleep.
And with that, Jaune closed his eyes and allowed the feeling of sleep come once more.
Out of everyone at the dorm room of Team RWBY, Blake was the only one up at seven in the morning on a holiday. She had picked up one of her favorite books of the 'Ninja's of Love' series. This book was the latest one to be introduced by the author. This one focused more on the romance aspect of the book's plot, rather than the general action, as she referred to it. It was better this way, Blake speculated. It's good to try new things, and she found the romance to be well written, and tried to avoid as many innuendos as possible. However, many diehard fans of such a famous collection of books will tend to get angry that a book that goes outside its boundaries exists. They wanted the book to be as steamy as the others.
They're immature and don't know what makes a good book. Blake thought as she flipped to the next page. She couldn't really fault the other readers, seeing as everyone had their own taste and nobody had the exact same interests. She digressed.
She managed to get to page thirty before she decided to close the book and stretch. Now that it was spring break, a majority of the students would leave campus, letting Blake concentrate in peace. She wondered if her team would do anything, but gave pause to the fact that, if in fact the three of them did have something planned, the two sisters would try and make her accompany them. Jaune would also be subject to that.
Rather than fight them, I should just go along with it. It'll be less of a headache that way, and maybe I'll have some time alone in order to do more important things...like picking up a new book from my favorite underground author: Den R. He's really mysterious. He also writes good romance. I'd heard that he had a new one recently, and there's already another book under way.
Maybe they would go out and swing by a bookstore on the way. It may not happen, but on the other hand, it could. It would certainly be nice if they did. She also thought of the possibility that they would just leave her alone, however unlikely it would be. Peace and quiet, and books. That would be heaven.
Having Jaune here as well would certainly be another stress reliever. As soon as she thought that, her face turned a light shade of red. She quickly dispelled any and all thoughts that would take her down the path of perversion. She was mortified to make the connection that she was starting to think like Yang now.
...In all seriousness, I should probably check on Jaune. Knowing him, he'd sleep the day away if he had the chance.
Mere friendliness was just a social stigma that was just played into her plan perfectly. She knew, deep within her subconscious, that she wanted to see Jaune before anyone in her team. Blake wondered what she could get away with. After her stretches, she slipped into the bathroom, allowing her night-robe to fall to the floor.
First thing's first. I need to shower.
"Ah...nice long sleep." Jaune murmured as he jumped out of bed, energized and ready to tackle the day. He glanced around him to see his team still sleeping. Jaune glanced at the clock. He was astonished to see that it was 8 in the morning.
Since I'm up, I might as well grab some breakfast. But first, shower. I hate being greasy.
He quickly went into his team's shower room, removed his clothing, and let the warm water cascade down his body.
"Mm..." He murmured, grateful to have some hot water. He grabbed some blue soap-the soap rack had been color coordinated. Blue for Jaune, green for Ren, Pink for Nora, and yellow-ish red for Pyrrha. That way, nobody would use the same soap twice. The washcloths were also set up that way, as was the shampoo. However, the shower schedule was more on the side of chaotic, unruly, and downright spontaneous. It was first come, first serve. In most cases, it was Pyrrha who had it first, then Ren, and whomever woke up faster than the other would usually go at it. The best case scenario, for Jaune, was that he would wake up a few minutes before Nora, and take his quick shower before going to breakfast.
Jaune finished his shower. He dried himself off, and with the towel around his waist, went to his closet. Today, since he had the day off, he would dress casually. Dressing in non-formal wear wasn't much of an option. Only armor counted, as it complemented a specific style, as casual. He also didn't want to take his armor out. Jaune didn't feel compelled to do so, so he wanted to be free with his range of movement today.
Let's see...
He perused the contents within said closet, which was shared by all four of them. Each of the members got a section for clothes. It was a fair deal. However, Jaune was a little disappointed in himself that he hadn't obtained more of a variety of clothing in the few short months that he had been attending Beacon. Each article of clothing was just another form of his armor-wear.
Black hoodie, black hoodie, black hoodie...another black hoodie...
Jaune almost gave up, until he saw an option that stood out to him. It was the clothes that he had received from his family as part of his acceptance into Beacon. The Arc family deemed it necessary to give their beloved Jaune a few thousand in lien, and some new clothes to 'help with the ladies', as his dad so eloquently put it.
It was a black, button up shirt, made of the finest material that money could buy, and designed beautifully. It had a white, pinstripe pattern all across the body of the fabric, and the sleeves were able to roll up, making it ideal for summer wear, too. Part of the ensemble was an orange t-shirt, but the hue was elegant, and well thought out with Jaune's prefered color scheme in mind. The jeans, dark blue in color, were simple and faded. The material felt rough to the touch, and it left Jaune with a feeling of satisfaction. The piece de resistance: the shoes. Black sneakers that looked brand new, and were certainly comfortable to wear.
It's days like this that I need to go shopping. I need more stuff like this in my closet. I just don't know what looks good on me.
Jaune thought, putting on the articles of clothing.
Blake finished her shower early, as she was considerate of her friends' needs for hot water as well. A towel was wrapped against her slender figure, and her hair, wet from earlier, hung down in alluring shambles. Her bow, placed delicately on the dresser, was left in a small pile.
Blake's team was still asleep, snoring softly. They weren't aware that the sun was shining, and that the day was slowly fading into the afternoon. Blake knew that Weiss, out of everyone else, hated wasting time more than anyone else.
Blake silently opened the door to the closet, and looked for her combat gear. She was always prepared, and there was a reason for that. She didn't allow herself to leave any place of comfort without her weapon of choice: Gambol Shroud. If a fight ever broke out, she'd be ready. She prided herself on that fact.
Early morning grogginess wasn't a hinderance for Blake. She slid the smooth pieces of fabric onto her legs, adjusted the leggings of her uniform, and, when she was finally happy with the result, moved on to the next article of clothing. She moved her arms through her coat, buttoned it, and let a small, cat-like smile rest upon her features.
For the final piece, she elected to go back into the restroom. Tying her bow around her ears was an arduous process. One that took many years to actually perfect, but not without the help of a mirror. Her muscle memory couldn't help her, and it was difficult learning in a mirror, but she succeeded. Now she could put on her makeup as well. Making the whole process quicker.
Purple eyeliner: check. Weapon: check. Scroll: check.
She continued her mental checklist for a few seconds. Satisfied she had everything, Blake walked, confidence surrounding her, to the door.
"Sure hope she's awake." Jaune murmured as he poised his hand to knock.
"Hm...Jaune?" Blake asked, almost reduced speechless, due to the sheer coincidence that she was just thinking about him.
"Gah!" Jaune said excitedly, flailing his arms as he fell backwards. This time, he didn't dig his grasp into her again, and thus she remained standing. The spectacle was comical.
"You alright?" Blake asked, kneeling down to offer her hand.
"Yeah. I just wasn't expecting that." Jaune sighed, and his goofy smile replaced any look of fear. He took her dainty hand, remembering how soft it was, and how warm it felt.
"Thanks." Jaune murmured gratefully as he hoisted himself up, with help from the lovely Blake Belladonna. He didn't voice his thoughts, because if he did, he knew that it would make the pale faunus blush. Although, a blushing Blake sounded adorable.
"What're you doing here?" Blake queried, letting her ears twitch under her bow, but only to her knowledge. It was just too perfect: Jaune being here as she was thinking about him. Someone put him up to this. There was no way he had such good timing.
"I was going into town, since I had some free time. I wanted to buy some more clothes. Like this at least." He murmured, dusting himself off.
For the first time, she actually looked at Jaune's outfit. It was different from his usual attire, and so, she hadn't expected him to be so...clean.
Yeah, you should dress like that more. Blake thought to herself as she admired in Jaune's choice of clothing. It hugged him in all the right places, and it made Blake want to shove him-
Okay! Not going down that road!
Blake stopped herself before her face could be covered in a blush. Her composure didn't falter.
"Mind if I join you? I wanted to swing by the library." She inquired.
Jaune nodded and extended his hand to hers, smiling, "Sure. I'll read you a story about an awesome knight who went to an amazing school for Hunters and Huntresses. He's really charming and good looking."
Blake only laughed. She could only imagine what the 'hero' looked like to Jaune. Although, she could guess. If it was a humorous attempt to try and get her to giggle, it certainly worked, and to Jaune's favor. She always loved that he could make her laugh so easily. She was comfortable around him. That was no easy feat. Most of her life had been spent crafting an aloof mask that would sway others into believing that she was a good student and one that did not need any person. But, to have someone to hold her and be her friend spoke volumes. Even if she would deny it, Blake still had a need to be social, albeit with a small group.
"I was thinking of leaving now. I'm clean, and it's better than being cooped up in here all day, don't you agree?" Jaune said, smiling with her.
I'd rather leave now because if the others wake up, it'll just be a pain to deal with in the morning. I don't want that to be an issue on what's supposed to be a fun day off.
Blake confirmed that she was okay with that plan and left her teammates a note via the scroll. It would just be inconsiderate of her to not tell them where she was going and who she was with. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang probably won't like it at first, but they'd deal with the fact that Blake got up earlier than them. She couldn't imagine that Pyrrha would be too happy about this development either.
"The next dust plane leaves in about twenty minutes. We'd better start walking if we want to make it there in time." Jaune commented, looking at his black, digital watch. The strap was a plastic, black material, and the watch face was big, even for his standards. It had a nice, glossy finish. Another birthday present from mom.
"Let's go."
And with that, the two departed.
Jaune's breathing was normal. He breathed through his nose, and out his mouth. It was a relaxing technique that helped Jaune with his motion sickness.
"Jaune...are you okay?"
He responded with a short nod. He didn't mean to be rude. Jaune had to use his entire concentration in order to focus on his breathing, rather than being up a mile high in a plane and moving. It took the young knight all of his willpower to breathe on rides like this. So, when he only responded with nods, he was very busy trying not to throw up. His eyes were closed, which made it easier not to look out the window.
It was an uneventful plane ride.
As soon as they were off the aircraft, Jaune immediately said, with remorse in his voice, "I'm sorry! I know I seemed rude, but to make up for it, we'll go to the library first, and you can take as long as you want."
Blake was happy with that idea. She smiled with ease and replied, "Sure. In return, I'll help you out with which clothes look good on you."
Jaune grinned in an appreciative manner, and she took Jaune's hand.
"The nearest book store is this way."
"Argh! Blake managed to get the drop on us!" Yang mumbled angrily, clutching her scroll in her hand. She almost crushed it as her grip tightened.
"Drop on us how? She woke up earlier than any of us, and at least she told us where she was going." Ruby responded meekly, avoiding Yang's wrath and enraged stare.
"I'm sure that she had it all planned out. We all had plans with Jaune. Including Pyrrha." Weiss said calmly, albeit with a hint of ice to her tone. Ruby was beginning to think that there was nothing but malice towards the ninja of the group.
"I say that we go to Vale right now and break up their little party!" Yang said, her eyes turning their dangerous red color, and her hair starting to glow.
"Or we could just call her. That would save us the trouble of going down there and finding out that they aren't there, and it'll save us the trouble of getting yelled at because you destroyed the town looking for Jaune." Ruby said, having a little more confidence in herself.
Weiss and Yang were about to protest in unison, but Ruby firmly said, "Listen. We all agreed we would spend the day, as friends." She stressed the last two words, and the brawler and the fencer stood in dejected silence.
"Now. It doesn't matter who got to him first. We're going to call them. We're going to figure out where they are, and then we're going to spend our spring break together. No fighting over him. No dragging him off to places against his will. And certainly none of us putting other teammates down in order to win his favor."
It would take the three of them, and Pyrrha, an hour to get ready. Yang and Weiss both had to spend time on their hair. Ruby didn't have that problem. All of them had a nefarious plan to get Jaune alone today. And seduce him, if need be. For Yang, this was the most prominent idea in her mind. Weiss and Ruby, not so much.
He will be mine. They all thought in unison.
Weiss was in the midst of putting her soft, alabaster hair into her trademark ponytail. Her own thoughts betrayed how she felt. She wanted her own time with Jaune, considering their date had gone awry. The situation, which Weiss hardly ever thought about for reason of her face turning as red as Ruby's cloak, didn't count as part of her date. She was a lady: prim and proper. She would get a second date.
Spending the day together didn't sound so bad, after all. She just needed to set up a date and time with the goofball, and then they could progress from there. A small, satisfactory grin rested upon her pale, soft features.
Pyrrha, who had awoken to see that their leader was nowhere in sight, was relieved to know that he was with Blake, and that he had left a message for the three of them, saying what he would be doing and where he would be. She trusted her leader.
She was brought out of her thoughts when there was short knock on her door.
"Coming!" She responded quickly, putting away her makeup and jogging to the door.
"Oh. Hello, Ruby." Pyrrha said, calmly and with a friendly smile.
"Hey, Pyrrha. We're getting ready to go into town. Do you and the rest of your team want to come along?" Ruby queried, looking past Pyrrha and seeing the two other members of JNPR on the bed. Nora was bouncing energetically, and Ren was meditating.
If he can meditate through Nora, he can meditate through anything.
Ruby thought incredulously.
"I'll go. How about you, Ren, Nora?"
Nora was the first to say, "We'd love to Pyrrha, but Ren and I already have plans. First, we're going to a restaurant, where they serve pancakes throughout the day, with tons of maple syrup!" She was just getting started. Nora continued to go on about pancakes and her entire day plan with Ren, until Ren put a hand on her shoulder and calmly stated, "We've got plans."
Nora nodded vigorously.
"Well, I hope you have fun." Ruby said, smiling.
"I'll see you in an hour." Pyrrha was already in the process of shutting the door.
Now that that was taken care of, Ruby went back to her dorm room and checked on her other friends.
Yang methodically brushed her hair. Her face was pensive. Ruby could guess why. There wasn't much need to tell Yang the rules again. Ruby doubted that Yang would listen to her a second time. However, Ruby still felt the need to try and get Yang to understand that Jaune was a person, and that he deserved to be treated as such. Not as some plaything that Yang could torture for hours on end.
"Yang." Ruby stated firmly, getting her sister's attention.
"Oh, hey Rubes." Yang said cheerfully.
"Nothing underhanded today. Understood?"
Yang pretended to be appalled, "What? Me? My dear sister. I'm a little offended that you would peg me as the person to try something devious, and perhaps even diabolical. I may be many things, but I am not a schemer." Yang said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
She cracked a grin and put her arm around Ruby, "Aw, lighten up. Just...Yang in there!"
Yang snorted at her own bad pun, and Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Grr...we're getting ready to leave in an hour."
With that, Ruby spun on her heels and went to do her own thing.
Yang was left to articulate.
I feel like Jaune's special. I kinda want to...let him... I haven't even considered doing that with any guy I've been with before. When I'm with him, he makes me feel...special...like I'm the only girl in the world.
Her lilac orbs scanned the room, and found them glaring daggers at her sister and Weiss.
Too bad I'm not the only one that he makes feel that way.
In truth, Yang had dated a myriad of guys, of whom, mostly wanted for her body. They didn't care about her at all. It was all about status. Who could go out with the hottest girl at Signal. That was always a goal for them. She had fallen into the sweet, honeyed words of guys over and over again, and at a time, there was a time she didn't think she would ever find a guy who would treat her like a person, and be kind. In her mind, it just wasn't possible.
Cue Jaune Arc.
In the past few months, he's proven himself to be a gentleman. He wasn't as smart as others. He wasn't as strong as others, but if there's one thing that Yang saw that she didn't find in other men, it was that Jaune had a big heart.
That's not the only thing that's big.
She smirked and chuckled to herself, eliciting a few odd looks from Weiss and Ruby.