Chapter 16
"Phew." Jaune wiped his brow, setting his bags down beside the bed he and Blake would share. "I'm beat."
"Beat?" She lifted an eyebrow, sitting on the mattress. "It was a few bags."
"Yeah, and six flights of stairs I had to climb. Twice. Courtesy of the broken elevators here."
She could only narrow her gaze and cross her arms, furrowing her brows in some level of annoyance.
"Jaune." She thinned her eyes. "I'm sure that climbing six flights of stairs is not the worst challenge you've faced. You're a huntsman, you should act like one."
"I didn't think it was that serious." He chuckled oddly, shooting her a curious glance. One that asked 'are you okay?' without any words.
"Sorry. My mind's a bit... occupied."
He took a deep breath, folding his arms loosely as he walked forwards, keeping his gaze fixed on her own.
"With what?" He asked softly, sitting on the bed beside her.
She didn't respond, turning her head away from him, swallowing visibly as she receded into herself. He frowned, nudging her with his shoulder.
"Hey..." Jaune reached out, stroking the backs of his fingers along her cheek, slipping a strand of hair behind her ear. "Talk to me."
With a deep breath, Blake's eyes fluttered shut. Gently, she lifted her hand and laced her fingers with his own.
"I thought I was getting past it. I really did." She sniffled, visibly holding back tears. "I-I don't know what happened."
Immediately, he understood what had been troubling her, lowering his gaze in response. He frowned, opening his mouth, lost on the right words to say to comfort her.
"Oakenwood?" He whispered softly, already knowing the answer.
She could only nod in response, wiping her eyes as she turned herself away from him completely, unable to meet him at all. He didn't push her to do so, instead, he wrapped his arms around her back, clasping his hands together at her midriff—resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Gonna be alright?" He asked quietly, right next to her ear.
"I don't know." She shook her head, lifting her hand up to him, threading her fingers through his hair. "I hope so."
Jaune chuckled solemnly, tightening his gentle hold on her, leaning into her touch.
"You're strong." He pecked her jaw, letting his eyes flutter shut as he buried himself in her shoulder. "You'll get through this."
"Or I'll just... run away." She shook her head, the tears she tried so desperately to hold in beginning to run down her cheeks. "Like I always do."
"Do you want to?"
"What?"
"Run away."
"I... no."
"Then don't."
Her eyes widened, though he couldn't see it. He did, however, notice as her breath caught in her throat. How she struggled—just as he had moments ago—to find the words to say.
"I'll try..." Was all she could manage, but he knew it wasn't for a lack of trying, he knew what it meant coming from her. Even still, he wasn't entirely content with her answer. He didn't push it, keeping silent instead.
Blake was tense, and he could tell that she expected a harsh response to her own, but none of the such came.
"Whether this works out or not..." Jaune hesitated to continue, shutting his eyes softly. "Whether we work out or not. I just want you to know how happy you've made me, okay?"
She froze all over again, taking a deep breath this time... then she turned back around to meet his eyes, to meet him completely. For a moment, she was steeled in her resolve, but she faltered somewhere along the way—losing that confidence.
"How're your scars?" She asked suddenly. It was easy to recognize it as a desperate attempt to change the topic of the conversation, but he didn't push back on it.
"They're better." He pushed his hand against his chest, lowering his gaze to the area. "Did you... want to see them?"
Blake nodded softly, and he pushed himself from her back, gripping the collar of his shirt with either hand, slipping it off slowly. She shifted to face him as he set it down on the bed, facing her with his arms relaxed at his sides. She swallowed, reaching out and tracing the length of the three-clawed scar with her fingers.
"Does it still hurt...?" She whispered softly, unable to take her eyes off of the torn flesh.
"Sometimes." Was all he could say, shrugging nonchalantly.
"You've been keeping it clean, right?" She swallowed, finally glancing up at him.
"And risk having you chide me over it while half asleep again?" He smirked, shaking his head. "Not a chance."
"Yeah..." She glanced away, keeping her fingers on his chest. "Jaune, I don't think I can ever thank you enough for all you've done for me."
"Blake..." He whispered softly.
"I'm serious." She continued, shutting her eyes softly, gently tracing her hand down the length of his sternum. "You gave me a place to stay when I had nowhere to go. You were there for me when I had no one to turn to..."
"I was just-"
"Being a good person?" She asked softly, opening her eyes to meet his once more. "A friend?"
"I..." He opened his mouth to speak, finding no words to say.
"You're the best of us, Jaune..." She whispered.
He sighed, lifting his hands to either side of her waist, nestling them against her. He shut his eyes, pressing his forehead to her own, remaining content in the momentary silence. He trailed one hand up her side, brushing his fingers along her chest, her collarbone, her neck, cupping her jaw gently with his palm. Her own eyes slid shut as she leaned into his touch. Softly, gingerly, he pulled her close, pressing his lips against her own. He didn't shift, he didn't pull her closer, he just held her like that for what must've been thirty seconds until they finally parted.
"You know it goes both ways... right?" He whispered against her lips.
"What?"
"Whether you like it or not, I'm happier now because of you." He offered her a warm smile, tracing his thumb back and forth along her jawline.
She blushed, lifting her hand to his own, leaning deeper into his gentle touch. She took a breath, letting out a sigh—and then a soft, low rumble.
Silence.
Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.
"Blake...?" He whispered, showing an expression of concern. "Are you okay?"
"Shut up." She blushed, pulling away from him hastily.
"Hey... it was just a-"
"Shut up!" She repeated, her face beet red now, her hand coming up to cover her own mouth.
"It's not that serious..." He reached out, taking her hand. "You... know you purr in your sleep, right?"
"I don't want to know that!" She shouted, pushing his hand away, her face only turning redder.
He swallowed, stroking her hair softly with a nod that she didn't see.
"Sorry."
"Just... don't speak of this." She swallowed heavily, her tone heavy and commanding, though, even that faltered. "Please."
"Speak of what, exactly?" He glanced around, shrugging cluelessly.
She nodded hesitantly, pushing herself up to her feet, looking around the room, the red heat in her cheeks still dying down.
"We should head out, they're probably waiting on us to go downstairs." He tried to change the subject, slipping his shirt back on, then his burgundy coat.
"Oh, yeah." She nodded briskly, pushing past him, desperate to find anything else to engage with. "That."
He chuckled under his breath and followed behind her, slipping through the door of the hotel room, shutting it gently behind them. Blake, still trying to shake herself off, leaned against the wall. Jaune, however, made his way through the hall, stopping one door down from them and knocking. He waited a moment for a response, then another, before the door finally opened for him.
"Son." His mother greeted with a weak smile, he simply nodded in response. "Your father is getting ready, he-"
"Jaune, son!" His father pushed past her with a wide grin on his face, ignoring the annoyed expression his wife wore. "I'm just about ready, go get your sisters, they're directly across from us."
"Got it." He responded with a brisk nod, turning one-eighty and walking across, knocking on the other door. "Come on, we're about ready out here!" He shouted after a few seconds.
Their hotel door swung open and he was greeted by seven irritated faces, not even close to being ready.
"Saphron, Joan, Vi, you girls okay?" He wore an expression of concern as he peeked inside.
"Yeah, no. We're not going." Saphron shut her baggy eyes, turning back around.
"Speak for yourself, Saph!" Joan pushed past her, sliding her boots on before throwing on a jacket. "I'll be right out, the rest are staying behind. Girls night or something." She shrugged. "Don't leave without me or so help me I'll-"
Saphron shut the door. He heard his twin sister shout something he couldn't quite understand, turning to Blake with a lifted eyebrow. She stared back at him, confused for a moment, before sighing.
"Wasn't listening." She rolled her eyes, the faintest of smirks on her lips.
"Lame." Jaune teased, walking over to her, leaning himself against the wall beside her.
They sat there in silence, but that was nothing new, he was content with it—content with looping his arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. It was comfortable, while it lasted. He had to push himself off of her when both his dad and Joan came from their respective rooms, dressed and ready to go.
"Your mother's staying behind." His dad shrugged, moving towards them.
"Surprising."
"Kids still getting ready?" He lifted a curious eyebrow.
Jaune looked over to the door, pausing for a moment before he turned back to face his father.
"Nah, the girls aren't coming. Something about a girls night?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Joan is, though. She should be out here soon."
"So just us three, then?"
"Seems that way." He nodded. "Should still be able to make it fun."
"No doubt, I always have fun giving you a run for your money." His dad snickered.
"Oh please, I think I can beat you now." Jaune clapped, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Not even in your wildest dreams, son!" He laughed heartily.
The arcade was dark, with all sorts of colorful lights everywhere. It brought forth a vibrant, lively energy that the place would otherwise lack. Unfortunately, the only thing Blake could really focus on was the noise.
The place was loud. Really loud.
"Oh, come on!" She overheard Jaune, turning her gaze to him. He seemed upset, slumped in defeat over an arcade machine.
"Maybe someday, my boy. It would seem I'm still the reigning champion!"
Blake chuckled softly to herself as she watched the scene unfold.
"You know, he's never beaten our dad in a game of Fatal Kombat?" Joan's voice cut in beside her and she turned to face the woman.
It still caught her off guard that she and Jaune were the same height, though, she supposed it was to be expected from twins.
"Really? Is he that bad?" She chuckled.
"As much as I'd love to make fun of my little bro, our dad took the championship medal two years in a row way back when. Jaune's actually pretty good."
"Ah." She chuckled, then her eyes widened in question. "Little brother? I thought you two were-"
"I'm a minute and twenty two seconds older, according to my dad." Joan grinned pridefully. "He'll always be my little bro." She feigned a cute, endearing tone.
"I can't imagine having so many siblings, let alone any at all." Blake chuckled, crossing her arms as she leaned against the air hockey table beside them.
"You play at all?" Joan gestured towards it, walking over to one side.
"I've dabbled." She nodded, making her way across from her, stretching her arms. "Nothing crazy."
"I'll take it easy on ya, this is where I shine." She cracked her knuckles as she placed the puck on the table, her focus suddenly shifting only to the center.
Blake did the same, and much to Joan's surprised, she mirrored her energy—eyes thinning, stance tightening, focusing only on the table and nothing else.
"First to three?" Joan spoke, not taking her focus away for a second.
"Five." Was all the faunus said in response.
"Heads or tails." She slipped a coin from her pocket, flipping it through the air. She caught it on the the back of her hand, covering it with the other.
"Heads." Blake nodded.
She lifted her hand, uncovering tails. With a grin, she pulled the puck to her side, ready for some action. In an instant, the blonde girl lunged forward, knocking the puck straight ahead at a speed incomprehensible to most. Blake, however, didn't falter. She smacked it back without skipping a beat.
Joan's eyes widened as she blocked, using her paddle to catch it against the rim of the table, slamming it to the other side. It ricocheted towards Blake, and their movements began to turn into a flurry of action that started to garner the attention of both Jaune and his dad. The two men watched in awe as they went at it, it was as if the world didn't even exist outside of their game.
"I've never seen Joan struggle to hold a point." His father's eyes were wide.
"Me neither." Jaune practically gasped, forgetting entirely about the game he was playing with his dad.
Joan lurched forward, growing desperate as Blake only continued to defend and counter. The blonde quickly began to realize that her hyper aggressive intimidation tactics wouldn't work on the faunus, she'd have to switch it up. She thinned her eyes, letting Blake take charge of the puck, switching to defense. She quickly realized her mistake, however, after an unstoppable assault from the woman left her frozen...
It was a point for Blake.
"Good round." Joan nodded, sliding the puck back onto the table.
"Likewise." She responded in turn, the both of them circling the table, switching sides.
Blake had control of the puck now, and she could tell the faunus meant to take advantage of that. After a three second countdown, she slammed the puck against the side of the table, letting it bounce back and forth before she hit it forward. Joan narrowed her vision, hitting it back. She couldn't play on defense from Blake's aggression, not after the last round, she had to counter it two fold. Another unrelenting flurry of hits passed before Joan managed to hook the puck against her side of the table, bouncing it back right next to her goal and hitting it back...
It was her point.
"Good one." Blake nodded, stretching her arms as they alternated sides once more.
This went on for quite some time, Joan would score, Blake would score—and through a cruel twist of fate, they ended up four and four. Not only that, but their display hadn't only captivated Jaune and his father, but an entire audience of people from around the arcade. They didn't notice, paying no mind to the outside world, focused only on the last point that needed to be scored.
"Get her, Joan!" Her father called out pridefully.
"Kick her ass, Blake!" Jaune cheered her on, focusing intently on their game.
"Ready?" The faunus gripped her paddle and took a breath. She had control of the puck, and she didn't intend to waste it.
Joan nodded, and the countdown began. On queue, Blake tapped the puck forward gently, and the blonde's eyes widened. For a moment, she panicked, before hitting it to the side. She hit it back in the same direction, the twin deflecting from the left, and then Blake slammed it to the right—straight past Joan's defenses... The round was over in six seconds, and it was a point for Blake.
Silence.
"Holy shit." Joan muttered under her breath, her eyes wide.
She stomped over to the black-haired woman, an intense scowl on her face. Blake took a step back in confusion, only for her to grab her arm and lift it into the air.
"We have a winner!" Joan announced pridefully, Jaune and his father cheering, the crowd following after. "So... just dabbled, hm?"
"I might have a habit of underselling myself." She shrugged awkwardly.
"A habit? Girl, you deserve a gold medal in selling yourself short." She snickered. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've lost to someone in a real game?" She muttered in her ear. "That was awesome!"
"You did pretty well yourself." She smiled in return, accepting the compliment. "I might as well have cheated though, cat-like reflexes."
"Nah, I don't buy that." She shook her head, nudging her shoulder. "That was a display of talent, good reflexes aside."
"Thanks." She swallowed, glancing away.
"Blake!" Jaune approached her cheerfully. "You never told me you were so good, I've never seen her lose like that!"
"Yeah, yeah." Joan rolled her eyes. "Enjoy it while you can, you know you'll never beat me."
"I'm going to enjoy it for as long as I can." He poked her shoulder, chuckling softly.
He then turned to Blake, who had remained mostly silent throughout the whole ordeal, she looked more flustered from all the attention than anything.
"Hey..." He wrapped an arm around her, leaning closer. "Are you alright?"
"It's loud..." She swallowed, scratching her ear.
"We can get out of here if you want?" He tried to comfort her, holding her close. "Not much to do after getting half the arcade to watch a game of air hockey, anyway."
"No, you should have fun with-"
"Blake." He cut her off, shaking his head briskly. "Come on. Maybe we can hit the library on the way back?"
"I'd like that." She nodded hesitantly, still appearing to be upset about having to pull him away so early.
He didn't seem too phased by it, and as she watched him relay the news to his sister and father, they seemed to share the same nonchalant attitude. It was a shrug, a smile, and a playful "run along" from his dad. It put her at ease, helped her feel a little bit better about dragging him away. She watched intently as he trotted towards her, fingers tensing as he took her hand in his own, leading her to the exit with that patented smile he wore.
Exiting the building, Blake was greeted by the orange sunlight of the evening city. That crowded arcade had been so dark she forgot it was still bright out. Her eyes darted methodically from passerby to passerby, car to car, building to building. It was overwhelming in it's own weird way—a glimpse of a life she never lived, one incomparable to her own. She looked to Jaune, and he read her mind. He had a habit of doing that, oblivious as he seemed most of the time.
"I miss it, you know." He sighed, looking around.
"Miss what?" Was all she could ask in her curiosity.
He stopped, and so too did she. He was silent, and not in the way she was used to; the comfortable quiet. He was dead silent, his face unreadable, his breathing slowed to the point where she could barely hear it. She wanted to reach out, ask if he was alright, offer what little reassurance she could... but he snapped out of his trance before she could. Then, he turned his eyes to her, directly to her.
"This. All of this." He spoke softly. "This life, the normal life. Needless anxiety about passing cars, drunk drivers. Ever-present paranoia lingering in the back of your mind, but never making itself real."
"You miss that?" Was all she could say in response, lifting an eyebrow.
He nodded softly, still stuck glancing around as she had been moments ago.
"I do. Because all that anxiety, the paranoia... that's all it was. Needless ramblings of an overactive brain. Living it... fighting it, becoming it? I wasn't ready for it, I'm still not ready." He chuckled, his cathartic words causing her to pause and think...
But all she could really do was shrug.
"I never lived a normal life, one that I could reflect on like that." She shook her head simply. "From protests to riots to tolerating the murder of innocent men, women, and children for far too long, I... I..." It was then she started to tear up, and she realized the weight of the words she spoke, decades of internalized self-hatred manifesting itself in that moment. "This is necessary to secure a future for the faunus... It takes real action to spark change..." She quoted the lines she'd heard so many times prior, it left a bitter taste on her tongue. "It's all I ever heard and I blindly followed orders. Like a fucking dog."
"I'm..." He paused, weighing his next words carefully, taking both her hands in his own. "I'm more of a cat person, myself."
Silence followed, her expression unchanged by his out of place joke. He opened his mouth to apologize, to mutter something of poor taste, but then she laughed. She laughed and pushed him back, rubbing her eyes. That laughter died down to a chuckle, and the chuckle to nothing, but she still wore a dumb smile on her face. For a fleeting moment, she forgot all about the pain she had just expressed moments ago, unable to keep herself from grinning. It was then that Jaune leaned in, a more serious expression on his face.
"You aren't broken." Jaune whispered, cupping her cheek. "You're not a bad person."
"Who am I, then?" She turned her gaze to the floor, the last of her chuckles dying down. His hand lifted to her chin ashe he tilted her head back up to face him, eyes thin and jaw taut.
"You're Blake Belladonna." He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, his words carrying more weight than she ever could have anticipated. "You're a living, breathing, person. You have wants and desires, you make mistakes, you save lives."
She shook her head, turning on her heel to face fully away from him, her arms crossed abashedly. "I hurt people, I'm selfish... I-"
"Just stop!" He shouted out, cutting her off from saying anything else. "What will it take to make you see yourself the way I do?"
"How do you see me, Jaune?" Her tone grew thinner, her patience waning.
"You're kind..." He whispered against her. "You care, you're brave..."
"Brave?" Blake scoffed incredulously. "I'm a coward, all I ever do is run." She growled.
"You haven't yet." He put his hands on her shoulders, tugging her gently back towards him. She didn't resist, letting his arms come around her and hold her back against his chest.
"Yet." She emphasized, and he was silent. "You don't know me like I know me, Jaune. I'll mess this up like I always do... get scared and run off."
His brows furrowed, a pained expression filling his features, one of apathy slowly overtaking even that.
"Then what are you waiting for?" He clenched his eyes shut, his words cold and dry. "Just leave already."
Her eyes widened as his gentle, caring hold over her suddenly slipped from her shoulders—as the warmth he provided faded away. She wanted to speak out in protest, to turn around and take it back, to apologize, to do anything to pull him back. She didn't, finding herself frozen in place, unable to even turn around and face him. So desperately did she try to do so, but by the time she finally mustered the courage and the strength... He was gone, vanished amongst the noisy crowd of the city-dwellers.
"Jaune...?" His name left her lips in a pained whisper, reaching out to nothing.
Tears filled her eyes as her arms fell limp to her sides.
She cried.
5 hours later...
Jaune laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling emptily. Still damp from the shower he'd taken not even thirty minutes ago. His eyes were cold, still, his body unmoving—had it not been for the slow and steady rise and fall of his abdomen, one might even think him dead. A darker part of him almost wished he was in that very moment, at least it'd distract him from the hollowness he felt...
He hoped he'd see her again.
He felt like shit, leaving her like he did. He wanted to take it back, to do it again, to do anything differently. He knew he couldn't, but he so desperately hoped he'd get to hold her again—even if just one more time. She still hadn't returned, though, and there was no way of knowing when or if she even would.
He wasn't sure how relieved to feel when the worst of his fears didn't come to fruition, when he finally heard the click of the hotel room door, her footsteps entering the room as she shut it silently behind her. He didn't spare her a glance and neither did she, a silence unlike any other they had shared previously. He only listened as she reached into her bag, shuffling through it for a few somethings. Then, she turned back around. He heard the bathroom door open, shut, and—after a few moments—the sound of the shower running. His eyes fell shut as he sighed deeply, rolling onto his side.
It was another thirty minutes before he heard the shower turn off and the bathroom door open again—before she stepped back out into the room. His eyes were still closed, he had intended to keep it that way. That was, until he felt the weight of the bed shift behind him, a pair of arms circling him from behind, her chest pressed against his back. He felt her nervous heartbeat, her unsteady breathing, her trembling fingers as they brushed against his arm. His eyes slowly opened again and he took a deep breath, sheets rustling as he rolled over to face her.
Blue met gold, his gaze piercing her own, lips parted in surprise as though she hadn't expected him to turn.
"You came back...?" His words could barely be considered even a whisper. "I thought-"
"I'm not going anywhere." She lifted her hand to his shoulder, pulling herself closer, pushing her lips against his own. It was only a brief second before she pulled back, pressing her forehead to this.
"I was scared you might..." He trailed off, searching for the words.
"I'm here to stay, Jaune." She shook her head, cutting that line of thought at its roots. "I promise."
He had no words to respond to that, eyes shut, foreheads touching. He tilted his head, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. She pushed back against him, lifting her hand to his cheek as she rolled over, straddling him.
"Are we... doing this?" He shivered as her hands pushed against his chest.
"Do you not want to?" She whispered, stopping herself from continuing further.
"I'm a little scared." He admitted with a low, dry chuckle. "I've never..." He trailed off.
"We can take it slow." She leaned down, gripping the hems of his shirt, slipping it off his back, tossing it aside.
"Slow is good." He did the same, reaching up and gripping her own thin black sweater, slowly lifting it up. She raised her arms to help the process, and that too was tossed aside. "I like slow."
Blake grasped his hands in her own, slowly guiding them to her hips, where he nestled them gently. He shut his eyes, gasping softly as her hands pushed against his bare abdomen. He tilted his head back, and she leaned down, kissing his collarbone. He grit his teeth, running his hands up her back. She trailed her mouth up his neck, to his jawline, until their lips met again.
He blushed, cheeks burning as her tongue pushed into his mouth, it was unexpected sensation but not one he was against. He did the same, though in his inexperience, it elicited a soft chuckle from her inbetween kisses. He took a deep breath as he felt a hand run down his chest, his stomach, then to the button of his pants—and, needless to say, more than just their shirts were tossed aside that night.
Life is hard.
Longer chapter this time! To make up for the shorter one last month, I want to update more frequently but it's hard haha, I have a lot of projects coming up though, and I'm deciding if I want to continue Apocalypse as well. You can definitely expect a lot more from me, I want to write more for you beautiful people, it's just hard to balance work and life and still have the energy to come back and write 6,000 words.
I'll try though!
As always, leave a review! Criticisms, things you enjoyed, and everything in-between! Love you all.
Allister Crow, signing out for now.