More illness… man, I feel like I'm repeating that a lot but only because I had a chapter Friday, Sunday and now Monday and have been sick through the weekend, sigh. Naturally my illness will be gone by the time work starts, since I'd hate to live in a world where I actually get to use my sick days.

xD

Beta: College Fool

Chapter 9

Jaune White struck the mat hard. His arms and legs flailed as he bounced across the ring and came to a stop by the edge. His head fell down as a few, harsh pants escaped his lips. "I'm okay," he groaned unconvincingly.

Yang winced and made to dash forwards, only to pause as her opponent's partner did it before her. She glanced away from those baleful green eyes and sighed as she disengaged Ember Cecilia on her wrists. She hadn't exactly meant to hit him that hard. "The spar's over," she called and walked over to him, "That was pretty good, actually. You lasted longer than some people do against me in class."

A blue eye crackled open blearily to stare at her. He looked sore but there were no bruises on his face, which was better than what she'd done to him the last time. Pyrrha fretted as he tried to sit up but he pushed her aside with a little smile. "Any advice then?" he asked.

Yang paused to think and hummed a little to herself. That he'd taken her up on the spars she'd offered was a good enough development, but the goal was to help him out so that he didn't end up in the same situation he had the other night. "You're good at dodging and movement," she said slowly, "Very good, actually… you're more graceful than you look."

Jaune laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.

He really did move well… strangely well for a guy, but she supposed that could be written off as training from that woman she'd seen at the Oyster. "Honestly, your stamina is good too, you can keep going as long as I can, which is pretty impressive. I think the biggest problem is your weapon. It's letting you down."

He looked down to the sword by his side, her and Pyrrha did the same. It was a simple thing, and that was all that could really be said about it. Mass-produced came to mind, along with cheap and unimpressive.

"I know they say the sword doesn't make the man," she added, "But it kind of is a big part of it. I'm not much of a weapons girl though, so maybe Pyrrha can offer some input."

The redhead in question blinked but quickly smiled, while Yang let out a sigh of relief. She could have given him some advice too, you didn't live with Ruby Rose and not pick up at least a fair knowledge on weaponry – but getting the champion involved might go some way to mitigating the looks she'd been sending her way for the whole spar.

It was stupid really and made her want to roll her eyes. Whether Jaune had let it slip by accident or just not realised, she didn't know. But Pyrrha had found out about the spars and training Yang had offered and quickly realised that Jaune had accepted that while turning down her own. That must have led to putting one and one together and getting three, right before she assumed the two blondes were trying to get together.

To Pyrrha's credit she tried to keep it hidden. There were no angry glares or whispered insults like the girls in Signal would have done. Instead, Pyrrha smiled and tried to be as normal as possible… she was probably the kind of person to gracefully back away rather than cause a fight. But Yang was perceptive and ignoring your jealousy was easier said than done. It showed, no matter how much Pyrrha tried to stamp it down.

I'll just show her I'm not interested in him like that. She can watch a few of our spars and see we're just pals. Should calm her down.

But it didn't help to involve her in helping Jaune too. Hey, maybe that would help break the ice between them and the two could get together. He was a cool guy and a great conversationalist, he'd make her pretty damn happy.

"I think Yang might be right," Pyrrha said as she reached forward to touch the sword's hilt. She waited for his nod of approval before picking it up. "It's not a bad weapon in itself, but it does feel a little heavier than my own. This is a broadsword and probably for someone who uses powerful swings and strokes. If Yang is right about you being more of a finesse fighter, than it might be better to choose something a little lighter – maybe an arming sword?"

Yang grinned and nodded, glad to see the redhead had coined onto the same thing she had. "Make use of the speed if you have it," she nodded. "Ruby uses a heavy weapon because she's all speed and no strength. You're not quite as agile as her, but you're stronger for sure. I'd find something a little lighter."

Jaune sighed and slumped back. A few muttered curses slipped from his lips.

Her brows furrowed at his response. "That's a compliment," she said, "I'm basically sayin' your pretty much set, you just need better equipment. Most people don't get to fix all their problems by switching out one thing."

"Most people can probably afford to. I don't use this because I have a fetish for crap weapons, Yang. This is all I could afford."

Ah, shit… she cursed and looked away. How stupid of her to forget his past for a moment… he wasn't like her with a family behind her and a combat school to pay for weapon materials. The harsh truth of the matter was that the weapons of a huntsman or huntress were not cheap. Most of the time, they weren't just swords or spears – but mecha-shift tools with complex machinery and parts. They were investments in saving lives, so combat schools were willing to foot the bill for students who had proven themselves, but for a person working part-time on the streets?

It would have been easier for Jaune to buy a house.

"Well we'll think of something," Pyrrha came to her rescue, "In the meantime, I'm fine if you want to try using my weapons in a spar. They're lighter than yours, so it might help you get an idea for what weapons you want in the future."

Yang watched in amusement as he tried to convince Pyrrha against such a thing, all the while the redhead continued to push. Who knew she could be so bold, eh? Letting someone else use your weapon was already pretty intimate, but when it was someone like Pyrrha Nikos? Heh… the tabloids would have eaten something like that up. "Not a bad idea," she joined in, ignoring his betrayed expression. "I know it feels weird but you can't keep sabotaging yourself by using a weapon that doesn't suit you."

"Okay, okay," Jaune surrendered with a little laugh, "I don't know when or how I'll be able to afford my own weapon, though."

"We can think of that later," Pyrrha said as she brought out her weapons and started to explain the mechanisms to her not-so-secret crush.

It was all well and good that Pyrrha was confident, but Yang wasn't quite so sure. She'd never been a bartender herself but had a feeling it wasn't the most well-paid of positions, especially not part-time. Maybe Ruby could help build him something if he got the materials… She was fairly sure her sister would be more than willing, it was just affording the parts, which were equally as expensive. I shouldn't even be thinking about this so much… I said I'd help spar with him, not solve all his problems.

And yet, in some strange way, it didn't feel right to leave him hanging like that. Call it friendship or just camaraderie, but he'd fought with her and watched her back – and she'd helped him in return. The two had then sat and shared drinks and past stories about themselves. It had been strangely intimate, in a friendly and comfortable way.

It had been… enjoyable. Almost de-stressing, like lifting a heavy weight off her shoulders. She probably didn't owe him anything for that, but it wasn't about debt in the first place. She wanted to see him succeed. She wanted to see him get strong enough to look after himself.

"Guess I'm in for the long haul," she muttered to herself.

Jaune came back up to stand opposite her, Miló and Akoúo̱ seemed out of place in his hands and yet he did his best to adjust to their lighter weight. "Ready," he nodded.

Yang fell into her own stance, though she decided against activating Ember Cecilia. "We'll take it easy for now. Just try to get used to fighting with them. Come at me whenever you're ready."

The blond opposite her wasted no time on thought and covered the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The shield came in towards her head, but he twisted and ducked low at the last second – spinning on one foot to slash towards her legs.

She felt the wind against her leg as she danced back, the blade missing by mere inches. The second it had gone past she ducked back in and kicked towards his face.

He twisted and leaned back, much further than any other person could have done while retaining their balance. Jaune, however, went further, leaning one hand on the ground as he vaulted back and into a crouch, blade and shield held before him.

She could only shake her head in amazement. Having Blake as a partner, she was used to acrobatic manoeuvres, but would never have considered someone like Jaune being quite so capable. She dashed in and threw a jab towards his face, following it up with another when he leaned to the left – then another when he danced back again. Dance was an apt term too, since he seemed to move so swiftly and in tune with her strikes. It had to be because of the woman who trained him… the woman that Yang knew was secretly a stripper and dancer herself.

The young man continued to dodge for a moment, frustration etched on his brow as he looked for an opening. As her fist glided past his face once more his eyes widened and he lunged forwards to slam the shield into her face.

Pain exploded across her left cheek as she staggered back. It was only instinct and her father's training which allowed her to deflect his follow-up strike, and even then, it jolted her arm. Guess I deserve that for thinking about the show in the middle of a fight. "Not bad," she gritted out. "Maybe it's time to up the ante a little."

"Please no…"

She grinned and ducked forward, slipping an inch beneath his shield as she slammed a fist up and into his stomach. He folded down over her hand and she brought an elbow down onto his back.

He hit the ground hard but didn't stay there. On one hand and one knee he threw himself forward so that his shoulders slammed into her knees. The weight alone wasn't enough to bring her down but he dug the pommel of Pyrrha's weapon into the side of her knee.

It was agonizing, and with a startled yelp she fell. En route her eyes flared red for a second as she kicked out with one foot, catching him in the jaw. It was enough to force him to disengage and give her the time she needed to scramble up. Yang panted as she watched him climb up across the ring from her. If he'd been able to get on top of her and use his weight to his advantage? That might not have gone so well.

He held a hand out and bent over, the other on his knee as he gasped for breath. "C-Can we take a break…? I think I'm done for now."

"Suppose we can," Yang grinned, "Not a bad workout and hey, I think we were right on the weapon thing."

"That was so much better," Pyrrha agreed as she climbed onto the stage and accepted her weapons back. "You're free to use my equipment whenever you want."

"Thanks, Pyr."

Yang didn't think it would be that easy, especially not where Miss Goodwitch's lessons were concerned. There hadn't been anyone so far who had shared their gear with another, but since they couldn't exactly do that against the Grimm, she doubted they'd be allowed to in class, either. Still, it wasn't worth ruining their good mood over it. She would have a talk with Rubes later and see what they could come up with.

"Let's call it for the day then," Yang suggested as she finally put her weapons away and cracked her neck, "You working tonight, champ?"

"Not officially, but they want me in to help move some things around. Why? Are you coming again?"

"Can't," she shrugged, "We're having a Team RWBY movie night."

"Team bonding?" Pyrrha asked.

Yang grimaced, "That's Ruby's plan. If it doesn't work to make Blake and Weiss less bitchy around one another then I'm going to set the room on fire and lock 'em both inside. That'll give them reason to bond. How are things on your end?"

"Our team is getting along marvellously," the redhead smiled, "I suppose it's easy with Nora and Ren already being so close. I hope everything works out with yours."

"Same," Jaune agreed as he clambered off the stage and they set off towards the doors. "Weiss is just a bit frosty, I guess. She was the same with Ruby and now they're good friends, right?"

"True… I just wish she wouldn't be so Weiss-cold." The two groaned at her clever word-play. Seriously, was there no one in Beacon with a good sense of humour? "You all suck." At least Pyrrha seemed to be a lot calmer around her now. The envious stares had come to a stop and her shoulders weren't quite so stiff. Hopefully, that wouldn't show its head around Ruby, though Yang supposed by now Jaune had made it pretty clear him and Rubes were just best friends.

The door to the exercise room opened as they approached, and the conversation between them died as Cardin stalked into the room. His eyes meet Yang's for an instant before flicking away. He didn't say anything as he passed by them, but Jaune stumbled and would have fallen had Pyrrha not caught him. "Sorry," Winchester apologised with a smirk.

Yang's temper flared. "Sorry," she grinned back as the idiot tripped over her extended leg and slammed to the ground.

He was up on his feet in an instant, his face red and teeth bared as he glared at her. "What the hell, Xiao-Long," he snapped, "Watch where you're going."

"Oops. Well, you know us blondes," she drawled, "We're just so dumb, we forget where we've left out legs. No hard feelings, eh?" She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow, practically inviting him to take vengeance if he felt confident enough. She could still go a few more rounds in the ring if she had to.

Winchester grumbled something to himself and turned away, though not before flashing an ugly look towards the man beside her.

"I wish you wouldn't do that…" Jaune sighed.

Yang bit down on the angry words about to spill from her lips. Instead, she turned to face her friend, hands on her hips. "And what?" she asked, "Just let him continue to walk all over you? Yeah, that seems like a good plan."

"It's not that-"

"Don't even start. Don't insult me by trying to convince me that's not him bullying you."

Jaune sighed and pushed some hair back from his forehead. Pyrrha watched cautiously from the side-lines, though the fact she didn't intervene was telling. Normally she would have immediately come to her partner's defence… for her not to do so here clearly meant she agreed. "It's not that," he said, "I know it's bullying and I know it's wrong, but I don't have an answer to it. I can't annihilate him and his entire team like you can and I'll be taking the flak for you tripping him later."

She looked away and bit down on her lip, an ugly, guilty feeling pooling in her stomach. "If he does, come and tell me," she said – in some small attempt to assuage it. "Or tell Pyrrha, Ruby or anyone. We'd be happy to sort him out."

"But you can't be there every day and every moment. Trust me, he'll get bored when I don't show the reaction he's looking for. He insults me, bumps into me and occasionally tries to trip me up. I don't care about his insults, I'm not made of glass and I can catch myself before I fall." He shrugged with a lopsided grin. "None of those things actually bother me. So, yeah… it's bullying, but it's not having an effect. But if he gets angry and starts hitting me… that hurts."

Conflicted emotions pooled inside her as she struggled to come to terms with what he was saying. "So, you want me to just ignore when he's doing that to you?" she asked.

"Yes."

That was ridiculous… she would have never settled for that with Ruby, and hadn't when her little sister had been bullied in Signal. Stern words were enough to ward most away, but for those older students trying to hurt Yang through her sister, she'd been forced to hunt them down and ensure they left her sister alone personally. There had been attempts at reprisal for that too, but she'd kept her sister close by and shot each and every one down.

But could she do that with Jaune?

He wasn't on her team, nor was he part of her family. He had his own partner and his own life, including some lessons separate from her. Sooner or later, Winchester would get him alone, whether it was in the men's changing rooms or when she was in class on the other side of Beacon.

It would be for the best… to leave Jaune to handle it on his own.

But at the same time, that would mean consciously and purposefully leaving someone she considered a friend in trouble. That went against everything she'd known. It was sickening to even think of.

Her eyes flashed red as grit her teeth. "Fine," she spat out and pushed past him. "Ignore the problem. See how that helps."

She heard him call out for her as she stormed away but she shook her head and ignored him. If he wanted to let himself be bullied like that, then more power to him. It was his damn choice.

That stupid idiot.

/-/

Jaune leaned back into the firm hands on his shoulders, which pushed down into his muscles. He couldn't stop the small groan that slipped from his lips, nor could he prevent Nina's laughter as she sauntered past him, trailing a hand against his cheek.

"Those are some stiff shoulders," the topless woman said as she leaned down to place a cigarette between her lips. "You seem stressed. Is something wrong?"

"School things," he sighed and rolled his shoulders. "I thought changing to life in Beacon would be easy, but I keep messing up."

"That's to be expected," Nina teased, "It's a completely different lifestyle… not to mention you're a moron."

"Thank you…"

She giggled and turned to the side, striking a pose with one hand on her hip. "I have a show in ten, otherwise I'd offer to help you de-stress with a little massage."

"It's fine," he waved a hand, "I'll just rest my legs and have a drink or two."

"You're not working tonight, why are you here anyway?" He tried to think up an excuse but her eyes narrowed before he could. "Jaune," she sighed, "Junior isn't going to do anything so soon after I broke his little enforcer's arm. You didn't have to come to defend the club."

His cheeks flushed as he looked aside. "It's not that," he lied – and he knew full well Nina had caught it. "I just wanted to find out if anything had happened… if you'd heard anything."

"And that warranted you coming all the way out into Vale, instead of sending me a message?"

He couldn't meet her eyes.

The woman sighed and sat down opposite him. She pulled a translucent shawl over her body. It did little to cover anything but have her an exotic look, perhaps the theme for the night's performance. "There haven't been any attacks in response to your little fight," she said, "Reg has taken on a few extra bouncers, however, just in case. Brian and I also spread the word around for staff to go home in groups, and I have been escorting the ones who live closer to his territory."

"That's good."

"Hm…" she blew a ring of smoke out towards his face, "I don't believe the peace will last. The man isn't a fool and knows he will lose face if there isn't some attempt at punishing us. He'll be looking for a victory to keep others in line… even if it's nothing more than a false one. I shouldn't have to say this, but do watch yourself, Jaune."

"I will," he said and nodded towards his hip where his weapon was safely secured. It wasn't one that suited him… Yang and Pyrrha had as good as proven that, but it would be more than enough for any goons Junior might send his way.

She oozed towards him, taking his cheeks between her hands and tilting his head to the side. "Good," she whispered as she leaned in and allowed her warm breath to wash across his neck. "I'd hate to see your pretty face scarred."

"Don't you have a show?" Jaune asked.

The woman laughed and let go of him, her flirtatious expression disappearing as she reached up to ruffle his hair with a firm hand. "Too true," she smiled, "You're as unflappable as ever, though your pretty friend didn't seem quite so unaffected."

Jaune rolled his eyes, though he'd noticed that too. Yang had been mesmerised, though to be fair, Nina had that effect on people. "Please don't play with her," he sighed, "She's a good friend."

"Oh? Would you perhaps like to play with her yourself?"

"Your show?" he reminded her.

"I wonder," she cooed, "Would you have been quite so unaffected if it were her hot breath washing against your skin? Her wet tongue touching against your pulse?" Nina shooed him out of the changing rooms before he could even answer, leaving him to wander the VIP area and sit down in one of the seats. A waiter recognised him with a little wave, bringing over a stiff drink and leaving without asking for any lien. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told Yang about growing up in the Oyster… he was as much a part of it as Reg and the furniture were. Everyone knew him by name and face, if not the mask he wore on occasion.

He looked around for a moment to see if Yang had broken her word and shown up, but true to form she was absent and he settled into the seat with a sigh of relief.

He wasn't ready to face her yet… not when she was still so upset. It wasn't an argument he could win either, since she had every right to feel frustrated and it was only because of how good a person she was. She wanted to help… the problem was, no one really could.

Cardin Winchester, for all his bitter words, hadn't truly done anything worth drawing the attention of the teachers. The one time he'd done any real damage, it had been in response to Jaunt hitting him first. Hmph… Yang and Pyrrha probably thought he was sitting back and accepting it all… as though he'd be so masochistic. There were two aspects to ignoring Cardin's taunts and bullying.

On the one hand, he might get bored and go away – which would be a nice, painless way of resolving things. But there was also the chance that he would escalate in an attempt to get a reaction. If he escalated enough… well, a quick trip to Miss Goodwitch would bring an end to the bullying, and maybe even Cardin's position within Beacon.

Though it would be quicker still if I could just fight him off… must be nice to be strong like Yang and Pyrrha. His eyes fell to the sword once more. Deep inside, a part of him had known it wasn't right for him… it was hard not to, when he was the one fighting with it. It felt heavy and clumsy and he had to correct his balance constantly lest the weight and reach drag him to the side. He had been saving up for a better one… though it would still never be on the level of the incredible ones he'd wielded earlier.

Even though he'd had no practice with them, Miló and Akoúo̱ had felt incredible… so light and responsive, with a versatility he could never hope to match, let alone understand. He'd longed to change it into the javelin too, just to see what it felt like.

It must be nice to have such a weapon…

No, no, no – he shook his head. There was no use getting jealous over what other people had. He'd made it as far as he had with this second-hand crap, so he would go further if he had to. Once he was able to take some huntsman missions and earn some lien that way, he could start to look at getting a new weapon.

Then, for all the hard work he'd put into using a crappy one, he'd be even stronger! Well, he wasn't sure it really worked that way, but the cartoons always suggested it did. Sometimes it was best to just be optimistic.

The lights in the room dimmed as the music died and a new beat began. He leaned back with a sip of drink as Nina sashayed her way out from behind the curtains, her crimson shawl hanging loosely from her shoulder and her hair now a thick, luscious black. The crowds went silent as she dragged her feet against the floor and arched her back gracefully.

To Jaune, the show wasn't quite so erotic… where others saw delightful temptation and soft skin, he saw clever moves and intricate steps. He followed the dance more than he did her bouncing bosom as she let the shawl fall. His eyes remained glued to her feet as he wondered what he could use for his own, while marvelling at the one-legged poses and daring spins he simply could not hope to achieve. She was a master of her craft… and his teacher, in more than just fighting.

His cheeks darkened as he recalled what she had said about Yang earlier. He shook his head to dismiss her words, plus the images they conjured. What a silly question… of course he'd have a reaction if she did that to him, who wouldn't? So long as it wasn't some hideous monster or hated enemy, any man would feel arousal at the thought of someone doing that to them.

She was just teasing him, as she often did… perhaps it was punishment for having lied to her or the fact he was here when he should be enjoying his night off at Beacon. He'd just been worried about the Oyster… not to mention unwilling to face the worried looks of his partner. He wasn't made of glass… he could look after himself. He appreciated all the support, but only to a degree.

The glass settled down with a clink as he rose from his seat and moved away. Not a single person noticed, too enthralled by his mentor were they. The Golden Oyster would be fine for the night… they had Nina, and where she was Brian would also be. He stepped towards the curtain with a sigh, only to pause outside it as he heard voices.

"No means no, I'm afraid. This is VIP only and restricted access… should you wish to enter, you'll need to pay extra in the entrance foyer. You're free to go and do that right now but I cannot let you pass."

"… - a strip show…" he heard someone respond.

"The rules remain."

Jaune sighed and shook his head. Just another case of a drunken lout wanting to see some tits and being unwilling to pay. It wasn't new, nor was it uncommon. Some were like Yang too, just wandering about and wondering what was behind a red curtain. Still, while the guy manning it was confident enough to look after himself, it couldn't hurt to have a little extra muscle on hand. Jaune sighed and pushed his way through the curtain, letting it fall behind him.

"Ah – thank you for visiting honoured guest," the bouncer said automatically, not having noticed it was Jaune as his eyes remained locked onto the interlopers. "We hope to see you again."

Jaune barely heard him, his sapphire eyes glued to the drunken louts of the day, who stared back at him with shocked expressions. "Damn it," he sighed.

"Well, well, well…" Cardin Winchester laughed, "Look who it is, guys… and straight out of a strip club too."

In terms of the time line we're still before Forever Fall and such. Just to let you know, as a romance story, this won't necessarily continue forever and cover everything in the show. As an example, there will definitely not be any season four to this – as the story is about Jaune and Yang, not all the events of the show.

I won't spoil anything else, but it's just a response to some wondering just how long this is going to be if nearly ten chapters hasn't yet included Blake and the docks (end of season one). My response simply is; don't judge the length based on where the show is, etc… This story will end when the story ends, which is to say the romance, etc…

Next Chapter: 16th January

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur