I'd just like to point out that yes, I'm aware the cast are 17, and that based on where you are, the age-rating for drinking might be different. I've decided to imagine Vale as being a little younger than normal, however, partly because we see Yang in Junior's club, and she seems relaxed enough ordering a drink to suggest she knows her way around it.

Also, Vale being a place beset by monsters, life expectancy likely being low, and the nature of the cast as huntsmen and huntresses makes me imagine that certain age restrictions might be lower than in our world. After all, if someone in Signal (presumed 13-17) can wield a gun and potentially be killed by Grimm, then I'm sure it would be a bit odd to say "But no alcohol until you're 21!"

Chapter 22

With her past as a White Fang member having been revealed, Blake somewhat justifiably assumed that she'd already faced what was likely to be the most awkward situation in her life. She'd had to explain to a Schnee of all people why she was once part of an organisation which hunted and killed them. How was she to find a situation worse than that?

I should have known better, Blake sighed. Where Yang is involved, anything is possible.

Just to make sure her partner knew of her ire, she shot the blonde a fierce glare, but Yang didn't see it. She was too busy trying to shimmy further into Blake's side to avoid Jaune, who in turn shimmied closer to Yang in order to avoid Pyrrha, who… well, it wasn't a term yet, but Blake thought she could coin the `awkward-shimmy-cycle` line already. All she needed was Sun to appear and shimmy towards her, then they could all join together in blissful shimminess.

Blake blinked and looked down into her glass. Okay, maybe the drink was stronger than she'd thought if she was having thoughts like that. She felt Yang nudge against her and scowled. Or maybe her mind was being infected by the insanity shown by everyone else at the table. Blake glared at them all.

None of them noticed, of course. The four were sat around a small table with four comfortable chairs, the remainder having been taken away by other guests who asked if they were free to use. The low buzz of conversation hung over what was actually quite a nice bar area, something of a reserved spot Jaune proved able to get them into thanks to his employment at the club. Honestly, it was better than she'd expected, which was to be crushed at a bar among hundreds of other bodies. The free and fast drinks don't hurt either, she thought, taking a sip of her own and savouring the fruity taste. Jaune didn't go to the bar so much as he walked behind it and mixed their drinks for them, the staff – and even half of the customers – not batting an eye at him. It was obvious he knew his way around it, and Blake found herself grudgingly impressed with the drinks he'd made them.

She felt Yang push against her once more, and with a low growl, Blake dug her heels in and refused to move. Yang pressed into her, while Jaune's chair scraped over to sit near her, and Pyrrha's to be nearer to him. It was, in a word, ridiculous. They only used half of the round table, and Blake steadfastly ignored Yang's betrayed expression.

She may have been guilt-tripped into accompany her partner, but she was not playing ring around the table.

"I'm surprised at how nice this place is," Pyrrha chirped, hardly even aware of the byplay. The redhead's eyes sparkled as she looked around, and Blake hadn't failed to notice how she looked ever more impressed each time Jaune went up and made them drinks. "I never realised where you worked was so incredible, Jaune."

"Ah well, we're pretty up-market for a club." He smiled at the compliment, and hid his awkwardness far better than Yang did. "You guys don't see it since I work here, but the entry fee and the drinks are all far more expensive than what you'd find elsewhere – even for the same drink." He held up his own. "This would be about twenty lien here, but it would only be twelve down the road."

"Is that normal?"

"You pay for the atmosphere. The music is better, the dance floors cleaner and the club is less busy than others, which means less queues and such." He shrugged. "It also gets rid of people who just want to get drunk and cause trouble."

"Clearly not very well," Blake mumbled with an eye on Yang.

"Hey!"

"Not with Yang," Jaune agreed. "I don't even think the bouncers dared to challenge her when she came in. Then again, it was pretty obvious she'd just come from a fight and she even had her weapons out."

"Whoah, whoah, you're making me sound like some kind of reprobate!"

"You're not?" Jaune managed to keep a calm face for about three seconds before he burst out laughing at Yang's indignant expression. "Well, you can hardly blame us. We had no idea what you were coming in for."

"Yeah, well…" Yang grumbled and sipped her drink, some kind of strawberry concoction she guarded like it was made of solid gold. "That guy certainly seemed to think he knew." She sounded annoyed, and Blake raised an eyebrow, prompting her partner to explain. "There was some idiot who thought I was looking for a good time. He wouldn't take no for an answer and really decided to push his luck. I was going to knock him down a few pegs, but a certain bar tender came to my rescue."

"His rescue, more like," Jaune said. "Even back then, I was well aware of how that encounter would have ended."

"Still, it was a nice thought," Yang grinned. "You were like my knight in shining armour, except armed with drinks instead of weapons. I think that was the best part."

"And not when you got a card for free drinks?"

"It was a good night."

"It sounds like it," Pyrrha said. The redhead smiled, but there was a certain sharp quality to her eyes that detracted from it. She seemed a little upset at how close Yang and Jaune were to one another, and doubtless the conversation being about how they first met didn't help.

Blake buried her awkwardness in having another drink, all the while wishing she could go back in time and sew her lips shut before she agreed to this. So, Pyrrha is jealous, Yang is… complicated and Jaune is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Meanwhile, I'm the only sane one here, and I'm tempted to drown this entire night in drink on the off-chance I can forget it ever happened. The night wasn't exactly shaping up to be a good one.

Luckily, Jaune seemed to notice, or maybe he knew all along, for he turned the conversation to one about Beacon and their teams, making sure to address Yang and Pyrrha equally. That gave Blake a chance to breathe a sigh of relief and move a little to the side for room. Yang budged instantly along with her, and earned a glare for that, but at least it wasn't a cat fight about to happen. Pyrrha giggled and took another long drink from her glass, her eyes locked onto her not-so-secret crush as he talked.

Honestly, Blake was surprised she hadn't said something to him already. This was Pyrrha Nikos, a competition fighter who had risen to glory over the defeated bodies of her opponents. Assumptions notwithstanding, Blake assumed at least a certain level of self-confidence and aggressiveness would be necessary for such a career. Why was she so passive now? Sure, teenage romance could be different to fighting in a ring, but it just didn't make sense for Pyrrha to be confident enough to stand on a stage before tens of thousands of people - and probably more over the television - but then to balk and stammer when confronted with someone like Jaune.

It was bizarre…

Then again, I'd have expected Yang to know what to do in a situation like this as well, and she's about as useful as chocolate ammo. Blake sighed as she looked at her partner. The blonde girl chatted animatedly with Pyrrha and Jaune, but there was always a certain degree of hesitation only she could see. It was small enough to pass as something else, and probably did to Jaune. Blake could only spot it because she knew to look for it, and that was only because Yang confided in her. In fact, as she watched her partner, the girl's lilac eyes seemed to grow wider and wider. Eventually, she stood up.

"Yang?" Jaune asked, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope. I just needed the bathroom. Hey Blake, you want to come with?"

It was worded as a question, but Blake caught the request easily enough. Once I was a terrorist, now I'm being dragged away for a toilet-conference straight out of a romance movie. If Adam could see me now…

"I guess I do," she sighed.

/-/

Jaune bit back a groan as he watched Yang and Blake abandon him to his fate. He then instantly felt like an asshole for thinking that, and looked back to his partner. Pyrrha was his friend, his partner and someone he genuinely did like being around. It was just… her overtures were sort of ruining that. Was it his fault? He wasn't sure. He hadn't asked for it to be like this, nor for her to feel the way she did and make their friendship complicated. He'd been so happy to make another friend, and then this…

"What else do people do at clubs?" Pyrrha asked. She sipped some of her drink, a light mojito she'd taken a shine to, and looked about at the other tables.

"Not much, really. People hang out, chat, drink together." Visit the strip club, have a private session, a few other things he wasn't going to say. "That and dance, really."

"Dancing?" Pyrrha's head perked up, and he cursed his mistake. "I've never danced at a nightclub before. To be honest, I've only ever danced at a few family events, and those… well, the music wasn't like this."

"I can imagine." Jaune poked at his glass as silence threatened to settle between them. He couldn't fail to notice her shoulders slump, and to feel the dagger in his heart from it. Whether or not he'd intended to, he'd invited her for a night out, and that meant showing her a good time. He took a breath, followed by a quick drink, and smiled at her. "Do you want to hit the dance floor?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want to dance?" He nodded his head in the direction of the music. "Yang and Blake can find us easily enough and you might as well get the full club experience." It didn't need to be anything overt, either. Dancing was just dancing and he could make of it what he wanted. It was his forte, after all, even if he'd be keeping his clothes firmly on.

"That… that sounds like fun."

Pyrrha's smile was like the sun coming out in the morning, which only made him feel worse. She was beautiful when she was happy – he liked it when she was happy. What was he supposed to do about this, though? In the end, he led her from the reserved area and towards one of the less busy dance floors. The Oyster had several floors, each of which had its own music and scene, but the one he chose was what would have been called the mainstream lounge. The music was recent, the décor pretty standard and the dance floor full, but not heaving. Some of the lower ones could get pretty crazy, especially the basement with its heavy metal. There was no way he was going to take Pyrrha there.

He took his hand in hers, wincing a little when he felt her jump, and dragged her through the crowd, out into a small space they could dance in. Bodies surrounded them, but no one really looked their way, even as he let go of her.

"What now?" Pyrrha asked, her voice raised over the music.

"Dance," he replied, and began to move his shoulders back and forth. To his horror, Pyrrha reached her arms out and took a step towards him. "Not like that," he rushed, catching her wrists and lowering them before she could start to ballroom dance with him. Gods, he worked here… he did not need Nina to hear about him slow dancing with someone in a club. "The dancing here is different," he said. "Just… look at how other people are doing it."

Pyrrha flushed but did so, her emerald eyes reflecting the strobes of light that cut across them. She swayed her body from left to right, mimicking someone she'd caught on the edge of her vision, but her arms hung loose and flopped about.

He wanted to laugh, but knew she'd be hurt. Jaune took a step forward instead, and pulled her a little closer. "Listen to the music," he half-shouted. "Try and feel the beat of it, the bass and rhythm. Move your shoulders back and forth, and bring your arms with it." He helped her do so by moving her arms for her, but Pyrrha was a quick study and soon had it.

"Like this?"

"Try not to move your hands above your shoulders, not unless you want to really show off." He nodded to some woman in a tight white tube top a few feet away, who had both arms linked above her head and gyrated her hips against her partner. "Don't try and do something like that unless you know how. Just follow the beat and try to move with the music."

"I think I've got it…" Pyrrha smiled and stepped back, twisting softly, almost gently, but a little more in tune with the song. Her head bobbed up and down, and although she didn't really do anything adventurous, it was more than enough to look like she belonged.

"That's it," he grinned, proud with her. "You learn fast."

Pyrrha giggled. "I have a good teacher."

They danced for what must have been a good twenty or so minutes. Pyrrha was nervous at first, but got into it as she went on, and her training and intellect allowed her to even incorporate a few moves she saw other people doing. She could have been a professional dancer with a little training, but he supposed that was natural given her fitness. Jaune kept his own at her level, not really wanting to show off or make her feel like she had to prove herself. She laughed and whipped her head to the side, and he grinned at how wide the smile on her face was.

It was… fun. Her joy was an innocent one, in discovering a new activity and succeeding in it, and he could share in it as the person who taught her. She didn't push or move against him, even if she could have, and for a while, he was able to forget his worries and just enjoy dancing with his partner.

Things changed when the crowd pressed in and space became a little more premium. Pyrrha smiled awkwardly as their shoulders bumped together, while Jaune fought to keep what little space they had. The dance floor wasn't that full. There shouldn't be so many people.

"Oops, excuse me," someone mumbled, as they backed into him.

"It's fine," he said automatically, and then frowned when he realised the guy was doing it again. Jaune staggered back, pushed away as the man turned and mustered an apology for him. It was fake… as fake as the smile on Pyrrha's face when another man pushed up to dance with her.

Jaune's eyes narrowed and he took a step forward, only for the one who'd knocked into him to mirror it. A year or two older than him, the guy had a friendly smile as he pretended to be dancing on his own, but kept getting in his way. Jaune sighed.

"Do you mind?"

"Huh?" The man raised his voice, as though he hadn't heard. "What?"

Jaune growled in frustration. Anyone else might have been confused, but he'd grown up in a club and knew all the tricks. A dance floor was a good place to pick up girls, but the problem was that they often hung in groups or with friends. A clumsy dancer could create space, though - give his buddy a chance to slip in by accidentally cock-blocking someone else. Jaune scowled and looked past the guy, in time to see Pyrrha lean back as the other man reached out to touch her face.

The guy blocking him only had the time to cry out as he was pushed roughly aside. Sapphire eyes blazed as he stalked across the dance floor and lashed out.

The hand was stopped barely an inch from Pyrrha's cheek.

"Jaune," she whispered, and slipped behind him.

"You misplaced your dance partner," Jaune told the man, nodding back to his friend, who was just sitting up on the floor. Other dancers moved around him, many looking his way in amusement. The guy he had a hold of tried to yank his hand back, but his strength was nothing compared to that of a huntsman, even in training. Jaune kept his grip for a few seconds, just to prove the point, then let go. The man fell back and glowered at him.

"Hey, I was dancing with her."

"And now, you're not," Jaune snapped and wound an arm around Pyrrha's waist, just in case he had any other friends nearby. His eyes scanned the crowd, and he couldn't help but notice just how many people looked back. So many? No, that doesn't make sense. Why is everyone staring at us? The realisation hit a second later. They weren't staring at him…

They were staring at Pyrrha Nikos.

He cursed and took a step back, suddenly aware of just how much attention they attracted. Her long, red hair, not to mention her outfit – it screamed of a girl out for a good time, and with her fame and reputation, there were at least a score of guys who looked ready to try and provide that. He felt like a man with a piece of prime steak in the middle of a pack of Beowolves.

"Jaune, what's wrong?"

Except that the prime steak didn't even realise it was prey… absolutely wonderful. He let his hand slip from her waist, to take her hand in his as he tugged her to the side. "I think we should give the dance floor a break for now."

"Why?" Pyrrha didn't argue, even as he tugged her along. His other arm forged a path between dancers, but he heard the guy he'd just knocked down shout out behind them. Great, they were following.

"You've got some adoring fans," he sighed. "We're going to lose them."

"Oh… I didn't realise. Do you think they'd go away if I gave them my autograph?"

"Pyrrha, I think they're after something a little more than that." He pulled her off the dance floor and over to the exit. En route, he nodded to one of the bouncers and gestured behind him. The suited man nodded and slowly meandered into the path of their pursuers. Jaune smirked as he heard them curse the bouncer to get out of the way. I guess it's not quite as funny when the shoe is on the other foot, huh?

"Jaune, I don't understand… what's the problem? If they're dangerous, it's not like we can't fight back."

"You mean apart from the fact I work here?" He dragged her to the left, into an employee-only area. One of the waiters inside opened his mouth to complain, but paused and raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was. "Just passing through," Jaune mumbled. "Don't get any ideas."

"H-Hello," Pyrrha waved, before she was pulled past the guy altogether. It was only once they moved through and out of another door, back near a different bar entirely, that he let them stop and turned to face her. "Jaune," she mumbled. "What on Remnant was that?"

"Pyrrha, you can't be this innocent," he groaned. "You do realise what those guys were after, right?"

"Well, they wanted to dance with me."

"Yes… and why would they want to dance with you?"

"They…" Pyrrha paused for a good few seconds, and it was only when her cheeks started to heat up that he let go of her. "Oh," she murmured.

"Oh, indeed. Pyrrha, you realise you're beautiful, right? You're honestly several leagues ahead of most of the women who come out here, so it's pretty much expected that someone would try and chat you up. Did you seriously not notice?"

"I-I thought he was just being friendly…"

Was she kidding? How could she be so completely oblivious… no… wait. Jaune paused, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. He held up his hand before her face.

"Hey Pyrrha, can you track my hand for a moment?"

He moved it back and forth before her face, and her green eyes followed it. After three passes, she swayed forward and caught his wrist.

"Y-You're moving it too quickly," Pyrrha accused, slurred. "That's cheating!"

Oh Gods… this wasn't good.

/-/

Yang spotted Jaune and Pyrrha right as he pushed her down into a seat and whispered something into her ear. He caught their eyes at the same time, and made a gesture with his fingers for them to sit down with her. Yang nodded at the same time Pyrrha nodded, and Jaune walked away with a nod to her, and a pat on his partner's shoulder. Yang took the chance to push forward and raise a hand in greeting.

"Oh, hi Yang!" Pyrrha cheered and waved happily, perhaps a little too happily.

"Hello there yourself." Yang settled down into a seat while Blake took the one beside her. "You look like you're in a good mood. We wondered where the two of you had gone."

"We danced for a bit." Pyrrha's cheeks were already flushed, but they seemed to get a little darker as she giggled. "I've never danced at a club before, so Jaune had to teach me how."

Yang felt a spike of unwelcome jealousy dig into her stomach. Her fingers tightened around her drink, but she forced the sensation down and pretended to be happy for the girl. "That's great. How was it?"

She wished she'd never asked.

"It was wonderful. He's a good teacher and he dances really well. There was a moment where some people tried to push us apart, though." Pyrrha frowned for a millisecond, but it was washed away with a light giggle. "Jaune stepped in to push them back and dragged me away. He said it was because I was too pretty."

"Yeah, we had a few guys look us up too," Yang boasted, then winced when Blake kicked her beneath the table. Her partner gave her a stern look, but luckily Pyrrha didn't seem to notice Yang's attempt at one-upping her. I'm pretty too, she thought. Jaune would have stepped in to help me out. In fact, he DID step in to help me out first, back when we met.

That counted!

"Is-" Pyrrha hiccupped and held a hand to her mouth. "S-Sorry. Is it normal for that to happen?"

Gods, Pyrrha sounded so innocent and unprepared. Yang felt a wave of shame for how she was acting. Hell, this wasn't supposed to be a competition at all since she'd already given up on the idea of them getting together. "It's not unusual," she explained. "I mean, a lot of people come here with the express purpose of trying to find someone, either for a long-term or short-term relationship. Sure, it can be weird when they come up and talk to you, but as long as they don't push, you should try not to be bothered by it." Yang shrugged. "If they don't ask, they don't get. Most people who try don't mean to be creepy or nasty about it. They're just being brave and approaching someone they think is attractive."

"Wait, you mean you don't just punch everyone who tries?" Blake drawled.

"Hey now, that guy was being pushy and definitely wouldn't take no for an answer. I actually happen to respect guys who feel confident enough to approach me, so long as they're polite about it." Yang smiled and took a quick drink. "Respect doesn't mean I'll say yes, but it means I'll give an excuse rather than say no. There's no need to make someone feel like crap when they're taking a chance like that."

"It's still a little awkward, but I see what you mean." Pyrrha reached for her own drink but seemed surprise to see there wasn't one in front of her. She blinked and looked back up. "It's weird how many people glare at Jaune, though. What's that about?"

"He's a guy alone with three sexy girls." Yang grinned and waggled her eyebrows. "In the mind of the drunk and jealous, that clearly means he's sleeping with all three of us."

"T-That's ridiculous!"

"That's kind of a given when people are drunk, Pyrrha. It doesn't even occur to them that we might be friends. In their eyes, he's a lucky son of a bitch who is stealing all the attention away from them." Really, it was no different from initiation where several muscle-brained idiots had been wrestling to try and catch their attention. It was honestly funny Pyrrha hadn't noticed. I guess that's the difference between us. She acts like she's never been out with friends before.

"It's definitely a new experience," Pyrrha said. She hiccupped a moment later and stood up. "Can you point me towards the bathroom?"

"Uh, yeah sure, it's over there, by the back wall." Yang turned to gesture to the alcove, where a neon sign hung. Pyrrha thanked her and wandered over to it, but Yang's attention was soon taken by her partner.

"You're being jealous."

"I know…" Yang squirmed a little under her partner's golden eyes. "I'm trying my best, I swear."

"You're lucky she didn't notice."

"Hmm…" Yang nodded and finished the rest of her drink. Lucky indeed, especially since she didn't actually want to get on Pyrrha's bad side. It wasn't the threat or the champion, but more than she genuinely liked the girl. Pyrrha was skilled and determined, but humble too – and that was a rare combination. "Kick me again if I act up. I've already said I'm going to leave Jaune to her, not that I think he wants a relationship."

"And you're truly okay with that?"

"No… but what can I do?"

"Ask him out yourself."

Yang laughed. "Not a chance. I as good as know his response already, and you're not blind enough to miss how he acts around Pyrrha." Yang sighed and slumped across the table. "I don't want that to be me. I don't want to watch a guy move away every time I try and get closer. Unlike Pyrrha, I think I'd notice."

"I can imagine how that would be bad," Blake sighed. Her partner looked up and then nudged her leg below the table. "Head up, he's coming back." Yang flashed Blake a grateful smile and pulled out a cocky smile as Jaune wandered back, two glasses in hand. He took one look at them and snorted.

"I thought you'd ditched us."

"Sorry." Yang ducked her head in silent apology, more than aware of what he really meant. She'd as good as abandoned him when she'd said she would play foil for Pyrrha. Then again, I need a foil for you too, buster. Yang paused and looked at the drinks in his hand. "Who is the water for?"

"Pyrrha," he sighed. "I think she's had enough. Where is she, anyway?"

"Toilets," Yang jerked a thumb over her shoulder.

"Was she okay?"

Yang opened her mouth to reply but paused. Now that he mentioned it, she had been swaying a little. A tiny bit of panic wormed its way under her skin. "Hey Blake, can you go check on her quick?" she asked. "Just see if she's being sick or something. Give me a call if she is."

"As long as you're the one to handle it," Blake sighed, but did stand up and move away.

"I didn't realise she'd had that much," Yang apologised.

"Me neither." Jaune shook his head and settled down with his own drink. "I guess I got used to going out drinking with you. We're both a little more practised."

"Hmm…"

"She was nervous too," he sighed. "Maybe she felt she needed the confidence, or maybe she just took a sip every time she didn't know what to say." He chuckled into his glass. "I guess I'll be paying for this come the morning."

"Hangover duty?"

"I owe it to her." he said. "If she feels down and out, I'll do the medicine and breakfast run for her. If she feels sick… I guess I'll hold her hair back. Hopefully, she won't think it's a romantic gesture."

"Sick and vomit?" Yang laughed. "Somehow, I doubt it. My Uncle was the one to do it for me. He heard me talking about how I was going to sneak out with some friends and get drunk, and beat me to it. He sat me down and plied me with booze himself, until I was sick as a dog in my room. He then held my hair as I threw up into the toilet and said I now knew what it felt like if I had too much."

"He sounds like a character…"

"Uncle Qrow? Yeah, he is." Yang grinned. "On the flip side, it taught me to never have too much on a night out, and I was a damn sight safer with him than I would have been out in Vale."

"True tha-" Jaune cut off and stared past her. Yang was about to ask what he'd seen, but Blake's hands slammed down on the table. The faunus' eyes were wide, breath rising and falling.

"She's gone," Blake panted. "I couldn't find her."

Oh dear. I actually do go out drinking with girls quite often, just because I have more female friends than male. It's not unusual for me to be invited out with 6-8 girls, and we all huddle at a table chatting. Yeah, I have to get involved with talk on boyfriends and such, but it's nice insight. One thing I do face, however, definitely is jealousy from other guys.

I am dating none of those girls, and they're all just friends, but nope – people glare, bump into me and accuse me of things because they're jealous I'm surrounded by attractive women. It's funny 90% of the time, but has actually gotten violent once or twice. It hardly hurts that I'm the one who tries to diffuse it, while the girls leap to my defence and are ready to start the fight themselves.

Fun times, lol. I also do get "danced out" a lot as Jaune did here. Basically other guys trying to dance in a way to push me out so they can try and talk to the girls. Again, same result, often with my friends dragging me back in and glaring at those guys.

Also yes, I've been in the above horror scenario too. Gods, that was a stressful moment.

Next Chapter: 25th April

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur