Breaking Through the Bottom of the Bottle
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Five years after Beacon, Jaune's still going home alone as often as not. An unlikely encounter with Yang may have just the solution- drinks, company, and a hell of a lot of pickup lines. No way she'd have ulterior motive… right?
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Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. Duh.
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They found a more private booth soon after- the sort perfect for just acquainted pairs to get to know each other better in case they want to get to know each other better. Or, tonight, two old friends getting to know each other again.
"I still can't believe it's you," Jaune laughed as their drinks arrived- his a heavy beer, hers another of the same as before. "It's been years! What are you even doing out here in Mistral?" he asked. "Bit far from Haven, isn't it?"
"Oh, you know," Yang waved off easily. "Thought I'd travel the world some more. See new places, meet exotic people, catch their asses," she said with a predatory grin. "You know. Booty hunting of a different sort, except now it's for a good cause AND I get paid. I heard a rumor that someone in particular might be out here, and decided I wouldn't let the chance slip by."
Jaune looked at her… and scoffed in her face. "You got kicked out by Blake and Sun, didn't you?"
"Blake would never kick me out!" Yang hotly denied… before her bravado fell to a less convincing refusal to look him in the eye. "I was just… subtly encouraged to leave if I felt like it."
Jaune raised an eyebrow. "How subtle?"
"Sex," Yang said bluntly, throwing back half of her drink in one go. "Lots and lots of sex. Blake and Sun are thinking about starting a family, and don't care who knows it. Or hears them trying," she grouched, only a slight blush covered her face. "I left when they stopped trying to do it before I got home and Blake started trying to sign me up for diaper changing classes."
Jaune laughed. "Good for them!" he cheered. "About time someone else settled down- Ren and Nora are getting impatient with waiting. Keep asking when someone else will give them kids to arrange playdates with. Maybe the next generation will be going to Beacon together after all- dust knows Nora's set on it."
"Tell me about it," Yang groused. "You don't even want to know how serious Weiss is about it. Just watch, she's going to try and time it so everyone's exactly the same age, down to the day." She pitched her voice to mock her friend. "Blake, you are in no way allowed to go into labor early! My itinerary has you delivering next week! Think of the school years, you dunce!"
Jaune chuckled. "How she's planning on getting everyone to conceive at the same time?" he asked.
Yang held up three fingers. "One, planning. Two, nagging. Three…" she trailed off.
"Three?"
"That's a secret," Yang claimed. "But, you know she'll spoil them rotten every chance she gets."
"As long as they aren't hers, that is," Jaune nodded. "Though I bet they'll learn their manners if they ever track mud in her house," he bet, before raising a glass to toast. "To the kids of friends being friends," he cheered.
"To spoiling other people's brats," Yang returned, and clinked their glasses. She sipped her drink, while Jaune finished his beer.
"Man, still good to hear," Jaune said. "I wasn't aware they'd tied the knot the yet. When did that happen?"
Despite the cheer, a frown came over Yang's face. "It hasn't. They're together together, but not together. Not officially. You'd have known if you were at the last reunion."
The merriment died from Jaune's face as a more somber look passed it. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I was… busy. There was a situation outside of Vale. You know how it is."
Yang sighed. "Yeah. I know. I heard about. Just like the previous year. And the year before that. And…" she trailed off meaningfully.
Jaune really did wince. "I do keep in touch with my team!" Jaune protested. "And I swing by and see Ren and Nora every few months!"
"And the rest of us?" Yang challenged.
And that was the rub, wasn't it? As close a team as there ever was, and still as close as they could be since growing up and graduating had split them apart. Weiss had gone to her corporation. Ruby had chased after her dream, and hadn't let anyone hold her back. Blake and Yang had stuck together the longest as partners, but now Blake had a new partner in her life…
The Reunion was all they had left, really. The one time each year they could come back as a team, as friends, as-
"How long has it been, Jaune?" Yang asked, fingering the top of her glass as she rested her cheek on a fist and looked to the side. "Since we were all together? Since we last all saw each other?"
"Awhile," he admitted, looking down. "Not since..."
"Graduation," Yang finished for him. "Five years, Jaune. Were you even going to send an excuse this time?"
No response- and honestly, none was expected. Jaune didn't say anything, because there was nothing really to say. They both knew the answer. He frowned, and Yang let the silence draw out as she fingered the lip of her glass and he drank from his.
"Yang?" he eventually broke the silence.
"Yeah, Jaune?" she said, still not looking at him.
"It really is good to see you again."
Cheek still on the palm of her glove, still staring at the ring of the glass with a cute little umbrella… Yang smiled.
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End Second Round
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Author Note:
'I expect laughs and fun banter,' they say. 'Maybe some minor feels' they say.
I'll show them laughs and minor feels... mwahahaha...
Oh, is this thing on? Uh... ahem.
Second chapter, still building on the role. Chapter lengths are pretty varied- each chapter relating to one contingent scene. Meaning most are longer than these two. So... yay?