The 'Lone' Hero of Vale - Chapter 11
"Blake." Link tapped her on the shoulder "Blaaaakeeee..."
"H-huh?!" Blake looked up from her book, clearly tired
"Are you ok?" Link asked.
"Hmm...?" Blake yawned "I'm fine, yeah I'm good." She then dug her face back into her book
"You sure? You look like you haven't slept in days" Link asked again, which bothered Blake to the point where she almost snapped on him
"Listen-!" Blake looked right at Link, who was still smiling and being kind, it was no fake or sarcastic laughter that Yang usually tries.
"I'm all ears." Link said, pointing at his abnormal ears.
"Hm..." Blake sighed, slightly feeling her bow, touching her abnormal ears too. "It's nothing, you wouldn't understand."
"That may be so, but I can try to understand you."
"You don't even kn-"
"You're right again." Link mumbled "But I want to know you Blake. you're my friend, and whenever I see my friends upset or hurt, it angers me..." Link said "And i'm pretty sure I know what's making you upset."
"I haven't even told my team about the dance...I don't want to go."
"Then don't." Said Link "You don't have to go, especially if you have more important things to take care of"
"Right now I need some quiet time...I need to focus." Blake yawned
"I can respect that." Link nodded
"Thanks for understanding..." Blake wanted to turn away but needed to ask one more thing. "So if I never need help, can I come to you?"
"Sure thing..." Link smiled
"...Hmph!" Weiss moved her head away, clearly upset over Blake agreeing to chose help from someone who Weiss still considers a 'stranger' over her own team.
"Miss Belladonna." Glynda spoke out, clearly she was being tuned out by Link and Blake, as they both jumped when hearing her voice.
"You've been rather docile for the past few classes, why don't you-!"
"I'll do it!" Both Mercury and Link raised their hands
"Link..." Glynda looked at him "We know how good you are, but we've never seen you before have we...Mercury?"
"Mhm." Mercury nodded
"Link you can wait until next time."
"Wait!" Link stood up "Let me fight him then." Link now pointed at Mercury
"Hmm..." Glynda looked at both of them
"I'd much rather face her." Mercury pointed at Pyrrha
"M-me?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow
"Miss Nikos has just finished the match. I recommend you choose another opponent." Glynda shook her head
"No, it's fine!" Pyrrha nodded and looked right at Mercury "I'd be happy to oblige."
"Good." Mercury nods and looks back at Link "Sorry but I'd much prefer fighting someone who is above the level of a novice."
"What did you say?!" Link frowned at a smiling Mercury
"Ignore him." Blake mumbled as she grabbed Link's forearm
"Whatever." Link shrugged and sat back down, not noticing Blake was getting near him to whisper
"Thanks"
Link grinned and slowly nodded "I should be thanking you now."
2 minutes later
"Well that was lame..." Link sarcastically said, because he knew how strong mercury is.
Suddenly the buzzer went off, indicating class was over.
"That's all for today students, now remember even though the dance is this weekend, your first mission is on Monday, i'll take no excuses!"
Link fell behind with team RWBY in order to get closer look at Emerald
"What do you want?" Emerald frowned
"Oh nothing, just observing the visitors." Link smirks "I'll be sure to keep a close eye on you."
Later that day
"Jaune are you sure about this?" Link asked "You're already late for your private training with Pyrrha."
"Mhm, my mom always told girls love guys who can sing. And Pyrrha doesn't care if im late, as long as I show up."
"Are you sure your mom told you that?"
"That's right." Jaune nodded
"But this is Weiss we're talkin' about." Link sighed "You're just wasting your time."
"You'll see!" Jaune chuckled, when all of a sudden Blake passed by, walking faster than usual
"Blake?" Link called out "Are you ok?"
"No, I'm going to the library..." Blake shook her head
"..." Link looked at Blake walk away
"Do you know what's up with her? She's more down than usual." Jaune asked
"Too complicated." Link sighed as they approached Team RWBY's dorm.
"Alright." Jaune approached to knock on the door
Link chuckled and pounded on the door with his fist.
"What the-?!" Jaune jumped with fright as the door opened "...Um." Jaune chuckled as he strung the guitar, which made Weiss's eyes widen.
"Weeeiiisssssssssss!" Jaune then followed up with a wink, which resulted in a slammed door in his face.
"Told ya." Link sighed
Jaune then knocked on the door 3 times "Come on Weiss..." He then knocked again "Open the door..."
No response
"I promise not to sing." Jaune mumbled
"He's lying..." Link called out, but still the door was opened by Weiss.
Jaune chuckled and began playing the guitar again "I liiieeed!"
"This is so bad." Link facepalmed
(Could be worse...)
(Like...?)
(He could be dancing too...)
(Fair enough.)
"To the dance on..." Jaune looked at Link
"Sunday." Link shrugged
"Suuunday."
"..." Ruby and Yang just continued staring
"Are you done?" Weiss asked
"..." Jaune looked up before looking back at Weiss "Yes?"
"Then no." Weiss shivered with disgust and shut the door again.
"Brilliant. How does she have friends again?" Link asked
"Because she's Weiss Schnee!"
"Yeah that doesn't answer the question." Link rolled his eyes "I could've been working on my speed with Ren but instead you dragged me here."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Jaune chuckled
"Oh no worries, it was entertaining." Link chuckled back, dragging Jaune away "Pyrrha's waiting, and you do not want to disappoint her like you've done with everyone else."
10 minutes passed, after Jaune's excessive need to warm up, he and Pyrrha finally began to spar, although it didn't last long, Jaune finally put up a decent fight.
"Come on Jaune." Link called out
"Hmph!" Jaune nodded, clearly having one advantage over Pyrrha, strength, he began to push her sword back into her
"Hmm..." Pyrrha grinned as she easily noticed Jaune's footwork was all wrong, easily sweeping his leg.
"Not bad. Both of you might I add." Link clapped lightly
"Thank you." Pyrrha nodded and helped Jaune up "Well done Jaune. Your sword play has improved immensely."
"Couldn't have done without ya..."
"So are you ready to..." Pyrrha continued to speak, but someone stopped listening
"Hm?" Link felt his scroll shaking, he quickly picked it up, it was Blake. "Um, Blake?"
"Thanks for everything, I'm sorry I was so mean." Blake mumbled, slurring her words a lot.
"Don't apologize to me." Link said firmly "Apologize to Sun."
"W-will do..." Blake said, yawning in the process before suddenly there was a slam on her end of the call
"Blake? Blaaaake?" Link called out, before the call ended "Crap..." Link looked back at Jaune and Pyrrha, who were still talking, but not about combat training anymore.
"Big surprise that she shot me down huh?" Jaune chuckled
"Well..." Pyrrha sighed "I believe the saying goes 'theres plenty of fish in the sea.' r-right?"
"Easy for you to say, you've probably got guys clamoring over each other just to ask you out."
"Heh...you'd be surprised." Pyrrha's eyes got a little watery as she put her head down
"Oh please, if you don't get a date to the dance, i'll wear a dress. Hehe." Jaune waved and walked off.
"..." Pyrrha said nothing
"You know." Link spoke up "I always thought you were invincible."
"Well I-!"
"Until i figured your little polarity trick out." Link said, grabbing his sword as fast as he could before taking a mighty swing at Pyrrha
"...!" Pyrrha's hands began to glow as Link's sword was redirected towards the sky
"See, this is why you always keep your guard up, especially when you have secrets to hide." Link chuckled as he put his sword away
"Secrets?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow
"Oh please, I know love is your other weakness. I see how you act differently around Jaune." Link chuckled
"Well I..." Pyrrha couldn't think of anything to defend herself so instead she fired back with banter "I see how you act around Ruby."
"Oh save it, Coco said the same thing about me and Velvet, I'll say the same thing to you, I don't see anything happening in the near future." Link said "They're both cool and funny despite each of their social awkwardness...but they're my friends."
"You never now, things might change." Pyrrha gave a smile of her own
"They might." Link rolled his eyes before waving "Good night Pyrrha."
"Goodnight Link." Pyrrha waved
Link quickly headed inside and dashed towards the library.
"Wow is this place dead..." Link chuckled as the library was completely dark, except for 1 monitor, which was dim and faded
"..." Link whistled as he approached the monitor "Well well...wouldn't ya know it? She finally went to sleep." Link smiled as the loud slam was Blake's head going against a desk. "That desk isn't much of a pillow though..." Link shrugged as he turned off the monitor and picked blake up, cradling her like a baby, slowly carrying her to the team RWBY dorm.
2 minutes later.
"Hmm..." Link was in front of the door, but didn't want Weiss to wake and bother Blake
"...Boo!" Ruby sneaked behind Link, lightly tapping him on the shoulder, making Link jump.
"What's up?" Link whispered
"Here's the situation, I was able to sneak out as well, so Weiss is ready to scold and scream at both Blake and I...so we both need to sleep somewhere else." Ruby smiled
"I got an idea for her." Link said, looking at Blake
A quick trip towards another dorm later.
"You want me to do what?" Sun said, slightly nervous as Blake as in his sights, but also a bit jealous because Link was carrying her.
"Let her spend the night here. Trust me, nobody wants to hear Weiss go on a rant." Link shrugged.
"True that. Alright, we got an extra bed, our other teammates haven't arrived yet from Haven."
"Thanks." Link nodded, gently handing Blake over.
"No problem." Sun nodded as he waved goodbye to Link and Ruby before closing the door.
"Well..." Link said, looking at Ruby "Nice Pajamas."
"Thanks." Ruby nodded in response "Hey um..." Ruby started but stopped herself.
"What's up?" Link asked
"The window's are locked shut and team JNPR's dorm is packed...you think maybe I can...!" Ruby stopped herself again
"You wanna stay with me for tonight. Don't you?"
"..." Ruby giggled "Mhm."
"I've only got one bed, i'll sleep on the floor." Link nodded in agreement as they approached his dorm "Alright then." Link said, clearing his throat and unlocking his door. "Make yourself comfortable."
"Wow...it looks so cool." Ruby walked in and instantly noticed the weapons in frames, with artwork on the walls.
"I figured there's too much empty space, might as well decorate right?" Link smiled as he headed into the closet
"Where ya going?" Ruby asked
"Be out in a minute." Link said, quickly changing from his tunic to a black shirt and black sweatpants.
"Come on, ya look really tired." Ruby said, she was in link's bed, offering him a spot in the bed "A rough cold floor doesn't deserve to have you sleep on it." She winked
"If you say so." Link got in the same bed as Ruby and smiled, almost immediately falling asleep...he really was tired after all.
"Thanks Weiss, your blatant anger got me and Blake another place to sleep, not to sure about Blake but I like where I'm at." Ruby grinned
A few minutes passed but Ruby still couldn't go to sleep, the thought of being 'closer' with Link made her heart race.
But then suddenly ruby felt arms wrap around her waist, holding her gently and pulling her closer.
"H-huh?!" She looked down and saw it was Link...he was cuddled up with her, she felt his warmness against her thin shirt, making her body heat up from embarrassment and shyness "W-well I did say I'd get cold." Ruby blushed as her smile grew bigger, slowly turning her head to face Link, who was fast asleep "Goodnight Link, sweet dreams." Ruby's smile then closed as she got ready. "Why...why is he so different from other boys? I said boys would be on my list to avoid...why is Link so different?"
Ruby sighed simply stared at Link, she wanted to say something, she wanted to act, but all she could do was stare and eventually doze off.
(9/26/17) Edited: Minor details