This wasn't supposed to happen! I swear this was an accident! When I wrote this story, there wasn't a pairing in mind. I figure if one appeared, it would be obvious and I would go with it if the pairing fit with the story. I didn't expect this one though. This story was just supposed to be Jaune helping his friends with some problems and fighting Nightmare Grimm. Fun and some dark secrets. Then this plotline formed and I'm sitting here thinking… okay… this shouldn't happen but it's too good to try to stop.
Thanks to NeoShadows for Betaing.
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Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
"Morning!"
Jaune was awoken from his slumber by the hyperactive ginger on his team bouncing around the room and opening curtains.
Yesterday's dream, the nightmare of Ren's tragic past, not to mention the little incident of a certain thief and the locker rooms, had left him a bit drained. Kinda like a sugar crash, his body was weary, and smacking his lips made him grimace. Going back to sleep after such a hectic and grueling nightmare had not been easy in the slightest. He couldn't help but ponder everything he had seen and had been kept up for some time. The boy couldn't even remember falling back asleep.
"Five more minutes!" Jaune whined, turning over with his sheets shielding him from the overly bright world.
Unlike the rest of them, his nights weren't exactly peaceful anymore.
Popping joints could be heard as the Mistral tournament fighter began her morning stretches, a sight to behold as she reached her hands up high to the ceiling with a pleasant groan. Pyrrha giggled softly at the burrito wrap of covers that was her leader, mentally saving the adoring sight in her memories.
"You can shower after us if you want, Jaune."
With a pleasant sigh as she finished her morning stretch, Pyrrha's eyes found themselves wandering over to the other male occupant of the room. To her surprise, the previous signs of exhaustion and sleep deprivation had seemingly melted away.
"You look a lot better, Ren. Did you have a good night's sleep?"
With a hand cupping a yawn on his lips, Ren absently nodded.
"I suppose I did. Seems all I really needed was one good night's sleep. Perhaps the nutritional shake I concocted had a far more beneficial effect than I previously believed. I'll have to save the recipe for later use, just in case anyone else has trouble sleeping."
Together as one, the JNP of JNPR gagged. Those 'shakes' weren't exactly fit to even be called medicinal despite all the nutrients and vitamins practically jammed into the mix. Even wrapped up in covers, Jaune shivered at the mere memory of his first taste of one of those veggie green glasses. How naive he had been.
He was pretty sure his Aura had taken a small hit.
Sighing in defeat that he would not earn any extra rest, Jaune threw aside his covers and looked back to the well-rested Ren.
Defeating the Nightmare last night had done wonders for the ever-peaceful Huntsman. The bags under his eyes were gone and he seemed a little brighter than normal. Well, as bright and energetic as the lax and collected ninja boy could appear to them. There was a certain glow to his eyes again, no longer dimmed or shaded as before. A sense of relief washed over both Jaune and Pyhrra to see their friend back to his old self again.
Nora however zipped over to his side, dancing all around him like a curious bee to a delectable flower in search of pollen, inspecting him with a sense of scrutiny found only doctors searching for disease in their patient's x-rays. To anyone else, it may seem strange and rude to be breaking into Ren's personal bubble so intimately. But to Jaune and Pyrrha, they only shook their heads in amusement as Ren merely sighed but made no move to push her away.
It would be stranger if Nora hadn't made such a big fuss over her not-crush.
Having found nothing wrong, Nurse Nora nodded firmly with her hands placed firmly on her hips.
"You better take it easy today," Nora commanded firmly with a stern finger. "That means no heavy maple syrup, ya hear? You will take it easy, relax, no stress, and be at peace, or else!"
"If that's what Nurse Nora orders, I shall oblige." Ren agreed with a smile.
"Good!" Nora crossed her arms and nodded, before breaking into a large grin and hugging him. Then she darted into the bathroom to get first dibs on the hot water.
With their friend back in shape, and the school day awaiting them, Team JNPR went onto their typical morning routine without much fuss. Showered, changed, and school supplies gathered with the day's schedule at hand, the four Huntsman in training left their room and began walking among the other students heading out. Most were trying to catch breakfast before the bell rang.
"So…What do you think you had? A minor cold or something? Stress? Overworked?"
While Nora and Pyrrha chatted away ahead of them, Jaune stuck back to walk alongside Ren, curious about what his friend 'believed' had been wrong with him. Yesterday's nightmare had been intense, far more intense than Velvet's superhero-themed fantasy involving a Grimmed-up Cardin. He just wanted to make sure that the ever-calm ninja wasn't affected in any strange manner after waking up. Especially since Jaune being there made the dream much more vivid.
Their short talk last night after said nightmare was defeated also had him wondering if his friend had caught on to his semblance as well. Ren was a sharp guy, way smarter than Jaune. It really wouldn't have surprised him if it had been Ren who had discovered his semblance first rather than Weiss.
Pink orbs glanced his way out of the corner of their eyes but then quickly returned to focus on the girls ahead of them.
"Could be a number of things, but most people have days they just feel unwell. Minor bugs do pop up every so often that merely vanish the next day. A good night's rest can easily fix many problems." Ren replied with a shrug. "It really wasn't a big deal. I can get sick like everyone else and just as easily get over it."
"I wouldn't call that a bug. Almost anyone could tell something was off about you. I think even Professor Goodwitch had been skipping you from participating in combat practice for a bit." Jaune pointed out with concern. "I kinda expected you to be bedridden for a couple of days too. You looked like you were going to pass out at any moment."
"...I did feel faint," Ren admitted begrudgingly with a narrowing of his eyes. "Perhaps it was more than just a bug but my body seemed to have quickly neutralized it before it could evolve into something worse. Even I'm surprised at how fast I recovered. Maybe fearing Nurse Nora's treatments helped my body heal faster."
"I take it she's treated you before."
"She wrapped my entire body up in bandages when we were younger."
"I mean, if you fell down and got scratched-"
"I had a mild case of food poisoning. And it wasn't just bandages. Splints, casts, gauze, lathers of medicinal cream, a gallon of ethanol. To this day I can't understand how she procured ethanol, of all things, in the middle of the woods."
"Ah… well that's why Nora is a Huntress, not a doctor." Jaune wasn't sure if Ren was joking or not.
The two boys shared a laugh. Even with their light teasing, Nora was important to both of them. To Ren, she was family since they were kids. To Jaune, she was an honorary sister. Sure she was a troublemaker and had some destructive tendencies, but she was fiercely loyal and would always be there for them. They wouldn't change her even if they could. Well, maybe try to get her to break things a little less frequently.
"I think knowing I had people who cared about me helped as well." Ren added, looking up at the ceiling.
"Well, don't forget you have more than just Nora by your side nowadays. We care about you too. If you're feeling even a bit unwell, tell us."
"...You've been having some unusual dreams lately, right?"
"Er, uh… yeah?" Jaune's heart started beating rapidly. Did Ren actually suspect something? The dreams Jaune entered were supposed to be unusually vivid to the dreamer.
"I had one last night. About my home town."
"Oh, before you and Nora…"
"Became orphans, yes." Ren nodded simply. "Nora told you about it once. A Grimm attack destroyed our home and we lost our family. I have dreams about it from time to time, but last night's was very… detailed."
"Like, you remember it well?" Jaune asked curiously, careful not to give away anything.
"Yes, and what's interesting is that you were in it." Ren continued. "Normally you and Pyrrha don't show up when I think back then."
"Really? Well, we are teammates, so it can't be that strange. We see each other every day. Makes sense we'd eventually pop up in your dreams too." Jaune shrugged and tried to act like he was as confused as Ren. "Wait… what did you dream I did? If you were Nora, I'd be selling Grimm furred rugs with a mustache and I'd be named Juan Suave."
"Heh." Ren snorted briefly as he chuckled. "No, more of you were yourself and helped fight off the Grimm. You also said some things I appreciated that really helped me in that dream."
"So I was cool!" Jaune puffed out his chest, throwing in a winning and charming grin. "Then I give you permission to dream of me more often."
Okay, he hammed it up a bit, but Ren wouldn't suspect anything, right?
"I'll remember that." Ren humored him. "But it made me think. Jaune… thanks for being there. For me and Nora."
"Huh?" Jaune looked at him. "If anyone should be saying that, it's me. You put up with all my stupidity, my lousy pride, and even accepted me for being a fraud! I got into Beacon by faking my way in, stole a spot reserved for someone more deserving and hardworking, and even when you guys discovered all my lies, you didn't think less of me. I should be the one thanking you."
Ren shook his head, a small smile worming its way to his typically passive face as his eyes never left the object of his attention.
Even as they talked to one another, he kept his sights locked on to the bubbly ginger girl.
"You don't understand how hard it was for Nora and I to make friends when traveling. How people don't warm up to Nora easily. She keeps up a happy facade, but she gets lonely very easily. Half the time, I think she does it so I don't dwell on negative things. As if she has to be the positive thing in my life, no matter what. Think of it like always having the light on because you don't want a child to be frightened by the dark. Even if she doesn't show it…it must become tiring to be so bright for the happiness of others. You and Pyrrha… the two of you accepted us almost immediately. You go along with Nora's crazy plans, her over-exaggerations, her boundless energy, everything. You treat us like family, not teammates."
"I don't see the difference. To me, being a friend is no different than being a part of my family" Jaune assured him. "So don't ever worry about it.. If you're ever in trouble, just let me know. I'll be there to bail you out."
"Then I hope you trust me the same way. If you ever need to talk about something, let me know. I promise I won't tell anyone your secrets. And I assume you want to keep up the Aura training?"
"Yeah, it's helped a lot."
"You're getting good at it. It's only a matter of time before you discover your Semblance with all the training you've been doing."
Jaune froze for a split second as Ren observed him, before continuing on. His mind was racing. Did Ren suspect something? That guy wasn't an idiot. He probably pieced together the clues as Weiss did. It looked like talking about the dreams publicly wasn't a good idea anymore. Jaune realized he should probably tone it down as people could perceive him. But it almost sounded like Ren was telling him he could talk about his Semblance when he was ready. Ren wasn't going to push him. That was something to think about. Should he tell his team about it? Pyrrha was the only one who might panic.
Yeah… he didn't want her to know what he saw.
On the plus side, it looks like having a pleasant dream ending helped Ren rest and relax.
Jaune's happiness was short-lived as they entered the cafeteria. He could feel Weiss, Ruby, and Yang staring angrily at him long before seeing them. Why they were giving him that look was beyond him. He wasn't the only one who noticed. His team was eyeing them too so he knew he wasn't imagining things.
"Is it my imagination or is Team RWBY glaring at you?" Nora whispered.
"No, they are…" Jaune agreed. "Except Blake." Blake had her head in a book and was ignoring her team members like usual.
"Did you do something?" Pyrrha wondered.
"Not that I know of." Jaune couldn't think of anything. He decided it was best they just didn't sit with them that morning until things calmed down. It didn't take long for them to focus on their own conversations and not worry about what their friends were doing. Nora was going on and on about Professor Port's test later and how she knew she was going to fail.
"I told you to study." Ren commented.
"I had to nurse you back to health!" The ginger cried out.
"You have to learn to multitask."
Pyrrha and Jaune both had to stifle their laughter. Seriously, Jaune loved his team with how close they were. He wasn't kidding when he thought of them as family. As they were about ready to get up and start making their way to class, Jaune felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Cinder smiling at him. He instantly felt hot, and it wasn't completely unrelated to the very attractive girl wanting his attention.
"Good morning, Jaune." Cinder greeted him.
"Good morning," Jaune replied, aware his team was watching. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well, though I have a question for you." Cinder answered, looking a little worried. That was unusual for her. She always excluded so much confidence.
"Sure, what's wrong?" Jaune asked, ready to help his new friend if he could.
"I know you were planning to show me around Vale a bit this weekend, but something came up with my team," Cinder apologized. "Are you free after class today?"
"Er… sure?" Jaune thought about it for a second and looked at this team. None of them spoke up. "I have some time."
"Excellent, I shall meet you once classes finish." Cinder put a hand on his shoulder. "I really appreciate the help, Jaune."
"It's no problem." Jaune murmured as she walked away to join her team. He never saw the amused smirk on Cinder's face as she locked eyes with Emerald. Turning back to his team, he shrugged. "She's not nearly as scary as people make her out to be. Kinda intense but I think she's pretty nice."
"That's because she's totally crushing on you." Nora pointed out, amused.
"HUH?!" Jaune dropped his fork onto his plate with a clang.
"It's pretty obvious." Nora yawned, not at all surprised her dense leader hadn't caught on. In fact, she was almost bored explaining it to him. "She's trying to get you to go out with her and you agreed. I mean, did you really not see how touchy she was being with you or how she was leaning towards you in a way that accented her baby bumpers?"
"She just asked me because she knows me," Jaune shook his head with a stubborn frown. "Cinder's a really talented and popular girl. There's no way she would be interested in me."
"Maybe you just attract talented and popular girls?" For a brief moment, Nora's gaze flickered over to Pyrrha, whose eyes widened.
"Nora, boys and girls can just be friends." Ren stated firmly.
"Yes, Jaune is just helping Cinder out." Pyrrha gave a small smile that seemed almost forced. Her tone also seemed stiff, almost robotic. "Her team is new here and he is one of the few people here she can speak to openly."
"I have a way of doing that," Jaune grinned. "I'm very huggable and non-threatening."
"Especially with your onesie!" Nora laughed as Pyrrha blushed at his words.
"Burn it!" Coco yelled from across the cafeteria.
"Only if you get me a better one! And I mean a onesie, not pajamas! Because comfort is king, damn it!" Jaune yelled back.
He had no idea where the fashionista sat in the sea of eating students, but he shook his balled fist to the direction of her voice.
"Don't tempt me, Arc! Just because you have better clothes now, don't think I forgot the fashion disaster! Fuck burning it; I got plenty of shells ready to turn your abomination into shreds!"
A few people laughed, though Jaune wasn't embarrassed. If anything, it drew more attention to his new outfit. It was a significant upgrade over his old attire and people seemed to like it. Even Pyrrha seemed to be impressed by it, as when he first showed his team, she couldn't take her eyes off him. Shame he had to wear the boring school uniform until he was called up to fight in class. Eventually, the bell rang and everyone began to move to their first class that day. Tossing his trash away, Jaune turned around and almost ran right into Ruby.
"Oh, sorry, Ruby!" The boy apologized. "Didn't see you."
"..."
Jaune frowned, scratching the back of his head in confusion as the normally bright yet meek Ruby stared at him intensely. Like she had suspected him of stealing the last strawberry cookie from her secret stash. He gulped thickly and wondered whether he should just step back and run for the hills.
"Jaune… we're friends right?" Ruby asked carefully with stoic silver eyes.
"Yeah, best friends, why?"
"And best friends need to speak up when their other best friend does something bad, right?" Ruby continued to stare at him.
"Of course?" Jaune blinked as he looked back at her. Ruby was being unusually serious. "Why, what's wrong?"
"Cheating is wrong."
"Huh?"
"Cheating… is wrong. You can't do it."
"Are you talking about Port's test today?" Jaune still wasn't sure what Ruby was going on about. "Look, I know I'm not the sharpest blade in the armory, but give me some credit. Why? Did someone say I was? Because I actually studied this time!"
This was true as Pyrrha pushed him to study between Aura training with Ren and his own sparring training with her.
"You know what I'm talking about!" Ruby glared at him cutely, like she thought he was joking. She stomped her foot down in a huff, trying to appear serious by standing on her toes to match his height. Which didn't go well considering he was over six feet and the tallest of their friend group.
Unfortunately, they didn't get to talk anymore as Weiss called for Ruby to hurry up. Ruby gave Jaune one last look before running off after them. Yang and Weiss seemed to be looking at him like he was trash, but Blake was frowning at them. When they turned to leave, she glanced over at Jaune, who shrugged.
He had no idea what happened.
Blake closed her book, nodded, and followed her team out of the cafeteria.
Maybe she could find out why the rest of Team RWBY was being weirdly intense and kinda hostile to him. He would have to check back with her during their next book club session.
The rest of the day went on like normal. Jaune was pretty sure he passed Port's exam, most of the questions were one's he remembered going over. He didn't get called today in combat class, so he wasn't making a fool of himself. Pyrrha actually told a funny joke and got him and Nora to laugh. The only problem was Team RWBY, except for Blake, seemed to be upset with him. It kinda…hurt.
Ruby was his best friend and Weiss was really helpful with his Semblance problem. Yang was kind of a friend and he thought they got along well enough, especially with having helped her through her own nightmare. For those friendly girls to brush him aside and give him those unwarranted stares of accusation, it made him feel bad. Had he done something wrong or offended them?
Classes were over with, and his team was occupied with their own activities, so he couldn't help but ponder what was going on with Team RWBY as he leaned back against a light post outside of Beacon's entrance. Scroll in hand, he tried to get to the bottom of all the trouble. Neither Ruby nor Weiss replied to his texts asking if he did something wrong. Just more silence. He sighed, the back of his head hitting the cold metal post in defeat. Seriously, what did he do wrong?
"You seem down."
Jaune nearly dropped his Scroll as he suddenly found a warm presence sneaking behind him. Glancing back, he found intrigued amber eyes taking a peek over his shoulder.
Cinder offered the startled knight an amused smile, laughing lightly behind her hand as Jaune tried to hide his embarrassment. Had she seen his texts?
"Busy? It appears you have something weighing you down. If you'd like, we could always reschedule."
"No, it's not that!" Jaune shook his raised hands to dismiss her thoughts. "I think a couple of my friends are upset with me for some reason and I don't know why. It's been going on all day without any explanation."
"Oh?" Cinder raised an eyebrow but resisted smirking at the juicy gossip. She couldn't be too eager. "Are you sure? It could be a misunderstanding. You don't seem the type to do anything bad. Well, sleeping in class is one thing but I wouldn't go as far as calling it bad. Naughty maybe."
"Haha…" Jaune rolled his eyes but actually felt a little better. He crossed his arms and went back to leaning against the lamppost, face speaking of his mind still glued to his dilemma. "Thing is, I can't think of any reason on my part for earning a cold shoulder. It just seems so abrupt and out of the blue. We all get along great and Ruby's my best friend, but even she's distancing herself. From what little I gathered, they think I'm cheating on something. Like a test, I guess? But even that seems too small for such a reaction."
Cinder blinked and this time, she actually smirked at the boy's words. For a surprisingly clever boy, he was rather naive.
It was rather amusing. It seemed Team RWBY believed that Jaune was currently cheating on Blake with her. Cinder partially wondered what Blake thought of the supposed love triangle they were now caught up in. That girl wasn't an idiot based on Emerald's observation. No doubt the faunus girl had caught on to what was troubling her team but for whatever reason decided it was best not to clear up the misunderstanding. Leaving the poor naive blond knight scratching his head, wondering if he had offended them in some way while half of his friend circle turned their backs on him without elaborating why.
Cinder could use that.
Sow further discord, widen the rift, pile on their doubts, and deepen the cracks in their beliefs. Just being Jaune's 'friend' was enough to get her into their inner circle to allow her to inflict incredible damage. But if she actually stole Jaune away from Blake, which would be an easy task for one such as herself, it would make Team RWBY hate her and by extension her team.
As useful as it would be in certain aspects, it wouldn't do to cause any social damage this early in the plan. She would have to tread this situation lightly. Staying close to Team RWBY was essential.
"Hmm, unless I know why they are upset, I don't think I'll be able to help." Cinder apologized. "I'll ask Emerald if she's heard anything if you would like. She's close with Ruby and Weiss. It would be the least I could do."
"There's no need for you all to get involved," Jaune replied quickly, sounding worried. "It wouldn't be fair if you get dragged into this and have to choose sides. Things should blow over soon enough. It's only been one day, so maybe they need time to cool down. I'm sure they'll tell me what's wrong if I give them some space."
"If you're sure." Cinder patted his shoulder. "But should you need help, or just someone to talk to, let me know. I can hardly leave my first friend at Beacon to deal with troubles by himself."
"First friend?" Jaune was actually surprised. "But Emerald and Mercury made friends with Team RWBY pretty quickly. I would think a Huntress like you would have made more friends before stumbling onto a loser like me."
"I'm more selective with those I chose to associate with, let alone consider friends. I've also been told I can come off as rather intimidating. Can't say why." She admitted with a faux flutter of her lashes.
"I can see that."
"Oh?" Cinder raised an eyebrow with a hand cocked on her hip.
"See, you're doing it right there!" Jaune pointed. "Though it's probably because you're attractive, strong, and smart along with that stern glare you're known for. You got this femme fatale thing going even though you're a nice and understanding girl. Well, at least to me."
"Hmm, are you sure you're not flirting with me?" Cinder remarked amused, tilting her head.
"Not funny!" Jaune accused. "I'm just trying to be serious as a friend."
"I know, but what's a little teasing between friends? Did it help cheer you up?"
"A little… thanks." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck as they went on to walk from the Bullhead to Vale. "So er… what do you want to see in Vale?"
"If you know any weapons and Dust shops we can restock ammo, that would be appreciated," Cinder suggested. "After that, possible locations I can take my team out for a reward when they do well. We hope to win the Vytal Festival, but there's quite a bit of competition. So, I wish to reward them with a celebratory outing for all their hard work in the battles to come. Surely you would know of a few areas we could entertain ourselves at as a resident of Vale."
"I know a few places," Jaune admitted. "Once a week or so, we, and Team RWBY at times, go out to hit the town for some fun. I can suggest some restaurants, arcades, clothing stores, and hobby shops. I'm sure you can pick something out for your team. Got anything else in mind you'd like to check out?"
"Just looking around mostly," Cinder mused. "I've been told I'm too laser-focused on the tasks at hand and I need to relax. Perhaps I should pick up a hobby. Preposterous is it not?"
"Er…" Jaune wasn't sure how to respond to that. He remembered interfering with Cinder's dream, talking about this exact same thing. Maybe she actually considered his suggestion? Jaune tried to make it logical since Cinder seemed like the type to base her decisions on logic over emotions. It would make her think it was her own idea that way. "I don't know. Maybe?"
"Maybe?" Cinder's gaze seemed to penetrate to his very soul. "What do you mean by that?"
"It's…" Jaune gulped and then took a deep breath. Cinder was his friend, so he could be honest. There wasn't a need to walk on eggshells with her. Just because she appeared intimidating, didn't mean she truly was. "Sorry, let me be clearer: No, it's not."
"Oh?" Cinder didn't seem angry. If anything, the corner of her mouth tugged upwards. "Do go on."
"If you get too focused on a goal or task, you miss everything that's going on around you. " As those words left his mouth, Jaune felt kind of hypocritical saying that. With his crush on Weiss, he missed all the signs Pyrrha liked him and he was just hurting her. "Not only that, your brain needs to rest too. Just like how you can't train every day, you can't focus on serious things all the time either. You're going to burn yourself out at this rate. Then what?"
"What do you suggest then?" Cinder asked curiously.
"Whatever you want to do outside that 'tunnel' for starters." Jaune shrugged. "I don't know all your likes and dislikes yet, so I probably can't tell you that right now. I mean, think about what one of your teammates would do outside of just school. Mercury? He reads comics like I do. Sure, many people consider them childish, especially book snobs, but we like them. It lets us relax and enjoy ourselves. Other people might go on walks and enjoy nature, play sports, crafting hobbies-…"
"Play video games?"
"Wait, are you interested in video games?" Jaune gasped, looking at her with hope in his big blue eyes.
"Not really, but I know people who are interested in such novelties." The woman answered curtly.
"Ah… dang."
"I take it you're into them?"
"Yeah, I play quite a bit. Same with most of my team, and Ruby and Yang often join us."
For all of Cinder's intense aura and serious expression, she was actually pretty easy to talk to. After being chased by her in the dream when she was furious, her calm serious demeanor was quite relaxing. She wasn't going to explode into a pillar of fire and burn him to a crisp in the real world. If anything, she seemed kind of lonely. He would have thought being smart, strong, and beautiful would have caused her to be really popular. Though it kind of felt like she was similar to Pyrrha in that aspect. So high up on a pedestal that she was practically out of reach of everyone else. Maybe she didn't have a lot of friends either? Remembering her dream, being work obsessed might have prevented making those kinds of connections.
The ride to Vale was spent with a casual conversation with the amber-eyed raven. All the while in the back of his head, the boy was contemplating how to go about their stroll through Vale's streets to better ease the walls Cinder constructed around herself. Once they touched down, he wasted little time as her friend. This was an important task he was going to take seriously.
Jaune showed her the places he and his team hung out. From their favorite restaurants to the movie theater, the arcade, and then he took her to places Cinder's team could restock ammo and Dust for their weapons. The owner gave a discount to Huntsmen students, so it was a welcome surprise for the girl to discover. Jaune didn't have a ranged weapon and relied on a sword and shield, but he had come here multiple times with Pyrrha and Ruby.
"Vale really is a bustling city," Cinder commented, looking around as they exited the dust shop. "It even has some nightclubs."
"You don't seem like the kind of person to visit those kinds of places." Jaune pointed out, remembering their earlier talks.
"When you're looking for information, you'll be surprised what you can find out there," Cinder replied mysteriously while revealing no clues on what kind of information she had been looking for.
"Anywhere else you would like to see?" Jaune asked, unable to think of anything else to say. "The mall is right over there. Clothing stores mostly, but there are some specialized shops if you're interested in picking up a hobby."
"I don't think building model trains or airplanes suits me." Cinder chuckled. "Don't have the patience for those."
"Really?" It was Jaune's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"Do you doubt me?" Cinder's lip curled.
"It's more I feel you're the type to plan things out and do it right is all." Jaune shrugged as he remembered her dream. She did have a bit of a temper, but the boy was smart enough not to mention that particular attitude. "Am I wrong?"
"No… I would say you aren't…" Cinder conceded to him. The boy was more astute than she realized. Maybe she wasn't delusional about him in her dreams. She did step out of the shadows to put herself in the spotlight. "You're quite astute."
"Maybe you're just easy to read to me?" Jaune joked.
"What else do you read from me then?" Cinder asked, actually finding herself genuinely amused.
"Hmm… you want to hang out with me again?" Jaune was still just joking. "It surprises you how much you enjoy my company." He couldn't help himself. Cinder was still a little intimidating and joking allowed him to calm down, to be himself in front of the woman. Compared to their first meeting, he felt he was a lot more relaxed when talking to her.
"Not bad." Cinder crossed her arms and nodded.
"Wait… I was right?" Okay, the boy didn't expect that. Jaune expected a slight chuckle at best.
"Your reading skills are quite remarkable." Cinder's eyes twinkled. "I would like to hang out again in the future if you're agreeable."
"Wow… um… I mean sure!" Jaune verbally stumbled.
"I'm glad you want to." Cinder put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe our teams could do a few activities during this semester together?"
"Oh, we could come up with something." Jaune agreed immediately. "I'll think of something, no problem. Though I'm sure Nora will want to face your team in some sparring at some point."
"Mercury would enjoy that," Cinder assured him. "He likes fighting strong people. Plus fighting more varied opponents would allow us to refine our skills."
"It's a date then." Jaune's eyes widened in horror at what he said. "I mean not a date, but er… a plan that's not really a date… even if it's on a date!"
"I know what you mean, Jaune." Cinder laughed and Jaune actually stared at her in shock. He didn't expect such an amused and friendly reaction to his big mouth.
The two of them eventually headed back to Beacon as it was getting late. Jaune was finding himself enjoying spending all this time with Cinder and looked forward to their next meeting. While he didn't know her that well yet, it seemed she might be interested in him. Which would normally be impossible for someone like him. Cinder knew he wasn't an amazing fighter and was on the bottom of Beacon's ladder. Yet she still went out of her way to accompany him. Maybe something could happen?
Jaune wasn't sure he was fully over Weiss, but wasn't the point of dating to meet and get to know new people? Of course, he wasn't going to say they were officially dating now. They were just two friends spending time together. But if the signs were there? Should he go for it? Based on what he saw in her dream, Cinder seemed lonely and absorbed in her work. Maybe her stern personality was just hiding that? Even if she didn't want to date him, having another friend wouldn't hurt either of them. There was no reason not to pursue this.
If something did arise from this? Well, that would be fine too.
The boy didn't notice the mischievous smirk and gleam on Cinder's face when she was looking away from him.
"Bye, Jaune." Cinder waved when they arrived at Beacon. "I had a lot of fun tonight."
"Same."
Jaune nodded and the two finally split ways. The other Academy transfer student's dorms were in another area than Beacon's students. Everything that happened earlier that day ran through his mind and a huge smile formed on his face. Things were looking up. If he could learn to control his Semblance, then everything would be perfect. He was improving in class, was getting along with a beautiful transfer student, and discovered his Semblance recently.
Things were going well.
Too well.
"You actually did it? Didn't Ruby tell you not to?"
Weiss was standing in the hallway, her arms crossed, with a furious and disbelieving expression on her face.
"What are you talking about?" Jaune asked, his brain needed a moment to process this and remember what Ruby told him. "You mean about cheating on Port's test? I don't cheat. If I do badly, it's because I didn't study!"
"That's what she told you?" Weiss demanded to know. "Nothing else?"
"Nope, just that cheating is wrong."
Jaune knew he had to have said something stupid because Weiss facepalmed. Her ice-blue eyes were staring daggers at him like he had insulted her. There was nothing to fear, right? Everything he told her was completely true. He didn't cheat on the test and thought he did pretty well on his own.
"Are you being ignorant on purpose or feigning dumb?" Weiss wanted to know.
"Okay… can you tell me what this is about?" The boy realized he had to be missing something. "Why are you, Ruby, and Yang treating me like… Cardin?"
"Because Cardin would do the same thing if he had the chance!" Weiss snapped and turned around. "Until you admit what you're doing is wrong, I don't think I can help you. I'll give you your book back tomorrow."
"Wait… Weiss!"
Jaune called after her. She ignored him and headed back to her room without another word.
"What the heck is going on?" The boy muttered to himself and slumped against the hallway wall. Those three were under the assumption he did something really bad. He would expect Weiss to believe that before they were friends, Yang could jump to conclusions, but Ruby? His best friend thinking he did something really bad?
"I need to figure this out."
Everything else was pushed out of his mind as he pulled out his Scroll. There was one person on Team RWBY that seemed to be treating him the same. Hoping Blake had the answers he sought, he sent her a message.
Blake, the rest of your team thinks I did something really bad. Ruby and Weiss are getting upset at me and I don't know why! Help!
A minute passed before he got a message.
I'll ask discreetly.
THANK YOU! You're the best!
I know.
Feeling slightly better, but still worried about what happened with his friends, Jaune headed back to his dorm. He was out of it a bit as he worried about what he could have done and Pyrrha noticed. Passing it off as not feeling well, he went to bed early, hoping things would be brighter in the morning. It took some time to drift off though, with his mind running through every possibility that Team RWBY believed he did wrong. He wished Ruby and Weiss would have just been upfront with him.
Finally, darkness overtook him and he was looking forward to finding out the truth.
Only to wake up in the middle of the street of a large city.
"Noooooo… no, no, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Jaune yelled out. "I didn't connect with anyone! How am I here!"
No one answered him as the street was deserted. Taking a moment to look around, Jaune tried to figure out where he was. The city structures reminded him a bit of Ren and Nora's dream, though the houses were much closer and positioned more like Vale was. Putting those pieces together, Jaune reasoned he was in a dream version of a large city in a similar version of Mistral. Never actually having been there, he couldn't tell how accurate this place was.
Thunder boomed across the sky.
"Oh, come on!"
The downpour began and the poor boy was instantly soaked.
"Ugh… this day just keeps getting better and better."
The storm was relentless and Jaune could barely see anything in the dark street. Weirdly, there were no street lamps or building lights on for him to see, so he was wandering down the pavement, completely blind. Until a small light in the distance caught his eye. Cold, wet, and wanting to find a place to dry off, as well as figure out whose dream this was, Jaune began to run. He never saw the spark, so unless it jumped when he wasn't paying attention, one of the other options he considered with Weiss as a possibility could have happened.
If only Weiss would talk to him.
A small house seemed to be the only building lit up in the city. Jaune was pretty sure he would find the dreamer there. At a distance, the place looked like an inn of some kind, but once he drew closer, he realized that wasn't the case. It was a rather large hotel. Frowning, Jaune was a little suspicious. Mistral buildings were one thing, but a fancy hotel? Could this be Ren's dream? He was the last dreamer Jaune' visited so maybe there was a residual connection there. It's possible a fancy hotel was something Ren wished he and Nora could afford. Taking a deep breath, Jaune pushed the door open to see what was inside… and get out of the rain.
"Hello?!" The boy called out, stepping inside.
The entrance hall was empty, including the front desk. A large glass Ursa statue decorated the entrance and Jaune kept one wary eye on it in case it suddenly came to life. He was too used to obvious dream jump scares like that. Looking around for clues, Jaune noticed a flight of stairs leading to the second story. No other doors were open or had any indications he should head that way. Each footstep echoed in the empty entrance hall as he made his way upstairs.
The upstairs balcony overlooked the area below and as he glanced over the railing, he saw the entrance hall now crowded with people. Chairs and tables were full of visitors eating and drinking, chatting away without a care in the world. The front desk clerk was busy checking in a couple of people who were dragging suitcases. They had all appeared out of nowhere, but that didn't surprise Jaune. It was pretty tame with what he's witnessed. No, the boy was focused on why they suddenly appeared.
"The dreamer should be around here." Jaune muttered to himself. "But why would the guests and workers appear now?"
He walked toward the end of the balcony, trying each door as he passed. All of them were locked until he reached the last door. When his hand grabbed the doorknob, it turned with a soft click. The lights were on in the room and Jaune was preparing himself for what he was about to see. In a dream, it could be anything. From normal events the dreamer remembered, to the craziest things the subconscious could imagine. Jaune took a deep breath and stepped inside, before freezing up.
There were two bodies sprawled out on the ground. Laying on their back, they were still like mannequins tossed out of their display case, silent and unmoving without even…a lift of their chest.
Young girls.
Instantly, Jaune rushed over to them and picked one up, examining them. Their green eyes were open and lifeless, obviously dead. No heartbeat or breathing. Slowly laying the girl down, Jaune covered their eyes with his hand and slowly shut them. For a moment, he thought they were the two girls he met before but these two were different. Sisters since they looked so much alike, though one had slightly browner hair than the other. Both had fancy white shirts, with the brown-haired girl having gray pants and the blonde hair girl having a long gray skirt.
Looking around the room for clues to what happened, all that was left in the basic storage room was another door that led somewhere. Jaune instinctively reached for his hip for his reassuring sword, but it wasn't there. This dream wasn't giving him a weapon yet. Slowly standing up, Jaune approached the door and put his hand on it.
Clang!
The sound of metal hitting metal rang out.
Gritting his teeth, Jaune forced the door open and stepped inside.
Cinder Fall was fighting some tall, dark-skinned man with dark, graying hair and brown eyes. He wore a Prussian blue shirt which was covered by a bronze and navy blue vest, alongside straps over his chest and arms. His left shoulder was covered by a bronze pauldron. Cinder looked the same as Jaune knew her except she was wearing a white shirt and gray pants, eerily similar to the two girls. A woman was laying on the ground in the room too. Brown hair in a bun, a white long-sleeve top, and a long brownish-red dress.
Did this man cause it? Was she fighting an intruder? Was this another nightmare?
Jaune ducked behind some boxes to watch. He would have jumped in if he had his weapon or if Cinder was in trouble, but Cinder was doing an amazing job by herself. She was using a sword against the man, who was using two maces. Did this man attack her home and she has nightmares about him? If she was a kid when this happened, it wouldn't be easy to forget. No wonder she was obsessed with power based on their conversation from the previous dream.
Quietly, Jaune was rooting for her.
The man slammed the maces down and smashed the floor, as Cinder dove to the side. Spinning on the floor, she stabbed her blade at the man's neck, but it bounced off with a loud clang. The man's skin seemed to be the color of iron. He swung his other mace and Cinder was forced to retreat.
"You went too far." The man told her.
"Too far? Too far?!" Cinder screeched back. Jaune was surprised at the raw emotion that was beyond anger flowing through her words. "Should I have stayed here? A slave to those that called themselves my family? All they wanted was a servant to work to the bone. Everyone saw it and ignored them because I was an orphan. A powerless nobody, but not anymore."
"I was trying to help you."
"If you really wanted to help me, you would have stopped them." Cinder growled. "Instead, you taught me to fight then got mad when I used it to protect myself? All of this could have been avoided if you just stepped up and took me away. If you had just saved me!"
"I wanted to-"
"HAHAHAHA!" Cinder covered her face with one hand and started laughing. Jaune shivered at the sound. It wasn't a happy sound, or even an evil villain laugh. It was the laugh of someone broken, someone who no longer had belief in anyone else. A person lost with no one to turn to. "You let them torment me. Treat me like an animal. Even shock me with a collar every day. All this time, you knew I was suffering, day in and day out, hurt over and over again, and toyed with like I were lesser than human, lesser than a faunus! Don't hide behind wanting to help. The only reason you taught me to fight was so I could fight Grimm. Just like them, you were going to use me. Right?! A slave to another master. But not anymore. I have power now. Power to shape my own future! Power to save myself!"
Cinder rose into the air as fire wrapped around her.
"Cinder, stop!" The man raised his hand.
"It's too late…" Cinder raised a hand as a ball of fire formed. "I did consider you family, Rhodes. Until you turned your blade upon me. Your last lesson you taught me was I could only rely on myself."
Jaune turned away and gritted his teeth as the ball of bright orange flames grew in her hand before flying at the man named Rhodes. He never saw the impact, nor heard any screaming, but he felt a wave of heat wash over him. When the light and heat faded, Jaune peaked over the box and saw Cinder kneeling down before a charred outline on the ground.
"Why didn't you help me? Why couldn't you just save me and take me away like you knew I wanted? Just like those fairy tales." Cinder whispered.
Not even a body remained. Not even ash but a shadow of what had been incinerated to thin air. Leaving not even a corpse to talk back as she leaned over the burned outline and held her shoulders with a tremble on her lips. The girl seemed to grow younger as she knelt by the shadow.
"...Couldn't you have been my Rusted Knight?"
For the first time, she sounded so vulnerable, so lonely. This was her dream, her private thoughts, and feelings. Jaune grimaced as he remembered that sensitive information. Again, he was spying on something personal and he had no idea how to prevent it. His Semblance forced him to come here. To once again barge into a sacred place meant only for the dreamer and no one else. Just like Ren, this was a nightmare buried and better left forgotten for the good of the dreamer.
Looking at the door, Jaune decided he needed to leave. He had seen some personal stuff, but this took the cake. It was stupid to think that by invading people's dreams he wouldn't run into this situation.
The boy took a single step to the door.
Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkkkk!
Jaune flinched as the dream floorboard betrayed him.
"Who's there?!" Flames whipped around Cinder as she sprung to her feet and turned.
Jaune's shoulders jumped and he threw his hands up guiltily as he turned around carefully, sweating anxiously with a weak smile at the now wide-eyed young Cinder.
"Jaune?"
Hundreds of ideas rushed through his mind as he debated what to say. Upon recognizing him, the dream shifted. The burning woman was back to her original age, no longer in the white and gray outfit, but a red and gold dress. Making her look more exotic and frightening. Jaune knew he had to be careful, but no matter what he considered, Cinder's plea still rang in his ears.
"Are you okay?" Jaune asked softly as he put down his open hands.
"What did you see?!" The woman demanded, stepping forward as the flames erupted around her once more. It was the last dream all over again.
This time though, the boy wouldn't run. The furious and prideful dragon ruling over a kingdom was absent. Now, he only found a frightened girl suffering from a terrible dream.
"Just the end," Jaune replied, stepping forward even if his instincts were screaming at him to run. "Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?!" Cinder snarled, though the fire died down a little.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jaune asked, keeping as calm as he could. It was a little easier than if this was real, as even if he was burned alive, he would just wake up in his bed. He could be braver and afford to take more than just a step.
"No, why would you even ask me that!" Came the snappy reply.
"I wouldn't be here otherwise."
That wasn't true, but if anything, when Cinder woke up she could contribute his presence to truly just being a dream. After all, he was her friend. And if he was right, her only friend at the moment besides her teammates. Logically speaking, she could have simply conjured him up because he was her friend and could help.
Cinder was intelligent. So, he would have to be careful how he approached this. He didn't want her to put two and two together like Weiss did, and possibly Ren. She could contribute it to their earlier date is why he was on her mind too.
"Your family…" Jaune started to say before Cinder erupted in a flash of bright light and heat. The fire grew and Jaune knew he said something wrong.
"They are not my family!" Cinder growled with thin streams of fire bellowing from her body. "That woman adopted me to be a slave. Her daughters abused me and tormented me every day because I was powerless. I was an object, not family! Do you have any idea what it's like to have a shock collar on you that was used anytime you even look defiant? Or just because she wants to input a lesson!"
Jaune's eyes widened as he couldn't come up with a response.
"Rhodes saw what they were doing to me and you know what his ingenious plan was?" Cinder laughed again, dry and sarcastic. She obviously wanted to talk about this for so long, but never had. Pride was Jaune's best guess, or she wanted to hide her horrid past. But this was a dream, a realm where one could be free and unrestrained from fear. Even the greatest of guards would slip up.
She must have realized what an opportunity this was. To finally bleed out all this restrained and tightly packed pain she had kept to herself for who knows how long.
"To train me to fight. To be a Huntress. I was so close…"
Her hands turned into fists as her eyes flickered. The room around them seemed to shake as walls fell and crates exploded. Spouts of orange-red fire broke out from the floorboards and the very air began to swim under the intense heat.
"Then my stepsisters pushed me too far, tormenting, mocking, attacking me… I-I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped and the next thing I knew they were dead."
The lifeless bodies, the empty eyes.
Jaune's breath caught in his throat.
"That woman found me and tried to electrocute me to death and I had to kill her to save myself. Then Rhodes found me. He didn't allow me to explain, even though I knew he realized what I had done. He could have helped me but instead chose to attack me. All because I defended myself."
Her hand punched the wall and caused it to burst into flames. The fire roared to life and surrounded them, burning all evidence of the inn. Screams were heard from the outside, but Jaune forced himself to remember they weren't real. He was focused on the person in front of him.
"That fool!" Cinder continued. "But I know now, power will free me. I can't be controlled if I'm strong. I won't be a slave to them. Unless they are stronger than me. But I will do what I have to do to get that power. Just like always, I'll endure it all. I grit my teeth through the pain, through the tears, through the hopelessness! So that I may stand above everyone else! Even that old hag won't hold me forever."
Silence followed her words and she turned to face him directly. In a world of flames and smoke consuming the world around them amid dying screams, they were the only two left. The light of the hellish flames was reflected in her seething amber eyes.
"It scares you, doesn't it."
The woman spoke rhetorically. It wasn't a question but a noted fact anyone could state. Despite her glare, she seemed almost bored to say it.
"Knowing I'm a murderer, that I'll do anything for power. Doesn't it disgust you? Tch, like I would care. You're a fool. A fool who doesn't know everything that's happening around you. As if you were living a fairy tale. Live a happy, ignorant life while you can. It will all end eventually."
"..."
"Say something!" Cinder demanded, stepping towards him. "Tell me I'm awful, a monster, tell me I'm worthless! Anything!"
What Jaune did next, shocked even him.
He had no idea how much of this was true. For all he knew, Cinder really did kill her stepfamily in a form of self-defense, while deep down blaming herself for it, no matter what she said. Killing someone as a kid couldn't be so easy that it didn't affect her even now. Maybe this was all fiction and just part of a dream narrative she created. Whatever the reason, even while talking about gaining power, she left some stuff slip out. Part of her, deep down, wanted help.
'Why didn't you help me? Why couldn't you just save me and take me away like you knew I wanted? Just like those fairy tales.'
'...Couldn't you have been my Rusted Knight?'
For some reason, he hadn't thought of that old childhood fairy tale in a long time.
Cinder froze as Jaune's arm wrapped around her tightly. Hellish heat was replaced by a blossoming warmth.
"Wha-...?"
This was not something Cinder expected.
Arms wrapped protectively around the stunned girl, Jaune spoke softly into the dark raven locks of hair.
"You don't deserve what happened to you," Jaune told her as pulled her deeper into his chest. "A kid shouldn't be tormented by this. Family should be helping each other, protecting each other, and loving each other! No matter how good or bad you were, putting a collar on you? A fucking shock collar?! Why the hell would that make you the monster?"
"Stop it you fool!" Cinder started to push him off. "I demand you release me this instance or I will make you!"
Jaune did not let go. He only embraced her more, forcing her to ignore the burned-down remains of her past.
A punch did not follow her threat. A weapon didn't pierce him out of nowhere. Searing lashes of fire didn't cook him alive. All she did was continue to tell him to stop, but even her struggling began to whittle. In the end, the burning hot woman simply stood there, arms slacking and falling limply at her sides, letting him continue. The flames around them flickered, fighting to keep alive, only to leave a charred room to crumble into dust. They were standing outside, back in the city, where dawn began to light up the sky. The rain had thankfully stopped, which might have indicated Cinder was in a slightly better mood.
Sometimes, talking things out helps more than you realize. Even a weak Huntsman in training like Jaune could do something as simple as lend an ear. You didn't need to be some rusted old knight from some fairy tale to offer such an easy salvation to a troubled girl.
"I'm not going to ask if you're okay," Jaune finally let go. "You're obviously not. But just remember, I'm your friend and I'm here for you. You know if you ever need to talk, I'll be there. What else are friends for?"
He felt Cinder tense up in his arms. And for a split second, when he peeked down at her face, he could have sworn her lips quivered.
Taking a deep breath, she collected herself and stepped out of his embrace. Jaune smiled, not even attempting to stop her. With her face back to its serious expression, he found her eyes had changed.
In a move he hadn't expected, she stepped back into his bubble, chest almost touching as she stared up at him with soft smoldering yellow orbs.
"Will you?" Cinder put a hand on his cheek.
"I'm too nice of a guy to say no."
A gentle laugh was heard, one different from the ones he had heard in the world outside of dreams.
"Indeed. That will one day get you killed, but if you stay by me… maybe I can prevent that. You're interesting. It makes me want to keep you even more."
Jaune opened his mouth to respond, but the next moment, her hand wrapped around the back of his head and pulled him forward. His lips locked with hers. Pillowy cushions caressed his own and went as far as even cracking his lips open for her breath to swim into his own.
Jaune was in stunned disbelief at this sudden turn of events.
Too bad there was little time to enjoy a kiss with a bombshell like Cinder.
One second Cinder was kissing him. The next, the void blinked.
Blackness erased the dream. Leaving the gaping blond to fall through the world. This was the case when the dreamer woke themselves up, rather than Jaune slipping away naturally. A few dreamers did it, like Velvet losing her clothes or Yang's mom propositioning him. Somehow, that single kiss shocked Cinder awake.
As Jaune woke up in his bed, a single thought crossed his mind.
I'm not that bad of a kisser.
It was kind of funny to imagine that confident woman surprised by that one little action. He knew Cinder was the serious type but so bold? Color him surprised.
Amusement was quickly replaced by seriousness as Jaune processed what he saw. Sitting up in his bed, he was careful to make sure none of his teammates were awake. Thankfully they were all either sleeping peacefully or snoring.
Something happened to Cinder when she was a kid, involving her step family. How much of what he saw and heard was true, he didn't know. That was something Cinder would have to tell him, but there was no way he could bring that up. All he could do was act naturally and show he was someone she could trust. Though if that Rhodes person really just let her suffer, it might be harder for her to open up than Jaune realized.
So, what else could he do?
Having her family killed wasn't something Jaune had experience with. His family actually cared about each other and went out of their way to protect each other. Maybe a little too much sometimes. Jaune wished he could show Cinder that compassion. But he couldn't. The moment he told her what he did, she would probably get upset at the blatant invasion of privacy.
And honestly?
He wouldn't blame her.
"I hate this." Jaune muttered to himself, turning over and looking at his bedside table. His Scroll was lightly flashing and he saw he had a message. Grabbing it, the blonde made sure not to wake his team as he unlocked the device under the sheets.
It was from Blake. Eyes widening, Jaune quickly opened the message.
Are you still awake? I found out why they are acting strange.
Jaune quickly replied though he realized he was probably asleep for a couple of hours since Blake sent hers.
I'm awake now. Sorry, missed your text.
At least one good thing happened tonight. Blake found out why her team was upset with him. Part of him wanted to rush over and find out why, but he knew better than that. Banging on Team RWBY's door in the middle of the night was how people got punched through walls by Yang. Feeling relieved, Jaune was putting his Scroll away, when it buzzed.
Blake had replied already.
Can we meet right now? Meet on the roof?
Jaune was a little surprised at how fast she wanted to discuss this. It was 1:30 am. Looking over at his sleeping team, Jaune slowly stood up and pulled on some pants before meeting his friend.
With everyone asleep at this hour, he had no trouble walking through the halls to sneak up onto the roof. Opening the door, he found a familiar girl awaiting him.
Blake smiled as she sat on the roof, turning to look away from the stars.
"Glad you could make it."
"I hope I didn't wake you." Jaune apologized quickly. "I just saw your message when I woke up."
"I was already awake." The girl assured him. "Couldn't sleep."
"Was it because of what you found out?" Jaune was nervous as he sat down next to her.
"Sort of, but I had other things on my mind." Blake eyed him for a moment, taking him in. She looked tired, more tired than she should have. "First, let me tell you that you did nothing wrong, and all of this is a misunderstanding placed entirely on my team."
"That's a relief…" Releasing a long slow breath, Jaune glanced up at the stars. "I was so worried I hurt one of them without realizing it."
"Trust me, Jaune. I was surprised when I finally weaseled the truth out of Ruby."
"What was it anyways?"
"They think we're dating and you're cheating on me with Cinder."
"...What?"
The boy stared at her in disbelief. Out of everything he could have been told, that was the reason for their cold shoulder. Okay, if he had cheated on someone, their reaction would be understandable. But him and Blake? Dating? Impossible.
She hated comics.
"How could they think that?!" The boy gasped. "You could do so much better than me!"
A small snort escaped Blake before she covered her nose with her hand and then she grew serious.
"You shouldn't sell yourself short, Jaune." Blake reprimanded. "You're a nice guy who cares deeply about your friends. You want to help people and you don't discriminate for any reason. A girl would be lucky to date you."
"Even you?" Jaune raised an eyebrow, half joking.
"According to my team… yes." Blake's eyes twinkled in amusement. "But even if I was interested, I'm not in a position to date. My last ex… leaving him was difficult. I want to spend some time on myself."
"Understandable," Jaune assured her. "I like our current relationship as friends anyways."
"Same." Blake smiled back.
"Even if your taste in books is awful."
The punch to his arm was well-earned and the mood was considerably lightened.
"I wish people could realize boys and girls can be friends without dating people they are close to." Blake sighed.
"According to the books you read…" Jaune began to joke.
"I'll hit you again."
"This is an abusive relationship! I want a divorce. But you can have custody of the girls."
Surprisingly, Blake didn't punch his shoulder again. Instead, she seemed thoughtful. Or maybe that was just the bags under her eyes playing a trick on him. On closer inspection, she seems kind of haggard. Just like Ren, she looked like she would pass out at any moment.
Had she been sleeping well?
"Are you okay, Blake?" Jaune asked worriedly.
"Just thinking…" Blake turned back toward him. "We should probably tell my team the truth."
"Yeah, I rather not have them think I'm a cheater." Jaune agreed instantly.
"Or…." Blake's eyes seemed almost catlike in their mischievousness.
"Or?" Jaune repeated.
"Would you like to mess with them a little? I'm still upset over one of Yang's and Ruby's pranks against Weiss that got one of my books wet."
There was only one answer to that question Jaune could give. He returned the catlike mischievousness with a smile like he had eaten the canary.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
If you know what Blake is going to do and post it in a review, I'll try to blackmail Neoshadows to write you a commission.
NeoShadows: …Help, he's got me locked away in a dingy cellar! WITH LITE BEER! He's the reason why I stopped updating Multiplayer! Someone save meeeeeeeee!