Eyes fluttered open at the sound of sudden commotion.
As Jaune tried to move he found that he was pinned in place by the girl to his side. Not exactly an unusual predicament due to his unique sleeping situations. Having a girl snuggled up on either side of him was a normal thing to wake up to, which to this day still boggled the young man's mind. It was one of the few good things to come out of this mess of a school.
Pressed against the left side of his body was Ruby. The girl who the night before he had... engaged in relations with. For the second time, with the second girl, Jaune had been intimate with a hybrid. And like before with Weiss, Ruby had all of the functional parts which he would have expected from a normal human girl. She had all the reactions to his touch that he would have expected as well.
A head of red-black hair rested on his chest right where his heart was. Jaune wondered how Ruby had fallen asleep with the organ thumping away beneath his ribcage. Maybe the rhythmic beating of his heart had aided the girl? Perhaps provided some sense of comfort to a girl who he knew subconsciously longed for her true mother? Whatever the case, as it was right now Ruby lay peacefully asleep next to him.
Her left arm was draped around his torso, coming to rest around his back and squeezing him tightly. One of her legs hooked around his own, tangled between them and pinning him in place so that he could not escape her. He wasn't particularly eager to escape her anyway. Right now, with Ruby in his arms, he felt a sense of peace and comfort that was hard to come by in this terrifying school.
What stood out the most, however, was her appearance. Ruby remained human even now. Even hours later. Even in her sleep. Had their act of love been the catalyst needed for her to find her humanity once and for all? Was she now able to hold her human appearance indefinitely due to their connection? If that were the case then he was on the right track. She was on the right track. Jaune wondered if that was all any of the hybrids needed to get in touch with their buried humanity. Love. In whatever form it may come.
Jaune's arms wrapped tightly around Ruby's back, giving her a gentle squeeze as his lips came down to gentle brush her hair. A soft kiss grazed it before pressed down further to her head. The girl in his arms shifted ever so slightly, her own grip tightening on him even as she slept. As if she knew in this moment, even when she was not conscious, that she was being loved. And he did love her. He loved all the friends he had made here in this school, but Ruby was a special case. Maybe it was because she had been his first friend here. Maybe it was because of the close bond they had shared over the months. Or maybe it was because she knew his secret and still cared for him all the same. Whatever the reason, deep down he knew that his love for Ruby was special.
More noise filled his ears, and now that he was fully awake he was able to focus his attention on the source. Peering over to the door, he saw Weiss enter the room with her arms filled with what he could only describe as random items. Textbooks. A blanket. Clothing. It was all bundled up in her arms as she made her way toward the bathroom. As quickly as she had come into view the white-haired hybrid had vanished. The clatter of her possessions hitting the floor made more noise, and Jaune looked down to Ruby hoping that she would not be awoken by the commotion. Thankfully she remained soundly asleep next to him.
Still, Jaune was curious as to what his other friend was doing. Though it pained him to do so, he would have to pry Ruby off of him and leave the warm embrace of his lover. With any luck it would only be a brief departure, and he looked forward to returning to bed with Ruby.
Slowly and gently he began to dislodge Ruby's powerful limbs from his body. Unhooking the arm from around his torso, he kept Ruby in his embrace as he rolled himself, and her, over and onto her back. The new position gave Jaune newfound freedom, and he released the girl before rolling back over onto his side of the bed. Ruby lay sleeping on her back now, and Jaune frowned before taking hold of his pillow. He placed it next to her and wrapped her arm around it, and Ruby took hold of the pillow even in her sleep. She snuggled it tightly, it acting as the perfect substitute for his absence.
Jaune stepped onto the cold floor of their dorm and moved over to the bathroom where Weiss continued to work on some unknown project. The sound of paper being torn apart filled his ears. Standing next to the doorway, he peeked his head in to try and get a look at just what she was doing.
"Weiss?" he asked. "What are you-"
The snarl of the hybrid was surprising, but not nearly as surprising as the sudden thrust of her horn as she charged his chest. Keratin met sternum, and Jaune was forced back and away from the bathroom.
"Out!" Weiss shouted. "Stay out!"
"Weiss!" Jaune cried in surprise. "What the heck!"
"This is my territory! I must ensure that it is free from predators who would threaten the safety of my young!"
Jaune had absolutely no idea what the girl was talking about, but it made even less sense than what usually came out of her mouth.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"I am going to experience sudden mood swings and unusual food cravings!" she replied unhelpfully. "I require a regular diet of pickles and ice cream! Prepare such a meal for breakfast at once!"
With that Weiss slammed the door shut in his face, and he honestly couldn't say that was a bad thing. It was too early to deal with whatever Weiss was doing.
Turning back around he saw that Ruby had woken up. It would have been amazing if she was able to sleep through Weiss' shouting.
In her arms she still clutched the pillow that Jaune had given her. Unsurprising, he figured, since it still held his scent. Holding it close to her also covered up Ruby's still undressed body, though Jaune knew from experience that she was not doing so out of shame.
Jaune moved back over into bed, crawling in before pulling the sheet back over the two of them. He looked into a pair of loving silver eyes, and Ruby smiled as he settled in next to her.
"Good morning," he said softly.
"Hi," she replied just as quietly. Meekly.
"So... humans who are close to each other usually kiss when they wake up. Did you want to do that?"
Ruby nodded eagerly, and in a flash moved in close to his face. Jaune did the same, closing his eyes and tilting his head before his lips met Ruby's. It was a soft, brief exchange, nothing at all like the heated passion the two had shared the night before. But it was all that they needed to show their love and care for each other.
Jaune pulled back and saw how her tanned flesh blushed ever so slightly. He smiled at how adorable she was. She had always been so. Even before they had become more than just friends.
"I like the way humans do things," she said. "Do all humans kiss each other when they wake up?"
"Nah. Only humans who... do the stuff we did last night."
She nodded, the blush darkening on her cheeks. "Oh." Silver eyes darted away from his. "I... liked that too."
The words made Jaune's heart skip a beat. Ruby was practically glowing this morning. Last night, for a brief moment, he could have sworn that she was literally glowing as well.
Jaune reached out to take Ruby in his arms and pull her close. She readily complied, and allowed her head to rest in the crook of his arm as Jaune's larger frame enveloped hers. She sighed contentedly against his chest.
"I liked it too," he agreed. Even now he felt his body warming and reacting in a way that only a woman's touch could do to a man. "A lot."
A husky breath bordering on a moan slipped through her lips as she squeezed down tightly on Jaune's body. No words were needed in order to convey her current feelings.
For long moments the two laid there in the warmth and comfort of each other's arms. Like before when he had first woken up, it was a feeling of pure bliss. Only now they both were able to experience it with their conscious minds.
It was different from his experience with Weiss. While he did love and care for her, their first time had been born out of passion. It had been spontaneous and in the heat of the moment. Jaune had been angry. He had been afraid for his very life. So when the opportunity came to vent those emotions, and to have sex for the first time in his life, he had taken it. His and Weiss' time together had been rough and passionate, and as it turned out that was just how she had liked it. Weiss liked it rough.
With Ruby though it had been gentle. Slow. Intimate. He was able to drink in every sight and sound the girl made. He was able to look her in the eyes as they made love. He knew Ruby appreciated that in a way Weiss didn't. They were two very different hybrids both out and in the bedroom.
Or in Weiss' case, the kitchen.
A hand came up to gently stroke Ruby's hair. Even now he still loved to be gentle and affectionate with her. "Did you know that you're still in your human form?" he asked.
Ruby's head came up so she could view him. "I am?"
He smiled as he nodded. "You were human last night too. All night. Even while we... you know."
An expression of unrestrained joy beamed on her face. "Really?"
"Yup."
"That's so cool!" she shouted, throwing the covers off of her and leaping out of bed. "I wanna see!"
A very naked Ruby dashed over to the bathroom, and for the first time Jaune didn't feel uncomfortable with her lack of clothing. After all, he had seen more of her than ever before the night before.
As she grabbed the doorknob, Jaune was suddenly reminded of what lay on the other side. "Ruby, wait-"
He was too late, and Ruby opened the door to the bathroom. As soon as she took a step inside she cried out in sudden pain. She stumbled backwards, hands clutching her chest where a single horn had just furiously poked it.
"Stay out!" Weiss snarled. "This is my nest!"
Ruby didn't have to be poked twice to get the message, and the door once more slammed shut. The girl stood alone in front of it, hands clutching at her chest where she had been poked. Again, the fact that she now covered her body had nothing to do with shame.
Jaune swung his legs off the bed and stood up, approaching the girl who had only wanted to see her human form. He smiled softly, knowing that she must have been just a little bit disappointed with Weiss preventing her from doing so.
"We'll find another mirror," he said soothingly. "But right now I'm feeling hungry too. Wanna get dressed and I'll make us something to eat?"
Ruby's sadness turned to excitement in a flash, and she eagerly nodded. "Yeah! Food sounds great right now. I guess I kinda worked up an appetite after last night..."
Jaune grinned at the compliment, even if she didn't know she had just given him one. Immature manly pride coursed through his body.
"Same," he agreed. "And we'll even make something for Weiss too. Maybe she'll stop acting so weird if she gets something to eat."
Weiss had mentioned something about unusual food cravings. He would be sure to make enough for her to enjoy too whenever she decided to leave the bathroom.
"Let me go put something on real fast."
Jaune watched as Ruby gathered up her black dress from the floor, thrown off carelessly the night before. Seeing her, and all of her, was a sight he would never grow tired of. It was funny how things had changed so radically in just a single night. Where before he had been uncomfortable with her casual manner of undress, now he couldn't get enough of it. He supposed the feelings they felt for each other made all the difference.
He loved this girl. He would save her or die trying.
As Ruby strode down the hall beside her mate, she couldn't help but feel different than she had the previous day. She felt stronger. Faster. There was an extra spring in her step which allowed her to keep up with Jaune and his long legs easier than before. It was as if mating with Jaune and sharing his powerful juices had somehow imbued her with their own power. While Ruby wasn't all that familiar with human biology, it seemed like a logical conclusion.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Last night she had gotten quite an education on human anatomy.
Her face warmed with the thought. She had mated. With a human, no less. A few months ago she never would have expected such a thing to have occurred. She never could have seen herself with any of the other hybrids who had attended this school. They were all such savage and brutal beasts, and none of them appealed to her in the slightest. The idea of mating, even for the purpose of creating new spawn to further Salem's glory, had not been appealing.
That was, until Jaune came. Now she couldn't imagine herself being with anyone but him for the rest of her life. There were mates, and then there were Mates. Ruby wanted Jaune to be her Mate for life.
Even if that meant sharing him with the rest of their pack, that was okay. She knew that Jaune had enough love and care to go around. She knew that his love for her was genuine as could be. He was human, after all. Positive emotions like love and compassion came naturally to him. They didn't make him a freak like they made her. Never before had Ruby been happy about the fact that she was a freak. Now, however, being the freak with happy thoughts and positive emotions was her greatest strength. It was her greatest asset in her friendship and relationship with Jaune.
A look down at her flesh showed that she was still in her human guise. Though she had been unable to enter the bathroom and peer into the mirror to see her face, she knew that it was human as well. A touch of her forehead revealed no protruding horns. No Apathy limb hung from the right side of her body. Had it been her love for Jaune? Had that been what was finally able to allow her to feel fully human, and do what she once thought he had been able to do? Hold the form with no effort at all?
Maybe love did conquer all. If that was true, then Salem needed to rethink her plans about humanity.
Love. What a wonderful feeling.
Ruby moved next to her mate, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling herself against him. Her head nuzzled against his shoulder, eager to feel the warmth they had shared in bed earlier.
A soft hum sounded in Jaune's throat, and he moved an arm to wrap around her body as well. "You okay, Ruby?"
She nodded against the fabric of his hoodie. "Yeah. Never been better."
It was true. As long as she could remember, she had been alone. Maybe never truly alone thanks to Yang being with her, but she never really felt home in this place. In the only home she could remember. Now though, she felt as though her simple dorm room was indeed a home. A home with a two roommates, one of whom was a mate.
Jaune squeezed down comfortingly on her. "Good to hear."
Ruby felt a gnawing hunger in her stomach as they neared the kitchen. Perhaps their physical activities had sapped her of energy and she needed to replenish her nutrients. If that was the case, then she was in no better hands than Jaune. His cooking skills had forever ruined the normal hybrid cuisine for her, and she relished every opportunity she had to spend time in the kitchen with him.
She saw how he was rummaging through the freezer and cabinets, and noted how he wasn't taking out all the usual wares for cooking. There were eggs, but there was no meat. How was a hybrid supposed to build and maintain a healthy muscular system without protein? Instead there were other things he was placing on the counter, including that awful-tasting powder known as flour, and that delicious tasting other white powder called sugar. She wondered exactly what he had up his sleeves.
As the boy was mixing ingredients into a large bowl, Ruby came up and tugged on his sleeve. "Whatcha making?"
"I remembered something," he said softly. The long pause afterward made Ruby's eyes narrow in confusion, wondering why he had stopped. She was about to voice her concern before he continued. "You're doing a better job at maintaining your human form than ever. It must mean you're getting more in touch with your humanity, right?"
That was as good an explanation as she could come up with. That meant she was succeeding here at this academy. "Yeah. I guess. Why?"
Jaune shook his head softly. "It's nothing. I just thought... maybe we should try something new. Have you ever had cookies before?"
Cookies... cookies... they sounded familiar, but she couldn't put a meaning to the word. In the end she merely shook her head. "I don't think so."
Jaune nodded in turn, and she noticed how a frown had slipped onto his lips. Had she said something wrong?
"I didn't think so," he said. The tone in his voice matched his expression. Why did he suddenly seem sad? She could sense the negativity emitting from him.
"Is that what you're making now then?" she asked, pointing to the large doughy substance in the metal bowl. "Cookies?"
"Yup. Today we're baking cookies. I think you'll really like them."
That was comforting to hear. Even though there may not have been meat on the menu, the fact that Jaune thought she would enjoy these cookies made her feel confident about his choice in food today.
Ruby observed how he placed blobs of the light brown goo on a metal tray. Darker brown solid chunks of something dotted the sticky mounds, and it didn't look appetizing at all. However if Jaune thought it was a good idea, she would simply have to trust him.
It didn't take long at all for the things to get done, and the timer going off made Ruby's mouth water with anticipation. They smelled wonderful. It was a sweet aroma the likes of which she could not recall ever experiencing before. Yet for some reason the back of her mind tugged at her, telling her that this was indeed familiar in some way.
Jaune removed the tray from the oven, setting it on top before closing the door. Ruby's stomach rumbled with anticipation, and she reached out to grab one of the scrumptious looking things that sat before her.
"Ruby, wait. They're still-"
As she attempted to pry the food from the tray, flesh met metal, and a jolt of pain shot through her fingers. A yelp of equal parts surprise and pain shot through her lips. Crackling red energy coursed over her whole hand, and it recoiled immediately from the offending tray.
"Ow ow ow ow ow!" she cried, shaking her hand.
Instinctively her body began to shift. Skin paled to white, eyes turned from silver to red, and a pair of horns jutted from her forehead. Damage and injury would better be dealt with in her Grimm form. As a result her body transformed without even thinking about it.
"Ruby, are you okay?"
Placing a pair of fingers inside her mouth, Ruby nodded wordlessly. Jaune was upon her in a heartbeat, taking her shoulders in his hands.
"Let me see," he said, urging her to remove the injured fingers from her mouth.
Ruby complied, holding them up for Jaune to examine. He took her hand in his, and the size of it made the difference in their statures all the more apparent. His hands dwarfed hers. Only one of his hands could completely envelop both of hers.
Her skin looked utterly pristine. There was no sign of a burn. No blister. No cuts or scrapes of any kind. At least that was good. Still, Jaune stared at the fingers even after he had finished inspecting them. What was he looking at?
"Jaune?" she asked.
"That glow," he asked. "Can you do it again?"
That glow? Ruby panicked. She had seen it as well, and if Jaune sounded worried about it then should she be? "I-I don't know!" she exclaimed. "Is it bad? Did the cookies do it?"
To her surprise, a smile slipped onto his face. Jaune shook his head softly as he continued to hold her hand. "No, Ruby. It wasn't the cookies. I don't know what it was... but it was something."
Her head tilted in confusion. "Something?"
"I thought it might have been a trick of the light," he continued. "Or maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me. Like when people say that they're... uh, glowing after having sex. Metaphorically at least."
This did nothing to help with her understanding. "What are you talking about?"
Jaune moved and grabbed a large kitchen knife. The hybrid had no idea why. If he was about to stab that stupid tray for daring to hurt his mate, it was a sweet gesture, but would ultimately do nothing to help the situation. After all, she had made the mistake. Not the cookies.
Ruby's eyes grew wide when he brought the blade up to his finger. "Jaune! What-"
He sliced open the tip, and Ruby gasped in horror as she saw blood trickle out of the gash. And just as soon as it had appeared, a white light covered his digit and sealed it up.
Red eyes narrowed, looking at the finger, and then back up to Jaune's face. She only had one word on her mind. "What?"
"Aura," he answered. "When I get injured, I can heal it with my Aura. Up until last night Blake and me were the only students in the academy which had it unlocked. But after last night... I think you might have it too..."
Ruby looked down to her hand. Pallid white skin and twisting black veins were all she could see. How did she know if she had it? How did she use it?
"That red glow," he continued. "It happened as soon as you got injured. And now there's no trace of injury where you burned yourself. That had to have been your Aura, Ruby."
Ruby continued to stare at her body. Her Aura. She had her Aura? When! How!
"I don't understand," she admitted. "How did I get it? Or unlock it?"
Jaune looked away embarrassedly. "Um..."
Red eyes narrowed, and she poked a finger into his sternum. "Jaune, you explain it to me this instant!"
Instead of reacting with pain like he might have from one of Weiss' horn pokes, Jaune merely laughed at her touch. How dare he! Did this human not realize she was a ferocious Grimm hybrid? She could tear him limb from limb if she wanted, and here he was laughing at her fury!
"Okay, okay," he laughed. "Don't go all Weiss on me."
Ruby's nose scrunched up, a soft growl slipping through her lips. "Tell me what you know!" she insisted.
"Uh, well... I unlocked my Aura when Tyrian sent me out to die. I guess it was because of the stress or the danger or something. Something emotional. Does that make sense?"
She nodded. That made sense. Getting sent out to be culled would be a traumatic and emotional experience even for a hybrid. And Jaune back then had just been some helpless, squishy human!
"And, well..." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I think that yours might have unlocked last night when we were... you know."
When they had mated? Jaune unlocked her Aura like that? Like sticking a key into a lock and unlocking what lay behind? Only instead of a key and a lock, it had been...
"Oh," she breathed. Her gaze shifted from her hand to his face. "You can do that?"
Going by his criteria, it had been an emotional experience for sure. Feelings of love and passion had coursed through her. There had been pain as well at first, and maybe that had triggered her body to unlock her Aura in order to protect herself. She didn't know. Maybe Hazel would.
She would just have to ask him if sex could unlock a person's Aura.
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe it was just a... you thing. Because I don't think it happened with Weiss."
Ruby nodded. So if Jaune hadn't unlocked Weiss' aura through mating, did that make the bond she herself shared with him different. Dare she say, special?
"You should definitely talk to Hazel about learning to control it better though," he continued. "I don't know all the finer details myself. It's hard to explain. And you definitely won't want to shift back into your hybrid form when you get hurt when we're out in a human kingdom."
Ruby nodded, staring down at her Grimm arm. Through the gap in the appendage she could see the floor. She had never really thought about how it looked before. How inhuman it was. Or rather, she had never cared about such a thing.
Not until this moment at least.
She willed herself to shift back into her normal human form. So she could look normal like Jaune again.
Normal.
The word stuck with her. Normal. Did that make her abnormal? It was again something she had never considered before. If Jaune was normal, if humans were normal, what did that make her?
"Ruby?" his voice sounded.
Her head snapped up. "Huh?"
"Are you okay? You look like you suddenly got sick."
She shook her head. "I'm fine." Wasn't she?
"Well if you're up for it, I think they should be cool by now," he said as he moved over to the tray of food. Picking one of the cookies up from it, he handed it to her. "Try it."
The hybrid brought the food up to her nose and took a sniff. It did indeed smell delicious. Tentatively, she brought her lips around it and bit off a piece.
Her world exploded in a rush of sweetness.
Eyes widened as she chewed on it. The soft grainy texture of the thing dissolved in her mouth, while the warm, gooey sweet morsels melted on her tongue. A second bite later the thing was gone, and Ruby chewed on it as if it would be stolen away from her if she didn't hurry.
And she needed more.
With the tray cool enough to touch now, Ruby grabbed a cookie in each hand. She shoved them into her mouth, chewing like there was no tomorrow on the soft, warm, wonderful things. Cookie after cookie disappeared through her lips until soon only a couple remained.
Only then did she realize her error. She had left precious few for Jaune.
She looked up sheepishly at the boy, and he in turn could only smile down at her. "I take it you like them?"
Ruby nodded feverishly. "Uh huh!"
He laughed. "I see that. Practically devoured the whole tray, you little cookie monster."
The words caught her attention. "Cookie monster?"
The smile slipped from his lips. "Oh, no, I didn't mean like that. You know I don't think you're a monster."
She shook her head, stopping him before he could say another word. Ruby grabbed hold of his hands with hers, beaming as she smiled up at him. "No. I like it."
"You do?"
An eager nod answered his question. "You remember how you still owe me a nickname, right? Like how you call Weiss 'Snow Angel'?"
"Yeah. I remember."
"Cookie Monster," she stated flatly. "That's my nickname."
Jaune smiled, another small chuckle escaping his lips. "You're sure?"
"Yes. Cookie Monster. Because... it'll remind me of this moment today. It'll remind me of the day after we mated. And you telling me about my Aura. And the first time I ever tasted cookies, so... yes. Cookie Monster. That's my nickname."
Her reasoning was perfect. It was the finest name he could have given her, even if he hadn't intended to. It was a name she would treasure for the rest of her life.
"Okay then. Cookie Monster it is," he agreed happily.
His gaze shifted to the sad, empty tray which she had nearly emptied single-handedly. Another twinge of guilt ate at her. Now Jaune was left with only a couple of the delicious things for himself.
"Guess we'll have to make more," he added. "After all, my little Cookie Monster needs her cookies."
Ruby's heart soared. Today just kept getting better and better.
The door to the kitchen exploded inwards, Yang entering oversized fist first. Her eyes glowed a violent red, Jaune taken aback as they settled on him. Snarling, she snatched him up by his hoodie with her normal hand.
"You, me, talk now!"
Jaune looked back at Ruby, who was befuddled by what was going on.
"Yang?" she asked.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt him. He's just going to go fix his damn problem!" Yang looked back at her sister for a moment before turning her full furious glare on Jaune.
"What, what did I do?" Jaune tried to rack his brain. Yang was happy he and Ruby slept together. A thought entered the back of his head, the inkling that Yang would want her own turn. Paling at the thought, Jaune shook his head. No, that couldn't be it.
"You are going to get your mate under control before I kill her!"
Jaune blinked. "Mate?"
Screaming, he hit the far wall.
"Yang!" Ruby snarled, teeth barred as she stepped between him and her sister.
"Deal with her unless you want me to!" Yang stormed out of the kitchen, cursing to herself about oddities and something about stolen hair products. Jaune knew he couldn't have heard that correctly.
Jaune, getting to his feet, shook the cobwebs out of his head. "I'm okay," he told her. Still, the words did little to lessen the tension in the room. Ruby still stood ready to fight even her sister on his behalf.
He still didn't know what the blonde was talking about. Mate? Ruby was in the kitchen unless...his eyes widened.
Weiss!
She was acting strange that morning, and he didn't tell her about sleeping with Ruby yet! What would she say? Panic gripped his heart.
Ruby came forward, eyeing him with concern. "Want me to come with?"
Jaune shook his head. "No, I should be the one to talk to her. Hopefully she'll understand. If she doesn't, we'll figure something out." Nodding to himself, he looked at Ruby. "I love you."
Ruby smiled. It nearly made him cry. "I love you, too. And you better be alright! You owe me more baked goodies!"
Jaune laughed, moving off. Cookie Monster indeed.
One thing he didn't expect to run into was Wesson, slouched against a wall of the hallway. Looking around, Jaune approached him slowly.
"Are you okay?"
Wesson's head jerked up, breath coming in sharp. "Jaune. Yes. You. Okay."
Jaune eyed the boy. He was without his jacket, leaving his full Grimm mutation exposed. He looked paler than usual, if that was possible. "Wesson?"
"The beast was," Wesson stopped, taking a breath. "Nervous. Of the new students. Needed somewhere to hide."
Jaune blinked, looking at Wesson's back planted firmly against the stone wall. Grimacing, he saw with revulsion the black ichor that dripped down below.
"She has done this before. It will heal." Wesson slid down the wall, leaving a trail. "Pain is only evidence that you still live. I will cherish that, if nothing else."
Jaune winced. "Why didn't you fight back?"
"She is too enticing. Too beautiful to harm. Some would say she is even lovelier than our Lady Salem, though I was not the one to tell you that. It is difficult to act against such a creature." Wesson lowered his head. "Terror incarnate, the beast of shadows and deceit. She of the thousand smiles and million blades. One such as I could never be worthy of her attention. I am too weak, succumb to the pain of her touch too easily. Not like you." Wesson locked eyes with Jaune. "You are a greater man than I, to be able to lay with her and stand day after day."
Jaune did not know what to say, backing away from the wounded hybrid. He didn't know if he wanted to say anything. Finally, he just nodded. "Lucky, I guess."
"If only I could be as strong. Treat her well, Jaune. She is like lightning. Beautiful to see if you are lucky enough to, but will kill you in an instant if you can't."
Jaune, nodding his head like a madman, walked backwards away from Wesson before breaking off into a run. Blake wasn't that bad was she?
Yes, he knew without a second of doubt, she was. She was worse.
She was sympathetic.
Thankful that instead of Blake, though he held little doubt she was somewhere nearby, Weiss was the one he would deal with, he entered their shared room.
He strongly considered turning around and walking back out the door. The top bunk had been torn to pieces, literally if he could see it right. Bits of the wood frame remained on the bed below, tattered cloth and ruined linen left all around. A wall had been torn into, Jaune stepping over to spy another room entirely on the other side. Looking at what made the entrance, Jaune could only conclude it was something sharp and long. He really hoped it wasn't what he thought.
Worst of all, the bathroom was gaping open, darkness deeper than any pit within except for a single red light from the ceiling. Or rather, what he surmised to be, the hole in the ceiling.
Through stone and wood, something bore through all the way, piercing the ceiling and exposing the room to the sky itself. The door was gone, where he couldn't say, and the doorway expanded in the same rough, crude fashion. Taking a deep breath, he stepped to the threshold.
"Um, Snow Angel?"
Bright red eyes opened in the darkness.
"You are required, Jaune."
Jaune swallowed, taking a step back. "Um, are you okay, Weiss?"
If anything, the glowing red light intensified. "You are required. Enter."
Jaune stepped in, fumbling at the light switch. Turning it on was fruitless, he discovered, sparks of electricity firing off from above. Afforded scant seconds of sight, Jaune saw with some confusion Weiss sat upon a throne of makeshift garbage. Was she naked? Why would she be naked!
Reaching into his pocket he retrieved his scroll. Turning the light on, he put it in the corner illuminating the room. Weiss was indeed naked, hunched forward. She was sweating, Jaune's eyes drawn to every taut line of flesh and subtle inch of muscle. She glared at the light of the scroll, looking back at him.
"What do you think you're doing? We must have total darkness!"
Jaune looked up at the makeshift skylight. Weiss waved him off.
"That is something that must be, there is no avoiding it. Now, come embrace me Jaune! We must slither together to finish our copulation!" Holding her arms out wide, Jaune blessed with a clearer look at the bare woman than he'd ever seen before.
He nearly took her up on the offer then and there. Only, that last bit confused him. "What, what are you talking about?"
Looking at her throne, he realized it looked more like a nest. String of varying types, bits of stone and metal, toilet paper, towels...Some kind of paste that might have been shampoo once, caked together to hold a disparaging amount of materials together. Including, strangely to Jaune, a purple bra.
Since when did any of these girls own bras?
Praying to himself that it didn't belong to either Cinder, or worse yet Salem, Jaune tiptoed around the mess of shattered glass and wood shards.
Weiss crossed her arms. "I have tried every way I could to lay the eggs we need, but nothing has happened! Clearly, you must be present when this happens. Or, if I am misremembering, the Snipe must not know we are truly ready to receive child since we are not together on our throne of family rearing."
Jaune blinked. "What are you going on about?"
"We are pregnant, Jaune. I am surprised the morning sickness has not hit you yet." Weiss scoffed to herself. "What a poor fate that will be for you."
A half a million feelings crashed into Jaune, threatening to overwhelm him. His vision swam, his hearing leaving him, his heart jack hammering in his chest. Then, one single thought came to him, a memory near and dear to his heart. Looking at Weiss curiously, he spoke slowly.
"Weiss."
"Yes?"
"We can't be pregnant."
Weiss scowled. "We had sex, Jaune. We mated. To mate, we must be pregnant. That is how mating works! Now join me on the throne!"
Jaune held up a hand. "Weiss, we didn't, I mean. That is to say. I didn't. Finish, in a way, that would get you pregnant. Remember?"
Weiss squinted. "What do you mean? I ingested your DNA into my body as is required."
Jaune really wished he had someone else around to teach Weiss sexual education. Whoever that poor fool was, he truly did pity. "Weiss, Snow Angel. That only works if I finish in a specific spot, in you. But you had me, you know...with your mouth..."
Weiss tilted her head. She was adorable when she was confused, Jaune hated to admit. "What does it matter?"
"Well, one leads to the womb. The other leads to the stomach. And the, ah, stork,"
"Jaune, Snipe. Please. Do not say such stupid things."
"I'm sorry. Snipe. The snipe doesn't recognize a proper union unless the, what would you call it Weiss?"
Weiss thought a moment. "Sacrifice. You sacrifice some of your DNA into the holy alter of perfection that is my body, and from that union a child is born. Yes?"
Jaune sighed. "I, yes. Yes. You're right. Anyways, we didn't finish in a way that would result in a child." Not unless hybrids were truly strange inside.
Weiss scowled. "A pity. I am keeping the Throne of Child Rearing, however. For the future."
Jaune paled. "If the teachers tell us to fix things, Weiss-!"
"They will not. I will not allow them the choice." Weiss leapt off of her perch, built atop the toilet and joined into the showering area and over the sink.
Jaune, realizing that she'd slice her petite feet up, grabbed her from her fall. Holding her bridal style, Weiss arched an eyebrow at the young man.
"You wish to try for a child now of all times? I fear it is quite out of the question. My renovations have left me quite tired." One impossibly warm arm joined the other around his neck, Weiss leaning up to his cheek. Hot breath played with his ear, freezing him solid. "Tonight, however, if you insist. Then maybe something could be arranged."
Jaune hurried over to the bed, laying Weiss down. He knew he was blushing like mad but he couldn't stop it. Guilt tore at his heart battling the lust she ignited within him. "IsleptwithRubyI'msorry!"
Silence roared back, his confession spilling out in a jumbled heap.
Weiss stared at him, Jaune awaiting the verbal outrage or physical horn pecking to follow.
Instead she just stared at him, confused.
"Yes, and?"
Jaune shared her confused stare. "You're not upset?"
"You two were already mates, were you not? Of course I'm not upset."
Jaune's mouth opened, a strangled noise coming from his throat. She really believed they had been, all this time?
Weiss gasped. "You weren't? Really? So, I was your first?" A smug smile overtook her features, Weiss crossing her arms. "Well, that is quite the advantage to have in our new pack. I was content leaving such matters to Ruby, but knowing now that such responsibilities fall upon my capable shoulders... Yes, you do have excellent taste, waiting for perfection before slumming it in the lesser wares." Weiss beamed at Jaune, a knowing look on the know nothing's face. "I approve of your tenacity Jaune. Aim for nothing less than the best first."
"...pack?"
Weiss nodded enthusiastically. "Well of course. We shall have a strong and powerful pack, with many brood to oversee our will and dominance. I will, as the First Mate," she preened, "Have to negotiate proper birthing rights with Yang of course. I do not think she will be much of a hassle. I also believe that it gives me the power to marry individuals when surrounded by water."
Jaune began to sweat. "Y-Yang?"
"Well obviously! She is one of the strongest females left alive. We would be fools not to have her in our pack, even if it's only as a brood mother. Blake goes without saying of course," she continued.
"Do I get a say in this?"
Weiss looked at him like he had asked the dumbest question in the world. "Of course not. Your job, as the father, in some texts your role is referred to as the Captain, is to raise our young properly and ensure many strong children from each of us. Of which I am positive you will do flawlessly. You will require a compass, of course!" Weiss cackled to herself, grabbing up random articles of clothing. "I must find Cinder and tell her of these developments! She will be so excited! I wonder if Servant Emerald is a capable shipbuilder..."
Like a demented whirlwind, Weiss was gone, Jaune left alone in what had been their room. Jaune stared at the darkest corner of the room, unsure how to process what just occurred. A mane of yellow hair emerged through the hole in the wall, Yang eyeing the destruction with disdain.
"So you didn't knock her up after all."
Jaune shook his head.
"Good. We've got that mission coming up. Can't have her preening on a nest for however long that'd take." Yang shook her head. "Can't believe she wants kids. Ugly things. Can't trust 'em. They make you feel things you don't wanna feel. Like when Ruby was a kid- the worst!"
Yang started to leave, Jaune struggling to comprehend everything the white haired hybrid had gone on about. She stopped a moment. "Also, you realize Ruby could be pregnant right?"
All color drained from Jaune's face.
Yang's laughter filled the room even as she left. "Thought so! For what it's worth, I think you'll make a great father. Later, lover boy!"
Jaune didn't even react to the sympathetic patting of the blade against the back of his exposed neck. He just lowered his head.
"Thanks, Blake."
Burk note: Howdy there folks! This is sometimes helper and writer of most of the violence in this story, Burkion. How ya'll doing? I won't take up too long of your time, just wanted to announce that I have my own original web serial going right now. The Lightning Brigade! A kind of superhero book with heavy sci-fi and fantasy elements, about a group of people dealing with horrible monsters and powers from beyond the stars! If you enjoy the fighting and some of the darker humor of this story, please consider giving it a look.
You can find it on its own website or, the easier option, head over to Royal Road and look up The Lightning Brigade. If you drop by, just be honest with what you think and hopefully you'll have a good time. I update a new chapter twice a week, Tuesday and Saturday and we're currently on chapter 7 as of this post. Thanks!
Author's Note: Better late than never! Apologies for not having a chapter out on the usual Wednesday. I know there wasn't a chapter out last week either, but I updated something else instead. Sometimes I just need to write something different. Back by popular demand, Red Like Roses? Gross! has received not just one, but two new chapters! So go and check that out if you want some nice, fluffy Lancaster goodness.
As always my thanks go out to Burkion and Lightningstrxu for all of their invaluable contributions.
And of course thanks to all of you for continuing to read, review, and enjoy this story.