Summer said goodbye to them at the exit, which led out into a park from a tree. Jaune stumbled to a halt at the odd sight. Blake stumbled into his back, and he offered her a quick apology before exiting the strange entrance/exit to the Circle's main base of operations.

Summer grabbed his arm suddenly, and Jaune stared at her as she gave held out a piece of paper.

"If you ever need to run and hide, this is a map of entrances that lead to Home Base." Summer said, and Jaune took the paper, raising a brow as he saw the title of the short flyer.

"A map of haunted attractions in Ansel?" He asked incredulously, and Summer grinned.

"Well, after decades of shadowy figures disappearing in shady alleys and around dark corners, places can get a certain reputation." She replied, and Jaune shook his head before pocketing the flyer.

"Thanks. Is there anything else I need to know?" He asked pointedly, and Summer's somewhat forced smile faded faster than some oblivious tourist getting pickpocketed in Vacuo.

"Not yet." Summer answered, voice more subdued than he had ever heard before. "It's not just my story to tell Jaune. Please understand I'd tell you in a heartbeat if-"

"Of course I understand." Jaune replied quickly, turning to Blake. "Are you ready to go?"

"Of course." She nodded, eyes darting between Summer and Jaune with an almost cute amount of utter indiscretion. "I have my thingy and my other thingy."

"Your card and certificate that stops the Circle panicking if they wander across you in the streets or in the middle of fighting Weiss Schnee and doing something stupid."

"Yes. My thingy and my other thingy."

"You're doing it intentionally at this point aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask why?"

"It's easier to remember." Blake shrugged, and Jaune shrugged in turn, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Makes sense." Jaune said, turning to Summer. "See you later, and feel free to come round to my new place for lunch sometime."

"Sure." Summer smiled weakly. "I'll bring Ruby and Tai as well if that's okay. Is tomorrow good?"

"Yeah." Jaune nodded. "Twelve o'clock?"

"That sounds good to me."

"Good. Make sure to bring some lively conversation would you? We had dinner with my parents yesterday and I want you guys to make just as good an impression on Blake as they did. You're family after all."

"We will Jaune." Summer replied, voice quiet. "I promise."

She turned around and the door swung shut, leaving them staring at a tree. He turned to Blake.

"Let's go home shall we?" He offered, and Blake nodded easily,

"Let's!" Blake said, though she clung to the tree and looked around her with clear fear.

"Blake?"

"I am perfectly fine!"

"Blake, are you scared of the sun?"

"N-No…"

Jaune shook his head, before rendering the fact her species was literally called a Shadowling and that she had only ever really used her power at night. Was she afraid of light?

'What if it hurt her?'

Jaune quickly stepped towards her and offered his hoodie, feeling a flush of embarrassment as the Pumpkin Pete shirt he had underneath was revealed to the , he didn't have an obsession…okay maybe he liked Pumpkin Pete a little too much for an eighteen year old. But none of that mattered after Blake threw his hoodie on as if it was the Blanket of Cure-All. She tossed up the hood quickly and grinned at him underneath it, hand in its pockets and sending palpitations through his heart.

'Crap.' He thought succinctly. 'She's cute. Like, illegally cute. I should call the police or something.'

Jaune didn't though. He would do his civic duty and take her in herself. For the good of the public. Or something.

"Ready to go?" He asked, offering his elbow to her like the gentleman Mama Arc raised. She quickly slid a hand through it before hiding it in the hoodie again and she smiled up at him.

"Uh-huh."

"After you milady."

"After you good sir."

"I must insist kind madame."

"I must persist compassionate sir."

They were like that the whole way home. Neither noticed.

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After getting to his surprisingly unrobbed home, Jaune made lunch for himself and Blake before leaving to acquire wooden planks to block the gaping hole his window had once been, as well as another set to temporarily block the hole left in his door by his mother's rampage through it the day prior. Despite the circumstances and all that had happened after it, he couldn't complain she'd not just murdered, but had butchered his door due to the simple fact he would probably be dead if she hadn't done so.

Whilst he walked, he kept one hand in his pocket, fingers brushing against his Scroll. He wanted to call his mom and clear the air, for things to go back to normal, but at the same time he didn't know if he was ready for that. He wanted it to be the case, but part of him still felt hurt that he hadn't been trusted to know the truth about his own mother. It felt like, despite their reasoning, they just hadn't trusted him to handle the news well, to still see her as someone rather than something.

That stung. More than it should have considering he had basically acted that way, but that had been more due to the fact he'd also seen her brutalize someone beforehand, even if that someone was Weiss.

Even if Ren and Pyrrha were secretly SWAT/special forces/Police/secret agents, his mother and two of his sisters were cosmic space thingies, his aunt and cousin were werewolves, his aunt was also keeping something from him and there was chance he wasn't even a Human being then he at least had Blake.

Which was odd, considering he barely knew her. Or at least, hadn't known her for long. Still, there was no denying she was increasingly becoming his crutch, and that he was increasingly starting to feel things he probably shouldn't be feeling considering his track record with romance, which started at childhood failure, reached a new peak in high school failure and proceeded to flatline harder than than someone who jumped off a plane with a faulty parachute afterwards.

"Stupid, sexy catgirls." Jaune grumbled before entering a hardware store. "Why can't you just be mediocre like the rest of us?"

He bought some planks and managed to stumble home, fingers aching from gripping them so tightly. Blake kindly held up the planks, though made sure to turn to face away from the sun she was definitely not afraid of, whilst he nailed them to the unharmed frame of his window. It took a while, but soon his window was less drafty and he elected to just shove a cupboard in front of his empty doorway until he could get a proper door. The next few days were going to be busy, and Jaune grumbled as he sat down on his chair, the now sole piece of furniture in his living room.

Blake perched on its arm, and he was suddenly aware of how warm and comfy his hoodie could be when worn by a beautiful girl leaning against him.

"What do we do now?" Blake asked, and Jaune felt as if he eyes were too close due to the fact they were clearly practicing some sort of hypnosis on him, as he felt his stomach turn to mush and willpower turn from "Okay" to "Complete Simp". "Do we eat? Do we watch things? Do we read things? Do you teach me things?"

"Let's just relax for now." Jaune replied, not trusting himself to be a very good teacher even when he wasn't completely and utterly exhausted in every which way. "Wanna watch a Spruce Willis classic?"

"Can we eat food?" Blake asked hopefully, and Jaune withheld a sigh as he pulled out his Scroll to order pizza. His bank account would be weeping, but he couldn't be bothered making anything himself and he was in the mood for it too.

"You put the movie on and I'll order pizza." Jaune said, and Blake nodded, quickly hopping off the chair to hurry over to the TV to do one of the many important life skills he had taught her so far. Though considering she hadn't learned to write yet maybe he needed to double check the priority list.

"This is Mama Jane's what can I get ya?"

"Hello, can I have a mega-double pepperoni pizza please?" Jaune replied, keeping an eye on Blake to make sure she didn't try putting the DVD in the wrong place. "Oh! Do you still do that meal deal thing?"

"We sure do!"

"Then can I have…" Jaune trailed off, mind short circuiting as Blake bent over to put the DVD in the tray. His baggy, too big hoodie rode up her hips, and the jeans she had either borrowed from Summer or a friend of Summer's or had just created herself with her weird space, cosmic powers was way too form-fitting for his own good or the good of any other male in existence. Even someone so far deep in the closest they burned anything rainbow or was so far out of the closest they wore nothing but rainbow would stop, pause and have a brief rethink of the decisions they were making in their life at the sight before him. Cold-blooded reptilians would feel their blood warm for the first time ever and probably die or something. Monkey's would hoot and holler the same way Jaune's monke brain was hooting and hollering. Suddenly, Jaune truly understood why that guy in that one meme looked away from the street to the red dress lady walking by, and he could only hope he wasn't making the same stupid face right now.

After several moments where Jaune's blood circulation suddenly left his brain for regions better left unsaid, rebooted and he quickly stared at the suddenly very interesting, very blank ceiling as he tried his damndest not to say something stupid over the phone.

"...two sodas and two chocolate puddings as well then please." Jaune continued weakly, thinking of anything and anything to reboot his blood circulation.

Thankfully he was told the price for the order and its delivery, which was more than enough to get his blood pumping in a way that wouldn't make Blake despise him for being a creep, so that by the time she returned to lean against him there was nothing to give away the fact he had done something that would make Mama Arc disappointed in him - leering.

"Are you okay with pepperoni?" Jaune asked, figuring he might as well double-check despite ordering. Blake nodded, purring as she rubbed her head against his shoulder, soft cat ears brushing against his own, and Jaune gulped as Blake slid dangerously closer to lap-sitting territory. "Y-You good?"

"Perfect." Blake replied, and Jaune felt a weird sensation of fear and neuron activation when she stared at him with beautifully golden eyes that looked like she wanted to devour him in the non-Weiss way. "Are you?"

"I-I'm…uh…y-yeah? I'm good." Jaune stammered, trying to sink back into his chair as the smile on Blake's face grew.

"Good." She replied simply. "It's good that you're good and I'm good."

"Good-good,"

"Yes. Good-good."

Jaune gulped. He was saved by the Scroll.

"Saphron!" Jaune exclaimed as he recognised the ringtone. "Sorry, I have to take this. It's my sister."

"Okay." Blake replied, sounding somewhat bashful, and to his part-disappointment, part-relief the fire in her eyes seemed to dissipate into something more calmer and normal. "I shall answer the call of the delivery man if you are still busy when pizza arrives."

"Thanks Blake." Jaune smiled, making a hasty escape in the hope blood recirculation in his pants wouldn't be spotted. Thankfully he wouldn't have to worry about his stupid blood being stupid once he answered the Scroll. "Saph?"

"Hello baby brother." Saphron said through the phone, and Jaune knew he was in for a yelling due to her greeting. She only ever reminded him of the seniority whenever he'd done something she thought needed her intervening, which was pretty often considering Saphron was a weird-pseudo mom due to being the eldest of a large brood of siblings that even Mama Arc needed help keeping an eye on sometimes. "How's the new home treating you?"

"Alright. Had a surprise or two but one of them was at least pretty pleasant." Jaune replied, and Saphron sighed explosively.

"So you do have a housemate."

"Yup."

"One that's also you-know-what."

"Yup."

She paused for a moment, and it took Jaune a moment to realise the usually confident and headstrong Saphron was hesitant.

"So you also know I'm-"

"Yup." Jaune interrupted. "Were you ever going to tell me yourself?"

"No." Saphron replied bluntly, and Jaune appreciated the honesty, even if it hurt. "If you knew then you would know about everything else and a situation like the one that happened would have definitely happened rather than just might have happened. I wanted you to have a normal life. The Supernatural world isn't a fun one."

"Look how that turned out, and it's not like the world was a fun one anyway.."

"At least it doesn't have glorified Vampire mafias, Werewolf gangs and all sorts of other things that can lead to mutilation, torture, death or worse. You at least had a chance first to just enjoy a simpler life.." Saphron said, tone brokering no room for debate. "Some people don't ever have that, and it's an unlucky coincidence what ended up happening happened. It's even more coincidental your new girlfriend is like mom, considering I have never met another one of our kind despite traveling the length and breadth of Vale."

"You were looking for other Shadowlings? I thought you were just traveling for fun."

"The Circle was doing a survey. We're one of the rarest species of Supernatural, and now there's four of them in one settlement." Saphron explained. "There's concern Ansel may be some sort of spawning or landing ground."

"Why would that be a bad thing? You're weird but not evil, Lavender's quiet but not the dangerous kind, Mom's mom and Blake's cool."

"You're a dork but not cruel. Would you say you're representative of all of Humanity?"

"No."

"Then don't make the same mistake with us. Did mom tell you about her friend?"

"Kali?"

"Yes."

"Well…yeah. I literally just said her name. She went mad after someone died right?"

"Her mate." Saphron replied. "Ghira. I don't know if mom told you, or if she toned it down, but Kali murdered two dozen people and injured nearly a hundred more, eighteen of which were permanently crippled. None of those people had any sort of affiliation to the people who killed Ghira, but she hurt them anyway. That's the sort of thing that could happen monthly, or even daily, if enough of our kind show up in Ansel and lose the person they care about. Speaking of, you need to take better care of yourself. If you invite a Vampire into your home again I swear I'll make you suffer eternally."

"Noted." Jaune said calmly, even if he felt a slight shiver at the bloody-minded truthfulness behind her words. "In my defence she was threatening to hurt Ren and Pyrrha."

"Let her try. They're trained Agents and damned good ones."

"I didn't know that at the time." Jaune replied, before blinking. "You know they're Agents?"

"Oh…right." Saphron coughed awkwardly. "I'm part of the Circle. Not as an Agent or anything, but I help out with administrative stuff. My tentacles make it easy to sort stuff easily."

"First of all, ew." Jaune groaned. "I think? Is it weird to just talk about them like that? It feels weird?"

"That's because we've never done this before." Saphron pointed out. "Also you are the disgusting one if you think I use my tentacles for a weird purpose. They're basically just arms without hands."

"Fair enough." Jaune said, chewing his lip in thought. "Does mom know? She didn't like the Circle."

"It's why I moved out. We didn't argue much once I did join, seeing as the deed was done, but things were awkward between us." Saphron paused for a moment, voice quiet. "They still are. It's nice you know, if only so I can actually talk to someone again,"

"What do you mean?" Jaune frowned, hearing the loneliness in his sister's voice.

"Well I can't just blabber about this to my normal friends, and the Circle is a hectic place. People are sent where they're needed when they're needed, so there's a chance someone I work with and become friends with gets shipped off to Mistral or Vacuo or Menagerie if the workload there increases for whatever reason and more bodies are needed." Saphron explained. "Plus they could end up working somewhere with a high level of secrecy that forbids external communication."

"Seriously? The Circle has stuff like that?" Jaune asked, and Saphron chuckled..

"Area 51 isn't just a myth, Jaune." Saphron replied, and Jaune was relieved by the more normal chirpiness in her tone. "We have places where we do experiments and stuff, not to mention places where world-ending threats are contained. Those might just be rumors too, but I've overheard things that sound pretty serious."

"Damn." Jaune blinked. "I'm almost tempted to join the Circle now. I wanna meet the little gray guys."

"I'm sure they'll be just as eager to meet you." Saphron snorted, prompting him to roll his eyes and raise his middle finger at the nearby wall, something he'd never have the balls to do to her face to face, which he acknowledged as simple survival instinct rather than cowardice. When Saphron got mad she ripped and teared until it was done, by which whoever had pissed her off thoroughly regretted the decision to do so. "So you're at least considering joining right? Why the hesitance?"

"I don't know if I want to be a secret agent slash policeman, and I sure as hell don't want to work in admin, no offense. I've seen what that did to Mom, and considering Mom is Mom that terrifies me. You're either the bravest or stupidest person I know now considering you work in admin but saw what the effects all the bullshit and annoyances involved can do to someone like Mom."

"She literally just quit and found a better paying job."

"Yeah but Mom doesn't quit. I think that's the first time I've seen her do that. Ever."

"Oh you big baby." Saphron sighed teasingly. "Always such a momma's boy. Speaking of, have you seen much of her recently? She actually called me today and talked for a while about how she loved me and was proud of me despite making decisions she wouldn't always necessarily agree with."

"I haven't seen or spoken to her since yesterday."

"That'll do it." Saphron replied quietly. "You should speak with her."

"I know."

"Okay." Saphron paused. "I need to go. Love you Jauney."

"Love you too Saph." Jaune replied, hanging up quickly before she did. He succeeded, and he cheered happily "Hah! Suck it Saph!"

One point to Jaune. Now he needed twelve more in order to beat his older sister in the long running "Who can hang up the quickest contest?" which would have made for a great dinner time TV show on the likes with stuff like the Chase and Pointless, though even "Who can hang up the quickest contest?" would struggle to beat the Chase as best show to watch whilst eating dinner.

"Jaune?" Blake called tentatively, and he returned to the living room, and he immediately felt bad upon entering it at the sight of her all but sprawled over the chair, just not in it. It looked like a really uncomfortable position for her to be in, and he wondered if she hadn't settled in the chair properly out of a fear he'd be mad at her. "Did your conversation go well?"

"It was alright." Jaune shrugged. "I was expecting an argument that didn't happen and I also got a point against Saph in a little contest we have going on, so pretty good overall. You can sit in my chair, you know? I won't be angry or anything."

"But it's yours." Blake replied, cocking her head in confusion and frowning. It was terrifyingly adorable and endearing, especially combined with the way her lithe body was draped over the chair he felt thundering spasms in his heart. "Besides, I am comfortable where I am."

"Are you sure?" Jaune asked, chewing on his lower lip with worry. Despite the fact Blake had tentacles that could rip him to shreds, if they were anything like his mother's at least, and actively trying to remember what he saw when she lowered her shield, image projector, holograms thing made his brain weep he was well aware of the fact he had an undue, worrying amount of power in the situation. It was his house, his rules, and that was how it should be, but he was also starting to worry Blake might be humoring some of the rules in order to stay on his good side and have a place to stay and eat and rest at.

"I am very sure." Blake answered, and Jaune decided to let the matter rest for now. He was tired from…pretty much everything in all honesty, and he was looking forward to a relaxing evening to release some of the growing stress he was feeling. Blake seemed content enough at least, but if he could change a few things to make content go to happy…he was open to negotiation.

And not just because her wearing his hoodie might as well have been hypnosis for some reason.

He settled into his chair again and Blake leaned against him as the movie began. Despite the opening credits being a rare one in that they started with some action that meant the title cards of the actors and whatnot weren't as boring as usual, Jaune found himself barely able to focus on the movie as Blake rested her head against his shoulder. Her ears felt soft and kept tickling his own, and every fiber of his being yearned to pet them, even if it was just for a moment. He wasn't surprised actual Faunus were tired of Human shenanigans when it came to their cute extra appendages, and Jaune found himself wondering how in the hell someone would want to discriminate against them. Had anti-Faunus racists even seen bunny girls? Come on! They're adorable! And cute! And people! He wasn't objectifying them of course, but they were!

…But not as adorable as Blake, and that was starting to become problematic for Jaune as he found himself unable to focus even on his movie hero acting in one of his best roles to date.

"What is a two-dollar whore?" Blake asked curiously. "Is it a special type of prostitute that has such a poor level of skill when it comes to pleasing others that their services are less valuable?"

"I-It's an insult." Jaune choked out. "How do you know what a prostitute and a whore is?"

"You watched that movie with the two women who orally pleasured that man with a shiny bald head in return for money." Blake turned to him, eyes too earnest and too close. "What was it called again?"

"That was! Y-You can't just….That was porn Blake!" Jaune exclaimed, face turning from red to pale as he realised the implication of what she was saying. It wasn't like the last time where she made it clear she knew from browsing through his Scroll. "Blake…Did….D-Did you watch-?"

"Yes." Blake said bluntly, and her head tilted cutely. "Was I not supposed to? I thought it took 'two to tango' as Spruce Willis likes to say."

The door, aka the cupboard in the empty doorway, knocked suddenly. Jaune let out a choked sigh of relief.

"Er…pizza delivery? Does anyone actually live here?"

"One second!" Jaune called out, making a hasty mistake as he hurried to the door and desperately cleared the barricade he'd erected to block up his front entrance. The pizza delivery guy looked torn between amused and bemused, and Jaune decided to accept it, as well as his pizza. He gave the guy a tip for being early, and hurried to the living room as dark tentacles left the walls and started resetting the barricade. Jaune shook his head at the sight before catching Blake pouting before her face lit up at the sight of food.

He sat back down, pizza on his lap, and the combination of food and a good Spruce Willis movie managed to distract him from earlier events he elected to ignore. Things were escalating too far too fast, and he refused to do anything that would mean taking advantage of Blake. She relied on him too much for any sort of romantic relationship between them to be a success or even equal, and that made him feel icky all over.

Yet another conversation to be had. Or the joys of being Jaune.

The pizza was quickly devoured, as were the pudding and the sodas. Blake's tentacles took the waste to the kitchen, something Jaune found hilarious because he was still getting used to the fact stuff like that actually existed, and not long afterwards the movie finished.

Jaune turned to Blake, mouth closing when he saw her snoozing against him. As much as he had gone through the rollercoaster recently, so had she. Whether it was the Circle and the Accords, meeting his friends and parents, summoning the courage to approach and defend him, Blake had been through a lot recently, and Jaune felt ashamed he hadn't realised that sooner.

Moving as close to ninja-like as he could, Jaune slid off the sofa and kept Blake stable to not disturb her. Then he lifted her into his arms like Spruce Willis had with his love interest and carried her upstairs in a bridal carry. Blake mumbled something in her sleep, and Jaune couldn't help but feel captivated by her. She was utterly peaceful and at rest, and that was such a far cry from what his life had become. A small part of him felt jealous. The rest felt happy. It was good that she was good.

She was a good person. A good Shadowling? Jaune didn't know how it worked really, but that didn't change the fact Blake was Blake, and the definition of that was good. Possibly perfect. Definitely adorable and cute.

He shook his head and entered the temporarily shared bedroom. He would have to find her a bed at some point, though he sure as hell wasn't going back to the place that didn't actually give you a bed for money and had some grumpy old coot glaring at him the whole time.

Jaune didn't know if her clothes, apart from his hoodie, were real or the same sort of image changer thing that made Jaune see Blake and not the thing that tore his mind asunder and rebuilt it only to tear it back down. As such, he elected to not undress her, if only to make sure didn't overheat. If she did she'd probably just wake up and do it herself. He wasn't going to take advantage of her. He wouldn't do it to anyone, but he especially wouldn't do it to Blake. He could feel violent urges rising inside him at the thought of that happening. If he, for some reason, did that then he'd give himself the Old Yeller treatment. If it was someone else who someone did that…Jaune felt certain he'd find out how many bones could be broken in a body before someone died and would gladly go to jail for it.

That wouldn't happen though. It never would. He was going to make sure of that. Besides, he couldn't work himself up much when Blake was sleeping so soundly and his own tiredness caught up to him. He grabbed some shorts, changed in the bathroom before collapsing into the bed next to Blake as gently as he could so as to leave her undisturbed.

"G'night." Jaune mumbled. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

Sleep came quickly. Once he was snoring, Blake opened one eye. She moved quickly, wrapping her arms and tentacles around Jaune, unknowingly making him the little spoon as she cuddled against him.

"Don't worry about the bed bugs Jaune. I already ate them all." Blake said reassuringly, patting Jaune's head before letting her head rest against the comfy pillows. "You don't need to worry about anything. Just stay you and I'll take care of you."

Blake followed Jaune's lead and let sleep take her into it's warm embrace soon after.

A/N: Next update ?/?/?