Ruby awoke with a start.
Silver eyes darted across the room before locking on the red text of her alarm 6:59 a.m.
She sighed, and slammed her head back into the pillow with a groggy groan. Sure enough, once a few seconds passed, a loud brrrringgg, brrrrringgg, brrrriiiinnggg filled the girl's room. For a moment she considered hitting the snooze button and trying to steal a few moments of sleep, before a loud series of bangs echoed off her door.
"Yaaaaaaang." She whined pitifully. " Come on."
"No can do, sis." The blonde said. "Gotta start your day off with a Yang ."
Ruby hopped off her bed to throw the door open and glare at her older sister. Yang was already fully dressed, and looked stunning, as usual. Her hair wasn't the chaos of curls it normally was the first thing in the morning, instead having already been washed, dried and brushed into a more deliberate mane of wavy gold. She was smiling broadly at her pouting baby sister, still clad in her polka dot pajamas.
"What did you do?" Ruby asked tiredly.
Yang put her hands behind her back. " I have no idea what you're talking about." She said innocently.
Silver eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're up early." Ruby said. " You're never up early." Yang was even less of a morning person than Ruby was, practically addicted to her 'beauty sleep', unlike Mom, who the years had hardened into an early riser, and Dad, who somehow seemed to enjoy getting up at the crack of dawn.
"Oh, you know." Yang drawled pleasantly. " Just couldn't wait to get a head start on such a lovely day."
Warning bells went off in Ruby's head. Last night there had been a prediction of a freak storm, and the day's forecast had a 90% chance of hail.
The warning bells turned to full on sirens as she stepped into the bathroom. Stripping down nervously, Ruby stepped into the shower and turned the water on to the highest temperature.
She let out a shriek as ice cold water ran over her body.
"YANG!" She shouted, rushing out of the bathroom, soaking wet.
Her sister stood, barely holding back laughter.
Summer Rose rushed up the stairs to see her youngest daughter dripping wet and naked as the day she was born, shouting in shock and betrayal at her eldest.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Yang wheezed, eyes filled with mirth. "But if any sister of mine thinks a dry bowl of cereal is a worthy attempt at Gag Gift Day, she's got another thing coming."
The older Rose rolled her eyes but decided to stay out of it and let her girls have their fun.
"You pranked me because I didn't prank you hard enough?" Ruby sputtered indignantly.
"You have much to learn, grasshopper." Yang said sagely. " I will teach you. Now get your cute little butt back in the shower. You smell."
Ruby muttered to herself but with some reluctance obeyed. So Yang had used all the hot water. That was it. Right?
Summer and Yang watched with some interest as Ruby walked away, a faint sway in her step.
"She does have a cute butt, doesn't she?" Summer muttered to herself.
Ruby hadn't been on the receiving end of nearly as much male attention as her older sister- for one thing she was introverted and outshined by the naturally boisterous, beautiful Yang, and for another she was two years younger than all of her peers and thus two years behind her classmates in terms of developing. But over the last year or so that had started to change- she was a healthy young woman who 'drank her milk' and puberty had come out in a dead sprint to get her body over the finish line. Summer had been a bit of a late bloomer, but while Ruby was still undoubtedly cute and girlish her body was all woman.
Her breasts, while modest, stood out on her slender, petite figure,bouncing slightly as she stomped down the hall. Her body was lean and defined but undeniably feminine and curvy, her toned legs somehow seemed to go for ever, and her butt… while the Bellabooty reigned supreme the Rubooty was starting to get its own reputation thanks to all those track meets and skintight Beacon athletic shorts.
Round and perky, respectable size, excellent shape, toned and firm but with a little give. Just begging someone to take a crack at it.
"She's all grown up." Yang agreed. "Makes me feel old and grey when I think about it."
Summer shoved her playfully. "Oh, don't you start."
Yang shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, I look great, but I don't have those ageless Rose genes." she said, cupping her breasts. "These look awesome now, but gravity's a bitch. How many good years do I have left?"
Summer looked her in the eye. " Is this something you're actually worried about?"
Yang chuckled. "Nah." She said confidently. Then her eyes drifted to the ceiling. "... Maybe a little." she admitted.
Summer poked her adoptive daughter playfully in the chest. "I'm just going to be honest." She said seriously. Yang looked at her with bated breath. "Raven had a killer rack and one of the best bodies I've ever seen, and since Qrow still manages to look his age despite putting himself through the ringer a couple of times a week, I'd say the Branwens age like wine. Take care of yourself and you'll keep turning heads for decades." Summer smirked. "Speaking of which… why don't you come by the gym with me some time?"
Yang shrugged. " Why? The garage is fine." Tai might not have bought his own gym, but the family garage was filled with dumbbells and bars, and a couple punching bags and mats both Xiao Longs made very good use of. Yang might have looked like a model of femininity, but the scrappy tomboy that picked fights with guys twice her size was still in there, and she had trained in Boxing and Muy Thai since she could walk. In a world where the strength of one's soul and training trumped everything, Yang would have been one of the strongest people around. In a world where size and sex were far more restrictive, she could still stomp most untrained men and sucker punch any pervert who thought she was an easy mark. Sure, she would never be able to physically match someone like Jaune, or Cardin, or Yatsuhashi, and even someone like Sky would probably overpower her if they knew what they were getting into, but she was very strong and kept herself very fit.
"Oh," Summer drawled. " there's something nice about meeting people when you work out. You never know who you might-"
"-Jaune works almost every night from 5 to 9." Yang interrupted. "Extra most weekends."
Summer chuckled guiltily. " Am I that obvious?"
Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah." She teased.
"Well, if you were to pop by, you might see something you like."
Yang walked down to the kitchen, ready for the conversation to end. Summer followed her. The blonde sighed.
"Shouldn't you be on Ruby's case about this?" She muttered. "She's the one who follows him around everywhere like a lovesick puppy."
Zwei made his way into the room eagerly, barking at the pair eagerly and wagging his tail like a maniac. 'Kind of like that.' Yang thought with a soft smile, as she reached down and rubbed behind the corgi's ears.
"Oh, you know I am." Summer said, reaching up into the cabinet for a can of dog food. "But since you're giving her a hard time this morning it's only fair that I give her a little break." Zwei had skidded over from Yang to her mother and was eagerly awaiting his morning meal.
"Then you could at least update your intel." Yang said. "Vomit Boy and I haven't hung out in years."
Summer shook her head as she gave Zwei his food and sat down at the table. "Fair enough. But I'd bet 'Vomit Boy' is cuter than who you're messing around with now... " her brow scrunched in concentration. "...Simon?"
"Simin." Yang corrected tiredly. "And we've been over for weeks now."
"...Oh." Summer said awkwardly. " I'm sorry."
Yang shrugged. " Don't be. He was boring and a little too desperate to get in my pants." She lazily took a bite out of a slice of toast. " You bet right, by the way."
Her mother blinked. "Oh… well… good judgement call then." She said, "But… if I bet right, why were you with-"
"Because being hot isn't the only factor in dating." Yang said. "Jaune and I don't click. At all."
Summer's eyes twinkled. "Really? The two of you used to be thick as thieves-"
"-I used to call myself The Dragon Princess and pile shiny junk in the pillow forts we built in the backyard." Yang countered. "We were kids."
Summer smiled. "And Sir Jaune the Dragon Slayer would charge in to rescue the adventurous Ruby of Lancaster from your evil clutches… or the three of you would team up to face tyrants of Patch Circle, and trade X-Ray and Vav cards under the dinner table."
Yang was smiling absentmindedly too. "Yeah." She said. "Oh, and when the fallen Cardinal and his gang kidnapped Bishop Pete of the Pumpkin Patch, and we declared all out war, and then Ruby found Uncle Qrow's old paintball gun in the attack and rained hell on the entire playground." She laughed. The little silver had shown terrifyingly good aim and with the bigger blonds keeping anyone from getting too close, she had taken down the entire enemy force in less than a minute. "We were grounded for weeks."
Jaune had walked away from that with a black eye and several bruises, since he had intercepted hits that were meant for the girls. Ruby was the killer shot, and Yang was the more skilled fighter, so since he could take a punch better than either of them he said it made complete sense to get in the way. The two of them had gone berserk when Cardin had finally knocked him down and it took the adults finally stepping in to hold them back. Then they had tried to make their idiot promise to never do something like that again, because an Arc never went back on his word, and he wouldn't do it because he said he'd always do whatever it took to protect them, and they wouldn't talk to him for days. Which was good because that meant he couldn't catch them scribbling his last name next to their first… just to test it out, nothing serious, until each of the sisters caught the other doing it, and then suddenly it became very serious, with Mom and Dad walking in on a shouting match that was focused on how Yang and Jaune were already married and everyone knew it, and how that wasn't fair because Ruby Arc sounded so much better than Yang Arc and-
"But you don't click." Summer teased.
Yang's smile evaporated. "Not anymore." She said simply.
The elder Rose let out an exaggerated sigh. "It's just sad to see such a cute couple divorce so young."
Yang leaned back and petulantly stuck out her tongue.
"I'm mostly messing with you." Summer admitted. "But I do wish the two of you made more of an effort to stay in touch. Just look at how close Ruby still is with Jaune- no matter how long you live you'll never have another childhood best fri-
Summer stopped talking when she saw a flash of pain cross her daughter's face. Yang stopped looking her in the eyes and her body tensed before becoming relaxed- a bit too relaxed. She could hide it well - but not from her mother.
"...Yang." she said tenderly, reaching her hand to cover her daughter's. "You know you can talk to m-"
"Mom." She said tightly. "Shut. Up."
The tension hung thick in the air until Ruby rushed into the room, still shivering. "You used all the hot water." she whined, grabbing some milk out of the fridge and scanning the counter for something to eat. "I left it running for 15 minutes to see if maybe it would heat up again but there was nothing . Do you know how long it takes to make that happen? What were you doing in there?"
"Fingering myself silly." Yang deadpanned.
Ruby dropped the carton and turned a vivid shade of red while Summer choked on her own coffee.
"R-really?" Ruby squeaked.
"Nah." Yang said, smirking. " If you really want to know I just started my period, so there's absolutely no action going on now, what with all the cramping and bleedi-
"Yang, shut the fuck up." Tai said as he made his way into the room.
"Morning Dad." She shot back.
Summer stood up, used to the Xiao Long method of communication. "Honey." She said, concerned. "You're usually already at Beacon by now."
Tai steeled himself. " School's been canceled today." He said.
The girls looked at him, askance. "Why?" Ruby asked.
He let out a tired sigh. "...One of your classmates was almost murdered yesterday."
The three women in the room… processed that, for a moment. Ruby, Summer and Yang then all broke the silence simultaneously.
"Who?"
"How?"
"Why?"
Tai poured himself a glass of coffee and nursed it for a moment. "Sky Lark and an unknown perp, with his bare hands, apparently, and we don't know."
Yang's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean apparently ?"
"They say 'apparently' because his body looks like it was in a high speed car crash, not a fight, but the area of impact matches more with a Human hand or knee, and someone obviously choked him out."
"...Is he going to be okay?" Ruby asked. Sky might have been a bully, but he didn't deserve to die.
Tai sighed. "...Maybe." he said. "The doctors say he's stable, and sometimes he's even conscious, but he's in a bad place. And when he can speak he refuses to say anything about what happened."
Summer pulled Tai in for a hug. Sky was far from her favorite student, but he had still been one of her kids… and if he had been attacked at school, then even her girls weren't safe. "How did the attacker get past the gates?" She asked.
Tai gave her a comforting squeeze. "We aren't sure yet." He said. "But the cops are grilling Sky and security is combing through all the cameras. If anyone suspicious got in, we'll find him."
"What if the perp was a student?" Yang asked.
The entire room locked eyes on the blonde, who was lounging back and enjoying her breakfast.
Ruby followed her line of thinking instantly- the sisters could read each other without saying a word. Sky had pissed off a lot of people over the years, and if someone was already at Beacon the cameras wouldn't catch them slipping in. 'And… why would Sky keep quiet if the attacker was some stranger, who he'd never seen before and would never see again?' Snitching would only be something he'd balk at if whoever did it was in a position to do it again. Someone who saw him on a regular basis, who knew him. Someone who could blend in at Beacon.
She needed to talk to the gang about this. Nora had a wild intuition that was dead on about as often as it was dead wrong, Ren had a sensible way of picking out her plausible theories from the phantoms of her imagination, and refining them, building on them, and Jaune… well, he was even better than Ruby at picking apart other people's schemes.
"I don't think there's any kid capable of dishing out the kind of punishment Sky took." Tai responded. "The doctors say it seems more like a car crash than a beating."
"You know any adults capable of that?" Yang asked.
Summer and Tai looked one another in the eye but said nothing.
"Just be careful." Tai said firmly. "Whoever did this is still at large. If they aren't found in the next few days, I don't want you going anywhere alone."
"Gotcha." Yang said, picking at her plate. Summer kissed each of her family members before rushing out the door.
"Try not to have too much fun on your day off." She teased.
"Don't worry," Tai groused. "I've still got plenty of paperwork."
As their father left the room, Ruby turned to her older sister.
"...Want to play video games?" She asked.
…
"Haha, YES!" Yang shouted, as a consecutive 8 punch juggle and slammed Ruby's character into the ground.
"No fair." Ruby murmured. "What's the point of the game if you're just going to keep mashing buttons?"
Yang smirked. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Ruby sighed, but she was smiling on the inside. She hadn't gotten to spend as much time as she used to with her sister. Not that Yang didn't do it at all, but since the two of them were busy and ran in different social circles these days they there was just less time for the two of them. Yang seemed proud that her sister was finally starting to branch out on her own, but sometimes Ruby missed her, which was stupid because she was right down the hall whenever she needed her. 'For another year or two.' She thought glumly. Growing up sucked.
Still, the last minute cancellation of school meant a huge block of sisterly bonding time.
Yang scowled at the screen as Ruby pulled off an impressive combo.
"What happened to 'no mashing buttons'?" She muttered sourly.
Ruby grinned. "This is not 'mashing buttons.'" She said. "This is art ."
Yang rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She said, as her avatar caught Ruby's in a wicked uppercut.
In a couple of hours Yang's phone would blow up with messages and invitations- from boys who wanted her and girls who wanted to be seen with her, and even from her new popular friends, all making demands on her time. But Ruby had priority… and maybe once in a while it was okay to try using it.
"Hey Yang." Ruby said slowly. "Wanna see the new Spruce Willis movie this Friday? Jaune gets off work early, so I was going to ask him-"
"What, like a date?" Yang said.
Ruby colored, and the screen lit up in bright lights as Yang's avatar landed a critical hit.
"No." she said, pouting. "Ren and Nora are coming too."
"...So, like, a double date."
Ruby buried her face in her hands. "Why are you like this?" She squeaked.
"Part of the big sister code, Rubes." Yang said, grinning. " Never pass up a chance to tease."
Tai walked into the room with a tired sigh. "Game time's over." He said, unplugging the console. "I've got a match to watch."
Yang looked at him with an arched eyebrow. " The fight doesn't start for another hour."
"The commentary's half the fun." He said, flipping the TV to the proper settings.
"...and an unprecedented sporting event is about to begin." A voice said in the tone peculiar to overpaid anchors.
"Stepping into the ring at 6'5 and 215 lbs we have Elm Ederne, the Atlesian giant, and in the other corner at 5'7 and 140lbs we have the lightning foot Harriet Bree."
"That's right Tim, and I don't think I've ever seen more excitement for a woman's cage match."
"Well, it certainly couldn't be for a worthier cause." Another voice stressed. "Both women are veterans of the Atlesian Military and all the proceeds from the match will go to charities that provide food and shelter to the growing number of refugees from that Kingdom's ongoing Civil War."
"Ever since General Ironwood's brutal assassination Atlas has been tearing itself apart, and both ladies have gotten their fair share of combat experience. But which of them has the edge in battle? To help us answer that question, Cage Match is lucky to have a special guest for the day, the Champ himself, Mason-"
The TV screen went dark.
Yang was gripping the remote so tightly her knuckles had gone white, and her eyes were a deep crimson.
They flashed red from time to time, though most people told themselves it was just a trick of the light, and no one who saw it regularly enough to know it was real could come up with any explanation. But they only stayed red when Yang was really, really pissed.
Tai, to his credit, seemed completely unfazed by his daughter's outburst.
" I was watching that." He said dryly, snatching the remote out of her hands.
"We are not listening to that —" Yang used an oath that would have had even Tai or Qrow washing her mouth out with soap a couple years back.
Now he just rolled his eyes. " He may be a —" Tai repeated nonchalantly. "But he's also the greatest fighter in the history of the sport. Would I take his advice on family? No. But if it's just about knocking someone's lights out, then-"
Yang had stopped listening by this point and stormed out of the room.
Tai sighed. Mason Arc opened too many wounds for her. A parent abandoning a child? Check. That shithead son of his? Double check. And then daddy lecturing her? Well that was just the straw that broke the camel's back.
He sighed and turned the TV back on. 'I'll make it up to her later.' He thought.
Ruby stayed still and kept her eyes on the screen as it flashed back on, though her good mood had evaporated. Silver eyes narrowed as they were treated to the visage of her best friend's father.
He was a handsome man. He looked like Jaune, that helped- though most people would say it was the other way around. In most circles he wouldn't have been called a pretty boy, he was too rugged, too masculine for that, but whenever his name was brought up in combat sports it was always followed by 'that pretty boy fighter.' Some of that had to do with the fact that no one had ever landed a clean blow on his face- not that it would have left a mark on him if they had. He had a well deserved reputation for being impossible to hurt- he seemed to bounce back from anything that was thrown at him. From his body to his attitude Mason Arc a man of stone.
Ruby admitted with some distaste that the whispers were right- Jaune was starting to look more and more like his father. But there were so many little differences that the average person could never appreciate. Mason's eyes were a cold grayish-blue, more like steel than the deep, expressive oceans of his son. His hair was cut short and lacked the wild, chaotic and boyish quality that was so familiar, and the hint of arrogance that never left the man's face was totally foreign. That friendly TV smile that so many lonely housewives swooned over, it was fake . And it didn't hold a candle to the real thing.
The posture of the other anchors should have been a giveaway. Two of the men had bent over slightly and had pulled their shoulders in tight- they were doing everything in their power to make themselves small. Their voices were slow, soft and a few pitches too high.
The third man was loud, a little too loud. He was posturing and blowing himself up like a bull frog. " Bree's record speaks for itself, she's clobbered everyone put in her path, she's one of the few undefeated fighters active right now in the entire league, Ederna's too slow and too clumsy to do anything to her."
The lone woman on the panel had a very different reaction. She seemed to perk up every time the Arc moved, smile at inappropriate moments, unconsciously fiddled with her hair that a stylist had spent hours on before the show had aired.
"What do you think, Mason?" She asked breathily.
The Arc seemed to be the only one on the stage who was completely comfortable. He didn't speak much, but his movements were calm and deliberate. His posture was broad and open but completely natural, relaxed. The formal suit on his body, meant to emphasize size and create a sense of authority and power, fit him like a second skin.
"Elm has it." He said.
The entire panel erupted.
"Don't you think that's a little too simple?"
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Didn't you listen to a thing I just-"
"How is Harriet supposed to take her down?"
They went silent just as quickly. "Bree has speed, but she just doesn't hit hard enough to bring Elm down, and Elm is also the better grappler. Ederne is 75lbs bigger and has a longer reach. Weight classes exist for a reason." He smirked. "No matter what anyone tells themself, size matters."
The female anchor blushed furiously while the boldest of the other males went red.
"So does that mean Ederne could take you?" He spat. "She's taller, her arms are longer, if size, not skill, is the only thing that matters."
"I never said that, Jerry." Mason replied coolly. "What you have doesn't mean much if you can't use it. But if you can..." he chuckled. "well, then you're pretty much unstoppable. I should know."
"Will we be seeing more of you?" The woman squeaked, before quickly revising her statement. "You have to know the fans would live to see you in the ring again."
Mason smiled disarmingly. "I'm afraid not."he said. "I've had my share of glory- let the kids have a chance to show off for a change. Besides, where I'm at now, I just want to spend as much time as I can with my family-"
That was the last straw for Ruby, and she too stormed out of the room, leaving her father alone to splay himself on the coach.
'That liar !' Ruby thought furiously. 'That dirty, rotten, smug liar. Oh, if I ever get my hands on him, I'll…' she stopped. Ruby would run for the hills if he ever got within striking distance.
When they were children the trio had spent most of their time together at school or with Ruby's parents- Jaune's father and mother were extraordinarily busy and happy to pawn their children off to their friends whenever possible. It wasn't like she hadn't met his family- Mom had offered to babysit some of the younger Arcs from time to time, free of charge, although most of the time Jaune was the only one to take her up on that offer- his sisters had their own friends, after all, and most of them were at least a couple years older, which was a massive difference back when they were all in grade school. She had met them, and she even liked some of them, but they would've been distant acquaintances at best were it not for their brother.
And of course, there had been a few times when she had met Mason face to face. The occasional holiday party or get together at Jaune's place. Even then they didn't see much of each other- the Arc House was big . She had been to Weiss's house (no, mansion, that wasn't a house) and compared to the Schnee's the Arc House had a much more homey feel in most of the building, with foyer being the 'ritziest' part of it, but when that homey, sensible atmosphere had to expand to include a separate bedroom for each child, plus a master bedroom for the parents, plus a couple of guest bedrooms, several bathrooms, and office space, a living room, a sitting room, a basement with a game room and a minibar and a fancy TV and chairs for an in home theater experience, with a garden and pool outside, then it started to become a little overwhelming.
Ruby had been 4 when she had first seen it. It had been Jaune's 6th birthday, and obviously he had invited his two best friends over to join in the fun. Walking through those doors for the first time Ruby had felt smaller than she ever had before- it was the first time she had ever really considered 'rich' and 'poor' and while her parents could pay the bills the gap between their families was painfully obvious. How did he fee visiting their house when his looked like this? Her parents had insisted that she wear her nicest clothes, but compared to some of the adults there, who looked more like the night was a business meeting and not a child's birthday, she felt like a badly dressed up doll. Even some of the other kids seemed more suited to this strange, powerful place.
And when she thought she couldn't get any more nervous, the man of the house had walked up. She knew instantly that this was Jaune's father, his hero, the guy on the TV. He stood tall as a mountain and the ground seemed to tremble with every step.
Ruby had ended up cowering behind Yang, shivering like a leaf, as this predator surveyed his den with a casual intensity. Until Jaune had rushed down the stairs.
His eyes had lit up like fireworks and all the fear and inadequacy that had gripped her evaporated in an instant.
"Yang! Ruby!" He cried happily, and the pair had rushed over eagerly, smiles on their faces. Then he grabbed each of their hands and led them away. "Come on, let's go! I've got so much to show you!"
That was the difference between them. Maybe the Arcs shared some of the same features, intensity, even authority in the right circumstances, but Jaune's presence had always made her feel happy and safe, and Mason's scared her senseless. In that way the two were nothing alike.
Ruby couldn't know that as his closest friend she was part of a privileged few that saw Jaune at his lightest, warmest and happiest. That most of their peers at Beacon had formed their image of the boy back in grade school, middle school, or even preschool, well before even Ruby had met him, and that reputation hadn't quite caught up with the new reality. That her favorite goofball was built like a tank, and the look that told Ruby her bestie needed a little cheering up made most people fear for their lives. That when you put Jaune Arc in an unfamiliar crowd people gave him a very wide berth.
Where Mason effortlessly flaunted his great power, Jaune went out of his way to hide it. He was good at it too, which made him all the more terrifying. Most people couldn't read him, the boy with the baggy clothes, wild hair and dark, burning eyes, so they filled the blank in with the primal fear in the back of their minds. A lion may be a dangerous creature, but a herd of gazelle could walk by one basking in the sun, or drinking out in the open with some sense of safety. But a lion stalking through the tall grass, hiding in the shadows… that meant death. And that's what Jaune was to strangers. A predator who was trying to hide. At least with Mason you had a chance to negotiate, to submit, to placate.
If Ruby was a little more socially aware she might have overheard the whispers a few months back at the beach. It had been one of the last days of summer, and RNJR had wanted to goof off before school started. Jaune had driven the gang to the beach, and she had brought an empty bottle of sunblock. Unfortunately, this had been in a seedy part of Vale, so when two gorgeous girls in nothing but bikinis and sandals had strolled into the corner store to get some more some unsavory characters had followed.
"Hey there, toots, why don't you be a doll take off your top?" One of them had called.
"Just ignore them." Ruby whispered. Nora looked furious but the quickest way back to safety was to rush back to the beach. The gang followed them.
Nora had sworn at them and driven them off for a moment, but a larger crowd had gathered and had backed the pair into a blind alley, leering eagerly. One of them had taken a swat at their asses, leaving a bright red mark on each cheek.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" The ring leader asked. "We just met. Why not stop by and have a little fun?"
"Fuck off, shrimp dick." Nora had spat.
The beach bum had laughed. "Oh, sugar tits has a temper. What about you, cutie? Wanna go for a ride?"
"Hey." Ren had called. The group's eyes had shifted. The girls had gotten close enough to the beach that the noise had attracted some attention, and their friend had come to the rescue.
Shirtless Ren was still reasonably imposing, and he knew a fair bit of martial arts, but while the gang seemed more nervously about taking on a male he wasn't enough of a threat to all of them.
"Is that pink hair?" The leader said mockingly. "Is this the guy you're standing us up for? Why don't you two ditch the pretty boy and try out a real-"
Then Jaune had walked up. The man shut his mouth.
Jaune still hadn't hit his most recent growth spurt, but he was taller and bulkier than Ren by a decent margin. When he saw the gang surrounding the girls and edging in on his friend, his eyes narrowed. When he saw the red hand prints on their asses they narrowed to slits.
The group parted and the leader backed away while Jaune stalked forward.
"H-h-hey buddy." He said nervously. "What's with that look?" He extended his hands nervously. "Me and the boys were just having a little fun, just messing around was all-" Jaune grabbed both of the man's hands and wrenched him forward violently.
"Next time, keep your hands to yourself." He growled.
The man whimpered.
Jaune had left his back exposed to the others, completely unafraid. Ren had moved in to cover him. He shouldn't have bothered.
As soon as Jaune let the man go he had scurried away, his posse in tow.
Jaune had sighed, and then turned to face Ren. "Thanks for the back up."
"Don't mention it." He said.
"Well I will." Nora said. "Thanks for the save, guys." She teased. "Who knew we were friends with such manly men?"
She joked, but the pair was still a little shaken by the whole ordeal. It wasn't anything lounging in the sand and saltwater couldn't fix, but the red marks on their rears didn't fade for the rest of the day and Jaune couldn't take his eyes off them.
Ruby had assumed it was guilt and did her best to assure him that he had done everything he could, that she was fine, that Nora was fine.
She couldn't know that Jaune couldn't take his eyes off their bodies because they looked fucking incredible and he couldn't help but drink them in when they were exposed like that. That what he had done in the alley was less a friend helping a friend and more an Alpha staking his claim. It wasn't like he could surrender such beautiful bitches to those losers-
"This was a horrible idea." He had murmured, closing his eyes in self loathing.
"Nah, on the whole this has been an awesome day." Nora had countered. "It's like walking in to see the best movie of the year but you just happened to step in vomit on the way in."
"...That would ruin the experience for most people." Ren said dryly.
Nora had huffed and crossed her arms, giving her tits and ass a pleasant jiggle. " Most people are lame."
Still, it had been an awesome day, asshole perverts aside, until they had stepped into a beachside restaurant at sunset and found out their waiter was one of the asshole perverts.
And that was when their day had gone from good to great.
One look at Jaune's face and the man had declared that everything was on the house, and, naturally, they had worked up a bit of an appetite. The bastard hadn't complained once as they ate away his entire paycheck- as a matter of fact Ruby had never gotten better service- plus the cookies and cream milkshake she had gotten for a free dessert had been awesome .
Ruby was too engrossed in nirvana to overhear the waiter telling his friends his version of the story, and that the reason they had to kowtow to that buff blond bastard was because he was some kind avenging angel, with grace and power and no mercy.
Ren and Nora had heard, and they had started calling Jaune 'the Angel of Death' for weeks, snickering every time they said it.
Then again, the beach bums had started calling him that too, and they weren't joking. Of course, even Jaune didn't realize that he had broken both the ring leader's wrists in a single move.
So, Ruby didn't see Jaune the avenging angel, the apex predator, the threat. She saw her protector, her confidante, her friend.
MMA was stupidly popular so she knew there was a good chance he had seen Mason's interview at the gym, where at least one of the TVs had to be playing it. So, she would just give him a ring, see if he was okay.
When she picked up her phone for the first time that day she saw a message from Jaune.
'Can't make it today. Sorry.'
She blinked. It was from early in the morning, before she had even gotten up.
...Beacon sent official notices to their parents' email . Jaune didn't know they had the day off…
' Oh no.'
Ruby dialed Jaune's number. Then she dialed it again. Then again.
After 11 tries, he finally picked up the phone, and his voice had never sounded more strained.
"Ruby?" He said.
"H-hey Jaune." She stuttered. What was the matter with her? "I just got your text. You alright, bud?"
Jaune was silent for a long moment. "...Shouldn't you be in school right now?"
"Shouldn't you?"
"...fair enough."
"Actually-" Ruby said. "-that's part of why I wanted to call you. Turns out, school's cancelled for today. And the next few days, maybe."
The line rang with static. "...Why?"
"They're revamping security." Ruby said. " It turns out Sky was attacked-"
Jaune took a sharp intake of breath.
"Jaune?" She asked.
"I'm...sorry to hear that." He forced out.
"I know." She said sincerely. "I know the two of you haven't always gotten along, heck, even I don't really like him, but still, no one deserves that."
"...Yeah."
"...Anyway." Ruby said awkwardly. "Were you watching TV at all today?"
"No. I've just cooped myself up in my room today."
"Oh." Ruby said, relieved. "Well… wanna come over? I was thinking of seeing Die Harder 4 on Friday, but if you're free now."
"No." Jaune said with unusual force.
"..."
Jaune must have been able to hear the hurt coming through over the static because he eventually followed that statement up.
"I'm sorry Rubes…" he said, with the same intensity. "I'm...not well. I can't be anywhere near you right now."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Do you need medicine? Have you told Uncle Qrow? Is there anything I can do to-"
"No, yes and no." He said firmly. "That's why I didn't come by to pick you and Yang up today. You just need to stay away from me for a little while."
Something about the way he said that made Ruby very, very worried, but she pressed on cheerily. "You got it. Get well soon!"
"Goodbye Ruby." He said quickly, before hanging up.
Ruby's head was whirling. "Something's wrong." She murmured. "Something's really, really wrong." Jaune might try and hide it from everyone else, but Ruby knew him too well, and she could hear the pain in every word he had said. She needed to tell someone, she needed to think.
She burst into Yang's room. Her sister was blasting that boy band music she wouldn't admit she liked, and she hastily turned off the music.
"'Sup, sis?" She asked a little to hastily.
"Jaune's sick!" Ruby shouted.
Yang's face suddenly got very serious. "...How sick?"
"Sick enough to miss school."
Her sister blinked. Then she shrugged. "Oh, well if that's all-"
"It is not!" Ruby shouted. "When has Jaune ever gotten sick?"
Yang arched an eyebrow. "On bumpy roads, on boats…like, every time he's gone on a roller coaster?"
"That's not the same and you know it!" Ruby insisted. " He throws up, and 15 minutes later he's fine!" Jaune's motion sickness was nearly as legendary as his otherwise iron constitution. Out of every kid they had known in school, he was the only one to never take a sick day, never catch a cold, never even get so much as a case of sniffles.
Yang shrugged again. "There's a first time for everything."
"What if there's something going on that he's not telling us?" Ruby said.
Yang sighed, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I get that you just want to help, but Jaune's a big boy, he can take care of himself."
"But what if he needs help?"
"Then he has to admit it himself." Yang explained. "It's great to care about other people, but you can't force them to trust you. It's his call, not yours, and you have to accept that. If you think he needs you then just make yourself available. If you're right, then sooner or later he'll let you in."
"...What if he doesn't." Ruby asked, undisguised fear in her eyes.
Yang sat silently for a full minute. Then she looked up at her sister, trying to be strong. "Then you have to accept that, too." She whispered.
Velvet said alone in her bed. The weather outside made taking pictures impossible and her parents were at work, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Sky was in the hospital. School was cancelled. She knew why.
She had thought about what happened, thought about Jaune. Honestly, she could hardly think of anything else. She had been terrified of the violence he had unleashed, terrified of the effortless power he had assumed over her body and soul.
But… it had been so wonderful, too. She had fantasized before, about awkward confessions of love, of gentle caresses on a rose covered bed. Velvet had never imagined being taken so roughly, so confidently, so completely. And yet, now that she had been… she wanted it more than anything.
She had never felt more desired than when his eyes had raked over her naked form, never felt prouder than when a happy groan escaped his lips, never felt safer than when he had crushed another man for daring to threaten her.
And that was what she threw in his face. That he had made her feel more joy and pleasure than she had ever expected in her life. That he had the gall to defend her from blackmail and rape.
She knew he had gone too far, that she had to reel him in before he killed Sky, but she knew his heart was in the right place. And, morality aside, there was a deep, dark part of her that was ...aroused, seeing him beat down another man.
Her emotions were a complete wreck. The thunder and hail outside her window made for a fine backdrop.
She stared at her phone piteously.
She had his number- they had met up together for schoolwork several times. She needed to talk to him, let him know that she was sorry, that she understood, that if he got into trouble that she would explain everything, that all she had to do was tell the truth, and he wasn't in any real danger. That she wouldn't mind sharing the dirty details if it meant keeping him free and safe. That… she wouldn't mind if he wanted to make her his…fuck...bunny.
Velvet's body flushed a deep scarlet. She had it bad .
She didn't understand how in a few minutes her feelings had gone from "Jaune is sweet and really cute" to "please master, use me" but she knew they had and she was trying to come to grips with it.
How was she supposed to tell him that when she could barely say it to herself?
Calling him was out of the question- the thought sent a swarm of butterflies through her stomach. Maybe a text… a casual one liner, which she would invariably agonize over for hours.
'Don't worry about Sky.' No… he didn't need anything like that in writing.
'I didn't mean what I said yesterday.' Well, how would he take that? Everything she said about being his, and how it had been so good, and yes, please— oh gods, she meant every word of that. How was he supposed to know the only thing she wanted to take back was her objection?
'Hey.' Simple. Innocent. Conversation starter. Maybe add a couple of extra y's at the end- 'no, that'll make me look like a slut.'
'Isn't that the idea?' She thought mockingly. She didn't seem to mind when he was calling her that. No, that wasn't right. That wasn't what had made her heart burst. He had called her his slut. His fuckbunny. And that little pronoun made all the difference.
Velvet's fingers started moving of their own accord and when they were done she found herself face to face with the only thing she really wanted to say.
'Please be with me. I love you.'
Velvet stared at the words in longing and agony for too long. One hour fooling around in a closet and she was already saying that .
"I'm pathetic ." She whispered, tears rolling down her face.
She tossed her phone onto the bed in frustration. She wouldn't be sending him anything tonight. She couldn't… she was too scared of what he would send back.
Because as stupid, weak and pathetic as it might be… Velvet meant it.
Li Ren had come back from the office to find his house spotless and his favorite meal warm and waiting on the table.
"What did I do to deserve this?" He asked, kissing his wife on the cheek.
An flushed prettily. " You've been working so hard lately. I just… wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you."
Li pulled her in for a kiss. "You're the best wife in the world." He said.
An plastered on a smile.
Lie cleared his throat. "Not in front of me. Please."
His father chuckled while An blushed even deeper, for some unknowable reason.
"Did you get ahead on your homework?" He asked his son firmly, as the group began.
"Of course." Lie replied. " I finished the first draft for a project due at the end of the month. It'd be foolish to waste an extra day."
Li nodded. " And your forms?" He asked.
"I went through them twice today, after breakfast and before dinner."
Li nodded. "And your friends?"
An colored again inexplicably while Lie looked at his father in confusion. "I… didn't see them today."
"Well, after you spend another hour or two working tomorrow you should." Li said firmly. "It's good to prepare for the future, but we live in the present. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a little pleasure when it comes your way."
An stared at her dinner- she didn't seem very hungry tonight. Come to think of it, she had been a little off kilter ever since she had gotten home from work yesterday. Maybe he should talk to her… no. He trusted her enough to know her own needs.
Once Lie had gone to bed An had proceeded to rock his world. And if her mind seemed to be elsewhere when they were done, he didn't think much of it. She had obviously had a very busy day.
The next day things continued on. The rest of Beacon enjoyed an unexpected day off while Sky was enjoying his stay in the hospital. Jaune had found a discrete location to get his own treatment.
When he had searched for therapy in Vale he had found a free offer from Magenta University on the South Side of the City. It had seemed too good to be true, but a few extra searches confirmed that it was the real deal.
Finding the place was incredibly annoying. Finding parking was a bitch, and getting directions on the ground was bigger bitch. No one seemed to have heard of the complex he was looking for- most people knew the individual offices or businesses that rented them out, and the Psychology Department had only gotten a few as a temp job last month.
For a while he was tempted to just throw his hands up in the air and go back home, but every time he did he thought about how bad he snapped, what he had done to Velvet, to An. He had finally gotten a taste of pussy and he knew his fast was coming to an end. He was at the precipice, and he needed something new to help him or he'd lose it completely. What if it was Nora who was at his mercy the next time he gave in? What if it was Ruby?
He kept going, through all the misdirection and impossibly stupid pedestrians, until he double checked the address against his confirmation email.
Evernight Castle, Building 4, Room 101
You have a 5 o'clock appointment with Cinder Fall.