Grease Monkey
A RWBY Fic by AndrewJTalon
DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and WB Animation. Please support the official release.
A short one-shot for Dragonslayer Week 2024!
Yang Xiao-Long wasn't stupid. Sure, academically she wasn't a powerhouse like Weiss or Blake, but she had street smarts and common sense. She also knew her motorcycles. In terms of engineering, sure, Ruby was way better, but she knew her way around Bumblebee like the back of her hand. She had basically rebuilt the bike herself, after all.
Which was why it was so frustrating that her beloved bike was being such a PAIN here in Beacon's shop! She was crouched down by the engine, fiddling with the intake manifold and checking her pressure gauge. She scowled as the same result came up.
"Son of a-COME ON!" Yang cursed, punching the air to avoid damaging her baby. She glared at the open engine block of her bike, the normally cooperative parts that sang a symphony of power annoyingly silent.
"Yang?"
Yang looked up. Jaune Arc stood in the doorway, looking concerned. She glared.
"Yeah VB? What do you want?"
He frowned, looking a bit like a wounded puppy. Yang immediately winced in regret then shook her head.
"Sorry. Just... Ugh. It's not you. It's my bike," she grumbled. Jaune walked over, his expression sympathetic.
"Ah. That why you haven't been picking up your Scroll?"
"Bingo," Yang sighed, leaning back to sit on a stool, "Guess I just don't have the motor to talk right now." She bowed her head and scowled at Bumblebee.
Jaune laughed quietly.
"Yeah, hard to do that when your pride and joy is broken," he agreed, "What's wrong with her?"
"Keeps stalling every time I hit 3000 RPM," Yang scowled. Jaune hummed, tilting his head as he studied the machine.
"Over 90k miles?"
"Yeah," Yang grumbled, "But the engine is completely new build."
"Ah. The Wayland 1989s were always finicky, even with rebuilt engines," Jaune said sagely.
Yang looked up at him in confusion. The idea of Jaune Arc knowing anything about motorcycles was a foreign concept. Hell, him knowing anything was often difficult to grasp with how he acted.
"You're familiar?"
"Well, my dad had one of these and it was cheaper to learn how to fix it himself," Jaune said with a modest shrug, "And I worked with him when I was old enough to hold tools."
"Huh!" Yang raised an eyebrow. "So..."
Jaune blinked at her and shrugged.
"So?"
Yang shrugged.
"Any suggestions?"
Jaune hummed, and shrugged back.
"Well... Maybe... Can I?"
"Be my guest," Yang said, standing up and scooting aside. Despite her nonchalance, she watched him like a hawk the whole time he cranked screws and adjusted pitons. She wondered at several points when he clanged something loudly what the hell she was thinking letting Jaune "Vomit Boy" Arc at her baby...
But he put it all back together almost as well as she did. He stood up, covered in engine grease and sweat, and beamed at her.
"Try it now."
Yang gingerly moved in as he stepped back. She pressed the ignition. The bike roared to life, not a single sputter, before she revved it up. 1000... 2000... 5000...!
She grinned from ear to ear.
"It's alive!" She laughed loudly over the engine roar, and Jaune laughed with her. She kept the bike revving for a bit, listening intently before she nodded and shut it down.
"Huh... Not bad, Grease Monkey," Yang grinned.
Funny. He looked pretty cute when covered in grease.
Jaune shrugged modestly.
"A-Anyone who had helped his dad build and rebuild these bikes could have done it."
"Just take the compliment," Yang winked.
Jaune nodded.
"S-Sure... Thanks."
Yang beamed.
"So... Wanna go for a ride?"
Jaune gaped.
"Uh..."
"On the bike!" Yang chuckled. Jaune nodded, looking relieved.
"Oh! Sure!'
"And maybe if you're good enough, we'll go for a ride," Yang winked.
Jaune blinked a few times.
"... On the bike, right?"