Cuts of RWBY

A RWBY Fic Collection by AndrewJTalon

DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and ViZ. Please support the official release.

After the final battle with Salem, there wasn't a place in Vacuo that wasn't celebrating. People were cheering, drinking, dancing and laughing. The streets were filled, the bars were packed. Yang thought her smile would never fade away as she made her way through the crowds. Sure, she was one of the heroes who ended the threat, but thankfully the news hadn't spread too much. Otherwise, she would never be able to get anywhere without being swarmed by fans.

She had a very important destination in mind, with a very important person to see.

She made her way to a house Menagerie's forces had used as a base for the fight. None of the Faunus guards paid her any mind, too busy drinking and laughing. She spotted a familiar dark head of hair and black ears on the roof above. She made her way through the courtyard filled with singing Faunus right into the building. She went up the stairs, up to the roof.

Yang's elation was palpable as she rushed up the steps and emerged onto the roof, her voice brimming with triumph.

"Blake! So this is where… You… Went..." Her words trailed off as her eyes fell upon Blake, locked in a passionate kiss with Sun Wukong, who had wrapped his tail around her waist. After a moment, Blake and Sun looked to the side and their eyes widened as they pulled apart.

A stunned silence followed before Yang managed to stammer, "What... What is this?"

Blake, caught off guard, pulled back slightly, her expression a mix of surprise and awkwardness. Sun just smiled in his usual good natured way, though with an awkward tension in his shoulders.

"Hey Yang!" He greet her.

"What is this?!" Yang demanded angrily. If Sun had been forcing himself on her, that would have been one thing… But she had been into it.

Blake finally found her voice.

"Oh... Wow... Uh... Yang? This is what it looks like," she admitted.

Yang's shock morphed into incredulity. "What?! You-You're cheating on me-?!"

"What? No!" Blake scoffed. "Cheating is an outdated concept invented to keep Faunus down! I've just been seeing Sun and Illia on the side while I was with you! It's called Polyamory!"

"Hey, welcome!" Sun grinned. Yang gaped at Blake.

"You-You didn't think to mention that?!" She demanded. "Maybe once?!"

"What? It's no big deal," Blake shrugged, looking a bit nervous, "Set relationships are just-just human oppression-!"

"You didn't even ask me!" Yang growled "You-You said I was the only one! You're still-How long has this been going on?!"

"Oh, since Beacon," Sun explained, as Blake tensed, "Yeah! She wasn't sure about adding you but she wasn't going to turn you down! I can agree!"

"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME A THING!" Yang snarled.

Blake sighed.

"Yang, it's just a Faunus cultural thing. As the future leader of Menagerie, I'm allowed to have a polyamorous relationship!"

"A harem?!" Yang demanded.

"It's not a harem!" Blake huffed, "Harems are for humans! You're all just my lovers and subordinate to me! You should be honored! I mean, you'll be the first human who is in the relationship in a consensual capacity! Sort of."

"What do you mean, sort of?!" Yang seethed, slamming her fists together.

"Well, " Blake quickly explained, her hands up in a desperate attempt to keep Yang calm, "In order to become the ruler of Menagerie, I need to marry a man to give me children. And Sun's a Faunus so he won't be rejected! So I get the position and power and everything!"

Sun, grinning, chimed in, "Pretty sweet, huh? And Illia will be our first concubine!"

"... And me?" Yang managed faintly.

"Well…" Blake shrugged, "You'll have to pretend to be a Faunus. I'm afraid my people aren't fully okay with humans being in relationships with us. Especially not their leader."

Blake, turning back to Yang, offered a proposition with a casual air. "So... You can be my unofficial side piece? How's that?"

Yang's heart shattered as she recoiled in disbelief.

"Wha... I thought you loved me!"

Blake's response was dismissive, almost flippant.

"What? No! I mean, of course I love you! But there are different levels, you know? Sun's been there for me the whole time and he'll be my consort, Illia is completely devoted to me, so you're like… You started as friends with benefits, but it could be more. Like…"

Blake actually smiled almost wistfully.

"Like a wonderful forbidden love in Ninjas of Love! My hidden concubine of our sort-of former oppressors!"

She gave Yang a warm smile and held out her hand.

"What do you think?"

Yang's heart broke, and the rage simmering beneath the surface erupted as her Aura burned like the sun and her eyes glowed like pits straight to Hell.

Two Faunus-shaped projectiles flew from the roof and crashed through the walls of another building across the street. Sun weakly raised his head, then spat out a bloody tooth.

"... I think she's mad," Sun said.

Blake, being unconscious, said nothing.

The bar was probably the only one in the city that wasn't filled. Hell, the celebrations around it were subdued and furtive. Jaune Arc, one of the heroes who had helped saved the world, decided that was a good sign he was onto his quarry.

He entered the bar-Easy to do since the wooden doors had been smashed into kindling. The wooden floor had multiple holes stomped into it, the furniture was piled in pieces, and the bar was in ruins.

Two stools remained, one of which Yang Xiao-Long was angrily drinking at all alone. The bartender had wisely fled and the entirely stock was at the blonde brawler's disposal.

Jaune slowly walked up and slowly sat down at the stool next to her. Silence dominated as neither spoke. Yang just kept drinking, in between her sobs.

"Yang?" Jaune asked softly. "Yang…?"

Yang shook furiously, before she drove a fist through the bar. It added to the holes in it already.

"FUCK HER! I was... I WAS SO FUCKING STUPID!" Yang sobbed, her voice raw with pain. "She... She just... She ran away! SHE ALWAYS RUNS AWAY EVEN WHEN SHE'S HERE! RUNNING OFF ON ME! WHY DID I THINK I'D BE DIFFERENT?!"

Jaune, without hesitation, pulled her into a comforting embrace. She resisted at first, struggling against his hold, but eventually relented, her body slumping in defeat. Jaune pulled out one of Weiss' Schnee Black Lien cards and set it down on what was left of the bar-Hopefully it would settle the exorbitant bar tab in some way.

He then gently guided her out of the establishment, out into the night. The celebrations were more muted out this far from the city center, and the stars and broken moon were above and shining brightly.

"I was so stupid!" Yang sobbed, "I loved her! I really… I thought I did! It just… It happened so fast, I just… I went with it and it all… I was so angry but she seemed like she had changed and…"

"I know," Jaune murmured quietly. "Hell, I don't think we talked once until the Ever After."

"She was so arrogant and I just… I just…" Yang hiccuped and resumed sobbing. "Like everything we went through was for nothing!"

Jaune nodded, finally guiding them out to a small park. He sat them both down on a bench, and held up a handkerchief. Yang sobbed into it, and Jaune kept holding her tightly.

It took quite some time, but Jaune never let up, soothing her. She sniffled, looking up with her red, tear streaked face.

"I just… It's stupid," she sobbed, "I-I just… Am I just stupid?!"

"You aren't, Yang," Jaune insisted, "Okay? And Blake doesn't deserve you. Not a bit. Not after all we went through and all she put you through."

Yang sniffled, and Jaune used another handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

"... I'm like Dad and Qrow," she whispered, "I'm… I'm alone."

"No, you aren't," Jaune countered firmly. "I'm here."

"For how long?" Yang demanded, her voice cracking. "Why... Why haven't you gone back to Ruby? You... You and her... You're heroes... Weisscream's wet over you all the time...!"

Jaune's response was steady and unwavering.

"They don't need me right now. You do, Yang," he said, pulling her into another hug. "I care about you. All right?"

Sniffling, Yang looked up at him, vulnerability in her eyes.

"... You... You'll never leave me?"

"No. Not ever," Jaune assured her.

"How do I know that?!" she pressed, desperation in her tone.

"Because I'm here, Yang! I've always been here! I took it all! I did it... Because I care about you!" Jaune replied, his voice filled with conviction.

Yang continued to cry, but she leaned into him, nuzzling his neck as she whispered, "I'm sorry I was such a bitch... I'm sorry... I'm sorry about Pyrrha... I'm so, so sorry..."

"Shhhh... It's all right, Yang. It's all right..." Jaune soothed, holding her close. "It's okay… Bottom line: We won. We saved the world. And… Okay yeah, Blake is still Blake, but you will never be alone. Never again." He brushed his hands through her hair, which was soothing rather than infuriating. Yang sighed softly against his neck.

"... I should have fallen in love with you... I was so stupid..." Yang murmured, her voice barely audible.

Jaune chuckled and kept stroking her hair.

"It's all right. You weren't as bad as me."

"Stupid," Yang mumbled as she fell asleep. Jaune then pulled her up onto his back and headed for the house their team had been staying in.

It took a while but he found it through the still partying crowds. He kicked the door open and carried Yang through it. He headed up to the room she had been sharing with Blake… Then thought better of it. He headed to his room, opened it, and laid Yang down on the bed.

He tried to pull away… When her arms went around him.

"Please," Yang whispered, "Stay."

Jaune hesitated.

"Yang," he said softly. Yang had a desperate look in her eyes, warm and hungry.

"Please Jaune," she whispered, "Don't leave me…" She held his hand and pulled it towards her chest.

"I don't know if this is what you want-"

"And what do you want?" Yang inquired, searching his face.

"I want you to be safe and happy..." Jaune answered without hesitation.

"Then... Then be with me tonight...," Yang said, her voice raw with need.

Jaune hesitated, concern in his eyes.

"Yang, you're hurt, you're drunk—"

Her eyes were clear as her Aura flared.

"And I know what I want. Please, Jaune..." Yang insisted, pulling him closer.

The battle had been long and arduous. They'd all nearly died to Salem. He was so tired.

"Yang, I love Ruby-" Jaune began, but Yang silenced him with a deep, desperate kiss.

"Mmmm... We saved the world. Let's work out our regrets later..." she murmured against his lips.

Jaune sucked in a deep breath. He very gently pushed her away.

"You know Ruby's feelings for me, and my feelings for her, Yang," Jaune said gently. "You love her too."

Yang's eyes filled with tears. She trembled and stared down at her hands, still on Jaune. She pulled them away shakily. She looked back past Jaune and gaped in horror. The blond knight turned around and his jaw dropped.

Ruby stood there in the doorway, illuminated by the hallway light. She stared intently at them both.

""Ruby... R-Ruby, I'm... I'm sorry! It's not his fault!" Yang insisted, "It's not his-I did it-Please don't-!"

Ruby walked over and hugged her big sister tightly. She stroked Yang's back with a warm smile.

"It's okay, Yang," Ruby whispered, "Shhh... Yang. You're my big sister, and I love you. You did so much for me when Mom died and Dad shut down. You deserve so much better than what Blake did to you. Please. Let me do this with you. Let us love you."

Yang blinked rapidly and blushed.

"I… Wha-?"

"Huh?" Jaune gaped. Ruby turned and smiled lovingly at Jaune.

"Jaune, Yang... I want us to be a family. Don't you want a family?"

"Yes, but-" Yang tried, but Ruby beat her to the punch.

"So Jaune, you and I will make one. Won't it be wonderful? All of us together? I know we'll get jealous and unhappy from time to time... We always do... But I know that all together? You, me, and Jaune? We'll be happy. And we'll never leave you, or abandon you." She squeezed Yang's hand with a happy smile.

"Maybe even Weiss, if she's up for it?"

Yang gaped in disbelief at Ruby. She continued to smile. Jaune was not much better.

At last Yang managed to say something:

"... I... Oh wow... We are really fucked up, aren't we?"

Ruby giggled and nodded, looking over at Jaune.

"Yes... But we're together. We always will be. Don't you agree, Jaune?"

Jaune, now that he was over his shock, managed a slow nod.

"Yeah. Always," he said.

"So," Ruby grinned devilishly, reaching for Jaune's pants, "Let's make this a real celebration, hm?"

And they lived happily ever after…

Happy Valentine's Day.