A/N: I liked Hazbin Hotel a lot. That's the whole note.
Chapter 20
Tag(s): N/A
Girl(s): N/A
Words: 7,353
It was a mad dash to make it to the restaurant in time. Thankfully, the brisk jog through crowds of people was a good enough distraction to help the pair distance themselves from the harrowing lingerie boutique. They didn't have a lot of time, but Jaune had picked the location with care. Not only was it close to the mall center, but it was also technically connected to the bottom floor of the hotel they were going to stay at.
The pair made it with one minute to spare. More than enough time for Jaune to wave down an employee and ask if they could bring their shopping bags up to their room ahead of time, slipping the young woman a discrete tip for her trouble. Finally, the two were free to continue toward the maître d, who happily led them toward their seat once they confirmed their reservation.
"Glynda recommended this restaurant when I asked her if she remembered any of the nice places she's been," Jaune explained when he caught Pyrrha looking around as they walked, subtly impressed. White and gold made up the brunt of the motif, with subtle red accents spread throughout the room to stimulate that base physiological hunger response.
The restaurant's sign read Ambrosia. A Mistralian name like the hotel chain. Olympus suites were one of the better hotels she'd had to stay at during her tours. A perfect mix of being upscale enough to appear fancy without being so exclusive that they hadn't been able to get penciled in. And seeing her grin, Jaune felt a thrill of accomplishment as they were led across the room toward a small circular table toward its center.
"Jaune, this is wonderful," Pyrrha cooed as soon as they were seated. A single lit candle stood between them, romantic and intimate. Jaune watched the shifting shadows play against his wife's dimples as she leaned forward.
"I'm happy you're happy," Jaune shrugged it off like it was no big deal. Which it wasn't. Especially when he compared it to his next surprise. "And once we finished dinner, I have a room reserved for the two of us. Ours until ten a.m." Reaching across the table, he brought the back of her hand to his lips. His next words were a whisper, "And you get to be as loud as you want."
Pyrrha reacted like he'd expected. Eyes widening with delighted surprise, her joy only stumbled after his passing remark. Glancing around, her bright cheeks were hidden behind her menu as if anyone could have overheard him. She only let the folder of plastic and paper fall back to the table once she was sure every ear in the restaurant wasn't turned in their direction, a small and sweet smile returning to view.
The small admonishment in her gaze went ignored as Jaune grinned cheekily. He wasn't quite done teasing his wife either, continuing, "Of course, that's only if you're interested. It would be rude of me to make any assumptions. This is our first date, after all."
He earned a small laugh this time as Pyrrha rolled her eyes at her husband's antics. And when their gazes reconnected, a hint of boldness surfaced as the young woman leaned forward. "I don't know," she hummed, "I never thought of myself as the kind of girl that puts out so early. Then again, today was wonderful enough that you might have changed my mind." Her dimples surfaced as her eyelashes fluttered. "It certainly helps that my date is so handsome."
It was Jaune's turn to chuckle, even if he looked a little too pleased with himself. Only the nagging doubt in the back of his mind kept him from being truly smug. He thought about keeping the thoughts to himself to avoid souring the mood. But old habits die hard, and he couldn't stop a sliver of his previous self-consciousness from invading.
"You had a good time today?" he asked, flicking his gaze toward the table. "Even with the…fans?" They hadn't been part of the plan, but he hoped they hadn't completely ruined the afternoon. And peeking at his wife, Jaune felt his heart lighten at the reassuring smile she offered.
"Even with the fans," she agreed. Biting her lip, her demeanor became bashful before she admitted, "In fact, I thought it was kind of sweet. Not them, although I'm honored that people think so highly of me. But the way you were willing to turn everyone away for me. No one's ever made me the priority like that. Not my manager. Not even my parents, to a degree. They made it clear that making the public happy was more important."
She paused, taking a moment to look at her husband and smile brilliantly. "That's all you did today, going out of your way to make me happy. Shopping in the mall was wonderful. The clothes, the pet store, and even the comic book store turned out to be so much fun. Now that I know how wonderful it can be, it makes me all the more irritated that I was missing out for so long. We have to come again. Soon."
"We can do this every weekend if that's what you want," Jaune grinned affably. "It was your money we spent." But Pyrrha immediately shook her head, giving his hand an earnest squeeze.
"I've told you, Jaune. Our money. And don't feel guilty about spending it. I'll likely make back every Lien by the end of the month. I might not be doing paid work anymore, but my manager took the time to teach me about investing my winnings."
That took Jaune by surprise. He knew his wife had money, but he'd never been bold enough to ask how much or how careful they needed to be. It never felt polite. But now that he'd gotten a little more comfortable with the idea of marriage, it made sense that they would need to understand each other's finances.
Well, understand her finances. His finances equated to the handful of bills that had made it from Ansel and his comic book collection, which might be worth enough to buy one t-shirt if sold to the right buyer.
"What do you invest in…?" Jaune attempted to ask an appropriate question. He genuinely had no idea. And from the way Pyrrha tilted her head, it looked like she wasn't much better.
"You know, I'm not actually sure?" she gave a hapless shrug. "That's all handled by an investor we hired to keep track of my money. All the years that I was performing I never had many expenses, so my money kept building and building. And once you have enough money, it gets easier to get more. Eventually, I had enough that the company recommended a portfolio of low-risk investments that pretty much guaranteed a comfortable cushion of interest every month. It's not enough to live lavishly, but even if I wanted to stop being a huntress tomorrow, I could probably retire and afford a smaller home here in Vale without working another day in my life."
Jaune let the surprise show on his face, impressed by the information. It didn't change anything, not really. He'd always known that she had money. Now, he just understood how it worked a little better. He was also a lot less guilty about spending it when he knew that he didn't need to worry about bleeding his wife dry through idle trips in the city.
"In that case," he corrected himself, "let's make these monthly trips then." It was certainly a more responsible use of their time.
Pyrrha smiled at the idea. "That should certainly give me enough time to read all my new comic books." Her husband immediately brightened at the reminder, pleased they'd found a hobby to share.
Still holding up her menu, Pyrrha's gaze turned to scan a few items before she casually mentioned, "Ruby likes comic books too, doesn't she?"
Looking at his own menu, Jaune didn't notice his wife's tone and chuckled at the mention of his friend. "Yeah," he nodded. "I was really surprised to hear we had so much in common. All of my sisters would have rather read fashion magazines than comic books, so it was pretty cool finding a girl who's into that kind of stuff. She's a really great friend."
Pyrrha hummed non-committedly, doing a poor job of hiding her smile. Coughing to keep her tone even, she continued, "Have you gotten a chance to talk with her at all since Forever Fall?"
Her husband's good mood took a noticeable dip as he answered, "Ah, no. We haven't." She'd been with everyone else who had visited him at the nurse's office, but she hadn't said anything, straying toward the back of their teams. Likewise, Jaune wasn't totally sure what he was supposed to say to her either. Even if she didn't know he'd caught her watching him and Pyrrha, she was still clearly embarrassed about the whole ordeal. And to be honest, his cheeks got a little warm any time he remembered how much of his cock she'd seen that day in the forest. But Jaune didn't explain any of that to his wife. Instead, he offered a stiff, "Things are a little awkward between us right now."
The redhead merely kept nodding, unusually reserved when she offered, "Well, maybe you can invite her to join us next time? I'm sure the two of you would have a lot to talk about in the comic book store."
Jaune looked at her, confused. "Doesn't bringing other people along kind of defeat the point of a date?" He forced a stressed laugh, but his wife didn't join him. Neither did she meet his eyes as the blond found himself studying her blank expression.
"Well, I'm sure we could make one exception. Ruby is such a sweetheart, after all. So cheerful and energetic. Quite cute, too, don't you think?" It might have passed for more casual conversation if Pyrrha hadn't made the mistake of flicking her nervous green eyes toward Jaune as she added the last part. Suddenly, Jaune could see all kinds of red flags warning him about the unseen danger ahead. "I'm just saying, I think the three of us could get along quite well." The redhead finished, purposefully ignoring Jaune's accusing stare.
"Pyrrha," Jaune started gently, folding his menu in front of him and clasping his hands on top. "Are you…. You're not trying to set me up with Ruby or anything, are you?" The beautiful young woman sitting across from him froze at the question, unconsciously wincing. Seeing her lips pinch into a line, Jaune felt a pit open inside of him.
Admittedly, he'd had his suspicions before this. Watching them interact, it had been easy to think they were just getting along at first. But that moment in the forest had been too obvious a clue once enough blood had flowed back into his brain. And locked in the nurse's office for the better part of a day, he'd had nothing but time to ponder that whole interaction.
"Would that be so bad?" Pyrrha eventually defended herself after a fortifying breath. Her expression hinted toward a secret guilt, but her eyes became imploring as she asked. Jaune had to stop himself from looking too horrified.
"I mean…," He let the words hang between them, shaking his head in disbelief. "Maybe if she wasn't my best friend? Or, you know, so young." He'd almost said the word fifteen out loud until he thought better of it. They weren't alone right now, and the last thing he needed was a concerned citizen getting the wrong idea.
But where he saw legitimate concerns, Pyrrha merely rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please," It was her turn to shake her head. "In a few years, I promise that more people will be looking at you and Glynda than you and Ruby. It's only a two-year age difference. Hardly insurmountable. And if it makes you feel any better, her birthday is coming up, so she'll be sixteen. Does that make it better?"
Jaune stopped short at the news, realizing he didn't know Ruby's birthday. But that just made his frown deepen as he wondered why Pyrrha did know it, then. "And how do you know Ruby's birthday?"
"It came up," Pyrrha deflected, twirling a lock of hair beside her ear. "When I asked." But if she thought that would calm her husband's nerves, she was dead wrong.
His eyes shot wide open. "Oh my gods, how long have you been doing this?" His wives doing things for his best interest was one thing, but this felt like a step too far.
"I haven't been doing anything!" Pyrrha immediately denied it. "She's your friend. I only wanted us to get along." But even as she said the words, it was clear something was making her hesitate. Jaune kept staring at her, forcing her to admit, "at least until I noticed her crush,"
"Her…crush?" Blue eyes blinked as Jaune became uncomfortable at the unexpected turn. "What crush?"
The redhead's exasperation turned to amusement at the genuinely clueless reaction. "Oh, Jaune. Don't look so surprised. You know, she told me how you two met. And girls have gotten crushes over less."
But Jaune wasn't able to follow what she meant, squinting at his wife as he tried to remember the aforementioned meeting. "Are you talking about how she blew up, I helped her out of a hole, and then spent an hour talking about our weapons and getting lost?" Because Jaune wouldn't have described any part of that encounter as especially romantic.
However, Pyrrha saw those events quite differently. "No," his wife rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about how you showed up when she was having a terrible first day at a new school, how you were nice to her after Weiss showed up acting like…Weiss. And when Ruby talked about something she was passionate about, you engaged and didn't think she was strange." Smiling a warm smile, the young woman became earnest as she leaned forward. "But most importantly, you were her first friend when she didn't think she would make any. And the fact that it was a handsome older boy that stopped to notice her probably didn't hurt."
Jaune's confusion turned slightly fearful as he considered his wife's perspective. 'Was that how Ruby saw that day?' he worried. Because it had felt pretty platonic to him. But then, it was all too easy to remember what it was like on the other side. When he'd been the younger boy positively glowing because one of his older sister's friends had said two words to him.
"She said all that?" Jaune eventually asked, slightly worried.
"I…may have been reading between the lines a little, but the feelings were there!" Pyrrha insisted, inadvertently soothing her husband's fears. "At least, I thought so at first. And that moment in the forest made it fairly obvious that I was right."
"You didn't plan that, did you?" Jaune was slightly uncomfortable by the idea. Thankfully, his wife quickly shook her head.
"Of course not," she denied. "But when it happened, I thought it would be a good test. And I was right!" Jaune opened his mouth to argue, but Pyrrha cut him off before he had the chance. "Ruby hardly seems like the type to do something like that if she wasn't attracted to you, Jaune. And if you're really best friends, I don't see any reason why you can't be more."
Jaune didn't agree. "How about because I don't feel that way about her?" And given Pyrrha's reaction, it looked like she truly never expected that to be the problem.
"But she's so adorable!" she argued, shaking her head in disbelief. "You really never thought of her that way?"
"Of course not!" Jaune answered without hesitation. Because why would he? Sure, he might have thought she was kind of cute when they'd first met, and he was still overwhelmed by all the attractive women at Beacon. But as soon as he found out Ruby got accepted two years early, they had been strictly buddies. And not just because of Yang looming in the background. So to hear that Ruby felt that about him was…surprising.
Then again, who was to say Pyrrha wasn't reading the situation completely wrong. There were a thousand reasons that Ruby could have watched them, the least problematic of which could have been curiosity. And as for Ruby's so-called crush, it would be an understatement to claim his wife was a bit of a romantic at heart. What she'd heard and what Ruby had been saying could have been two entirely different conversations.
Unfortunately, he couldn't refute the idea completely. Despite his best efforts, doubt had entered his consciousness, shifting Ruby from the safe and comfortable kid-sister box and into something slightly less defined. At the very least, he could acknowledge that she was developed enough to have warranted his initial interest. More than Weiss, at least. And he'd had no problem admitting his interest in the petite girl.
Unfortunately, his musings were cut short when he felt Pyrrha squeeze his hand. She must have taken his silence for something worse than it was. And her features had become creased in worry.
"Jaune, I didn't mean to ruin our night or make you feel pressured. Nothing needs to be decided right now." The angle of her eyebrows relaxed when he released his breath and nodded. "Just do me a favor and think about it? She really is a lovely girl, and I think she would fit wonderfully in our family."
The problem was that Jaune believed her. And despite all of his objections, a picture of his younger friend in a white dress and veil at the end of a long hall flashed in the back of his head. It should have been a nightmare, but the young man surprised himself with the warmth that suddenly invaded his cheeks.
Thankfully, their waiter chose that moment to return for their orders, saving him from any kind of explanation.
"Mr. Arc. Ms. Nikos." A young woman approached their table, saying each of their names. However, Jaune wasn't the only one who noticed the deference she showed toward his wife. When the blond looked up, he confirmed that the waitress' professional smile was directed entirely toward Pyrrha. "All of us at Ambrosia want to apologize for not recognizing you sooner and thank you for dining with us this evening. The chefs have been notified and promise to take special care of your dining experience."
Pyrrha's pleasant grin returned to its wooden mimicry as she regarded the other woman who was only trying to do her job. "Thank you," she forced out. "I'm not worried. This location was strongly recommended to me and my husband, and I've heard all your meals are outstanding."
That got a look. Suddenly, Jaune was worth addressing as their waitress stared at him like he had only just appeared. "Of course," she nodded at him. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Nikos. Thank you for joining us as well."
"It's Mr. Arc, actually," Jaune winced, feeling awkward on her behalf. It wasn't like she was wrong to assume he'd taken his wife's name, considering how much more weight it held.
"And I'm Mrs. Arc," Pyrrha added apologetically, earning another pained look from their poor waitress.
Things improved from there, thankfully. Ignoring any further personal details, the young woman went to work writing their orders down. Pyrrha didn't hesitate to request the spetsofai, food that Jaune wasn't familiar with. In fact, most of the food on the menu sounded unfamiliar, even if he recognized common ingredients such as lamb, beef, chicken, and fish. In the end, Pyrrha was nice enough to recommend a dish for him from her part of the world, telling the waitress to bring them an order of pastitsio and promising her husband that he would love it.
But that wasn't all. On top of their entrées, Pyrrha also ordered two appetizers of something called keftedes and saganaki for them to share, clearly excited to enjoy the familiar flavors of home. Picking a Mistrailian restaurant had been the correct choice, and Jaune made a mental note to work extra hard for Glynda the next day.
"And will you two be wanting dessert this evening?" The waitress asked, doing a wonderful job at disguising the surprise on her face at how much food two teenagers were ordering. "Ambrosia is famous for our baked apples seasoned with a variety of spices and topped with a honeyed glaze."
"We'll take two," Pyrrha's eyes were practically shining at the description. And Jaune had to admit, they sounded delicious. He almost forgot about Nora's order when the waitress nodded her head with promises to return with their appetizers soon.
"Actually," Jaune interrupted before she could turn around. "Can you make that three apples? And another order of whatever my wife got in some kind of container." The waitress had no problem writing the additional order down, regardless of the fact that Ambrosia didn't technically offer takeout. But when Pyrrha Nik-, Arc's husband asked for a doggy bag, she wasn't going to be the one to tell him no.
Pyrrha was a little more open about her curiosity, prompting Jaune to explain, "Nora asked for leftovers on my way out."
The redhead's grin immediately spread at her husband's thoughtfulness for their team. "You're such a good father," she cooed, amusement alight in her eyes. And Jaune recognized her tone well enough to laugh with her, shrugging like it was no big deal.
So enamored with each other, neither teenager noticed their waitress's eyes or how wide they got at the mention of a child waiting for them at home. And apparently, one old enough to ask for and eat spetsofai without issue. Her professional visage was threatened enough that she had to make a fast escape or risk exposing her reaction. "I'll get those orders in right away!" She announced before escaping toward the kitchens. Where at least four or five other employees were desperately waiting to hear about what it was like to serve the Pyrrha Nikos. Of course, none of them could have dreamed about the kind of gossip she had acquired.
Her departure was hardly noticed as Jaune bashfully gestured toward her. "Please. Like we both don't know you're a thousand times worse than I'll ever be." But Pyrrha had always been that way from the start. Jaune's indulgence was much more recent.
If he was honest with himself, it was easy to admit that he liked the innocent affection of his friend. There was nothing arousing or sexual in the way she had started hanging off of him or kissing his cheek since his episode in the forest. And that was what made it special. When he was with Nora, the fondness in his chest wasn't the same as when he was with Pyrrha or Glynda. And it had become hard enough to define that Jaune had stopped trying.
If it made everyone happy, who cared if he treated a teenage girl like his daughter? Nora drank his and Pyrrha's affection like a withered sapling. And at this point, it felt like stopping might do more harm to their team than good.
Of course, Jaune didn't admit any of that. Instead, he offered his wife a bashful grin and summarized, "Nora's an easy girl to love."
Pyrrha's eyes sparkled. "Even when it's time to make her eat her vegetables?"
Jaune answered with a dramatic moan at the memory. "You know she only does that because she likes being difficult, right? I swear I watched her eat brussel sprouts last week without a problem! She just learned she can get our attention if she kicks up a fuss."
Pyrrha's cheeks flushed as she acknowledged the truth. "I don't mind giving her attention if she wants it. Something tells me she and Ren never really got the chance to be children. And if I can help them enjoy part of their lives that they had to sacrifice, I can think of worse team dynamics. It was always going to be a little quirky with the two of us already married before initiation."
Her husband wasn't about to start arguing. They were a weird bunch, but he'd take their sideshow family over RWBY's chaos any day. "I guess the vegetables aren't that bad," Jaune admitted, shooting his wife a smirk. "Not compared to Nora's nightmare fiasco."
Pyrrha's entire face blanched at the memory, forcing her to steal of sip of water to combat the heat in her cheeks. Jaune was, of course, speaking of the one and only time their teammate had tried to slip into their bed in the middle of the night, complaining about bad dreams.
They hadn't had sex that night, which was probably why their daughter had assumed it would be safe. But that hadn't stopped Jaune from sleeping in his boxers, his preferred nightwear ever since he'd gotten used to sleeping buck naked most nights. Naturally, Pyrrha joined him, relishing the sensation of his bare skin against hers with no more than a pair of panties most nights to protect her modesty.
Suffice to say, the clueless redhead got more than an eyeful of her teammates by the time they woke up enough to realize what was happening. The fact that Nora still had the nerve to explain the problem and ask if she could stay with them was a testament to her commitment to the bit. Pyrrha had been forced to hastily cover herself before shepherding the teenage girl back to her and Ren's side of the room, where she promised to stay with her until she fell back asleep.
Jaune supposed he should be grateful that had been their only nighttime disturbance. Part of him was still expecting to wake to the dreaded "I threw up" that all parents could expect to enjoy one day.
The happy couple couldn't hold their laughter back any longer, bursting into a fit of muffled giggles over the insanity that was their team. But it was their team, and they wouldn't change it for the world.
Unfortunately, the light-hearted moment ended swiftly when a much older woman crept into the corner of their vision, an apologetic wince already on her features. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear the waitress there. Are you really Pyrrha Nikos?"
Regarding the older woman, she looked to be around Glynda's age, if not a little older. However, she didn't take nearly as much care of herself, collecting quite a bit of weight that their beloved wife and professor lacked. It didn't help that her dress for the evening was a shade of red too close to orange to avoid the image of a pumpkin from coming to mind. Her black hair hung around her neck in soft ringlets.
Both of their smiles froze on their faces, becoming strained. Pyrrha shot her husband an apologetic glance that made her feel even worse about the situation when she saw the exasperation in his narrowed stare. Her only solace was that the glare wasn't pointed at her. Unfortunately, that didn't make her feel any less responsible for his irritation when he'd been the one turning all of her fans away on her behalf all day.
"Ma'am, we're trying to enjoy our dinner," Jaune tried, doing an amazing job of keeping his emotions out of his voice. But like always, the woman basically ignored him in favor of the redhead sitting across from him.
"Oh," the woman spared him half a glance, feigning guilt. "Excuse you, but I don't think I was talking to you, young man." Jaune met her saccharine stare without blinking, preparing himself to repeat his rebuttal a little more assertively.
Pyrrha's hands clenched around the tablecloth. She didn't have any right to feel stressed when Jaune had been the one dealing with her fans, but that didn't stop her from empathizing with her husband. Especially when she had been the one dealing with people like this for as long as her first tournament. However, unlike Jaune, she'd never been able to tell them off. She'd never been allowed to do anything but smile and thank them for interrupting her, no matter what she was in the middle of.
It had always been a struggle. She'd always had her manager's voice in her ear, reminding her to smile. To put up with it for a few more hours until she was allowed to go back to their hotel room and hide. It had been so overwhelming the first few times, but Pyrrha had done what she was told because she had been too young to know better, trusting that the adults in her life knew what was best.
By the time she learned better, by the time she finally understood that her well-being wasn't their priority, it had been too late. And she'd been conditioned to put up with the high stress of crowds and attention she'd never asked for. That she'd never wanted.
It had been bad enough when it was her that suffered. That she could put up with. That she was used to. But now Jaune was stuck putting up with the same treatment, all because he was unfortunate enough to marry a woman he hadn't known came with so much baggage. And now he was put in the same position. All because she was too much of a coward to do for him what he'd been doing for her all day.
Swallowing against her throat, Pyrrha did her best to hold onto the anger and frustration that she was feeling. The anger and frustration that she had been feeling all day, which had only increased with each interruption. She had never been bold enough to stand up for herself. But for Jaune's sake, maybe it was time that she found that courage.
"It's Pyrrha Arc, actually," Squaring her shoulders, Pyrrha ignored the queasy anxiety bubbling in her chest. "And I don't appreciate the way you're talking to my husband. I'm not here to meet with fans. I'm here to enjoy my dinner. Please leave."
That got a reaction, and not just from the rude woman. Jaune looked at her like he'd never seen her before, eyes wide to match his approving smile. In contrast, their invader looked at the young woman like she suddenly smelled something foul. Her simpering smile took on a sharper quality as she forced a friendly laugh. "But dear, your food isn't here yet! And my daughter is such a huge fan of yours. I know she would be so excited if I could just get a quick picture with you."
She should agree. Everything inside of Pyrrha told her that she should simply smile and pose for a quick photo so she and Jaune could go back to enjoying their evening. It wouldn't take two seconds, and then they could put all of this behind them.
But it wouldn't be two seconds. It was never two seconds. And giving in to this woman would open the door for anyone else in the restaurant to come by and make their own request.
Looking over the woman's shoulders, Pyrrha could already see them. People who now recognized her thanks to this woman's scene, waiting in the wings to see how her rude behavior would be received. Because even if they weren't fans themselves, there was always a family member. And if not then, it was amazing how many people were willing to bother her just in case it could be brought up to someone that they knew.
"No," Pyrrha answered, surprising herself with the firm tone that left her lips. She expected to feel ashamed or guilty for being so selfish. But when the shock of her word registered on the woman's face, Pyrrha was more surprised at how good it felt. All of the tension in her back and shoulders was released in a wave of ease.
In fact, it felt so good that Pyrrha decided that she needed to repeat herself. "No. I told you I'm not meeting with fans right now. I'm trying to enjoy a date with my husband, and I'm asking very nicely that you respect that. Please return to your seat."
Across the table, Jaune eyebrows were nearly at his hairline. However, his surprise was nearly as prominent as his pride as he grinned at his wife, happy to see her sticking up for herself. Unfortunately, their guest wasn't nearly as impressed by the young woman's personal growth, looking at the teenage girl like this was the first time she'd ever heard the word no in her life.
And she didn't like it.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, audibly scoffing. Um, look. I know you're this big and famous tournament fighter or whatever. But I'm pretty sure you've got time for one picture, huh?"
There was nothing polite about her smile anymore. From Jaune's perspective, it was one nose wrinkle away from a snarl. And as Pyrrha shook her head for a second time, the blond watched the final puzzle piece fall into place, revealing the ugly irritation that had been simmering underneath the surface.
"It's not about who I am or what I've done," Pyrrha retained her composure in the face of the woman's assumed privilege. "You asked if I would take a picture with you, and I'm answering that I am busy. Please respect my wishes and let me go back to my dinner with my husband."
There, both reasonable and polite. However, there was nothing reasonable about entitlement, and this woman refused to back down. "Husband?" Two swollen hands nestled against her hips as she loomed over Pyrrha. The woman glanced at Jaune before huffing. "What are you both, fifteen? And do you know how much of your crap my daughter's bought with my money? How about you show a little appreciation for the people who made it so you could afford to eat at a restaurant like this."
Pyrrha's calm mask threatened to crack for the first time, both at the insult and the accusation. If she'd had any reservations about turning the woman away before, they were long gone by now. "I'm afraid your financial decisions don't reflect on my obligations to offer you my time. Especially not after your behavior. I'll ask you to please sit back down one more time."
It was just the kind of challenge the woman had been looking for as she sneered. "Oh yeah? Or else, what?" And like he'd been waiting for his signal to enter the confrontation, a small, nervous man picked that moment to physically step between the two women.
"Ladies, ladies," he tried to sound placating. Sweat visibly beaded along his balding forehead. "What seemed to be the matter here?" catching movement out of the corner of his eyes, Jaune raised an eyebrow when he saw their waitress peeking at the scene from around a corner.
"Are you the manager of this restaurant?" Pyrrha asked, her tone much cooler than Jaune was used to hearing from her.
"I am," the man confirmed, dragging a handkerchief along his brow.
"Wonderful," Pyrrha nodded. "And do you know who I am?" If anything, the question managed to make his condition that much worse.
"Y-Yes, Ms. Nikos. Of course. I was immediately made aware of such an important guest as yourself." That earned him one of Pyrrha's softer smiles, which had an immediate effect. The color of his pale skin warmed, and he even found the nerve to return the kind gesture, however briefly.
Clearing her throat, Pyrrha continued in a buttery tone that Jaune had only ever heard when she was trying to convince him to partake in one of her embarrassing frivolities. "Well, my meal is being interrupted. And if this doesn't stop, I may need to find another location to eat at with my husband."
The manager's previous ease immediately plummeted at the implied threat. Eyes wide, he looked at the young woman like she'd sworn to personally start tracing their table's candle along the curtains if he didn't fix the problem. His attention immediately snapped toward the rude woman in question, who didn't give him a chance to speak.
"I just wanted a picture," she flinched, suddenly meek like she was the victim here. The effect was ruined when her mood flipped on its head. "She's the one who decided to be a conceited bitch about it."
The restaurant manager flinched like he'd been struck, cautiously peeking toward to see her offense at the insult. But Pyrrha's plastic smile had become a weapon as she washed it across the man's tight expression. Where the other woman was caustic and hostile, Pyrrha remained ever pleasant. And that kindness bent the man in charge toward her deference.
"I am so sorry for this interruption, Ms. Nikos." He sounded genuine. "Allow me to rectify this disturbance right away. We have a private room that you and your husband may be moved to at no additional charge. It's our fault for not offering as soon as you arrived,"
But Pyrrha was tired of letting other people force her into hiding. Being out with Jaune today had taught her how much she had missed because of people exactly like this woman who claimed to love her. But she didn't love her. None of them did. And she was done letting them dictate where she could and couldn't exist.
"Actually," Pyrrha winced apologetically, "I quite enjoy the table I'm at. And I was looking forward to enjoying the wonderful menu your restaurant provided. It's been so long since I've been allowed to enjoy a good Mistralian meal, and everything I've heard about your food has sounded wonderful. It would be so disappointing if I didn't get the chance to try it and had to tell all my friends why."
The threat was there without anything being said. Socially anxious as she tended to be, Pyrrha had the misfortune of interacting with other celebrities who were much more liberal about flaunting their fame. Pyrrha had never been comfortable doing so, but she'd still learned all the moves to leverage her status to get what she wanted, underhanded as it seemed. But if people were going to use her popularity against her, she saw no reason why she shouldn't be allowed to return the favor.
Her words did the trick. Correcting a strand of his combed-over hair, the manager's back straightened when it became clear whose side would benefit his store the most. Rounding on the offending woman, she balked at his accusing stare like a chicken. "Ma'am," he put on a grin with more teeth than joy, "I'm afraid you're bothering our other guests. I must request that your dining experience this evening come to an end."
The woman didn't stay stunned for long. "Excuse me?" Her chin waggled. "I eat here every other weekend." And as if that wasn't a good enough argument, she continued, "I still have half a smoked salmon at my table!"
The manager's expression didn't flinch. "And we would be happy to wrap that up for you to enjoy elsewhere." Before the woman had a chance to argue further, he made a gesture that summoned two well-dressed men to appear beside Jaune and Pyrrha's table.
"Harold!" the woman squawked as she began getting herded toward the exit. The security was gentle but insistent enough that she found herself stumbling backward. "Harold!" she repeated, speaking to the manager much more personably than Jaune or Pyrrha had expected. Surging forward, the woman's voice came out in a harsh whisper, "I am your sister-in-law!" As if the man could have forgotten. But given "Harold's" dismissive sniff at the reminder, the information didn't appear to convince him.
"Yes," the man acknowledged, leaning forward to whisper in the same exaggerated tone. "And your brother has been cheating on me for the last three months!"
Jaune and Pyrrha likely hadn't been meant to hear that last part, but that didn't stop their eyes from widening at the dramatic display. The woman, for her part, seemed to realize that there was no escaping her fate, collecting her jaw off the ground after a few tense moments. Finally, she turned about face to shake off the security's grip to stand tall and march toward the exit with as much composure as she could salvage after her embarrassing display, cursing the restaurant every step of the way.
Pyrrha watched her go, feeling a bitter-sweet resignation hang heavily in her chest. The woman's voice eventually faded once the doors closed behind her, exposing how quiet the rest of the restaurant had fallen. There was no scrape of fork against plate, no conversations. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the spectacle. And now that the woman causing the scene was gone, their attention drifted toward her, the spoiled socialite abusing her power to punish a poor woman who had only been trying to get a photograph for her child.
It would be in the tabloids by tomorrow morning. And on personal blogs within the hour. But Pyrrha didn't care about either because as much as she hated behaving that way, she had managed to regain something she hadn't known that she had lost. Control. Control over herself. Control over her life. And as her blood thrummed and her fingers felt like they were vibrating, vindication dwarfed anything else she could have been worried about.
Maybe she would feel guilty in the morning. Maybe she would even have to dust off her social media and apologize for her "atrocious" behavior. But right now, she was going to enjoy a wonderful dinner with her loving husband. And if nothing else, something told her that they wouldn't need to worry about being approached again that night.
For Jaune's part, he found himself seeing his wife in a new light. New, but not bad. It had been crazy seeing how people reacted to her all day. And for the first time since they'd gotten married, he couldn't see the anxious but lovable young woman who had captured his heart. He saw the celebrity everyone else saw. And he would be lying if that didn't reevaluate how incredible it was that she was associating with him. Not enough to make a difference in their relationship or for him to treat her any differently, but it was kind of hot.
So when her emerald green eyes snapped his, still sharp with the power high rushing through her veins, Jaune couldn't do anything but nod when she confidently declared, "I'm on top tonight."
Oh, fuck the hell yes.
Stunned and eternally grateful for the tablecloth stealthily covering his lap, Jaune failed to notice when their waitress suddenly returned. He'd been too busy staring into his wife's smoldering, lidded stare. The poor young woman had to eventually clear her throat to break their gaze. "Mr. Arc, Mrs. Arc," she smiled apologetically, "I'd just like to formally apologize on the restaurant's behalf for the disturbance." Neither teen so much as acknowledged her. "Your food should be ready shortly. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?"
"Refills," Pyrrha answered curtly, keeping her focus on her husband. And if their waitress was offended by the dismissal, she did a wonderful job of maintaining her professional air. If anything, the only crack in her mask was a distinctly amused glint at the loving couple's obvious infatuation.
"Right away," the young woman answered, nodding to the pair. And as she left, Pyrrha reached across the table to reclaim her husband's hand, gently caressing his knuckles with the rough pads of her fingertips. Jaune's smile prompted her own, and just like that, it was like the pumpkin shaped woman never existed.
A/N: So, about Ruby's birthday, I know it's technically October 31st, which is before the start of the term, but the more I looked into season 1's timeline the less it made sense. For instance, the start and end of the school year both happen in fall as far as I can tell? And I know some schools are active all year-round, but I always had the impression that Beacon and the rest of the schools in RWBY operated under the more traditional nine months on, three months off model. So, that's what I've decided to stick with. It shouldn't change much, the first three volume's of RWBY played pretty fast and loose with their dates and times as it was so it's not hard to fit things to my story as I like.
For instance, the first half of the school year is handled in volume 1. That means the only thing that we get to see over a four-to-six-month period is Jaune getting bullied, and the fight at the docks. Volume 2 immediately starts in the middle of the first semester break, which means everything else that happens that year is set in the second school semester. Fucking insane.
But back to Ruby, I noticed some people were getting a little uncomfortable with Ruby's age and this being the kind of story that it is, so I thought this would be another compromise. One that doesn't impact the story nearly as much. She's still younger by roughly a year and a half so she still gets to play that younger, inexperienced part while also being a little bit more appropriate for mature scenes when we get to that point. Which isn't going to be for a while, still.
And yes, this is me confirming that Ruby is the RWBY wife Seems pretty silly to keep pretending since most of you have figured it out by now. In fact, I'm a little curious how many of you care about the mystery anymore? It was fun at first, but I'll ask now if you guys wouldn't prefer simply knowing who you can expect in the future. Let me know in the comments.