I don't own anything.
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"Congratulations." Weiss said, a thin smile pulling at her lips as she approached, arm still bundled in a thick cast. The smile was earnest, but didn't quite reach her eyes.
She gave us a quick nod – Team VLYR lingering a step behind her – and Ruby barrelled into me like a missile. She slammed into my chest, hanging off me like some kind of limpet.
"You were amazing!" She babbled, voice cracking with excitement, her words spilling out in one unbroken chain. "He was all like 'I've got you now!' and you were like 'No, I don't think you do.' And then 'Boom!'" She threw one arm up dramatically, even as she continued to hang from me, practically vibrating in excitement.
I don't even remember half the stuff she had been saying. It took me a moment to realise that she'd shifted to narrating Pyrrha and Blake's fights, her eyes sparkling as if she'd caught sight of some fancy new weapon.
Right when she'd been in the middle of telling me how Pyrrha had escaped a trap from the two boys she'd been fighting, using fancy footwork to evade them, my scroll rang. The sound cut through Ruby's voice like a splash of cold water. Jade's name flashed on the screen. I hesitated, glancing up at the stands, where I could practically feel the echo of the crowd's roar still buzzing in the air.
Somewhere in there, my family had been watching. Had they seen me? Were they proud?
A part of me twisted at the thought, but I pushed it aside, ignoring the prickling weight that had stated to form in my throat. I answered.
"Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
The noise on the other end was deafening, voices, the hum of the crowd – alive and churning – being picked up by the microphone. "Where are you?" She asked, voice crackling through the din.
"I'm in the competitor's box with my team… and some friends."
She said something about meeting up, and food. "Mom says to bring your friends, too."
I glanced around, taking in the rest of the team. For all that we'd been victorious here, the gaps between us felt as wide as a canyon. Weiss was smiling, sure, but the bitterness simmering beneath marred it, almost like a smudge on a window. And Blake… Blake I could barely stand to look at, even now.
I swallowed and muttered into the scroll. "I'll ask. Where do you want to meet?"
"C'an Molinas?"
I nodded, though she couldn't see it. "Alright. See you there."
I clicked off and looked at Pyrrha, who'd been watching, one eyebrow raised. "My family," I said. "They want to get some food. And they want you all to come."
She tilted her head, her smile soft. "Of course." She didn't need more of an explanation.
Team VLYR, though, waved us off, Ruby flashing me an apologetic grin. "We've got our own match coming up. But you better come back and watch us kick butt!" They disappeared into the arena's bowels shortly after the declaration, Ruby throwing me one last, bounding wave. Off to their own little waiting room.
Then there were four.
My eyes drifted toward Blake. She caught my gaze, just for a second, before something in her eyes seemed to tear. "I… I can't. Sorry." She turned and was gone, melting into the crowd of fellow competitors heading out during the break without another word. Weiss watched her go, then glanced back at me, a faint, almost pitying smile flickering across her face as she went after her partner.
I mouthed a quiet 'thank you', to which she nodded before she, too, faded into the sea of bodies.
Pyrrha stepped up beside me, tearing me from my stupor. "Shall we?" She asked gently.
I nodded, managing a brittle, half-smile. "Let's."
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As we made our way through the bustling streets of Vale, I could feel it. That prickling, crawling feeling on the back of my neck, like eyes in the shadows. It was familiar, I had grown used to the threat of Grimm watching me in the Forest, but this was different. Ordinary, and yet not.
There were no Grimm here, lurking in the alleys or in the storefronts, masquerading as mannequins or demented stuffed animals. There were only people cheering, laughing. Some pointed at us as we passed, even snapped a few pictures. It was only then I realised that they weren't just looking at Pyrrha. They were looking at me, too.
Leaning closer to her, I muttered, "This… is it always like this for you?"
She glanced at me, her expression carefully neutral. "Unfortunately."
I wasn't sure how to feel about it – being watched like this, noticed. It wasn't all bad, I decided, but it wasn't comfortable either. Almost like I hadn't earned it, not yet. I shook my head, it didn't matter, not now.
The walk to C'an Molinas was short, though every step made the knot in my stomach tighten just a little more.
C'an Molinas was one of those cozy places that was always busy. Tight rows of tables crammed between plants and greenery of all sorts, and the counter, filled with pastries that looked almost too perfect to eat. Students from Beacon filled most of the tables, sharing loud laughter and sneaking bites of food as if they hadn't eaten in days. Tourists and regulars from Vale were mixed in, looking like they had stumbled into a party they hadn't been invited to. Almost looking washed out against the Huntsmen – or trainee Huntsmen – that dominated the space.
Pyrrha and I wove through the crowd, slipping past the counter with all its tantalising displays – sandwiches, pies and pastries that made my mouth water, despite my lack of need for any kind of food.
Then, I spotted them. Tucked away in a corner; a trio of blondes huddled around a table fit for a larger group. My family. Jade looked up first, her eyes lighting up as they spotted me and stood so fast she nearly sent her chair flying.
Before I could react, she was upon me, her arms around me. "You're an idiot." She muttered, voice thick with emotion as she squeezed hard enough that I swore I saw my aura bar dip ever so slightly. It was hard to breathe, then. Whether due to the hug, or the nerves, I couldn't tell.
"Yeah." I managed, my voice catching a little as I forced the words past the lump in my throat and wrapped my arms around her. "Yeah, I know."
Her grip loosened, but only just enough for her to whisper, "I'm glad you're okay." I rubbed her back gently, tracing slow circles between her shoulders. "I was worried."
I swallowed hard, my voice catching in my throat. "I'm sorry," I whispered to Jade, the words falling out, barely loud enough to hear. She released me, then, her arms slipping away, leaving me feeling strangely hollow, like something warm had been taken with them.
Then my parents were on me.
My mom reached me first. She wrapped me up tight, like I might vanish again the moment she let go. She wasn't a huntress, but you'd never know it from her grip. And though neither of us said anything, the silence said more than words ever could have. Just standing there, feeling her heart beating against mine, I felt some of that icy ache in my chest thaw, just a little.
When she finally pulled back, she didn't go far. She lifted her hands to my face, cupping my cheeks, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. It hurt, seeing her like this. Sharp and hot, but so much worse than any wound I'd taken so far. I'd been angry when I left, hurt, and maybe I'd been justified. But standing here now, looking at the pain I'd caused, I realised that I wasn't the only one who'd been hurt then.
My leaving had been sudden, nothing but a note left behind to explain it. No calls. No texts. Nothing for weeks, leaving them to wonder if I was even still alive. Even when I'd made it into Beacon, all I'd told them was that I was okay, alive. And nothing more.
The knot in my throat tightened, tangling like barbed wire. I didn't trust myself to speak.
My dad's hand clapped down on my shoulder, pulling me back to reality. His grip was strong, firm as he gripped me. "It's good to see you, son." He said simply, pulling me into a quick hug. There was weight in his voice, a steady, grounding force that somehow always managed to calm me down.
When I finally stepped back, I turned to Pyrrha. Calm. Solid. Like an anchor in a storm, she was a steadying presence for me now, as she had been so many times before. Her eyes were warm, but underneath that warmth was an understanding. She hadn't said a word, nor could she know all that was happening, and yet, she understood.
I cleared my throat, turning back to my family. "Mom, Dad, Jade – this is Pyrrha, my partner." I said, my voice a little rough. "Pyrrha, these are my parents, and my sister, Jade."
Pyrrha nodded gracefully, her quiet confidence unshakeable. "It's nice to meet you." She said, lifting a hand in a little wave.
My mom's gaze shifted to her, taking in every detail. She looked Pyrrha up and down, her eyes flickering with the curiosity only mothers could seem to manage. "It's nice to meet you too, dear." She beckoned us forward; towards the table they'd been sitting at, a small smile pulling at her lips.
We sat down, and I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as the knot in my throat loosened ever so slightly. For the first time today, I felt like maybe – just maybe – I could put the pieces back together.
"We saw your fight." Jade broke the silent spell that had fallen over us, drawing all our eyes. "You guys were amazing. I don't think I would have made it that far if there were only three of us."
"Thanks." I said, a smile of my own creeping its way onto my face. "It's not going to be easy without Weiss, but I think we can do it." I really did. Our next fight would be the most difficult. One more team match, which we would be fighting at a disadvantage.
"You can." My father's deep, steady voice drew my eyes to him. He was calm, and in his eyes, mirrors to my own, I saw a surety that I wasn't sure I could muster on my best day. I sat a little straighter then, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. "The third years that fought before you were good, but I think you are better. If you prepare well, I don't think there are many teams that will come out on top."
He said it simply, but his tone spoke volumes. It wasn't some empty platitude, either. He spoke as if there was no doubt in his mind, and for a moment, I felt like I could breathe easier. To me, my dad had always been the man who learned to play the guitar with me, stumbling over his chords as we practiced late into the night, our horrible singing accompanying the often-missed notes while we learned new songs. It was easy to forget that he was a powerful Huntsman, and more than that, an experienced one. Easy to forget that Nicholas Arc had forgotten more about fighting than I'd ever known.
"What happened to your other teammate, anyway?" Jade's question made me grimace, but I shoved the feeling away. It was over now, there was no point dwelling on it.
"She was injured during our end of year mission." I said simply, hoping to avoid the topic.
"Oh." Jade didn't press. Maybe sensing that I didn't want to talk about it, or just knowing that something like that might be a sensitive subject in the first place. Either way, I was thankful for it. I didn't want to explain the Mt. Glenn disaster, especially not now.
"Never mind that." My mom said, her smile scarcely dimming as she placed a hand on my own, filling me with warmth. "Tell me about your year."
We talked, then, only interrupted by a waiter who came to take our orders, and later when he came and set them down. We avoided the more… dangerous topics. Pyrrha and I spent the time telling stories instead, laughing along at the funny moments.
"-and that's how I found out I was allergic to Forever Fall sap." I finished the story, much to the other's amusement. I took a sip of my drink, relishing in the slightly bitter drink as it wetted my dry throat. I couldn't help but smile along, feeling oddly light as I did so.
"I need to use the restroom." Pyrrha stood, winding her way between the tables and greenery as she vanished up the stairs where the restrooms lay, leaving me alone with my family for the first time in near a year.
I felt that lump in my throat tighten again. "I – I just wanted to say sorry." My voice broke, the words like sandpaper against my throat as I forced them out. I was about to continue, but my dad raised his hand, interrupting me. "Stop." He said, voice low, rougher than before.
"I-" He trailed off, only for my mom to continue, "We… we know honey." She said. "Gods, look at you. You've been a nervous wreck since you got here." I blushed beet-red, my cheeks heating up. "We get why you left. We were worried, gods, scared to death. But we're proud of how far you've gotten."
My dad cleared his throat, forcing the words out in low tones, rough with emotion, "We would have been proud no matter what you did. But even if the way you got here wasn't the best, I can't help but be proud when I see how you've grown."
I felt tears prickling at my eyes, stinging them as my sight grew blurry. I blinked them away before they could fall, but nothing could hide the relieved smile that tugged at my lips.
"I love you." I choked on the words, but they spilled from my mouth like water breaking a dam.
"We love you too."
We sat like that for a while, a comfortable silence having settled over us, a silence only broken when Pyrrha returned, weaving past the other patrons swiftly. I looked down at my scroll, and noting the time, I looked up at her with a grin like I hadn't had all week.
"You ready to see VLYR kick some ass?"
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