Sunshine

Chapter 10: Spiders on the Farm

Jaune shook his head once again, "Again, it's nothing," Jaune told her once more.

Vernal glared at him, "Don't lie to me!" Vernal cried, "I can see that something is wrong, so talk to me! We're partners Oum damn it, we have each other's backs, and we're here for each other... so talk to me," Vernal told him, her tone now a bit worried.

Jaune looked at her and saw her expression, and while she was still glaring at him, he still saw that her eyes had a pleading look in them, and he let out a heavy sigh. "I-I've been having nightmares," Jaune told her.

Vernal looked at him with concern, "About what?" she asked with a raised brow.

Jaune looked at her with a bleak look, "At first it was Shay and his group, trying to drag me down into the dirt, but now there are the spider members and I saw Oscar, Melissa, and... you die," Jaune told her, his voice breaking down, "They keep saying they'll drag me down to the void, waiting for me to die, happy about it, and you three are begging me to save you but I... I fail," Jaune said, his voice sounding fearful, and slowly, his eyes widened with fear.

"Arc-" Vernal began but cut off as Jaune continued to talk

"A-And that's not the only thing, the Beowulf, the one that I killed, it's been haunting me! Laughing at me! Even when I-I'm awake! A-And I-I just don't know what the F-FUCK IS GOING ONE WITH ME!?" Jaune cried as tears fell from his face and, he finally began to sob. "I-I'm a monster..."

Vernal was shocked as she saw Jaune break down, finally seeing what was going on inside of him, she had forgotten just how much he was still new to this world and how much it all had an effect on people, she knew how to deal with it, or she once thought she did, but with Jaune's help, she learned how to deal with it better, to confront it, and not let it hold her back. It was Jaune who had helped her, and yet, he was holding it all in.

"Ar-... Jaune, what happened, back at the tribe, if that happened to anyone, you did what any person would do if they had the chance, Shay made his bed, he needed to lie in it," Vernal told him, resting her hand on his shoulder, "As for what happened last night, that was the same thing, those people made a choice and they suffered the consequences, it wasn't fate or destiny, or any bullshit like that, it was choices,"

Jaune nodded in response, but Vernal wasn't accepting it.

"Jaune, look at me," Vernal told him.

Jaune slowly turned to her and Vernal gave him a reassuring look, "You did what you had to do," Vernal told him, "You are not a monster, Jaune,"

Jaune looked at her with a surprised face, but he began to calm down and hearing her words, Jaune felt slightly better, he wiped her tears away and smiled at her. "Thank you... Vernal," Jaune told her.

She smiled back at him softly, "Don't mention it," She said, "Seriously, don't, I got a rep to uphold" She said, her smile turned into a smirk.

Both of them laughed at Vernal's joke, and then a realization struck Jaune, he turned to Vernal with a smirk, and when Vernal looked at him still smirking, she still smiled but looked at him with a raised brow.

"What?" She asked him.

"You called me by my first name, you called me Jaune," He told her, still smirking.

She realized what she did, and a light blush graced her cheeks, but she smirked at him, "I don't know what you're talking about,"

Jaune's smirk widened, "No, I heard you call me by my first name! You called me Jaune," Jaune told, his voice sounding joyful, "Twice I think!" He said.

Vernal looked away but still smiled, "Again, I ain't got a clue what you're talking about," Vernal replied.

Jaune began to laugh and then Vernal began to as well, and when the laughter began to die down once again, Jaune looked at his partner with a soft smile, "Vernal?" he asked.