Jaune stared in the mirror, feeling pretty good about his choice. Swiping a hand through his blond hair, he quickly looked around before discreetly re-checking the armpit situation.
"Jaune? Have you heard back from Ruby?"
Rapidly putting his arms back down he turned to his teammate. "Yeah. They're coming."
"Yang and Blake?"
Jaune nodded.
"All of 'em."
"I'm glad. I know we've been busy but Nora has been asking about them." Jaune smiled, knowing at some point he and Ruby would be 5th wheeled as the two couples talked.
Even with each duo having a quiet individual, they became closer after being coupled up. Ren being a good conversationalist, even if he was the only male there at the time.
With both head-to-head on the Most Likely To Last, Cutest Couple etc, an extra category created by the Beacon students for the reunion after-party.
Because the students refuse for this to be a pity party, so why not make it competitive?
"How's she doing today? She coming with?"
"Yes, we are, she wants to. Although I feel like the night will just be me carrying her the whole time. Again."
"I guess I see how you get your arms so ripped."
"Thank you."
The door slammed open with Nora energetically putting a finger to her lips.
"Be careful, Nora..."
"SHH. Enough man-chat. You and me are gonna figure out how to beat those two adorable bitches for cutest couple."
Jaune chuckled. "You have to play fair. You're both great."
Glaring at the blond, Nora whipped out her scroll pulling up a picture.
"I-What the heck, man. I can't unsee things like that..."
"Sorry, that one was actually for Ren."
Bringing the scroll back into her field of view, she swiped the screen a few times until a social media post was brought up.
"LOOK AT THEM. I'd vote for that."
Jaune zoned in on the photo of Blake's face lighting up in midst of laughter as Yang snuck behind her in an attempted photobomb.
"That's it. I hate 'em."
"She doesnt mean that, she just gets really competitive." Ren assured.
"You're just standing there, Jaune. Don't you want us to BEAT THEM?"
"I just dont see it as a big deal."
The redhead turned and squinted her eyes to the sound of nearing humming.
"Heeelloooo..." Yang sung as she stopped in front of the door.
"Get out blondie."
Blake, who was being carried on Yang's shoulder without any consent, rolled her eyes.
"I think we know who the winners are here."
The blond cockily smiled back at her.
"You wanna bet?"
Using her free hand, Yang pinched the ear atop the faunas' head.
"Just look at that face."
Sighing nonchalantly, Blake glared at Yang with the blankest face she could muster.
"You both might just be blowing this out of proportion. Just a little?"
"You think kitty ears are gonna get you a win?"
Nora dashed over to Ren, aggressively squeezing his face as he made a similar blank face.
"I think you're hurting his face..."
"Shut up, Jaune. LOOK at my man!"
"You guys are cute but I'll leave it to chance."
"You sound very cocky for someone who's gonna get their head shaven in their sleep."
"I dare you. The door will already be locked. Now for two reasons. See ya!"
Yang stuck her tongue out as a very red-faced Blake was being carried away.
"Oh, now I have to beat her."
"Nora..."
"I've been disrespected, Ren."
"You sure you want to be involved with your...hormones all..out of whack?" Jaune asked, rubbing the back of his head.
Nora slowly turned her head, giving him a single death-glare.
"I..you know what? Forget I said anything."
______
"Where'd Blake and Yang go?"
"I don't know. You probably shouldn't have told her about the couple thing though."
"Why?"
"Nora."
"Ohh. Yeah, I can see the problem in that. She can be just a liiittle crazy. Especially now."
"So can your sister and what do you mean a little?"
Sighing to herself, the snow-haired girl gently sat herself down on the couch in the living room, elegantly crossing one leg over the other.
Ruby did the complete opposite, loosely plopping down beside her, leaning her back against her lithe shoulder.
Weiss pulled out her scroll again and began swiping through multiple emails.
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Communicating with my sister."
"SDC stuff?"
"SDC stuff."
Ruby nodded understandably.
"I do need to talk with Blake as well but this is just reminding me of the time they skipped classes and I'd rather not go looking to be traumatized."
The shorter girl turned all the way around. "I'm proud of you Weiss!"
"For?"
"You're doing good things. Trying to fix what your dad and Adam did sounds hard but I believe in you!"
Weiss nodded, a part of her wanting to smile at the praise.
"Even harder considering I'm technically not apart of the brand anymore in lieu of Winter handling most things."
"If it works out, you'd be an awesome leader. Blake too."
"Thank you, Rub-"
Weiss was cut off by the silver-eyed girl tackling her in a hug, which she had half a mind to move away from the girl clinging to her.
But she didn't, awkwardly patting her on the back.
Weiss has in fact grown a lot from the ignorance she had back then. Instead of the judgmental actions against the Faunas, she started to rebel against her money hungry father. Making sure the strict labor laws the SDC provided would in fact be changed, like it should have years ago.
Blake has grown as well, not running away from her problem, yet, facing them head-on. There was no abandoning the WF anymore, it used to be a peaceful group and she'll be damned if she let it stay the way it was and have that red-haired fuck still control things post-mortem.
Ever since Blake went back to her homeland, Menagerie, she wanted nothing more than to give her people their rights back. Her being the new White Fang's ambassador as her dad begins to step down has been a huge part of that.
The Menagerian people's overall response to Yang, a human..a human with an Atlasian arm, was not ideal when they departed. Some Faunas have already been corrupted and change is coming at a cost.
It'll take some time but one thing is for sure; a spawn of the SDC's wrongdoings causing nothing but more hate will not be lionized again.
Adam's radical terror-cell section of the White Fang will be taken down some day along with the dust company's poor management.
And it'll all happen right under Jacques Schnee's nose. For now.
There was no better feeling than that!
Just as she received a reply from Winter, a rapid knock at the front door made her jump causing Ruby to giggle.
"I got it!"
Using her semblance to jet to the door she opened it in a pleasant surprise.
"Saphron!"
Adrian cooed happily as he bounced in the woman's arms.
"Hey there, Ruby. Jaune said he'd watch Adrian for me...is this a bad time?"
"No! Of course not. Is everything okay over there?"
"Yeah...Terra is just getting a lot of crap with the loaded Grimm activity going around. Bit of a long trip so I'm tagging along."
Nodding, Ruby turned towards the stairs. "JAUNE!"
Not a moment later the blonde ran down the stairs.
"Huh? Something happen?"
Saphron waved at her oblivious brother, seeming to still be in shock from his name being shouted. "Hello baby bro."
After calming himself down he walked over to his sister and gave her a hug.
"I told you..that is the baby." He gestured at Adrian.
"You'll always be the baby."
Gently picking the child up, she handed him to Jaune. "Oh, that was today?"
"Yes it was today you big idiot."
Reaching for her scroll and glancing at the time her eyes widened. "I gotta go. Try not to lose my kid, yeah?"
After his mom said her goodbyes, giving him a last kiss on the forehead, his eyes began to water upon watching her leave.
Jaune embraced him in his arms failing at silencing his wails.
He began patting his back as he "C'mon buddy, you don't want me going deaf do you? Please stop..."
______
Yang leaned back, returning her head back to her pillow and breaking the kiss.
The spark was definitely still there, not that anyone of them ever thought otherwise.
The brawler laughed at her disappointed face. "You should probably finish helping Weiss."
"Yeah.." Was all Blake said as she twisted over from atop the blond, removing her hair-entangled hands from her shoulders.
"In a minute."
Instead choosing to curl up in a very cat-like cuddled position on Yang, Blake's ears immediately shot up.
"Your ears are doing that thing."
"I know...do you hear that?"
About to answer no, a wailing scream reached her ears. "Aww. Is that what I think it is?"
Before she could answer the obvious and probably rhetorical question, Yang was already out the door leaving Blake with a blanket blown on her head.
_____
As Jaune held Adrian tightly in his arms, getting used to being around his infant nephew more and more, Yang and Weiss cooed at his adorableness. Ruby giggled at Weiss' slight uncharacteristic behavior that was shown every time she was around him.
They all gravitated around Adrian considering Ruby was always the baby and Yang was used to watching said baby. Blake being an only child and Weiss was too young to acknowledge that Whitley was, in fact, a baby that she would've had no clue what to do with.
A loud thud on the door rocked them all out of Adrian's enchantment.
Ruby hopped up again to answer it.
"So are we partying or what?" Neptune asked before peeking over the short girl's shoulder. "...with a baby?"
"What?"
"Ruby, shut the door."
"But he's standing right there."
"He'll go away."
Ruby shrugged and conceded, until Neptune stopped the door with his foot.
"Please?"
Ruby stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. Soon, a glowing white symbol shone brightly under Neptune's foot before a sheet of ice formed beneath him.
The blue-haired boy slipped briefly, removing his shoe from the door, before regaining his balance again. "Bi-"
Ruby shut the door before any more words were exchanged.
"I get the feeling the work you've been doing has been stressing you out." Yang stated.
"Maybe."
"Weiss has been on her scroll all day." Ruby added.
"Sounds busy."
Yang leaned over towards the Faunas. "Told ya you were procrastinating."
"Like you were any help." Blake whispered back.
Weiss finally set her scroll down and looked at them.
"..Besides the obvious reasons, what's really the wait?"
"Ah, Blake doesn't think anybody'll listen to her." The blond explained.
"Doesn't your family have a big following?"
"Yeah, my parents not me."
"I'm sure you'll change some minds, you'll do great."
The three girls all turned to Jaune momentarily forgetting he was there, nodding to them as he went upstairs for something and handed the baby to Ruby.
"As long as it gets done I suppose."
"You should take a break, Weiss."
"You mean like you both?"
"Only after...I kinda feel bad now."
Blake will internally admit to herself she has been procrastinating, it's a lot of pressure trying to fight for rights and being around Yang didnt help her get much work done.
For lack of a better word, Yang was like a drug. Everything they've been through and what they're going through now, just being around Yang makes her feel ten times better in more ways than one. Pun not intended.
With the drama with the SDC to Ilia not getting any better, all she could do was cling to her hot security blanket.
She can't help just running off with her girlfriend sometimes but if anyone could understand that it was number one wing-woman Weiss.
"How much did you write, Blake?"
"Uhm.."
"I hate the both of you sometimes."