Jaune x Emerald -- Desert Jewel (Patreon)

Vacuo was hot but that wasn’t even the worst of it. Vacuo was full of sand.

Emerald grimaced, pulling the cheap goggles she’d bought up over her eyes as another stiff breeze flowed through the streets, kicking up dust and sand, whipping it against her face. Even in the middle of the city, you weren’t safe. She understood that they were surrounded by desert but this was getting a little ridiculous!

She may have protected her eyes but it got everywhere else.

In her hair, in her cleavage – whenever she undressed before showering, piles of it fell out of the most random places. She’d thought Atlas and Mantle were miserable with their constant below freezing temperatures but she was beginning to miss it. At least back then, she wasn’t having to constantly wash her hair to keep it from filling up with grit. The only time she felt clean was directly after a shower.

And that wasn’t even getting started on how much it stung when it whipped against her skin!

When the wind stopped blowing, it was safe to open her mouth again.

She was approaching the central bazaar, the narrow streets jam packed with people attempting to sell their wares. Out here, it was mostly junk. Knick-knacks and cheap ornaments or clothing, people desperate for money to feed themselves and their families. Some of them eyed her enviously, some with a dangerous glint in their eye, taking in her well maintained clothes and picking her for an easy mark. That all changed when they saw her weapons and they realized she was a Huntress, and not someone to be trifled with.

She proceeded unmolested, their eyes much more wary than they were only a couple of seconds ago.

Mud brick buildings towered over her on both sides, the road beneath her feet hard packed sandstone, worn from centuries of use. As the street widened, she heard the sounds of exotic animals and countless people just beyond her sight, carried on the wind alongside the mouth watering scents of foreign food. As she passed beneath a large arch etched with old fables from the region, she was greeted to a sprawl of humanity, people as far as the eye could see, dressed in various colorful cloaks, bandannas and similar assortments of clothing, all to ward off sand and sun.

Red eyes scanned the crowd, watching the heart of the city thrive. This was the lifeblood of Vacuo, its central marketplace where people made their living. If they weren’t guards or courtesans, Huntsmen, teachers or miners, this was where you plied your trade if you lived in Vacuo. This was where you did business.

And even then, Emerald spied a group of young women with silken robes and sheer hip scarves, glass beads and golden bracelets with shadowed eyes and glossy lips. Their bronze skin glistened, and more than a handful of men were enthralled, watching their every move.

Endless stalls were jammed together, creating confusing pathways within the plaza. Even so, people moved with purpose, hands laden with baskets as they went about their shopping. Merchants shouted prices above the shrill calls of colorful parrots, chirping parakeets and howling monkeys. Dangerous individuals palmed swords and firearms, eyes peeled for trouble, their brows only tightening when they glimpsed her presence.

It was a mess – and the perfect place for someone infiltrating the city to gather information, amongst the people where lips tended to loosen and coin was the ultimate prize. A shadow passed overhead and without looking, she knew one of the few remaining Atlesian battleships hung above, a watchful eye directed outside the city walls. Emerald heard the grumblings of the locals but that was all they were; grumblings.

They were wary of outsiders but with the current state of the world? Even the lowest of the low knew they needed all the help they could get. Pride wouldn’t get you far against the enemy they all now faced.

Beacon destroyed and Vale in ruins, Haven studentless and Mistral defenseless, Atlas and Mantle obliterated. Vacuo was the sole kingdom untouched by the hand of Salem thus far, but it would only be a matter of time. Even the civilians in this city understood that something was coming, something big – and even with those fancy ships in the air for protection, it might not be enough.

But life went on. People needed to eat. People needed to live. Even when on the cusp of potential annihilation.

If you could buy it, it could be found here.

“Miss! Miss! A moment of your time,” one peddler beseeched her, holding up rolls of fine material. “Just a moment – please, this fabric perfectly matches your beautiful hair!”

It did.

But it was useless to her. Emerald had no use for fine silks. What good would they do against the claws of a Grimm or the hellfire of a Maiden? At that thought, her face tightened.

She wasn’t here to shop. She was here to listen.

So that is what she did.

“Two hundred lien for these fine sculptures! Crafted by the prodigious Alexandrite himself,” a man with a long, silver beard called out.

“Only the finest steel in all of Sanus, found right here,” a younger man with broad shoulders and a handsome face boomed, holding up a finely crafted blade. Its keen edge glinted in the sun, his muscled arms holding it effortlessly. “I guarantee you’ll find no greater blades in all the lands!”

“Seven lien a bowl,” a portly woman hollered, ladle in hand as children crowded around with hungry faces. “Two for bread! Oi!” she whacked one of the children on the hand, a small boy who had been attempting to steal something with quick fingers. Not quick enough. “You want to lose that hand?”

A man with a curved blade stepped forth, his face menacing as the children flinched. The boy who was struck cradled his hand while he cowered.

Emerald paused.

It only took her a moment to decide.

“Here,” she said gruffly, slamming a pile of lien cards onto the counter top. The woman blinked, her greedy eyes quickly counting the amount. “This enough for all of them?”

Crooked teeth smiled at her with false sweetness. “More than enough.”

“Bread and a bowl, each,” Emerald said.

She nodded. “Bread and a bowl.”

Emerald moved on to a chorus of thank you’s, doing her best to ignore them. She wasn’t in the habit of giving away money, especially these days where she couldn’t just pickpocket what she needed. She was one of the good guys now. It wasn’t right to steal. She scoffed. She couldn’t even make that much money killing Grimm. There just wasn’t enough to go around.

But seeing those children – well, that had struck a little too close to home.

Once upon a time, that had been her. That had been her life until…

She ruthlessly crushed the thought before it could form, snuffing it out in an instant. She didn’t need to be thinking about that now. She didn’t need to be thinking about her. Ever, if she could help it. What was done was done.

“That was nice of you,” a familiar voice said, though in an unfamiliar tone.

Emerald tensed, her head whipping to the side as one of her hands dropped to her weapon. Leaning against a wall, his armor covered by a nondescript brown cloak was Jaune Arc.

Red eyes met blue through the lenses of her goggles. That would have been enough to make him look away, once. It felt like a lifetime ago now, those scarcely believable days at Beacon. Back when she was attempting to help bring down a kingdom and he was just a nobody trainee trying to pass all of his classes. Now his eyes held her own, steady, focused, without a hint of shame.

These days, it was her that looked away first. She wasn’t alone in that regard. She’d noticed that a lot of people couldn’t hold Jaune’s gaze for more than a moment, including his friends.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, annoyed that he’d seen her in a moment of weakness.

“Same as you, I suspect,” he finally shifted his gaze, looking out over the sea of heads. “While everyone else is dealing with problems outside the city walls, I thought I’d walk around and see if any threats are brewing closer to home.”

He’d been back a week now, along with the rest of Team RWBY. Emerald had thought them all dead; they all had. Winter Schnee had been the last one through the portal and she’d seen Weiss and then Jaune fall with her own eyes. But death didn’t await them at the bottom of that seemingly endless void.

No, something much stranger did.

Emerald scanned him from the corner of her eye, looking him up and down. She didn’t know Jaune Arc overly much. Just what she’d encountered at Beacon, and then later in Atlas. A weakling – and then not. Someone bent on revenge – and then not. Easily overlooked, but a rock – a strong foundation of the group she now found herself a part of. He didn’t like her. At least, he hadn’t. Emerald understood. She’d been aligned with the people that had taken his partner from him.

It was an expected hatred, even though Emerald always felt he didn’t hate her quite enough.

Now, though?

She didn’t know what to think of him.

All of Team RWBY appeared changed from their adventure in the Ever After but none more so than Jaune. Ignoring the obvious things like Blake and Yang now being together, they’d all matured in ways that spoke of a harrowing ordeal.

But with Jaune, it was much, much deeper. The white streak in his blond hair was more than just for looks. It spoke of something darker but she didn’t know what. While Ruby and her friends had been more than happy to speak of their experiences, when it came to their male friend? Tight lipped didn’t even begin to cover it.

It was clear that he was a changed man – the hows and whys weren’t so important, at least not to her. But where once she viewed him with not much consideration at all, something about this new Jaune set her on edge. It wasn’t that he was dangerous, that she was fearful of him but… he was not someone to mess with. And he saw far too much, those eyes appearing so much older than his face would indicate.

Emerald despised things she couldn’t understand. On the streets, as a thief – there was nothing worse than a surprise. Surprises got you killed.

That’s what he reminded her of; an untimely surprise, waiting to spring itself upon her. She wanted nothing to do with it, curiosity be damned.

“That was nice of you,” he repeated, causing her to scowl. He wasn’t going to let that go. She’d thought she’d deflected enough; apparently not. “Not the type of thing I’d expect from you.”

“Oh, fuck off,” she told him bluntly, hoping that her crass nature would drive him away. “Don’t look too deeply into it. I just did it because I felt like it.”

Jaune hummed, still not looking at her, scanning the crowd, watchful for threats. Another thing that was different about him.

“I wasn’t trying to rile you up,” he admitted. “I just… thought it was sweet. That’s all.”

“Are you sure you aren’t trying to piss me off?”

His lips twitched. That was another thing; he rarely smiled now. When he’d been reunited with Ren and Nora, he’d smiled – but since then? The odd grin here and there, usually tinged with sarcasm or bitterness. She never saw those easy, beaming smiles he used to give out freely. Even in Atlas, after she’d joined them – he’d been free with his smiles. He’d even smiled at her once or twice.

Not so anymore.

“I promise,” he said, briefly glancing at her before looking away. “Have you heard anything?”

Emerald briefly toyed with the idea of just walking away but rolled her eyes, taking up a position beside him, leaning on the wall.

“No,” she said. “Though I’ve only just arrived. You?”

He shook his head. “Not much. Some talk about an old group called the Crown, some of their old stashes were uncovered and raided recently. Not sure if that means anything. Talk about the Grimm, a lot of fear about Salem, about what you’d expect.”

A fat load of nothing, then.

They watched as a cart was wheeled by, laden with barrels of mead. Drunkards followed behind, already three sheets to the wind. They stumbled over their own feet but managed not to faceplant in the dirt, an admirable feat considering she could smell them from several feet away. Jaune saw her expression of disgust and snorted.

“Have you eaten?” he asked out of the blue.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“Have you eaten?” he repeated. When she continued to stare at him, he arched his own eyebrow in question. “What?”

“Are you about to offer to buy me something?”

“You wish. I was hoping you’d join me, though – if you want.”

Emerald clicked her tongue. “What makes you think I’d want that?”

He shrugged. “Company is nice.”

“Even mine?”

When he didn’t say anything, she turned his way. There was a strange look on his face, one she couldn’t decipher. For some reason, it made her throat close up. Those eyes – there was something wrong with those eyes. She’s seen people look like that before. People at the end of their rope, desperate, willing to do anything. People who had nothing.

It was not the sort of thing she’d ever expect to see in Jaune Arc’s eyes.

“Even yours,” he said softly.

When he pushed off the wall, he asked, “Coming?”

She followed without a word.

He found a stall that was selling spiced meats served on sticks. Everything from beef to lamb, goat and camel, and even things like snake. Emerald sat down next to him, unable to shake that feeling of wrongness he gave off. Side by side, she noticed how broad and big he was. Had he always been so large?

“I’ll take one of the camel,” Jaune told the balding man with the frankly ridiculous mustache who manned the counter. “And – hmm, let’s try the snake.”

Turning, he noticed her expression. “What?”

She ignored him. “Lamb, please.”

“Thought I’d try something different,” Jaune explained himself, sliding a few lien across the counter. He didn’t pay for her.

The scent of roasting meat was strong here, filling her lungs with the warmth of cooking fat and numerous spices. Turmeric, paprika, rosemary, cumin, cardamon, nutmeg, sumac, and many, many more. She quickly felt her mouth begin to water and her stomach grumbled loudly. Loud enough that he heard it, her cheeks flushing lightly as he gave her an amused glance.

“I didn’t have breakfast,” she grunted, turning her face away. Reaching up, she removed her goggles, pulling them down so they rested around her neck.

“I didn’t see you with the others,” he mused. “None of them knew where you were.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

That was the truth. She woke up early and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fall back asleep. That wasn’t such an uncommon occurrence these days. After the life she led, her dreams tended to be of the more nightmarish variety. When she was younger, it was always about the streets and what could happen to her if she was caught; death, or worse. For a young girl, death was preferable.

The dreams she had now?

Emerald frowned.

It was difficult to shed the fear she felt from being in the presence of a being like Salem, a woman more akin to a foul Goddess than a person. Just her approach raised the hair on Emerald’s neck, that primal instinct telling her to run, to flee and never look back. Running was useless, though. Unlike the guards or police, a simple wave of her hand could bury Emerald in darkness.

And this is what they faced now.

A rugged, stern face flashed before her mind's eye; a towering individual, broad and strong, muscles bulging as he fought off the eldritch horror that was the Queen of the Grimm. His deep voice sounded in her ears, calm and reassuring.

She had only known him a short time but Hazel had touched her in a way few people ever had. His death saddened her but thoughts of him kept the worst of it at bay, and it wasn’t unusual for him to appear in her dreams, fighting a futile battle. But no matter how many times she saw him fall, it didn’t discourage her.

His was the face of courage.

“I don’t sleep much either,” Jaune confessed, fingers tapping against the worn wood of the counter. Emerald blinked, her thoughts retreating to the back of her mind. “No rest for the wicked, huh?”

Emerald would hardly call him wicked. But this new attitude of his was certainly off putting.

“Why not?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I always feel like there is something to do, something that needs to be handled even when there isn’t. If I sleep, I might miss it and people could…” he trailed off.

When he didn’t continue, she pushed. “People could what?”

“Die,” he said grimly. “If I don’t do what I need to do, people could die.”

Their food arrived shortly after that.

Emerald watched him pick up the skewer of camel and bite into it, the hot juices smearing across his lips. Chewing slowly, he swallowed and made a pleased sound.

“It’s nice,” he said, taking another bite. “It almost tastes like beef but it has a gamey tinge to it.”

She would take his word for it. Picking up her own skewer with careful fingers, she nibbled on the end, testing it. The lamb was tender and practically fell apart in her mouth, the explosion of flavor rushing over her tongue. Swallowing, she quickly took another bite, and then another, and then another – until she realized she was finished. Her stomach grumbled, unsatisfied.

“Want to try the snake?”

Emerald eyed it warily but her mouth watered despite her reservations.

“Here,” he halved it, nudging it onto her plate.

“Thanks,” she muttered, annoyed but grateful nonetheless.

Snake tasted a little earthy, the white flesh holding a texture closest to pork. It was seasoned to perfection, and the fact that she was eating snake of all things was quickly forgotten as she devoured it.

“Good, right?”

“Yeah,” she replied begrudgingly.

They ordered more and the next hour was spent making idle chit chat as they ate, talking about nothing, making bland observations of their surroundings. They also served a spiced rice dish that was filled with chunks of pork, and Emerald polished off a bowl in no time. After so many spices, she found herself thirsty.

A nearby stall was selling drinks so that is where they went next. Vacuo may have looked old and decrepit, a city straight from history but it was still one of the four great kingdoms, and held all the conveniences such as running water and electricity. That was why a few minutes later, they were both nursing flavored ice drinks. Beneath the harsh sun, they wouldn’t last long but that didn’t matter.

Emerald got lime, the ice colored a bright green while Jaune settled for raspberry, a startling red. It was sweet but not sickeningly so, and it was refreshing.

They moved around the marketplace, keeping their eyes peeled and ears pressed to the ground for trouble, but there didn’t appear to be anything brewing. Just the hard lives of a hard people, doing what they could to survive. As the morning transitioned into afternoon, they retreated from the bazaar and made their way back to the apartment block they were all sharing, settled in the shade of the great ziggurat that dominated the center of the city.

Shade Academy.

“Jaune,” a surprised voice called.

Emerald turned, eyes filled with white. Weiss Schnee stood out among all the drab browns and yellows, her hair and skin blinding. She wasn’t alone.

Blake Belladonna peered between them curiously.

“Weiss,” Jaune greeted, raising a hand in a short wave. “Everything go well?”

The former heiress of the Schnee Dust Company graced him with a beautiful smile. “Of course. Was there any doubt?”

Jaune hummed. “Maybe just a little?”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

She wasn’t mad, though. No one would mistake her as being mad with that look on her face. She was happy to see Jaune. She was always happy to see Jaune, Emerald noted. Every time she saw them interact, it was clear that the white haired girl thoroughly enjoyed it. They’d been together in that other place and yet the way she was acting, you’d think Weiss had been here with them, ignorant of their fate.

“Ruby and Yang are with their uncle and Ozpin, briefing the Headmaster,” Blake spoke up. “We just got back.”

“What have you been doing?” Weiss asked him.

Jaune briefly glanced her way and for some reason, she got a bad feeling.

“We were just on a date,” he replied evenly.

Ice blue and amber eyes blinked at them, taken aback.

“Excuse me?” Emerald snapped. “We were not!”

“We shared a meal,” he said, holding up his hand and lowering a finger as if he was ticking off points. “We visited a bunch of stalls. We got to know each other better,” he shrugged. “Sounds like a date to me.”

“You know damn well it wasn’t,” Emerald punched him in the side and only got angrier when her knuckles met nothing but steel. His fucking armor! “We just bumped into each other, that’s all. Don’t listen to this jerk.”

“She wanted me to pay for her meal.”

“I did not!” Emerald scowled. Okay, maybe she’d made a comment along those lines but it wasn’t like that! “And you didn’t pay for it anyway – if I recall, you said, ‘you wish’.”

Jaune nodded. “I guess that’s true. I did share some of my snake with you, though.”

Blake let out a startled sound. “You what?”

Emerald stared at Jaune, aghast. Surely he knew what that sounded like? There was no way he didn’t!

“It was all I had left since I’d already eaten the camel,” he continued, as if he really didn’t know how his previous words had sounded. It was delivered so deadpan. “It was good, right?”

She felt her eyebrow twitch.

Was he seriously making fun of her right now?

It was really hard to tell with this new Jaune.

“We weren’t on a date,” he finally conceded. “Like she said, we just bumped into each other and then we got something to eat. We both had the same idea and thought we’d keep our ears to the ground, but there wasn’t much to hear. Nothing that sounded like Salem, anyway.”

“Ah,” Blake glanced at Weiss. “Uh – that’s good, right?”

Weiss had been silent for a while now and when Emerald looked her way, she almost stepped back at the intense look she was receiving. She wasn’t glaring, per se. She didn’t even look angry. It was just… serious.

“Weiss?” Blake said a little louder.

“Hm?” seemingly snapped out of whatever daze she was in, she looked around. “Right. So you’ve eaten, then?”

“Yeah,” Jaune peered at her curiously. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she dismissed. “Blake, I believe it is time for lunch.”

“Sure…?” Blake sounded uncertain, allowing her teammate to pull her along.

“If you stop by the bazaar, there’s a stall that sells skewered meats and rice. I recommend it,” Jaune said.

“I will do that,” Weiss replied, voice stern.

They watched the pair vanish down the street before Jaune shrugged and continued on, making his way into their apartment complex.

That was… a strange interaction.

“What are you doing for the rest of your day?” Jaune called and Emerald hurried to catch up. Familiar faces met them in the hallways, refugees from Atlas and Mantle, greeting them with reverent eyes as they passed by. Emerald still wasn’t used to people looking at her that way but she understood the sentiment. They’d saved their lives, it wasn’t surprising that they looked at them like saviors.

Their kingdom was gone and the only reason they lived was because a group of teenagers hauled them through magical portals. When had the truth gotten so crazy?

“Why?”

“Just curious.”

Emerald scoffed. “Nothing.”

“What about tomorrow?”

Red eyes narrowed. “I’m going to get my nails done,” she lied.

“Sounds like fun.”

She knew he didn’t believe it. She wasn’t that type of girl.

“Why?” she stressed this time. “Want to go on another date?” she needled him sarcastically.

“That would be nice,” then he stopped, turning to face her so suddenly that she froze on the spot. “I was thinking of killing some Grimm and was wondering if you wanted to join me.”

Ever since the Great War, Vacuo was a place that had unusually high Grimm activity. Yet it was nothing compared to now, where they were constantly at historically record breaking levels. Salem was tightening the noose, and so Huntsmen were in high demand. Emerald often went out with Ren and Nora, though since the return of Team RWBY and Jaune, she hadn’t been out with them.

As far as she knew, they hadn’t been out either. Team RWBY were quick to jump back into the fray but Jaune had remained within the city walls with the remnants of his team. It appeared that was about to change.

Emerald shrugged. “Sure, whatever.”

He nodded. “So it’s a date, then.”

He dodged her swipe, and if she wasn’t mistaken, she was positive she saw him smile. It was small but it was there.

“See you tomorrow, then,” he said, turning away. “I’ll stop by at seven. I want to get an early start.”

She watched as he continued on, several doors down before pulling out a key and unlocking the door. It wasn’t until his door shut that she moved, passing his room and climbing the stairs to the next floor, quickly entering her small apartment. It had everything a single bachelorette could ever need; a bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom with a small balcony that she never used because sand. She didn’t dare open that sliding door. At the very least, she could keep the sand out of her room.

Emerald needed to blow off some steam and slaying Grimm was always a good way to do it. It was about time to she got back out there.

Jaune was true to his word. Emerald was barely out of the shower when knuckles rapped against her door. A quick glance at her scroll showed that it was seven exactly; she was running a little bit late. Still feeling a little peeved about his comments the day previous and wanting to make him squirm a little, instead of yelling at him through the door to wait, she instead opened it in nothing but her towel.

She smirked as she watched those wide blue eyes of his widen even further, unfiltered surprise in his expression. Skin still damp, she arched an eyebrow in question, placing one hand on her hip while the other rested on the door. His gaze wavered but he met her look head on, and a small part of her felt a pang of annoyance that he didn’t even check her out.

It almost felt like an insult.

“I’m not ready yet,” she said curtly. “Give me ten minutes.”

“Right,” he said, turning away and resting his back against the wall. “I’ll wait.”

She might have shut the door a little harder than was necessary.

The next time she opened her door, Jaune wasn’t alone.

Emerald paused, eyes taking in familiar faces. She had done her best to avoid other Huntsmen that may hold grudges because of her past actions but it wasn’t always possible. She wasn’t expecting them to be standing outside her room, though.

Team SSSN – or rather, it was SSSNN these days.

Five pairs of eyes landed on her – four of which were wary, while the fifth was hostile. Nolan Porfirio glared at her with clear hatred and she couldn’t fault him for it. The sole survivor of Team BRNZ, his team had been completely decimated at the Fall of Beacon; an event that she had contributed to.

A twinge of remorse flickered within her but she wasn’t going to be pushed around.

“Uh,” Sun glanced between her and Jaune. “Were you waiting for her?”

Jaune nodded. “Yeah. We’re going to hunt some Grimm.”

While she did her best to avoid these people, they knew of her presence. Emerald had even heard conversations had between Ren and Nora, and Sun and Neptune about her place in their group. They couldn’t understand how they could work with her when she’d been involved with the person who had killed…

Emerald wasn’t used to people defending her, so when Nora had explained the situation and had even vouched for her, it had made her feel… strange. Warm, but also unworthy of such.

For a moment, it almost felt like she had friends.

The closest thing she’d ever had to that was Mercury and their relationship was… rocky, to say the least. Now he’d thrown in with Salem completely and Emerald wasn’t sure what she would do if they came face to face again. The stupid idiot really thought that was the best place for him. Beside crackpots like Tyrian.

Emerald really hoped he knew what he was doing.

“Oh,” Neptune looked awkward. “Uh – just the two of you?”

“Yeah,” Jaune replied evenly and Emerald blinked, taken aback.

“What?” she uttered before she could help herself.

She’d thought Ren and Nora were joining them.

“Hunting Grimm,” Nolan repeated, voice filled with equal parts disbelief and scorn. “With her?”

Jaune nodded again. “That’s right.”

“She’ll be more likely to sic the Grimm on you than kill them,” he continued spitefully. “How can you trust her?”

Jaune shrugged. “I do.”

Nolan scoffed. “You’ve got a death wish.”

“I’m right here, you know?” she snapped, growing irritated.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” he spat at her, hateful eyes latching onto her. Emerald tensed, as did the rest of Team SSSNN. Scarlet even reached out, placing a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. He was a hair's breadth away from lashing out, physically. She could see it in the way he held himself, leaning forward as if he was getting ready to charge at her. “How can you walk around with this bitch as if she didn’t kill your partner?”

It was like the air had been sucked out of the hallway.

Emerald quickly glanced at Jaune to see his reaction but he was as still as a statue, his face devoid of anything. That feeling of wrongness assaulted her again, as if she was looking at someone empty, his eyes blank as he stared at Nolan.

“Um, I think we should go,” Sun tried to deescalate. “We’ll – uh, let you guys get on with it.”

Nolan wasn’t having it.

“What would she think of you if she saw you like this? Betraying her memory,” he looked between them, shaking his head incredulously. “Don’t tell me you’re fucking her?”

Emerald scowled.

“Pyrrha Nikos gave her life to stop them and now you’re shacking up with one of them? Unbelievable.”

Finally, there was a reaction. Emerald saw Jaune’s jaw flex, the muscles tensing along his jawline and in his neck. For one wild moment, she thought he was going to throw down right then and there, a sudden aura of violence pouring off him. Sun must have noticed the change in him as well because he immediately stepped in between them.

“Nolan, cut it out,” he said sharply.

“If I ever hear my partner's name come out of your mouth again,” Jaune finally spoke, his voice cracking like a whip. Everyone straightened at once, that primal part of them responding to the clear danger. “You won’t speak another word.”

Emerald blinked, startled.

That was not the kind of threat she expected to ever leave Jaune Arc’s mouth.

Nolan glared at Jaune angrily but she saw the doubt, and a hint of fear slowly seep into his eyes as Jaune returned the look with what appeared to be apathy. But his emotions were clear in his eyes, no longer filled with sadness but with a barely restrained rage. He was moments away from snapping, like a wild animal that had been cornered and prodded until it couldn’t take it any more.

Nolan had touched upon something he shouldn’t have. The look in Jaune’s eyes was almost feral.

“I think we should go,” Sage placed his hand on Nolan’s other shoulder, pulling him away none too gently. Nolan didn’t fight him, allowing himself to be directed away. Sage shot Jaune an unusual look. “Sorry about my teammate.”

Jaune hummed, still simmering under the surface but quickly cooling. “Not your fault.”

Neptune went to dap him up but then thought better of it, but to their surprise Jaune reached out and clasped his hand, pulling back and delivering a friendly fist bump.

“Uh,” Neptune smiled tentatively. “Good to see you?”

“Yeah,” Jaune said. “Good to see you.”

He directed this mostly at Neptune and Sun, giving them both a nod. He shook Sun’s hand as well and then they watched as Team SSSNN retreated, silent until they could no longer be seen.

“Great way to start the morning,” Emerald said sarcastically.

Jaune exhaled heavily, almost deflating. “You can say that again.”

She hesitated. “You know... he has a point.”

As much as she thought he was a jerk about it, what he said wasn’t completely baseless. Emerald’s actions at Beacon had helped lead to the deaths of hundreds of people, one of which was Jaune’s partner. They’d briefly locked horns in Atlas about trust but since then, they’d not spoken of anything related to this. Of course they hadn’t. She’d been here while he had been... in the Ever After.

Their lives really were fucking weird.

Jaune took a moment to speak but when he did, it struck right at the heart of the matter.

“What was Cinder Fall to you?”

Emerald hated that just hearing her name made her flinch. It was a weakness, and to someone like her, weakness had always meant death. When you were doing everything in your power to survive another day, to just live, having a weak spot could mean the end of you.

She didn’t appreciate him bringing it up – but she’d started this, hadn’t she?

“Are we really doing this?”

Jaune shrugged, turning her way. While he had calmed down, the intensity of his gaze was still there.

“What was Cinder Fall to you?” he repeated. But then before she could answer, he shook his head. “Actually, don’t worry. You can tell me later.”

“What?”

“It’ll give you time to think,” he said. “We’ll kill some Grimm, bond over a harrowing ordeal and then you can spill your guts to me. Sound like fun?”

This guy... “Real funny, jackass. I’m not spilling shit to you.”

He didn’t smile but he did smirk. “Well, at the very least, we can spill some blood.”

Leaving the city wasn’t the easiest thing to do when they were doing their best to keep things tightened up. Jaune had all the papers, though. He must have fetched them before coming to her door. The guards checked and double checked everything, confirming the job he’d taken and finally let them through.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“There are a series of caves about five miles to the north,” he explained, checking his equipment. Around his neck hung a pair of goggles similar to the ones she owned. “Used to be a popular spot for bandits to hide contraband before sneaking it into the city. Been abandoned for a couple of years now because a bunch of Grimm decided to move in. Higher ups didn’t bother dealing with it because they thought once they cleared them out, the bandits would move right back in. Things have changed, though.”

“You can say that again,” Emerald deadpanned. “We walking the whole way there?”

“Not quite,” he gestured for her to follow. “Come on.”

Outside the walls of the city, not much existed beyond some old shacks that had been long abandoned. Places where the poorest of the poor once lived. Now they all resided behind the walls for protection. Wasn’t that a nice bit of irony? Where once they couldn’t afford to live within Vacuo itself, the danger of Salem had improved their lives, if only a little bit.

Other than the old shacks, there were only guard stations. Outside the nearest one were a pair of sand bikes, ready and waiting. They weren’t fancy like those hover bikes from Atlas. These were old, dirty and appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

“Are those things meant to be for us?”

When he nodded, Emerald made a sound of disbelief. “They’re going to fall apart if we sit on them.”

“You never struck me as the picky type.”

“I’m not, asshole – but I know junk when I see it.”

Jaune grunted. “You can walk if you want.”

Emerald scowled at the back of his head as he approached them, speaking to one of the guards. He handed over a pair of keys and Jaune tossed one over to her. She almost fumbled them, not expecting it.

“A little warning,” she snapped.

“Know how to ride one of these?”

Her jaw tensed. “No.”

He seemed surprised. “Oh – well, you can jump on with me, then.”

“The fuck I am.”

He rolled his eyes. “You really want to head out there with no clue on how to control that thing or you want to swallow some of that pride, and get on the back?”

Emerald huffed. “Fuck it, fine. I’ll ride with you.”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“If you don’t shut your mouth...” she let the threat hang.

Jaune didn’t rise to the bait, instead walking over to one of the bikes and swinging his leg over. He jerked a thumb behind him. “Get on.”

There wasn’t much room but there was enough. Swinging her leg over, she ended up flush against his back, her crotch wedged up against him. Pulling her goggles up over her eyes, she reluctantly wrapped her arms around his waist.

“That’s it, nice and tight.”

“Fuck off, I’ll make sure we crash if you keep it up.”

Emerald felt his laugh rather than heard it, his body rumbling. Again she was taken aback by how broad and solid he was, his back dwarfing her. Inserting the key, he turned it before kick starting the bike, the engine roaring to life. It had a little bit of a tinny sound but when it didn’t rattle into pieces, Emerald considered it a win.

Jaune adorned his goggles, giving the bike a rev by twisting the throttle. “Ready?”

She leaned into his back. “Ready.”

Emerald was glad they had the bike. The soft sand passed beneath them as they quickly left the kingdom and the looming Atlesian battleships behind, cutting through the desert like a sword stroke. It took a little effort to crest some of the bigger dunes but they made good time. Emerald felt the heat of the sun as it rose higher into the sky, harshly lashing her skin. She was mostly covered apart from the back of her neck, and she tugged at her cloak to keep it shielded.

They didn’t speak because there was no point. Even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to hear each other. But that left Emerald with her thoughts and the question he’d asked her, no matter how much she didn’t want to think about it.

That road only led to hurt. Emerald was sick of hurting. That was all her life ever was.

Jaune navigated them using his scroll. There were no landmarks to help, just waves of sand. The only sign there was that they were getting close was that Emerald started spotting rock peeking out from beneath the endless gold. They parked atop the highest point, Jaune cutting the engine.

Emerald slipped off and watched as he wheeled it over to a stable patch of ground, using the stand to ensure it didn’t topple over.

Then they walked, keeping their eyes peeled. She almost missed it, eyes passing over the entrance before she paused, looking back. The entrance to the cave was no larger than the size of a person, a crack in stone.

Emerald frowned. “That isn’t very big.”

“There is more than one entrance,” he said. “Dozens, so they said. This is just the one we found.”

For Jaune, it was a bit of a squeeze but once he made it through the opening, it quickly widened up. Emerald followed him, her slighter frame making it much easier for her. It was dark inside but only for a couple hundred yards. Using the torch function on his scroll, he led them deeper until things lightened, shafts of sunlight pouring in from the roof.

The area they arrived at was a large cave system several hundred meters long. Old wooden crates lay broken, motes of dust shifting through the light. Approaching cautiously, they spread out but kept only a couple of feet between them.

“Where are they?” she whispered. Emerald carefully unholstered Thief’s Respite, keeping them in their gun form. “Did they move on?”

“No,” he said quietly. “They’re still here.”

Emerald saw his hand fall to the pommel of his sword.

“Five, behind me on the left,” he said and she almost looked. “How does your semblance work with Grimm?”

“Just as well as it does on people,” she said quickly.

“When the shit hits the fan, make as many of them see each other as human as possible.”

Something shifted on her right. “Got it.”

Her eyes met malicious red, the glow of rage.

“Move,” he said and then he was a whirl of motion, blade singing as something dark with gleaming white bone surged. Emerald swung around and fired, her guns bucking. A howl of agony met her ears as dust rounds punched through those malice filled orbs and then chaos reigned.

Emerald counted nearly twenty Grimm before she gave up, hastily avoiding a swipe from a clawed hand. These Grimm were a variant of Beowolf but much bigger with longer claws, thicker bone plating and elongated snouts. They moved faster and with greater agility, and her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she moved, aura boosting her speed and reflexes as she ducked, weapons mecha-shifting into their bladed forms. She opened one of them from crotch to neck, spilling innards across the floor while the second one gained a new smile across its throat.

Beside her, Jaune moved with a ferocity that was unexpected, his blade cleaving through several Grimm in a matter of seconds. He didn’t bother with his shield, blade flashing in the sun as it parted black flesh with disturbing ease. When one got a little too close, he slammed a balled fist into its face, the bone plating cracking from the force of it, reeling – and then its head was gone, tumbling through the air.

There was little wasted movement on his part, just cold, efficient killing and Emerald was struck dumb for a moment. Jaune was unrecognizable.

But Emerald was an experienced fighter, and didn’t let her shock pause her actions. Several more Grimm charged but with a glance, they were under the power of her semblance. They parted around them, completing ignoring the humans in their midsts and instead clashing with their brethren, howls filling the cavern as they ripped and tore into each other in a frenzy.

Dark blood coated the sands around them.

“Duck,” Jaune suddenly said, a command. Emerald dropped into a crouch, a dark form moving overhead. Claws missed her by a hair's breadth, and then those very same claws tumbled around her in a rain of severed fingers, Crocea Mors carving through the Grimm’s paw like butter. It screamed a horrible sound, rearing back but then it gurgled, throat opened in a flash.

“Duck,” she returned and without hesitation, Jaune fell into a roll. Emerald surged to her feet, blades flashing as she danced, twirling around the Grimm’s vicious lunge and removing its head. Another challenged her but it met a similar fate, and then a third, impaled through the lower jaw with a powerful upswing of her weapon. The sickle-blade pierced through its skull and out through the bone plate, getting wedged.

“Fuck,” she swore and disengaged only seconds before being mauled. Taking aim, she need not have bothered as Jaune was there, his blade sinking deep into its chest. Claws raked at his arms but his aura flared in protection, sparking as the Grimm desperately tried to rend his flesh. When its eyes dimmed, he kicked it off the end of his sword.

“Do you see any more?” he asked, eyes alert.

Other than the Grimm under her illusion that were cleaning up the stragglers, it appeared they were done.

“No,” she said.

“Right,” he nodded. “We’ll kill those lot and do a sweep of the area, then call it a—”

His words were lost as the ground suddenly shook, a deep rumble as sand heaved. Emerald was already moving when Jaune crashed into her, his strong arms winding around her waist as he leapt.

A horrible screech pierced the air, so loud that Emerald felt her eardrums strain and pop. They landed together, Jaune hastily placing himself in front of her as a giant Grimm worm crawled from the earth. Four massive tusk-like fangs protruded from a wide open maw that frothed with ichor. A singular red eye burned with malice, zeroing in on them as it continued to grow, towering above them until the top of its head brushed against the ceiling of the cave.

It had to be twenty feet long, at least – and that was just the part of the Grimm above ground.

“Well,” Jaune said blankly. “I’ve never fought one of these before.”

The head was rigid with bone spikes before leading into a long, thick body shielded with broad bone plating. They watched as it convulsed, its mouth opening wider—”Move!” Jaune bellowed and Emerald threw herself aside as a stream of something lanced by her face.

Scrambling away, Emerald turned and saw the rock behind her melt where the liquid splashed across it.

“Acid,” Jaune grunted, meeting her eyes. “Turn those Beowolves on it.”

There were only three left but they identified the large Grimm as enemy, and charged. They leapt upon it, claws sinking into any exposed flesh they could find and the massive worm screeched in pain and confusion, bucking wildly in an attempt to throw them off.

“Get your weapon, I’m going in,” Jaune said in a rush before charging, finally deploying his shield. With a purple glow, he aimed the face of his shield at the ground and gravity dust blasted him up into the air. Crocea Mors sung as it slashed, drawing blood.

The Grimm she’d impaled was mostly disintegrated, her weapon free. Reclaiming it, she shifted them back into their gun forms and opened fire, blowing holes in its flesh where she could. The Beowolves lasted until it slammed them into the ground, crushing them all with its immense weight and power before turning on Jaune.

Again, it convulsed but this time he was ready. Acid was repelled in a flash of purple, straight back in its face. It recoiled as it was burned by its own attack, howling.

“Confuse it,” Jaune ordered.

Emerald focused, meeting its eye and made it see an army of men, surrounding it on all sides. It lashed out blindly, crushing imaginary soldiers as Jaune vaulted onto its head. It thrashed around and it took everything he had to stay atop it, almost losing his sword. Sweeping around the ground, Emerald was forced to move, almost being crushed.

“Whatever you’re gonna do, you better do it now!” she yelled.

Getting his footing, he seized his blade with both hands. The dust steel shone with a bright light as aura was channeled, Emerald flinching as she instinctively covered her eyes. Peering through her fingers, she watched as pure golden light was stabbed through its head, sinking into its brain effortlessly. The worm stiffened, locking up – and then with a wobble, it toppled forward. It crashed into the ground with an earthshaking crack, dust raining down from above as the walls and ceiling shook.

And standing atop it like a conqueror, Jaune Arc smirked at her.

“Pretty good, huh?”

Emerald scowled.

She wasn’t about to let him know that she found it impressive. Not on her life.

Thankfully, that Grimm appeared to be the last. Unfortunately, it had more than one head. When they realized it wasn’t quite dead yet, the body squirming as its other end tried to surface, Jaune unleashed a torrent of flame from his shield, igniting the creature and burning it until naught but ashes remained.

“I don’t think I like those Grimm. I’d much rather the Jabberwalker.”

“The what?”

Jaune stiffened.

Emerald frowned. “Oh, right – from the Ever After.”

She may have been a street rat and grew up in extreme poverty but even she knew the fairy tale her acquaintances had found themselves in. Emerald couldn’t remember where she’d read it but she had, and more than once. An old, weathered book – that was about as much as she could recall. She couldn’t have been much older than six at the time.

“Yeah,” Jaune muttered.

He had that look in his eye again, the one that made it difficult to meet his gaze. This time Emerald didn’t look away and he stared at her, his surprise clear on his face.

“What?” he asked.

She decided.

“Cinder meant everything to me,” she confessed. He blinked at her, taken aback. “Cinder was freedom. Cinder was protection. Cinder was food. She was water. A shelter above my head. Money in my pocket. Safety. Strength. Self worth.”

“...Emerald...”

That was the first time she could recall him saying her name.

“She saved me when no one else would,” Emerald felt her heart seize in her chest, a deep ache that never truly went away. She carried it with her, always. “I was just a street urchin, unimportant, dirty, in the way... I learned how to survive any way I could, but it was a hard life. Picking pockets, stealing food, breaking into houses to sleep... it wasn’t a life worth living.”

Emerald frowned, looking at her hands. Why the fuck was she telling him all this? Just because he asked her that stupid question? Just because he treated her like a damn person? Despite the wariness, it wasn’t like Team RWBY or Jaune’s teammates treated her like she was lesser. When they’d believed them to be dead, Emerald had even found herself making friends... but Cinder was an eternal sore spot, a glaring divide between them.

With Jaune, it should be even greater. Why the hell was he speaking with her, spending time with her like she hadn’t helped bring about his partner's death? She didn’t understand.

“Cinder gave me a life worth living,” her hands tightened into fists. “...at least, that was what I thought.”

She’d done things that hadn’t bothered her at the time because they were for Cinder but now? She could remember that book store owner, Tuskon – the man they’d murdered because he simply wanted to get away, start a new life. Here in Vacuo, of all places – and wasn’t it funny that it was Vacuo where she found herself now.

“I killed for her,” she admitted baldly. “I destroyed a kingdom for her.”

Suddenly his hands were on her shoulders and she looked up at him, finding compassion of all things. She wanted to laugh but all that came out was a bitter scoff.

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

Her words hung between them.

And then, “I believe that’s my choice to make, not yours.”

For a wild, impossible moment, Emerald thought he was going to kiss her. It was a stupid thought, proven even stupider when all he did was embrace her, cradling her against his armored chest. The steel of his chestplate was cold, hard – but it was the most comfortable place she’d ever been.

“What are you doing?”

“Hugging you.”

“Why are you hugging me, you jackass?”

“Because I forgive you.”

Something cracked inside. “Fuck you...”

“Thank you,” he whispered. “For sharing that.”

“...you bastard.”

It wasn’t until he pulled away that she realized she was crying. She hastily wiped at her face, mortified. Like a gentleman, he looked away which only pissed her off even more. But despite her anger, her annoyance and frustration with him, a spark of something in her chest made her feel... good.

What was wrong with her?

“Come on,” he said, walking by her. “Let's get out of here.”

The ride back to Vacuo felt like it took an eternity. They returned the bike to the guard station and passed through the gate, handing over their papers. By the time they returned to their apartment complex, Emerald was exhausted. It had taken the better part of the day to complete their mission but it felt more like a week.

Emotional exhaustion just hit harder than physical.

“I’ll go let them know we finished up,” he said as they paused outside the building. She nodded wordlessly. “I’ll collect your pay... whatever paltry amount it is.”

“Okay.”

Jaune hesitated. “Are you...”

When he didn’t say anything else, she arched an eyebrow at him. “Am I what?”

He shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll see you later?”

“Sure.”

Emerald watched him walk away and didn’t move until she could no longer see his back. Turning, she took one step and nearly walked straight into someone. Whoever it was had been so close and yet she hadn’t felt their presence, her hand darting towards her weapon in a panic before she realized just who it was.

Yang Xiao Long cocked an eyebrow at her. “Yo~!”

She wasn’t alone. Ruby was with her, as well as Oscar – or was it Ozpin these days? It was difficult to tell, especially when Emerald hadn’t known the young farm hand particularly well before all of this. Sometimes he seemed like a young boy in his mannerisms and the way he spoke, but then other times it felt like she was listening to someone much, much older.

Emerald glared. “Are you trying to get shot? Why the hell are you standing so close to me?”

“We called your name like three times and you didn’t answer,” Yang shrugged, uncaring in the face of her ire. “We were getting a little worried.”

“Worried,” Emerald drawled sarcastically. “For me?”

Yang smirked. “Eh – a little bit.”

“Emerald,” Ruby said softly. “You were with Jaune.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I was. He invited me out to kill Grimm. Cute idea for a date, huh?”

The joke fell flat.

“How was he?”

She blinked. “I dunno. Same as always – you’d know better than I would.”

The expression on Ruby's face told a different story.

“Jaune... is going through some things.”

“No kidding. The vibes he gives off these days is like a caged lion, and that is not something I thought I would ever say about Jaune Arc of all people,” Emerald hesitated. “I know it has something to do with the Ever After but none of you appear as affected as he does. What the hell happened?”

Ruby wavered. “We can’t... that is his story to tell.”

“Well, like I said – he was about the same as always,” she shrugged. “More talkative, I guess, though I haven’t spent much time in his company recently.”

And he’d hugged her for some reason.

“Well, that’s good – right, sis?” Yang said with false cheer.

Whatever it was that was going on with him, it clearly had his friends rattled as well. Was he not speaking with them?

Why he’d sought out her company of all people was beyond her.

Emerald did her best to put Jaune Arc out of her mind but he was just as annoying when he wasn’t around as when he was. She thought about him when she was eating dinner, she thought about him as she showered and she thought about him as she tried to sleep. It was maddening – and it all stemmed from that stupid question he’d asked her, and her damn reaction to it.

She’d opened herself up, made herself vulnerable – an unforgivable sin in the world she’d grown up in. The fact that he’d been able to easily pinpoint that weak spot only pissed her off even more. Why else would he ask that question specifically?

And he forgave her? Emerald didn’t remember asking for his fucking forgiveness!

She threw her pillow across the room, incensed. Who was she kidding...

Hearing those words from him...

Emerald sighed.

A sudden knock sounded from her door, Emerald tensing in surprise. While it wasn’t very late, it was late enough that unannounced visitors often meant trouble. Slipping out of bed, she grabbed Thief's Respite and aimed their barrels at the door.

“Who is it?” she called out.

“Jaune.”

As if her stupid mind had summoned him.

Emerald scowled, stomping over to the door and throwing it open.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Jaune blinked, taken aback.

“Uh,” for a moment, it was like she was looking at the old Jaune; the awkward, bumbling boy who’d followed Weiss Schnee around like a love sick fool. But then that Jaune was gone, his face firming. “I thought maybe you’d like a drink after a hard day's work.”

He held up a pair of six packs, Vacuo’s finest brew. Emerald almost slammed the door in his face before reconsidering. Maybe a few beers deep would help her sleep better. She wasn’t one to drink alcohol usually but this was a special occasion.

“Fine,” she turned away and made her way back into the apartment and he followed her, closing the door quickly when she said, “Don’t let the sand in!”

“Not a fan, huh?”

“Who is?”

It took her a moment to realize he was still standing by the door, very explicitly avoiding looking at her.

“What is it?”

“Do you... want to change?”

Emerald opened her mouth and then shut it again, catching his meaning. Looking down, she was dressed in only a sheer white camisole that only fell as far as mid-thigh, and that was being generous. Because of the heat in Vacuo, she slept light even though the nights could get cold outside. Their apartments did too good of a job at retaining the sun’s harshness from throughout the day.

Her cheeks hurt from how quickly they flushed.

“...Pervert.”

“How am I the pervert?” Jaune snapped.

Emerald dug through her drawers and found a robe, tossing it on.

“You can look now.”

Jaune made sure she was decent before visibly relaxing, his tense shoulders sagging slightly.

“Those cold?” she asked, gesturing at the six packs. He nodded. “Great.”

He casually tossed one her way and she caught it, scowling as he laughed dryly. Removing his boots, he made his way over to her small table and sat, the chair creaking beneath his weight. He was no longer dressed in his armor and he looked like a completely different person, as if he’d shed his skin. He now wore only a pair of jeans and a loose button down shirt, Vacuoan cotton. Emerald had seen them on sale at the marketplace.

“I bumped into Ruby and Yang earlier,” she said, pulling a can free and cracking it open with a sharp snap. Emerald couldn’t remember the last time she’d had alcohol. It wasn’t something she partook in often. “Oscar, as well.”

“Oh?”

“They seem worried about you but I don’t know why. I told them you were the same annoying jackass as always.”

Jaune snorted, opening his own can. “That so?”

“Yeah, that’s so.”

He sipped in silence but she wasn’t about to break it. He was the one that decided to show up out of the blue, so let him talk.

The beer was bitter but not overpowering, leaving a dry aftertaste that was more to her liking than most other beer she had tried before. Most importantly, it was ice cold, and Emerald quickly found herself halfway finished with her can before Jaune spoke.

“You ever feel like you’re out of place?”

She frowned. “I’ve felt that way ever since I decided to follow you guys back in Atlas.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I guess you know a little about it.”

Blue eyes remained locked on the can he cradled between his hands, slowly turning it back and forth.

“Do you regret it?” he asked. “Joining us?”

She wanted to say yes but that would be a lie. There was nothing for her on the other side. Perhaps there was nothing for her here, either – but if she had to choose between people and the Grimm, then she’d choose people. Not any people, mind you – these goody-two shoe bastards that were intent on trying to save the world.

Emerald may be cynical but that was something she could get behind.

“No,” he took another sip, and then another, quickly finishing off her can. “I don’t.”

He sighed. “Sometimes I regret my decision to be here.”

She looked at him, surprised. “I didn’t expect that from you.”

At least, she wouldn’t have expected that from the old Jaune. This new Jaune – she didn’t know what to expect when it came to him.

Jaune downed his can in a few mouthfuls before cracking open another, almost polishing it off just as quickly. Emerald watched as conflict waged war in his eyes, expression tightening as he came to some type of decision.

“Do you know what happened in the Ever After?”

She shook her head slightly. “I’ve heard what happened to Team RWBY, they’ve been all too willing to share. But I’m guessing there is more to it than that.”

There was – and it was beyond her wildest dreams. The longer he spoke, the more the disbelief built. Emerald stared as he poured out his heart about the time he spent in the Ever After spanning decades rather than days, the Curious Cat, Alyx and Lewis – Alyx’s brother, the real author of The Girl Who Fell Through the World. He spoke about Alyx’s betrayal, the Paper Pleasers, Ascension, everything...

...including the fact that he was the Rusted Knight.

It was unbelievable and from anyone else, she would have called bullshit. The look on his face, though – the exhaustion, the pain, the trauma etched into the lines of his expression, making him look his real age rather than his more youthful self...

She was at a loss for words.

His shift in personality now made sense.

Emerald tried to understand how he must feel, having spent decades in a strange world, all on his own. The loneliness and isolation, the monotonous repetition of attempting to save beings that didn’t wish to be saved, consumed by his regrets, his failures, Pyrrha, Penny, waiting for friends that never seemed to come...

She knew she could be a bitch – but she wasn’t heartless. Jaune felt disconnected in a way that Emerald could never truly understand, that maybe no one could except Ozpin. She almost said that he should speak to the old headmaster, that it might help... but the words died on her lips.

He’d come to her.

Why?

What in the world could she possibly offer? They weren’t friends, not really. They weren’t close. But as he looked at her, all she could see was a drowning man glimpsing his salvation. Emerald swallowed, almost choking as her heart began rapidly pounding in her chest, the rush of blood leaving her dizzy and out of sorts.

“...why are you here?’

Her voice was weak, subdued. Jaune shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

He continued to look at her, drinking her in. Emerald knocked back her can, drinking it until she nearly choked. Her throat burned as she slammed the empty can down, face prickling.

“I guess I just wanted some company...”

“There are other people.”

He shrugged again.

“There are.”

Her hands curled up on her lap.

“But you came here.”

He nodded.

Screw it.

There weren’t any words that could help him. He was an idiot for coming to her. What the fuck could she even do? But despite everything, Jaune came to her and while she didn’t owe him shit, she recalled how he held her just that afternoon as she vented after he prodded at the wound called Cinder Fall. He should hate her by all rights and didn’t.

Perhaps there was something she could do after all.

Emerald stood, her robe falling away before she could question herself. Blue eyes widened as her smooth legs appeared to him, her camisole tickling her thighs. They roamed over her body, devouring her, before rising to meet her eyes.

“Is this what you came for?” she asked.

He opened his mouth to deny it, could see it in his eyes but when her hands rose, fingers plucking at the thin straps, his voice faded before it could even be given air.

“Why else would you turn up to a girl’s room at night with a couple of six packs,” Emerald taunted, her smirk covering the way her hands trembled. Hearing his story, knowing what was coming for them – death was almost a certainty on the horizon. Perhaps this wasn’t just for him. Perhaps this was for her just as much. “Thought you’d stop by for a booty call, huh?”

“No,” he denied quickly but then her camisole slid down her body, pooling around her feet and his pupils blew wide, black swallowing blue.

Her body was exquisite, toned, fit but full, womanly. Jaune felt his heart race as he traced her flat stomach, the hint of her abs causing his cock to swell. Further down, her light blue panties cupped her mound aggressively, doing little to hide the puffy outline of her vulva. Her thighs were smooth, thick, strong, her mocha skin calling to be touched.

And her breasts – gods above, her breasts. They were bared to him utterly, youthful sag pulling them outwards, twin teardrops of perfection. Wide dusky nipples capped her peaks, the areola puffy, protruding from the breast while the tips were inverted.

She was more beautiful than anything he had ever seen in his life.

Emerald couldn’t breathe as his dark eyes drank her in, her body trembling with a mixture of desire and fear. She’d never bared herself to anyone before, not like this. Emerald didn’t like being vulnerable and being naked in front of a man was as vulnerable as you could be. Her life had not been an easy one. Her instincts were screaming at her to cover up, that this was a mistake – but her feelings as a woman said differently.

Her racing heart almost stopped dead when he stood. Mouth dry, she could only watch as he approached her one step at a time until he stood right in front of her. Something hot squirmed low in her tummy, roiling, her crotch tightening.

“So this is what you wanted,” she tried to act tough but her voice cracked. She tried to swallow but it only made her throat lock up. “All guys are the fuckin’ same.”

She gasped as one of his hands caressed her side, cupping her ribs. Her skin rippled in goosebumps, up and down her arms, across the back of her neck.

Jaune marveled at how soft her skin felt, and how warm she was. He let his fingers trace the ribbed contours of her ribs, his palm moving down to her waist. Jaune felt her shiver, and when he locked eyes with her, he saw his own desire reflected back at him.

“Do you want me to touch you?” he asked softly.

Emerald grit her teeth. “What the fuck do you think?”

A cute sound bubbled up out of her throat when he tickled her side, her body spasming.

“No bravado,” Jaune told her, hand falling further until his fingers found the waistband of her panties. “Be honest. Tell the truth, Emerald. That’s all I want to hear.”

How many years had it been since he felt genuine want for another person? He had been alone so long, consumed by his demons that he almost forgot what lust felt like. He’d desired Weiss, once upon a time – but that had been decades ago now, a life he could no longer relate to. Pyrrha when it was too late, filled with nothing but regret. Alyx, when she had first arrived in the Ever After. Before her betrayal, before everything went to shit.

But there had never been a situation like this with any of them. A bittersweet kiss as Pyrrha went to her death, that was the entirety of his experience with women. And now he had a naked, beautiful woman standing before him in nothing but her panties... he could already feel his control slipping, overwhelmed by feelings that had no outlet for so long.

“Tell me,” he repeated, teasing the elastic. “What do you want?”

Emerald didn’t answer with words.

She surged forward in a bout of madness, their lips touching. They both froze, their mouths pressed together for a moment before she leaned back, her lips tingling from his warmth. Emerald stared at him, shocked – and then he was moving, cupping the back of her head and reeling her, kissing her passionately, clumsily, their mouths opened as they tasted one another in a frenzy.

They were both inexperienced but they moved together, lips molding seamlessly as Jaune’s tongue slipped into her mouth, hot and wet. Emerald moaned as she pressed her breasts against his firm chest, her belly rolling into him as he devoured her with a ferocious hunger that threatened to consume her. Every twirl of his tongue made her mind spin, the soft cotton of his shirt coaxing a throbbing ache from her puffy nipples. His other hand reached around and grabbed her ass firmly, her flesh bulging between his fingers as he gripped her like a starving man.

“J-Jaune,” she whimpered as their lips smacked wetly, trying to match his intensity. One of her hands slipped under his shirt, feeling his rock hard abs, the other grabbing a fistful of his blond hair. “More~!”

A sudden flex of his muscles and she was picked up off the ground effortlessly, her stomach swooping, her core clenching deliciously as he set her on the table, her legs open wide. When he sucked on her tongue, her toes curled in delight. When his teeth seized her lower lip and worried it until it stung, her inner muscles spasmed.

Arousal pooled hotly in her core, leaking out into her panties, quickly soaking them. Emerald could feel the hard bulge of his cock and suddenly, it was the center of her attention. Her hands attacked his belt, unbuckling it and ripping it free. It sailed across the room as she pulled open his shirt, the buttons flying in all directions, revealing his well built torso.

She tore her lips away from his mouth, drinking in his solid pectorals and rippling abs, chiseled shoulders and arms. Jaune had the body of a warrior, a Huntsman – but somehow it seemed even greater, more. The years in the Ever After, the constant fighting. Even though he had his younger body back, the changes to his body had remained.

Battle tested. Powerful.

And tonight, it was hers.

Jaune groaned as she attacked his neck and chest with her mouth, teeth nipping at him and leaving behind red welts. Her hands hastily unzipped his jeans and pulled them down along with his underwear, his cock caught by the material. He hissed as his length was pulled downwards before slipping free, springing up aggressively.

Emerald felt something hard and hot slap against her stomach, and when she glanced down, her breath caught in her throat.

Long and thick, his cock rested against her, the shaft riddled with veins. It curved slightly upwards, the tip glistening with pre-cum, the glans fat, flushed bright red with arousal. It was her first time seeing a penis up close and personal, and as it throbbed, she felt slightly intimidated.

It was big. Much bigger than she’d been expecting.

Jaune Arc was packing a monster.

A small ring of blond hair surrounded the base and hanging below were a pair of fat, heavy balls. Without thinking, Emerald grasped his shaft, panting as her hand struggled to encircle it.

“Fuck,” Jaune swore as she grabbed him, her hand soft and small. The contrast between their skin color was in no greater display than now, her fist around his length, mocha on white. A thick drop of pre-ejaculate oozed from the tip. “Emerald. Look what you do to me.”

She began stroking him up and down, awkwardly at first, then with greater control as she got into it. A second hand joined the first, double fisting him, and still she couldn’t cover him completely. Her hands moved together, twisting slightly as she jerked him off, her breasts swaying and swinging together as her enthusiasm grew.

“Does this feel good?” she asked breathlessly, completely taken by the feel of him. He was so hard and yet silky smooth, the skin impossibly soft. The throbbing veins felt hot against her palms, and when more pre-cum leaked down over her hands, she began moving higher. His cock flexed powerfully as she squeezed his glans, rubbing him firmly. “Do you like it?”

“It feels amazing,” Jaune groaned, thrusting into her hands. “Fuck, that feels so good, you wouldn’t believe it.”

Emerald felt a thrill race through her at his words, feeling pleased. Those wide blue eyes gazed at her, filled with desire – directed at her. Her insides twisted in a knot, trembling with need as she pumped him harder.

“N-Not so cocky now, huh?” she said, trying to sound in control. “All I have to do is rub this thing and you’re useless. This is your weak spot, hmm? This fat fucking cock.”

Jaune’s hands thread through her hair, pulling her face to his. He kissed her with passion, their tongues dueling wetly as she continued to stroke his length, one hand focusing on the tip of his ridiculous dick while the other moved up and down his shaft. If possible, it felt like he was getting harder.

Emerald mewled pathetically as he plundered her mouth with intensity, robbing her of breath. She gasped as he finally released her, lips swollen and sore, tongue numb. She could feel her arousal pooling between her thighs on the surface of the table, her panties soaked, plastered to the wood in a sodden mess. She felt so hot, burning up inside, her womb beginning to pulse like a second heartbeat, yearning for Jaune to – what? To knock on it? To fill it?

Emerald’s vision went blurry, a mind rending contraction rocking her body. Her gasp was broken, needy, her body sensitive.

Just thinking about Jaune filling her desperate womb with his thick, potent sperm almost sent her over the edge. What the fuck was wrong with her?

“Emerald?” Jaune asked, her hands having paused in their important work. He throbbed in her grasp. “Are you okay?’

“Mhm~” she hummed, resting her head against his chin as she nodded. “I want... Jaune, I want it.”

Her hands began to move again, slower this time, almost teasing. Jaune groaned as her fingers tickled the underside of his crown, brushing back and forth over his frenulum. The pleasure was shivery, almost too much to bear.

Strong, powerful, manly hands moved down her body, taking their time. She crooned sweetly as he palmed her tits, thumbs cupping the underside of her sensitive breasts as he squeezed them delightfully. Emerald arched her back, sighing – and then hissing when he teased her puffy nipples, tickling them, tracing the outside of her areola before rubbing the inverted tips.

“These look amazing,” he told her, voice deep; dark. It went straight to her core. “Look at this body. Such a beautiful woman. Your skin – it’s so soft,” he squeezed her tits again, fingers sinking into her pliable flesh.

“Ah~!” she cried out softly. “J-Jaune~!”

“I could play with these all night,” he said. “Lean back.”

“Wha~?”

Hand placed between her breasts, he pushed her back lightly and her body obeyed. She released his cock and it settled its heavy weight on her thighs, her body stretching out. Her hot, sweaty back touched the cool surface of the wood and she jumped slightly, tensing.

“Shit,” Jaune swore, devouring her body as it lay stretched out before him. Her toned abdomen, the hint of her ribs, the rise of her pelvic bone. He lovingly caressed her body, mapping it with his hands, before leaning down, “The things I’m going to do to you...”

It was a promise, one that made Emerald’s body ache with anticipation. She moaned in bliss as his lips touched her skin, trailing over her stomach, up and up, kissing the underside of her tits. When his mouth sealed around her nipple, Emerald arched, grabbing his head and holding it to her. His tongue lashed out, the wet heat exquisite.

“Oh my god,” she gasped, jerking when he flicked the inverted tip again and again before sucking powerfully. “Ahn~! Mmhg~! Ooh~!”

Jaune attacked her nipple with gusto, loving the taste of her sweaty skin, the feel of her puffy flesh between his lips. When he focused on the tip, he tried to coax it out and was rewarded, a hard little nub springing free.

“Ahnn~! Nng~!” Emerald’s fingers tightened in his hair. “Fuck~!”

Her nipple almost doubled in sensitivity, every swipe of his tongue driving her wild with lust. When he switched to her other tit, coaxing the tip out from hiding, she was left trembling, leaking, her uterus cramping with unfulfilled desire and lust. Her womb was melting from within, and the pleasure was building, her chest on fire with unmatched sensation.

If he didn’t stop now, he was going to make her cum just from her tits.

Jaune sucked and sucked at her until each dusky nipple was red raw. He wanted to continue, completely obsessed with her wonderful breasts but Emerald tugged at his hair, growing desperate.

“Jaune, no~! Nng! I – touch me lower,” she begged, squirming. “Touch my pussy~!”

Pre-cum oozed from his tip as he finally pulled away from her tits, his cock dragging against her thighs and leaving behind a long smear. Emerald’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes glassy as she stared up at him, her body heaving with each breath. Looking down, he saw how utterly drenched her panties were, a pool of her arousal forming under her butt.

The scent of her almost caused him to blank out. Musky, rich – it was the scent of womanly desire, her body hungering for him.

Jaune slipped his fingers under the waistband of her panties, tugging them down her thighs and legs. Emerald shivered as the wet material peeled away from her swollen vulva, her womanhood revealed to his eyes for the first time. Her mound was dusted with fine, thin hair, green and downy. Her outer lips were thick and swollen, smeared with her arousal, glistening. Her slit was tight, compact, but from within curled long inner labia, soft and dewy, a hint of pink awaiting him. The hood of her clit was wide and long, pronounced, hiding her sensitive bundle from his eyes.

It was everything he had ever dreamed of and more.

Her panties fell to the floor, discarded. Grabbing her thighs, he pushed, opening her legs. Emerald didn’t resist, instead reaching for her legs, hands curling under her thighs and pulling herself open, presenting herself like a prize to be taken. Jaune groaned, watching as her pussy opened up slightly, arousal dripping down from her twitching hole and over the curve of her butt. Her cute little asshole winked at him.

“Come on, you bastard,” she said needily, fingers sinking into the underside of her thighs as she gave her pussy a little wiggle. “This is what you came here for, right? So fuck me already.”

He wanted to taste her, to touch her in all the ways he dreamed about touching a woman – but having her beg for him to fuck her, demand that he take her, fuck her – it was too much. She wanted his cock. Needed it. So he would give it to her.

Seizing her hips, he pulled her until her butt partially hung over the edge of the table. Emerald yelped as she was manhandled so easily, the show of his strength only making her lust spike. Red eyes latched onto his powerful chest and arms, watching how they flexed. Jaune stepped out of his pants and underwear, kicking them away.

Then he took the base of his cock and slapped it against her mound. Emerald jerked, feeling each impact deep in her pussy. Her rubbed his glans across her clit, and she cried out as the pleasure arced through her, sharp.

He was so hard and big and long, Emerald watching with wide eyes and a slight tinge of fear as he lined himself up, swiping up and down. Arousal coated the end of him and then he was pushing.

“Wait,” she said and he paused. “It’s – Jaune, I’ve never – this is my first time.”

Why’d she have to say that now? Jaune groaned as he sheathed himself inside her with a single, brutal thrust that tore the air from her lungs, her sharp wail cut short. She was tight and wet, her insides pulsing as he drove into her. If there had been a hymen, it was shredded in an instant, his cock sinking deep.

Emerald bowed as he stretched her out with his girth, driving deep into her body. She’d never felt anything like this, pain and pleasure melding together as one. Her inner walls were forcefully parted, and she sobbed as he fed more and more of his long, burly dick into her cunt.

“Fuck – you feel so good,” Jaune groaned, hands tightening on her hips. Rocking back, he surged forward. “Shit, Emerald.”

“Ahnnn~!” she squealed, locking up – and then with a final thrust of his hips, he bottomed out inside her. Emerald froze, eyes crossing as she felt something tickle her deepest spot, his wide crown kissing the entrance to her womb. She gasped for breath, trembling from head to toe. “Oh~!”

He was inside her. His cock was inside her. He was buried in her pussy all the way to the hilt. Emerald tightened around him, so tight that Jaune couldn’t move, her folds latching onto him, curling around his length like a fist. His balls were flush with her pert butt, and when his cock flexed, she almost screamed.

If there was anyone in the hallway, there was no illusion about what was happening in this room.

Jaune waited for her to calm down, though it was a struggle. His balls urged him to fulfill his purpose, to rut into her until he blew his load deep in her uterus but he could see the discomfort on her features alongside the ecstasy, and withheld his base desires. He’d taken her virginity in a single, brutal strike – he could give her some time to recover before venting twenty-something years of pent up sexual frustration.

There was going to be nothing soft or pretty about this. He was going to fuck her raw and fuck her hard until neither of them could move.

“God, you’re so deep,” she moaned, rippling around his iron hard shaft. “Fuck, you fat dicked bastard~!”

When he shifted his hips, she howled, clutching at his cock as he pulled out slowly, her wet lips dragging along his shaft. Blue eyes stared at where they were connected, entranced. Her dark skin against his lighter tone, spread open, desperately trying to hold onto him. He felt every pleat and fold tugging on his glans, the ridge catching on every single one, the pleasure mind-blowing.

Pussy felt better than any of his wildest dreams.

Jaune pulled out until all but his glans remained inside her, warping her tight entrance. Emerald panted, gasping for breath and then he was balls deep inside her, mashing the end of his dick against her cervix. Stars exploded across her vision as she arched, a beautiful ache blooming deep in her womb.

Jaune was fucking her. He was fucking her deep with his stupidly long, fat cock.

His movements were slow, awkward, unfamiliar. Sawing back and forth, it didn’t take long until he discovered a comfortable rhythm. Emerald mewled as he slid in and out of her grasping cunt, stimulating all her sensitive spots. The curve of his dick grinded him against the upper wall of her vagina, raking it over her g-spot, and whenever he pulled out and rubbed across it, her entire body jerked.

“Fuuuuck,” she seethed, face crumpled in pleasure. Her weighty tits rolled with each thrust, bouncing hotly. “Oh fuck, mnngh~! Haaaah, Jaune – mm, haaaaah~! R-Right there. God, keep fucking me right there~!”

Her lustful moans only egged him on, and soon the strength of his thrusts increased, their flesh slapping together audibly. The table shook, his cock flexing eagerly as she clenched around him, coiling powerfully. His balls already felt tight, a knot of pressure forming in the base of his shaft.

Twenty-plus years of sexual frustration and fantasy, and it was his first time – he wasn’t going to last.

Jaune’s fingers grasped at her tits greedily, mauling them as he fucked her harder. Emerald choked, back arching as he utilized the full length of his cock, driving into her deeply. Her moans became squeals, her voice cracking as he changed the angle of his glide, grinding heavily.

“Oh my god, fuck yes, oh god, I can’t – I CAN’T,” she sobbed, thrashing. He was stretching her out, his pelvis clapping against her mound, her clitoris throbbing. Fire pooled in her deepest spot, molten and ready. “J-Jaune~! Aaahn~! Mmmnggh~! Fuck! Keep fucking me~! Oh my god, I want it. Fuck me harder you fat dicked asshole bastard prick~!”

Emerald kept swearing as he began jackhammering into her, pistoning into her sweltering snatch. Her arousal was spread all across his pelvis, down his balls, splashing across the hump of her mons. Jaune could feel his semen bubbling up, ready to fire, his balls poised to erupt.

Reaching down, he fingered her clit.

Emerald screamed.

Her body locked up, taut as a bow string, face twisted in ecstasy – and then she was throbbing, pulsing, wringing him out as her body spasmed, vagina contracting rhythmically, desperate for his seed. Jaune groaned darkly as she milked him furiously, eyes drinking in her rapturous face, her flushed cheeks, her teary eyes, those plump tits bouncing as he fucked her through her orgasm.

It was too much.

Jaune’s hips stuttered as his pleasure peaked, sharp and sudden.

“Fuuuck yeaaah,” he uttered, his balls clenching until they cramped, his shaft flexing. Slamming his hips hard against her, he sealed his glans to her womb before volley after volley of potent, thick cum blasted straight through the mouth of her cervix and into her most precious place.

Emerald gasped brokenly as her orgasm kept rolling through her, her blood thrumming, her skin tingling, her pussy afire – and then she felt Jaune’s molten hot load jet into her, thudding into her womb, and her vision cracked.

“Ahh~!” she squealed, voice high and blissful. “Ohh~! Hnng~! It’s so hot~! Ahhaaaah~!”

Jaune gasped as his balls vented decades of pent up lust into Emerald soft, wet, tight pussy, every pulse of her insides, every coiling grasp drawing out more of his semen. He kept his hips sealed to hers until every last drop was deposited deep in her womb, and then with a hiss, he pulled his sensitive cock out of her cunt.

Emerald moaned in loss as his iron shaft left her, feeling so empty despite being packed full of his seed. Her pussy gaped at him lewdly before sealing up, and the sight only ignited his desire.

It felt amazing. Better than anything had ever felt in his life. And yet his cock was still hard, and he was far from satisfied.

“Wha~?” Emerald groaned as he picked her up off the table, her hot, flushed body curling against his chest. Jaune carried her to the bed and put her down before slipping in beside her, rubbing her body, massaging her breasts, her tummy, putting pressure right on her overstuffed womb. “Ah~! Jaune, don’t – it’s tender there.”

She felt his curved cock poke her thigh. Weren’t guys meant to get soft after they cum?

Jaune carefully rolled her onto her side before pressing his chest into her back. Hiking one of her legs, he lined his cock up with her swollen quim and slipped back inside her. Emerald jolted, squeezing down as he slid back to the hilt.

“Oh fuck,” Emerald groaned into her arm, Jaune’s fingers grasping her hips. When he began to gently thrust into her sensitive twat, she sobbed. “You f-fucking bastard~! Ahnn~! Nhg~! I’m n-not your fucking toy~!”

Emerald’s voice was sweet as he gently grinded into her pussy, her recently orgasmed snatch gripping him slickly. Wet, obscene sounds issued from her crotch as he fucked their combined juices into a thick froth, a ring of white encircling the base of his girth. Now that the edge had been taken off, Jaune took his time, tearing lovely cries from Emerald’s lips as he fucked her – no, this was no longer fucking.

This time he was making love to her, even though there were no such feelings between them.

His hands were soft as they caressed her skin, squeezing her curves delightfully. His thrusts remained controlled, gentle, almost like his cock was softly kissing her insides. Emerald squirmed, feeling her climax slowly build up, soft and fluffy, her pussy tingling.

“Oh god,” she sighed as he palmed one of her breasts, jostling it up and down. He carefully rolled her nipple, pinching it lightly, and her back arched in bliss. “Fuck, Jaune – what are you doing to me?”

When she finally reached her peak, it was drawn out. Emerald shivered in his arms, crying as her vagina writhed around his fat dick. Jaune kissed the nape of her sweaty neck, panting as he continued to thrust into her through her contractions.

He then rolled them until she sat atop him.

“Ride me,” he told her, and she did.

It was slow, sensual, her waist rolling as she grinded him deeply inside her pussy. His glans rubbed across her cervix, Emerald hunching over as the pleasure was too much, her hips jerking out of control.

“Just like that,” he urged, embracing her body. His legs formed a diamond, feet pressed together. He thrust up into her as she gyrated, touching her just right to send her back into rapture.

Emerald couldn’t think, could hardly breathe as another orgasm tore through her. Everything ached beautifully from her tender pussy to her hard nipples. When he fired into her again, there wasn’t much space left. It leaked out of the tight seal of her entrance, his thick cum squirting across their joint pelvises.

Jaune panted for breath as Emerald went limp in his arms.

They were silent for several long minutes, basking in the afterglow – and then Jaune leaned down and kissed her atop her head.

“...fuck you, you bastard,” she said weakly.

Jaune laughed.

A sound of true joy, of genuine delight. When was the last time he felt like this?

He couldn’t remember. Neither could she.

“I might get pregnant, you know?” she suddenly said, and his world grinded to a halt.

Right... that could happen, couldn’t it? He felt stupid. He hadn’t even hesitated, having raw sex and cumming inside her.

“You – you’re not on...?”

“Of course not. I wasn’t thinking about fucking anyone,” she said crudely. “But then some asshole comes to my door with some six packs. Typical.”

He felt her smile against his chest.

“Emerald...”

“We might all be dead in a few months,” she said somberly. “So even if you have knocked me up, it won’t matter.”

Jaune wanted to tell her not to think that way, but he would be a hypocrite to say it. He wasn’t filled with much hope. Salem had the upper hand and the world was in complete shambles. It was going to take a miracle for them to come out on top.

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

“And if we survive...?” he asked softly.

“Then you better take responsibility, asshole.”

It was said in jest but unbeknownst to her, Jaune’s seed took root. His little swimmers pierced her egg, completing his thorough insemination.

But that was a problem for another time.

“...so where do we go from here?”

Emerald pushed herself up, biting her lip as his still hard cock shifted inside her. Jaune gazed at her beautiful body with appreciation, drinking it in. She was a caramel goddess, those red eyes burning as she stared down at him.

“Don’t think just because you fucked my brains out that I’m in love with you or anything,” she poked him on the chest in emphasis. “...but I’m not against doing this again.”

Jaune couldn’t stop his smile.

Emerald scoffed, annoyed. “I liked it better when you didn’t smile.”

“You know how to make a guy feel special.”

“Shut up,” she pinched him. Then she glanced down at where they were still joined, grimacing. “Urgh, look at the mess we made.”

“Shower?” he offered.

“...I’ll scrub your back if you scrub mine.”

They didn’t get much washing done. He took her again in the shower, clapping those absurdly full cheeks from behind. Jaune just hoped they didn’t get in trouble for using too much water. It was a valuable resource in Vacuo, after all.