A Semblance of Emotion 036

While Pyrrha had been open to training with him, he hadn’t expected for things to move along so swiftly. The very next day, she approached him and they set up a time and place. While there were indoor facilities they could use, Pyrrha wanted somewhere a little more private and outdoors. She liked to feel the sun on her skin, and fresh air in her lungs – and the fewer eyes watching her, the better.

Jaune had no problems with that. He also preferred being outdoors.

From that point on, every evening after classes and before dinner, they engaged in war. That was the only word Jaune found that could adequately explain their training sessions. While his teammates were exceptionally skilled fighters, as were Ren, Ruby and Yang – Pyrrha was just on an entirely different level to all of them. Even though these were sparring matches between friends, she approached them as if it was a life and death encounter.

So Jaune did the same. If he couldn’t match her mentality, he had no way of matching her martial prowess.

Fighting Pyrrha was like fighting against a force of nature. He couldn’t believe it but he was positive that she was even better than she was the first time they’d fought, their months at Beacon sharpening her already razor sharp skills. It took everything he had and more to keep up, and their clashes were brutal.

And yet… Jaune had never felt more alive than when he was crossing blades with her.

She was an opponent that he didn’t have to worry about holding back against. It wasn’t that he held back against Nora, Blake and the others – but it was rare that he needed to use his semblance at full power. Against Pyrrha, if he wasn’t amplifying his speed or strength, he had no hope of withstanding her furious attacks, the newly reforged Crocea Mors shuddering with every screeching clash.

He still couldn’t hit her – and boy, did it rankle him. Because she wasn’t the only one that had improved. All his training, and then his desperate life and death struggle against the Centaurus had taken him to the next level. Every sword stroke was precise and lethal, delivered with killing intent. His body was a coiled spring, his movements swift and flawless. He saw it in the widening of Pyrrha’s eyes, and then in the following glee as she met him blow for blow, those emerald eyes sparkling like precious jewels.

Their makeshift battleground was often torn asunder by their bouts, and after two evenings in a row, they were forced to move.

It rankled him, frustrated him – but this time, he kept his cool. He’d discovered the trick to controlling his emotions. It wasn’t foolproof and it didn’t come close to the near serenity he’d achieved when fighting side by side with Nora, both of them sharing each other’s emotions, but it was enough to blunt the negativity and keep his focus where it needed to be.

They bonded in battle in a way they hadn’t been able to bond outside of it, and then the rest came naturally. Pyrrha was actually very witty with a dry humor, similar to Blake. The only difference was that you expected it from Blake, you didn’t expect it from Pyrrha. Whenever she did crack a joke with that deadpan delivery, no selling it, it always caught him off guard and made him laugh.

She was actually a very cheeky girl.

Not only was she a brilliant fighter but she was also a great teacher. She never gave him tips about his swordsmanship because according to her, it was even better than her own. His grasp of the fundamentals was ironclad, and so she couldn’t teach him anything there. If anything, she claimed, he could teach her a thing or two about form.

“My mentor – the Huntsman that taught me – he would always tell me that he was the weakest in his class,” he said after she mentioned that, and Pyrrha listened with rapt attention. “He wasn’t the strongest or the fastest, he didn’t even have a semblance. But what he did have was discipline and hard work. Instead of trying to become more than he was, he focused on mastering his weapon. He taught me the same way.”

“It shows,” Pyrrha said. “Even when you’re surprised, your form never falters. Even when I drive you back, you maintain your footwork and retain a strong foundation. Every move flows into the next. It’s very impressive, Jaune.”

“You’re the same.”

She shook her head. “No. Because of my weapon, I had to learn how to switch between two wildly different fighting styles when it comes to melee combat. My stances will never be as tight or fundamentally sound as yours because of this. It makes it difficult to break through your guard with conventional means.”

“That’s why you constantly attack my legs.”

She grinned. “I mean – they’re just so easy to hit.”

Jaune scowled. “Very funny.”

What she could teach him about was being more fluid and less rigid, counter to what he’d always been taught. Like she said, his legs were the easiest target to attack because he had such a strong defense when it came to his head, arms and torso. While speed and power could break through his guard and she’d shown that many times, it was more common for her to try unsettle his footwork or take him down with a leg sweep.

“Your only issue is predictability,” she lectured. “I always know exactly where you are, and how you will attack me. It may change a little but you have such fine control and understanding of the optimal move, to someone that holds matching knowledge, it becomes easy to read. Of course, your amazing speed and strength makes it all but impossible for most people to take advantage of such a weakness but…”

Pyrrha was more than good enough to exploit it.

“My fighting style isn’t just flashy for the sake of it,” she admitted. “While there is a part of it that was designed to capture the fans attention, professional fighting is entertainment, after all – I ensured that it was all practical, that it bettered my chances of victory at any given moment. When I leave my feet, it has a purpose. When I spin, it has a purpose. It helps create unpredictability, as well. Do you find it difficult to read my moves?”

He did. Not always – but when she started getting more elaborate with her movements, utilizing different parts of her body, flipping and cartwheeling and launching herself through the air, it made things much more difficult.

Nora was the same, in some ways. When she started using her weapon’s recoil to toss her small body around and increase the velocity of her swings, she became a much harder opponent to anticipate.

“You need to learn to… loosen up,” she said lightly, grinning at his expression. “Not like that. I just mean, be less rigid, think outside the box. You’re really smart, Jaune – you think of things in the middle of a fight and to your credit, you try them. Some of them nearly succeed. You have a flexible, quick mind – now your body just needs to follow suit.”

Jaune recalled his fight with the Centaurus and how he’d felt lighter, and executed moves he didn’t typically attempt, even though he could perform them. It wasn’t like he was incapable of doing a flip or leaving his feet, it was just that… he never did it, because he didn’t have practise in doing it against an opponent. Against that Grimm, it had felt like second nature – and he was starting to understand why that was.

More than just their emotions had been shared that day. He’d tapped into a part of Nora beyond feelings, and his body had moved like her.

Their exams came and went, with the only class not requiring any tests being Combat Class. They were judged by their entire body of work, across the whole semester and it wasn’t a surprise to anyone that Pyrrha achieved top marks.

She had a one hundred percent win rate. There wasn’t any doubt in anybody’s mind.

The next five spots were occupied by people with the same win rate. Those five were Weiss, Yang, Blake, Jaune and Ren. Nora and Ruby were right behind them, ensuring they basically dominated all of the top spots. After his horrible start to the year, Cardin had shot up the ladder and sat just under them. Now that he was no longer hiding his semblance, he was dominating most of the fights he was in.

He only ever lost to them because they’d figured out his semblance. Pyrrha was spot on. So long as Cardin was standing on solid ground, he was basically an unmovable object. Once even one foot left the ground? He was fair game.

It was a glaring weakness, once it was discovered. Even taking a step opened himself up to attack, and that is what speedsters like Ruby, Weiss and Blake targeted. Jaune had taken to baiting a powerful attack that would require a shift in his stance, attacking in between. There was nothing sweeter than seeing Cardin’s frustration and anger in defeat, though the way he glared at Blake and her cat ears set Jaune on edge whenever it was the faunus girl who stood victorious.

But he never said anything. Cardin kept his mouth shut.

Then came his next session with Ozpin, Professor Peach and Doctor Oobleck.

“Extraordinary,” Oobleck exclaimed with his usual exuberance. His eyes quickly scanned over the data as Jaune used his semblance on Professor Peach, and then compared it to the data they had from amplifying Nora a few minutes earlier. “There is most definitely a difference in the potency of your semblance between the two individuals!”

Peach had a massive smile on her face, enhancing her beauty ten fold as he continued to feed her aura. She was a woman that got prettier when she smiled, and she was ridiculously beautiful already. Jaune tried not to stare.

Nora flexed her arm, patting her bicep. “We’re just built different.”

Ozpin chuckled as he sipped at his beverage. “So it appears. Mr. Arc – it would appear that your semblance may become stronger the more powerful your emotional bond is with the subject, though we suspected as much. These numbers are not insignificant. The marking on your back signifies your bond, a physical representation of it.”

They weren’t wrong. Nora was empowered much more than a regular person, Jaune could see that, and the numbers reflected it – but it was also much weaker than it was on the day they’d fought and defeated the Centaurus. It didn’t hold a candle to that surge of strength, and Nora noticed the same. The data recorded by their scrolls also told a similar story, and none of the Professors knew why that was the case.

Nora had an idea, though.

After they were put through their paces, testing how Nora’s semblance was also stronger than usual, capable of converting Lightning Dust into super strength at a much more efficient rate and with better results, she told him so.

“I think it’s because we had sex that day.”

Jaune quickly whipped his head around, searching the area for listening ears but they were alone.

“Nora, not so loud,” he chided.

She smirked. “Whaaat? Are you ashamed of me?”

“No, of course not,” he denied instantly. “Why would I ever be ashamed of you?”

Her smirk faded into a genuine smile. “Ehehe~! I was only kidding around, I know you aren’t.”

“It’s private, that’s all. What I do with you is our business, not anyone else’s.”

She nudged him with her shoulder, looking very pleased by his words.

Nora kept her voice low this time as she said, “But what I said – I think it was stronger that time because we’d just had sex. I think Ozpin is right about the emotional stuff but it might require a physical trigger. That’s why you have that outline of Blakey’s emblem but there isn’t anything for Weiss. Blake kissed you.”

Jaune nodded slowly, ignoring the part where she mentioned Weiss. “You might be right. Does that mean it will get stronger each time we… do things together?”

Nora grinned coyly. “Want to test it out?”

“...Maybe later.”

She laughed loudly.

“I think we should tell Blake and Weiss.”

He was afraid she was going to say that. “I don’t know how we can without making things awkward.”

“Leave it to me,” she thumped herself on the chest. “I know just how to do it.”

Jaune shook his head ruefully. “That didn’t reassure me. At all.”

Nora was all blunt force trauma and not just in her fighting style. It was the way she lived her life and Jaune wasn’t sure if having her take the lead on this was the best thing to do, but when they returned to their dorm, it was completely out of his hands.

“Jaune’s semblance gets stronger when you kiss him.”

You could hear a pin drop.

Weiss was seated at the desk, pen in hand. He couldn’t see her face because she was facing away from him and Nora had blurted that out as soon as they stepped through the door, but he definitely saw the way her pen stopped cold on the page she was taking notes on. Blake’s reaction was much easier to read, her cheeks exploding with color as she gaped at Nora in shock.

Jaune palmed his face, sighing. “Thanks, Nora.”

She beamed proudly. “No problem, Jaune-Jaune~!”

Weiss slowly turned after setting her pen down, eyes darting between them.

“Would you please repeat that?”

Blake quickly stood up from her bed, waving her hands, “I don’t think—,“

“Jaune’s semblance gets stronger when you kiss him,” Nora repeated. “And when he uses it on you, you get stronger too.”

Weiss nodded. “I see.”

Blake opened and closed her mouth, looking between Nora and Jaune, her cheeks getting redder.

“And how do you know this, exactly?” Weiss continued.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Duh~! How do you think?”

Yeah, this was going really well.

Jaune cleared his throat. “The testing with the Headmaster… uncovered something.”

“Oh?”

Her short answers weren’t very encouraging. “It appears that my semblance reacts to… the emotional bond I share with the person I’m amplifying, becoming more potent as a result.”

“Right.”

This was getting awkward. “They were able to compare data between… Nora and Professor Peach, confirming the theory.”

“Because you haven’t kissed Professor Peach,” Weiss said coolly. “But you’ve kissed Nora?”

Jaune hesitated and then nodded.

“Yup,” Nora popped the P.

Blake stared at Nora.

“Blake’s also kissed Jaune.”

“Nora,” Jaune said sternly. “That’s enough.”

She had the grace to look contrite but the damage was done regardless. Weiss turned her head to stare at Blake while the faunus girl stuttered.

“I – I – It was just spur of the moment, it didn’t mean anything!”

Jaune blinked.

Blake looked horrified by what she’d said. “No! I didn’t mean it like that! It was just – emotions were running high and Jaune was there for me, so I just… I couldn’t… it just happened!”

She looked like she was about to cry.

Weiss sighed. “Jaune, how about you explain everything properly. Blake… calm down, everything is fine. You,” she pointed at Nora, eyes narrowed. “Sit down and shut up.”

Nora looked like she was going to argue but then thought better of it as Weiss’ eyebrow twitched, sighing and flopping down on her bed in a very dramatic manner, like a scolded teenager. Jaune supposed that was exactly what she was. Weiss nodded and then focused her attention on Jaune.

“Now – if you would, Jaune. Please explain this mess to me so I understand it better.”

Her face was glacial, chiseled from ice – but her eyes were expressive, filled with fire. Jaune wasn’t sure just how upset she was, and what about this had upset her. The fact that he’d kissed Nora or the fact that he’d kissed Nora and Blake? Weiss seemed like the type of girl that wouldn’t be very impressed with two-timing.

Nora had really thrown him in it. He should have tried to stop her.

“What do you want to know?”

She opened her mouth and then stopped, frowning.

“How sure are you that this is real?” she asked unexpectedly.

“Very sure. It’s… how we defeated that Grimm. Not that we knew what would happen but without it, we wouldn’t have stood a chance, Weiss.”

“And it’s been confirmed by the data?”

He nodded.

“So Blake will also qualify for this… enhanced boost?”

“She should,” Jaune made a decision. “There are… marks. On my body.”

“What?”

He showed her, removing his uniform jacket and unbuttoning his t-shirt. Weiss’ eyes widened, her cheeks flushing as he began undressing in front of her.

“W-What are you doing?” she demanded.

“I’m just going to take my shirt off,” he said. Blake was staring at him a little too intently while Nora was biting her lip, making him feel a little uncomfortable but they were going to see them at some point. There was no point in hiding it. Not now. “And then I’m going to turn around, okay?”

“This is… highly improper,” she muttered but didn’t appear very opposed. “Fine! Show me these… marks.”

Removing his t-shirt, he untucked the singlet he wore underneath and pulled it up over his head. Jaune heard one of them gasp but he wasn’t sure who it was, but when his vision was no longer obscured, he was the subject of three pairs of intense eyes.

He cleared his throat. “Right, well…”

He turned around.

The silence stretched far too long and just when he was about to turn around again, he felt a hand against his skin. Jaune jumped, startled.

“It’s just me,” Weiss said quietly. Her fingers traced Nora’s emblem and it made him shiver. “May I?”

“You’re already…” he stopped for a second. “Sure, go ahead.”

It tickled and he had to stop himself from squirming.

“This is without a doubt Nora’s symbol,” she said. “Jaune… this is inked into your skin. Tell me you didn’t visit a tattooist.”

“This was caused by my semblance.”

Weiss pressed her palm to his back, and he tried to ignore how soft her hand was, how small and delicate her touch was. Those were not the type of thoughts he needed right now. An extremely beautiful girl was touching him, Weiss Schnee of all people – he needed to keep his cool.

“There is only one mark.”

“Look closer. Opposite side.”

He knew the moment she saw it, a soft, “Oh,” passing her lips.

Her fingers traced this one, as well, feeling the slightly upraised skin.

“Why is it so different?”

“We aren’t… completely sure,” he half-lied. They weren’t – but they had a pretty damn good idea.

“It’s difficult to make out but… Blake, come over here.”

He heard Blake stand up and approach, and then another hand touched his back.

Now he had two beautiful women touching him, at the same time.

“This is your symbol,” Weiss said.

“...Yes,” Blake breathed out. “It is.”

The next minute was spent enduring their touches, his skin tingling where their fingers brushed against. Despite his best efforts, he could feel his body beginning to react, and it forced him to step away from them before his arousal settled in.

The last thing he needed right now was to pop a boner.

“Jaune?” Weiss asked. “What’s wrong?”

“I think you’re exciting him,” that was Nora, of course.

Weiss spluttered. “We are doing nothing of the sort.”

“You were just rubbing his back for like five minutes, groping his muscles.”

“I object to that statement!”

When he turned back around, he saw that both Blake and Weiss were blushing. Blake’s amber eyes were darkened, and when their eyes met, he saw her pupils contract and then bloom wider.

“Jaune,” she said softly, her cat ears flicking. “Do you… want to test your semblance on me?”

Weiss overheard her.

“That would be a good idea,” she glared at Nora. “Jaune?”

“Yeah, sure – um, can I have your hand?”

Blake offered her hand and Jaune grasped it, and with a twist, she laced their fingers. At his questioning glance, she just smiled shyly.

She was… taking this much better than he thought she would.

When he channeled his semblance, she gasped as power flowed into her. Her eyes fluttered, her body tensing for a moment before she sagged. Weiss moved around him to look at his back again and said, “The lines are more prominent but they’re still faded.”

“Jaune,” Blake bit her lip, and the fire in her gaze went straight to his crotch. “Do you like me?”

She was asking him this now?

Her expression was so earnest and open, he couldn’t think of a way to get around it. Jaune would never lie about something like this.

“I do.”

Her face was radiant, though her human ears were also red now.

“Enough of that,” Weiss moved away from them, her body tense. “This is highly inappropriate. Blake – do you feel any different than usual? When he uses his semblance on you, I mean.”

Blake nodded after a moment of thought. “It does feel a little stronger than the other times.”

He let his power fade and she blinked, swaying a little before righting herself.

“So we know it really works this way,” Weiss said, disgruntled. “Unbelievable. You have a womanizer semblance.”

Nora laughed.

“Don’t call it that,” Jaune groaned. “It’s not my fault.”

“Kissing two girls is definitely your fault,” Weiss said shrewdly. “I didn’t think you were that kind of guy.”

“I’m not!”

Weiss arched an eyebrow.

“...It just happened.”

“I’m sure.”

Nora snorted. “If you’re feeling left out, Weiss – just kiss him. He won’t mind.”

Jaune turned to Nora and gawked, as did Blake. What the hell was she trying to do?

“I am not feeling left out,” Weiss thundered, appalled.

“Yes you are,” Nora replied calmly. “He’s kissed two of his teammates, you’re the only one left. It isn’t because he likes you any less, silly. Jaune-Jaune likes you a lot. It’s just how it happened.”

Weiss’ mouth flapped but no words escaped. It looked like Nora had finally succeeded in breaking her brain.

“Nora,” Jaune tried.

“No, Jaune-Jaune. We have to nip this in the bud now,” Nora said, and her expression was completely serious. She wasn’t playing around, she wasn’t joking. She meant her words. “Blake really likes you. Right, Blake?”

Blake looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“It’s okay. Didn’t he just admit that he likes you?” Nora said gently. “It’s okay for you to admit it. He was very kind to you, wasn’t he? And he stood by you when things were at their worst. You already had a small crush on him before but all that stuff with the White Fang made you fall in love.”

He’d once thought that Nora was much more observant than she let on, and this was proof of it. Blake didn’t deny it, though the poor girl looked overwhelmed by having it thrown in her face so bluntly in front of him.

Jaune felt touched. His feelings for Blake… they were similar to the feelings he had for Nora, and for Weiss. It was beyond physical attraction, though that was definitely there. All three of them were gorgeous, there was no doubting it. But they’d connected in so many ways in such a short amount of time, bonding over the good and the bad.

“He also likes you,” Nora turned her attention on Weiss. “You should see his eyes light up when he watches you train, or you’re doing something nice for Ruby, or you’re just being your usual Weissy self.”

“T-This is preposterous,” Weiss denied, shaking her head. “This isn’t how things go! You can’t like three people!”

Nora blinked. “Why not?”

“What do you mean why not?” Weiss snapped. “There are… rules and – and conduct that must be observed.”

“You make it sound soooo boring,” Nora complained, huffing. “That’s not how feelings go, silly. They just happen. You don’t have control of them.”

“I beg to differ,” Weiss crossed her arms. “I’m in total control of my feelings, thank you very much. I do not let emotions rule my every move.”

“So you don’t like Jaune?”

Jaune saw Weiss’ jaw flex several times, the muscle in her cheek spasming.

“I think that’s enough,” Jaune said quietly. When Nora went to say something else, he cut her off. “Really, Nora – don’t push.”

She backed down.

But now things were very awkward, and Jaune had no idea how to fix it. Nora had thrown a grenade in their room, and the things said weren’t things that could be taken back or ignored. While he knew that his semblance needed to be explained, Nora could have been more delicate in how she revealed the specifics.

While Weiss was standoffish for a couple of days, Blake was the complete opposite. Whatever funk she had fallen into after hearing about the White Fang attack on the docks, it had completely evaporated by his confession.

Because that’s what it was, wasn’t it?

Hardly the most romantic gesture thanks to Nora but he’d admitted to having feelings for her.

It dramatically improved her mood.

Jaune had to admit that he felt good, knowing that just expressing his feelings for her was enough to make her happy.

“Jaune,” she called out as he got ready to haul another crate into the warehouse, counting down the minutes until the end of his shift. He turned and spotted her standing near the final cart he had to unload before he could clock out, dressed in a conservative dark purple knee-length skirt and black stockings, her white sleeveless blouse tight and highlighting her narrow waist and healthy bust. While it wasn’t cold, it wasn’t warm either, the air cool and pleasant. Jaune thought her outfit was very cute.

“Blake,” he said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you.”

A few of his work colleagues had spotted her, and he saw the smirks and whispers as they talked amongst themselves.

“I’m nearly done,” he said. “Just a few more crates.”

“I’ll wait.”

Red grinned at him as he carried the next crate inside, his eyebrows dancing above his eyes as he said, “You know, if different girls keep showing up like this, you’re going to get a bit of a reputation.”

His face then softened.

“That was the girl you were looking for, isn’t it?”

Jaune nodded.

“Are things all good?”

“Yeah,” Jaune said. “Things are great.”

Red clapped him on the back. “Well, she’s a looker. It’s always nice to see human and faunus relationships work out.”

“It isn’t like that.”

“It isn’t?” Red peered outside. “That girl is smitten. It’s written all over her face.”

He didn’t have anything to say to that.

“You aren’t two timing, are you?”

“No,” he said quickly. “We’re all on the same team. Nora is my teammate, the girl you saw before. Blake is partnered with another girl on my team.”

“Hmm.”

Word had spread that a pretty faunus girl was waiting for him, so by the time he clocked out, he had a bit of a crowd watching his every move. Their whispers and muffled laughter spurred him on, Jaune hurrying over.

“They’re staring at us,” Blake pointed out, amused. “What’s going on?”

“They think we’re a couple.”

Blake’s cheeks darkened, shyly tucking a strand of her raven hair behind her ear. Her human ear.

“What did you tell them?”

“Nothing. It’s none of their business,” Jaune eyed Blake up and down. “I like your clothes.”

Her smile was blinding. “Thank you.”

They made small talk as they walked, avoiding the elephant in the room but it wasn’t something that could remain ignored. They found a nice quiet park and sat down, watching the children play on the playground. Blake seemed particularly invested, smiling as a young human boy played tag with a young faunus girl, their parents conversing nearby amicably.

“Cute,” he voiced and she nodded.

“That’s how things should be,” she said fondly.

Her fingers fiddled in her lap.

“Jaune…”

He felt nervous.

“Yeah?”

“You meant what you said, right?”

“I did.”

Blake smiled to herself, tucking her chin.

“What about you?” he asked, surprised that his voice wasn’t shaking. “Did you kiss me because you wanted to kiss me or because… it was the only way you could think of to repay me.”

“I wanted to kiss you,” she said softly, her hands tensing before relaxing, smoothing out her skirt. “I think you’re very handsome.”

“...I think you’re very beautiful yourself.”

Blake bit her lip. “Thank you.”

The air felt thick, emotionally charged. Just like that night in the bathroom. Jaune felt his heart jump in his chest, beating erratically.

“I didn’t see myself being like this,” she admitted. “The last time I harbored feelings for someone… things didn’t go so well, so when I came to Beacon, I wasn’t looking for a relationship. Becoming a Huntress was all I cared about. But… then here you come, kind and understanding, and frustratingly persistent.”

“Sorry,” he quipped.

She laughed. “Don’t be. I… tried to ignore it but it wasn’t long until I had a crush on you, Jaune. You were just… so good to me, and the way you led our team… we all respect you, a lot, and I know that I dumped a whole lot of baggage at your feet, things you shouldn’t have had to deal with but you didn’t give up on me, and you wouldn’t let me give up on myself…”

She turned to face him and her eyes – they were filled with emotion, molten-honey drawing him in.

“I never thought I’d find a guy like you,” she said. “So of course, I’m not surprised that I’m not the only one that’s been swept up in your storm.”

This was the complicated part, wasn’t it?

“I thought I’d feel jealous,” she confessed. “I already knew that Nora was a little bit sweet on you, and Weiss… well, she hides it but it comes out sometimes, when she thinks no one is paying attention. You mean a lot to her.”

Her hands reached for his, and he let her take them. Her palms were soft and smooth, her fingers dancing across his skin.

“Nora told me… that you guys did more than kiss…”

Jaune froze.

Thanks, Nora. Really helpful.

“Don’t be cross with her, I… made her tell me,” Blake wet her lips, pink tongue darting out quickly. “I wanted to know why the marks were different and kept pestering her. Eventually she got annoyed and blurted it out.”

“Blake…”

She shook her head, smiling. “It’s fine. I’m not angry. I’m not jealous, at all. I feel like I should be but… maybe it’s because of that mark on your back, or maybe it’s because I know what kind of person you are, Jaune – but I know that when you say you like me, that you care for me – it isn’t just words. It’s real.”

She leaned closer, and he caught a whiff of her hair, the soft scent of shampoo.

“You both thought you were going to die, I get it,” her eyes burned. “You care for her, and she cares for you – just like I care for you, and you care for me. Maybe I’m being silly, but… it doesn’t bother me.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that… if you are open to it, I don’t mind… being with you,” she leaned closer, her voice a whisper. “Even if you’re with Nora, as well.”

Jaune swallowed.

“Are you really fine with that?”

She answered with a kiss.

Her lips were soft and moist, parting easily as he opened his mouth and kissed her back. One of his arms encircled her body, pulling her against him, almost into his lap, the other framing her face as they passionately made out, their tongues gliding together. She tasted sweet, her soft sighs and moans making his mind go fuzzy. When his thumb caressed the shell of her human ear, she trembled, whimpering as he sucked on her tongue.

When they parted, their lips were slick with saliva, Blake’s breathing erratic. Jaune wasn’t much better.

“Is that answer enough?” she asked breathlessly.

It was.