This is what happens when I get writer's block. A rarepair so rare, that this is the first of its kind! I don't know where this is going or how frequently it'll update, since I'm putting the majority of my time into Fifty Caliber Cat. That said, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy this strange ride.

Lie Ren quietly closed the door to JNPR's dorm behind him, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. He hadn't been able to sleep the previous night, and had stayed up doing homework at his desk. Finishing a thirty page essay on the Vytal Peace Treatise had been far from easy, but Ren was nothing if not focused. Thanks to his steadfast work throughout the late hours he finished a week ahead of time, and therefore had plenty of free time in which to do as he pleased. He smiled with his eyes closed. I am going to enjoy this.

He was very fond of his teammates, and got along well with all of them. While not the most talkative member of the group, he interacted as necessary, keeping everybody happy. His laid-back attitude became the norm around his team; his reputation eventually spread and he became known around the hallways as "Ren the Quiet Ninja." Somebody his team felt they could confide in, apparently, as the other three constantly came to him for advice on various topics. Not that he was more knowledgeable than the others, but when romance was involved, cooler heads tended to prevail.

While it wasn't inaccurate to say his calm attitude was an intrinsic part of his psyche, Ren was also under nearly constant stress due to Nora. He enjoyed feeding her, listening to her ridiculous stories, and otherwise being there for her. However, the rigors of dealing with Nora combined with the stress of dealing with Jaune and Pyrrha constantly asking him for advice in confidence on how to confess their love for each other (and then being too shy or embarrassed to act on it), made him incredibly lethargic in all but the rarest moments. Thus, he relished in his free time, intent on using it to its utmost.

Unknown to all, his laid-back attitude hid a need for complex conversation that his team simply didn't have the ability to provide him. They were undeniably all good people, but Ren had recently found himself craving the need for more down-to-earth conversation. Far from holding it against them, Ren felt more inclined to simply take time to himself, leaving the dorm on the occasional evening to read a novel in some undisclosed location.

This evening, his quiet footsteps brought him to the front courtyard, in which the occasional student milled about. Going further in that direction would lead him to the docks, so he took a left and made his way alongside Beacon's cliffside path in the trees. Vale stretched before him, his high vantage point affording an unparalleled view of the kingdom. A bench nearby beckoned him, and he made himself comfortable with his book.

After about twenty minutes and two chapters, Ren was rudely interrupted. "Ninjas of Love, huh?" said a female voice. "I gotta say, that's a strange title to see you reading." Ren looked up in surprise over the top of his book. He hadn't heard anybody approach, and had specifically chosen this spot because he believed he wouldn't be found. The fact alone that somebody had found him meant either they were searching for him, or enjoyed long walks outside during the evening.

A woman with dark skin and green hair stood in front of him. Her red eyes stared into his, a sarcastic smirk adorned her face. Ren recognized her as one of the transfer students from Haven, who was probably here for the Vytal Festival Tournament.

He lowered the book slowly, uncomfortable with the thought of somebody knowing about his reading material. Although, he figured, It is far too late to hide it. "Yes, I. . . uh." What should I say? He raised an eyebrow in question. "How can I help you?"

She laughed loudly, though not obnoxiously. "It's weird for somebody like you to be reading that kind of stuff. I figured you were more the philosophy type. Y'know, like, boring, dense books?" She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.

Oh, I see. She seems to be basing her assumption off of what little she's seen of me. And since she's familiar with the subject material, I'm at a disadvantage here. . . "Well, I can assure you that I only read it for the dialogue." He met her smirk with a small one of his own, happy to see his words take effect. They were evidently completely unexpected; surprise flashed across the girl's face, only to be replaced by an even wider smirk a second later.

"Oh yeah? I didn't peg you for the type. And what exactly about the dialogue do you find so captivating?"

"Emerald, right?" She nodded her assent. He lowered the book into his lap, "What brings you this far out?" His question was a deflection from the topic, yet also of genuine interest to him. "The foreign teams are usually very closely melded to one another and don't often mingle with the rest of Beacon. With the exception of team SSSN, it's rare to see individual students roaming the area."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Without waiting for his approval, she sat next to him on the bench, leaning back comfortably. "I got sick of my teammates and decided to wander."

"The silver haired one in particular, I presume?"

Her grimace answered his question. "Yeah, Mercury. Thinks he's hot shit, goes around hitting on women all the time. Disgusting."

"From what little I've seen, he doesn't seem like the most. . . respectful of individuals." Emerald snorted in response.

"Yeah, that's putting it lightly. I can't believe that guy! He even started hitting on the combat professor right after the fight with Invincible Girl!" It was Ren's turn to cough in surprise.

"He hit on. . . Professor Goodwitch?"

She chuckled, reliving the moment with a smile. "Yeah, he got pretty viciously shot down though. But enough about him! I can already feel my blood pressure spiking." Rolled eyes accompanied her statement. She shifted so she was facing him more directly, leaning on the bench with an arm draped over the back. "So, what's it like being on a team with Invincible Girl?"

"You mean Pyrrha," he corrected. "Quite good, I'm lucky to have been placed on a team that I can get along with so well." Emerald's smirk widened with her response.

"Oh yeah? Then why're you all the way out here? Wanted to get away?" Ren couldn't help but sigh with admission.

"It's nice to have some peace and quiet every now and then. Surely, you can understand," he said, raising his book. A mistake, he realized shortly after, as it drew Emerald's attention back to the genre of his reading material.

"You avoided my question earlier. Why Ninjas of Love? Feeling a little. . . frustrated?" She winked. Far from being salacious, it was a wink that suggested she was carefully trying to get him to slip up in his answer. It was a blatant invitation to verbal combat that Ren could become easily immersed in. Perhaps I won't be returning to my book after all.

"Perhaps," he smiled back. "But probably not for the reasons you may be thinking. While you've caught me reading a book I hope nobody knows I possess, I must once again assure you that my interests in the subject matter are strictly. . . intellectual."

"I didn't realize that shameless smut could be considered 'intellectual.' I don't suppose you'd mind reading me some, then?" Her grin betrayed her, she knew that she had just tripped him up. Drat. Point for you.

"Not at all," he did his best to recover quickly. If she were willing to see how far he would go in the name of combat by wits, he would be happy to oblige. I'm going to beat you at your own game. He thumbed the pages until he found a particularly lascivious passage, and began reading out loud.

"Renga knelt over Kahar with her legs spread. Pressed against him, she could feel his hardness beneath her, and could barely contain her impulse to rip his clothing off and take him right there on the hard floor."

He met Emerald's eyes as he finished the sentence. The silence that passed between them was charged. "Keep going," she prompted with a predatory glare. I won't lose, he promised himself. If I can break her composure, I'll be the winner here.

Ren looked back to the page and continued reading.

"Renga slowly trailed her tongue down Kahar's chest, tracing his hard abdomen with her organ. She hungrily lapped at the space where his pants met his skin, and then placed her hands on his belt. She unbuckled the leather, pulling it out. Next went the zipper, in an agonizingly slow motion. Kahar's hips surged upward."

Ren looked up from the book, reestablishing eye contact with Emerald. Little did she know, he was now ad-libbing the rest of the passage.

"She pulled his pants down roughly and looked down, licking her lips to taste him, his sweat." Ren's voice increased in intensity and speed. Emerald leaned forward, as if hungrily anticipating the rest of his words. He too leaned forward, with an incredibly serious expression on his face.

"And she looked down, seeing, in all its glory-" Emerald's eyes were wide; either she was actually curious, or she was merely playing along. Either way, it was apparent that she was having fun. "-What Renga found in Kahar's pants was. . . The vast emptiness of space." Ren deadpanned. "The abyss, that from a distance, is easily ignored, but as it approaches, becomes more and more inexorable and final in its presence. It cannot be stopped, nor should we try to stop it. We can only wait. . . and watch."

The following silence lasted a good ten seconds. Both students stared deeply into each other's eyes, as if trying to find deeper meaning in the words. Finally, Emerald broke first, letting out her held breath with a chuckle. "Okay, you got me. Not bad. But-" she looked back at him, "the buildup was a little too strong for that kind of ending. I saw it coming."

He sighed in mock defeat. "Alright, I suppose that's understandable. I don't get many chances to work on my comedy. I'll do my best to perfect it. I'm worried though," he continued, "this is the second book of the series, are you sure you understood what was going on? The plot can become very complex." She rolled her eyes again in response, but smiled.

"Im sure I can understand the plot just fine."

"Good to hear. I'd love to discuss it over tea sometime."

She raised her eyebrows. "Are you implying there'll be another time we meet?" Ren ignored the question, responding to it as if it were an invitation.

"I'll look forward to it," he smiled.

". .Heh." Emerald stood up and brushed the seat of her pants off. Ren resisted the urge to clench his fist in victory. Although she had recovered well, her slight hesitation had been noticed by him, and they both knew it. Ren stood as well, facing her.

"It's been. . . stimulating." He allowed a slight smirk to slide across his face in response to her glare and subsequent eye roll. He ended the conversation on his terms, not keen on letting her win by getting out a last word. "Farewell." He walked away, holding the book loosely in his hand. Emerald didn't say anything as he left, having at least the self respect to not shout a retort at his back. Apparently, she had acknowledged his win as well.

All throughout his journey back, Ren carefully kept his composure, but only barely. He was incredibly excited at this new prospect for banter, and could barely keep himself from grinning uncharacteristically. I'm looking forward to our next meeting.

The rest of his team spared him short glances as he returned. Pyrrha waved a gentle hello, and Jaune nodded, smiling. Nora tackled him with a hug. They were working hard on various portions of their essays, collaborating to ease the pain of writing. Ren's presence had apparently been missed; Nora hadn't had a chance to blow off the steam accumulated by rigorous focus.

The others didn't seem to notice his uncharacteristically happy expression; he chalked that to his careful self-moderation of his emotional display. He wasn't especially emotive, especially when compared to the others around him. He also was much better at hiding is true feelings than people like Pyrrha, who was already quite convincing. Therefore, his elation stayed private. It wouldn't do to slip up and create rumors.

When it came time for bed, team JNPR gave their customary "goodnight" to one another before tucking in. Before sleep Jaune played on his phone, while Nora slept like a silent rock. Pyrrha, surprisingly, was a snorer, her light snuffles sounded in the room. It was lucky her snores weren't obnoxious, as Ren would hate to make her feel sorry for something she couldn't control in her sleep.

Ren stayed wide awake for other reasons. Thinking back to his conversation with Emerald, her realized that he might've actually lost the battle in the end. Although he had gotten the final word and made his exit, had it really been on his own terms? He hadn't noticed it at the time due to being focused on the conversation, but Emerald's appearance had eventually made him leave the bench. It was no stretch of the imagination to think that Emerald won by chasing him away without him even realizing it had happened. After all, if she hadn't appeared, he would've read much more than a mere two chapters.

Drat. He curled his fist under the covers, silently admonishing himself. I'll get you next time, Emerald. Mark my words.