Chapter 5

Ren arrived home to find Penny and Nora watching television together. Nora leapt up from the couch and embraced Ren as Penny slowly stood and started gathering her things. "You're not staying for dinner?" Ren asked.

"Not tonight." Penny said. "I have plans."

"Enjoy yourself." Ren said.

"I will." Penny smiled. She slipped on her coat, grabbed her bag and headed out.

Ren guided Nora to the couch and sat down with her. He picked up the remote and clicked the television off. "Oh, I was watching that." Nora complained.

"I'm sorry, but I have something very important to tell you." Ren said. "I've decided to retire from Judo. I got an offer to join Vale Top Team's MMA program, and I've decided to accept."

"But you love Judo." Nora gasped. "Being the best at it is your dream. How can you be happy doing something else?"

"I know, and I still love Judo, but there isn't much of a future there." Ren explained. "Switching to MMA, I'll be making more money with more room for advancement. And Judo is still part of it. It's not exactly my dream, but I can still be happy. It's just another way to expand my horizons and better myself."

"It's really that simple?" Nora asked.

"What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"I've been thinking all this time about how taking medication would crush my dream." Nora replied. "But I guess I've been thinking about it wrong. If I take the medication, I won't be able to compete in weightlifting anymore, so that dream will be gone, but that doesn't mean I can't have another dream to chase, or that I need one at all. It doesn't mean I can't be happy."

"Nora, are you…" Ren started.

"I'm going to take the medication." Nora declared. "I don't want to live in fear anymore."

"Are you sure?" Ren asked.

"If I have to choose between living my dream and living my life, I'll choose my life." Nora said. "As long as I have you, it's a dream come true anyway." Nora smiled at Ren and he smiled back. They leaned in and passionately kissed.

Nora did indeed start taking the medication. It stopped her hallucinations without any unpleasant side effects. Best of all, it still allowed Nora to be Nora. She was happy, truly happy, and free of fear for the first time in a long time. She could still work out and lift weights even if she could not compete. A little over a week later was Huntsman Day, a big holiday in Vale. Ren had the day off and decided to treat Nora to a day of celebration, not just for the holiday, but for their new life.

The day started with breakfast in bed. Ren got up abnormally early and made pancakes, delivering them to Nora on a tray. He briefly left to get his own before returning to eat beside her. After eating they made love, a session that featured some creative use of syrup and whipped cream. The shared shower that followed may have turned into more sex, but there was a schedule to keep. Nora was disappointed but Ren assured her it would be worth it. They dressed and got into Ren's car.

Next up was a trip to the zoo. Nora darted around, excitedly taking in the sights, sounds and smells before making her way to the sloth exhibit. She stood there in awe and glee, watching as the sloths slowly climbed around the trees in their habitat. Ren practically had to pry her away, but he had a surprise in store. After meeting up with a zoo employee, Ren and Nora were led inside a nearby building. After sitting in suspense for a few minutes another employee arrived carrying a sloth. Nora squealed with glee at just being able to see it up close, and nearly fainted when she was told she would be allowed to hold it. Nora giggled and cried tears of joy as she held the sloth, letting it climb all over her.

Getting to spend one-on-one time with a real sloth was an experience Nora would never forget, but it had to end. Still, the day of excitement was not over. After a few more hours gawking at the animals, Ren and Nora left the zoo, heading for another surprise. Ren drove Nora into the hills overlooking the city. The area was secluded and deserted, but a picturesque hill there was the perfect place to view the Huntsman Day fireworks. Ren laid a towel down on the grass, sitting on it beside Nora. They held one another as the pyrotechnics lit up the sky in an awe-inspiring spectacle of light, color and sound. After the fireworks, at Nora's insistence, the pair made love under the stars. Afterwards they lie side-by-side, gazing up at the night sky. It had been an incredible day full of memories to last a lifetime.

"I wish this could last forever." Nora sighed.

"Who says it can't?" Ren said.

"What do you mean?" Nora asked. She turned to see Ren getting up off the blanket. "What are you doing?"

Ren fished around in his pocket for a few seconds before locating a small box. He popped it open to reveal a gold ring adorned with diamond and jade. He knelt before Nora. "Nora, will you marry me?" He asked.

"Yes!" Nora squealed. "Of course!" She slipped the ring onto her finger before launching into an embrace that became more of a tackle. "I love you so much! I'll love you forever!"

"I love you too." Ren said. "I have for a long time."

"How long have you been planning this?" Nora asked.

"I bought the ring when we were still in Vacuo." Ren replied. "I already knew then. I was just waiting for the right moment. Tonight seemed perfect."

"It was!" Nora exclaimed. "It was already the best day ever! Now...now it's like...like...the super-ultra best day ever!"

"It's so great to see you this happy." Ren said.

"It's all because of you." Nora said. "I love you so much!"

Nora was eager to get married, and the pair scheduled a date just a few months later. In the meantime, their circle of friends exploded in size. Ren's new job, training for MMA and instructing other fighters in Judo, brought the couple into contact with people just as unique as they were. Ren and Nora accepted them for who they were, and in return were accepted, quirks and all. As the wedding approached they were not going to be left out. Ren picked a young fighter at the gym - Sun Wukong - to be his best man. Nora picked a more experienced fighter - Yang Xiao-Long - who just happened to be as energetic and adventurous as she was, to be her Maid of Honor. Rookie fighter Blake Belladonna and champion Pyrrha Nikos were added as bridesmaids. Ruby Rose, Yang's sister and a tattoo artist who spent much of her time inking up the fighters, got to be flower girl because despite being an adult, she was the most child-like person the couple knew. Ruby's friend Jaune Arc joined retired fighter Peter "Coach" Port as Ren's groomsmen.

The night before the wedding was one reserved for parties. Ren took Sun, Jaune and Coach to a bar for a night of drinking, billiards and darts. Nora took Yang, Blake, Pyrrha and Ruby to a club in downtown Vale. The place was a favorite of Nora's, and she reserved a VIP room. Nora had plans, sexy plans, all cleared with Ren beforehand. She hoped once everyone was sufficiently lubricated with alcohol, things would get really interesting.

"And so...it begins!" Nora announced as she closed the door.

"I'm waking up half dead tomorrow, aren't I?" Ruby asked.

"Worth it!" Yang announced.

"Speak for yourself." Pyrrha groaned.

"Worth it." Blake added.

"Oh God…" Pyrrha sighed.

"Who wants jello shots?!" Nora cheered.

"Jello?" Ruby said.

"Shots!" Yang added.

"Do we have strawberry?" Pyrrha requested.

"They make strawberry, jelly alcohol?" Ruby gasped.

"They make everything alcohol, Rubes." Yang confirmed. "Here." She handed Ruby and oversized shot glass filled with pink goo.

Nora and Yang passed the shots around to everyone, then held her up for a toast. "To marriage, and all the love and sex it shall hold!" Yang cheered.

"Especially the sex!" Nora added as everyone downed their shots.

It did not take long for Ruby to get drunk. She was a lightweight for sure, and a clingy drunk. She latched onto Blake's arm as the latter fed her gummi candies Nora had brought along. Pyrrha was not exactly holding her alcohol well either. Red-faced, she nursed her drink, trying to remain as sober as possible while not falling behind. Yang and Nora decided to play Truth or Dare.

"Dare." Yang said.

"You always pick dare." Pyrrha complained.

"Because she's got a filthy mind." Blake said. She winked at Pyrrha who somehow turned redder.

"I dare you to smooch Ruby!" Nora demanded.

"Aw, that's too easy." Yang sighed. "Come here sis." Yang leaned over and planted a kiss on Ruby's forehead. Ruby squealed and laughed, releasing Blake and latching onto Yang's arm. Yang pulled Ruby into her lap and hugged her. "Smooches are free for little sis."

"What about for the soon to be married?" Nora asked.

"You wasted your dare girly." Yang teased.

"Meany." Nora huffed. She stuck out her tongue at Yang who responded in kind.

"Now tongue kiss." Blake said.

"Blake!" Pyrrha exclaimed.

The party was well and truly nearing its end. Ruby had curled up in Blake's lap, and after being petted like a puppy for a few minutes, had fallen asleep. Blake too soon nodded off, the late hour and alcohol more than she could handle. Yang and Nora shifted to box in Pyrrha who was clearly struggling.

"You're looking a little hot under the everything there champ." Yang teased.

"Pink's pretty on you." Nora said. "I bet Yang would look pretty on you too."

"Ngh, Yang, I feel like I'm burning." Pyrrha complained as Yang leaned against her.

"You're all pent up." Nora suggested. "You need a good boopin'."

"There's a lovely gym nearby." Yang said. She leaned in, getting close to Pyrrha and whispering in her ear. "Why don't we duck in for...a little workout?" Pyrrha shuddered as Yang's breath tickled her neck. She leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded. Yang took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Enjoy the night girls." Yang said to the others, though only Nora was conscious enough to hear it.

"Y-yeah." Pyrrha stammered. "Goodnight Nora, Blake, Ruby…"

At the wedding the following day, the two sides were near opposites. The guys were fresh and ready to go after a fun but rather subdued night. The girls, on the other hand, were hungover and - with the exception of Nora - barely awake. Ruby and Blake had basically no memory of the night. Pyrrha was hazy but remembered some of it, just not the party itself. Yang was still a little wobbly but better off than the others. With Nora it seemed like nothing at all had happened.

The wedding ceremony itself was rather quick and uneventful. Taking place in an open field that was part of a country club, the setting was rather picturesque though. Ren and his group wore fairly standard tuxedos. Nora wore a flowing pink gown while the other girls wore simpler pink dresses. There were very few other guests, just Doc and Peach who were coaches at the MMA gym, Weiss Schnee who financed the gym and managed the fighters, Ruby's friend Jaune, and a few people Ren knew from his old Judo job.

The reception was a bit more interesting though. Nora had originally wanted a wrestling ring, or at least a bouncy castle, but neither was in the cards so she had to settle for dancing with Ren and flirting with Yang. "You two make a beautiful couple." Yang said.

"Add you and we'd make a rockin' threesome." Nora winked. "Right Ren?"

"I'm down." Yang said.

"Uh...I don't think I'm quite ready for that." Ren said. "I think our wedding night should just be the two of us." Yang sighed and slumped.

"Oh well, rain check?" Nora said.

"Deal." Ren agreed.

Elsewhere, Sun tried his luck with the ladies. After receiving a slap from Weiss for having the gall to interrupt her business-related phone call just to ask her to dance, Sun moved on to Blake. "I'm not having sex with you at Ren and Nora's wedding." Blake said. "In fact, I'm not having sex with you at all."

"Come on, have you seen my abs?" Sun asked. His tux was already unbuttoned so it was impossible to miss them. "I'll let you…"

"No." Blake said.

"Okay, so my abs aren't that big a deal." Sun sighed. "How about my sparkling personality?"

"Do you want another slap?" Blake threatened. Sun grumbled to himself and gave up.

Ruby technically brought Jaune as her plus one but immediately abandoned him, sticking to Pyrrha instead. Ruby had been subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, trying to get Pyrrha to notice her for weeks now and her infatuation was obvious. Pyrrha had some interest in the bubbly brunette but after a night of passion with her sister, was feeling a bit guilty. "Come on Pyrrha, let's slip into one of the other rooms and have a little fun." Ruby suggested.

"I...I…" Pyrrha stammered. "I don't think I should."

"Are you not interested in me or…" Ruby started to ask.

"No, it's not that...it's just…" Pyrrha sighed heavily. "There's something I need to talk to you about." She looked around. "In private."

"Sure." Ruby said. She and Pyrrha got up and departed. When they returned a while later they were flushed and grinning.

The day was not going as planned for Jaune. He had been abandoned by the person who brought him and knew few of the other attendees. Things had not gone to plan for Yang either. It was pretty clear she was going home alone that night. The pair sat beside one another and started drinking champagne. "Bored?" Yang asked.

"Yep." Jaune confirmed. "Looks like Ruby had a good time though."

"Uh-huh." Yang said. "Just the kind of good time I was aiming for too."

"Man, I wish." Jaune laughed.

"So...how about we go fuck in a closet?" Yang suggested.

"Buh-wha?!" Jaune spluttered. "I don't…"

"Not interested?" Yang sighed. "Oh well. I wonder what Sun's up to."

"Last I saw he was trying to hit on Ruby." Jaune said.

"That's it!" Yang groaned. "You, closet, now!"

"Yes ma'am!" Jaune said, leaping from his chair.

Despite the disappointing cancellation of a three-way and the fact that the hoped-for orgy had never materialized the night before, Nora was having a good time. She and Ren posed for pictures together, fed each other cake, danced, and generally did the things the newlywed couple was supposed to do at their wedding. With the exception of eating cake, none of it was particularly exciting for Nora except for the fact with it was with Ren. She had found someone who would never leave, never run away. He would always be there to support her, to help in her time of need. And today they had sealed the deal. It felt like a dream, one Nora never wanted to wake up from. For his part Ren seemed happier than ever. His usually impassive face sported a smile that Nora suspected would need to be surgically removed if he ever wanted to show another expression. The best part was the cause of his smile, her. She made him happy and he made her happy. Now they would get to be happy together for the rest of their lives. And with a weeklong honeymoon just ahead, they would get to have lots and lots of sex.

Nora somehow slowed down enough for a nice romantic dance with Ren. "I've never felt happier in my life." She said, smiling and gazing into his eyes.

"Neither have I." Ren declared.

"Thank you Ren." Nora said. "For everything you've given me."

"Your smile has always been thanks enough." Ren said.

"Aw, you cheesy romantic you." Nora laughed.

"Want to bang in the limo after this?" Ren asked.

Nora giggled. "I thought you'd never ask."

THE END