Disclaimer: I own nothing of RWBY.

Mahogany

By: Imyoshi

Death shook many people's hands before the sun rose each morning.

Life on Remnant was difficult, not hard, but challenging. Troublesome. Some days were better than others, but no days were good. Some called it unfair. Others ignored the point of yelling useless drabble, more favored in surviving in a harsh environment than running their mouths. What choice did they have in such a cruel world? The weak died, and the strong survived. People lived in Kingdoms to escape this fate, but powerful Huntsmen was what kept those Kingdoms from falling into obscurity.

The Grimm weren't creatures to ignore. Turn your back toward them, and death inevitably followed. Maybe, in a child's fantasy, if the Grimm were the only threat to consider, things might be better. Not the case in this version of Remnant. Vegetation was scarce. Game tended to venture away from human or Faunus populated areas to avoid running into creatures of darkness. An endless horizon of clouds settled on the outskirts with the air stale and water poisonous. Life outside the Kingdoms went from challenging to perils real quick.

Above all else, surviving was the goal foremost.

To combat declining numbers, it wasn't uncommon for people to take more than one spouse, out of necessity, not enjoyment. The higher their Aura reserves, the greater the value. More power meant exceptional Huntsmen, a concept so easy to understand that even children comprehended it. Not to say most pursued more than one mate, but the option was always there. Most of the time, believe it or not, males were sought out instead.

That was how Tai Xiao Long ended up with two spouses, Summer Rose, and Raven Branwen. Not the savviest of men, lacking that silver tongue, a dork in his own right, but he fathered two powerful Huntresses and became an overall family man. When Raven or Summer left for a mission, he raised his two girls to the best of his abilities. Love, support, boxed lunches, everything two growing Huntresses needed in the gruesome way of life that was Remnant.

Even now, miles away from his Grimm-slaying girls, he knew his love reached them as he cleaned their home.

...

Gasp!

"Dad made me some chocolate chip cookies for lunch!"

Across from her, sitting on a dying Major Ursa's back, Yang rolled her eyes playfully at Ruby's outburst. Only cookies? Snort! Yeah right. Knowing her sister, she had rummaged through her lunch for the dessert hidden inside and ignored all the essentials for sugary sweets. Give her the bag. Yang knew she would find a sandwich inside with either an apple or a couple of strawberries and a bottle of water or milk. The essential food groups and whatnot. Sometimes Yang wondered if the adorableness from her sister was nothing more than a mask.

Hard to take her adorable sister's innocence seriously with her chomping down on sweets from on top of a dying Beringel.

Ruby only pushed her legs out, chewing contently with ashes fluttering in the air and a sway in her body. Crescent Rose remained buried inside the monster's skull, a testament to her might. Thick as they were impressive, Beringels weren't a walk in the park to kill. Bastards took blows, moved unpredictably, weighed a ton, and crushed boulders for fun. Ruby, by definition, was a five-foot-two girl who weighed less than a hundred-fifty pounds. Her contraption of a weapon weighed half her size, yet she moved in blurring speeds and ate with cookie crumbs on her cheeks.

Not that she was any better, only slightly bulkier than her sister, a good five-foot-eight compared to her sibling, two years her senior, and preferred the fist-to-face technique over an overly sized garden tool, but at least she refrained from humming a tune while she ate. Most of the time. Hn? Then again, as she rummaged through her bag and pulled out her favorite cupcake, getting spoiled by her pops made anyone soft. Look at this! He frosted a dopey smiley face on the dessert, adding sprinkles for dimples. No wonder her sister acted all friendly in the wild, surrounded in dead vegetation and Grimm corpses. Who could blame her with her dad's influence?

Especially with the little touches her dad loved doing every now and again. Like right now. A note hidden underneath her cupcake. Classic pops. She expected something cheesy. A pun, maybe, or some word of advice, like always brush after every meal. Of course, he would put it underneath her dessert. Lucky for her, this sticky note had nothing but a crudely drawn grin. Her sandwich, on the other hand, was shaped like a drawn fist. Heh. A knuckle sandwich to go with her meal. Two puns for the win.

Yang blew raspberries. She peeked over to her sister. What treasure trove of jokes laid in Ruby's bag would be forgotten, not having the same love of comedy like them. What a shame. Oh well.

Yang grinned, biting down on the cupcake. Her dad was both her hero and the thing she inspired not to be. Heartwarming, courageous, and loving in a world infested with monsters, but clueless and a dork one-hundred percent of the time. How he managed to rope in not one, but two amazing mates never ceased to amaze her. The supposed charm eluded her, but not her no-nonsense mother. Miss The Weak Die and the Strong Survive chose a pun-loving blond. Not to say her old man didn't know a few moves, she learned all her hand-to-hand combat from him, but her mother knew how to fight. Ruby's too.

Both their moms kicked butt.

Growl!

Two mouthful Huntresses blinked when another Beringel rushed out the forest, charging straight for Ruby's cookie-crumbed face. A fist cocked back, an enraged snarl matched, and a Grimm leaped into the air, only to get sliced in two from the curved slash of a scythe digging across its abdominal. One Grimm entered the wind, but two black tuffs hit the ground. Rose petals fell to celebrate its demise with the strawberry loving reaper sitting on its ashy remains. Ruby then spun her weapon once, shifting for the blade to dig into its back so she could sit on the handle, mewing from the taste of her sweets with her body rolled into itself.

Yang snorted at the display. "Overkill, much?"

"Overkill?" Ruby said with her mouth full. "Me? I'm not the one walking around with a giant butter knife. That's overkill."

Yang grunted. Her telescope blade? Overkill? Not on her life. So what if one of her weapons resembled that of her mother's? Wasn't her fault her armament shot out of its holster like a shotgun, or that the steel edge beat Ruby in the height department. Yang abruptly paused. Okay, fine! A katana that switched between a long ranged sword to a shortened blade sounded too much. Anyway, like it hardly mattered. Arm and hammer had her back.

She cherished the blade her mother helped her forged, but it lacked the excitement of breaking something with your knuckles or bare hands. Smashing bones or ripping flesh outweighed cutting tendons or slicing jaws. At least to her, it did. Her father called it genetic. Her mother called it idiotic. Killing was killing. Who cared what the reasons were, but Raven pointed out each time how a blade acted as an extension of her arm and thus could deliver more damage with a greater area of mobility to protect herself. In some twisted way, that was how Raven Branwen showed her maternal side. So she defended the lilac blade by waving it haphazardly around.

"It's called a katana."

"Tomato, potato."

She huffed. "It's tomato, tomahto, genius."

"... Now you're just making stuff up."

Yang smiled too sweetly, harboring a dark cloud. "Whatever. Look! The mission's done. Time to head home. It's a long Bullhead trip back."

Their mission, kill an infestation of Grimm. Simple in terms and it paid well. Near Argus, a port-type of capital in the northern region of Mistral. A charming, quiet place. Nothing special except for the ocean and it being the birthday of that Invincible Champion. Being a merchant center, they had little in the way of Huntsmen, hence the need to travel so far from Patch. Might be a good idea to set up a Huntsmen Academy or at least combat school nearby to control the Grimm's influence.

Not like either of them went to one.

Raven always called those overblown schools a waste of time, and Summer wouldn't allow Ruby to venture to Signal alone. So they ended up homeschooled by their mothers in combat and all things Grimm-slaying, hence being on a mission. Father taught them morals, or what Raven called them, useless necessities, except oral hygiene. Not even she argued that against Tai. For a ball of sunshine, he could sure turn dark at a whim. No point in winning a fight if the smirk following after looked worse than your opponent, his only argument for pearly whites. To a credible degree, Yang agreed. Which begged the question of why he made so many sweets? Sadisticness must be a guy's trait.

Ruby predictably fussed. "Aw! Can't we stay and do some sightseeing?"

She choked, kicking a rock. "What's there to see? There's dirt and sand. You want water, make a bath. Which is something we can do at home."

"But it's such a nice day out!"

A snort this time. Nice day? By that, did she mean bleak and gloomy? Overhead of clouds with zero chance of sunlight. Heck! If Yang didn't know any better, it might rain. Give it a few hours, and the atmosphere would reflect something similar to that of a dark and stormy night. Yang had an irking that Ruby only wanted to stay away from home. Taking missions in strange lands must bring out the adventurous lurking underneath.

"Ruby—?"

"Stop being a sourpuss, Yang. Where's your sense of adventure?" Ruby challenged. She then giggled. "Unless you're scared of the dark. The forest can be pretty scary at night."

She pouted. Teasing eyes shifted red, and she squinted hard at the smiling five-foot-two knucklehead. She knew her sister was egging her on. Cross her heart and yadda-yadda, but Oum if it wasn't working. Fine! Whatever. If Ruby felt like strolling through the woods and hitting up the coastline of this port city, then she could oblige. One day wouldn't hurt. Then after she found the whole experience, lackluster, dull, boring, then Yang would degrade her with the customary; I told you so.

"Fine. Have it your way. Let's go for a stroll." Yang opened her arms up, throwing them toward her side. "After you, milady."

Ruby struck her tongue out and hopped off Crescent Rose. She wiped the crumbs off her face and marched head-on toward the port with a sense of satisfaction and Yang couldn't wait to rub her face in it. Her sister moved quickly for being the shorter one, lunging around a weapon weighing her weight in metal and gears. Then she hurriedly stopped, turned on the heels of her boots, and accidentally tapped a close by tree to wave her hand at her direction.

"Hurry up, slowpoke!"

Yang answered her demands by mimicking her speech with her hand as she blabbed mutely with a cross-eyed expression. Ruby huffed and spun around, hitting the tree again. A black blob fell from one of the branches, and neither of them noticed. Not until halfway through the walk when Ruby stopped to check their Scroll for the map.

That was when Yang saw a tiny, fuzzy object crawling around the insides of Ruby's hoodie. A bug. A harmless one. Caterpillar was thy name. Must have fallen inside there when her sister tapped the tree one too many times? By all definitions of the word, it was adorable. Yang was a stickler on the all bugs were gross spectrum, but the fuzz on the little made her want to touch it and stroke the hairs. Had to be ticklish, just had to be. With the way it slowly crept toward her sister's neck, Ruby was about to find—gasp!

Holding her breath, she eyed the little guy wearily as it made its way up from the threading and for Ruby's endangered neck. So close! Just a bit more! A few more inches and—!

Scream!

She immediately burst out laughing as her sister thrashed uncontrollably from having her neck tickled by dozens of furry fibers. Ruby couldn't stay still, rubbing her nape for that finger-like feeling that had long since dropped to the floor. Ruby never noticed. She squirmed, spinning in dizzy-inducing circles. Goosebumps traveled across her skin. Yang just kept laughing but took the time out of her fun to pick up the caterpillar from the floor before Ruby accidentally stepped on it, and she was dead right.

Fuzzy!

She naturally smirked when her sister checked her cape for the nasty intruder. Ruby accomplished many things and squashed just as many. From fighting against monsters with razor-sharp claws to beheading behemoths and everything in-between among things with flesh-ripping teeth, she challenged them all, and never once did her sister shriek. She feared, growled, and even screamed in the face of danger, no one was fearless, but the tiny bug crawling up the spine of her neck produced a shriek.

Guess it made sense since caterpillars had a long and extensive history of devouring rose petals.

Whelp! She had her fun, time to calm down the scaredy cat.

A skip in her step. A twirl of her hip. One, two, three, and she bounced in front of Ruby, wiggling the woolly menace in front of her face. Blurred, pearly whites contrasted the black fuzz nicely, and Yang arched her back forward so Mr. Fuzzy was this close to touching her sister's tiny nose.

"Lookee here. Someone wants to say they're sorry."

By calm down, she meant freak out. Ruby jumping back with a random wave of her arms was mere icing on the cake. "Keep that thing away from me!"

"Chill out, Rubes, it's just a harmless caterpillar. See?" Yang oohed while wiggling the fuzzy insect in her sister's face again. Ruby immediately took two steps back. "Ha! Now, who's scared?"

"Shut up! No one asked you!"

Howl!

Both the girls instantly reached for their weapons. Backs were pressed together as Yang's finger itched over the trigger, and Ruby's grip on her scythe increased. Nothing charged out of the woods, however, another howl echoed through the foliage, much closer this time.

Ruby frowned. "That sounded like a Beowolf."

"That sounded close. Beowolves don't howl unless they're alerting their buddies."

"Do you think they know that we're here?"

Yang lowered the caterpillar onto a nearby branch. "Either that or we're not the only ones in this forest. If that's the case, we better follow them. Could be a civilian in way over their head."

Neither one liked the sound of that, so Ruby locked and loaded her sniper, dashing away with rose petals spilling on the floor. Yang rolled her eyes and picked one up and offered it to Mr. Fuzzy before chasing after her. Ruby was lucky that her Semblance left behind a trail of rose petals or she wouldn't be able to chase her down. Like following a trail of breadcrumbs. A third howl exploded, and her ears picked up on the sound of metal clashing against boney texture. The question of whether or not her sister was in combat was answered when she spotted the dummy hiding behind a boulder, peeking over the edge in fascination. Crescent laid forgotten on the side with her feet kicked up.

Yang briefly paused.

She blinked in a stupor. Background noises speculated that Beowolves were around the vicinity with someone fighting them, but if not her sister, then who? A second body joined that boulder, peeking over the sharp edge to find some blond guy fighting the Grimm. Before she could read his face, a Beowolf jumped onto his shield and hung on the sides, but he stabbed the monstrosity through the mouth. Doing so killed the beast, but threw off his already slanted weight. He almost got charred across the chest from a speeding Grimm, only narrowly avoiding the claw strike by the skin of his teeth. The guy was busy trying to pull his blade out of the Grimm's mouth before he could commence his counterattack.

Yang tsked at the sight of more Beowolves showing up.

If only he had dropped the shield instead of gutting the Grimm's insides, he could have cleaved the creature's head off and not worry about pulling his blade out of its stomach. Beowolves of all sizes greeted him. From small to alphas to some in between, he had his work cut out for him, and he still tried to free his blade, eventually kicking the dead Grimm's body away from his sword.

Another Grimm charged in on the opening.

He grunted, pulling his longsword free had twisted his body in an uncomfortable angle. It left him little choice but to undertake the beast head-on between a collision of his shield and it. Not the best of options as he pushed forward instead of swiping the Grimm. Wasted effort. No point in playing a game of tackle. Better to disorient the dreaded monster than duel for alpha. He then changed the shift of battle and dug his feet into the ground, gripping his weapon close to his chest. A few seconds passed, a third, then he spun and allowed the Beowolf's momentum to drive it forward while he stabbed the side of the Grimm's body and cut it cleanly in two.

Yang rose her brows to the move. Risky. Unnecessary. Doing so worked, but cutting like that drained far too much energy for one Grimm. Great. What now? Now he was just weak and tired with his shield bashed against some tree. Only more were showing up. If she noticed his labored breathing, then they certainly did. At least he gripped his sword with both hands this time, no point in swinging around a greatsword with one hand just for show, not while amidst in life or death combat.

He surprised her—surprised them both—by moving first. Went straight for his shield, but never allowed his eyes to waver from the approaching pack. When one jumped, he sliced it midair, following up with a rolling maneuver to cover distance and dodge the next Grimm feeling lucky. The move worked, lacked tact, but worked. He ended up just grabbing his shield in time to bash the incoming jaw of another Beowolf, twisting and turning for the Grimm to crash down onto the floor for his sword to follow-up with a strike to its back. Yang humphed at the scene.

Not bad, not great, but not awful.

Whoever that Huntsman down there was lacked finesse, not the most graceful of fighters, very rough around the edges, but he held his sword and shield with some experience. Guy was tall, too. Taller than her or Ruby with unkempt, sun-kissed hair and an easygoing face to read. What stuck out most, besides his lackluster swordsmanship skills, was the bunny hoodie he wore while fighting the pack of Beowolves. Who wore that while fighting Grimm? Better yet! Who wore that in public? It was only ironic that a bundle of Beowolves surrounded a lone rabbit. Still, those eyes of deep blue reminded her of someone.

"He kind of looks like pops."

Ruby blinked. She turned her head away from the action and allowed the statement to register. Her voice dripped with honeysuckle sweetness. "Of course, you would think that."

Yang mimicked her sister and gripped the boulder until it cracked. "And what's that supposed to mean?!"

Ruby shared a rather rare naughty look with her sister. "You have a dad complex."

She blushed. "I do not!"

Ruby did not believe her. Not a snowball's chance in a fiery Dust mine. Instead, she focused her attention on the fight below. She watched in fascination when a pup charged into the air where his blade was pointed up. Not a smart move—nope—but his tunnel vision left him exposed to all the other creatures.

"I think he needs our help. His back's totally exposed."

Proving Ruby's point, that sword of his dug deep into the chest cavity of a younger Beowolf with the creature sinking onto the metal. Somewhat a clean kill. A second Beowolf took advantage of its ally's death, ripping into his back from behind with sharpened claws. Another growled and lunged forward to dive down and wrap its jaws around his leg. Teeth penetrated clothing. He groaned and forcefully blocked a third from bashing its oversized skull into his shoulder with the edge of his shield. Then he stabbed the crown of the one wrapped around his ankle, digging deep into the ground from overexertion.

Both Ruby and Yang winced.

Bad move.

Too much oomph! Not enough restriction. All that unnecessary movement and push ended up digging his blade into the earth. Should have sliced its airway from side-to-side, not lobotomized it. Now he had to dig up his sword out and hope to Monty that none of the Grimm took advantage of his current predicament. One did, biting down on his shoulder from his blind spot. Others soon charged forward to aid their fellow predator.

There were five more Grimm to be killed.

"... Yang?"

Yang ignored Ruby, seeing everything pass in slow motion. Her finger hovered over her weapon's trigger, but her mother's teachings kept her from firing. The strong survive and the weak die. If this guy died by the claws of a few hungry Beowolves because he was clumsy, then he deserved it. Foolish moves led to fatal deaths. Besides, maybe he didn't need their help? Aura would protect him. Once he managed to kill a few more, the others would spread. Right?

Right!

His shoulders sagged from the added weight, yet he still fought to free his sword and fight. Blood trickled down his mouth with the jaws clenching around his shoulder. Teeth pierced deeper. He winced. Then the blond headbutted the Grimm on the side, not giving up in impossible odds with the courage she inspired to be in the face of adversary.

Click!

A katana shotgunned out of the holster and collided with the airborne Grimm. Impacted shifted the atmosphere of the battle, and Yang charged forward. She caught her weapon and cleanly sliced the Grimm in two, taking down the tree it had crashed against with it. Down went the bark, spreading dust across the battlefield as a sniper round struck the Beowolf biting down on his shoulder. The momentum of the caliber bullet shuffled his body to the floor and granted him the opportunity to watch them work.

Yang moved like fire, unpredictable and ever burning. Every one of her strikes carried weight behind them. Every cut was meant to kill, not sever or main. From atop the boulder, Ruby sniped her prey like a hawk, taking aim and firing in rapid succession. She didn't go for the kill on the first strike, preferring body shots that slowed down her target enough to deliver the finishing blow. They both contrasted nicely together, parallels but vital mutually.

He watched from the floor as Yang delivered a bone-crunching uppercut to an alpha's jaw. It got sent flying up, only to be shot down by Ruby's piercing shell. Right through the chest, a gaping hole where its heart used to beat. Yang continued the assault by seizing the Grimm's hindleg and tossing it toward another one, smashing them together with an added blast of her shotgun rounds. Ruby kept firing to provide her cover.

Until at least a shadow and speck of drool spilled on her lens.

Silver eyes exploded.

Swiftly looking up, Ruby came face-to-face with a Zeta Beowolf at least twice as large as an alpha. It growled with a foul odor, having found her location from her internal conflict on whether or not to help that guy. Snout pressed up against a tiny nose. She grinned weakly and muttered hi. Crimson narrowed. A boney paw lifted and Ruby dodged to the side.

The Zeta Beowolf stomped on her rifle, far denser than her frame could lift. She rolled out of the way from an attempted claw to the back, avoiding the bolder breaking attack that spilled dust and stones everywhere. Uprighting herself, Ruby growled and brought her fists up. She frowned inwardly. Her hand-to-hand wasn't the bestest. Things didn't go crunch underneath hers. They went ouch. Not crunch. Never crunch. Her Semblance did offer her a speed advantage over her opponent. Like right now, the Beowolf tried to cleave her head off her shoulders, but she crouched down and then zoomed up to deliver a flurry of strikes on the beast's jaw. Pow! Punch! Jab! They did some damage—some—but this imposing version of Beowolf shrugged off the blows with ease. If she had fought a youngling or even alpha, it would have been different.

Roar!

Ruby eeped and ducked, avoiding a second claw strike. She then started a repeated performance, but this Grimm's advanced aged worked to its benefit. Her fist shot forward, but not at the bony structure, except inside its opened jaw. Aura protected her limb from being ripped apart when it chomped down, but she struggled to free her arm from the confines of sharp teeth and an impressive bite. Teeth gradually dug into her skin, breaking through her Aura barrier as blood touched ivories. She grunted, she punched the dumb Grimm in the eyes, but nothing worked, and the teeth were now piercing her skin. Claws then started coming from both sides with their intention focused on her exposed midriff. So she prepared to create a tornado of rose petals to shift the momentum.

Only for a sword to abruptly cleave through the Grimm's neck.

Ruby paused when the head of the Grimm suddenly came off, still attached to her arm like a shield. It began dissolving. Deadlocked, she looked forward and found her savior to be the guy they saved on top of the dying Grimm. He appeared worse for wear than her, breathing heavily with both his shoulder and ankle damaged. Only one arm held his sword with most of his weight pressed to his left foot. His shield acted as a counterweight to keep his right side balanced, and then he grinned down at her.

"Are you okay?"

Ruby never got a word in, another Alpha Beowolf tackled him from the side and dislodged him onto the dirt. He rolled. It charged. He stopped. It attacked. Jaws aimed for his face, and he retaliated by shoving his sword upward to act as his shield. They wrestled with him crushed on the floor. Sharp canines clenched around his blade with one of its feet pressed persistently against his damaged shoulder. His struggling only matched the way he gritted his teeth from the way the Beowolf dug its claws into his wounds. A conflict persisted. Slowly, but surely, it got closer as his strength started to fail him. When he felt its snarling breath against his cheek, he breathed solemnly.

Bang!

Away went the Grimm, headshot by a point-blank blast from a shotgun barrelled fist. It wasn't enough to kill the Grimm, only dislodge it. Ruby took care of that problem by reaching for her scythe and zooming forward, cutting right through the Grimm's abdominal with a cascade of rose petals dancing in the air. Two chunks of mass hit the dirt, but she ignored it all to land gracefully on the floor and wave at the frozen man. Somehow the glittering rose petals disturbed him more than the cheerful girl and two lumps of decomposing Grimm.

He turned when he heard muffled laughing. "See? What'd I tell ya? Overkill."

Ruby made a face. He merely cocked his side to the side. "Uh?"

Yang shared a look with the guy. He stared back. Somewhere in the background, Ruby cheered, and all was right with this messed up world.

"Not the best fighter, are ya?" Yang snickered and picked him up from the floor. She grinned. "So, whose butt do we have the pleasure of saving?"

Dusting himself off, he offered his hand with his patent-pending Friends are Just Strangers you Haven't met yet Smile. "Hey! The guy attached to that butt you saved is Jaune Arc. Thanks, I owe you both one. Arc's honor."

Yang grabbed his hand and expected him to stare down at her chest, but he surprised her by only meeting her eyes. Oh? Interesting. "Name's Yang Xiao Long, but call me Yang."

Ruby gripped his other hand, pulling him the opposite way to shake. Entangled limbs? Not a problem for her. "And my name's Ruby Rose! But Just Ruby's fine. We're sisters."

"Okay, Yang." Jaune chuckled. "Just Ruby."

Ha! Yang joined in on Jaune's merriment as Ruby groaned in the background. Saving this guy was well worth it now. Anyone who could joke like that was always a plus in her book. Teasing Rubes was only a bonus.

"You're the worst!" Ruby complained.

"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't resist." Jaune apologized while rubbing his locks.

Ruby crossed her arms, humphing, but dropped the tension when he winced from flexing his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jaune painfully grinned. "I just need to sit down and wait for my Aura to heal the wounds."

He moved to the boulder and placed his weapon and shield down. She zeroed in on the armament while he rubbed his aches. "Can I see them?"

"Knock yourself out."

Ruby seized the weaponry and tinkered to her heart's desire, leaving Yang to converse with their damsel. Joining him, she kicked her leg up and snorted at the hoodie's bunny logo.

Dork.

"So, what's up?" Yang asked. "How'd you end up this far out into the woods? No one's that directionally challenged."

He pointed toward Argus. "A family get together. One of my sisters lives here." An idea struck him. "Hey? Do you want to come over for dinner? It's the least I can do." Jaune rubbed his neck and blushed. "That's kind of the reason why I got stuck in the forest. I was looking for some herbs to add to the stew. Picky eaters, you know?"

Yang paused.

Dinner? At his sister's place? During a family get together of all things? She felt inclined to decline. Not on the principle of being half full, Ruby and her loved food, but family seemed meaningful to him. No one just walked into a Grimm-infested forest for no reason. Intruding on that felt wrong, yet his eyes brightened with his smile showing. He wanted them there. She wanted to be there. However strange that seemed, she craved it. Disappointing the clueless dolt pushed that need to decline down the ditch.

She shrugged. "I could eat."

His smile stretched. Somehow his glowing radiance blinded her. Oh? Wait. No. That was his snowy Aura working on his shoulder and ankle wounds. Even after tanking so many hits and straining his body, he still held such high reserves? Huh? Maybe he would have been okay against all those Beowolves? Creativity and technique meant nothing when powering on through and pushing a sword deep into a Grimm's gut. Most Grimm never learned of the concept of dodge. Huntsmen, on the other hand, required more finesse to fight.

Speaking of more finesse, Yang noted the way her sister threw around the longsword. Too quick. Lacking counterweight. Ruby twisted her body and buried the stainless steel against the tree trunk in a single strike. Now came the part on how she pulled it out.

His blade didn't stretch like her katana. Wasn't overly long that needed a trim off the edge, Ruby's words, not hers, so her sister indulged swinging around the greatsword. A difference in stature couldn't be more apparent. Ruby's build hardly allowed her to keep it up for long, not like Crescent Rose that arched a certain way, so the momentum worked against her and the not the other way around. When she had struck the bark deep enough to be unable to pull it free, Yang smirked.

On the other hand, Jaune's build allowed him to swing his weapon around any way he so craved. Tallness plus high Aura reserves and leanness, if the way he filled out that hoodie proved anything, meant he not only swung that blade to his leisure but did so with one hand while carrying a shield with the other. Ruby always carried her scythe in box form or rested the crescent edge on the floor, but never outrighted lifted it on her shoulders. Upper body strength, thy name was not Ruby Rose.

Huh? Different builds, different fighters, both dorks.

"Great! We've always ended up making too much food, so having extra mouths to feed is perfect." Jaune stopped and looked around the floor. "Uh, but if you could just give me a second. I never did finish collecting the herbs."

He sped away with Yang shaking her head. Whelp. Nothing better to do than watch her sister attempt to pull his weapon out from the tree by planting her foot against the aged oak. Amusing to watch. All of this led to a good few minutes with her resorting to using his shield as a counter lever to smash it out. If only her sister realized that by cutting the tree deep enough in such a downward angle, she essentially forced the stricken half to pressed downward to compensate for the lost weight. Again, it all came back to upper body strength, well, that and tactic. Swinging a sword was not the same as wielding a scythe. Every weapon was fundamentally different. Each weapon required a unique kind of touch, and Rubes lacked the swordplay to swing around a broadsword.

Dork.

She kicked her feet out and stood, cupping her mouth. "Take a look at that, Just Ruby. You wanted to explore? Wish granted."

Ruby stopped trying to pull his weapon free. "Huh?"

Pfft!

"Weren't you listening, dummy? Jaune's invited us over for dinner at his sister's place. You know, for saving his life and junk. Blah, blah, blah, it's free food." Yang tossed a look over her shoulder to watch him scramble around for various greens. "You wanted to sightsee. Well, here you go. Dinner at a local's. Sounds fun."

"Really? What's on the menu?"

She offered her laziest shrug. Beats her, but Jaune came running back with an assortment of vegetation in his arms, roots, berries, mushrooms, and other healthy greens. A real scavenger, but her dad had a spice garden in the backyard, so yeah. Whatever. Dirt covered his hands with specks painting his face. Bits of his hoodie still retained blood that hadn't yet dried off, and he limped on one leg. Impressive Aura reserves or not, extensive damage took deliberate time to heal.

Yang curtsied. "Lead the way, Arc."

He rolled his eyes and led the way, but not before retrieving his sword out the trunk of the tree in one pull with only a single hand. Ruby gawked. Yang snickered. Patting her on the back, she pushed her sister to follow their host. When she pouted, crossed her arms, and retrieved Crescent Rose in a fit of rage all rolled into one, Yang purposely rested her arm on her steaming head.

"It's okay, Rubes. What you lack in strength, you more than make up for in speed. Trust me. There's a difference."

"Humph! All you blonds are the same! Meatheads!"

"Hey!" Jaune cried. "I take offense to that. See here? Veggies. Not just meat."

Yang frowned. "But there is going to be meat, right?"

He scoffed. "Of course, there's going to be meat. A meal without protein is no meal at all. These are the spices. What's the point if it doesn't taste good?"

She smirked. "Good, good. You had me worried there for a sec."

"Meatheads."

Jaune sensed Ruby's isolation—having seven sisters kept a brother on his toes—and matched her slower pace. A quick peek over his shoulder showed the contraction near her hip. Yang's overkill comment came back to bite him, and judging from the way she had stuck her tongue out, after killing that Grimm, Jaune figured her somewhat of a gearhead.

"Tell me about your weapon, Ruby. Looks complicated." Jaune waved his sword around. "I'm more of a classics man myself. Crocea Mors, at your service. It pokes, it prods, and makes a decent paperweight."

Yang predicted the way Ruby's eyes lit up. What she hadn't foreseen was his consideration for her sister's uneasiness. He analyzed the situation, picked a topic that she adored, and offered his weapon as an icebreaker, all the while grinning like a fool. Smooth. Thoughtful. Best of all, kind. He nodded along as her sister explained the inner workings of her oversized gardening tool, showed interest in the transformation capabilities, and even humbly showed her his shield's function to flip from guard to sheath.

Why did such a display of innocent affection excite her? Make her automatically grin?

Why was she so drawn to it?

Yang scoffed on the outside, fighting her raging, complicated, and frankly bizarre emotions on the inside. She only just met him, yet each one of his animated gestures captivated her attention. Weirder, on an entirely different scale, a natural urge trickled in sprinkles of heat, a warmth that required a different kind of attention. Solo. By herself. In a room with her back laid against a mountain of pillows and fingers with minds of their own.

She did her best to ignore it.

Now was not the time to self indulge. Analyzing the specimen that churned such feelings might help, but no free shows! So she studied him down to the dirt bruised on his cheek.

Jaune Arc, by Yang Xiao Long's definition, was harmless.

He could fight and hold his own but compared to Ruby and her, the difference was clear. There was a fair chance he might have died if they hadn't saved his hide. Still, regardless of technicalities, she felt safe around him. Excitement brewed underneath her soul, Ruby's too. Something about him, maybe his gentle smile, cheerful presence, ability to open his heart and home out to them, or his teasing nature kept her excitement up. Kept it going. Somehow he reminded her of Patch, the only place in this desolate life where she felt protected. Weird, she knew, but Yang cherished the rare sensation.

Made her brush closer toward him whenever possible. Every word, idiotic or benign, rasped her attention. The way he never looked down, never glanced a peek of her pushed out chest or luscious curves, amused and taunted her. Modesty? Hard to tell. A challenge? One-hundred-ten percent! By the end of the day, he would peek, if only to scratch her ego and that growing itch she wasn't allowed to touch.

...

The Arc household, in their humble opinion, was eccentric with a sprinkle of what-the-what and dash of rambunctious.

Never did a room stay quiet. Every corner had a mop of blonde hair or a toothy grin. Warmth—that word might be the only way to describe the household, nothing but fuzzy feelings and good-hearted nature. From the minute they stepped inside, after getting bombarded with many noisy questions, they quickly pieced together that he was not the breadwinner of the house. The Matriarch and patriarch effortlessly controlled that role. Jaune here kept the younglings in check and cooked and cleaned. Fighting came second to making sure his little sister's dress was on correctly to washing off the paint between her toes, all very househusband type of stuff that reminded her of her father's role in their household.

What surprised them was his reluctance to show his injuries. Jaune never revealed to his family about the brutal attack, having tossed his hoodie aside for another before taking one step inside his home and shushing them beforehand. He lied to them. Deceived those happy stares. Told them that he found Ruby and her in the forest, travelers on their way to Patch, and invited them to dinner. He primarily put on a brave face for them.

Yang understood. They both did. Not everyone could handle the dirty truth, but to not strain or groan when one of the little sisters jumped on his shoulders, impressed even her. Added weight on a damaged ankle? Ouch! He powered on through, anyway, seeming more unyielding than they first initially believed. Hard to believe that this guy almost knocked on Death's door just short of an hour ago. For a noodle, he was surprisingly resilient.

If he wished to keep his near-death experience a secret, then neither one felt the urge to reveal the gruesome events and respected his decision.

While the other Arcs cooed at Ruby demonstrating the efficiency of her scythe, Yang slipped away and watched him work from the sideline of the kitchen entrance. Her arms crossed playfully together while balancing one foot on her toes. Dummy danced when cooking, cutting up vegetables and whistling a tune off by a few decibels. How he knew which berries and vegetation was edible and not poisonous was beyond her. Every so often, Jaune shifted his leg or arm to mitigate the damage done, but none of that wiped the easy-going grin off his face.

What a wackadoodle.

"I hope you're hungry."

Uh-oh. Caught red-handed. Yang made sure to breathe in the aroma before walking inside to peek inside the pot. Mmmm! Smelled delicious. She never made it more than a few steps before a ladle waved in front of her face, dripping juices of whatever concoction he brewed inside.

"Whoa, watch where you're pointing that." Yang held her hands up, chuckling. "I come in peace."

"Shoo." Jaune warned. "Out of the kitchen. You can wait like everyone else."

Her devilish side showed up from being denied entrance. Yang dipped into his circle, only to discover the scoop partially filled with a sauce, but not for eating. Nope. That stew of mouth-watering goodness hovered near her outfit, promising stainage that would take several washes to remove. Not happening. She slowly backed out, arms up, but smirk all present.

"Let's not do anything rash now." Jaune slowly tilted the skimmer. "Okay, okay, you win. I'm leaving. I'm leaving."

Killing Grimm? Not a problem. Those monster's blood evaporated along with the corpse. A stew cooked with various spices and seasonings? Yeah, no. Smelling like food was a no-go. So she turned on her heel and went to save her sister who had multiple Arc sisters tugging at her weapon, but her eyes lingered when he resumed whistling.

For a guy who got saved by her, he showed a surprising amount of backbone, and not just in the kitchen, but his home, too.

"Yang, help!"

She laughed and aided her sister.

Half an hour later, their meal was served, and Yang regrettably swallowed each bite.

Dinner rocked.

Everything tasted like home cooking. Felt like eating a family dinner. Ruby loved it. Her, too. Which worked against her in so many ways, she missed those family dinners. Yang couldn't remember the last time they all sat together and had a meal. Very less with everyone at the table. Most of the time it fell to the three of them sitting around the table with either Summer or Raven joining them if and when they arrived back from a mission. Sometimes Uncle Qrow, too, but that was beside the moot point.

Yang finished her meal and excused herself to step outside, gripping her stomach in an oddity. That worming sensation continued to grow. Fuzzy. Warm. Turned her blood flow up to eleven. She knew it had zip to do with his cooking. Jealousy was a foreign emotion to the Grimm slayer, but envious thoughts refused to leave her alone. If she so desired, she could count all the times her family had a sit-down meal.

On only one hand.

She scoffed and kicked her feet against the dirt.

When it came to leaving, her chest ached. That awkward feeling hadn't yet abandoned her, intensifying instead. So she decided to indulge her sister's earlier wish and drag her to the beach to walk her bare feet across the sand, alerting her troublemaker that she would be back later. Maybe some time on the sand would clear her head.

No such luck.

Things only worsened.

Every step away from the Arc residence hurt. Like a swift punch to the gut. Growl! Enough of this! Yang plopped right down on the coarse-grains and racked her annoying brain for answers while Ruby skipped in the sand. Dumb feelings! Why? Why, why, why? What made her drawn to him? Huh? What? She pulled her hair, demanding an answer from her cerebellum. All she ended up doing was give herself a massive headache.

She sighed. "Okay, let's rationalize this, Yang. What does Mr. Tall, Blonde and Scraggly even have going for him? Think. Think!"

She criss-crossed her legs and rested her jaw in her palm, glaring out into the murky ocean. The furious water hardly sedated her inner turmoil, acting like a raging storm. So what did Jaune Arc have going for him in the Duh Department? Tall and high Aura reserves? Definitely a plus. Could cook a bomb meal. She didn't know about men, but the way to her heart was anything cooked well. Knew how to fight to an extent. So not totally useless. Funny. Great with kids—no! Yang dutifully shook her head. No, no! Not a bloody chance. No.

She tossed her head back and grumbled into the open air.

Dust damn it!

Yang Xiao Long wanted this wackadoodle—she wanted him bad—and that scared her to death.

Because her whacked emotions didn't make a speck of sense. Did not. Growling, she stood up and reached for her Scroll. Emotions, especially alienated ones, were uncharted territory. There was only one person she could call to sort this mess out, someone who put the perspective of everything and anything into a cut-and-dry formula.

Someone who cut out emotions except for the essentials, like anger or delight, and survived.

Raven Branwen picked up on the fourth ring. "Yang? To what do I owe the call? Is the mission troubling you?"

To any civilian or anyone not related to their family, they might mistake that question for concern. Her mother scoffed at such trivial emotions. Raven merely asked to see if she had gotten weak. No she had not. Yang knew better than to beat around the bush.

"No, we finished the mission hours ago. I'm calling for something else." Yang breathed before breaching the subject in a quick burst of speed. "How did you fall for dad? I mean, I know it's out of the blue, and he's a dork and a—?"

"Who is it?"

"... I asked first."

Raven openly smirked and leaned back on whatever chair she sat on. "His Aura reserves. His height. Muscles. Impressive genetic traits overall."

Yang frowned. None of that sounded emotional. Purely physical. "So you don't love dad?"

Her mother rolled her eyes. "We live in a cruel world, Yang, where the—!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Yang mocked. "Where the strong survive, and the weak push up daisies. I've heard it a million times. But what you're saying is that you only got together with dad because of his physical traits? Nothing else?"

"Partially. I picked a man who enjoyed kids. Dust knows why he does, but it mattered." Raven partially thinned her lips. "Meant he valued your lives. The idea of abandoning you was the furthest thing from his mind."

That sounded better. Now came the bigger question. "How long did it take you to figure out dad was the one? A year? Two?"

"A few days."

"A few days?!" Yang choked. "Whoa! Whoa! Dust! Isn't that, oh, I don't know, a bit quick to jump a guy? Whatever happened to dating?"

Not a blush was to be seen, only narrowed eyes and curving lips. "We live in a dangerous world, Yang. The ideas of love have long since been abandoned. We live off the instinct to survive, not to cherish. I jumped a guy who would take care of you and raise you. Tai, your father, was what Summer and I considered a catch. Dating would have been a waste of time. Things just escalated from there."

None of this was helping. Yang ran a hand through her hair. "I still don't get why I'm feeling this? I've only just met the guy. Today!"

"Did you happen to get into a fight before meeting him?"

A raised brow. "Uh, yeah, so?"

"Have you heard of maternal clocks?" Yang shook her head. Her mother clicked her teeth. "Not surprising. Your father would skip out on that lesson. Long story short, you're what teenagers are calling hot-and-bothered. When in a life-and-death situation, after surviving, you get in the mood to procreate. And with a suitable mate in your vicinity... I'm sure you can fill in the blanks."

"No. No! No. That doesn't make sense. There has to be something else. I've fought with other guys before and never wanted to jump their bones right after." Yang denied through her teeth. "And the only one in danger was him."

Raven smirked. "Your body wants what it wants. Those other guys, pfft! Your body didn't want them, but it wants this..."

"Jaune."

"Jaune, fellow."

She hid behind her sunny hair. "This is so wrong."

Her mother adopted a motherly tone befitting her. Clipped, direct, and thoughtfully insightful. "Did you know the insect world, the female is queen, and the queen chooses its mate, more times more than one. And the males are in charge of caring for that young."

"... What are you getting at?"

"I taught you how to fight, daughter. How to survive, how to win. But I did not raise you. Your father did that. He showered you girls with kindness and love, things lacking in our world. If you find a man who could offer that to you and your little ones, then you've hit the jackpot."

She huffed. "But Jaune's a dork."

Her mother chuckled. "Sounds just like your father."

"Not. Helping."

She ceased her laughter to smirk. "You and your sister are more alike than you realize. Could you honestly believe you're fit for home life? You're adventurous, not domesticated. I have no doubt you would care for your future offspring, but to stay home all day and watch them? You're a fighter, not a lover." Raven shared a rare smile with her daughter. "Choose a mate that will take care of your offspring. They're harder to find than you realize. Summer and I, well, we got lucky. And, to be blunt, we didn't give your father a choice, exactly. Taking no for an answer wasn't an option. For him, anyway."

Yang mirrored the smile through her bangs, only it lacked tact. "You know, I never thought my first mother-daughter talk would be this. It's kind of freaky."

"Tch! You think I'm bad? You should pay close attention to Summer. She's the freak. I'm the normal one. I can put your father on the phone and have him explain her to you if you want."

Yang wanted to laugh, but a thought crossed her mind instead. "Wait a minute? You're home already?"

"We just got back."

"We? Ruby's mom's there too? Should I grab Ruby and race over?"

Raven shared a look with her daughter that was entirely unreadable. "... I recommend you stay there a night, Yang. Summer has already retrieved the rope."

Okay! Now she had questions. "Rope? What do you mean rope? What rope?"

Raven inwardly smirked at the prospect of emotionally scarring her daughter. Besides, she never believed in lying. Only fools couldn't take the truth. So with an impish grin and spin of her finger, she zoomed away on her Scroll.

"We tied your father to the bed. Rope's a big part of our bedroom fun. You should've seen Summer in the past. She rode that man until he couldn't—!"

"Oh, my Dust. I don't want to hear anymore! I'm sorry I asked!"

"But don't you want to hear the story about how you were conceived?"

"I'm hanging up now."

"He pinned me on a wall—!"

Click!

A deafening silence overtook the sandy beach before Yang shuddered. A shiver traveled up her spine. Who said her mother's sense of humor was dry? Dad loved puns. Mom had no inhibitors. Combine them, and that created one Yang Xiao Long.

At the very least, her heart-to-heart talk put some confusing things into perspective. Strength? Tallness? Blond? Yes, she preferred that in a man. Jaune checked the boxes in all those marks. He also cooked, cleaned, and knew how to deal with children. Yang was many things, talented, ruthless, awesome-sauce, but never put a broom in her hand or ask her to make food. She could burn water with enough prep time. Worse of all, her mother was right.

Yang Xiao Long could not see herself as a stay at home parent. Ever.

She, however, could see Jaune raising kids, her kids, and honestly, when that criteria made more sense than dating to her, it only reinforced the notion that she was, in fact, Raven Branwen's kid.

The strong survive, and the weak die.

…

Across the beach with her toes dipped into the icy water, her sister was having a similar conversation with her mother, but Summer preferred skipping to the bare essentials after her daughter revealed her confusing emotions. Each piece of advice shined brightly in Ruby's eyes.

"First, you tie him down."

"Uh-huh!" Ruby nodded vigorously.

"And then you ride him. The whole point is to milk him dry. You like milk, right?" Ruby again nodded. She didn't like milk. She loved it. "Then don't stop until he's dry. Empty! Keep going all night if you have to! Start with your mouth to get him going. Trust me, it always works."

"Got it!"

Summer giggled. "That's how I snagged your father. Men are simple. No hot-blooded male is immune to a good milking. And ever since we've been a happy family."

Ruby's Aura burst in determination. When her mother put it that way, things made sense. Why wait when prince charming was just down the street, wearing a bunny hoodie. Things had worked out for them. She loved her family. Dad was a goof, but Ruby had nothing but cherished memories. Life couldn't be better. Well, okay, that was a lie. Everything could be twice as good if she snagged her future husband, one Jaune Arc, wearer of bunny hoodies and wielder of classics.

"Thanks, mom! I'll get right on that."

"Don't forget to use rope and never take no for an answer." Summer pursed her lips. "Being really filthy helps, too."

Ruby giggled. "Like those dirty books dad reads?"

Silver glimmered in mischief. "Filthier."

Her cheeks colored. Filthier than that? Huff! She pulled her collar but nodded anyway. Milk him dry. Then drag him back home, exactly like how her mother did with her father. Just another obstacle to overcome.

No biggie.

"Gotcha! I won't let you down! Promise."

Summer devilishly grinned. "I know you won't, sweetie. Don't forget to use those hips. Bye, gumdrop."

"Bye!"

Click!

...

Jumping back to Yang, who walked the edge of the tide to greet her sister. Ruby instantly sprang up when her shadow blocked her view, grinning from ear to ear. The sway in her hips alerted Yang to her sister's abnormally good mood. Somehow the positiveness was contagious, and she beamed alongside her.

"Yang, I've got big news."

She did, too, but allowed Ruby the honors of going first. "Oh? And what's that?"

"I've decided to make Jaune my husband."

"Eh?"

Ruby waved her hand lazily. "Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a bit fast, but my gut tells me to go for it. You saw how awesome Jaune was at all that boring dad junk. He's perfect. Mom even said so! So I figured while we're here, I tie him up and drag him back to Patch." Yang's brain kept trying to reboot. Ruby noticed. "What's the matter, Yang?"

Rebooting completed; systems online. Initiating Heck No Program. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Rubes, but he's going to be my husband."

Her sister's smile wavered. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is I've already decided to make him mine." Yang tapped her foot on the sand. "And we both can't have him. Only one of us can."

She saw the flurry of emotions passing through her sister's face, from skeptical, to fury, to depression, and disappointment, before an Aura-powered light bulb flashed above her head.

"Oh, oh! I know!" Ruby clasped her hands together. "What about sharing? Sharing is caring!"

Sharing was caring? Heck no!

Yang reached out and unclasped them. Was she insane? "Sharing is not caring! I'm not sharing my future husband."

Ruby's smile turned upside down. Hands got placed on hips. "Well, I'm not giving him up."

"Neither am I."

A spark ignited between their passionate glare. The ocean stilled with the breeze picking up. Ruby never wavered. Yang broke first, her scowl bursting into a fit of giggling. What started as amusing chuckling, turned into outright laughter that ended up with her holding her sides in pain.

Ruby understandably was confused. "What's so funny?"

"Ruby! Look at us! We're fighting over a guy we just met. And for what? Because he'd make excellent father material? I mean, who cares about finding the right guy?" Yang heaved, sucking in air. "Our moms might have snagged the first nice guy they saw, and sure, it worked out pretty well, but we don't have to be like them. There's plenty of fish in the sea, right?"

Yang knew her point hit home. Who wanted to be tied down when the adventure of their lives was only beginning? Ruby eventually saw through her reasoning, bringing her hands together in a fit of passionate rage.

"Right!"

"Exactly." Yang smirked. "And we don't have to worry about that now. We're young. We're hip! Come on! Let's say goodbye and get out of here."

She threw her arm around her sister's shoulder and led them back to the Arc residence. Everything was right with the world, and even if the notorious butterflies tickling her gut called her an idiot in four different languages, she pressed onward. No time like the present! Forget the past and ignore the future! Survival! They have survived much worse and would no doubt learn from this experience.

They reached the Arc home late at night, knocking loudly on the door. Yang lacked tact, and Ruby was trapped in a headlock to stop her. Jaune predictably threw the door open, this time wearing form-hugging body armor. Both the stubborn sisters admitted it looked good on the dolt. He filled out nicely for a guy who's fighting capabilities weren't up to par with them.

"Hey! You're back from the beach. How was it?"

"Boring." Yang answered. She turned to Ruby. "Told you it was nothing but sand and water."

"Whatever!" Ruby argued. "I liked it. We don't have sand and water back at Patch. You just want a bath."

"Pfft! What kind of girl doesn't like a hot bath? You're seriously weird sometimes." Yang reached out to bump her fist against his chest. "On that note, it's time for us to go, Jaune."

He caught her fist with an opened palm and smiled sadly. "Really? Well, okay. It's been fun. Sorry to see you go. Friends?"

"Friends!"

"Oh! Wait! Hold up!" Jaune ran into the house and came back with paper bags a couple of minutes later. "Here. I packed you some leftovers for your trip back home. Sorry that it took so long, I wasn't expecting you to leave until tomorrow."

Yang snickered, rolling her eyes out of necessity. What a dork. Out of curiosity, she examined the contents of her bag and discovered a container of stew with some sweets that could give anyone ample tooth decay. How thoughtful. Below that, a small note stuck out, sticky and strangely humble. When she pulled it out, her chest exploded in numbness with the world around her blurring together.

A crudely drawn smile greeted her.

Breathless, her harmless simper faded away. Everything stopped. She failed to make a word. Her fingers gently traced the paper. Those pesky butterflies made their presence known and would not be rejected a second time.

This time she listened to them.

Yang shared a secret look with Ruby, beyond deciphering for anyone else. She slowly folded the note, cracked her knuckles, and shrugged in defeat. Some battles couldn't be avoided. It was never too late to be thinking about the future.

"Alright, you win. Sharing is caring. Blah, blah, blah! Let's get this over with." Yang turned to Jaune and grinned happily with her fist cocked back. "Sorry about this, Jaune."

"What—?"

Punch!

...

When Jaune Arc awoke from his nap, the first thing he noticed was he couldn't move his limbs.

Next was the blinding headache with his head resting on a velvety soft pillow, accompanied by the imposing rope around his ankles and wrists, all of that followed with his current position tied to a bed in a lit chamber with a window indicating nightfall. Low Aura reserves couldn't supply his muscles the strength needed to rip through the rope. No experimental tugging worked.

Nothing.

Then he heard shuffling across the room.

Jaune, for all his rational thought, did not know what to expect when he lifted his head. Maybe a criminal who kidnapped him for a ransom. A potential lunatic who owned a collection of sharp knives. Some crazed maniac who wore his victims' skins. Perhaps some pushy salesperson who never took no for an answer. That person would be the worst out of all of them.

Never in a million years did he expect to find Ruby and Yang at the end of the room, wearing, or lack of thereof, little-to-the-imagination clothing. Both of them smiled at the trapped Arc, giggling as they walked. Yang lacked modesty. She strutted over with a flay of her hips, wearing nothing but her boots and opened jacket. Not that he noticed. Jiggling physics and a flawless, curvy body made the mightiest of men lose focus. Her piercing, pink nipples taunted him so. Her shaved lips flipped his world upside down.

Ruby only wore her underbust corset that hugged her frame like a second skin but not her chest. Breasts were pushed-up. Areolas teased him. Every part of her creamy skin was visible from above and below that support. Only her nylon stockings covered her legs, but thigh-hugging clothing worked to her favor. They led the eyes right for her exposed womanhood with a trimmed coat.

Neither one of them blamed him for being speechless.

Yang took one side of the bed with Ruby hovering over the other. Both leaned down, Ruby more so than her sister. He just now realized his lack of clothing. Except for his Pumpkin Pete boxers, which were growing impossibly tight, nothing else remained, and when he noted Ruby's gaze fixated on that stretching thread, he found his voice.

"W-Where are we? What's going on?"

"A hotel specialized for Huntsmen and Huntresses." Yang answered. "We brought you here. It's a place to get away from the baggage of civilians."

Better question. "Why are we here? Why are you naked? And why am I tied—?"

"Wait!" Yang shut him up by shoving her hand into his face. She turned to her hungry sister. "Ruby, get to work. We don't want him thinking too hard."

She saluted. "On it!"

He flinched when she grabbed his boxers and pulled them down in fell swoosh. Boing! Out popped his member in the open air, and Ruby marveled the tempered piece of meat with telltale drool. Something mischievous snapped inside her. When her hand gripped it, he gasped, never knowing the feeling of softness could send shivers up his spine. Natural curiosity guided Ruby's inexperience, urging her to massage him slowly and firmly. So soft. So good! His hips buckled, straining against the rope, but Ruby was far from finished. She quickened her pace, increased her pressure, and crawled on the bed between his legs. Filthy eyes never looked away. Her tongue rolled out. Then she leaned down, flicked her sights over to him, and lightly dragged her tongue from the base to the head in an agonizingly slow manner.

Then she did it again, and again, and again.

Ruby never quit in her goal to cover his entire member in Ruby spit. No inch of iron-like skin was safe from her meddlesome tongue. No area dry. She dragged, she kissed, she even sucked so ever lightly, building the courage to drain him dry. Her crimson blush was evident of her nervousness, but it paled in comparison to his heaving chest. Eventually, she twirled around the top, tasting him before wrapping her lips snugly around the head. In a moment of silence, she grinned smugly with her mouthful of him and then sank halfway onto his lap to begin sucking him off.

Suck! Slurp! Lick!

Ruby never looked away. Her tender eye-contact, combined with her wet, hot mouth, and naughty determination to please him, had him at her unforgiving mercy with her inexperienced, but intensely passionate tongue. She got better between each gulp, taking more and more of him, sinking deeper and deeper with her bubbly rear thrown upward for his viewing pleasure. Then Yang plopped her naked butt right down on his torso, smirking at the sloppy sounds Ruby made from behind. This time he couldn't look her in the eyes, memorized by her generous and hypnotic bust.

"She's a freak, isn't she? The rope was her idea. So!" Yang hugged her chest, squeezing melons. "I'm going to make this very simple for you. You have two options. Option one: Ruby and I untie you, and we never see each other again. Option two: Ruby and I don't untie you, and we put a couple of buns in our oven. In exchange, you become our husband and come back to Patch with us. Simple. So? What do you say?"

His mind snapped back into place. "What do I say? You dragged me here to become your husband?"

She laughed and threw her arms back, pushing her chest out. "Precisely."

He forced himself to look away from the plumped melons and into her eyes, or tried to. Ruby's diligent sucking turned his brain to mush. Whatever willpower that remained focused on maintaining coherent thought because he couldn't look anywhere else but the generous rack before him. Yang knew that. She laughed, shaking her chest side-to-side to distract him, working flawlessly.

His father always warned him of aggressive Huntresses, but he only now comprehended what he meant. No wonder he never told his children the story on how he met their mother—ugh! Surviving Remnant required distinctive liberties, including more than one partner. None of that applied to his folks since they reproduced like rabbits. Every child learned that lesson early on. Jaune wasn't sure if he was lucky or unlucky having two Huntresses, two gorgeous Huntresses, consider him daddy material, probably the former, definitely the former, but he knew one thing. He had dreams. A mission, a goal. A reason to live!

"I'm not Househusband material." Jaune sighed weakly. Ruby's tongue worked wonders. "My goal is to be a Huntsman."

Yang heard his concerns—not like they mattered—and rested her body on top of his, arms propped on his pecs as her squishy thighs squeezed his sides tight. Her sultry grin erased determination and sprouted delightful, tongue drooling doubts. Having her bouncy rear pressed against his abs diminished his resolve. A few inches lower and her unfair chest would be pressed against his face.

"You can still be a Huntsman. You'll just be protecting our kids from the boogeyman and fighting off the monsters underneath their beds. Instead of killing the Grimm."

"Our?"

Ruby released his member with an enthusiastic pop. "Yup! Me and Yang! Both of us!"

Breathe!

Jaune's heart stopped. Both? As in two? Not one or the other? Dust! Where was the fairness? No man, none with a beating heart, anyway, could feasibly turn down such an opportunity. Having Ruby deepthroating him wasn't anywhere remotely fair. He wasn't even trying to pull against the ropes anymore, enjoying the sensation of her mouth with his head rested comfortably on the pillow. Yang giggled at the longing defeat.

She ran her hands through his sunny, messy hair, leaning down with her bosoms hovering over his chin. He froze. The indescribable sensation of having his hair messed with, along Ruby's increasingly enthusiasm to make him explode in her mouth, drove him to moan. Her sloppiness was second to none. Her adorable trait upped everything, and nothing made sense anymore.

Not when Yang leaned down to kiss him squarely on the lips. Hot. Passionate. Intense. Just a few of the words to describe the searing flame of the kiss. His bones rattled. Ruby increased her speed, sending his already diminished brain into overdrive. Pleasure from all angles and things were only going to grow more intense.

The night was young.

He shuddered when she passed his neck to his wounded shoulder, placing butterfly kisses across a tender wound. Some of it was going to scar. He briefly frowned at that, but then Yang rolled her tongue around the heated flesh and everything flipped. The floor down under only matched that of his coloring cheeks. Hot and unbearably wound up, but Ruby's feverishly tongue was edging him suffocatingly close. When he felt his impending release, Jaune cleared his mind and decided his Fate then and there.

A wise man knew when to fold when the chips were down. A real man always had honor. An Arc man never turned down a lady in need. Jaune Arc was a mixture of all three and graciously submitted to their nefarious tactics. That might be the wrong head talking, but why fight a good thing. Huntsmen fought against all the dastardly creatures of darkness, including the infamous terror of the night.

"Boogeyman?"

Her lips trailed, brushing against the nape of his neck a second time, but not before biting down on his skin hard enough to bruise. In a different world, a different Arc, a different life, Jaune might have argued to the idea of being a father so soon, but Remnant was a harsh and desolate wasteland. Survival came first. Not to mention, the rewards exceeded the sacrifices.

Yang tenderly bit into his neck, drawing her voice out succulently slow. "Boogeyman."

Jaune groaned. "I guess I have no choice. Someone's gotta protect kids from that fiend."

She smirked against his jaw. "Good choice."

Yang hungrily grinned at her trapped prey. She leaned back, arching forward. Firm fingers raked against an imposing chest. Nails clipped rough skin. In reality, he never had the option to say no. Never did, never would. Like mother like daughter.

Ruby certainly filled that role.

Gone went the slow and gradual Rose, and in its place was a filthy girl who milked Jaune for all his seed. Her clumsy sounds and excessive licking ricocheted around the room, bouncing along with her head. Who knew her sister had a perverted streak? Jaune didn't mind, relaxing between the sucking and slurping and licking and bobbling. Moan! Got her hot and heavy. She considered like teasing him as she felt his muscles tightened with his body twitching. Someone was about to burst inside Ruby's mouth a cream filling, and she wanted their first experience together to be magical.

Standing, Yang walked lazily around the bed, running a finger up his chest along the way. She stopped at the post, forcing his head to look up where her generous cleavage blocked his view. Then, without warning, she leaned down to rest her bust on his face, suffocating the Arc in heavenly cushions. Meanwhile, Ruby doubled her pace, growing fond of the taste leaking out his member. She long since abandoned her hands, using her fingers to tease her folds and drip between her shaky thighs. She never knew how much enjoyment she could get by sucking him off, but the empowerment over controlling his pleasure turned on all her switches.

Jaune found himself wedged between a wet tongue and criminally soft skin. Ugh! Concentration diminishing in the suction vacuum that was Ruby's mouth. Willpower cracking underneath the plentiful bounty that was Yang's breasts. Suck! Suck! Breathe! Not fair. They gave him an impossible choice. No hot-blood male could resist their pheromones. Say no and avoid fatherhood, but lose the rewards of baby-making. Say yes and hello daddy, but kiss Huntsmen life goodbye. So hard to choose, more so with Ruby's mouth draining away his resolve as Yang's supple chest lured him into a cushiony safety net. He groaned, inhaling her scent and surrendering to an innocent tongue. He never had a choice from the start.

The thickest milk suddenly filled Ruby's mouth.

Yang smirked when sticky, thick cream shot into Ruby's mouth without warning, spilling between her draining lips. Uh, nope, she reached forward and shoved Ruby's head down to swallow up every drop, no wasted drips. She didn't mind, savoring the bonding moment while gulping down every bit of creamy delight. Jaune only groaned underneath Yang's chest. So she shushed him while holding her sister's head in place. Somewhere between the mind-numbing orgasm, Ruby experience her own, coming undone with her throat full. Then, when he stopped convulsing and his hips finally relaxed, Yang released her sister's noggin. Ruby immediately sprang up, panicking with stained lips.

"Oh, no! I drank it all!"

Yang giggled. Clumsy Ruby. She reached out to rake her fingers across his abs to his pecs, slowly, firmly, and all the while crushing his face between her chest. Humph. Leisurely, she moved away, taking her bust away from his face to walk around the bed, giving him a free show of her rear. Pliant, firm, and all for him, she crawled, on all fours, on the mattress to toss her feet over his torso, hugging his sides with thick thighs. Her back was turned to him, fringing further away as she leaned down to bring her face up to her new plaything. Pink, velvety folds pressed against his mouth with her chest smushing together on his abs, only for this Huntress to grab her breasts and wrap them snuggly around his length.

"Don't worry, Rubes, he's got plenty more. Now help me milk him."

Ruby licked her lips. "You don't have to tell me twice."

Yang snickered. The heat radiating from his flesh roasted her breasts, and her sister's drool mixed with his seed drenched her in a scented coat. Not just any scent. Something that awoke a primal urge inside her and turned her pupils into heart-shaped irises. Ruby's eyes have long since been memorized, and she hovered near the head that her chest couldn't wrap around, lips parted, fingers back at work, toes most definitely curled. Yang breathed.

What a formidable aroma.

Got her wet just smelling it. She couldn't' wait to taste it. So without resolve, she trailed her tongue around the twitchy head, savoring both his sticky seed and Ruby's drool on her hungry tongue. However, before she indulged and milked him for all he was worth, she smirked while pressing her wettening lips to his parched jaw.

"Besides, you owe us your life. Remember?" Yang twirled her tongue around the head, voice dripping with appetite. "Arc's honor."

Suck!

...

Tai Xiao Long missed his pumpkins.

Even if they only lived a five-minute walk down the road. Empty Nest Syndrome hurt! Home just wasn't home without his girls around. Quietness hurt like a pain no other. So without considering the consequences, Tai baked a chocolate cake filled to the brim with tummy-aching sweets and strolled on over to the Arc residence. His daughters were currently away on a mother-daughter mission, leaving Jaune behind.

Tai still remembered the day Yang and Ruby dragged Jaune home with them, tied up with a rope, and flung over Yang's shoulder. Calling the Arc residence had been fun in the weakest sense of the word. Jaune's sisters always fussed to his sudden departure to fatherhood with only his parents accepting his proposal. Only his mother shared with him a knowing smile that had him blushing up a storm. Matriarch Arc treasured her newest daughters-in-law, cooing at the impressiveness that was her current family.

Things ended up working themselves out.

Reaching the quaint cottage took no time, and Tai entered the cozy home to find Jaune pinned to the floor by two children. One kept bonking his head with a wooden sword with the other jumping repeatedly on his stomach. Ah. Good memories. He remembered when he played Slay the Grimm with his two girls. Ruby always kicked him on the ribs while Yang preferred punching him in the gut.

"Ahem!"

Both of them stopped when he coughed, drawing the attention of three knuckleheads. A second passed, and then the bundles of joy burst forward and tackled him on each leg.

"Grandpa!"

"Gramps!"

Tai laughed, having trouble balancing the cake. "Stop it. You're making me feel old."

If anything, his grandkids hugged his legs tighter, resting all their weight on his limbs. No escape, no surrender! Oh well. He patted them on the head, starting with his spunky grandson.

Solair was a splitting image of his father with stubbly legs, messy, blond hair, and a baby face that demanded pinching. At five years old, he expected nothing less. Arc and Xiao Long genes were definite with this little one. Although having iliac eyes showed his mother's traits. Both the older blonds silently prayed that he would shatter the cycle of Househusband bravado.

June, however, looked nothing like her father, thankfully, and was a Ruby clone down to her tiny boots and glistening silver eyes. Those cheeks required pinching as well. She loved sweets and everything fun. Adorableness if it had legs and the unrestricted ability to ask every question under the sun. More than once, he avoided answering the baby question.

"Did you bring us anything?!" June demanded with a missing tooth grin.

Tai rubbed her hair into a messy mess. "I sure did. Who wants cake?"

"Cake!"

They never released his legs as he made his way toward the kitchen. Tai laughed and set the cake down in the middle of the table. They broke off. June tiptoed to peek over the edge of the counter and marveled at the chocolate delight with her brother fighting off some imaginary Grimm from getting their prize. Meanwhile, their dork of a father walked into the kitchen to help with preparation. He retrieved plates and bumped his shoulder into his father-in-law.

"Should we be eating this? We have to keep up with them, and this slice of cake is just asking for a sugar crash."

Tai rolled his eyes, acting very Yang-like. "Please. We're grown men. They're kids. They're the only ones going to get a sugar crash."

Hours later, Ruby and Yang walked into their quiet home, after finishing a mission, and found their father and husband sound asleep in the living room. Jaune slept on the couch with June snoozing on his chest, a book of fairytales slipping through his lifeless fingers with her hands fisted into his hoodie. Tai slept on the comfy chair with Solair drooling on his chest, using his knee as leverage. Dorks probably fell asleep when their father was reminiscing about his youth. Everyone had cake smudged over their face.

The amount of sickening sweetness going on in the room could rot a tooth from the inside out.

"Should we wake them up?" Yang whispered.

June squirmed in her sleep, pressing her face into her daddy's chest. "Boogey... man."

Sleeping Jaune instinctively wrapped his other arm around her body and threw out a battle cry—one-hundred percent snore—and she calmed down. Ruby silently giggled and held her Scroll up, shaking the device while recording.

"Nope."

Author Notes: A commission piece done for my friend TheNiemand. So many words!