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Breakfast in the RWBY and JNPR common room had begun to play host to a strange display. One that had begun to dominate the usual light conversation and teasing of Blake over her choice in erotica.
Which Blake had been thankful for. At one time.
"Ruby, come on, you need more fiber," Jaune encouraged, "And fruit tastes just as good as cookies!"
Yang scowled, and shoved the plate over in favor of blueberry pancakes with chocolate chips in front of Ruby, who was wincing at the spectacle. Nora was watching the argument as it had unfolded in a similar fashion over the last few weeks: Like she was watching a particular aggressive tennis match, and she was following the ball. Ren for his part was meditating, though his eyebrow twitch gave away that he couldn't block out the entire argument.
"She's worked hard this week! She deserves a treat!'
"You give her so many 'treats' it's amazing she's not a diabetic," Jaune shot back, glaring over Ruby's head at his fellow blonde, "Seriously!"
"Her Semblance is literally superspeed! She can eat anything she wants and she'll be fine!" Yang insisted, glaring back, "What would you know?!"
Weiss and Pyrrha watched the spectacle with a sort of morbid fascination. The idea that Jaune Arc would stand up to Yang Xiao-Long over anything was a ridiculous thought, and yet? Here he was. He hadn't hit on Weiss once in weeks: Something both ladies were grateful for, though for different reasons.
"Oh gee, besides the fact my mom's one of the greatest doctors in Remnant?" Jaune asked sarcastically, "Even an Aura enhanced body still needs vital nutrients! More of them, in fact!"
"Well why don't you butt out and let me worry about that?!" Yang demanded, leaning in dangerously, "She's not your little sister!"
"She's my best friend!" Jaune growled back, leaning in so close their noses were practically touching, "Is it wrong for me to worry about her?"
"Of course I worry about her!"
"Sure fooled me!"
Yang's eyes began to blaze red. Jaune's Aura, while still untrained, began to flare around him.
"Maybe you should worry more about yourself, Vomit Boy," Yang growled, "Before I say something with my fist."
"Say it all you like! It doesn't change facts!" Jaune snarled.
Ruby groaned, and slapped her hands over her face.
"ALL RIGHT! That's enough!" She shouted. She glared at both of them as she stood up. She grabbed the surprised Yang and Jaune's wrists, and dragged them off to the RWBY dorm room. She kicked the door open, and shoved her big sister and best friend inside.
"You two solve this RIGHT NOW!" She shouted, before she slammed the door shut.
Yang and Jaune gaped at the door, similarly in disbelief.
"What the-What the hell does she think she's doing?!" Yang demanded.
"I'm not on her team! She can't order me around!" Jaune growled.
The two blondes glared at the door... Then glared at each other. An awkward silence fell. Jaune sighed, as Yang looked away.
"... Look. I'm sorry," Jaune said.
"I... Me too," Yang muttered. "Jerk."
"Jerk?!" Jaune demanded, glaring at her, "You're the one being unreasonable!"
"I'm NOT unreasonable!" Yang shouted back, "You're the one who butted in and started acting like-like her big brother-!"
"Well I wouldn't have had to if you stepped up-!"
"I'VE BEEN STEPPING UP SINCE I WAS SIX!"
Silence fell. Jaune stared in shock at Yang. She breathed hard, her face and eyes red. She clenched her fists.
"What?! She didn't tell you?!" She demanded.
"... No," Jaune said, quieted by the shock, "She didn't... What?"
Yang stared at him. She sighed, and crossed her arms under her chest.
"... My... Bio mom ran out on us before I could walk," she mumbled, "Summer... Ruby's mom... She married by dad soon after. I... She's the one I..."
She bowed her head slightly. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to look non-chalant. Her anger was still simmering in the air around her.
"She... She was our Mom. My Mom. And she died when I was six... Maybe seven, I don't fucking remember," she muttered. "And Dad... He shut down. I... I had to cook. Clean. Look after Ruby because he..."
She trailed off. Jaune stared. Yang shot a venomous glare.
"So... You gonna tell me I did a shitty job?"
Jaune shook his head.
"No... No. I... Yang. I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't know. I... I can understand why you'd want to just... Cut loose, after having to be her mom and her big sister. I... I get it."
"Do you?" Yang asked sarcastically.
He sighed, and shrugged.
"I just... I do care about her. Really, I do. I didn't... I didn't think you were doing a bad job, just... My sisters looked after me and... I-I was thinking like a sibling."
He looked intently into her eyes.
"For what it's worth... I think you did a good job with her. If we fight over it... It's only because we both care so much about her."
Yang stared at him for a bit in silence. She wiped her eyes, and coughed.
"Y-yeah... Um... Dust in here," she mumbled, "I-I'll have to make Weiss vacuum it up or-or bring her butler or... Or something."
Jaune smiled and nodded.
"Or something," he agreed.
Yang sighed, and looked directly into his eyes.
"I... I appreciate that you care about Ruby," she said quietly. "I'm... I'm really glad. She uh... Back in Sanctum? She... She didn't really have any friends. Just mine. And they just hung out with me. She... She was the kid sister. So... So thank you. For being her friend."
"Well... I-I mean... I'd like to be your friend too," Jaune said with a shrug. "Can... Can we do that?"
Yang stared for a long moment. She nodded and gave him a smile.
"Sure... Just as long as you never vomit on my boots again."
"It was one time," Jaune sighed.
"Once was enough!" Yang snickered.
Jaune rolled his eyes.
"You know, when you have an embarrassing bodily function, I'm gonna be the bigger man and not make fun of you for it."
Yang smirked and leaned in.
"Oh? And what kind of embarrassing body functions of mine are you imagining, hmm~?"
Jaune's face turned bright red... But he held his ground.
"I dunno, you wanna go through the list?"
Yang's cheeks turned red, and her smirk became a bit sharper.
"Oho? Vomit Boy wants me to write them out? You're a real perv."
"You're the one offering," Jaune shot back.
The door opened and Nora stuck her head in.
"Hey! Mom? Dad? If you're done flirting, the rest of us want breakfast too!"
Yang's face went bright red. Jaune sputtered.
"Wh-WHAT?!"
"We were all thinking it!" Blake added, turning another page in her book.
"N-No we weren't!" Pyrrha cried.
"I was," Weiss smirked, "Oh, to be tossed aside for Xiao-Long! I suppose my heart will recover from your rejection, Arc."
"EW! GROSS WEISS!" Ruby groaned.
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