22Welcome to my new project, titled 'Illegal Love' a Romance/Adventure/Comedy/action story.
This chapter is approximately 10.2K words long. And all the next chapters will be at least 10K words too, that much I can promise.
You've already read the summary so let's skip over to what I'd like to explain before you start reading. First off, both Ruby and Jaune are nineteen years old, and yes, that means that Ruby is older than Yang.
The story starts after the first semester of Beacon has ended. Which means Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren have all been assembled in teams, the teams remain the same if you exclude the fact that neither Jaune or Ruby are there, the two people who took their place will remain a mystery for now.
With all that said, I'd like to humbly thank my beta-reader (Merlin Pranks101) for Beta-Reading for this chapter. Soon enough, you'll be able to see more of his artistic touches. Though I am eager to deliver a message to everyone that he has written himself, even if it was somewhat dissing me.
Merlin: Hello, I am Merlin and I'm ZilverHope's beta. I just wanted to say that this is an amazing fic and I have fun beta reading it. It's not all fun and games though, I mean you should see the number of capital letters this guy puts for absolutely no reason, hahaha. Anyway, as always fav, follow but most importantly review. We feed on reviews.
Completely agree with him, especially with the reviews part, your reviews keep us alive!
This story will most likely be updated once every three weeks, but I might be a week early or a week late depending on the circumstances, especially since I have a flight that will last for almost two whole days in a week, so that might mess up my schedule a bit.
There will be another note at the end of the chapter explaining a few things that people might find confusing. That said, I which you great enjoyment reading this chapter.
I do not own RWBY, the show belongs the owners Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum.
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"Nine years?! Nine years and you still can't rob a bank properly?!"
Ruby wasn't quite sure when will Jaune finally learn, she had told him again and again. No shooting if all bystanders have their hands up!
"Sorry Rubes, rush of blood."
Jaune, on the other hand, never understood how Ruby was always so calm when on the clock. How could she be so calm and composed with so many things happening so suddenly and so instantaneously?
"Can you ever NOT find an excuse?"
Was it seriously that hard for him to not pull the damn trigger? The idiot always does the same mistake whenever they rob a bank. He does everything right until it comes to controlling the bystanders, he always shoots a bullet in the air, resulting in someone outside of the bank to hear it and call the Vale Police Department.
"No can do." his face contorted into a smirk and then a full-fledged smile.
The duo kept sprinting in the dark alleys of Vale, the VPD was already surrounding the whole area. The near pitch-black darkness greatly helped the Duo in avoiding the cops, the streets of the city of Vale tended to be abnormally empty at nighttime which was both helpful but also inconvenient.
It was helpful in the case of no one being in their way whilst trying to escape, but it was obviously useful for a criminal to have the streets a bit crowded since it helps in escaping and staying out of sight but it would be a complete nightmare if it was too crowded to be able to run properly.
"Jaune."
Ruby halted all of a sudden, causing Jaune to turn around and stop running himself. Annoyance was drawn on his face. "What is it? Do you want to get caught?"
He soon noticed the menacing expression drawn all over his partner's face. "What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. Ruby would never stop a mission except if it was a matter of utmost urgence.
"Where is the money?"
Jaune immediately looked at his own hands, they were empty. Wait, why were they empty? He soon figured out his idiotic, pantagruelian, and almost illusory mistake.
He forgot the money.
How on Remnant did he forget the damn money!?
"I uh, might've...forgotten it?"
"Was that a question or an answer?" Ruby gave him a bloodcurdling glare. He could almost feel the searing coming from her eyes directly on his forehead.
Oh no, red flag.
"Ruby, I don't think this is the best time to talk about this." Jaune was trying to wiggle his way out of this one, at least for the time being. Though he almost immediately realized he failed when he saw Ruby's loathing face expression towards him, followed by shuddering.
"You little piece of-" As much as Ruby wanted to complete that sentence, she couldn't, the reason was the sudden scintillation of light followed by two police cars obnubilating both exits to the alley they currently stood in.
Jaune switched his eyes to Ruby. "Got a plan?"
"Sheath your weapons." The order came from Ruby, Jaune was quick to comply, sheathing Crocea Mors. Ruby was quick to do the same with Cresent Rose.
Ruby suddenly erupted into a pile of rose petals, grabbing Jaune and using her momentum to climb up the building. disappearing out of the police's vision and leaving them wondering what on Remnant had happened.
By the time Jaune regained control over his body he was already standing on top of the roof, and unsurprisingly enough, Ruby already started running. He watched as she jumped from their side to the roof of the building next to them.
"Come on!" She yelled before motioning to him to come over.
That girl was nuts.
Did she forget that he didn't have the luxury of super speed? Nor the ability to basically fly wherever he wanted? He had to rely on his normal legs to make the jump, all that whilst carrying a heavy Corcea Mors.
Jaune took a deep breath before adjusting his body to a proper running position, he relaxed his shoulders and focused all energy on his legs. He forced himself to move, taking large steps.
He started gaining momentum and speed, he tried his best to keep it consistent as to help him make the jump. He wasn't thinking, nor scared, all of his focus was on making that jump.
And just a moment later, Jaune found himself in the air, halfway through the distance between the two buildings, he looked under him and that's when he realized it.
He was definitely scared.
And it felt like time wasn't moving either, how could a second last so damn long?
Fortunately, the second had finally passed and Jaune, surprisingly enough, found himself on the other building, safe and sound. Even if he landed awkwardly on his bum.
"Oum, stop being dramatic and get your ass off the ground." Ruby extended a helping hand towards her partner. Jaune was quick to take her help.
"You're the one who likes making everything ten times harder! We could've just-" Jaune suddenly slipped, or to make it clearer, Ruby let go of his hand so he can fall to the ground again. He looked up at her smirking face as she shrugged.
"Oops, guess my hand slipped." She claimed with a mischievous smile drawn all over her face, clear as the sun even amidst all the dark.
Jaune heaved a sigh before staggering to his feet by himself. "You know, this might be why we broke up five times."
"Yeah yeah, whatever, let's go."
Ruby started walking towards the other end of the building, Jaune right behind her. Ruby idled for a few seconds, only looking straight down the edge of the building, at the alleyway under them.
"Are we jumping or not?"
"Shh, dumbass, there are no cops down there, this is our best chance to get our of here. Do you at least have the extra clothes?"
Jaune looked down at his side, he started untying the bag tied to his Jeans. He had almost forgotten it was even here.
Jaune started pulling out clothes from the bag as Ruby kept watching their perimeter. He soon handed her a black hoodie and a pair of Blue Jeans. He pulled out a hooded jacket and a pair of cargo pants for himself.
Jaune quickly started undressing, Ruby was still watching the perimeter as to make sure nobody ambushes them whilst changing. Jaune soon finished and with a snap of his fingers, Ruby stepped away from the ledge, allowing him to take her place.
Ruby started taking her pants off and it didn't take long to spot Jaune staring at her.
"Enjoying the view?" She asked, sarcastically. The truth was, she wasn't that annoyed with him looking at her, he saw her naked plenty of times anyway and this once she wasn't fully naked, she was wearing both a bra and a pair of panties, and besides, business was business, she didn't have time to complain about the guy's hormones.
But it was still quite amusing when she saw him blush and quickly switch his head the other way. focusing on the streets once more.
The icing on the cake, however, was when she took her top off, that's when he started sneaking peeks, not like she was complaining, she couldn't lie, she also snuck peeks at him, the only difference was that he was way more oblivious. The man, and as much as she wanted to deny it. Had a near perfect body. She saw plenty of other women drool around the stud.
Abs? Check. Tall? Definitely. Well built muscles? Undeniable.
She finally finished up, covering her head with her hood and telling Jaune to do the same, she then took a quick peek at the streets, making sure one more time that there aren't any sort of ambushes that might be waiting for them. Upon confirming her and her teammate's safety, she started climbing the ladder down, her partner, Jaune. Followed her.
They both made their way to the street and then the sidewalk, both of them grabbed their scroll and started fiddling with it aimlessly, as to look more casual and avoid raising suspicion. They passed a few police officers who caused them no trouble until they finally escaped the area.
"So, Mister Moneybags, care to tell me how we're going to fix this?"
"Excuse me? Fix what? We made it out."
Jaune was suddenly dragged by Ruby into a dark alley next to them.
"Geez, you have a fetish for alleys or something?" Jaune deadpanned before starting to wipe dirt off his clothes. He then looked up to see Ruby circling around herself in great annoyance. And he had the feeling he knew what was bothering her so greatly.
"What are we going to do about the money?!" Ruby asked, completely ignoring Jaune's obvious attempt to irritate her.
Jaune sighed before wiping sweat off his forehead. He then started examining the area around them.
"There!" He said, full of gaiety and pointing at the ATM machine across the street. Ruby didn't have time to ask about his plan since he immediately started making his way to the machine, she decided to follow. He soon drew Crocea Mors and prepared to swing it at the machine. The only thing that stopped him was Ruby's hand grabbing his wrist right before he completed the swing. "What in the name of Dust do you think you're doing?!"
Jaune sighed before pulling his hand away. "Well, I'm obviously getting the money back."
Ruby was simply in a complete sense of revulsion towards his idea. "And you plan on robbing an ATM machine? it barely has a quarter of what we would have got from that bank!"
"And that's exactly why I'm going to rob three more of these, now please step aside."
Ruby sighed and stepped aside. "And you expect us to lie about the robbery? Roman has to know we failed. Besides, he'll know if we lie to him."
Jaune unleashed a mighty slash with his sword, breaking the machine in half. Money started to flood out of the machine and Jaune was the first to start collecting. "No, we're telling him the truth but there's still no need to go back empty-handed." He explained.
Ruby wanted to oppose the idea, but she couldn't. Jaune was right, there was no need to go back empty-handed. Besides, she will have more than enough time to give the whole idea contemplative thought.
_ ▂▃▄▅▆▇█▓▒░Illegal Love░▒▓█▇▆▅▄▃▂ _
The duo found themselves standing right outside the secret headquarters of their group. Located at the very south of Vale's outskirts. Ruby was first to knock, and soon, a small slider moved, revealing a pair of eyes on the other side of the door. "Tattoos?" The stern voice demanded. Ruby quickly rolled up her sleeve and showed the man the back of her arm which had the tattoo of a knife dripping with blood. "Welcome home." The voice welcomed before closing the slider and starting to fidget with the locks from the other side, the door soon opened before the duo who entered with four full bags.
They passed the pub, the training ground, the pool, and finally, the showers, that's when they finally reached the stairway that takes them directly up to Roman's office. They made their way up and knocked on Roman's door.
"It's open." Roman's calm voice rung from inside the room, Jaune pushed open the door before stepping in with the bags and Ruby right behind him.
Roman's face immediately bent to form a smile before he happily hopped off his chair, cigar in his mouth. "Well, if it isn't my two favorite people in this whole damn building!" Roman said as he rested one hand on each of their shoulders.
"Don't let Neo hear you say that." Jaune joked before dropping his bags on the ground. He unzipped them one by one, Roman had a celebratory smile on his face, it was no wonder, the man loved money more than most things life had to offer him.
"I wouldn't be stretching it too far if I say that Neo thinks the same, kid. You did a great job. Both of you." Their boss praised.
It was a rare instant for Roman to acknowledge let alone praise his henchmen, but not rare for Ruby or Jaune, they had their fair share of praise. The duo almost never failed a mission, and even if they did, they'd always still come back with something valuable, and in some cases, holding even more value than what they were supposed to obtain in the first place.
"Well, we did have some sort of... problem." Ruby pointed out.
Roman raised an eyebrow. "Which was?"
Ruby braced herself for what was to come next. She didn't want to tell him, it wasn't like they came back with less money than they were supposed to, but Roman wasn't too delighted when his henchmen made silly mistakes, especially like the one Jaune made, but it was still her duty towards the man to tell him the truth. Who knows how long he will trust them if they keep any truth hidden away from him? He would most definitely start being more disheartened towards trusting the duo.
"Well, we-"
"I forgot the money in the bank, sir." Jaune Interjected upon hearing Ruby talk as if she shared in the making of that mistake.
To say Roman was shocked was an understatement, his brain immediately went into a state of standstill before a slight smirk appeared on his face, it then followed by it widening into a smile and then a low-pitched snicker. It finally turned into a laugh as Roman had to stop himself from falling down by resting his hands on his knees. "Oh, Jauney boy, you had me going there for a second." Roman admitted before giving Jaune a slight nudge on the shoulder.
Jaune and Ruby both stood there, waiting for their boss to stop laughing, he finally did but still had to wipe a tear from his eye, they had never seen him laugh this hard before.
"Oh, the two of you never cease to amaze me." Roman made his way back to his chair, he made himself comfortable and rested his legs on top of his own desk. He soon motioned for the duo to sit on the two empty chairs on the other side of the desk. They both complied but Jaune still had something to say.
"Roman, I was serious, I did forget the money." Jaune explained to his boss.
Roman heaved a sigh before replying nonchalantly. "You know, the second time isn't as funny as the first."
"Roman, I'm not messing with you, I actually forgot the money in the bank." Jaune said, full of confidence, whilst in truth. He was anticipating the inevitable downtrodding treatment he was definitely going to get from Roman, not that he would complain, he made a mistake and he was ready to pay the full price.
Roman still didn't quite believe it, how could someone forget the money he was going to rob? And that someone is no one other than his best male Henchman? It just didn't make any sense, though to be truthful, most things never made sense in Remnant. Especially for someone who knows the streets all around the kingdom as well as Roman does. He released a puff of smoke before extinguishing his cigar "Then where did all that money come from?"
Ruby stepped in, she wasn't the kind of person to sit around while others did all the talking. "We, well... he robbed four ATM machines on our way back."
Roman raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
"Yes." The duo said at the same time.
Their boss's face warped into a grin before letting a chuckle escape.
Jaune thought about the possibilities. First off, Roman could just tell them how stupid they were, secondly, he could publicly humiliate them in front of the other henchmen, thirdly, they could possibly be forbidden from going on missions for a while, which would really damage their status. And these were only a few of the many things Roman can come up with. One way or another, they would definitely have to make atonement for that absurd mistake, even if it resulted in no damage in the end.
Roman stood off his chair once more and walked until he stood between Jaune and Ruby. He rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "You two..."
Here it comes.
"You two, deserve."
Right now...
"To get a damn raise!"
"What?" The Duo said simultaneously.
"You heard me! You're going to get a raise!"
"But why?" Ruby interjected. It wasn't like she was complaining but it was still shocking that all her feelings of distraught and worry were unnecessary. She was already planning on the many ways that she would beat the crap out of Jaune for dragging her in trouble with him.
Jaune, on the other hand, Didn't care, he was blissful and full of joy, he had gotten out of the situation not only unpunished but also rewarded, whatever motive Roman had didn't matter to him. Though he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about them.
"Well, Red, I think you're simply far too different to relate to the rest of the henchmen." Roman moved to the corner of his office, a small fridge was located there, he opened it and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He continued to explain as he made his way back to his desk. "Could you even imagine what would have the regular henchmen done in a situation like that? They'd definitely come back empty-handed."
The duo watched as their boss poured the alcohol into three different glasses. "You two, on the other hand, never and under no circumstances returned from a mission without something of great value, and tonight is further proof, even if your idea was as simple as to rob a couple of machines."
The Ginger-haired man handed each of his henchmen a glass before making his way to his own chair and making himself comfortable once more. "All in all, I think you two have proved you have the sense of real thieves, and to me that's invaluable, that's why I intend to keep you. Both of you. Unless you two don't want to take up my offer?"
Ruby and Jaune exchanged looks, they both had the same idea in mind. Even if their desires were for completely different reasons.
Jaune would relish and love the greater authority over the other henchmen, not because he liked control, but because some of them were simply twats. He had a problem with twats, the reason was the fact that most of them were craven and disgustingly unloyal on the inside. He himself would never have any sort of fight with them, a reason for that was how everyone in the gang had already acknowledged how much of a better fighter he is than all of them. The only instance of trouble he could have with them was if they mess with Ruby because if somebody messes with Ruby, they mess with Jaune. Then again, it wasn't like someone like Ruby ever required protection.
Ruby, on the other hand, even though already proving to be illustrious and full of valor, still loved to prove herself further, the bigger she was in the gang the more challenges she would face, and what better way to hone and improve her abilities than putting them to the test against worthy foes. The defter and more experienced she gets the happier she gets, and it would also help her silence the minority that spreads nonsensical nonsense about her being feeble and weak, she might not look the strongest, but soon enough, she'll prove how much a brazen and menacing fighter she actually is, which would hopefully result in any delusive rumors about her to disappear.
The duo nodded at each other, confirming their wants before speaking simultaneously. "We're in."
Roman smiled Jubilantly. "That's what I like to hear, now let's have a toast."
"To?" Ruby wondered.
The boss immediately sighed. "I honestly have no idea but I really want to drink this. Don't ruin it kiddo."
Ruby couldn't help but let out a half-suppressed titter and Jaune couldn't stop himself from commenting. "I'll drink to that."
This was one of the many reasons that Jaune respected his boss, he wasn't afraid to be a little more lighthearted when needed, and that doesn't even take into account all the many other reasons he respected his boss so much. He might have been a bit eccentric and unusual but he was charismatic, flamboyant, astute, industrious, cautious, bold, and has an excellent strength of character. And not only that, he wasn't all the things he shouldn't be. He wasn't extravagant, nor gullible or credulous, and most importantly, he wasn't stupid, he knew when and when to not push further for his desires, he never demanded the impossible from his men, a true criminal mastermind.
And with that, the three glasses clacked together before their holders gulped their contains.
The taste wasn't bad as they swallowed, but the aftertaste was what really annoyed Ruby and Jaune, especially Ruby. She winced and nearly gagged while Jaune had to hold in the urge to spit whatever is left of the whiskey out of his mouth. Ruby preferred Mojito for its sweetness, not that she drank that frequently.
Roman, on the other hand, wasn't fazed at all. In fact, he let out a ridiculing laugh. "First time eh? Don't worry, the taste doesn't get better but you get used to it quickly."
The man set his glass on the desk before taking out another cigar from his drawer, he soon lighted it and took a breath. "Now, let's talk promotion, I know just what your first reward is."
The duo kept silent looking at him with eyes full of curiosity until he finally spoke up again. "How about moving to a fabulous five-stars hotel?!" He cheered.
"Wait, are you serious?" Jaune replied immediately, the only person in the whole gang that had the right to live outside of the hideout was Neo. And she was Roman's right-hand woman.
"Indeed I am, first off, it will help you reach your destinations faster since you won't have to walk miles from the hideout to reach the city. And of course, it will be a nice way to remember how amazing your boss is."
Ruby couldn't believe it, she might have seemed calm on the outside but that was only because she was able to overbear her emotions on the inside. She was bursting with euphoria and delight.
No more sleeping in a room full of snoring men and women, no more people 'accidentally' bumping into her as she slept, no more sudden meltdowns and fights between the other criminals, and most importantly, she gets a proper bed! It was all a dream come true.
"We'll take it." Ruby said, not bothering to even ask what Jaune thinks. He didn't mind though as he would have accepted anyway.
"Fantastic! I'll have some of my friends 'negotiate' and make the arrangements, now if you don't mind, I have some plans to make, you'll be ready to move tomorrow evening."
The duo nodded and consecutively got up from their chairs, they moved towards the door.
Ruby still couldn't quite comprehend it. She could already envision her life in a flat all on her own. She would live a ravishing private life, no arrogant people to annoy her, the only time she needed to work with a gang member was when she was on a mission.
Jaune, on the other hand, knew he might miss the place that gave his life a meaning but it wasn't enough to cause any teetering emotions. It wasn't every day that he would get a chance to live a silent and relaxing life, even if he was still destined to go on missions that would interrupt it.
Ruby grabbed the door handle but was stopped upon opening the door by Roman speaking. "Stop thinking about that because you're just going to end up disappointed." He said in a vague tone.
"What do you mean?" Jaune enquired.
"Isn't it obvious Kiddo? You're both living in the same flat, you're not all alone as you think."
Oh right...
Ruby remembered her boss's semblance, he could read the minds of anyone he could see, it was usually a very useful semblance for him and the whole gang since he could easily stop anyone from double-crossing them before they can even attempt to do so.
But screw that, this was completely unfair! Her hopes of having a quiet and stress-free private life were crushed just by a sentence from Roman.
"Roman, can't we avoid this? I'm sure you could find a way for each of us to have their own flat?" Ruby demanded with a crooked face.
"You're pushing your luck, Red. I suggest you prove yourselves worthy of that first, the more money you bring the more I'll be willing to spend to make you happy, doesn't that sound fair? Unless of course, you think I'm being unjust?"
"But sir-"
Jaune couldn't wait and watch Ruby babble something senseless that would result in them losing a privilege. He interjected.
"Of course we are sir, we'll prove to you whatever you need proof of." He switched his eyes to Ruby, giving her a glare that clearly says. 'Don't mess this up, you stupid idiot.' He then proceeded. "Come on Ruby, we'll figure this out later, anything you need boss?"
Roman motioned for Jaune to close the door behind him, and so he did, leaving Roman to his work and making his way down the stairs, a bewildered and confused Ruby following him.
The duo made their way to the sleeping quarters that they shared with dozens of other henchmen. The henchmen slept worse than animals, every individual had a sleeping bag that they used but more than rarely they could find some way to bump into each other, the room wasn't even that crowded, it was just that they simply couldn't sleep like normal people. Jaune suffered multiple cases of henchmen somehow finding a way to kick him in the head, Ruby was a still not convinced that the various cases of henchmen 'accidentally' bumping into her were actual accidents. Though the one that completely took the cake was the one that had the audacity to actually grope her and claim it was an accident. Seriously, how stupid did he think she was?
Thankfully, she didn't have to deal with that specific person since to their great misfortune, she was still dating Jaune at the time. She was pretty sure she heard a few knuckles break that night.
Jaune was first to engulf himself in the sleeping bag. It was a long night after all. "Aren't you going to change?" Ruby reminded him.
"Nah." He replied casually.
Ruby paid no mind, she went on her way to the showers, she had her locker which carried more comfortable clothes consisting of white cotton pants, white socks, and a red plain t-shirt.
Jaune had a small dagger hidden inside his sleeping bag, he dragged it out and started toying with it, time passed quickly and Ruby was back before he knew it.
"Paranoid much?" Ruby joked as she started looking for something in her own sleeping bag.
"It's always better to be safe." He replied before sliding the dagger under his sleeping bag.
The only reply he got from Ruby was a huge sigh of stress. Followed by complaining. "Where the hell is it?!" She kept repeating as she searched every inch inside her sleeping bag. Jaune kept watching.
He soon saw her stand up and look around her.
"Alright, who took it?!" She announced to all the dozens of henchmen around her, causing most of the sleeping ones to awake.
"Took what?" Jaune wondered, bemused.
Ruby looked in his direction for a second before turning her head back to look around the whole quarters. "My flashlight, I want to read and the lights are going to turn off soon." She explained.
That's the Ruby he knew, the one that could never sleep before reading something. He was about to stand up and help her look but that's when a henchman spoke up.
"Right here." He said, nonchalantly. The duo immediately switched their vision to him, it was a tall man nicknamed Scar. Fancies himself a leader. Nobody ever knew his real name, he was only addressed by his nickname, a nickname Jaune knew was the result of the huge horizontal scar right under his left eye. A scar he most likely took with great pride, as if it was some sort of proof of his prowess. Ruby was quick to make her way to him, she reached him and extended her hand. "Give it back." Was her simple demand.
Scar was surrounded by five other men that also fancied him a leader but Ruby showed no signs of flinching or timidity while outnumbered.
Scar let out a chuckle. "Well, sweetheart-"
"Don't call me sweetheart." Ruby warned before he could complete his sentence.
"Woah Woah, no need to be so hostile sweetheart, I was just about to make you a nice offer." He said with a grin, Ruby could see he was trying to get on her nerves, especially by being defiant to her demand almost as soon as she said it.
Ruby wasn't an idiot though, nobody as low as him could force her into being angry, she decided to listen to what he has to say.
"Well, sugar, I hope you realize how much of an annoyance this flashlight is when I'm trying to sleep, I was just thinking of trying to make everybody happy here." The man explained, waving the flashlight carelessly in the air.
"And what is this wonderful idea that you have?"
"Well, I'd be willing to return it on one condition."
"Which is?" Ruby was waiting for the inevitable.
"Well, how about a kiss from the sweet sugar princess?"
Ruby nearly gagged on the spot, especially after having a good look at the man's yellow teeth filled with holes, not mentioning his horrid smell.
"So, let me get this straight, you steal my flashlight, and now expect me to kiss you to get it back, right?"
The man snickered. "Well, we are thieves and criminals after all, aren't we? Stealing is what we do."
By this time, Jaune had already started climbing out of his sleeping bag, he surely didn't want to miss this.
Ruby smirked "No, I wouldn't exactly phrase it like that," Ruby explained, she added to her words before the man could speak again. "You see, I am a thief, a criminal." She then turned towards Jaune and pointed at him. "And so is he, and finally, so are some people who are standing amongst us."
Scar still had a grin on his face, so wide that Jaune would have loved nothing more than punching him straight in the face, but he didn't want to steal Ruby's moment so he decided to wait.
"But you...you're just a small, tiny, worthless and easily replaceable thug. Nothing more."
The man's grin started to falter until it was no more. "Who do you think you are? I can do anything I want around here, you don't want to mess with me."
"No, you can't, you're just so desperate to find the attention your mommy never gave you." She ridiculed him further.
There were many reasons that Jaune respected Ruby more than anyone, Roman included, even if she was his ex for the fifth time.
She was full of exuberance when around people she liked, she was shrewd, further proof of that was how she was easily manipulating the man in front of her as if he was nothing but a gullible kid. She was also deft, cautious, brave, fearless, bold, full of valor, grit, and a spectacular artist in the art of battle. If he had to make a list of the things he admired about her then it would probably take an hour to read.
And just like Roman, there were many flaws with basic criminals that she thankfully didn't have. She was not sympathetic but she wasn't relentless, she wasn't too depraved and corrupt, she still had her morals which were the only lining between being a criminal and a villain, he didn't like the drama surrounding being a criminal, he worked for money and for his boss, not to be considered some kind of supervillain from a comic as most people interpret him.
Jaune's thoughts had hindered him from focusing on the situation regarding Ruby and Scar, but one thing for sure was that Ruby had said something to piss him off.
Scar raised his hand, ready to bash Ruby's head as he cried. "You little b-"
Jaune grabbed Scar's hand halfway through the distance, Scar gave Jaune a warning gaze. Jaune paid it no mind however as he spoke his mind.
"Listen, Scar. I strongly advise that you need to re-think about what you're doing."
"Why? Afraid of your little girl getting hurt?" Scar tried to sound confident, whilst in truth, his tone was nothing more than grotesquely ridiculous to Jaune.
"I don't think she's the one I should be worried about, it should be you, but unfortunately, I don't waste my time caring for twats." Jaune released the man's hand. "Go on, hit her." He added.
The man couldn't understand the logic behind Jaune's words, how could someone as feeble as her even make it as a criminal in the first place?
The man rushed his hand with great speed, almost already tasting the humiliation he would draw on Ruby's face when she falls to the ground from his hit.
But that's when he realized that he never put her semblance into account. His punch looked as if it faded through her, yet the truth was that she moved so fast that he hadn't even noticed it before it was too late, the man didn't have time to turn around before Ruby surged her leg upwards with great speed and strength, hitting the man directly in his crotch area.
It took but a second for the man to completely crumble to his knees, Ruby simply snatched her flashlight. The kick was hard enough to not only break his Aura but still completely be strong enough to cause him great pain. The truth was, the fight ended before it even started.
Everybody in Ruby's pathway to her bedroll started making way to her, a scene straight out of a movie, Ruby simply laid down and tucked herself in her blanket. Flashlight in hand and a book in the other.
Scar was already being carried by his five friends to the infirmary where he would, without doubt, spend a few nights. And the rest of the henchmen focused on minding their own business instead of meddling with Ruby.
Jaune moved closer before tucking himself in the bedroll next to Ruby. "He deserved it." He voiced. Earning a small snicker from Ruby.
"He definitely did."
The blonde man collapsed, ready to drift asleep. He looked at Ruby one more time and noticed her already holding the book she was to read, it looked so old, feudal even. Gothic marks fully covered it. He could sneak a glimpse at the title.
"Maidens Of The White Knight?" He watched as Ruby immediately blushed and quickly pulled the book to her torso, hiding the title by wrapping her arms around it and starting to squeeze the book, as if hugging it.
"Yeah? Since when are you interested in what I read?" She asked. Jaune was about to tease her further until he noticed her facial expression. She was asking him a legitimate question.
"I'm not that into reading but you know you have a very... interesting taste in books."
Ruby smiled, a great warrior she was, a cunning thief, a relentless soul, possessing speed as fast as light, but mention books and she'll turn into the biggest dork on the entirety of Remnant.
"W-well, it's about a knight. He and three maidens journey to save a fallen kingdom overrun by the guilty souls of its former warriors."
Jaune snickered. "And?"
"T-That's it."
"Are you sure there is nothing that you are hiding from me?" How long was it going to take to break her? He knew her tricks, better than anyone, she might have seemed like a great liar, and that was because she actually is, but Jaune always knew when she lied, he'd only need for her to stutter on her words once to confirm her trickery, and as far as he could tell, she already stuttered twice.
"Well, there's romance involved." How long was he going to try? She wasn't going to give in! the annoyance she'd get for the coming few weeks would be unbearable if she did.
"What kind of romance?"
"Intense..."
"How intense?"
"Well, it involves-"
"It's erotica, isn't it?"
Direct and as shocking as ever, Ruby thought. There was no point in battling him further if he already figured it out, she just needed to prepare emotionally for the next couple of weeks which will undoubtedly contain a lot of teasing.
"Yeah." Was her simple reply.
Jaune was content, she surrendered, such an easy tease she was for him, never able to hold her own when under pressure to answer a question of his. The most confusing part to him was how she was only like that with him, he saw her threaten the biggest crime lords of Vale without a single flinch, fight a comically large number of cops and emerging without a scratch.
And of course, one of her most notable achievements, holding her own against Cinder Fall. The woman whom their boss works for. Or with, as he likes to call it.
How she fought Cinder was something he would never forget. He and all of the gang watched as Cinder lashed out at their boss because one of his henchmen was responsible for losing a more than significant amount of Dust, significant enough to make a real difference in whatever plan she had in mind, big enough to blow a whole city to bits. And just because of a mistake from a henchman, it was all lost.
That day, Cinder lost her composure, she was usually very calm when she visited the hideout to talk to Roman. But that day? She was yelling and punching holes through walls.
But when she got angry enough to raise her swords on Roman was when Ruby intervened. Cinder's swords were that close to hitting Roman's head with force enough to pulverize most of his Aura, but Ruby was quick to get in the way and hold herself in combat against Cinder for a good twenty seconds. Which was usually more than enough time for someone like Cinder to burn down dozens of men. Cinder herself couldn't deny that she was impressed, impressed enough to decide to let Ruby live, thinking that she might be useful for the future.
All those things but she can't answer a question without melting all over the place...
Soon enough, all the lights started going out simultaneously until the only light in the whole quarters was the dim light coming from Ruby's flashlight.
"Guess that's my cue, and by the way." Jaune looked into Ruby's eyes, they shined as bright as the sun amidst all the dark, it was like her own silver-colored sun, he almost forgot to talk as he lost himself inside her eyes, they were weirdly comforting.
"Ah, never mind. Sleep tight." Jaune scurried to the other side of his body, giving Ruby his back before closing his eyes. Weird, what's gotten over him all of a sudden? Ruby could never figure him out. He was odd.
Soon enough, Jaune drifted asleep with multiple henchmen doing the same, Ruby finally decided it was time to sleep after reading her book for a considerable amount time, and she was the last to fall asleep between all of the people sharing the quarters.
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"So, this is where we'll be living, huh?"
The duo stood together, as they did many times. They observed the hotel. It seemed like no matter how much they raise their head, they'd never find the top, it felt like the building must have had the minimum of a hundred floors.
"Yup, home sweet home." Jaune answered.
The duo went on their way, walking a path made of paved stone surrounded by a beautiful garden with a vast diversity of flowers.
The automatic doors slid open, welcoming the duo inside the reception, they immediately made their way to the front counter.
"Hello, we have a reservation for room one-ninety-six."
The smiling receptionist answered. "Of course sir, may I have your name please?"
"Matthews."
"Surname please?"
"BloodRose."
The clerk's eyes shot wide, he saw Jaune slightly move his arm, showing a small tattoo on the back of his arm.
"Ah, of course, right this way ."
The duo followed the man to a nearby elevator. Jaune sighed as he watched the man press the button leading to the ninety-fifth floor, no wonder it's going to be a long ride.
Ruby, on the other hand, was too busy being excited by this opportunity to notice any time pass, too many things went on in her head. Is the home big? How many bathrooms? Do they get free food? Is there a library in this building? Wait, is there a bookshelf in their flat full of books?!
The possibilities were endless!
"So, you two impressed huh?" The clerk said out of nowhere as he turned around to face the duo with a smile on his face.
"What do you mean?" They both answered concurrently.
"Heh, you don't need to play this game with me, you're secrets are safe here, I work for the same man that you work for, after all."
The realization hit both of them, the man must have been one of Roman's. None of them had anything to say, but the same didn't go for him as he added.
"You know, last time I did this was for someone really talented, it's been a while since Roman gave such a reward to anyone, you two must be very valuable to him."
"The best in business." Ruby explained proudly and she wasn't lying, nobody in the gang could even come close to comparing with her and Jaune.
"That's a very beneficial trait to have, use it wisely." The elevator door swung open, revealing a hallway. The man handed Jaune a key. "Fifth room on the left, enjoy your stay, and don't worry, nobody is finding you here, I've made sure of it.
The two stepped out as the elevator closed behind them, allowing the clerk to leave. They made their way to the fifth door on the lift, and Jaune excitedly inserted the key in the door and with a gentle turn it cracked open, he pushed the door and went inside, a Ruby in awe behind him.
The first thing they could notice is the size of the room. It was big, really big, massive. And the huge glass window replacing almost a whole side of the wall was showing a great view of the city.
"This is amazing!" Ruby relished, face full of gaiety. She couldn't wrap her head around it, she could already see two fridges, a huge couch, a flatscreen TV, a fireplace, a coffee machine, and the one thing that nearly made her scream with cheer, a huge bookshelf full of books!
She ran as fast as she can without using her semblance, dropping her bag full of her necessities and clothes. She was in sheer wonder and awe as she saw many classics she always wanted to read but didn't have the time to due to her unusual lifestyle.
Jaune, however, had one thing on his mind. Kitchen.
He checked the first fridge first. He was instantly captivated by the sight of sweets of all kinds. Chocolate, soda, sweets, and all kinds of different mouth-drooling snacks.
The only thing he wondered is if the fridge containing snacks would actually be that amazing, what would actual food be like? He couldn't hold himself longer, grabbing a chocolate bar and munching on it as he made his way to the other fridge.
The emotions that came upon opening the fridge were confusing, to say the least, he expected all kinds of foods, maybe even dessert, but what he got was a fridge full from top to bottom with nothing other than alcohol, extremely fancy alcohol by the looks of it.
It was very perplexing to figure out if he was happy with what he got or not, on one hand, food is amazing, on the other hand, drinking was also quite fun, especially if he'd have almost complete privacy, it wasn't the best, but still fun when the time was right.
"Jaune, check this out." Jaune turned to face Ruby, only barely catching sight of a crumbled up piece of paper coming his way, he managed to snatch it in the air before opening it and revealing what's inside.
The paper explained that food comes to them via room service, they could order whatever they want and it would reach them within thirty minutes. The hotel truly spared no expense.
Jaune turned around to face Ruby once more, yet she had already moved away from the bookshelf, Jaune switched his head to the other side, Ruby was looking through the huge glass wall, a beautiful sunset was starting. Jaune set down the note and moved beside Ruby, he looked at her but her eyes remained fixed at the sunset.
"Rubes?"
She didn't bother to answer, she was too busy looking like she was pondering something.
"Ruby, is everything alright?"
Ruby took a deep breath of respite before finally responding. "Well, yes, why wouldn't it be?"
Strange, was she hiding something? If she was lying she would have stuttered but she hadn't. Though it still felt to Jaune as if something was off.
"What's wrong? You can tell me." Jaune insisted, Ruby hesitated to answer but finally decided to speak her mind.
"I mean...Jaune, do we really deserve this?"
Surprising, to say the least, why was she thinking about that all of a sudden? In all of the ten years they knew each other he never saw her even think of such a thing. He wasn't sure what to say and gave Ruby time to add to her words.
"I mean, do you think we deserve this as much as other people who worked hard to reach this high?"
"So you think we aren't working hard? We work harder than most people out there, they just have to sit around in offices all day whilst we have to risk our lives and freedom."
Ruby opened her mouth to reply but Jaune was quicker to add to his sayings. "Besides, what has the world ever done for us anyway?"
He was right, she didn't like it, but he was right. The world never gave them a chance, nobody showed them any compassion or even the slightest bit of pity, why should they ever do the same? The only person that offered them an actual chance in life was Roman. He was the only one they owed anything. And just for siding with the one man that gave them a chance, they now are being hunted by the ones who never gave them one.
Ruby tried to hide her disheartened face expression by painting a slight smile on her face. "You're right, I shouldn't think about this, we made it here with our efforts combined."
That's the Ruby he loved seeing, the cheerful optimist dork. She might be a thief, a person most would see as terrible or frightening, but he knew the true Ruby, the one he'd rather see over any other Ruby.
And he loved to mess with her.
"Well, yeah...I still would've rathered to live alone, but I guess you're bearable." He jested with a light heart.
"The feeling is mutual, you jerk." She replied, giving him a prompt friendly punch on the shoulder.
The duo decided it was time to try out the food from their newly-found home, it wasn't long after they placed a call from the phone located in the living room that they received their dishes.
Ruby had herself some roasted chicken, with white rice and mashed potatoes.
Jaune had grilled steak, french fries, and some White pasta.
Both of them couldn't remember the last time they tasted something so good, a part of that is thanks to the fact that they actually never had. The food they got in the hideout was decent but couldn't even compare to this. They degusted their food as slow as they can. savoring all and every bite. Proper conversation was hard to practice as they both solely focused on appreciating their food.
After finishing their dinner, Jaune went on to grab himself a snack, Ruby, on the other hand, was adamant to get cookies and was elated when she found out she could order a fresh batch whenever she wanted. She never hesitated to order them, to say the least.
But soon enough, both had finished stuffing their stomach, they found themselves sitting on a cartoonishly comfortable couch, the glass wall right in front of them, giving them a great view of the city at night.
Jaune looked at the clock. It was almost 8 AM. "Hey, Rubes, what do you say to a glass of...well, whatever you want really, that fridge is full of stuff I never even heard of before."
"We've got a mission tomorrow morning, I don't think drinking is the best idea right now."
Jaune managed to push himself off the couch, it wasn't easy after all the food he just consumed. "Come on, just a glass, it won't hurt." He started making his way to the fridge.
"Fine, get me a martini, I guess." She decided, eyes remaining fixed on her book. She knew it was the first book she would read as soon as she spotted it on the bookshelf. a classic book titled 'Third Crusade'
It wasn't long before she felt Jaune sit beside her again, she grabbed the glass of martini and took a sip.
"Third Crusade?" Jaune spoke, earning her attention immediately.
"Don't worry, this one is just a classic." She replied, defusing the situation before it gets a chance to start in the first place. Yet what Jaune was about to say took her by complete surprise.
"I know, this is the only book I ever finished."
"Wait. You? You finished a book?!" She was completely filled with shock, Jaune had never in his life expressed the slightest bit of interest in literature. The idea of him reading a book let alone finishing it was simply baffling.
"Well, yeah. It's pretty short and I was bored from sleeping so early every night so I'd go read it in the bathrooms."
"So that's why you took so long to come back from the bathroom?"
"Yeah, what else would it be?"
Ruby shrugged. "Nothing."
"Well, anyway, I thought the book was-"
Ruby was quick to interrupt him, raising her finger up, indicating him to not speak. "A ta ta ta, no spoilers." She explained before finishing up her drink. Jaune had already finished his.
"Oh, right. Well, I'll go refill my glass, be right back."
"Wait, take mine too." Ruby requested, handing Jaune her glass, it wasn't too much time before he came back with two full glasses.
Their conversation went on, talking about things they could do in their new home, and about how they would act out their mission tomorrow. They didn't notice the time go by, and they weren't taking care of the amount of alcohol they were consuming, about an hour later, both have had at least seven glasses. Completely wasted.
"So, let me get this straight, you had a crush on Neo?" Ruby laughed.
"Yeah, I did, she was like the best thing to ever exist at the time."
"Dude, she was like twenty and you were eleven! What was going on in your head?!" She cried out. What was young Jaune thinking? Neo would have teased him relentlessly if she knew this.
"Well, at least you came along to snap me out of it."
Ruby teasingly moved closer to Jaune. "Well, I guess you could call me your savior."
Jaune looked into her eyes, she was also unyieldingly looking into his, not even trying to hide it. She had a coy smile on her face.
Jaune simpered. "Heh, I guess you are."
The drunkards never ceased to look into each other's eyes, it went on for minutes, Ruby's face growing more red with each passing second.
Jaune started noticing Ruby's face growing closer, involuntarily his did the same, her captivating and stunning smile was like a magnet pulling him closer.
Ruby felt the same, looking into his eyes. She was allured by his striking physique and blue eyes. She couldn't control her shuddering every second that went by, she soon started feeling his warm breath on her lips. Since when was he this attractive?
Jaune went for the extremely cacoethes move, he couldn't interpret his feelings at the moment, so he went for action. His face rapidly started moving closer to Ruby's. His lips were inches away from meeting hers.
And just before meeting her lips, she abruptly heaved her head backward. Moving away from the kiss. Jaune refused to pursue and kept his head still. Ruby had a guilty, almost sorry face drawn over her. He closed his eyes and sighed.
His eyes were closed, he couldn't look at her after what he tried to do, actually, what the hell DID he just do? Why did he even try tha-
Jaune was swiftly and suddenly pushed to the couch, forced into a position where he was laying on his back. His eyes shot wide open. Only to reveal a Ruby that was quickly moving towards his face. He couldn't react before her lips locked with his.
Ruby couldn't believe what she was doing but there was no going back. She refused to leave Jaune's lips.
Suddenly, she was pushed back, but still never lost contact with his lips, he got up into a seating position and wrapped his arms around her shoulder, willingly returning her kiss. She could not believe how simply her lust got the better of her.
Jaune's hand moved to surround her waist gently. His sensual touch was tantalizing to Ruby. She was soon pushed over again, this time being the one resting on her back as Jaune controlled the kissing. She wrapped her arms around the man as they continued to make out for an amount of time she didn't care for, she was focusing on enjoying every current moment.
Jaune finally removed his lips, only then Ruby realized her need for air as she gasped for her life. Jaune suddenly lifted her up from the couch. Ruby couldn't control herself as she dashed her face forwards, locking lips with him again as he carried her to whatever place he had in mind.
She fiercely kept at it before finding herself being set down on a gigantic bed. Jaune forced the kissing to an end as he moved away from Ruby, she kept sojourned on the bed as she watched Jaune take his shirt off. She herself started unbuttoning her blazer, whilst still having trouble because of her whole body shaking. Soon enough, Jaune grabbed her hand, she looked at him. "Let me help you."
Ruby once more dashed towards him with a kiss, she locked lips with him once more as he helped her out. Wherever this was going, she didn't want it to stop, neither of them did.
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Jaune woke up to an absolutely throbbing headache. Geez, how much did he drink last night?
He looked around him, he was in bed, covered in a blanket. But if he was sleeping here then where was Ruby? There was only one bedroom, she couldn't have possibly slept on the couch, could she?
He pushed himself off of the bed, he nearly fell down due to the headache he suffered from. He noticed how the sun was already up. He moved to the mirror and the first thing he noticed is a spot on his neck. He moved closer to inspect it. He was shocked upon realizing that it was a hickie.
"Ughhhh, what the hell happened." A voice cried out from behind Jaune, he looked behind him to find Ruby's head poking out of the blanket.
"Ruby?" Was the only thing he managed to mutter.
Ruby suddenly snapped up, getting up into a seating position on the bed. Covering her body with the blanket.
Obnoxious silence rang along the room as both of them thought of any words to say, both of them had a face redder than red.
"D- Did we...did we?" Ruby still couldn't think of what to say.
Jaune too was shocked, how did that even happen? He remembered drinking some alcohol at night but everything else was vague, though the current situation explained plenty to him.
"Jaune, this never happened. Understand?" She made clear with a stern voice. Jaune nodded vigorously as an answer.
Ruby couldn't stop herself from making it even clearer. "We were just drunk, act as if nothing happened." Jaune nodded once more before speaking.
"What happened? Nothing happened." He bumbled.
"Exactly, now get the hell out of the room, I want to change."
Jaune grabbed his clothes which were on the floor before leaving the room. He started changing. He looked at the clock and it revealed that they thankfully had enough time to prepare properly for their mission, about an hour.
Ruby soon emerged from the room, wearing skinny black Jeans, a white T-shirt, and black sports shoes. She moved past him, trying not to make any eye contact. She thankfully succeeded and found her way to a notepad she owns, in it was written the tasks they should complete today, and to her luck, it was only one. She and Jaune were to visit a specific bookstore and take care of a man named Tukson. Nothing less and nothing more.
"C'mon, get ready, we're leaving in an hour." Ruby explained as she went back to the room, looking for her weapon. Jaune did the same but in the living room, since he was sure it was there somewhere. When they both finally prepared, they silently made their way out of the flat and started taking the trip to the bookstore, both of them refusing to utter a word on the way.
Jaune wasn't sure when the spell of what happened the night before would disappear, he hoped it would be soon but he was sure it would happen eventually, the duo made it out of five breakups as friends after all.
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I sincerely hope you've enjoyed the chapter, now to talk about a few things.
So, as it should be clear. I've decided to change the personalities of Ruby and Jaune a little so it can match with my future plans for the story. Ruby has become a bit more sassy and less of an optimist, though the optimism is still there, she is no longer obsessed with weapons, now she is obsessed with books. Jaune is a tease and very sarcastic, especially with Ruby. Ruby is a bit more defenseless against Jaune since he knows her so well.
Though the biggest change is one that I only hinted at in this chapter, I've decided to give their character a bit of swagger by giving each of them their unique emotional problem. Jaune simply can't work under pressure, it is so extreme for him that he forgot to take the money from the bank they robbed, only because when under pressure he makes rash actions and usually doesn't think much.
Ruby, on the other hand, has a problem with how people see her, she cares too much of how others view her, she always strives to be better even when not needed which sometimes leads to exhaustion. She gets even more extreme when on a mission, she would do everything in her power to not fail for if she fails she would feel inferior to others.
Thank you for reading and have a nice day/afternoon/evening/night.
Please review, fav, follow. Especially review, reviews are the best things on this site, especially long ones.
Much Love! Stay Hopeful! ZilverHope Out!