Green tea still better than coffee.
Cover Art: Jack Wayne
Chapter 24
If it wasn't for the chair Jaune slumped down into, he might have fallen over. Roman, the ever-friendly and jocular guy who visited late at night and offered glib advice, was actually a renowned criminal. He was a thief, a crime lord, and perhaps even more. How had he not noticed? Well, probably because Roman hadn't done any of that to him, but still, you'd have thought the guy's name would be in the news or something!
Not that I've paid much attention to the news, but I'm not that out of the loop.
Am I…?
And Neo. His eyes sought her out, stood at the back wall looking oh so innocent. It was hard to imagine her as someone who would break the law. Sure, everyone seemed to get uneasy when she smiled, and she did have this little vicious twist to her lips and all, but she was so small!
Then again, Miltia and Melanie were hardly intimidating on first sight and he knew they were from the local organised crime family, of which the very club they were talking in was a main base. Come to think of it, he knew more people in crime than out.
Oh hell, was Cinder a criminal, too? She couldn't be. She'd unlocked his aura, asked Emerald to help him and been so kind. She was nice!
"You okay there?" Roman asked. "You're looking a little lost."
"Just reconciling the fact you're actually a criminal. How have I never heard of you?"
"Honestly, kid, how have you not? I actually thought you just didn't care the first two or three visits. Figured you were professional enough to act like it didn't bother you." Roman leaned an elbow on the table and grinned at him. "Then I started to realise you just didn't know. Amazing, given that I must feature on the TV at least twice a day."
"I don't want much TV."
"And I have the odd wanted poster around town."
"I… don't get out much."
Miltia snorted. "That's putting it lightly."
"And," Roman continued, "Just about everyone in the city knows my name and face."
"I…" Jaune broke off, trying to think up an excuse. He couldn't say he didn't deal with people, because when it came to social interaction he was probably the most interacted-with person here. "I think I'm an idiot," he finally said.
"No argument there, kiddo. But you're a funny idiot so it's okay. And you're our favourite idiot," he added with both a nod to Neo and the Malachites. "Which means you get looked after when something goes wrong, like some goons smashing up your place and stealing your family sword."
"Right. Thank you for getting that back, Roman, and you two," he added for the twins. "And you, Neo," he also added when said girl crossed her arms and pouted.
She quickly grinned and waved.
"Eh, it's fine," Roman said. "Keep the coffee flowing and we'll call it even."
The logical thing to do would be to say no, especially when he now knew Roman was a dangerous criminal. He wasn't up on his laws and doubted serving him could be called aiding and abetting, but the average person wouldn't have welcomed him in by any means.
Jaune guessed that made him not the average person, since he couldn't bring himself to say no or bar Roman from the diner.
"Sure thing. You said something about Café Prime, though." He didn't want to think they could be responsible for this. It was just coffee for crying out loud! And yes, maybe Ozpin and Oobleck (loyal customers that they were) might have balked at the idea of anything being just coffee, but still, it wasn't worth doing any of this over. "I can't believe they'd be behind it, Roman. It's just coffee."
"Wrong. It's not coffee. It's money."
"Liquid gold?" he quipped.
"No need for the sarcasm, kid. You're thinking about it in terms of what you sell, but that doesn't matter. This is about one thing and one thing only; the bottom line. You never see how giants swallow up smaller companies daily? You never hear of law suits that reach millions in lien aimed at little businesses for small infractions, or maybe even imagined ones? It's a dog eat dog world out there and you'd be surprised how lawless being in business is."
"You could sell coffee, cakes or scrolls. Whatever the case, there would be someone bigger than you who wants you gone."
"Enough to send people to attack me?"
"Maybe. If they couldn't sort you out another way." Roman drew a cigar and lit it, and soon the room began to fill with the smell of pine resin. "The decision on how far to go is an individual one. Some won't and others will. It depends on personality. It's no less kind to swallow a company in legal bills until it has to shut down, though. It's only the method that changes. Either way, the big players want the smaller ones out."
"But I'm insignificant compared to them! Sure, I do well, but it can't be anything to how many customers they have across all their stores."
"True, but your costs are nothing compared to theirs, either. The bigger you get, the more you need every single customer. Shareholders make it harder, too. They need to please the investors, which means even a small dent in profits can cost someone his job. Plus, there's the chance you'll expand later. It's too much risk for them, so someone wants you out."
It was nothing Weiss hadn't said but Jaune still wanted to deny it. Roman noticed and let out a long sigh.
"Kid, the fact you keep rebelling against this is probably a sign of how little you'd consider doing something like that. Makes you a good person, I suppose, but it doesn't make you a good businessman. Even we have to keep an eye on the competition," he added, gesturing to himself, Neo and the Malachites. "This gang that attacked you; even if they hadn't, Junior would have dealt with them for daring to think they could open up on his turf in competition to him. It's the same deal. As far as Café Prime are concerned, you're on their turf and you're not playing ball."
"So, they break the law to hurt me…"
"Hey. It's only breaking the law if they get caught. Do you have any evidence?"
He didn't.
"Then that's it, I'm afraid. What we have wouldn't stand up in court either, so their hands are squeaky clean. Whining about it isn't going to change anything."
He was right. "What, then? What evidence did you find?"
"The Crimson Devils Gang," Roman began, but paused when Miltia and Melanie snickered. "They were basically a bunch of hopped up kids who dropped out of working life or school and thought they were all that. They're the ones who attacked you, and though they did steal the money from your register, they didn't even try and get upstairs to look for more. They were there to do pure damage."
Jaune nodded. He and the girls from Team RWBY had figured out that much. Hard not to when it had been imprinted into his body via the medium of fists.
"We did a little digging, and thanks to the twins managed to find them and have a friendly chat. They were pretty quick to tell us someone had paid them to do the work, though it seems none of them actually met the one responsible. Tell me, kid. How many enemies do you think you have?"
"None," Jaune answered honestly. He waited for Roman to tell him otherwise but the thief grinned instead.
"Exactly. None. No offence, but you're not really important enough to have enemies, at least not like I would have."
Was he supposed to take offence at that? It seemed like a good thing.
"So, with no personal enemies after you, the list of suspects is pretty damn thin. Unless you think we arranged it so we could catch and hand them in on the off chance you'd give us cheaper coffee, that only leaves one group with anything to gain."
"Café Prime. But that doesn't feel like enough evidence to say it's definitely them…"
"It's not," Roman admitted, "Which is why I said it wouldn't stand up in court. But someone paid these guys to smash up your place, and they paid 'em to the tune of thirty-thousand lien." Roman nodded when Jaune's mouth fell open. "Yeah, thirty-thousand to smash up a coffee shop and beat up a single civilian. Kid, I've seen hits with less of a reward. This isn't the kind of thing a regular guy can pay out. Or even would."
It had to be someone with a lot of money, or something – an organisation. It wasn't conclusive, but just like Roman, Jaune couldn't think of anyone else who might have any reason to dislike him. The richest person he knew was Weiss, and if she really didn't want to sing she'd have just said so.
Ozpin was hooked on his coffee, Glynda was too nice to order a hit just to stop Ozpin running off when he should have been working, and against all odds the only criminals in the area were actually his best customers.
It had to be them.
Jaune slumped.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"For now, nothing," Roman said. He held up a hand when Jaune made to argue. "I'm not saying to pretend it never happened, but to hold tight for now. If we hear anything, we'll act on it or let you know. Even if it's Café Prime, you need to remember that it could be anyone in the business. Might be your Sterling guy who comes round, but it might as easily be the CEO, someone on the Board of Directors or even a department in their company which deals specifically with competition. You act on this when it's got no proof and they'll drag you through the mud."
"In fact, they might even have done this in the hopes you'll try to accuse them. They have the resources to spin this in their favour and see you discredited."
"But that's not fair," he protested.
"Life isn't fair, business is even less so. The SDC literally works faunus to death and no one gives a shit. Big companies outsource their expensive manufacturing to factories full of underpaid workers, then slap on huge margins for branding and make a profit, all so the one per cent can live like kings."
Roman sighed when Jaune sagged even further. "Look, I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad," Roman assured him. "In fact, I'm telling you now so that the girls can distract you afterwards and you'll get a chance to relax. Just keep your head up and your eyes and ears open. Keep going like usual, but pay attention. Now that you know what they're up to, you can watch out for it. And you've got your sword back."
"I have…" Jaune let out a long breath and pushed himself back up. Complaining about this wasn't going to do anything, and Roman and his lot had worked their butts off to help him. Jaune forced a smile to his face, and was surprised to find that it made him feel better. The smile stuck. "Thanks for doing all this for me – all of you. I probably sound like I don't appreciate it, but I do."
"If this is a group hug in the making I'll excuse myself now," Roman snorted, standing up and pushing the chair back under the desk. "I've got some work to do tonight, but you lot enjoy yourselves."
"You're not coming with us?" Jaune asked, surprised.
"I'm a little too recognisable to go clubbing," the thief pointed out. "Well, recognisable except to you, apparently." He laughed when Jaune's cheeks heated up. "Have a fun night, kiddo, and try not to think on everything we talked about here. In fact, let your hair down a little. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."
You mean don't do anything you would do, Jaune thought, shaking his head. A renowned thief, his accomplice and the local mafia, all in the same room as him, a humble café owner, and yet somehow he wasn't afraid for his life or quaking in his boots. His mother would have had something to say about that, although if she could see how the twins appeared on either side of him and grabbed his arms, with Neo appearing behind and gripping his shoulders, Juniper Arc might have washed away any such complaints.
"Business is concluded," Melanie said with a coy smile. "And since Roman said we should distract you..."
Neo grinned.
"It's time to party!" Miltia howled.
/-/
Jaune's breath left him as he practically fell into the couch at the back wall, skin washed over with blue neon light from bulbs above. Laughing, Miltia squashed in beside him while Neo hopped across the table. Someone's foot touched his under it but he couldn't bring himself to care. He panted for breath, utterly spent.
Miltia laughed and slapped his arm, saying something he couldn't catch. The music was booming – and he did mean booming, the vibrations from the bass rumbling through the floor and his eardrums. Combined with over three hundred voices chatting, the loud music and the stamping feet, it was hard to hear anything.
"What?" Jaune shouted. Nor quite as loud as he could, but voice noticeably raised.
"I said you can dance!" Miltia repeated, leaning in so close her breath touched his ear. It was pretty much a necessity if he wanted to hear her. "I thought you'd be useless but you can actually dance!"
"You mean I can flail my arms around like a mad man," he replied, accepting the drink Melanie pushed over as she came back, somehow managing to pin four glasses between two hands. His drink was some red and blue cocktail that mixed to purple in the middle. It looked diabolical but actually tasted like cherry, bubble-gum and grapes with a fizzy kick. He sipped it happily.
"That is dancing," Melanie laughed, having overheard. "Or dancing at a club, anyway. What did you expect?"
"I dunno. One person dancing in the middle of a ring of people?"
Miltia laughed. "Yeah, you start a dance-off and we're abandoning you so fast."
She pointed back to the dance floor and he saw what she meant. While they'd been in it, all he could see were the three girls' faces as they danced with him, but from outside it just looked like an amorphous blob of people jumping up and down, some with their hands in the air, some behind them making odd swaying motions.
It wasn't dancing by a long shot, but everyone looked fairly happy and they at least stamped their feet to the music. As far as he could tell, just about anything went. The only thing he hadn't liked was how crowded it was, with people pushed up against his back, but even that he'd gotten used to when no one else seemed to care.
"I thought things would be worse," he said loudly.
"What did you expect?"
"I don't know. More drunk people, maybe fights…"
"Junior runs a tight ship," Miltia replied. "Most people don't start anything. Not unless they're irritating blondes with no brains and a chip on their shoulder."
Oh yeah, Yang.
"Mostly, this is just a normal nightclub," she went on. "Mel and I are both security and to look good. It draws guys in."
"And girls," Melanie said saucily, licking her lips at him.
Jaune blushed and hid his eyes in his drink. Judging by both the twin's cackles and even Neo's amused expression, he'd fooled precisely no one. He looked away to buy some time and avoid the embarrassment, and quickly noticed another table a few seats down, where four guys were glaring at him none too subtly. They were his age or a little older, probably eighteen to twenty, and they were fairly handsome and well-dressed. One saw him looking and sneered and whispered something to the guy next to him. The other laughed.
"Ignore them," Miltia said, hooking an arm over his shoulder. She drew his head close and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek without warning. He shivered at the sensation and tried not to think too much on it, or how her lips felt.
But he did notice the four guys scowl and look back to their drinks, clearly annoyed.
"Jealous pricks," Miltia grumbled. "Ignore them. They're not worth the drinks they're buying."
"Jealous?" he asked. "Of what?"
"You, doofus. You're out with three gorgeous girls."
"W-What?" he stammered. "But I'm not dating any of you!"
"Doesn't matter to pea-brained idiots. You've got what they want, attention, even if it's not what they think it is. They're jealous of that."
Jaune shuffled nervously. "Will that cause trouble?"
"To us!?" Miltia sounded shocked at the very idea. "You doremember who we are, right?"
Two members of the local mafia and Neo, accomplice of Roman Torchwick. Jaune palmed his face and laughed, suddenly realising why Miltia looked so amused at the idea. Yeah, even if Junior's men didn't throw those four out for trying it, any of these girls could tie them into knots and throw them out a window. Geez, he had to stop looking at things on face value.
"Forget I asked."
Neo patted his arm sympathetically, though not too much so if her smile was anything to go by.
"Fuck it, let's go VIP," Miltia suddenly decided. She hopped up and grabbed his arm, dragging him up beside her. Miltia had drank a lot more than him and her cheeks were flushed, but he figured they were both about as gone as the other, her having a lot more tolerance than he did. "Hard to focus when I can literally feel idiots burning a hole into the back of Jaune's head."
"And the front of your dress," Melanie quipped.
"That, too. Seriously, if they want to try their luck just fucking try it. Don't stare like you're trying to undress me with your eyes."
If Miltia said that as if she were talking to them, it was because she pointedly was. Her voice was raised so much that the neighbouring tables had turned to listen, and a few guys and girls laughed at the blatant callout.
The table of four guys looked embarrassed to have been noticed, even if they weren't very subtle. One, however, decided it was a challenge – or maybe even a flirtatious hint – and rose to his feet. Melanie beat him to it and put a hand on his chest, pushing him back down.
"Yeah, no, not interested. Sorry."
"What the-?" He never got a chance to finish as they passed him by, Jaune dragged by Miltia and Neo waving cockily at the stunned guys as she followed. Diplomatic it wasn't, but the girls looked to have shocked them too much for anyone to react. Well, apart from the others in hearing distance, who laughed at their misfortune.
The Club's VIP area was up on the second floor and comprised a sectioned off area guarded by two men and a velvet-link chain. It wasn't quiet; quite the opposite, since the area itself was actually a balcony looking out over the dance floor, but it was much more sparsely occupied and the tables and chairs were nicer. There was also a bar just for that area, worked by a single young man who waved to Miltia and Melanie, clearly recognising them. They waved back and Melanie shouted out another order.
The tables in the VIP area were round, with pod-like chairs that were more comfortable than they looked. Jaune tried not to notice how much he missed one of the girls sat next to him, but it was soon forgotten as they huddled around a table and the waiter came out, putting down a huge bottle of vodka in the centre, in an iced bucket, and then several large jars of different coloured mixer, along with four empty glasses.
"This is where we spend most of our nights," Melanie explained once she'd mixed them all some drinks. Much stronger than what he'd had before, but nice, and also filled with caffeine to keep him up. "It's fun on the floor, but sooner or later you get tired of guys approaching you all night."
"I don't think I'd be tired of girls doing that." Maybe it wasn't the best thing to say to a girl, but hey, his mind was a little fuzzy right now and his words didn't seem to need vetting anymore. Luckily, none of them took offence.
"Yeah, you think that, but try it all night, every night, and imagine the girls being sleazy as hell," Miltia said. "Oh, and half of them stink of after-shave, and the other half are drunk out of their minds."
"And when we're working, we're not," Melanie grumbled. "Trust me, you being sober and a drunk coming onto you isn't as sexy as it sounds."
He'd have to take their word on that. He wasn't nearly handsome enough to have any girls putting in a concerted effort to catch his attention, drunk or not. Melanie seemed to read that from his expression and laughed.
"There were one or two girls looking your way down there," she said.
He nearly choked on his drink. "What!? There wasn't."
"And you'd be the expert?" Her raised eyebrow had him backing down. "It's not just guys who look at girls when they think the other isn't looking. Of course you didn't notice, they were checking you out but didn't want to be seen doing it."
"Why didn't they approach?"
"Nerves, timing, the fact you're literally sat with three other women…" Melanie made it sound all too obvious. "If you were alone they might have come and tried to chat with you, but it's kind of intimidating to walk up to a group like ours. Would you walk up to four girls to ask one out?"
He wouldn't. Not in a million years. He'd probably wait and see if he could talk to the girl alone, which now that he thought about it sounded almost predatory. Well, not like it was worth feeling guilty over since he knew even if it happened, he'd never have the guts to actually go through with it. "I get your point."
"Finding a girlfriend isn't hard if you put the effort in. Or a boyfriend if that's what you want. People hook up all the time here, but it's easier if you're on your own. People feel more comfortable to approach you, then, and you don't have the excuse of just sticking and talking to your group. Most people who complain about how hard it is to meet someone are the ones not putting any effort into it at all. Of course you're not going to if you sit at home all day."
"Enough about that," Miltia interrupted. "We're here to have fun, not hook Jaune up." Miltia prodded his chest but accidentally went a little high, hitting him below the throat. He didn't really feel it. "You spend pretty much all your time working anyway. If you got a girlfriend, you'd have to make more free time for her."
All three of the girls nodded in unison, driving home the point.
"Since when was this supposed to be a night of dating advice?"
Melanie blinked, almost as confused as he for a moment. "Huh, good point. I guess that's what happens when a guy goes out with a bunch of girls and isn't dating any of them. We try and set you up." She laughed it off, waving a hand. "Let's talk about something else instead."
"Don't you dare talk about work," Miltia quickly interjected, glowering at him.
Hey, he wasn't that bad. He knew enough not to bring work into a nice, normal conversation. Except that without it, his brain ran dry on what to say. He didn't really do anything other than work. Okay, that sounded bad but it wasn't like he was someone without a life. It was just that this was still early times for the diner and he wanted to throw all his effort in with that.
Miltia and Melanie seemed to realise his problem.
"We could play a game," Melanie suggested.
"A drinking game?" Miltia asked.
"What else would we play here? Might be good for Neo, too. Not really fair to talk if she can't."
Neo, who had remained silent for the longest time, perked up, nodding happily.
"You up for a game, Jaune?"
"As long as it's not truth or dare."
"Not fair for Neo again, since she can't even pick truth," Melanie said. "And dares are likely to get us in trouble with Junior. Only so long until someone dares someone to jump off the balcony into the crowd."
"We've all got aura," Jaune pointed out. "We'd be fine."
Miltia laughed. "Yeah, but what about all the people we land on?"
"Oh, right." He coughed, embarrassed. Maybe he was a little tipsier than he realised. Drinking wasn't nearly as hard as he thought it would be, but then he'd only ever tried beer before with friends in Ansel, or wine whenever his mom and dad let him try some. Both tasted way too strong, and beer was just plain nasty.
The twins, on the other hand, knew how to make the best cocktails, and those tasted amazing. It had all started to blur on his taste buds now, to the point where he couldn't even taste the tang of alcohol and instead it was all like delicious fruity soda.
"We should play `I never`," Miltia suggested. "Neo can write her question down on a coaster, and it's not like she needs to speak to answer."
"Mind if I join in?" a familiar voice asked.
"Huh?" The VIP area had been empty before and it was pretty expensive to get in if you weren't literally Miltia or Melanie. But a quick glance back revealed a pretty girl with black leggings, a cream skirt and a stylish, low-cut brown top showing off the curve of her breasts. Jaune's eyes went a little higher and quickly widened.
"P-Pyrrha!?"
"Hi Jaune," she said, smiling. She noticed his gaze and held her arms out, doing a small twirl. "What do you think?"
Not much, really, on account of his brain running on empty, but the outfit looked new and damn, but it fit her better than anything she'd worn before. Pyrrha also had her hair loose for the first time he'd ever seen it, and he was surprised at how good it looked, especially with some loose strands coming down across her front.
It was a cough from Melanie that hinted he'd been looking too long, enough so as to be noticed by Pyrrha since her face was becoming increasingly redder and redder. Oh, goodie. She'd caught him staring. Damn booze.
"You look amazing," he said. "And yeah, join us!"
"Yeah, join us," Miltia echoed, voice a little less enthused. She grumbled something Jaune didn't catch as Pyrrha brought up a seat from a nearby table and sat down between him and Melanie.
"Hey, I'm sure we've met before but I'll go through the basics," Melanie said, grinning at the new entrant. "I'm Melanie, that's my sister Miltia and this is Neo. Neo can't talk, so don't take anything she doesn't say seriously."
Pyrrha looked confused at the last bit but retuned Neo's little wave. She didn't recognise her apparently, which was probably a good thing. Maybe Neo's reputation wasn't as well-known as Roman's.
"We were just about to play I Never," Melanie went on. "You know the rules?"
"I-I'm afraid not," Pyrrha stammered.
Jaune perked up a little. Hey, another person out of their depth. Yay!
"It's pretty easy. We take it in turns going round and you have to say something you've never done, like "I have never sailed a boat" or something."
"Something less lame," Miltia drawled.
"Something less lame," Melanie agreed. "Point is, if anyone hasdone it, then they have to drink. If no one drinks, you have to drink, and you lose the round."
"How does the scoring work?" Pyrrha asked.
"It doesn't. It's a drinking game."
"Then when does it end? How does someone win?"
"They don't, and it ends when we're all smashed," Melanie said. "I'll repeat, it's a drinking game. It's about having fun, learning embarrassing secrets and seeing who can't handle their booze." The smile on her face said she was fairly sure that would be the two of them and not her,
She was probably right.
Pyrrha nodded, however, and at least she had reason to be since if her face was anything to go by she hadn't actually had much to drink yet. Jaune was doing less well, not quite feeling sick – but definitely feeling more cheerful than he had any right to.
Unfortunately, it also came with a rush of completely unfounded confidence, so when Melanie asked if he was read, he accepted without a second thought.
What was the worst that could happen?
/-/
The first few rounds went by fairly easily, mostly because Pyrrha and he didn't quite grasp the name of the game and put forward such statements as; "I have never worked in a nightclub" or "I have never served coffee in a diner", which led to grumbles from the twins and accusations of being lame.
It was Neo who broke the stalemate, writing something down on a coaster and holding it up. Everyone leaned forward to see and Jaune and Miltia instantly cracked their heads together and recoiled back.
"I'll read it," Melanie said, accepting the coaster as Neo laughed at their misfortune. "Preferably before you two knock one another out. Ahem." She cleared her throat and read what Neo had put down. "Ooh. Neo has never been caught masturbating. Nice one." Melanie gave Neo a high-five and turned to the rest of them.
Jaune's cheeks burned as he took a drink, while Miltia grumbled something unkind and did the same.
"Stories!" Melanie demanded.
"You know how mine went," Miltia snarled. "You're the one who walked in."
"I have seven sisters," Jaune answered with some embarrassment. "It was inevitable something would go wrong."
"Oh my," Pyrrha giggled, a hand over her mouth. Her cheeks were red, too, though it probably was more due to the subject matter than any inebriation. "I hope it wasn't a younger sister."
"No, it was one of my older sisters, Jade. Problem was, she freaked out so loud literally everyone realised what was going on. No one dared mention it at breakfast but no one would meet my eyes. It was the most awkward moment of my life."
He could laugh about it now of course, and did so when everyone at the table burst into giggles. Miltia leaned over to echo her sister and give Neo a high-five. First blood had been drawn, or so it felt.
Revenge would be swift, and probably very, very impotent.
"Alright, my turn," Melanie chuckled. "Guess I'll have to try and top that. Hm… I have never been so drunk I threw up on the shoes of my employer."
"You're just fucking picking on me now!" Miltia groused, drinking. No one else did.
"Pyrrha's turn," Melanie said.
"Oh, um." Pyrrha sipped her drink, using it to buy time. Melanie had introduced that rule when both he and Pyrrha took too long, stating that it was called `Drink while you Think` and was a way to stop the game going on forever. It was also a terrible hole to fall into, because once you started drinking more, your brain worked slower, which meant it became a spiral of intoxication.
Pyrrha looked determined to redeem herself after what had been a rather tame first round from her and Jaune. She glanced at him for inspiration but he shrugged. He was already trying to come up with his own question ahead of time so he wouldn't be caught out.
"I have never exposed myself in public," Pyrrha eventually said.
Melanie froze. "Intentionally or accidentally?"
"Either," Pyrrha replied, leaping on the first sign of weakness.
With a hefty sigh, Melanie drank. This time it was Miltia's moment to cheer, and Jaune did the same, getting in to the swing of it a little more. When he held a hand out to Pyrrha, she giggled and slapped her palm against it.
"There's not much to the story," Melanie recounted. "There was a fire alarm at the club and I was sleeping. I threw on a dressing gown but it got ripped on the way down and I didn't notice. This bitch over here," she said, jerking a thumb at Miltia. "Didn't bother to tell me my ass was showing until literally everyone caught an eyeful."
Miltia sighed nostalgically. "Ah, that was a glorious moment."
"My turn," Jaune said. He'd thought up a question but it felt risky, especially since he was with four girls. Still, it was his best shot. "I have never kissed a girl."
"Define kiss," Miltia said.
"Make out," he replied, realising that if he let it be a peck, any time he'd kissed his mom goodnight as a kid would work against him.
To his surprise, Miltia, Melanie and Neo all took long drinks.
"Really!?"
"Trust a guy to get excited about that," Melanie teased. "But yeah, we do work in a nightclub and there are plenty of girls around. Can't answer for Neo, though."
The diminutive girl made a silent giggling sound and put one finger to her lips, hinting at a secret.
Saucy.
"Seriously, though, you've never kissed a girl properly?" Miltia laughed. "That's nuts."
"Hey," he whined. "Pyrrha didn't drink either."
"It's a little more forgivable in her case," Melanie pointed out, patting Pyrrha's knee. "But hey, if it means that much to you." Melanie stood and sashayed over to Pyrrha, who suddenly froze with a deer in the headlights look on her face. Melanie gave her plenty of time to escape, and probably took the fact Pyrrha didn't as permission, even if it was more due to surprise.
Before she could say anything otherwise, Melanie's palms cupped Pyrrha's cheeks and drew her in for a scorching kiss.
Jaune's mind fizzled out and died.
It didn't last long – maybe six seconds at most, but Melanie somehow made it the most erotic thing he'd ever seen, darting her tongue out to lick Pyrrha's lips when she pulled back. "Hm, strawberry. I like strawberry."
Pyrrha's face practically matched her hair.
"So," Melanie said. "Now it's just Jaune who hasn't. Anyone like to change that?"
Jaune's brain still wasn't quite working after seeing such a display, but he saw Pyrrha's eyes widen suddenly and the girl turn. He didn't catch anymore, however, as a hand caught his collar and pulled his head back around to face Miltia, whose lips crashed into his a second later.
Hot. Very, very hot. The heat was the only thing he really noticed as Miltia's eyes were closed and nothing else mattered. Her lips were soft against his, but also tingly and tasted of vodka and something undeniably sweet. Something pushed against them and he gasped, soon forgetting everything as a tongue wrestled with his. He couldn't even perceive the world around him and was left to gasp when she drew back.
"Needs work," Miltia said, licking her lips. "Not bad for a first try, though. I'll give you a six out of ten."
"W-What…?"
Miltia shrugged and refused to answer, taking another long drink as Neo busily picked herself up off the floor, wiping her eyes with one hand as she held a scroll in the other. Jaune's head was still fuzzy, and for once it definitely wasn't the booze. His fingers came up to touch his lips and came away wet.
"Next," Miltia said. "I've never fantasised about a teacher."
The game went on for a few more questions as Jaune tried to recover his wits, drinking occasionally but otherwise trying to catch his breath. It eventually reached Pyrrha once more, who had looked glum for the last few minutes, but now sat tall, determined. She took a deep breath as Melanie finished her round and everyone but Jaune drank.
When it came to her turn, Pyrrha gathered herself, took a deep breath and spoke.
"I've never made out with a boy."
"Oh, come on!" Miltia growled. "That's fucking cheating."
Everyone but Jaune and Pyrrha drank.
And then, without a single warning, Pyrrha turned, cupped his cheeks and leaned in. Pyrrha's kiss was softer and less certain, questing and questioning, but somehow still more experienced than his despite the fact that they'd both had their first kisses not three minutes prior. It was only when she parted and licked his lips on the way that he realised. She'd learned from Melanie immediately and used it on him.
"Clever girl," Melanie giggled. "Also, well played."
"Tch…" Miltia crossed her arms and glared at Pyrrha.
While Pyrrha merely smiled and leaned back, seemingly satisfied with some internal decision. "I've no idea what you mean," she said. "It's your turn, Jaune."
His turn?
To do what, kiss someone?
"Uh…"
/-/
"Mels?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"I like youze, Mels. You're a real friend."
"Yes I am, Jaune," Melanie sighed, hoisting the drunk teen up on one shoulder. "Also, don't call me Mels."
"Melon?"
"No."
"Me-"
"No."
Jaune's eyes crossed as he tried to think up a new name for her, but he apparently got lost in thought halfway and drifted off entirely, lurching a little until a pair of hands steadied his other side. Red hair danced before his face and he smiled.
"Pyr!" he cried happily, as if he'd only just noticed her presence.
Except that it was the sixth time in as many minutes that he'd `only just noticed` her.
"Hi Jaune," the redhead replied, giggling a little too much. It was the sixth time she'd said that, too.
Melanie rolled her eyes. Trust the girl not to complain at her nickname, or Jaune's less than stellar drunkenness. Well, better a friendly drunk than a violent or sleazy one. Still, Pyrrha could at least give her a hand in dragging Jaune through the back corridors. Then again, the girl wasn't exactly looking steady on her feet, either.
"Where goin'?" Jaune slurred.
"Bed," Melanie replied.
"Oh. I live in the street."
"No, you live down the street in your apartment," Melanie corrected. "And there's no way we're leaving you to walk home alone in this state. You're sleeping here."
"With you?"
Melanie spluttered for half a second before she caught it and laughed. "No, Jaune. Not with me."
"Aw." His eyes crossed again. "With Millie?"
"Not with Miltia, either. She's as gone as you are and Neo is putting her to bed. And not with Pyr," Melanie added before he could think to ask it. She shot the redhead a look, not quite as annoyed to have their party crashed as Miltia had been. "You need a room, too?" she asked. "We can put you up for a night."
"Can I?" The girl's voice was a little slurred and her cheeks pink, but she was still in a better state than Jaune. "It's a long way back to the Bullhead docks."
"Yeah, it's fine. I'll sort you out once we've tucked him in."
"Bedside story?" Jaune asked.
"No."
"G'night kiss?"
"Going for the hat trick? Adventurous. I think `Millie` and `Pyr` might have something to say about that, though." Melanie nudged a door open with her hip and helped Jaune stagger in. It was one of many guests rooms Junior had, most being for staff and whatnot. Navigating Jaune over to the bed took some work, as did getting his shoes and jacket off. She left him in his trousers and shirt, though. He could work those off himself or sleep in them.
She did have the forethought to put a glass of water on the side, though, by which point he was already fast asleep and no longer asking for a story or a kiss. Melanie laughed quietly and held a finger up to Pyrrha for silence.
The two let themselves out and closed the door behind them.
"He really does work too hard," Melanie said. "A night out and a good lay-in will do him well."
"Y-Yeah," Pyrrha said. She caught herself wobbling and leaned against the wall to take a few short breaths. "Is that why you forced him to come out with you?"
"Pretty much."
"You really care about him…"
"Eh, say it like that and I'll get all flustered. Jaune's a friend. If he won't make time off for himself, we'll do it for him, and if he won't play ball, we'll force him into it. Besides, he had fun." Melanie wriggled her eyebrows until Pyrrha blushed. "I think you had fun, too."
"I did," Pyrrha admitted. She wore a faint blush and an almost excited smile. "Though you could have still asked me before you… you…" Her cheeks flared with colour.
"Made out with you?"
Pyrrha nodded in abject mortification.
"Hey, it gave you the opening you needed – and the technique. You learn fast."
The girl's face heated up even more and she struggled for words, eyes straying towards the ceiling for an escape from the teasing. "W-Well, maybe," she finally said. "I guess I don't regret it if it led to that." She sighed suddenly and met Melanie's eyes. "I'd like to apologise for crashing your party, but I'm not sure how. I… I feel bad but I don't and I'd do it again."
"Staking your claim, huh? Eh, it's fine. Neo thought it was hilarious and I didn't really mind."
"I know, but… your sister…"
"Miltia isn't sure what she wants," Melanie said. "She's not as strong as she looks. No one is who acts out like that and I know my sister better than most. Far as I see it, you gave her the kick up the butt she needed to realise she has to make a decision sooner or later. Jaune is the first guy she's actually trusted enough to get to know outside of Junior, and he's old enough to be her dad. Acts like it, too."
Pyrrha nodded. "Does she like Jaune that way?"
"I don't know. She doesn't, either. She likes him in some way, and I figure she got spooked when you showed up and threatened to take that away, even if she's not sure what she wants. I guess that's why she tried to frighten you off, and then decided to fight for his attention."
"I see…" Pyrrha didn't, but Melanie appreciated the fact she was willing to try.
"Don't worry about it. I'll always be on my sister's side, but I'm not going to be a bitch to you, nor Jaune if he decides he wants to spend his time with you. I'll just ask you be the same with Miltia. She's rough around the edges but, well, she's my little sister."
"I thought you were twins."
"I was first by half a minute. I'm the big sister, and trust me when I say I've never let her forget it." Melanie smiled when Pyrrha laughed at the joke. "Alright, you, come on, let's get you somewhere to sleep. You going to ask for a goodnight kiss, too? I might give you one if you do."
"Melanie!"
"Aw, you're precious."
Pyrrha grumbled but couldn't quite hide the smile she wore as Melanie led her away. She felt she'd gotten her point across, even if it had to be delivered mouth to mouth, and maybe she'd even made a friend or two at the same time.
Velvet and Coco were right. If she wanted something doing, she had to do it herself.
The ubiquitous hot springs episode, except without the hot spring. I used to go out clubbing with girls a lot (none of which were my girlfriends or whom I got with, just friends) and it was amazing how often stuff like this happened – especially the jealousy sandwiches. Local university was something like 78% female, which meant it was really easy for someone's new crush to be someone else's ex. Ah, the amount of times I had to play the diplomat in the middle, ugh. Also the amount of times me and some other girl would be like "Wanna dance? Yeah, sure," and just abandon the jealousy to hide on the dance floor like cowards. "Is the drama over? Nope. Keep dancing? Hell yes."
We also played I never a lot, too, along with Ring of Fire, Confidence and a few other drinking games. I also remember my only male friend there (very limited pool to pick from) basically making out with ME in the same way Melanie did to Pyrrha here, because every time we played I never, they used the "never kissed someone of same gender" thing to get us drinking and he was tired of it.
It was weird, but eh, we all just laughed. I think it was a Halloween party because he was dressed as Jack Sparrow and I was dressed as a woman because the girls begged me to do so, shaved my legs, fit me, did my hair, etc (also because nothing more frightening for Halloween than me in a skirt. I did not wear it well.). I wasn't hot girl enough to fool anyone, sadly, but a few guys and girls posed for funny pictures groping my fake breasts and whatnot. Someone also princess carried me. xD
Stuff like that just sort of goes at clubs over here in the UK, especially in uni towns. I remember more than once seeing guys with Scottish kilts, and some would even flash them up and show they were hanging loose underneath. No one batted an eyelid. We'd point, laugh, cheer, give the guy a high-five and then go back to having fun. I also remember there was a club called Echo (famous for being a bit shitty) and it had a clothesline high above the dance floor, and through the night it would fill up with underwear given to the DJ. It was sort of a joke, but looking back it really did fill every night, which means there must have been so many people dancing commando. Kind of crazy, but it's all just fun at the time. I donated mine once.
Anyway, Pyrrha is stepping into the ring and Miltia is confused and nervous, reacting without thinking to claim something she isn't wholly sure she wants but is unwilling to give up. Meanwhile, Neo is just watching the fireworks. Classic Neo.
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur