There had once been a time where being called to the Headmaster's office of Beacon Academy would have made Jaune's stomach twist in knots with anxiety. There had once been a time where the ominous ticking of countless clocks would have filled him with the dread of impending doom.

That time had long since passed.

As Jaune sat in Headmaster Ozpin's office, the sheer hilarity of being nervous about speaking with such a man dawned on him. Jaune had once been a prospective huntsman with dreams of attending this very school. It had been all he'd wanted for so long, and then, thanks to his own actions, he had been expelled before his time here could truly even begin. Now, after all he had seen, after all he had done, the idea of essentially being called into the principal's office for a talk meant nothing to the young man.

Gears and wheels slowly spun all around him, a constant ticking noise which rang loud in the silence. Jaune sat alone, waiting for the man to appear. As large and intimidating as the man's office seemed, it was nothing compared to the scale and scope of the real world. A world where you weren't offered the comfortable confines of being behind this academy's walls. A world where life was cheap, and where it could be ended in an instant. Where monsters, both Grimm and those in human skin, ran amok.

A soft ding rang out, and Jaune glanced over to see that a light above the elevator door was lit. A moment later the two doors whooshed open, and inside stood a lone figure. The man himself. Headmaster Ozpin.

Jaune had half expected Miss Goodwitch to accompany him, but she was nowhere to be seen. Up until this moment most of his encounters with the staff of Beacon Academy had been with her. She had been the one to kick him out of the school all those months ago. She had been the one to speak with him about potentially rejoining the academy. It was an offer he had turned down, and one he was certain he was about to receive again. He could think of no other reason that Ozpin would wish to speak with him alone like this.

"Mister Arc," the man in question said, walking toward the large desk which Jaune sat on one side of. Making his way to the other size, Ozpin sat down in a large chair, where he leaned back slightly. All the while his brown eyes remained locked on Jaune.

"Headmaster," Jaune said back evenly.

"Do you know why I've asked you to speak with me today?"

Jaune gave a soft shrug. "To join Beacon?"

Ozpin offered a small smirk. "Indeed. Judging by your rather lack of enthusiasm in your response, I can take a guess as to what the answer to that question will be."

The young man nodded. "Yeah," he confirmed. "Sorry, but that's really not the life I want anymore. Huntsmen, Grimm, fighting... it all sounded exciting before. Now though..."

Ozpin leaned in, his fingers interlocked while his hands rested on the table. "Now you see that being a huntsman isn't all about adventure and excitement."

He nodded again. No, the life of a huntsman was not glamorous or glorious as he'd once believed. The ideas he'd come up with in his own head, the ones about wanting to live up to his family name and honor those who had come before him, had been childish and naive dreams. There was nothing fun about wanting to be a war hero. He was sure that if he'd ever gotten the chance to speak to his great-great-grandfather about his experiences in the Great War, the man would probably have said that he would have preferred to have never fought at all.

"Yeah," Jaune said again. "Maybe it's for some people." Ruby and Yang came to mind. They both loved the stuff. The former loved the idea of being a hero, while the latter loved fighting. "But it's not for me."

"Understandable. It is a hard job. It's more than a job as well. It's a lifestyle. It's hard to have a stable life, a stable family, when you are called all over the kingdom, or even the world, to fight. Fights which you may never come back from. Where you leave behind a family who wanted nothing more than for you to come back home again. Sometimes, you don't. I've seen that more times than I wish to recount."

The thought of dying in the field, of never returning home, made Jaune shiver. He knew that Miltia and Melanie had lost their parents. Not as huntsmen, but to the Grimm all the same. How would his parents, his sisters, react to the news of Jaune simply never coming back? No body. No official word of what had happened. Just... never hearing from him ever again? The thought was chilling. It was something which he never wished to put anyone he cared for through.

It was a wonder he'd never thought about that sort of thing before with his father. Seeing what he had seen put things into a much clearer, if not bleaker perspective for Jaune.

"So with your perspective changed," Ozpin continued. "And a new view of the world, I'm curious. What do you plan to do now?"

What indeed? He'd been on quite the rollercoaster ride ever since coming to Vale in order to try and attend Beacon Academy. He'd worked for Junior at the club. He'd busted heads with the twins. He'd fallen into a terrible depression following the incident at the docks. He'd fallen in love. His newfound home had been bombed. And now, he'd gone to war with the White Fang and stopped a major terrorist attack.

Where did he go from here?

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Someone said I should open a bakery. I don't know anything about business, but cooking is fun. Plus I have a girlfriend who'd love to taste test all the stuff I make. She's got a huge sweet tooth like that." Jaune shook his head amusedly. "I haven't even introduced her to my parents yet."

"That sounds nice. Quite a change of pace from the career you once dreamed about. Fighting monsters, saving the day. Though business is still a battle in and of itself. Only rather than guns and swords, it's all about staying in the black. It may be less perilous than being a huntsman, but opening your own business still possesses tremendous risks."

Jaune may not have known much about business, but he knew that much. Just how much did Ozpin know? It almost sounded like he had experience in the matter himself. More importantly, it sounded as if he actually cared about what Jaune did next in life.

"You seem interested in my future. Not to sound rude, but why do you care?"

Ozpin offered a tiny smirk at the question. "I would be remiss if I wasn't concerned with the future of a former student of mine."

Jaune chuckled softly. "I was never your student. I got kicked out before initiation."

"Yes but you did, however, attend some of my classes while temporarily living here," the older man rightly pointed out. "Therefore, while not an official student of my academy, I would like to think that you still managed to get a little bit out of this experience. Speaking of which, do you and the girls still plan to stay here? After what you've done you're more than welcome to stay."

Upon returning to Beacon and reporting what had happened, everyone involved had been congratulated for a job well done. For Ruby, her team, and their teacher, it had all been in a day's work. This was the kind of thing they trained for. This is what they were expected to do. This was the life they had all chosen.

For Jaune, the twins, and Junior, however, they were civilians. Armed, trained, and possessing Aura, yes, but civilians nonetheless. They hadn't needed to get involved. They hadn't needed to go above and beyond the call of duty as they had. Beacon's staff, with Ozpin and Glynda included, had praised them for their bravery and commitment to protecting humanity just as any huntsman would have.

"I don't know," he said again. "Honestly it wouldn't surprise me if we just found a motel or something until the repairs are finished. Or wherever Junior's been staying."

Ozpin hummed. "I see. Do know that if you change your mind, about anything that we've spoken of here, my doors are always open to you, Jaune Arc."

He offered a small but genuine smile back at the man. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"I won't keep you any longer then. I'm sure you're all tired and eager to get some rest." Ozpin stood up, offering a hand across the table to Jaune. "You have the thanks of me, as well as the people of Vale for what you've done today."

Jaune stood up and accepted the hand, shaking it as he looked into the Headmaster's eyes. After a few moments their grips were released, and Jaune nodded.

"Thanks. I'll see you around. Maybe."

"I do hope our paths cross again in the future. Only next time under happier circumstances."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Thanks."

With that Jaune turned and made his way to the elevator. Stepping inside and closing the door, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He'd already been debriefed. He'd already been thanked. Now after this brief chat with Ozpin, all he wanted to do was rest and relax. Find a nice soft spot, curl up with Miltia, and sleep.

Arriving at the base of Beacon's CCT tower, Jaune stepped outside to see his friends waiting for him. Miltia, Melanie, Ruby, Yang, and Junior stood by, idly chatting on the part of the girls, and ominously leaning against a pillar when it came to Junior. The twins jumped at the sight of him emerging from the doors, and all approached him eager with questions. Ruby and her sister trailed behind, tentatively on Ruby's part, who seemed eager to speak to him but didn't want to intrude on the twin's getting to him first.

"So what did he want?" Miltia asked.

"You'd better not be becoming a huntsman," Melanie followed up.

Ruby might have initially had a question for Jaune, but her attention shifted over to Melanie instead. "Would it be so bad if he did?"

The older of the twins held Ruby's gaze for a few moments before looking away. "I mean... I guess not. You're not all that bad after all, or whatever."

That was surprising to hear. Jaune knew that Melanie had helped Ruby out of a jam down in the depths of Mountain Glenn, but he wasn't privy to all they talked about. Maybe becoming closer with Ruby had given the girl a new perspective on huntsmen and huntresses.

Hard green eyes turned to Jaune next as Melanie continued. "Fine. Be a huntsman. It's always been your dream, so you have my approval. There. Happy?"

"He doesn't need your approval, Melanie," Miltia quickly shot back at her before turning to him. "You totally have my support though. I know it's what you've always wanted to do, and it won't change anything between us."

"We'd have someone on the inside," her sister pointed out. "That'd actually be pretty badass."

"He's not your tool," the younger twin argued.

"Yeah, he's your tool," the other purred suggestively.

Right now Jaune didn't need the sisters to bicker. Especially when they both had the completely wrong idea.

For the first time since exiting, Jaune spoke. "I'm not joining the academy."

"Oh thank the gods," Melanie breathed. Ruby narrowed her eyes at the girl.

"Well that works too," Miltia smiled. "So is that, like, basically all he wanted to talk to you about? Or was there something else? Like all the Mountain Glenn stuff?"

Jaune shrugged. "More or less. Said his door was always open, you know. All that kind of stuff."

"My door's always open too!" Ruby quickly interjected. Jaune saw how she smiled sheepishly at him, her fingers nervously tapping together as she glanced down to the pavement. "You know, if you ever wanna talk about stuff. With me. About... stuff."

It was a less than subtle invitation to speak with Ruby about... stuff. Whatever that stuff was. Jaune got the hint though, and realized that it wasn't so much an invitation as it was a request on her part. One he would happily oblige and return the favor.

Yang grinned, throwing an arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulling her close against her body. "Aw, Rubes!" she cooed. "You're so adorable!"

Ruby struggled to free herself from the embarrassing embrace of her older sister. Once freed she flattered out the imaginary wrinkles Yang had caused on her clothes, regaining her composure before focusing back on Jaune.

"And my door's always open for you too, Ruby," he smiled back at her. "If you ever wanna talk. You know. About stuff."

Ruby appeared genuinely happy with the offer, and she nodded excitedly as her smile split into a full grin. "Yeah. I'll definitely take you up on that."

"So what now?" Miltia asked. She turned back to Junior, who up until now had been silent. "Are we going with you, Hei? Or are we staying here?"

"I'm fucking starving and I'm tired," Melanie complained. "Can we please, like, get a five star hotel and just order the fuck out of some room service? Please?"

That sounded like a dream come true to Jaune. However, with repairs on the club ongoing it wasn't like they could be frivolous with money. They needed to save. Wherever Junior was currently staying was fine, and if they had to, he knew that they would be able to survive another few weeks here at Beacon.

"Sounds good," the man said, surprising Jaune.

"Really?" he asked.

Melanie had a much different reaction, and she pumped her fist excitedly. "Fuck yes!"

"I've decided," Junior said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "That it could be good to get back into the huntsman game. Get my license back and start taking work. At least until the club is back up and running. Savings are all fine and well, but with all the damage done and lost revenue we'll need a source of income. This is the best one I can think of on such short notice."

This statement was even more surprising than the last. Perhaps getting a taste of being the hero had awoken something which had long been dormant in Junior's heart. Or maybe it was as simple as needing money, and his talents for violence could be used for just that. Whatever the case was, this was a huge decision, and Jaune was glad he was there to be a part of it.

"I mean, I could always go and shake down some of the usuals for some quick cash," Melanie offered with a smile. "A little racketeering never hurt anyone, am I right?"

Ruby cleared her throat. "Um, hello? Huntress standing right here. You might not wanna talk about committing crimes like that right in front of me."

"Well shit," Melanie said. "You're not gonna turn me in, are ya, Little Miss Huntress? After all we've been through?" She added a wink for emphasis, causing Ruby to turn away embarrassedly.

"N-no..." she stammered.

"Good. 'Cause we're tight, aren't we?" Melanie moved and wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulder, much like Yang had before, to further her point. "I mean, I totally saved your life and all..."

Ruby seemed to be physically frozen in the older girl's embrace, and her nervous eyes remained glued to the ground. "Yeah, you did..."

"So that's like a get out of jail free card, right?" Melanie pressed. She grinned because she must have known exactly what she was doing to Ruby right now. "If I do something bad I could just call in a favor with you. Tell them I know the great Ruby Rose and stuff. How we're all close and we fought together in Mountain Glenn."

"I... I don't think that's how it works. Besides, I don't think I'm all that great. I'm still only a student. I don't have that kind of authority."

"Mel, leave her alone," Miltia interrupted. "You're making her uncomfortable."

Ruby's face was the epitome of discomfort. Maybe it was due to the physicality, or maybe the compliments, but her face was definitely flushed with embarrassment. Melanie, who was perfectly fine with both of those things, had weaponized them against the younger girl in order to regain the advantage after blurting out her intentions to commit criminal acts.

Melanie released her hold on the huntress and breathed a laugh as she stepped away triumphantly. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Can we seriously get back on track here? Hei said he's becoming a huntsman. This is like, major news." Miltia smiled at the man in question. "Congrats, Hei."

It wasn't the lifestyle Jaune wanted, but if it was something Junior was fine with, then Jaune could offer no protests. "Yeah. Congratulations," he told the man.

"I know you'll kick some ass," Melanie added. "So congrats, or whatever."

Junior grunted and nodded appreciatively. "Thanks.

Miltia wrapped an arm around Jaune's waist, leaning her head against his shoulder as she hummed contentedly. "Five stars," she said dreamily, already imagining the hotel room they were going to get tonight. "Maybe one with a jacuzzi. I could definitely use a nice, long soak right now..."

They could all use a shower period. Even after attempting to clean themselves up here at Beacon, they were all sweaty, filthy, and had blood-stained clothes. Jaune's nose wasn't broken according to the school's medical staff, but it had taken quite a beating. Maybe it was something to do with his massive Aura? He didn't know, honestly.

"Ugh, you two are just gonna hog it, aren't you?" Melanie said. "And it'll be really fucking awkward if I'm in there while you're all flirting and touching each other under the bubbles."

"Ew we would not!" Miltia protested, her face scrunching up in disgust at the very idea of being intimate in front of her sister. "Not with you there."

"Oh but you'd totally perv out and do shit in the tub when I'm not there. That's what I'm hearing. I don't wanna use your dirty jacuzzi after you, so I should get to use it first."

"Oh my gods, make up your mind. Do you wanna sleep, eat, or use the jacuzzi?"

"Girls, let's keep in mind that whatever place we get might not have a jacuzzi, okay?" Junior said, offering some semblance of order into the twin's usual bickering.

Two sets of green eyes turned on him in an instant, and in that moment an alliance had been formed. It was just like them. They may have had different temperaments and different opinions on things, but when they agreed on something they formed an unbreakable bond which only twins could possess.

"Um, what?" Melanie asked.

"You mean there won't be a jacuzzi?" Miltia asked, her voice so pathetically disappointed that it could only have been perfected over time. Jaune hoped she would never turn such a weapon against him, because if he were to ever face her like this it would be impossible to say no to her.

Faced with the combined assault of the two girls he had adopted as daughters, Junior was quick to relent. "Fine. I'll find one with a jacuzzi..."

Both girls smiled, and both were quick to give their adoptive father figure hugs.

"You're the best," the older twin gushed, her mood completely happy now.

"Totally," the younger one agreed.

As much as Jaune wanted to stay and chat, he wanted even more than to get to that hotel and relax. With a smile he looked to the trio who had taken him in. "Maybe we should get going then?"

Junior grunted. "Sounds good."

Both girls nodded in agreement as well.

Jaune turned to Ruby next, walking over to stand before her. Unlike Melanie he wouldn't grab her in his embrace, but he opened his arms to offer a hug to his oldest friend since coming to Vale.

Ruby came to him willingly, wrapping her arms around his vastly superior bulk and embracing him tightly. After a few seconds they parted, and he peered down into her happy, yet melancholy silver eyes.

"I'll miss you staying here," she told him.

"Yeah, same," he agreed.

"But we're gonna talk!" she followed up quickly. "Every day. Because we're friends. Best friends."

"Yeah. That won't change."

It hadn't before. Even in the months he spent working at the club while she was a student attending Beacon, they had kept in close touch with one another. After everything that had happened as of late, they were even closer than ever.

"Good. Because... there's stuff I wanna talk about." Her teeth toyed with her lower lip before she continued. "Personal stuff."

After hearing Melanie recount what had happened in the tunnels of Mountain Glenn, Jaune had some idea of what she might want to talk about. "Yeah, definitely. We can talk any time. Day or night."

"Unless you're, um, you know... with..."

Jaune stole a glance over to Miltia. Yeah. He remembered the one time Ruby had called him while he was in bed with his new girlfriend. On the video chat screen Ruby had seen her. Seen them. It had been a little embarrassing.

"Yeah. Unless that."

"I'll try not to call too late!" Ruby followed up hurriedly.

Jaune chuckled. "Sounds good."

"So, yeah. Have a, um, safe flight down to Vale."

He nodded. "Thanks."

With their goodbyes said, Jaune turned to rejoin his girlfriend and her family. Oddly enough, Ruby followed him. She made a point to walk straight up to Melanie, who had been approached by Yang already.

The blonde girl held a fist out, which was much less threatening when her shotgun gauntlets weren't deployed. "So... are we cool now?"

Melanie shrugged noncommittally, glancing off to the side before raising her own right fist. "Whatever."

"Not a no!" Yang cheered enthusiastically before bumping her fist into the other girl's.

Jaune smiled at the scene. Despite their bad blood, Yang and Melanie seemed to have finally made up. Perhaps fighting on the same side had done the trick. Or maybe Ruby had been able to bridge the gap between the two girls. Whatever the cause, Jaune was just happy that his girlfriend's sister and his friend's sister were, if not on good terms, at least not on bad terms.

Speaking of Ruby, it was her turn now to speak with Melanie before she left. Standing a few inches shorter than the older girl, she peered up to the girl she'd been able to form an unexpected friendship with during their time at Beacon together.

"Thank you, for everything," she told the elder twin. Her voice was earnest, and she meant every word of the short, yet powerful statement.

Melanie shrugged, perhaps taken aback by the suddenness and sincerity of the words. "Yeah. No problem."

Ruby fidgeted nervously, her eyes shifting between Melanie's own and the pavement. "There was just... something I wanted to try... to be even. You know?"

"Look, you don't have to do anything to be even. I helped you because you were in trouble or whatever. There's nothing-"

Melanie was stopped short when Ruby, in a flash befitting her Semblance, leaned up and in on the tips of her toes and planted a kiss on Melanie's cheek. A peck would have probably been more accurate.

It was over in an instant, and Ruby stepped back. Her face was flushed, cheeks as red as the cloak on her back. Melanie on the other hand, while not blushing, wore eyes wide with shock.

"Hah! Now we're even!" Ruby shouted, wasting no time before her body all but burst into rose petals.

She flew away, quite literally, fleeing the scene after kissing Melanie, leaving a surprised quartet of people in her wake to process what had just occurred.

Jaune glanced over to Yang, whose jaw hung open as she watched her sister escape after the display of affection.

"Ruby, no..." she said softly. "Not someone like Uncle Qrow..."

Melanie's hand drifted up to her face where Ruby's lips had been for a split second, before moving it to look at her fingers. As if there was a physical trace that Ruby had left behind which she could see.

"Did she just fucking hit and run kiss me?" Melanie asked in shock.

"Awww!" Miltia cooed. "Melanie's got a girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" her sister snarled. No words came after that, and the normally indomitable Melanie Malachite was seemingly lost for them.

"It's always the innocent ones, isn't it?" Miltia continued to tease. "Never would have expected her to be, like, that bold."

"Oh and you'd know all about it being the innocent ones, wouldn't you, Mil?" Melanie countered. "You're gonna fill our jacuzzi with all Jaune's spunk, which is why I get to use it first!"

"Sure, you can use it first. If you invite Ruby along."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Yeah, not happening!" Yang agreed, finding yet more common ground with her former enemy.

Melanie was absolutely frazzled by what Ruby had just done to her. The tables had been turned. Much like when Melanie had stuck her tongue down Ruby's throat back at the dance in order to spite Yang, Ruby had regained the upper hand by sneaking a far more tame, yet no less effective kiss on her.

Jaune was totally going to tell her about how she'd won when he texted Ruby later today.

Throwing her hands up in the air, Melanie stomped away in the direction of the airship terminal. "Let's just fucking go already. As if I wanna spend any more time at this lame-ass school."

Sharing a glance and a smile with Miltia, the two silently grinned as they followed behind the older girl. Junior took up the rear, and the quartet left the school.

Miltia took hold of Jaune's hand, squeezing it tightly as they walked side by side. He grasped her smaller fingers in his own, not needing words to tell her exactly how much she meant to him.

With their entire future ahead of them, they walked into the beautiful sunset which was more visible than ever on the elevated plateau where Beacon Academy sat.


Miltia felt clean, refreshed, and slightly reinvigorated. After taking a shower and slipping into some casual sleepwear, she was ready for bed. It wasn't even that late at night, but the past couple of days had been so exhausting that all she wanted to do was lay in bed and fall asleep.

However, sleep would deprive her of being awake with Jaune, so there was a conflict. She wished that she could just lay in bed with him, her arms wrapped around his body with her eyes closed, and not succumb to her weariness. However she knew that as soon as she did so that she would drift into slumber and not be aware of his presence until she awoke in the morning.

Decisions, decisions.

Well, at least one of them had made a decision. Melanie, after taking her own shower, had emerged into the suite's common room in nothing but a hotel-provided bathrobe eager to use the in-room hot tub which she'd so badly wanted. A pair of smaller adjoining bedrooms were on either side of the larger room, and two of them would sleep in each. Junior had already retired to the one he and Melanie would be sharing, leaving the three teens sitting on the couches.

Melanie leaned her head against Jaune's shoulder as they sat closely together. She could lose herself here and now in his embrace. She didn't even need to lie down to fall asleep. All she needed was to be in his arms.

It was only the sound of Melanie clearing her throat which staved off slumber in that moment, and Miltia opened her eyes to see the girl sitting cross-legged, her arms folded across her chest, staring annoyedly at them.

"So, are you two going to leave, or...?"

Miltia, used to her sister's sass, closed her eyes again when she replied. "Or what?"

Melanie clicked her tongue, and while she couldn't see her sister's expression, she knew Melanie was probably not happy. "Or is Jaune gonna get a free show? It's not like I have a bikini lying around, so I'm going into that hot tub nude."

Green eyes burst open at the not so idle threat. Melanie was many things, but modest was not one of them. She was an utterly shameless girl who would have no qualms at all about parading her naked body around Jaune, who, technically speaking, had already seen it from a certain point of view. Despite their subtle differences in body types, they were twins, after all.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Melanie continued, and Miltia saw a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Not so brave when your man's about to get a glimpse of my sweet ass, are you?"

Standing from the couch, Miltia grabbed Jaune by the hand and tugged him up. He came willingly, and she hurriedly led him out of the common room and into their bedroom. Before she passed through the door, however, Miltia turned to get the final word against her older twin.

"Might wanna save that for Ruby," she teased, knowing full well that Melanie was still self-conscious about the huntress sneaking a kiss on her, much as Melanie herself had done to the girl at Beacon's dance.

With that final, immature shot taken, Miltia closed the door behind her and Jaune, satisfied with her victory.

"And don't fuck too loudly! I wanna relax!" her sister yelled back through the closed door.

Of course Melanie would feel like she had to get the final word in. Well, whatever. Not like it really mattered anyway. Miltia was far too tired to care about such petty things right now.

Too tired to even do what Melanie had suggested, even if she wanted to. The mind was willing, but the body on the other hand was not.

She glanced up at her boyfriend, who she found smirking at her and her sister's antics.

"Hey, um," she started hesitantly. "About what she said..."

"I'm used to it," he said.

Miltia shook her head. "Not that. It's just... I'm really tired is all..."

His amused smile faded into a kind and gentle one. Understanding completely what she was getting at. Not upset at all by not being able to do what he undoubtedly wanted to do. He was a young man, after all.

"It's okay. I'm tired too."

She smiled back at him. She really did have the most wonderful, caring boyfriend imaginable, didn't she?

Before she could even attempt to convey her thoughts, Miltia suddenly found herself being scooped off her feet by Jaune, who carried her easily in his arms. Like a newly-wed husband carrying his wife, he moved to the side of the bed where he gently laid her down on it, and quickly crawled into bed next to her.

She smiled at him as they faced one another on the bed. "Tired, huh?" She poked him in the arm. "Doesn't seem like it."

Jaune wrapped an arm around her and pulled closer to her body, but rather than allowing her head to rest against his chest as he normally would have, it was Jaune who laid his head across hers. He gripped her tightly, and Miltia stared down at the mess of blond hair which pressed against her body.

"I am," he confirmed.

It was a reversal of the norm where Jaune played the role of the big, strong boyfriend holding his small and delicate girlfriend in his arms. This time it was Jaune who was the vulnerable one. The submissive one. The one in need of comfort and care.

Miltia was more than ready to rise to the occasion.

A deep breath slipped from her nostrils, and with one arm Miltia held him close to her, while with the other her fingers idly ran through his hair. It felt different, yet oddly appropriate for her to be the one lending comfort to him. She'd always been the one to be there for her sister, but with Jaune she was usually the one to be pampered by him. It was familiar and oddly satisfying to be able to hold him in her arms rather than the other way around.

"Then go to sleep," she encouraged him. "I'll be here in the morning if you wanna talk."

He shook his head, and Miltia smiled as she watched him. Despite the fact that his face was buried in her chest right now, there was nothing sexual about this. She just happened to be warm and soft, like a very comfortable pillow. One which Jaune seemed to enjoy using instead of the hotel-provided one on the bed.

"Don't wanna sleep," he said, though his tone betrayed the weariness in his body.

Miltia toyed with his hair as she peered down at him. "Why not?"

"Because I want to be able to feel this," he answered simply.

She breathed a single, soft laugh. It was just as she'd been thinking earlier. She didn't want to risk closing her eyes and falling asleep in Jaune's arms, because she would miss the feeling of being able to be in the moment. He, just like she did, wanted to be able to bask in the feeling of being in her arms. To be awake and aware of how wonderful it felt.

Still, as she watched the larger young man in her arms, a part of her wanted him to sleep. She wanted him to feel so comfortable and secure in her arms that she wanted to be able to lull him to sleep with just her words and her touch. Her heart would swell immensely with pride of she could get him to sleep in her arms like a baby. A big, muscular, over six foot tall baby.

"It's okay if you do though," she whispered. "You can sleep if you want."

Jaune groaned something unintelligible. She laughed again. Her fingers stroked his hair softly.

"Have you thought about what we should do now?" she asked. "Not like, now-now, but, like, I don't wanna do this whole club thing anymore. I'm done with all this violence shit. I get the feeling you are too."

They'd both been through a lot in the past few months. Jaune had gone from an aspiring huntsman to a vigilante who ran with criminals. Miltia had gone from an enforcer at a shady nightclub to now a young woman who just wanted to live a peaceful life. Junior was going to attempt to get back into the huntsman game, and that just left Melanie. Maybe she would take over day to day operations of the club once it was repaired.

Jaune mumbled something else, but one word above all others stood out. "...bakery..."

"Oh yeah? You wanna open a bakery or something?" She wasn't sure if he was already on the edge of sleep or not, and if he might be mumbling nothing but nonsense. "You know how much I love chocolate. Do you want me to get fat or something?"

A growl of sorts hummed in Jaune's throat, and Miltia couldn't help but laugh again. As if she would ever let that happen. As much as she loved sweets, she, unlike her sister, had self control. Still, the idea of Jaune opening a bakery sounded interesting. Maybe even fun. It certainly qualified as something normal, that was for sure.

"I'm sure Hei would give us a loan," she continued, entertaining the idea. "And I have money stashed away. Not that much, but I could help. You'd definitely have to hire me though, and that means teaching me to bake. Think you're up to that?"

He didn't respond this time. Try as he might, Jaune just couldn't stay awake for long in the warm and loving embrace of his girlfriend.

Miltia stared down at his head for a few moments before her focus shifted to his back. She noticed how his breathing had slowed and evened out. He was gone. Lost to a world of peaceful dreams. At least, she hoped so. If not she would be there for him if he awoke from a nightmare. He had been good at chasing hers away, and she would do the same for him if she could.

"Yeah, you must have been tired," she said. She wouldn't go down without a fight, however. In rare moments like this she wanted to watch as her man slept. She wanted to hold him tightly. To protect him. To love him. That last word found itself at the tip of her tongue, and Miltia couldn't contain herself as she reached down and kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Jaune."

He didn't respond. She hadn't expected him to. Still, she knew how he felt all the same. Jaune loved her with all of his heart, just as she loved him.

As Miltia watched her boyfriend sleep, she thought about all that had happened in the last few months since she'd met him. Jaune had come here to Vale wanting to become a hero. Wanting to become a huntsman. He'd failed. By all accounts he should have gone back home, and the two of them should have never seen each other again.

However, the two of them grew closer, and in time they were both able to give the other something they hadn't known they were looking for. Something that each hadn't even known they'd needed. They both learned so many things, and for Jaune especially, he'd learned that there was more than one way to be a hero.

He was her hero, and she was his. For Miltia, this was the only kind of hero she needed. It was the only kind she needed to be.


Author's Note: It's been a long and hard road, but it's finally done. Honestly, I feel a great sense of accomplishment finishing this story. For those who have stuck around since day one, you have my sincerest thanks for your patience and dedication. I'm sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. For those of you who are reading this all in one go, welcome, and I hope you enjoyed the ride.

My thanks go out to everyone who's supported me along the way. In particular I want to shout out my buddy Aetheling, who planted the seed of Melanie x Ruby in my mind way back in 2018. I loved developing their growing closeness with each other, and I think that Melanie's selfish pessimism clashes beautifully with Ruby's selfless optimism. Those two absolutely do pursue a casual relationship together in the future, because Ruby's a professional huntress who's always travelling and has no time for real relationships. Who knows, maybe someday I'll do a one shot epilogue set in the future which explores where everyone's at like four years in the future.

I'd love to do more with the Malachite twins in the future, especially now that they have established personalities and backstory, though I would sprinkle my own bits of their personalities into any such stories. I feel the same about them as I did back in 2017 when I first started this fic. So underutilized, so much potential, great personalities, great looks.

Anyway, I've rambled on for long enough. Thank you all so much for giving this story a chance. It may have gotten really tough at the end, but for the vast majority of it, I enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much.