Late Morning Part: 2

—--------(A Minute Ago) -----------

Jaune POV:

As I followed my team up the final steps to the fifth floor, I couldn't help but grow some doubts in my heart. What if we head up there and they aren't there or maybe they didn't want to see us? After yesterday they could take a break from their morning practice to relax and get their minds off of things, and, with how Cardin treated Sapph yesterday, I wouldn't blame them either.

No, that doesn't make much sense either. Sapphire, I may have only known her for a short time, but it is not hard to tell that she is not the type to easily rely on someone else, for good or for bad. Though, even with all the problems that come with that sort of mindset, I can't help but look up to it. There's a certain strength to it, refusing to burden those around you even if it would get you out of a bind.

I wish I had the kind of strength it would take to be that kind of person, someone who can fit the title of hero, the one who saves the damsel in distress, but I always seem to end up being the damsel when it matters most. I have always dreamed of being the guy that no one doubts, the type that everyone believes in. I want so badly to be that kind of person, but at this point, I don't think that will ever be possible.

"Haah," I sigh out loud.

"Is something wrong Jaune?" I hear Pyrrha concernedly ask from behind me.

See, even just a sigh from me warrants such concern.

"Huh, oh no, it's just, uhh, it's just that we have to climb so many stairs to get to their dorm when originally they were just across the hall," I jokingly state trying to play it off, though, even I can tell how forced I was sounding.

Haah, I have never been much of an actor, but I do wish I was a little better than this.

"Okay, but you can tell us if something is bothering you, we are your team after all," she hesitatingly replied.

The look on her face tells me she saw through my bs, but I can't let anyone come to my rescue. That should be my job after all.

My thoughts came to a close upon arriving in front of a door marked 4-38, team RWBYS' dorm. Originally, they were roomed just across the hall from us, but after Sapphire joined them, they were moved up to the top floor where the larger rooms were. It is a little sad that they are not that close anymore, but they did get a bigger room, even if they have to share it with another person. I am a tad bit jealous, though, even my current living standards are better now than they were back home. At least none of my teammates are trying to use me as some sort of dress-up doll.

Anyway, here we are. I raise my arm to knock while giving a final look at my team behind me. I don't exactly know what I was looking for, perhaps some confirmation that this is what I should be doing, but I was already knocking before any of them had time to react.

--KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

I knock loudly on the door, but no response is given, so as a secondary, I yell out, to see If I could get their attention

"Hello! Are you guys going to get up!? You're gonna be late again!" I yell into the door.

Nothing.

-KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

I knock again. Still nothing. No one opened the door, no verbal confirmation. Nothing. I'm starting to doubt whether anyone is actually in there or not.

Given that I haven't received any sort of response from the other side of the door I turn to my teammates or more specifically Pyrrha. She was the one that suggested we come here to get them going so that they won't be late for class.

"Are they even here?" I ask.

Pyrrha looks at me with a hint of doubt on her face but after a moment of thought that goes away.

"Most likely, I usually catch them doing their morning exercises, and I had not seen them today," She calmly stated.

That makes sense, I guess. But couldn't they have just not done their morning exercise today?

"They might still be asleep," Ren interjects with his signature unwavering calm.

I guess so, there's no guarantee that my knocking just now was enough to wake them up.

"Yeah! Just knock harder!" Nora yells out from beside Ren.

Yeah, I guess so.

Suddenly though the door behind me was opened which may or may not have startled me, just a tad.

I quickly put on a mock "holier than thou" attitude, and, while turning around saying, "Finally, You guys better hurry or you'll be la-la-la."

My words were stopped in my tracks though as immediately after turning around I am greeted by a sight that frankly speaking, I don't know how to react to. Sapphire is standing there at the door as she was probably the one who opened it, but that wasn't the problem. She's not wearing any clothes! Well, she is wearing something, I guess, but… AAAAAAHhh! I don't know where to put my eyes! Who answers the door in their underwear! What if we had been strangers! I mean we do have co-ed locker rooms at the school, but when it comes to places like that it is not only expected but there is a sort of unwritten rule to pay as little attention to those around you as possible! Here it is staring me in the face!

While every thought in my head short-circuited, Sapphire just nonchalantly stood there like there was nothing wrong with this situation! She was standing in the doorway in nothing but her sports bra and spats, in view of whoever decided to walk down this hallway!

Sapphire looked at us with grogginess in her demeanor, as if waiting for us to speak, but I couldn't string two thoughts together. I was far too worried about someone walking down this hall or opening their doors and someone seeing more than they should to answer that unworded question though.

It's no secret that Sapphire is a hot topic around school and for quite a few reasons. People want to know why she was able to get in late, and what the "Accident on the part of the school" that Professor Ozpin mentioned was. Where is she from? Where did she train? Many things like that.

Those aren't a big problem, just curious people being curious people, not much can be done about it. The problem is there are more than a few who don't have the best of intentions whatever they may be. The last thing we need is someone sneaking in a photo and having that shared online. There are many awful people here at Beacon. After all you, unfortunately, don't have to be a good person to become a huntsman or huntress, you just have to be…. strong.

Haaah…

No, not the time for self-depreciation…

It's not just people with malicious intentions that we have to worry about. There are also many perverts out there that would also very much like to see this. Sapphire is, after all, a beautiful person. She's tall, standing about six and third feet tall if you count the ears, and she's well proportioned. She's also rather muscular, I mean she's not built like a bodybuilder, not even close, but she very obviously has an athlete's physique. There's also no denying she's got a good face either, as well as an unusual hair color of black with gold strands; it's not even dyed. Add all that in with the fact that she has more than one Faunus trait, you get an attractive woman who is just different enough to be "interesting". *barf*. Even the scars, both big and small, she has scattered throughout her body only add to that aesthetic. Ugh, hearing people talk about a friend like they're some sort of trophy to collect really leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

"Sapph?! What are you doing?!" I hear a shrill voice panicking call from within the room breaking me out of my mental storm.

"What? I was answering the door?" Sapphire confusedly answered while looking back into her room from over her shoulder.

Hm?

I look past Sapphire to see Yang, with a blush on her face and a look of fury in her eyes, jump off her bed and rapidly approach the doorway. Sapphire, probably hearing Yang approach, turned around to face her, but upon doing so, Sapphire was yanked out of the doorway by Yang.

"I'll get it! Just go sit down!" Yang not-so-quietly whispered to Sapphire before blocking sight into the room with her own relatively tall frame.

An awkward second passed as Yang regained her composure, but even as she opened her mouth to speak there was a tinge of red on her face.

"Did you need something?" she asked intimidatingly, like a mother bear protecting her cub.

Whether it was because of what happened just now or Yang's still on edge about yesterday or maybe both, is hard to tell, but she is definitely on edge.

"Uh-Uhm, Well, Pyrrha didn't catch you guys during her morning training, so we wanted to make sure you were awake in order to make it to class on time. After all, we have an exam in grim studies today." I stiffly explain.

Yang relaxes a bit at my overly fast explanation, and she opens her mouth the speak.

"Oh, thanks," she says not as guarded this time.

She also hesitates for a bit before once again opening her mouth.

"And, sorry about yesterday," She apologies through a sigh, "It's just, a lot happened, and we, I, was really on edge, so I'm sorry about being rude."

"No, no need to apologize," I hurriedly state, "Water under the bridge."

If I'm to guess, I'd say everything that happened yesterday, is most of the reason Pyrrha wanted to come to check up on you all this morning. Pyrrha was just unable to bring herself to bother them without a proper reason, so she used not wanting them to be late as an excuse, but it's not like friends need a proper reason to visit, especially after

"That's, good, Yaaawwwn," Yang states before trying and failing to stifle a yawn, "Anyway, we better start getting ready, see you all in class, yeah?"

"Yeah, later than," I replied, and Yang closed the door.

-Click

Haaah, that was awkward…

"We should get some breakfast before class," Ren's still calm voice cut through the awkward atmosphere.

I can't say I disagree with that statement. I am more than a little hungry after all.

"Yeah! Let's get pancakes!" Nora yells excitedly.