Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hey, have you even had your first kiss yet?” Mercury had asked her one day while they were in their dorms, not even once looking up from his comic book.

Emerald sat up from where she was laying on her makeshift bed and turned around to face him. “Why would you need to know?” She interrogated him back.

It was so weird for him to ask such an invasive thing. What on Remnant could possibly have inspired him to ask such a stupid question? 

“It’s just an innocent question,” He replied indifferently, still not looking up from his comic. She let out a sigh. Emerald wasn’t sure if Mercury asked it out of genuine curiosity or to tease her if she said she didn’t have one.

“It’s not really any of your business,” She told him. Maybe she had, maybe she hasn’t. Emerald didn’t know too much about Mercury other than that he obviously didn’t have the best home life; which warranted her enough reason to not tell him about her personal life.

“You don’t needa be an ass about it, It’s okay if you haven’t… I haven’t either,” Mercury  mumbled, flipping the page.

Emerald opened her mouth to say something and then closed it a few times. First of all, She definitely needs to work on being too defensive about personal topics. Second, she can’t help but be surprised at his honesty.

It’s not like she’s surprised he hasn’t kissed a girl, going off the fact that he’s lived in the mountains plus his interactions with her tell her he hasn’t met that many girls before. Though, Emerald knows he is kind of a prideful person, so admitting this probably wasn’t that easy.

Or maybe it wasn’t because he probably didn’t care about kissing girls. He probably didn’t want to. Maybe his terrible flirting is purely to get a rise out of her because he has no interest in women. 

She sighed again. “Fine. I haven’t kissed anyone. There wasn’t much time for that when you grew up on the streets, and not everyone finds a streetrat cute,” She half joked. 

“Shame, you’re actually not even that ugly,”

Emerald raised a brow. He had to be messing with her again. “You’re serious? You think I’m not ugly?”

“I think anyone with eyes would agree with me that you’re pretty.”

“Your humor is something else,”

“I’m being serious!”

She watches him turn another page, still not giving her a single glance.

“Uh-huh, sureeeee,”

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You can’t be this dumb,” Mercury said with an annoyed tone.

Emerald knew herself she wasn’t that ugly but she hardly believed he thought the same. Granted, she still didn’t think she was anyone else’s—especially his—first choice as someone to kiss or go out on a date with. 

He looked up from his comic with a pointed face. Mercury rolled his eyes. “Brothers, do I really need to explain it?” He said it like there was something that was obvious and that Emerald was oblivious to it. Which she was.

She raised a brow at Mercury.

He groaned. “You’re really gonna make me explain, huh?” He closed his comic book before continuing.

“Nobody thinks you’re ugly, not even when you were skin and bones when we first met. You probably might not think it, but it’s true. You’ve got a decent looking face, your haircut suits you. You have a nice shade of red eyes. They’re not overwhelming like a Grimm’s and they’re not too dull. Even when you’re faking it, your smile looks sweet. So most people would think you’re very pretty,” Mercury stated like it was all factual.

He presented the information to her like it was breaking news he had to give Cinder. She gave an amused smile at his explanation. Mercury looked away and mumbled something else under his breath that she couldn’t quite hear.

“What is it? I didn’t catch that,” Emerald frowned at him. This kid is always mumbling something.

“ It’s nothing important,”

“Bullshit! Don’t be so secretive,”

“Says the one who tried to hide the fact she has never kissed anybody!”

“I am not obligated to tell you anything personal about my life!”

“But you still admitted it?”

“I was coerced!”

“No, you are just a shitty liar, it was painfully obvious,”

“Just shut up and tell me what you said already!” She was fed up with him.

“ Okayyy…. but you might not like what I said,” He caved, and shot her a warning glance.

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. “Spit it out, Mercury!” She really was over him right now. He shook his head.

“Alright, I tried to tell you…. I may or may not have said you have a nice figure…”

Emerald made a horrified face. She chucked her pillow at him, barely missing his head. “You are so gross!” She shrieked.

Mercury shrugged the pillow away. “I literally warned you! And it’s not like I always check you out or anything. It’s just obvious. I’m obviously gonna notice you grow from a skinny, fragile girl into what you what you look like now, you blockhead!” He threw the pillow back at her.

"You couldn't just phrase it in a non-perverted way?”

“How the hell else am I supposed to say it?”

“I dunno, maybe you could’ve just said ‘Hey! The food Cinder’s been feeding you since she’s picked you off the street has really done it’s job’! Or something!“ She threw her pillow at him again, this time making sure it hit him square in his face.

His jaw clenched. Mercury set his book aside. Grabbing the pillow, he got up and started walking over to her spot on the floor. Then he started vigorously attacking her with it.

Mercury hit her head, her limbs, her stomach, and her back over and over; Emerald tried to weakly shield herself with her hands. He smiled wickedly as he continued to attack her. There was sounds of Ouch! and Knock it off!—but most importantly there was laughter.

“Not so tough now, are you?” He taunted her playfully. He kept hitting Emerald’s arms, but she never relented.

“C’mon, cut it out!” She pleaded in between his ambushes. She let out giggles every time the pillow made contact with her body and he was chuckling himself at her pathetic tries to stop it.

”What’s the magic word?”

“Why do I have to say please?”

“Because you attacked me first!”

Emerald rolled her eyes. Using one arm to protect herself from Mercury’s attacks, she reached behind her to grasp at her other pillow.

"For a very justified reason!”

“I wasn’t even trying to be a weirdo about it!”

He kept trying to strike her head, only for her to block it with her forearm.

“Oh, because what you said was definitely better, right?”

"I was giving you an honest answer from a man’s perspective!”

In one full smooth move, Emerald grabs the pillow behind and swings at Mercury. She’s grinning devilishly as she retaliates back. Now Mercury’s the one trying to defend off the other’s attack.

 He’s dodging her swings, trying to counter her assaults with his pillow. They’re both laughing uncontrollably. Emerald finally got to knock his pillow out of his hands, and putting all her might into beating the shit out of him with her pillow.

“Man’s perspective, my ass!”

"Ironic choice of words—Ow! Emerald!” She whacked him harder.

“Stop bringing up my ass!”

“ I’m not trying to !” He shot back, dodging her swings again.

Mercury tries to wrestle the pillow out of her hands, but she has an iron grip on it. He’s trying—and failing—to steer the pillow toward him. She smirks as she jerks the pillow away from him, causing him to fall back onto the ground.

Emerald stood over him, triumphant. Mercury groaned and closed his eyes in defeat. ( He would definitely get back at her for this embarrassing loss.)

“Truce?” He suggested. Emerald rolled her eyes and gave a small smile. She reached out her hand to help up.

He opened his eyes to look at her and took her hand. Emerald pulled him up off the ground. ( Mercury wondered how she carried so much strength in such small hands.)

“Truce,” She agreed, smiling a little wider.

“Sorry for bringing up your…er… y’know. I wasn’t trying to be creepy about it,”

“Then why did you mumble it in the first place?”

“Cause I knew you would overact! And you did!” She let go of his hand. (Why was she holding it for so long?)

“Overreact?!”

“Hitting me with a pillow isn’t overreacting?”

“Again, it was justified,”

“Y'know, I’m starting to think any conversation I have with you is a lose-lose situation,”

“Really?” Emerald crossed her arms.

“Doesn’t matter what I say, somehow everything turns into an argument with you,”

He brushed past her. Mercury started picking up her pillows off the floor.

“Well, we wouldn’t be arguing if you didn’t tell me that!”

“We would still argue if I didn’t!”

Emerald pursed her lips and hugged herself a little. Unfortunately, he was right. They were literally arguing as they spoke right now. She watched him place her pillows back on her sleeping bag and set his comic book back on the shelf.

“Fine,” She said, putting her hands on her hips.

“What?”

“Fine, you’re right.”

“Did I hit you too hard or something? 'Cuz I don’t think you understand what you are saying, you aren't concussed are you?”

“Stop being an ass! You’re right, okay?”

“Definitely concussed,”

“Mercury! I’m trying to apologize for arguing with you here!”

“Oh yeah, you are definitely suffering borderline brain damage. This is way worse than I thought,”

Emerald walked over to him and punched him hard in the chest. He winced and started rubbing where she hit him.

“I’m being serious! I’m sorry, alright? I shouldn’t have pushed it,”

“It’s fine… I’m the one who shouldn’t have phrased it like that. I just said what some guys might think… I am not one of those weirdos though,”

“‘Those weirdos’?”

“C’mon, there’s plenty of shady guys out there that will take advantage of a woman’s beauty! I’ve seen it happen. They do nothing but treat women as objects, and I know you know I’m right. That’s why I was surprised no idiot like that had asked you out yet…”

Emerald gave him a half amused smile. “And you’re sure you’re not one of those assholes?” She taunted. Mercury frowned at her.

“I am an asshole but I’m not a lowlife, Emerald,” He remarked.

“Relax, I was just joking. I’m just a bit shocked you have some morals,” Emerald quipped. His frown got wider.

“You’re not funny,” He said, almost pouting.

Emerald gasped, as a thought crossed her mind. She bit her lip and tried her hardest to keep her laughter in.

“Oh, what is it now?” Mercury asked, not amused.  She shook her head, trying not to laugh.

“It doesn’t matter, it was a really bad joke,” Emerald snickered. He rolled his eyes and made his way to the door.

“I don’t wanna know,” He muttered.

“The punchline was gonna be about how you’re the opposite of a ladykiller,” Emerald snorted. Mercury looked back at her, with a deadpanned face.

“You’re so unfunny,”

“You just wouldn’t understand my comedic genius!”

“There’s nothing genius about it!”

Emerald giggled. She couldn’t help it. The opportunity to poke fun at his irony was right there.

“And you say I’m childish,”

“‘Cuz you are!”

“Whatever, I’m gonna go grab something to eat from the food hall, want anything?”

“Nope. I’m not really hungry,”

Mercury rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna get a large order of what I get just in case you change your mind,” He waved her off. Emerald smiled softly as she watched him leave.

Later that same night, she couldn’t sleep. Cinder came back late from whatever she was doing, (it apparently included the higher-ups therefore Mercury and her weren’t needed). She stared at the ceiling.

Sometimes, Emerald pretended she wasn’t undercover. It was fun when she was bored and thought of scenarios of what her “friends” from Mistral and Vale would get into.

She sometimes fantasized that she lived a normal life. It was interesting to theorize about how lame of a life she would’ve had if she wasn’t raised how she was. There was one bright side to being a waif—she didn’t have a boring day ever.

It wasn’t an easy childhood, but never boring. However, it was still nice to pretend that she grew up with Cinder. That actually wasn’t so far from being the truth though.

Emerald was still gonna occasionally pretend that she really did grow up in a nice, warm bed in a room she shared with Cinder. And that she and Cinder went to Haven Academy to slay monsters together like a normal family.

Emerald also tried to remember if there was a time in her life where before she met Cinder that felt normal. She guessed being kept on her toes every day as an orphan on the streets was her “normal”.

She bit her lip in thought. There was days when it did feel calm on the streets. Like it would get easier for her. She supposed it did, eventually. But she still didn’t ever get to do anything a normal teenager would do.

She never had her first kiss, let alone a first girlfriend or boyfriend. She has never had friends to go shopping or sightseeing with. Although, she really didn’t need to do the latter, she's seen almost the entire world.

Emerald turned to the side where Mercury slept, back facing her. She listened closely to hear his snores. He definitely wouldn’t be up to a midnight conversation.

She wondered if he also pretended he had a normal life sometimes. Again, she didn’t know very much about his upbringing, but she figured it was a little unconventional.

Emerald figured he must do it too, or else he wouldn’t have asked her that. She thought about how if they both met on better terms, would they act the same towards each other.

They probably would. Mercury just has that know-it-all attitude that drives her up a wall. He’s not the worst to get along with, but he can be so infuriating.

As she stared at the back of his head, Emerald couldn’t help her grin. She knows he’d be a loser no matter how they met. Emerald is definitely the only one who can tolerate him.

She could tell why nobody has ever dated him. His smartass jokes can only get him so far. He goes out of his way to seem like an asshole when he has no reason to sometimes. It’s highly unattractive.

Well, actually, maybe he isn't such an asshole. He did say she was pretty. Emerald can’t say he was lying about it either. He really did mean it.

She stared intensely at the back of his head, watching his body rise and fall. Mercury was an enigma, really. He’s very blunt and rude, but when he really wants to be he’s super genuine. He called her pretty. Nobody—not even Cinder—had outright told her she was pretty without an ulterior motive or backhanded comment. He was so frustrating. 

He did say a rather unfavorable comment afterword, but unlike most men he apologized. Which was the bare minimum but also really wasn’t. Because he was right, most men would say that but he apologized for it.

So maybe he did have a few redeeming qualities. Emerald still wouldn’t ever date him though. She could barely tolerate him as a teammate. He’s really her last pick.

At least, that is what she thinks to herself, as she drifts off into sleep watching Mercury.

Chapter Text

"You do like girls, right?”

“Huh?”

It was a few days after Mercury asked if she had her first kiss and the two of them were currently sitting in the Beacon dining hall. Emerald sat across from him, staring intently.

It was the most random ass question she could ever ask him. He raised a brow at her. She was up to something.

“The answer is obviously yes… but why the hell are you asking me that?” He answered, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“Just curious, you just don’t seem like you’re interested in them… but then again you don’t seem interested in anyone,”

“That’s because there’s nobody interesting enough to be interested in, even though that’s not what we’re here to do…”

Emerald raised an eyebrow back at him.

“You don’t want to go out with at least person for fun while you’re here?”

“Why would I? Again, these people are boring. Plus, forming connections people before you know… it’s pointless.”

“So you don’t want to take any pretty girls out on a date at least once?”    

“Not particularly, no,”

“You sincerely don’t want to experience a relationship?”

“ Nope. Do you?”

“Yes, actually. It might be nice to hang out with someone I wasn’t ordered to be around and who wants to have fun.”

Mercury snorted. He had no idea how she was going to pursue a relationship without Cinder breathing down her back. It’s not like the wench will ever give them that much free time.

“You seriously want to date someone one of these people?”

Emerald bit her lip and looked in the direction of where team RWBY sat with their friends. Her gaze went back to her tray as she picked up a fry.

“I-... I dunno, maybe,” She said, taking a bite of the fry. She was being weird, today. All of the questions and weird looks, Mercury almost felt worried.

“If that’s what you want,”

“It is… but aren’t you gonna stop me or something?”

“I mean, no matter what I say, you’re gonna do it anyways,”

Emerald frowned.

“So you’re not gonna convince me that it’s a horrible idea that will have severe consequences?”

“Nope,” Mercury said, popping the p. Emerald looked back down at her tray again and ate another fry. He squinted at her. It was pretty strange for her to care so much about what he thought.

“It’s terrible idea. It’ll probably backfire if you get to close to someone, but it’s not like I really care. To me, it just seems like you want an actual friend or something…“

Emerald looked back up at him in shock.

 “That’s not—” 

“Then what is it?”

Mercury looked at her, expectant of an answer. She gave him a dirty glance. She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

“Besides, the bar here is set pretty low anyways,” He continued.

That left her in utter confusion. Whatever that fucking means.

“Please, elaborate on how the bar is ‘set low’,”

“The dating pool here is filled with two groups of people. Nobody important, which would be great for you if you didn’t get bored so easily. The other group of people happen to our targets and also seem to be involved with each other.“

She snorted. “How do you know that?”

“I have eyes,”

“Uh huh… but how do you know that I won’t get bored of a nobody?”

“You’re kidding me right?

Her face wrinkled.

“No, I am not, tell me!”

“I just told you. You’d get bored. Even if they have a tolerable personality, spending time with them will just suck you dry,” Mercury explained.

She crossed her arms. She supposed he was partially right, maybe even fully right. But Emerald wouldn’t tell him that cause it would inflate his ego.

“You don’t know for sure,” She insisted.

“Here you go, arguing with me over something pointless again. I told you I don’t care if you date. But don’t get mad at me when I say I told you so,” He sighed. Mercury took a bite of his sandwich.

“10 lien says I enjoy a date with a nobody and it works out just fine,” Emerald wagers. She knows that Mercury is not immune to a good old fashioned bet.

It was his turn to snort.

“Please, I’ll make it 20 if you enjoy a date with me more,” He joked in between chews.

Emerald’s mouth fell open. It took Mercury a minute to realize what he said. His cheeks and ears went pink.

“I’m only joking! Brothers, I would never go on a date with you!”

“Really? Are you out of my league or something?”

“You know I’m not into you like that! I’m not into anyone like that!”

“Right…” She nodded in disbelief. He frowned at her. Emerald could really be a pain in his ass sometimes.

“Personally, I think we’re in the same league,”

“In your dreams Merc, only in your dreams”

“So you think you’re better than me? Also, I would never dream about you,”

“Thank goodness. And yes I do actually, you said I was above average did you not?”

Mercury looked away from her, shaking his head. No matter what the topic was, somehow they will always argue about it. Even if she was right about this one thing.

“I… I did say that,” He sighed as he went to take another bite of his sandwich. Emerald hummed.

“Do you genuinely believe I would like a date with you better than someone else?”

Mercury gave her lopsided grin.

“I think I’d be a lot more entertaining,”

“Oh really?”

“Really,”

“Then I’ll take your bet. Entertain me with a date,” Emerald smiled. She watched his mouth fell open in shock.

“Emerald, I really was mostly joking y’know,”

“What are you? Too chicken?”

“No! I just didn’t think you were being serious!”

“Well I was, so take me out on a date,” Emerald demanded. She stared at him with determination. Mercury shook his head and mumbled something to himself.

“Alright, sure. 20 lien is 20 lien, after all. I suppose you want to go out tonight?”

“Yup,”

“Okay, it’s a date,”

Emerald beamed at him before stealing his apple. “See you later!” She chuckled as she got up and left the dining hall.

“Emerald! Wait!” He called after her. “Shit.” He was gonna eat that. He shook is head once again. He felt like he was gonna regret this date later.

In the evening, Emerald stood outside their dorm building. She still wore her uniform, leaning on of the pillars. Emerald searched the mob of exchange students walking towards the dormitory for a particular steel-haired boy.

“You’re later than usual,” She notes as Mercury nears her.

“Yeah, that’s what happens when you take your cover seriously,” He lectured. She made a face at him.

“Aw, did someone get picked last?”

“Haha, very funny, you know I wouldn’t fight these losers if I wasn’t ordered too,”

Emerald snorted. “A trial match that hard for you?”

“Absolutely fucking not, but that doesn’t mean my opponent didn’t put up a good fight,”

“Were they any good?”

“They were alright. Not Pyrrha Nikos good, but decent, You really should’ve been there,” He sighed.

“Sorry, I was 'making friends'. But anyways, where are you taking me for our date?” She changes the topic, with a half devilish grin.

“How about we get something cold?” He suggests, returning her grin with his own mischievous one.  Emerald nods.

They made their way down to the docks, where all the street vendors were. It was extra busier since the Vytal Festival was underway. There was a variety of goods from dust, jewelry, to food being sold.

Emerald hadn’t been this close to merchants in years. She supposed if she was still on the streets, she’d be stealing from them. Thanks to Cinder, she really didn’t need to steal for survival anymore.

She scanned the faces of people around her. Emerald watched how frantic the vendors were at trying to get people to buy their products. She saw a few Atlas schoolgirls walking in a group. There was an elderly couple nearby purchasing a children’s toy.

Emerald flashed them a smile as they walked past the stand. The crowds started to get a bit thicker, so she grabbed Mercury’s sleeve so they wouldn’t get separated.(He didn’t seem to mind.)

He started to lead her to an ice cream stand before halting to a stop. She let go of his arm and gave him a confused glance.

Mercury was looking back at her, grinning ear to ear. She could tell from his eyes that he was about to get them into trouble.

“What are you doing?!”

“I figured you want a free sample,”

She crossed arms and raised a bow. “I thought you said that we shouldn’t do anything that Cinder would yell at us for?”

Mercury’s grin seem to be even more devilish. “It’s a good thing she won’t find out then,” He told her with a wink. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him in disbelief.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“No clue, but I figured we dine and dash,”

She was almost amused. Almost.

“Sticking to the classics, gotcha.” She said with a ghost of a smile and a firm nod.

Emerald held his hand tightly as they walk towards the vendor. She felt strange, half her was filled with giddiness and the other guilt.

It’s not like she wasn’t still a thief, the things she stole now were either useless or something for their mission. She didn’t need steal food to eat anymore.

On the other hand, she hadn’t had the thrill of getting away with something like this in years. It was nostalgic, something she never thought she would feel about her childhood.

Mercury and her greeted the merchant with innocent smiles. Emerald still couldn’t shake the feeling that this was wrong.

“What can I get you both?” The guy behind the counter asks him. Mercury shrugged indifferently at her.

“Don’t tell me you’re gonna get vanilla,” Emerald whines. Her teammate can be so boring sometimes.

“What’s wrong with vanilla?”

“It’s not bad, but it’s very predictable,”

“Predictable?!”

“You heard me, try something new!”

He rolled his eyes. Mercury peered at the tubs of ice cream under the little window on the stand.

“I’ll take have 3 scoops of mint chocolate chip. Please.” He decided. It was definitely a choice that caught her off guard.

“I guess I’ll have 2 scoops of cookies and cream,” She told the vendor. As the vendor made their ice cream, Emerald took it as a chance to use her semblance.

She made it seem like she wasn’t doing anything-- but in reality, she was getting out enough lien for their ice cream.

Emerald discreetly placed the lien under the tips jar, having some of the bills peak out at certain angle only the merchant would see.

She thanked the vendor as he handed her ice cream. Mercury shared a glance with her and suddenly she was being pulled away from the stand.

“Hey!” The vendor yelled at them, but his voice seemed so distant already. She was running so fast it felt like her heart was about to leap from her chest.

She tugged at Mercury’s hand and led them down an alleyway, ducking behind a dumpster.

They both burst out into laughter. Emerald dropped his hand and held her ice cream in both hands, trying to contain her smile.

 “That was surprisingly easy,” He mused. Emerald rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Only because there’s too much business on the street,” She laughed at him.

“So the master graciously bestows her knowledge,” Mercury teases. Emerald rolled her eyes at him again.

“You’re such a loser,” She told him, biting into her ice cream. Mercury winced at the small action.

“Doesn’t that hurt your teeth?” He frowned at her. Emerald shook her head and shrugged. “Cold stuff doesn’t really bother me,” she admitted.

He stared at her in awe before licking his ice cream. “This is pretty good,” He said after a while.

She cocked a brow at him. “Have you never had ice cream before?” Emerald asked.

“Maybe once as a kid,” He answered looking away from her. She wondering once again what type of childhood Mercury would’ve had that only allowed him to have ice cream one time.

“Kinda tastes like toothpaste,” He confessed after another minute of silence. Emerald looked appalled.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“It makes sense though!”

“No it doesn’t. The two taste nothing alike,”

“They’re both minty,”

“Mint chocolate chip doesn’t have fluoride in it, genius. I’m surprised you know what toothpaste tastes like at all,” She scoffed.

Mercury rolled his eyes at her. “Believe it or not, I am hygienic.” He told her. She snorted.

“Really? Could’ve fooled me,” Emerald teased. Mercury jabbed her in the shoulder.

He was shaking his head again, a smile on his face. “Alright then, what does yours taste like?” He asked.

“Like cookies and cream, obviously,”

“Never had it,” Mercury shrugged. Emerald held out her cone to him. He looked backed at her, cautious.

“I didn’t poison it,” She insisted. Mercury narrowed his eyes at her. “How can I be so sure?” He asked, still not buying it.

Emerald glared at him. “Then the poison would affect me too, dumbass”, Emerald deadpanned. He was so unserious and dumb.

“You never know! Maybe you already had the antidote!” Mercury defended himself, taking the ice cream from her.

She rolled her eyes and watched him try her ice cream. His face lit up like small child, and Emerald found it almost endearing.

“Not as good as mint chocolate chip, but a close favorite,” He declared. Emerald snorted.

“You prefer it over ‘toothpaste’?” She asked. Mercury raised a brow.

“So you agree? That it tastes like toothpaste?” He teased. Emerald rolled her eyes at him again.

“You know that’s not what I said!”

“Really? Cause it sounds like you said that,”

“I was quoting you, Asshole!”

“I’m sure you were,”

“You’re so difficult,”

“Me? The difficult one?”

Emerald rolled her eyes yet again, but this time with a smile she couldn’t hold back.

“Just shut up and eat your ice cream!” She commanded, snatching back her ice cream.

Mercury chuckled. “Yes ma’am,” He jokingly saluted back at her. Emerald shook her head with a tiny smile.

Emerald checked the time on her scroll, they were due back to the dorms in an hour.

They finished their ice cream with in the next few minutes(Emerald had to explain to Mercury that the cone was edible). Then she wiped her face with napkins that she had took before they ran.

“So, do I get a rating on some website? Orrr?” Mercury joked after the airship dropped them off. Emerald smiled and shook her head.

“How about you just take me out on a second date?” She asked.

He was taken aback with how direct Emerald was. “Yeah right,” Mercury scoffed.

“I’m serious! Besides even though it was fun, it wasn’t a proper date, so I want another one,” She explained. Mercury squinted at her.

“Really?”

“Really. What made you take us on that kind of date anyways?”

“I don’t know, I guess we would’ve cause mischief anyways right? Might as well do it,” He said, rubbing his neck and looking away.

“And because I wanted to do something you might’ve liked. Or something like that,” Mercury added. Emerald’s eyes widen.

She could feel the heat rush into her cheeks. It was actually really sweet of him to consider her feelings, she wasn’t expecting him to actually take her seriously.

“I-, I guess that makes sense,” She replied. Then she flashed him another smile before elbowing him. “You’re so lame, though!” Emerald told him matter-of-factly. He made an unamused face.

“How am I lame?” Mercury complained.

“Well, to start, you have ice cream on your chin,” She pointed to her own chin, giggling silently. Mercury touched his face.

Surely enough, he had ice cream on the corner of his mouth and all over his chin. He shot Emerald an annoyed glare.

He jabbed her back in the side. “You’re such a jerk!” He half-heartedly whined.

Emerald’s giggles got louder. “So much for hygiene, right?” She teased. Mercury glared at her.

“That doesn’t have anything to do with hygiene?” He argued. Emerald rolled her eyes.

“It’s apart of cleanliness,” She explained.

“I didn’t have a napkin!”

“Could’ve asked me for one, dummy!”

Mercury shook his head and wiped his face with his uniform sleeve. Emerald side eyed him for the lack of etiquette.

“Whatever. How about I race you back to the dorm? Loser has to do all of the chores?” Mercury suggested. Emerald smirked at him.

“I’m gonna dust your ass so bad,” She bragged. Mercury was shaking his head and smirking. “In your dreams,” He rolled his eyes at her.

“On three?” She asked. Mercury gave her a small nod. Emerald was grinning so wide.

“1, 2… 3!” They both yelled. In the end, Mercury ended up doing the chores for the rest of the week.

Chapter Text

The next Saturday they had off, the two of them had planned to go out on their next date.  

“And where are you both off to?” Cinder interrogated them as the teenagers made their way to the door. 

“None of your business,” Mercury haughtily informed her. Cinder shot him an unamused glare, and Emerald punched him in the arm. 

“There’s a new restaurant opening up, we’re going to try it out on our day off,” Emerald told her with a sweet smile.  

Cinder raised a brow. “Just keep out of trouble and be back before curfew,” She told them. Emerald gave her a nod as they head out. 

“You know you don’t have to be such a kissass, right?” Mercury scoffed. Emerald whipped her head around, clutching her fist. 

“Why do you have to be such a jackass?” She shot back. Mercury clicked his tongue. 

“You’re just a teacher’s pet sometimes,”

“How am I a teacher’s pet for not trying to anger the woman who keeps us alive?” 

He licked his lips and rolled eyes and carried on down the rest of hall, Emerald following him. 

“If she wanted to kill us, she would’ve done that by now, I think we’re safe as long as we do our jobs,” He sounded exasperated. 

“So I can’t show the woman who gives us a damn job some gratitude?” Emerald snapped at him. 

Mercury spun backwards, his back facing the double doors to the dorm lobby. He shook his head and his mouth opened and closed several times. 

Emerald shook her head back at him, shrugging her shoulders and throwing up her hands in the air. 

“You’re just.. trying too hard,” He sighed in frustration. She cocked her head to the side and put a hand on her hip. 

“What the hell does that even mean?” 

Before Mercury could even reply, he was interrupted by another Mistral student walking into the dorms. They both shot the scrawny kid a death glare.  

Mercury sighed again. “Whatever. It’s not worth it,” He said with a shake of his head and  held the door open for her. 

Emerald narrowed her eyes at him as she walked into the lobby. “You’re such an infuriating and confusing person, you know that right?” She huffed. 

“Oh, you’ve told me many times before,”

“So why do you keep making me repeat it?”

“Have you considered I only infuriate you because you infuriate me?” 

“I infuriate you?” 

“Yes! I’ve told you this already! 

Mercury held the door open for her again, and this time Emerald bumped into his shoulder as she walked past. 

“Let me get this straight, You infuriate me because I’m the one who infuriates you?” She spun around to face him. Mercury let the doors swing shut behind him.  

“You’re saying I’m the root of the problem?” Emerald continued. Mercury made a face at her that read as: well duh.

She clenched her jaw and bawled her fists. “You’re unbelievable,” She groans, turning on her heel. Mercury followed her down the front steps of the dorm building. 

“Whatever. We’re arguing over nothing anyways,” He brushed off. Emerald sucked her teeth.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing,” She argued. But for some reason, Mercury couldn’t properly phrase why he got mad at her in the first place. 

“It is nothing. I’m getting upset by something that’s not even my business,” He told her when they stopped at the loading zone. 

She peered over at him. “Okay… now you’re being weird. That’s three times now you’ve done that,” Emerald pointed out. Mercury looked lost. 

“Done what?” 

“Gave up an argument with me?” 

Mercury glanced away from her. “Well, yeah, I’ve told you before that every argument with you is pointless,” He sounded defeated. 

“And yet, you keep on bickering with me,” Emerald frowned. Mercury shrugged. Her frown got deeper.  

“You’re a very easy person to argue with,” is all he says. She huffs and looks the other way as they entered the airship. Mercury stares out the window. 

She can’t disagree with him on that. Mercury knows from the moment they’ve met, she was the most arguable person ever. Emerald can get offended by the simplest things. 

It’s almost like they were meant to argue.

Of course, he purposely gets under her skin sometimes. She was very easy to piss off, it was just too funny.  

Other times, it felt like she was just pissed at him in general, instigating aside. 

When they first met, she rejected him. Emerald protested him being added to Cinder’s team. She didn’t want anything to with him. 

He’ll admit to himself that he made it worse by being cold and distant to her, even if it was a survival instinct. 

But then he was forced to depend on her, so he had to tolerate her attitude towards him. 

She became slightly more nicer to him, and they formed a thin layer of trust. They had realized it was easier for them to look after each other, than to always worry about watching their own backs. 

He will never admit it, but he’s also realized it’s kind of nice to have someone else to talk to. That there’s someone else there that shares his same thoughts about the dumb people he works with. 

The date they went on last time was different. A good different. 

Emerald seemed happy. It felt like she was starting to genuinely enjoy his company. Like she didn’t want smite him for simply existing. 

Maybe that’s why he wanted to tell her that her relying on Cinder wasn’t healthy for her. 

He’s seen the way Emerald acts around her. It reminds him of how he used to act around his father. It drove him nuts. 

He expected love and attention from the man that only wanted a weapon, not a child. His father never cared for him. He just wanted someone to carry his legacy. 

Cinder didn’t care for Emerald—not in any way that Emerald wants her too. 

He wanted to tell Emerald that Cinder didn’t care, but it just came out wrong. 

Despite the trust he thought they’ve built, clearly there was some lines he couldn’t cross. It was fair though, because honestly he has no reason to. 

Why should he care? Even if he thinks they’re closer now, he doesn’t need to be any closer. 

Yet he still can’t help but want to tell her because he cares. He can’t help but want to apologize for being an asshole. 

Caring is supposed to be a weakness. Vulnerability is supposed to be a weakness. These things made him an easy target, his father beat it into him so he wouldn’t forget. 

But since he’s met Emerald, everything his father taught him had gone out the window. He had to be vulnerable, he had to trust her, he had to rely on her. 

Maybe it was him that was starting to trust her way more, he was the one enjoying having her around more.  

“Are you okay?” Emerald’s voice pulls him out of his reverie. He notices how frigid his body went.

He was standing frighteningly still, jaw clenched, nails digging in his palms, and knuckles white. He nodded. 

“I’m fine,” Mercury says as he tries to relax. Emerald narrows her eyes at him before looking ahead. 

As they exit the aircraft, Mercury gripped her wrist so they wouldn’t get separated. It was a reflex but she didn’t mind it all. She traded her wrist for her hand, and led them through the streets. 

The restaurant they were heading to was a new fast food place, something affordable and comfortable. 

They had both saved up what little pay they earned just to go hang here on their night off. Emerald insisted they pay unlike last time they went out.  

Once they got seated inside they were able to order. They had gotten a cheeseburger each, predictable but they were tight on money.  

“Hopefully we won’t run into any of our ‘friends’ here,” Emerald sighed. Mercury snorted. 

“Can’t you just use your semblance? And you mean your friends,” He replied. Emerald glared at him, frowning. 

“You’re so dumb, if they’ve already seen us what good does my semblance?” 

“It’s better than them coming over here,”

“You know, how come you never use your semblance to get us out of tricky situations?” 

Mercury tried not to tense up. 

“Maybe your semblance is just better suited for the job than mine, ever think of that?” 

“It sounds like you’re just lazy and leaving me to do all of the dirty work,” Emerald said.

Their food showed up before he could even reply. He nodded a thank you at the waitress and shot a glare at his ‘date’.

“Dirty work? I’m doing all of the murders,” Mercury sighed. She kicked him in his shin. 

“You wanna repeat that louder? I don’t think the entirety of Remnant heard you!” Emerald hissed at him. He instinctively rubbed his shin. 

“Can you not break these? I’d rather not pay the good doctor a visit,” He mumbled. 

“You won’t have to worry about being able to walk again if you blow our cover,” She snapped.  

He frowned. “Why are you so angry today?” Mercury asked before taking a bite of his burger. Emerald narrowed her eyes at him. 

“I’m not angry, you’re just pissing me off!” She seethed as she ate some of her fries. “These aren’t salty enough,” She adds, making a bitter face. 

Mercury reached for the table salt and sprinkled it over her fries. She took a bite and pouted. “It’s still tastes off,” Emerald tells him. 

“Maybe it’s the potato?” Mercury suggested. She shrugged. He swapped baskets with her, and Emerald tried his fries. 

“Nope. It’s the salt. Your’s are fine,” She confirms. Mercury slowly nods, before chewing more of his burger. 

“So you’re not gonna tell me why you’re actually mad? Or?” Mercury asks, wiping the corner of his mouth. Emerald bites the inside of her cheek. 

“I told you, I’m not mad. You’re just irritating me,” She tells him. Mercury raised a brow. He’s not buying her act. 

He kicks her in the shin to get her budge. Mercury must’ve accidentally kicked her too hard because she winces in pain. 

“What the hell?” She shrieked, bringing her leg up to her chest and rubbed it. Mercury almost panicked. 

“Shit, I didn’t mean to kick you like that,” He tried to explain, but Emerald cut him off with an icy glare. 

“How are you not aware of how hard you kick?” Emerald pointedly asked. 

“That’s the thing, I can’t control how heavy metal is,” He shot back. Emerald rolls her eyes. 

“So you just forgot that it causes bruises easily? Or are you just really dumb?” 

“Well, actually, if you’re forming bruises that quickly in under a few hours, you’re severely lacking some key vitamins and need to eat… so,”

“Not the point, asshole,” 

  
“Still a valid one,”

Emerald couldn’t even make a response because the waitress was back to ask them about dessert. 

“Oh! Let’s get a mint chocolate chip milkshake!” Mercury slammed the table in his excitement at the possible desert option.

Her eyes widened in surprise at his antics, and she shook her head in amusement. 

“Sure,” Emerald says. “Can you get us one huge mint chocolate chip milkshake to share? With a cherry on top, please,” She tells the waitress. The waitress nodded and smiled.

“You and mint chocolate chip flavored stuff,” Emerald snorts. Mercury frowns. 

“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” 

“It means what it means?”

“Well, it’s sounds like you have a problem with me liking mint chocolate chip,”  

“I don’t. I just think it’s interesting,”

Mercury lips curled upwards. “Interesting, how?” He laughs. Emerald shrugged, a ghost of a smile on her face. 

“I dunno, I just think it’s very interesting how out of all flavors, that’s your favorite,”

Mercury looked away and shook his head. “I guess so,” he admits. Emerald clasps her hands and rests her head on them. 

“You guess so?”

“It’s my favorite for now,”

“For now?”        

“I still haven’t tried all the flavors yet!” 

 
She flashed him a teasing smile. 

“Well, you can’t try all the other flavors if you keep getting the same one,” 

“There’s not a lot of options here!”

“So you’re telling me we need to go on a second ice cream date?” 

“If that’s what you want,” 

“I’m asking you! You’re the one who lacks the ice cream knowledge!”

For the third time that evening, they were interrupted by the waitress. She set the large glass down in front of them and handed them their straws.   

The waitress places the check in front of them as well, and Mercury hands their cash over to her. Emerald and him thank her as she collects the money and walks away. 

“Fine, maybe we will have to have another ice cream date,” He sighs in defeat, he is deficient in his ice cream studies. 

Emerald beams at him. She sucked her straw, drinking their milkshake in victory. 

Mercury sucks his straw, and suddenly it becomes a silent competition on who can drink it the fastest. 

He starts blowing bubbles to distract her, forming a huge one that causes a mini explosion. 

It pops in her face, and small bits of the minty liquid splatters across her cheekbones like freckles. 

“Mercury!” Emerald hisses, wiping her cheek. He starts chuckling. 

Emerald furrowed her brows and pouted. Then she blew furiously into her straw. They both quickly began another silent competition.

When Mercury was blowing bigger bubbles again, she kicked his shin. Softer this time, so she wouldn’t break his leg. 

He kicked her back, but gently so he wouldn’t bruise her shin. They started to play footsies under the table as they competitively drunk their milkshake. 

They were both trying to fight their laughter as they did so, but were failing miserably. Before long, air sucked through their straws instead of mint chocolate. 

Emerald reached in the cup to eat the cherry. Mercury’s face wrinkled up. 

“How you can you eat that?” 

“What? They’re good!”

“Aren’t they basically tomatoes?” 

“No. These are just regular cherries. Ground cherries are also not tomatoes, however they’re related to them.” 

“How do you know that?” 

“I read it in a book, something you should try,”

Mercury stuck out his tongue at her. 

“So…are cherries vegetables then?”

“Nope, tomatoes are a fruit,”

“Totally not confusing at all…”

“What? Too hard for your two brain cells to comprehend, hm?” 

 “Haha. Very funny.” 

Emerald gave him a small smile. “You ready to go?” She then asks. He nods, and they head out of the diner. 

She hooked her arm around his once they were out on the streets again so they wouldn’t get separated. The sun was setting, which painted the sky a shade of lovely orange.  

“So… where’s my 20 lien?” Mercury half jokes. Emerald snorts and shakes her head in amusement.  “Haha, very funny,” She laughs. 

“Not to brag, but I feel bad for whoever takes you out next. They’ve got some tough competition,” He declares. 

She turned inward and looked up at him. “Oh really?” She grins. He blew a raspberry. “The odds of beating me are very slim,” He tells her with a lot of confidence. 

Emerald laugh is light. “Alright, Don’t be so presumptuous. I’m sure who ever takes me out on a date will beat you fair in square,” She claimed. Mercury shrugged. 

     
“Who can beat an ice cream heist and burgers with a shake?” He asks. Emerald looks around, her bottom lip poking out in thought. 

“Maybe they’ll be more glamorous?”

“Glamor in this city? Call me the Schnee heir,”

Emerald elbows him. “Hey! Maybe an Atlas kid will ask me out while we’re still here,” She says. 

“Please. I’ll add to my side of the wager if they do,” Mercury teases. Emerald shrugs. 

“You never know!” She says as they board the airship, letting go of his arm. Mercury snorts and nods in disbelief. 

Later that night, when they’re getting ready for bed, Emerald kept staring at Mercury making his bedroll. 

      
Both times she went out with him, she felt strangely normal. Like it she was on a real date with a boy she actually likes. 

It was oddly nice, and although he wasn’t always kind to her on both occasions, he was sweeter than she imagined. 

“Hey. I’ve a got a question,” She asks him. He looks up from fluffing his pillow. 

“…Yeah?”

“Actually, never mind,”

Emerald goes back to folding her extra blankets. She wasn’t sure how to ask him what she wants to ask of him. 

Mercury’s eyes flicked from his pillows to Emerald. Hanging out with her isn’t too bad after all. He’s fighting the small part that wants to do it more often. 

It’s stupid because he’s already spends so much time with her at work and outside of it. So what’s the point in not caring or not spending anymore time anymore? 

He knows why he still fighting how he really feels. It’s a weakness, a familiar voice tells him. He knows that. 

He wants to say it’s not but the part of him that still thinks he has to live by his father’s rules tells him otherwise. 

She’s not his friend. She’s not. That’s what he keeps reminding himself, at least. Emerald is someone that he must be wary of and use only to his advantage. 

But still, the other half him naturally feels unbothered by her presence. Maybe it’s the result of having to rely on her and spending so much time with her. 

There’s something about being around Emerald that makes him do a 180. It’s weird. Definitely not completely unwelcome either. 

     
He wants to apologize for his mistakes, he wants to make her laugh, she makes him want her to not think he’s a waste of space. 

He purses his lips as he stares at her again, watching her two rat tails swing as she moves around. 

“I’m sorry,” Mercury finally says. Emerald whips her head around, startled. 

“What did you just say?” 

“Earlier. I’m sorry for being a douche and pressing you when I shouldn’t have,”

Emerald’s mouth drops open a bit. She licks her lips and shrugs. “It’s all good, I was a bit of an unreasonable bitch today too, so,” She tells him. 

“So you are gonna tell me why you were really mad today?”

“Everyone just wakes up on the wrong side of bed sometimes, y’know?”

“Oh? That’s why?”

“I mean, yeah, basically,” 

“Nothing else?” 

“Nope,”

“Okay. If you say so. I’m sorry again,” He tells her one last time. This is probably the only time he’ll apologize to her without messing it up, he thinks. 

Emerald nods at him and goes back to folding. Then, he looks up and over at him, abruptly.  “Actually….” She starts.

Mercury stares at her expectantly. She smiles and approaches his side of the room.

He rises from his bed. For the first time since they’ve met, he’s really taken in how short she actually is without her heels on. 

He wonders if he’s still able to grow taller, because he’s still barely taller than her. 

Emerald does something unexpected. 

The former street orphan reached up and kissed his cheek. Mercury blinked in surprise. 

Her lips were light on his skin, like she wasn’t actually touching him at all. She was smiling sweetly at him. 

“Thanks for hanging out with me today, and the other day too,” Emerald slightly whispered.
  

She walked back over to her side of the room, turning off her bed light and slipping under the covers. 

Mercury sunk back onto his bed. He held his hand to the cheek she just kissed. Had she really done that or was he dreaming? 

He must be dreaming. There’s no way. 

Mercury smiled widely to himself, before turning out his light and getting under his own covers.

And tried his hardest to not think of the girl sleeping nearby as he drifted off into sleep.

Chapter Text

On Thursdays, Emerald and Mercury went to the Beacon library to study. Headmaster Lionhart and Cinder insisted on having someone on their fraud team keep up with the academic appearances that came to their undercover identities, which meant Emerald studied and tested for real. 

Mercury was usually there for show, since he never bothered to try unless the test had something to do with combat. However, Emerald was making them both study and do standardized testing while they were here in Vale. 

He thought it was incredibly unfair and totally lame. The curriculum was unchallenging, and he wasn’t trying to pay attention the first semester they stayed undercover at Haven, so why now? 

Mercury groaned as he closed a textbook. “Why are we here again?” He whispered. Emerald glared at her notes, not once looking up at him. “So nobody thinks we’re suspicious, you dumbass,” She berates him in a hushed voice. 

“Yeah right, you just want to torture me with the most boring subjects in the world,” He complained. Emerald dropped her pencil and whipped around to face him. 

“Yes. I precisely want to torture you with picking up your slack,” Emerald replies in a bitter tone, despite her sickly sweet smile.

Mercury gulped at the daggers she was throwing with her ruby eyes, shifting in his seat. She was at her scariest when she was about to burst.  

Emerald turned back to her work and continued to scribble down notes. Mercury sighed, resting his chin on his fist. “It’s not like anyone is smart enough to figure out we’re frauds,” He mutters. She elbows him in the arm, hard. 

“Ow! The hell is your problem?” 

“Do you have any self-awareness? At all?” 

Mercury rubbed his bicep. “Hey, what I said was true,” He spat. Emerald scowled at him.

”People have ears,” She says. He clicked his tongue and dismissed it with a wave. 

“Even the most observant and nosy people won’t realize who we really are,” 

“Right. How are you so sure?”

“‘Cuz our targets are dumber than cow shit,” 

Emerald’s frown smoothes out into an amused smile. “Dumber than cow shit?” She repeats.

Mercury nods, slightly confused. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?” He asks. 

“And here I swore you were the dumbest thing in Remnant,” Emerald teases, turning back to her textbook. He frowns.

“That’s not funny!” He whines, which only causes her to smile more.

“Nah, I think it’s hilarious. It's a compliment really, to be smarter than our opponents,” She jokes, trying to keep her composure as she continues to annotate her texts. 

Mercury pouts. He didn’t enjoy being the butt of her jokes recently, he needed to get back at her more. He groaned out of boredom again and glanced around the library. 

There were a lot of exchange students in the media center today. Other Haven students, mostly Atlas first years, and the few students lacking a proper uniform had to be from Shade. 

Beacon students obviously infested the area as well, the entire student body studying for their first tests of the semester. Mercury clicked his tongue, he hated standardized testing. 

Why on Remnant did guest schools also make them test while it was the Vytal Festival? He’ll never know the answer to. Not like he actually will either, since eventually he’ll be helping all of those other schools turn into rubble. 

One of the many things to look forward in the new world, no stupid exams. 

The double doors to the library swing open, and Mercury watches Emerald jerk up. She eyes the entrance, a hopeful glance quickly turning into a disappointed one. 

“Who are you looking for? Cinder isn’t due back for another hour,” He pries, Mercury knows how hyper-vigilant Emerald is about their boss’s schedule. She’s being weird. 

“It’s none of your business!” Emerald snaps, turning back to her work. Mercury narrows his eyes. Yup, she’s definitely acting weirder and bitchier than usual. 

“And then X-Ray Gav dismantled the bomb using only a bobby pin! Hey, are you even listening?” Mercury shook Emerald out of her trance. Her gaze was glued to the entrance of the building. 

This was the second time in the past three weeks they visited the library that she had looked like she was on edge, and was waiting for someone in particular. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. X-Ray Gav dismantles a grenade with a bobby pin,” Emerald repeats, turning back to the door. She looks defeated, going back to her schoolbooks and writing in her journal. 

Mercury furrows his brow. Something was very off. “Is something wrong? You’re being strange,” He asks. Emerald shakes her head.

“Everything’s fine,” is all she says. He’s not buying it.

“You seem like you’re expecting someone,” He continues. Emerald looks up at him like a deer in headlights. Mercury stares back at her, waiting for an answer. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” She brushes off, turning back to her work.

She’s dodging his question even though it’s obvious she knows what he means… Something’s definitely wrong. 

Mercury concludes there’s three possible answers to her behaviors. He’ll try to probe the truth out of her in any way he’s able to attain what he wants to hear, even if it means Emerald will probably get mad at him for it.

“Are you getting bullied?” He interrogates further. The chances were very low.

Emerald shot him an incredulous glance. As he thought, Mercury was wrong.  

“Me? Bullied?”

“You never know,” 

“Be completely serious, does it look like I’d be a bully victim?” 

“Not at all,” 

“Then why ask that?”

“It could be Opposite Day, I dunno,”

“You’re funny. Hypothetically if I was getting bullied, what would you even do?”

“I would fight them for you, if you wanted me to,”

Emerald stared at him, jaw slightly agape. She shook her head and snorted. “My very own superhero,” She dryly jokes. Mercury watches her scribble down more notes. Still, he won’t let up.

“Does anyone know about you know what?” Mercury continues to pry. Emerald snaps her head up to glare at him. She looks like she wants to smite him. 

“Obviously not,” She rolls her eyes. Mercury nods, leaving his final option. Mercury’s lips curled upwards as he thought about how to phrase his question. He’s willing to risk a high heel to the head for the chance to mess with her. 

Mercury leaned forward and squinted at her notes she was writing in. In the margins of the paper, he spots what looks like the slope of a nose and dark scribbles that must be hair. 

He grins, leaning even further towards Emerald. “Do you have a crush on someone?” He whispers into her ear. Mercury startles Emerald so bad she flinches, hard.  

She looks terrified. He wasn’t too sure but she had to be blushing in embarrassment, as well. Emerald’s breathing was shallow, and she was struggling to find her words. 

“I-.. I -... I d-don’t, I’m not, I don’t have a crush,” Emerald stammers. Mercury’s grin widens. He hardly believed that.

“I don’t care, as long as it’s not serious,” He says, turning back to his own studies. 

“You have zero clue about what you’re talking about. I don’t have a crush,” She insists. Mercury nods. 

“If you say so, Emerald,” 

“I do say so, Mercury,” 

Suddenly the doors to the media center open, and Mercury fights back a victorious smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Emerald beam at a group of students entering the library. She quickly goes back to hunching over desk so they won’t see her goofy smile.

Yup. He was absolutely correct. Emerald has a crush. 

Mercury’s victorious high starts to fade, though. He starts to feel weird . He can’t help wondering what type of person this student had to be if Emerald liked them like that. She was a difficult person to read, and he could tell she was a person who had sky-high standards. 

He started to feel sick, but had no idea why. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and shook his head. Mercury really hated libraries. 

Emerald’s infatuation with this mystery student was getting super old. She was supposed to be helping him with his homework. Instead, she was grinning like an idiot and staring off into the distance.

“Hello? Remnant to Emerald? Are you there?” Mercury waved his fingers in front of her face. Emerald shooed him away, giving him a dirty glance. 

“What’s your problem?” She hissed, annoyed. Mercury rolled his eyes in irritation and tapped his paper with his pen. This lovesick schoolgirl act of hers needs to be retired, he thought.

“Did you forget that you are assisting me with problem number four?” He scolded. Her eyes flitted to his homework, and she made a look of disdain. 

“Maybe if you paid attention to class, I wouldn’t have to tutor you,” She sneers, focusing on her own work. Mercury snorts. That’s rich.

“Says Ms. Googly Eyes,” He taunts. Emerald jolts up and glares at him. 

“I’m not making googly eyes,”

“You so are,”

“I am not,”

Mercury gave her a sharp stare. “What else do you call twirling your hair and smiling like an idiot?”

Emerald huffed and rolled her eyes. “What, are you jealous?” She scoffed. Mercury gulps, and licks his lips. He opens his mouth to defend himself, but Emerald’s already facing the other way. 

He leans closer to her and follows the direction of her gaze. Her eyes seem to be glued to a dark-haired student library aide placing books on a shelf, some Beacon first-year. 

“So you do have a crush on someone,” Mercury teases her. Emerald snaps out of her daze. She gives him a mean side eye and sucks her teeth, leaning back in her chair.

“Again, it just sounds like you’re jealous,” She declares. Mercury raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her. He wasn’t jealous, he couldn’t care less about her stupid ‘crush’. 

“Emerald, we’re not here to fancy other people,” He berates. Mercury was also getting tired of that, too. He thought going on a few pity dates with her would satisfy her, but he guessed not.

Mercury just didn’t get why she was so fixated on dating when she’d just get in trouble over it. Sure, he did like the couple of ‘dates’ they went on together, but they didn’t mean anything.

“That’s quite an elegant word for you, I’m surprised it’s in your lexicon, Merc,” Emerald snorts. Mercury frowns. 

“I’m serious, Emerald,” He rags on. She looks irritated. 

“You sound envious. And like a hypocrite. I thought you didn’t care about my personal affairs,” She smirks. Shit, he did say that. He forgot he said he’d stop arguing with her over pointless crap.

“Well, that was before it intervened with my education,”

“Like you actually give a damn about your education,” 

“I do now!”

Emerald exhales and looks at his worksheet. “Mercury, you know the answer to this!” She groaned. Mercury blinked and shook his head, confused. She sighs and points to the page. 

“What’s the name of the most usually passive Grimm and what are two scenarios that make it aggressive?” Emerald repeats the problem. He shrugs. 

“Do I get something if I get it right?” Mercury asks with a cheeky grin. She glares at him. 

“You’ll get nothing, because I know you know this, We just talked about it with Cinder,” Emerald then encouragingly smiles at him. Mercury bites his lip in thought and glances at the paper. 

“It’s a Goliath, right? It either fights back if it’s agitated or attracted to humans they know they can defeat,” He answers. Emerald’s smile breaks out into a big openmouthed grin.

“See? I knew you had it in you,” Emerald laughs. Mercury sat back in his chair, smiling at her praises. 

“I guess I just have short-term memory loss,” He quips. The truth is he obviously doesn’t have memory loss at all, in fact he remembers that briefing distinctly. 

“Well, that could be bad for business, don’t strain yourself,” She playfully warns, flicking his forehead. His face lights up brighter than before. 

Mercury laughs and shrugs.

The even bigger truth is, that maybe, just maybe, she was right. The smallest part of him was jealous of the student she was staring at and he wanted to get her attention, but he will never admit it. It’s a stupid thing to get jealous over, he doesn’t even like Emerald like that. 

 Right? 

Next Thursday Mercury was thrilled he didn’t have to be cooped up in a library, he was finally scheduled for another mock tournament. Mercury thoroughly enjoyed kicking the other students’ asses, it felt like a free trial. He wished he was able to combat testing more often. 

Although, he did find it suspicious that between him and Emerald, he was getting selected far more than her. She must’ve made some excuse to Cinder as to why she couldn’t do combat surveillance too. What an absolutely lazy girl.

As he walked out of the school auditorium, Emerald was waiting outside for him. “Nice match,” She remarks. Mercury shot her an unamused look. “How come you never get selected for the mock tournaments?” He asked. 

“Maybe you’re just a better fighter?” Emerald offered with a sly smile. Mercury practically pouted. “It feels rigged,” He tells her. 

Emerald snorts and shrugs. “Anyways… I have a small favor to ask,” She says, wiping her palms on the front of her chaps. 

Mercury raised an eyebrow, “What favor?” He asks with a sharp voice.

She bit her lip and turned to face her partner. “I need you to cover for me while I go on a date,” Emerald blurts out. Mercury’s face fell.

His stomach churns, jaw clenched, fists bawl up. Mercury feels light-headed already, he’s sure he’ll fall over any minute. She’s going on a date? He didn’t like the idea at all.

Mercury needed to put a stop to it immediately. If she wanted to go out, she could’ve just asked him. He loathed the idea of her going on a date without him. It could get messy. She could get found out. He had a feeling he knew exactly Emerald was going with, too. He loathed them as well.

“A date? With who?” Mercury interrogates her. Emerald pursed her lips.

“Uh, Well, it may or may not be a certain library assistant,” She replies with an apologetic grin. Mercury sighs loudly and shoves his hands into his pockets. 

“Don’t tell me that’s the only reason we went there,”

“No! Not at all, I went there to study, they just happened to work there too,” 

“Gods, Emerald, you’re unbelievable,”

“I’m not lying! Mostly…”

“What if you blow your cover? Then what?”

“How would I do that? I’m not an amateur, Mercury,” 

Mercury threw his hands in the air and shrugged, making a baffled face. Emerald looked indifferent and nonchalant with his arguments. She was so vexing.

“What do I even tell Cinder?” 

That was his trump card, and the only valid argument she would listen to. If Cinder didn’t agree with her going out on a date while they’re supposed to be laying low during their Beacon stay, then Emerald would have to cancel her stupid date with that stupid library student volunteer. 

“Just …tell her what I told you, I’m sure she won’t care, ”

Mercury blinked at her audacity. Emerald groans. 

“Please, just do me this one favor, if she gets angry it’ll be me who has to face the consequences,” She steadily pleads. Mercury sighs again as he weighs his choices. 

Yes, he was very conscious of the fact that he was being slightly overdramatic. He knows from the past couple of times he’s gone out with Emerald, Cinder has given them plenty of leeway with their dates. Cinder also wouldn’t think their mission will be jeopardized by a clueless library helper. 

Yes, Mercury was refusing to acknowledge the fact he was being bitter about this because he wanted to be the one going out with her tonight. He wasn’t attracted to Emerald by any means. He had just gotten way too used to hanging with her outside of orders, so he’s getting weirdly territorial.  

Mercury took a deep breath. She wasn’t his girlfriend, she was her own person. If Emerald wanted to date someone else for fun, he should stay in his lane and let her go. 

“Fine. As long as you let me do your hair and make-up,” 

Emerald snorts. “Since when do you know anything about that ?”

“I know lots of things,”

“Whatever. If it gets you to look out for me.” 

Emerald and him were sitting down on the floor, crosslegged, shuffling through Cinder’s cosmetics bag. Mercury was grateful that the hag wouldn’t be due back for another hour and a half, Emerald would be long gone on her date by then. 

“So how exactly do you know how to do eyeliner?” Emerald questions him as they pull out Cinder’s stuff. Mercury shifts through the pens, trying to find a color that suits Emerald’s skin tone. 

“I’ve learned from comics and believe me or not I’ve picked up a magazine before,” He tells her. Although it was only once back during his rehabilitation, it was actually one of the magazines Emerald stole.

He liked women and picture books so it was typical of him to flip through it. Mercury wasn’t expecting to actually retain and apply the information he learned from reading it. 

Emerald looked at him cynically. “Please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did with it?” She cried out, resting her face in her hand. Mercury glanced back at her in disgust. 

“Brothers! Have some more confidence in me? It was Remnant Beauty Magazine,” Mercury clarifies. She sighed in relief, continuing her search in Cinder’s bag. 

“I wouldn’t be able to do that, can’t afford the risqué ones,” He continues with a playful smile as he uncaps an eyeliner pen. Emerald made a gagging noise. 

“T.M.I. Merc! Too much information!” Emerald retches. Mercury snorts, shaking from silent laughter. She sticks her tongue out, appearing revolted. He chuckles to himself. 

“You're the one with a curious dirty mind, not me. Anyways, let me do you now,” Mercury says. If Emerald didn’t already look repulsed, her face makes it even more clear. Mercury glares at her in irritation.

“Makeup! I mean makeup!”

“You purposely phrased it like that,” There was a pout in her voice. 

“I have no clue on what you’re talking about, Ms. Indecency, ” 

“I’m the indecent one? What else am I supposed to think a teenage boy like you says when he’s picked up a magazine before, huh?”

“A teenage boy like me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That even if you aren’t a degenerate, you’re still a boy,” 

“It’s nature, Emerald! Basic biology,”

“Well I thought you learned cosmetic tips after jerking off, my gosh. You have to be more specific about the type of magazines you read, alright? I get bad images from unclarity,”

“You’ll get ‘bad images' either way if I clear it up or not. For someone who boasts about being the smarter one of us a lot, you’re not acting smart at all,” 

“Whatever, just help me get ready!”

Mercury snickered. He capped the eyeliner pen he was holding and searched for the alcohol wipes. He grabs a couple of the wipes before pausing. He just realized he had to touch her face.

He stares at her, paralyzed. Emerald's only been extremely close to him on two occasions. The first time was when they had first met and she was icing his bruise on his cheek; the second time was when she kissed the same cheek a couple weeks ago. 

Mercury doesn’t know the root of why he’s so shaken. Or at least, he rejected the idea of what made him feel like this. He refused to let a kiss on the cheek throw him off balance.

The kiss didn’t mean anything, it was just a friendly gesture. Mercury knows that despite his amount of flirting to piss her off, Emerald wasn’t into him. He’s dwelled on the action for a little bit. It’s safe to say she was just genuinely touched with his behavior and wanted to show him friendly affection. 

For that reason, Mercury is returning her energy by doing her makeup. So she can go out on a date. With someone who isn’t him. This is stupid, there’s nothing between them and he shouldn’t be wussing out over leaning close to her face to the point he can feel her exhale whatsoever.  

“Hello? Remnant to Mercury?” Emerald breaks him out of his reverie. His face flushes pink, suddenly conscious of the fact he had been panicking over her for far too long.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought,” He apologizes. She nods in understanding. 

“Well, what were you thinking about? You were thinking pretty hard,” Emerald laughs. Her face crinkles a certains way when she smiles, her dimples more prominent than ever. Mercury believes it to be one of the best, if not the best thing he’s seen. 

“Picturing you with the look I have in mind,” He lies, smiling back at her. Mercury obviously wasn’t thinking about that at all, but he doesn’t need to. He already knows the perfect style for her. 

“Oh, well, what do you have in mind?” 

“You’ll like it, trust me on this. I saw it once. It’d suit you,”

“Once? You’re that positive you remember you know how to do it?”

“It was pretty unforgettable,”

“Okay now I’m really nervous,”

“Just trust me!” Mercury insists, waving the moist toilettes in his hand around. Emerald groans and sags her shoulders, allowing him to continue. He leans forward and delicately wipes off her face. 

Once Mercury is finished, he uncaps the red eyeliner. He draws a breath as he leans close to her face, holding her chin gently in place while drawing on her eyelid. Mercury is in total concentration as curves the pen around the edge of her right eye, making a wing. 

He repeats the motions of drawing thick swooping lines on her left eye, still trying not to so much as exhale on her while he holds her face towards hers. Mercury leans back once he’s finished, admiring his handiwork so far. Emerald tries to peek through her shut eyes.          

“Don’t look yet! Still gotta do one more part,” He tells her. She makes an annoyed huff. “I don’t even take this long,” She complains.

Mercury gripped her chin again as he outlined the crease of her left eyelid, drawing a slight wing on the end. He copied his motions on her right eye. 

Mercury backed away from her, letting out a breath. He wore a prideful grin at his finished product. He had to applaud himself for doing such a good job for his first time doing eyeliner. Especially without freaking out on her about being so near her. 

“Okay, now you may look,” Mercury informs her. Emerald sighs out of relief and slouches. Her eyes fluttered open. She grabbed Cinder’s hand mirror and stared into her reflection. Emerald’s lips are parted in awe as she takes in her new look. 

“Woah. This isn’t so bad,” She says. Emerald glances at him with a brow raised. “How did you remember to do all of that?” 

“I mean the style is simple… and you don’t need to be a genius to do makeup,” He shrugged. Emerald nodded thoughtfully, turning back to the mirror. The truth is he had to learn, so people wouldn’t question why he had a slew of bruises when he went into town. 

Mercury stood and went to get her hairbrush and a hair tie. “Alright. Now for your hair,” He declares. She put the reflecting glass down. “ Just… don’t get it wet or mess around with scissors, It’s already short,” Emerald nags at him. He rolled his eyes. 

Doing her hair wasn’t going to take forever. Mercury knew how he was going to style it. It was going to be how she used to wear it, back when they first met. 

A simple ponytail.

“I wasn’t gonna,” He mutters as he brushes her silky, slightly wavy hair that was already returning to its natural coiled state at the nape of her neck. He gathered the ends of her bob and the two rat tails underneath and secured it all with the red elastic band into a low ponytail. He brushes Emerald’s bangs out once more, before stepping back to look at her. 

Emerald looks youthful. She looked young before, but it felt like something was being lifted off her shoulders when she wore her hair back like that. Like she was free of pretending to be mature.

“I could’ve done this,” is what Emerald utters as she checks herself out. Her eyebrows knit together as she stares further into her reflection. She stares up at him. 

“What made you want to give me a makeover?” 

“Just wanted to see the look on your face when you found out I’m able to do it,”

“Hm. Can’t say I’m not pleasantly surprised. Have any secret beauty tips for me?”

“For you? Well for starters, wear a decent shade of red people can actually see,”

“Oh? You can’t see my eyeliner?” 

“It looks dark brown rather than red. You should really use brighter and bolder shades. They suit you wayyy better,”

Emerald crosses her arms. “Ah. I see. Any other advice?”

“Nah. I think that’s it for you,”

She thoughtfully hums. Emerald stares at herself in the mirror one last time before putting it away. 

“Well, thank you for the advice and styling me for tonight. Also thank you again for covering for me,”

“You don’t need to mention it, not a big deal,”

Mercury glances up at the clock. It’s almost time for Emerald to go on her date. 

She cleans up the rest of the mess they made of Cinder’s stuff, and he picks up his comic book to read.

“Okay, I’m leaving now,” Emerald nods him goodbye, making her way to the door. 

“See ya. Do tell me the juicy details after you get back. Also have fun, but not too much fun,” Mercury replies, looking over his book. She rolls her eyes and smiles. 

“Sure, loser. Goodbye,” Emerald says. Mercury gives her a thin smile as she leaves the dorm. 

“Where’d Emerald go?” Cinder asks, taking notice of the missing member of their trio when she gets back from whatever rendezvous spot she was formerly at. 

“A date,” Mercury dryly tells her, not once looking up from his comic. Cinder raised an eyebrow. 

“With who?”

“A nobody. But if you need a specific answer, she went out with a student from Beacon. Some library assistant who isn’t really important, ” 

“And you let her go?”

“I’m not her keeper. Besides, she knows better than to cause trouble. Figured you’d be okay with it,”

“Hm. I suppose it’s fine though, we need to be seen more in the public eye doing innocent things outside of school appearances while we’re here. Although, that is not quite what I meant,” 

Mercury put down his comic and glanced over at Cinder. She was sitting on her bed, wearing that ridiculous school uniform. Seriously, it should be a felony for wearing something out of your age range.

“What did you mean?”

“Oh, well, I had thought the two of you were like a couple now? If I wasn’t mistaken,”

Mercury scoffed and turned back to his graphic novel. “You are very mistaken. It’s not like that at all,”

“Really? Emerald seemed rather cheerful lately. I was wondering if you had anything to do with it. Guess not, as it appears she’s on a date with someone else,” 

He gritted his teeth. Mercury was well informed about who was the cause of Emerald’s current moods. He didn’t need Cinder’s comments to know that.  

“Uh-huh. So it appears,” He replied, trying to seem uninterested. She dramatically sighed.

“I’m very glad that it isn’t you she is seeing. I think having my subordinates be involved with each other romantically is very unprofessional,” Cinder says. 

Mercury’s eye twitched. “Whatever you say, boss,” He dryly answered, still not looking in her direction.

Why did Cinder care if Emerald and him were a thing? They were not a thing. 

He tolerated Emerald at best. She was good company, and although they fought a lot, they agreed on most things. Mercury was always grateful she was someone who was around his age rather than someone who wasn’t. He wouldn’t go as far as to say they’re even friends. Mercury doesn’t think she’d consider him a friend. But there’s a mutual tolerance, so he’s aware she doesn’t mind him as a partner as much she says does. 

Of course, Emerald was very pretty too, so he’d get why people would be attracted to her. As a person who knows she’s a lot meaner and annoying than she looks, Mercury knows she’s not his type at all. 

Or at least, he feels she isn’t his type. He doesn’t have many experiences with girls to know what type of girl he’s into. Emerald’s the only girl his age he’d been around so much. 

But he’s never liked her like that. He jokes when ever he flirts with her simply cause it’s very easy to make her mad, and he finds it incredibly hilarious the way she gets angry.

Flirting with Emerald is a whole different ballgame than any other girl—not that he would know because again, Emerald is the only girl he’s talked to longer than a few moments—but he’s sure if he really liked that girl it would be different. It’s the way her face scrunches up in anger or embarrassment any time he makes some innuendo, he can’t help himself from cracking another joke until she caves in, and rolls her ruby-colored eyes and gives him a small humored smile because he knows she finds his attempts stupid and funny or else she wouldn’t let him do it all the time.

Even if she finds him hilarious and won’t admit it without being sarcastic, she has admitted out loud she finds him insufferable. She’s also done nothing other than insult him for the entirety of their partnership, so Emerald cannot be attracted to him in a romantic way.

He couldn’t care if she did. Because he, Mercury Black, would never be caught dead expressing any type of passion toward anyone especially not Emerald Sustrai. 

Emerald Sustrai was pretty, maybe even gorgeous. She was also really exceptionally good at pickpocketing and using her weapons, and he had no doubt she’d even get better at using that semblance of hers, and was clever—although he wouldn’t dare to admit that to her face because she’d make fun of him. But where she is a lot of impressive things, Emerald was also a lot of undesirable things. 

Emerald Sustrai is far more hotheaded than he is, and rushes into danger without thinking a lot more than he does. She is irrational, impulsive, judgmental, and has a terrible attitude which makes her annoying to deal with too. 

Emerald can be good company to keep around sometimes, but he’d never date her if she was the last person on Remnant. Her existence did nothing but vex him. 

Besides, it seemed like she was unavailable anyways if she continue to see that student helper after this first date. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be their last. 

Suddenly he’s aware of how stiff and rigid his whole body is. Cinder’s dorm feels unusually warm, he wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to slow-cook him. 

He desperately needed some fresh air.

Mercury looks over Cinder, who’s filing her nails. He sighed and set aside his comic.

“Can I go?” He asks her. Cinder looked up and shrugged back at him. 

“You may do as you wish. Do you any idea of when our dear Emerald will return?”

He licked his lips and stood up. “Some time within the next hour. She didn’t know how long you would be,” Mercury replies. 

Cinder raised a brow at him, cocking her head to the side. They both knew that was a lie. 

“Really?” 

“I’m sure she’ll make it our worthwhile. She’ll also know not cause us any trouble,”

The older woman gave her attention to her nail file again. “Let’s hope she doesn’t, for both your sakes,” Cinder hums. 

“Yeah…,” He mumbles. Mercury gave his superior a nod and let the door slam very loudly when he left Cinder’s dormitory. 

The air feels much better once he gets out of the building. Mercury lets out a sigh and kicks a pebble on the ground. 

He makes his way down the steps of the front of the building and takes a seat down on the bench near the garden. He looks around the area, not too many people seemed to be out on this side of the campus. He guessed all the Haven students are out and sightseeing or inside the dorm building. 

Mercury sighed again and closed his eyes. The fresh air helped him a lot. He spent way too much time about thinking about a certain girl who caused him way too much trouble. Maybe sitting on this bench underneath a tree would help him significantly with getting his mind off her and her date.

Under the shade of the trees and eyes shut, he imagined himself somewhere that was far away from Beacon. Mercury didn’t have a particular place in mind, he could pretend he was in Mistral,—hell even Atlas or Vacuo sounded better than being stuck undercover at this stupid institution. He’d suffer cold or sand if it meant he was away from this place. It was taking forever to get the good part of this mission. 

Cinder’s nagging voice was at the back of his head scolding him to be patient as she always did when he complained about the length of their scheme. Unfortunately for her, patience was not something he was ever good at. 

When this whole taking-down-remnant’s-existing-society-to-rebuild-a-new-one thing was over, he was so going to have a long vacation. Menagerie has nice beaches. 

Or maybe he’d go to Atlas, and snowboard in the tundra of Solitas. That’d be awesome. He’s never snowboarded before. 

He could possibly go hiking in the mountains, although the last time he’s done that it wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience. But if he ever did go again, it’s because he wanted to. 

Mercury would be free to go wherever he’d wish to, do what he’d wish, with no one to tell him he couldn’t. All he had to do was stick around with Cinder and her colleagues for just a little while longer.

He tried to keep his eyes closed. The sunlight peeking through the trees made it difficult for his eyelids to stay shut. Mercury opened them, groaning. Impatience ran through his body.

Shaking his leg, Mercury lazily glanced around his nearby surroundings. A couple hundred feet down the path he spotted a vendor handing out ice cream to passerby students. 

It reminded him of the vendor Emerald and him stole from on their date almost a month and half ago, but it felt like yesterday. That was an extremely fun day. He hadn’t expected to enjoy that date with Emerald. 

He looked away from the ice cream stand. He prayed Emerald’s date wouldn’t take too long, because he was bored out for his mind and he really doesn’t want to anger Cinder. She was a pain when she got mad. 

Where did the library aid take Emerald on their date anyways? He hopes it wasn’t anywhere that made Emerald made her want to raise her expectations of him, in case they went on a date together in the future. 

Mercury shook his head. When did he start thinking of future dates with Emerald? Didn’t this all start because of a bet? He couldn’t possibly want to willingly go out with her. 

He could feel a queasiness rising in his stomach, and he rested his clenched fists on his thighs. Mercury zeroed in on the ground in front of him. He had forgotten about the bet. 

Had Emerald noticed? Is that why she gave him a tougher time lately? Did she think he had a real crush on her? 

Mercury wanted to laugh. Emerald had to know he didn’t care if she went on a date with someone else. He wasn’t—he would never be jealous of another person dating her. 

He didn’t have a crush on her. There was no way he liked her. He would’ve realized earlier. 

Mercury clasped his hands together, staring coldly at the cobblestone underneath his feet. 

He shook his again, and his cheek twitched. It made him want to laugh because it simply was not true. It couldn’t be. 

But wasn’t it the truth? It would explain all the weird possessiveness and jealousy. He forgot about the bet, so he wasn’t able to place the blame on wanting to win their little wager. 

Mercury closed his eyes again, resting his face in his hands. He didn’t get it though. When did he start crushing on Emerald?

Could’ve it been the kiss? There’s no way a quick kiss on the cheek made him act like that. Just because she was being nice? That was enough to make him fall for her?

He refused to believe it. Emerald wasn’t a person he’d ever be into. Mercury had let her get too close and did her all those favors, he had been weak. 

Lifting his head up, he glances back over at the vendor. Caring about someone is a liability, his father had taught him. He had to get over this stupid infatuation immediately.

If only if he realized his feelings sooner. He needed to put up some walls between them again. He couldn’t allow himself to feel this way about her. It was dangerous.

”Excuse me?” A voice says, coming from the left side of him. His current thoughts about distancing himself from Emerald had been interrupted by a girl who was not Emerald.

He looked at the girl, who appeared to be a student from Atlas. What hell was an Atlas student doing on this side of the campus?

“Are you talking to me?” Mercury asks. The girl nods, giving him a polite smile. 

“You’re Mercury? Mercury Black, correct?”

His senses went on alert. “Yeah… and who’s asking?”

The girl played with her sleeve, cheeks tinged a light pink. “I've been watching you fight in the practice trials. You’re extremely good,” 

Mercury squinted at the girl. “Is there a point you’re heading with this?” 

The girl tugged at her sleeve even more. She licked her lips and continued. 

“I-I don’t know how to ask you this. I wanted to know if you… I was wondering if you would like to, y’know, um…” Mercury nearly winces from the way she fumbles over her words. But he got the gist of what she was trying to say. 

He rose from the bench, a smug grin pulling at his lips. Mercury put his hands in his pockets. 

“Are you trying to ask me out on a date?” 

The girl looks up at him with wide eyes and airily laughs, then shyly looks away. 

“Sorry. I’m not good at talking. People aren’t really my thing, but my friends think I need to break out of my bubble more,”

“I can relate,”

”But as I’ve said. I think the way you fight is cool, and you’re kinda cute too. So I would like to take you out on date, if you’d agree,” 

He gives her a swift nod. “Yeah, sure,”

Not-Emerald—he forgot the girl’s real name moments after she said it on the way to where they were going—was the complete polar opposite of Emerald. 

He didn’t mean to compare the two, but it was hard since Emerald was legitimately the only girl his age he held a conversation with that was over a minute long… so the comparison between both girls was inevitable. 

Not-Emerald fidgeted and stuttered a lot. He never thought he could even make a girl this nervous. But even if it was flattering because he was the cause of her state, it got super annoying and tired very quickly. 

Mercury would never tell Emerald this to her face, but he was very thankful she had an ego the size of the continent. He definitely prefers Emerald’s confidence because she would never act this desperate over someone. She would never in her life act this pathetic to the point of becoming a stammering, blushing mess over someone. Never.

(Okay, he has seen Emerald act a loser over that student aide. But she wouldn’t lose her cool like this. At least, he didn’t think so.) 

Aside from their personalities, they were also extremely different physically. Again, Mercury is aware two people shouldn’t look the same unless they’re like, twins, or something. 

But Not-Emerald is hauntingly the physical opposite of Emerald. Instead of ruby red eyes, Not-Emerald has mint green ones. Instead of a familiar short mint green bob and fringe; Not-Emerald has long, chest length ruby red hair with waves that he knew could only be achieved through a curling rod, unlike the natural coils of Emerald’s hair. Where Emerald has brown skin and few tiny moles on her face, Not-Emerald has bare pale skin like a doll—and not in a good way. She looked completely artificial. 

(He wondered if Atlas had such advanced technology that they were able to create a robot human hybrid. That happened in the comics he reads. They already had a plot where the enemy was a secret underground organization that was going to threaten society as they knew it, which was ironic because that’s exactly what he was doing. So it is very plausible Atlas has a secret android the world doesn’t know about.)

“Um, Remnant to Mercury? Are you there?”

Mercury blinks. He had spaced out too long. 

“Yeah, sorry. Zoned out there for a second,” 

“I was asking if you wanted to go to the skate park next after we’re done eating?” 

His eyes widened slightly and he started to bite the inside of his cheek. Mercury didn’t know if he had the time for that… but then he thought to himself if he were Emerald, she would have jumped onto the opportunity to go there without thinking of the consequences. 

(He had to stop himself from visibly frowning. Why did he suddenly care about what Emerald would do in this situation?) 

Mercury flashed Not-Emerald a thin smile and nodded. “Sounds fun, I’ve never been to one actually,” He mutters before taking a bite of his sandwich. Not-Emerald beams at him. 

“Really?! I would’ve guessed that was your kinda scene. You’re gonna love it,” Not-Emerald enthusiastically chirps. 

“You think so?” Mercury says in between bites. 

Not-Emerald has a mischievous glint in her eye as she replies, “I know so.”

Not-Emerald was correct. It was his type of scene. The place she took him to was a skate park inside of two half-demolished buildings in the industrial district of the city. 

The place was decorated with graffiti and swarming with people ranging from their age to adults nearing their late thirties. 

Most of the people dressed like your typical alternative person. At least Not-Emerald and him weren’t the only ones in school uniforms. 

Mercury turned to face Not-Emerald, sizing her up. “So tell me, how does an Atlas student like yourself know about a place like this?” 

She chuckles. “Do you really believe all Atlas students are stuck up and proper?” 

“Well, isn’t that kind of what you guys are most known for? Order and Obedience?” 

Not-Emerald rolls her eyes. “You obviously haven’t met Team FNKI yet. Not all of us Atlas folks have sticks up our asses,” she explains. 

“So if you skate, where’s your board then?”

“Who says I need to own one?”

Mercury watches Not-Emerald walk up to some kid and give them a look, and the kid lets her confiscate his skateboard. 

Not-Emerald walks back with a triumphant smile. He looks at her in mild amusement. 

“Did you seriously just take that poor kid’s board? And did he just willingly give it up?”

“That’s Gericho. He’s one of my little brother’s best friends. I’ve been bullying him since he was in diapers. Don’t worry, I’ll give it back,” 

“Still, remind me to never get on your bad side. That stare you gave was lethal,” 

(But not as lethal as Emerald’s.)

She nervously laughs and turns her head away from him. Her cheeks flushed a bright red. “Do I really look that scary?” Not-Emerald timidly asked. Mercury waved his hand as to debate it and shrugged, an indifferent look on his face.

(Emerald wouldn’t have blushed that hard, she  wouldn’t have been so timid around him. She would’ve rolled her eyes at his comment, she would’ve punched his arm, or she would’ve made a joke a back about she’d stare at him so he’d turn into stone. Anything other than turn into a shy, flustered mess.) 

“I mean, I’ve met scarier people but you’re still pretty scary. That kid did look like he was about to piss himself. I am impressed,” 

She laughs again and clutched the skateboard tighter in her hands. “You have a strange way of complimenting people,” Not-Emerald says. 

(Emerald would have appreciated his very odd compliments, he thinks. She’s so used to them by now she’d be able to get what he means.)

“I suppose I do,” Mercury replies. He gestures to the board in her hands. “So, are you gonna show me how to do a trick or what?” 

Her face lights up, like she remembered why they were here. She set the board down. 

“Yes, yes of course… so do you know anything about skating? Have you skated before?”

Mercury shakes his head. “Nope,”

Not-Emerald smiles at him. “That’s okay. That just makes this whole date a lot more fun,”

“Well, do teach me your ways, Grand Skating Master. I’m dying to know your secrets,”

She giggled. “Alright. First things first. Are you left-handed or right-handed?”

“Right-handed..,”

“Okay, so you step on with your right foot at the nose of the board. Then place your left one at the tail.” Not-Emerald points at the two ends of the skateboard with her index fingers.

He does as instructed. Mercury cocks a brow at her as he waits for more directions. She crossed her arms. “Now bend your knees. But just a tiny bit. Don’t squat,”

Flashing her a look of uncertainty, he slightly arcs his knees. “Now what?” Mercury asks.

Not-Emerald licks her lips. “Here, hold my hands,” She says. Mercury does a double take. 

“You want me to hold your hands?” 

“What, you’ve never held a girl’s hand before?”

“I’ve held a girl’s hand before!”

She takes his hands into hers. (Emerald’s hands are much warmer though.) 

“Now kick with your other foot, I won’t let you go, I promise,” She tells him. 

Mercury trusts her well enough with keeping him upright. (If he closes his eyes and pretends, it’s Emerald that’s helping him with his balance instead.)

Eventually, he gets the hang of the whole skating thing. Mercury can confidently skate in circles around Not-Emerald. 

“Having fun?” She laughs.  

“You’re right, you know. Skating is totally my thing. I don’t know why I never learned,”

He never learned because he had a shit dad—but she doesn’t need to know that. 

Not-Emerald giggled again. “You’re a natural,”

Mercury stopped his board, checking his scroll. It was nearly time to head back to the dorms.

Hopefully, Emerald would be back from her date. He didn’t need Cinder hounding on him. 

“I gotta go,” He says to Not-Emerald. She arched a brow. 

“You gotta curfew?” 

“Something like that. Don’t you Atlas have a curfew as well? Since you all are so orderly?”

Not-Emerald snorts. She gestures to the illegal skate rink they’re currently in. “Right, very orderly,” She deadpans. 

Mercury smirked. “This was fun…” He trailed off mid-sentence. He didn’t know what to call her, because he had forgotten her name.  

Not-Emerald gave him a curious glance. “Were you gonna say something else?” 

Shit. He was going to be forced to admit it. 

“I don’t remember your name, sorry,” 

She sighed as if she expected it. “Rosalind, my name is Rosalind,” 

Mercury scratched his neck awkwardly. “Did you know I didn’t know or—“

”I knew the entire time. You made it pretty obvious you didn’t know it. You also made it extremely obvious you were thinking of another girl the whole time, too.”

Heat rises in his cheeks. “I wasn’t—“

”Trust me, you were. I’m no mind-reader, but a longing look not directed at me must be for someone else. I’m guessing that girl you’re partnered with?” Rosalind crossed her arms, yet didn’t sound accusatory. 

Crap, maybe he was thinking of Emerald too much. If it looked like he was pining over her. 

“Emerald’s just a friend,” 

She walks over and picks up the board. “Right. And you’ll be a pro-skater within a week,” 

He doesn’t say anything. “See you around, Mercury,” Rosalind mutters.

She leaves him standing there in silence. 

Mercury tried his best to ignore what Rosalind told him. He wasn’t thinking about Emerald in that way. She’s barely a friend. 

He repeats that to himself over and over while sitting in a bench, waiting for her to return. 

The only reason why he’s even waiting for her is because he’s practically her babysitter, not because he want to make sure she comes back safely—and definitely not because of some crush on her, that he doesn’t have!

Dusk has fallen by the time Emerald arrives. 

Mercury looks up as he hears her footsteps, and at the sight of her the realization hits him like a truck. His jaw drops slightly. 

Emerald is beautiful. 

Yes, he has stated before she was attractive to other people. She has a lot of characteristics others would find beautiful, but right in this moment it dawns on him he counts as others. 

He desperately wants to blame it on how the streetlights illuminate her skin, highlighting her strong cheekbones. Mercury wants to blame it on his excellent make-up artist skills. The eyeliner brings out her irises, which are arguably her best feature. Emerald has striking red eyes—not like a Grimm’s, but like a ruby or even a snake’s. Her hair is still in a ponytail, but her hair is frizzier and wavier. Humidity must’ve gotten to it. He thinks she looks much better with curls as opposed to choppy, pin-straight hair. 

But he can’t blame it on streetlights or an incredible cosmetic talent—he genuinely considers her beautiful. 

It’s alarming. 

Mercury can’t deny it anymore. He definitely likes her in that way. Who was he trying to convince? He only went on a date with some random girl he wasn’t interested in because Emerald went on a date. Mercury got jealous over a girl who wasn’t even his girlfriend.

He had a crush on Emerald Sustrai. Next, someone will say the moon is whole again.

Maybe going on a few fake dates with Emerald fucked up his head instead of clearing hers. 

She squints at him from afar, finally noticing that he was waiting for her.

“Mercury?” She calls out. “What are you doing out here so late?”

“Believe it or not, you’re not the only who can get a date,” 

“Your right hand doesn’t count,” 

Mercury frowns at her joke. “You’re not funny,”

“Oh? On the contrary I think I am,”

He rolls his eyes and rises from the bench, they both start to head back to their dorm. 

“How was your date?” He asks. Emerald sighs. 

“Are you asking because you’re genuinely curious or because you feel obligated to?”

Mercury groans. “Never mind, I see you’re in an unhappy mood,”

”Yeah, well, it’s been an eventful day.” 

“Date that bad?” He asks as he holds the door open for her. She sighed again. 

“No, no. It was a good date, just… very tiring.”

“I don’t get it, did you run a lap for a date or something?” 

“We went bowling—“

”Bowling? You can bowl?”

“Yes. I can bowl. I won too, but that’s not the point. It’s got exhausting playing pretend,” 

“Oh,” Mercury doesn't know what else to say.

They both pause in front of Cinder’s door. She glances at him. Emerald lifts an eyebrow. 

“Aren’t you gonna say ‘told you so’, or?”

He blinks. “Do you want me to say told you so?” It seemed redundant to him. She learned her lesson, and that’s what mattered. 

Emerald shakes her head. In a lower voice she asks, “So what excuse did you give Cinder?” 

Mercury snorts. “Don’t worry about her, turned out she didn't care what we did as long as we kept a low profile, I promised her we would,” He whispered. She nods slowly, taking in his words. Emerald always weirdly craved Cinder’s approval on everything. 

“Well, let’s not keep her waiting any longer,” She mutters, and Mercury opens the door for her again. 

“Hm. A school dance, you say…” Cinder repeats the piece of information Emerald gave her. 

“It’s next weekend, what are you thinking?” 

“I think it’s gives us perfect opportunity to hack Vale’s CCT tower using the encryption code Watts gave us. Are you certain this keycard will give us access to the building?” 

“Yup, the Beacon library and CCT building operate on the same security system. Anyone on the library staff can access the CCT tower after hours,” Emerald eagerly chirps. Mercury resisted the need to roll his eyes. Definitely craved the hag’s approval.  

Cinder was silent for a moment. “Excellent job, Mercury said you’d make that date worthwhile,” She tells her. Mercury’s mask slips and he rolls his eyes at the way Emerald glows under Cinder’s praise. 

“You two are dismissed for tonight, we’ll discuss the plan further tomorrow.” She sends them off with a flip of her hand. 

He didn’t need to be told twice. Mercury was glad to get away from that freak. Emerald and him made their way to their shared dormitory. 

Flopping on his bed, he yawns. “I’m pooped,” he unceremoniously announced. 

Emerald snorts as she take off her chaps.  

“What did you do that was so draining?” 

Mercury closed his eyes. “Like I said, you’re not the only who can get a date,” 

“What, you ran laps for a date?”

The corner of his mouth upturns. “We went to a skate park in the industrial district,” 

“Was it a good date?” 

He peeks at her with one eye, she’s watching him with her full attention. Mercury sits up. 

“I couldn’t even remember her name,” 

Emerald’s face drops. “Nooo. Mercury you didn’t, tell me you did not,” 

“I definitely did,” 

“You are such a douchebag!” She starts to laugh, and he cracks a smile too. 

“Probably,” He shrugs because that’s all he can manage to defend himself with. It’s not like he could come right out and say he only forgot the girl’s name because he was thinking of Emerald instead. She’d kill him if he said it.

He turns away from her when she reaches for her pajamas. They’re both quiet. He can hear the sound of zippers being undone and buttons unclasping. Once it’s completely silent, Mercury turns back around. 

Emerald is gathering her comb and water bottle. He watches her detangle her hair after she sprays it down with the water, and tie it back it in a bun. Emerald’s fringe looks bouncy. Mercury speaks out loud before he can even stop himself. 

“Your hair looks so much better like that,” He says. She glances back at him as if he grew two heads. 

“Not that you need my validation or anything,” Mercury swiftly adds. Emerald’s eyes widen and she snorts, shaking her head. “Thought you didn’t have any other beauty tips for me,” 

He awkwardly licks his lips. “You can wear your hair however you like, I’m just making an observation. I like your hair as it is, but when you wear it like that—it looks different. A good different.” 

For once, she appears speechless. Emerald gives him a small grin. “Thanks, I guess.” 

Mercury clears his throat. “No problem, but don’t expect to get more compliments from me so easily,” He says to her. 

Her grin gets wider, and she playfully rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m definitely not fishing for compliments from you,” Emerald replies. 

He watches her smooth her bangs flat against her head, and observes the way she bites her bottom lip when she concentrates. Emerald successfully ties her bonnet onto her head. 

She looks at him with a blank stare. “Aren’t you gonna change?”

Mercury glances down at his current state. “I guess I should, shouldn’t I?” 

Emerald shakes her head and laughs again. She faces her back toward him so he can change. 

Putting on clothes takes longer for him because of his legs, but he’s gotten the hang of it. He swaps out his shirt first. As he does, Emerald asks him a question. 

“Which kingdom was she from?” 

“Huh?”

”Your date, which kingdom was she from?”

”Oh. She was from Atlas,” 

Emerald turns her head slightly, and he can almost fully see the disbelief on her face. 

“Atlas? You went out with a girl from Atlas?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

She turns her face downward, giving a little shrug of her shoulders. “Nothing, just didn’t think Atlas girls were your type,”

Mercury nearly laughed. He didn’t even know his own type. “And what’s that?” 

“I don’t know… certainly not prissy Atlas girls,”

”Roseanne wasn’t even prissy, she was… different. Interesting, I guess,”

“You fancy her then?” 

He chuckles. “No, uh, I don’t like her like that,”

I like you, though.  

“So, no second date for you?” Her tone of voice was unlike before. If he wasn’t mistaken, Emerald sounded kind of hopeful.  

“Yeah, no second date for me,” Mercury says as he pulls his pajama bottoms over his thigh.

”Hm. Very unfortunate.” 

He arched a brow. “What about you?” 

“Me? Oh, I just told my date it be best if I didn’t have any distractions because of the Vytal Festival,” Emerald shares. Mercury watches the way her body deflates as she says it. He draws in a long breath. 

“Look at you, Ms. Heartbreaker. Sounds like you really liked this person,” He joked. 

“They seemed nice… but not my type.” 

Mercury stands up from his bed. “And what’s that?” 

“I don’t know exactly what that is,”  

Emerald turns around on her bed, pulling her knees to her chest. He stares down at her. She looks away from him, her mind somewhere else. Mercury shoves his hands into his pockets. She looks painfully beautiful sitting there. 

He’s so screwed. 

Emerald looks back up at him. ”Hey, I’ve got something to ask of you,” 

Mercury’s eyes scrunched together. “What is it?” He replied. 

She sighs and stands up. There’s only a couple of inches in height difference between them. 

“I had idea…” 

“Oh?”

She glances at the floor. ”You know what? Never mind, it’s a stupid idea now that I’m thinking of it.” 

“Emerald, just say it,”

”What if, just until our mission is done—you and I pretend to date each other?” 

Mercury blinks and says nothing. He doesn’t know how to speak. It was a very unexpected question. One that required a simple answer he couldn’t give. 

Emerald finally meets his eyes. “Yeah, I thought so too. Never mind,” She mutters and pivots on her foot. 

“No, wait. I’ll do it,” Mercury blurts without thinking. It’s an irrational, impulsive decision. 

She looks at him with uncertainty. “Really?”

”Really,” He reassured her. Logically, it was reckless to agree to fake-date her when he had a small crush on her. Mercury would be sabotaging himself pretending he was her boyfriend. But on the other hand, it stopped her from going on any other dates and made a great cover story. Shit, he might even get over his silly infatuation with Emerald if he did this.

”Okay,” Emerald softly mutters. 

“Okay,” Mercury echoes.

She walks back over to her bed, stopping again. Emerald groans out loud in frustration and walks back over to Mercury. He shot her a questioning look. 

It happened so fast he barely registered it. 

Suddenly, Emerald took his face in her hands. They were soft just like her lips as she plants her mouth on his. It was the kind of peck someone might give their family member as a kid. The kiss was over as soon as it started, too. When Emerald pulls away, he notices she’s chewing on her bottom lip again.

Her expression is unreadable. Mercury imagines he looks dazed, shocked, and confused as he feels. 

“Now we’ve both had our first kiss,” 

He wants to ask her for another—a better one. But he’s frozen in place, unable to move. Emerald slides back into her bed. She turns off her bedside lamp. 

“Goodnight Mercury,” Emerald yawns. She pulls her blankets over her satin-covered head.

“G’night,” Mercury manages to croak. He sinks back down into his own mattress.

Mercury takes off his prosthetics, carefully setting them on the floor next to his bed. Flicking off his bedside light, he yanks his own covers up to his chest. His brain failed to comprehend anything that just occurred. 

He licked his top lip. A girl kissed him. Not just any girl—Emerald Sustrai, of all people. Emerald’s actually kissed him twice now.

He decides to sort out his feelings tomorrow. Tonight, he’ll wear shit-eating grin and ride in the stupid waves of giddiness he’s currently experiencing. Mercury smiles even as he falls asleep. He totally dreams of the girl nearly seven feet across from him. 

Unknowingly to him though, Emerald has fallen asleep slower—kept awake from the same state of mind as his. 

Chapter Text

Since Thursday, the dynamic between them has shifted. Obviously things would be different, because now they’re “fake dating”. Neither of them bring up the kiss–nor does he ask her about it. Instead Mercury tries to distract himself from the emotions brewing in his stomach since that night. 

Except it's hard to do that when he spends pretty much all his time near Emerald. It’s impossible to ignore his crush on her while pretending to date her (which technically he’s not pretending on his end because he actually does like her) and help her aid in the destruction of Vale’s huntsman academy. 

He thought he’d be over his stupid infatuation with her by Sunday. Monday morning rolled around, and it took one glance at Emerald brushing her teeth to know this wasn’t something he could get over so easily. 

But he’s not one to back down from a challenge. He will get over this eventually. 

(Right?)

He will stop blushing like a little boy whenever she reaches over to kiss his cheek in front of passersby. He will stop flinching every time she grabs his hand; a reaction he had originally overcome when they first met—now reawakened due to his new feelings about her. He will stop smiling and staring at her like an idiot while she’s not facing him. By next week, this will all stop and Mercury will return to normal. 

He is not actually dating Emerald Sustrai. 

He repeats this to himself over and over like a mantra. None of this is real. It’s just to give them cover while in Vale. She doesn’t actually like him. 

Although it’s hard to convince himself it’s all for show when on Friday, the day after they kissed, he stared and smiled at the back of her head as they walked; she turned back toward him and immediately returned his grin once she met his eyes. And on Saturday she laughed so loudly at one of his dumb jokes, it wasn’t even clever, but she still laughed. Sunday night Emerald reassuringly squeezed his fingers because he involuntarily jerked at her touch again. Yesterday–Monday—she waited for him patiently after one of their lectures even though she normally doesn’t wait unless she’s ordered to. 

It’s hard to convince himself it’s all for show even though everything Emerald does contradicts that. But then again, her specialty is making people see things that aren’t there. Maybe she is playing the part of the good (fake) girlfriend. Except that doesn’t explain why she felt the need to buy them coffee with her own cash today, or why she feels the need to be nicer to him in private. 

All evidence points to Emerald actually reciprocating his feelings. That scares him for several reasons. 

One: he can’t allow himself to complicate their dynamic even further. He’s not even supposed to have feelings for her. It’s a weakness, a vulnerability, a crutch. It goes against what he’s been taught. (But apparently he’s thrown all his training out the window when it comes to her.)

Two: She is the first girl he’s ever liked. He’s lived his whole life sheltered in the mountains. Mercury has never had a girlfriend before, so hypothetically if she does like him the way he likes her–how can he trust himself not to fuck it all up? If he ever asks her out for real (which he won’t), how can he not mess up? That’s another reason why he won’t do anything about it. 

Three: It’s Emerald Freaking Sustrai. The same girl who first protested his existence. She may have stopped loathing him but this is still the same girl who clicked her tongue in disgust any time she looked at him. While there have been times she was nice to him, she’s still a total bitch. Honestly, he should be more shocked he obtained a crush on her instead of marveling over the possibility of her crushing on him. It’s the equivalent of the sun being shattered instead of the moon. It’s not normal for either of them to like the other like that. They shouldn’t have these feelings for each other. 

And yet, he can feel that whatever he feels for her–he knows she returns those feelings. He can sense it. There’s this invisible magnetic that pulls them together no matter how hard he tries to get away. 

Because of this, Mercury tries his absolute hardest not to make the giant rift in their dynamic bigger than it already is. 

The rift in their dynamic shifts further apart, but not because he made a move on her or anything. 

Actually, he’s not sure what happened but something changed between them again. For some reason unbeknownst to him, Emerald is acting crabbier than usual–and she’s way more distant. 

On Tuesday, she kept up the whole girlfriend act; a kiss on the cheek there, occasional hand-holding there. However she was way quieter. That’s very abnormal for her. Emerald always has something to say. She also scarcely laughed at any of his quips, he couldn’t produce a single snort from her. 

Wednesday she started to bitch about things far more than usual. She bitched about his punctuality, his hair, the way her high-heels pinched her feet, the cafeteria food, she even bitched about their debriefing with Cinder. Which set off alarm bells in Mercury’s head ‘cuz…hello? Since when does she bitch about Cinder-related things? It didn’t make sense. 

Today, she seemed to be particularly upset with the entire world–but especially with him. She complained about their workload–that hasn’t changed–and blamed him for it. Emerald sent Mercury glares like she wanted him to explode into a million pieces. She huffed after he finished all his sentences. Rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as if she couldn’t stand him. Refused to touch him if she could help it.

It made him wonder if he did anything to offend her. He would ask her if he did, but he doesn’t want to upset her even more. Then it hit him—maybe her being mad at him is a good thing? If Emerald is angry with him, she might call this whole fake dating thing off. Then maybe he’d finally be able to get over his silly crush on her. 

That didn’t sit right with him, though. Even if she called it quits on this fake dating business and he did get over her, she would still get mad at him again. He has to find out what he’s doing to piss her off so he can make it up to her. But once again–asking her directly will probably result in an angrier Emerald. 

So that leaves one option. Asking her “friends” about her. 

Mercury groans out loud. The things he does for peace. 

Despite what Emerald may say, she’s a people-person through and through. She is able to be amicable with anybody. It’s why she does all the talking on their missions. 

Him on the other hand, he doesn’t like chatting with people. He avoids talking to other people that aren’t Cinder or Emerald unless he is strictly ordered to. Mercury dreads conversation. Another reason why Emerald does all the talking for them. 

So you can imagine the immense discomfort he is facing right now.

Mercury treks across Beacon’s grand ballroom to talk to the head of the dance committee. Technically, that would be second-year student Coco Adel, but her team is still stuck on an away mission. That’s really good for his team’s mission if theirs is taking too long. Unfortunately for him–Coco Adel’s substitute happens to be Yang Xiao Long–one of their targets. 

Normally he would distance himself from any of their marks and let Emerald handle all their interactions, but he needed to talk to them about her..so obviously that’s out of the question. 

Yang Xiao Long is directing some other first-years with party streamers to the south wall of the room. She appears very enamored with her newfound dance committee responsibilities. 

Out of all their targets, Mercury disliked her the most. Her overly peppy attitude disgusted him. 

But he had no time to resent her, he had a specific reason to come here. The sooner he talks to her, the sooner he could leave and be free of obnoxious blondes. 

“Hey, Xiao Long, you got a second?” He calls as nears the table she’s standing by. 

She turns her head in his direction. Xiao Long cocks her head to the side. 

“Do I know you?” 

Mercury has to swallow a groan. “I’m one of Emerald’s friends,”

Her face lights up, so she must finally recognize him. “Oh, yeah! That’s why you look so familiar, you must be Mercury, right? We haven’t officially met.” Xiao Long extends her hand to him. 

He reluctantly shakes it, dropping her hand as quickly as he can. “Uh, yeah. I’ve got a question for you,”

“I may have an answer,” She replies smoothly. Then Xiao Long flashes him a coy grin. “But if it’s about asking me to the dance,” Her eyes scan him over, “I’m afraid I’m not into your type.” 

It’s a covert way of saying she was a lesbian. He already figured as much(she is very obvious about her crush on Belladonna). Besides, Mercury definitely isn’t into Xiao Long like that. Her assumption makes his skin crawl. He’d rather eat dirt before going on a date with that blonde air-headed bimbo. 

“I was not gonna ask that,” groans Mercury as he shoves his hands in his pockets. “I was going to ask you if you noticed something was up with Emerald. Since you guys are friends?” 

Xiao Long’s expression softens. “Something’s wrong with Em?” 

He looks up at the ceiling to avoid wrinkling his face in revulsion at her usage of a nickname for Emerald. Seriously, how friendly are their targets? She would totally hate being referred to as Em. Shaking his head, Mercury forces himself to maintain eye contact with Xiao Long. 

“She’s being avoidant and moody. She hasn’t told me what’s wrong either,” 

“And you think I would know what’s wrong?” Xiao Long raises an eyebrow. He shifts his weight onto one foot. If Xiao Long was listening closely, she could probably hear the metal creaking under his uniform pant leg. His cover would be blown, and their mission would be over. But she isn’t listening. 

“Well, has she mentioned anything significant?” He asks, losing patience. She puts her hand on her chin, trying to recall anything Emerald may have said to her. Then Xiao Long snaps her fingers. 

“Emerald did say she would be sad she’s missing the dance on Saturday!”

Now, this was brand new information to him. Mercury knows they’ll both be at dance during Cinder’s infiltration mission. Emerald is lying to their targets…but for what reason?

“That’s what she said?”

“Yeah, she can’t get a date–the boy she likes hasn’t asked her yet. I told her not to sweat it and come anyway, but she refused to come. Could that be why?” 

Puzzle pieces start to connect in his head. Of course. 

Emerald wants him to officially ask her out to the dance, even if they are already going together. He lets out a giant sigh. “Yeah, that’s definitely it. Thanks.” 

“Wait, stop!” Xiao Long calls out as Mercury pivots back around. He freezes in place. She’s peering at him with skeptical eyes. It makes him extremely nervous. 

“Are you the boy she likes?” 

For some reason, he hesitates. The whole point of the fake dating thing was so people thought they were a real couple. It’s supposed to make them seem less suspicious. This is the first time someone actually asked him about his relationship status with Emerald. Maybe that’s what makes him pause. He doesn’t want to entertain the notion that Emerald really confided in one of their targets about a supposed crush on him. 

Xiao Long is patiently waiting for an answer. Mercury clears his throat, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “Well, yeah. I guess I am.” 

She punches him hard in the arm. “Jerk! You know she has a crush on you and you’re leading her on?” 

The accusation is almost enough to make him laugh. If anyone was leading anyone on—it’s Emerald. It’s her and her hot-and-cold personality. Rubbing his arm, he groans and shakes his head. 

“No, we’re dating. Nobody’s leading anyone on,” 

Xiao Long’s face morphs from anger to perplexed. “I didn’t know you guys were going out. Em didn’t mention that part,” 

“It’s a very recent development,” 

She crosses her arms. “That’s still pretty shitty of you to not ask out your girlfriend to the dance,” 

Mercury ignores the weird—yet not totally unwelcome—feeling he experiences when Emerald is referred to as his girlfriend, and focuses on rapidly defending himself to Xiao Long. 

“We talked about going last week together when it was announced last week! She and I literally started going out a day after. It’s not like I’m being a dick on purpose!” He explains. Mercury shouldn’t be explaining himself to Xiao Long of all people—but this is what Emerald’s weird behavior has led him to. Defending his actions to a person he despises greatly. 

(He’s ignoring the alternative reason for why he is so quick to defend himself: Mercury simply doesn’t want to seem like a terrible boyfriend to others. Fake or not.)

“Uh-huh. Still, it’s still a jackass move to not officially ask her out to dance as your girlfriend. She probably wants you to ask her out with a prom-posal,”

“You think she wants me to do a prom-posal?” Mercury arches a brow. Did Emerald truly want that? 

Xiao Long gives him a dumbfounded look. “How do you not know what your own girlfriend wants?” 

(There’s that weird but not unwelcome feeling again.)

(He’s a shitty boyfriend in other people’s eyes for sure.) 

Heat rushes into his cheeks against his will. “I-I do! Never mind, thanks for telling me what was up with her. Girls are an enigma,” Mercury sighs, turning away to hide his embarrassment. 

The blonde’s features soften. “I get it. You’re welcome. But can you do me one big favor?” 

He faces her again, slightly intrigued. “What?” 

“Can you promise not to be a douchebag to Em? I don’t like seeing my friends upset. Especially not over some dumb boy,” She says. Xiao Long looks genuinely concerned on Emerald’s behalf. 

Mercury feels really funny all of the sudden. His chest constricts in a tight manner. If he didn’t know any better, he felt guilty over something he hadn’t even done yet. He shakes it off. Emerald must be extremely good at manipulating others into thinking she likes them. Xiao Long is already protective of her, and her dislike of any boy hurting Emerald is a result of Emerald’s design. 

He doesn’t feel any guilt over being a terrible boyfriend to Emerald and letting down her friends because none of this was real. Not their relationship, nor her friendship with Yang Xiao Long was real. 

However, this doesn’t stop him from nodding. “I’ll try my best,” Mercury tells Xiao Long. “Thanks again.” 

“Anytime,” She said, beaming back at him. 

Waving her a goodbye, Mercury sets off towards the exit. Once he’s out of the ballroom—the air seems much better. It isn’t as suffocating. He inhales sharply. 

Now, how should he prom-pose to Emerald?

She had an extremely huge problem. If she doesn't solve it quickly, it will end in total catastrophe. 

She has a minor crush on Mercury Black. 

Emerald was blindsided by the realization, which didn’t creep up on her until Sunday night. When she finally registered that she indeed liked him in that way—it caused her to panic. This was never something she anticipated for or intended. After all, it was Mercury. In the short year she’s known him, she’s been more repulsed by him than impressed. How could she let herself harbor these kinds of feelings toward him?

Or maybe that’s what Emerald’s choosing to believe, and choosing to remember. Things have changed greatly between them since they’ve arrived at Beacon. 

What started out as her wanting to play pretend turned into something else. Mercury dragged her on a couple pity dates because she wanted to experience the life of a regular teenage girl. Then, she started to fall for a library aide—that relationship came to a very premature end on her part. She had the crazy idea to ask Mercury to be her fake boyfriend. Somehow she developed real feelings for him during their time here. 

(Or maybe she was developing feelings for Mercury the whole time since day one.) 

So to combat this new development, Emerald had been distancing herself from him for the past week. It was difficult to physically distance herself for obvious reasons. It’s impossible to get away from Mercury when they’ve been ordered to be partners for this mission. But Emerald has avoided touching him on purpose. No hand holding, no linking of the arms, and certainly no spontaneous cheek kisses. She refused to talk to him; if she did it was to insult him. Emerald gave Mercury the most menacing glares she could muster. 

But there were times she could feel her resolve slipping. Emerald caught herself staring at him more times than she wants to admit. She still cracks a tiny smile at all of his dumb jokes. After some of their separate lectures, she waits for him. Occasionally their fingers brush as they walk side by side and electricity shoots down her spine. 

If Mercury noticed her weird hot-and-cold behavior, he doesn’t ask her what’s wrong with her. She’s partially grateful for this. The other part despises him for not being nosy. However, Mercury was also being weird. Well, weirder than he usually was. 

He had been acting strange since yesterday. Instead of arguing with her—Mercury has been uncharacteristically agreeable and quiet. He’s also been busy with a secret project that Emerald doesn’t know about; since he’s also refusing to share information of any kind with her. 

In fact, Mercury said he’s not sharing anything about what he’s working on until after their afternoon lectures. It’s making her unusually anxious. What if the secret project is a surprise for her?

She shakes the absurd idea off. Yeah, right. Mercury would never waste his time on something like that. 

Not for her, anyway. 

When Mercury meets her in the quad, Emerald immediately detects something is off with him. 

“What did you do?” She interrogates as he approaches the bench she occupied. 

“I didn’t do anything!” He protests in self-defense.

Rising from the bench, she narrowed her eyes. “There’s something different about you. I can sense it,” 

Mercury glanced at her like she grew two heads. “You’re talking crazy. Nothing about me is different.” 

Still unconvinced, Emerald lifts a brow. She gives him a once-over. “Are you sure? You didn’t style your hair differently or button your shirt in another way?” 

“I think it would be obvious if I did anything like that, you know,” He replies. She frowned because he’s right. It would be obvious if he did anything of the sort. 

But there was something different about him. She couldn’t place exactly what was off about Mercury. 

“Whatever,” Emerald mumbles, deflated. 

He cocks his head to the side and an emotion that dangerously resembles thoughtfulness flickers across his face. “Hey, you wanna go somewhere with me?” 

She straightened up with piqued interest. “Sure, I suppose. Where are we going?” 

“How about that bubble tea shop on Main Street?”

Emerald smiles at him. “That sounds good,”

“Great.” Mercury returns her grin. “Because you’re paying,” He continued. Emerald’s face fell. 

“Why do I have to pay?” She says, lips curling into a frown. He just beams down at her. 

“You have somebody’s wallet in your pocket. I can sense it.” Mercury replies, flicking her forehead as he takes off in the direction of the airships. 

“I can sense it,” Emerald mimics him childishly behind his back. But her sour mood is replaced with another smile once she catches up to him.

He holds the door open for her as they exit the bubble tea shop—and that’s when she catches it. Mercury takes an innocent sip of his boba (mint-chocolate of course), he steps forward, limping. 

His gait has always been strange because of his metal legs, but the way he walked just now was off-centered. 

Emerald immediately grabs his hand and leads them into an alley, shoving him against a building. 

“What happened to your legs?” She demands, clenching a fistful of his shirt. He shrugs off her arm, glancing at her in bewilderment. 

“Jeez, Emerald. Why don’t you steal my lunch money while you’re at it? You’re talking crazy again,” 

“Am I? You’re limping!” 

“I’ve always limped!” 

She places a hand on her hips. “Not like that. You’re walking off-balance. What’s wrong with your leg?” 

Mercury rolled his eyes. “For the last time nothing is wrong,” He insists, taking another sip of his drink. “Can we go home now, or are you still going to make a fuss over nothing?” 

Emerald drinks some of her own boba in her other hand, glaring at him skeptically. “Fine,” She muttered.

“Thank you.”

She still wasn’t buying it.

As soon as they cross the threshold of their dormitory, Emerald forces him into the chair next to their shared desk. Mercury yelped in protest. 

“What the hell are you doing?” He asks as she holds up one of his legs to her waist. If anyone were to walk in right now, that person would think the awkward position they’re currently in was a compromising one. 

But Emerald didn’t have time to be embarrassed about how her position may look to others. She rolled up Mercury’s pant leg, exposing the cool metal prosthetic. 

Her fingers carefully ran over the prosthetic, inspecting every bolt and screw. Mercury appears flushed. He avoided direct eye contact with her. 

She dropped his left (her right) leg. Emerald repeated  the motions again with his right (her left) leg. 

“Ah. I knew it!” Emerald chimes accusingly while she inspected the area around his ankle socket. 

All the bolts in his ankle were stripped. That explained why he was walking like a cart with a missing wheel. She shot him a disapproving look. 

“What happened?” She asks, hands on her hips, still standing in between his legs. 

Mercury shyly rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t know, I put on this morning and it was missing screws,” 

Emerald sighs. “Please tell me you have spares?” 

“Of course I have spare screws! I’m not a total blockhead you know,” He grumbled. 

“Doubt that,” She snorts. “Where are they?”

“In the top desk drawer,” Mercury says, jerking his head in the direction of the desk. 

Shaking her head in disbelief, Emerald makes her way to the desk. When she pulled open the drawer, the sight that awaited Emerald took her breath away. 

A single-word message was spelled out in hex bolts and abutment screws: Prom? 

Her eyes widened. Mercury formally asked her to the Vytal Festival Ball. With screws from his prosthetic, of all things. It rendered her speechless. 

She glances back at Mercury, who’s already staring at her. “W-What’s all this?” Emerald questions, stunned. 

“A prom-posal?” He answered like it was obvious. 

“No shit, but why? And why would you ask me with screws from your prosthetic? Are you trying to pay the good doctor an early visit?” Emerald scolds, pocketing the screws and rummages through the drawer again for the matching screwdrivers. 

“No. I wanted to do one of those grand prom-prosals…but I didn’t know what you’d like. And I’m sorta of on a budget, so the best I could think of was this,” Mercury explained, turning away from her. 

She blinks from shock. “You were walking around on a wobbly ankle to surprise me with a prom-posal?” 

He lets out a dramatic huff, and Emerald watches his shoulders slump. Then he shrugs with indifference. 

“You’ve been acting weird all week. So I asked around, and I thought you were upset with me because I didn’t ask you out formally out to the dance,”

Her jaw hangs slightly open from his confession. This past week, she tried to distance herself from Mercury. She didn’t know that it would seem like she was upset with him over something specific. In fact, Emerald wasn’t upset about not getting a prom-posal like others had. But apparently that’s what her attitude came off to him. It was admittedly a sweet gesture.

She forced herself to ignore the way it tugged at her chest. Instead, Emerald made her way in front of him, screwdriver in hand. She pulled out a screw from her uniform coat pocket, sticking it in between her lips and lifted his faulty prosthetic up in the air to her torso. 

“So who told you I was upset about that?” Emerald asks, the screw dangling from her mouth as she talks. 

“That’s super unhygienic by the way,” Mercury deflects. Evading the question like always. 

“Don’t talk to me about hygiene. Answer me. Who told you I was upset?” She tucks the screwdriver under her armpit, placing the screw in one of his ankle joints.

“I asked Yang Xiao Long. She told me you weren’t going to the dance because the guy you liked didn’t ask you out yet,” 

Emerald pauses. “Oh,” She mumbles dumbly. 

She forgot she mentioned that to Yang. At the time, it was an excuse she told in case they wouldn’t be able to proceed with the next phase of their mission. Never did Emerald think the lie would get back to Mercury. 

(It technically wasn’t a lie. He was the boy she liked. He did not formally ask her. But that wasn’t why she was upset. She won’t admit this though.) 

“Oh? What does that mean? Was she wrong?”

“Not really. I mean I just told her that as an alibi, if we couldn’t go through with the next step of our plan,” 

It was his turn to reply dumbfounded. “Oh.” 

Plucking the tool from under her arm, she begins to twist the bolt into place. She tucks the screwdriver back under her arm again, taking out another screw from her coat pocket and lines it up with the socket, twisting it into place with the screwdriver again. Repeat these steps with the next two bolts. 

The two of them sit in silence for a moment as she does this. Until Emerald’s lips start to curl into a smile. 

“I can’t believe you suffered conversation with Blondie on my behalf. I’m flattered,” She teases. 

Mercury scoffs. “I don’t want to get into it,”

“Still. It’s touching you were so worried about me, you bothered Yang to know what was up with me,” 

“Well, don’t count on me torturing myself for you again,” He mumbles. Emerald stifles a laugh. 

“Just when I was started to think of you as my hero,” 

“Tch. And what I got in return for being considerate for once was you getting saliva all over my—“ Emerald abruptly cuts him off. “Don’t say the word nuts.” 

“I wasn’t going to!” 

She looked up at him. “Liar. I know how you make jokes. It’s a lame joke, by the way,” 

Mercury crossed his arms and pouted like a little kid. “It was a perfect joke. You did get spit all over them,”

“They do not. They weren’t all the way in my mouth,” 

“Yeah, okay. Say that to germs spreading in my joints,” 

“You try holding your leg and a screwdriver at the same time, I don’t have enough limbs. I'm not an octopus,”

He lifts an eyebrow. “You’re telling me you don’t have enough limbs?”

Emerald groaned. “Stop giving me a hard time or so help me I’ll hit you so damn hard with this screwdriver, you’ll be seeing stars for a month!” 

“Whatever,” He says, rolling his eyes. But his mouth turns upwards in a faint smile. She finishes tightening the screws in his ankle. 

“You never said yes,” Mercury utters—so quietly she almost missed it. Emerald shot him a confused look.

“Said yes to what?” 

“The prom-posal. You never said,” 

Heat rushes to her cheeks. She’s grateful he can’t tell she’s blushing. “Wasn’t your goal to just cheer me up?”

“Yeah, but I still figured you’d say yes or something,” 

“I mean, isn’t it redundant if I said yes? We were going together anyways regardless if I accepted or not,”

“That’s…you’re right, I guess,” 

A small grin tugs at her lips. “Wow, did you just tell me I’m right about something?

“Don’t get used to it,” 

Emerald opens her mouth to say something again, but she’s interrupted by the door opening. In comes Cinder, already back from her rendezvous. She glances at them quizzically. “What on Remnant are you two doing?” 

It dawns on Emerald how odd she looks, standing in between Mercury’s knees, his ankle hiked up to her waist. She unceremoniously drops his leg. 

“Careful,” He hissed under his breath. 

“I was…I had to…” Emerald fumbles over her words. She was too embarrassed to explain herself to Cinder. 

“Screwing my nuts,” Mercury substitutes. Their boss looks appalled. Emerald swiftly turns and thumps him on the head with the screwdriver she held. 

“He means fixing his leg. Mercury woke up with missing bolts in his ankle. I was repairing it,” She politely told Cinder. The older woman makes a hum of acknowledgment, nodding her head.

“It’s not terribly damaged I hope?” Cinder asks. 

“Nothing I couldn’t fix myself, Ma’am,” Emerald replies. 

“Good. We can’t have any problems that interfere with tomorrow night. Speaking of, we have to collect our outfits from the dry cleaner’s,” She said. 

Both Emerald and Mercury shared glances, the latter gingerly rubbing his head in the spot that hurt. 

Later that night, after a debriefing with Cinder and their trip to the cleaner’s, Emerald watched Mercury attempt to do his homework. It always surprised her that he actually did the assignments they were given out despite complaining about the work. 

He sat hunched over at their desk. She sat on her bed. Neither of them say a word. Mercury yawns. 

“Tired already?” Emerald jokes. 

“Nah, just bored. Too excited to concentrate. We’ve got an exciting Saturday ahead of us tomorrow,” He said. 

She doesn’t speak for a solid minute. 

“About tomorrow…I wanted to tell you something,” 

Mercury faced her. “What about it?” 

“Yes. I’ll go with you to the dance,” 

Emerald watches as he fluctuates through a few different emotions. He doesn’t say anything at first, dazed. Then shock hits him, and then realization.

“Okay… Cool. Cool,” Mercury says with a tiny grin and nodding slowly as he registers her words. 

“Cool,” Emerald agrees. “Goodnight,” She tells him before flicking out her bedside lamp, pulling the covers over her head to hide her own grin.

Saturday evening they were practically running around like headless chickens. The dance was finally upon them, and everyone was stressing for multiple reasons. First of all, they needed to finalize all the preparations for tonight’s mission. Everything needed to run flawlessly, not a single hair out of place. 

Secondly, they were stressed because well—dances are stressful. At least to Mercury and Emerald. Both of them had been filled with nervous jitters. Like most teenagers who are looking forward to a social event such as this would. 

Honestly it was the first time Emerald saw him so excited over something so mundane. Even if he denied he was. She felt equally excited. 

Cinder rose to her feet, dressed in all black to camouflage herself with the night. 

“It’s time. Both of you take your positions at the Ball. I’ll assume mine at the CTT,” She commanded.

 “Yes ma’am,” 

“Sure thing, Boss,” 

She nods them farewell before leaving the dorm. Mercury glances over at Emerald. 

“You ready?” He asked her. 

“I just need you to tie the sash on my dress, then we can leave,” Emerald replies. 

She hears him groan, mumbling something resembling “stupid girls dresses,” and “unnecessary accessories.”

It’s enough to make her laugh. 

He steps behind her and takes the sash around her waist in his hands. She can feel the fabric constricting around her torso. “Is it tight enough?” 

“You can go a smidge tighter,” 

Mercury mumbles an unintelligible complaint under his breath again. But he pulls the sash tighter, and fastens a knot. “Good?” His voice rings in her ear even though he’s not that close against her. It makes Emerald light-headed for just a millisecond. 

She pivots on her foot and meets his eyes. “Great,” 

Her gaze falls to his neck, and the bright orange bow tie snug under the collar of his dress shirt. It’s tilted diagonally in one direction—unbalanced. 

“Your tie is crooked,” Emerald notes. He follows her gaze to his chest and groans. His hand reaches for it at the same time she does. Only, he was a millisecond off and she’s already adjusting the piece of clothing. 

Emerald expertly unties and re-ties the bow. She smoothes it over carefully, letting her fingers linger over the bow and his neck—but just for a millisecond. 

“Now we can go,” She says with a thin smile, her hands dropping at her sides. 

Mercury walks past her toward the door, holding it open. “After you,” He gestured. 

She crosses the threshold, and together they make their way to the Vytal Festival Ball.