Chapter 27

After returning to the dorm, I was left with a strange sight. "What the..." Nora and Jaune lay sprawled on the ground groaning, and smoke coming out of their ears. Ren sighed, impatiently tapping his foot at the two of them.

"Come now. We've barely covered half the topics for the exam."

"Unngh..."

"Uhhhhhh..."

I lightly cleared my throat causing Nora and Jaune to weakly glance in my direction. Immediately, the two of them were on their feet faster than I could blink and rushed over. "You're here! You're finally here!" Nora cried.

"Um, hi? How was your studying?"

"Ren constantly grilled us..." Jaune muttered. "It felt like a late-night cram session..."

"He made us take four tests!" Nora cried.

"Guys, I was only gone for an hour..."

"FOUR TESTS!" she repeated shaking me.

"Okay, okay!" I glanced at Ren, still calmly standing there with a smile like nothing was wrong. 'So, Ren's a tough teacher...you learn something new every day...' "Why don't we all take a small break from studying and get some exercise? Ren and Nora, go have fun. Jaune, you're with me."

"Huh? Oh, right. The three times a day battle thing."

"There's not much to do around Beacon, Aero." Nora said with a shrug. "Me and Ren are gonna watch you and Jaune at it."

Extending my arms out backward I grabbed my hands and pulled farther back until a light popping sound could be heard. 'Ho boy, that felt nice...' Continuing to stretch before the fight. Ren and Nora stood a few yards away, with Nora cheering from the sidelines.

"Hey, Aero?" Jaune said rubbing the back of his head. "Before we do this, I just wanted to say...thanks."

"For what?"

"For what? Come on, you know what I'm talking about. For taking this time and focusing on me to help make me a better huntsman. You could have picked Ren or Nora to train with, but you chose me, and are even tripling the regular amount of work with me. I mean, it's a little excessive to do all this just for me, but it's still nice."

What the heck is this guy talking about? "Jaune I don't know what you're misunderstanding but, I'm doing this for ME. You just so happen to be perfect for me to train with."

"Sure Aero." Jaune said letting out a small chuckle. "There no need to be so embarrassed, I'm flattered you're looking out for me."

You know what, forget it, if Jaune wants to think I'm being a nice guy, then he can do so...

"BEGIN!" Ren shouted, raising one of his pistols in the air and firing it to signal the start. I immediately sprinted forward raising my silver spear and meeting Jaune's sword midway, creating a small shower of sparks.

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A car quietly hummed through the suburbs, in it were two people. One of them was lightly nodding to the tunes on the radio, the other was wistfully staring out the window. Watching cars and buildings pass by without a sound.

'I can't keep doing this...' Aero cast a glance at Cameron peacefully bobbing to a song on the radio. 'This isn't right...'

When Aero first arrived in this world, he was very much confused. However after that feeling passed, he felt an indescribable feeling of freedom and happiness. A simple life. One he was fully in control of. It was all his! Free to do whatever he pleased.

'Except this ISN'T mine." he bitterly thought. 'This life doesn't belong to me...' As great as it was to suddenly have everything he wanted, in truth, it was also terrifying. HeAeroalso how no idea how this happened in the first place. He had suddenly woken up, and had his life changed overnight. He could choose what to do with his life, he had a job, a house, a computer, and time to himself. But who was to say this would last? That he wouldn't fall asleep and wake up back in his old life in Vale, everything stripped from him like some sort of sick joke? This thought made it difficult to sleep at night.

Cameron noticed Aero's eyes on him and gave him an odd expression. "What?"

"Nothing..."

"Dude you've been acting weird lately. Well...weirder than usual anyway. You've cleaned the house, stopped pestering me so much, taken care of chores, continually being polite..." He stopped, casting a suspicious glance at the other. "You're not trying to butter me up so you can ask me for something, are you?"

Aero was quiet for a moment, as if still pondering some great question. "When we get home, we need to talk..."

Cameron groaned, leaning his head back and allowing it to hit the seat cushion behind him. "I knew it..."

The two of them rode in the vehicle without another word. A few minutes later, they pulled up on a small driveway with a withered lawn and an old basketball hoop beside it. Irritably muttering to himself and shutting the car door with a bit more force than necessary, Cameron led Aero into the house before tossing the keys onto the table and turning to him.

"Alright Nate, let's hear it. What is it this time?"

Aero sighed and shook his head. He wasn't really sure where to begin explaining what happened to Cameron's roommate. He barely understood it himself for that matter. "I'm not trying to get something out of you just...please sit."

Cameron raised a questioning brow, but reluctantly pulled up a chair and sat in it.

"I've been...lying to you for a little while now."

The blonde teen shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Okay? How so?"

"I'm not...who you think I am."

Cameron's uneasiness became more apparent, as he looked the other way and coughed lightly. "Is this going where I think this is going?"

"Where do you think this is going Cameron?"

"Are you..." Cameron nervously shifted in his seat once more, avoiding eye contact with the other. " I mean..." He paused trying to find the right words to use without coming off as judgmental. "Are you...coming out as having...male preferences?"

Aero visibly blinked trying to process what he just heard. His mouth moved, but words eluded him for a brief moment. "W-what? No!"

"Not that there's anything wrong with that Nate." the other quickly replied in a placating tone. "I mean if you really feel-"

"I like women!" Aero barked.

Cameron let out a deep sigh of relief he didn't even realize he was holding, before grabbing a nearby pillow and pelting Aero in the face with it. "Don't scare me like that you idiot." he muttered. "It's stressful enough living with you as it is."

"Sorry?"

"Then what the hell are you talking about? What do you mean you're not who I think you are?"

"I mean, I'm literally not your roommate. I mean, well, I am...but I'm not."

"Ugh, look, I've had a long day and really not in the mood for this, so I'm just gonna make a snack and then call it a night." Cameron stood up and went to the kitchen. Grabbing a pot from the top left pantry, he filled it with water and turned a dial on the stove. With a few hisses and clicks, the stove caught the gas, producing a blue flame burning beneath the pot. Aero stood up and walked into the room just as his roommate was grabbing some sauce.

"Cameron."

"I already told you, I-"

"Watch." Aero quietly interrupted.

As Cameron went silent, Aero removed the pot from the stove and on the counter. Lifting a hand, he placed it directly on top of the fire, lightly wincing in pain.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Cameron immediately moved forward, grabbing Aero by the arm and pulling him back. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU-" He stopped as his gaze fell on his roommate's hand. The skin wasn't bubbling, or pink as he feared, nor were there any burns or deformations visible. In Aero's palm, a blue flame danced harmlessly before Aero closed his hand extinguishing it. A few small tendrils of gray smoke wafted from his closed fist.

"How did..." Cameron looked like he'd seen a ghost, his head whirled to face Aero. "How did you do that?"

"We need to talk..."