A Not So Bumpy Ride

A/N: So, I've shelved the idea of Team CVFY being made into an all-girls team. Might revisit the thought if and when they show up naturally in the story. For now, I'll just focus on the things I'm already juggling.

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The trays were mostly cleared now with only empty coffee cups, a few stray bacon rinds and other food scraps. The chatter had mellowed into the comfortable lull that follows a good meal. Gray was still leaning on Ruby, one arm around her waist, watching the group wind down.

He still had the evening meeting with Adam and the White Fang leadership hanging over him, but right now the more immediate question was what the girls wanted to do with the rest of their Sunday. He didn’t want to make plans without checking in first. At the same time, the Lantern guys were still here, laughing over some dumb story Orrin was telling about a disastrous sparring match back at their old school. Gray enjoyed the company, but he felt the pull of “harem time”. He wanted to shift gears and spend the afternoon with his girls before he had to slip off to Vale.

So, he made the decision.

Gray activated his Semblance. The familiar subtle blur shimmered at the edges of his body. He kept his voice low, casual, directed only at the four guys.

“Team TCNO wants to go do something now. It’s the last day of the weekend after all. So, they’ll finish up and take their leave.”

He deactivated immediately.

Less than a few seconds after Orrin wound his story down, he stretched dramatically, cracking his back.

“Alright, boys,” He announced, standing up. “Weekend’s burning. We should probably get moving before Tanner starts scheduling our naps.”

Tanner snorted. “Says the guy who sleeps till noon on Sundays.”

Classius chuckled quietly as he gathered his tray. “He’s not wrong. We’ve got some things to handle anyway.”

Nero gave a small nod, already pushing back from the table.

Orrin clapped Gray on the shoulder. “Dude. Seriously. Swing by our dorm soon. We miss your ugly face.”

Gray grinned. “Promise. I’ll come by this week.”

The four of them said quick goodbyes, friendly waves to the girls, a couple of fist bumps, and headed out, trays in hand, still bantering as they disappeared through the doors.

The table felt suddenly quieter. Just Gray and the eight girls now.

Yang leaned forward on her elbows, smirking at him.

“So. Those are your old-school buddies, huh? They seem cool. Tell me about ‘em.”

Gray shrugged. “Yeah. Known ‘em since starting Lantern. Tanner’s the early-riser drill sergeant. Always dragging us out of bed and keeping everyone on track. Classius is the gentle giant; doesn’t talk much but when he does it’s usually smart. Nero’s the quiet sarcastic one. Drops one-liners and quips like it's his job. And Orrin’s the loudmouth troublemaker.”

Yang laughed. “Sounds like a solid crew.”

Jeanne smiled softly. “They seem nice. It’s good you still hang out with them.”

“Yeah, they seem fun! I might even compete with that Classius guy for who can bench more in the gym!” Nora almost yelled.

“I wouldn’t mind having another sparring partner too.” Pyrrha said.

“Do they have cool weapons, Gray?” Ruby asked him.

He looked down at her, felt a surge of cute aggression seeing her looking up at him like that. He squeezed her in his arm and said, “They’re pretty cool. You might see them in combat class this week, maybe.”

“Are you a little sad that you couldn’t be on a team with them?” Jeanne asked from next to Ruby.

Gray thought about it for a moment. If he hadn’t gotten the Semblance that he did, then he might have hoped to be on a team with friends. But even then, he would have liked being on a team with at least one girl.

“Maybe a little. But I wouldn’t change how things turned out.” He said. Though, he was the one to manipulate things to how they are now.

“Aww.” Yang cooed.

“Anyway, I wanted to ask, were any of you uncomfortable with them sitting here? I know it was sudden. Didn’t want to spring a bunch of guys on you without checking.”

Ruby shook her head quickly. “No! They were fun. Really nice.”

Yang, Jeanne, Pyrrha and Nora all confirmed they were fine with it too. It was just the quiet ones he was worried about. So, he looked to each for an answer. “What about you other girls? Were they a bit much?”

“I’m fine. They didn’t stare and weren’t pushy.” Blake said.

Weiss shrugged again. “I wasn’t thrilled at first, but they weren’t rude. It was… fine.”

Ren just gave a small, calm nod. “No issues here.”

Pyrrha smiled. “They seem like good friends.”

Yang grinned. “See? All good.”

Gray let out a quiet breath of relief. Nothing to worry about there.

He shifted gears.

“So… any plans for the rest of the day? We’ve got the whole Sunday ahead.”

The girls looked around at each other, thinking.

Yang leaned back. “Honestly? I’m kinda feeling that weekend laziness. But we should probably do something. We haven’t really gone into Vale yet as a group.”

Ruby perked up. “I’d like to get some snacks. And check out some weapon shops. Maybe stock up on Dust too.”

Weiss tilted her head. “I’ve heard there are a few decent boutiques in Vale. I wouldn’t mind looking at some clothes.”

“I could use a new book. Or two.” Blake mused.

Nora clapped her hands. “Yes! Clothes! Food! Weapons! Everything!”

Pyrrha smiled. “I’m in.”

Ren nodded along.

Gray listened as they started tossing ideas back and forth. Vale had a lot of things to keep young folk entertained.

Internally, he thought this was pretty convenient. Since he needed to be in Vale for the Adam meeting anyway. Ride in with them, spend the afternoon shopping, then peel off when the time comes. Then they’d head back without him.

Yang’s voice cut through his thoughts.

“Ooh, and there’s this one narrow shopping street with a bunch of cute little clothing shops. Some of them have really nice stuff. Like, actual fashion, not just combat gear. There’s even a cheap thrifty place.”

The non-Vale girls, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren, leaned in, suddenly more interested.

Gray’s mind went straight to the perverted angle. Watching them try on outfits in changing rooms, slipping in unnoticed, maybe a quiet suggestion or two. That sounded fun.

But then he caught Jeanne’s expression. She looked thoughtful, but also a little worried about something. Lips pressed thin, eyes distant.

Then Gray remembered her airsickness.

“Hey,” He said softly, leaning toward her. “Are you gonna be okay with the airship ride? Your airsickness…”

Jeanne hesitated, then gave a small nod. “I… should be fine. If I take some medicine beforehand.”

Pyrrha frowned gently. “Are you sure? We can stay if it’s too much.”

“No, no,” Jeanne said quickly. “I want to go. I’ll be okay. Promise.”

Yang looked over, now concerned. “We’ll sit you next to Gray. He’s good at distractions.”

Jeanne smiled weakly. “Yeah. That’d help.”

The others chimed in with concern and reassurance. Gray stayed quiet, watching Jeanne’s face.

Inside, he turned an idea over.

Could his Semblance fix airsickness?

It had worked on social things, like normalizing behavior, planting preferences, making people ignore or obey him. But physical ailments? Motion sickness was nerves and inner-ear stuff, not exactly “social.” It was a long shot.

Still… if she got really bad on the ride, he could try. Maybe whisper a command like "You don’t feel airsick anymore” and see what happened. Worst case, nothing happened. Best case… it was one less annoyance in her life.

He decided to leave it alone for now. Only step in if she looked like she was suffering.

After a few more minutes of back-and-forth, the decision solidified.

They would have a shopping trip to Vale. Everyone was in.

Jeanne would sit next to Gray on the airship ride into town. Then when it came time for them to head back to the dorm, he would make sure she took her medicine and maybe try that command to alleviate her airsickness.

Gray nodded along, smiling.

Perfect.

He’d ride in with them, enjoy the afternoon, then slip away for his meeting. When they headed back to Beacon later, he’d just… stay behind in Vale. That was the plan.

For now, he had a train of pretty girls to escort into the city.

And changing rooms to potentially sneak into.

---

The walk back to the dorm was light and unhurried. The group split off at their dorms, with each heading off to change into something more suited for a trip into the city. Gray followed his team into their room. The door clicked shut behind him, and the familiar quiet of their shared space settled in.

Gray didn’t waste time. He stripped out of his clothes in under thirty seconds, tossing them into the hamper, and pulled on his usual outfit: dark grey pants, black shirt with white accents, the long-hooded coat that hung to mid-thigh.

He dropped into the desk chair, legs spread comfortably, arms folded across his chest and waited.

The girls didn’t go into the bathroom to change. His Semblance commands had made it so they wouldn’t mind changing in front of him. They knew he was watching and were okay with it. And at least one of them was more than okay with it.

Yang went first, peeling off her tank top without ceremony. The orange fabric hit the floor and she stretched, back arching, tits lifting as she rolled her shoulders. She caught his eye and grinned.

“Like what you see, babe?” She asked, posing seductively for him.

“Absolutely.” Gray said, grinning back as he eyed her curves.

She preened. With her hips cocked, her hands sliding down her sides, her thumbs hooked into the waistband of her shorts before shoving them down. There was no underwear underneath. Just smooth skin with the faint tan lines from her usual outfit. She turned sideways, showing off the curve of her ass, then bent at the waist to dig through her drawer for something else.

Blake was slower, more careful. She slipped out of her casual shirt. Her back was to him at first, but she glanced over her shoulder, golden eyes catching his stare, and held it for a long second. A flush crept up her neck. She tried to preen like Yang, spine arching just enough to push her chest forward, but the bashfulness lingered. She stepped out of her shorts, revealing black lace panties that hugged the swell of her ass. She bit her lip, eyes flicking back to him again, then turned to face the wardrobe fully.

Ruby was the shyest. She kept her back to him the longest, peeling off her tank top with quick, nervous jerks. Her shoulders hunched, arms crossing instinctively over her chest even though she knew he was looking. But she didn’t hide completely. After a moment she turned just enough that he caught the side profile. Her big breasts still caught him by surprise even now. With pale pink nipples and the swell of her tits, then the slim form of her stomach and sides curving into the soft flare of her hips. She really was a cute girl that hid a sexy body. She peeked over her shoulder once, cheeks flaming, and when she saw him staring, she squeaked softly but didn’t look away. Just swallowed hard and kept changing.

Weiss was… a little complicated.

She undressed methodically, like it was a chore she refused to rush. Blouse unbuttoned one pearl at a time, slid off her shoulders, folded neatly on the bed. Skirt unzipped, stepped out of it, folded again. Bra unhooked, straps slipped down, cups peeled away to reveal her small breasts. Panties next with their white lace and high-cut, sliding down long legs. She didn’t preen. Didn’t pose. But she didn’t hide either. Her cheeks were flushed a deep pink, eyes darting to him then away, lips pressed thin. When she bent to pick up fresh clothes her ass faced him fully, the soft cleft and the hint of pink between her thighs visible for a long heartbeat. She straightened slowly, clutching the new outfit to her chest like a shield, but her gaze flicked back to him again. Her expression was half defiant, and half something challenging.

Gray sat there, legs spread, dick already throbbing at the sight, pressing insistently against the fabric of his pants. He didn’t touch himself. He didn’t move. Just watched. He enjoyed the slow reveal of skin, the different flavors of embarrassment and the way each of them reacted to being seen.

His mind drifted ahead to the public changing rooms in Vale, with his Semblance active, slipping into a stall behind one of them, bending her over the bench, fucking her slow and deep while she tried on dresses and acted like nothing was happening. The thought made his dick twitch hard.

But not yet.

For now, he stayed put, soaking in the moment.

Yang caught his eye again as she tugged on a cropped black top and tight jeans that hugged every curve.

“Getting ideas, huh?” She teased.

“Yep.” He simply said, making that ‘p’ sound pop.

Blake stepped into dark leggings and a loose off-shoulder sweater, glancing at him again. Ruby pulled on a red hoodie and shorts over her tights, still blushing furiously but smiling shyly now. Weiss chose a simple white blouse and high-waisted skirt, elegant and prim.

The talk was light as they dressed but Gray barely paid attention to it as he stared. But despite that, everything seemed warm and domestic. Like he was actually married to the four of them. Gray leaned back further in the chair, arms crossed, dick still throbbing quietly against his thigh.

It was a nice little sexy, peaceful moment.

---

The dorm room filled with the soft rustle of fabric and the occasional zip of bags as the girls finished dressing. Yang tugged on a cropped leather jacket over her black top, giving her reflection a quick once-over before slinging a small crossbody purse across her chest. Blake slung her own purse over her shoulder as she double-checked her scroll and a thin wallet were in there. Ruby put her things in the pocket of her hoodie. Weiss smoothed the front of her blouse, adjusted the high-waisted skirt, and slipped a slim cardholder into her purse with a decisive snap.

Gray stood by the door, already in his usual gear. He had been ready for a while and was quietly lamenting how long it took girls to get ready.

“Everyone got scrolls? Lien? IDs?” Yang called, doing a quick once-around.

A chorus of affirmatives answered. They filed out into the hallway, Gray pulling the door shut behind them.

They stepped over to JNPR’s door. Yang knocked twice, sharp and enthusiastic.

Pyrrha opened it almost immediately, smiling. “Almost ready! Nora’s bouncing off the walls, Jeanne’s doing her last pocket check, and Ren’s… well, she’s been ready for a while now.”

Oh, Ren was the type to not take so long, huh?

From inside came Nora’s voice, bright and loud. “I’m SO ready! Let’s go conquer Vale!”

Jeanne appeared behind Pyrrha, patting down her jacket pockets one last time. Gray caught the glint of a small plastic bottle, medicine probably. She gave him a quick, shy smile.

Ren stepped up, calm as ever, small satchel slung over one shoulder. “I’m set.”

Pyrrha did a final glance around the room. “Okay. Everyone good?”

Nods all around.

They spilled into the hallway together, eight girls and Gray, a loose, laughing pack heading for the stairs.

Gray fell into step beside Jeanne. He kept his voice low.

“You ready for the flight?”

She nodded, holding up the little bottle briefly before slipping it back into her pocket. “Took a chewable tablet just now. Should be fine.”

Gray reached down and laced his fingers through hers. “Good. I’ve got you either way.”

Jeanne squeezed back, cheeks tinting pink, but she didn’t let go.

The group made their way across campus, chatter bouncing between them. Gray had used his Semblance as they walked past the building with the weapon lockers to ask them to wait as he geared up. Since he was heading to a potentially dangerous meeting, he thought he might need the extra protection. Once that was done, he returned to them and they were on their way again. After walking down the causeway for a bit Nora complained loudly about the distance.

“Why couldn’t they build the school RIGHT on the cliff edge? This causeway is FOREVER. My legs are gonna fall off before we even shop!”

Yang laughed. “You’ll survive, pancake queen. Think of the snacks waiting at the end.”

They reached the small airship station perched on Beacon’s cliffside. A handful of other students, mostly upperclassmen, were already waiting, some scrolling on their devices, others leaning against the railing and watching the lake far below.

The platform was open-air, with a small, roofed building for bad weather. The wind tugged gently at their hair and jackets. Gray’s group spread out a little. Some were sitting on benches, some standing in loose clusters, while they waited for the next shuttle.

Gray heard one of his girls, Jeanne, say, “I wonder if students ever go swimming in that lake down there. It looks like it has some sandy shores, but they do look a little narrow.”

She was leaning on a railing with Pyrrha and Yang, looking down at the big lake below.

“There’s a dock down there with some boats, so maybe?” Yang mused. Their hair fluttered in the wind as they leaned over.

“It would be nice to take a dip during summer.” Pyrrha said, some of her words hard to make out as the wind picked up.

Gray looked over to some of the girls by the benches.

Nora flopped dramatically onto one bench. “If this thing doesn’t show up in two minutes, I’m gonna start doing squats right here.”

Ruby giggled. “You’d probably launch yourself off the cliff.”

Weiss, Blake and Ren were looking at the schedule posted on the wall of the station shelter. Maybe they were trying to memorize when airships typically came by.

Eventually their waiting came to an end as a low hum announced the approaching airship. The big metal bird glided across the sky and smoothly swerved to dock with the landing pad. It successfully landed, and its doors hissed open.

They boarded in a loose wave.

Gray guided Jeanne toward an aisle seat, so she could run to the toilet easily. Gray sat next to her with Pyrrha on his other side, and Blake taking the window seat next to Pyrrha. The rest scattered. Yang and Nora immediately headed for the small onboard store section to browse snacks, Ruby trailing after them with wide eyes. Weiss chose the seat directly across the aisle from Jeanne. Gray had a sneaky suspicion that she was a little worried about Jeanne’s airsickness.

Gray kept Jeanne’s hand in his, thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles.

She exhaled slowly as the doors sealed.

“You okay?” He asked, his voice soft.

She nodded. “Yeah. Just… starting to feel the anticipation.”

He leaned in a little closer. “Focus on me if it gets bad. Talk to me. Squeeze my hand as hard as you want.”

Jeanne gave a small, shy laugh. “I might break your fingers.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Ruby appeared a moment later, holding out a plastic bottle of water. “Here! Thought you might want this. Hydration helps, right?”

Jeanne took it with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Ruby. That’s really sweet.”

Ruby beamed, then darted back to Yang and Nora.

The airship’s engines hummed louder. A soft chime sounded, and the craft lifted smoothly off the platform.

Jeanne’s grip tightened immediately. He didn’t flinch. Just squeezed back gently.

“Still okay?”

She nodded, though her breathing had shallowed. “Yeah. Just… the takeoff always gets me.”

Gray kept Jeanne’s hand firmly in his, thumb brushing slow, steady circles over her knuckles as the airship leveled out and began its smooth glide toward Vale. Her grip was tight, knuckles white, but her breathing had evened out a little, no longer the shallow pants from takeoff.

Gray kept his voice low, steady. “Tell me something dumb. Like… what’s the weirdest thing that’s happened this week for your team? There’s gotta be at least one funny story.”

She thought about it for a moment, then let out a small, shaky laugh, the sound more breath than voice at first. She glanced sideways at him, cheeks still pale but eyes a little brighter.

“Okay… um…” She thought for a second, then her lips twitched. “So, two nights ago? We’re all trying to sleep, right? Lights out, everyone in their beds. Pyrrha’s already snoring, quiet little ones, but you can hear them if you’re close.” At the mention of her snoring, Pyrrha looked over. “Ren’s out like a light. Nora, though…”

She paused, biting her lip to keep from laughing harder.

“Nora decides, at like 2 a.m., that she wants pancakes. Not tomorrow. Right then. She climbs out of bed and starts rummaging through her stuff. She was looking for pancake mix. But we had run out.”

Gray listened intently with one side of his mouth quirking. Nora was a bit of a wildcard, so he was expecting something funny or weird. “What’d she do?”

Jeanne’s voice is laced with amusement and confusion. “She grabs something and heads out of the dorm. I think she went to the common room to look through the fridge there. Then, as I’m getting tired waiting to see her come back, she eventually does. She walks in with a plate of crackers and jam stacked like a tower. They were crackers that Ren likes, some protein thing, but she had taken them and built a monument, whispering loud enough to wake Pyrrha, “Guys! Look! I made a castle of crackers!”

Pyrrha leaned over with a fond, exasperated smile. “She tried to knight Ren with a cracker. She just rolled over and muttered ‘not now, Nora’ in her sleep.”

Jeanne giggled, a quiet but genuine giggle, the tension in her shoulders finally easing. “Nora kept going on like Ren hadn’t just told her to leave her alone and Ren spoke in her sleep, ‘The castle has fallen. Long live the crumbs.’”

Jeanne and Pyrrha couldn’t hold back laughter, and Blake looked over with a somewhat concerned, but amused, expression. Jeanne and Pyrrha giggled on either side of Gray, and even Weiss looked over to try and figure out what was going on. It wasn’t the funniest thing Gray had ever heard, but it did sound very much like Nora. He wouldn’t be able to predict her next move even if he wanted to.

After some of the giggles had died down, Jeanne tried to say, “Nora was so proud of her masterpiece... she took a picture. It’s still her scroll background, with Ren in the background... staring from her bed looking grumpy.”

The two giggled some more remembering that night. Gray chuckled along. “That really does sound like Nora.”

The distraction seemed to help. Jeanne’s grip eased fractionally, though she didn’t let go.

The airship leveled out, gliding toward Vale. Jeanne stayed pressed close to his side, hand still tight in his, but her breathing had steadied. Every few minutes Gray checked in, quiet words, a gentle squeeze, a stupid joke, and she answered with small smiles.

Outside the window, the emerald forest blurred past below, then gave way to the distant sparkle of Vale’s skyline.

Jeanne rested her head lightly against Gray’s shoulder.

“Thanks,” she murmured. “For distracting me.”

“Anytime,” he said, thumb brushing over her knuckles again.

The airship droned on, the city skyline growing closer through the window. Jeanne’s grip stayed somewhat tight, but it was mostly out of affection than fear. Gray hoped that her future flights on airships could be as relaxed as this.

---

A/N: So, next chapter, and the one after that I believe, will have some spicy moments. What you've all likely been waiting for.

Oddly, I find myself having trouble writing sex scenes into the story as of late. I always seem to write myself into a corner or around a potential sex scene. So, I made this shopping trip to try and **** myself into creating some changing room scenarios. Hopefully they turn out good. Please, look forward to them.

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