𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 [ʀᴡʙʏ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ ᴏᴄ]

Chapter 20

Klaus POV

The night was quiet, save for the occasional crackling of the fire. My shift to keep watch had come, and I'd taken up position just outside the makeshift camp.

The cold crept in slowly, biting at my skin. With a soft sigh, I activated my semblance. White fur grew along my arms and neck, soft and insulating. Black stripes followed, etching patterns near my eyes. It wasn't a conscious design-it just happened every time I did this.

But my mind wasn't at peace. Thoughts swirled-about the mission, about my past, about Weiss. Always about Weiss. She had a way of slipping into my mind even when I didn't want her to.

I wondered if this was enough-being here, fighting Grimm, trying to make a difference. Could I really change anything? Or was I just a cog in the same machine that had crushed so many Faunus before me?

It all started with my imprisonment in the SDC along with my mother. Ever since I was child, I had been suffering from the hands of human-which would make you think that I'll join the white fang like Blake did but I chose to train under humans. The same species that used me as a slave.

But I guess it's thanks to my mother, if it weren't for her teaching me kindness and compassion, I would probably end up as the right hand man of the leader of the white fang. With her teaching and my days at the Atlus military camp, I decided that I would become a Huntsman.

I know that just being a Huntsman doesn't mean you can save everyone. That wasn't my intention. I wanted to be a Huntsman so that I could give power or encouragement to the Faunus because I couldn't get that when I was. I was just a helpless kid.

Ever since Ozpin took me in, I strived to become the best version of myself so that if I were ever given the chance to save myself and my mother- I'd be able to, instead of running away.

Even though the answers a bit late, The reason I became a Huntsman wasn't something grand or noble-it was simple. I didn't want to be that same helpless kid I once was. The one who couldn't protect himself, who couldn't fight back, who had to endure because there was no other choice. And someday become even better so that I could lend my strength.

Lost in thought, I didn't even notice the warmth of a red blanket being draped over my shoulders. It wasn't until the faint scent of Weiss's perfume hit me that I turned to check.

She was right there-face to face with me. Her pale blue eyes glimmered under the moonlight, her expression soft yet unreadable. For a moment, I forgot about the cold, about the mission, about everything else.

Klau: "Weiss?" My voice came out quieter than I intended.

Weiss: "You look... Beautiful."

Weiss POV

Sleep eluded me, no matter how tightly I shut my eyes or how many times I adjusted my sleeping bag. Frustrated, I finally gave up, sitting up carefully to avoid waking anyone. My gaze swept across the room, catching sight of Klaus near the edge of the building.

As I moved closer, I noticed the way the moonlight illuminated his arms and neck. The soft white fur that covered his skin seemed to shimmer in the dim light, the black strips on his fur resembling a tiger's pattern, swaying gently with the wind.

For a moment, I just stood there, caught in the beauty of it all. He looked almost ethereal, like something out of a dream. The way the light touched him, the way his fur moved in the breeze-it made him look like something more than just a man, something otherworldly.