Requested by Jetbike

Neon Katt always stuck out at Atlas Academy. Being a Faunus in a community that was highly bigoted against her kind was only one of the many things that set her apart. Her pink hair and penchant for rollerblading, coupled with her rather eccentric personality, made her stick out like a sore thumb.

As Headmaster of Atlas Academy, as well as the highest-ranking military officer in the kingdom, it should come as no surprise that General James Ironwood ran his school with a very militaristic outline. What should be even less surprising was Neon's proclivity for frequently breaking school protocol.

If you asked her teachers, they would say she was a nuisance and a troublemaker with absolutely no regard for respect or responsibility. If you asked Neon, she would tell you she wasn't intentionally trying to make her teachers mad. Atlas was just so boring compared to Vacuo, where she was raised. What was with all the greys? Where was all the color? And why, for the love of God, did everyone she meet have a huge stick up their ass? All she did was try to have a little fun, honest. It's not like she caused any real trouble.

Alright, there was that time she accidently skated right into her combat professor in the halls, but no one was hurt. And it's not like it was even her fault. I mean, why were there so many people crowding what was obviously a great place to practice her speed skating. And then there was that one time she graffitied the cafeteria walls with a less than flattering picture of General Ironwood, but that was all in good fun. And did Atlas just outlaw April Fool's day or something? It was just one rampaging Death Stalker. Just the one. A school full of huntsmen and huntresses should have handled that easily. Besides, it barely did any damage, just crashed through a few walls is all.

Regardless, no one seemed to understand her sense of humor, not even her teammates. She didn't want to upset her teachers, but everyone was just so dull! When she saw an opportunity for some fun, she seized it. Unfortunately, it usually resulted in detention, which she skipped, which only resulted in more detention, which she skipped. She had better things to be doing with her time.

With how uptight everyone at her school was, you can imagine her surprise when Headmaster Ironwood announced a school dance. It would take place at the end of the month in the school's assembly hall and adjoining courtyard. Finally! A chance for everyone to loosen up a bit, let their hair down. Neon couldn't wait for the chance to finally have some fun. And then Ironwood announced the theme of the dance. Ballroom. Ballroom dancing. Formal wear. Live string band.

Boring! Boring with a capital B through G. She had expected black lights and disco. Wild dancing and maybe, just maybe, someone to spike the punch. What she had not expected was for the dance to be pulled straight from one of her history textbooks. What she had also not been expecting was the number of people that asked her to the dance.

She had always thought of herself as a bit of an outcast. No one ever laughed at her jokes or sat with her at lunch other than her teammates. Quite frankly she thought most people found her annoying and unbearable, so when the dance was announced she wasn't expecting anyone to ask her. She figured she'd just crash the whole event.

The first person to ask her to the dance was a boy from her combat class. She'd sparred him a couple times, and he was a pretty decent fighter. He was handsome, tall, muscular. Pretty much every girl's dream guy. Except hers. She didn't know him very well, but she knew him well enough to know he was boring. Typical uptight fuddy-duddy. She turned him down.

The next day she was invited by a nervous boy in her history class. He kept rubbing his hands together and his voice shook as he talked to her. He was cute, in a dorky sort of way, but good grades and a plan for the future didn't interest her much. Spontaneity was much more her speed.

Not even two hours later, an attractive blonde asked her. The girl approached her with a very formal stance; chin high, shoulders back. When she spoke, it was all business. It made the whole thing feel more like a business proposition than an invitation. Politely, Neon declined.

The night of the dance was fast approaching, and still Neon had simply refused any and every offer extended to her. It didn't bother her though; she was much more interested in being a party crasher than a party goer. Instead, she took to asking her teammates about their partners.

"So," she said, laying on her stomach in her bed with her feet in the air, "you all have dates yet?"

Ivan nodded and Kendell squealed excitedly, almost as if she was waiting for someone to ask.

"You know Grayson?" She asked.

Neon shook her head.

"Oh, come one." Kendell pouted. "You know, tall, muscular? Black hair, grey eyes, drop dead gorgeous."

"Wait," Neon said, "isn't that the guy that asked me out in combat class a few weeks ago.

"That's the one." Kendell nodded. "After you turned him down, he asked me out."

"Doesn't it bother you that you were his second choice?" Flynt asked rather nastily.

"Hey," Kendell frowned, "no need to sound so rude about it."

"Don't worry about Flynt." Ivan said. "He's just upset because he still hasn't got a date yet."

Flynt flipped his friend off from his desk before returning to polishing his trumpet.

"What about you Neon?" Kendell asked.

"What about me?"

"The dance, duh. Who are you going with?"

"Uh, no one."

"What?" Kendell practically shouted. "But I thought plenty of people asked you."

Neon simply shrugged.

"Neon Katt," Ivan said, "I know for a fact that at least eleven people have asked you to the dance."

"Really?" Kendell asked in surprise, to which Neon shrugged again. "Why haven't you said yes to any of them?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Neon laughed. "They're all booooooo-riiiiiiiing. No one here's any fun. E-Except you guys, of course."

"Well then why don't you go with Flynt?" Ivan suggested.

"Oh my gosh!" Kendell said excitedly. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Neon looked at her teammates and blinked. "Flynt?"

"Yeah, he still hasn't found a date, and you just said yourself that he wasn't boring. So what do you say?"

"Uh, no... that's okay." Neon laughed uncomfortably.

"Why not?" Kendall inquired.

Neon looked between her teammates who were all watching her expectantly. She began to panic under their crushing gazes, sweat dripping from her brow.

"I-I, u-uh, I have a boyfriend!" She said quickly.

The other members of Team FNKI looked at her skeptically.

"Really?" Kendell said, who voice oozing with sarcasm. "Do we know your boyfriend?"

"No." Neon said. "At least, I don't think so. Maybe?"

"Neon, you just said everyone at Atlas was too uninteresting for your taste." Ivan pointed out.

"Well, obviously he doesn't go to Atlas."

"Then where's he go?"

"Uh... he goes to... uh... Shade Academy. Yeah, from back home, that's it."

Ivan shook his head. "If you have a boyfriend, how come we've never heard about him before?"

"I don't know." Neon said, her voice high-pitched. "I mean, I must have mentioned him before, right?"

"Oh please." Flynt rolled his eyes. "If you don't want to go with me that bad you could just say so. You don't have to make up some fake boyfriend."

"I'm not making him up!" Neon insisted.

"Uh huh, right." Flynt said, oiling his trumpet's valves. "Whatever."

________________________________________________________________________________

Neon was super excited to be beginning her second year at Atlas. Her parents had been a little worried that her... escapades just might have gotten her expelled. Neon simply laughed and, sure enough, on the first day of the new school year she was roller blading through the halls, people jumping out of her way to avoid being run over. She skated right into the elevators and spun in circled until she reached her floor, racing down the halls and into her room where the rest of her team was already unpacked.

"You look happy." Ivan said. "Have a good summer?"

"Oh, it was brilliant!" Neon said as she skated around the room. "I visited Vacuo for two months and got to see all of my old friends. And my boyfriend and I celebrated our one year anniversary by going to karaoke night at the skate park and..."

"Still going on with this whole boyfriend act?" Kendell laughed.

"I've already told you, it's not an act!"

"Sure it's not." Ivan said.

"I'm not lying, I swear." Neon said, becoming frustrated.

"Whatever." Flynt said.

Neon stopped moving around the room and stomped her foot, pouting like a small child. "You just wait. I'll prove I have a boyfriend."

"Yeah?" Flynt laughed. "How you gonna do that?"

"They Vytal Tournament." She said. "He'll be there. I'll introduce you all to my sweetheart and then we'll see whose laughing."

The day eventually came for the Atlas students to board the large bullhead and depart for Vale, where they would be spending the next few weeks leading up to the tournament. When they arrived at Beacon Academy Neon kept her eyes peeled for her boyfriend, her teammates watching in amusement. Once you got Neon going, she couldn't be stopped.

She didn't seem to be able to find him amongst the many students in the courtyard, so she spent the majority of Ozpin's speech scanning the collection of Vacuo students to her left. Still, she couldn't find him. After Ozpin left the stage and the students began to file out, her teammates began teasing her.

"So where's this boyfriend of yours?" Kendell asked.

"Yeah, I'm dying to meet him." Flynt snickered.

Neon's cheeks flushed as she angrily glared at her laughing teammates who were clearly reveling in her embarrassment. She could think of nothing to say, at least, not until later that night.

Neon skated back and forth in the hotel room Atlas had rented out, her scroll pressed against her ear as she talked in a loud voice that would ensure the rest of Team FNKI was listening.

"Uh huh." She said. "Uh huh. Yeah. No, I understand. I'll see you then. Love you too." She tossed her scroll on her bed and passed by Ivan who was folding his clothes. "That was my boyfriend." She said. "He was just calling to tell me he wouldn't be able to make it to Vale until the tournament started. He said his mom fell and broke her leg and he needed to..."

"Oh my God!" Flynt groaned. "I cannot believe you're still keepin' this up!"

"What?" Neon asked.

"This whole boyfriend that none of you have met because he lives in another kingdom thing."

"But it's true!" She said. "I have a boyfriend that none of you have met because he lives in another kingdom! He's really sweet and handsome and his name is..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Kendell said as she brushed her hair. "I'll believe it when I see it."

With that, Team FNKI retired for the night.

________________________________________________________________________________

The competing teams were being allowed to tour the Amity Arena a day before the competition. It was meant for the officials to go over the rules and show them to their locker rooms backstage. The tour had been split up by kingdoms, rotating throughout the arena simultaneously. At the end, there would be a group lunch where all the competitors would eat together, and hopefully forge some new friendships.

The students from Vale, Mistral, and Atlas had all finished their tour, but the Vacuo group was a few minutes behind on the account of a late arriver. The others had been allowed to get their food without having to wait for the students of Shade Academy. Team FNKI had chosen a spot in the bleachers, the warm rays of the sun bathing over them. Flynt was just about to take a bite into his sandwich when a figure blocked out the sunlight. He looked up, peering over his sunglasses.

"Uh, can I help you?" He asked.

"I'm here for Neon." The figured stated.

Hearing her name, Neon resurfaced from the bag of chips she was finishing. She jumped to her feet when she saw the man in front of her, racing over to him and pulling him into a big hug.

"(F/N)!" She squealed.

"(F/N)?" The others asked.

"Everyone, this is (F/N). My boyfriend." Neon said, grinning at her teammates triumphantly.

"This... is your boyfriend?" Kendell asked in disbelief.

"That's right!" Neon smiled proudly.

They stared at the couple in complete and utter shock. Not only was (F/N) real, but he appeared to be everything Neon hated. He was dressed in a plain black suit and white dress shirt. His black polished dress shoes and silver wrist watch reflected the light of the sun. His (H/C) hair was neatly combed, and a red tie was fastened securely around his neck. In fact, he looked like he belonged at Atlas more than Shade, and definitely more than Neon did.

"Sorry I couldn't make it earlier." He said, his voice extremely professional.

"That's alright." Neon said, clinging onto his arm.

Her teammates continued to stare with open mouths. It just didn't make any sense. How in the hell did Neon end up with a guy like that? She was so peppy and energetic and animated, and he was just so... boring. Everything about him was boring, from his clothes to his voice. How did they put up with each other? Ivan was the first to speak.

"Um... I'm sorry, what?"

"Hmm?" (F/N) asked politely.

"This! You! The two of you!" Ivan said, indicating the pair. "How does something like this even happen? You two are polar opposites!"

"Opposites attract, I guess." (F/N) said, smiling down at Neon.

"But, you're just so... ordinary." Ivan said, trying to be polite. "No offence."

"It's fine." (F/N) said with a wave of his hand. "I'm a pretty boring guy."

Neon's teammates started at her.

"But... Neon you hate boring." Kendell said.

Neon smiled dumbly as she looked up at (F/N), still clinging to his arm. "You've never seen him on karaoke night."