It was like they had found out about (y/n)'a plans with Velvet and couldn't get by with letting it slide for once. That's why (y/n) was being held up by stupid Mohawk guy (Russel or something like that...) while the rest of thy stupid CRDL team was probably giving Velvet a hard time.
"Excuse me," (y/n) grunted as he tried I get past him. "I would like to have my dinner now, thank you."
"You have a thing for freaks?" the tool asked him with a smirk. "Maybe we should get you a pair of bunny ear to match hers? Huh?"
"I don't care what you do to me," (y/n) stated bravely. "Let me through before you regret it, ok?"
"What are you gonna do?" Russel asked him. (y/n) could see fear flicker in his eyes. His reputation preceded him once again.
"Do you really want to find out?"
"E-eh?"
(y/n) pushed past him and walked to the cafeteria quickly, but with confidence. He had to radiate confidence if he was going to scare the rest of CRDL away without actually doing anything. Sometimes a scary face was all you needed.
He raced to the cafeteria to find them tugging on Velvet's ears, mocking her every protest. "Sorry I'm late," (y/n) told her as he sat down by her side. "Some jerk was trying to hold me up."
"O-oh?" Velvet asked softly. She noticed that the tugging on her ears suddenly stopped.
"It was stupid, you know?" (y/n) told her so that her bullies would be sure to hear. "People always seem to underestimate me. They don't think that I'll beat the crap out of them if they give me trouble..."
He grins when he sees Velvet's bullies walk away slowly. "I'm glad they fell for it," he mumbles into her ear. "I didn't really know what I would do if they didn't go away..."
"Then why would you--"
"Don't sweat it, Velvet," he told her. "It's been like that for a while. I kind of like it. No one gives me a hard time." He smiled and pet her brown hair. "Stick with me and they'll leave you alone too."
"Why are you being nice to me?" she asked in softly. "Why are you putting yourself in harm's way for me?"
"Hm? I wouldn't say I'm putting myself in harms way..." He looks into her big brown eyes and suddenly loses his confidence. "Eh...I...just..."
"You just...what?" Velvet asked him quietly.
"I don't think cute girls should be picked on..." he mumbled.
"You...think I'm cute?"
"Well...yeah."
"But I'm...I'm Faunus..."
"That doesn't matter," (y/n) told her with a smile. He gently rubbed her sore ears. "I think these are really cute. You shouldn't be bullied because of them."
"Is that what you think?" she asked as a blush spread across her cheeks. "No one's ever said that to me before..."
"Then maybe it's time that someone has," (y/n) replied. He watched as a smile lit up her face. "How about a real date then. We can go to Vale this weekend and have lunch. I'll pay and everything."
"Really? You mean it?" Velvet asked him quietly. "Please don't say things like that if you don't mean it."
(y/n) surprised even himself when he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I would never say anything I didn't mean.