Chapter Text
"You can do this Jaune. How difficult can it be to ask her out? It's just a question. Yeah, it's just a few words strung together to form a question-"
"A question that could possibly lead to rejection!" Nora pointed out with a little too much excitement. Ren sighed and shook his head but didn't chide the hyper girl for her bluntness.
Jaune groaned, his nerves somehow rising even higher and turning his stomach into what he can only describe as an angry bee hive. "Come on, Nora, can't you give a guy a break?" He slumped his shoulders and tried not to look in the direction of Ruby who was doing her after-sparing-stretches, her teammates chatting with her as they did the same.
Pyrrah placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, she offered him a comforting smile, yet he could only manage to return a weak one of his own. "I'm going to screw this up, aren't I?" He couldn't help but ask as his past attempts at asking women out came to mind, as well as their often harsh rejections to his advances.
"Of course not, Jaune. Try to remember that confidence is key when asking someone out." Her words seemed so reassuring, and so sure that it made Jaune almost believe that wouldn't stumble over his words like some fool. 'Almost.'
"What she said! And if she rejects you, we can always-"
"Nope," Ren cut her off, "if she rejects you we'll take you out for ice cream."
"But-"
"We aren't pranking Ruby to get back at her if she rejects Jaune," stated Ren, his tone firm and unmoving even as his best friend groaned and complained about him not letting her have any fun, and that those who hurt her teammates deserved to have fire ants dumped on their bedsheets.
Their antics made Jaune chuckle, the weight on his chest lightening just a bit. Despite that, however, Jaune felt fear claw at him, a fear of rejection that he honestly did not want to experience after asking numerous other girls out in the past. "As much as I appreciate the offer and sentiment, guys...," he felt his stomach churn in a way far too similar to motion sickness, "It's difficult to have confidence when you've been rejected by every girl you've ever asked out," he scratched the back of his neck and looked at his feet in dejection.
His teammates paused in their bickering. He assumed they must have shared a look of worry before turning their attention back to him. "And why would you let that stop you?" Jaune looked up at Pyrrah, brow raised in confusion, "You never stop trying, Jaune. Since you got here, you've never stopped trying. You train really hard, you're determined to make yourself better and one or two rejections shouldn't stop you from trying again with someone new."
"It'll be okay, Jaune. How will you really know you had a chance if you never ask her out?" Nora stated, slightly calmer and more in control as the somber air muffled her energetic spirit.
Ren didn't offer up any words of encouragement but a mere, "No one can say you never tried. And if she does happen to reject you, we'll treat you to dinner."
Jaune poundered it for a moment. His friends words lighting up a new sense of confidence the longer he thought about it, about how he would likely regret it for the rest of his life if never asked Ruby out or confessed the true depths of his feelings for her. Looking over at Ruby, he contemplated how she might look at it. The girl clad in red has never backed down from a challenge or a fight, has never given up and has always held her ground. It was one of the many things he liked and admired about her. Deciding to heed his friends advice and take one out of Ruby's book, he stepped forward with his chest slightly puffed up and shoulders squared.
"I can do this. I can and I will ask out Ruby Rose!" He pumped his fist in the air, a fire stirring in him.
"Adda boy!" Nora cheered, and jumped to wrap an arm around the blonde boy's neck to ruffle his hair.
"Nora!" Jaune laughed as he struggled against her incredibly strong hold, "Quite it!" She let him go with a giggle which quickly turned into a cackle at the sight of his hair standing on end. Hastily, Jaune fixed his hair and dusted off his clothes in an attempt to seem more presentable despite having just finished a combat class moments prior. Taking a deep breath to collect his composure, Jaune brought up every ounce of courage he had and walked in the direction of team RWBY who was collecting their equipment and getting ready to leave to likely get an early start on their weekend.
"Ruby, hey," Jaune waved. The girl dressed in red beamed at him and suddenly his nerves came rushing back like a brick to the face.
"Hey, Jaune, what's up?"
"Well, I- uh- I- um-," his throat felt uncomfortably dry and his palms incredibly sweaty, "I was wondering if you-I mean you don't have to, only if you want to," he was rambling and he was well aware of it but he couldn't stop, it was like his brain had decided to shut down on him the moment he needed it most.
Ruby looked at him curiously, her hands laced behind her back. She leaned forward with her brow furrowed. "You...?"
"Hey, Ruby! You comin'?" Yang interrupted them, waving her hand above her head. She was grinning in a way that said she knew what was going on and Jaune almost choked on air when he saw similar expressions on Blake and Weiss.
"I'll meet you guys back at the dorm!" She waved back at her sister and gestured for them to head back.
"Alright! Don't take too long talking to your boyfriend though!
"Yang!" Ruby shouted in embarrassment, her face turning as red as her signature cloak. Jaune was in a similar state as he stood practically frozen. 'Do they know?!' He thought to himself in panic. Yang cackled loudly at her little sister's face and left with the rest of her teammates, Weiss and Blake laughing behind their hands. The swordsman felt the urge to run.
When they were out of sight, Ruby chuckled, a slight strain in her voice as she spoke. "Sorry about that."
"It's okay, I know how Yang can be," he smiled just as awkwardly.
"You can do it, Jaune!" Nora cheered loudly, gaining the pair's attention. Jaune made exaggerated hand movements, frustration beginning to take its toll as he felt his ears and face become increasingly warm, "Oh, my bad!" Ren quickly clasped a hand over her mouth before Nora could talk anymore and dragged away along with Pyrrah who gave her own encouragement by smiling and sending him a thumbs up. The blonde had to stop himself from curling in a ball on the floor and admitting defeat.
At least now they could talk in private, he supposes.
"Okay..." slowly, Ruby turned her attention back to the swordsman, her gaze lingering on the retreating form of team JNPR. "You were saying?"
"Right, um," he fiddled with his belt. He glanced at her silver eyes and back at the floor. Finally, he strengthened his resolve for a third time. Taking a deep breathe and ceasing his nervous fidgeting, he asked, "Do you want to go out with me?" He resisted the urge to shut his eyes and brace himself for rejection, and instead looked her dead in the eye with a look of determination.
Silence washed over them. Ruby was gaping at him, her eyes wide and seemingly left speechless at his question. Jaune's hard earned resolve began to crumble the longer she stared at him. "Is that...is that a no?" The swordsman shrunk in on himself, his insecurities coming back full force.
"NO, NO, NO!" She was shaken out of whatever weird mental state she'd just been in, waving her hands frantically in front of her, "That's not it! I was just- I didn't expect-," she was floundering, face turning the deepest shade of red that Jaune has ever seen.
Her sudden outburst confused him. If she wasn't rejecting him then why was she reacting like this? Was she mad at him? Did he do something wrong?
"It's- you caught me off guard, okay?!" She was panting, seemingly out of breath from her drawn out explanation.
"I...caught you off guard?"
"Well, yeah! I wasn't expecting you to just - walk up to me right after a class and ask me out! Wait, you are asking me out right? Like, to a date?"
Jaune tried to wrap his head around her jumbled words. She was speaking so fast she could barely keep up with him. "Um, yes?"
Ruby blinked a few times, "Oh, um," she awkwardly looked at her feet and fiddled with her fingers.
Again, Jaune was confused.
"Yes." She spoke so softly the blonde wasn't sure he heard her right.
"Huh?"
"Yes, I wanna go on a date!"
Now it was Jaunes turn to be left speechless. Out of all the responses he expected, a yes definitely wasn't one of them. He wasn't even sure what to do, after all he never thought she would actually say yes. "Really?" He tried to comprehend it, half believing that he was hit over the head too hard during training and that he was making all of this up. "Is this real?"
Ruby giggled, the blonde realizing he had said that outloud. "Yes, Jaune it's real," she smiled up at him and Jaune couldn't help but melt.
"Right..." he chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "So, uh, I'll pick you up at 6? We can go see a movie and maybe have dinner after?"
She nodded, "Yeah, I'll see you at 6." She took a step back, nervously grinning at him with her cheeks flushed. "Bye, Jaune." Her smile was as bright as the sun and Jaune could hardly believe it was directed at him, his stomach filled with butterflies and his body crammed with excited, nervous energy. They exchanged their final goodbyes and went their separate ways, the excitement for the date to come almost too much for them to hold in.
And when Jaune turned the corner, out of site from others, he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Yes! She said yes! Wahoo!" He jumped with his arms raised above his head, grinning so widely he felt his jaw ache.
//
When he finally managed to calm his racing heart Jaune sprinted back to his dorm room, all his new found energy practically begging to be released. He narrowly missed other students, his joy far exceeding the need to at least hold some semblance of normalcy. When he came to his dorm, he almost ripped the door off its hinges. "She said yes!"
Nora yelped, her magnhild suddenly in hand as she swung almost blindly in the direction of Jaune. "Woah! Nora!" The blonde ducked and weaved out of the way. Pyrrah thankfully used her semblance to stop the girl's wild swings, hand raised and brow pinched in concentration. The magnhild was frozen in place above Nora's head, the pink haired girl blinking in surprise at the sudden difficulty of swinging her weapon before she tried to force it out of Pyrrah's hold.
"Hey! Let go!"
"Nora, it's just Jaune," Ren said, tone as calm as ever.
"I know!" She continued to struggle until Pyrrah released her control and the pink haired girl tumbled on the floor with her weapon.
"So," Pyrrah beamed at the blonde, her hands resting on her hips. "She said yes?"
Gone was his panic as the prospect of his upcoming date was brought back to the forefront of his mind. "Yeah!"
"Good for you, Jaune," Ren placed a hand on the swordsman's shoulder, "we knew you could do it."
"I knew she would say yes! You two doubted him but I knew she wouldn't be able to resist Jaune's awkward boy charm!" Nora was up on her feet again, using her weapon to prop herself up. The rest of the team merely queried a brow, unimpressed.
Ignoring her, Pyrrah asked, "So what will you be doing on your date?"
"Well," looking up at the roof, he began to list the plans for the evening with his fingers, "I was thinking about taking her to the movies, maybe dinner after, and..." his shoulders slumped as a look of uncertainty crossed his features and his gaze moved to the floor.
"And?" Nora prompted, lips pulled back in a wide smile.
Jaune fidgeted with his belt. His ears and cheeks flushed a deep red that only further piqued his teammates interest. "And maybe," he scratched the back of his neck with his other hand, "maybe...I could confess my feelings for her and k-kiss her?" He looked up at his team, smiling nervously as he braced himself for their reactions.
They blinked owlishly at him, seemingly surprised at his boldness. The first one to regain her composure was Nora, who squealed at the frequency that Jaune was sure could break glass. Clapping her hands and jumping excitedly, she pounced on him and locked him in a headlock to ruffle his hair for a second that day. "Jaune! I didn't know you had it in you! You sly dog!"
The blonde turned an even bright red at the teasing, "Nora!" He struggled against her but her grip on him was incredibly strong despite the headlock being loose enough to not restrict his breathing. "Guys! Help!" He pleaded to his other friends but the remaining pair merely looked at each other before they shared matching mischievous grins.
"Oh no." Jaune felt utterly doomed in that moment as he realized the onslaught of teasing that was about to be directed at him.
"It would be quite romantic," Ren added, Pyrrah agreeing with the nod.
"Oh, yes, quite romantic," Pyrrah smiled, "perhaps we should ensure that Jaune carries breath mints. We wouldn't like Ruby to taste popcorn and raspberry slush."
"Guys!" The blonde's heart pounded in his ears at the mere implications of Ruby 'tasting' him. His team laughed at his demise and Jaune wondered how he was going to handle not dying of nerves, and embarrassment on his date.
Ruby wasn't faring any better.
"Ruby's got a date with vomit boy! Ruby's got a date with vomit boy! Ruby's got a date-"
"Yang!" Ruby lept at her sister and covered her face with a pillow, her face turning into the same color as her cloak. Blake and Weiss giggled, unfazed when their leader glared at them with all the fury of a puppy. Her sister shoved her off and chuckled softly when Ruby threw the pillow across the room, crossing her arms and pouting like a child who was denied candy before dinner.
"Sorry, sis. You know we're just teasing." Yang ruffled her sister's hair, however the younger girl lightly swatted her hand away.
"Aww, is our fearless team leader embarrassed?" Weiss giggled, earning a groan from Ruby who flopped onto the bed in an attempt to hide her blushing face.
"It's about time that Jaune asked you out," stated Blake.
"Huh?" That piqued the flustered girl's interest. Lifting her face from the shelter of her pillow, a look of confusion etched on his features. "What do you mean?" The three other girls shared a look before looking back at Ruby as if she had grown a second head. The team leader only felt further confused. "What?"
"You're joking, right?"
"No?"
Weiss' face palmed.
"You do know that Jaune has been crushing on you for the longest time, right?" Blake stated.
"The dude is practically head of heels for you," Added Yang.
"What!? No he isn't!" Ruby shot up from the bed.
Weiss' face palmed a second time. "I know you were oblivious but this one really takes the cake, Ruby."
"You're not making any sense!"
"What Weiss means to say is," interrupted Yang, "that we've noticed that Jaune seems to have liked you for a really long time."
Ruby frowned. Crossing her legs, her shoulders slumped. She was silent for a moment, contemplating her new found knowledge that seemed to only lead to more questions than answers. "Really?" Was all she managed to say, avoiding eye contact with the other girls.
The rest of her team seemed to catch on to her dampened mood. Yang moved to sit next to her sister to wrap an arm around Ruby's shoulders, attempting to offer the younger girl comfort. "You okay?"
"It's just...does he really like me?"
"Of course he does! Why else would he ask you out?" Blake jumped in. Weiss and Yang eagerly agreed. Ruby shrugged, unsure how else to answer that. She wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned into Yang's embrace, seeking comfort from her older sister.
"Is there...any reason you would think otherwise?" Weiss asked, nervously looking between Ruby and the floor. Feelings, especially others, weren't exactly her strong suit.
"I don't know!" Ruby groaned, her arms thrown up in frustration, "I just - find it hard believe that he likes me I guess." Covering her face with her hands, the younger tried to make sense of all this.
"Well, he does!" Yang clasped a hand on Ruby's shoulder, grinning at her team leader with all the love she could muster for her little sister. "He asked you out. Clearly he likes you."
"And if the date doesn't work out, I know how to get rid of a body," stated the ravenette as if it were the most normalist thing in the world. The team gawked at her, their jaws slightly slacked while Blake sat calmly, as if she didn't just suggest murder. "What?"
"Exactly, how do you know how to get rid of a body?" Weiss reluctantly asked after a moment.
"Honestly, I'm a little scared to find out," muttered Ruby, huddling closer to Yang as she clung to her arm.
"Remind me never to piss off Blake," the blonde mumbled before standing up, "Anyway, when's your date, Ruby?"
"Um, Jaune said he would pick me up at six?" The younger girl said uncertainty as she looked up at her sister, slightly fearful of what came next.
"THAT'S IN TWO HOURS!"
"Um, yeah? That's more than enough time," questioned Yang.
"It'll take me, like thirty minutes to get ready," shrugged the girl dressed in red.
Weiss gasped, and shot up from her seat, looking ready to pop a blood vessel as she rushed towards their shared wardrobe. "Are you crazy!? If you wanna look good and make sure Jaune realizes how lucky he is, we need to make sure you look amazing and that takes time!"
"Oh boy..."
//
"Is a suit really necessary?" Jaune stood uncomfortably, the outfit tight around his broad shoulders, "It's just a movie and dinner." The swordsman had been pushed into the shower the moment he told them he would be picking up Ruby at 6. Ren stated that he was in desperate need of a shower followed by Pyrrah reminding him to wash his hair. Nora even added that his breath smelt of garlic and that he needed to brush his teeth at least twice if he wanted to make sure Ruby enjoyed 'smooch fest'. Suffice to say, Jaune was thoroughly flustered from beginning to end.
His team watched him from his bed, sharing a packet of chips between them. "But you gotta impress her!" Nora beamed, stuffing a handful of chips in her mouth.
Ren held his chin between his thumb and forefinger, eyes trailing Jaune's outfit. "It does seem a little too formal." Pyrrah agreed as she placed a single chip in her mouth, analyzing the blonde's outfit with a look of uncertainty.
"Maybe try something more casual? Perhaps a pair of jeans and a hoodie?"
"Mhh!" Nora exclaimed through a mouth full of snacks, waving her hands frantically as she tried to tell the group something. Unfortunately her teammates merely looked at her with confused expressions.
"Swallow, then talk, Nora."
The orange haired girl quickly chewed the remainder of her food and swallowed with a gulp, leaving Jaune to wonder how it didn't hurt considering how much chips she had stuffed into her mouth. "You have to wear a jacket! A warm one that smells good!"
"Um," Jaune looked to his more saintly friends for guidance but they merely shrugged, unsure themselves about where Nora was going with this.
"So if it gets cold, you can offer your jacket to Ruby! It'll be sooooo romantic!"
"But won't Ruby just bring her own jacket?" It seemed like an obvious choice, considering the night hair had gotten increasingly cold over the last few months so for Ruby not to bring a jacket, or signature her red cloak would only seem weird, and impractical to Jaune.
"Just trust me! Have you ever steered you wrong before?"
The team went silent, glancing at each other before directing a deadpan look at her. "Do you really want us to answer that?" commented Ren, Nora glaring at him in response while stuffing another hand full of chips into her mouth. The sight would have been amusing if it weren't for the fact that if Jaune wasn't ready in the next 10 minutes, he was going to be late.
"Okay, okay, a jacket and jeans then."
"Maybe wear a jacket over a hoodie? That way you won't be cold if you give Ruby your jacket," suggested Pyrrah, easily snatching the chips back from Nora before the orange haired teen could finish them. The girl pouted, and tried to reach for more but Pyrrah easily kept them out of her reach.
"Mmh," the blonde thought it over. He does recall having an old jean jacket that could go well with his white hoodie. "That could work."
"Great!"
"I better hurry or else I'll be late. Thanks guys!" Jaune called behind him as he rushed to his wardrobe to retrieve his clothes and duked back into the bathroom.
He was ready in record time. Dressed in clean clothes and smelling of deodorant, though Pyrrah had warned him not to use too much or it might become a choking hazard. Now, he was walking in the direction of his date, frantically thinking over everything to ensure he had all he needed for the night to go smoothly. He also thought about how the night would go, the direction in which it might take him and suddenly the butterflies in his stomach turned into spikes. He hoped he wouldn't screw this up.
He walked across the hall to team RWBY's shared dorm. Knocking on the door, he braced himself for the night to come, breathing in a steady breath to center himself. On the other side of the door he heard clattering, a loud yelp and something fall before the door was thrown open to reveal a disheveled Yang, her hair resembling a bird's nest while her clothes looked as if she had just been in a brawl.
"Jaune!" Yang beamed at him with a grin like a wolf's.
"Um, hi-"
"Jaune! Don't listen to her! She's bluffing!" Ruby shouted from inside, the sound of something else falling followed right after.
"Ruby-?" Before Jaune could go inside, Yang stepped out, the door shutting behind her. Her wolf-like grin only grew and the boy felt as if he were praying.
"Jauny-boy! Let's have a chat!" She clasped him on the shoulder, her grip so incredibly tight that it made him recoil. "Let's make it clear, if you hurt my sister, I'll rip you apart and scatter your body parts all over Remnant, and I'll make sure to bury you in the deepest, darkest hole that not even the Grim will find you. Do I make myself clear?" Her eyes flashed red, her anger and threat evident.
Jaune felt his legs quiver and had to force himself not to kneel, his face as pale as a ghost. "Y-yes, Ma'am." He struggled not to whimper, sure that his shoulder was a dark purple. And just like that, Yang let go. Gone was her dark smile and red eyes replaced by a beaming grin and a sunny gaze. You almost would have thought that she wasn't the same person.
"Great! Be safe and don't stay out too late, afterall we still have curfew!" She opened the door, Ruby racing out with a glare directed at her sister.
"Jaune, are you okay!?" He helped the boy up, checking him for any injuries. "Yang! What the heck!?"
"What? It's my job as your older sister to threaten anyone you date!" She proudly squared her shoulders, grinning.
"Jaune wouldn't hurt a fly!"
Yang scoffed, "It's the nice ones you gotta watch out for, sis. They're the ones who like to get real freaks in the sheets, if you know what I mean."
"YANG!"
Jaune sputtered, choking on nothing as he flushed a deep crimson. Yang caught on to his reaction and her grin turned darker. "Ohh, what are you into, Jaune? Biting? Choking? Getting pe-"
"YANG!" Ruby shoved her sister back inside and slammed the door in her face before she could finish. "Let'sget out of here before Yang says something stupid." They quickly left the dormitory, Ruby leading the way with her hand tightly clasped in Jaune's. As they left they heard team RWBY laugh but Jaune ignored them in favor of staring at his date, his breathe stolen from his lungs as he realized she was holding his hand. He couldn't believe how small her hand was in his. How warm it was too.
Once they were outside, Ruby's brisk pace slowed into a stroll. Jaune walked beside her, cheeks and ears still red from the fact that they were still holding hands. "Um-"
"I'm sorry about Yang," Ruby mumbled, her gaze fixed on the floor, "She's just worried because it's my first date, and she doesn't want me to get hurt-"
"This is your first date?" Jaune was surprised, so much so that he stopped walking.
Ruby smiled sheepishly, her shoulders curling inwardly as if she was trying to escape. "Yeah..."
"Wow...I'm you first." Jaune felt his chest warm, a bubbling, happy feeling erupting in his stomach.
"DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT!" Ruby let go of his hand to cover her blushing face. The blonde was confused for a moment before he realized the other implications of his words. A lump formed in his throat as he struggled not to gasp. His face felt warm and jis stomach spiked with a tingly feeling. Quickly shaking it off, he cleared his throat.
"My bad."
Ruby giggled, shaking her head when Jaune raised a brow. She waved him off, her cheeks still stained scarlet. "We're really bad at this huh?" She referred to their composure, or rather lack thereof. "I haven't blushed this much in...ever."
The swordsman chuckled. "I couldn't agree with you more." They shared a laugh before Jaune calmed himself down, offering an arm out to his date. "Ready for our date?"
"Heck yeah!" Despite her still red face, Ruby took his arm with one hand and laced her fingers with his. She clung to him as they walked, her black dress trimmed in red ruffling in the breeze.
Jaune couldn't but beam, his heart soaring. His gaze was fixed on her and wondered to himself how a girl so beautiful would even let him hold her hand like this. "You're beautiful," he said, almost breathless when she locked eyes with him. Her smile was soft, and warm, reminding him of the sun. All he wanted to do in that moment was worship her, to show his appreciation for her in any way would allow.
Ruby stopped for a second. Standing on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks Jaune. You look pretty handsome yourself." His smile turned into a grin as they continued their trek to the movie theater, the blonde hailing a cab.
//
They decided to watch Minions: The Rise of Gru, mostly because the pair had grown up watching the movies and they loved all things animated and funny. If the clerk at the counter looked at them funny for purchasing the tickets, they didn't notice as they bought a large popcorn to share, and two extra large berry blast slushies.
Despite his best efforts, Ruby managed to convince him to let her pay. Saying something along the lines that she also wanted to contribute to their date. To make him feel better, Ruby stated that he could pay for dinner.
The theater was almost empty, which came to a bit of a surprise considering that the movie only came out a few days ago. Settling in the middle row, the pair settled in just as the promos started. The popcorn was settled in Jaune's lap, the team leaders munching on the snacks and sipping their drinks.
Half way through the movie, Ruby's hand found its way into Jaune's hand. Lacing her fingers with his gaze fixed on the screen, her thumb slowly traced his knuckles. The gentle sensation reminded the swordsman of being tickled and his heart began to race. Trying not to think too hard about it, Jaune focused on the movie.
The movie ended faster than either of them expected. Strolling out the theater, Ruby dumped the empty popcorn box and sipped the last of her slushy before chucking it in the trash. "So, where to now?"
"Well, I know I said I'd take you out to dinner, but I know this amazing bakery just down the road if you want to-"
"Let's go!" The girl pulled him by the arm for the second time that night. He couldn't help but chuckle at her excitement.
"Ruby, you don't even know where we're going!"
"Oh! Right," she smiled sheepishly and slowed down. "Lead the way, handsome!" Jaune flushed at the compliment and began to lead them in the right direction of 'Jack's Bakery'. The place was usually open until 10 pm, giving them more than enough time to get there before it closed for the evening.
The closer they got, the more the smell of baked goods invaded their senses. Ruby became more excited, practically jumping when the bakery appeared around a corner. "Eee!" She squealed in delight when Jaune opened the door for her. The smells were absolutely amazing, the warm bakery making the pair feel giddy and relaxed at the same time.
"Good evening!" The store owner greeted them with a smile, "What can I get you?"
"JAUNE THEY HAVE BROWNIES! AND HOT CHOCOLATE!" Ruby's face was pressed against the display case, practically drooling as she eyed the tray of brownies.
Jaune smiled. "Can I get ten of your brownies, two of your chocolate filled croissants and two hot chocolates." The owner happily did so as she retrieved 2 cardboard boxes and began placing the baked goods.
"Ten? Why ten?"
"For our teams. I'm hoping to give your sister a treat."
"Oh, it's not just Yang. Blake and Weiss would have threatened you two if they didn't need to hold me down," said Ruby nonchalantly.
"That's why I'm getting ten."
As they waited for their order, Ruby leaned into Jaune's side. Wrapped her arms around his that leaned on the counter she started to trace little patterns on his skin. Jaune flushed, the fluttering feeling returning as the harmless action again felt too much like tickling. Reluctantly, he pulled back his arm and cleared his throat.
"Jaune? You okay?"
"Ah, yeah, yeah. I just- um," he looked around, hoping for some kind of distraction. Thankfully, one came. The shop owner brought them their order. Jaune happily paid and took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Thank you!"
Ruby also took a sip, stars suddenly filling her eyes. "This is the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted!" Eagerly, she took another drink, licking her lips in delight.
"I'm glad you like it."
The pair took the food and sat outside on one of the benches. They had a brownie before moving on to the croissants. "Yang will definitely feel better after having one of these."
"Good, because I kinda need her to like me if I want to take you out on another date."
"Another date?"
Jaune became increasingly nervous. Setting his drink down, fearful that he might spill it, he scratched the back of his neck and avoided eye contact with his date. "Yeah...I-Ruby I like you. I've always liked you," he spoke without consciousness, thoughts that he has kept to himself for so long flowing out of him like an unyielding river. "You're incredible, you know that? You're an amazing leader, fearless, caring, compassionate...I hope I can be half the leader that you are," he had more to say, so so much more that he had to tell her, "You make me feel lucky to be your friend, that you wanting to be around me is a gift. When I'm around you I feel like the king of the castle. I feel so warm and like at any moment my feet will be swept out from under me at any moment."
He turned his gaze to her, eyes locking with hers, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "I've never met anyone like you Ruby."
A tense silence passed between them. The atmosphere became electrified and Jaune felt pulled towards Ruby. She experienced the same sensation, her body moving on its own as placed a hand on the blonde cheek. Jaune leaned into her palm and inched closer.
Their lips met in a gentle embrace. Jaune pulled her closer, an arm wrapped around her waist while Ruby encircled hers around his neck, pressing her chest against his. She threaded her fingers through his hair causing the boy to grunt in satisfaction. Their kiss turned heated, Jaune's lips caressing hers as he angled his head to get better access.
It was Ruby who prompted the kiss to become more heated, her tongue grazing the blonde's bottom lips. Jaune gasped, and pulled back. "Sorry, was that too much?" She asked.
"No, no! I just...it caught me off guard." He laughed, his neck and face a bright cherry red. "That was-"
"Amazing? Incredible?" Ruby grinned, teasing the boy for the over use of the words to describe her.
"Well, yeah!" He laughed despite the teasing.
"But hang on if you like me then why did you pull away earlier? When I held your arm?"
Jaune had hoped she had forgotten. His cheeks flushed a deeper crimson but the good feeling in his chest turned into anxiety. He was worried, concerned for how Ruby might handle what he considered to be a type of...quirk. "I, ah..." he turned away from her, his fingers laced while he twiddled his thumbs.
"Jaune? Is it something bad?"
"What? No! Well, you might thinks its weird, but it's nothing-"
Ruby cut him off by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Jaune, whatever it is, you can tell me. I won't make fun of you for it or think you're weird."
Jaune searched her gaze, his chest tightening. Scratching the back of his neck, he looked at the floor and sucked in a deep breath. "I have...ti....k," he mumbled, Ruby unable to hear anything beyond a few letters.
"You what?"
Jaune groaned and leaned his face into his hands. This time, he spoke louder, "I have a tickle kink."
"Oh. Okay."
That confused the boy. He looked up at her with a quivering brow. "Just oh? Doesn't that weird you out? Make you uncomfortable?"
Ruby shrugged, smiling softly at him, "Why would it bother me? Everyone is into something and if it doesn't hurt anyone then it's okay," looking away, she cleared her throat, "And I'm not opposed to trying it out."
Jaune almost fell over. Gripping the side of the bench he gawked at her. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Cool." He smiled, and she smiled back at him.
Ruby shivered, a gust of wind practically chilling her to her bone. Jaune remembered then what Nora had told him. Shrugging off his jacket, he offered it to his date. "Wanna wear my jacket?" The girl eagerly took it, and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.
Just then Yang called Ruby on the team's shared coms. She quickly picked up. "Yang?"
"Curfew is in ten minutes! Where are you!?"
"Oh shit!" Putting down the phone, Ruby and Jaune gathered their belongings and booked it back to the dorm.
//
They arrived just in time. With all the baked goods divided between them for their respective teams, Jaune and Ruby prepared to go their separate ways.
"Thanks for tonight, I had a good time."
"Of course," Jaune beamed at her. They locked eyes, smiling at each other like love struck fools. Quickly, the blonde dipped down to steal a quick kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Ruby giggled against his lips and kissed him a second time. "See you tomorrow." When he turned to leave, the girl grinned. Leaping forward she tickled Jaune's sides. The blonde practically jumped out of his skin, jumping away as he tried to stifle a groan.
"Ruby!"
She laughed.