Still out of it, but I think I'm getting better. More awake, anyway. Last few days I've been feeling like I'm exhausted even if I get loads of sleep. Been getting 8-10 hours (Normally do 6). But this morning I felt bad but better after a shower, whereas before I felt awful even then.
It's a small thing, but it's a sign.
Cover Art: Jack Wayne
Chapter 26
"It's really more of a sleepover."
"A sleepover," Yang repeated, slowly. "At a boy's place?"
Ruby shuffled and stared down at her feet. Crud. She really wished she'd explained it differently now, especially since Yang with a juicy rumour was like a dog with a bone. It hardly helped that Weiss and Blake were listening in, for all that they both pretended they weren't. Blake was busy reading a book, but she hadn't turned the page in a while. Weiss' pen hadn't touched her homework since the conversation began.
Of course, neither of them was going to come and help her. Traitors.
"Do you have protection?"
"I'm taking Crescent Rose."
"Not what I meant…"
"It's not what you're thinking, Yang. It's really not what you're thinking. Jaune and me are friends."
"Jaune and I," Weiss corrected.
Ruby grumbled under her breath.
"That's how it usually starts," Yang said. "A boy and a girl are close friends. They spend time together. They start to realise how much they enjoy one another's company, and bam, you're pregnant."
Blake snorted. "I think there are a few more stages between those…"
"And I'm sure your little books have a ten-step plan," Yang drawled back, earning a scowl from her partner. "My point is, Ruby is too young for either of those things."
"You realise you're my sister and not my mother, right?" Ruby asked, red-faced. "I'm not really asking your permission, Yang. I was just telling you so you don't panic when I'm not here tonight. Or in ten minutes."
"And I could tell Dad. We both know what would happen then."
"Ugh. Why do you have to be so annoying?"
"I think it's a rule among sisters." Yang's teasing grin faded a second later. "But seriously, if you'd just tell me what you'd be up to, I wouldn't be so panicked. Jaune's a decent guy, but you going all red-faced and stammering out excuses isn't doing much for me."
"We'll be studying together."
"Ruby, he runs his own business. He doesn't need to study anymore."
"H-He needs to study business stuff."
"And you'd be the one to study this `stuff` with?"
Ruby groaned and looked away. Yang was totally getting the wrong end of things, which was pretty much par for the course where her sister was concerned, but it was still a pain in the butt. It would have been a lot easier if she could come out and say what she was going for, but Jaune asked her to keep it a secret. It was serious business, and knowing what it was about, Ruby agreed.
Yang just wouldn't accept that.
"It's private."
"Oh sure, that makes me feel so much better."
"We're not doing anything like that. Look, Yang, just let it go. Jaune needs me. I'm going to go spend the night."
"He needs you?"
"Needs my help," Ruby amended.
"Spend the night?"
"Sleeping! As in, two of us. Different rooms. Different beds. Full-body paralysis. Crazy vivid hallucinations and then total amnesia."
"Whut?"
"Dreams. I mean we'll be going to bed, sleeping, have our dreams and that's it. No touching, no… stuff that you're thinking!"
"You know, you can say sex. You're fifteen."
"Damn it, Yang!" Ruby clapped both hands over her red face and screamed into her palms. "Just stop talking." With a scowl, Ruby grabbed her bag and slung it up on her shoulder. She had pyjamas, a sleeping bag, toothbrush, paste and everything else she needed. "I'm going. If you follow me, I'll never forgive you. Weiss, Blake, make sure she doesn't, please."
"Will do," Blake said.
Yang scowled. "Hey!"
"Thank you." Ruby smiled with genuine appreciation and jogged out the room before Yang could make any more arguments.
"What's the big issue, Yang? It's Ruby. And Jaune. That's hardly a powder-keg of hormones. I don't think they like one another that way."
Yang sighed and sat down on the edge of her mattress. Being a big sister was hard, especially when Ruby was so socially awkward. And the whole not being very subtle thing. "I know, I know. Ruby is married to being a huntress. I don't think she's ever shown any interest in guys, girls or anything else."
"Then what's the problem?"
"The fact I saw her rummaging through your books earlier."
Blake froze. "What?"
"And she took a few and stuffed them into that bag."
"What?"
Yang sighed again. "Yeah. Just so you know, if my sister goes off, `experiments` and gets in trouble because of what she read in your books, I'll be holding you responsible."
Blake's ears drooped.
/-/
Ruby giggled nervously and shifted next to Jaune. It wasn't the first time she'd been to a sleepover, and not even with a boy, but it still felt a little awkward. It might have been because the last `boy` she'd slept with had been, like, seven, and so had she, or it might have been because whether he was just a friend or not, Jaune was big, broad-shouldered and kind of cute if you squinted really hard or were born Pyrrha Nikos.
Or it might have had something to do with the very vivid, very descriptive sex scene they were both reading at that moment.
Hard to say, really? Could have been anything!
"Do you think this is accurate?"
"What?" Ruby asked. "The fact they had sex on a wall for forty minutes, or the fact he penetrated her with a twelve-inch spear of raw masculinity." The book's words, not hers. "Because I really hope it's inaccurate, or I'm never going to have children."
"No, not that. I meant how they got together."
How they did what not? Oh, right. The story had a plot where the guy and girl got to know one another. Ruby had read it along with Jaune, but she'd kind of forgotten it when they got to those smut scenes.
"Maybe? I mean, these are romance books. They have to be at least a little realistic."
"They're fiction."
"I know, but even fiction is based on real life. A fantasy book might have dragons and elves and other stuff like that, but it still uses swords, and people still wage war for the usual reasons. I think it's still based on real life stuff."
"I guess…" Jaune flipped the page and they read on.
Ruby's thoughts on sex had never really been all that developed. Dad gave her the talk a while back and then, because he'd thought it hilarious, he told Yang he hadn't and made her give Ruby the talk, too. To be fair, it was funny seeing Yang blush like that.
Then they'd done it to Qrow, too, at which point they'd all realised that if Uncle Qrow ever did settle down and have kids, they'd have to give them the talk before Qrow did. The things he'd said were horrifying.
Either way, Ruby knew what sex was and why people did it – even that a lot of people did it for fun. Dad said that was fine so long as both were adults, knew what they were doing, consented and were careful. So, yeah, she knew how it worked. Better to be in the know than a fumbling teen, Dad said.
But she'd just sort of classed it as that thing she'd maybe have when or if she wanted to have a family. She hadn't found anyone she liked that way and Yang said you couldn't force it, and that would just mean having your first time with someone who wasn't the right one, ruining it forever. Ruby could see the logic there, so when she'd gotten old enough for some guys in school to show some interest, she'd kept her mind open but politely declined any who asked.
Well, the one who asked. She wasn't that popular…
Jaune was probably the only guy she'd gotten this close to since, but the thought of him and her like that – and she had thought about it, if only in an embarrassed way – didn't make her feel all that giddy. She got red-faced, but not out of desire. In fact, she couldn't help but imaging them face to face, him above her, and then the two of them bursting into giggles.
He was a good friend, but she was pretty sure that was all he'd be. Which was fine. Awesome, even. Ruby promised to be the best best-friend she could be, come rain or shine. Whatever he needed, she'd be there. This she swore.
And then he'd asked her for dating and sex advice.
Great…
Was it too late to take that promise back?
Apparently so.
"Yang really would be better for this," Ruby pointed out, even as it irritated her to say it. "She's had a boyfriend or two before." One lasted longer than the other and ended on okay terms when he had to move away. The other tried to stick his hand down her pants on day two. He'd… gotten better. In time. Honestly, he was lucky Dad and Uncle Qrow hadn't found out. Or Zwei.
"It would be kind of awkward to ask Yang about it…"
Ruby's mouth fell open. Her stomach clenched. "You're interested in Yang!?"
"What? No, no, no. It's not Yang."
"Oh, thank god…" Ruby slumped so hard she nearly slid off the sofa and pooled on the floor. It was only his body against hers that kept her upright.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he quipped. "You think Yang would turn me down that quickly?"
Yes.
"No…?"
The look on Jaune's face said he caught the white lie. "Don't worry about it. No, it's not Yang, but she knows the two involved. And she maybe doesn't like one of them all that much."
"Two…?"
Jaune bit his lip. "Uh…"
"There are two girls you're talking about? I'm pretty sure one of Blake's books is about that."
"No, no, it's not like that." Jaune stopped her before she could bring out the black-covered tome that hinted at threesomes within. "And we're not really that far along either. If at all. I don't even know if they like me or not. That's why I wanted to ask your advice. How do you tell if a girl likes you?"
"Without asking…?"
"Y-Yeah."
Okay, should have guessed there. Not like she could blame him, since, if she liked a guy, she'd not feel brave enough to ask them either. Then again, she probably wouldn't have to. Between Yang, Blake and Weiss, any guy she developed a crush on would be lucky to survive the week without being cornered, interrogated, threatened with ruin (physical and financial) and then hand-delivered to her wearing a suit and a bow tie.
But Jaune didn't have the benefit (and the horror) of a team like hers, so she had to work a little outside the box. The biggest problem was that she'd never liked a guy enough to try and get his attention, so she had to go on what she'd seen other girls do. Yang, and one or two of her old friends.
"Okay, so the first thing a girl who likes you would do is try to be around you more. I think anyone would do that. They'll talk to you a lot and try to spend as much time with you as they can without being creepy. Does that help?"
"I run a coffee shop. I'm around people all the time."
Oh, right. Yeah. It was probably hard to differentiate in that case. "Um, okay. So, another thing a girl might do is dress up nice to get your attention. Or basically doing anything to get your attention. Boys do it, too, but they tend to be a little less… uh…"
"Subtle?"
"Kinda…"
"I have seven sisters, Ruby. I'm fully aware of how a boy tried to get Coral's attention by stealing her glasses, and another time by putting gum in her hair."
Ruby cringed, imagining what Yang's reaction to that would be. Luckily, she'd never been the subject of someone trying to get her attention like that, but Yang had. Minus the gum part. A good thing since she might have killed anyone who did that.
"I think people get better at that as they get older," Ruby said. "If it's someone our age, they'll not be that bad with it."
"Makes sense."
"So, anyone doing that for you?" Ruby asked.
Even if she was just doing this to help him, there was a part of her that wanted to know who it was her best friend had an eye on. Maybe she was just being nosey, but she liked to think it was because he deserved the best. A selfish part of her was worried it might take attention away from her, but she squashed that down. Just her social anxiety kicking up again.
"I don't know…"
Ruby sighed. "You don't know as in you're not sure, or that you just don't pay attention to it?"
"W-Well, when I'm busy, I'm busy. Sometimes I don't notice anything past the fact when the diner is full. And people dress up nice all the time when they come out into Vale. I don't have many examples of seeing girls in casual clothes."
"Okay, sheesh. This is more difficult than I thought."
"Sorry…"
"It's fine. If you're busy with work, it's not like you're not noticing because you don't care, so I think it's okay. We just need to try a different angle." Ruby hummed and cupped her chin for a second, before perking up. "I know. Why don't you tell me what happened to make you think they like you?"
"And you can tell me if it means they're interested," Jaune realised. "Ruby, that's a great idea."
She preened a little. "Yep. I'm a genius."
"Okay. So… we were out at a nightclub together."
"Uhuh," Ruby said, leaning forward.
"And then they both kissed me."
"…" Ruby blinked.
"On the lips," Jaune added, or clarified. "With tongue. For about a minute or more."
She stared at him. Long and hard.
"Do you think that means they like me?"
Ruby sighed. She was fifteen, and she already felt like she was too old for this.
/-/
In the grand scheme of things, Pyrrha was pretty happy.
She'd just spent another evening with Coco and Velvet, this time without the guys – and Pyrrha liked that even she had started calling those two `the guys`, because it made her feel like a part of the group. Yatsuhashi and Fox were great, if a little intense. With just the three girls though, they'd gotten down to some rather stereotypical girl-talk.
The irony, of course, was that it was the only real time they'd ever bothered, since most of the time they were together they talked about movies, books, lessons, huntress weapons and other things that mattered a whole lot more than boys. But this time, for whatever reason, the conversation had just sort of naturally shifted.
Might have had something to do with the fact she'd told Coco she kissed Jaune.
Just maybe…
"How was it?"
"Magical."
"Girl, magical doesn't exist," Coco cackled. "It's a word used in fairy tail romance and shitty romcoms. Hot, sweaty, tastes of cinnamon or whatever else they've been eating. That's a kiss. Not to mention where their hands are. Now, give me the real details."
"Alright, alright. It was… it was definitely hot. And I mean hot as in warm!" Pyrrha hurried to say, right as Coco's eyes lit up and Velvet smothered a laugh in her fist. "The whole club was boiling hot and I was covered in sweat. I must have looked awful."
"Pyr, no one can see what you look like under strobe lighting. Trust me on that. What next?"
"Well, I didn't know how to do it, but the other girl – Miltia – just sort of took his kiss randomly. Just like that."
"And you got jealous?"
"No. Yes. Maybe…"
"Nothing wrong with that, girl. No one says you have to be the patron saint of virtue."
"I know, but… I don't dislike the other girl. She was kind of rude, and very blunt, but her and her sister were nice people and they really seemed to want the best for Jaune."
"The Malachites do care for him," Velvet spoke up. "But I don't think being jealous means you hate them."
"Velvet speaks the truth. Jealousy is natural. You're only a bitch if you act on it against her or try to hurt her. Competing for the guy you like isn't cruelty."
Pyrrha nodded and instantly felt a little better. Velvet was kind and always thought out her words in a way that made them seem so logical she couldn't help but accept them. Coco was the exact opposite, and yet somehow managed to sound so worldly, so experienced, that Pyrrha couldn't doubt anything she said. And maybe they were right. It was okay to feel jealousy so long as she didn't act on it and go after Miltia. Both Coco and Velvet motioned for her to go on, so Pyrrha took a breath and continued.
"The kiss itself was rushed. I didn't want to chicken out, so I just took hold of his face and pushed my lips against his without really giving myself a chance to doubt it. It… It did feel good, though. He tasted of peach and apricots."
"Apricots?" Velvet wondered.
"Probably his drink," Coco filled in. "And you pulled the moves the other girl did on you, huh? Sheesh, girl. I give you one or two bits of advice and you pull a girl and a guy in one night. I am so proud right now."
"Coco!" Pyrrha slapped her friend's arm but laughed along with her and Velvet. Yeah, she felt too good to be upset at the teasing. Maybe Coco was right when she said no kiss was truly magical, but it had been wonderful, and she desperately wanted to do it again. That was enough to prove it was a good idea.
"Now all we need to do is set Velvet up and we'll be home free."
"Coco!" Velvet was less willing to accept the teasing, not quite being on the same high as Pyrrha. "One, no we really don't, and two, I don't see you with a boyfriend."
"Eh, I'm waiting for Mr Right."
"Maybe I am, too."
Coco raised an eyebrow.
"I could be," Velvet protested.
Weakly.
"You're not. And I know you're working all the time, but that's only made you even more of a catch," Coco teased. "You're more sociable, more outgoing, and you rock that uniform. Seriously, you make it work. Damn."
"Why am I being more perved on by my own partner than my customers?" Velvet groaned.
"Because I have taste. What do you think, Pyrrha? Smash or pass?"
"I think Velvet looks great," Pyrrha said, politely choosing to dodge the question and not embarrass Velvet any further. "I can't say I knew her before working at Jaune's, but if you say she was quiet and shy before, I'm not sure I'd believe you."
"See?" Coco nudged Velvet, who wore a pleased smile and a bit of a blush. "You've come out so much, and trust me, guys love confident girls. Girls, too, if you're so inclined. You're a huntress, so you've got the body of a goddess, so what's holding you back?"
"Apart from me not wanting to?" Velvet snarked.
"Yeah, apart from that."
Coco's grin didn't budge for an instant. Typical Coco.
"It's not that I'm not interested," Velvet eventually said. "I just haven't felt for anyone like Pyrrha has, so I don't mind waiting a little. Sure, there are some guys I get on with, but-"
"Yats and Fox totally don't count, Vel. They treat you like a sister."
"I didn't mean them!"
"Oh? Then who did you mean?"
"Well, apart from Jaune, there's Russel and a few customers…"
"Ooh, Russel Thrush?" Coco wriggled her eyebrows. "Forbidden romance, huh? I like it."
"I said I get on with him, not that I- Ugh, Coco, you're hopeless." Velvet shook her head. "Russel is a good guy and I like him, but we're colleagues and friends. Nothing more."
"You sure?"
"Definitely – and I know he feels the same way because sometimes even he treats me like Yats or Fox does."
"Aw… lame."
"Not lame. Totally fine." Velvet rolled her eyes and settled down. "Russel is a good guy, and I wouldn't be upset if I did like him. I think I'd try it and I think I could be happy with going out with him. I just don't feel it."
"Might be awkward considering who he hangs out with," Coco pointed out.
"You mean Cardin?"
"Yeah. He's a pretty big racist."
"Russel isn't like that," Velvet laughed.
Pyrrha and Coco shared a look. It was hard to tell if Velvet realised or not, but Pyrrha was sure she'd seen Russel hanging out with Cardin while the bully insulted faunus, and she'd never heard him challenge the other or step in. She'd never heard Russel join in, either, but that didn't really change things. Hanging out with Cardin and not challenging him was as good as condoning his actions.
"Maybe he holds it in at work," Coco said. "Jaune wouldn't like it."
"No, he's not like that," Velvet said, this time with a little force. "I'd know, Coco, being, you know, the very target of what we're talking about. Russel looks at me normally. He talks to me normally. There's not a hint of him being that way."
"Not around you, anyway. He might just be good at hiding it."
"Russel helped me!" Velvet suddenly snapped. "He stood up for me when some people came and started being racist. He fought them!" She stood, pushing her skirt down and glared at both Coco and Pyrrha. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth him."
"Vel, wait," Coco called. It was too late as Velvet stormed out and slammed the door behind her. "Ah, shit."
Pyrrha stood, but Coco caught her arm and pulled her back down.
"What are you doing? I need to apologise to her."
"Not now," Coco warned. "You'll just make her even angrier. Besides, it's more me she's upset with. I'll talk to her later."
"Why not now?"
"Because If I apologise now, all I'm really apologising for is making her angry. She doesn't want that; she wants me to apologise for what I said about him. What's he like? You're his partner."
"Yes, but I don't know him well…"
Coco sighed. "Do you think he is? Racist, I mean?"
"I… I'm not sure. He does hang out with Cardin, and we've both seen Cardin abuse faunus. I don't know what Russel thinks, but if he was against it, he'd say something, wouldn't he? He wouldn't just stand there and watch it happen."
"I don't know," Coco admitted. "He might."
"So, he's a coward?"
"Or other things. Could be a number of reasons."
"Velvet seems to think he's not a racist." Pyrrha pointed out.
"And she'd know best." Coco sighed and leaned against her bed. "I'll apologise to her. Not like I can claim to know him better than she does when she works with him, like, five days a week. If she says he isn't, he isn't."
"What about me…?"
"You don't need to apologise," Coco grinned. "It was me who said it. Vel won't hold you over it. Sorry to ruin the evening."
"No, it's fine." Pyrrha stood and wished Coco good luck, letting herself out. Velvet was nowhere to be seen, but had probably gone off to the library, or maybe to find Yatsuhashi and Fox to complain to. Team CFVY would sort the issue out internally, as they often did.
She hadn't really been involved either way, which was kind of sad, really. Russel was her partner. If they were wanting to know more about him, there shouldn't be anyone else in Beacon who knew him better. The whole thing could have been avoided if her team wasn't this mess of long silences and awkward avoidance.
Should I do something about it? Pyrrha asked herself. She hadn't before because she'd lost hope of anyone treating her like a normal person and given up, but hadn't Coco and Velvet proven her wrong there by becoming her friend?
Couldn't she do the same to her team? It was a little late, yes, but if Coco could apologise for upsetting Velvet, she could do the same with Russel.
It couldn't hurt to try.
/-/
"Jaune…"
"I'm being serious."
"That's the issue!" Ruby groaned, face still in her hands. "The issue is that you're literally the densest person alive."
"Hey…"
"Yes, you big idiot. A girl kissing you on the lips is a sign that she probably likes you."
"Are you sure?"
Ruby threw her hands in the air and almost fell off the sofa. Was she-? Oh, come on. Maybe Yang wasn't needed for this after all, since if she'd heard this, Ruby had no idea what her sister would do. Give up on him? Take him to a doctor and ask for a check-up?
No. That was unfair. If Jaune honestly still felt the need to make sure after what was a clear sign, then that was probably a sign of something wrong with him.
"Jaune," she began cautiously. Firmly. "Why do you think a kiss isn't a sign?"
"B-Because friends can kiss."
"We haven't."
"W-Well, no…"
"I don't think Blake, Yang or Weiss have kissed you either," she pointed out. "And I've never had a guy friend kiss me on the lips, with tongue, for as long as you're saying this girl did to you. A friendly kiss might be on the cheek." For emphasis, she leaned up and pecked him on his left cheek, grinning as his face heated up. "Like that. Not…"
She trailed off and gestured uselessly. She hadn't really thought his through, but she wasn't going to do the other just to prove a point.
"Not like what she did."
"I know…" Jaune let out a long sigh. He looked away. "It's just… I don't know. I guess I just don't see why anyone would be interested in me like that."
"Why not?"
Jaune waved a hand. He seemed to realise what he was saying and looked away. "It doesn't matter."
It does to me, she wanted to say. Did he think he wasn't good enough? Was that why he was so eager to dismiss someone's interest in him, because he thought it had to be misplaced because no one in the right mind could like him? Ruby scowled, recalling a time when she hadn't felt quite so different. Not towards romance but making friends in general. Back when she'd wanted nothing more than to stick with Yang and let her do all the talking.
But if she'd done that, her friends wouldn't be her friends. They'd be Yang's. Just like they were back in Signal.
"Do you not like yourself?" Ruby asked.
"What?" Jaune's eyes widened, and he quickly laughed. "No, it's not like that. I-I'm a lot happier than I used to be. Genuinely," he added when she narrowed her eyes. "I'll admit that when you first met me, I felt awful. I was crushed about not going to Beacon and I thought I was useless. But I've proven I'm not now. This," he said, indicating the apartment, and below it the diner. "This proves I can do something right."
"Who does it prove it to?"
"Ah…" He trailed off.
"Your Dad didn't seem to think it needed to," she said, recalling the stern, but funny man they'd spoken to. "He told us a little about you back home and your family, about how they all wanted to know how you were doing. They didn't seem worried, though. It didn't feel like anyone there thought you wouldn't be able to make it."
"And it's not us, either," she continued. "I called you a super businessman on the first day I met you, and you got me to drink coffee and like it. Me! I couldn't doubt you after that. Weiss helps you because she thinks you can succeed and because she can. Blake trusts you with her secrets, and Yang doesn't have any issues with you. They only knew you as being this anyway, so it's not like you had to prove anything to them." Ruby took a deep breath. "So, who? Who does this prove it to, Jaune? Who are you trying to prove yourself to?"
He didn't answer, but Ruby didn't expect him to. She knew the answer.
"It's you. Isn't it?"
"It's not… It… It's not like that…"
"I think it is," she said, watching him carefully. He didn't deny it, at least not convincingly. "You failed to get into Beacon, so I can get you doubting yourself. I would, too. But you don't have to do all this to prove you can be successful, and the fact you feel you have to in the first place sucks. I'm worried about you."
"You shouldn't be. Don't worry about me."
"Stop it! Stop putting yourself down."
"W-What? I didn't. I just said not to worry."
"And I'll fricking well worry if I want to," Ruby growled.
"Frick…?"
"Shut up!" she snapped. "We're not talking about me. We're talking about you. Jaune. My friend. My best friend. The kick-butt café lord of Vale. The guy who came out of nowhere and is doing so well that he has the biggest chain on Remnant opening a new shop just to try and compete with him. And even then, they weren't able to steal all your customers."
"Yang went to watch their concert."
"And Yang will never be allowed to forget her treachery," Ruby growled. "Stop trying to change the subject. The only one doubting you is you." She poked him in the chest. He looked stunned, but also a little withdrawn. "I think you don't like yourself," she said. "I think you think you do," she added when he looked ready to argue. "But I think secretly, deep inside, you think you're useless."
"I-I do…?"
"Subconsciously," Ruby decided, relieved to have recalled the term. "It's like, even if you're content with how things are going, you keep thinking of it in terms of you failing Beacon. The whole Beacon thing is still weighing down on you, even though you thought you were over it."
"I never realised. I thought… I told Ozpin it was fine. I understandwhy he did it. I wouldn't be any good in Beacon. I'm pleased I'm out here instead."
"And Weiss is pleased and happy to let me be the team leader, but that doesn't mean she still doesn't feel a little annoyed for not being good enough." Even if Weiss did her best to hide it. "The only difference is that she gets annoyed at herself, not me. It's normal to feel like that."
"I guess so." Jaune rubbed his head and sighed. "So, I'm still bothered by the rejection, and I've let it choke me out here?"
"I think so." Ruby felt a little relief that he hadn't gone off the handle or gotten angry at her. "It makes sense. Anyone would be upset about it. But you need to accept it was a thing and let it go. Beacon didn't work out. This did, and it's working out amazingly!"
Jaune's smile was a little prouder. "It is…"
"No, it really is," Ruby argued. "You've got success, some money, a place to call your own, employees, friends, and now you might even get a girlfriend. Can you say you expected all of those things to happen?"
"No." Jaune grinned again and sat a little straighter. "No way. I, well, it was always something I wanted, but I never thought…"
"Because you kept doubting yourself. But you shouldn't anymore. If a girl likes you, she likes you. Don't insult her by suggesting she's made a mistake or doesn't know what she's doing." Ruby rapped a hand on her skull. "We're pretty smart, you know."
"You mean you're pretty smart," Jaune teased back.
Ruby grinned. "And don't you forget it!"
"You're a good friend, Ruby," he said, wrapping an arm around her. Ruby allowed it, but also coughed meaningfully. "The best friend, I mean. Sorry, I forgot I'm not supposed to judge you by mortal standards, Goddess of Friendship that you are."
"You are forgiven." She tapped his nose with a finger and they both burst into giggles.
She had a feeling he'd be okay.
"Okay, so now that I have to accept that they might like me – and oh my God, girls might like me – I need to know what to do about it." Jaune shared a meaningful look with her and Ruby returned it with a nod of her own. Reaching out, she grabbed a big bottle of soda and plopped it down on the table. Jaune leaned the other way and came back with a bag of snacks.
Blake's stolen collection of books was laid out between them.
"Things turn steamy when Lisa, right out of a relationship, meets a baker she cannot take her eyes – nor hands – off. With family visiting, a school reunion in two weeks, not to mention her ex clamouring for her return, what is Lisa to do?" She read a little further. "Hardcore romance and steamy action."
Jaune nodded. "Sounds good."
See. She was smart in more ways than one. If Jaune wanted to learn how to romance, he needed to learn from the master, and Weiss always did say you could learn things from books. Sure, it would take him some practice before he got it down, but she could help.
What were friends for?
/-/
Back in Beacon, Blake suddenly sat up straight in bed, sweat running down her brow.
"Blake?" Yang yawned, letting a hand fall over the bunk above. "What's up?"
"I felt a wave of terror wash over me. Like the White Fang just planned the end of the world, yet worse. Far worse."
Yang yawned again and rolled over. "Go to, snrghhh…" She didn't finish, already off in dreamland, leaving Blake behind to look down at her hands which continued to shake. Was it her imagination or was the bunk above a little lower, the tower of books she'd used to support it a little shorter? It wasn't. Several were missing.
More than several.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…"
No, they didn't have sex. I'll just head that off because there is always someone who jumps to it. Ruby and Jaune have their one-to-one, while Pyrrha resolves to face her issues head on and confront Russel.
Jaune gets his `better than you think you are` speech, and Ruby is HALPING.
Well, at least Militia might approve of the research…
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur