Well, here it is. I think this chapter is something that a lot of people have been looking forward to, and I tried to do my best with it and I hope it came out the way people were hoping it would. As happy as I am to put this chapter out...this just reminds me that there isn't much left for this story. I know this would happen eventually, that it would have to end. A part of me though really doesn't want it to, it makes me happy, but sad...excited, but also nervous. This is by far the only story I've come so close to actually finishing...a-and I don't know how to feel. Anyway this isn't about me this is about the story, so please enjoy it and I hope it was worth the wait for this moment.

This Moment

With a heavy sigh Nyx threw herself on the bed to stare up at the ceiling as a steady beat played in her ears, she lifted her scroll and switched to the next song as it quickly started up. Tilting her head to the side she sighed once again seeing the three empty beds of her teammates, they had all wanted to go out shopping today, but Nyx couldn't bring herself to go with them.

She had a lot on her mind, and she didn't want to get stuck with Avelyn deciding between two skirts for hours on end, not again. She closed her eyes and groaned softly, she couldn't stop thinking about the other day, about what she had seen and everything that came with it. She felt so ashamed of herself, she couldn't believe how stupid she had been.

She didn't know why she had even bothered to humor the thought, she knew Ruby had feelings for Rodric, but that couldn't stop how she felt every time she was around him. Not only had he been nice enough to be her friend, but he had done so much for her, even going so far to fight Cardin and so many other people. Being around him made her feel...normal. She really needed that, since so many other people still treated her differently since that asshole had outed her practically in front of the whole school. Not only had that been an awful experience she basically had to relive it all over again, when she had to talk to Professor Goodwitch and explain why she didn't feel comfortable using the changing rooms.

That had been fun.

She still had her friends on her team and on Team RWBY and JNPR who treated her normally, and she could at least be thankful for that. Rodric though...she knew he was being kind to her because that was what she really needed right now, but she couldn't seem to convince her feelings that, that's all it was. She wasn't as naive as Ruby was, she knew exactly what it was when she started feeling it, it didn't help that he was so damn affectionate with the two of them.

She flipped over on her stomach and buried her now red face into her pillow groaning loudly into it. Did he realize what he was doing? Was that normal for a dragon? Was that normal for him? She wished she knew, because at least then she would know if he was just being really nice or...She shook her head groaning loudly again. He was a nice guy he wouldn't do anything like that would he?

Ugh, stupid handsome Rodric... She didn't even really know who she was madder at, Rodric for being so affectionate with her or with herself for being jealous of what the two of them had. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before, she had initially thought the two of them had been friends only, she didn't know that Ruby had managed to work up the courage to confess to him. It was only when she caught them holding hands after his fight with Yang. She knew it would have happened eventually, she knew that because she pushed Ruby to tell him, even threatening she would tell Rodric herself...so why did she get so angry when she saw that?

It didn't help that she started to notice more things, the more the three of them hung out together, the way the two of them looked at each other, the lingering hugs and touches, the way Ruby's face always went red whenever he spoke in that way she couldn't understand. She slowly tried to distance herself, coming up with excuses to not be around them. She felt like she was being a jerk, but it was better than them eventually noticing and the ensuing conversation they would have. That wouldn't have been good for any of them. She didn't want to lose the two of them because she couldn't control her own feelings for someone she could never have.

This sucks.

She hated being alone, but it was much better than being a downer for them or the third wheel. She knew they were trying to be nice to her because of everything that happened, but she didn't want to get in their way, they were a new couple anyway they needed their space to figure things out. She would only get in their way, she would only get more upset, she would end up doing something stupid. Not that she wasn't already doing something stupid with how much she thought about him, it wasn't like she tried to do it on purpose, anytime she was alone she would just start thinking about his stupid face. Then she would think about his stupid eyes...about how caring he was, the way he always smiles at her then...she would imagine hugging him, wondering what his lips would feel like when he...

She quickly sat up from her spot on the bed quickly shaking her head as her cheeks only continued to grow warm, the scene she concocted continuing on despite not wanting it to. She quickly jumped out of bed and put a pair of her shoes on, she needed a distraction, right now. She made sure to grab her scroll and proceeded into the hallway, and quickly pulled up her contact list and only just managed to stop herself from calling Ruby, she was trying to give them space and yet she was running right to them. She sighed and slipped her scroll into her pocket and decided to figure her own troubles out.

Perhaps she was in a daze and not thinking straight but she ended up walking past the dining hall three times, maybe it was her subconscious telling her it was time to eat, or maybe she just wasn't paying attention. She shook her head and turned and figured maybe going outside would clear her head of all the dirty thoughts she was having. Yeah, sure. She sighed and started to walk away but heard a loud crash come from door that lead into the kitchen the staff used to prepare the food for the students. She looked around and saw no one else and decided to go and see if they were alright at least, it had sounded pretty bad.

She pushed open the metal door and looked around, but all she saw were tons and tons of shelves filled with metal bowls and pots and pans and other devices she had never seen before, but could assume they were used for cooking. She turned her head towards the line of large fridges as her ears twitched, she could barely hear a low muttering over the loud humming of all the fridges. "Uhm...hello?"

The noise suddenly stopped only to quickly followed by a voice, "Nyx?"

Well it was someone she obviously knew but she couldn't tell who it was, she let the door close behind her as she stepped further into near spotless room. "Yes, it's Nyx..." She shook her head as she looked around, the kitchen was a lot more spacious than she had thought it would have been, but it made sense considering how much food came out of here. Her ears twitched again as she quickly turned and gasped as she stumbled back her heart now pounding out of her chest as Rodric suddenly appeared behind her.

"There you are, here taste this."

Nyx looked up at him confused, "Thanks for scaring me, now what are you-" She was cut off when he suddenly pushed a spoon with a piece of something on it, into her mouth. She started to protest only for her eyes to go wide as the taste of chocolate filled her mouth, she groaned softly as she pulled the spoon out and savored the taste that now coated her tongue. "Oh gods, that's so good! What is that?"

A large smile came across his face as he sighed softly, "Chocolate cake, well rather it's Black Forest Chocolate cake, but is it really good?"

Nyx's cheeks ached from how much she was smiling from it, and her tail was wagging happily behind her, "Are you kidding me, that was amazing, please tell me there's more."

He laughed and nodded, "Of course, come on." He turned and lead her further into the kitchen, past the line of fridges and back to a larger more open area of the kitchen that was lined with stoves and ovens, and had counters filled with blenders and other things she had no idea about. In the center of all that though was a large chocolate cake with a slice already cut out of it and sitting on a small plate. She had to resist running to it, but it had been so good, much better than any boxed ones she ever had.

She stood on one side and waited for him to walk around the island counter and stood on the other side of the cake, she waited eagerly as her tail wagged behind her. He let out another chuckle and pushed the already sliced piece towards her, she happily took it and quickly ate it. It was so good, she could taste the hint of bitterness that came from dark chocolate but for once it didn't bother her, it actually made it taste even better. There was also a hint of something else in it, as she licked her spoon clean she looked up at him, "Are there cherries in this?"

Rodric hesitated for a moment, "Would it be a problem if there were?" She quickly shook her head and held out her plate hoping for another piece of it, he chuckled and cut her off another slice and gently placed it on her plate. "Then yes, there are cherries in the cake, the one thing the school didn't carry oddly enough, so I had to grow my own."

In the middle of a bite Nyx's eyes went wide at that, but she didn't say much, more so focused on eating the delicious cake he had given her, all previous thoughts now filled with amazing chocolate cake. She didn't know why she didn't try this before, she heard that chocolate was supposed to make people happier. Rodric chuckled and pulled her attention back to him, he motioned to his cheek, and for a moment her heart stopped, she thought he was asking her for a kiss. That was until he pointed towards her and then her face went red, he was telling her she had icing on her face, she quickly cleaned herself up and muttered a low "thanks." Had he not done that she wasn't sure if she wouldn't have actually done that, would he have been mad? Would he have understood why she did it?

"Nyx is it not to your liking?"

Her head quickly shot up as she shook her head, "Oh no no, the cake is amazing, I just...had something on my mind..."

Rodric hummed and stayed silent for a moment as he moved over to the oven and opened it slightly, the smell of something sweet and almost sour reached her nose as she sighed softly. "Would those thoughts have any reason why you have been avoiding me and Ruby as of late?" When she didn't answer he turned and looked towards her and saw the look on her face he sighed softly and stood back up. "It is, isn't it?"

Nyx shifted slightly as she chewed on her lip before dropping her eye to the counter and sighing softly, "Sort of..."

Rodric figured sooner or later someone was going to discover the two of them, luckily for him it had been Nyx but something about the way she was acting felt off. "I take it you know then that Ruby and I are together then, yes?"

Nyx looked away as her tail flicked angrily behind her as the words left his mouth, she opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Rodric sighed and continued. "If you have a problem with us being together Nyx simply say so, you don't need to hide from us. You are still our friend despite-"

"What?!" She suddenly shouted tail bristling slightly, "I don't have a problem with you two, why would you say that! If I hadn't talked to Ruby she never would have said a thing to you about her feelings!" Realizing she was shouting for no reason her face went red as she shrunk back in on herself slightly, "Sorry." They stayed silent for a moment before Nyx finally managed to speak again, "I'm glad you two are together, Ruby was fairly obvious about how she felt about you, I'm just glad she finally said something." She crossed her arms slightly as her tail wrapped itself slightly around her leg, "I would hate to see what would have happened if someone else had managed to ask you before she did."

If there was one thing Rodric learned in his long, long life it was that people, whether they were human or faunus never said what they really meant. He saw plenty of that when kings and knights would debase themselves before their elders, trying to twist their words to get power without the price. It never fared well for them, but while something like that wasn't common anymore from what he's seen, it seemed people still did that. He looked up and locked his eyes on Nyx as he sighed, "I doubt anyone other than Ruby has feelings for me, especially after what they all saw, right Nyx?" When her tail flicked again angrily he nodded slightly to himself, Right.

Nyx had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything stupid, she made the mistake of looking up at saw that those blue eyes stared right into hers. Quickly thinking of an excuse she reached into her pocked and looked at her scroll, "Sorry Rodric, I have to go, thank you for the cake by the way."

Rodric watched as Nyx started to walk away and without thinking he quickly called out to her, "Nyx wait!" To his surprise she actually did, but then it was on him to keep talking, and he wasn't sure if this was something that she wanted to talk about. It was clear it bothered her a lot, and he only just started a relationship with Ruby, he didn't have a right to talk about it, did he?

"Yeah?"

Nyx was still waiting on him, he opened his now dry mouth and managed a smile, "Thank you." He didn't miss the way her face seemed to drop slightly.

"Yeah...your welcome." Then she left.

Rodric leaned against the counter sighing heavily as he rubbed his forehead. It was times like this he wished his brother was around, he was always the one being sought out and fought over by many that wished for his attention. Rodric never had to deal with that himself, which was why this new discovery confused him, perhaps it was because he had finally accepted that Ruby did indeed love him, that he was more aware of it now, but a part of him almost wished he was still ignorant to it. It made him wonder how long she had been holding onto those feelings, choosing to ignore them so Ruby could have her chance, he glanced towards the door before sighing as a sharp ding pulled his attention back.

Shaking his head slightly he pulled open the oven and reached in, the heat against his skin clearing his head a bit, as he pulled out the now freshly baked pie and set it on the counter to cool. But his thoughts went back to Nyx, was he supposed to say anything, was it even right for him to bring it up? She hadn't said anything and perhaps she intended it that way, perhaps bringing it up would be a bad idea. Still, was it even okay for it to be left as it was? He shook his head, no he's tormented Nyx enough, she wasn't in any danger, so if she wished to keep her secrets then so be it. If and when she decided she wanted to talk about it, he would listen, but for now he had other things he needed to attend too, teaching himself to cook and bake had taken longer than he had expected it too.

It was to be expected, he grabbed some plates as well as forks and knives as he took the still warm pie with his other hand and headed out of the kitchen. As lovely as the pie smelled he sadly wasn't going to partake, in fact it was going to be used as a distraction for his little rose. The two of them had sadly not been spending as much time as he would like together, but it was for a good cause. In a few days it would be exactly one month the two of them had been together, and he wanted to do something special for the occasion, more for her than anything. She had told him this was her first relationship, and he wanted to make it special for her, but he still needed to prepare, but first.

He knocked on Team RWBY's door and was met with the surprised face of Ruby whose eyes quickly went to the pie he held in his hand, and her eyes seemed to grow wider. When she went to reach for it he quickly pulled it back as she pouted, "Not yet it still needs to cool, besides this isn't just for you, I expect you to share."

She groaned as he walked past her and set it on the windowsill to allow it to finish cooling, he sat the plates and utensils down next to it and turned only to see Ruby sitting on the bed, arms crossed and still pouting. He shook his head and turned back towards the pie and cut her a single slice, the deep red of the cherry and its glaze oozing onto the plate. He turned towards her and presented his rose with the slice of pie, she looked at it surprised before looking up to see him smiling at her, "If you must insist, then I suppose a single slice wouldn't hurt."

She squealed with joy and happily took the plate presented to her as he chuckled and sat down next to her, she squealed once again when she took her first bite. The tartness made her cheeks ache but it tasted so good, she didn't know what causes his sudden urge to bake, but gods could he bake, and she wasn't going to complain about free sweets whenever she wanted. Not to mention that something about them being made by Rodric rather than being bought, made it taste a lot better. Sometimes she wondered if this was because it was going to be one month since she asked him to be with her, but he hadn't said anything about it, maybe it was something only she cared about.

Regardless if he knew or not, it was still going to be one month since the two of them had been together. It was still so weird to think about, they didn't really act too much different than they normally did, they were more affectionate, or at least as affectionate as her nervous heart could handle. She held his hand as often as she possibly could, the anytime hugs were probably the best part. Knowing that she could hold him as tight as she wanted whenever she wanted always made her heart flutter. However, they never did more than that, she always wanted to ask if they could sleep together, sure it sounded like a simple question to her but she didn't trust her mouth to say the words correctly. She was still a nervous wreck around him as it were, she didn't need to give herself a heart attack by stumbling over her words with that.

It sucked, because she would love nothing more than to sleep next to him being able to hold him close. That was the dream. She gave a long sigh as she thought about it, "Ruby?" She was suddenly aware that Rodric was still in here as she was busy daydreaming of sleeping with him, she felt her face go red as she scolded herself. Not like that brain.

"Yes?"

He looked down at her and sighed as gently cupped her face and cleaned the corner of her mouth, "I understand that you enjoyed it but please don't make such a mess."

Ruby's face went red, but rather than turn away like she normally would, she nervously reached up and placed her hand over his, her face still went red as she kept her eyes focused on the sheets, "Sorry."

Since the time they had been together Ruby had slowly become more brave in how she showed her affection towards him, now whenever they were alone she was the one who reached for his hand first. She sat as close as she could when they had watched a movie together once, she had even begun to say 'I love you' when they were together. It had been quiet at first, but became a more apparent saying as time went on, she had begun to say it more often when they were alone together. Every time she said it made a wide smile grow on his face, he was sure he had never smiled this much before, he had to be honest. He couldn't be happier.

"Rodric..." His attention returned to her and saw he was still cradling her face, her now red face, however she kept her eyes locked with his as she leaned into his hand. Surely it was a crime for a single person to be this lovely.

"Yes, my rose?"

Ruby chewed on her lip as she looked up at him, there was one thing Ruby had been wanting to do for some time, but every time the thought crossed her mind, it left her a stuttering mess. There was no way she would ever be able to ask him for something like that, would he even want to or was she being too bold with the little bits of courage she had been managing to scrape together. She wasn't sure, maybe it would be best to wait for him to make the first move, it would be more romantic that way instead of asking anyway. She shook her head and smiled and looked up at him, "I-I love you."

Rodric was taken aback, as it often was when Ruby said those three little words to him. She had said them so many times by now but every time she did always surprised him, especially when it was so suddenly. Nevertheless, he returned the smile, "And I love you, little rose."

Their moment together didn't last to much longer as the rest of her team returned a short time later, Ruby had finally learned to hide her emotions better. Any nervousness she normally would have felt was quickly replaced with excitement as she jumped up from her spot on the bed and grabbed the now cooled pie, to present to her team. Yang seemed the most excited about the prospect of pie, no one was really surprised anymore as he had been delivering sweets to their door for roughly two weeks as he slowly learned to bake. Team JNPR also received those treats and Nora seemed the most pleased about cakes and pies, no one else seemed as excited for some reason.

Once the pie had been split up for the remaining members of RWBY, he locked eyes with those beautiful pools of silver and smirked, his chest rumbled, "I love you little rose." Ruby's face went red so quickly that she didn't have a way to cover her face, so everyone in the room noticed and asked if she were okay. Rodric chuckled lightly to himself and stood, he excused himself and made his way to leave, he locked eyes with Ruby again and smiled as he left the room.

A pair of amber eyes looked at the door for a long time before giving a curious look to her red face team leader. Blake took another bite of her slice of pie as she gave a slightly curious hum.

Saturday, normally a day when he would have chosen to spend with Ruby, however if he intended to make their one month together memorable then he needed to get to work. Luckily it seemed Weiss was barricading Ruby in the dorm to make sure she studied, he wondered if she was simply being dramatic but...he wouldn't blame Weiss if that were true.

Regardless of that, he had something rather interesting planned, first he was going to have to clear the area. He stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest, there was a particular location close by that had a stream flowing through it, that was the perfect place, all he needed to do was get rid of the Grimm. He took a deep breath before exhaling softly allowing his scales to break through his skin and completely cover his arms, he looked down at his claws and proceeded to drop over the edge of the cliff, his claws dug into the stone as he slid down the steep cliff. He grunted softly when his feet touched down on the thick grass at the bottom, he shuddered slightly as a strong breeze rushed over him, this would be the first time he actually used his powers against the Grimm, he couldn't stop the smile that cross his face.

There was no need to hold back, nothing to stop him from letting loose no one he had to worry about hurting. Perfect. He popped his neck as he walked into the large forest eyes glowing brightly as he quickly went to work. Compared to the hunters and huntresses he fought the Grimm were nothing, they all quickly fell as they tried to take him down, none of them had gotten close enough to so much as scratch him, his plants holding them back and killing them before they could even get close. The more that came for him the more he let himself go, soon he dropped his plants and rushed forward into the fray, claws slicing through the hides of the Grimm, shattering their bone plating and ripping their throats out. His scales were now covered in the black ichor that spilled from their wounds, he panted softly and looked around as the bodies of those disgusting creatures slowly faded around him.

His pounding heart slowly began to calm as he took another deep breath and sighed softly, unfortunately there had been fewer Grimm in the area than he had hoped, but that did make things easier for him. He made his way towards the stream and dropped to his knees and washed his scales in the stream watching as the moving water washed away the tar like blood, it brought a smile to his face, reminding him of when he would bathe in the lakes with his brothers and sisters, relaxing or fighting in that deep water. His eyes went to his scales as he removed them from the water, as he sighed, perhaps one day he would be able to return to that form again.

In between spending time with Ruby and his preparations for his surprise to her, he had tried to see multiple time if he could return to that form. So far, it didn't seem so, whenever he tried to push past where he was currently his body would be racked with extreme pain, perhaps he simply wasn't ready yet, he wasn't sure. He sighed softly and looked around, the bodies had finally disappeared completely, though he had to regrow the flattened grass from their bodies but that was the easy part. He stood and shook the water from his hands as he walked around a large perimeter making sure he had taken care of the Grimm in the area, for the most part he didn't see anything else aside from the normal wild animals. As a precaution, he marked the trees along the area he had claimed for his own use, digging his claws deep into the large trees, at least for the forest animals they would stay away with that. For the Grimm however, he cut a deep gash into his hand letting his blood bubble up, and with that he went back over the trees he had marked and smeared his blood across the bark. It caused the wood to smoke slightly and burned the wood but the blood remained once it had cooled, he wasn't sure if that would work but it was his best idea.

Once he was sure the area was protected he walked back into the area and looked for a spot that was already partially cleared, and once he managed to find one he moved on the next part of his plan. He dropped to his knees and dug his claws into the soft dirt, the grass seemed to quiver as he did so, he closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, he could feel the grass sprouting and breaking through the dirt, filling in the empty patches and thickening up, almost making a soft blanket of grass. He focused again pushing up large patches of flowers, he opened his eyes and smiled a bit and decided to get a bit creative with his work.

He slowly stood and wiped his brow with his arm, he looked around at everything he had made and nodded to himself. Everything looked perfect he still had one more thing to take care of and then everything would indeed be perfect, hopefully the Grimm would stay away, he didn't want anything to ruin this for her. He heard water rippling and turned to see several large salmon breaking the surface of the water, he blinked and licked his lips, those would work, and there was plenty.

It only dawned on him that returning to Beacon with Grimm blood spattered across his clothes and a wooden cage filled with several fresh large salmon would draw a lot of attention. That, and the smell was much stronger than he had anticipated, catching fish for later wasn't something he was used to, however he had a feeling that consuming raw fish as he was now would probably only end badly for him. "Rodric!" He turned and saw a small red blur quickly approaching him, he braced himself for the inevitable crushing hug, but it never came. He looked down and saw she had stopped short and was covering her nose, "Gross, you stink."

He laughed out at that, once he calmed himself he shook his head, "First, rude. Second," He held up the basket of large salmon that had long since stopped moving, "I have been busy hunting, with all the baking I've done lately I thought I would try to cook some actual food that isn't filled with sugar."

Ruby rolled her eyes ignoring the slight jab at her, she looked up and noticed that he had what looked like ink splattered on his clothes and some staining his skin. Using the hand that wasn't covering her nose she pointed towards it, "What's that?"

He looked down to what she was pointing at and noticed the blood staining his clothes, he hadn't even realized it had been that much. He shook his head, "Oh that, I ran into some Grimm while I was out." Ruby's eyes went wide and she quickly opened her mouth to say something but was stopped when Rodric pressed his finger against her lips, causing her face to flush, "Before you say anything I am fine. The Grimm weren't anything to worry about, I've faced off against several huntsmen the Grimm were as you would say, cake."

Ruby couldn't help but giggle slightly at that, out of everything it seemed Rodric still had trouble integrating modern turns of phrase into his way of speaking, he tried and it always sounded funny when he did. As much as she loved him she couldn't keep her face from twisting up in disgust when the smell of the fish reached her nose again, she groaned loudly in disgust and moved away from him fanning the air, "Blegh you need a shower though!"

Rodric couldn't help but laugh and out stretched his arms and took a step towards her, "Whats the matter little rose, don't feel like a hug?"

Ruby took a step back and then another when he stepped closer as she pinched her nose in an attempt to keep that horrid smell out, "D-Don't you dare..." He stood still for a moment before lunging towards her causing her to yelp and leap away from him, and then he was chasing her all the while she shouted at him.

Bright blue eyes stared in confusion at the scene they were witnessing. Weiss wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew she wanted no part of it, especially since that atrocious smell was coming from that direction. She turned to walk away but stopped and turned once again to look at the two of them before humming slightly.

Sunday he had found himself at an impasse, there was still quite a bit he needed to do in order to be fully prepared to surprise his little rose. Yet, she had also pleaded with him to watch a movie with her, normally he would politely decline and promise to do so on another day, but as she put it. "We haven't been spending time together, I know it's stupid but...I miss you."

Perhaps his heart had finally softened to the younger girl or perhaps this is simply what love was, but it made his heart ache when she spoke those words. There were still a few days before their 'anniversary' as he found out it was called, would arrive, it would be cutting it close but he was sure he could manage it just fine. He didn't realize how much sway she had over him but when she would throw her arms around him and hold him tight, perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing. He heard a knock on his door as he finished setting down the snacks she said all movies required, knowing her it was an excuse to indulge in sweets. He had prepared brownies for the occasion lest she try to bring a mountain of her own sweets to this movie.

He approached the door and quickly opening it, to his surprise Ruby wasn't dressed in her normal clothes, but in what she had proudly described as her lazy clothes / pajamas. A shirt depicting three Beowolves howling up at the shattered moon, a smile crossed his face when he recalled the way she 'ooh' and 'aahed' over the shirt the first time she had seen it. She wore her pajama pants and a pair of slippers, in her hands she carried a strange device as well as a concering-ly large bowl of popcorn. He chuckled as he took the large bowl from her, "Good evening little rose, I see you are as prepared as ever."

She giggled, "Sorry I figured one of us was going to really want popcorn, I got the good kind, extra butter!"

Rodric sighed as she made her way into his room and began to grow excited about the brownies he had made, "You know Ruby, I often worry more about your unhealthy eating habits that worrying about you facing off against some dark abomination."

She turned to him with a brownie stuffed into her mouth and another in her hand as she attempted to speak but all that came out was a jumble of sounds and bits of brownie. She realized she wasn't making sense and quickly finished the deliciously chocolaty square, "I said, what are you talking about, I'm in perfect health last I checked, I just have a really high metabolism. Not my fault I crave sweet things."

He rolled his eyes and set the bowl on the bed and cupped her face as she slowly went red, "Yet still a messy eater." He chuckled and wiped the corners of her mouth as Ruby whimpered slightly in embarrassment, "Now you've kept me waiting long enough, what exactly are we watching?"

"Oh!" She placed the other brownie she had in her mouth as she held up three different boxes, "I haven't seen these because Yang never waits to watch it with me, so I figured we could."

He took the movies from her and looked at them, Underworld? He read the short description on the back and it seemed to be a series of movies about strange creatures called Lycans and Vampires, strange. He looked back to Ruby and then to what she was wearing, "I suppose this means it's just us?"

Ruby blushed furiously as she nervously laughed and quickly moved around him towards his bed, "Y-Yeah, b-but I did try to invite the others. Yang said she had seen the movies enough, and Blake and Weiss said they were busy, but they acted really weird about it." She shrugged as she fiddled with her fingers, "S-So it's just us."

Something about the way she said that made a low rumble start in his throat that he quickly silenced as he cleared his throat, as he felt heat starting to rise up his neck. "Well you know how to work that contraption, go ahead and start the movie."

"Oh right." Ruby quickly stood and went up to the device she had brought with her, he sat down on the bed and watched as she fiddled with it, he reached out and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl as he propped his pillow against the wall and leaned against it, leaving enough room for Ruby as well knowing she would want to do the same. A screen flickered to life just about the device as the movie began to play, Ruby quickly turned around and seeing what he had done she smiled, "Oh good thinking." She giggled and quickly took her spot next to him, she bit her lip as her heart pounded against her chest, she took his hand and then lifted his arm up and around her shoulder as she wiggled a bit and leaned more on him than the pillows. She kept her eyes focused as the movie played, not sure if she would even be able to talk straight if he looked up at him, "That's better."

This is new, he looked down at the younger girl as she rested her head on his chest eyes watching the screen as it flashed as a gunfight erupted in a subway. However, his eyes were drawn back to the girl resting against him, it seemed she still had a few surprises left for him, but he wasn't going to let her be the only one with surprises. He moved his arm further placing his hand at her waist as he pulled her closer against him, he felt her go stiff and he couldn't help but smirk as he finally turned his attention to the movie.

Ruby was at a loss; she hadn't expected him to respond with something like that. Her heart was pounding so hard and loud it made hearing the movie difficult, she wasn't sure how he wasn't hearing this, but when he gently squeezed her waist she shut her eyes and pushed herself closer to him. It was taking every ounce of self-control to not be reduced to a trembling mess, but she couldn't be happier. She dug her fingers into his shirt as she slowly shifted her focus from the movie to his strong and steady heartbeat, she smiled and closed her eyes, she couldn't believe how lucky she was.

Ruby had made no other move so he simply held her close and watched the movie. It was fairly interesting, a lot of shady dealings, politics, betrayal, and of course murder. Funny, for a movie so long past his time everything in it reminded him of it, he managed to bite back a growl when the slimy and cowardly vampire sold out his own kind to the Lycans, not just him but it seemed he had others that sided with him, standing by watching as their own kind were slaughtered and then simply left. It's just a movie, he had to remind himself, yet it all felt to real for him. However, he was pulled from his dark thoughts when Ruby tried to reach around him for the brownies that were still on his nightstand.

He chuckled and reached for the plate, once he grabbed it he placed it on her lap as she squealed happily. He sighed softly a smile on his lips, he decided to take one for himself before they were all gone, the sat in silence as the movie progressed to what seemed to be a very climatic ending.

Ruby sat eyes wide and focused on the movie as more and more plot was revealed through hazy memories, and they finally saw the cause of the war between both factions. A forbidden love, resulting in the Elder killing his own daughter for the life she carried, all while the weakened and bloodied Lycan was chained down and forced to watch. She could feel tears burning at her eyes as she cautiously glanced up at Rodric, there was a hint of rage and pain in his eyes, of course there would be, this was so close to what he went through himself. She placed her hand on his and intertwined their fingers together, "I love you."

Rodric was pulled from his dark thoughts at her sudden declaration, he looked down into worried eyes and all the seething anger and lingering pain slowly faded away, as he looked into those pools of silver he felt his heart skip and his mouth suddenly went dry. There was a strange fluttering feeling in his stomach as he gently squeezed her hand in return, "And I love you." He pulled her into a strong embrace, one that she seemed to happily return, they stayed like that for a moment before slowly releasing each other. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers and whispered to her, "Thank you."

Ruby, always the nervous one, surprised even herself when, instead of freezing up when he pulled her into that hug, she instead melted into it. She wrapped her arms around him and held onto him as tight as she could and to her surprise she could hear his heart pounding in his chest, while it wasn't unusual it seemed to be beating faster, at least it sounded like it. When they pulled apart she just managed to keep from gasping when he leaned towards her, w-was he – no she hadn't prepared herself for this she wasn't sure what to do or how to tell if she was doing it right. She shut her eyes, but when there was no pressure on her lips she hesitantly opened her eyes and felt her face catch fire. He was so close, her eyes immediately went to his lips as they broke into a smile, she was certain her heart stopped, was this her chance? Should she make the first move, would he be mad if she did, would he reciprocate, before she could make a decision, one was made for her when he thanked her and slowly moved away. Her eyes still locked on his lips as she nervously mumbled something and quickly placed her head back on his chest and focused on the movie that still played.

However, her mind was now somewhere else, no longer focused on the movie. She couldn't believe she was thinking about something like that, but she couldn't lie that it had been on her mind lately, they had been together for almost a month now, but neither of them had tried to…to – she shook her head and stuffed another brownie in her mouth. She tried to focus on the sweets rather than…other things, but when she finally managed to focus on the movie once again, the Lycan that had been reliving ancient memories was rescued by a female vampire, and then they kissed. Ruby nearly choked on her brownie, she hadn't expected that to come out of this movie, when did this even happen, maybe she missed it? The scene played out a little longer than she had expected it to, but rather than feel uncomfortable she sat in silence blushing. Was that what is was like? Even in a situation that could likely be the death for either of them, they still took the time to show that they held a great amount of love for each other. She chewed on her lower lip a deep blush covering her face, she wanted to look at Rodric, to try and gauge his reaction, b-but what if he was doing the same. What if she looked up and he was looking at her, what would happen, w-what if he tried to do…that with her? Would she even be ready, what if she did something stupid, w-what if –

"Ruby." Her face caught fire as her mind quickly went blank, this was it, t-they were finally going to…she swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly turned towards him her eyes instantly locking with his lips as her mouth quickly went dry.

"Y-Yes…" She replied in an almost breathy whisper. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing, it was just the two of them after all, and he was her boyfriend after all, that was normal wasn't it? If…if she did do something wrong, then maybe they could keep trying until she got it right, she couldn't believe this was actually happening. She watched as his lips moved, but realized she wasn't paying attention, she flushed and shook her head, "S-Sorry what did you say?"

He smiled and shook his head, "I said the movie is over, did you want to watch the others?"

…Eh? Her face went redder than it possibly ever had, thankfully it was dark in his room. Gods, she was so embarrassed, she wanted to either cry, die or run away, maybe a little bit of everything. "R-Right." She slowly got out of the bed and moved over towards the player and switched the discs for the next movie in the series, she fiddled with it a little longer than necessary, just so she could try to calm herself down. She couldn't believe she was having thoughts like that, she felt like that was something Yang would think about, or maybe Blake with those weird books she read, but it was normal…at least she hoped it was.

She took a deep breath and slowly released it as she hit play on the movie and quickly crawled back into bed, resting her head back on his chest, despite how stupid she now felt she couldn't help but smile when he pulled her close again. Having him this close at least made it a bit easier to ignore those thoughts, however his strong and steady heart beat made it difficult to keep her eyes focused on the movie. She snuggled close against him, she closed her eyes for a moment and simply enjoyed having him this close.

Rodric glanced down at Ruby as she found her place against him again, he pulled her close and turned his attention towards the movie. It seemed it continued where the last one left off, after a brief recap, these movies were actually really good, despite certain things bringing up old memories he could see why she had been so excited to see these. About halfway through the movie came a scene he hadn't expected, the Lycan and vampire…consummated their love for each other. Well…this couldn't be any more awkward, he hesitated before looking down towards Ruby but what he saw almost made him laugh out loud. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was steady, what luck, she seemed to have fallen asleep before the scene even occurred. He shook his head sighing, and she had been the one who wanted to watch these so badly.

He continued to watch the movie through to the end, not that he really had much of a choice, not only did he not know how to work the device she had brought for it, but when he had attempted to movie she clutched his shirt tighter and whimpered in her sleep. Gods, she was precious. Once the credits finished rolling, the screen flickered off and plunged the room into darkness once again, when he checked the time he found that it was late, much later than he had expected it to be. He was a bit surprised at the fact that no one, not even her sister had called to check, but with all the movies she had brought perhaps they figured this was the outcome. As he looked down at her sleeping form, he figured carrying her to her dorm would be devastating for the younger girl, not only that but he might even wake the others if he did so. He didn't want to wake her up and send he off, he wasn't that inconsiderate, so he did the next best thing, trying to move her as little as possible he managed to clear the bed off and pull the blanket from under her and cover her with it. He smiled when she did eventually let him go and settled against the pillow he placed under her head, smiling he turned to move to the floor so she could keep the bed.

However, he was stopped when he felt her grab his arm, he turned to look at her and smiled at her. Still in a half sleep daze she attempted to glare up at him, but came off as adorable rather than angry, "Stay." The first actual demand she ever asked of him, and how could he deny her when she looked at him like that.

He sighed softly and nodded, "Very well." This seemed to please her as she gave him a very tired smile before turning over and promptly falling back asleep. Rodric couldn't believe he was actually doing this, he pulled the sheets back and slipped in behind her, instinctively he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, she mumbled softly but quickly settled against him. It took a little longer for Rodric to fall asleep when it seemed he was hyper aware of the younger girl against him, anytime he started to drift off she would suddenly move and then he was awake again. But, as he slowly got used to her presence and slight movements he eventually drifted off, holding her close.

Groaning softly, Ruby slowly woke up, not that she had much of a choice with the sun shining right in her face, that's what she got for not closing her curtain before sleeping. She groaned and started to turn over only to suddenly stop, she blinked several times before she could actually see anything, and realized she wasn't in her room, or in her bed. All dregs of sleep quickly vanished as her eyes went wide, she felt a warm pressure around her waist, and a soft and steady breathing from behind her. Slowly she turned her increasingly red face and peeked over her shoulder and was met with the much too close, sleeping face of Rodric.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to do it, but instead of freaking out like she normally would she instead slowly turned her body under his arm and looked at his sleeping face. She was madly in love with Rodric, being with him here like this now felt so surreal, she couldn't believe how lucky she was. Considering everything that happened, she felt like this was nothing short of a miracle, how could someone as amazing and handsome and loving as he was, fall in love with her. She questioned it a lot but whenever he said those three words that made her heart soar, she didn't care about the why only about what they had right now.

She placed her hand on his chest and felt his heart beating strong behind his ribs, he was so close. Then again he was always close when she always hugged him, but this was different. She looked up to his face and felt her own heart starting to race, the thoughts she had last night surfacing once again as her eyes drifted to his lips, slightly parted as he slept. Her cheeks went red as she chewed on her lip, the scene from last night's movie replaying in her mind but she had replaced the actors with Rodric and herself, what would it be like she wondered, to feel him hold her like that and to…to kiss her with the same passion she had seen in the movie.

She smiled a bit to herself as she imagined Yang losing her absolute mind if she ever found out, it made her giggle softly. She loved her sister and things had gotten better since the two of them had fought, but it did slightly worry her about what could happen if she ever found out. She knew she would have to tell Yang eventually, it would make it easier than stealing glances at each other and being so secretive, but something about all the sneaking around made it a little more exciting. She sighed and moved closer to him pressing her head against his chest as she closed her eyes again, taking time to simply enjoy the moment she had found herself in. "I love you, so much, I wish I could tell you just how much, but I suck at that kind of thing." She sighed and smiled softly when she felt him pulling her closer, and then her heart stopped when she heard that familiar rumble in his chest.

"It seems you can tell me just fine, little rose."

She was devastated, she didn't think he was awake and now he had heard her say something so stupid, she could feel her eyes burning as tears threatened to spill over, but when she felt his fingers running through her hair she looked up at him. "You don't need to worry about telling me such things Ruby, trust me I know."

"B-but I want to say those things, I know you do, b-but I still want to tell you. I-I just wish I was better at doing that, there's so many things I want to tell you, to explain to you just how much you mean to me and how much I love you, b-but I always…"

He chuckled as he sat up and looked at the younger girl, red faced as she nervously looked away, he felt his heart skip once again as he gently cupped her face. His eyes drifted to her lips for a moment before he focused on her eyes again, "Ruby, I believe the phrase is 'show not tell' while I believe it would be…adorable to hear you say those things, you've done more than plenty to show me just how you feel and that's all I could ask for."

"Don't you ever want…" Ruby's face burned and flushed a deep red, she hadn't meant to start speaking but now it was too late to backtrack, "…I-I don't know like…more?"

Rodric was slightly caught off guard by her question, had she noticed his stares, no at least he thought she hadn't she had none of her normal reactions when his gaze wandered towards her lips. He decided to go with the safest option, "Oh, like what?"

Silver eyes quickly looked away from curious blue eyes as she looked around the room, looking for anything to keep her attention for a moment while she tried to think of a way to describe what she meant. Unfortunately for her Rodric kept only the bare minimum in his room, a few books here and there but there was hardly anything else. "W-Well m-maybe like…" It was only when her nerves finally got the better of her did she realize the position she was in, he was so close and they were both in his bed under the blankets together, they had actually slept together. She could hardly believe it. "I-I just thought t-that you m-might…w-want to…t-to…" Thankfully before she could completely embarrass herself her scroll rang against his nightstand, she let out a small sigh of relief as she quickly lunged for it and was surprised to see it was Yang…Oh crap it's Yang!

Ruby fumbled with her scroll for a moment before she finally managed to pull it open and quickly accepted the call, a portrait of her sister filling the screen, "Uh…hello?"

"That's what you have to say to me? After being gone all night?"

Ruby looked up at Rodric then towards her scroll, "S-Sorry about that we ended up watching the movies back to back and I fell asleep here…" Well, not a total lie at least.

"There? You mean with Rodric? Is he still there?" Ruby could hear the accusation in her clear in her voice as she looked up at Rodric wondering if she should-

"I am." Ruby went wide eyed as she looked up at Rodric who at least looked calm as he spoke, "I just returned actually, does your sister have a habit of using the whole bed when she sleeps?" Ruby narrowed her eyes as she huffed crossed her arms, while Yang chuckled a bit on the other end.

"Yeah it's a bad habit of hers, sucks when you have to share a bed with her."

This time Rodric chuckled as he looked up and met Ruby's gaze, "I could hardly imagine what that would be like." He said with a smirk playing on his lips as her face flushed causing her to look away.

"W-Whatever I do not hog the bed."

"Oh no? What about that fight we got into when we were younger? Remember, when you broke your bed so we had to share, and you kept pushing me out with your butt?"

Ruby's head snapped around eyes wide with embarrassment as she looked up at Rodric who looked at her curiously with a smile on his lips, "W-What?! I-I never did that I-I don't know what you're –"

"Why do you think dad finally got you your own bed? He got tired of us fighting about it, and I got tired of your big butt pushing me out of my own-"

Ruby couldn't take the embarrassment as she quickly shut her scroll, cutting Yang off in the middle of her rant as she didn't dare look up. But, she could still feel Rodric looking at her as she shut her eyes. "So…" She groaned softly and covered her face with her hands, "…will this be something I need to prepare for?"

She could only groan loudly in embarrassment as Rodric chuckled softly next to her.

All Ruby wanted to do was forget the conversation that was brought up as she groaned softly changing out of her pajamas and into her normal clothes, now that she was back in her own dorm. Unfortunately, Rodric said he was busy again, he was always so secretive about what he was doing, it made her curious and she had been tempted to follow him on more than one occasion to see just what it was he was doing, but she had managed to restrain herself. Barely. Still, these last few days hardly getting to see him had been rough, she was happy but frustrated at the same time, she finally got to sleep with him, but she wasted what little time they spent together by falling asleep on him.

Her face went red when she thought about it, she had been so close, he had been holding her so tightly, there was another feeling there that was harder to describe it just felt…safe. Yeah, safe seemed like an appropriate word, because she did feel safe when she was in his arms. A loud banging caused her to yelp loudly, "Can you hurry up, some of us still need to get in there!"

Ruby looked down and saw that she never finished getting dressed, "S-Sorry just a sec!"

A loud clattering and crashing from the other side of the door caused Yang to groan as she rolled her eyes and dropped roughly on Weiss' bed causing her to bounce slightly as she glared at Yang. A few seconds of silence filled the room before the sound of the shower came from the bathroom, causing Yang to groan even louder as Blake quickly sat up intent on distracting her partner, "So, Yang I'm surprised…"

Yang turned to Blake slightly confused, "Uh, surprised about…what exactly?"

Blake and Weiss shared a look before Weiss sighed heavily and threw her legs over the bed, "I think what Blake is trying to say, very poorly might I add, is that we're surprised you haven't said anything to your sister since she was out all night after all."

Yang was slightly confused as she shrugged slightly, "I mean…yeah she was, but she wasn't doing anything wrong, she was just with Rodric."

This time it was Blake who threw her legs over the bed, "Yeah…but didn't you hate Rodric for the longest time?"

Yang frowned slightly, she knew she had been kind of a bitch to him before and had tried to move past it, she still thought about it sometimes and it bothered her, but she shook her head and sighed, "Well…yeah I did, but things are fine between us now, we both worked stuff out and I think it's safe to say that we're…friends, maybe."

When they didn't say anything Yang looked up and saw the two of them looking at her and she suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious, she could feel her cheeks growing warm, out of habit she pulled her long hair around her shoulder and started to run her fingers through it. "W-What I-I can change my mind about someone can't I?"

Weiss quickly shook her head, "Of course, we didn't say you couldn't, we were just…surprised that you weren't worried."

Once again Yang was suddenly confused as she let her hair fall down her back again, "Why would I be worried?"

"Well…" Started Blake, "…you did seem pretty worried when they spent so much time together, we just thought it was weird when you didn't say anything to Ruby."

"Well…" Yang hummed slightly as she thought about her answer before she sighed and crossed her legs as she sat up straight, "…I just think it would be kind of weird to chastise the leader of this team, even if she is my sister. It's also because I can't smother her, not anymore, it's something I kind of decided on after…well…yeah. I realized I shouldn't try to control her anymore, she can make her choices and I'll be here for her whenever she needs me."

Blake and Weiss were actually surprised to hear Yang talk about giving up control, as far as they knew she was always the caring big sister for Ruby, always smothering her with attention and affection, but they understood that it was probably time for her to take a step back. They were actually a little proud of Yang for doing that, considering what both of them had eventually pieced together, they just wondered how long it was going to take for her to figure it out.

"But, if he ever tries something I won't hesitate to beat him within an inch of his life."

Well…it was a start at least. Perhaps when…and if she eventually figured it out, she would be a bit more understanding. Hopefully all the talk about giving up control would stick and she would respect Ruby's decision, though only time would tell with that. Eventually Ruby finally exited the bathroom, fully dressed but hair still dripping wet, much like a dog Ruby quickly shook her head splattering water everywhere. Everyone shouted in annoyance as Yang said something to her as she walked past into the bathroom, but Ruby didn't hear, running her fingers through her wet hair trying to fix it.

"So…" Came Weiss' voice as Ruby internally groaned, ready for the long winded speech she was sure to get about being out all night, but it was a weekend that's why she had wanted to do it then. "…I take it you enjoyed yourself then?"

A brief image of Rodric sleeping flashed into her mind as she quickly tried to keep her face from flushing by turning and fidgeting with her corset, "O-Oh yeah we had a great time, the movies were really good too. I think the brownies were my favorite though."

"Brownies?" Questioned Blake, only to be surprised when Ruby quickly whirled around a large smile on her face and silver eyes practically sparkling.

"Oh gods yes! Rodric made brownies for the movie and they were so good, I…I kinda ate them all, I-I'm sure if I asked he would probably make more."

Weiss hummed softly a smirk playing on her lips, "Oh I'm sure, he does spoil you a lot after all."

This time Ruby couldn't hide it as her cheeks flared up, "W-What do – h-he doesn't – "

Blake looked to Weiss and saw the look on her face and smirked deciding to join in on the bit of fun, "He does doesn't he, I used to think he was being sweet doing all those things. The flowers, the sweets, but I think he might be playing favorites."

Ruby's head quickly whipped around when Blake began talking her cheeks turning redder by the second, "W-What n-no he doesn't t-that's just – h-he's just being – i-it's not like that!"

Now though neither of them were listening to her, they sat talking to each other smirks playing on their lips as they occasionally glanced at their flustered leader. "You know," continued Weiss, "I thought I was just seeing things, but that is true isn't it? He does seem to spoil Ruby the most."

"N-No h-he doesn't!"

Blake nodded, "He does, haven't you noticed how he always brings sweets to her when she's alone, I think he might actually…you know…"

"W-What?!"

Weiss gave a playful shocked gasp as she covered her mouth, "Blake you can't be suggesting…"

Ruby panicked looked between the two of them, "W-What are you – "

Blake chuckled cutting Ruby off as she glanced towards the red faced girl and smiled, "I don't need to suggest anything …"

Weiss turned and had to cover her mouth as her lips curved into a wide smile upon seeing Ruby's flushed and nervous face, she actually giggled a bit before managing to control herself. She sighed softly and once she got herself under control she turned towards Ruby and patted the spot next to her, "How long has this been going on young lady?"

Seeing as they were both looking at her with those knowing looks she sighed heavily and slumped down next to Weiss as she stared at the ground, "A while…"

This actually surprised the two of them a bit as they both glanced at each other before Blake spoke up, "That's…actually surprising. Weiss and I had guessed that it was only a recent thing, how long exactly?"

Ruby fiddled with her skirt and muttered something under her breath, Blake's ears twitched as her eyes went wide, "Seriously?" Weiss looked towards Blake then to Ruby before looking back to Blake.

"What did she say?"

"She said – "

"A month okay! By tomorrow it would be a month…"

This silenced the two of them as they both looked at her in…shock? Surprise? She couldn't really tell, but she felt extremely small when they simply stared at her, "W-What?"

Blake was the first to be shaken from her stupor as she simply sighed and smiled, "I'm happy for you."

This caught Ruby off guard, she had fully expected there to be arguments or something but…not this, "W-Wait…really?"

Blake was a bit taken aback by her response as she chuckled a bit, "I mean…yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

"I…I-I…well, I just thought – "

"You thought we wouldn't like him or understand why you want to be with him, because we've seen just how dangerous he is. So, you thought that if you told us we would be against the idea and encourage you to not be with him?" Ruby was struck speechless as Blake laid out plainly exactly her train of thought, as she struggled to speak Blake shrugged, "Just a guess."

Ruby managed to compose herself as she sighed softly, "Yeah…I guess after everything that happened, I was worried to say anything, to him, to you all. I was just sure that no one would understand, I mean Yang didn't understand and I doubt she changed her mind about everything, even if they did make up or whatever."

"So…you just plan on keeping this from your sister?"

Ruby cringed slightly when she heard the disbelief in her voice as she sighed heavily, "Yes…w-well I mean…look I know I need to tell Yang but I don't want to start anything over it. She doesn't know and I'm really happy with Rodric, I…wanted maybe a little time to just I don't know…enjoy this, before I tell her."

"You do plan on telling her though right?"

Ruby hesitated before sighing and looking up at Weiss and nodded slightly. "Good." Then to her surprise Weiss reached out and gently squeezed her hand, "I am also proud of you."

"For the record," began Blake, "I actually think this is a really good thing for you, and I told Yang as such. I can see being with Rodric is really helping you come out of your shell. Plus, I think it's adorable watching you two," She chuckled causing Ruby's face to flush a deeper shade of red, "seriously though, you two seem happy and I'm not going to say anything about it. Just…be safe."

Ruby nodded slightly, and then Blake and Weiss just started to talk about class, it was weird how easily they could change subjects after what she had just told them. Ruby could only let out a long drawn out sigh, it felt good that they knew though, it was a large weight off her chest, but there was still Yang she had to eventually tell. She could only pray that things went just as well with her, she would just have to find the right time.

"Who used all my shampoo?!"

Which wouldn't be now.

"So…they know then?'

Ruby shook her head as she finished the bite of her sandwich that Rodric had made for the two of them, it was simple but she couldn't help but smile when she ate it. "Just Weiss and Blake for now."

Rodric hummed slightly as he finished washing up, having finished eating before Ruby, "Well that makes three then." He muttered slightly.

"Who else knows?" Asked Ruby a bit curious, but also frightened as her heart began to pound in her chest as she tried to remain calm on the surface.

Rodric hesitated to answer knowing that Nyx seemed to have some kind of feelings for him, he wasn't sure what would happen between the two of them if that ever came to light. But, he knew he shouldn't lie to Ruby, he turned the sink off and dried his hands as he shrugged, "Just Nyx," He chuckled slightly trying to keep the worry from his face, "It seems we either weren't as discreet as we thought or she is much more observant that I give her credit for."

While she was relieved that it was someone she trusted she still couldn't help but be nervous, "Did…did she say anything?"

A brief flash of her face and all the words she had left unsaid, he shook his head, "No, in fact she said she was happy for you."

She flushed, Nyx was the third person who said they were happy for her and it made her feel so happy to know that so many people were rooting for the two of them. Before she could say anything a loud ding startled her slightly as her head shot up and then her smile went wide, cookies.

Rodric pulled the oven door open and nodded as he pulled out two trays worth of cookies that he had prepared while Ruby watched, she seemed to be so entranced with his ability to cook, admittedly it was a bit unnerving to have her watching so closely, but soon relaxed when she seemed content to simply watch. As he moved the trays to the counter to cool he could hear footsteps rapidly approaching from behind, he smirked and rolled his eyes, and even though she just watched him pull the tray out she still instantly reached for the cookies. He quickly intercepted her hand, holding it softly in his as he suddenly spun her towards him and pulled her into a tight hug, "Now what did I say about being impatient?"

Despite her flushed cheeks she looked up smiling, "That momentary pain results in instant gratification?"

He gave her a stern look that only seemed to cause her to giggle for some reason, "Come on, please? They smell so good, and everyone knows that cookies are way better when they're fresh out of the oven!"

Rodric rolled his eyes, "While I can't deny that, these are a bit different so it would be best to wait for them to cool first." Though even as he said that he picked up one of the cookies and took a bite out of it as Ruby complained behind him. They were much better than he had expected them to be, though he did follow the recipe exactly he still had his doubts about it, he suddenly turned holding the cookie he bit into and smirked as he held it in front of her, "Very well you may have some if you don't mind sharing."

Ruby's face went red as she looked at the cookie he held in front of her, he was teasing her, he had been doing that more often and it was definitely difficult to get used to, especially when she could never expect it. But, she was getting better at dealing with it, she shrugged and opened her mouth and leaned forward mouth open, but was surprised when it was suddenly snatched from in front of her. Rodric dangled it just out of reach as she pouted face still red as she stepped closer and opened her mouth once again to take it from him, but once again he snatched it away from her at the last second. This time she frowned as she watched him lift the cookie higher out of reach and then smirked as he took one side and held it in his mouth as he leaned down towards her.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she stared not at the cookie but Rodric, the playful look in his eyes as he looked directly at her without breaking eye contact. She quickly dropped her gaze and shut her eyes, she couldn't believe he was really expecting her to do that, but she hid her own smirk as she was going to show him.

Rodric smiled behind the cookie he held in his mouth, that was the reaction he had expected and wanted to see, teasing Ruby had become a little pass time of his, her reactions always made him smile, and seeing the flustered and shy face of Ruby was all he could ask for. He smirked slightly and started to lean away from her only to be surprised when she suddenly reached out and grabbed his shirt as she looked up, red faced and eyes closed as she pushed herself up onto her toes and opened her mouth and bit down on the cookie he held. His eyes went wide surprised that she would have actually been able to do that, slowly she opened her eyes and silver locked with blue, both of their hearts stopped as he quickly let go as she snatched it away and they both looked away.

That had taken an unexpected turn, it seemed Ruby still had some tricks to get to him, he nervously rubbed his neck as he could feel the warmth rising up his neck and to his face. He glanced down towards Ruby and saw her eyes quickly dart away as she slowly ate her prize, he cleared his throat slightly still not looking at her, "So…h-how are they?"

Ruby looked back at Rodric, sure she heard him stutter, she couldn't help but smile knowing she was finally able to get to him this time, while at the same time trying to keep her freak out over what she had just done internalized. She finished off the cookie and sighed in satisfaction, she couldn't help herself at that point and quickly threw her arms around him into a tight hug, "I think I could eat these every day and never get tired of them."

He chuckled, having regained his composure and returned the hug, "I'm not letting you eat cookies every day if that's what you're suggesting Ruby."

"But they're so good!" Whined Ruby who looked up at him, "What are they anyway?"

He chuckled, "Strawberry shortcake cookies, but do not eat them all please, show some restraint this time and share with your friends, yes?"

Ruby huffed as she pulled back, "Fine…" She giggled as she watched him pack up all the cookies for her as she already schemed in her mind, I'm sure they won't notice a few missing. Once they were packed up he handed them to her as she quickly gave him another hug and then hurried off as the lunch period was just about over, she was going to need to be quick to get these back to her dorm while still managing to enjoy more before the next class started.

Rodric sighed once Ruby left, his mind was still reeling from what had just happened, remembering how close she had been made his heart beat quicker as he quickly shook his head and turned to do the dishes. What would she had done if he had…he felt his face flush as he roughly cleared his throat trying to push the thought from his mind. "Relax." He commanded himself, but as the thought creeped into his mind once again, all he could do was let out a long drawn out sigh, "What am I going to do?"

Ruby's stomach growled as she groaned softly, Rodric had asked her to have a light lunch, he didn't say why but he suggested that she might want to. But, she was so hungry and trying to curb her hunger by snacking on the cookies he had made for her…and her friends yesterday. Though that part she couldn't really help, everyone seemed to be enjoying them, even Blake who wasn't particular to sweets found herself absentmindly taking some as she indulged herself in a good book

Whenever she saw Blake take one she couldn't help but giggle a little bit to herself, the few times Blake heard her she didn't say anything but she saw her face go red as she raised her book higher to cover her face. But now there were so few left, though it probably didn't help that she couldn't stop eating them, and that she was also starving, she hadn't been sure how light of a lunch she was supposed to eat, but she was beginning to wish she hadn't just made herself that sandwich, she groaned again.

"Rubes, if you're so hungry why didn't you eat more at lunch?"

"I wasn't hungry then…" She lied, whining. It was also because she had been distracted and curious about why Rodric had made the request, he had been awfully secretive as of late and she had no idea what was going on. It definitely, at least she hoped it did, have something to do with food. Maybe, hopefully, he had prepared something special that he wanted her to try, because right now she was starving, and if she didn't eat something soon she was liable to scarf down the rest of the cookies. Not that she wasn't doing that already.

She reached for another cookie only to feel the box being pulled away from her, she sat up and saw Weiss setting it down on her bed, "Well at least wait a little longer until dinner, you're going to spoil your appetite if you eat all those cookies. Also, you're going to eat all the cookies, some of us would still like to have a few more."

"Yeah Ruby, Weiss hasn't stopped talking about how good those things are, you're going to make her mad if you finish them." Weiss, red faced, quickly turned to glare at Yang who looked down at her from her spot on her bunk a smirk clear on her face as Weiss stuttered over her words.

"T-That's not…completely true…"

"Oh," Said Yang leaning over the bed slightly, propping her head up on her hand as she leaned forward slightly, ", but it is partially true then?"

Weiss glared at Yang before quickly looking away, "Anyway, the point is, no more cookies until you have dinner."

"But I'm hungry…" Whined Ruby as she slumped forward half hanging off the bed as she looked down at the cookies sitting in their box on Weiss' bed, just out of reach, so tempting, so tasty. Ruby let out a long drawn out groan, but before anyone could say anything there was a knock at the door. Weiss huffed and turned to answer it as Ruby groaned once again from behind her. Ruby could hear the door open but didn't look up as she continued to stare at the cookies.

"I'm not interrupting I hope." Suddenly all thoughts of hunger were gone once she heard his voice as she suddenly perked up and turned towards the door to see Rodric. "I was hoping to steal Ruby for a moment or two, I wished to discuss something with her."

Why did he sound so serious, she gulped slightly, her heart starting to beat quicker as a bit of panic slowly set in. "U-Uhm, s-sure I'm free." She threw her legs off the bed and made her way towards the door, but quickly doubled back and grabbed a few more cookies before hurrying out into the hallway and closing the door before Weiss could say anything about the cookies.

Rodric looked down at her and chuckled as he watched her quickly eat the cookies she had brought with her, "I hope you left some room for dinner little rose, I have something planned and was hoping you could join me."

Her face flushed as she suddenly worried that maybe she ate too many cookies, "O-Oh, y-yeah I could always eat more. I-Is this the important thing you wanted to talk about?"

Rodric looked at her a bit confused before chuckling, "Oh that, I simply said that so they didn't question my intentions, or at least so Yang wouldn't get suspicious."

Ruby nodded and started to say something only for her stomach to growl softly, she blushed and looked up at Rodric as she chuckled nervously, "So…food?"

Rodric chuckled and nodded as he held his hand out for her, her cheeks only darkened further as she reached out for his hand and held it tightly in hers, as she followed right behind him. Surprisingly there weren't many people around right now, more than likely they were all already down in the dining hall waiting for dinner to start, the thought of food making her stomach growl again, but louder this time. As they approached the dining hall though her mouth began to water, but as they passed the large double doors she sadly watched them go by as she looked up at Rodric wondering where they were going.

He looked down at her and saw the confused look on her face and chuckled slightly, "Don't worry I have something much better planned out." Now she was curious as she picked up her pace a bit to walk right next to him as she looked up at him.

"Okay…where are we going?"

He smiled, "It's a surprise."

Her eyes went wide, a surprise, she hadn't expected that. Now though she was hardly hungry, all she was, was super excited about whatever he had planned for her. As they walked she couldn't help but notice how he was walking slowly, almost as if he was purposely moving slowly to keep her in suspense, even though that was indeed a possibility she didn't really care, taking the time to just walk with him hand in hand was enough to keep her satisfied for now. Though once they reached the large glass doors that led out to the courtyard she couldn't keep her curiosity to herself, "Alright now I really want to know where we're going."

Rodric chuckled at that and nodded, "I'm sure you do, but as I said it's a surprise and there is nothing you can do or say that can change my mind." No sooner had those words left his mouth did he regret them, despite how nervous and shy Ruby seemed, she could act very much like Yang sometimes, though he supposed having to live with her was bound to have some effect on her. There were times that Ruby surprised him by actively challenging him whenever it came to him having to resist her adorable charms, she shouldn't have that much control over him, but damn the gods if he couldn't say no to her.

"Not even if I said pretty please?"

Within moments his resolve crumbled from those few words as he sighed heavily and turned towards her, only to see her looking up pleadingly at him, silver eyes shining beneath the moon. "You certainly like to use that to your advantage don't you?"

Ruby couldn't help but giggled as she moved closer and rested her head against his arm for a moment, "Yes, but only because I know you can't resist it." She laughed softly again as she glanced up at him, "Even Yang can hold out longer than you can."

He sighed and playfully rolled his eyes, "Well you're enchanting I'll give you that."

Ruby blushed deeply as her eyes quickly went back to the stone pathway laid out in front of them, she chewed on her lip as the words played over in her mind. She was used to the compliments he gave her, and the cute but admittedly dorky pet names he sometimes used on her, but something about the way he said it was different. It made her heart pound against her chest, painful but pleasant, a strange feeling spread across her body making her legs wobble just slightly. Maybe she hadn't gotten used to his compliments like she thought she had, when he suddenly stopped she looked up and saw that they stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest.

"Uh, what are we doing here?"

"A surprise." He smiled when she rolled her eyes, he smirked and leaned down towards her to whisper in her ear, "Pardon me." Then before she could respond he quickly scooped her up into his arms as she let out a surprised yelp, he never realized how much smaller she was than him until just this moment. He looked down at her curiously as she looked up at him, surprise clear on her bright red face.

All she could do was look up at him as she curled up in his arms, she had only ever been picked up by Yang and that was always against her will, but having him suddenly pick her up and hold her close made the blush rush to her face so quickly she became light headed. The difference in their stature was now very clear to her, she had always known he was taller than her, but it shouldn't have seemed like this much of difference. Maybe it was just because she couldn't help but shrink against him, hand placed firmly against his chest to keep from trembling against him, yeah it had to be that. She felt his body shake and practically lept from her skin as he chuckled slightly, "Hold on."

She couldn't trust herself to say actual words and instead just dug her fingers into his shirt, holding onto it tightly, she glanced down and watched as he stepped off the cliff. Instinctively, she shut her eyes as she felt the wind rushing around her. She heard the sound of something scraping against stone, and then the soft thud of boots hitting solid ground, she opened her eyes just barely able to catch him pulling his claws from the dirt and stone of the cliff side. Instantly, concern for him quickly overcame any lingering embarrassment as she quickly asked, "Are you okay?"

Surprised when she suddenly spoke up, he looked down at her to see concern filling her lovely eyes. He gave her a small smile and gently set her back on her feet as he showed her his hand, all traces of his skin now replaced by thick plate like scales, his fingertips now sharp claws and the lower half of his arm now turned into thick and tough leathery hide. Ruby could only stare at his arm, she had seen it from a distance before, but this was the first time she actually saw it up close. She could see the individual grooves in each scale and thin lines running up the darker hide, "Strange I know."

She looked up at him and saw him smiling slightly, before she turned back towards his hand and quickly reached out and took it in her own. It was...rough, yet almost soft at the same time, she turned his hands and slowly ran her fingers over the tough hide and then again over his scales. With a smile she lifted his hand and gently pressed it against her cheek, she leaned into his touch and smiled up at him. "There's nothing strange about you, this is just you too after all, you act like I didn't know this asking you to go out with me." She giggled softly and nuzzled against his hand before sighing and looking up at him, "Do you want my honest opinion?" Rodric hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly, she smiled and moved his hand so she could slip her fingers back between his own, "I think it's pretty cool honestly."

The answer surprised him so much a laugh quickly and suddenly spilled from his lips, so much so that it caused Ruby to jump slightly with how sudden it was. "Apologies little rose that's...that's not what I was expecting."

Ruby couldn't help but giggle in response as she squeezed his hand, "Well why wouldn't I think so I mean, come on, nothing could be cooler than you. You're a dragon my boyfriend is a dragon. Nothing could be cooler than that!"

Rodric chuckled again as he looked down at the now excited Ruby and the way her eyes seemed to shimmer slightly, he began walking again gently pulling her along, "Well...hopefully what I have planned could be cooler than I am."

Once again Ruby perked up when she was reminded of his little surprise, she turned towards the towering trees of the Emerald Forest and swore she saw some kind of light further in the forest. "So are you going to finally tell me what this all is?"

Rodric hummed slightly before jerking Ruby forward slightly so that she was now the one walking in front of him, and as she stumbled forward slightly, he reached around and covered her eyes with his hands. She instantly reached up and placed her hands over his own, "Just to make sure you don't peak little rose, this is a surprise after all."

Ruby couldn't help but flush slightly as he gently bumped into her back to urge her forward, "I-I could have done it myself…"

He chuckled once again and nodded, despite the fact that she wouldn't have been able to see, "I know that you could have, but would you have been able to resist taking a peek?"

"Yes…"

Rodric smirked as he felt Ruby's shoulders slouch slightly, "No…"

He nodded once again as he turned her slightly and continued to lead her forward, "That's what I thought, but do not worry, it's not that far from here." She only nodded and continued to be led forward, arms stretched out just as a precaution, in case Rodric didn't notice a tree or a bush in time. She stumbled more than once, though that was to be expected, but Rodric kept a tight hold on her, even managing to catch her by wrapping his arm around her waist and still managing to keep her eyes covered.

A few more moments of walking and he finally came to a stop, she jumped slightly when he suddenly spoke into her ear, "Please, keep your eyes closed." She did, and she could feel his hand slowly moved away from her eyes, and even with how excited she was, she kept them closed. She could hear the soft movements of boots moving through grass and she could feel herself shaking with excitement, and then for a long moment he stayed silent more than likely pleased with himself about making her wait this long. "Okay, open your eyes."

The moment he started to speak her eyes flew open and all she could do was gasp in astonishment, it was almost like she was inside of one of the fairytales she always read about. There were...so many flowers everywhere, large bushes of flowers creating an almost private room for the two of them. The large trees at the four corners of the makeshift room, had large vines wrapped around them all of them, blooming with roses of varying colors. Hanging down from the branches above were lanterns, each one connected to some large vine keeping them suspended in the air. At the center of the room was a small table just for the two of them, and next to it a small cart with several trays covered in metal tops hiding the contents beneath it. He really went all out…

"Rodric this is...it's so…" She couldn't even find the words to describe what she was feeling or thinking, she was sure that there weren't words that even existed to describe everything she was feeling. She looked around at all the work Rodric had put into this little surprise, and then her eyes fell on Rodric, she could feel herself starting to tear up and she wasn't sure why. There was nothing to be sad about but she could feel tears running down her face even as she continued to smile, "I...it's...oh gods I can't even describe it."

Rodric couldn't help but smile as he approached Ruby and gently cupped her face as he wiped her tears away, "I take it you mean that in a good way?" Ruby couldn't speak and instead nodded her head rapidly before throwing her arms tightly around him, he smiled and returned the hug, holding her tightly he leaned down and whispered softly to her, "Happy anniversary, my little rose."

She quickly pulled back and looked at him surprise written clear on her face, "Y-You remembered?"

He nodded as he wiped the last of her tears away, "Of course I did little rose, I told you, I vow to always make you happy. This is your first time in a relationship, and I intend to make it as special as I can."

If Ruby didn't throw herself against him into another hug she knew she was going to start crying again, she didn't know how much more special he could have made this, this was already way more than she had ever expected. But, he slowly pried her arms from around him, and held both her hands as he walked back and pulled her with him leading her towards the table. "Before I show you the rest -"

"There's more?!"

He chuckled, "Of course, but first I think you've waited long enough for a proper dinner." He led her over to one of the chairs before letting her hands go, he pulled the chair out for her, and once she sat down he pushed it forwards towards the table. He moved over to the small cart and picked up two of the covered plates, and brought them back to the table, he set them both down and uncovered Ruby's first. He hadn't been sure what she would have enjoyed and settled for something simple. A pasta using the salmon that he caught and unfortunately had to gut by hand. Surprisingly the most difficult part he had to do was make a cream as per the recipe, something about it was extremely difficult for him. But, everything else came out perfect, and as he moved around the table towards his own dish which was the same as Ruby's he eyed the two other covered plates and hoped that those at least came out properly.

He took his seat across from Ruby and when he looked up, he couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Ruby devouring the food before her. It was a surprise, he had expected her to say something about the asparagus, but perhaps she was simply too hungry to care. Thankfully he did have more prepared on the off chance she wanted more, and now he was thankful he had.

The two of them ate in a pleasant silence, only broken up occasionally by small conversations regarding classes and other simple things, and then of course by Ruby and the sounds she made, at least he knew she was enjoying it. That and the fact she had two more servings after the initial plate, and once she was finally done she leaned back into her chair giving a satisfied sigh.

He chuckled as he picked up both their plates and stacked them back onto the small cart, "Well I'm glad you enjoy your dinner, but I hope you have room for dessert."

Instantly Ruby perked up as she sat up straight in her chair, "Dessert?" Even though she felt like she ate a ton the prospect of dessert was enough to make her mouth water. "What is it?"

He chuckled to himself slightly and picked up the remaining covered plates and carried them over, and like before he uncovered Ruby's first and she 'oohed' as she looked at the small ramekin and the dessert that sat in it. "Oh I almost forgot." He pushed her back into her chair slightly and with a sharp exhale let out a small puff of flames and the sugar covering the top of the dessert crackled and turned a deep brown. This of course elicited a lot of noises from Ruby who sat there in awe and wonder, while at the same time wondering what the dessert was and why he needed to do that.

"Taste it." He said simply, she didn't need to be told twice as she quickly picked up her spoon and quickly scooped some of it up and ate it. Her eyes went wide as she squealed from the taste, the little bit of burnt sugar made it all taste like a bowl of marshmallow fluff. "That's amazing, what is it?"

He smiled and did the same to his own before speaking, "Creme Brulee." He took his seat once again before finally trying it, he hummed slightly as he nodded his head, "And I'm surprised it came out as well as it did, if I'm being honest."

Ruby had to stop eating to look up at him, confused, "Why wouldn't it have been good, everything you've made so far has probably been the best thing I've ever eaten!"

He chuckled slightly, "Well thank you for saying that, but...well there were a few, well quite a few failures while I was trying to make it right, I was just worried they weren't as good as I was hoping."

Ruby licked her spoon clean and smiled, "Well it's amazing, and if you still have those other ones, maybe I can take care of them for you?"

Rodric couldn't help but laugh at that as he sighed, "We will see."

Once the dessert had been taken care of, and he had picked up the plates for later, he moved around the table to where Ruby was leaning back in her chair a look of satisfaction on her face. "I take it you enjoyed it?"

She looked up at him and nodded, "I mean I was really hungry but, oh man, that was probably the best thing I've ever eaten."

He chuckled, "Well don't say that just yet, there will be plenty more for you to try in the future."

This time her cheeks flushed as she looked up at him, "D-Do you mean that?"

Rodric set the plates down and looked at her curiously, "Of course I mean that, why would you -" When she looked away he realized why she questioned that, he moved closer and knelt down next to her as she avoided his gaze, "I'm sorry." She turned and looked at him, "For how I acted when you first approached me about this, but I hope you realize why I was worried for your safety."

"Rodric -" She started but was quickly cut off when he reached up and cradled his face with his hand.

"Now, now I'm not going to lecture you on that again, but you do realize don't you?" This time she simply pressed her face against his hand and nodded slightly, "Good, I... I love you Ruby, I was simply trying to protect you, that doesn't change my feelings for you I hope you understand."

"Of course I do, I know why you did it and why you're worried, I'm sorry for being so selfish and begging you to do this with me…"

"I was glad you were selfish, if you had simply given up I don't think we would be here right now, would we?"

This time Ruby smiled and looked down at him, he was right after all, she knew exactly why he protested. But, she loved him so she was of course going to argue with him about it, and she was so glad she had, or they never would have been able to do this. All the happiness she felt this past month, she never would have been able to experience any of that had she not actually stood her ground and told him exactly what she wanted, which was him. "Come." She blinked and looked up as he got to his feet and took her hands in his own and gently pulled her to her feet.

"Huh? Wait where are we going?"

He chuckled and motioned towards one of the walls of roses as they slowly parted and revealed a small path leading, what seemed to be into the darkness. "As I said, there is still much more to show you."

Ruby flushed and squeezed Rodric's hand as she followed him into the darkness, though once they crossed past the roses she saw that it was only because more lanterns were hidden just behind the wall. They seemed to lead down a path, and the further they walked along the path did she start to hear the soft sounds of running water. She became curious once again, were they going to go swimming? Wasn't it too soon after eating, more importantly she didn't have any clothes to swim in!

Rodric could almost feel the panic emanating from Ruby as he chuckled, "Don't worry, there won't be any swimming involved, but I did think that you might enjoy simply taking a moment to relax and perhaps soak your feet if you wished."

While the thought alone sounded nice she had something else on her mind, "Wait won't it be cold though?"

"Quite the opposite actually, I've checked but the water is actually a pleasant temperature, you shouldn't have any issues."

Ruby looked up and the river was right in front of them, now that she didn't have to worry about the cold, she quickly let go of his hand and stumbled forward as she quickly tried to untie and pull her boots off, and as she rushed towards the edge of the river she reached under her skirt and then quickly stopped remembering that she wasn't alone. Her face quickly went red as she froze, "C-Could you t-turn around please?"

Rodric didn't need to be told twice as he quickly looked away as his own face quickly became red, he didn't think she would have been that excited to put her feet into the water that she would get undressed in front of him. He heard the rustling of clothes and grass crunching underfoot and then the distinctive sound of water being disturbed quickly followed by a pleased sigh from Ruby. He gave it a moment to make sure it was safe and turned around to see a pair of dark leggings laying on the grass in a pile, he chuckled softly to himself as he slowly approached Ruby, "So, how does it feel?"

Ruby learned back, laying in the grass as she looked up at him, the surprisingly warm water felt like heaven. "Amazing, and this grass is so soft, it's like a thick carpet." A thought crossed her mind, "Wait did you make it like that?"

He raised his arms in mock defeat, "You caught me, but I thought you might enjoy it."

She nodded and closed her eyes for a moment as she basked in the moment. Slowly she opened her eyes as she sat looking down into the water, "This is all...so hard to believe."

"Why is that, little rose?"

She looked at him and shrugged, " Sometimes this all feels like a dream, I mean…" She made a vague motion, gesturing to everything around her. "...I never would have thought this would happen, I mean not just because of Yang but just because I never thought I would have someone like you...someone who would actually be interested in me…"

"Ruby you…" Hs felt his throat go tight, why was saying the words so difficult now? Why did his thoughts vanish when she looked at him with those sparkling eyes of liquid silver? His eyes met hers only for him to quickly look away, why did she have to be so enchanting… "...you give yourself to little credit, you are a very charming person. A treat to be around and...and…" He felt a lump in his throat as she looked up at him curiously as his words slowly faded, "...and as beautiful as the gem your named after…"

Ruby's face flushed a deep shade of red as she quickly looked down, hair falling in front of her face as she bit her lip. "W-What are you talking about I'm n-not - "

"But you are!" He shouted, effectively cutting off her protest, but also startling them both as his face flushed deeply. He roughly cleared his throat as he stared off into the water, "Sometimes...sometimes I find myself staring...at you, mesmerized by your eyes...I don't know if you - "

"I have." She said softly cutting his words off as she kept her eyes locked on the water and on his reflection. "I...I didn't say anything...because I was afraid if I did...y-you might stop." She watched his reaction from the water and watched as his eyes went wide before embarrassment quickly took over his face as he looked away, making her smile slightly. "You're not very subtle you know." She giggled a bit, "It was nice knowing that you didn't see me as a child, it was the one thing that always worried me." She chewed on her lip as her heart pounded in her chest, she pulled her legs from the water and stood, the grass soft and thick beneath her feet.

Rodric moved without thinking, taking Ruby's hand in his own as he led her up the river. "There is one last thing I want to show you."

"W-Wait but my boots!"

He chuckled slightly, "I can carry you if you wish."

For a moment she actually considered it, as embarrassing as it was before she couldn't deny that it was nice. It would certainly fit the fairytale setting she found herself in, being carried like a princess to some secret place just for the two of them. However, while she was lost in thought it seemed Rodric decided on his own, and with little effort picked her up in his arms in a single motion, it was so sudden she threw her arms around his neck in surprise. When she looked up their eyes met as her heart lurched into her throat as she quickly looked away, but tightened her hold on his neck.

The two of them, well Rodric walked and she held on tight, the silence comfortable between them. She pressed herself more against him as she rested her head on his shoulder against the crook of his neck. "I love you." Rodric gave a soft hum and then squeezed her softly, holding her closer. She looked up and smiled as the moon and stars broke through the trees occasionally, only adding to the atmosphere, she still couldn't believe this was actually happening to her, if this was a dream she didn't want to wake up.

"We're here." She opened her eyes, and looked around as she saw that they were in a large clearing, the sky exposed allowing the shattered moon to shine down on them, white flowers covered the ground, all of them seemed like they were closed, she gasped softly when Rodric suddenly set her down, the soft grass beneath her feet as she walked carefully through all the flowers. She wasn't sure why, but her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, as she reached the center of the field she looked up towards the sky and smiled as the moon vanished behind the clouds.

"Ruby…" She turned to him and his breath caught, seeing her standing among the flowers she looked like an enchanting forest sprite, standing, beautiful silver eyes looking at him expectantly. "I...am at a loss for words, when I look at you nothing else even matters, just you."

Ruby had to turn away, no doubt her face was as red as her cloak was, but how couldn't it be when he said such sweet and cute stuff like that. Her heart was beating so hard it almost made her cheat ache, and it was so hard to breath and she cupped her cheeks and closed her eyes. Once again she couldn't help but compare this to a dream, it had to be she was convinced it was, this was everything she ever wanted with him, it couldn't be real, but when she heard the soft crunching of grass she slowly turned around and stepped back as Rodric stepped closer. She gave a nervous chuckled, "T-This is…more than I could have ever hoped for, you agreeing to be with me was all I could have asked for, a-and this past month has been…probably the best time I've ever had. I don't think anything will ever compare to j-just this moment, right now…with you."

"Ruby – "

"Y-You make me so happy, every day I wake up I-I can't help but smile knowing that I can call you my b-boyfriend a-and know that we can be together all the time i-it's just a dream come true…"

Rodric couldn't help but smile as she laid her heart on display for him, of course he knew all these things already, but hearing them come from her in this moment, made thinking near impossible. She seemed determined to voice her thoughts, not even noticing his eyes beginning to glow as he moved closer to her, "Ruby I – " However, he was cut off once again as Ruby continued.

"I-I don't think you know what you do to me honestly, I've been in love with you so long, a-and it's always been so hard to be around with you knowing I had these feelings. I-I know Nyx pushed me to tell you, but I think I always knew I had these feelings, b-but I never said anything because I…I was scared. Scared that you would tell me no…scared that I wasn't good enough to be with you."

This time Rodric frowned as he stepped forward, "Ruby you – "

"B-But the fact that you're with me is enough to keep those kinds of thoughts away, you are all I need, nothing else could make me as happy as you do right now. I-I don't think I ever want this moment to end, i-if I could just stay here, right here, with you, forever I don't think I would ever need anything else. You mean everything to me Rodric, I-I know it sounds super cheesy but it's true, I-I just – "

"Ruby!" He finally shouted, cutting her off, she jumped slightly and looked up at him, almost surprised to see him so close. Then her cheeks slowly became dusted with the faintest blush the moonlight shining down on them, making her shimmering eyes shine more as he looked down at her. He could feel his heart pounding as he reached out and gently cupped her face, "Cease your rambling for a moment…" He leaned down towards her as her eyes went wide as he whispered softly to her, "…or I will be forced to cease them for you…"

She could hardly speak when he suddenly leaned forward closing that small distance and pressed his lips against hers, her legs gave out and she nearly fell to the ground, but he managed to catch her wrapping his arm gently around her waist and holding her close. The sudden movement must have disturbed the flowers enough to send shimmering, faintly glowing pollen into the air, and with the moonlight shining down, it seemed to sparkle around them. This really was a fairytale…

She closed her eyes as she felt tears running down her cheeks, she threw her arms around his neck, holding tightly to him as she kissed him back, pushing herself against him, trying – wanting – needing to be closer to him. Almost too quickly did she feel him pulling away, but she held tight to him, holding him close as she spoke in a shaky voice, their lips still so close they brushed against each other as she spoke. "I-I love you, I love you so much…"

"And I love you my beautiful rose." He attempted to move away from her, but felt her fingers digging into his shirt as she held on tight around his neck.

"Not yet…" Was all she whispered, Rodric nodded and then slowly lowered the both of them to the ground, it would be more comfortable to sit than to continue to stand. She still refused to let him go, as did he. When she finally looked up at him, he smiled and wiped her tears away and leaned towards her again, giving her another albeit gentler kiss this time, he could feel her shaking in his arms as his lips pressed against hers.

This time however when he pulled back, she followed him and pressed her lips against his, it was a surprise he hadn't expected but welcomed all the same. If there was any time in his life he would relive, it would be this moment, right here, with his little rose. He wasn't sure if something special was supposed to occur since he was a dragon, but regardless if it was or did, he knew she was his and he was hers. He would give her anything she desired, if she wanted the world he would gladly start that war for her. When she slowly pulled away they looked at each other, no nervous looks, no flushed cheeks, just a look into each other's eyes, both looks filled with love for the other. They met once more as their lips gently pressed against each other, the kiss lingered for several moments before they both pulled back, and spoke but a single thing to each other.

"I love you."

Also a song you all might enjoy that really fits all this

8 Graves - Breathe

Trust me, it fits you'll see