Beacon's Chef

"Talking."

Thinking.

Attack!

DISCLAIMER: I have no rights, nor will I ever, to either One Piece or RWBY

Sanji and Ruby's date finally came with mixed reactions from both parties

"Not happening."

"But-"

"Nope."

"I promise I won't-"

"This is non negotiable." Yang stated, arms crossed across her chest.

"But what if we're attacked? I need to be able to defend myself!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Ruby, you are not taking Crescent Rose with you on your date. That is final."

"We live in a democracy! I demand equal representation!" Ruby declared in defiance.

"Does the council count as a democracy?" Weiss whispered to Blake.

"I'm not sure." Blake whispered back.

"Fine, all in favor of Ruby taking her weapon with her?" Yang asked. Ruby's hand shot up. "All against?" Yang's hand went up, followed by Weiss and then Blake.

"What? How could you? We're teammates." Ruby said, hurt.

"It's because I'm your teammate that I'm doing this. As if I'd ever let you take a scythe to a date." Weiss said, not looking up from her textbook.

"Blake?"Ruby pleaded.

"You're not wearing your combat outfit. You'd have nowhere to put Crescent Rose besides carrying it in your arms. That would only complicate things. I don't know what Sanji has planned, but a giant scythe might mess everything up." Blake said, looking up from her book.

"The people have spoken. The scythe stays." Yang declared in satisfaction.

"It's bad enough you're making me wear this. Now I can't even properly defend myself." Ruby muttered while grabbing the hem of her not combat skirt.

"Oh come on. You look cute. Sanji will go head over heels for you." Yang said while giving her sister a quick once over. The crimsonette, instead of her usual combat uniform, wore a red tank top with a thin Beowolf hoodie over it, a red skirt, black thigh high socks, and some comfortable sneakers.

"I feel exposed." Ruby said while glancing at her red hood, which was resting on her bed.

"You can go one day without that hood." Yang, moving between her sister and the hood in case she got any ideas.

"I can't believe I'm going along with all of this." Ruby weakly said.

"You need to chill. It's just a date, nothing more, nothing less." Yang stated.

"That's easy for you to say. It'd be easier to count the days you weren't on a date back in Signal!" Ruby said.

"Wow Rubes, you make it sound like I'm some kind of whore." Yang said in mock sadness.

"You know I don't mean it that way, and I'm telling dad you said a swear word." Ruby said.

"I'm so scared." Yang mocked, causing Ruby to stick her tongue out at her sister.

"You should be." Ruby said out of spite.

"Whatever. Got your scroll?" Yang asked.

"Yeah." Ruby answered.

"Keys?"

"Yep."

"Wallet?"

"Uh huh. I just hope it doesn't fall out of these stupid girl pockets."

"It's not that big a deal if you do lose it. I get the feeling Sanji's the kind of guy who'll pay for everything." Yang said while shrugging her shoulders

…

Was this a good idea? Am I underdressed? Should I have brought a gift or something? Sanji asked himself, looking over himself and smoothing his hair with his hands. Currently situated outside team RWBY's dorm, the chef's calm demeanor was slowly crumbling.

"Sanji? Is everything okay?"

"Wha-oh, it's you. You startled me Pyrrha." Sanji said, smiling at the redhead.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." Pyrrha said, characteristically apologetic.

"It's fine. I was just thinking hard." Sanji dismissed.

"May I ask what you were pondering so much?" Pyrrha inquired.

"W-well, you know how I told Ruby we could hang out today… and… stuff." Sanji said, a faint blush appearing on his face.

Sanji's cute when he's flustered, Pyrrha thought to herself while giggling.

"What's bothering you about that?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, at the time I was too busy trying to cheer Ruby up to notice it, but I've come to realize that I pretty much asked Ruby on a d-date." Sanji said, looking anywhere except at Pyrrha.

"Oh, do you not want to go on a date with Ruby?" Pyrrha asked, eyebrow raised.

"No! Wait, not no as in no. No as in I don't… not… wanna go on a date with her." Sanji stuttered, his face slowly becoming redder and redder.

"Does that mean you do want this?" Pyrrha asked, finding it a little hard to follow Sanji's train of thought.

"I-I'm not opposed to the idea." Sanji said.

"Then why are you so nervous?" Pyrrha asked.

"I've… never been on a date before." Sanji admitted.

"I'm sorry, but you've never been on a date before?" Pyrrha asked, her smile growing larger.

"Yeah." Sanji said.

"ha… haha… hahaaha!" Pyrrha laughed, her shoulders shaking.

"What's so funny?" Sanji asked, somewhat miffed that Pyrrha was laughing.

"I'm, haha, sorry! It's… it's just that you're always so confident around women. The fact that you've never been on a date is is kind of funny, not to mention a little out of what I'd expect from you."

"You know, you're not being very helpful right now." Sanji said.

"I'm sorry. Now, I might not be the best person to give advice about this, seeing as how I have as much experience dating as you, but I believe you're getting too nervous. Act like your normal, confident self, and you'll eventually calm down." Pyrrha suggested.

"I don't know." Sanji muttured.

Maybe I should try something else, Pyrrha thought to herself.

"Well, that's too bad. If you can't get a handle on this, then I suppose you'll have to cancel. Ruby will be so sad and disappointed." Pyrrha said. The results were immediate.

"Sad? Because of my inability to calm down? I won't have it! I promised Ruby a day out and I'll be damned if she ends up disappointed!" Sanji vehemently said. Any nervousness he might have had disappeared, replaced by determination.

"That's the spirit. Good luck Sanji. I hope you have fun." Pyrrha said while walking into her dorm room.

"Thanks Pyrrha." Sanji said while waving at her.

Maybe I should be concerned at how easy it is to play Sanji, Pyrrha mused to herself. With one last deep breath, Sanji knocked on the door.

…

"I believe that's Sanji." Blake said.

"Alright sis, show time." Yang said while gesturing to the door.

"I just want to say that I hold you responsible for anything that might happen." Ruby said while moving to the door.

"Duly noted." Yang replied.

It's no big deal. We're just gonna hang out is all, Ruby told herself before opening the door.

"Hi Sanji." She said while smiling.

"Hello Ruby. I really like your outfit." He replied with his princely grin.

"Thanks! You-uh-look great too! Your outfit, I mean. Not that you don't… look… yeah." Ruby trailed off. She did like what he was wearing. His jeans and hoodie were much more casual than anything she'd ever seen him wear.

Sanji huffed in amusement. "You're making me blush." He replied as his smile grew. Ruby couldn't help but smile back. "Anyways, you ready to go?" Ruby felt her awkwardness fade away in the face of his calm and happy demeanour.

"Yep. I'll see you girls later." Ruby said while waving at her team.

"Just a heads up: if you try anything shady I'll break your face." Yang casually said from her bed.

"I'll be on my best behaviour." Sanji replied, not at all fazed by the threat. Ruby quickly closed the door behind her, leaving both of them in the hall. Now that they were alone, they both became hyper aware of each other.

"So…" Sanji said.

"So… got anything planned for today." Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could stop by this ice cream parlor I know and see where the day takes us from there." Sanji replied. Ruby's head perked up at the mention of the cold treat.

"Yum! Let's go!" She said before using her semblance in a mad dash towards the airship docks. Sanji smiled at her enthusiasm before sprinting after her. The speedsters reached the dock in record time, quickly hoping on the next airship to Vale.

"I love going on Airships." Ruby commented while gazing at the sea below her.

"It's pretty nice, if a little slow." Sanji said, mentally running circles around the ship.

"Oh yeah! You can fly!" Ruby realized, stars in her eyes.

"It's a little more complicated than that." Sanji said, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

"Elaborate." Ruby said, giving Sanji her full attention.

"Well, It's not flight like what you know. I can't swoosh through the sky like Vav." He said, thinking back to some comics he'd read as a kid.

"Then how do you do it?"

"I kick the air and it propels me forward." Sanji answered.

"I'm sorry what? Kick? But there's nothing to kick. It's air." Ruby said, face scrunched up in confusion.

"That's how I do it." Sanji said with a shrug of his shoulders. They absentmindedly noticed that the ship had touched down in Vale. The pair hopped off and meandered the streets, ice cream parlor waiting.

"Is that your semblance or something?" Ruby asked. She would understand more if semblances were involved. That stuff could do weird things depending on the person.

"No, I don't have a semblance."

"Say what?"

"Semblance, I do not have." Sanji reiterated.

"How though? Everyone with aura has a semblance." Ruby said, mind progressively becoming more blown.

"Well, it's probably because I don't have aura either." Sanji said.

"Pfft, good one." Ruby said while chuckling. Her humor died down when she saw Sanji smiling at her. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"I'd never lie to a lady."

"... yeah I'm gonna need some more info before my entire worldview shatters." Ruby half joked.

"I'll happily explain whatever you want to know… right after we order." Sanji said while gesturing to the ice cream parlor in front of them.

"Oooh yum. Okay fine, but after we get sweets I need answers." Ruby said, the call of ice cream too powerful. They entered the parlor, immediately beset by the aroma of delicious cold confections. At the front register was a teenager a little younger than Ruby. The boy had light brown hair and looked to be on the short side, being even smaller than Ruby. However, the most distinguishing traits was the pink top hat and antlers on his head. Upon seeing them, the boy's face lit up in a huge smile.

"Sanji! It's been too long!" The boy cheered while jumping over the counter and hugging the chef.

"Chopper, I was here last week." Sanji said in amusement while returning the embrace. Ruby, though somewhat surprised at the turn of events, couldn't help but smile at the duo.

"Too long! Come more often!" Chopper demanded while crossing his arms.

"I'll do my best." Sanji promised. Turning to Ruby, he spoke. "Ruby this is my friend Tony Tony Chopper. You can call him Chopper for short. Chopper, this is Ruby Rose, a student at Beacon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Chopper said while extending his hand.

"Likewise. You seem to be pretty good friends with Sanji." Ruby replied while shaking it.

"Oh yeah! A few years ago he saved me from some racists and we hit it off from there!" Chopper said, causing Sanji to look away in slight embarrassment. Ruby felt her heart warm, her hero visage of Sanji becoming stronger.

"It's your fault for wandering Vale so late at night." Sanji grumbled.

"A doctor's duties are more important than their own safety." Chopper declared, completely sincere.

"You're a doctor?" Ruby asked in surprise.

"Well, not yet. I'm apprenticing under the best doctor in Vale, but he says I'm really good and could get my official license soon!" Chopper said in excitement.

"Wow, that's amazing! But, then why are you…?" Ruby trailed off, not sure how to ask.

"Working here? Well the doctor has a few side businesses and he has me working here while I'm his apprentice." Chopper answered. "I don't mind. I love sweets a lot." He said, gazing hungrily at the candy behind the counter.

"Speaking of, could you get us some sweets? It's torture being so close yet not having it in my hands." Sanji asked, gazing longingly at the sugary treats.

"Sure thing! What can I get ya?" Chopper said while hoping behind the counter.

"Strawberry Sundae please!" Ruby said.

"Could I get a scoop of vanilla?" Sanji asked. Chopper nodded, making the orders with practiced ease. Before Ruby could even begin to reach for her wallet, Sanji had already placed Lien on the table and was at the door, holding it open for her.

"It's nice out, so I thought we could eat outside." Sanji commented.

"Sounds good to me." Ruby said, sundae in hand.

"Hey Sanji, you still good for next weekend?" Chopper called out.

"Of course. My place at 5. Don't be late." Sanji said.

"Gotcha! Bye!"

"See you later." Sanji replied with a wave of his hand.

"What's happening next weekend?" Ruby asked out of curiosity.

"My friends and I get together and hang out a couple times a month. Well, most of them." Sanji answered. Ruby nodded, not wanting to press the issue. Besides, she had far more important questions.

"Where should we eat?" Ruby asked, looking around. Sanji smiled, an idea popping into his head.

"I've got an idea. May I?" Sanji asked while holding out his arm. Curious, Ruby nodded, only to feel a furious blush across her face as Sanji wrapped his hand around her waist.

"Sanji?" She asked, a little apprehensive.

"Trust me. Hold on to your ice cream." Before she could ask why, she felt herself rocket into the air. No, "rocket" wasn't the right term. Whenever she used Crescent Rose, that was when she'd rocket all over the place. This was different. It felt gentler, smoother. One second they were on the ground and the next they were high in the sky. There was no harsh jerk like when she'd fire her weapon, or that sense of constantly dwindling momentum as she flew through the air. It was hard for her to describe. It almost felt as if they'd stepped on the air itself. Ruby felt her feet hit solid ground, the flight ending almost as quick as it had started. Looking around, Ruby was startled to see they were on top of a skyscraper. Even more surprising, she saw a table and a few chairs on the roof with them.

"What-?" She began but stopped, unsure of what to ask first.

"Sometimes we come here to hang out. The view is good and no one bothers us." Sanji answered, referring to his mysterious group of friends.

"Oh, uh, neat." Ruby said, still too stunned to muster a proper response. Sanji walked to the table and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Ruby to sit. The huntress in training did, absentmindedly putting a spoon full of ice cream into her mouth.

"So, you have questions. I have answers." Sanji said, sitting across from Ruby. The ice cream seemed to pull her back from her stunned state.

"Before I begin, I'd just like to say that your version of flying is far better than I could've ever imagined it and I'd like to experience it again soon." Ruby said, trying her hardest to keep from having the hardest geek out of her life. Sanji felt himself blush, not being used to having someone compliment his abilities like that.

"Sure, I'd be happy to." Sanji said, looking away. Ruby took a deep breath, pushing her excitement down. Now was the time to be calm and collected.

"Alright, so could you pick up where you left off? You know, not having an aura?" Ruby asked, eating more of her Sundae.

"There's not much to say. I don't have aura. I never have and never will."

"Why though? Every living thing has an aura."

"Almost every living thing. There's a very small group of people that don't have aura, among other things." Sanji said. He paused for dramatic effect before continuing. "This group is… abnormal, for lack of a better term. They lack things like aura and semblances. No one knows why or how."

"Are you part of this group?" Ruby asked, giving Sanji her full attention.

"Yeah, so are most of my friends." Sanji answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"So can all abnormals do what you can?"

"No… well, maybe. Depends on what you're talking about. See, while we may not have aura, we have abilities that are entirely unique to us. No "regular" human or faunus can do what we can. These abilities are different for every abnormal, entirely unique to them alone. No two abilities are alike."

"Sounds like a semblance." Ruby commented, making her own questions.

"That's a great way to put it, actually. Each of us is unique. However, while each of us have unique abilities, there are similarities we all have."

"Like what?" Ruby asked, her eyes wide and full of stars.

"If our different aptitudes are our "semblance," then Haki is our "aura" in that we all share that ability… or more precisely have the potential to share it."

"What do you mean… and what's Haki?"

"For you, aura is easily obtained. All it takes is someone to unlock it for you. Haki is different in that regard. You have to go through grueling training to be able to use Haki. Either that, or it can sometimes awaken by itself in times of danger."

"So it's like if I had to do a bunch of push ups before I could use my aura?" Ruby asked.

"Sure, kind of. As for what Haki is, that depends. There's three types we know of. One of them is armament Haki." Sanji said while raising his hand. To Ruby's astonishment, it was covered in a black substance and gained a metallic sheen. "It's essentially armor made out of your own will. There's more to it than that, but for now just know it protects us like a super strong layer of aura."

"Oooh." Ruby said, poking Sanji's hand. The black coating felt hard and dense, like it could shrug off a fusillade of dust ammunition and not even crack.

"The second is observation Haki. It can do a lot of stuff, but mainly it can sense auras. Not the aura you're used to. More like your soul." Sanji demonstrated by closing his eyes, gazing at Ruby with his Haki. "All auras are unique. Yours is red and has hints of silver. Fitting." Sanji said. I don't know why, but Sanji looking at my aura makes me feel exposed, Ruby thought to herself, a small blush on her face.

"Wait, then how'd you know there weren't any Grimm around back on Forever Fall? They don't have souls." Ruby asked in confusion, hoping she was following along well. Sanji nodded, impressed with her questions.

"That's true, but their lack of souls is pretty distinctive. Instead, whenever I use my Haki, they kind of look like black blobs. Like there's a hole where there shouldn't be." Sanji explained, hoping he wasn't overwhelming Ruby with knowledge.

"What about the third type?" Ruby asked.

"That's conqueror's Haki. You overpower your opponent's will with your own, knocking them out in the process. I can't do it myself, though." Sanji said, smiling in embarrassment.

"This is all so… strange, but like in the good way. Why haven't I ever heard about any of this?" Ruby asked, feeling as if she was scratching the surface of a world she knew nothing about.

"Like I said, we're a very small part of the population. Most people can go their entire lives without meeting one of us. And abnormals tend to gravitate towards one another, so in a way we kind of keep to ourselves. That's not to say our existence is some huge secret. Anyone can find information on us if they want." Sanji said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Does that mean I could go the rest of my life without meeting any more of you?" Ruby asked.

"Actually, since you're a huntress in training, your chance of interacting with us is much, much higher than your average person. Each academy tends to keep at least one abnormal around, considering how useful we can be." Sanji said.

"Really? Haven, Shade, and Atlas have people like you?"

"Yep. Last I checked, Vacuo has a surgeon, Haven has a pathetic excuse of a swordsman, and even Menagerie has a shipwright, though he seems pretty shady to me. Of course, Beacon has a charming chef." Sanji said while gesturing to himself in mock smugness, and was rewarded with a giggling Ruby.

"What about Atlas?"

"Atlas is weird. They had an Admiral, but I think he went missing or something recently. The academy is trying to keep that on the down low for whatever reason." Sanji said, mildly confused.

"How'd you hear about that?" Ruby asked.

"Gossip, mostly. There aren't a lot of us. It's a bit of a hyperbole, but saying that we all know each other isn't far off the truth." Sanji said, munching on his ice cream. There was a lull in the conversation. Ruby took bites out of her Sundae, trying to wrap her head around what seemed to be an entire new world of people. Knowing it was a lot to take in, Sanji let her take all the time she needed to contemplate.

"... this is all so strange." Ruby finally said, earning a laugh from Sanji.

"That's one way to put it." Sanji said, though in the back of his mind he found himself beginning to doubt telling her. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. What if she thinks I'm some sort of weirdo now?

"Honestly, I have no idea what to say. This is just so… much. There's an entire part of the world I didn't even know existed." Ruby said, looking down at her mostly finished treat.

"Is it bad?" Sanji asked, unable to keep a hint of trepidation from entering his tone.

"No! Not at all. It's actually so cool! I-I want to know more! I want to read up on this and meet your friends and learn more and…" Ruby said, her excitement causing her to talk rapidly, though it died down, her face sporting a soft blush.

"And?" Sanji asked, curly eyebrows raised.

"... I wanna get to know you more." Ruby said, looking away. Caught off guard, Sanji felt his face heat up.

"I-uh-would love to get to know you better as well." Sanji said, unable to muster much charm.

"I'd like that. A lot." Ruby said, looking at the chef and giving him a small smile. He found her smile pleasant and brighter than the sun.

"Are you finished eating?" Sanji asked, changing the subject.

"Yep, it was really good. I'll have to tell Chopper he makes delicious ice cream." She said.

"In that case, there's an arcade a few blocks away if you're interested. That is, if you're okay with losing." Sanji said, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, you're so on." Ruby replied, meeting his smirk with one of her own.

…

"... and now the fandom is in a huge debate whether Achieve Men was better before Ray left. Personally, while I love his solo work, I think he was at his best when he had the lads and gents with him." Yang said.

"Why are you telling us this?" Weiss asked, not looking up from her textbook.

"How did this even come up?" Blake said from her bed, head buried in a book.

"I'm just trying to share my interests with you. You know, team cohesion and trust or whatever." Yang said, waving her hand in the air.

"And you thought the best way to do that was by talking about boy bands?" The resident Neko asked.

"Well, I don't read books a lot and I don't know what kind of interest Weiss has, so I figured music was my best bet." Yang said, causing the heiress to scoff.

"But boy bands? We're not thirteen anymore." Weiss said.

"Hey, the music of Achieve Men is enjoyable at all ages. And while I admit that I'm no longer as infatuated as I was when I was younger, they are still very attractive men." Yang declared.

"You put more effort into defending boy bands than into your own school work." Weiss declared.

"Fair point." Yang said, not bothering to object.

"... who's the most handsome?" Blake asked. Weiss looked at her, causing Blake to roll her eyes. "What? Yang got me curious."

"Without a doubt Gavin. He can get it anytime he wants." Yang said.

"Which one is he?" Blake asked, causing Yang to point at the man on her poster. Unable to control her curiosity, Weiss glanced at the poster.

"Really? Him? You have terrible taste." Weiss said.

"And who would you say is most attractive?" Yang asked. Weiss gazed at the poster pensively before pointing.

"The one on the left." She finally said.

*Ryan? Eh, you could do worse." Yang replied. They turned and stared at Blake, expectantly.

"What?"

"Well? Who do you think is the best looking?" Yang prompted.

"Really?" Blake asked, exasperated.

"Hey, you brought it up. Now decide." Weiss said while crossing her arms.

"I don't know. The brown one?" Blake said, somewhat unsure.

"That's Ray. You know, the former member." Yang said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Has he released any music since his departure?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, he's got some stuff out." Yang answered.

"... can you show us?" Weiss asked, causing Yang to look at her in excitement.

"Really!?"

"Well now that you've got my curiosity I have to listen to some." Weiss responded.

"Ohoho, you will not regret this." Yang said, pulling out some speakers from under her bunk bed and pulling up a playlist on her Scroll.

…

"Say it." Ruby said, radiating smugness.

"You are the queen of video games and I shall never challenge your reign ever again." Sanji said, throwing in a bow for good measure. Ruby found herself giggling at how campy he looked.

"Okay stop! I'll forgive this transgression!" Ruby said between giggles.

"I had no idea you were so good at arcade games." Sanji said as he held the door open for Ruby.

"Thanks, I… uh… don't get out a lot, so I've had plenty of time to hone my skills." Ruby said, laughing nervously. Wow, I didn't think it was this late. How long were we in there for? She thought to herself as she stepped outside and saw the night sky.

"You won every game we played. That's impressive." Sanji complimented.

"Not every game. You destroyed me at that dancing game we played." Ruby said, thinking back to the game. I didn't know he was such a good dancer. Then again, footwork is kinda his thing so I guess it makes sense.

"I am a good dancer." Sanji said, his own smugness beginning to surface. He hummed in surprise when he saw how dark it was outside. "It's getting late. Wanna grab something to eat before heading home?"

"Sounds good to me. Anyplace you had in mind?" Ruby asked.

"I know a couple really good food joints, but they're on the other side of town and it's already pretty late." Sanji mused. I wish the Baratie was in town. Now that would be a great dinner experience.

"We did go overboard in there, didn't we?" Ruby said, unable to keep herself from snickering.

"My place isn't far from here. I could whip something up there if you want." Sanji said, considering his options.

"You don't live at Beacon like us?" Ruby asked in surprise, too caught up to realize the implication of going to his home so late.

"Kind of. I have my own apartment here in Vale but, considering my erratic schedule as a chef, sometimes it's easier for me to just sleep at the school. I've got my own room there and everything." Sanji explained.

"Oh, neat. Well, I'm always happy to eat your food, so let's go." Ruby said, not realizing how happy it made Sanji to receive such a compliment. He had to try very hard not to grin like an idiot.

…

"Wait, I don't understand. Did Ray create X-ray, or was X-ray his own thing before Ray?" Weiss asked, flipping through a comic. "Also, is Vav supposed to be Gavin?"

Yang nodded in understanding. This was a common question amongst those new to Achieve Men. "Not a lot of people know this, but X-ray and Vav started as a joke between Gavin and Ray. They'd talk about their fake alternate superhero personas and their manager realized their ideas had merit. Thus, the comic series was created. The comic catered to a new audience that wasn't necessarily into boy bands, so they didn't make the connection between them. Now that they're making an animated series, people are barely finding out the similarities between Ray, Gavin, X-ray, and Vav."

"So, are all these characters just inside jokes from Achieve Men?" Blake asked. She had flipped through several of Yang's comics, though didn't find them particularly engaging. They didn't have enough words for her taste.

"There's a couple originals in there, but yeah. The fandom loves them. They're like Easter eggs. I squealed when the Corpirate was revealed. That's a really old reference. I felt rewarded as a long time fan." Yang said. Talking about her interests was really fun, and she was glad she could do it with her teammates.

"That's actually kind of cool." Blake said. "For a boy band they've got pretty diverse forms of entertainment."

"Oh yeah. They've branched out a lot since they started. I heard they're filming a movie right now." Yang said, smiling at the idea.

"We should go see it when it comes out." Weiss offered.

"Really!? You mean that!?" Yang asked, bouncing in excitement. She could never get Ruby to share her love of Achieve Men. Now, not only was she sharing her interests with her friends, but they'd offered to partake in it!

"It'd be fun. Plus, you can explain all the inside jokes and references that go over our heads." Blake said.

…

"Welcome to my humble abode. Make yourself at home." Sanji said, opening the door for Ruby. She entered and looked around. Dad always said boys are really messy, but it seems pretty clean to me. Honestly Yang is a lot sloppier than this, Ruby thought to herself. Aside from a random assortment of items on a table in the living room, Sanji's apartment was almost unnervingly clean.

"I like your decorations." Ruby complimented while looking at the walls. Several paintings hung, each of something different. Ruby followed Sanji into the kitchen. As soon as they entered, Sanji grabbed an apron that was hanging from the wall and put it on. Like his kitchen at Beacon, it was incredibly neat and orderly, but there were touches here and there that indicated this kitchen was more cozy and lived in.

There was a bowl of tangerines sitting on the counter, a small bookshelf containing recipe books and, oddly, one about the history of Vale, and a cotton candy machine tucked into the corner. If you were to open one of the top cabinets, you'd find a well stocked cache of Sake. On the wall hung a magnificently crafted ship in a bottle, along with a violin right below it. One of the drawers had a spare slingshot and other odds and ends instead of utensils. Above the fridge was a framed photo of a group of people. Being as short as she was, and the fridge being of the bigger variety, she could only make out Sanji. He appeared to be scowling at the person next to him.

This kitchen feels really… intimate, Ruby thought to herself. She felt like she was intruding on something, though she didn't know why.

"Thanks, my friend made all those. He's a really good drawer. That's him right there if you're curious." Sanji said while grabbing the frame and giving it to Ruby. She took a seat at the counter while Sanji went to rummage in the fridge.

"The one with the pointy nose?" Ruby asked, giggling at his appearance. She felt a little bad about it, but in her defence she'd never seen a nose that long.

"Yep. Usopp's broken his nose more times than I can count." Sanji said, smiling at the memory. He looked through his fridge and judged its contents. "I've got some dough I prepped yesterday. How does Pizza sound?" He asked while moving to preheat the oven. Sanji figured he'd need it soon.

"Sounds great." Ruby replied, looking up from the frame. "Got any toppings in mind?"

"What's your favorite?" Sanji asked while kneading and tossing the dough.

"I really like pepperoni and mushrooms. Yang thinks it's gross." Ruby answered.

"I, for one, also like pepperoni and mushrooms." Sanji replied, reaching into the fridge and pulling out said toppings.

"You need any help? I feel kind of awkward just sitting here." Ruby asked, though secretly hoped Sanji would say no. To say she was bad at cooking would be an understatement. Yang had already told Blake and Weiss about Ruby's impressive feat of burning water.

"Don't worry about it. I'm a chef. I love cooking for others." Sanji said while waving his hand. Soon, he had a large pizza ready for the oven. As if on cue, it signaled that it was done preheating.

"That was fast. It usually takes dad a lot longer to preheat his oven." Ruby said as she watched Sanji put the pizza in the oven.

"Yeah, Franky modified this one and the one at Beacon for me. It really cuts down on the time it takes to cook something." Sanji replied while putting away his apron. Ruby looked at him expectantly, frame in hand. "He's the one in the back with a metal nose.* Sanji said after a moment.

"He looks kinda… robot-y." Ruby said, looking at Franky. He was definitely tall, and weird. That blue hair was almost insulting gravity with how it stayed up.

"Did the bolts on his face give it away?" Sanji asked in amusement.

"Actually it was the floral shirt." Ruby joked, causing Sanji to snort in amusement.

"I'm gonna tell him that later. He looks robotic cause he's got a lot of robot parts in him. Franky is almost like a cyborg." Sanji said.

"That's so cool. Can he do a rocket punch?" Ruby asked, memories of Saturday morning cartoons coming to her mind.

"Yes, but it's attached to a chain so he can reel it back in." Sanji answered, blank faced.

"I can't tell if you're kidding or not."

"Maybe I am, or maybe I'm not."

"What about your other friends?" Ruby asked while gesturing to the frame.

"Well, the one with orange hair is Nami. She goes around making maps of Remnant." Sanji said.

"That's kind of dangerous." Ruby mentioned. There was a reason most of the innards of the kingdoms weren't mapped properly. Grimm made it very difficult.

"She can take care of herself. Plus, if she's gonna be going on a long expedition, she usually asks one of us to go with her." Sanji said, remembering the last time he'd gone with her on a mapping mission. They'd successfully mapped most of the tunnels under Mount Glenn during that outing.

"That's really cool. What about the really tall guy with the afro?"

"That's Brook. He's a pretty famous musician over in Atlas and Menagerie. I think I've seen Weiss listening to a few of his songs at lunch." Sanji said while crushing red peppers into flakes.

"How about the other lady in the picture?" Ruby asked.

"You mean Robin? She's an archeologist, and one of the best if I might add. Her investigation into the ruins outside Vale single handedly changed how life was viewed before the formation of the kingdoms." Sanji said.

"She sounds smart." Ruby said appreciatively.

"She's also really scary when you get her mad. You know those ruins you fought the Nevermore on during initiation?" Sanji asked while grating parmesan cheese.

"Yeah, why?"

"Those were the ones she investigated."

"Ooooh…. sorry about that. I hope she wasn't too mad." Ruby said bashfully. Those ruins weren't exactly left in one piece once they were done with it.

"Ha! She was definitely mad, but not at you." Sanji said in amusement.

"Really? That's a relief. But then who was she mad at?"

"Mostly at Ozpin for staging your initiation so close to precious archeological finds. She's planning on doing something about it, but I'm not sure what."

"I think there's one more you haven't told me about." Ruby said while looking at the picture.

"No there isn't." Sanji replied.

"The one with green hair."

"More like moss."

"Why are you two scowling at each other? Aren't you friends?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"He's a shitty swordsman with moss for hair. We don't get along." Sanji huffed.

"Well what's his name?" Ruby asked, surprised. She had never seen Sanji be so outwardly hostile to someone. Well, aside from Cardin and his friends, but they were asking for it so it didn't really count.

"Zoro, but call him mosshead. He hates it." Sanji said while snickering. At that moment the oven dinged, indicating the pizza was done.

"That smells really good." Ruby said as Sanji took it out of the oven. He took a stand out of one of the drawers and set the pizza on it. Taking out a pizza cutter, his arm blurred as he cut it into perfect slices.

"I'm afraid I've only got iced tea in the fridge. Would that suffice?" Sanji asked as he reached for plates and drinking glasses. Well, technically I've got Franky's cola too, but only he could drink that stuff, Sanji mused to himself.

"Yeah, that's fine." Ruby replied. Within seconds a plate with pizza and a glass full of iced tea was in front of her.

"I feel like I've been talking way too much. Tell me more about yourself." Sanji said while sitting opposite of Ruby.

"Oh, well there's not much to tell. I grew up on an island off the coast of Vale…"

…

"Okay, but wouldn't that make Michael a gent now?" Weiss asked.

"I dunno. The requirements for lads and gents has always been kind of blurry. When they started, it was pretty self explanatory. The lads were a lot younger than the gents, so that was about it. Now, they've been at it long enough that the lads are almost the same age as the gents when they started. Michael becoming a father caused the fans to wonder if the teams were meaningless now. Some think that the gents are gonna retire eventually and the lads become the new gents while bringing in a new generation of lads." Yang explained.

"Do you believe that?" Blake asked.

"Nah, I think they're gonna drop the team names altogether after a while. While I do agree that new talent would be brought in eventually, it'll probably turn into a general pool of people instead of the lads and gents separation." Yang said.

…

"Wait, you were that bad?" Sanji asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I was total trash. I doubt I'd ever have made it in Signal if uncle Qrow hadn't given me some training." Ruby said before tossing her last bit of pizza crust in her mouth.

"Some?" Sanji asked while raising a curly brow.

"Okay, a lot of training. But it paid off! Now I'm all skills and kills!" Ruby boasted while making several punching motions.

"Is that what you call it?"

"Well, Yang says it's dumb but I like it. It rhymes and stuff."

"I'd say it's pretty fitting." Sanji agreed.

…

"Really? Body pillows?" Blake asked in disbelief.

"Hey, there was a demand and they obliged." Yang said. "I've got a Gavin pillow back home, and judging by the way Weiss is eyeing Ryan, I'm pretty sure she'll have one soon." She said. Weiss, who was staring intently at her scroll, quickly put it on the table.

"I will do no such thing. Owning a body pillow is so… undignified." Weiss said, crossing her arms. To further prove her point, she turned her head away in obvious disinterest.

"You forgot to turn off your scroll. I can see the order confirmation." Yang said, causing Weiss' eyes to widen and face color in embarrassment. She dove for her scroll only for Yang to grab it at the last second.

"Give it back!" Weiss said, face getting redder by the second. Yang easily held it out of reach of the shorter girl. She glanced at the order, her eyes widening in shock and amusement.

"Wow, you ordered the XXX version? I did not take you for that kind of lady." Yang said.

"That's private information! You have no right looking at it!" Weiss said in desperation, her entire face red in embarrassment.

"What's the XXX version?" Blake asked, somewhat amused by the antics of her teammates.

"The body pillows come in multiple versions, each with a… varying state of undress. The triple X version has the least clothing. They're not naked, but there's not exactly much left to the imagination." Yang explained. Blake glanced at Weiss in surprise and newfound respect. As someone who read erotica in public, she could appreciate the brazenness of getting a body pillow that lewd.

"I-uh-well… I don't have to explain myself to you!" In a stunning display of semblance prowess, Weiss used her glyphs to not only retrieve her scroll, but also lock Yang in one of the closets. Before Blake could comment, Weiss had already left the room.

"For the record, I blame you for this." Blake said. Muffled laughter could be heard emanating from the closet.

…

"There isn't really much else to tell." Ruby said, wiping down a plate and placing it into a drying rack. Both young adults stood at the kitchen sink, washing what Sanji had used to make their food.

"Come on, I'm sure there's more to it than that." Sanji replied while scrubbing a pan down.

"I guess, but I don't think you're supposed to share everything on the first date. I've gotta save stuff to talk about for our second date." Ruby replied absentmindedly, occupied mostly with figuring out where the cups go. It took her all of three seconds to realize what she'd said. Ruby's eyes widened, her face reddening a fair amount. Looking at Sanji out of the corner of her eye, she saw a small, hopeful smile adorning his face.

"There's gonna be a second date?" Sanji asked, hoping his face wasn't as red as he thought.

"I mean-well-if you're okay with a second date that is. I don't wanna force you to do anything you-uh-don't want to. Dad says that consent is important… and…stuff…" she trailed off, wishing she wasn't so awkward. Come on Rubes, you had a lot of fun today. The least you could do is give a clear answer.

"Ruby, it's okay. I'd lo-" Sanji began before being cut off.

"Wait, sorry it's just I wanna try doing this properly." Ruby said, her determination building. She took a deep breath before speaking. "I had a lot of fun today. Spending time with you was great, and I wanna get to know you more. Sanji, would you like to go on a second date in the future?" She asked, maintaining eye contact even as her face grew redder by the second. Sanji, for his part, was almost as red. He couldn't help the dopey smile that grew on his face.

"I would love to go on a second date with you." Sanji replied, his toothy smile a flash of white amidst a blushing face.

…

The trip back to Beacon was quiet, both teenagers content with how their day had gone. Checking his scroll, Sanji took it as a personal victory that he would have Ruby home before midnight just like Yang said. Well, he'd be cutting it close but he didn't think Yang would mind.

"Hey Sanji?" Ruby asked, looking out the window of the airship they were on.

"Yeah?"

"Are your friends like you?"

"Like me as in…?" Sanji asked.

"You know, abnormal or whatever you called it." Ruby specified.

"Oh, most of them are, but, besides the mosshead, they're not exactly fighters if that's what you're asking." Sanji said, trying his best not to insult his friends. He didn't want to be mean, and certainly didn't want to undersell them. He knew first hand how well Robin, Franky, and Brook could hold their own, and how resourceful Nami, Usopp, and Chopper could be. But… well there was a reason Sanji and Zoro were called the Monster Duo. Fighting came second to the careers and interests of his friends, while he and Zoro revelled in it. Sure, he wasn't as hell bent on training as Zoro and had a very promising career at Beacon, but Sanji was just as much a fighter as he was a chef.

"Really? Huh, I kind of thought you'd all be strong and stuff." She said.

"Why's that?" Sanji asked.

"I don't know. You seem pretty strong, so I figured that was the norm." Ruby said with a shrug.

"Well, in a way you're not wrong. Despite being a very small part of the population, there's a surprising amount of really strong abnormals." Sanji said, being able to name at least ten right off the bat.

"Any idea why that is?" Ruby asked.

"Not really. I've never questioned it. Just the way it is, you know? You should talk to Robin sometime. She thinks about this stuff all the time. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to share her theories with you."

"She's the archeologist, right?" She asked, hoping her memory had gotten that right.

"Yes, and if you ever do meet her, make sure to apologize for destroying those ruins. Better to be safe than sorry." Sanji cautioned. Robin said she didn't blame the students, but I can never tell if she's feeling the truth.

…

To Ruby's surprise, Yang didn't make a big deal of her coming home. She was expecting a deluge of teasing laughter and remarks, but there was almost none. She'd gotten a little, this was Yang after all, but not nearly the amount she'd been expecting.

After saying her goodbyes to Sanji with a warm hug, which left her strangely unsatisfied, she'd entered her dorm room and found her three teammates waiting for her. Ruby could see the Cheshire cat grin on her sister's face, and knew what was to come, or so she thought. Weiss had asked how her date went, and Ruby found no difficulty in recounting her day.

Ruby found that the more she told them about it, the happier she got. She went on about how much fun she'd had and even managed to tell them about a future second date without blushing and stuttering to the ends of Remnant. Ruby found that, as she was talking, Yang's smile morphed from her teasing grin to a more heartfelt and, she didn't understand why, content smile. After she'd finished, Yang had given her sister a hug and told her how proud she was.

Ruby didn't quite understand this sudden shift in Yang's behavior, but that was alright. They could talk about it tomorrow, because right now it was getting late and she was tired. Her last thoughts before drifting into sleep were of her and Sanji talking while washing dishes.

A/N: it's been a pretty long time since an update. I've had this sitting in my docs for over two years now but just couldn't get the ending right. No matter how I wrote and rewrote it, the words never came together right for my satisfaction. So, as you might have noticed, I pretty much just summarized what was supposed to happen in a rushed ending. In case you needed clarification, Yang was ready to tease Ruby to oblivion but decided not to once she saw how happy and out-of-her-shell she was. Instead she became proud that her little sister was growing as a person. It would have been a really good scene if I hadn't dropped the ball.

I don't know when I'll next update this, but rest assured the story isn't abandoned. I'll see you all next time

Until then