Author's Notes: I meant to get this up yesterday but things got in the way of that. I feel as if this chapter may not be as good as the others, but I always feel that way. This is the final chapter. For now. That may change at some point. Please enjoy!

Also, this chapter is very long and I was very tired. Please forgive any inconsistencies, and point them out to me in a review and I'll fix them when I can!

Ruby sat nervously on Jaune's bed as she watched the clock tick the time away. Each second was like torture to the girl, unable to find any way in which to occupy herself.

When would he be back? When would Jaune Arc walk through the door and sweep her off her feet?

It was only a matter of time. After all they had planned this for what felt like forever. If he had somehow messed it up there was no way they were going to be able to pull off a bamboozle of this size and scale again for a long while.

But then, if he did somehow fail… Fair enough. She imagined herself in his shoes, and honestly she felt like she would probably screw it up somehow.

It was simple, as far as plans went. But there's always a million bajillion ways plans could go awry. So she held her breath, and she sat waiting.

She let out a cry of exasperated annoyance, probably exacerbating the feeling in the long run as she fell backward.

"I wish I had Crescent Rose…" she muttered. At the very least, then she could fiddle, and fiddling was what Ruby did best. Especially when it came to weapons.

Her eyes closed slowly. Fiddling. Weapons. She would be fiddling with Jaune's weapon soon enough. She wondered what it would be like.

It wasn't like she had never seen one before. Many of her nights recently have been spent somewhere private, just her and her scroll as she spent hours watching things Weiss would undoubtedly blanch at. And then probably call her perverted or something.

But if there was one thing Ruby had learned in all of her exploration, it's that there was absolutely nothing wrong with being a pervert. So long as you only let that side of you show to someone you could trust, someone who was into it.

Jaune was absolutely into it.

Ruby had no idea that he could be so… dirty. But since they had started sharing videos and pictures that they found online with one another, she had discovered just how deep the rabbit hole went. Especially when he sent her all that rabbit Faunus stuff.

She would probably never be able to look Velvet in the eye ever again.

That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy it. Because she did. She truly loved sharing all of her fantasies with him, all the lewd thoughts she had begun to let into her head.

She sighed as she got more comfortable on the bed, rolling over on her side as she lay her head on her hands.

She remembered the library incident, as they had dubbed it, very clearly. She remembered the electric feeling tingling up her spine, the feeling of teetering on the edge of an abyss. If she had fallen in she would have lost herself completely.

In that moment it had been entirely about her own pleasure, but that had so easily been pushed aside when she knew he was about to finish.

She was almost angry with herself. Almost.

The truth of the matter was that she hadn't cared in the moment. She had made him feel amazing, and that's what she focused on. But she knew that, regardless, she was getting paid back tonight.

Even if he didn't know it.

Ruby smiled, lightheaded excitement coursing through her body. He didn't know! It was going to be quite the surprise for the boy- man. Man, she had to remind herself. He was a boy. And if he wasn't a man… she was going to make him one.

But there was time for these thoughts later. She would probably be denied her time with Jaune if he didn't succeed in shaking the others off at the boarding docks.

It would all be for naught if he returned with even one of their friends.

Her faking being sick would mean nothing. Nothing! And that would be a bummer because Weiss seemed really upset.

Ruby's heart soared with happiness at the image of her BFF's face contorted in fear and worry over her health, holding a hand to her forehead and trying to feel for a fever that didn't exist.

Even still, it had been easy enough to fake it when the only two people you really needed to fool were two girls who never knew you to fake an illness before.

Ruby was about ninety-nine percent sure that Yang knew she was a liar-liar-pants-on-fire, but she was also secure in the fact that she wouldn't tell a soul.

She probably would figure it all out the moment Jaune pulled the old 'worried about my friend' card and pulled out of the group movie day to 'take care of her.' Everyone else, however… It was exactly the type of thing they would fall for. They all noticed how close the two of them had become. They noticed how so casually intimate they were in their interactions. They were all invested enough to actively encourage him to stay.

It was the perfect plan to get some alone time.

Besides, it was only a small lie in the grand scheme of things. They just... wanted one day alone at the very least, and even if she had to have a very, very embarrassing talk with her sister later that evening, it would all be so worth it.

She just had to have faith in Jaune to pull it off.

But she was really starting to get antsy.

They were falling for it all. The expression on his face, the way he seemed to hesitate boarding the airship… But he needed to put the extra work in, he knew. There was no way he could just walk away. He had to put his acting chops to work.

But he didn't put on all those famous, world renowned Arc Family Plays for nothing!

Saphron had always told him that he was a natural when it came to conveying tone, and buried deep within all the other compliments that were totally not given only because he was their brother, he could remember quite a few about his ability to make the audience (his family) believe anything he wanted them to!

He had this. In the bag too.

"Hey guys," Jaune spoke, stopping everyone before they had fully boarded the airship. "Ruby wasn't looking too good, was she?"

He watched their reactions carefully. Blake seemed indifferent, but there was still a modicum of care in her eyes. When he could see them. For some reason she just refused to look at him, fully. He wondered briefly if he had done something wrong, but managed to shake the thought away. Blake was just being Blake. Maybe.

Ren, Nora and Pyrrha just looked amongst one another before offering him sympathetic glances.

But truly, Weiss and Yang had the most interesting reactions. Weiss actually looked like she was about five seconds from ruining everything; no doubt that Ruby was good at playing sick, she had almost fooled Jaune even. He half expected her to have actually come down with something through the night when he laid eyes on her this morning.

It was heartwarming. Ruby probably felt over the moon with how Weiss was acting. But he knew that if he didn't get her out of here, the plan would be ruined. No video game date, no cuddles while watching cartoons and dumb action movies, no nothing.

But while Weiss seemed beside herself with worry, Yang seemed… intrigued.

So intrigued in fact that Jaune was sure she knew exactly what was going on. But she also seemed to know more than even him.

Just like Ruby had said would happen, Yang hadn't been fooled by her deception. It was safe to say that she wasn't going to ruin their plans or anything, but the way her eyes suddenly bore into Jaune made him blink.

Sheesh. It was like staring into the sun. Her eyes seemed so intently focused on him, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what the intent was.

"Ruby did seem… to not be feeling the best," Blake admitted, her right hand finding her left arm.

"Yes," Weiss began. "P-perhaps I should stay and watch over her. After all, it might help to make her feel at least a little better having a friend close by."

"Actually," Jaune began, but he was quickly shut up by Yang motioning for him to stop.

Yang crossed her arms, shifting her weight to her dominant foot. Her expression spoke of pure amusement. "I have an idea," Yang said with a smirk towards Jaune that laid out her intentions quite clearly. "Why don't we have Lover Boy here stay with her? He was the one who brought it up, after all. And that way we'll both be missing our leaders, so we'll even out!"

Weiss went to protest but she was quickly drowned out by everyone agreeing with Yang. All she could do was stare down at the ground, her hands balling up into fists.

Weiss hated democracy.

Jaune watched as they all boarded the airship with slightly smaller smiles than had been adorning their faces before he spoke up. They all said there goodbyes, and right before the airship doors closed he saw Yang mouth something that made him shudder.

The implications were infinite, the very suggestion they spoke shook him to the core of his being.

"You two owe me."

He was convinced of two things.

One being that whatever Yang asked for down the line would undoubtedly suck so much.

Two being that she was aware of something that he was not. Had she so much foresight? Was she simply far more observant than he gave her credit for?

Ruby had seemed to grow more and more nervous with every day leading up to this one. But he had attributed that to nerves.

After all, this was the first time they would truly have a whole day alone together. But in all their talks for plans, they had just mentioned the basic things. Video games, movies, cuddles…

What was it they could possibly get up to all alone that could make her feel so nervous and unsure-

Oh.

Oh gods.

He was suddenly a lot more nervous.

One thing was for sure, he would need to take a trip to get a little something before he went back to the dorm.

Ruby couldn't help it. Or at the very least that's how she justified it. She couldn't help it. That's just the way it was.

It started with the normal spreading warmth, then the growing lust, the fire in her stomach… It started how it always started, and now she was rubbing her thighs together on her boyfriend's bed trying her hardest to purge any and all lewd thoughts from her mind.

It really wasn't working.

She bit her lip as she looked back down at her Scroll.

Twenty minutes. She had been waiting for twenty minutes. Twenty. Long. Agonizing. Cruel minutes.

'Argh! What's taking so long!? Did he ditch me and go with them or something!?'

She knew for a fact he wouldn't do something like that, and under normal circumstances the idea wouldn't have even entered her head. But she was currently waging a war with herself that she was very much losing at an astonishing rate.

She blamed Jaune for this.

It was all his fault. Him and his stupid, dumb… cute boyness!

Again, she knew that there was so much more to it than that. But in truth, he was mostly to blame for her sexual awakening.

Life was so much easier when all she cared about was scythes. And guns.

Gunscythes.

Back then she didn't have to worry about feeling like she was going to go mad if she didn't masturbate, back then she didn't need to worry about the purity of her own thoughts. She knew what her life was.

But now she was in a constant state of discovering new things about herself and a world that never seemed to slow down enough for her to catch her breath.

Sex and everything related to it was… dumb. And stupid. And she really hated it.

Except that she didn't because it felt amazing and gah!

She tossed this way and that, rustling the fitted sheet off of the mattress which she promptly fixed because she wasn't a barbarian.

She needed to do something. She needed to clear her head. She needed relief like never before, and before she even knew what was happening she gasped out in pleasure.

And then shock.

When had she put her hand down there? Even more, how the heck did she not notice?

She pulled her hand away as if she had nearly been caught stealing from the cookie jar, a knee-jerk reaction that sent panic through her chest.

Though, in doing so she realized one thing. Her fingers were wet.

Now she was just frustrated. But that frustration could be eased quite easily if she just took it easy and…

'Oh, f-fuck.'

Her hand was placed right back where it was previously, her fingers working through her clothing with desperation. She didn't want to be caught with her pants down, so to speak, so she settled.

But settling was difficult when you were thirsty and someone was offering you merely an ounce of the water your body craved.

Her fingers pressed roughly into the crotch of her pajama pants, and her body tensed as she remembered; she had no underwear on.

She usually slept in underwear just to avoid any accidental slip ups, since she wore her pajamas often around her friends. But she hadn't bothered this time.

And the reason why was currently taking his sweet ass time getting back!

She sighed as she relaxed herself, finding it easy to release all of her frustration as her fingers began to rub and apply just the perfect amount of pressure.

She didn't have the precision she would have if she had just stuck her hands inside of her pants, but she was already pushing her luck. She was on Jaune' bed, in his team's dorm… the more she thought about it the more she felt weird about it.

This was wrong. It would be one thing if Jaune were here and they were… doing stuff. But she was alone, and her train of thought was starting to creep her out.

At the same time, it was actually kinda hot.

Lost in her own thoughts, again, Ruby hadn't noticed the door open. Likewise, she didn't notice it close.

Jaune stood frozen at the sight of her. His face quickly grew hot, the rest of him followed soon after. He just stood there watching as her chest rose and fell underneath the single layer of her tank top.

His eyes scanned over her bare arms, reaching the hands that kept trailing over her body. One dipped below, between her thighs. One at her chest, roaming and caressing at her own discretion.

She moaned and he felt his knees grow weak.

The sound was music to his ears. Music he had never thought he would ever hear prior to that day in her dorm, when she let him touch her chest.

The sounds she made then had been much more subdued than the ones flitting from between her lips now.

They had made strides in their friendship. They had really come far.

But seeing her like this was blowing his mind. Seeing her doing such things for the first time...

There were times over the last three weeks where he would realize that she was touching herself while they were talking over text, and no doubt she had noticed him doing the same. When they would share images and videos, discuss certain... things. There would always be moments where replies would fall to an unsteady pace, or one of them would go radio silent for however long it took and come back with an excuse. An excuse that both of them knew the other saw through as if it were glass.

Seeing it, however, was very different.

He was stiff, and this time not where one would think. He couldn't move, so afraid of making even a small noise to alert her to his presence. He knew it was wrong to just stand and stare, but fear held him steady.

Until he involuntarily cleared his throat.

He went pale, but ultimately didn't move a muscle. His blood went ice cold, and a sense of danger filled him. He knew that Ruby was okay with him seeing her breasts. He had seen her in just underwear before as well.

But he had no idea if seeing her in such a private moment was okay or not. The fear that it wouldn't be okay threatened to make him flee the scene as quickly as possible, but he wasn't a coward. At least, not when it came to Ruby. The most compassionate, caring and understanding girl he had ever met and possibly would ever meet in his lifetime.

She had almost reacted the way he expected she would, tossing all of his irrational fears aside. Thankfully, however, much like the day it all began, she didn't scream.

She yelped.

Falling off the bed with a massively loud thud, Ruby scrambled to her feet, her heart racing a million miles an hour.

There were many things that ran through her mind at that moment. Mostly 'what' and 'where am I' but also 'oh my god what the heck am I doing?!'

"Jaune! You're back!" Ruby shouted enthusiastically to hide the guilt in her voice. Her mind had swam quickly through as many solutions to the situation as it could but she ultimately settled on pretending that nothing had ever happened. "So how did it go? A-are they gone?"

A classic tactic to be sure, one that, had she pulled earlier down the line, might have actually worked. But things were different now. Between them especially.

If there was one thing Jaune had learned from living with seven sisters, and in sharing a dorm with three other people who seemed to have a much stronger grip on their lives than he felt he ever would, it was that running from things like this meant making it more awkward in the long run.

How many times had he walked in on his sister's doing something that was meant to be private? How many boys and girls had he walked in on his sisters kissing? How many embarrassing items had he found by accident in drawers and hidden compartments?

He had always simply talked to them. They had always insisted, because leaving things awkward was never a good thing for any relationship.

But Jaune knew that talking wasn't what was needed, or wanted in this specific scenario. No… If they were ever going to move past this, he needed to take the chance. Here. Now. This was the moment he needed to make his move, to take things into his own hand.

Ruby wanted him, he was sure of that fact. It was quite clear, the more he thought about it. All the signs pointed to her wanting to go all the way. Today.

"Was I really gone that long?" Jaune asked, putting on an awkward yet amused smile. It was gentle, his expression, which made Ruby pause.

She had expected anger, or at the very least a lot of awkward stuttering and deflecting from the both of them. His smile, however, put her frayed nerves at ease almost instantly. The humor of his words took a few moments of silence to reach her, but eventually she started to chuckle, rubbing at har arm as if she were suddenly bashful.

She took a seat back down on his bed, knowing that, at the very least the atmosphere wasn't going to be oppressive and weird. She was safe here. Even if she had been caught doing something very unladylike and honestly pretty not cool in terms of what was socially acceptable to do on another person's bed...

That feeling of safety only grew as he took a seat beside her.

They sat in silence for a bit, Jaune letting Ruby get a grip on her mental faculties. He knew the poor girl needed it.

But eventually the time came to speak. Both of them knew quite well that they were just wasting time if they kept the silence up. They didn't plan this big scheme just to sit in silence for hours.

It was Jaune who spoke first, much to Ruby's happiness. She wasn't sure if it was right for her to be the one to broach the topic considering she was the one who had got caught red handed.

"So, do you wanna talk about what just happened? I'm totally okay with not discussing it if you don't want to," he said, his hand moving on autopilot to grab at hers. It cradled hers warmly, making her chest feel light and her head all fuzzy.

She cuddled into his side, finding the strength to speak in his readily accepted embrace.

"We can talk about it," Ruby said simply, her heart picking up slightly. She knew better than to be afraid anymore, but the subject matter was something that made her nervous.

Silly. It was silly that it made her nervous when the whole reason she had planned this day was to…

"Right," Jaune said with a smile. He threw something over on top of his pillow. A plastic bag, unmarked. Ruby hadn't even noticed that he was carrying anything.

She fought the curiosity bubbling inside of her to check it out, and merely stayed beside him. He sighed and relaxed, a smile forming on his face.

"Well, first thing's first…" Jaune continued on, pausing briefly to shift further onto the bed. Ruby gave a cry of surprise as he grabbed her and firmly but gently pulled her close to him. She was almost sitting on his lap in their new position, his arms wrapped around her stomach and his chin resting on her shoulder. She could feel his hot breath hitting her ear. She shivered at the feeling. "What were you thinking about?" he asked with a smile.

Ruby grew lightheaded almost instantly. Pressed up against him like she was, in such a vulnerable position; being asked something like that. She had spirals in her eyes for sure, swaying to and fro briefly before getting a grip and preventing herself from fainting. This was not what she had in mind when he said to talk about it.

But if this is what he wanted, she was fine with it. This was something new. Something exciting.

Warmth spread through her stomach again, and a familiar wetness was coming back. She had been knocked out of her mood when he stumbled in on her, but this turn of events was bringing her back quickly.

"I was… thinking of you," she admitted. There was probably a blush on her face, but it was strange to think that she wasn't blushing because of her admission. They had long since grown out of blushing at silly things like children, at least when it came to things like this.

"Tell me what you were thinking about specifically," he said, his voice soft and full of want.

'Now this is just unfair,' Ruby thought. She pressed her back hard into his chest, feeling her stomach jump flips at the way he squeezed her so tightly. "No matter what I say, you'll be okay with it?"

"I promise I will, you could say anything right now and I wouldn't judge you for it. Nothing is going to drive us apart either," he assured. As if to drive his point home, he grabbed her hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

She relaxed. This was a safe space for both of them. No judgement, no fear… She could be as dirty as she wanted and he wouldn't think of her any differently.

With a sigh she began her confession. "I was thinking of us… having sex. I think about that a lot. I was trying my hardest to imagine what your… c-cock would feel like inside me. Inside my p-... my pussy." She breathed the words out shakily, but it felt good to get them out. She felt silly stuttering out words she had written out many times before to him.

But there was a mental block. It was surprisingly hard to say such things to him directly. She couldn't even describe the feeling it gave her if she tried. It wasn't embarrassing, exactly. Just different.

"How often have you thought about it?" he asked, egging her on to continue. He relished in the simple feeling of her breathing against him.

She was alive and well and safe in his arms, and he was lucky enough to be here with her in such a private and exhilarating moment.

This was for them.

Just them.

"So much. I've thought about it so much. Ever since the library. I can't get the feeling out of my head, I can't get that kiss out of my head. It was really hot watching you cum, I want to see the face you made again. I want to hear you next time, though. I want to be alone, and I want to be the only thing you're focused on and I know it sounds greedy but-" she gasped out, her sudden influx of words being cut off by Jaune's hand finding the space just above her crotch.

But it dipped no lower.

Her pants were wet. There was absolutely no hiding that she was absolutely loving this, even if she wanted to. He knew now just what effect he was having on her body.

"You just have to ask," he said, placing something in her lap.

She looked down in a daze at the plastic bag and wasted no time in reaching inside. She knew what it was as soon as her hands touched the box.

Condoms. He had taken so long to get back because he was buying condoms. She wanted to laugh, but she was far too lost in the haze of pleasure and lust to do so. She knew she had forgotten something, and she was suddenly really glad he took so long getting back.

There was no reason to deny it. She wanted him. She wanted him badly. They were alone now, they had time, they had protection. There was no excuse, it was time.

But first… she wanted to even the score.

"Jaune," she whined, grabbing the hand between her thighs by the wrist. "In the library, you came but I didn't. Even though I… Well, I guess I didn't get to ask exactly. I want you to make me cum, first. Before we do it."

She guided his hand upwards, and then began to push it down, his fingers hitting the hem of her pants. The hem gave way, slipping over his fingers as she slid him inside, gasping out as his fingers came to rest on her pussy directly.

"I suppose that's only fair," Jaune stated softly with an amused grin, lovingly kissing her neck as his fingers began to slowly glide over her lower lips, tracing her entrance with building excitement. "I guess I do owe you one."

"J-just one. Right there, keep doing that." She moaned, her body randomly shaking once, twice… The new sensation was almost too much to handle. "After I cum… We'll be even. We can have a lot more fun," she said with a sly smile.

This side of Ruby was new. It was still growing, still budding like, well, a rose in bloom.

She had said plenty of dirty things to him before. But he had never heard them. He had never heard that tone. Gods, the way she basically purred those words out. One would think she was a cat Faunus.

The way her voice dipped, the way she whispered and gasped and shivered as his hands amateurishly explored her pussy made him fall in love with her in an entirely different way than he already had.

Ruby bit her lip as Jaune's fingers spread her open with his index and ring fingers, using his middle to probe around until he found her opening.

"Is this alright?" Jaune asked, careful not to push in too deep until he had express consent.

"Y-yes, yes! Keep going! P-please…" Ruby begged, her toes curling and uncurling as her legs constantly shifted their positions. She couldn't hold still.

Jaune found it to be extremely cute. And really hot.

He obeyed her pleas, pushing his middle finger deeper into her wet core until he was in past the first knuckle. It was when he reached the second that Ruby grabbed his hand.

She turned her head slightly to give him an almost pleading look. When he realized this, he nearly pulled out. She just kept a tight hold, keeping him there.

"Jaune, I just… I really want you to know that…" She sighed. "I know this is probably really stupid to worry about, especially right now. But I want you to know that you are my first, okay? I just… you know… don't know what you're expecting..."

It took a tiny bit for him to realize what she was getting at, but when realization dawned he just chuckled. Which caused her to pout.

"Ruby, I wouldn't have even thought like that," Jaune assured her with a smile. "But, if we're saying obvious things now, you're my first as well. If… you hadn't picked up on that over the last few months."

Ruby breathed in deep before letting it out in a somewhat stifled gasp. Jaune began again, his finger dipping in as deep as it could go. Ruby's grip remained tight on his hand, almost as if she refused to let go.

She was trying her hardest to breathe normally, but all she could get out were pants and gasps.

It felt so different having someone else do it. Almost too different. It was a bit overwhelming.

Jaune loved the feeling of having her so close to him. The position they were in was so intimate, the way her chest raised and lowered as she breathed fitfully, the way she would push back against him and squirm in such an erotic manner when his finger hit just the right spot…

He had been trying to hold it back, but then he supposed holding back your body from having a natural reaction never worked for too long.

It wasn't long before Ruby realized.

She smirked, looking back up at him in the same way she had a moment ago. "Did I do that? Or was it something else?"

Her tone was halfway to teasing, but he could tell there was a bit of unrestrained pride in it that she couldn't hide. It was something he couldn't fault her for. He felt how wet he was making her. It felt good to make someone aroused. To know that someone was so attracted to you.

"You," he replied almost bashfully. "Always you." Ruby didn't bother to hide the big smile on her face after he said it. Nor did she bother to hide the somewhat loud moan that followed.

"Y-you know just what to say to make a girl weak in the knees, don't you Jaune?" Ruby asked playfully, her legs pulling inward just a little as he began to quicken his finger work.

"No, just speaking the truth," he said, his own breathing growing noticeably more heavy.

Ruby's chest felt so tight, constricting further and further as Jaune continued pumping his finger into her pussy. She wanted to keep talking, but her body refused her. Her heart had skipped from what Jaune had said, and it hadn't stopped skipping.

She couldn't exhale. Her body just refused to let her. So she kept building air in her lungs until she finally found the strength to force it out in a sigh of pleasure.

Every second that ticked by her body seemed to grow even more out of control, her breathing becoming more and more shallow. Her hands grabbed at him however they could, her nails digging into his skin and leaving slight scratches.

As the pleasure continued to build, all from just one finger, her voice also grew louder. She still needed to worry about being too loud, but at the very least she was free to let Jaune know exactly how she was feeling.

She had felt like moaning back then in the library, to exaggerate just a little. It had been a very strong feeling. But now she knew just how little exaggerating she would actually have to do.

It came as natural as breathing.

In the moment she felt wonderful. Absolutely amazing. Every little touch, every little push inside of her; everything he was doing to her manifested in moans and purrs and gasps and whatever else could be used to express that he was making her feel good.

But really, for all the amazing things she had to say about it all, she felt like something was missing.

It didn't feel like that for long.

Jaune's thumb found her clit. She threw her head back against his chest and inhaled sharply, letting it out a second later in a small whine. Her body felt glued to his, frozen and paralyzed.

"W-warn me before you just do that next time, I'm really…" Ruby's words fizzled out, her lips quivering as she felt like she was teetering on the edge of a precipice. Jaune had stopped moving his fingers, and his thumb was torturously hovering right over her sweet spot.

"Sensitive?" Jaune continued, a stupidly big and dopey grin on his face. He wanted to laugh, but held it in.

"Yes… I mean, I just don't think my body is entirely used to this yet. I don't really touch there too much when I, um…" Ruby shook her head, wanting to just bury herself in a hole.

Jaune found it adorable. Soon enough this would all become so easy for them, just like everything else had become. But then, this was easy for him. He couldn't imagine how it must be for her, being the center of his attention like she was. If their roles were reversed he would probably be the same awkward guy he always was.

"I understand," Jaune said, moving to kiss her on the neck. "I'm gonna keep going."

She tilted her head to give him easier access, and nodded quickly, her body tensing up as she felt his thumb return right back to her clit and his finger resume its pumping motion.

She welcomed him back with a desperate moan, her hands once again grabbing at his arm or the sheets below them.

She knew it wouldn't take much longer. She didn't have the longest fuse, and that was all her own personal experience. She was in uncharted territory with Jaune, she figured it would end faster than it ever had when she was by herself.

And for some reason she was a little bit self conscious about that. Would he find that attractive at all? If it took so little to set her off, to make her cum?

That was not an attractive quality in men apparently, and it was often something they were made fun of for online because it exploited all of the insecurities that trolls looked for; she had even seen Yang make a subtle joke about it at a male friend's expense one time or another.

It was not something Ruby was concerned about with Jaune. They were new to this, and she had done what research she felt comfortable doing. She expected it to be quick, to not last but a fraction of the time they probably would wish it would.

But did Jaune expect differently?

Oh gods, what if he was turned off by it.

A very strong twitch knocked her out of her thoughts, Jaune's lips softly placing a gentle kiss in a ticklish spot on her neck. She giggled, playfully swatting his head away.

It was the small things like that that reminded her that she was thinking too much into this. Jaune would never in a million years think about her in a bad light.

She had things about herself she didn't like, just as much as anyone else. But they were qualities that Jaune appreciated, or often never paid attention to.

To think that he would think of a short fuse in bed as a negative quality was just dumb.

So she relaxed against him and let her mind rest as well. But relaxing was hard to do when the man you loved so dearly had his finger inside of you and his thumb on your 'twitch' button. Apparently.

She gently placed her teeth on her bottom lip, fighting back against the urge to bite down. Jaune had tried his best to get her to stop, but the urge resurfaced whenever she was feeling good.

The last time she pleasured herself in the shower she drew blood. Later in the day Jaune had gotten onto her. Softly, but still. He had taken a tone with her that made her think he was going to spank her for a moment.

She almost wished he did.

Ruby's eyes flew wide open as she felt him tease another finger. She couldn't stop herself from biting down.

"Jaune, fuck… fuck, no. No, nonono! I don't think I can take two right now! I'll absolutely lose my mind!" Ruby warned in rushed whispers. Her breathing hitched, her voice stuck in her throat as she tried to protest harder.

"So is that a no? I thought the goal here was to make you cum so we could move on to bigger and better things."

There was silence as he continued teasing her with the inclusion of another digit. He had slowed down to a speed that was absolute torture to her. She both hated and adored being at his mercy like she was.

"It's just- I was enjoying this! That's all!" She puffed out her chest as if to prove that that was indeed the only reason.

"You're not saying no," he teased, moving his free hand to caress her chest. She let out a squeak, barely able to contain herself at his sudden, though gentle, attack.

"That's- I mean, I've never used- Jaune… Just do it!" She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as Jaune, on command, slowly introduced the second finger alongside the first.

Ruby was surprised when it basically just slipped right in. Her eyes opened as even more pleasure threw her for a loop.

She had expected a little bit of resistance at the very least. She was slightly confused, but she wasn't about to ask questions. Not when she was so close…

Jaune began to pump his fingers into her faster than he had before, thumbing at her clit while he did so. His lips found her neck again, but this time his free hand began to play with her breasts.

He was putting everything he had into making this as enjoyable as possible for her. She hadn't expected this kind of intensity from him. But she could feel how hard he was. Maybe she should have expected it.

The way he was playing with her it was like he couldn't get enough. His mouth hungrily sought out more and more of her skin to mark red, his hand reached under her tank to pinch and pull at her breasts, his fingers and his thumb worked in overdrive.

He got faster and faster, and her body could barely take it. Twitch after twitch, moan after moan; she had never experienced any feeling that came close to this heaven.

"Jaune, I'm getting close," she called out, nails digging into the bed sheets. She wondered if he had even heard her, but her answer came in the form of him biting down, marking her skin with more than just the usual red.

That certainly wouldn't go away within the hour. No, that was there to stay for a week at least. The thought of him having marked her like that, as if he were claiming ownership… she should have hated it but it was hot.

So hot that it was the final bit of straw that broke the camel's back.

"Jaune I- I'm-" Her mouth opened wide but no sound came. She, however, did.

Her body shook, her toes curling and unfurling rapidly as her legs pushed out and pulled in. Her hands grabbed and scratched, and her eyes closed tight.

She breathed in and out at a worrying pace as Jaune kept going, not stopping even as the spasms wrecking her body slowed to a stop.

By the time she was done she was a sweating mess, panting in exhaustion and relief.

Jaune finally pulled his hand out of her pants and moved it to wrap around her belly along with the other. His lips moved to kiss at her cheek lightly as he embraced her.

She couldn't find even the will to speak, with how much energy she had left. She wanted to pass out, she had never had an orgasm so big.

Even still, she found the strength to lift her arm up and place a hand on his cheek. A small gesture, but one she felt inclined to do.

After a few moments, she pushed herself up and out of his arms. Taking a deep breath, she stretched, raising her top just enough to reveal her midriff briefly before she lowered her arms.

She looked back to see Jaune stealing glimpses of all her revealed skin.

She smiled.

She felt so relaxed and refreshed, but her energy levels were much lower than before. She hoped she still had enough.

Jaune sent her a smile in return, adoring the ethereal look she had about her after such an intense moment. Her afterglow was affecting him second hand, it seemed. He as well looked tired and a little bit out of it, though Ruby couldn't be sure if that wasn't just her sudden lackadaisical mood influencing and distorting her perception.

She needed to shake herself out of it. She knew that what came next was important to their relationship. It was the last big step they needed to take. Or at the very least, it was the last one for a very long time.

And that was even if it lasted…

But no. She refused to think like that. Ruby Rose was not a pessimist, she believed in happiness and goodness, choosing to not give thought to the negatives. If she chose to put more emphasis on the positives, they would leave a bigger and longer lasting impact.

She would not let this opportunity go to waste. This was all for one thing, one final goal. This was to grow closer to Jaune Arc.

And in that regard… she supposed it was time. She was going to say it. She was going to tell him how she felt.

Afterwards.

She turned to face him and began to crawl, almost seductively. Which was an achievement for her, she would later think. As soon as she got close enough, she pushed him back onto the mattress with a single finger until he was flat on his back.

It was something she had seen in a video once, and he definitely seemed to appreciate it.

"Jaune," she started, moving to straddle his hips. She stared down at him before removing her top, not bothering to take it slow after all of the what could basically be considered foreplay they did. "I'm ready, I think…"

"You know, I don't think that counts," he chuckled. His hands found her hips before moving softly upwards. He held both of his palms flat against her belly, loving the simple act of touching her, of feeling her warmth. "Are you really ready? I need you to say it clearly."

Ruby felt a lot more calm and clear headed, and a lot less anxious about everything to come.

There was a feeling like she had passed through the storm and lived. It was the feeling you got in your stomach when a rollercoaster finally stopped and your feet found solid ground, or at the very least it was similar.

Emboldened by the previous experience, Ruby placed her hands on his chest before swiping his away dramatically, pinning them down above his head afterwards as she dipped her own down to kiss him.

It was a sweet, tender kiss. Not too much, not too little. She knew it wouldn't serve as an assurance, but it felt natural. When she pushed away from him she laughed at the expression on his face. It seemed like her kisses would always catch him off guard at least a little bit.

Which was fair, considering that they hadn't kissed too terribly often since the first time.

"I'm ready, Jaune." More ready than she ever would be again, she felt.

Maybe there were a million other moments to come that would be better for it, but it felt right in the present. Right enough for Ruby to feel that she was making the correct choice.

There were no grand and sweeping romantic gestures that kicked this off. It just turned out this way.

That was enough for her.

They had been blindly fumbling through everything but now they knew what they wanted, and they knew how to get it too.

She didn't give him any chance to respond before she stole another kiss, this one, however, was a lot more intense.

She smirked through the kiss as Jaune struggled against her, trying to free himself. He was stronger than she was, but she had the upper hand and she knew it. He was far too distracted by her lips to manage to do anything but put up the most meager of resistances.

It was even worse when she slipped her tongue in.

She let out a soft moan as his own tongue quickly joined in, meeting her own with a ferocity that she hadn't been expecting. It was almost enough to make her grip weaken.

Almost.

Jaune bucked his hips upwards, his crotch meeting with Ruby's and causing her to tense up and pull away. Her eyes fluttered open, her face as red as her namesake.

"That wasn't very fair, you know," Jaune playfully chided, finally managing to wrest his hands from her hold.

"Pfft, all's fair in love and war!" She flicked her eyes down to his hoodie, licking her lips subtly.

Taking the hint, Jaune raised slightly and took it off, baring his chest to the girl and putting them on somewhat even ground.

"And which one would this be?"

"Take the rest off, and then maybe you'll find out…"

Jaune didn't waste any time, quickly throwing off his shoes, socks and jeans until all he had on was a pair of boxers.

Ruby had watched him strip with eyes full of curiosity and hunger, taking in every single movement as he made them. She was seeing more of him than ever before, and all that stood between both of them now were two articles of clothing.

It was kind of unfair, honestly. Ruby was far more covered than he was, a fact that she was very, very aware of as she all but stared at his legs.

They were nice legs.

How could someone who was so lanky become such a… hunk?

Ruby didn't realize she was drooling until Jaune snapped her out of it with a bashful laugh. Or was it a nervous laugh? Ruby couldn't tell.

But it was probably a nervous one, because almost immediately after the legs her attention was caught by something else.

The bulge in his boxers.

Oh yeah. She had somehow forgotten about that.

Right away she was taken by the size. He wasn't… massive. That definitely eased her mind a little. He also didn't seem as big as she expected him to be for someone so tall.

But there was not a single shred of disappointment. It was still Jaune. That was all that mattered to her. That was why she had chosen to go through all of this with him in the first place, because he was her best friend. Because she loved him.

Things like size were utterly pointless in the grand scheme of things.

She crawled forward, reaching out to grab ahold of the hem of his boxers before looking him in the eye. He just looked away and nodded, but she couldn't blame him for that.

She pulled them down until they got stuck on his erection, and she watched as his face twitched the tiniest bit.

Carefully she pulled downward until he was free before throwing his boxers to the side. Her gaze lingered on his cock, and her first instinct was to reach out and touch it, but she kept her hands to herself out of fear that she would somehow mess things up.

Jaune didn't say anything, but eventually he did turn to look at her. He was surprised by a kiss once again, his eyes going as wide as dinner plates.

Ruby pulled away quickly, leaving his lips feeling cold and wanting. It was a far cry from the last passionate kiss, but it was just a distraction. She wanted to pull him out of the thoughts she knew were bogging him down.

"I love it," she whispered. It wasn't a lie. It truly was the right size for her. It wasn't intimidating, it looked like the perfect fit. If she knew her body half as well as she should have anyway.

Jaune let out a gasp as he felt her hand grasp onto him firmly. In that same instance, she pushed her lips into his, launching back into the same passionate fare they delved into just moments ago.

His lips no longer felt cold.

Her hand tightened by a small amount, and he pulled away from the kiss slightly to gasp. He moaned, his lips quivering as she slowly, carefully started to pleasure him.

Ruby felt light in the head, a reaction to that wonderful noise. She was barely able to believe this was actually happening. So far it was nothing, she was just paying him back for what he did earlier. Just a little bit of priming before the main event. But this felt significant. Big.

She needed to focus, though. She needed to do a good job.

If she thought about it like she was taking care of a weapon, or something in that vein, if she wanted to get the best performance, she had to make sure it was in the best cond-

Ugh. 'Gods, that is NOT a sexy thought. Why do you always have to be such a dork?'

She pulled away from the kiss, looking down to get a better view of just what she was doing. "I-is this okay? Am I doing good?"

"Yeah, it's… it's good. Keep going." He closed his eyes, leaning back to enjoy the feeling.

She dared to increase her pace just slightly to see if she could get a reaction out of him, cheering on the inside when he moaned once again.

This was good, she was making him feel good! That was the goal, so if she just kept this up for however long this lasted she could call this whole thing a success!

Easy peasy!

Well, maybe easy peasy.

Her eyes fell on the box of condoms that still lay on the bed, and her hand slowed as she remembered that this was not, in fact, all that there was to this.

Jaune opened his eyes, feeling her grip falter. He knew that there must have been a reason, and as his eyes trailed to where hers led he understood.

He had also kind of forgotten, the thought being pushed aside no doubt from the intense kisses and the handjob.

It was a bit strange considering he was entirely naked at this point. But they had mostly been playing this off like every other time, every other experiment.

But experiments were over and done with. They were about to hit the top. Anything past that would be a completely new category of experimentation.

"Jaune, do you still wanna-" Ruby was cut off. For once she was the one to be surprised by a kiss, his tongue lashing out at hers violently. It was a bit too enthusiastic, but Ruby enjoyed it nonetheless.

In fact she enjoyed it so much that by the time he pulled away her head was absolutely spinning, and her hand had stopped pumping entirely.

"Yes," Jaune answered, knowing exactly what her question was going to be. "I'm enjoying this, but… I want to go further."

They could just leave it off with a handjob, they both realized. That would be another experiment complete. But they both craved something more than this.

They probably wouldn't get the time again for a long while, anyway. And Jaune didn't want the awkward moment he shared with the girl working at the pharmacy to be for naught.

"Okay," Ruby breathed out, letting go of Jaune entirely. "How do you wanna…?"

They both lingered for a moment in the in-between, unsure of just how to proceed. The thought of it was easy, in theory they should have had no issues. But it seemed that bringing yourself to push past the gap that the mind had a habit of forming was harder than either of them had thought it would be.

"I guess we can just start with protection and then, uh, go from there?" Jaune retrieved the box and opened it, trying to calm the shaking that threatened to consume him.

He carefully ripped open one of the square packages and slipped the condom on without fumbling too terribly much, but the second he looked up he felt his heart stop.

Ruby was now completely naked, very much leaving them on equal ground.

He was stunned silent. How had he not noticed her take her pants off? Moreover, how had he never noticed how absolutely lovely her thighs were?

Ruby, feeling small and vulnerable under his gaze, bit her tongue lightly. Just to avoid her lip. She couldn't help but look away from him. "You know, I usually don't mind you staring, but… it feels kind of weird when I'm not wearing anything."

"Ruby…" Jaune motioned to himself, prompting her to laugh.

"Shush! I know, it's just, you know… I'm not even sure Yang's seen me naked. You know, not counting when we were children. This is just really new to me." Ruby gave a small pout. Jaune thought it was adorable.

He didn't expect her to just acclimate to the whole experience, he himself was still mentally preparing himself for the inevitable. He appreciated how clearly she was showing her feelings on the matter, and he let it be known by taking her by the hand.

She looked back to him and let herself be pulled into his arms. He was warm, and it felt nice to be against him, exposed as they were.

There was nothing separating them, no layers to get between. She had never felt closer to him, but she was sure that what was to follow would shatter the feeling in so many different ways.

Leaning her head to the side, she kissed him like his lips were water in an oasis. Pure, unfiltered affection and adoration shone through clear as a cloudless and sunny day.

If there were ever any doubts, they were smashed away in that instance. Jaune knew, and so did she. It was meant to be.

Neither wanted to pull away, and neither did. It seemed to both of them to be hours before they managed to get away from the other's lips. But even then the hot sting that remained burned from the passion and love that lingered, ever present from now til forever.

"Well, you certainly seem to be ready," Ruby said shyly, her eyes moving to the side. She could feel Jaune against her thigh, hot, hard. She remembered how he felt in her hand, how she could feel every heartbeat.

"It's your fault." Jaune smiled playfully, giving her a teasing look. She returned the look with one of her own, but it was less playful and more… salacious in nature.

Her eyes were half-lidded, her lips upturned into an ever so slight smile. He could clearly see the lust in her beautiful eyes, and he shivered because of how raw it was.

"I think I know how I wanna do it now," she whispered in a low tone of voice. She moved carefully, placing her hands on both of his shoulders and lifting herself up.

His eyes remained glued to hers, even as her hand reached down to grip him. Even as she lowered. Even as his cock teased at her entrance.

"Ruby," he mumbled. He only wanted to say her name. "Ruby…" His hands found her hips as she eased down, fully taking him to the base. She moaned out low in his ear, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Her hands found the back of his head, grabbing gentle handfuls of hair.

She always loved his hair. Loose and free. Messy, some would say. But she didn't view it like that.

Jaune wasn't the most well put together person, but then neither was she, or any of their friends for that matter. What he was, however, in her eyes at least, was a man who was honest, hard working. Dorky in all the best ways.

He was true to himself, loyal to those he cared about. Even if he was made weak and powerless in a situation, he still stood up for anyone he felt was worth it.

And here recently, she had begun to find her freedom in him.

Sure, at fifteen she had made her choices and had begun to forge her own path in life, but it never really felt like she was as free as any adult was. It never really felt like she had found the freedom that Yang had. That Weiss and Blake had.

The freedom of feeling like you could truly do anything you wanted, of feeling like you could accomplish anything you wanted. Of setting out on your own and making something of your life.

But Jaune gave her that feeling.

Getting to come to Beacon early was purely circumstantial. Ozpin's decision was an offer she couldn't refuse. It was a no brainer to accept, but because of how it happened she didn't feel like she had that much control over the situation.

Sure, she could have said no, could have stayed at Signal for two more years. But why on Remnant would she have done that?

At the very least, with how things were with Jaune, she felt like all the time she had spent at Beacon were leading to even greater horizons. Not just a future as a Huntress… but a future as a Huntress with Jaune by her side.

She had made the decision to experiment, to see how things would evolve in their relationship entirely on her own. Decided to pursue him, and see where her feelings would take her.

It paid off in spades.

Jaune's fingers dug into her flesh, drawing out a shaky moan as she adjusted to the feeling of having him inside of her.

It was nice, but different.

She had never used any toys before, so she had no real frame of reference. She knew what fingers felt like, and that was the extent of her knowledge. This was very much different from a finger or two in every way.

"You feel good," Jaune said softly, moving his hands from her hips to her sides before snaking them around her and pulling her chest into his.

They were so close like this. Jaune was thankful that this was how Ruby decided to do it. He couldn't imagine doing it in a way that felt impersonal or mostly charged with lust for their first time.

"Y-you do too…" Her hot breath collided with his skin, making his embrace tighten.

They stayed like this for a good while, just relishing in the closeness. Neither said a word, just letting their bodies communicate in a way that was entirely new to them.

But after a while, the urge to move became too strong to fight against, and Ruby's heart fluttered as she rose up slightly, and then dropped.

The both of them nearly threw their heads back in response to the overwhelming wave that hit them, as if a force pushed them to move their bodies in some way lest they be overtaken.

The feeling of Jaune's cock hitting her deeper than she could ever have reached with just her fingers was heaven, but it was a lot less intense in pleasure than she was expecting it to be. What made it intense was the surge of electricity that came with doing it with Jaune. Although she couldn't deny that she far preferred this to anytime she was by herself.

Emotionally charged as every movement was, they had to take a moment between every rise and fall that Ruby did to just breathe.

But breathing was hard to pull off when every single twitch brought some kind of new sensation along with it.

"I'm… gonna start going faster," Ruby said, her voice cracking as Jaune's fingernails dug slightly into her back. It was a little painful, but not in a way that was unwelcome.

She would have to take note of that feeling…

But for now, she only focused on Jaune as he nodded his head, his eyes shut tight as he nuzzled into her chest.

Taking that as the only affirmation she needed, she shifted until she was in a better position to start moving at a faster pace, only stopping briefly when she felt him shiver and kiss at her flushed skin.

Letting out an unsteady breath, she rose until the tip of his cock was all that remained inside, and then descended with a strained moan. This time, however, she didn't stop the motion, instead keeping it up and building a very unsure and unconfident rhythm.

But her confidence rose considerably when Jaune started to breathe heavily into her flesh.

He pulled away from her slightly, allowing himself to finally look her in the eyes as she kept her pace going strong. So far she was doing all the work, but the look in her own eyes kicked him into action.

"Fuck, Ruby, I…" He tried to say anything else, but his mind was quickly escaping him. It was getting too hard to think, like every word flowing through his brain was a grain of sand slipping through his fingers.

In the absence of thought he chose action, his hands moving to find a suitable spot. Settling on a nice handful of her wonderful ass, he began to thrust, his hips meeting with hers in an arrhythmic manner that nearly brought her to a complete stop.

She yelped out a breathy, pitchy mess of a sound that spurred him onwards.

There was no longer only the sound of hushed gasps and silent pleas in the room. Now there echoed sounds of pleasure, and skin meeting skin.

Still, they were bound by inexperience. Unable to reach the heights they so desperately sought. It was only by pushing onwards that they managed to find steady ground to stand on.

The steady ground was Jaune leaning forward, all but pushing Ruby down into his mattress. She let out a little panicked shout, eyes wide as she realized what happened.

A blink, and then she laughed. He laughed along with her, smiling at the infectious sound.

This was… comfortable. Very comfortable.

Perhaps awkward at first, but now that they were doing it, they felt silly that there was ever any worry put into the thought at all.

"How are you feeling?" Jaune asked, watching how her expression shifted with each movement as he began to thrust, his hands exploring every inch of her exposed flesh he could get a hold of. "I just, you know, don't want to be doing a bad job."

"Jaune, we've barely started," she giggled out. To assure him, she wrapped him into a hug and pulled him down. "You're doing fine, though. Keep going."

Encouraged by her words, Jaune began to thrust harder, to which she could only let out signs of contentment.

It felt right. So right that she couldn't help how her nails dug into his back, much like how his had done her earlier. But Jaune didn't mind. It just meant he was doing the right thing.

Ruby's eyes closed as she let herself enjoy the moment, the feeling; her breathing grew labored.

"Keep going like that," she all but commanded. Her tone was soft as cotton, gentle. But she couldn't hide how amazing she was beginning to feel.

Nor could she hide how the pleasure was affecting her body.

As Jaune kept his pace, they both began to sweat. It was far more physically taxing than either had expected, but there was a fire that kept them from stopping.

The fire started small, but quickly gained volume. Voluptuous and sensual, passionate beyond measure; the flame sprung to life violently, thrashing and flickering about, fed by the oxygen that pumped in and out of their lungs.

They had never felt so hot, so consumed by a feeling. It was similar to the release that had forced itself upon them in the library but ten times more dominating. There was no escape, there was no stopping.

The fire manifested deep within, from inside of their lungs, their stomachs, their hearts…

Each breath was like flame, each pant and gasp like the sweetest immolation to the other. Offerings to gods of love and devotion.

Ruby cried out, her mouth stuck open and unable to close as Jaune gave her his everything.

"Fuck, Jaune, I'm cumming," she cried, her legs wrapping around his waist, demanding that he keep pounding into her. But he had no intention of stopping. There was nothing, save for her own words, that could stop him from keeping on.

His hands squeezed extra tight, his hips rocking into her hers like a machine. Jaune groaned, gritting his teeth as sweat began to drop.

Ruby herself wasn't faring much better, her entire body giving way as she began to cum. Despite everything, her grip held strong. She shook, her jaw opening and closing as she gave up on trying to gain back control.

All she could do was ride it out, waiting for the maelstrom to settle. But Jaune definitely lengthened it with the way he refused to let up.

Eventually, it subsided. But not without leaving her drained, and breathing like she had just ran a marathon.

"Don't stop," Ruby whispered in his ear. "Don't stop. Keep going."

Jaune repositioned slightly, only responding with a grunt and a sharp exhale. But that was all that she needed. She had gotten hers, she just wanted him to get his.

Once upon a time, Jaune had admitted to her that he found it hot when she cursed. Something about the way she always filtered herself, how she refused to use curses in her normal everyday vocabulary; yet those very words she refused or ignored always somehow slipped out when her mind was foggy with lust and pleasure.

So she used that to her advantage, and encouraged him on in a way she knew would work wonders.

"Yes, that's it," she continued between pants. "Keep fucking me… it feels so fucking good!"

Jaune seemed to appreciate it. Or at least, she felt that he did, considering he was basically slamming into her now.

Just one word. One bad word was all it took to get him going. Did she really have that much power over him?

The thought was electrifying.

His cock was harder than before, that was certain. She found herself immediately falling back into pleasure, welcoming it with open arms. The exhaustion she felt not even a minute prior seemed to fade entirely as adrenaline surged through her body.

She understood how people could get addicted to this. It was a rush, pure and simple. But it was a natural rush.

"Sh-shit, Ruby… I'm not too sure how much longer I can-" Jaune cut himself off, his lungs pleading for him to breathe and not talk.

"Th-then just do it, let yourself feel good!"

Of course, Jaune gave in to her words. In the moment, they made so much sense. That was why they were doing this, right? To feel good?

So he focused on just that. On the feeling of thrusting inside of Ruby, on the tightness of her walls squeezing every inch of him dry, on her fingertips leaving searing marks on his skin.

It was too much all at once, when he really focused on it all.

"C-cumming," he said between grit teeth, barely biting back a moan mixed with a groaning whine.

Ruby reached for him, placing a hand on his cheek as she leaned forward to capture his lips in a kiss. A kiss far deeper than any they had ever shared before.

Perhaps it was due to the pleasure they were both sharing in, but the kiss seemed alive with colors and held all the intensity of a lightning bolt.

Their tongues crashed together like rival tidal waves during an oceanic storm, all the while Jaune's hips moved on auto-pilot.

And then suddenly, the lightning struck the ocean, lighting everything up in the most brilliant white.

Ruby came again, and this time her muscles seized in intense stillness, her entire body going tight like a coil spring being pushed all the way down, waiting to be released so it could bounce freely.

Jaune's toes curled as he came too, his fingers surely bruising Ruby's flesh from just how hard he was gripping. But it was, in the moment, the farthest thing from his mind.

He felt like he was going to pass out by the time they were done. And done they were, in far too short a time for the both of them.

They pulled away from the kiss as the waves calmed, and the lightning storm dissipated. The tempest cleared, leaving them shipwrecked on dry land, shivering slightly as air hit their sweaty, soaked skin.

Jaune collapsed next to Ruby, who couldn't even move a finger if she really tried.

For some time, they just lay there gazing up at the ceiling, letting their minds gather thoughts and their bodies rest.

Jaune discarded the condom and Ruby rolled into his side, seeking his warmth. He gladly accepted her, her hand finding a nice resting place atop his chest as she used his arm for a pillow.

It was some time before either spoke, but eventually, conversation broke. It was Ruby who spoke the first words.

"You weren't using it," she said. "Your Aura, I mean." She laughed a little, very vividly remembering the feeling of her nails against his skin. Directly. There was no annoying force field in the way.

She knew what hitting Aura felt like. But now she knew what it didn't feel like.

"Neither were you," Jaune replied, a smile on his face as he turned his head to face her.

They just stared into one another's eyes for a moment before Ruby buried her face into his arm.

"Yeah." She smiled a very wide and happy smile, and though he couldn't see it, he could definitely feel it against him.

Silence took over, allowing them both to bathe in the afterglow of their most precious moment. The moment they would remember for the rest of their lives. Lives that would hopefully be spent together.

It was not something that could be guaranteed. Any number of things could happen.

But at the very least, they both knew now that they were willing to put the work in; and if you put work into something like that, that something would surely grow and adapt and become strong enough to weather any storm that was thrown its way.

They just needed to take it steady.

But before all of that…

"Jaune, I probably should have said this a while back… but it just never seemed like the best time to say it," Ruby began, sitting up on the bed. Jaune followed in her wake, not wanting to forfeit the warmth of having her so close to him. "If there was ever a better time than now… You probably already know." She shook her head, her eyes falling to her hands.

"I do," he replied. "But I wouldn't mind hearing you say it." He placed a hand on her shoulder in a show of support. She lit up at the gesture.

Funny, she thought, how such simple contact can make her feel so much more brave.

"Only if you say it back." She placed her left hand flat on her arm, taking a deep breath to clear any negative thoughts that might worm their way in.

He smiled, his hand gripping her shoulder just a tiny bit tighter. His eyes seemed so light, so full of affection. She knew he would say it back. She had understood that he felt the same for a while. But the non-verbal assurance was welcome. It would never not be.

"Right," she continued on. "I just, um…" She sighed. "Jaune, I-" She sighed again, this time out of frustration.

It was silly. So absolutely silly. After everything they had been through together, after everything they had done.

A kiss. A small kiss, chaste and to the point. It came and went, leaving her eyes closed and her chest full of an airy feeling. Her eyes fluttered open after a small moment, meeting his.

"Relax," was all he said.

She nodded, turning to look anywhere but directly into the blue eyes that made her feel so weak, and yet so infinitely strong.

It only took about fifteen seconds before she turned to him with a soft smile.

"I love you."

She gasped as she was suddenly pulled into a loving hug. She couldn't help but instantly wrap her own arms around him as well.

"I love you, too."

Ruby felt some sort of finality in the moment, as if a chapter of her life was coming to an end with those very words from his mouth. She knew, however, that it was the opposite that was true.

A chapter wasn't ending; a new chapter was just beginning.

Thoughts sped a million miles through her brain. So many that she couldn't keep control of them.

Thoughts about telling the others, about telling her dad. About what the future might just hold for the two of them.

She knew what she wanted it to hold for them. But the future was always uncertain, so she decided to focus on the present. And the present called for-

"A shower. I need a shower."

Jaune laughed, pushing his face into her neck. He gave her a gentle kiss, his hands moving to her hips. Mostly just for the intimacy of the action.

"Mm, and I suppose you're going to drag me along with you instead of letting me pass out in bed?" He smiled, but he was pretty tired.

"Jaune Arc, you're now my official boyfriend, and when I say I need a shower to my boyfriend specifically that means he has to come with me," she replied in a very matter-of-fact manner, pulling away from him to get up out of the bed and make her way to the bathroom.

"You know, we didn't actually make anything official." Jaune watched her walk to the door, his smile never leaving.

"I just did," she quipped lightheartedly, sending him a quick look back before entering the bathroom and leaving his view.

If there was one thing Jaune knew not to do, it was keep her waiting. So he got up off the bed with an exaggerated roll of the eyes.

He was looking forward to seeing exactly how different things were going to be from now on.