Let me paint you a picture and tell me if it sounds familiar. Quirky girl meets a dorky boy. The two hit it off almost immediately. A girl with troubles making friends and a boy trying too hard to be liked, seemingly out of nowhere encountered each other…and all of those insecurities just banished. It just felt natural, it was as if they had known each other since the beginning. They shared laughs, they shared dreams and over time, they began to share more and more. What drove them, what scared them, what gave them guilt and what gave them hope and in every step of their journey, no matter what the world threw at them, they were always there for each other. A simple meeting built a bond that couldn't be broken. It just felt right.

It's been a few years since that encounter, but the spark of that friendship only grew larger. Jaune and Ruby had been through a lot. They had their victories, their challenges…and their losses, but they faced it all together.

Their journey now took them to Atlas Academy, a place of wonders and distrust, but somewhere that reminded them of their old home at Beacon. Teams RWBY and JNPR had fought through Grimm, terrorists, and villains, but after all of their adventures, they now found themselves with a little bit of time for themselves.

General Ironwood had granted them the title of Huntsmen and with it, the teams had finally reached what they had worked so hard to become, but of course, the circumstances meant that they were still a bit inexperienced. Fortunately, the General gave them free leeway to make use of Atlas Academy's resources to further their growth as true Huntsmen. Students, teachers, facilities, and of course classes. They would have been crazy not to take the opportunity…then again, something happened at a certain class…something that made things…a bit awkward for everyone.

"Yang, for the love of the gods! Turn down the music!" Weiss yelled. As usual, she was trying to focus on her studies, she had taken a few too many supplementary classes, something that of course pleased her…yeah, I don't get either, but neither did Yang. Her blonde teammate kept on dancing in their dorm.

"Come on! Throw those books away and have some fun for once, Weiss!".

"Books are fun! How dare you?!".

And thus, another argument, but as usual, Blake found herself having to mediate between the two.

"She is…kind of right, Yang…." Blake said rather nervously, hiding her shame behind her book.

Yang and Blake had been developing a special bond lately, so as soon as she heard that, Yang responded with awkward shock, "Oh!..I…I thought you were enjoying it…I'm sorry..".

"No! No! I was! It's just that…maybe you can turn the volume down just a little?" Her cat ears retracted as she quickly tried to cheer Yang up. "It's fine! Really! Maybe we can read later!"

"No, if it's bothering you…"

"Is not! Really! I promis…"

"UGH! Just kiss already!" Weiss rolled her eyes, getting third wheeled was becoming a recurring thing in their spared time and at this point, she just wanted them to get it over with.

"WHAT?!".

"WE-WE WERENT GOING TO…"

"Fine! Then don't! whatever. Just, turn down the volume. I don't want to get distracted with neither your music nor your 'will they, wont they' routine". Weiss said without taking her gaze from her books, leaving Yang and Blake to fluster and murmur in embarrassment.

Blake crawled to her bed and hid once again in her book, but Yang was a notoriously sore loser. Her embarrassment however only let her mumble her snappy comeback, "….At least I have a will they wont….".

"AH! FORGET IT! Where is Ruby?! I can't deal with the two of you alone!". Weiss, said even more frustrated. She would have been lying if that comment didn't sting though.

"She should still be in her first aid class, right?" Blake responded.

"Oh yeah, that started today".

Weiss took a deep breath to calm her nerves, but her frustration still lingered…if only she knew it was going to get worse. " Sigh. Why she even took that anyways?".

"Why else do you think? Jaune asked her to take it with him".

"Seriously?! The guy healed me from a stab wound with his semblance and he needs first aid classes?".

"Nora said he didn't want to rely on his semblance though. Honestly, I can relate to that". Yang responded, she completely understood where he was coming from. She had to learn that her semblance, while useful, should not be more than a tool for the right moments.

Jaune himself had been working towards becoming a good guardian, protecting his loved ones and the people that needed him was the path he chose, so learning first aid was just a part of his formation. Ruby in turn was more used to protecting by attacking, she was a prodigy in combat, and dealing with threats was her way of guarding those in need, however, knowing how to treat a wound was a useful skill that she wanted to learn as well.

"Fine. Then I'll go to the library. You two have fun…but not too much…".

"WEISS!" Blake yelled in embarrassment while Yang just turned red.

Weiss chuckled a bit, "You two are adorable" she said to herself as she opened the door. To everyone's surprise, a twister of roses trampled everything in the room, throwing Weiss and Yang to the floor and leaving the room full of petals. The red whirlwind rushed to the top bed bunk and hid under the sheets.

"RUBY! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!". Weiss yelled, surprised, a bit angry at the sudden rose storm that hit her in the face but also genuinely worried for her best friend.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!". Ruby yelled before hiding her face against her pillow.

Yang, Blake, and Weiss all jumped at the scene, all concerned. It wasn't usual for Ruby to act this way.

"Rubes! What happened?" Yang asked her little sister, climbing to her side trying to console her.

"…issed me….".

"What?".

Ruby turned her face away from the pillow a little. She had some tears in her eyes and her blushing face was redder than her hood. "Jaune kissed me…".

Yang froze. Her eyes wide and an awkward and confused smile covered her face. She slowly climbed down and walked backward, still facing her sister and still with that weird smile on her face.

"What did she say?" Blake asked.

"Jaune…kissed her….".

"Jaune kissed her?".

"Yeah…"

The room went silent for a minute. Blake served water to her friends and the three of them cleared their throats. Once refreshed, they took a deep breath and responded in the most naturally and calmly way possible.

"….JAUNE KISSED YOU!?".

"SHUT UP! DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD!"

Ruby kept on hugging her pillow as tightly as possible, trying to shield herself from the embarrassment, but her older sister didn't exactly make things easy for her.

Yang picked her up as if she was still a 5-year-old, hugging her and swinging her around with joy, "You had your first kiss! I'm so proud of you!".

"Yang! Let me go!" Ruby whined, freeing herself from her sister's hug with a temper tantrum.

"But this is so cute!".

"Shouldn't you be upset? I mean, Jaune just took advantage of your little sister!" Blake argued, but Yang just kept a joyful smile.

"Well, yeah, if it was any other person I would be pissed. But this is Jaune we are talking about. I mean, I once saw him apologize to a bunch of baby spiders for killing their mom, he was crying the entire time and cried, even more, when the baby spiders crawled in his mouth". Yang responded chuckling with a big smile.

Weiss was curious. She had some unpleasant times with Jaune back at Beacon. At the time she sure would have bought that he would be the kind of guy to steal a kiss from a girl…but that was a long time ago. Jaune wasn't the sort of person she once thought he was. He had grown a lot since then, he left those habits behind him and Weiss knew perfectly well that Yang was right, he cared a lot about Ruby and would never take advantage of her.

"Here" Weiss told her partner before passing her a glass of water that Ruby instantly drank entirely. "Better?".

"…Mhm".

"Good. Now, tell us what happened".

Ruby took a deep breath. "It-It all started at first-aid class…".

Classes at Atlas Academy normally were given in large auditoriums full of students listening to a conference from one of the many teachers of the academy. However, the first aid class was a more private and personal course. It was an elective, students had the option to take the class or chose another and since this wasn't a particularly exciting course, not many took it. Still, Jaune was very intimidated by the group of around 12 students sitting around him.

"Come on, where are you? Please don't leave me alone here…" He kept saying to himself, begging for his friend to finally arrive.

The door was opened but to Jaune's misfortune, it wasn't who he wanted it to be. Instead, it was the teacher in charge of that morning's class.

"Good morning students. Please have a sit" Winter Schnee walked with elegance and authority everywhere she went. "I'm afraid Mrs. Silva is undisposed today. As such, I've been assigned to substitute her. For those who don't know me, I am Special Agent Winter Schnee. Today we will go over basic first aid techniques following the training guides of the Atl…"

The sound of the door slamming open was more than enough to throw Winter off her tracks and of course, the entire classroom quickly turned towards the sound.

"IM HERE! I made it in….time…".

Jaune just chuckled awkwardly, seeing how Ruby tried her best to keep her cool as she walked down to her seat.

"Ms. Rose, you are late".

"I'm sorry, Winter! Nora challenged me to a waffle eating contest and I could have beaten her if only…".

"Just take a seat! And it's Ms. Schnee".

"Right, sorry. Ms. Schnee. Hehe" She said, she was clearly a bit embarrassed but as soon as she sat next to Jaune, that embarrassment didn't matter at all. She was just happy to see him and so was he of seeing her.

"I was totally gonna win though", She whispered to Jaune who immediately chuckled.

"Against, Nora? Please, I've seen her eat a full pie in less than a minute".

"Oh, so you are a man of low faith, I see! I'll show you!".

"She had already eaten a full cake and a milkshake".

"Ok, then maybe I was 5 waffles behind, but the match didn't end so if you think about it…"

Two white summoned Nervermores flew at high speed and landed on their heads, pecking them slightly.

"Ow! OW!".

"Ow! That hurts!".

"Rose! Arc! May I remind you; you are in the middle of a class!?".

"Sorry, Ms. Schnee…". The two said with shameful voices but as soon as Winter turned to her board, Jaune and Ruby just took a quick look at each other and chuckled at the sight of the other's smile.

The class continued as Winter went over multiple techniques of first aid in a variety of situations. Jaune and Ruby took the class seriously for the most part, but of course, there were moments in which neither could avoid just goof around with the other. Whether it was Jaune throwing small paper balls at her or Ruby making funny drawings of him, the two were occasionally caught by the serious gaze of their teacher but neither could stop having fun with the other, it was just the way they were.

It had been so long since the two got to have some time to breathe and just enjoy each other's company. Ever since the Fall…it was rare to see either smile. Jaune was haunted by the sorrow of losing Pyrrha that night, while Ruby was filled with guilt for not having been able to save her and for dragging Jaune in this mission, knowing full well how much he was suffering.

The journey hadn't been easy. The weight of the world resting on their shoulders, it was unbearable at times. Ruby in particular tended to push through her doubts and sorrow, but of course, she had her limits. Some nights she would wake up sweating and with tears in her eyes, desperately wiping them out before someone noticed it. Everyone relied on her to continue going, which she did gladly, but she would be lying if she said it didn't affect her at times…but then, there were moments like this one. Moments in which she could forget for a moment all the pressure of the world and just enjoy herself. She enjoyed just letting loose with her friends, her team, her family. And of all those people, there was one she just enjoyed hanging around the most. Jaune was always there for her when she was in doubt when she needed help and especially when she needed someone to smile at her, Jaune was always there.

Jaune began his journey without knowing what even meant to be a true hero. He was put in a position of responsibility that he never thought he would be able to handle. He worked to better himself, he learned through many mistakes, and eventually…his fears became true…he failed and people got hurt because of him. The Fall of Beacon left a dark void in his heart. To say he had been in a dark place would be an understatement…and yet, here he was, with a smile once again. Ruby had always been there for him. When he had doubts, she was the first one to inspire him. When the world told him to stop trying, Ruby was the one who inspired him to keep going. The moment he began to fall into that dark self-hating place, Ruby was always there brightening his day. She shared a laugh with him, she shared her tears with him and he in turn did the same.

Friends until the end. It was amazing how a bond that strong was born from a simple meeting….It just felt right.

"I really thought you were leaving me alone here".

"Pff. Have I ever let you down? Plus, I don't know why you were so scared".

"We are in a room full of people I've never seen in my life. What if I had to talk to one of them?!".

"So? You did that with me when we met and had no issue".

"Yeah, but you are special".

"Eh?...".

Jaune's face turned red and without noticing he started sweating a little. Special? He just called her special? Of course, she was special to him but up to that point, he had never outright said it. He began to panic a little, afraid that he had accidentally said something embarrassing.

Unbeknown to him, Ruby's mind did linger on that word for a moment. Special? He just called her special? What did that mean? What was is it special about her? Why did he think she was special? Special how?...Did she want him to think she was special? All questions that rushed Ruby's head as fast as a bullet train.

Jaune began to stutter "I-I mean. Not special…well, yeah, when I first saw you there was something special about…Well, no, I mean…".

Neither could hide their blushes and the two just wished the world ended right there and then to end the embarrassing conversation. They were never as relieved as the moment the white Nevermores hit them on the head again.

"ROSE! ARC! That's enough! The two of you should be ashamed", she had no idea how right she was. "You two are licensed huntsmen now and are here just behaving like children! Instead of acting like fools maybe you could make yourselves useful. Stand up and come down here".

Jaune and Ruby complied, still a bit uncomfortable with their heads down in shame. They stood in front of the class as Winter began to give them instructions.

"Ms. Rose, please lay on you back. Mr. Arc, please kneel next to her".

The two of them did as told. Having all those eyes staring at them just made the entire experience more and more awkward by the minute. But the moment Ruby laid on her back, she got a bit of a confidence boost since she couldn't really see the audience. This gave her an idea.

"Hey, Jaune. Are you scared?".

"I wanna die!".

"Come on. We have been through worse. Don't worry, just look at me and ignore the audience. Trust me".

Look at her? After what he said earlier? Even with his eyes closed, he felt embarrassed just being near her. But seeing the audience staring and judging him freaked him out more. Something that Ruby said gave him confidence though. She asked him to trust her and there was no one in the world he trusted more than her.

Jaune took his eyes away from the audience and centered them on Ruby…and nothing else mattered. She just kept smiling and humming and all his anxiety slowly banished. She then began to make funny faces and he couldn't help but chuckle a little. She truly was special to him.

"Ok, class. This is a demonstration of assisted artificial respiration. Mr. Arc if you may".

"Eh…yeah…assisted…yeah, I know what that is…".

"You…weren't paying attention at the classes, were you?".

"Of course, I was!...So I put my hands here and…".

Winter rubbed the bridge of her nose. "What you are doing is CPR and you have your hands wrong! Sigh. To perform assisted artificial respiration, you must first cover the patience's nose like this", Winter grabbed Jaune's hand and helped him pitch Ruby's nose.

"OW!".

"Ah! I'm sorry!".

"I'm just messing with you! Hahah".

"Aw, give me a break. Hehe".

Winter rolled her eyes at the goofiness of her students. "Take this seriously. Your friend is in mortal danger, Mr. Arc". Those words hit Jaune deeper than she could imagine, but it was everything he needed to stop playing and learn every skill he could to protect his loved ones.

"Now, grab her mouth like this". She put his hand on her face and slightly opened Ruby's mouth.

"Ok, then what?".

"Then you put your mouth against hers and blow".

"Right. I put my mouth against…hers…WAIT WHAT?!".

"HE IS GOING TO DO WHAT?!".

The audience burst in laughter and Winter just grew more annoyed. "You two are unbelievable. Assisted artificial respiration is better known as mouth-to-mouth resurrection. Your friend is not breathing and you must fill her lungs with air through her mouth".

" Yo-You can't be serious!".

"Well, no, this is a demonstration. You are not going to actually blow air into her. That would be dangerous. Just press your mouth against hers and…".

Ruby tried to stand up. "You know, maybe we can watch a video on the internet! I'm sure if we ignore the kitty videos and the lets players, we can find someone doing…".

"Lay down! You are supposed to be unconscious!".

"Doesn't that make it worse?!".

"For the love of…. You are in a desperate situation, Arc! Rose just got attacked by a Grimm. She hit some rocks and now is not breathing. Every second that passes, her life is in danger. It is up to you to do something or else she will die. What will you d…".

Before Winter could finish, the mere idea of losing Ruby had pushed Jaune to ignore everything in the world. He had to give it his all, he couldn't lose her, he was not going to lose her…so he did it.

Ruby's eyes showed her shock…his lips…and hers…Her mind went blank. Her heart just kept pounding faster and faster. What was happening? How did this happen? Jaune was her friend, her best friend. And here he was, with his lips against hers. She didn't know how to feel, she couldn't understand…but a part of her was enjoying it. She soon relaxed, slowly closed her eyes..and let herself go.

Jaune wasn't thinking. He got carried away by the scenario and just went for it. He even forgot to cover her nose. The only thing in his mind was trying to help Ruby…but at one moment, he realized what was happening. He had his eyes closed and let himself get trapped by the soft and sweet lips of his best friend. It felt odd. She was his best friend. She was special to him…maybe the most special person to him…He shouldn't have but he couldn't deny it, he was enjoying every single second of what was happening.

Jaune and Ruby stayed there for a few seconds that felt like hours and a part of them wished it was years. It was confusing, it was sweet…it just felt right.

Their closed eyes just showed the sweet joy they were feeling….yet something happened that shocked them back into reality. Their eyes got wide and they stared at each other. Jaune stood back is awe of what just had happened, while Ruby stood covering her mouth with both hands. Their eyes didn't disconnect from each other and the two blushed and shook nervously.

"Ru…" That was all Jaune could murmur, before Ruby's eyes became a bit teary and a vortex of rose petals rushed out the classroom at max speed.

"Wa-WAIT!".

"And then I ran here…". The little huntress finished her story, whimpering in shame and confusion as her friends stood around her chair focused on the story.

The first one to break the silence was her dear sister. "It's ok, Rubes. You didn't do anything wrong".

"Yang, my friendship with Jaune is over! How do you want me to see him in the eyes again?!".

Blake stepped in, "It wasn't a kiss though. He was just using a first-aid technique, it was part of the class, nothing else".

"Blake is right. Besides, just because your lips touched doesn't mean you can´t be friends anymore. Nothing bad happened" Weiss continued as she showed her support to her dear friend. The three gave her a soft smile as if saying "you poor thing" to their brave leader…poor poor girls, they weren't mentally prepared.

"There was tongue…".

"…."

"Guys?".

"JAUNE, I TRUSTED YOU!":

"I TOLD YOU! ALL MEN ARE PIGS!".

"YOU DID THAT IN FRONT OF MY SISTER!?".

All four girls had their own freakout. To say that dorm was in chaos was putting it slightly. But after a few seconds of constant screams, a chilling knock on the door sent goosebumps to their spines.

The knocks grew stronger and stronger until they were outright slams. And an aura of a powerful beast could be felt behind it.

"Oh, no…you don't think…".

Another slam made a dent on the thick metal door.

"Yang! You answer!".

"Blake! I thought we had something special!".

Another dent appeared.

Weiss shallowed as she built up courage. "Co-Come in!".

The door opened with enough impact to shake everything in the room. "One of you is coming with me…".

"Nora. We can talk about th…". Weiss tried to reason with the ragging berserker in her doorstep, but before she could finish, Nora put her on her shoulder and made her way out with the princess as her hostage.

"AHHH! HELP ME!".

"You will be missed, Weiss!".

"I'll dedicate my first book to you!".

"SCREW YOU, GUYS!".

Nora dragged Weiss to the gardens of Atlas Academy, sitting her on a bench.

"That was extremely unnecessary!".

"Shut it! Princess! You know why I brought you here!" Nora pointed at Weiss accusatorily…before wiggling her finger to play with her prisoner's nose.

Weiss shook her hands to get her off her, "St-Stop it!". She took a deep breath before addressing the matter. "So, you heard".

"Heard?! Jaune came in rushing like a bullet! I have never seen him so embarrassed in my life and I was there when he got a wedgie from an Ursa".

"Don't remind me, he was giving me flowers that day".

Nora certainly was upset but her demeanor didn't show anger. She was mainly frustrated with the whole situation and worried for her two friends. Jaune in particular…she wasn't sure how his heart would take it. "Seriously, of all ways for this to happen. You know how hard it was to get Jaune to smile again?!".

"Hey, don't look at me, I had nothing to do with this! Besides, if you are so worried about Jaune, why aren't you with him?".

Nora scoffed "Please! It's not like I left him alone. Ren and Oscar and keeping an eye on him".

"You left him with Ren and Oscar…".

"Yeah. Why?".

"I don't get it! Why you took your hand off her nose? Wouldn't the air come out from there?".

"She put her tongue in my mouth! Who cares about the first-aid technique, Oscar!?".

"But are you sure it was a kiss though? Many cultures have varied ways of greeting a friend or family. The customs in Patch might be more exotic than we think".

"Ren, just…Just give me another tea…".

"This really isn't his day, is it?".

"Would you take this seriously?!" Nora was growing ever more frustrated by the time and Weiss began to notice this situation had her unusually nervous.

"Nora. Calm down. This isn't that big of a deal. I'm sure they can makeup, they are inseparable". Weiss reassured her.

Nora sat next to her, letting herself fall as if her worries were weighing her down. "It's just… You don't understand. When we traveled to Haven, I had to see Jaune and Ruby get eaten by their own regrets. Ruby had nightmares every night. Jaune barely slept". Nora took a deep breath, the memories of that road trip with team RJNR were as sweet as they were sorrowful. "Jaune's heart…it took him so long to start to heal. It made me so happy seeing him goof around and have a smile again after so long. But you know who managed to bring joy to him before he began to stand up on his own again? Little Ruby Rose".

Weiss was beginning to understand where Nora was coming from, "You are afraid they'll drift apart over this?".

"Ruby worked so hard to take his mind off…what happened. But every time she gave him joy, something else happened that pushed him back into that pit and every time that happened Ruby fell back into hers. I knew she regretted bringing us in that trip, I knew she felt guilty and was hurting just as, if not more than the rest of us. But I didn't know how to tell her everything would be ok…But you know who did?".

"Hehe. Of course, I do. Even before the Fall, Jaune and Ruby always knew what to say to each other". Weiss chuckled just remembering those good old days when all her family, her true family just spent time simply enjoying each other's company at Beacon.

"Yes, I am very afraid they'll drift apart. They are great for each other, Weiss! That's why I brought you here, I need your help".

Weiss was a bit surprised by her words. "Wait…You mean…you want them to be together?".

"They bring the best on each other and are happier when the other is around. Let me tell you a little story. We swore to never tell you guys…but I already told Yang so…".

Weiss rolled her eyes, just thinking that of course, Nora did.

"There was this one night we were setting our camp. We were getting everything ready when Jaune noticed his sleeping bag was full of ants. He started swinging it around but the thing was completely covered. Jaune didn't have anywhere to sleep…so."

"No! They did not!".

"Yep. Ruby told him they could share hers".

"Why didn't he share it with Ren?".

"Because I'm an amazing matchmaker, that's why! They ended up spooning each other that night!".

"Ruby was the big spoon, wasn't she?".

"It's called a jetpack".

"Ren is a little spoon too, noted".

"Every night was another nightmare, another sleepless night that just ate them from inside…but that night…that night they slept so peacefully. Ren and I couldn't believe it. That was the one night they had a deep sleep…and it was while one was embracing the other".

Weiss understood completely. Ruby and Jaune were in a panic for the same reason, it wasn't just embarrassment. They were special to each other and just like Nora, what scared them the most was losing that bond due to a silly mistake…if only they could see it. "Are you sure they like each other?".

"Come on! I've been dealing with Jaune's love life since day 1 at Beacon. Trust me, they are head over heels for each other!".

"Then what's the big deal? They are not going to drift apart; all they need to do is be open with one another".

Nora launched herself at Weiss and put her face uncomfortably close to the snow princess' "As if it was that easy! You have done it before, haven't you? That fear of making things awkward by saying the wrong thing. If you care too much for someone, screwing things up would be as painful as stabbing your hand! Just spitting your feelings is not as easy as…".

"I never said it was easy, but if that person matters that much to you, you have to be honest to them and to yourself.".

"It's more complicated that…".

"I…feel we aren't talking about Jaune and Ruby anymore….".

Nora sat back down, her gaze drifting to the distance, "…It's hard to tell the person you love how much you love them…and there is always that fear that they won't say it back…".

Weiss delicately put her hand on Nora's shoulder who turned to see her reassuring smile. "You know what I love about you and Ren? You show your love to each other. Even in the smallest moments, Ren is always showing how much he cares about you. Give him time, someday he might find the courage to say it, but until then remember that actions speak way louder…and Ren does love you".

Nora became a bit teary-eyed, but she wasn't going to let the ice queen win, "Stop it. Hehe. Sniff. This isn't about me".

"Nora…you have to be open with Ren if this worries you so much. Hell, you would all be happier if you were more….That's it" Weiss stood up revitalized and with a plan in mind. "I know what to do".

"RUBY STOP!"

"I'll drink my pain away! I LEARNED FROM THE BEST!"

"I doubt Qrow was passing out on milk…".

"GIVE ME THE BOTTLE! YOU HAD ENOUGH!".

"NO! LET ME GO! YANG!".

"What the…" Weiss entered the room, amazed at the bizarre scene. Of course, this wasn't the weirdest thing she had found her teammates doing in their dorm by a long shot…which really is saying something.

"Weiss! Do something!". Ruby pleaded but Weiss planted her palm on her face.

"For the love of, Ok! Listen up! All of you!". Maybe in another life, Weiss would have done for an excellent general, because as soon as she spoke, all her teammates stood with attention. "We have exactly an hour to have Ruby ready".

"For what?" Ruby said concerned but Weiss was done with everyone's nonsense.

"Quiet! Yang, take her to the shower; she reeks of milk".

"On it!".

"Wa-WAIT! AHH!" Ruby continued complaining but Yang just carried her as if made of cardboard.

"Blake, help me find her an outfit. Nothing too formal but what I would call 'casual elegance', and no heels! I cannot put her under more stress".

"I think I got an idea, but…Weiss, what's going on?".

Weiss gave her a confident smile, the one she usually got when all her chess pieces fell into place. "Tonight, everything changes. For everyone".

Night fell and the gardens of Atlas Academy lite up with gorgeous lamps that displayed the snow lowly and softly falling on the bushes and trees. The sound of the running water of a fountain was a sweet melody that brought attention to its beautiful depiction of two huntsmen standing side by side against all adversity.

"Weiss, this is insane! Please let me go back to my bed".

"And run and hide for the rest of your life? Not a chance, you are braver than that, besides, you look so pretty!" Weiss said while fixing Ruby's clothes and hair, she wasn't going to let her be messy this night, but of course, she knew her best friend far too well, she wasn't going to put her in a dress she would be too embarrassed to wear, but between the skirt and one of Blake's shirts, Ruby looked comfortable and pretty, the exact balance Weiss was looking for.

"Weiss, I don't want to see him. It makes me nervous just thinking how Ill mess this u…".

"You won't! Ruby, you care a lot about Jaune and he cares so much for you. I get it, you guys did something embarrassing, who cares?! That doesn't change anything between you. But you have to talk about it".

"But…what if…".

Weiss hugged her tightly, she was there for her and she wanted to show it. "You know how you feel about him. But Ruby, you have to be honest with yourself. I know it is scary, but it's a leap of faith you must take".

"But…what should I say…?".

"The truth. All of it. Let your heart go wild. Be honest and I'm sure he'll be honest with you too. You are special to him, I'm sure of it".

Ruby hugged her even tighter, she needed those arms she could rely on more than anything at that moment.

"Besides, if he rejects you, I'll push him off Atlas".

"Hahaha. No, you wouldn't".

"There is a reason we are doing this outdoors, hehe".

The two separated a little, giving each other a loving smile, "You got this, Ruby. Just be honest with yourself".

"Thank you".

With those words, Ruby turned around and walked off to the meeting spot. Her legs were shaking, but with all the support Weiss gave her, how couldn't she try?

The snow kept falling but Ruby didn't know if her shivers were of cold or excitement or both. She had so many things in her mind, what she was going to say, what she was going to do…how did she actually felt? The more she reflected the more she kept wondering what she feared the most, for Jaune to not have feelings for her or him having them and her hurting him. He was her best friend, he was family…but…was he also…

Her feet stopped as soon as she noticed the figure of her tall friend. Jaune was rather nervous himself. Nora had made him take off his armor and go out mainly wearing his jacket, but somehow this made him feel vulnerable.

"But, Nora…".

"No buts!" her voice came from his scroll, "You are doing this and is final! Plus, you look so handsome!".

"You are sounding like my mom…".

"Yeah, talk about your mom. A great conversation starter, big guy".

"Star.." Jaune turned around and immediately froze seeing Ruby standing behind him.

"Good luck!" with that final message, Nora ended the call and Jaune and Ruby found themselves alone.

"..hey…".

"….hey".

"This feels wrong, why are we spying?".

"Oscar, sweetie, you need to learn to listen to big sis Nora!"

"Shhhh! It's starting!".

The entire team hid behind the bushes, ready to listen to their leaders. They were all wondering how things would go, but Weiss just had one wish, for the two to open their hearts.

The awkward silence was as cold as the snow. Jaune and Ruby had decided to share a bench. For a minute, all their conversation was silence followed by a few "hey"s and "so"s…but at least they were trying.

Jaune began to wonder how did he end up in this situation. How after everything they had been through, an awkward kiss had changed the way he acted around Ruby. It was always so natural to talk to her. From the start, he never had fear or anxiety talking to her. It was always so easy….then why was it different this time? He made a mistake, but this was still Ruby. She was the most amazing person he knew, she was kind, brave, strong, funny...beautiful. She was special…so why should this be different from normal?

"R-Ruby…" She was surprised to see him force those words out. He did his best to put himself together. "Ruby, I'm so sorry!". She was shocked, but at this point, he couldn't stop. "I-I didn't mean to…kiss you. I wouldn't steal a kiss from you, no, no, no! I don't mean from you; I mean from anyone. Not that I want to kiss other people besides you...wait! No, that's not what I…"

"I'm sorry too!" To Jaune's surprise, Ruby had jumped in as well "It was my fault! If I had paid attention to the class or…or…I didn't mean to….I didn't mean to put my tongue in your mouth!".

"IT WAS HER?!".

"I owe Jaune an apology".

"Oh, so is not a custom in Patch?".

"What?! No!".

"It was my fault! I shouldn't have asked you to go on that class in the first place!".

"I shouldn't have made Winter mad! How was I supposed to know she was a big Weiss?!".

"…Why did I help those two…?".

"Look, it doesn't matter".

"Right! What matters is…".

"IM SORRY!" The two said at the same time, surprising the other. Ruby and Jaune sat there with a look of shock, staring into each other's eyes.

Silence had returned, but this time it wasn't as awkward. That small outburst felt liberating. It was as if a big weight had been lifted from their shoulders. The two still had ashamed faces, but looking at each other, the two couldn't help but to crack a laugh at their situation.

"Hahahahah".

"Hahahahahah!".

They laughed as hard as they could, barely being able to compose themselves.

"What are we doing?". Ruby asked, resting her hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"I guess…I guess we are being dumb". He responded with a soft smile on his face.

"Yeah. Big time. Hehe…Look, it was a silly mistake".

"Yeah…To be honest, I was really afraid. I just…I didn't want you to hate me. You are my best friend, Ruby".

She punched his arm lovely, "I would never hate you, silly. I actually thought you hated me. I mean I did take advantage of you…".

"You are right! I should report you! Or worst… I'm telling your sister!".

"Ha! Too slow as always! I already did!"

"Really?! How did she take it?".

"Dad is gonna kill me!".

"Surprisingly well".

The laughs kept coming as the two did what they did best, enjoy each other's company and bring in joy in one another.

Ruby paused, she started to wonder just how open she could be with him. He was her best friend. They had shared many things, especially in their darkest moments. She decided to test the waters, but might have overdone it a little, "If I'm honest…I was afraid I would hurt you".

"What do you mean?".

"…You told me…about your first kiss and…I was afraid you'll get hurt ag…".

"You could never hurt me" He stopped her. "Ruby…Yeah, I have some memories that pain me to this day. But those aren't the ones I treasure. Do you know which I do? The ones that make me happy and you happen to be in plenty of them". He caressed her hair lovely, something that made her skip a beat. "I do miss Pyrrha…but, not long ago, I realized that I couldn't continue hurting myself, especially because I was hurting the people I love. Ren, Nora, Oscar, Weiss, Blake, Yang…and You. I would never have made it to where I am if not for you. You could never hurt me because you make me stronger, Ruby".

Ruby smiled at him, her eyes tearing up a bit. Jaune was special to her, she now saw it clearly. Being a part of his life and him being a part of hers brought her so much joy.

"You really are a dummy, aren't you? Hehe".

"Oh, come on! I'm pouring out my heart here!".

"But it was so cheesy!".

"Well, yeah, but…".

"I'm messing with you…I happen to like cheese".

"Gods they are adorable and lame".

"I think it is sweet".

"….Ren….did you just….".

The awkward tension had banished. It was as if it had never been there. They were back to normal, joyful, playful…simply happy about being together.

The snow was starting to grow a bit stronger. Ruby was grateful for Blake lending her clothes, but her taste in shirts wasn't really wintery. She began to rub her arms and shiver.

As the silence continued, Ruby kept on thinking how relieved she felt, how she was able to be honest with the way she felt and Jaune returned that honesty. But a part of her was also glad this was all over and everything could go back to norm…

"Here. It's getting a bit cold…".

She was stunned. She felt it in slow motion, how the fabric of his jacket covered her skin. A look of shock was all she could give in return. She stared at him while he just sat there next to her, only a shirt on and a bright and warm smile.

"Maybe we should get back in. Come on. I think they have hot chocolate in the cafeteria". He stood up cheerfully and began to walk away. But Ruby didn't follow…she stayed seated.

"Uh…Ruby?".

"I enjoyed it".

His eyes got wide and his heart skipped a beat, but Ruby had finally made her mind. She was not going to be silent; she was going to be honest with herself, she was going to be honest with her feelings and honest with him.

"I enjoyed it, ok? It felt…I felt like I wanted it to last forever. I don't understand it yet but I do know that I enjoyed it and not just the kiss!" She stood up looking at him straight in the eyes. "I was so happy when you said I was special to you. Because YOU are special to me! I care about you and have done it for a long long time but I knew how much you were hurting; I knew all the pain you were going through and it killed me that I couldn't just take that pain away!".

Jaune was paralyzed on his spot. His heart rising with every word.

"It's embarrassing! It's weird! It's frustrating but I don't care!" Ruby began to rant and clench her fist in frustration and determination. "Weiss is right! Hiding your feelings isn't fair to yourself. Sometimes you might want to protect and respect someone, others you just can't put your feelings into words, but you should always be honest to yourself! Be honest with your feelings! Be honest with who you are, what you want, how sad you are, and how much joy you have in your heart when you see someone you love smile!

Weiss, looked attentively, she was worried but more than anything, she was proud. "Be honest, Ruby". She said with a soft smile.

"When you care about someone, that person is special to you. If you love them that much why wouldn't you be honest with them!? Why would you hide your doubts and fear from that person who is always there, with whom you share something so beautiful and special?!. Be honest! Be honest with your own feelings and be honest with that person you love! It's hard, it's scary but ARENT THEY WORTH IT?! You love them for a reason! BE HONEST!".

She didn't realize it, but those words hit hard to more people than she thought. Yang and Blake had been through many things together and still had a long way to go, but there was something clear to everyone, they cared for each other and their bond had been tempered in fire, it was stronger than steel. Yang grabbed Blake's hand, she was surprised, but the smile they shared gave the two of them warm.

Ren had never been good at expressing his feelings. He always kept them hidden, is not that he didn't have them nor that he didn't want to let them out, it was simply difficult to put his love into words. Nora knew this, it pained her but she was certain he loved her just as much as she loved him. Ren was never good at talking, but he always showed how much he loved her, still, his heart was pained and worried and Nora was determined. She knew how much she loved him and she was going to be there for him. Someday, somehow, she would get through him, she would help him be honest with himself…and until then, she was going to stand by his side, giving him all her love. To her surprise, even in these moments of uncertainty, Ren held her hand, he looked ashamed, he knew he had too much in his mind and didn't know how to say it, but Nora understood the gesture, a soft touch that said "You are special to me". She smiled and leaned on him, not a word was said and at the same time, they said it all.

"That's why….that's why I'll be honest wit h you!...I did enjoy it…because you are special to me…because I…I…".

"I couldn't sleep!" Jaune said, stopping and surprising Ruby. "That night in Argus! When we were split. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, Nora had to make me drink water! I was so worried about something happening to you! To all of you but especially you! I was terrified of losing you, Ruby!". She began to get tears in her eyes. "I did enjoy it but it wasn't meant to be a kiss! I was afraid! I let myself go by what Winter said. The idea of you getting hurt…I CAN'T BARE IT! Ruby you aren't only special to me, you are the most special person in my life! I've known for a long time, I just….I had so much hatred for myself…A part of me refused to be happy...but you were always there bringing me joy even in my darkest times…You were always there…you are always there and I want you to be there and I will be there for you! From the moment I met you I wanted to walk beside you, I just never realized just how much I want to be with you!".

The two stopped and began to breathe faster and faster. Exasperated….but somehow also relieved. They were there bringing out everything filling their hearts. They were being honest with the most important person in their lives.

"….Go out with me…" Ruby said, breaking the silence with a shy voice. "I want to be with you too…so…". Before she could realize it, her head was already down, hiding her face from the embarrassment and had grabbed her hands and pressed them on her chest as if holding her heart. "I know is silly….but…".

"Yes". And with one word, Ruby's head rushed back up, meeting Jaune's eyes. The two connected with a simple gaze. "Yes…of course, I will…".

They had shown the contents of their hearts…and the love was mutual and strong. Ruby and Jaune changed their shocked looks for joyful smiles as the two of them realized what happened. They were honest with themselves….and it just felt right.

"Jaune…".

"Ruby….".

The two got closer. Their bodies moved on their own. Without a moment to waste, Jaune caressed Ruby's face and the two got closer and closer and closer…

"MY BABY SISSSSS!".

"YANG?!"

"AHHHHH!".

And with that, Yang had exposed all of their friends hiding in the bushes. Jaune and Ruby had their jaws on the floor.

"Damnit, YANG! It was so close!" Weiss yelled in frustration.

"I've been waiting for this for SO LONG!" Nora worked so hard for months and now, she got robbed.

"I couldn't help it! It was so beautiful! Right Blake?".

"It was so cute!".

"Good job, Jaune. I was really moved". Ren smiled while giving a thumbs up.

"I'm so happy for you guys!". Oscar cheered.

Jaune and Ruby turned red. All those embarrassing things and their friends heard every single word. Had the world ended right there, they wouldn't have had any regrets…well, maybe just one regret.

"We have to celebrate!".

"Can it be inside? It's freezing here!".

As their friends all walked away, they followed behind, discreetly walking right beside each other. After all, they had promised to stay by each other's side…always.

Ruby sneakily grabbed Jaune's hand, caressing it tenderly with her thumb.

"Don't think you'll escape".

"Hehe. I wasn't planning to".

"You know…you do owe me".

"What?".

"Yeah. Apparently, my first kiss wasn't a real kiss after all…".

Jaune began to rub the back of his neck. "Haha…yeah…But I…can make it up to you lat…".

He didn't notice but she had a keener eye, as soon as she noticed their friends had gone a bit farther away, she took the chance and stole a sweet and lovely kiss.

"You know what? I enjoyed this one more" Ruby winked with a smile and blush before running back to her friends.

Jaune stood there but the sight of his special girl with a big smile brought nothing but joy to his heart. That warm love….it just felt right.

"Hey wait up! That's not fair!".

"Come and catch me if you want another!".

"Ruby!".

Author's note: Thanks for reading. This story was written for the "9 days of Lancaster 2020" event back on tumblr.

This was my first time writing romance so I would really appreciate any feedback, both positive and negative.

I hope you enjoyed and have a great day.