A/N: Dear Potential reader:

Please know that the characters appearing in this tale are not mine; they belong to Rooster Teeth. This story is not intended to generate profit; it was written for the entertainment I enjoyed in writing it and hopefully, your entertainment in reading. That said, please enjoy...

"Go!"

Jaune thrust his sword, unleashing his aura in an offensive attack while keeping his shield in a defensive position.

"Again."

He slashed, again unleashing his aura.

"And again."

A 180 degree spin and another slash.

"Okay, now assuming you aren't cheating...we can take a break."

When he started the long walk across Anima, he would have been gasping for breath at this point. Now, he was only slightly winded, so he had set the recording to rewind here. He no longer listened to her words of understanding at how frustrating the training could be, her compliments of his determination and his progress. The almost confession of...

Ruby hated to interrupt him, especially since her reasons seemed so selfish. Even though he had stopped playing those parts that had to be the most painful, it was still a private moment for him. Whether it was in a moonlit forest clearing or here, under a security light on the loading dock behind the inn's kitchen, he sought some time for himself. Whenever he could find the privacy, he worked to hone his aura basics.

Ruby deliberately stomped on the stairway, making enough noise to let him know he wasn't alone. By the time Ruby had walked down the last of the stairs, he had turned off the recording and had placed the scroll in his pocket. He looked for all the world like a student hunter who had taken the opportunity to do some conditioning drills out behind the inn. Which was the truth, but didn't tell half the story.

"Hey Jaune," the petite younger woman greeted him. The 'hey' had become a bit of a byword for the two of them. Whenever they were about to make an uncomfortable request, or deal with an awkward subject, they started with 'hey'.

"Hey," he replied.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked.

Again, it was a careful approach to an uncomfortable subject. He was fully armored, armed, and sweaty. There was only one thing he could have been doing in the peaceful city.

"Just practicing," he told her, being truthful to the point he was willing to speak.

"I've got a bit of a favor to ask." Their long trek meant that she didn't feel the need to dance around a topic; usually.

He simply raised one eyebrow, waiting for her request.

"Uncle Qrow is out at some bar," she admitted. "I think he's making up for the time he lost while he was poisoned. Either that or alcohol really does cleanse the last of the poison from his organs. Anyway, I wanted to take a shower and I really don't like being in an empty, strange room. I feel so..."

"Vulnerable?" He supplied. She could only nod back.

"Could you hang in my room for a little while?"

"Sure," his sword slid into the sheath and he approached her slowly, waiting for her to lead the way.

"Thanks," she smiled at him. She hadn't been kidding about feeling vulnerable; during their walk across the continent, Team RNJR had been forced to share quarters. Whenever they camped, which was most of the time, either she and Nora bathed in a stream or pond while the boys kept guard...or visa versa. When they could stay at an inn, they usually got a single, large room, mimicking the coed status that Team JNPR had known in Beacon. As much as she was a little shy at first, Ruby had to admit that it had become second nature to her. While their inn here in Mistral was modern, with proper locks on the doors, she felt strangely alone and nervous being in her room by herself.

By the time they climbed the first flight of stairs, they were walking side by side, he walked slowly, not forcing her to hurry. His longer legs ate up the distance much faster than her normal stride. Whenever they were together, he slowed and she picked up her speed, matching paces with each other. It was comfortable how they both made a slight allowance for the other. Soon they were at the room that Ruby shared with her uncle...when he wasn't at some bar. She noted something odd about the door leading into the room that Jaune, Nora and Ren shared but was looking forward to her shower too much to bring it up at the moment.

She took her time in the shower. It felt so good to be able to take take a leisurely one, with plenty of clean, warm water, and thoroughly wash herself down. After that, it felt nice to be able to brush out her hair properly and pull on her pajamas. Feeling more refreshed than she had in weeks, she opened the door to find Jaune sitting in one of the chairs, watching a news program while he polished his armor. Ruby sighed; she sometimes missed the silly and carefree boy she had met on her first day at Beacon. Back then, Jaune would have been more about watching cartoons or comedies. Now, he had become a more serious young man.

"Thanks," she told him. "I know it's getting a little late, but do you mind staying with me until Qrow gets back?"

"I don't think it would be a good idea to go back to my room," he offered a slight smile. "So you'll be doing me a favor if you let me stay here a little bit longer."

"Oh, what's wrong with your room?"

"One of Nora's socks is still on the doorknob," he pointed out.

"I noticed that earlier," she told him. I didn't know that Nora had a problem with foot fungus."

"What?" Jaune was completely confused.

"She's airing out her socks," Ruby told him. "And they must stink, because why else would she put them on the doorknob outside of your room?"

"Ruby..." Jaune rolled his eyes.

"Hey, no offense intended!" She interrupted him. "My dad has to have the worst foot odor on Remnant. He walks everywhere and I honestly think he uses it to his advantage. I mean, if he throws a high kick he doesn't have to land it to put someone out, just getting his foot close to someone's face can leave 'em stumbling away!"

"Ruby..."

"So I can understand," she continued. "I mean, dealing with Nora's athlete's foot, or something like that, can't be easy."

"The sock isn't there to air out," Jaune told her. "It's there to let me know to not go in."

"Why would they want to keep you out of your room?"

Jaune just looked at her, hoping she would figure it out. She was such a bundle of contradictions. She was a better fighter than most people twice her age, yet in some ways she was younger than her sixteen years. A lifetime spent on a quest to be a hero, spent perusing weapons shops and hunters' memoirs hadn't left her with much time to socialize, or even learn the intricacies of how others did so.

Not that he knew much about it, himself.

"The sock on the doorknob is a signal," he finally told her, when it was obvious that she hadn't a clue what he was talking about. "It means that they're...doing something private."

"Like taking care of her foot fungus," she insisted. "Yeah, I can understand why they wouldn't want anyone else around for that."

"It's not foot care!" He finally decided he had to come out and say it...sort of. "Haven't you noticed that Ren and Nora have been a lot more...affectionate...towards each other since we got to Mistral?"

"Well, yeah." Although she had been preoccupied with her uncle's recovery, she noticed that her two friends had been acting differently towards each other, almost like a couple...!

Upon seeing her eyes widen a little, Jaune realized he had finally gotten her on the right train of thought. "The sock on the door is a time-honored way, among young adults, to let anyone outside the door know that it wouldn't be a good idea to go in."

"But you always knock before going in!" Ruby protested.

"The sock means that they're doing something that might...take a couple of minutes to make themselves presentable."

Again, Ruby looked confused for a moment. Then, her mouth flew open, covered quickly by her hand. Her eyes flew as wide as her mouth and her face started to redden.

"You mean, they're over there...right now...and they're..."

It took Jaune a moment to realize why she was having such a strong reaction to this, when he remembered that Ruby was an all-or-nothing kind of person. You were either a good guy or a bad guy, you were either a friend or an enemy, you were either a hunter or a civilian. There as no...half-way...with her, so either Ren and Nora were doing something completely innocent or...

"How far they choose to take it is up to them," he shrugged. "As long as they don't damage the room and cost us our deposit."

Despite her embarrassment, Ruby had to snort at that.

"I guess I didn't think that they might...err...um...just want some couple time," she admitted, blushing even brighter.

Somehow, the last exchange eased the tension a little. They sat in a companionable silence, enjoying the peaceful night. Ruby's complexion faded back to its normal tone and soon she felt comfortable enough to approach another topic she wanted to deal with.

"It was a rough day," she pointed out. "But it could have been worse."

"Yeah," Jaune's mood faded. "I'm glad we were able to...explain things."

Ruby sighed. Last night, team RNJR had spent hours preparing; mending every rip in their clothing, polishing and maintaining their weapons, armor and other kit. Earlier that day, they had presented themselves to the Nikos family and told Pyrrha's parents exactly what had happened to their daughter. It had been emotional; while the couple knew that their daughter had been killed, they didn't have details. They wound up talking for several hours, telling them about her time at Beacon and the lives she had touched. Team RNJR had learned a few things, as well. Namely, they had learned that Pyrrha had written to her parents quite frequently.

"Jaune, were you completely honest with everything you told them today?" Ruby couldn't quite bring herself to meet his eyes.

"I wasn't about to lie to them," he answered, his tone showing that he was offended.

"Sorry," she held up a hand. "It's just that I didn't realize that she was texting her parents about you." Her eyes went wide again, realizing that what she said could have come out wrong. "I mean, I'm not surprised that she would let her folks know about her team, it's just that when you introduced yourself and they said that you were the one she was writing to them about, I..."

Her voice faded off.

"I didn't realize it for the longest time," Jaune admitted, heaving a sigh. "When she kissed me before she went off to face Cinder, I knew. I didn't realize that she felt that way for as long as she did before I looked at a recording she made for me and..."

Now it was Jaune's turn to look embarrassed.

"Jaune, I've watched you train a few times at night," Ruby admitted, her tone gentle. "I've heard the part where she almost said..."

"Yeah," his face was pointed at the floor. The lighthearted banter of a few moments ago was gone.

"She'd be proud of you," Ruby offered, her voice solemn. "You're really come a long way."

It wasn't empty praise. Jaune was much more capable than he had been when they left Patch, and his mind was quick when the claws and fangs were flying. He had somehow realized that the...thing they had to fight before the airships found them, couldn't extend it's arms while moving from place to place. By circling the thing, they avoided taking a beating and were able to inflict some damage on it.

His irritated look and scowl told Ruby that he wasn't really in the mood for such a discussion.

For a few minutes, the two simply sat in silence; Jaune on the chair and Ruby on her bed. They watched some of the news without really paying attention. Ruby was tempted to see if her other two friends had removed the sock so that Jaune could go back to their room and end this awkward encounter...but she still didn't like to be alone in the room.

"Do you mind if I switch to a comedy?" She asked. "I've had enough bad news for one day."

Jaune just shrugged his shoulders and went back to polishing his armor. The show that Ruby found was silly, but that was perfectly fine by her. It had something to do with engineers working for an incompetent and immoral supervisor. Some of the humor was over her head, but she still laughed a great deal. Looking over at her companion, she noted that he must have warmed up, because his hoodie was now off and he was dressed in a tee shirt. He smiled at the screen now and then. Emboldened, Ruby asked him something that she had been wondering about.

"What was it like?" She asked. Jaune looked at her, clearly confused "When Pyrrha kissed you," she added. "I've never kissed a boy."

"Neither have I," he answered.

"I meant...YOU KNEW WHAT I MEANT!" She shouted at him, sending a pillow flying with deadly accuracy at his face. His smirk, just before if vanished behind her pillow, told her that he was making a joke.

Somehow, it didn't bother her that the joke was on her.

"It was wonderful," while there was still pain in his voice, there was a fond memory as well. "It was the only time it has ever happened to me. It felt...great, but knowing that she felt that way made me feel special. "

"You are special," she murmured. Realizing that she had said it out loud, she felt heat rushing to her face and his pale complexion reddened, as well.

"What brings this on?" He asked her.

"I was just wondering," she shrugged. "Some of my friends at Signal were interested in boys, but I never really thought of them as anything more than other students. Whenever there was a dance at Signal, I'd sneak off either to the library, the shop or the obstacle course. I know, that makes me a big nerd."

"No," he disagreed with her. "It makes you a person who knows what she's interested in, and doesn't worry that other people don't always agree with her."

"Yang wouldn't agree with that," she told him. "At least not completely. She said that I had to get out of my shell and make new friends."

"You have," Jaune pointed out.

"Yeah, but she was really excited about the Beacon Dance," Ruby's eyes lowered, not meeting his. "She said she was going to turn heads, but I think she was really excited about getting Blake to socialize with people and...for me to do the same. Instead, I just felt awkward."

"I guess I didn't help," he sighed. "Toasting us as the socially awkward."

"That was one of the fun points," she pointed out. "Then you left to have a word with Neptune about Weiss. What was that all about, anyway?"

"It just bothered me that he was playing with her feelings," he admitted. "She was interested in him and he seemed to be playing her along. That really bothered me and we wound up talking about it. It turns out he's a pretty good guy."

"And he spent most of the evening with Weiss after that," Ruby nodded. "That really made her happy." Suddenly, Ruby's smile became impish. "But the highlight of the night was when you showed up in the dress." The girl started to snicker at the memory.

"Hey!"

Jaune's timing was perfect; Ruby looked up just in time to catch her pillow in the face.

"Hey!" She protested, although she kept the pillow this time.

"You're disrespecting an act of honor," he insisted, his voice all fake, injured pride. "I made a promise, and we Arcs take such things seriously. It was my obligation and my honor to do so."

"And you made everyone's night by doing it," she added. "I've never seen Pyrrha laugh so hard."

Both companions smiled at the memory. There was still some pain at the loss of their friend, but it was mostly fond thoughts, remembering the mostly reserved young woman laughing so hard that she had trouble standing.

"I didn't dance with anyone," Ruby finally said. "Other than my teammates, you and Ozpin were the only ones that even talked to me."

"Sorry," he answered. "I was sort of distracted and..."

"It's fine," she told him. "I liked seeing you and Pyrrha together. I just felt so awkward there."

"Did you want to dance?" He asked. "I would have danced with you."

"In heels?" She snorted. "I could barely walk!" She then sighed. "I just wonder, sometimes, what all the fuss is about and if I'm missing out on something because I'm not all that interested in things that a lot of girls my age are."

"It never seemed to bother you," he noted.

"It never used to," she admitted. "But with all of the towns we've gone through, it doesn't matter if it's a village or a city, I always see people our age paired off. I can't help but think there's something wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you. You just have different priorities. They make you special."

"I don't want to be special!" She suddenly blurted out. "Not always! Sometimes, I just want to be an ordinary girl with ordinary knees."

"Knees?" Now Jaune was confused.

"Never mind," she told him. "It's just that, how many girls my age can say that they've walked almost all the way across Anima, and fought grimm and White Fang. But at the same time, I've never danced with or kissed a boy."

"So we can hit the town after we meet with Headmaster Lionheart tomorrow," Jaune suggested. "There's sure to be a few teen dance clubs. You're a pretty girl, so boys are sure to ask you to dance and if you feel like it, you can..."

"No," she interrupted. "I just feel so awkward about it all! I was hoping that I could...well...try it without making a fool out of myself."

She looked down again, not meeting his eyes. Jaune worked the conversation out in his head, wondering what she was reaching for. Suddenly, his eyes went wide.

"Ruby, are you telling me that you would like to dance with me, so you know what if feels like to dance with a boy?"

"Yes," she still wouldn't look at him. "But I'd like to try...the other thing...as well."

"You want to kiss me, just to see what it's like?"

"I trust you," she mumbled. "So if I do it wrong, you won't tell anyone."

"How can you kiss wrong?" He wondered out loud.

"I don't know! But if there's some way to do it, I'll manage it!"

Jaune couldn't help but laugh at that and after a moment, Ruby did, as well.

"I don't want my first kiss to be on a dare or something like that," she told him, once she got over her giggles. "I don't want it to be some boy who kisses me to prove he can. I just want to try it and, well, you're a boy, aren't you?"

"The last time I checked."

"Jaune!"

It was nervous giggles again for a couple of minutes. Jaune got up from the chair and walked to her bed, sitting down next to her. Ruby sat up.

"Okay," he said. "But somehow, this seems like a joke you're playing on me."

"It's no trick!" She protested.

"Fine," despite his joking, she could see that he was nervous, too. In the moment now, she hesitated. Finally, she closed her eyes and leaned in.

"Well, that was a direct hit to my cheekbone," he commented, prompting another burst of nervous giggles from her.

"You can help, you know!" She protested.

"Okay, this time we actually do it."

"Like you mean it," she told him.

"Like I mean it," he agreed.

"But not too much!"

"Ruby! You're not giving me much leeway here!"

Forcing another giggle down, she kept her eyes open this time, leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, you didn't kiss back!" She complained.

"No warning!" He shot back. "Give me a chance!"

"Fine, one more try." This time, she grabbed both sides of his face and forced herself to take her time, planting her mouth squarely on his. His arms came up and wrapped around her, his hands resting on the small of her back. Her eyes popped open when he gently pulled her in, then closed as their lips molded together. She didn't really have to maintain the contact for as long as she did, but she felt just fine doing what she was. When she finally pulled back, she left her hands on the sides of his face and he left his arms around her.

"Okay, that was nice," she murmured.

"Yeah," he agreed, breathless.

They sat for a short time, neither one wanting to let go and neither one willing to do anything more.

"Could...I try something?" Jaune finally asked, his voice no more than a whisper. Ruby nodded slightly, not wanting to speak.

He leaned forward, pulling her closer to him and pressing his lips onto hers once again. She closed her eyes as their bodies molded themselves to each other, only to open them wide when his lips parted and the tip of his tongue slid gently against her lower lip. Her moment of shock quickly faded and she relaxed into him again, parting her own lips so that he could continue. Almost without thinking, her hands slid behind his head, holding his face close to her own. When they broke for air, she didn't let him go.

"Where did you learn that?" She asked him, breathlessly.

"Well, maybe my older sisters discussed their dates a time or two," he told her, gasping to catch his own breath. "And didn't realize that I was listening."

She giggled at that, leaning forward to rest her forehead against his chest. "Did you learn anything else?" She asked, after a couple of deep breaths to control her breathing.

Suddenly, he turned red. "Nothing that I'm about to do, or even talk about, here!"

Ruby giggled again, answered by his own. How could this be so wonderful, yet so funny at the same time?

"Does that little trick work both ways," she finally asked him.

"There's one way to find out."

It was a corny line, but she didn't care right now. She took the hint and pulled his face down to hers once again. This time, he parted his lips, allowing her tongue to explore his upper lip. The sensation of her tongue on his lip was every bit as heady as his tongue on hers had been. She slid her tongue further into his mouth, brushing gently against his teeth. She had a shocked moment when his tongue met hers, but she quickly relaxed once again, as they gently twirled them around each other. Unfortunately, even fit young people have to breathe occasionally, so they broke contact once again and gasped for air.

"Maybe we should slow this down," Jaune suggested.

Ruby didn't answer with words, but the dismayed look on her face must have taken care of that.

"I mean, you had never kissed a boy before and I had only been kissed once," he explained. "And here we are making out."

"This isn't making out," she protested. "We're vertical. Making out is horizontal!"

"Where did you learn that?" A touch of a smile was on his face again.

"I borrowed one of Blake's books."

"She loaned you one of those sort of books?" His eyebrow rose

"She...might not have known that I borrowed it,' she admitted. "But that doesn't matter! I read the definition so I know what I'm talking about! Making out is kissing when you're horizontal! Necking is kissing when you're vertical! We're necking!"

"No, we're arguing," he pointed out.

Ruby quickly rectified the situation, pressing against him again until the need for oxygen finally forced them to separate.

"Maybe you're right," she admitted, her voice a little shallow. "We're kind of getting caught up in the moment here."

"I'll see if Nora and Ren have taken the sock off the doorknob," he offered.

"But Uncle Qrow still isn't back," she told him.

"I never thought you'd be scared to be alone."

"I'm not scared!" She snarled at him. "I just don't like being alone!"

"Sorry," he apologized, pulling back from her.

"No, I shouldn't have snapped like that." She reluctantly let her hands drop from his shoulders. "But why don't we just hang here and watch a movie or something until he gets back?"

"It's fine my me," he agreed, standing up.

"We can chill out here," she patted the bed. "That's not getting out of hand, is it?"

"I don't think so," he kicked off his boots while she found a show that looked interesting. They lay down on her bed, side by side. Her eyes flew wide when his hand found hers, but she quickly laced her fingers his, enjoying the feeling.

"Is this going to make things awkward?" She asked him, after they watched the action flick for a few minutes.

"It depends if this was just for now," he answered, after a moment's thought. "Or if you want us to be...well...more than friends."

"What do you want?" She asked.

He took a deep breath and braced himself. She was the first friend he had made a Beacon, someone who backed every decision he made. Was...this...worth risking their friendship?

"I'd like to try," he told her. "It might be awkward and it might destroy our friendship...but it might be worth it."

"Good," she nodded, looking very satisfied with herself.

"So, why don't we try something more on line with a date?" He suggested. "After our meeting with the Headmaster tomorrow, why don't we look up some weapons shops?"

"That doesn't sound like a normal date," she pointed out.

"We're not normal people," he answered. "One of my sisters said that if you do something you like, and you like it more with someone with you, then that someone is special to you. Don't you want to check out the local shops and see how their weapons are different from those in Vale?"

"Of course," she told him.

"So, we hit the shops. Afterwards, we can find a dance club and see if you like dancing with boys."

"Or with one boy," she suggested. "I have another idea."

She hopped off of the bed, walked to the desk and picked up his hoodie. Since he wore it under his armor, as padding, it was sweat-stained and worn in places. However, it was clean and smelled mainly of the detergent he used and faintly of his sweat. With what she hoped was a charming smile his way, she pulled it on.

Of course, it was way to big for her. It hung on her like a mini-dress and the sleeves were so long that her hands weren't visible...but it felt nice to wear it.

"Didn't you say this was getting a little tight on you?" She asked him.

"A little," he agreed.

"So while we hit the weapons shops, why don't we look for a new hoodie for you," she suggested. "One more your size? Then, I can have this one."

"Uh, Ruby? You know what it means when a girl wears a boy's hoodie, don't you?"

"Yeah," she felt a little bashful, but she managed to meet his eyes while she returned to the bed and lay down next to him again. She had no intention of taking off her new piece of clothing.

There was no more necking, or making out that night. They held hands and lay next to each other, watching the movie. Part way through the feature, Ruby noted that Jaune had fallen asleep. She was happy; she knew that he hadn't been sleeping well and the fact that he could relax so completely next to her gave her a warm feeling. Soon, her own eyes grew heavy.

She didn't make it through the entire show.

The sound of the door slamming open woke both teens.

"What's going on in here!?"

Both Ruby and Jaune rolled off of the bed to confront an angry Qrow.

"I leave for a few hours and the two of you decide to do this?" The older man slurred at them.

"Do what?" Jaune was clearly confused.

"Oh no!" Ruby gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"What?" Both Jaune and Qrow looked at the girl.

"When I saw Nora's socks on the doorknob, I thought she was airing them out," Ruby explained. "It seemed like a good idea so I hung my stockings on the doorknob. I never thought to bring them back in!"

Jaune suddenly looked horrified, while Qrow actually smiled at this.

"You didn't know what socks on the doorknob meant?" He shook his head, an action that left him swaying. "Yang hasn't been teaching you very well!"

"I asked Jaune to stay with me while I waited for you to get back from the bar!" Ruby snarled at her uncle. "We were just watching a movie!"

"And how did you wind up in his hoodie?" He asked, although he sounded a great deal less belligerent than he had a moment ago.

"It's getting too small for him," Ruby answered. "And it looked like it might be comfortable for me!"

She pulled off the apparel in question, demonstrating that she was wearing her pajama top underneath.

"I don't know," Qrow drawled at her, a mischievous smile showing on his face. "Are you sure you weren't in here making out?"

"WE WERE NOT MAKING OUT!" His niece shrieked at him, all injured dignity. "WE WERE NECKING!"

Jaune face-palmed while Qrow suddenly turned to him, his expression going from amused to angry in a moment. As the older man shoved him bodily out of the room, he realized that dating Ruby would mean risks far beyond those he could have foreseen. If Qrow was reacting like this, imagine what Yang would do! Fortunately, Nora's sock was off of the doorknob, meaning that it was safe to return to his room. He reached for it, then paused. After a moment, he knocked on the door before going in. His boots and hoodie were still in Ruby's room, but it didn't seem like a good idea to recover them yet tonight. Instead, he crawled into his own bed and wondered what he had just gotten himself into.