Fingers led the cuff of her stockings as she slowly pulled them up her freshly-shaven legs. Letting it go, they snapped into place on her upper thigh. She ran a hand along the fabric, it's silky-smooth texture bringing a smile to her lips.

Ruby sat upon her bed as she admired her handiwork. The last pieces of her outfit were almost in place. So much preparation had been made that it was almost a shame that she wouldn't be wearing it for too long. At least, not most of it. There were certain parts which she would insist remain on for the night. Including the black leather boots she slid on over her stockings.

Pushing herself to her feet, she looked back on her soft, enticing bed. Rose petals were scattered on the top of it, in her mind easily being the best use of her Semblance in history. Yes, nothing said romance and sensuality quite like roses. Be they a bouquet, or placed atop a bed, the rose was a symbol of love. A symbol of passion. And that was exactly what Ruby was tonight. She was Ruby Rose. She was a red rose. She was passion incarnate.

The first step she took away from the bed was a false one, as she wobbled as soon as the heel of her boot hit the ground. Her ankle nearly buckled from underneath her, and it was only her fortunate proximity to her bed which allowed a hand to find purchase.

"Stupid lady stilts," she grumbled. Even after all this time she had still never gotten used to them.

Then again, the heels she had worn for her freshman dance at Beacon Academy hadn't been quite like these...

Taking a few more tentative steps toward the full body mirror, Ruby held her hands out in order to steady herself. It was a good thing she didn't plan on doing much standing in the knee-high stiletto boots she wore. Seven o'clock couldn't come soon enough. He couldn't come soon enough either.

A knowing smile graced her lips at the thought. Yang would have been proud of the pun had she heard it. That is, until she realized what the context was.

This weekend marked the one year anniversary of her and Jaune officially becoming an item. Some of their friends said it had been only a matter of time. The two had been close since their first day at Beacon Academy. They had fought together during initiation. They had fought each other in the greatest food fight in history. They had suffered together in social awkwardness at the dance. All throughout their first year at the school they had been together, despite being on different teams. It was proof of their friendship. It had been the foundation of so much more.

And now, here in her home, Ruby was ready to have an unforgettable weekend of passion and romance with the man she loved.

Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at the finished product that she had put so much effort into. The black leather boots she was struggling to balance herself in were a must. Nothing said lust quite like stilettos. Where they ended the stockings picked up, trailing all the way up to the tops of her creamy thighs. A few inches of exposed skin later led to the final piece of the sexy puzzle.

The red lace negligee she wore left little to the imagination, but then again Jaune had always been a little bit dense. She was certain he would appreciate the bold little number she wore. The mostly transparent garment had bunches of flower-patterned lace strategically placed in order to shield two parts of her body in particular, but otherwise allowed observers to have a very enticing view of her figure.

"He'd better appreciate all I'm doing for him tonight..." Truth be told it wasn't all just for him. She wanted this too. Ruby had always been called cute by her friends and family. She had always been adorable. Sweet. Innocent. But tonight... tonight she would be sexy.

Ruby licked her lips in anticipation of Jaune seeing this wild side of hers. It wouldn't be the first time they'd be intimate, but it would be the first time he would see the animal inside her unleashed. Her eyes closed as she began playing out the scene in her mind. It would be perfect. She would be perfect. After all, she had put so much time and thought into this evening, that nothing would go wrong. No one would disturb them.

The soft jangling of metal on metal reminded Ruby that she was not entirely alone tonight. Glancing to the floor, she saw how Zwei had come into her room and sat down next to her. She wasn't sure what she was going to do about Zwei. Maybe lock him in her dad's room while she and Jaune were... busy?

She'd decide on that later. For now though, she continued to admire her feminine figure in the mirror. "You know what, Zwei?" she asked her canine companion. "Your momma's one sexy lady." Her brows furrowed as a question entered her mind. "Wait, does that make me a MILF then?"

The dog at her feet offered no answers. Really he offered no indication that he understood the question at all. He just liked being around his humans no matter what they said. Or what they wore.

Ruby shrugged. "Oh well. I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?" She looked into the mirror again, her head tilting slightly as she stared at her reflection. "But I'll tell you this much. Jaune definitely hit the jackpot."

She usually didn't like to sound so vain, but in this moment she couldn't help herself. She had grown in the past couple of years since starting at Beacon. In more ways than one. Ways which had started to rival Yang in a couple of specific areas.

"And she used to make fun of me for drinking milk," she quipped. A glance down to the negligee's revealing bust line made her smile. "Who's laughing now?"

Certainly not Jaune. No, as she had said, that boy had definitely hit the jackpot. He had fallen for her long before she had grown into her current figure. Before she had become the bombshell huntress she was today. He liked her for her. Her awkward, dorky self. Just as she liked him for him and his awkward, dorky self.

The fact that the blond boy had grown a few inches certainly didn't disappoint her either. Once he had been a scrawny little noodle of a boy. He had been lean and scraggly. But now... now he had developed strong arms and a broad chest. His body had filled out as well. His time at Beacon had been well-spent. She knew that she would be rewarded tonight as well.

Taking a deep breath, Ruby prepared to set the stage for their magical evening. There were candles to be lit. Music to be played. Jaune would be here any minute, and everything had to be ready. Anything less than perfect was unacceptable!

She took a single step.

Snap!

One single step, and her world caved in from underneath her.

"Gah!" she yelped as she hit the ground. Flat on her back. The sudden sharp pain was unbearable.

Silver eyes stared up at the ceiling as she recovered from the shock of falling. Okay. This was fine. All she had to do was get up and-

"Ah!" she winced as she tried to sit up. Her back refused to cooperate.

Her head came back down against the solid wood floor of the cabin. She couldn't get up.

Panic gripped her. Had she sprained her back in the fall? How was that even possible? Had it been so fast the her Aura wasn't able to activate and protect her?

Ruby tried to roll over on her side, but again her back protested. Pained breaths of laughter slipped uncontrollably through her lips. "I've never regretted making fun of all those Life Alert commercials more than I am right now!" she whined.

The high-pitched cries of her voice must have gotten Zwei's attention, who came over and began to butt his nose against her face. The girl recoiled and tried to shy away from him the best she could while lying immobile on the floor.

"No, Zwei!" she half yelled and half laughed as he began to lick her face. "No! B-bad dog! C-can't you see I'm hurt?"

Maybe he could see she was hurt. Maybe this was his own sweet but misguided way of providing comfort.

"Go get help!" she ordered him through her laughter. "Find help!"

Eventually he stopped, and just decided to sit down next to her. Guarding his fallen master. A heartwarming, but in this situation, useless gesture.

She tried to move again, but her injured back would not allow it. Like it or not she was stuck here. At least until Jaune arrived.

Ice ran through her veins. Yes. Until Jaune came here. He had been invited for the occasion of their anniversary. He wasn't knowing what to expect. What he would find, however, would be the last thing he could have imagined.

A small frown slipped onto Jaune's face as his knocking once more went unanswered. Pulling the scroll from his pocket, he checked the time. It was a few minutes past seven. She had said to arrive at seven, hadn't she?

The lights inside were on, indicating that someone was home. Or at least giving the illusion. The idea of calling Ruby crossed his mind in order to confirm that he did indeed have the time and date correct. Then again, it could be no weekend other than this one. This was after all the date which would mark their anniversary.

A thought crossed his mind, and Jaune reached for the door's handle before twisting and pushing. To his mild surprise the door had swung open. Maybe Ruby was in the bathroom and had left the door unlocked so he could let himself in? It wasn't an entirely bad thought. Aside from there being no one else around for miles, she was a trained huntress. A burglar would be the least of the young woman's concerns.

Jaune ventured deeper into the cabin, still uncertain if anyone truly was home. No one had greeted him. No one was in the living room. As far as he could tell he was entirely alone.

The sound of dog tags quickly changed his mind. No, Zwei was still home. At least there was that.

The tiny dog ran up to him, jumping up so that his front paws rested against Jaune's shins. He bent down to pet his furry little head. "Hey, Zwei," he said. "Where's Ruby?"

Zwei barked. In an instant he removed his paws from Jaune and ran over to the staircase he had just come down. The young man may have been a fool, but he wasn't stupid. Zwei obviously wanted him to follow.

As he climbed the stairs, he was relieved when he heard the voice he had been expecting all along. "Jaune?"

"Ruby!" he called out, not quite to her room yet. "I was wondering where you were."

"Jaune... help..."

It felt as though he had been struck by lightning. In an instant Jaune dashed the last of the distance to Ruby's room. When he got there he found a sight which sent shivers down his spine.

"Ruby!" he cried as he ran over to where she lay on the floor. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I... hurt my back..." she said softly. Pathetically. Like she was on the verge of tears.

None of this put Jaune at any more ease. He knelt beside her, taking one of her hands in his own. "How bad? Should I call an ambulance?"

"No!" she insisted. "No, I'm okay. I just... can you help get me up?"

He stared down at her. She didn't seem overly concerned with her situation. She wasn't worried or freaking out like he was inside. Maybe he was just overreacting to the sudden shock of finding his girlfriend helpless on the floor.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. I just need a little help, that's all..."

A wave of relief surged through his body. She was okay. She had just fallen down and hurt her back. No worries. It was something her Aura would be able to heal in no time.

"Sure thing," he smiled. Sliding a hand underneath her back and another below her knees, he solidified his grip on her before proceeding. "This okay? Does it hurt to touch you there?"

Ruby shook her head. "N-no. I'm... good..."

He nodded, and with a small amount of effort lifted the girl off the ground. It hadn't been the first time he held her like this. It always felt nice to hold Ruby in his arms. No matter the circumstances.

His gaze fell on her, and for the first time since arriving, noticed how much things seemed... off. What was she wearing? Or rather, what wasn't she wearing? Ruby had always been a fan of boots and stockings, but... never like this!

He stood there, momentarily dumbfounded by his girlfriend's attire. Finally though he spoke. "Ruby?"

She peered up at him from her position next to his chest. "Yeah?"

"What's with the outfit?"

Silver eyes widened, and she quickly turned away from him. "Nothing! I always dress like this!"

It was indeed sort of true. Except for the fact that the boots she wore never had massive heels like these. The stockings she wore were usually a thicker material similar to socks. All this was on an entirely different level.

"So... you're not dressed like this for any special reason?"

"Nope!" she insisted. "And you should absolutely not read into this any deeper. Got it?"

He smiled, bringing his lips down to kiss the top of her head. "Okay. Whatever you say."

"Darn right whatever I say."

Jaune's smile deepened as he stepped over to lay the girl down on her bed. She certainly needed the rest and recovery if she was suffering a back injury. Hopefully her Aura would indeed heal it quickly.

He set her down gently, noticing how her bed had rose petals scattered all over its surface. The mysteries were multiplying. "What's with the flowers?"

"My Semblance," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Right..."

"Don't you 'right' me, mister. What other explanation is there?"

He held his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay," he said as he backed away. "Let me go get you an ice pack from the freezer. It'll help you feel better."

"Yeah," she whispered. "I... guess I do need to just lie here and recover. Can't really do much else tonight." Her eyes darted away. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Remember?"

Jaune smiled as he leaned down once. He brushed her bangs back, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry about it. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Sure. B-but remember there's still nothing weird going on. Okay?"

"I got it, Ruby. Nothing weird."

As he left to go downstairs and fetch some ice, Jaune couldn't help but shake his head amusedly.

Eyes cracked open to greet a glorious Saturday morning. Tiny beams of sunlight streamed through the tiny slots where the curtains didn't entirely cover the window. She felt pain-free. Today was going to be a great day!

Ruby glanced over next to her to see the sleeping form of her boyfriend. Normally they were quite the cuddly couple in bed, but the condition of her back had kept them from such activities the night before. And those weren't the only activities she had been denied!

No more!

The redhead crept out of bed, careful not to disturb her sleeping partner as she did so. She felt fully recovered, and a large part of her wanted nothing more than to crawl back underneath the covers and wrap her arms around the man next to her. Or at the very least watch him sleep while grinning like a school girl. Never mind the fact that she was still a school girl! But no, she had bigger ambitions than that. Far bigger ones in fact.

Slipping out of the negligee she had fallen asleep in, Ruby snuck out of her bedroom and made her way downstairs. She didn't normally parade around her house in the nude, but then again she normally didn't have the place to herself. She normally didn't have the incentive to either.

Her father was out at some sort of faculty conference for the teachers of Signal Academy. And she had convinced Yang to go hang out with some of those friends of hers that she had seemingly not even seen since first arriving at Beacon. The very same friends she had ditched her younger sister for, which in hindsight wound up allowing her to meet Jaune.

Perhaps she should send all those stupid friends of Yang gifts to show her appreciation.

Stepping into the kitchen, Ruby grabbed an apron and fastened it to herself. Phase one of her plan was complete.

Few things could be sexier than cooking a nice, hearty meal for her man wearing nothing but a revealing apron. Jaune would awaken to the smells of a delicious meal, and the sight of an even more delicious girlfriend.

Stepping over to the refrigerator, Ruby pulled open the door and began to gather the items she needed. "Let's see..." she said to herself. "We've got eggs. Bacon. Bread's already over there on the counter... all that's left is for Jaune to bring the sausage."

She giggled stupidly at the immature joke. It didn't matter how bad it was. She was in a great mood.

The surprise of a nice, sexy weekend had nearly been ruined last night, but luckily her quick thinking had been able to convince Jaune that nothing was out of the ordinary. While she was sad that they weren't able to have any fun last night, the weekend was still young. She could still surprise him this morning with her super sexy self and knock his socks off... and a whole bunch of his other clothes too. Her man was about to eat the sexiest and most delicious breakfast he'd ever tasted.

And afterward he would get to enjoy his dessert.

The sound of sizzling bacon filled her ears as she stood next to the frying pan. The scent made her mouth water. Everything about this scenario was mouthwatering. Ruby wrapped her arms around her torso as she began to gently sway back and forth, imagining the scenario play out in her mind.

Jaune would wake up to the aroma of a freshly cooked breakfast and come downstairs to the kitchen. There he would find his beautiful girlfriend clad in her red 'kiss the cook' apron, a pair of plates filled with yummy goodness on the table.

"Good morning, honey," she would say. "Hungry?"

His eyes would wander over her, drinking in the sight of the gorgeous girl in front of him. "Very hungry. What's for breakfast?"

She would shrug, a coy smile playing on her lips as she glanced over to the table. "You have your choice. Either the food that's on the table..." She would saunter over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and bringing her lips up close to his. "Or me."

His tongue would run across his lips, the decision on what he would devour being made instantaneously. His arms would wrap around her back, one hand moving to her backside as he picked her up and laid her down on the table next to the steaming plates of food. His clothes would come off, while she would remain dressed in only her skimpy apron.

And in that passion-filled morning, there would be yet more eggs scrambled. Another muffin would be buttered. Another sausage would be-

Searing pain drove all such fantasies from Ruby's mind as bacon grease splattered up from the pan and onto her exposed torso.

"Ahhhhh!" she screamed, her body reacting without thought.

Arms moved faster than she could think, coming up and striking the handle of the frying pan. Aura-powered strength sent the thing flying, its contents spilling out to find a new home on the soft, supple skin of their cook.

The sound of a blood-curdling scream had awoken Jaune. Looking to his side, his girlfriend was nowhere to be found. He was awake in an instant, and threw the covers off before dashing out of the room and down the stairs.

The smell of food filled his nostrils, but right now this was the least of his concerns. Something horrible had happened, and the only thing that mattered was finding Ruby and making sure she was okay.

His bare feet skid to a halt when he entered the kitchen, and thankfully he found the redhead to be alive and well. At least... as well as she could be in her position.

Ruby was bent over by the kitchen sink, sloppily splashing water onto her torso with little care to how much she was getting all over the floor. He quickly realized that she was wearing only an apron, but his questions as to why could wait for later.

"Ruby!" he gasped. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" she cried, still throwing handfuls of water onto her chest as she stood at the sink. "It still burns!"

Well, at least she didn't appear to be in horrible debilitating pain which would require a hospital visit. For the second time since arriving here Jaune's worst fears were quashed, and he began to take a more rational look at the situation around him.

The food he had smelled earlier was scattered all over the floor next to the stove. Zwei stood there, gobbling up what appeared to be bits of bacon and eggs seemingly without concern for Ruby's plight. The pieces were starting to come together for the blond boy. Ruby had burned herself while cooking. Apparently her chest, if the target of the cold water was anything to go by.

It wasn't surprising considering the only thing she was wearing was a skimpy little apron. Again, this realization merely raised more questions than it answered.

He stepped over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What can I do to help?"

Ruby turned the faucet off, sniffing harshly as she stared down to the redness which tarnished the pale skin of her chest and neck. "There's... some cream in the medicine cabinet," she said weakly.

Jaune gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be right back."

It didn't take long to find, and soon Jaune had returned to the kitchen. He led Ruby over to one of the chairs next to the table and set her down before squirting a glob of the ointment onto his fingers.

"Do you wanna do it, or me?" he asked.

A soft whine sounded in her throat. "You..."

He smiled. "Okay. It might feel a little cold, especially on the burn. Ready?"

She nodded wordlessly.

Targeting the broadest area he could, Jaune began to rub the healing substance on her skin. She flinched initially due to the cold, the pain, or perhaps both. But soon enough she became comfortable with his touch as he rubbed the soothing cream onto her. Her shoulders heaved as a heavy sigh escaped her throat.

"So..." he started uneasily. "How'd you manage to get all that food out of the frying pan and onto your chest?"

Her lips pouted, eyes still glued onto his hand as it worked its magic. "Less accusations and more rubbing."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, dear."

A soft moan of contentment slipped through her lips as he continued to work. If not for the fact that he was treating her burns, the physical contact might have been considered romantic. Her current lack of clothing certainly added to the atmosphere.

For a few minutes they sat in silence as Jaune pondered how he should broach the topic. Finally though, he just decided to take the plunge and be blunt with his questioning. "Hey, Ruby? Why were you cooking naked?"

Silver eyes shot up to gaze into his own. "I wasn't naked, Jaune! Obviously I was wearing an apron!"

Yes. And that apron did wonders to protect her from the food she had been preparing. "Okay, you were," he admitted. "But still. Why exactly were you naked except the apron?"

"It's, uh..." she began, breaking eye contact with him as she looked around the room. "And old tradition of mine. It helps the food taste better. There's, uh, less fabric in the air to mask the taste. You know?"

He didn't. Jaune had grown up with seven sisters and two parents who had to feed all those kids. Never in his life had he heard of any sort of technique that cooking in the nude would make the food taste better.

And for that he was extremely thankful.

"Fabric in the air?" he questioned.

"...yes."

He blinked. "Sure. Whatever you say."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Yes. And I do say. I just happen to be an amateur master chef, and this is the kind of secret technique most people don't know about." She jabbed his arm with a finger. "Consider yourself lucky that I shared it with you."

"Yup," he agreed. "I'm very lucky."

"Yeah you are."

"And so are you. You're really lucky you have Aura. Just like with your back, these burns will probably heal in a few hours. A normal person would have had like, second degree burns or something."

She shot him an accusatory glare. "Are you saying that I'm not normal?"

Jaune's eyes widened. "Uh..."

"Choose your words very carefully, boyfriend of mine."

The stern tone of her voice warned him of imminent bodily harm should he answer incorrectly. The image of her angrily and ineffectively pounding her tiny fists against his chest was utterly adorable. Almost enough to make him intentionally give her a bad response.

In the end, however, he merely spoke from the heart. "You're not normal," he confirmed. "Because you're my super awesome, extra special, one of a kind girlfriend."

She blinked a few times before a small blush crept over her face. Silver eyes darted off to the side embarrassedly. "I find your answer acceptable."

Jaune smiled. What he said had indeed been true.

This girl really was one of a kind.

Ruby was zero for two when it came to plans, but all was not lost yet!

As Jaune had predicted, the grease burns to her chest had healed in only a few hours. Aura truly was a wondrous thing. Aside from removing the ugly red marks which marred her flawless skin, it allowed her the opportunity to once again show Jaune her wild side. The chance to have that extra bit of naughty fun with her boyfriend in celebration of being together for one year.

And luckily for her, Jaune was still none the wiser. Sometimes him being so clueless paid off.

She had sent him out in order to get some firewood. The cabin was running low on the fuel for its fireplace, and so it seemed like a good idea to ask her big hulking man of a boyfriend to chop some up. Meanwhile it would give Ruby time to prepare her own surprise.

The sexy outfit had failed the night before. The sexy breakfast had failed this morning. This time though... this time she would succeed!

He would be back any moment now, and when he arrived, he would be greeted by the sight of his girlfriend lounging on the carpet next to the fireplace, a bowl of strawberries and a can of whipped cream at the ready.

Nothing, and she meant nothing, would be more romantic than making sweet love down next to the fireplace. The warmth and crackling of the logs would set the mood for maximum passion. The addition of her favorite food and delicious whipped cream would put it over the top. It would be the most romantic thing ever!

And maybe she'd even use some of that whipped cream on herself. Strawberries weren't the only thing which could be topped with the sweet, yummy stuff!

Her body shuddered with delight at the thought of it. Tonight was going to be a magical experience that they'd remember for the rest of their lives. After so much prior failure, it would only make the perfection of this evening's events all the more perfect!

When he came back, that was.

She grabbed her scroll and checked the time. He'd been gone for a while now. Didn't the boy realize that they only had the weekend to let loose and have fun? Come Monday it would be back to Beacon! Back to dorm rooms! Back to stupid teammates who would constantly interrupt any attempts they made to share their affection!

Her stomach growled, and her eyes drifted over to the bowl of strawberries she had prepared. The stems had already been removed for maximum romantic efficiency, and so she grabbed one and popped it into her mouth. Its sweet juices exploded in her mouth, momentarily sating her hunger. In the seconds after swallowing, she realized her mistake.

She wanted more. And Jaune was still nowhere to be found.

"Stupid late Jaune," she grumbled. Taking another strawberry, she bit down on it before continuing. "Doesn't he know that I'm hungry?"

Of course he didn't, but that didn't stop her from complaining. And he of course didn't realize that she was hungry in more ways than one. Had he, he might have declined his task of procuring firewood, instead opting to give her his own.

"I mean, how long does it take to chop some wood?" she asked nobody in particular as another piece of fruit found its place in her mouth. "It's not like he's going on a mission or something."

Taking the can of whipped cream, she brought its nozzle up to her lips and squirted a hefty amount into her mouth. Now that she was started she simply couldn't stop. It was too good. Too addicting. Ruby had always had trouble when it came to sweets. She would wolf down entire trays of cookies on her own. Tonight was no different. Jaune would be lucky if he got to enjoy a single piece of the sensual treats she had prepared.

Bite after bite reduced the quantity of strawberries in the bowl. Squirt after squirt further emptied the can of whipped cream. This was fine. They didn't need the food to have a good time. And she needed her energy, after all. Yes. All the sugar would provide her with the boundless energy she would need when Jaune finally returned. In a way, eating all of the food herself was doing him a favor. He should probably thank her for doing it.

With that line of thinking, it didn't take long for her to devour the entirety of the food all on her own.

Jaune stepped up to the door, firewood in his arms. Gathering that had been the easy part.

He hadn't exactly expected to run into any Grimm while he was out. Having to slay a few Beowolves had delayed his quest. He hoped whatever Ruby had planned for them wouldn't be disrupted as a result.

Setting it down in a large pile, he grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. He would now be free to bring it in little by little, rather than try to maintain his balance while he juggled it trying to gain access to the cabin. After all, he didn't want to fall and injure himself like Ruby had the previous night.

She was such a silly girl. Such an adorable dork.

Stepping inside, he was greeted with the soft, pained moans of the girl in question. She was lying down on the couch in the living room, her hands gripping her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling.

He shook his head softly. What calamity had befallen her this time?

"I'm back," he announced. He doubted that she hadn't heard him enter, but at least this way she would be forced to acknowledge his presence.

"Jaune..." she groaned.

Taking off his gloves, he moved over and hunched down next to the couch so that he could be closer to her level. He placed a hand on her stomach before giving it a gentle rub. "What's up this time?"

"My... tummy hurts..."

He figured as much. The question now was as to how it happened. "Did you eat something bad?"

She shook her head. "No. I ate something good..." Her head turned, looking past Jaune at something behind him. "Too much good..."

Jaune shifted and looked back to where Ruby's eyes had wandered. Sure enough, there was an empty bowl and a can of whipped cream lying there next to the fireplace. The can was presumably empty as well.

There was a saying that too much of a good thing is bad for you. Never before had that been more true than now, if Ruby's condition was anything to go by.

Turning back to her, he let his fingers gently stroke through her hair. "You really are one of a kind."

She sniffed. "Jaune... I suck."

He felt bad that she felt bad, but the boy still couldn't help but smile. "Why's that?"

"I tried so hard to do things this weekend," she explained. "The sexy nightgown and boots last night. Cooking breakfast in nothing but an apron this morning. I was supposed to be sexy for you. This weekend was supposed to be extra special. And each time I messed up and you wound up having to take care of me."

Jaune felt a lump form in his throat. This poor girl. She had tried so hard and failed so spectacularly. All for him.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," she continued. "You carried me to bed, but not how I wanted you to. You rubbed lotion on me, but not the kind I wanted. And now... and now I can't even do stupid strawberries and whipped cream right! I suck so much!"

Forget the lump. There were small tears welling in his eyes. He wasn't about to break down and cry, but seeing the woman he loved look so utterly dejected made his heart ache.

His hands moved to take one of hers in his own, the size of his dwarfing hers. He squeezed it tightly as he spoke. "Ruby... you don't have to try this hard to be sexy. You already are."

She blinked a few times as her gaze met his. The wetness in her eyes threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Really?"

"Really," he smiled. "Everything about you is already sexy. Not just your face or your body. It's your awkwardness. Your dorkiness. The way you care so much about your friends and family. Your optimism. You couldn't not be sexy if you tried."

She had to stifle the burp which threatened to erupt from her mouth. "Even now?"

Jaune in turn had to stifle his laughter which came with that sight. "Even now. You trying and failing so miserably, and then trying to cover it all up so hard is one of the most attractive things you've ever done. It's just so... Rubyish. It's so you. And I've never been more attracted to you than when you're just being yourself."

"You mean I'm not just cute and adorable? You think I can be sexy too?"

So that was it? She was insecure? Perhaps this was Yang's doing, even if it hadn't been intentional. A lifetime of having an older blonde bombshell of a sister might have made her feel... inadequate in certain departments.

He would just have to do his best to reassure her. "Trust me. You're the sexiest girl I know. No one else can make me feel things the way you do."

The dam finally broke, and the tears flowed freely down her face. "Jaune..." she sniffed. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. There didn't need to be any crazy outfits. There didn't need to be any special role play. He loved Ruby for her and her alone. And all the weirdness that came with her.

"And no matter how many times you mess up," he continued. "I'll be there to take care of you."

A soft laugh slipped through her lips. That was good. All he wanted was to see her happy. She should never feel that she had failed him in any way.

She reached up and brushed his cheek with a few fingers. "What'd I ever do to deserve you?"

Jaune thought back to the very beginning. To the very first time they had met. "You exploded."

Her eyes narrowed as she pouted. "What?"

"The first time we met back at Beacon," he explained. "After you ran into Weiss. You exploded. When you think about it... you've been hurting yourself since the day we met. And I've been there since day one helping you back to your feet."

Ruby's own face erupted in a goofy grin. It was coming back to her now. As well as the truth of him being there to help her out whenever she hurt herself.

"Yeah. I guess you have."

"So don't worry about it, Crater Face," he joked. "I'll be here to help you back on your feet when you're ready. Just like I was back then."

Her hand reached out to his, interlocking their fingers as she stared lovingly into his eyes. "I think I'd like that."

"You have no choice. Someone has to be there for when you go hurting yourself again. I mean, we still have all night and all day tomorrow. I'm sure something's going to happen."

He felt her fingers squeeze down on his. "Yeah. Something's definitely going to happen. This time for sure."

He returned the gesture in kind. "I can't wait."

Ruby pulled Jaune down further as she brought him into a deep, passionate kiss. The taste of strawberries filled his mouth.

He couldn't have imagined a better weekend than this.

Author's Note: You can blame Discord again for this one. I just keep getting ideas for one shots, which distract me from my ongoing stories! I've been enjoying Lancaster a lot these past few weeks.

This was my first attempt at a future "nothing bad ever happened" AU to where Jaune and Ruby are older and have been in a relationship for a while. Beacon never fell. Just a little bit of slice of life goodness. Romance and fluff. All that fun stuff.

Anyway, I hope you all liked it. I know that I had a lot of fun writing it. Thanks for reading.