Find Jaune and see what he's planning

Feeling down about what happened, Ruby packed her weapon and ammo back into her locker. She wasn’t sure what she should be doing. Training lost its luster at the thought of what would happen between her two best friends. It was kind of her fault. Okay, entirely her fault. She swapped with Weiss and said yes to Jaune. Admitting that, she knew what she had to do. Disappearing in a flash of rose petals, Ruby bolted toward Jaune’s dorm. Seconds later she found herself knocking at his door.

“Hey, Ruby,” Jaune greeted when he opened the door. “Come on in. What’s up?”

“I…err… wanted to check up on you,” Ruby explained. She looked around. “Huh, I kind of expected balloons and streamers.” Jaune laughed.

“Never thought I would get this far,” Jaune admitted nervously. “I was about ready to give up. Figured I should try one more time.” Guilt welled up in Ruby. It was because of her that Jaune hadn’t given up on Weiss. “When I told Pyrrha, she seemed happy for me, but had to leave right after.” Ruby’s flinch went unnoticed. It was probably a good thing Jaune was so oblivious.

“Do you have a plan?” Ruby asked, sitting on the edge of his bed, noticing Jaune had been playing a video game. She picked up the remote and held it up.

“Kind of?” Jaune said, picking up the second controller and sitting down beside her. “There’s a new café I knew my sisters would love, so I figured Weiss might like it. Then maybe go to a movie afterwards and see where it goes from there.”

“You might want to plan a little more detail,” Ruby suggested, her eyes on the screen. “She’s a real stickler to details.”

“Hmm.” Jaune hummed as he focused on the game. “I might have to ask my sisters for ideas then. Unless you have any.”

“My idea of a fun time is probably the opposite of Weiss’s,” Ruby pointed out and they laughed. “Like playing this game. Yang and I love doing this with our dad and uncle. Weiss? She would rather study or go to some fancy party where they just stand around and talk.”

“While Blake would want to visit a library and Nora would see if there was a way we could find a sloth,” Jaune finished. Ruby laughed loudly and punched him in the shoulder. They focused on the game for a good ten minutes when he spoke up again. “Think I have a chance with Weiss? Be honest.”

“Honestly?” Ruby hesitated. A lot of conflicting emotions ran through her. Part of her knew they were too different. Weiss was someone who preferred order in her life and wanted high class living arrangements. Jaune was much more down to earth and laid back. Funny, charming sometimes, and didn’t judge people from their first meeting. He had talked to Ruby when she first arrived at Beacon, even after causing a scene. They hung out all the time, had similar interests, and he thought Crescent Rose was amazing. She would be a much better partner for Jaune than Weiss would be.

She froze when that thought occurred to her.

“Honestly,” Jaune confirmed. “I want to know. I’m still going to try, but I could really use your opinion. Pyrrha and Nora would try to spare my feelings while Ren would say something philosophical that could mean multiple things to avoid answering.” Ruby bit the corner of her lip.

Ruby had always liked Jaune ever since they met. These feelings she was experiencing weren’t new. They just seemed to be more intense than usual. As she thought about what to answer, memories flashed through her mind about experiences she knew never occurred. There were scenes from a couple dates she had been on. With Yang now being younger than her, Ruby was free to date who she wanted. From what she saw, none of them were successful in the long term, but they weren’t bad. There was just something else she was looking for.

Something Jaune had…

The realization hit her like a truck.

I’m older and looking for a boy to date… I fell for Jaune. Yang wasn’t there to hold me back. Her hormones and emotions were guiding her. She really wanted to grab Jaune’s hand and hold it. To get him to understand what she was feeling.

“That bad?” Jaune asked, taking her silence as the answer.

“No!” Ruby cried out suddenly. “I mean… I think you two are really different, but I can’t say you would work or not. Stranger things have happened. At the very least, if things don’t work out, I think you two could still be friends. Weiss promised me she would give you a chance and try to approach this date with an open mind. You should do the same. Focus on trying your best and accept the outcome, whatever it may be.”

It killed her to say this. Pyrrha’s lack of confessing her feelings suddenly became clear to Ruby. How do you tell a close friend they should ignore the person they like for you?

“Thanks, Ruby,” Jaune said. She could feel and hear the gratefulness and honesty in his voice. His smile nearly caused her to melt on the spot. “I’m really glad I met you.” He threw his arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug. Ruby’s face flushed. The warmth of his body felt perfect against her and she missed jumping over an obstacle in the game, dying.

Originally by Zone