No Rest For Ren
"Okay, Nora, you've killed deathstalkers, you've fought bandits you even slaughtered that pancake monster that one time! You've got this!"
"What have you got Nora?" Pyrrha asked from her bed, putting down the magazine she had been reading.
Nora spun around, how had she not known Pyrrha was still in the room? Didn't she have better things to do? Like, desperately trying to get Jaune to confess to her?
"Uh, nothing important," Nora said, "it's just…"
Pyrrha stood. A small smile on her face. "It's Valentine's day."
Nora nodded, she shifted uncomfortably where she stood. "Mistral has different traditions, but now that we're in Vale, we should follow Vale traditions, and uh, so I made him chocolate yesterday."
"I'm sure Ren will be very happy," Pyrrha said comfortingly, placing a supportive hand on Nora's shoulder. Nora smile at this as she looked up at Pyrrha, her cheerful demeanor back again.
"So, how about you?" Nora asked.
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked as she stepped back, arms suddenly crossed in front of her.
"Well, you must be planning on giving Jaune chocolate." She pointed out. Pyrrha's eyes whipped to the magazine on her bed. Nora followed, leaping over to the bed without a second thought.
"Nora!" Pyrrha exclaimed in horror as Nora cast her eyes on the magazine's cover.
"Ten chocolate recipes to say I Love You," Nora grinned. "Looks like someone is keeping with Mistralian tradition."
Pyrrha snatched the magazine away and held it close to her chest. Don't tell him!" Pyrrha begged. Nora nodded
"You got it! Best of luck!" Nora said.
Nora marched over to her bed and pulled out a bag of chocolate. It was crumbled and warped, looking more like popcorn than chocolate. Pyrrha grimaced, debating whether to urge Ren not to eat it.
"Almonds and cashews dipped in handmade chocolate!" Nora explained.
Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief as a smile appeared on her face. Clearly Nora had put a lot of effort into this.
Pyrrha had been preparing to head to Vale when the door to JNPR's dorm room was flung open, a panicked Jaune and a concerned Ren rushed inside.
"Pyrrha! You have to help us!" Jaune exclaimed as he gasped for air.
Pyrrha turned toward the two, a sinking feeling growing in her gut.
"Is it about Nora?" She asked, hoping it was not.
Ren nodded. "There seems to have been a miscommunication about how we were going to celebrate Valentine's day."
Pyrrha almost groaned as she rolled her eyes.
"Nora gave Ren chocolate popcorn-
"Almonds, Jaune."
"Okay, almonds. He said thank you, she waited a few seconds, then burst into tears and ran off. Now we can't find her and she's not answering her scroll!" Jaune said, his face red from exhaustion and lack of air.
Pyrrha took a moment to calm herself, allowing the more exaggerated scenarios flow from her mind. Nora had expected something; not gotten the reaction she had expected and made assumptions based on that.
"Alright," Pyrrha began as she approached the two placing a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Did she say anything to you before she ran off?"
"No," Ren said, shaking his head "It seemed like she was about to, but she was expecting something first."
"Could it have been a box of chocolate?" Pyrrha asked, trying to push Ren in the right direction.
"Why? White day isn't until March."
"Well, that explains that" Pyrrha thought. "Ren, is it possible that Nora thought that since you are now in Vale, you would follow Vale's traditions?"
Ren paused. His face deep in thought.
"But how was Ren supposed to know that?" Jaune asked.
"Nora said she had a conversation with him about it," Pyrrha explained.
"Maybe it was when I was meditating."
"then wouldn't you have heard it?"
"In Professor Port's class? No," Ren said.
"Wait," Jaune said glancing at his friend "by meditating you mean sleeping?"
"Very astute," Ren replied dryly. "Nonetheless, if what Pyrrha says is true, we have to make chocolate immediately and find Nora."
"Why make chocolate? Why not just buy a box?"
"Jaune, in Mistral buying a box of chocolate and giving it to someone is polite but impersonal, it is traditionally called obligation chocolate. Handmade chocolate is a more… romantic gesture." Pyrrha explained awkwardly, keeping her gaze away from her crush.
"So basically, Nora said she wants to be together-together," Jaune surmised.
"Exactly, and usually if the receiver feels the same way, they would give handmade chocolate back on White Day, in one month."
"But following Vale's traditions it would be today. And you didn't have any chocolate ready." Jaune concluded.
Ren nodded "Precisely."
"But therein lies the problem," Pyrrha explained rubbing her head. "Ren needs to get the ingredients, find Nora and make chocolate. Traditional Mistralian chocolate usually takes anywhere from six to eight hours to finish and most of the specialty ingredients are hard to find outside of Mistral."
"We don't have time for fancy chocolate, we'll make basically chocolate that takes an hour, and then on White Day Ren can make her that fancy chocolate. We have to make do with what we have," Jaune said.
Ren strode over to his desk and opened a drawer, he pulled out an old, leather-bound book.
"I have a better idea," Ren said "I don't usually use this, but my mother had a very good recipe that didn't take long. It's on page thirty-two." He explained, handing them the book.
Jaune looked up, "we'll get the recipe, you find Nora."
Ren nodded before leaving the room, the pounding of footsteps echoing down the hall as the door closed.
Jaune opened the book to page thirty-two. "Pyrrha?" he asked weakly.
"Yes?"
"Can you read this?" Jaune asked, pointing down at the strange writing on the page. Pyrrha glanced over it. The flowing Mistralian Script was originally based of pictures, but that did not help the Spartan in the slightest. To her knowledge, it hadn't been used or taught extensively since the Great War, the script was illegible to her.
"I think We'll need to go to the library." She replied.
"Yay, dictionaries." Jaune cheered sarcastically, Pyrrha opened the door.
"After you, brave leader." She teased.
Jaune smiled. "Thanks." He said exiting first, followed by a smiling Pyrrha.
The trip to the library was brief, and it did not take long for them to find a dictionary on what seemed to be old Mistralian scripts.
"Supposedly we are looking at a pre-great war writing system, before it was standardized." Pyrrha said, reading from the dictionary.
"Makes me thankful we all share a single alphabet rather than this." Jaune replied pointing at the markings.
"It was considered a highly artistic and civilized writing method. There were over five thousand individual characters." Pyrrha replied, a slight frown on her face.
"Five thousand?" Jaune gaped.
Pyrrha nodded. "this could take some time, why don't we each translate half the recipe?" She said, offering Jaune a copy of the recipe.
Jaune nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He said calmly, opening the dictionary in front of him.
After a minute of flipping pages, Jaune was already regretting this strategy, maybe there was a scroll app for this?
Meanwhile Ren was riding a bullhead into Vale. He had already checked every last one of Nora's hiding places (She called them lairs) at Beacon. Nora was likely in Vale at one of her favorite spots.
Ren checked his Scroll, he estimated that it would take Pyrrha and Jaune an hour to find the ingredients, but just in case something came up, he would give them three hours. After that he would have to return to cook chocolate. It wasn't something he was really looking forward to. It felt more like it was apology chocolate than what Nora wanted it to be. That was, handmade Valentine's Day chocolate.
"It just had to be this year, our first year in Vale." He sighed, Nora always did have a way with timing. That much could be said for her. Her timing was impeccable when she wanted it to be. He smiled as he remembered a trip, if one could call two orphans fleeing the wreckage of their home a trip. Back when they first met.
"Ren! Let's go!" Nora demanded to a small Ren sitting under a tree, his eyes red and his legs weak. It had been two days since the massacre at Oniyuri. He hadn't had time to mourn.
"What's the hurry? We are far away enough that the Grimm won't follow us. Let us rest here for today." He retorted, he just wanted to sit, sit and finally cry for his family.
"No!" Nora replied hotly
"Why?"
A big grin grew on the young Nora's face. Ren could tell it was forced, as if she needed someone to be happy.
"Because, we're going on an adventure! We're like those kids from the cartoons! They travel the world and beat the bad guys."
"Not to mention their homes are always destroyed," Ren retorted, remaining seated under the tree. The words came out more harshly than he intended. To his surprise, Nora seemed to have ignored him.
"We'll make big super cool weapons! I'll make a big hammer! Then we'll smash all the Grimm!"
Ren felt a smile creep across his face as Nora carried on, inside he was still miserable, weeping at the loss of his family, but Nora's optimism fake as it was, was still infectious. And it made the pain recede a little.
"Fine," he conceded "but we have to make camp by sunset alright?"
"Got it Ren!" Nora sang skipping down the road once more.
"Landing in Vale in one minute, will all passengers please return to their seats?" A female voice said over the loudspeaker.
Ren looked out the window, gazing at his own reflection. Was it that early? Was that when their roles had been set? Nora always rambunctious and cheerful, Ren the quiet one?
Was it his fault? Did he force her into that position?
He shook his head, casting the thoughts away for now. He would ask her when he found her. But first he needed to find her.
The bullhead landed quietly and he quickly walked off. Heading straight towards the Vale House of Pancakes. The first place he would look.
The Vale House of Pancakes was one of Nora's favorite spots, the sheer variety of options, from plain pancakes to ones filled with ice-cream, as well as the various toppings they offered made this place perfect as a reward for good behavior.
Ren walked through the large arced doors of the restaurant.
"Welcome to the Vale House of Pancakes!" A voice cheered, a bright woman with blue hair exclaimed from the podium at the front of the restaurant. Behind her, the restaurant was packed.
"Mr. Lie Ren, right? what brings you here?" She asked as he approached.
"I'm looking for my friend- "
"Blondie? Nikos or your girlfriend?" she asked with a grin. "Your girlfriend, right? It is Valentine's Day after all!"
"Nora is just a friend. But yes, I'm looking for her. Have you seen her?" Ren replied weakly.
The blue-haired girl laughed. She leaned forward Grinning salaciously, "Not your girlfriend? You gotta be kidding me. You two," she crossed two fingers, "are like two peas in a pod."
"Have you seen her or not?" Ren asked, gritting his teeth.
She frowned before standing up straight, hands at her hips. "Nope, I haven't seen Miss Valkyrie today. But feel free to come by with her when you find her."
Ren nodded turning to leave.
"Hey Mr. Lie Ren" She called.
"Yes?"
"Tell Xiao-Long she owes me thirty lien!"
"Why?"
"I remembered your teammates names!"
Ren rolled his eyes and left with a groan.
Outside he paused, thinking quietly to himself.
"Where would she be? The Bakery? The Park? If I were Nora where would I go?"
He tried to think like Nora, but quickly stopped, it was giving him a headache. He stared at the sky, watching the clouds drift by. "Damn. Nora, you promised." He muttered before he headed off down the street, no idea where his feet would take him, but hoping it would lead him to Nora.
Back at the Library in beacon. Pyrrha had just finished translating her half of the recipe; well more than half but Jaune didn't need to know that just yet. She looked down happily. It was mostly standard ingredients that one could get easily in Vale. One of them would be harder, Mistralian Cinnamon was especially oily, which caused the flavor to be stronger, so they couldn't substitute it with local cinnamon. Pyrrha noted they would have to go to a specialty grocer for that.
Pyrrha stood and looked around for Jaune, who was sitting in front of a computer.
"This just doesn't make sense. I swear I had this scanned correctly." He moaned. Pyrrha approached.
"What's going on?" She asked. Jaune turned. he grimaced.
"I had the page scanned and then had it translated. It went well until I got to this one," Jaune said pointing to the last item on his list. "The others translated as ordinary ingredients but this one is just weird."
Pyrrha leaned forward, "blood of an Ursa" she leaned back with a quizzical look on her face. "That is a strange one." She agreed. She picked up Jaune's copy of the list and glanced over it. The red line dividing what Jaune needed to translate and what Pyrrha had to translate stuck out at her. She picked up her own.
Her eyes rolled as she saw that the line she drew was different. On her list she had given Jaune the first three ingredients and taken the other five. On Jaune's list, it was split right down the middle, four-four. She had intended to make his workload easier instead she had saved the day by covering Jaune's mistake.
"So, it's already been translated," Pyrrha muttered.
"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked.
Pyrrha whipped her head towards him. "Huh?"
"Did you say something?"
"Oh uh…" She paused, an idea flickered in the back of her head. She smiled as it took shape.
"I'll contact team RWBY to get the ingredients from Vale while you and I go to the Emerald Forest to get some Ursa Blood."
'Wait, are we sure this is Ursa blood?" he asked pointing at the screen, "It could just be a bug."
"No, no that definitely translates to Ursa blood." She said nodding quickly "Besides, it'll be good training."
Yes, that was her intention, get Jaune alone to do training. Or maybe finally find out what he thought of her. But she would stick with the training bit nonetheless.
Jaune nodded with a smile. "I'll get my equipment, see you in ten minutes?"
Pyrrha nodded. "See you then partner."
It didn't take long for either of them to get ready, and by the time Pyrrha walked out onto the landing platform, Jaune had already booked a bullhead to the Emerald Forest.
"I sent a message to Team RWBY. Conveniently, they're already in Vale, they said they would get the ingredients for us," Pyrrha said, omitting the teasing from Yang about what they were actually going to do in the Emerald Forest. Jaune nodded.
"Good, and the bullhead should be here any minute." He replied, shifting uncomfortably in his spot.
Pyrrha grinned cocking her head to one side. "Afraid of getting Airsick?" She asked teasingly, knowing the answer already.
Jaune nodded. "The airsickness pills never help."
Pyrrha patted him on the back, "I'll be right here. No need to worry."
"Thanks, Pyrrha," Jaune said as the bullhead landed in front of them, "what would I do without you?"
"Let's hope we never have to find out." Pyrrha said, hopping onto the bullhead, she turned and held an arm out for her partner. He grasped it and with a slight tug was pulled onto the bullhead.
The two sat next to each other as the bullhead rose into the sky and headed off towards the Emerald Forest.
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Jaune cleared his throat.
"So, uh, what's Valentine's day like in mistral?" He asked.
Pyrrha smiled.
"It's a little different," she began "it's split into two separate days for starters."
"Right, you and Ren talked about that."
Pyrrha and Jaune continued the discussion all the way to the emerald forest, Jaune never felt airsick.
At least until they landed.
Ren sat on a bench in a park in the middle of downtown Vale. To say he was exhausted would be an understatement. He had already looked in three dinners that JNPR may have visited at some point in the last year, four bakeries, six souvenir stores (Nora loved knick-knacks) and somehow Ren still could not find Nora.
Now he sat in on a bench, hoping Nora would come by.
He sat drained of energy, he pulled out his scroll and glanced at the screen.
"no new messages." He muttered, pocketing the device, "that's unlike Nora." He leaned back and closed his eyes. Recalling days gone by.
"Nora!" A young Ren called out. He was twelve, and frightened. He had lost track of his best friend in the throngs of the market and has spent hours asking for her whereabouts. Few seemed to recall the girl, even fewer seemed to care that a child had gone missing.
Nora ran to him and pulled him into a tight hug. "I was so worried!" She exclaimed "I thought I lost you forever!"
Ren could hear the shakiness in her voice. He had felt it in his own, even as he asked stallholders if they had seen her, it was there in his voice. A hint of fear.
Ren didn't exactly know why he was frightened. It wasn't like this market town had a high crime rate. Nora and he were training to enter a Huntsmen Academy, they could take care of themselves. So why was he so frightened? It certainly wasn't for her safety, she had Magnhild.
"I thought I had lost you!" She said again, holding him tight enough for bones to creak.
Ren smiled, the tightness of Nora's grip comforting rather than painful. He had long ago gotten used to the girl's strength and her more excessive reactions.
Ren hugged her back. "I'm not going anywhere." He said comfortingly.
Nora's grip loosened as she released the hug a few seconds later. "Promise?" She asked.
"Promise." He vowed.
"I won't let you go back on it." She warned with a smile on her face as she rubbed her eyes.
Ren almost chuckled, "I know, I know."
"Hey Ren!" A familiar voice shouted. It was upbeat a cheerful. Ren almost thought it was Nora, but the tone was too different. He opened his eyes and looked at a mop of blonde hair another head of black hair with a bow followed it.
"Yang, Blake." Ren replied adding a weak wave as the two Huntresses-in-training approached. They carried plastic bags filled with groceries. Ren wondered what they were for a second, but cast the thought away. Nora was a bigger concern right now.
"Have you two seen Nora?" he asked quickly as the neared him. Yang shook her head.
"Haven't seen Nora all day." She replied, thrusting a plastic bag towards him.
"What is this for?" Ren asked warily, reminded of the Blonde's love of pranks.
"Well, Pyrrha said you need ingredients for chocolate, a mistral Ian tradition or something?" Yang explained, "so we got you the ingredients. Pyrrha already promised to pay us back, so no need to worry about that."
Ren took the bag and glanced inside, mentally checking off the list of ingredients in his head. Everything seemed right. But he would have to double check with his mother's recipe book back at Beacon before he could be sure.
"So, what's the problem with Nora?" Yang asked.
"It's complicated," Ren replied.
"Does it have to do with a miscommunication?" Blake inquired.
Ren's eyebrows shot up. Surprise taking over his usually passive features.
"Evidently." Yang said, quietly sitting down next to Ren. She gave her teammate a quick wink.
"Anything we can help with?" She offered.
"I don't think so," Ren replied, "the situation is… messy to say the least."
"My advice, send her a text, ask her to meet you, and sort things out face to face. Things won't get better if you don't talk."
"She hasn't responded to any of my messages," Ren pointed out.
"Perhaps she isn't ready," Blake proposed. "When people get hurt by a misunderstanding, sometimes it takes time for them to face it." She glanced at her partner who gave her a nod.
"It will get better. But I think you're going to have to take the first step this time," Yang added.
Ren nodded standing up. "I think I have to make some chocolate." He said, "thank you for getting me the ingredients."
Yang nodded. "No prob, now we're going to grab the Valentine Girls before Weiss drowns in chocolate."
Ren looked at the two curiously, before deciding it was wiser to avoid going down that specific rabbit hole. He would likely find out in time anyway.
"I think I should be heading back to Beacon." Ren said
Yang and Blake waved goodbye as Ren turned and headed back towards the landing zones. There would probably be bullheads heading to beacon for the rest of the day, he would get on one of those.
"Think he and Nora will finally get together?" Yang asked as she stood, dusting off her knees.
Blake rolled her eyes before walking off. Yang chuckled and followed.
"Nailed it, didn't I?"
After Jaune continued to hurl on a nearby bush. Pyrrha looked on, wincing in sympathy with every sound.
Finally, he stood, a groan indicating that he had nothing left in his stomach. He rubbed his lips, and stumbled over to Pyrrha.
"Is it possible to walk back?"
"Not in time." She replied.
"Ren owes me for this. He's a great friend and I would die for him, but he owes me for this." Jaune muttered.
"I'm sure he's grateful Jaune."
"Yeah," Jaune replied with a nod, "Now where is that Ursa, let's finish this quickly."
The Spartan scanned the area, listening intently for any sounds. She wasn't looking for an Ursa specifically, any Grimm would be useful for training. Unfortunately, there were no sounds except for some slight wind rushing through the trees.
"Perhaps we should move. If worst comes to worst, we'll run into one eventually." Pyrrha offered.
Jaune nodded, drawing Crocea Mors before walking heading deeper into the forest. Pyrrha followed, mind scrambling to start a conversation.
Jaune ended up speaking first. "So, did you get anything for Valentine's day?" He asked.
Pyrrha mentally cheered at the subject choice.
"Not yet, no."
"Oh." Jaune replied.
"how about you?"
"Me?"
"I'm sure there's an admirer somewhere at Beacon." She teased.
Jaune laughed. It was hollow and sounded somewhat forced.
"I don't think so Pyrrha."
Pyrrha's heart sank. Was he still so unconfident? Did he still have so many doubts? Did he still have so little real confidence that he didn't think a girl could be interested in him?
"Jaune. I have it on good authority there is at least one Huntress-in-training who is interested in you."
"Did Yang tell you that?" he asked as he moved a branch out of the way, holding it up as he partner walked passed him.
"No."
"Sounds like something she would say to try to cheer someone up."
"Jaune, I guarantee you- "
"there's someone out there for me." Jaune finished with a roll of his eyes, "I'm not a kid Pyrrha, I don't need fairytales to make me feel better."
"that wasn't what I was going to say." She replied coldly.
Jaune stiffened under her gaze, before glaring back at her.
"then what exactly were you going to say?"
Pyrrha paused, wondering exactly how to deal with this.
"Jaune, why do you think there isn't someone out there for you?" She asked, deciding to take a different approach.
Jaune shrugged. "there might be, but I'm not a big believer in "The One" I've seen my sisters go through that kind of stuff a lot crowing about some guy being the one only for it not to work out, it isn't pretty."
Pyrrha nodded, she could understand that. Seven sisters would probably mean there would be a lot of breakups to deal with.
"besides, who would be interested in a bumbling, bottom of the class hunter-in-training like me? Maybe when I've improved some more somebody will be interested. But right now, no way."
She opened her mouth. Before clamping it shut. Discussion was useless, dropping hints were useless. Everything she had done up till now had been useless. Jaune wasn't even putting in any effort to look for romance, except for blindly pursuing Weiss Schnee for months last year. He hadn't even glanced her way. She was sick of it.
Her stance shifted, her eyes hardened as she began to scowl. Something had clicked inside of her, and it had unleashed all the repressed anger.
Jaune's eyes widened, good perhaps he was finally piecing together all her hints over the past year and a half.
"Pyrrha!" He gasped.
Had he finally gotten it? Would he finally figure out that someone did want to date him?
"Ursa!"
Pyrrha snapped, she hauled out milo in spear form and fired it at the Ursa, a large beast that seemed to be thinking it was sneaking around behind them. Its head turned in time to see Milo's spear-point mere inches from its eye. The Ursa's head whipped back as milo pierced through it the force knocking the Ursa into the air even as its head was shredded. It fell limply to the ground and slowly began to dissipate.
Jaune looked on in shock as Pyrrha turned back to him, scowling.
"Pyrrha we've got- "
Pyrrha slapped him.
He stared at her, rubbing his cheek.
Pyrrha took a deep breath. She prodded him with one finger.
"You are the most oblivious person I know." She said angrily, ramming her finger into his chest. Jaune didn't reply. Still dumbstruck from the slap.
"Tomorrow, you and I are going on a date. 6:00, Vale, dress in something other than the bunny hoodie." Pyrrha said quickly.
Jaune stared at her.
"Am I clear?" She nearly snapped. Jaune nodded dumbly.
Pyrrha marched off, heading back in the direction they came from.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune called, "is this a date-date?"
Pyrrha wanted to scream.
"yes!" She called out.
"Do we really need the Ursa blood?"
"No!" Pyrrha called back. Her anger had quickly faded, followed by a feeling of nervousness and excitement. Things hadn't exactly turned out as planned, but at least she had a date.
Jaune would pick the restaurant, right?
Ren arrived back at beacon and quickly headed to the student kitchen. It was large, with a commercial oven and range, a small refrigerator and an island in the middle of the room. He placed his ingredients on the island as he pulled out his scroll. A quick text to Nora told her where to find him.
He pocketed the scroll and began to pull bowls out from the cupboards around the room. A whisk from one drawer as well as measuring cups. All this in place, he then pulled his individual ingredients out. The shuffling of feet outside the room did not distract him, he knew who it was and if she wished to talk, she would do so.
It did not take long for her to make that decision.
"Want some help?" Nora asked.
Ren looked up, a hint of a smile on his face.
"I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to do this part alone."
"Eh, it can wait." She said with a shrug, walking into the room and sitting on the counter.
"It's apology chocolate. Apologies should be prompt." Ren replied continuing to prepare the mixture.
"Well I do deserve it. We talked about Valentine's day two months ago,"
"really?" Ren asked, surprised by the unusual pre-planning.
"Yeah, I sent you a text reminder a month ago," Nora said.
Ren pulled out his scroll, and quickly opened his messages from Nora. A message talking about Valentine's day was there, sandwiched between one about a sloth zoo and demands for pancakes.
"I never forget this kind of thing." Ren replied.
Nora laughed it was weak, but honest.
"Yeah, I was so stressed about today I didn't really think of the possibility you forgot."
Ren smiled at that. He never forgot things like this. The thought wouldn't have even crossed his mind.
He paused. The mix was finished. He crossed over to the oven, turning that on he then sat on the counter next to Nora.
"So why did you forget?"
"I don't know."
Nora paused. "It was handmade chocolate."
'I know." Ren said.
"this is harder than I thought." Nora said with a sigh. She turned and looked at him.
"Do you not want to be together-together?"
Ren took a moment to think of his answer. He shook his head.
"It's not that Nora. It's more, I'm not sure I'm ready."
"Not ready for what?"
"Nor ready for a relationship. I trust you, I trust everyone on Team JNPR and Team RWBY, but- "
"Baring your emotions is tough?'
"I'm not used to it." He said, vaguely waving his hand. "I'm used to be the grounded one. The one who is always level headed. That doesn't translate well to relationships."
"you're not sure you're ready to leave your soul completely bare." Nora concluded.
Ren nodded. "And honestly, I'm not sure any less than that is enough to make a relationship work. I don't want to ruin it just because I jumped in too soon."
Nora absently kicked her feet against the cupboard. "I can get that." She said.
The room was left in a comfortable silence. The duo left deep in thought.
"how about tomorrow we go on a date?" She proposed.
Ren glanced at Nora, a look of skepticism in his eye.
"As friends," Nora explained, "We go on a date as friends, if things work out, we talk about getting more serious. If they don't," she shrugged, "no pressure."
Ren smiled, "that sounds like a good idea." He said.
Nora beamed. She pocked his nose. "Boop."
Ren rolled his eyes. His scroll buzzed. He pulled it out, there was a panicked text from Jaune.
"it seems Pyrrha asked Jaune out on a date." Ren said, scanning the message.
Nora quickly became her excited self again.
"Yes! Wahoo!" She said fist pumping the air. "Let's tail them and make it the best date ever!"
"Jaune's asking if he should try to book a restaurant."
"Well duh! The guy always books the restaurant on a first date!"
"Even when the girl asks him out?"
"yeah!"
"Nora, that makes no sense." Ren replied.
Nora pouted.
Ren sighed, smiling slightly, "but I'll get right on booking a table at the Vale house of Pancakes."
"Yay!"
Ren grinned as he texted a message.
"hey Ren?" Nora said.
"Yes Nora?"
"the oven's ready."
"Alright Nora, I'll put the chocolate in."
Half an hour later the buzzer rang. Ren smiled as he opened the oven door. Nora was sleeping on the counter, lightly breathing as she lay motionless with a content expression. Ren quietly slipped the tray of chocolate onto the island in the middle of the room. He glanced over at Nora his conscience warring over whether to wake her. Instead, he decided to get her a blanket from JNPR's dorm.
When he returned, he noticed that many of the chocolates were missing. The remains of chocolate smudged across Nora's lips. He walked over to her silently. With one motion her brought the blanket up and laid it over her. He paused for a moment before Leaning down. he gently kissed her forehead. Nora smiled at the feeling.
"Happy Valentine's day Ren." She muttered, her attempt at pretending to be asleep clearly having failed.
Ren sat on the tile floor, a small smile on his face as he closed his eyes.
"Happy Valentine's Day Nora."
A/N: For those who have no idea how Valentine's Day is done in Japan: "Valentine's day" in the western sense is split into two days, Valentine's day, where girls give chocolate to boys, and White day, roughly a month later where boys return the favor. Since Mistral seems to be based off China or another Asian country, I took a few liberties with Valentine's Day traditions.