Blake's Mistake
By wildstraydog
Chapter Four: Makings of a Man and the Lost Ribbon
Guys thank so much for the support this story is receiving. I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but I've been busy and when I planned to start this next chapter the whole community was hit with the shocking news about Monty Oum. But we have to move on, and I plan to continue this story so no fears about that.
Please always read and review, I need all the comments I can get on this story; what needs to improve, critiques, or how you feel about the direction of this story. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and the great Monty Oum (May he rest in peace).
Lunch was Jaune's second favorite meal, and while he sat down and dug into his ham sandwich he mulled over the events of last night. All the advice Blake had given him was sound and he he wished to thank her, but he decided it would not be best given her standing on the issue. He gave a quick peek to see Blake nibbling on some fries while Yang conversed with her about some new song that released.
Perhaps eating Jaune thought was one of his ways to cope with how nervous he was. There was no reason for it, but Jaune had never been alone with a girl before...well Blake counted, and so did Ruby...Jaune chastised himself for letting his mind wander again. Velvet would be tutoring him soon on his studies, and he wanted to make sure that he was at least somewhat knowledgeable about the subject matter.
"So Neptune asked me out to see a movie tonight," Weiss started after Yang was done chatting it up. Ruby looked up from her plate of cookies and became excited.
"What movie?"
"I believe that new Spruce Willis film...what was it called again?" Jaune knew exactly what movie she was talking about: the hottest new flick that just released last week, one of his top anticipated movies of all time that year...yet he couldn't find anyone to see it with him.
"Die Light with a Passion is what's it called, that movie looks awesome. Spruce Willis never ceases to amaze me, and that's hard." Yang said with a giggle. It wasn't that surprising to him that Yang was a fan of those movies. After all they did have lots of explosions.
"Sounds like fun, do you like Spruce Willis Weiss?"
"Not really, but I'm not going to complain if it's a date."
"I think it sounds very fun, I haven't been to the movies in a while," Pyrrha said from across the table, sneaking a glance at Jaune. Everyone except Jaune caught it, and Blake even shook her head, still amazed at his obliviousness and lack of interest in Pyrrha.
"Which reminds me Blake, we would like if you and Sun came along to make it a double date. Neptune thought it would be more fun with a group." Blake looked up from her book and felt the impact of the question. She had still not gone on a proper date with Sun yet, so it was obvious that Neptune was trying to help his friend out.
To be honest, Blake was not against the idea. While she wasn't a huge movie fan, it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy a good picture once in a while. She would also be much more comfortable with Weiss and Neptune around, not yet quite ready to explore the night with her monkey faunus friend. It was nothing against him, but she wanted to take a possible relationship with him slow.
"I...I would be glad to join you Weiss." Weiss tilted her head in surprise and Yang's jaw dropped to the table. Blake just let out a low sigh and was about to return to her book when Yang pushed it down, looking over Blake with a leering smile.
"Well Blake, I didn't think you were the movie type."
"You make too many assumptions Yang."
"It's good to hear you say yes, I'm sure Sun will be ecstatic." Weiss commented. The bell rang an annoying screech and lunch was over. Blake was happy that her decision wouldn't have to drag on for much longer, though it made her feel happy that Sun was so enthusiastic to spend time with her. Blake decided she needed to give him more credit.
Lost in her thoughts she noticed the table was empty, and she gathered her things. In the corner of her amber eyes she spotted Jaune carrying several books underneath his right arm, fidgeting a bit as he walked over to the water fountain next to the double doors. Blake had forgotten that Velvet was to begin her tutoring session with Jaune today, and no doubt Jaune was already nervous, watching him splash water into his face to shake off his nerves.
Too preoccupied, Blake made her way over and grabbed Jaune's attention by patting him on the shoulder. Unfortunately for Jaune he jumped at the sudden contact and knocked his books over with his feet, almost slipping onto the ground, catching himself on one knee. Blake wanted to groan in annoyance, but fought the urge, and extended her hand to help him up.
"Oh hi Blake, sorry about that, I'm just a little nervous," Jaune said as he picked up his books and rubbed his neck.
"Why, there's no reason to be."
"I don't know...I just don't want to ruin this, Velvet could help me a lot with my grades." Blake was glad to hear that Jaune had no ulterior motives. She didn't believe Jaune intended to do so, but for some reason the thought was in the back of her head. If anything, Velvet tutoring Jaune was a blessing in disguise.
Velvet could help Jaune advance in his studies; she was a smart individual and probably a good teacher at heart. The other reason Blake saw this as a great opportunity for Jaune, was for him to learn how to interact with someone out of his circle of friends, and a girl at that. Hopefully their sessions could shave down his anxiety and boost his confidence at least somewhat.
"You'll be fine Jaune, just go study."
"Yeah you're right, thanks Blake." Jaune puffed up his chest and walked through the doors, leaving Blake to pray that she was right and that Jaune would do nothing he would regret. Class wasn't too far so Blake decided to not rush and enjoy her peaceful walk to the classroom, pondering over how her double date with Weiss would actually go.
Blake had no plans to dress up or to do anything special with her appearance. She wasn't expecting anything fancy to happen, perhaps a small dinner beforehand. The thought of how much lien she had came to mind, and the answer was not much. She didn't have a job besides looking for clues about the White Fang, and asking for Weiss to pay for her meal and tickets sounded awful.
Looks like I'll have to rummage through my things.
The library wasn't empty unlike the last time Jaune visited. The rooms were filled with students occupying tables in study groups and browsing the many sections of the large labyrinth Beacon Academy called their center of learning. Jaune glanced around for awhile, dodging left and right to avoid any unwanted collisions, until he spotted a familiar pair of bunny ears in the distance.
Velvet waved him over and offered him a seat, her books already opened to pages that focused on their last class. Jaune set his books down and took an uneasy seat, a large gulping sound hidden by the moving of the table as he adjusted. Velvet let out a small giggle to Jaune's embarrassment, helping to break the awkward silence that hung over the two of them.
"I'm glad you could make it Jaune."
"Is it always this busy after lunch in here?" Jaune asked as he looked around, spotting even Dove from team CRDL in the corner hard at work.
"Just about, did you not expect the library to be popular?"
"Of course not, I was just a little surprised I guess, I haven't been here much to be honest."
"Well you're here now and that's all that matters," Velvet gave a Jaune a smile and they began to study. She decided to start from the basics and relate it to Jaune and their current lesson.
For about an hour Velvet almost never stopped talking, relaying tons of information on Jaune with clever tips on how to succeed in Port's class, even suggesting to write down particular points about his stories. She was glad to see Jaune catching on much quicker then she anticipated, often thinking that her study habits were a little strange. Velvet would even think that Jaune could be a genius if he didn't hold himself back so much.
Her left eye glanced at Jaune's pencil as it twisted left and right, Jaune trying to concentrate as he copied text from his books and wrote down notes. She almost thought of giggling at his new serious face, but instead focused on his blue eyes as they remained focused. She checked her scroll and noticed that her next class was in ten minutes and decided they could spend the rest of the time with a break.
"I think that's enough for now Jaune, you did great."
"T-thanks Velvet, I never knew there was so much happening in our class. Then again I'm kind of known to be oblivious at times." Jaune said with a chuckle, but Velvet flicked him on the forehead and began to pout.
"Don't belittle yourself like that Jaune, you're a very smart individual, you just needed some pointers." Jaune rubbed his forehead and apologized.
"I have to say your notes helped a lot."
"If you continue on this course I believe you should see your grades go up," Velvet began as she gathered her things. "We'll be having a quiz tomorrow, and that should be a good test to see if these tips helped."
"Yeah, I won't let you down, same time tomorrow then?"
"Yes of course, oh by the way Jaune I wanted to ask you something." Jaune grabbed his books and tilted his head, unsure of what Velvet would need from him of all people. They just spent the last hour cramming nothing but stories of Grimm and the tactics of huntsmen.
"Uh sure, what's up?"
She paused for a moment and gave off a sigh, "Are you the reason Cardin stopped bullying everyone?" Jaune was expecting something much simpler, and not such a heavy question from his senior, it wasn't that it was hard to answer, but he didn't understand why she asked all of the sudden.
"Well...I guess technically I am." Good answer Jaune, that way it doesn't sound like boasting.
"Then I need to thank you again Jaune. Whatever you did the results were immediate, he even came and apologized to me a few day later from his trip." Velvet lifted up her books to hide her blush and began to mumble, not comfortable when it came to praising someone she just met.
"It was nothing Velvet. I just knew it was wrong."
She was impressed for the second time that hour by Jaune, but now she even respected him. All the stories she had heard of the boy were either funny or some comment of his lack of reasoning, yet here he was: fully capable and even humble about his acts. That Jaune carried these traits and didn't even care about her origins spoke a lot about his character, and someone that she could stand by.
Her scroll's clock moved up and she noticed that class was only in three minutes, not giving her time to properly thank Jaune even further. She grabbed her books and nodded her head, mumbling a quick goodbye as Jaune waved out of her view. Velvet scrambled to class and made it through the door just as the bell began to ring, and she let out gasp.
Coco began to laugh at her expression as she walked up to take a seat, setting her books and notepad down. As her teacher's voice began to fill her ears, they fell deaf to Velvet as her thoughts clouded her mind about Jaune. He was a curious character that was held back by his lack of initiative, yet she knew he was more. Jaune was a better man then he let on, and Velvet was surprised that no one appreciated it as much as he was due.
She was shaken out of her thoughts when Coco elbowed her shoulder, causing her to let out a small eek that almost caught the attention of the teacher. Velvet became rigid and she took out her pencil, returning to her studies, while the thought of a tall blonde boy stayed in the back of her head. Already she was wondering what he was up to, not realizing that she found him more than just intriguing but handsome. I wouldn't mind talking to Jaune more.
When 5:00 sprang on Blake, her unexpected interruption from her reading was a surprise, completely forgetting about the double date that she had agreed to, when Weiss snapped her fingers in front of her face. Blake was about to snap at the girl when she held up two dresses in front of her.
"Which do you think looks better on me?"
"The one on the left, how much time do I have?"
"You have thirty minutes so hurry up," Weiss did her best to hide her frustration which Blake appreciated.
She got up and undid her black bow, setting it down on her desk with care. The emptiness on her head when her ears were exposed felt strange without her bow, something she came to regret despite its meaning as a gift. Blake headed for the showers while Weiss set her dresses on her bed to give it herself a second opinion. Earlier Ruby had left the window open for a nice breeze to fill their dorm, and Blake's black bow began to dance and fly out the window.
Both sisters entered their room to feel a chill as the breeze picked up once more, and Ruby sprang into action to close the window. Yang just gave a shrug and walked over to Weiss to tease her about her upcoming double date until her partner got out of the shower. She could be patient, a plethora of jokes already filling her head.
About five minutes later Blake emerged from the shower, steam flooding the room, Blake exiting with a towel around her waist. Her first reaction was to grab her bow, but when she looked over, her face became pale and she went into shock. She began a frantic search near her bed, around the desk, and under Yang's bed, coming up with no results that furthered her worry. Her bow was the one thing she never wished to lose, and she berated herself for being so careless.
"Blake you ok?" Yang asked.
"No, no I'm not ok I can't find my bow anywhere!" Blake almost shouted, scaring Ruby and Weiss. Blake wasn't one to show anger, but when she did it could easily frighten her team members-except Yang of course.
"Ok calm down Blakey, where was it last?"
"On the desk next to your bed, where could it have gone?"
"..." Ruby wanted to do her best and do the right thing, but right now she feared for her life. She knew the window was opened when they entered the room, and if her bow was next to the window it probably flew out. She knew of course delaying would only make matters much worse.
"It's my fault, I left the window opened!" Ruby yelled. Yang and Blake turned around, Ruby shrinking back into a shell of fear as she realized how angry Blake was. If one looked close enough, they could see the small burning flames now in Blake's amber eyes.
"It... was an accident Ruby...but we have to find it."
"We don't have time Blake. We'll look for it when we return. Don't forget that we have an important date." Weiss reminded with an agitated tone.
"I'm not going without my bow," Blake hissed. Weiss threw down her small compact mirror on her bed and her eyes began to twitch. Weiss was trying harder every day to be a better person, to be more tolerant, but she found this date to be too important for it to be ruined because of a simple bow.
Weiss walked over to her dresser and began to fumble through her things, "Here, see if you like this." Weiss threw a small red bow her way. Blake held up the bow and began to grunt in disgust.
"Thank you Weiss...it's just not the same."
"Argh, why are you so difficult? Neptune already told Sun that you said yes, you can't just stay in your room because your bow's missing. Can't you just use one of those temporary ones for the night?" Weiss was almost begging now, using all her strength to not plead on her knees.
Outside in the hall, Jaune was walking by, returning from dinner, again the last person to finish alone at the table. It was hard for Jaune to not overhear the bickering and yelling of Weiss and what sounded like Yang or Blake. Before he entered into his dorm, the door across the hall opened with an exasperated Yang and sad looking Ruby.
"Is everything ok guys?"
"Not really, Blake lost her bow and she won't go on that date with Weiss unless she has it. I feel bad for Blake, but I can also understand Weiss." Jaune let go of the knob on the door and thought about Blake's predicament.
The temptation to relax in his dorm was calling to him, but he realized that not once did he repay Blake back in a proper way. He gave a few mumbled thanks and promises not to reveal their meetings, but what else had he done? She had gone out of her way to help him, not once but twice. Thanks to her Jaune had gained insightful advice and even the courage to speak with Velvet on his own. Even though it had only been one day, Jaune knew if he kept up his tutoring sessions he could do better.
"Do you guys need any help finding it?"
"Sure," Ruby brightened up and squeaked out. "We could really use the help Jaune, I feel really bad for leaving the window open." Yang patted Ruby on the head, ruffling her short black and red tipped hair.
"Don't worry Rubes, we'll find it."
"Let's get going before its dark," Jaune said, running past them to the surprise of Yang.
Blake was sprawled across her bed with her head smashed into one of her pillows. It was an obvious ploy to hide the appendages atop her head, while Weiss paced back and forth on the floor, grunting in anger. She snatched her scroll and checked the time; they had a good ten minutes before they were supposed to leave, but that didn't push away the worries the heiress was having.
Blake herself was dealing with twisted emotions about her selfishness. She knew how difficult she was being right now, and it only reminded her of the fear she experienced when others would stare at her ears. Blake didn't want to be seen as a faunus, but as another individual, without the unneeded attention. Yet throughout her adventures with her team, she thought she could move past this fear-but the loss of her bow seemed to prove otherwise.
The door opened with the smiling faces of Ruby and Yang entering their room, with a perplexed Weiss tapping her heels on the carpet floor. Blake took a second to look up from her pillow when a black bow smashed into her face. She stood up and jumped down from her bed with a look of joy, and immediately placed it on her head.
"Where you did you find it? Thank you so much Yang!"
"Oh Ruby me and didn't find your bow Blake, it was Jaune." Blake looked up and narrowed her eyes, looking for the clumsy boy behind them.
"I don't understand...where is he?"
"He said thanks wasn't needed, just doing his job, and for you to enjoy your date with Weiss," Yang said, trying her best to mimic Jaune's voice to Ruby's enjoyment as she giggled.
"This is great news, we should get going Blake," Weiss echoed, grabbing Blake's hand and leading her out of the dorm on their way to the docks. All Blake could do was glance at team JNPR's door, wanting to thank Jaune for the trouble he went to find her bow. Thank you Jaune, such an unselfish act won't go unnoticed.
Blake's doubts were washed away and were filled with excitement for her night with Sun. She planned to make the best of the night, for it was only thanks to Jaune that she would have the opportunity to relax and have a good time. A single night where she could forget about the White Fang or her fears of weakness...just a silent night that would be filled with happiness.
As I said before, the next chapter will start the first actual arc of this story. Blake and Jaune's friendship will be put to the test during a mission gone wrong.
