Outcasts and Outlaws
Chapter 14
Romantic Endeavours
Throughout the years of writing this story, I've become pretty attached to the relationship Connor and Ruby have. This chapter here is where I'd say it properly took off, so it's time for some FLUFF!
Three weeks after the battle in Vale, in which Connor killed hundreds of Grimm, he laid on his bed exhausted. He'd used up a crazy amount of energy in the fight, and for a few days afterwards he could barely move. His recovery was slow. Ruby helped him around Beacon once he was well enough to stand and over the nexo couple of weeks, he began to walk around on his own. It was still difficult for him to get around with exhausting himself, but he could cope.
Connor opened his eyes and raised his head off of his pillow. He had fallen asleep in his white vest, his cloak hung up on the door and his eyepatch and pendant on the bedside table. He lifted himself up and sat on the the edge of the bed, feeling groggy.
"You're up late." Kane commented wryly as Connor put his eyepatch on over his scarred left eye. It didn't matter to Connor about waking up late. He'd been excused from classes on medical grounds for weeks. Ozpin wanted to give him time to recuperate.
Connor then put the silver bear pendant that Nora had brought him for his birthday all those weeks ago around his neck and stood up. He headed straight for the closed door and grabbed his cloak off of the hanger and then slipped it on, leaving it open. Before he opened the door, he decided to go and see Ruby, knowing she should be out of class by now.
As he left his room, Connor was met with a familiar face, Ozpin. He stood in the corridor outside Connors room drinking coffee, as if he had been waiting for him.
"Good morning Connor." He greeted politely. "I suppose you're wondering where the others are?"
Connor wondered what he meant by that. Were they not here? They should have been out of class by now.
"There was a meeting going on while you were sleeping." Ozpin explained. "It was about the annual Beacon dance."
A dance? Connor didn't like the sound of that. Not only had he never danced before and would probably suck at it, who the hell would go with him?
"I'm sure you'll be fine." Ozpin comforted. "Maybe you could ask Miss Rose to accompany you, I'm sure she'd be delighted."
Connor blushed a little at that and meekly replied, "We're just friends. Yang'd kick my ass if I asked Ruby."
"Oh please, she'd be on the floor in seconds." Kane boasted, boosting Connors confidence a little.
"I'd have to agree with Kane on that one." Ozpin agreed, before taking another sip of coffee. Connor grew even more confident with all of the support. Maybe he would ask Ruby.
Ozpin looked down into the contents of his mug disappointedly and quipped, "Oh, looks like I'm due for a refill. Good luck Connor." He then walked away, empty mug in hand, back to his office. Connor watched him leave, wondering why the old man had such an interest in him and then turned to the door of Team JNPRs room.
When he entered, wondering who was back from the meeting, he saw that only Jaune and Ren were in the room. The two of them were sat on beds on opposite sides of the room, and it looked as though Connor had interrupted a conversation.
"Hey Connor." Jaune greeted. "Are you feeling better?"
Connor walked further into the room and sat down next to Jaune before answering. "I'm a little better, yeah, but still tired." He told his two friends. "Where are the girls?"
"All 6 of them went into the library together." Ren explained, noticing that Connor still had Nora's bear pendant.
"What are doing in there?" Connor queried. "Terms almost over, they can't possibly have any work to do."
"They just said girly stuff." Replied Jaune. "Whatever that means."
"They're probably talking about who they're going to take to the dance."
Ren suggested, then asked Connor. "Are you taking Ruby?"
Connor flushed a little, swallowed nervously and stuttered out, "Maybe." His voice shook a little as he spoke and both Jaune and Ren could tell he was nervous about the whole thing. "I assume you're going with Nora?" He asked in return.
"Not that I have much choice in the matter." Ren joked. Jaune and Connor both knew Ren would have asked Nora anyway, but he would've liked to had a chance to ask her himself, rather than her persisting on it herself.
"Are you going with Pyrhaa?" Connor asked Jaune, curious to know of the progress between the two.
"Yeah." He replied, sounding a little disappointed. Seeing the confused look on Connors face, he explained, "I just don't know what's going on with us. I don't know if we're dating or just friends..." Jaune trailed off, thinking about the situation. Connor also contemplated the problem. According to Ruby, they had been getting on brilliantly since last years dance but had shown no signs of being a couple. No kisses, no hugs, not even holding hands. Connor was just as confused as Jaune.
Connor then heard footsteps from outside the door and stepped up to it to listen. He put his ear to the door, allowing Kane to get a good idea of who it was.
"It's Ruby." Kane stated. "She's back from the library." Connor then put his hand on the door handle, the news of his friends having dates spurring his confidence. "Yangs with her." Kane quickly warned, and Connor stepped back from the door. He couldn't ask Ruby with Yang right there, she'd be furious.
Connor then had an idea, and turned to his two friends for help.
Ruby and Yang stood outside the door to their room. They had come back ahead of the other girls because Yang wanted to have a discussion about who Ruby was going to the dance with. Nora had brought up the topic and Yang got a little edgy. As they were about to enter the room, Ren and Jaune stepped out of theirs.
"Hey you two." Ruby greeted, smiling. "Is Connor up?"
"Uh..we need to talk to Yang." Jaune nervously said. "It's important."
Yang put her hands on her hips, feeling a little suspicious. "What could be so important that is abandon my little sister?"
Jaune and Ren looked at each other nervously, desperately trying to come up with something. Then Jaune blurted out, "Ren has feelings for Nora!" Causing Ren to scream mentally.
Yang removed her hands from her hips and wrapped her hands around the shoulders of the two boys. "Tell me all about it." She said in a cheeky voice, wanting to take the opportunity to tease Ren. As they left, Connor came out of the room, Kane having told him the coast was clear.
"There you are!" Ruby said. "I was wondering if you were up yet."
"Listen Ruby." Connor said, getting straight to the chase. He was worried that if he delayed too long his nerves would prevent him from being able to ask her. Also, he had no idea how long Ren and Jaune could hold off Yang. "I was wondering if you..." He started, trailing off as he looked at Ruby, for the first time noticing how pretty she was. Her red hair, her glistening eyes. Connor swallowed nervously and stuttered a little.
"Are you ok?" Ruby asked, putting a hand on his arm, nothing that he was shaking a little. "Do you need to lay down?"
"R-Ruby..." Connor stuttered, Ruby's hand on his arm only making matters worse. "I w-was wondering i-if you would l-like to go the the d-dance with me." He finally managed to say, through shaking and stuttering. He tried to calm himself down, breathing in and out.
Ruby looked at him, blushing a little, and said, "Ok."
After that, they both stared at each other for a little while, transfixed. This went on until Kane coughed loudly.
"Uhh..umm...I need to go speak to Doctor Brian about my recovery." Connor said. "I'll see you later, Rubes."
Ruby returned the goodbye and let go of Connors hand, letting him walk off down the corridor towards the infirmary. As he walked, he could've sworn he heard Ruby mutter excitedly, but be dismissed it as wishful thinking.
At this point, I'm pretty sure there's only two chapters of this volume left. Maybe I'll upload them both today...