Chapter Twenty Five: Deja Vu
Pyrrha was happy.
She had trouble understanding why she felt that way, but the world around her seemed to glow with a pleasant energy that wasn't there before. Everything just seemed… rosier.
It felt like a weird realization to have, as her eyes wandered over the myriad of stars in the clear sky, yet it made her stop and think of the obvious implication. Was I unhappy before? The thought rattled around in her brain.
For most of her first year, she had spent a lot of her time attempting to win Jaune over, to get him to realize her feelings… and then he started dating Velvet. That had hurt Pyrrha more than she was willing to admit, even now. Then there'd been the Vytal festival, and the whole… debacle involving her partner after that.
Not to mention the exhibition match… the thought of which made her brow furrow as she bit her lip in annoyance. It was… odd to still think about it. I might have known what was going on, but I never told someone before. Never. In some ways, vocalizing her problem had made it easier to understand. Confiding in Ruby had really, truly helped.
Whenever I'm with Ruby, everything just seems… better. Little things that normally just passed her by without a second glance suddenly became more interesting the longer she was with Ruby, case in point was the stargazing that she was doing. All things considered, the time they spent apart during Pyrrha's waking hours was increasingly becoming sparse. Whether it be training, studying, or going to the city, they seemed to overwhelmingly do it together. It felt natural at that point, yet also new and exciting.
Is it because what she said to me? About how I matter to her? Just remembering those words filled her up with glee - Pyrrha wouldn't forget them any time soon
I matter to her.
That thought made Pyrrha feel happy - a sharp contrast to how she had felt not all that long ago.
"There you are!" Speaking of which…
"Hello Ruby." Pyrrha twisted around and waved at her friend, who was approaching her fast.
"I've been looking, like, everywhere for you!" Ruby threw her hands up in exasperation. "Jaune said you were still where you guys train, which is something you always do, but then you didn't get back and you weren't in the locker room either, so I was really confused-"
"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha's hands rose in a placating fashion, feeling genuinely bad about it. "I just got distracted with, well…" Her arm swept towards the twinkling lights in the sky. "Do you still need help with your homework?"
"Oh, uh, I kinda finished that already…" Ruby awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "I was actually trying to return this." Her voice had lowered to an embarrassed whisper as she held out Pyrrha's notes for their Dust Theory class.
"You didn't have to come all the way out here for that. It would have been fine to return it in the morning." Pyrrha shook her head with a growing smile.
"Yeah, but what if you needed them and we have a pop quiz tomorrow and you failed because you couldn't study because I had your notes?!" Ruby retorted without missing a beat, prompting a giggle from Pyrrha.
"I would survive, somehow… I think." Pyrrha set the notebook down before arching backwards in a stretch. "Do you know any constellations?" Pyrrha asked after a moment.
"Uh… I know the Big Dipper?" Ruby squinted upwards. "Which is over there… somewhere, I think?" Ruby vaguely pointed in a direction.
"Close, that's the Little Dipper." Pyrrha pointed in a slightly different direction. "That's the Big Dipper."
Ruby's arm adjusted more towards where Pyrrha was pointing. "That one?"
"No, that's…" Pyrrha squinted in the direction Ruby was indicating. "I think it's called Cameloparadalis?"
"Cameloparadile… Camel paradise?" Ruby tried to repeat the word, eliciting a poorly concealed snort from Pyrrha. "I don't see any camels…"
"I believe it means 'giraffe.'"
"I'm pretty sure that's not a giraffe, Pyrrha."
"I always thought it looked more like a goat." She shrugged. "Well, more like a goat than the actual goat constellation."
"Ooo, where's that?" Ruby's eyes followed Pyrrha's arm as it drifted lazily downwards before stopping. "Um… the triangle thing?"
"That's the horned sea goat," Pyrrha stated in poshest accent she could muster, much to the amusement of Ruby.
"But it's a triangle…?"
The serious façade cracked as Pyrrha shook her head. "I told you it doesn't look like a goat."
"Wow, yeah, you're right." Ruby giggled before plopping down next to her. "So which one was the Big Dipper again?"
"That one, right above the Little Dipper."
"There?" Pyrrha shook her head. "How about there?"
"Hold still." Pyrrha scooted over behind Ruby, her head moving right above her friend's shoulder before she gently moved Ruby's arm in the correct direction. "Do you see it now?"
"I-I think so." Ruby's voice wavered; from uncertainty or something else altogether, Pyrrha wasn't quite sure.
Slowly, Pyrrha changed where Ruby was pointing to a different part of the sky. "And that's Polaris, the bright star that the Big Dipper points to." Ruby's impressed 'Ooo' emboldened Pyrrha to keep going, directing her friend's outstretched arm again as the slight evening wind picked up. "Over there is the Seven Siste-"
One moment Ruby was pressed against her, the next moment she dived a good five feet away and snatched Pyrrha's notes from being taken away by the wind. Once she had snatched up all the loose pages, Ruby let out a whoop of triumph. Pyrrha's first thought, however, wasn't that her notes were safe, but rather that she wished Ruby hadn't moved.
There was something oddly comforting, Pyrrha had found, from being around Ruby. Whenever Ruby was close to her, she felt as though nothing in the world could trouble her – so much so that she already found herself missing Ruby's warmth.
"Hey Pyrrha?" As her attention returned to Ruby, Pyrrha noticed that her voice sounded cautious, uncertain.
"Yes?"
"Are you, uh, free this Saturday afternoon?"
Pyrrha tapped her chin in thought. "I believe so."
"Great! Um, so we're celebrating my birthday…" Ruby nervously fidgeted. "So, uh, you can come, right?"
"Of course!" A wide smile stretched across Pyrrha's lips. "That sounds lovely!" Internally, however, she was in distress. How did I forget that!? Certainly she had a lot on her mind, but that was no excuse for this. I should still make time to get something for my best friend!
"Yay!" Ruby's nervousness dissipated into relief. "I was really worried that you couldn't go because I kept forgetting to ask and stuff, um, yeah…" A buzzing noise from somewhere nearby interrupted Ruby's train of thought. As she picked up the scroll responsible for the sound, her silver eyes widened in horror. "Crap! I should probably get back to party planning before Weiss tries to order more doilies!" Ruby was halfway to the door before shouting back "Seeya tomorrow, Pyrrha!"
"Goodnight, Ruby!" Pyrrha waved as a trail of rose petals fluttered slowly to the ground. I can't wait for Saturday! As gleaming emerald eyes returned to star gazing, a quandary presented itself.
What should I get Ruby for her birthday?
The answer shouldn't be so hard; after all, Pyrrha spent a lot of time with Ruby, so she knew what her friend liked and didn't like… yet that wasn't illuminating in the least.
I could get her a gift card to that bakery she really likes. To Pyrrha that seemed like a completely reasonable, if boring, solution – I know Ruby would use it and would quite enjoy it… yet that doesn't feel right. A gift card felt too impersonal for the relationship that the two shared. It was the kind of gift Pyrrha would give a relative that she only saw twice a year… not a best friend. Not Ruby.
The next thought was that of something for Ruby's beloved Crescent Rose. She's always tinkering with it, and it'd be a very functional gift. However, this idea didn't sit well with her; if I had an upgrade for her weapon, I'd give it to her regardless if it was her birthday or not. Besides, I have no idea what she'd need.
I could bake something for her? She does really like cookies… That felt more appealing than any of the previous options, since it was neither as impersonal as a gift card nor was it something that Pyrrha felt unqualified to do. Yet that presented its own fault – I'm pretty sure anyone who knows Ruby would get her that, it's still too impersonal…
Pyrrha's fingers drummed on the roof. I want to give her something that shows I care, something more meaningful than just cookies or a gift card… something that's personal to us.
I have an idea.
As Ruby looked at the circle that was forming around her, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
Up until this point, Ruby's seventeenth birthday party had been going well; there were cookies and cake, and even a cookie-cake as well as a few presents. Still, everything wasn't quite right; while Ruby knew it was rude to expect a gift, she still felt disappointed that Pyrrha hadn't given her one yet.
Or rather, she felt disappointed that Pyrrha still hadn't given her the gift that she was hiding– if the box she was keeping surreptitiously behind her was anything to go by. Maybe I've just been too busy for her to give it? This was a reasonable theory, given that she was the center of attention today.
That being said, Ruby was just happy her best friend had showed up and was sitting next to her. I guess I'm just being greedy…
"Alright, Ruby, since it's your birthday, I think you should go first!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, much to Ruby's relief. "Yay!" Ruby eyed her gathered friends – her own team, her best friend's team, and even an upperclassmen - with something of a predatory glint before she settled on Yang.
"Ohoho, bring it on sis!" Yang rubbed her hands together as lilac eyes locked onto silver ones. "But I'm going to say… the easier one."
"Aww." Ruby slumped over. I had some really good ideas for her too! "Um, okay…" She scratched her head thoughtfully for a moment, not having considered Yang to wuss out on the first round. "Have you… uh, did you eat all my strawberries?"
Yang's confident posture faltered and betrayed guiltiness in an instant, as she averted her gaze from Ruby's and shied away from the accusatory finger pointing at her. "Not all of them…" Before Ruby could vocalize her frustration, Yang spun around towards Blake. "It's your turn, Blakey!"
"Oh. Right." Blake shifted slightly in her seat. "You're just going to keep picking me until I say it, aren't you?" The blonde mane swished as Yang nodded, drawing out a resigned sigh from Blake. "I suppose… dare?"
"I… didn't think you'd actually do it. Huh." Yang blinked in surprise before a gleeful smile spread across the blonde's lips. "I'll come up with something, don't you worry!"
Pyrrha leaned over to Ruby. "Is Blake going to be alright? Yang's looking a bit… excited." Even Ruby – who was across the room – could tell Blake was already regretting her choice as Yang's smile widened.
Ruby shrugged helplessly at her friend. "Maybe? This is going to either be really funny or really bad…"
"Okay, I got a good one! I dare you to…" Yang reached over to Weiss' lap, and gently lifted Zwei off her – much to her protests - before holding out the corgi to Blake. "…keep Zwei in your lap until he decides to leave!"
"How is that a dare?!" Nora blurted out. Ruby understood her confusion, but, she knew very well why this dare was so dastardly.
"Why are we friends?" Blake grumbled as she went to grab him – only for Zwei to lick her hand. She let out the shrillest screech that Ruby had ever heard before jolting back nearly a foot.
"…so are you gonna chicken out…?" Yang teased her partner. "I mean, you could totally say no, but then no cake for you!~"
"I hate you." Blake lamely let Yang drop the corgi in her lap, her breathing becoming uneven for a few seconds before glaring at her partner. "Yang, truth or da-"
"Nu-uh, that's against the rules!" Yang had a huge, shit-eating grin. "You can't choose the person who just choose you!~"
"Fine." Ruby could see her teammate literally shaking with anger – whoever she picked was probably in for a rough time. Don't pick me, don't pick me, don't pick me! "I choose… Weiss."
"There is no way I'm picking dare… you do know that, right?" Blake shrugged. "Truth."
"…have you ever broken the law?" After some hesitation, Weiss answered with the faintest of voices.
"Yes."
Ruby spat out her drink in a spray of red. "What?!"
For perhaps the first time since they met, Weiss seemed to not want to be the center of attention. "I pic-"
"So what did you do?" Blake asked the question that everyone had on their minds. "I mean, it must have been something big…"
"I don't have to answer that," Weiss retorted defensively. "It's not your turn anymore. "
"Yes, but you do know that the moment someone can pick you again, it's going to happen until you say what you did," Ren pointed out, and everyone murmured in agreement.
Weiss, clearly seeing she had no friends in this issue, sighed in defeat. "I-I stole a pack of gum when I was nine."
"Oh."
"That's not too bad"
"That's it?!"
"Winter was impressed," Weiss quietly added before she cleared her throat loudly as her embarrassment lit up her face, before pointing at a very distracted faunus. "Velvet, truth or dare?"
"Huh?" Velvet looked around with a start, as she and Jaune had been busy cuddling. "Er, truth?"
"Who here has a weapon you use the least?" As lame as the question seemed, it got Ruby's attention immediately; the way Velvet fought meant that she used the style of other huntresses and huntsmen, including their weapons – something that Ruby, if she was being completely honest, was green with envy about.
Yet… no answer came from Velvet – in fact, her ears drooped as she started to stare a hole into the ground. "Well…?" Weiss impatiently prompted. "Whose is it?"
"It's…" Velvet's voice became quieter than a whisper. Ruby couldn't hear it no matter how much she strained. Blake must have heard her, however, since she looked like she was on the verge of laughing. Wait… what?
"I… I shouldn't say-"
"She said it was Jaune's," Blake interjected, prompting a bout of laughter from everyone as Velvet buried her reddened face in her hands.
"Wait, why is it me?" Jaune sounded genuinely hurt, like a puppy who ran into a glass door and didn't know what happened. "I thought you used Crocea Mors a lot… you take lots and lots of photos of-"
"I, that's… it's not like that!" Velvet gave Blake an uncharacteristically nasty look before whispering in Jaune's ear. As she continued, Jaune's cheeks burned cherry red, though he didn't seem embarrassed. On the contrary, his lips turned in a shy smile, and he straightened himself up and puffed out his chest a bit, not unlike a rooster.
After nearly a minute of whispering, Velvet pulled away from Jaune, eyes narrowed at Blake. "Truth or dare."
"Truth."
"Have you ever kissed a guy?"
Blake opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, looking like she didn't quite comprehend what was being asked. "Come again…?"
"Have. You. Ever. Kissed. Someone." Velvet's voice had an overly sweet tone in it, as if she was savouring the confusion. "Just a simple yes or no!~"
Blake's bow drooped, as she looked at the ground. "…yes."
"Aww, that's too ba- Wait what?! Who is it?" Yang asked, leaning in front of her partner, curiosity and excitement dripping from her voice. "I gotta know!"
"It's not your turn, Yang," Blake retorted with a hint of smugness. "And even if it was, who says I'm going to pick truth?" Yang's lips compressed into a frown momentarily before reverting.
"Sooo who you gonna choose, Blakey? Me?" There was a clear tone of challenge in Yang's voice as Blake shook her head. "No?" Yang seemed genuinely hurt by it, leaning back as if she was staggering from being hit. "Then who?"
A sickly, evil looking expression crossed Blake's face, before her amber eyes turned towards one of the few people who hadn't had a turn yet, the only one brimming with energy. "Nora."
"FINALLY!" Nora jumped off the ground with a fist pump. That means she gets to go next, oh no. If the collective sigh was anything to go by, everyone seemed to share this sentiment.
"Truth o-"
"DARE! I PICK DARE!"
"I was hoping for that." Ever so slowly, Blake turned back to her confused partner. "I dare you to pluck some of Yang's hair."
"Oh shit-" Furniture screeched as Nora charged at Yang as the others dove out of the way.
"Hey, don't break the room, we live here!" Weiss called out from across the room, who had picked up Zwei and was currently cradling him in her arms, as the rest of the party-goers made room for the two brawlers.
It was an oddly entertaining fight to watch, as the two tumbled around the dorm room, Nora valiantly trying to complete the dare.
"Ruby?" Pyrrha's quiet voice had just a hint of a waver to it, pulled Ruby's attention away from the ongoing tussle.
"Y-Yes?"
"Happy birthday, Ruby." Pyrrha held out a wrapped up box – a slender rectangular box – complete with a red bow on top.
Ruby could barely suppress letting out a high-pitched squee as she carefully accepted the box. Grabbing a taped fold, Ruby ripped off the wrapping, revealing… a rather ordinary box, causing her to glance up at Pyrrha in puzzlement.
Opening the box, which was overflowing with packaging material, Ruby reached into it, before her fingers touched something metallic and smooth. Gingerly pulling it out, Ruby found herself holding a rose.
It wasn't just any rose – it took her only a few seconds to realize it was the same pattern as the one that she had taught Pyrrha how to make. Unlike that one, this one was not made out of paper but of metal, with a vibrant red forming the petals, each one delicately flared out. A deep, deep viridian made up the stem, with three intricately detailed leaves adorning its length. It was, in a word, beautiful.
Pyrrha made this for me? Ruby stared, eyes wide, up at her before looking back at the rose. It wasn't something like a gift card, or even cookies, but completely handmade. Not only that, but it held special meaning for them – it was the first origami design that Ruby taught her best friend how to make, a moment in time that just the two of them shared. The piece of metal that Ruby was holding showed just how much Pyrrha cherished that memory.
"I thought that this would last longer than the paper one I made you, and you said the metal origami was really cool, too, so…" Pyrrha spoke up as Ruby admired the metal creation. "Is… is it okay?"
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Ruby pulled Pyrrha into a tight hug – careful to keep the rose from hitting anything. "I'll make su-"
"DARE COMPLETE!"
Nora triumphantly held up a few strands of blond hair, as Yang grumpily crossed her arms, muttering about how she was going to get payback.
"Oh no." Ren's quiet voice seemed louder to Ruby than Nora's in the momentary lull, as a very important realization dawned on Ruby. A truth that Nora recognized, as her gaze turned away from Ren and onto the birthday girl, herself: Nora knows about my crush!
Rather suddenly, the room felt stifling and uncomfortable under the watchful turquoise eyes. If she picks me, I can't do truth, I can't! I'll just pick dare. Except that meant having to do a Nora-level dare, a fate worse than even picking dare from Yang. Please don't pick me, anyone but me!
As if the orange-haired teen had heard Ruby's pleads, her focus slowly, ever so slowly shifted away from her. It didn't go very far.
"Pyrrha, truth or DARE?!"
"Oh!" Pyrrha pointed to herself, prompting Nora to nod. "I'll pick… dare."
Ruby visibly paled as Nora glanced back at her with an extremely satisfied look, the kind that made one worry for their own safety. "I dare you to… boop Ruby!"
"I'm sorry?"
Nora rolled her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Y'know, an eskimo kiss?"
It was as if the gears turning in Ruby's head suddenly stopped, having hit a snag and making the dare repeat itself faster than she could process. "Wh-what?!" There was no stopping the fact that the rising heat in her cheeks was lighting her up brighter than a tomato as Pyrrha scooched in front of her. "Y-You don't have to do that P-Pyrrha!"
The encroaching redhead hesitantly stopped a few inches away from her, as Ruby felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. "Should I stop?" Ruby could have sworn she had heard disappointment in Pyrrha's voice, as if she really really wanted to do it.
"I… uh… um…" Ruby looked around for help, for someone to bail her out of this situation, only to find that everyone was currently staring at them, waiting. "I-I-I guess it's oka-eep!"
The first thing that Ruby noticed was her vision darkening as Pyrrha closed the gap between them. Time slowed, as she became aware of her friend's breathing, as the scent that Ruby forever associated with her crush suddenly filled her nostrils, and something, no doubt Pyrrha's nose, pressed against her own, before tilting, ever so slightly.
Holy crap, Pyrrha is kissing me!
Sure, it may not have been a kiss on the lips… or even involving any lips at all, but kiss was still technically part of the name, but it was her crush currently rubbing her nose against her own.
As suddenly as the sensation began, it ended, as Pyrrha pulled away. It was only then, that she noticed the snickering her sister wasn't even trying to hide, or the fact that everyone in the room just saw the nuzzle… or the giant dopey smile she had.
An embarrassed smile tugged at Pyrrha's lips. "Boop." In an instant, the hood was over her head, as Ruby tried to turtle in the fabric away from Yang's teasing, Ruby was trying her best to calm her pounding heart. "Um, Ruby, are you okay…?" Pyrrha asked with a hint of trepidation. "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry!"
"I-It's fine, I just wasn't ready …we need to get Nora back." The red hood slid back to reveal the relieved face of Pyrrha, as Ruby stared daggers at Nora… who merely winked back with the smuggest look Ruby had ever seen.
Despite the fact that Ruby's heart had just nearly leapt up her throat, or the teasing that she knew she was going to endure from her sister… Pyrrha had kissed her.
Best. Birthday. Ever!
Today was a good day.
Pyrrha let out a content sigh as the warm water of the shower enveloped her.
While the game of Truth or Dare had only gone on for a few more rounds after her dare, the party lasted several hours more. Even so, Pyrrha only reluctantly left. She might not have been the birthday girl, but from the way it left her with a cheery mood, she might as well have been.
I suppose I just like seeing Ruby being happy. That wasn't to say that Pyrrha didn't enjoy the rest of the party, but it all just seemed small compared to seeing Ruby's joy. There was no lack of that today; from the massive cookie-cake that Yang had made to, the adorable embarrassed expression she made when everyone sung her happy birthday, or when Velvet had let her see all the different weapons she had stored in the box. Heck, even Nora's dare made her happy! However, there was one moment that Pyrrha was particularly delighted by and perhaps a bit proud of.
Ever since Ruby had told her about the party, Pyrrha had been hard at work making a gift, a gift that would hold some deeper meaning than just a gift card. It had to be perfect… perhaps that's why I was apprehensive? That was natural, especially after all the time and effort she'd put into making the gift - from the half a dozen failed attempts to agonizing over wrapping it… Perhaps that had been why Pyrrha had waited so long to give it; the moment had to be just right.
Yet, in the end, the effort had been well worth it. Ruby loved it! A mixture of pride and that special kind of happiness that came from making others happy swelled up in her, which in turn made all sorts of nice warm feelings suffuse throughout her. She gave me big hug, and couldn't stop telling me how much she liked it, and… and…
Unconsciously, Pyrrha shook her head as if to fight off the huge smile spreading across her lips, wet hair slapping against her back loudly, to no avail. It was then that a thought flitted to the forefront of her brain.
It's just like how it used to be with Jaune…
Emerald eyes widened as everything clicked; the times that she had held on to Ruby for maybe a touch longer than she should have, how she had held her so close during the dance or even how she was drawn to the teen. How everything seemed brighter around Ruby, or why she missed her best friend's touch…
Moreover, she finally understood why she found Ruby's happiness so important, why that happiness in turn made her happy. It was exactly like how it'd been with Jaune, which means… which means…
Pyrrha's forehead limply slumped against the shower wall.
"Fuck."
Editor/BETA: ASouthernRussian
Editor/BETA: Gorsouul
AU: Pyrrha realized what ship the story is about :D
The punchline is the chapter title. Alt. name would have been "Boop"
It's taken us a good... twenty months, almost, to reach this point, but we are finally, FINALLY there! Mutual attraction exists AND I GOT PYRRHA TO SAY FUCK (in an appropriate and in-character manner)! Breaking all sorts of barriers today, eh? :P
I should point out that the way I think of it, Ruby's birthday is early in the school year, so sometime in her first semester she turned sixteen, hence why she is turning seventeen now seeing as we are into year two at Beacon.
First off, I have to say thanks to Jo3mm for he is the one who came up with the booping of the snoots. Really cute stuff right there! Also Pyrrha saying boop afterwards is kinda amazing, especially if you realize what it means after listening to the song.
I'm sorry for taking AGES to come out with a chapter! D: I really, truly am I! I'm going to try and get back into a chapter a month for at least the duration of volume 4… I'm going to try! :D Because if I don't start speeding it up, at the current pace of a chapter every two months, this won't finish until roughly volume 10! Also sorry for not responding to reviews… real life got stupidly busy. Will do this time, I promise! …I'm actually really excited to see what people think of this chapter… really excited!
…I was also supposed to have this posted about three hours ago, whoops!
…usually I have more to ramble about… AH, right, Super Saiyan Cyndaquil is emerging from idol hell (or heaven, as he calls it) and has another omake for us!
OH, RIGHT, THIS CHAPTER WILL MAKE ACCEPTANCE BE MY FIRST STORY OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WORDS! :D
Righto, my tentative, TENTATIVE plan is to get chapter 26 out in four weeks… I have a couple hundred words written, so we'll see how it goes.
Thank you for reading this mess and bearing with me, I hope everyone has a wonderful day! :D
Omake - Guest author: Super Saiyan Cyndaquil:
"Jaune, where's your armor?" That was the very first thing Velvet noticed as she sat across from her boyfriend at the table for breakfast.
"Hmm." Jaune made a small grunt, spoonful of cereal in his mouth. He held up a finger, while he chewed. "I'm having it polished. It was getting pretty worn down." Immediately after answering, he dipped his spoon back into the bowl and took another mouthful of the unhealthy cereal.
"Okay… next question, have you always had that on your hoodie?"
"Hmm?" He quirked an eyebrow, looking almost confused by her question for a minute. He glanced down at his hoodie and then back up at her. "You mean Pumpkin Pete?" He asked, pointing at the rabbit face that took up the whole upper portion of his sweatshirt.
"That's Pumpkin Pete?" Velvet blinked several times incredulously, glancing between the design and the box of cereal Jaune had placed next to his bowl. There was no rabbit pictured on the box of his favorite cereal, instead just a picture of his partner.
"Yeah." Jaune shrugged and gave a short nod. "What, you mean you didn't know? I thought you always knew this was on my hoodie." His tone only carried with it a small amount of surprise. With another shrug he seemed to dismiss the thought entirely, however. Then he went right back to chowing down.
Only, Velvet wasn't quite finished with the conversation just yet. "Jaune… I have to ask," She fidget awkwardly in her chair, hands clenching together and eyes unconsciously darting back to the rabbit that almost seemed to be looking tauntingly back up at her. "...when you asked me out, it wasn't, by any chance, because I have rabbit ears just like Pumpkin Pete?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
After that, Velvet didn't talk to him for the rest of the week. The sad part was, Jaune really had no idea what it was he had done.