The Dance was coming up. Jaune hadn't even known what the Dance was until he overheard some girls gossiping about who would go with who. Apparently, in the middle of the second semester, every year, Beacon hosted a dance for its students, planned out by one of the upper year teams. This year, Team CFVY was given the opportunity due to their outstanding performance during the Breach. Jaune had also heard that students usually went to the Dance in pairs, either as friends or romantic partners, and this made Jaune very nervous.

Of course, no one was forcing him to go with someone to the Dance or even go to the Dance at all, but it really felt like something that Jaune should do. The question was, who should he go with? He had reasons to ask Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Pyrrha- And wasn't that an impossible choice?

Ruby was his first friend in Beacon. While he'd gained a bond with Yang before talking to her sister, his relationship with Yang wasn't really cemented until the incident in Town Hall. Ruby coached him on how to use a scythe to fight Weiss, and had just made him a revolver. Granted, she did spurn him for a while when he made up with Wiess, but Jaune had already forgiven her for that, and now the reaper and Weiss were starting to hang out more and more everyday.

Weiss was the inverse case. The heiress had originally hated his guts for being made team leader over her, and even challenged him to a duel over it. However, she had come around in a big way. Though her bond was actually the lowest when compared to the other girls, Jaune definitely felt like he could rely on Weiss the most. And now that he mentioned it, he didn't really know what Bond levels meant anyway. It obviously had something to do with how people viewed him, but what that view was differed drastically between each bond. For instance, Nora's bond said she considered him a friend for just about the entire time he had that bond. Meanwhile, Pyrrha's, despite being far higher in level than Nora's, only ever said that she saw potential in him. Clearly, the Bond level represented something else besides merely how someone views him, but that was a thought for another time.

Blake was, admittedly, the odd one out. Considering he had set her up on a date previously, the idea of going together to the Dance- even as friends- would be a bit strange. However, he had been through a lot with Blake, and they had definitely shared some intimate- platonic- moments together. Aside from Weiss, she had perhaps grown the most as a person since the start of Beacon. But did it make sense to go with her to the Dance because of that growth?

Yang and Pyrrha were in the same boat as far as Jaune was concerned. If he went with either, he could expect the other to be angry. Probably not angry because he didn't go with them instead, but rather, angry because it would seem like he was choosing their side of things. Even still, he didn't simply want to cut the two out of the deliberation after all that they'd done together just because of some stupid fight.

Which left him in a conundrum. No girl was out of the running, and each one had a valid reason to be asked to go with him. What was he supposed to do?

The answer struck him in the form of Nora- the only girl he'd never even considered asking- running into him while he was still lost in thought.

"Sorry about that, Nora. I should have seen you coming." Jaune apologized as he picked himself up. "I was just distracted."

"No problem." Nora forgave him, picking herself up as well. "I was distracted as well. I can't figure out who I should ask to the Dance."

"Really?" Jaune raised an eyeball. "I was just thinking the same thing. Who are you considering, if I may ask?"

"I can't choose between Blake and Ren. Ren's been my friend for a long time, but Blake is my partner now. I'm just not sure. You?" The orange haired girl confessed.

"Ahh… It might sound a little pretentious out loud…" Jaune muttered, suddenly abashed at the amount of women he was considered in his own head.

"Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Pyrrha. Yeah?" Nora guessed it in one.

"Wow, yes. How did you know?"

"You've gotten close with all of them this year. And I know a gentleman like yourself wouldn't have 'favorites.'"

"Favorites?" Jaune asked.

"To look at. You know, the sexy bits." She explained.

"Oh!" Gamer's Mind nullified embarrassment. Geez, talking about this stuff with Nora made him feel like he was talking about it with his own mom. Which was gross, to say the least. "No, I wouldn't!"

"I know, Jaune. But you still have to make a choice." The huntress pressed. Then, suddenly, she grew a thoughtful look on her face. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"We can all go together!" Nora shouted her idea excitedly.

"Together? What are you talking about?"

"Well, considering how close our two teams have been since the start of the school year, I figured, why not embrace it? Some of the other students have joked about how we're all 'together-together' due to how much we hang out, so why not give them something to actually gossip about."

"You want us all to go to the Dance together… As friends?" Jaune hesitated.

"Yep." Honestly, the plan wasn't that bad. Yeah… In fact, it sounded like a great idea.

"Let's do it." He commited his support with a smile.

During a rare lunch when everyone was finally sitting together a few days later, Jaune popped the question.

"So… About the Dance-" The team leader subtly transitioned the light conversation with the skill of only an expert diplomat.

"Finally gathered up the courage to ask me, Goody?" Yang teased lightheartedly.

"Yes, actually." Jaune responded, shocking everyone besides Nora. Seizing the moment before anyone misunderstood him, he continued. "You, and everyone else."

"Everyone else?" The blond repeated.

"Yeah!" Nora finally explained. "Jaune and I figured that since our teams are so close, we should all go together!"

"That'd be one hell of an afterparty…" Yang muttered.

"If I'm being honest, Jaune." Weiss started. "I'd rather just go with-"

"Sounds like a plan to me! I'll gladly join you and Nora." Pyrrha committed herself while cutting off Weiss.

"Great! What were you saying, Weiss." Jaune turned his attention back to his teammate. She looked a little upset, but it quickly vanished.

"I'll be joining you, as well." The heiress agreed.

"Awesome! Ruby? How about you?"

"I mean… If Yang's willing…" Ruby said. As always, the youngest hunter threw her full support behind her older sister- Not realizing the mistake she had made, this time.

"Ruby," Yang could barely hide her manic grin. "I have so many incest jokes right now, but for your sake and dear old dad's, I'll refrain. And yeah, I'll join this group date of ours." In just a moment, Ruby's face went as red as her cape- they were all wearing their normal attire- then she began hitting her sister with a thousand blows.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" The Reaper yelled, not actually doing any damage while Yang just blocked and cackled.

"I'll do it." Blake committed as the sister-brawl waged.

"Sounds fine to me." Ren added just after.

"Yeah, Jaune!" The leader of Team JWLR heard Cardin holler from a distance. It seemed the entire student body had gone quiet to listen to the formation of the ultimate Dance group, but he didn't care.

They were gonna have a great time at the Dance. He could feel it.

Despite the shenanigans in this chapter pointing to otherwise, I want to reiterate that this is not a Harem story. There will be a pairing, but it won't affect the story that much.

Until next time,

-RMV