-~~ KBTS ~~-


"Okay I think I finally have it figured out. I asked Maria how her weapons worked, and she helped me with it, but I still think this is a bad idea." Ruby came out of the cockpit with one of Qrow's empty glass bottles and a short stick with a purple gravity dust crystal stuck to each end.

They were a little past halfway to Atlas, and well into the night. Sleeping soundly was difficult but at least they were comfortable. One of their spoils from searching the ship had been a small emergency dust heater, and Weiss's stash of fire dust had survived the earlier battle. The cabin of the ship was not exactly warm, but no longer freezing. Everybody was more than okay in their regular clothes, although Blake still had on her pilfered hoodie.

"Look it's simple, we get them to kiss they realize all the drama is stupid and they fall madly in love with each other. Or Blake gets supper jealous and confesses to him, Either way it's a total win! There is just no way this can fail!" Yang took the bottle from Ruby hefting it in one hand.

"I don't know Sis. When you and Nora are working together things tend to go… in unexpected directions." Ruby looked to Ren and Weiss for help.

"Like sideways. Then straight down the tubes." Weiss received a happy chirp from Ruby for her support.

"You guys worry too much; everything is going to work out awesome!" Nora waved her hand dismissively, snatching the stick from Ruby and fiddling with it.

"Nora weren't you the one to tell Jaune to give Blake some time and not rush into things?" Ren raised an eyebrow at the hushed conversation the three were having right on top of where he was trying to meditate.

"I said to give her a minute. It's been hours Ren! Hours!" Nora raised her hands in exasperation.

"Alright, everyone gather around! We are playing spin the bottle!" Yang loudly announced to everybody present. After surreptitiously closing the door to seal off the cockpit and pushing a chair up against it wedging the latch for good measure.

"Why?" Blake looked up over her book at Yang who was standing next to Nora and Ruby.

"It's a co-ed sleepover. That's just what you do." Yang shrugged feigning innocence.

"No, it isn't. That only happens in movies." Blake looked back to her book.

"Have you ever been to a Co-ed sleepover?" Yang stood arms akimbo as Nora glared from over her shoulder.

"All the time." Blake didn't even look up.

"An encampment of terrorists does not count as a sleepover." Weiss joined with Yang in a huff.

"Tom-mato Tom-atto." Blake shrugged back before her eyes glinted mischievously. "Have any of YOU been to a Co-ed sleepover before? And Ren doesn't count, Nora."

"Dad wouldn't let us." Ruby pouted while Yang refused to make eye contact.

"I was forbidden from going anywhere after dark." Weiss looked sadly at the ground.

"Hmmmm." Blake went back to her book triumphantly.

"Well we are doing it now!" Yang gathered herself up refusing to back down.

Nora reached over and hauled Jaune out of his chair, dislodging his earphones, and rather rudely ripping him out of his slumber. "Well Jaune's in. Wouldn't want to be the only one left out, would you?" Nora smirked at Blake while shaking Jaune back and forth slightly.

"I'm what now?" The confused blonde looked everywhere for help but received no mercy. The closest thing to compassion was just a shrug of indifferent acceptance from Ren.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with." Blake caved with a huff as she placed a bookmark in her pages.

"Yeah! That's the spirit. Now, everybody form a circle." Yang ushered them to the center of the large barren passenger space.

Yang sat down pulling Ruby down beside her. "Okay, Ruby you sit next to me. Everybody else sit boy, girl, boy, girl, Weiss, girl."

"Hey!" Weiss's protest went ignored as usual.

"Ren goes first! Ren goes first!" Nora was practically jumping up and down in her spot.

Ren sighed although he still sported a bit of a smile. He dutifully gave the bottle a spin and sat back to watch.

Nora watched gleefully as the bottle slowed and came to a stop pointing directly at her. This was perfect, this was… why did it seem like she was looking at the bottom of the bottle? She looked across the circle to the wide panicked eyes of her normally fearless leader.

"He gets to spin again, right?" Jaune implored the group as Ren also began to look around apprehensively.

"Actually… I kind of want to see this…" Nora trailed off.

"I had a dream about this, but Jaune was wearing the dress from the dance…" Ruby trailed off while Yang looked in shock at her sister.

Jaune and Ren continued to plead with their eyes, begging for mercy. Their pleas were met with looks that ranged from curious to excited. Jaune looked to Blake, only to receive a shrug.

Sighing Ren noticed the look in Nora's eyes and caved to the inevitable, he moved over to be in front of Jaune who looked at him in terror. Scooching backward to try and maintain space between them.

"I promise, we will get through this together." Ren placed his hand on Jaunes shoulder activating his semblance and draining the color from both of them.

"Ren, I don't think that sounded like you meant it to…" Jaune's oddly emotionless voice was cut short when Ren's lips met his own.

The girls all leaned in to witness the single most awkward, emotionless, boring, and passionless kiss in all of recorded history. After the mandatory 7 seconds, Ren pulled away, but maintained his semblance as he returned to his previous seat and took a meditative pose. Jaune also calmly moved back to the circle from the corner he had became trapped in as he retreated backwards from Ren. The two boys sat completely still, with all colors drained away leaving them artificially in grey scale.

"Hunh, for some reason I thought that would be hotter."

"I think we all did Weiss." Yang glared at Nora who shrugged back, before Yang snatched the controller away from her.

"Okay, Blakes turn." Nora pointed at the surprised cat girl.

"What? Why?"

"Why not?" Nora grinned at her almost ferally.

Blake grumbled as everyone looked at her expectantly, well everyone but Jaune who was still looking like an emotionless husk. She looked over at Ren who quickly nodded his apologies and deactivated his semblance. Blake watched as Jaune had the color slowly return leaving him far redder than normal and looking completely mortified. Blake gave him a reassuring smile before sighing in exasperation when Yang cleared her throat meaningfully. She huffed as she grabbed the bottle and gave it a twirl.

Everyone watched with bated breath as it slowed, almost coming to a stop on Nora, before it sped up slightly again. It almost made it halfway around the circle before running out of momentum and landing on Yang. A wide eyed and wildly waving Yang, who for some reason kept one of her hands behind her back.

Blake sighed to herself. If Jaune could do it so could she. What's good for the gander is good for the goose as it were. Besides she just knew that this was all somehow Yang's fault, and she was going to make her pay.

As Yang back peddled much like Jaune had, Blake advanced on all fours. Giving a sway to her hips to really put on a show and maximize Yang's uncomfortableness. As Yang's back met the cold steel of the wall behind her Blake caught her chin with her left-hand dragging Yang's face up to meet her own.

Their lips crushed together and Blake made sure to hold her there for the full time. Her hands holding Yang's head and preventing her from pulling away. Not that that was necessary as the bombastic brawler had been frozen stiff with shock.

Yang was left with her head spinning and for once at a complete loss of words. Blake pulled back and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. She leaned back in and whispered in Yang's ear. "What was it Saffron said again?"

Blake smiled in smug satisfaction as the crimson glow left Yang's face, this time the ashen white hue that remained had nothing to do with Ren's semblance. She winked at Jaune as she retook her position in the circle, grateful that he was not gawking at her. Rather he looked a bit relieved and not as embarrassed anymore, so Blake was calling it a double win. She had messed with Yang and had helped him get over his embarrassment. Several minuets went by while they all watched Yang waiting for her to recover from her broken state.

"She is CATatonic. I guess the cat must have gotten her tongue." Weiss gestured at Yang. But received nothing but cold glares from everyone else. How and when did a cricket get on board?

"No! Bad Weiss!" Nora shook her finger at Weiss who grumbled something about it at least being a proper pun and not just basdardizing someone's name for once.

"Well I'll go next, I guess." Ruby had enough and decided to get things moving again, she moved up to spin the bottle but was unexpectedly stopped when Yang snapped back to coherence and pulled her back.

"NO! It has to be Jaune next." Yang practically yelled in desperation.

"But Jaune already went, it should be me or Weiss next." Ruby's point was valid but went ignored.

"It's 'Weiss or I', how many times do I… Okayyyy? Just forget I said anything." Weiss backed away slightly when Yang's wild eyes turned her way

Yang turned back to Ruby, eyes red and hair flashing with golden sparks. "I said Jaune goes next." She turned to Jaune with a growl, who immediately took and spun the bottle.

In his desperate bit to avoid Yang's wrath he had spun it rather exuberantly. The bottle took a while to slow and as it did it moved past Blake to pause on Weiss. Weiss looked up, honestly a little hurt to see the horror-stricken look Jaune was giving her. Luckily, Ruby came to the rescue snatching the controller from Yang and causing the bottle to turn back to Blake.

Ruby held the controller aloft in triumph glaring at Yang. Blake merely stood with a huff, and grabbing Jaune by the collar, she pulled him to his feet and shoved him into the tiny bathroom behind him.

"They did something to the bottle." Blake slammed the door behind her and turned around leaning against the door to face Jaune.

"Yeah, I figured. The whole thing felt like a setup from the start. But after all the things you said when you thought I was sleeping. I figured I'd let it play out a bit and see where it took us. The whole Ren and Yang thing was… unexpected, and weird. But arguing with both Yang and Nora was going to be a losing battle anyway."

"Wait, you… you heard all that?" Blake swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. Looking away to hide her embarrassment.

"Yup." Jaune popped the 'P' just like Ruby does. "Well, I don't know about all of it. But at least the last fifteen minutes or so."

"Ohhh… And?" Blake watched him from the corner of her vision, unable to fully look him in the eye.

"I feel the same way. But I don't want the fear of loss to stop us. I would love to see if we can make this into something more. But, I am a little afraid too… well… honestly, more like terrified. But I still want to try."

Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. Both turned and simultaneously shouted, "Go away."

"Just so you know, despite what they are trying to do, we are not kissing." Blake rolled her eyes in annoyance, though her slight smirk when she looked into his eyes told him the annoyance was not directed at himself.

"Yeah, that's fine." Jaune just shrugged.

"Not that I don't want to kiss you. Just that I want it to be on my terms, not us forced into something." Blake's smirk dropped a bit, unsettled by Jaune's easy acceptance and worried that maybe she had given off the wrong impression.

"No, I agree. I want our first kiss to be something memorable. Something we can tell our kids about, not something we were pressured into doing or embarrassed about." Jaune quickly tried to reassure her.

Silence descended as Blake grumbled angrily about Yang and Nora. However, Jaune was becoming increasingly nervous. He was way out of his element and didn't exactly know what to say, but knew he needed to do something and soon.

"Ummmm. Blake there is something I was hoping to ask you." Jaune finally mustered his courage to break the silence. But he didn't exactly look courageous, what with his lack of eye contact, fidgeting, and the hand at the back of his neck.

"Hmmm, what?" Blake was broken from her musings and gave her full attention to Jaune, trying to convey her support with a bit of a smile.

"What are we? I… I know we are friends. But I'd like to think we are more than that now. I know we haven't been on an official date or anything but is it okay if I think of you as my girlfriend? Or am I being presumptuous."

"That depends." Blake's response caused Jaune to slump a bit, but he stayed attentive.

"In the diner. On our 'fake date'. Was that all pretend? Were you really just acting?" Blake gave him her curious look that made Jaune almost laugh out loud. The way her ears perked was adorable.

"I'm not sure how you want me to answer that." Jaune was really struggling, and he was emotionally all over the place. Hope, fear, laughter, terror, he felt them all, but most of all there was fear. Fear of missing a golden opportunity barely winning out over the fear of crashing and burning. He felt like a bomb tech, if he accidentally cut the wrong wire it would be all over, but if he did it right, untold glories awaited.

"Jaune just tell me, was that a date to you? Or was it all pretend?" Blake huffed when Jaune deflected her question.

"Is it bad if I think of that as my first ever date? I don't just mean our first ever, I mean it's the closest thing to a date I have ever had, period, full stop. I know it wasn't totally real. And we were hamming it up a bit for the gawkers. But everything I said was true. And everything I did was because it felt right. I'm sorry. I'm so lame…"

Blake held a finger over his lips stopping him from going on. "Jaune I think it's totally okay to think of that as a first date. I had a lot of fun and would love to do it again."

"So, we are dating then?" Blake nodded with a smirk and a bit of a shrug.

"Awesome! I have a girlfriend! That's so…. Wait does this mean I get boyfriend privileges then?" Jaune managed to prevent himself from leaping in the air and fist pumping, before the sudden realization that he now had a girlfriend dawned on him.

Blake's ears pinned back, immediately wary. "And what do you think that means?"

"Well, can I tell people we are dating?"

Blake nodded, but remained on edge.

"Can I call you 'kitten'?"

"No." Blake shut that sentiment down hard.

"Is it because it would be a 'pet name' and therefore derogatory?" Jaune frowned internally scolding himself.

"No. It's because my Mom and Dad call me that. Having my boyfriend use the same nickname as my Dad would be weird."

"Ohhh. Then how about 'Minou' it means kitty in the same old language that my name is in. I would have gone with the actual word for kitten, but it sounds like 'shat on a'. So, it doesn't really work well as a term of endearment."

"You've thought about this haven't you." Blake crossed her arms.

"I might have searched it a few times to have a backup plan. Just in case." Jaune looked sheepishly at the sink next to him.

"Minou is fine." Blake blushed a bit, and her defensive posture relaxed a bit. "It has a nice ring to it. But you can only use it in private."

"Okay, good, no problem. And we can share the loveseat during movie night?" Blake nodded again.

"And at least once a week you and I could maybe… I don't know…"

"Jaune…" Blake's tone carried a hard edge of warning. Her ears pinned back and her defensive walls slammed back into place.

Jaune just closed his eyes and grit his teeth and muscled through. "…you and I could go out and do something together?"

"Like what?" Blake's eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

"Like walk in the park, or go stargazing, or check out a movie. Maybe have dinner together, or go to a show? I don't have a lot of money so I can't afford to take you out somewhere nice every week. But I want to make sure we get a little time together just the two of us, even if it's just sitting in a bookstore or café together."

"And that's it? You aren't looking for something more physical?"

"Like sparring?"

"No Jaune, I mean physically intimate." Blake rolled her eyes.

"Ohhh... Well I was hoping maybe we could…" Jaune gulped and looked away as Blake raised her eyebrows, her face screaming 'Here it comes.'

"Can I hold your hand sometimes? It doesn't have to be in public or anything, just when it's the two of us, would that be okay? It felt really nice when we held hands in the restaurant. And maybe when we sit together you could put your legs over mine?" The words came out in a rush, as if he was worried that if he didn't get them all out quickly, he would lose his nerve and they would remain unsaid.

"Jaune, there are pictures of us spooning in our sleep. A little hand holding is no big deal." Blake laughed at his nervousness; he really was adorkable sometimes.

Jaune let out a breath he was unconsciously holding and visibly relaxed.

"But I do think we should talk a bit about what your expectations are from me regarding things of a sexual nature. Just to prevent any further misunderstandings." Blake watched him stiffen up painfully and turn slowly with a wince, only able to look at her from the corner of his eye.

"Umm…. Well… this is awkward. I, uhm… may have thought about those kind of things a few times… Okay, I've thought about it a lot." Jaune tensed up even more expecting Blake to be angry.

"Me to." Blake, put her hand on his chest, it was easy considering their close proximity and the confined space they occupied.

Jaune swallowed hard, and when that didn't work, swallowed again.

"But I'm not ready to go that far yet." Blake smiled shyly, almost apologetically, at him.

"Oh, thank the gods." Jaune collapsed down to sit on the toilet seat. "I was really worried there, I want to, sure, what guy wouldn't? I mean you're just so unbelievably gorgeous. I have no idea how I ended up this lucky. But honestly, I've got no idea what I'm doing. Mostly I'm desperately trying to figure out how to NOT screw this up. I was afraid of ruining things by trying to go too fast."

Blake blushed at the compliment. And took in the relieved look on Jaune's face. Then she remembered a key phrase from earlier. "Jaune, you said you want our first kiss to be something special, something to tell our kids about? So, you've thought about what our kids would be like?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's a long way off, after we have been married for a bit and own a house. And you know, vanquished the evil witch and her minions hell bent on destroying the world." Jaune shrugged, waving a hand in the air.

"And you were worried about moving too fast. You already have us married and settled down." Blake's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Well what's the point in dating someone you don't want to spend your whole life with? If you aren't planning for a long future together that wouldn't be dating so much as just messing around, right?" Jaune shrugged as if that was how everyone thought.

"Hmmmm. Jaune do you love me?" Blake wasn't sure what made her blurt that out. Internally she began to panic immediately, her mind racing to come up with some kind of damage control scenario.

"Well, yeah. Of course, I do." Jaune's rather quick, bluntly honest, and firmly resolute response shocked Blake and left her brain feeling almost numb.

"But we have only had one date, and you could barely call it that." Her voice was practically a whisper, and her words and thoughts were slow and sluggish. And why was she of all people trying to argue against him? I mean intellectually she already knew it, she had felt as much from his semblance, but hearing the words was a whole different thing. Her mind was reeling.

"So? Dating is to get to know one another. We already know almost everything there is to know about each other. Heck we have even met each other's family already. We aren't moving fast if you think about it. It's just being friends first has given us a head start." Jaune looked honestly confused and a little concerned over how nervous Blake suddenly seemed.

"Do you mind if… if I don't say it back?" Blake put a finger under his chin and gently raised his head so she could look him in the eyes. Her face showing clearly her worry and concern.

"Naw. It's fine. We will take things at whatever speed you're comfortable with. There is no pressure. I'm comfortable saying it because it's the truth, and I've had a fair bit of time to come to terms with it. But I don't need to hear the words back, actions speak louder than words anyway." He shrugged and smiled that heartwarming goofy grin of his.

"If there is ever something you're unsure of, or whatever, I want you to tell me. And vice versa. My mom always says, 'communication is the key to a lasting and happy relationship'."

He was so earnest, so caring, it lit a fire in her heart. Without even thinking she sat down, her legs straddling his lap. Using the hand still under his chin to turn his head, she planted the biggest most heartfelt kiss she could muster right on his lips.

He reacted in shock at first, as expected, but quickly returned the kiss. His arms wrapping around her and pulling her in tight, pouring his heart into it tenfold. Blake barely had time to think, "Damn, he is a pretty good kisser! Maybe there is something to Terra's theory." before he accidentally triggered his semblance. As the aura flowed into her, and thankfully it was a very slow trickle of Aura, Blake could literally feel the love pouring forth from him.

They deepened the kiss, drunk on love and reveling in their newfound bliss. Neither even registering the need for air.

Then like all things in Jaune's love life. A blonde woman came barging in to ruin it before it could go much further. For once it wasn't one of his sisters though. The door opened with a grinning Yang taking up most of the opening. Thankfully there was no scroll in her hand this time.

"Wow! You guys want another seven minutes? I mean it's already been like twenty. You were being very quiet. Nora was getting anxious. But I guess you guys are done pussy footing around, ehh? Ehh?"

Yang's pun was met with Blake's dead eyed stare, and that dang cricket starting up again. "Oh…. Yeah, okayyyy… Ooooo, I almost forgot! Weiss has to pee."

There was an indignant squawk from the back of the ship, and Nora appeared over Yang's shoulder waving and giving a thumbs up to Jaune.

Blake just glared while Jaune was still a little out of it.

"Alrighty then. Carry on, I guess. Yo! Weiss! You are gonna have to hold it a bit longer."

Weiss's reply was cut off as the door shut. Blake just leaned in pressing her forehead against Jaune's.

"Ummm, yeah that was… wow. Ahh, just to clarify, as part of boyfriend privileges, can we do that again sometime?"

Blake shook her head in disbelief, but kept her position with their heads touching. She smirked back at him. "We'll see how it goes. But I think that could be arranged."

Leaning back in she gave him a loving and chaste kiss. Before standing and pulling him up. Taking his hand, she led him to the door, but before opening it she turned back over her shoulder to look once more at his adorably goofy expression.

"Jaune?" getting his attention she gave his hand a squeeze.

"I love you too."


-~~ KBTS ~~-


AN: FINALLY! It's been a long build up. This moment has been in the planning for many, many, mannnnnyyyy months now. (I started writing this story almost 3 years ago.) I think this chapter turned out pretty well. I hope you all enjoyed it too. Our angsty Kitty is all bristly and defensive, but a nervous Jaune unintentionally manages to say all the right things.

That kiss between Blake and Yang was not intended to be the start of a Bumblebee ship or some kind of "black knight slayer" setup. But it is my head cannon reason for Blake and Yang's awkwardness and not so subtle sexual tension, injected in blatant fan service, during season 7. Still trying my best to keeping the knightshade plausible, without violating cannon.

Unfortunately, this also pretty much concludes the Volume 6 arc. Not a lot left to be done on a red eye flight to Atlas on a stolen ship after all. Although I do have a couple of Shorts and Omakes I'd like to do. I have no idea where the main story is going from here. I feel bad for our love birds. Not a lot of time to date with all the goings on in Atlas. Volume 7 was pretty dark, and the ending really bleak. We'll have to wait until Volume 8 comes out, but I don't see how I'm going to squeeze any romance into that gap. Unless Roosterteeth does some kind of giant time skip, and vol 8 picks up with them watching a news reel about the fall of Atlas while sipping tea in Vacuo or something.