Hey Everyone, sorry for the long wait! Time just got away from me lately, but I'm happy to present the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 21: A Pleasant Surprise
Jaune, Weiss and General Ironwood were moving as fast as they could in the direction Penny told them she'd seen Ruby and Pyrrha go. Luckily, it seemed the general had an idea of where they were headed without being told, but Jaune was still curious for information.
"So where are we going, sir?" He asked.
"The CCT tower. We've received intelligence reports that it could be a potential target for an attack in the recent past. I'm not absolutely certain, but I'm not taking chances. Schnee?"
"Yes, general?" She replied quickly.
"Contact your teammates and give me details on their position."
"Yes sir."
Weiss pulled out her scroll and dialed Ruby's number. She held it out for both the general and Jaune to hear. After a few rings, the call connected and Ruby's visage appeared on the screen. She still seemed to be running.
"Weiss, did Penny tell you wh-"
"Yes, we're on our way to back you up. What's your location?"
"We're close to the CCT tower. I think that's where that person I saw is going. Pyrrha and I are staying back a bit so we don't draw attention to ourselves."
"Arc, I heard that you and your team have fought both Roman Torchwick and the White Fang to a stalemate on multiple occasions, is that correct?" Ironwood asked.
"That's right." Jaune responded
"Schnee, tell your teammates that I want them to run interference. We can't let the target reach the CCT."
"Understood. Ruby, you need to try and stop them. We'll be there to back you up soon."
"Got it! Pyrrha, grab hold!" They heard Ruby say before ending the call.
General Ironwood pulled out his own scroll and dialed a number, holding it up to his ear. "I want reinforcements sent to the CCT tower pronto! Cover all possible entrances and exits. Search the perimeter and inside the building for any suspicious individuals and gather them up."
With that, he hung up the call. "How capable are your teammates, Arc?"
"Very and I don't say that lightly. Pyrrha's a well renowned gladiator champion and Ruby got into Beacon two years early by Ozpin's recommendation. They can both hold their own."
"That's reassuring. Seems Ozpin wasn't exaggerating your team's exploits. Let's pick up the pace so we can back them up."
"Allow me to assist with that, general." Weiss spoke up.
With her semblance, Weiss created Glyphs under each of them, giving their speed a boost. Jaune could feel himself travel farther and faster without even needing to increase the pace he was already running. It felt weird to say the least. Now though, all that mattered was catching up to the girls so he could be there for them.
Ruby and Pyrrah stood ready with weapons drawn. They flushed out their target and now stood in the empty street, facing each other down. The mysterious figure was masked, but Ruby could tell that their expression held no worry. It was more like amusement.
"Shouldn't you girls be enjoying your little dance party instead of playing with little old me?" The woman asked sweetly.
Neither Ruby nor Pyrrha made to answer her question. They were told to run interference, but that didn't mean they immediately had to engage in a fight. They would stall as much as possible, giving them more time for their teammates to catch up.
"It would be a shame for something to happen to such pretty faces. Why don't you let me pass and I'll pretend this never happened. Sound good?" The woman tried again.
Ruby and her partner remained silent. Ruby was eyeing the woman up and down and she saw no signs of weapons. That didn't mean she wasn't hiding one in her suit, but with the way it hugged her skin, Ruby didn't see any outlines that would indicate something stowed away. Whoever she was, her nonchalant attitude had to be for show. Time for a little interrogation.
"What are you after?"
"Nothing that concerns you, little girl." Came the woman's reply.
"I'm afraid that answer isn't good enough." Pyrrha followed up. "We've already informed the Vale police. You'll be surrounded and captured soon. You either answer to us or them. Either way, someone will figure out your plan."
Ruby knew Pyrrha was bluffing about the police. The only backup they knew was coming were Jaune and Weiss and someone else that seemed to be with them.
The woman chuckled lightly. "It's adorable that you think the Vale police are even a threat to me. Much less yourselves."
Now she was trying to provoke them. Good thing they weren't so quick to lose their temper. Still, Ruby was a little put off that she seemed so confident about the situation.
The woman sighed. "I suppose I won't be able to convince you. Guess I have no other choice."
Ruby and Pyrrha prepared themselves as the woman pulled out some kind of vial. She flung it across her body and dust appeared. The dust formed into sharp crystals, much like Weiss' ice shards she makes with her semblance. The crystals fired at them and both she and Pyrrha were able to block in their own way.
Once clear, Ruby fired a few sniper rounds, but to her surprise, the woman blocked them with only her hand and looked no worse for wear. Pyrrha was already on the move and closed the distance quickly. She tried a few prodding attacks, but the woman was able to dodge easily. Pyrrha picked up the pace, but her opponent continued to dodge with the grace and reflexes of a cat.
The woman flipped and landed with her hands on the ground and performed a spinning kick, deflecting Pyrrha's attack and forcing her sword hand away, leaving her open for attack. The woman followed up with a flurry of more kicks, but Pyrrha was able to bring her shield over to block each one.
Ruby fired more sniper rounds and forced the woman to retreat. Ruby kept up the pressure by using her semblance to get closer and not allowing her opponent to get too comfortable. Much like Pyrrha though, she wasn't landing any solid hits. What Ruby noticed though was any time she'd land a glancing blow or when her weapon was deflected, the woman's arms and legs would glow. She theorized that their semblance may be a defensive one that helps lessen the blow from a weapon, but she wasn't sure.
Pyrrha jumped in to back Ruby up once more and they were now both assaulting the mysterious would-be thief on both sides. They were definitely having a harder time fighting both of them off and she was beginning to lose ground.
Ruby and Pyrrha were caught off guard as the woman spun around and flames appeared along with two swords. The momentum had completely turned in her favor as she cut and slashed away at their defenses.
The initial shock wore off for Pyrrha and she clashed against the woman's sword and stopped her momentum. Ruby attempted to take advantage of that moment and attacked, but she was easily deflected and without missing a beat, was kicked in the stomach and went skidding backwards across the ground.
Once Ruby regained her senses, she watched Pyrrha go toe to toe with the woman as swords clashed. Pyrrha began implementing other moves into her attack patterns as she switched between sword, spear and gun to try and gain any sort of advantage, but the woman was able to deflect or repel anything she threw at her. Ruby was actually stunned to see anyone able to keep up with her partner.
The woman broke off from Pyrrha and flipped into the air. Similar to how her swords magically appeared, she now had three arrows and her swords somehow combined to become a bow. She fired at Pyrrha who was able to jump back as an explosion erupted when the arrows hit the ground. Pyrrha regrouped with Ruby who was ready for another go at things.
The woman landed and smiled at them. "As much fun as this is, I really must be going. Playing with you two has cost me a lot of ti-"
She couldn't finish her sentence as she let out a pained yell and recoiled forward. Ruby and Pyrrha looked past her to see she had been shot with a gun by a man dressed all in white, Jaune and Weiss at his side.
Weiss watched as General Ironwood took aim and fired his weapon square into the back of what she assumed to be the suspicious figure Penny mentioned. The woman turned and scowled in their direction.
"General. How nice of you to join the party." She growled out.
"You may as well give up and turn yourself in. My men are tightening security around the CCT inside and out. Even if you get past us, you're not getting in. And we're gathering any suspicious individuals inside as well. We have all angles covered." Ironwood explained.
The woman looked between them and Ruby and Pyrrha. "As tempting as your offer is, I'm afraid I can't take you up on it."
"Allow me to rephrase. I'm not giving you a choice. You're coming with me whether you want to or not." Ironwood stated much more seriously this time.
The woman pulled out a vial of Dust and spread it behind her, creating a wall of Earth and separating Ruby and Pyrrha from them. Without a second's hesitation, the woman pushed forward with a boost from a small explosion at her feet. None expected her to be so fast and she was within striking distance in a mere second. Her target was clear and Weiss didn't have any time to react as the woman shot a blade towards Jaune's throat. He didn't seem to be able to get his shield arm up in time as he was just as shocked as Weiss. Suddenly, Ironwood grabbed the sword with his hand and it stopped just before piercing Jaune. The general made to shoot their assailant, but noticed sparking along the blade.
"Get back!" He yelled.
Weiss and Jaune retreated to a safe distance while Ironwood backpedaled away as an explosion erupted from the weapon. It wasn't large, but it was just distracting enough for them to all turn away and cover their eyes only to find the woman gone when they opened them again. Ruby and Pyrrha appeared from the other side of the wall shortly after.
"She ran away! I saw her disappear behind those buildings after jumping back onto the roof." Ruby said, pointing to a building behind them.
"Damn, she played us…" Ironwood lamented.
"What now, general? Should we pursue her?" Weiss asked.
"No. She's retreated for the time being. She knows she can't accomplish her objective with me around. That's why she waited until I was occupied with the party."
"Who was that woman anyway? Do you have any ideas?" Jaune asked.
"Unfortunately not. We know that there's a powerhouse helping the White Fang aside from Roman Torchwick, but we don't know their identity." He explained. "Tonight was the first time I've personally laid eyes on her."
"She's definitely skilled. She was easily able to keep up with me and Pyrrha. I don't think I've ever seen anyone give her such a hard time."
"I admit that was the toughest fight I've ever been in." Pyrrha agreed solemnly.
"You engaged her before we showed up, right? What can you tell me about her capabilities?" The general inquired.
"She's capable at both hand to hand and weaponized combat both close and ranged. She also was able to produce her weapons seemingly from thin air. Although, a small blaze of fire surrounded her before they appeared." Pyrrha recounted.
"That's...interesting...anything else?"
"She was able to deflect my bullets with her bare hands. Oh and whenever she would block or if I managed to just barely hit her, her arms and legs would glow orange like fire." Ruby added.
Weiss saw the general tense a bit. It would seem that specific piece of information caught his attention even more.
"Is that right? That's good work, you two. You all should head back to the dance. I'll be heading to the CCT to make sure it's still secure."
"Are you sure you don't want us to come? There's strength in numbers." Jaune prodded, hoping to stay on the case.
"Your offer is appreciated, but this is a job for registered huntsmen. Despite your previous interactions with the White Fang, you're still students and I can't condone further involvement. I'll overlook your teammates' involvement up to now since they were the ones to discover her and were able to slow her down, but from here on out, this is official business."
"We understand, general. We'll head back at once." Weiss agreed with no objections.
"Good. Tell Ozpin and Glynda everything that happened here and everything you told me. They need to be in the loop as well.
Weiss knew that Jaune and potentially Ruby would want to protest, but the General wasn't one to cross. At least, that's what her sister would tell her from time to time when she would come home for a visit while on military leave. It's best to nip that in the bud while she had the chance.
"Yes sir. Good luck. Come on you three, let's head back." Weiss all but commanded.
"Weiss, are you sure about just leaving like this?" Jaune questioned.
"Yeah, we've already come this far." Ruby agreed.
"Atlas is one of the greatest military powers on Remnant. If General Ironwood himself says we need to go back, it isn't wise to disobey him."
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Schnee, but do you need to make it sound like I'm some kind of tyrant?" Ironwood asked concernedly.
"M-my apologies, general! T-that wasn't my intention!" Weiss stammered.
"Relax, I'm only joking." He chuckled. "I used to pull the same jokes on your sister when she first enlisted."
"On Winter? Really?" She asked, genuinely shocked.
"Indeed. Although, she wasn't as gullible as you."
Weiss' cheeks flushed red. Of course she wasn't. Winter was the epitome of grace and dignity. She herself had a long way to go before she could even dream to compare to her sister.
"Now then, it's time you head back. The sooner Oz hears about all this, the better. Thank you all for your assistance tonight. You did well." He praised the students.
After dismissing them, he began the short trek the rest of the way to the CCT while the others made their way back to the dance hall. Although, it was safe to say that none of them were in the mood to dance anymore.
"I see, so that's what happened. I'm glad that you all are relatively unharmed." Ozpin sighed with relief.
Team JWPR sat in a private room separate from the dance hall with Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch and finished recounting what happened earlier.
"You did well to hold them off. She is no ordinary thief." Ozpin admitted.
"Who is she exactly? Jaune asked.
"Let's just say she stole something very important from us. We still aren't even aware of her true identity, meaning she is highly skilled as you said. You did the right thing telling us about the situation before attempting to pursue her, Mr. Arc, Ms. Schnee."
"However, we could have potentially captured her if we knew sooner." Professor Goodwitch said sternly, specifically glaring at Ruby and Pyrrha.
"Now now, Glynda. What's done is done. We needn't cry over spilt milk at this point. The intel we've gathered tonight is valuable enough." Ozpin tried to come to their defense.
"With all due respect, sir, this is the third time that members of team JWPR acted on their own outside of school regulations. And this is after repeated warnings. I feel as though some sort of punishment should be doled out, otherwise they'll continue to do as they please without thinking about the consequences."
"I feel that Mr. Arc's and Ms. Schnee's willingness to involve us this time is proof that isn't entirely the case. I believe it's a sign of good faith that they have indeed learned their lesson and are trying to color within the lines going forward."
"Perhaps that is the case for Ms. Schnee and Mr. Arc, however, Ms. Rose and Ms. Nikos blatantly went against those ideals and pursued the culprit themselves without consulting us first. At the very least, they should be the ones to receive punishment."
"But did they not inform Ms. Polendina about the situation prior to chasing the culprit and instructed her to inform the others of the situation?" Ozpin reasoned.
"They instructed her to tell their teammates. Not school faculty. The fact that Mr. Arc and Ms. Schnee decided to inform us doesn't exonerate the others."
Jaune decided enough was enough and stood. "Professor Goodwitch, if you need to punish someone, punish me. It's my duty as their leader to keep them on the straight and narrow and I haven't done a good job of that. If any lack of discipline is to blame, then it's solely on my shoulders for not enforcing it."
"Jaune no! None of this is your fault! It's mine! I'm the one who convinced Pyrrha to go with me!" Ruby protested, also standing.
"I went of my own free will. I won't allow either of you to take the sole blame." Pyrrha interjected.
"I should be punished as well!" Weiss added. "It was Jaune's idea to inform you of what happened. I would have rushed out the door without a second thought if he hadn't made the call."
Ozpin chuckled, taking them slightly off guard. "It would appear your team cares a great deal about you, Mr. Arc. I would say you've led them quite well." Ozpin stood as well. "However, if professor Goodwitch insists on someone receiving punishment even still, then shall we dole one out so we can start again with a clean slate?"
The room was silent, even Goodwitch didn't speak. Professor Ozpin decided to continue. "Very well then, I hereby give both Ms. Rose and Ms. Nikos one day's detention. You will assist professor Goodwitch with whatever tasks she deems fit during after school hours tomorrow."
"Sir, that seems far too lenient!" Goodwitch protested.
"Does it? An entire after school day of these girls assisting you with whatever you need and also giving you ample opportunity to lecture them on their conduct? Seems punishment enough to me."
"Sir!" Goodwitch almost shrieked at the jab.
Professor Ozpin let out a hearty laugh. "Be sure to lecture them well, Glynda. Now then, I think we've kept them here long enough, let them enjoy what's left of the party. I myself wish to make an appearance on the dance floor before all is said and done."
Professor Goodwitch sighed in defeat. "Very well. Ms. Rose, Ms. Nikos, I'll see you both after classes are over for the day tomorrow. You're all dismissed."
"Understood." Pyrrha simply said.
"Roger that!" Ruby said a bit too cheerily.
After Jaune and Weiss gave their own confirmations, team JWPR exited the room, leaving Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch to their thoughts.
"Sir, they're beginning to take bolder actions. Who knows what they were after at the CCT, but it couldn't have been anything good." Glynda surmised.
"Yes, so it would seem. I believe the time is almost upon us to choose the successor." Ozpin replied.
"Have you narrowed down the candidates?"
"I have."
The rest of the dance came and went and everyone returned to their dorms to turn in for the night. The second team JWPR walked through their door, Ruby flung off her shoes, not a single care where they ended up.
"Finally! Ugh I hate those things so much!" She proclaimed.
"We know. You constantly remind us." Weiss retorted.
"Are they really that bad, Ruby?" Jaune asked.
"Of course! They're walking death traps!"
"Ruby, Pyrrha and I wear them all the time. We'd be dead already if they were walking death traps." Weiss fired back.
"You two are monsters. It's the only explanation." Ruby casually deduced
"Mo-what?!" Weiss stammered.
"Well, I was called a monster by many of my opponents when I was a gladiator, so I suppose it makes sense." Pyrrha added.
"You're not helping, Pyrrha!"
Pyrrha playfully stuck her tongue out at Weiss which only seemed to fuel her frustration. Jaune watched on with a smile as his team bickered between each other. A lot had happened tonight. Pyrrha confessed her love to him, he wore a dress, they had to stop a mysterious thief, definitely not a conventional night by any means. And the way they stood in defense of him when he tried to take the blame and punishment, he didn't know what he did to deserve such a wonderful team.
He could feel all warm and fuzzy later though. Right now, it was time he got out of this dress. He grabbed a few clothes and tried to sneak past the girls as they bickered.
"Not so fast, Mister." He heard Weiss say.
He jolted in place and slowly turned his head to face her. She had her scroll out and pointed at him. "You're definitely not getting away without a commemorative photo."
He gulped. "I was afraid of that."
Photo taking ensued. They each got an individual picture with him and then finally they all took a group photo. The girls laughed at the pained expressions he made, but he couldn't hate them for it.
"By the way, I never did ask you why you wore a dress." Weiss admitted.
"Oh yeah, I completely forgot to ask too!" Ruby added.
"I'm afraid that was my doing." Pyrrha spoke up, surprising the two other girls. "You see, he made a promise of sorts to me that if I didn't have a date to the dance, he'd wear a dress. I of course thought he was joking. I never meant for you to do that for me, Jaune."
"Hey, no matter how ridiculous, an Arc doesn't go back on his word. Don't worry about it."
"I see. And did that dance with her also count as part of your promise?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
Uh oh, was he in trouble? She didn't seem to have a problem with it at the party, but now that they were semi alone, was she actually mad about it?
She smiled at seeing him flustered. "I'm only joking. I know your intentions were pure."
Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. Pyrrha on the other hand, wouldn't let things go without an apology. As usual.
"I'm really sorry, Weiss. I didn't mean to cut into yours and Jaune's time together."
Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine, Pyrrha. I'm just glad to see that you're feeling better now. It seemed to help and that's all I care about."
Pyrrha smiled at her. "Thank you, Weiss."
It seemed Pyrrha knew now wasn't a good time to tell Weiss why she felt down in the dumps in the first place. There would probably be a conversation about that sometime soon, but for now, it was best to let everyone enjoy themselves.
"Well then, if there aren't any more objections, I'm gonna change now."
"I suppose our teasing earned you the right to change first." Weiss lamented.
"Gee thanks."
Jaune walked into the bathroom with his clothes in hand. After shutting the door, he immediately heard the girls chatting about the dress some more. Something told him he wasn't going to live this down for a while.
For now though, He was sure that Weiss was just as disappointed as he was that their night was interrupted. A thought had occurred to him on their way back and, if he could pull it off, he'd definitely score some points in the romance category.
Weiss stifled a yawn. With everything that happened the night before, she was left feeling a bit more tired than usual. Thankfully, classes were over for the day, which also meant that Ruby and Pyrrha had to begin their day of detention with professor Goodwitch. She didn't envy their position in the least. She did feel bad though. Perhaps she should set an example for the team and help Jaune enforce the "no more going behind the professor's back's" mindset.
That switched her brain to a different gear. She and Jaune would get to have some alone time with the other's out for the foreseeable night. He had stayed behind with profe- doctor Oobleck saying that he had something important to discuss with him. She'd wondered what it was, but didn't press. She would be lying if she said she didn't feel a bit down after losing the opportunity to dance with her partner more. They had so much fun with the few times they did dance. That was the thing. She'd come to learn just how fun it was to be with him. That, or the prospect of actually dating someone filled her with a sense of joy.
There was a problem though. Since Weiss had never dated anyone in the past, she was most definitely inexperienced in the subject. She reminisced about all the times Jaune brought up the aspect of them being on a date when it was just the two of them. Like their first trip to Vale to resupply on Dust, or when they were investigating the Dust robberies. She found the idea of dating him at the time as a migraine waiting to happen, but she'd since changed her tune after coming to the realization that he truly cared for her and wanted nothing but her happiness. Nobody had wanted that for her except her sister. Of course her friends did too, but he was the first one to show a genuine interest in that. She couldn't help but smile as she made it to their dorm room.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the ping of her scroll go off. She removed it from her pocket to find that Jaune had texted her.
"Hey Weiss, sorry, but I've got some stuff I need to take care of, so I won't be coming back to the room for a while."
Well that soured her mood a little bit. So much for their alone time. She supposed it had something to do with his needing to speak with doctor Oobleck. She was writing her reply message when another message popped up from him.
"If I don't make it back before then, meet me in the garden at 8. Wear something nice."
That made her heart flutter a bit. Was he planning a date? That was ironic considering her previous train of thought. She didn't want to spoil the surprise, so agreed to his terms."
"I'll see you then."
She smiled again and opened the door to their room. She had some preparation to do as well.
Weiss could feel her heart beating faster as she took each step toward the garden. She had decided to wear her dress she'd worn to the dance. It didn't get much use, so might as well make the most of it right? She hadn't seen or heard from Jaune since he texted her earlier in the day, but she was busy preparing for tonight and didn't dwell on it much. They may have missed each other when she went to have dinner with team RYBN, but that was neither here nor there at this point. Ruby and Pyrrha hadn't returned either, so she assumed professor Goodwitch was still putting them through the wringer.
Her scroll read 7:59. A Schnee was punctual after all. She was only mere steps from the door now and she began to feel nervous. She'd been alone with Jaune a few times now, but never in this capacity. Still, she would not cower at the feet of a few nerves. She confidently pushed the door open and found Jaune standing not too far away. He was wearing his tuxedo from the night before as well. He smiled at her and held a single white Tulip in his hand, the same flower he'd given her during his confession. It happened only a few nights prior, but she looked back fondly on that moment.
The garden was illuminated by the lights surrounding it. The sun had already set, but it was still a beautiful sight during the evening hours.
"Hey Weiss." He said.
"Hello Jaune." She simply replied.
He presented the flower to her. She took it and held it close to her chest.
"This is certainly a surprise. What brought this on all of a sudden?" She asked him.
He rubbed the back of his neck as he usually did when he was nervous. "Well, I was just thinking that, since we didn't get to enjoy the dance together all that much, we could have our own private dance."
Weiss certainly hadn't expected that. "Oh! Jaune, you didn't have to!"
"Really? Well I guess we can cancel. And I even went and made a playlist for us to dance to." He said dejectedly. But he wasn't fooling her. She could see that mischievous mirth in his eyes.
She rolled her own eyes and smiled. "I suppose I can indulge you."
"You're too kind." He said as he offered his hand
She took it and he led her to a gazebo deeper into the garden. She noticed that there were some of the decorations they had used from the dance on and around it.
"I see you have been busy." Weiss commented.
"Yup. I asked Doctor Oobleck for permission to use this space for tonight. He was surprisingly very agreeable. Something about youth needing to live their lives to the fullest while they were still young."
Weiss laughed. "That certainly sounds like him."
Once they entered, he placed his scroll off to the side and began playing some music. The song that came on sounded like a typical modern generation dance song.
"I figured we'd work our way through all the different types of dances."
"My my, you put some thought into this, haven't you?"
"What can I say? I'm a great event organizer."
Weiss laughed. "Shut up and dance, you dunce."
And dance he did. She was reminded that he actually had some moves. Although he didn't look ridiculous this time now that he was wearing proper attire. She danced along with him, but she had nowhere near his skillset with her upbringing. Jaune even laughed at her for some of her movements. A brief "YEOWCH" escaped Jaune's mouth as Weiss got her revenge by stepping on his foot.
She thought she would have the advantage in the Waltzing category, but Jaune was able to match her step for step as he did the night before. It truly wasn't fair. If he was this coordinated on the dance floor, how had he been so uncoordinated on his feet when they first met?
The night continued and the playlist Jaune had set up for them seemed to be reaching its conclusion as the slow dance songs were becoming more prominent. They held each other close as they swayed back and forth, neither daring to speak, lest they ruin the moment. Weiss sighed contently as she rested her forehead on his chest. She didn't know if this is what people called love, but she definitely didn't dislike what she was feeling towards her partner. She was nervous, but excited to see where things between them would go. So far, she was enjoying herself and it seemed Jaune was too. After all, this is all he had wanted from the beginning.
Regrettably, the song ended and another didn't begin to play, indicating this was the end of his playlist. He was the first to break apart, also regrettably, but he had the biggest smile on his face.
"Thanks Weiss, I had a lot of fun."
The smile was contagious and she found herself doing the same. "I did as well. Thank you for this, Jaune. It was wonderful."
He rubbed the back of his neck again. "No problem. I hope we can do this again sometime."
"As do I. If all your date ideas are this romantic, I highly look forward to our next one."
He gulped. "That's a lot of pressure."
She smirked. "I'm sure you can handle it." A fun little idea popped into her brain. She tilted her head, feigning confusion. "Hmm? What's that in your hair?"
Jaune did the same with his head and began running his hand through it. "I don't know. Did I get it?"
"No, here, lean down, I'll get it for you."
He did as requested and Weiss closed the distance and quickly kissed him on the cheek. He jolted back, face dark red and placed his hand instinctively where she kissed him.
"W-Weiss?!"
"Perhaps that will provide sufficient motivation." She smirked again. "Now then, shall we head back?"
She turned around and internally began to freak out, her face turning as red as Jaune's. That was the first time she'd ever kissed someone. Granted it was only on the cheek, but still. Was that the correct thing to do in a situation like this? There were so many things she didn't know about dating etiquette. Was a kiss on the cheek saved for only when you were in an official relationship? Or was that just the lips? She began to feel dizzy just thinking about kissing him there.
"U-um, sure, let's go." She heard his voice crack.
Neither of them could look at the other on their journey back to the dorm room, much less speak. It was almost quiet enough to hear how loudly their hearts were pounding. Luckily, the halls were empty thanks to curfew coming up. Weiss made another bold move by walking closer to Jaune and linking her pinky with his. She was still embarrassed about earlier, but she still wanted to be close to him. He made no protest and they walked the rest of the way just like that.
To Be Continued
AN: A chapter with equal parts action and romance. What fun! I really do love writing the moments between Jaune and Weiss. After a year of waiting to get to this point, it feels great to start fleshing those ideas out on paper. More to come soon! Hope you enjoyed and I'll cya next time!