Authors Notes: Welp... here we go.

Jaune closed the door as quietly as possible, while he had gotten Professor Goodwitch's permission to use the room he wanted to avoid anyone else being aware of his plan.

As he turned away from the door and started down the hallway towards the actual dance, his nervousness returned.

Jaune had a plan and with every step he took that plan seemed like a worse and worse idea. Not only did he plan on fighting Yang, he planned to ask her out after it.

His palms felt sweaty and he could barely stand. More than once he wanted to just forget the whole idea, to go to his room and play video games or something, but in the end he hardened his resolve, or at least as much as he could, and pressed on wards.

The dance had started about an hour before, meaning everyone should have been in position. All that was left was for him to show up and give Weiss the signal.

He approached the doors with the largest genuine smile he had had in as long as he could remember.

"You certainly took your time, didn't you?" Weiss and Ruby met him out front, slightly to the side as to avoid any attention.

"I'm sure it was important Weiss." Ruby, ever the good friend, protected him. He didn't have the courage to tell her the reason he was late was because his own doubt. "Everything ready?"

"It should be, yeah." Jaune looked to the door. "She is here, right?"

"Of course, I told you she'd be here didn't I?" Weiss turned and lead them to the door. She paused when she reached the handle. "Though I probably should warn you…"

"Warn me about what?" Jaune looked to Ruby, who had apparently found something interesting in the bushes, giving her an excuse to look away.

"Well… she… changed her look a little bit." Weiss shook her head. "Never mind, you'll see soon enough." She opened the door and walked through.

Jaune was confused but followed her in. It only took a moment for him to see what she meant.

"Oh… that's not bad actually." his brain couldn't fully process what he was seeing. Standing off to the side was Blake, doing her part and making sure Yang didn't try to leave early. Beside her stood a rather awkward looking Yang… with hair only a few inches longer than Ruby's.

"That's all you have to say?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Ruby almost died of shock when she saw."

"Hey! I did not, I was just… surprised was all." Ruby laughed awkwardly.

"I'm shocked, it's just…" Jaune couldn't form the words he was looking for, in fact, he couldn't focus on anything other than the girl on the far side of the room.

Yang was always beautiful, but now? There was something… different about it, like he was seeing her for the first time, as cliche as that sounds.. It was her but also something more.

It took a solid minute for him to regain his ability to speak. "Why did she- she loves her hair." He directed his question at Weiss since Ruby had ran over to her sister to prepare for her part of the plan.

"It was part of a bet between her and Blake." Weiss scoffed in disbelief. "I never thought she'd actually do it though, none of us did."

Jaune understood why, the thing's Yang loved more than her hair could be counted on one hand. "The reward if she won must have been pretty good for her to risk losing."

"Blake and I going to the dance together." Weiss turned to him for a moment. "I don't think she even considered that she might lose." She seemed to think for a moment. "In her defense, she really didn't lose so much as… forfeit."

That peaked Jaune's interest even more. Yang was many things, a quitter wasn't one of them. "What was the bet?"

"Whether she could make you a better fighter or not." Weiss turned back to look at the rest of her team with a sigh. "That's the whole reason we ended up here in the first place."

Wait.. It was a bet? I was… just a bet?

Weiss kept talking, not noticing Jaune's confusion. "Blake said Yang wanted out of the bet and this was the only way out… Blake pressured her to keep the bet and well… she did."

"But… That doesn't… why would Blake force her?" Too many thoughts were flowing through his mind for him to focus on just one.

Weiss shook her head. "Yang was trying to get away from you, in order to do that she had to end the bet." She scoffed at the statement. "She really didn't need to, Blake probably wouldn't have stopped her had Yang not approached her about it. In the end, Blake refused to let Yang run."

Jaune barely heard a word she said as she carried on. "Yang really wasn't thinking clearly.

Jaune spoke no louder than a whisper. "Yang would rather give up one of the things she loves most in this world, than to give me a chance?"

"What, thats-" Weiss turned back to where Jaune was but found herself alone.

Blake saw Weiss approach before the rest of them, she also noticed the panicked look in her eyes before she hid it away.

"Blake, I need to speak with you for a moment." She didn't so much as glance at Yang or Ruby, the two exchanging looks as the heiress lead Blake away. "We have a slight, small, incredibly minuscule, problem."

Blake narrowed her eyes. "What kind of problem?"

Weiss looked more awkward than Blake had ever seen her, only adding to the concern. "Jaune is gone."

It was a full thirty seconds before she was able to respond. "What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean, he isn't here. He left."

Blake became confused. "Isn't that the plan? He's supposed to wait for Yang in the training room, right?"

Weiss winced. "This is… different. I may have… said something." Blake scowled at her, prompting her to continue. "I may have told him about your bet with Yang… and how that was the only reason the two started hanging out…"

Blake had never seen Weiss look so ashamed, she understood why. "Oh , you've got to be kidding me." She brought a hand to her face. "What did he say?"

Weiss seemed to regain some of her composure, focusing on the task at hand. "He seemed hurt that Yang would go to such lengths to avoid him." She gestured towards Yang, more specifically her new hairstyle. "She gave up something she loved, just to avoid him."

Blake groaned. "How did he come to that conclusion?"

"Um" Weiss coughed into her fist and blushed. "That's not important. The point is, you need to go talk to him."

"Me?!" Blake lowered her voice when she realized how loud she had been. "Why me?"

"Then his team, or Ruby, or anyone else!" Weiss sighed. "This isn't my area of expertise… I would just make this worse."

Blake sighed, even though she was probably right about herself being a bad choice. Ruby would probably be just as bad for this. "When did my life become so… dramatic?"

She began looking over the floor for the rest of his team, they were the safest bet to try and help him… unless. She let her eyes fall over her partner. "I have an idea."

Weiss seemed relieved for all of a second before she realized where Blake was looking, and just who at. "That… seems like a poor idea."

"You said you told him about the bet, right?" Weiss didn't respond verbally, only nodding her head softly, "His team can't tell him how she feels" Blake took a deep breath. "She's the only one who can."

"She cut her hair to avoid him, why would she talk to him now?"

"Because he's the one whose hurting now, not just herself." Yang wouldn't sit by while he felt so hurt… she hoped.

Blake approached her friend cautiously, earning more than her fair share of weird looks. She stood there in silence, searching for how to broach the subject.

"What?" Yang seemed appropriately suspicions.

"There's… a problem." Blake swallowed, finding it increasingly difficult. "With Jaune." Yang froze, and for a moment Blake thought she might actually leave. She continued speaking before she had the chance. "He had a plan to try and make you feel better."

Yang seemed surprised but Blake continued. "He thought that he was at fault for driving you off and decided to try and make it up to you." she paused a moment to let it sink in. "He got the training rooms reserved from Glynda to try and set up a spar with you, the same thing that built your friendship in the first place, he... planned on asking you out. He wanted to give a relationship a chance."

Yang blushed slightly at the thought as a half sad smile came to her face. Her voice was somewhere between somber and heartfelt. "Oh Jaune…"

"That was before he found out about the bet though."

Yang's expression shifted to one of confusion. "What does that have to do with this?"

Blake gestured her arm in the general direction Jaune had fled in. "He already thought this whole thing was his fault, he already blamed himself. Now to hear that you had a wager on him, that the kindness you had shown when helping train him was for your own benefit-" Blake took a moment to breath. "He needs help, he needs you to talk to him."

Yang was justly hesitant. "I don't think that would be a good idea. We had-"

Blake didn't let her finish. "You told me you didn't want to end up like your father… or your mother. From how you're acting and what you've told me… you've never been closer to being her."

Yang stepped back in shock. It took Blake a moment to fully realize what she had said, and just how hard her partner would take those words. "Yang, I…" Part of her wanted to take it back, but the rest of her knew that it was for the best. "You aren't your parents, you can forge your own path, but… in the end, you have to choose it."

Yang looked hurt, the look of shock from earlier still clear on her face, but it was shrouded in something else. Blake hopped it was something good.

Blake wasn't sure how long they stood there in silence, waiting for Yang to make up her mind. It felt like an eternity had passed before Yang finally spoke. "Do you know where he went?"

Blake smiled as her partner made the right choice. "Not precisely, but I have a hunch."

The walk to the training rooms had been a stressful one. Every step of the way Yang was trying to think of what to say, of how to handle the current issue. She hadn't come up with anything by the time they approached the entrance way.

"What makes you think he'd come here?" Yang asked in confusion. "If he changed his mind, why would he follow the plan?" Her argument was invalidated by the sound of punching from coming from the room.

Blake's grin was all too self served. "You wore off on him. He's upset and this is a good outlet."

Yang sent a glare her partners way before taking a deep breath, and opening the door.

The room was dimly lit, only the lights over the arena being on. Jaune stood in the middle punching a dummy. He was still in his suit and hadn't bothered to retrieve his weapon, even if it was sitting only a few feet away.

She stood in the doorway for a moment just taking it all in, before taking a few more steps. The sound of her heels clicking against the floor gave her away immediately but Jaune didn't look away from his task.

His form was sloppy as well as awkward, but not entirely ineffective. He knew how to punch and how to maximize the force of each hit, something he had picked up from her training most likely.

"I don't want to talk about it" Jaune kept his back facing the door. "The plan's off."

For a moment Yang thought about leaving then, a small part of her brain saying it was for the best. To run away and let him deal with it. She hated the thought for existing in the first place and she steady herself to speak.

"And what plan was that?" She had expected him to be startled to hear her voice, to laugh awkwardly or stutter a response. What she hadn't expected was for him to stop his 'spar' and refuse to turn to her.

"Which one of them sent you?" His voice wasn't angry but it carried a pure neutral tone she had never heard from him before.

"I think it was Blake's idea" And what an idea it was. "though Ruby and Weiss supported it." She took a few more steps into the room.

"Ah" was all he said before continuing his spar with the training dummy.

She didn't know where to go from there, he hadn't directed the conversation or even offered her a way to. He had simply responded, it was clear he had no intention of doing anything more.

In the end Yang took a deep breath and spoke. "We need to talk." She walked further, placing herself only a few feet away from him. He stopped his spar again.

Jaune's laugh came out weak, more of a chuckle, and felt broken. "What is there to talk about? I'm sorry I ruined your bet, Blake and Weiss would have made quite the statement showing up together."

Yang winced but was undeterred. "Jaune, I never meant to-"

"To what?!" He finally turned to look at her, his eyes flashing with an uncharacteristic anger. Yang was startled and took a few steps back. "To have me find out? To develop feelings for me?" Yang tried to interrupt but he wouldn't let her. "I trusted you, you helped me do things I never thought I could! You helped me for no other reason than to be a good friend… or so I thought."

Yang shook her head and pressed forward, walking up onto the actual arena. "I never meant to hurt you." She attempted to force all her emotion into her eyes. "I started this as a bet, that's true, but… Jaune, that was only ever the training." He turned away from her. "We developed a friendship the same as anyone else, it just started different."

Jaune exhaled sharply. "Yeah, different." He turned to look at her once more. "If you were my friend, if we were ever truly as close as you say, then why did you cut your hair?" Yang looked away from him. "Exactly… The fact is, you gave up something you love to avoid me, and I, ever the fool, thought you might like me."

It took Yang a moment to gain her breath, the sheer weight of his words punching the air from her lungs. "Jaune, I… I do like you." She took a few more steps forward.

"Then why did you run?" He turned back to her again, this time with a different emotion in his eyes. "Why wouldn't you talk to me?" his voice shook for a moment. "Why am I not good enough?"

"I ran because..." Yang thought carefully. She didn't want to tell him the truth, even now she was scared of what that might do. In the end though, she couldn't bare for Jaune to blame himself for her actions. "Did I ever tell you the story of my dad?"

Jaune seemed surprised by the sudden topic shift. "No"

"My dad fell in love with his teammate, and for a while everything seemed to be going good. They got married and before long my mother was pregnant with me." Yang took a deep breath, biting back her anger at the next part. "After I came along though… well, she left."

Jaune seemed surprised but she continued before he could interrupt. "My uncle says it hurt my dad a lot, but thankfully for everyone Summer was there to pick him back up. Before long, they were married and Ruby came along. Everything really was perfect… than Summer died."

Yang took a breath and continued on. "This time it broke my dad. It took him a long time to get back on his feet, he hasn't really been the same since." Yang looked away from Jaune, no longer able to look at anything other than the floor. "It's not an excuse but… I was terrified of ending up like him. I still am." She forced herself to look up at Jaune again. "I'm terrified of losing someone I love… that's why I ran."

All the anger, all the hate that had been on Jaune's face, faded away. "Yang, I… I never knew."

Yang turned and walked over to a nearby table before bending over and taking her heels off. "I don't like to talk about it, it… makes me feel vulnerable." She turned and walked back over to the arena. "Still want to spar?" He seemed confused. "You were mad, you have every right to be. So we're gonna fight and fix this, once and for all."

He seemed hesitant but before long nodded softly. He made to move for his weapon but she stopped him. "Hand to hand today."

Jaune was confused but set himself up opposite her, and allowed her to make the first move. She did so with an overly obvious move directed towards his left side. "I'm sorry that I ran."

He brought his arm over, pushing her punch to the side. She redirected her weight, allowing her to follow up. "I'm sorry that I hurt you."

This time he dodged to the side before launching his own attack, as he finally decided to go on the offensive. It was slow, especially compared to what they normally did, but it was relaxing.

"I'm sorry I was so stupid." She couldn't take it anymore.

Jaune took a hit from her on his wrist, powering through to offer his own in exchange. "Yang, I-"

"I'm sorry for ruining everything." She had finally had enough. It had been an emotional day, getting her hair cut, learning how she had hurt Jaune, telling him about her fears. She felt her eye's water slightly. "I'm sorry for-"

Jaune grabbed her wrists, pulling her against his chest, bending his neck down slightly as they locked lips. For a moment the world fell away, the only two things in existence where the two of them.

This kiss was… different from the last. It was just as enjoyable but it had more... emotion in it. She never wanted it to end. She felt her lungs burn and she pulled away as she felt herself blush.

Jaune grinned slightly."You aren't your parents." He took a moment to breath as his face began to practically glow red. "Yang Xiao Long, would you be willing to go out with me?"

She was still dazed from their kiss, needing a minute to think. Her heart wanted to, it wanted to more than anything else in the world, but her mind was still unsure. The doubt was still there. She thought of all the time's she had seen her dad when he thought no one was looking, the distant stares and single tears hidden from his daughters, but she also thought of something else.

She thought of all the stories he would tell, of how happy he always seemed remembering them or the way he always smiled the brightest when thinking about Summer. He didn't regret falling in love, not even for a second. Yang made her choice.

She had apparently spent too much time thinking, as Jaune began to pull away. "I-I understand if you dont-" She pulled him close, linking her hands behind his neck as she returned the kiss from earlier.

"I would love to." She couldn't keep the giddy smile off her face as Jaune's expression changed from one of apprehension to complete and utter joy.

"We should probably get back to the dance, people will begin to talk." He stepped back, finally untangling himself from her. "Would you do me the honor of being my date to the dance?"

She put a finger to her chin. "I don't know, it's kind of short notice." She gave him a smile to show she was joking. "I would love to."

She pulled him close again but this time, she allowed herself to enjoy it.

Authors Notes: I DID IT! IT IS DONE… or is it?!

That's actually a question for all of you. I left this open enough so that I could give it a sequel if that idea is popular enough, there is story potential for it so… let me know.. honestly I might do it regardless but your thoughts and opinions always matter. That being said, even if you all want that sequel it will be 3-4 months before I could actually start that. I'll tell you why in a moment.

First, I just want to say thanks for reading. This story couldn't have become what it was without an active audience enjoying it, and I hope you truly have enjoyed the story. I know it has its flaws, clunky dialogue, time skips, holes in logic, and I would have liked to add another 3-4 chapters throughout this story if I had the time, sadly I don't.

I really enjoyed writing this one, seriously I can't stress that enough. I have had a blast, which is the reason a sequel is on the table. I can't wait to get back to writing. Which leads me to the next point.

Let me explain why. I leave for Army basic training tomorrow… today? Idk it's one AM right now. Anyways, the point is I cant write fanfiction while I'm at that… I know, a real tragedy, but I WILL BE BACK. I really like writing and telling stories, and I'm maybe kinda sort of half not bad at it… perhaps.

Before I end it I just want to say a HUGE thanks to my editor, General Mayhem, for all his hard work. He has been solo editing this one so his work cant be stressed enough. Thank you.

I hope you enjoyed the journey and I hope you join me again. Remember to review and give me your thoughts.

Sincerely, SardonicEffigy.