Something was wrong.
Ruby narrowed her eyes at her team, who were sprawled haphazardly around the room.
That day, when she had run away from her team, she had braced herself for Yang and the others to jump on her for answers. Instead, she came back to Weiss already asleep and Yang and Blake peacefully hanging out. They hadn't even asked her anything the next day, other than Weiss asking about the ambience at the restaurant.
This time too. She would have expected Yang at least to ask her where she was going, but all she got out of her sister was a "Mm have fun".
This was odd. Yang used to tease if she so much as talked to the ice cream man too long. Her already narrowed eyes closed even further at her sister, who was staring, engrossed at some kind of hair makeup video on her scroll.
Ah well, she would think about it later. She had a convention to go to!
…
"Ruby!"
"Jaune!"
The duo slammed together in a hug, before pulling apart giggling.
"Come on!" She grabbed his wrist, pulling him along. She didn't want to waste any more time.
She'd been waiting for this convention for months!
The Vale Comic Festival. A yearly event where all the biggest comic book companies came and showed off their stock, as well as some smaller brands that used it as a boost. They had hundreds of booths every year! And most importantly, they always sold limited edition stuff she had to get her hands on!
She dragged Jaune to the first booth she had wanted to see. Stopping, she flung her arm out.
"Ta-da!"
"Axcomix and Obbomix?
"Yeah! Why?"
"Aren't these kinda common?"
"These are limited edition!" She shook one in front of him, trying to hammer in how special they were. "They only sell these kind of prints at events or conventions!"
He looked perplexed. "Can't you just have these custom made?"
She hugged the book to her chest indignantly. "We aren't all millionaires like you!"
"Alright alright." He smiled down at her, ruffling her hair. "Go and find something, I'll be over there at The Running Dead booth."
"Hehe, alright!" She ran off.
Ah, there were so many! She ran her hand over the comics, enjoying their familiar hardcover feel. Ah, she used to spend so many hours just going through the whole series, poring over these books until she could still recite them word for word.
Wait, no, Nostalgia later. Right now she was a man on a mission. She ran her eyes over the shelves, searching.
There it was!
She grabbed the book, holding it up in awe. The hardcover, limited edition reprint of the original first copy! It was beautiful, laced with gold trim, its cover fancy paper, and all for the low price of-
Oh. Oh no.
Ruby gaped at the horrifically large number staring back at her. 500 lien? This comic was worth 500 lien?
"Ruby? You found your comic yet?"
"Uh, they're out." Cringing, Ruby carefully slotted the comic back into the shelf. No need for this.
Only for a hand to stop her halfway.
"Ruby… what did I tell you?"
"B-but-expensive-"
"C'mon, we're at a convention Ruby, live a little!" Ignoring the protests of the huntress and her attempts to pull his hand back, he held up his card and paid for the comics, handing them to a pouting Ruby.
"No, Jaune! I told you to stop buying so much stuff for me! I feel bad!"
"Ah, whoops, my hand slipped." He winked at her and tossed her the bag, making it clear how obvious an excuse that was.
"Alright fine. But I'm paying for our drinks!" Not letting the boy protest the huntress dragged him over to the CoffeeBucks booth.
"Order something! And it better be expensive!"
…
"What are they doing?"
"Er, it looks like the boy is ordering a coffee."
"Wait! Ruby's talking! What's she saying?"
"It sounds like Ruby is telling him to order a large, not a medium." Blake's ears twitched as she strained to eavesdrop. "And now she's forcing him to buy a pastry."
The three members of team RWBY were currently hiding in a bush, ignoring the curious gazes of the passersby. Somehow they had managed to avoid being seen by their team leader as they tailed from their bunk in Beacon to Vale.
Yang stuck her binoculars to her face, smearing the green paint and leaves she had unsuccessfully attempted to get the others to wear.
Sure enough, Ruby was angrily pointing at a croissant, and the boy, Jaune was it? He was grinning as she batted away at his hand, which was grabbing his wallet.
A small part of her cooed at how cute the two of them looked. Another part was already drinking in all the future teasing material. But the overwhelming majority of her however, was getting more and more worried as she watched the couple. Not only was the boy at least two years older than Ruby, but he was throwing cash at her like there was no tomorrow.
Her grip tightened on her binoculars as she watched him put his jacket over her shoulders.
Blake shifted beside her. "Hey, didn't Nora say she was going to follow us? Where-"
"Who cares?" Yang smacked at Blake's arm, shushing her. "They're moving!"
…
"And then, Yang picked up Cardin and threw him over the ring!" Jaune snorted before bursting into laughter, covering his mouth with a napkin as coffee dribbled out the side.
"This wouldn't be the same Yang that wants to meet me would it?"
She cringed. "Uh, it kinda is."
"Ah dang it, she sounds scary."
"Don't worry, she's nice when you get to know her." She punched his arm lightly, and he did the same.
But secretly, Ruby didn't want them to meet that fast.
When she had come to Beacon, she had been worried out of her mind that she wouldn't make any friends. And although she had in the end, Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, there was always a lingering doubt. Yang was on the same team as her after all, there was always the feeling that came back, no matter how hard she tried to squash it down, that maybe they were putting up with her only for her far more attractive, sociable sister.
But not Jaune!
She had met him outside, she had talked to him alone, she had become friends with him! Not with Yang, all by herself!
Her friend. All to her own.
"Ah, you got coffee on your face." Jaune grabbed her chin and leaned down, wiping a smudge off her lip with his napkin.
'Aw, thanks Ja-"
"AHA! I KNEW IT!"
Ruby jumped, her bag of comics falling out of her hands. Jaune didn't fare much better, he partially crushed his coffee cup, causing the liquid to fly everywhere, although mercifully missing her comics.
"What the- Yang?"
"You are dating!" Despite Blake and Weiss's best efforts to pull her back down Yang muscled her way past them and stormed out of the bushes.
"Yang!" Ruby threw herself between Jaune and her sister, arms wide. 'Don'-what are you doing here?"
"Outta the way Ruby, I have to talk to your boyfriend!"
Ignoring the protests of her younger sister Yang stormed past Ruby, stabbing her finger rinto Jaune's face.
"Alright buster, what are your intentions with my sister?"
…
This was the most awkward situation she had ever been in.
Blake took a sip of her latte. The five of them had relocated to a table in a nearby cafe, where she had watched Jaune and Ruby sit right next to each other and an irate Yang sit opposite them.
The boy looked supremely uncomfortable, and she couldn't blame them. To suddenly be attacked by a angry, crazed blonde accusing someone of seducing her sister would make anyone stuff,
Although… Blake looked up Ruby's shoulder, where the blonde's jacket was still hanging, and down, where their two chairs were so close their thighs were practically touching. Maybe Yang wasn't too far off…
"So, run by me again who you are?"
"Well, uh, hi. My name's Jaune. Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies lo-" he cut himself off when she saw how Yang's fists were tightening.
"So, what are you and Ruby?"
"We're friends."
"Just friends? No benefits, no girl or boy to add to the front of that word?
"No Yang." Jaune was sitting upright in a manner more suited to a business meeting than a casual meet up. Weiss was far more interested in the menu that she had any right to be, considering it only had like five items.
"Wait. So you two really aren't dating."
"No."
"And you're still buying her stuff, stuff that costs hundreds of lien.
"Yep."
Yang's mouth opened and closed multiple times, her face becoming pale in shock. Slowly, she turned to Ruby, lifting a weak finger at her.
"Y-y-you got yourself a sugar daddy?"
Ruby squawked and hid her face. Unexpectedly, Jaune instead looked…bothered? It flickered on his face for a split second before it gave way to embarrassment.
"No! No!" He waved his arms around, his face almost as red as Ruby's. "We're just friends!"
"Just friends huh? You give all your friends jewelry? Awfully expensive gift to be giving a friend isn't it?"
"I like buying Ruby things…"
Yang looked to be on the verge of an aneurysm.
"You brought her to Franco's! You bought her comics that cost half a grand! There's no way you can afford all this!"
"I mean, if it's for Ruby…"
"SO YOU ARE A SUGAR DADDY!"
Groaning, Blake buried her face in her hands, noticing how furtively Weiss was scanning the environment, as if looking for a way to escape.
There was no way this could get any more awkward.
