A Friend Named Jaune
Yang hadn't felt so alive in weeks. The club's music was blaring out of the speakers, taking control of her body as she danced and rocked along to the electronic beats. She just let herself go, letting her body succumb to the blaring sound.
Neon was right beside her, dancing along to the music. The two girls bounced their hips together, laughing as they gently bumped into each other. Their eyes met, bright silver meeting sparkling emerald.
"Whoo! Shake it, girl!" Neon giggled.
The music was an assault on their ears, and they both loved it. Yang and Neon kept dancing together, until the music stopped and there was a brief break between songs. The two girls walked off of the dancefloor, both panting.
"Oh, man. Feels like forever since we've danced together!" Neon beamed, throwing her hands into the air. "You are such a good dancer, Rubes!"
"Thanks. Not so bad yourself, partner." The two smiled at one another. Yang was ecstatic to see the other girl again. Neon had no idea that the person beside her wasn't Ruby… No idea it'd been weeks since Yang last saw her best friend. "Ready to go in again?" Yang asked, eager to dance the night away.
"Hey, hold on a minute." Neon caught Yang's arm, holding her as the next high-energy song began to play. "What about Jaune?" Her brow wrinkled, clearly showing her confusion and concern for the man, though Yang couldn't understand why.
"Huh? What about him?"
"We left him all by himself like three songs ago!" Neon pouted, crossing her arms. She cocked out one of her hips, while glancing to the bar on the other side of the club. "Poor guy's probably all lonely and drinking by himself and stuff."
"I'm sure he's fine," Yang replied, brushing off the other woman's worries.
"I'm still going to go check on him. See if he's alright." Yang was surprised to hear Neon abandon her, but the dark-haired woman put on a smile and nodded her head.
"Alright. Well, don't take too long. I'll be here when you're ready to have a good time." Yang watched the other woman walk off. As soon as Neon was out of sight, Yang's smile fell flat. The alt was left alone with her thoughts, the last thing she wanted to be stuck with.
She knew she shouldn't be dancing. Yang had promised Ruby she'd talk to Jaune tonight. All Yang had done so far was make small talk, tease him, and party with Neon. She was supposed to interrogate the guy, and find out if he was a good partner for Ruby...
But it had just been so long since Yang had last been out! Yang wasn't like Blake or Weiss, or even Ruby. They did fine without social interaction, but Yang needed to get out. The music, the people, hell, just walking around their apartment like she was a normal person…
It wasn't something Yang was proud to admit, but she knew there was no denying it. Yang needed something in her life beyond just the other alts. Social activity. As much of a life as she could have for herself.
It wasn't that Yang didn't love Ruby and the others. Yang would always want Weiss, Blake, and Ruby in her life. They were her family. She just needed something more in her life than just them.
That's why Yang wasn't talking to Jaune. She was too busy living. Least, that's how she saw it.
The woman quietly sighed to herself. Another song was beginning to play. Yang glanced towards the bar where Jaune sat. She then turned away and walked onto the dance floor again, joining the partying crowd.
Yang knew Neon was right to check on Jaune. She'd probably join her friend to see how he was doing, right after another song.
Jaune took a sip of his drink. The taste was bitter, and it had a subtle burning sensation. He sighed, gagging at the taste and pushing the drink away from him.
He wasn't in the best of spirits. Jaune had been looking forward to today. Another great day with Ruby, probably one of the coolest, nicest girls he had ever met? How could he not be excited for it?
But today had been, well, crap. Ruby had been acting weird all day. She apologized at the library, and he really thought the worst was over, but she had ditched him almost half an hour ago to go dancing with her friend.
Leaving him alone with their things, and feeling pretty crappy.
Jaune felt incredibly out of place at the club. He had no one to talk to, and nothing to do but wait as the girls danced together. He sighed, quietly, resting his head on his elbow.
He had never really been much of a party animal. He had been to a few parties in the past, but Pyrrha had always been his buffer at social events. She knew how to act around the others, and she always had a natural charm that won strangers over.
Not Jaune.
Nope. He was more along the lines of 'socially awkward… Come to think of it, he hadn't been to a party since Pyrrha and him broke up. Which was over a year ago...
Jaune sighed again, glaring at his drink. What's with Ruby lately…? He couldn't deny there was some anger under the surface of his thoughts. He couldn't help it. Today had just been...
He tried to calm down. Maybe he was just being rude. So Ruby was having a weird day, so she had some unexpected hobbies, like partying at clubs. So what?
"Hey there, stranger."
Jaune blinked, and turned his head. A woman smiled at him, her emerald eyes gleaming with glee. It took the blond man a moment to realize who they belonged to. It was Neon, Ruby's friend that he had met earlier that day.
"Oh, hey. Neon, right?"
"Yep! Horatio, yeah?" There was a moment of silence as Jaune opened his mouth, only to slowly close it. He looked dumbfounded as Neon giggled, shaking her head. "I'm kidding! Jaune, right? You doing okay, fam?"
"Uh, yeah. Just having a drink."
"Hm." Neon nodded her head, before planting herself down on the seat beside him. "Seems a little dull to me." She stared at him with a grinning, yet piercing stare.
"Oh, uh… Well-" Jaune wasn't sure what to say in reply, but before he could answer, Neon giggled.
"I see why Ruby likes you. You two are a lot alike."
"Really?" He blinked, surprised by the comparison. He knew he shouldn't be. Nora and Ren said the same, but after today, Jaune wasn't so sure.
"Totally! Socially awkward, and stuff, but you both have this cuteness to you," she explained.
She thinks I'm cute? He thought, but he quickly shook the thought away. He stared at Neon, examining her smiling face. He pondered a question, hoping he could get a real answer to his confusion. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"I don't know, can you?" she giggled. "Of course, you can! What's up?"
"Has Ruby ever seemed…?" He wasn't sure how to word the question, honestly. He hesitated, avoiding her eyes before he tried again. "Well, this is going to sound weird, but has Ruby ever seemed weird to you?"
"The only normal people in the world are the ones you don't know well enough," she replied. Jaune didn't bother digging any deeper, silently sighing to himself. He was ready to drop the topic, when he noticed her eyes. They had dimmed, as if they lost a bit of color. Her smile fell for a moment as she uttered, "It's like she's a totally different person sometimes, right?"
"Y-yeah. How'd you know?" His eyes widened as he stared at her.
"I've noticed it too." She mimicked Jaune, resting her elbow on the counter and placing her head on her hand. "Just little stuff, I guess. Like she's really introverted some nights, and really extroverted other nights."
"You notice it too?"
"Hard to not to," Neon replied. "A while ago, she just acted weird during this party I took her to on New Years Eve. Not bad, but just… weird? Less herself? You know?"
"Yeah..." he nodded. Jaune turned his head, and Neon followed his gaze. The two looked at the dancefloor, where Ruby continued to dance.
The blond couldn't imagine the same Ruby from earlier today acting like this. She had been so quiet in the car, and then so cold at the library. It didn't make sense to him. It just didn't feel normal.
"I don't know what to tell you," Neon confessed. "But I know what you mean. This one time in November, I asked her if she wanted to study with me. She laughed, and passed it off, but just a week ago she asked if I wanted to study with her." Jaune lifted his brow, and the young woman sighed. "I know that might not seem like a lot, but she was so different. She didn't even seem to remember me asking her back in November. I mean, it was a while ago, but-"
"No, I get it." Jaune's brow furrowed. It was clear that whatever was going on with Ruby wasn't just about today. It had to have been going on for months. "Why do you think she does that?" The two turned away from the dancefloor, facing the bar as they talked.
"I don't know if she means to," Neon shrugged. "All I know is that she's my still my friend. Yeah, she confuses sometimes, but I know she's got some skeletons in her closet. I don't want to pry, so I just go along without making a big deal of it."
Jaune nodded his head again. Maybe he should try to do the same and just go along with it. Still, his curiosity couldn't help but poke at his mind. "Yeah, maybe. Just wish I could understand her, I guess."
"Aww. That's sweet. I hope you're not just playing the nice guy to get under dress." Neon teased, a cattish smirk on her lips. The light in her eyes returned, and she placed a hand on Jaune's arm, slowly climbing up it.
"W-what?! No!" Jaune blushed profusely, and the woman laughed. "I'm just trying to be her friend!"
"I hope so. Cause if you hurt her, well, let's just say Adam's lucky I never met him…"
Adam? The name rang a familiar bell, and Jaune frowned as he remembered just who the man was. "Her ex, right?"
"She told you, huh?" Neon nodded her head. "Yeah. He sounded like a real ass."
"Ruby didn't tell me a lot about him," Jaune admitted. "Just that things ended poorly between them."
The young woman blew air out of her mouth, scoffing at the description. "She told me he 'wasn't a very good person,' which is code for 'he was an ass.' Probably cheated on her or something."
Jaune didn't like to imagine that, but maybe it would explain a thing or two about Ruby. How odd she was, how she'd close herself off to him. Of course, that was all just a guess. Jaune had no concrete answers. Even the excuse Ruby gave back at the library seemed unlikely.
Everything just felt off, and Jaune struggled to accept it.
"That's terrible," he finally uttered, unsure of what else to say.
"Right?" Neon scoffed again, rolling her eyes. Neither of them said anything as Neon reached for Jaune's glass. She held it up between them, silently asking if she could have it. Jaune smiled and motioned with his hand for her to have it, and she downed what little remained of the liquor. "You know, she really likes you. Almost every time she and I are together, she mentions you, and she always gets happy talking about you. It's totally cute."
The thought of Ruby gushing about him made the young man grin, but that grin quickly fell as reality set in. She certainly didn't seem happy to be with him now.
"You think so?"
"Yeah. She really likes you," Neon commented. "Like, really likes you." Jaune didn't say anything in response, before a elbow poked his arm. He looked at Neon, who had that same cattish grin as before. "Like, really, really likes you."
"Wait." Jaune's brow furrowed, and he stared into her glimmering, teasing emerald eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Before Neon could say anything, a third voice greeted them. "Hey, strangers. Room for one more?" Both turned back to the dancefloor, and there was Ruby Rose, smirking at the two. She walked forward, her hips swaying ever so slightly. She slipped between Neon and Jaune and leaned against the counter. "What were you two doing?"
"Oh, you know. Just sharing some juicy gossip about you," Neon giggled, her eyes gleaming as Jaune's widened. She glanced at Jaune, a knowing smile on her face, before looking back at Ruby.
"W-wait, we-"
"Oh? Anything I should know?" Ruby asked, her silver eyes peering into Jaune's soul. He felt a chill run down his spine at the uncharacteristic look Ruby was giving him. It was almost predatory.
"Oh, you know, the usual stuff. How we met you, how top heavy you are, blah, blah, blah. Jaune agrees with me you are, bt-dubs. You are so top-heavy."
Jaune felt his cheeks burst into flames. His blush was so hot it dried up his throat. He couldn't believe what Neon had just said. Considering the stare Ruby was giving him, he was regretting not writing up his will today.
I'm going to die, he thought, shaking under Ruby's glare. Neon beamed beside him, clearly uncaring that she had just put a target on his head.
As he quietly contemplated his demise, Ruby's stony gaze was replaced with laughter, and Neon joined in.
"Oh, man! Did you see the look on his face?" Neon asked, between her fits of laughter.
"Heh. Take it easy, Jauney." Ruby promised. "We're just teasing you."
"Oh. R-right." Jaune didn't really find the whole situation 'ha-ha' funny, but he rolled with the punches and just took the joke. He let out a nervous laugh, smiling at Ruby.
"Alright! No more standing around!" Ruby put one hand on her hip and another on Jaune's arm, easily hoisting him off of the seat and onto his feet with her bizarre super strength. How anyone so small could be so strong was beyond Jaune… "Come on, blondie! You and me are going dancing!"
"I-what?"
"You heard me! You can't just sit around drinking! You're at a club with two beautiful ladies! You have got to dance with at least one of us!" Ruby didn't wait for Jaune to reply, turning her grinning face to Neon. "Neon, you mind if I take him out for a spin?"
"Not a problem! Just don't break the poor guy!" Neon replied. "I'm gonna chill here and get my drink on. You two have fun, kay?"
Ruby nodded her head, and Jaune decided that trying to argue just wasn't worth the effort. He gave up and walked alongside Ruby, trying to ignore the warmth on his face.
His blush had just started to die down, when Ruby wrapped her arm around his. The side of her chest rubbed against his arm, and he glued his eyes on the dancefloor. Just in case.
Yang had to admit. It was pretty fun messing with this guy. There really was just something fun about teasing Jaune. Maybe it was how innocent he seemed to be, or how he react. Maybe his face was just weirdly expressive, or maybe it was something else entirely.
Either way, Yang really liked messing with him.
She pulled him towards the dancefloor as another song began to play. Yang already found herself swaying to the beat. Her hips bounced to the beat, and Yang caught Jaune's eyes staring at her body.
Well, Ruby's body.
Yang frowned. She usually had no problem with people staring at her, but when Jaune did it… Well, the reality was that Jaune was staring at Ruby's body. Yang would never leave let anyone touch Ruby. She wasn't worried about Jaune. He could look all he wanted. He'd never get his hands on Ruby...
"So, can you dance?" she asked. He looked at her, and by the time he did, her face wore a bright smile. If she had to guess, the poor boy probably had no idea how to dance. Another similarity he had with Yang's sister.
Instead of answering her, he just avoided her eyes for a moment. He sighed, and scratched his neck. "Ruby, can I talk to you?" That question, not to mention the forlorn look in his eyes, made her arch her brow.
"Sure… What's up?"
"Come on..." Jaune suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled on her, pulling her away from the the dance floor. She could have broken free, but she decided to let him lead the way for now. They walked out of everyone's way, stopping by a wall inside the club.
Yang leaned against the wall, crossing her arms under her breasts as she stared at Jaune. She didn't say anything, waiting for Jaune to speak up first. When he did, her curiosity gave way to mild dread and she had to fight to hold back a groan.
"Ruby, I consider us friends, and I don't know what's going through your mind, or why you've been acting so weird today, but I hope you know you can talk to me."
"Oh boy," Yang muttered, under her breath.
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
That just seemed to get under Jaune's skin. He frowned, before sighing again. "That's what I'm talking about. You've just been really weird the whole day. Look, I get if you're just feeling off today, but maybe I should go. I can just ride the metro home, or something. You and Neon can have a nice night together."
"W-wait, hold on!" Yang held up her hands, stopping Jaune in his tracks. "You can't just leave."
"Look, Ruby, I appreciate you wanting me to stay, but honestly I just want to go home and sleep. It's been a long day."
Yang's mind raced to stop him. She hadn't wanted this. She had just been trying to enjoy the moment, she hadn't meant to send the guy home. She combed her fingers through her short, dark hair.
What if he's mad at Ruby next time they talk? Ah, crap…
"Okay, I'll admit it." Her words stopped him. "I've been kind weird with you lately, and I lied about why I'm acting this way."
"Why did you lie?" he asked, tilting his head. He didn't sound that upset about it, thankfully, but it was clear he wanted answers.
"Because it just seemed… easier than dealing with the truth." And that wasn't a lie. "Look, Jaune, the truth is sometimes I just feel like a different person. Like I need to be different. Like I need to be quiet and read a book, or sometimes I need to be kind of cold, and sometimes I'm… me."
And that all wasn't technically a lie. Yet Yang couldn't ignore the pang of guilt in her heart. "Look, I know it's a crappy excuse, but it's true. I just… I'm weird, I guess."
Jaune didn't say anything. He just stared at Yang, letting an awkward silence fill in the space between them, which should have been impossible because of the blaring music, but to Yang's disappointment, awkward silence beats loud music, apparently.
Thankfully he eventually did speak, an understanding smile on his face. "I guess I get that. Sometimes I feel like hanging out with my friends, other nights I just want to sit and play videogames."
"Exactly," Yang nodded.
"So everything today, you being quiet, you being cold, you being a party girl, that's all just because you felt like it?" he asked, raising his brow.
"That… sounds worse than it is. Look, I know how bad that sounds, but you know how sometimes you just need something? How you can't stop thinking about it, until you have it?" He nodded his head, slowly. "That's how it feels."
He didn't say anything, and the silence made Yang's skin crawl. "So, what do you want now?" he finally asked.
"Honestly? I just want to have fun. Have a good time," she explained. "I want to just not care, or worry about tomorrow. You know what I mean?"
Jaune stared at her, and Yang had to wonder if this guy had any idea what she meant. He didn't look like much. He looked like just a normal blond guy in a world of normal people. His hair had a nice shine to it, Yang admitted, but that was hardly anything noteworthy. Honestly, Yang would have called Jaune pretty dull if the young man wasn't Ruby's new friend.
"Yeah. I think I do." He nodded his head, taking a deep breath. "Alright then, you want to have some fun? Let's have some fun." Yang raised her brow, before he reached for her hand. On instinct, Yang pulled her arm out of his reach, but then she noticed his confused expression. Before she could say anything, he brushed it off with a grin and motioned her to follow him.
"Come on. You wanted to dance? Let's dance!" Yang followed after the man, walking with him towards the dancefloor, though looking at him go, Yang realized that Jaune was making an exaggerated strut. Is he trying to be cool? She wondered, snickering at the sight.
"Well, someone's eager. Careful there, blondie, don't pull your hip out," the shorter girl teased.
"I'll have you know I'm a pretty good dancer," he replied, pumping a thumb towards his chest.
"Really?" Yang crossed her arms, clearly interested to see what Jaune thought good dancing was. "Well, be my guest. Just try not to break anything."
He smirked at her, before the two entered the dancefloor, pushing themselves through the crowd of people that filled the tiled floor. The music was just beginning to change, the slower pace replaced by a far quicker one.
Yang was ready to see the blond try to dance, moving her own body in a simple, but effect swing. Her hips swayed side to side as she kept her eyes on Jaune. The young man didn't move at first. He just stood in the crowded dancefloor, bobbing his head to the beat with an approving smile on his face.
And then he started to move, and Yang wasn't sure if she was impressed or annoyed. Jaune stomped on the ground with both of his feet, moving his chest side to side. He placed a hand on his chest, patting it to the quick rhythm of the song.
Yang wasn't sure what was in control. Jaune or the song. He must have heard this song before, how else could he move in such perfect sync with it? He moved his hands to the pounding electronic beats, as if he was the one making them, before he went down.
He didn't fall. No, he actually slid forward on his knees, stopping just short of hitting someone. A nearby woman gasped as Jaune stopped in front of her. He smiled sheepishly at her, before he rose up, not even using his hands to lift himself back up.
It was almost something like a music video. He lifted himself up until he was on the tips of his sneakers, before he began to retreat back, swinging his arms to the song. The woman Jaune had almost slid into laughed, and she began to talk to her friends, pointing at Jaune.
With a small group of fans watching him now, Jaune continued to dance. He came back towards Yang, keeping his back to her as he entertained his growing fandom. Yang had to pick her jaw up as she watched Jaune lift up a leg and bounce it off the ground, spinning as the crowd cheered him on.
Maybe it was his skill at dancing, maybe it was just luck, or maybe he was just good at making his mistakes look like they were on purpose. Either way, Jaune was impressing on the dancefloor, and soon a small circle of space surrounded the blond. People all around him cheered, bouncing their heads and arms to the music as they watched.
Yang was the only one still standing in the circle, and her dance moves paled in comparison to jiving and bouncing Jaune Arc.
Jaune fell forward again, sliding in on his hands this time. The crowd shouted in approval, beaming as his legs kicked and spun in the air as he supported all of his weight on his hands. He bounced a few times, before changing position again. Yang's jaw, recently picked up, fell towards the floor again as she came to a complete stop.
He had stood up, only to quickly fall back onto the floor. Momentum carried him, letting him spin on his back, legs up and arms guarding his head. When he began to slow down, he jerked his body, rolling on his shoulders, or even his head to pick up speed again. His legs kicked at the air, and stomping the air to the beat of the song.
The crowd loved it, and their screams almost overwhelmed the music for Yang. Jaune stopped himself with one hand, and used the other to grab his ankle, posing on the ground as the song came to an end. Whether Jaune accented the music, or visa versa, their symbiotic relationship ended with wild applause.
People rushed by Yang to greet Jaune, smacking his back and praising his performance. The blond just smiled, his cheeks a bright shade of red. He quickly pulled away from the crowd, and towards Yang stunned body.
"I… How…? What…?" Yang blinked, one of her brows twitching as she tried to understand what just happened.
"I really liked dancing when I was younger," he explained, scratching the back of his neck. "So, what'd you think?"
"I… I think I need a minute," she replied, finally smiling at the older man. "That was pretty insane, though. I mean… I did not think you were going to do so well. Honestly, I thought you were just going to fall on your face."
"That's me. Jaune Arc, handsome and full of surprises." He aimed his index fingers at her, and made tiny little 'pew, pew' sound effects. Yang just rolled her silver eyes as another song began to play.
"Well, Mr. Arc, got any more surprises for round two?" The two grinned at one another, and Yang had to admit, maybe hanging out with Jaune wasn't going to be so bad.
Yang felt recharged, and practically brimming with energy. She was shocked to admit, but Blondie, Jaune's official nickname, was actually pretty fun to hang out with. When he wasn't moping by himself, he was a nice guy to hang out with.
Maybe not cool, but fun.
Best of all, he was seriously fun to dance with. Neon and Yang had danced together plenty of times, but it was clear Jaune was a step above their self-taught moves. That didn't mean she couldn't compete, of course.
In fact, one of the best moments was when someone had bumped into Yang, pushing her towards Jaune. The young man was in the middle of a dance, but he abandoned it to help catch Yang from hitting the ground. She caught herself on his arm, and stood up, her silver eyes meeting Jaune's.
There was a moment of silence, and Yang could still see a blush on the the blond's face. It was at that moment that she decided to see just how red his face could get. Why? Well, because it seemed like fun, and for Yang, that was enough of a reason to do a lot of things.
She began to dance in front of him, moving her hips from side to side as her slender fingers went through Ruby's short hair. Yang gyrated her hips with a thin smirk on her face, and the small crowd voice their approval as she turned herself around, letting everyone look at her body.
Jaune was frozen, eyes wide open. Yang smiled to herself, before she began to step forward, moving with a supermodel's strut. She whipped her short hair around, lifting her arms in rhythm to the song. She turned her head, until Jaune was only in the corner of her eyes, and she smiled, motioning him closer with a single finger.
This time, he was the one with his jaw on the floor. He moved forward, his moves slower and more nervous now as he smiled at her. Yang grinned, before continuing to heat up the dancefloor. She shook her chest, arms behind her back, turning so her back was to Jaune.
The two danced together, moving their bodies to the techno beat. Yang made no attempt to hide how beautiful she was. Her hips bounced, her breasts jiggled, her hair whipped back and forth, and god, it was fun.
Jaune, for what it was worth, was actually a gentleman behind her. He didn't even try to put his hands on her body. Yang wasn't sure how she would have reacted to him pawing at her, but he never did. He just danced behind her, keeping almost a foot's distance between them. Even when she stepped back towards him, he stepped back too, so they didn't touch.
The song ended, and Yang turned to look at Jaune's face. He was so red, she was almost worried about him. She laughed, wiping sweat from her brow.
"That was pretty good, Blondie."
"T-thanks," he replied, clearly out of breath. He let out a loud yawn, and despite trying to hide it behind his hand, Yang still noticed.
"Sleepy?" She chuckled, looking towards the bar. "Yeah, me too. Let me go grab Neon and we can head home, okay?" Jaune nodded his head, and the two began to walk off the dancefloor, waving goodbye to the friends they made there.
Jaune waited by the exit as Yang walked towards the bar. What she found there didn't really surprise her. She rolled her eyes as she found Neon, shot glass in her hand, and an empty bottle in Junior's hands. The older man glared at Yang, before glaring at the giggling, clearly drunk Neon.
"Rub-boo-boo!" Neon greeted, beaming at her friend. "What's up, girl?" She dropped the glass onto the counter, and threw her arms around Yang as soon as she was close enough. "I missed you. Up all night trying to get lucky, huh?" she mumbled.
Yang sighed, offering Junior an apologetic smile. He rolled his eyes and shooed the two off with his hand.
"Boop!" Neon poked Yang's butt, before giggling. "Firm!"
That was the thing about Neon. Some people got angry when they got drunk. Some people cried. Neon? Neon was very touchy-feely, and very affectionate. Yang felt a small surge of embarrassment, before she released Neon and helped the woman put an arm around Yang's neck. The orange-haired woman groaned as Yang started helping her walk.
"Ruuuuby," the woman whined. "Why you gotta be up all night to get lucky?"
"Alright, Neon. Come on. We're leaving."
"What? But we met here! Baby, this place has history! Remember? I called you top-heavy here!" Yang didn't say anything, just rolling her eyes again. "I miss those days. Just us two…"
"Those days haven't ended, Neon." The sober woman smiled at her friend, but Neon came to a stop, and she forced Yang to do the same. The other woman looked at Neon, expecting to see the usual wide, drunken smile Neon had after a few shots, but what she found was a scowl, and a harsh glare coming from those green eyes.
"Oh, please, Rubes. Don't give me that crap. How am I supposed to feel when you invite him along for our night? I'm the third wheel." Neon looked away, pouting as she glared at a wall.
"You are not a third wheel! Come on, Neon," Yang sighed, only for Neon to pull her arm away from the other girl. Neon stepped back, almost stumbling as she crossed her arms.
"Look, if you want to make kissy face with the guy, just ask him out. Don't drag me out to make a tricycle," muttered the girl.
"Ask him out? Neon, I don't want to ask Jaune out! I barely know him!" she replied without a second thought.
"Bull. Shit," the orange-haired woman scoffed. "Ruby, you won't stop talking about the guy. I'm not blind. I know you like him."
Yang's brow wrinkled, but it wasn't because of Neon. It was something else, someone else that was bothering her. How much did Ruby talk about Jaune to Neon? More importantly, was Ruby really interested in Blondie?
She shook her head again, holding up her hands. "Neon, listen to me. I promise, I don't like Jaune. He's just a friend."
Neon glared at Yang, peering into the woman's silver eyes. "You promise?" she asked, swaying a bit.
"I promise," Yang replied.
Neon stepped forward. She walked past Yang, before immediately tripping and falling forward. Yang quickly caught the liquored up woman, sighing in relief when Neon didn't fight her.
"Don't gow, Rubee… I thon't wahnt…" Neon's words slurred into each other, before she stopped moving and simply let her body go limp. Yang took a deep breath, before closing her eyes. She did her best to help her friend towards the exit, where Jaune waited for them.
The blond raised his eyebrow at the sight, but Yang just shook her head, telling him not to ask. The two walked out of the club, Neon mumbling in the woman's arms.
Thankfully Jaune was sober enough to drive the group back home. Yang helped Neon to her door where her friend, a man named Flynt, helped her inside. He thanked Yang, before bidding her goodnight. Flynt even told Yang that she could drive Neon's car back home, saying Neon would get it back later.
The drive back to Ruby's apartment wasn't quiet, but Yang almost wished it was. She forced herself to smile, forced herself to make small talk, all while her brain was racing a mile a minute.
Everything she said, the jokes she made, and the smiles she forced on her face, everything was plagued by a painful question prodding her mind.
Had Ruby fallen for Jaune?
The car came to a stop, and Yang and Jaune sat in the car in the longest stretch of silence since the library earlier that day. The young woman wondered if he was expecting to be invited up to Ruby's room.
The thought made her scowl, her fingers pinching her dress' fabric. Jaune's voice broke her out of her quiet thoughts, and back to reality.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked.
Yng turned her head to him as her thoughts went to war with each other. He seems nice. So did Adam. Ruby likes him. But how much? Should I ask her? No, she'd never tell me about it. She'd just deny it.
Yang could still remember the day Summer was institutionalized. Ruby remembered bits and pieces, but it was the job of an alt to protect the main personality. Yang remembered most of it, and just the memory made her sick. Summer was locked away, and labelled as crazy.
What if Jaune was just another Adam in the waiting? What if he was just playing the nice guy to earn Ruby's trust? What if it all blew up in her face? Ruby couldn't take another Adam. Neither could Yang…
What if he's like Tai? How could Yang trust anyone after her own father betrayed her!?
But there was one fear buried below the surface thoughts. A single fear that steeled Yang's nerves, and made up her mind. It wasn't a conscious thought, but rather a worm buried in her subconscious, burrowed deep in the corner of her fragment of the mind.
What if there was nothing wrong with Jaune?
"Hey, Jaune? Can I ask you something?" Yang asked, putting on a natural, friendly smile.
"Sure. What's up?" he asked, returning the gesture.
"What…?" She paused, doing her best impersonation of her little sister. She even rose the pitch of her voice, making her sound more like a nervous Ruby. "What are you looking for in this relationship...?"
The question surprised him, and his eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
"I'm going to be honest with you," she turned her head, staring down at her legs. "I don't want to date you." Jaune didn't move. He didn't gasp in shock, or stutter, or anything dramatic like that. He just stared at her, a much more subdued reaction than Yang was expecting.
But she didn't stop, and she didn't let up. If she was going to stop history from repeating itself, she had to be firm.
"You're a nice guy. Really nice," she began. "But I don't like you that way. I don't think I could ever like you that way." Still nothing. Not even a frown. "So I need you to understand that this, what we have, isn't going anywhere. Ever. I just wanted someone to talk to, and you seemed really nice, so…" Yang allowed herself to trail off, waiting for Jaune to say something.
Eventually, he did. "Okay," he nodded his head. "I understand."
Yang lifted up her eyebrow, confused by the lack of reaction. "Are you sure? I just don't want you mistaking anything I do or say as me wanting a boyfriend. You're really nice and all, but-"
"But you don't want to date me. It's okay. I get it." He nodded his head.
"Oh. Okay." She nodded in return. The air in the car couldn't be anymore awkward. Yang reached for the door handle, but stopped. She took a deep breath, and blew hot air out of her nose. "One last thing." As if the conversation wasn't bad enough.
Jaune didn't say anything. He just watched her as she continued. "I can be… like a completely different person sometimes." He nodded his head. "And that's not your fault, that's just me being me. What I mean is, maybe you'll think I'm flirting with you-" The idea of Ruby flirting with any boy made Yang shiver in disgust. "Or I'm trying to be more than just friends with you. Don't listen to me. I know how crazy it sounds, but if I ever start acting that desperate, you need to shoot me down. You need to tell me you want to be just friends with me, okay?"
Jaune didn't say anything at first. It was like his brain was moving at half the speed Yang's was. He finally replied just after her skin began to crawl from waiting so long. "Alright."
"Great." Her reply was only a little sarcastic. "Okay. Well, I'm going to get some sleep." She had to stop herself from telling him they could still be 'just friends.' She didn't want to make the guy feel any worse about himself. "I'll see you later, Blond-er...Jaune."
"I'll see you later, Ruby." He smiled at her, before they both exited the car and went their separate ways. Yang to her apartment, and Jaune to his own parked car.
When Jaune returned home, Ren and Nora were crowded around the dinner table, looking at something. At the moment, he didn't really care. He didn't bother greeting the two as he closed and locked the door behind him.
"Jaune! You'll never guess what we got in the mail!" Nora beamed. She grinned at him, but her smile vanished as soon as she stared at him. He didn't understand why was looking at him like that, until he realized he wasn't smiling. "Hey, what happened?" she questioned, concern in her eyes.
"Nothing. I'm alright. Just tired." He pulled on the corners of his lips, forcing himself to smile at her. "I'm going to head to bed. I'll talk to you guys in the morning." He was practically inviting one of them to ask if he was okay, but he couldn't muster up the strength to lie any better to them.
He went to his room and closed the door behind him. He let out a sigh and his shoulders fell as he fell on his bed, exhausted from the day. His feet and knees ached, his clothes clung to his skin, and his mind was still racing in a circle around what Ruby told him.
Jaune wished he could just stop thinking. He didn't understand why what Ruby said bothered him so much, but it did.
He hadn't even thought about dating Ruby before tonight. Now the question was plaguing half of his thoughts, and the other half just kept repeating what she had said in the car. All in all, he felt like crap.
Come on, he groaned. You didn't help her because you wanted to date her. He could still remember her sitting alone, crying, terrified. He wanted to help her because it was the right thing to do.
But now… It wasn't that he was mad at her for not wanting to date him. That was fine, he told himself. He didn't like it, but it was... fine. But the way she said it was what really bothered him. She made it sound like ending up with him was something she'd only do if she was desperate.
What he that bad? He hadn't thought so, but…
Jaune thought the night had been going well. Maybe it wasn't great, but he thought things between him and Ruby were better after this afternoon. But now all of this…?
He had no right to be angry, he told himself. Jaune repeated it again and again that he shouldn't be angry. Yet he couldn't help himself. He felt pissed off, and that made him feel guilty, and all together he just felt like shit as he laid on his bed, glaring at the ceiling.
Ruby was acting like a completely different person, and what she said before walking away… She wasn't acting like his friend. She was acting like…
He sighed, and rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was. He could barely keep his eyes open.
A knock on his door helped keep him awake, and he groaned out, "Come in." The door opened, and Ren stepped inside.
"Do you need help?" the dark-haired man inquired.
"No."
"Is anyone hurt?"
"No."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Jaune hesitated, before sighing. "Not really."
"We'll discuss it in the morning then. Are you hungry at all?" Ren never raised his voice. He never sounded angry. He was calm, something Jaune needed at the moment.
Jaune shook his head, and Ren nodded.
"If you need either of us, you know where to find us. Goodnight, Jaune." The two boys didn't say anything else each other. Ren closed the door behind him, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts once more.
With no one to talk to, and his thoughts just repeating themselves, Jaune eventually began to drift to sleep. His eyelids felt heavy, and his mind felt like it was filled with thoughts began to sink as he quickly fell asleep, and dreamed of red roses.
END
I wanted to get this chapter done a long, long time ago. Weeks ago. Sadly, as some of you may know, my father passed away very recently. It's been some heavy news, and I've been pretty busy because of it. I ended writing this story partly in an airport, and finished the rest of it in California, a day before his funeral.
I thank all of you for your patience, and I'm hopeful the next update will be on time. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and I promise to be better.
On a lighter note, big stuff happening this chapter, and I even had to take out a major subplot. Eagle eye viewers might be able to figure it out by reading between the lines.
Yang pulls a controversial move, as many of you can tell. I understand that people probably think she's overstepping her boundaries, and she probably is, but I do want to stress that her decision is mostly for Ruby's sake (and maybe a little selfish based). I definitely wanted this story to be full of grey. Lots of people doing bad, or questionable things for the sake of others, or because they have trust issues, or due to past traumas.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter for the most part. I'm sorry again for the wait. I hope you all take care, and I'll see you next time, hopefully on time. Sadly due to circumstances mentioned above, I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'll leave a date and hopefully meet it on time.
Love ya!
Next Update: September 5th, 2018.
