A Night Under the Moonlight

Jaune didn't make it a secret that he didn't have a plan. He was winging it, hoping that he and Ruby could find some kind of adventure to distract them.

"Can't be hard," Jaune commented. "One of the biggest vacation spots in the world. Got to be something cool we can do."

"Yeah, but it's the middle of the night," Ruby observed. "Kind of limits our options…"

The two stood outside the hotel, dressed semi warmly. Despite the late night, the air around them was still rather humid. Nothing like the cold nights of Vale.

Jaune wore a yellow jacket and white jacket with jeans. Ruby wore a simple red tank top and a frilly black skirt, matching her leggings.

"You okay in that?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Patch got pretty cold at night, so I'm pretty tough." She patted her chest, clearly taking pride in herself.

"You look tough. All five feet of you," he teased. Ruby just chuckled at the remark, playfully pushing the taller man.

Jaune reached into his pockets and took out two folded up pieces of paper. "I grabbed these pamphlets from inside. Has to be something we can do at night. Here." Jaune handed a pamphlet to Ruby, before looking at his own.

Ruby took the paper and opened it up. She looked it over, searching for something to do. Whoa, a zoo open at night? Excitement hit Ruby, but she quickly glanced at Jaune as she considered the option. Man, he's totally going to think that's lame. Or will he? He is a lot like me. Maybe he'll like it.

The young woman waited for a voice to make fun of or reject the idea, but nothing came. Oh. Right. Everyone's asleep. "H-hey. How about this?"

She pointed at the entry about night tours of the zoo, and she watched Jaune's face for a reaction. "Zoo tours at night?" A wide grin formed on his face as he nodded his head. "Sounds awesome! Let's go!"

Ruby felt a wave of relief wash over her, before she returned the grin. She should have known better than not trusting her best friend.


The two walked to the zoo, eager to just enjoy the night. The tropical paradise was beautiful, with dazzling lights and shimmering stars above them. They had the option of taking a cab or a bus, but the zoo was close enough to the hotel that the two decided to simply take the scenic route, walking together

"Alright, if you had to live a year on an island, what one thing would you bring?" Jaune asked.

"Ooh." Plus Jaune was just fun to talk to. Ruby pondered the question intensely, before a grin formed on her face. "I pick a jetpack so I can fly back home."

"Ha, you fool," the blond teased. "You have a jetpack, but no idea how to fly it, and what about fuel? You're trapped."

"What?! Aw, come on, how hard could flying a jetpack be? And for fuel, I'd just… uh…" Ruby glanced towards the cars driving by them, unable to think of an answer to that problem. She pouted, frowning slightly. "Dang it. Okay, what would you bring?"

"Easy. I'd bring Ren." Ruby raised her brow at the answer, snickering a bit.

"So, just you and Ren on an island… alone? Is there something you want to tell me?" She made a joke out of it, but there was a nagging in her head. She almost thought it was one of her alts, but then she remembered that they were asleep. She was normal. Or as close to normal as she could get.

Ruby stared at Jaune, and in the moments between her question and his answer, her mind raced. Is Jaune gay? No, duh, he's not gay. He had a girlfriend! But bisexual people exists… What if he bi? I mean, what does that matter, it doesn't, I don't care whether or not he is... Ahh! Hurry up and answer!

After about a moment or two, Jaune finally answered her. "Nora loves Ren like crazy. If Ren was lost on an island, she'd split the ocean in two to find him. Then I'd just head back home with them."

"Oh." Ruby blinked, and she chuckled. "I thought for a second-"

Jaune turned his head in confusion, before his eyes widened. He was blushing, face red. "Oh! N-no. I'm not, I mean, not that there's anything wrong with…"

Ruby snorted and laughed at her friend, placing a hand to her move as she giggled. "You and Ren are pretty close. Got a pretty strong bromance." Now that the question was answered, the dark-haired woman didn't feel so worried. Now she was just snickering, teasing her best friend. "I'm not judging, you two would make a cute couple."

"Oh, ha ha," Jaune pouted. Eventually his frown was replaced with a smile, and he gently elbowed the girl. "I still win that round. You can't take that away from me."

Ruby smiled at the young man, nodding in agreement. They returned to their game of silly questions and silly answers, when something happened that caught Ruby's attention. She heard some laughter, and she looked ahead of the two. The zoo was close now, but between them and it were a trio of clearly drunk men.

The men laughed loudly, their faces red as they shared obscene stories with one another. Ruby couldn't help but feel a shiver go down her back. She stiffened as the three got closer. The two groups were the only ones on the sidewalk, and anxiety bubbled in Ruby's head.

"Man, the tits on that bitch were so good!"

"Fuck, man, I was staring at her ass."

"Gotta eat the booty like groceries!" the third man sang, and all three of the drunks laughed loudly, clapping their hands.

Ruby and Jaune had to walk past the trio to reach the zoo… She glanced at the other side of the street, considering crossing to the other side to avoid the drunks, when Jaune placed a hand on her shoulder.

He pulled her close, letting her rest her head on his shoulder, and she turned to see him smiling at her. "Pretend I just said something really funny," he whispered, his smile warming her cheeks.

"Huh? Oh!" Ruby laughed. It was awkward, and perhaps a bit too loud, but Jaune joined her and she looked slightly less crazy. The three men walked past the couple with only a curious glance, before they went their separate ways.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Jaune freed Ruby. Both were blushing profusely as the blond nervously chuckled. "Sorry about that. I've just seen enough drunken assholes in my life. They usually don't bother girls if they think they're already taken… Um, again. Really sorry. Hope I wasn't overstepping or anything..."

"No, it's okay! I appreciate it," Ruby replied quickly. "I shouldn't have gotten so scared."

"Hey, it's okay. This one time when Pyrrha and I were dating, some guy kept trying to make a move on her at a bar. Some people are just assholes when drunk."

The woman nodded her head, before pondering the memory. "Did he back off after he realized you two were dating?" Ruby inquired.

"Well, not exactly," the blond replied, scratching his cheek. "He called me a bitch and decked me. After that, Pyrrha flipped him and threw him to the ground, before we left together."

"No way! You got punched?" Ruby gasped.

"Yep," he laughed. "Took it like a champ, apparently. I only cried for twenty minutes."

Ruby couldn't help but laugh a bit, but judging by Jaune's grin, he was hoping for the response. "Pretty cool that Pyrrha was able to flip him like that," she commented.

"Yeah, Pyrrha's crazy good in a fight. She has a black belt in karate."

"Whoa… My dad gave me some self defense classes, but only a few..." Ruby frowned as she recalled some memories of her father. She regretted it almost instantly. Some of the memories were nice, but most of them were bitter, and they had only gotten worse with time.

"Ruby? You okay?"

She had been in high school. Dad wanted to teach her how to protect herself, and she obeyed, because she couldn't find a good reason not to. She didn't like being with her father, not since mom left, but…

The young woman's right hand touched her left wrist, and she swallowed down the memories. She stared at the ground as Jaune's voice called out to her.

"Ruby." She looked at him, and she saw how concerned he looked. "You okay?" He didn't have to say anything. He knew something was wrong, and he knew her relationship with her dad was...estranged. It wasn't hard adding two and two.

"Sorry," she muttered. "Just… remembering some stuff."

Jaune nodded understandingly, before his hand gently touched hers. Her eyes widened as he pointed ahead of them. "Well, let's make some good memories! Come on! Cute animals await us!" he cheered, pointing at the zoo's entrance.

Ruby smiled at her friend. He always wanted to make her happy. Always wanted her to feel safe. The fact that they were out in the middle of the night was proof enough of that. Ruby nodded her head and the two walked with Jaune, towards the entrance.

The entrance was a large series of booths with a metal gate between them. Most of the booths were closed due to the hour, but one had a light coming from inside of it. An older man smiled at the two, waving at them, wearing a bright blue shirt with the words 'Honolulu Zoo' on it in green, bold letters.

"Coming in, you two?" he asked.

"Yep. Two adults." Jaune reached for his wallet, only to realize Ruby already had hers out. She handed the worker the money, and took the tickets with a smile. "Hey-"

"Please. Let me. You're the one going out of your way to help me."

"Alright," Jaune replied with an understanding, if disappointed smile. "But I'll pay for snacks later, okay?"

"Deal." Ruby walked ahead with the tickets in her hand, and Jaune was about to follow when the man in the booth spoke up.

"Heh. You two are cute together," the worker commented. "Make sure you treat her right, son. She's a keeper." Jaune raised his brow in confusion, before realization hit him like a bat.

"Oh! Wait, she's-"

"Come on, Jaune!"

Jaune's cheek was a rosy hue as he looked at Ruby, and then back to the worker. The old man smiled, motioning him to move along. After a quiet, mental sigh, Jaune chased after Ruby and the two entered the zoo.

"I grabbed a map. Come on. There are flamingos by the entrance!" Ruby grinned, and her fingers slipped between Jaune's. She pulled him along as the blond blushed.

What are you doing blushing? Get a grip, man! She's just a girl! Jaune glanced at Ruby's face. Her bright, silver eyes that shined with joy. Her wide, toothy grin like a child on Christmas morning. Her gorgeous, silky hair hair that framed her face perfectly… No. You are not doing this. Just… focus on having fun. Stop thinking about Ruby!


Unfortunately for Jaune, that proved to be impossible. To put it simply, Ruby was a lot of fun to hang out with. She was infectious, really. When she was happy, so was he. When she was laughing, he couldn't help but join in. It was just something about her. Childishness, but in the best possible way. A child's sense of wonder…

They ran across the zoo together, pointing out animals whenever they'd see them. True, most animals were asleep by now due to the hour it was, but there was a very nice benefit. The place was almost entirely empty. There was the occasional family, couple, or zoo employee, but for the most part, the place was open for them to just enjoy.

In a lot of ways, it was like a walk in a park, just with the occasional animal exhibit.

"Look!" Ruby pulled Jaune after her, leading the blond to a metal fence. The two looked into the exhibit, and they saw the dim lights illuminating a komodo dragon. The long, lumbering lizard slowly walked by them, clearly not caring for the two humans. "Whoa… A komodo dragon… I used to want to ride them as a kid."

"You could probably still fit," Jaune commented, lightly nudging the girl. She pretended to be angry, but the two quickly chuckled at the joke.

"Probably. I'd rule a kingdom of them, with myself as a queen. You can be my royal adviser."

"I promise to serve you loyalty, until my inevitable betrayal where I disassemble the Senate and destroy the Jedi Order."

The two snickered at the joke again, and Jaune was reminded of just how much of a dork he was. He always was one, but Ruby felt like the first girl who really got it. Ren and Nora played along, Nora more than Ren, and Pyrrha tried to keep up with pop culture like Jaune did, but Ruby was just… a dork. Like him.

Just a cooler, better looking version of him. Who was a girl. A pretty gi-

"I used to come to zoos all the time with my family," Jaune quickly declared, throwing off his own train of thought. "The Vale Zoo is awesome, but they don't have nightly tours like this."

Ruby nodded in agreement, before pausing. She had a hint of embarrassment in her voice as Jaune looked at her. "I've never been," she confessed. "I've lived in Vale for a while, but I hardly left my apartment…" Until I met you…

"Something to do when we're back home. My family always used to have a good time there." There wasn't a hint of judgement in his voice, and that relieved the girl. Her smile grew, before a thought piqued her curiosity.

"You know, I don't know a lot about your family. What're they like?"

"My family?" Jaune's eyes widened slightly, before he turned his head back to the komodo dragon. It stared back at him, as if awaiting an answer to Ruby's question. "Well, I have a ton of sisters. I'm the only boy, actually."

"How many is a 'ton?'"

"Seven sisters. Three younger, four older."

"Seven sisters?!" Ruby gasped, jaw falling to the ground. She could hardly imagine how rough that must have been growing up. She felt just having Yang was crazy enough. Granted, Jaune had real sisters and Ruby had… a voice in her head.

"Yeah. Poor mom," Jaune joked, hanging his head as he leaned onto the metal fence in front of them. "It wasn't easy on either of my parents, but we all got by."

"Seven sisters… And you were the only boy?"

"Yep. You can imagine how fun that was. I'd wake up with braids in my hair, and some of my sisters left Barbie dolls everywhere. Stepped on a lego once."

Ruby giggled at the joke, and she found herself inching closer. She just wanted to hear him better, even though the night was quiet and still. "Sounds like a pain."

"It was, but it wasn't even the worst thing that happened."

Her eyes widened, and she could see the instant regret in Jaune's wide eyes. "Okay, you have to tell me. You can't leave me hanging in suspense! What was the worst thing they did?"

"Murder." Ruby froze, and for a moment, she actually believed him with wide, shocked eyes. He chuckled at her face, and she pouted, gently pushing him. "Nah… Let's just say there are way too many pictures of little me in a dress."

The dark-haired woman snorted, before she began to giggle, and it only grew louder and more hysterical as Jaune waited for her to finish. "Oh, man… I hope I can get them to send me a picture!"

"Expecting me to introduce you to my parents? Going pretty fast, Rubes." Jaune kicked himself at the joke. It came out wrong. It sounded like they were dating, and judging by Ruby's cheeks, she thought the same thing. "Er, cause I'm...not? Going to do that… Introduce you to my parents, I mean."

The two looked away from one another, and Jaune continued to mentally kick himself. Stupid! What the heck was that? Way to make things awkward… Jaune had no idea how to recover from such a stupid statement, and he swore he heard the dragon in front of them laughing at him.

Jaune considered how to un-awkward the air, before Ruby spoke up. "Hey, Jaune?" He looked at her, curious. "Thanks for tonight." She smiled at him, and Jaune couldn't fight the warmth that was consuming his ears and cheeks.

Ruby was really cute when she smiled. Her eyes, her lips, her...everything. It was like there was this bright, shiny aura around him that just made Jaune grin along with her. "No problem," he replied. "I hope you're having fun."

She nodded her head in response, and the two let the awkward joke fade away. "I haven't had a night like this in a long time," she confessed. Her eyes stared into his, and Jaune continued to blush under the intense stare. She probably didn't mean it, but he still blushed nonetheless. "You…" He saw her bite her lower lip, before she pointed a finger towards a small shop.

"Y-you want to go buy souvenirs with me?"

Jaune wasn't an idiot. It sounded like she was covering up what she actually wanted to say, but he didn't argue. He just accepted the topic change, and nodded his head. "Sure. Let's check it out."


The two arrived at a small souvenir shop and looked around it together. Really, it was just a small stand with a couple of metal racks beside it, but it still had a couple of things they could buy to remember this night.

As Jaune looked over some fridge magnets, Ruby was looking through a small array of stuffed animals. There were a lot of adorable options, ranging from koala bears to lesser, red pandas, to classic bears and dogs, but one item stood out from the rest.

A small, black bird. A crow. An odd choice for a stuffed animal, but one that struck a chord with the young woman. She used to own one just like it, but that was a long time ago. She couldn't remember what she had done with it at first, before the memory stabbed at her heart.

The present had been a gift from her parents. Mom, dad, and herself had gone to a festival together. Ruby's dad had tried to win a prize for the girls, but all he could win was a single, small stuffed animal. He had been kind enough to let Ruby pick, and she chose her childhood pet crow…

Then dad threw mom to an insane asylum, and Ruby threw the crow away. Agw spent the next few days telling her father she hated him, but it didn't change anything… Mom was gone, and Ruby's bond with her father quickly followed.

"Ruby?" The silver-eyed woman blinked, and she turned to look at a concerned Jaune staring at her. "You okay? You were spacing out pretty bad."

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About?"

"Um… Stuffed animals?" She gestured to the small crow in her hand, smiling sheepishly. She put on her best poker face for Jaune, but she never was very good at poker.

"Did you want to get him? He's cute. Plus it'll make a cool souvenir for tonight."

"Nah," she replied. She placed the crow back, shaking her head."Kind of too old for stuffed animals."

"Nora still has stuffed animals from when she was a kid. I think it's fine if you buy one." Ruby's silver eyes bounced between the small bird and Jaune. Bright blue eyes, and black buttons gazed at her, but she shook her head.

"No, it's okay," Ruby uttered. "You find anything you like?"

Jaune hesitated for about half a second, before he smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah. Just got a fridge magnet."

Ruby nodded her head. "Cool. Shall we?" she motioned to the cashier, and Jaune motioned her to lead the way. She did, and the two approached the yawning worker.

"Hey, sorry," she apologized, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Will that be it?"

"Yep. One fridge magnet, and one stuffed animal," Jaune answered.

"Wait, what?" Ruby blinked, before looking at her blond friend. The young man grinned at her, before he handed the woman the money. Ruby looked down at Jaune's hands, and she saw exactly what he had purchased. A small fridge magnet, plus the same crow stuffed animal she had held in her hand. "Jaune-"

"It's okay. If you don't want him, I'm happy to give him a home," the blond countered. He took his change and the bag the worker offered him, placing both items inside. Ruby stared as the blond walked away from her, a proud smile on his face.

"Your boyfriend seems really nice," the cashier commented. "Wish I had someone like that," she muttered, before yawning again. "Have a nice night, ma'am."

The woman's words made Ruby blush, and she shook her head vehemently. "He's not-we're…." The woman sighed, before quickly chasing after her friend. "Jaune!"

"Yeah?" He turned his head to look at her, a coy grin on his face.

She knew arguing with him was pointless, but she still had to know… "Why'd you do that?"

"Same reason I helped you when we first met. You looked sad, and I wanted to make you happy. Besides, do I need a reason to help my best friend?"

Ruby blinked, and she felt her cheeks burn. "I'm your best friend? What about Ren? Or Nora? You've known them way longer than I have."

The two were walking side by side now. Not to anywhere in particular, just… walking. Ruby saw Jaune's eyes widen, and for a moment, she wondered if he was taking the statement back. She steeled herself for that disappointment, before Jaune confessed his feelings.

"Honestly? I think you're my best friend. Don't get me wrong. Ren and Nora are amazing, and I love them, but when I'm hanging out with you, things just click. I know we've only known each other for a few months, but I considered you just as important as them. Besides, you're just fun to be with…"

Jaune stopped. He rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "I'm making things awkward again, aren't I? I'm sorry, I'm…"

"Socially awkward." Ruby finished for him. She stood across from him. The two were facing each other, both blushing, both smiling. "It's okay. So am I." She rubbed one arm with the other, her feet fidgeting. "You really like hanging out with me?"

"Yeah. You're funny, and cool, and smart, and…" Jaune stared at his sneakers, and he took in a long, deep breath of the cold air. "Boy, I'm bad at talking."

"I mean, I like compliments," she joked. Her voice cracked, and she wanted to kick herself. She sounded like a child when she was embarrassed. "Hey, Jaune?" He looked at her. "You're my best friend too."

He grinned proudly at that, and she held her hand out to him. He got the message, handing her the small, black crow. The thing's button eyes shimmered in the light of the zoo, and it almost smiled at Ruby.

"I had one just like these when I was a kid," she admitted. "I loved it."

"Sounds cute."

"It was," she replied. She glanced at Jaune, and thought brewed in her mind. Should… Should I tell him? I haven't told anyone since Adam. But if we're best friends, then maybe I should… Her thumb gently stroked the bird's head. He's so nice to me… Does he like me? She gulped.

Her thoughts went to Adam, and she hated herself for comparing the two. He's nice… So was Adam. He cares about me! So did Adam. I like him… You liked Adam.

Maybe Ruby wasn't so normal. Even when the alts were asleep, she argued with herself…

She put the argument on pause, her shoulders falling. Ruby was sick of arguing herself. She just wanted to enjoy the night with her best friend. Heh. That made her grin…


Eventually, the two left the zoo, with the stuffed animal safely in a bag hanging on Jaune's arm. The couple talked about heading back to the hotel, but both agreed that neither of them were ready to call it a night. Instead, Ruby suggested they just walk around the hotel area. They'd be close enough to go back when they were tired, with plenty of options to just enjoy themselves.

Jaune agreed, and the two walked on a brightly lit sidewalk. They were in the metropolis area now, free to enjoy the city. There were shops all around them, ranging from closed restaurants to bars open late at night.

"Man, this place is beautiful," Jaune commented.

"Mmhm," she agreed with a nod. "The sights, the sounds… You think we're gonna get to go to a luau?"

"We have to! Coco and Fox couldn't have planned a trip to Hawaii without including one luau!"

"Ooh, what if there's a fire dancer?" Ruby imagined a half naked man with a stick in his hands, a fire burning on either side of it, and it made her grin. Jaune chuckled at the idea, and the two continued to talk.

They talked about roasted pig, and pineapple (still disgusting on a pizza, Ruby argued), and all sorts of stuff they might enjoy on this tropical vacation. As they talked about nothing of importance, Ruby found herself relaxing once more.

Her life was a rollercoaster, she admitted. Full of ups and downs. Her 'condition' didn't exactly make things easier on her. But Jaune made her feel… normal. Better than normal. Good. She couldn't help but feel a slight warmth on her face as the two talked.

He was smiling at her. He looked nice… By which she meant, he looked like a nice guy! Not… Well, he did look alright. Good. Nice hair, tall, pretty eyes… Ruby's face was getting warmer. Ah…!

Why don't you ask him out? She asked herself. Well, the answer to that was obvious. Ruby was terrified. Even if she wasn't a socially awkward mess, her mind continued to bring up her last relationship.

Things with Adam had started off well. Great, even. He was there when Ruby lost her mother, and she actually thought the man cared about her. Maybe in his own way, he did. Ruby wasn't sure if that made it better or not.

Adam made her feel like dirt. She remembered feeling like his toy. His to do with… Suddenly his kind words carried an edge to them. Like every compliment was said with a knife to her neck.

But Jaune wasn't like that, she reminded herself. So why couldn't she muster up the strength to do anything?

She groaned at her own frustration, a sound that Jaune caught. "Ruby? You okay?"

The dark-haired woman blinked, and she opened her mouth to answer, only for another sound to catch their attention.

There were four people walking towards them, each of them fairly young, probably in their final years of highschool. They walked together, laughing and talking in a language that neither Ruby or Jaune understood. The group came to a stop when one of them pointed at Jaune and Ruby

Remembering Jaune's earlier advice, Ruby grabbed onto his arm, pressing her body against his. It did nothing to stop the group as the four teens began walking towards Jaune and Ruby, scowls on their faces.

Jaune opened his mouth to say something, when one of the teenagers suddenly shoved him, nearly knocking him over. Ruby's eyes widened as the young boy began yelling at the two of them.

Ruby couldn't understand what was being said to them, but a few words crossed the language barrier.

"-fucking haole!" He shoved Jaune again as the other teens started screaming along with him.

Any attempt at defusing the situation just seemed to make the group angrier. Jaune held up his hands, before he was suddenly knocked down. Ruby's eyes widened as she saw one of the outraged teens punch Jaune's stomach. The blond groaned in pain as he crumpled down onto the ground, resting on his knee. Seeing her friend hurt set something off in Ruby, and she pushed herself between the angry teens and her friend.

"Enough!" Ruby glared at the kids, and when one of them tried to push her, Ruby smacked their hands away. She stepped forward, challenging each of the teens. Despite her short stature, Ruby stood her ground and glared at the aggressors. "Stay away from us! I don't care what your problem is, if you try and touch us again, I will defend myself."

The four teens were quiet, before a girl standing in the back began to laugh. Ruby looked at her, and she noticed how red her face was. How red all of their faces were. Were these kids drinking?

"Look at this fuckin' haole. Think she's tough. Kick her ass," she snickered, pushing one of the boys forward.

The guy was chubby, easily bigger than Ruby, and even a couple of inches taller than Jaune. Ruby's friend stood up, and he held up his hand.

"H-hey, we don't have to do thi-"

"Shut up, haole!" The big man reached for Ruby, and she did what her father taught her to do.

Her father taught her that it wasn't about your weight, it was about leverage. How you use your weight. Ruby caught the man's hand, surprising him, before she slid her foot forward and kicked his leg. He cried out in pain, before Ruby slammed her shoulder into his chest and released him. The man hit the ground.

Ruby had done all of this quickly and smoothly. She kept her hands up and glared at the four, trying to intimidate them. They seemed surprised, before the same girl from before glared at Ruby.

"Haole bitch!" She kept herself behind one of her friends, still clearly intimidated, when suddenly a voice shouted out at the six.

"Hey! Get the hell out of here before I call the cops!" A man was running towards them, motioning for the four to leave. They obeyed, the threat of cops clearly scaring them even more than Ruby.

Ruby felt her shoulders fall as she sighed in relief, and she and Jaune looked at the stranger who helped them.

"Thank you," the woman smiled.

"Yeah, thanks."

"No problem. Sorry about that… You two okay?"

"I'm alright," Ruby replied.

"Just got the wind knocked out of me," Jaune replied.

The man nodded his head, before looking around. "If you two want, you can come into my bar for a bit. Get a moment to rest. I was just closing up, but I don't have a problem letting you two sit inside."

Ruby and Jaune looked at each other. Jaune was holding his stomach, but as soon as he realized his friend's eyes were on him, he tried to hide the pain he was in.

"We're okay," Jaune quickly muttered, but Ruby shook her head.

"Actually, I'd like some water. If that's okay?" Her silver eyes bounced between the two men, and Jaune's face shifted slightly, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to thank her or apologize to her.

"Come on. My place is right here," the man stated, motioning towards a nearby bar. "I'm Monty, by the way."

"Ruby."

"Jaune."


Ruby and Jaune entered the bar, and sat by the counter as Monty walked around to the other side. The bar was a nice place, more rustic and old fashion than modern. Wooden floors and walls, with dim lights hanging above them. Old, classical played from somewhere as Monty smiled at them.

"You two want anything to drink?"

"I think we're okay," Ruby replied.

Monty nodded his head, before he walked over to a cashier. He quietly went through it, tapping on buttons as Ruby looked at his friend.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, just…" Jaune shook his head. "Where'd you learn those moves?"

"Dad taught me self defense."

"You mentioned. But I didn't think… I mean, that was crazy," the young man commented. "You kicked that guy's butt." For a moment, Ruby worried that Jaune was intimidated by her skill, but Jaune's grin eased her concerns. "It was awesome."

Ruby blushed, her cheeks once again burning. "Ah, well… T-thanks," she muttered. The two stared at one another, silver eyes meeting sapphire ones as neither said anything. Ruby felt her blush spreading to her ears, and she thought she saw something similar on Jaune's face…

"Hey," Monty walked back to the two, and the two quickly looked away from each other. "Really sorry about that again. Some locales don't really like tourists."

"What was that word they kept yelling at us…?" Ruby inquired. "Ha...Haloe?"

"Haole. It's a slur to tourists, or people who look like they're from out of state." The two looked Monty over. He was a man of Japanese descent, with spiky black hair and matching pants and a button-up shirt with a collar popped up around his neck.

The bartender sighed, shaking his head. "Really sorry. Not everyone here is like that."

"We understand. Stupid people exists all over the world," Jaune nodded. "Thanks for stepping in."

"Recognized those kids. Too young to be drinking, but they always seem to find someone dumb enough to give it to them," Monty frowned. He looked at the two and put on a friendly face. "Enough about them. So, what are you two doing in Hawaii? Just sight-seeing?"

"Oh, we're here for a wedding," Jaune answered, and Monty's eyes widened for a moment, before he grinned.

"You're getting married? Well, congrats," he beamed. "We have a couple's special. I'd be happy to make mix it for you."

Ruby and Jaune didn't say anything. They just stared at the bartender as his words slowly dawned on them. Their faces were quickly turning crimson as Monty continued to talk, oblivious of their shame. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing and just wanted to tease the two.

"The lovers' special is a special cocktail. Has a natural aphrodisiac in it."

"A-aphrodisiac?" Ruby repeated, her face consumed by embarrassment.

"N-no! We're just friends. Ruby and I are just friends," Jaune quickly corrected, holding his hands up.

"Oh." Monty blinked, before glancing down at his hands, before back to them. "You still want the drink?"

Ruby buried her face in her hands and groaned loudly. Jaune did the same, shaking his head. Monty just chuckled, clearly amused by his own antics.

"Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood. Can't blame me for thinking something was going on between you two. You have a nice chemistry, besides, you're a young couple out in the middle of the night. Thought you were going to go see the fireworks or something?"

"Fireworks?" Ruby blinked.

"Yeah. You can see them from Waikiki Beach," Monty explained. "It's beautiful, and pretty close by. I thought you were headed there…"

"Us being out in the middle of the night was kind of spur of the moment," Jaune confessed.

"Jaune, we should go see them!" Ruby beamed, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "I haven't seen fireworks in forever!"

"Sure, why not?" The blond replied, seeing little reason to argue.

"If you're gonna go see them, I suggest checking out Matsumoto's Shave Ice nearby. It's really great, and right by the beach. They're probably still open."

"Sounds like a plan to me. What do you think?" Jaune inquired, and Ruby agreed with a quick nod.

"Yeah, let's try it. Thanks, Monty."

The bartender smiled at the two, nodding his head with a friendly smile on his face. "Happy to help."


Ruby and Jaune soon left the humble bar and left for the beach. It wasn't a long walk, and soon they found the long, wide sandy fields of Waikiki Beach. The beach was dark, but the lights from the city were enough to illuminate the shore. The waves gently crashed on the sandy slopes, as other people sat on the beach. They were few and sparse apart, but there.

"There's the place." Ruby pointed at the large vendor, and Jaune saw the large, round sign above the entrance.

'Matsumoto's Shave Ice.' He and Ruby entered the shop and the man working the counter waved at them with a smile.

"Hey, order whenever you're ready."

The two nodded, before Jaune leaned down to Ruby. "What are you gonna get?"

"Strawberry flavor," she replied, her voice brimming with glee. "You?"

"Hm… Watermelon, I think."

"You guys want that with ice cream?" the worker questioned.

"Ice cream…?" Jaune could see Ruby's jaw hitting the ground as she gasped. "Yes, please!"

Jaune handed the man some cash, and he quickly started working on their orders. The young man couldn't take his eyes off of Ruby. He loved watching her staring at the sweet, fruit-flavored treat being put together. Her shimmering, silver eyes and hungry mouth reflected off of the glass as he watched her.

"Here you two, go. Have a good night," the worker smiled, handing the two the large, plastic cups.

"Thanks," Ruby grinned, taking both.

Jaune hesitated for a moment, thinking back to the last time he saw Lilo and Stitch. What was the word he was looking for? "Uh… M-mahalo?" The man lifted his brow, confused for a moment, before he chuckled.

"No problem, cuz. Have a good night." The blond smiled with a warm blush on his cheeks, walking by Ruby as they exited out of the store together.

"That meant 'thank you,' right?" she asked.

"Hope so. I probably butchered the language, but I wanted to try."

"I think that's nice of you," the silver-eyed girl commented, before handing him his shaved ice. "Here, have yours and tell me what you think?"

Jaune nodded his head, before taking the spoon lodged into his dessert and taking a bite of it. The sweet, watermelon taste earned a quiet, satisfied moan. "Mine's great. Yours?"

Ruby took a bite of her own shaved ice, crunching it under her teeth. She dropped her spoon into her cup as she beamed. "Delicious!" She took another bite, before looking at her golden-haired friend. "Can I try some of yours?"

"Sure." Jaune wasn't sure what he was thinking. He should have just offered the large cup of shaved ice to Ruby, but he just… wasn't thinking, he guessed. Instead of doing the sensible thing, he stuck his spoon into the scarlet ice, got a nice spoonful, before holding it out to Ruby.

Okay, it's fine. She'll take the spoon and just-

The short woman blinked, before leaning forward and biting down on the end of Jaune's spoon. She then pulled back, wiping the small, plastic spoon clean. Jaune blinked, feeling that familiar warmth on his face as she grinned.

"Ooh, that is good."

"Yeah, I thought so too…" Jaune cleared his throat, before pointing to the beach. "Let's go sit down! T-the fireworks are probably gonna start soon."

"Oh, sure!"


Ruby was practically screaming in her mind as she followed by Jaune. She was thankful the older man couldn't see her rosy face.

What was that?! Why did you do that?! Why didn't you just take the spoon? Why did you make him feed you?! I mean, this isn't all my fault. He offered it to me! Ah! I'm so bad at this!

She was soon engraved with kicking herself down, Ruby didn't realize when Jaune had stopped walking. Her body walked into his back as he came to a stop, and he turned to face her.

"Sorry. Here good?"

"Oh, yeah!" she quickly answered, nodding her head.

The two sat down on the dark, sandy beach of Waikiki. The waves of the ocean crashed nearby as they took in their surroundings. On one side, a beautiful, shimmering metropolis, and on the other, an endless, vash ocean. Everything around them just felt so perfectly gorgeous and spectacular, and the two just quietly enjoyed it all for a moment.

Ruby crushed another mouthful of flavored ice as a cold breeze blew over the beach. The young woman shivered, fidgeting until her shoulder bumped against Jaune's. "Cold."

"You… want my jacket or anything?" he asked, his eyes on his shaved ice.

The silver-eyed woman quickly shook her head, a familiar warmth warming her body now. "N-no, I'm good. Thanks, though." He nodded in reply as Ruby bumped her shoulder against Jaune's again. Their arms were touching now…

This is nice, she told herself. It was peaceful. Quiet, in more ways than one. She glanced at Jaune, and contentment pulled on the corners of her lips, making her smile. Even when that silence was broke by the high-pitched whirr of a firework flying into the sky and exploding, she felt better than she had in a long time…

"Whoa!" Ruby's eyes reflected the golden and red sparkles of the firework, followed by two more rockets shooting into the sky.

"Perfect timing," Jaune observed, watching both rockets explode high above the ground.

Ruby and Jaune 'oohed' and 'awwed' together, watching the colorful explosions burst in the air, before descending to the ground. Their eyes reflected the rainbow of colors and the fading sparkles each one left behind.

The younger of the two was so distracted by the show that when she reached for her spoon, she hit it to hard, knocking it out of the cup and onto the sand.

"Nooooo!" Ruby screamed, dramatically, watching her precious spoon hit the ground. It was too late now. Sand clung to the plastic utensil, and she mourned the loss of a great friend. Jaune watched her pouting face, unable to stop himself from admiring how cute she looked. "Dang it," she sighed, hanging her head low.

"Here." Jaune stabbed his spoon into her shaved ice, smiling at her. "We can share."

She glanced at the small, blue spoon, before looking at her friend. He motioned for her to go ahead, and she grinned. It didn't take long for Ruby to accept the gift, digging in and enjoying themselves. She gave a muffled thanks through a mouthful of flavored ice.

"Ah, brain freeze!" The girl groaned, handing him back the spoon. The older man chuckled, eating some of his own shaved ice as she suffered.

The two continued to watch the fireworks. Colors shot into the air, filling the night sky as they sat together. The dull booms and pops filled their ears along with the gentle crashing of the nearby waves.

This is… nice, Ruby thought, taking a bite of Jaune's shaved ice. By now, her own cup laid empty by her crossed legs, and Jaune was happy to share his with her. Her lips wrapped around the tip of the spoon as she blushed. Huh. Like an indirect kiss… Ah, what am I thinking?!

She quickly pushed the spoon back into the ice and sighed. A guy and a girl… Sharing food while watching fireworks in a tropical paradise… Ruby glanced around the beach, frowning as she watched a man and woman kissing one another.

They looked so happy together, holding each other like that…

Then she looked at her best friend, and she found herself scooting closer. He's just being nice, Ruby told herself. He probably would have done this for any girl. But he didn't do this for any girl. He was here with her, sharing food with her, watching fireworks with her…

We're so alike… Both of them were products of failed relationships. Both of them were awkward, but needy. Both of them were heavy with baggage. Maybe they would have been good together?

Ruby frowned at the thought. Stop. He doesn't like you like that. Does he? Maybe he does? What if he does? What do I do?! She leaned back, resting on her hands. Her fingers brushed against his, and she almost jumped from the contact.

"You okay?" Jaune inquired, turning his head to look at her.

"Huh? O-oh, yeah, I'm alright!" Ruby quickly replied, nodding her head. Her face was red, but she did her best to ignore it. She swallowed saliva down as she tried to form coherent thoughts. It was surprising to do when he was staring at him with those bright, blue eyes. I like him. I mean, I know I like him, but I don't want to date him… Right? What if I do? So what if I do?! Ahhh, do something, Ruby!

"Jaune. Can I… tell you something?"

"Course. What's up?"

"I'm scared." She didn't know what made her say those words. Those two, simple words. They made both of their eyes widen, and her stomach twist.

"Scared? Of what?" He was worried about her, because of course he was. He was too good of a person not to be.

Ruby's fingers dug into the cool sand and the bright lights in the sky were almost quiet as she tried to think of what to say. She wanted to find a way to back out, to make a joke out of the situation, but some part of her wouldn't let her. Worse, a part of her wanted to tell Jaune the truth…

"We're friends, right?"

"Course we are."

"Best… friends?"

"Yeah." No hesitation. His finger touched hers again, and Ruby's blush returned. Her mouth opened and closed, but words refused to come out. "Ruby, you can talk to me about anything. I'm not going to abandon you or anything."

Abandon me… Ruby swallowed down her nerves. "I want to be honest with you. So I'm going to tell you something almost no one else knows, alright? And you can't tell anyone. Okay?"

"I swear on my family name." Jaune placed a hand on his chest and held up two fingers with the other hand. "I won't tell a soul."

Ruby wanted to laugh at the gesture, but she couldn't muster the strength. "You… I've mentioned my boyfriend, before, right?" He nodded. "And I mentioned my dad before." He nodded again. "I want to tell you more about them, what happened, and why I ended up in Vale."

He nodded again, and she took a deep breath, her eyes on the cup of melting ice between them.

"My mom was a really amazing woman. She used to tell me stories when I was growing up. Fairy tales, epics, even stories she wrote herself. She was-" Ruby couldn't help but smile at the memories of Summer Rose. Her mother's laugh, her grin, and her warm hugs all felt so recent... "-really, really incredible."

Ruby glanced at Jaune, expecting him to speak up, but he didn't. He just listened, nodding his head. She silently thanked him, before she dropped the first bomb.

"But she was also sick. Not with a virus, or a disease, I mean, I guess it's a disease, but it's a mental one. She had this mental illness." Called Dissociative Identity Disorder… Her lips didn't say the words, and Jaune didn't ask, so she just kept going. "But she was getting better. I remembered her being happy, and she never did anything to hurt anyone, but… my dad didn't think so."

"I was twelve when my mom was thrown in an insane asylum." Jaune's eyes widened, and she shivered under his stare. "My dad put her there… I remember her being pulled into a car, screaming for me and dad to help her… I wanted t-" She stifled a whimper, her vision blurring. How long had it been since she had recalled these memories…? It felt like years…"I wanted to, but dad wouldn't let me. I haven't seen my mom since."

Ruby was twenty-one now. Her mother had been taken away almost ten years ago. Part of her thought that the pain would have gone away by now. It hadn't…

"Ruby, I'm… I'm so sorry," Jaune whispered. "I-I can't imagine what that's like..."

He didn't even know the whole story, and Ruby just couldn't muster up the strength to tell it to him. How Summer was taken away with Raven, her alternate personality. How the trauma of that day created Blake to 'live' for Ruby and Yang, both of whom were too overwhelmed to properly function…

Blake lived for Ruby and Yang, going to school, dealing with their father, and more. The time Ruby and Yang spent in control was small at first, but eventually they got better. Not back to good, but… able to live.

"That's why my father and I are so distant. I… I think he was trying to protect me, but I just can't forgive him for what he did."

"I understand," Jaune uttered. "I'm sorry…" He lifted a hand to place on her shoulder, but it fell between them. So Ruby fell forward, letting her head fall on his shoulder as their bodies pressed together. She just needed to know he was there… She didn't care how red her face was.

"After that, I just sort of went through the motions. I had friends, but I couldn't tell them what happened. Most of them just left me alone… The only person I told was my best friend, Sun, but not even that lasted… I ended up pushing him away after I started dating Adam."

Ruby gulped down her nerves and Jaune silently reminded her she could stop now, if she wanted. She just nodded her head in understanding, before continuing.

"I started dating Adam when I was fourteen years old. He was an older guy. Two years older than me. He seemed so nice when we first met, and… and even after I told him about my mom, he told me he loved me."

Jaune's hand fell on her back, and he held her close, warming her with his embrace. She closed her eyes for a moment, memorizing the feel of his chest, and the soft rhythm of his heartbeat.

Adam had been so kind to her. He was even nice to Yang and Blake when she told him about them. He didn't treat her differently. He loved her, and for a long time, she loved him.

"Adam was… He used to talk all the time about how he was going to change the world. He was going to grow up and leave Patch and become someone. He was going to take down corporate corruption, and greedy politicians, and bring equality to everyone in the world, and at first, I believed him. I actually thought he was a hero, for a while…" Ruby's vision was blurring, and she tried to shake away the tears. She didn't want to cry...

"Sun knew something was wrong, but I didn't believe him. He kept trying to warn me about Adam, but eventually I got mad and told him to leave me alone. I told him he was just jealous…" Technically, Blake told him, but Ruby had done nothing to stop it… "I should have listened."

"I don't know if Adam got worse as he got older, or if I just never saw it, but eventually things got really bad. He started taking his anger out on me. He never hit me, but he would yell at me, or push me, and I knew he was cheating on me behind my back… We broke up on really bad terms when I was seventeen, and I tried to leave for Vale as soon as I could after I graduated. I just couldn't take living in Patch anymore. Too many bad memories."

Again, Ruby spoke with half-truths and hidden facts. She couldn't tell Jaune about how Adam had abused Blake and Yang, or how the break-up caused Ruby to dissociate again. While Ruby, Blake, and Yang dealt with the emotional turmoil of the breakup, Weiss was born to 'fix' things and keep their body going.

Weiss buried herself in Ruby's studies, and Ruby left her high school with awards and straight As. With Weiss' grades, Ruby was able to get a scholarship to Beacon, and she left with barely a goodbye to her father…

"I left Patch, and just kept to myself while I was Vale. I met Neon, but she and I weren't real friends… Then I met you." Ruby pulled herself out of the hug, and the tears came down her face. She sobbed, breaking down as the weight of her past came crashing down on her.

"And everytime we're together, I can't help but compare you to Adam, and I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry, but I've just… I've been betrayed so many times, and hurt by people I trusted, and… I-I just don't want to mess us up…"

"It's okay. Let it out." Jaune pulled her into another hug, and she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around him. "Cry as much as you want. I will never betray you."

And cry Ruby did. She sobbed into her friend's chest, hiccuping and gasping as she wept. They laid like that for a long time, the fireworks having long gone quiet. They had missed the finale, but neither minded. They held each other tightly, as Jaune whispered in Ruby's ear.

"You've been through a lot. It's okay to have trust issues. It's okay to be scared, and hurt, and everything else you're feeling. It's okay," he promised.

She wanted to say thank you, but all Ruby could do was hiccup as she rubbed snot and tears against Jaune's clothes. They stayed like that for the next minutes, before Jaune finally muttered something.

"Can I tell you something…?" She nodded against his frame. "I haven't told my parents that I left Beacon."

"What?" Her voice was quiet as Ruby lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes widened. Jaune looked defeated. As if all the energy and joy was sucked out of him.

"I feel like people have always looked down on me," he admitted. "I know most people don't, but the truth is I'm not really good at a lot of things. I'm not fast, or strong, or even that brave. I try my best, but it never feels good enough. Before I graduated, my parents told me they planned on moving, and my younger siblings were going to go with them. My older sisters had already moved out of the house by then, so my parents gave me a choice. Go with them, or stay with my friends in Vale."

"I chose Pyrrha. I chose to go to Beacon and study a music major, and when I told my parents they told me not to be afraid of coming home if things didn't work out… I could see it in their eyes," he sighed. "They didn't believe I could do it, and they were right. I wasn't good enough. I thought I was going to show them that I could make it. That I was smart enough to excel at something, but when Pyrrha left, something in me left with her… I haven't told them yet cause, well, I just didn't want to prove them right."

"The only people who know are Ren, Nora, and now you." Jaune looked at her, a melancholy smile on his face. "I know it's nothing like what happened to you, and I'm not trying to make a competition out of our suffering, but… I wanted you to know." He squeezed her small frame tightly, before he looked into her eyes. "You deserve to know... And now if I ever do something stupid, you can tell my folks on me."

Despite everything, Ruby chuckled art the joke. She wiped her eyes, before embracing Jaune one last time.

"I'm never going to abandon you, Ruby. Never going to betray you, or hurt you. I'm your friend, and I'm going to treat you like it. Simple as that."

And Ruby believed in, and her heart soared, because she knew she could trust him. She didn't know just what to call what she felt for him, but it felt good, and warm.

Jaune pulled his body away with a vibrant blush. His hands slipped down her body, until only one hand rested on her hip. "Sorry about that. Just felt like the right thing to do… You okay?"

"Y-yeah, and don't apologize. It was nice." Ruby was blushing almost as badly as Jaune was. Did you just say hugging him was nice?! Come on, Ruby! Pull yourself together. She pulled her hands from his body, but one hand stayed on his shoulder, gently squeezing him. "Thank you for telling me that, Jaune…"

"Thank you for telling me about your past," he replied. "None of that could have been easy… I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. None of it is your fault." They stood up together, and Jaune placed his other hand on Ruby's arm to help keep her balanced. Neither had pulled away from the other just yet. "Thanks for listening."

Neither said anything when their eyes met. They weren't sure what could have been said. Should Ruby tell Jaune 'thank you,' again? Apologize? She didn't know, but what she did know was that his blue eyes were captivating, even at night…

Ruby inched forward, slowly closing the gap between them. Jaune didn't react, simply staring into her silver eyes. Ruby's nerves told her to stop, but she felt… high? Intoxicated? Maybe it was the location, maybe it was throwing their baggage out in the open, or maybe it was just something spur of the moment.

She felt daring, and stupid, and young. She felt happy with him. The nice, kind man who had been nothing less than great to her…

Ruby Rose inched closer again, feeling her chest brush against his body. She had no idea what she was doing, but part of her wanted to try… but she never got the chance, as Jaune placed his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her like he was sorry for something…

"I-We should probably head back to the hotel," he muttered. Ruby blinked, and Jaune refused to look her in the eyes.


Ruby and Jaune were quiet by the time they had reached their hotel room. They were exhausted, too exhausted to even talk. Even if they had the energy, Ruby wondered if they would have talked. Things felt awkward since she tried doing… whatever that was...

They entered the bedroom quietly, and Ruby left for the bathroom to change while Jaune did the same in the bedroom. The young woman's movement was slow and sluggish, and when she was done changing into her pajamas, she just stared at the door with a small, thin frown.

If Jaune hadn't stopped her, would she have kissed him? Is that what she wanted? Did she want to kiss Jaune? No… No! But if it was, why did he stop her…? Was she moving too fast? Was there something wrong with her? Was it because she wasn't Pyrrha? The questions ran through her mind as her eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Ruby yawned, and she steeled herself as she opened the door.

Jaune was sitting on the bed in his blue pajamas, looking at her.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replied.

"I was thinking. Um… Do you want to just sleep on the bed together?" Ruby's tired eyes widened as Jaune cleared his throat. "I mean, only if you want to. I don't think either of us really liked sleeping on the ground, and we're a couple of mature adults." He smiled at her, his cheeks carrying a slight, rosy hue.

"Are… you sure?" He nodded his head. Ruby's silver eyes bounced between him and her mouth hung open for a moment, before she nodded her head. "Alright… If you're okay with it."

The blond nodded and walked over to the switch and turned the lights off as she approached the bed. Together, the two moved under the covers of the bed, resting their heads on the large, soft pillows the hotel supplied.

They slept on opposite sides, their backs to one another. Both of them heavy with thoughts of the other as they tried to sleep. Minutes passed, until one of them finally spoke up.


"Ruby?" Jaune's whisper was the only sound in the dark room for a while, and he let out a low, hefty sigh. "I'm sorry…"

He wasn't blind. He really did want to kiss her. At least, that's what it looked like she was expecting. Jaune Arc wanted to kiss Ruby Rose… He blushed at the mere thought of her soft lips on his mouth, squeezing his eyes as he sighed again.

Jaune made a promise, and come hell or high water, he always tried to keep his promises, but every moment alone with Ruby made this promise harder and harder to keep.

He shouldn't have liked her as much as he did. She was nice, and funny, and cool, but he shouldn't have liked her this much! But he did, and he hated himself for it.

Jaune reminded himself not to take advantage of Ruby's emotional state. She made it clear that she wasn't looking for a boyfriend. She was just looking for a friend, and that was fine with him. Just being her friend was enough for him...

Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I'll start believing it, his half asleep mind muttered, drifting off to dreams of a certain silver-eyed woman.

END

This update is long overdue. Sorry. I got sick with the cold and my body basically started dying. Heh. Couldn't breathe, couldn't swallow solid food, bad headache. Ugh. Horrid. But here we are, with an extra long chapter, cause you guys deserve it.

On the bright side, once this year ends, I'm planning on updating this story faster. That'll be nice, huh? Two updates a month? God, it's almost like a decent update schedule. Ah… Sarcastic retort aimed at myself…

This chapter, we learned a lot about Ruby and Jaune, and their past, plus a general idea of Ruby and her alts' ages. For reference, Yang was 'born' when Ruby was little, so she's almost the same age as Ruby, Blake's almost ten years old, and Weiss is around 4, I think. Now, this is just how long they've existed. They're still mature young ladies able to think for themselves. No pedophilia or anything here, folks.

I really wanted to capture the idea that 'everyone has a story' in this, er… story. Yes, Ruby and Jaune are our main leads, and both have some dramatic secrets that are important to the story, Ruby's more than Jaune's obviously, but you'll find other characters with their own baggage later on. It's kind of a theme.

As a reviewer put it, and I love to remind myself, 'Everyone has something going on emotionally.' Thanks, NoOneImportantHere.

That, and I like writing cute fluff (yay!) and wicked drama (also yay!).

Oh, and Monty made an appearance. I didn't really try to capture the late Monty Oum's personality, just have a fun reference to the great man. Maybe in later chapters, I'll have Monty give Stan Lee-esque cameos, an honor to two great artists.

Also, I really did researching Hawaii for this story. You really can take nightly tours of a zoo, and there are fireworks every Friday on Waikiki Beach. Also, Matsumoto Shaved Ice is real. Just some fun bits of reality I wanted to include. Makes it feel a little authentic.

See ya next update, folks, where Jaune talks to Ren about girls, Weiss talks to Jaune about something or other, and Ruby and the alts learn a little about themselves. Love ya, stay safe, and remember, you are loved!

Next Update: December 16th.