Not quite finished, but close enough.
P.S. All credit to repective owners.
Y.A.R.N.
Jaune sighed as he sat heavily on the couch, throwing a arm over his face.
Ruby was asleep and Yang was satisfied that Ruby had a good boyfriend.
It was over.
That kiss was an act, it meant nothing.
He didn't feel giddy or happy.
The only thing left was a short of aching hollow where his heart used to beat.
He was used.
His 'friend' used him a cop-out and that's all there was to it.
He understood that was the intent form the start.
They both knew what that it wasn't real.
So why was he feeling...
Hurt? Angry? Dissatisfied?
He didn't know.
"Yeah." Jaune mumbled, "My first kiss and it's just to convince some girl I'm dating and love her sister."
He sighed, he probably should've expected that's how it would be. No genuine affection, nothing that actually meant anything no matter what he felt. It was just a lie. That's how he rolls, one way or another. Be realistic, realize the fantasy that there's someone out there for you is just what it is. A pipe dream to make people feel better when they are lonely. Honestly he was mad, but at himself (and deep down at Ruby) for even thinking that there was something actually there for a second. Ruby begged for this and he accepted because he wanted to help his nice and quirky roommate/friend with a problem. There was no reason he was obligated to help her but he did anyway because he simply couldn't ignore a friend in need.
But what were they now? He wanted to stay friends, that was obvious, but the kiss changed things between them. Probably on his side of the friendship equation. He was confused and he would bet money Ruby was sleeping soundly without a care. Her problems were solved and now he was questioning things he had never even thought of.
Maybe he shouldn't have been such a sucker. After all, 'friends' don't use you like that unless it's life or death. He was locked on this path, he knew Yang would pulverize him if they 'broke up'.
'Just get to your bed and curl up like when you were in high-school. Block all the thoughts with your arms over your ears and squeeze your eyes shut so hard it strains.' His mind hissed as he took a deep breath.
He lets his arm drop off his head and pushed himself to his feet. He padded over to his room right when there was a knock on the door. Jaune didn't want to talk to anyone, he just wanted to curl up in his bed and forget the last week ever existed.
He contemplated leaving it when he heard a voice.
"Oi! Jaune! I forgot something!" Yang cheerfully called.
Jaune froze.
"Uh... can't you get it tomorrow?" He protested softly, "Ruby's sleeping!"
"Sorry, this can't wait!"
Jaune sighed again, "Alright, just be quiet."
He opened the door and Yang grinned, and grabbed his collar before hissing, "Grab some decent clothing and talk with me Mister Fake-out Make-out!"
Jaune blanched.
Yang leaned against her motorcycle, breaths puffing of steam in the cold night air, "I should've figured Ruby would do that if I were honest. Sorry you got involved."
Jaune shoulders slumped as he sat on the bench outside his building, dressed in a heavy black jacket, blue scarf, a white long-sleeved shirt, and faded blue jeans, "I'm sorry too. She was just so scared I couldn't help but say yes..."
Yang sighed herself, closing her eyes, "Should've said no if it came to me. Figures the first thing she would do is beg some dork like you to help her. She was never good at acting, plus I've been in relationships, and that ain't like mine. Right until the kiss — which was the test you failed — you seemed like a much more stable couple to me. I can tell when it's just flings for fun and what isn't."
Jaune disagreed but didn't voice his opinion, he didn't want to talk about his 'relationship' with Ruby.
Mainly because he didn't have one.
Jaune groaned, "Can't you beat me up already? I already feel like a loser and a tool for having to give my first kiss for an act and for kissing someone who probably won't ever talk to me without awkward air ever again."
Yang gave him a very confused look, "What?"
Jaune laughed mirthlessly, "The kiss was my first one ever that wasn't family and frankly I don't know what am I supposed to feel about it! You said yourself. I'm a dork! You thought I was a dork now? Oh you should have seen me in high-school! Biggest loser, a nerd and awkward wallflower. No one even saw me, which was nice, no bullies even saw me! Only boy in family of seven doesn't actually mean that much when the girls are the talented ones. Everyone in my homeroom was genuinely shocked when I was called up to cast my vote for prom queen and king. Took a less than a week before I was invisible again."
Yang eyes softened and she sat next to him, "You mean you were forgotten?"
"Can't be forgotten if you were never known in the first place..." Jaune mumbled, "Hell, Ruby only hangs with me because she likes my shows and she's my roommate."
Yang sighed from where she sat next to him, "You done guilt-tripping me?"
Jaune blinked in confusion, "Excuse me?"
Yang sighed and reclined on the bench, "I always threaten Ruby to find a nice guy, but I never thought she would get one just to please me. Ruby's always been like that though, trying to make everyone around her happy. She doesn't always think ahead and that can cause some pretty bad situations. If I had known you were the only guy available I would have never brought it up. You deserve better than that."
"Maybe." Jaune agreed in a quiet voice, "But I never get what I deserve. I'm used to that."
Yang frowned, "You shouldn't have to be."
Jaune shrugged, "I got my hand in the card game of life, turned out to be a bust. So I just smile, bluff, and hope no one calls me on it."
Yang and him sat on the bench in silence before Yang stood up and held out a hand to him, "Alright enough sadness, right now we are going to kill it with a good time."
Jaune stared at her hand and then at her, "Um... What exactly do you mean?"
Yang smiled, "We are going to have fun. And you get to choose the venue so you have a good night."
Jaune mouth dropped open ever-so-slightly, "You want to hang out with me?"
Yang rolled her eyes, "Yes, now are you gonna leave me hanging?"
Jaune stared at her open hand and gently placed his hand in hers.
It felt warm.
Ruby was wide awake and hugged her knees to her chest. An uncomfortable knot in her chest kept throbbing like a heartbeat, pulsing and pulsing in time with her breathing. She tried to settle, used her noise cancelling headphones to listen to soothing music, and bit the bullet for white noise. No amount of tossing and turning managed to get her in the right position, she even tried stuffing her head in between two pillows. It didn't work and she sighed again as tried to not think about her kiss with Jaune.
Jaune's lips were...
She buried her face in her knees for a moment.
God, it was indescribable in the nicest (and weirdest) of ways.
But why was it keeping her awake?
Why was she suddenly feeling like things had changed and it was her fault?
Jaune and her shared a panicked glance when Yang had insisted they kiss in front of her at the end of her visit. They had managed to avoid anything that they were uncomfortable with until tonight. In fact Yang had been all to pleased in regards to how they were, which was surprisingly easy considering it was exactly how they normally hung out. But at the hesitation before kissing, Yang looked puzzled and suspicion flickered through her eyes. Ruby grabbed Jaune's collar in a panic and yanked him into what may have been the most awkward kiss of all time. He stiffened and awkwardly rested his hands on her shoulders before they parted. She had no idea why it was not leaving her alone, was it because she liked it more than she thought was possible for a kiss, for anything that involved an expression of genuine affection? And now the feeling of his lips on hers had returned to her lips, teasing her.
She whined uneasily.
A suddenly formed (and a very insistent) impulse to pull him to kiss him again firmly lodged itself her mind after the initial kiss, just to feel the sensation of kissing him again before she looked up at him. She wanted to really, REALLY badly. It took a herculean gathering of will to not follow through on her desires.
Which settled into the back of her mind when she saw his face.
Jaune's face wasn't like anything in the comics or the books after a kiss, no awe, no goofy and dazed smile. Jaune's face was blank as a statue and his eyes were swirling with a torrent of emotions she couldn't even begin to decipher as his lips thinned. When the storm in his eyes settled, she could tell happiness or even any genuinely good emotion wasn't there, and a strange sort of hurt flickered in his eyes. He had been quiet and subdued after that, barely reacting and responding with none of his usual cheer. Ruby hadn't been very talkative after that either.
Thank god Yang suggested they all head home.
She tried to formulate something to say in the morning, but what could she say?
"Thanks for the fake boyfriend stuff and kiss Jaune! I owe you one!"
Gah no, she sounded like a heel.
The problem was she used Jaune's good nature like those manipulative people did to practically everyone in those school dramas. She was angry at herself for doing that to someone like Jaune, a nice guy who simply couldn't say no to a friend in need.
Ruby groaned in the realization that she acted exactly like a heel!
She knew that he was bigger dork than her when it came to people. It was something she knew intimately about since she was like that until Yang took her under her wing and introduced her to new people who she became friends with. School had been fun after that but before it was sad and lonely to be alone and unnoticed, she was only ever seen and Yang Xiao Long's younger sister until she made genuine friends. Jaune didn't even have that! They both were aware of how life had been lonely for them, Jaune had ruefully wished he had someone to look out for him like Yang had when they traded stories.
He didn't have anyone outside his family till the whole roommate thing and now his first friend used him.
That's not something friends do!
She groaned, things had been so awesome before.
Now they were all messed up!
Jaune walked out with Yang, licking the buttery popcorn flavor off his fingers.
"What are you? Five?" Yang asked, laughing at his affronted look.
"I'll have you know I am childish and I love it." Jaune replied snootily.
Yang nudged him with her shoulder, "Not a bad pick for a movie. Action's always fun to watch."