Here is my Valentines special for the year with my all time RWBY ship, Lancaster! Just a little passion project for the year that I wanted to make. Hope you enjoy! Tell me what you think, and Happy Valentines Day!
Ah, Fort Arc. The miracle product of the Winter Wonderland of Argus' nearly frozen winter. The plentiful mound of snow that February built. Founded by the noodliest of noodle brains, Jaune Arc, this fort of snow, some chunks of ice, a little slush to work as makeshift glue, for whatever good that did, and the monolith that was Arc pride standing nearly the same height as himself as the sole defense against the scourge of fort Rose on the other side. The frigid wind billowed into his coat, shearing some snow off the top of his precious fort, to which he nearly pounced on with a bunch of snow to repair. It must be perfect for this war!
Fort Rose was quite a strange enemy to deal with, befitting its creator. It looked more like a dome of snow compared to the high wall of Fort Arc. Ruby was probably flat against the ground, seeking whatever protection that children's messy craft project could offer. Jaune snickered. This war was all but won. Say what you want against live warfare and battle, the snow is where the Arc's reigned supreme. None could defeat the mighty family in snow to snow combat. Not even the finest young huntress of their age. Jaune gathered a clump of snow into his glove, rolling it into a ball, confident in his powerful throwing arm.
Beside Jaune was Reginald, a small, beat-up snowman with a child's scarf filled with drool-stained holes, more rocks in its belly than actual snow, and a carrot-nose that was nearly bent in half. The reliable look-out for Fort Arc. This fort would never fall with him by Jaune's side. "It's over, Ruby! Your snowball of a fort won't ever defeat the glory of my mighty wall!" He called out excitedly, almost sounding quite childish. To hell with it. They were having fun, and no one was going to tell them otherwise.
"I would think twice before calling out victory if I were you!" Ruby's squeaky voice called back, a snowball flying right over the wall and landing with near impossible accuracy next to his head. Jaune let out a short squeak, racing to plant his back against his wall, nearly making the entire thing topple over.
"You're gonna have to try better than that, sweetie!" Jaune shouted, bouncing a snowball and lobbing it over the wall blindly. It definitely wouldn't hit its mark, but it spooked her at least, getting the most adorable squeal out of her.
Jaune poked his head out of the top, smirking. "Do I have your attention now- Baf!" A snowball smashed right into his forehead, knocking the knight back onto the ground. Powder snow covered his face, making him shiver from the cold. "Yeah, okay, I deserved that one." He rasped.
"Fort Rose is here to stay! Take this as your punishment!" Ruby shouted with quite an exaggerated evil laugh, flinging a snowball aimed for a spot that Jaune would never have expected. Right for Reginald. Jaune nearly howled in despair as his head came flying off from the force, its carrot-nose finally dropping off.
"No, how could you! He was so young!" Jaune cried, batting his hand against the snow, having to bite his lip to stop the throes of laughter that weren't threatening to break out. "That's it, it's on!" He abandoned his fort, picking up clumps of snow to toss at her, Ruby doing the same with a massive grin on her face.
The two immature children of the hour were on their first vacation in Argus after the Salem's forces had been dealt with. There was no more influence. No more fear. The goddess had gone into hiding, perhaps to slumber in order to regain power? Nobody knew. There would be a time that Salem would need to be dealt with again, however that time would be far from now. All there was to do now was to deal with the now. Grimm, adventure, and a whole lot of fluffy love.
There were still hunter missions aplenty, still more parts of Remnant to discover and explore. That would come with time. This was now. This fun, winter wonderland of childish dreams were the now. The young adults flung snowballs back and forth, not even caring to dodge, just laugh, shout, claim whatever victory you could before you got smacked in the face with another snowball, something just stupid, simple and peaceful like that. The pair felt in absolute bliss, as much as you can in a dangerous world such as Remnant.
Jaune quickly came up with a plan of action after a good ten minutes of mindless fun, opting to hide behind the fort once more. He could hear Ruby's boots crunching closer towards the fort. With reckless abandon, Jaune burst through the fort, white mist flying everywhere, Ruby gasping in surprise. Jaune took advantage of this, tackling her, gripping her wrists and pinning them to the ground, her puffy jacket pushing snow into his face from the air of the sudden impact. It wasn't enough to get him to relent though, keeping his grip and bringing the war to a close.
The Arc had won.
Ruby squirmed lightly, pouting a little. A red blush stained her cheeks, very visible in her pale skin. After a while, both laughed jovially, foreheads pressed against each other. With one longing, loving gaze, their lips met, wrapping around each other in the snow. Waves of passion hit them with increasing intensity, wave after wave, moment after moment, the kiss grew hotter, hearts pounding like mad drums. Ruby let out a cute moan in the moment, their warmth enough to melt some snow around them. This was paradise. Pure heaven and bliss. They were floating on angel wings. Nothing could take this away from them. Nothing.
Tap tap.
"Hey, Jaune, hate to interrupt, but- Wah!" The interloper was shocked by a collection of snow flying right for his face, kicked by a very grumpy knight. Jaune groaned loudly, the angelic feeling fading away fast. Ruby was none to pleased either, sighing, slamming the back of her head against snow. Above them stood Sun Wukong, looking very out of place with a small open jacket, and shorts. The monkey faunus looked rather nervous staring at the too, hands already raised in ceasefire. "Sorry, was this a bad time?"
"You think?" Jaune asked, sighing, and helping Ruby up to her feet. "Sorry, Rubes."
"It's fine, don't worry about it. We can have alone time later." She said, kissing his cheek. "I'm heading to the forest. I wanna slip a little exercise in. Have fun with our bud!" With that, she trotted off towards the town. Jaune slowly swiveled his head towards Sun, glaring at him. "You couldn't have chosen a better time?" Like when he was not making out with his adorable girlfriend.
"Sorry, sorry man. Really should've seen the signs and realized that now was not the best time." Sun apologized. "I just needed some advice. See, Valentines days here, and Blake's never really had one before. Or well, had a romantic partner for one. I'm a little over my head on this one." He said, feet shuffling against the snow.
Jaune blinked. "You came all this way nearly a quarter mile out of Argus to find me for… romantic advice? You're asking Jaune Arc's method of wooing the ladies?"
Sun scratched his chin. "You know, when you put it like that, it sounds like a waste of a trip." He stated.
"Of course it was a waste of a trip! Do you think I could snag someone like Ruby Rose on command? That took time! And patience! And mountains on top of mountains on top of freaking planets worth of good luck! And even that was barely enough!" Jaune explained.
"Really?" Sun asked. "I remember you just asking her out and it was over and done with."
"The point is with my background before her, it's probably best not asking me what to do with girls." Jaune finalized.
Sun sighed, tapping his finger against his thigh hastily. Clearly there was some matter of urgency here. Then again, for Sun, it was probably as urgent as the world coming to an end. He was a caring boy, wanting nothing more than the best for the people under his care. It was probably one of the things Blake saw in him, if the meat-grinding abs weren't a huge winner with women anyway. Jaune sighed.
"Blake seems more of the quiet kind. She's probably not very active when home alone. Just take the time to sit down with her and relax. Maybe put a movie on and waste the night away with some chocolates or something. Don't worry if it gets silent. Sometimes, there's a little comfort in silence." Jaune detailed, listing off ways date nights with Ruby had gone. It wasn't much, but it was at least an experience worthy of mentioning. "I mean, if you have to keep talking all the time to keep interest in a relationship, then it's not much of a relationship, is it?"
Sun stood there for a moment, staring with slight realization in his eyes. Jaune couldn't help but sigh in relief. Whatever little advice he just threw out onto the table could have probably torn out a huge monkey wrench later on in Blake and Sun's relationship, especially with his boisterous nature. "So, a nice dinner and a movie? That's it?"
"Some cuddles too while you're at it. Test the waters first to see where or even if they want to be held. If the gates are open, mind yourself." Jaune said, patting his shoulder. His nose crinkled. "And take a bath. Sweat is not an attractive smell, no matter how novels make it sound."
Sun saluted to the hunter. "Will do. Thanks a bunch!" He said, running off.
Jaune smiled. Blake was lucky to have someone that caring. Attractive to boot. Boys like that were on pretty high demand. Hopefully Valentines Day goes well for them.
Then it hit the noodles brain like a truck filled with bricks.
He forgot about Valentine's Day!
That instant, upon realization, his heart sank. He'd forgotten a very special day for Ruby. Hell, it was just one day off from their two year anniversary. Jaune rung his fingers through his hair, hung in despair. What the hell was he thinking? Normally, he would be on top of things. Details like this would never be missed so easily. What if Ruby was secretly angry, taking the poor hapless warrior into the forest to turn him into a very scared bullet sponge? What if this was the end for Jaune Arc, the boy of extremely random luck, the king of DDR, a brain filled with loose spaghetti, and the memory of a goldfish with down syndrome?
No, calm down. Cool your jets. It was over. He could make this work somehow. If Arcs were good at one thing, it was improvising. Using a shield as a glider for one? Priceless. And Ruby was a sweet girl. The only argument they've ever had involved that mess of a haircut he had the last time they visited Atlas. Now back to its shaggy blonde mop state, it was hot and messy, but at least it was fun letting Ruby braid and mess with it. This could end up great. Just peachy. All he needed was to make a plan.
/
Meranda. Argus' entertainment district. The high tech area of the small town filled with shops selling top class games, an arcade here and there, a massage parlor, hot springs for whatever reason, even a weapons store that Ruby kept hovering over, looking like she was fighting every inner demon on the planet to not waste their limited funds on a few parts. This part of the town was the closest to Vale you could get in the area. Spry, robust, something for everyone to see. It was the perfect place for a random date with an unassuming girlfriend, and a boyfriend flying by the seat of his pants.
Ruby looked like she was floating on cloud nine, running from store to store, gasping in awe at the many different games that passed them by during their time in battle. To be fair, they all looked very new and interesting. The pair must've looked like country hicks who've never been to a city before with how much they stared. It wasn't long before they ended up outside of the weapons shop, with Ruby gazing longingly at the parts just in arms reach, pressing her red cheeks against the glass.
"Aren't you worried that your cheeks are gonna stick to the glass?" Jaune asked.
"Jaune, there are many more things in the world to be concerned and sad about than sticky glass." Ruby retorted, stroking the surface. "Just you wait, my babies. Mama will come in and take you to a brand new home one day. Then you'll be some good upgrades my baby. You'd like that wouldn't you?" Bless her, the adorable huntress had little stars in her eyes.
"On the contrary, I think those parts are safe where they are." Jaune chuckled. "Think about it, those poor little scopes and parts would be traumatized with how much you're shifting them around. Think of their feelings."
"Shush, you! Me and my baby have our needs!" Ruby fired back, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Like that crib at home that we need to get rid of?" Jaune asked.
"The crib stays." She firmly said with a pout. "Where else will my baby sleep? You aren't suggesting that I just shover her in a closet, or on a mantle to gather dust… oh boyfriend of mine." She almost sounded like she was scolding him.
He only shrugged, gathering snow falling off his shoulders. "I don't hear Crocea Mors complaining. And if I did, I would probably be trying to call my therapist back and tell her that we have a problem." He picked out his wallet, flashing a few lien cards. One-hundred and twenty to be exact. Ruby's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"Wait a second, I thought you were broke!" Ruby exclaimed, starting greedily at the cash.
"Well, my paycheck from my last mission just came in, so have at it. My treat." He said with a wink.
And just like that, all dignity and decency was flung over the ocean, never to be seen again. Ruby bounced up and down on the heels of her boots, spouting excited gibberish that presumably was a bunch of 'thank yous' at lightspeed. Taking the cards, she planted a firm, slightly impatient kiss that nearly shattered Jaune's front teeth before rushing into the store to cause absolute chaos. Jaune could only laugh, wincing a little. Thank you aura. You saved Jaune from a few weeks of dental work.
The majority of the cards were spent getting the latest scope pieces, manuels on dust charge creation, and whatever weapon lingo that Jaune had to struggle to understand. They left with quite a hefty bag that Jaune opted to carry, counting the change a beaming. Good, they still had just about enough for what came next. He took Ruby by the hand, taking her to a flower shop where she halted abruptly, looking rather sheepish.
"Flowers? Thanks but I should probably wait out here." Ruby said nervously.
Jaune's brows knit together. "What's wrong? It's just a flower shop. Are you bummed out that there's not a single explosive in the place?"
"I'm not a destructive junkie." She clarified with a pout.
"It's just a few flowers. C'mon!" Jaune jeered, dragging her inside. The colors inside were beautiful, and the scents were heavenly. Each shelf looked like it had every shade of the rainbow. The owner was nice enough to show them around. Poor Ruby though sounded pretty congested. Maybe the cold was starting to get to her. He picked a few red tulips out of the pile, showing them to her, making the very unwise decision of putting them directly under her nose. "So, what do you th-"
"AH-CHOOOO!"
In an instant, the entire room was filled with the scent of roses. Petals exploded in all directions, covering every flower. Ruby had quite literally become a flower bomb. The tulip petals were long gone, completely blown away. Only the lonely stem was left. Ruby sniffed, wiping her nose with her sleeve, looking very apologetic. Oh yeah, that was right. Ruby was allergic to the flowers in Atlas. How could he have forgotten that? Jaune only laughed.
"You could have just said no."
/
For a while, Jaune forgot once again that it was Valentines Day. It was pretty easy to get distracted where you were. Instead of an exhilarating, romantic getaway from their daily lives, filled with sensual flares, it was two dorks spending what little pocket change they had left on arcades. Now if there was a skill worth parading, it was Jaune's innate skill at video games, right down to each intrinsic movement. Every movement was fluid, right down to the button. Ruby however was a champion of the almighty practice of button-mashing. The poor controllers were about to shatter.
It was around five o'clock when they decided to take a break in the park, sitting side by side on the part benches. This felt like its own little slice of heaven despite the quiet. There was a certain warmth to it that couldn't be matched. Ruby hugged his arm, resting her head on his shoulder, humming a cute little tune. She was so warm. Despite himself, he felt a little blush creep to his face. Nearly two years into a relationship, and she still did something like this to him? Truly a marvel among humanity.
"You know what, this has been a really nice day." Ruby said softly, grinning nearly from ear to ear. "Like really nice. Even better since I got to spend it with you." She giggled, poking his cheek. "C'mon, that had to get you all flustered. Be embarrassed, I command you."
Jaune stifled a laugh, clearly fighting off flushed cheeks. "Sorry that I have to disobey that order, Rubes. I'd rather have some part of my dignity left intact." He leaned his head on the top her head, their free hands coiled together, now humming the same tune. "Red Like Roses? You're gonna get that song stuck in my head, I swear."
"That's the plan. Infect you with it so you won't think of anything else but the darn catchy song." Ruby said with a giggle.
"Well it's working. At this rate, I'll be humming it on my deathbed." Jaune mused.
They both laughed, relaxing in each others embrace. "Got any other ideas on how to make this day any better?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Mmm, I was thinking netflix? Some dinner and a blanket? Maybe give that dusty fireplace a shot? Oh, oh, hot chocolate!" Jaune excitedly said.
Ruby's eyes lit up. "Hot chocolate! Definitely! Count me in!" She chirped.
"Well, I do know one thing that could make this day even better." Jaune said, a smile growing rather sultry. That put a little red on those cheeks. She didn't retort to that, only bending her head back a little, lips slightly parted. The anticipation made his heart soar to high heaven, beating a harsh drum on the way up. He dipped down, lips meeting, tongue worming in almost immediately, tasting the chocolate still fresh. Fighting for dominance, Jaune won handily, tongue exploring the hot cavern of her mouth. Her hot, quickening breath, added with the cute squeaks tied that bow of love quite handily for him.
Ruby's back eased onto the bench, chest heaving, brushing against his ever so slightly. Her fingers ran through the tangled locks of his hair in the heat of it all. The entirety of Argus was one giant blank. Just a forgettable blur in the background. There was no one, nothing but these two. Jaune reached his hand up to caress her breast until…
Splash!
A funnel of streaming water rushed over the pair of them quickly soaking them to the bone. The water had even gone under their winter coats somehow. The magic of bad luck. Standing over them was Yang, holding a dripping hose, a grin full of mischief on her face. "PDA is not allowed in this park. Can't you read signs?"
"Can you?" Jaune growled, spitting out some water. The mood was officially ruined. Ruby laid on the bench, still panting, pouting in sheer disapointment. The couple just couldn't get a break.
"Well, since you decided to sass me, Arc, I think you both need another wash!" Yang evilly said, preparing the hose.
"Wah! Don't you dare!" Ruby squealed, clambering and struggling to somehow hide behind Jaune, what little good that did with the stream of water flying for their faces. Jaune cried out as the water smacked him right in the face. Quickly, he spun in the seat, grabbing Ruby and hoisting her up in the way of the stream, making her squeal and laugh loudly. "Jaune, you traitor! How could you- blub blub blub!"
/
Instant regret. Like almost full-on about face decision making right there. The moment the soak was done, Ruby was shivering more than she should, chilled right to the bone. The sneezing had already started at that point. At least the run home smelled like sweet roses. It was a shame the date had to be called off early, however the threat of hypothermia was a good enough incentive to call it quits for the time being.
Ruby laid on the couch, bundled up in a warm blanket, the fireplace roaring not too far from her. Jaune added to that warmth by hugging that bundle of joy and hope, the TV blaring something that they were barely paying attention to. They were almost half asleep, hot chocolate cups empty on the stand next to the couch. Once again, their own slice of heaven. Something that was only theirs. Watching the snow fall out the night sky, feeling the heat of the roaring fire with your loving girlfriend in your arms? That spelt paradise in a nutshell.
A sudden remembrance forced Jaune quickly out of his seat, getting an agitated moan from Ruby. "Sorry, sorry, just wanted to grab you a little something. Wait here." He said soothingly. She nodded, resting back on the couch. Jaune raced over to the bedroom that he and Sun were supposed to share, a deal that lasted all of two hours, and slowly opened the door with the intent to just get the present and go. What he wasn't expecting to see was to see a black bra hanging on the doorknob.
Jaune blinked, staring at it for quite a while. It was far too small to be Yang's and too big to be Ruby's, so…
And just like that, complete blindsight. Blake and sun, clad only in underwear, were laying on the small bed, playing a good round of tonsil hockey. Blake was… pretty into it. Who would have known she would be that aggressive. Then again, as they say, it was always the quiet ones.
Jaune crept over to the closet, pulling out a small box out of a pile of clothes. They didn't even notice him come in. The movie playing in the background provided a good means for cover since stealth wasn't really his greatest strength. Lets see, chocolates on the ground, a gift box that still had some books inside, the smiles on their faces, yup something definitely clicked. He smiled. At least his advice helped. "So, thank you for not paying attention to me, I'm just gonna go." He whispered, creeping to the door and started to close it behind him, something flimsy and frilly flying onto the back of his neck before it closed completely.
He peeled it off in confusion.
Black lace panties.
NOPE!
Jaune took a running start back to the living room, blinking in shock at what he had just witnessed. Ruby cocked her head at him. He just shrugged, not prepared to detail whatever Valentines day mess that was. "Sorry about the wait, I just wanted to make sure we didn't get interrupted this time." He flashed a cute white box with a little bow on top.
Ruby's eyes went wide. "W-wait, Jaune, I know we've been at this for a while, b-but don't you think this is too soon?" The proud huntress became a stuttering mess. Jaune only laughed, opening the box to show a bright silver cross necklace.
"I kinda know that. I don't think either of us are prepared for that just yet." He unclasped it, wrapping it around her neck. She barely moved, too tired to do anything but smile brightly, little tear droplets creeping into the side of her eyes.
"Jaune, it's beautiful." Was all she could say.
"It was worth every penny." He said with a nod. "Ruby Rose, for the third freaking time, will you be my Valentine?"
Ruby blinked. "Valen-what now?"
Jaune's jaw dropped. Everything sort of clicked now. "You know what, rolling with it. You will be my Valentine, yeah?"
"You had better prepare to be asking that a lot more." Ruby said with a sweet giggle. "Of course I will." And the two kissed again, no interruptions, no crazy incidents. Just them and their peace.
And they were free.