Just Act Casually

AN: We're coming close to the end of this story. It's been a blast. Maybe I'll do another story in this continuity when I take another break from RWBYond. I certainly appreciated all the love this story has gotten.

Chapter 8: Boil

Jaune was dozing off on the couch. It was too early for bed but there wasn't anything to do. So, he did what any single man alone in an apartment does when they're bored. He masturbated. Having cleaned himself off, he continued to sit in front of the TV. Then suddenly, the door opened.

"Guess who's drunk." Ruby spun her way inside and threw the keys right at the back of his head.

"I guess Ruby." Jaune said.

"You guess right." Ruby jumped over the couch and threw herself into its seat. She kicked her legs up onto Jaune's lap. "Will you be the greatest person ever and rub my feet?"

"Sure, whatever." Jaune pulled her boots off. He nearly gagged as he removed her socks and began massaging her feet. Ruby let out a long sigh of content.

"You give the best massages." She said.

"So, how're you drunk?" Jaune asked. "Did you go drinking without me?" He acted hurt.

"The airship here had an open bar…" Ruby slurred. "Had."

"Did you have fun or was this one of those therapy drinks."

"Both." Ruby recounted what all happened during her mission. Jaune shared the little adventure he had went on as well.

"At least you FINALLY called your dad." Jaune said. "I can't believe you sometimes."

"At least I also got paid." Ruby let out another long sigh as Jaune stopped his massage.

"Yeeeeeeeah." Jaune stated. "That paycheck is going out the window."

"Why?" Ruby groaned. Jaune passed her the mail. She looked over her first round of bills.

"Mother fucker." She said. "How?"

"This is normal." Jaune said.

"Living is expensive. How the hell did my dad take care of us all those years."

"Have you…have you never paid a bill?"

"No. Usually my dad or Weiss or….someone else would pay for me."

"Welcome to being adult."

"I don't want to grow up."

"Too late. No refunds. No turning back."

"Fuck my life." Ruby said.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about food at least." Jaune said. "I made enough to get us by on that front."

"Thank you. What would I do without you."

"This is literally, why I moved in."

"Oh yeeeah." Ruby said hazily. "Sober me is smart."

"You were drunk then too." Jaune corrected.

"Drunk me is smarterer." Ruby laughed. She got up and starteded heading to her room. On her way, her foot hit one of Jaune's dirty socks, which hung on the edge of his pile of laundry. Jaune's heart skipped a beat and Ruby let out a disgusted shriek.

"Sorry."

"Gross." Ruby wiped her foot on the carpet. "At least warn me next time." Jaune's face went beat red.

"I didn't think you would step on my clothes." Jaune defended.

"Just…can you go and take care of laundry while I take a shower." She said.

"Sure thing." Jaune got up and grabbed a hamper. Ruby went into her room to undress. After Jaune had picked up his discarded clothes, Ruby emerged in nothing but a towel with a clean set of clothes tucked under her arm. She quickly got into the bathroom, leaving Jaune to throw her most recent outfit into the hamper.

He went down the stairs into the laundry room that was shared by everyone in the apartment complex. He found an empty washer and started it up. He left the hamper on top of the washer. The community washers had locks on them that could be registered with a scroll. It was the only way to keep people from stealing people's clothes without them standing guard for an hour.

So, Jaune went back up to the apartment. On his way, he saw a rather glum looking Oscar. He was getting ready to knock on the door when Jaune snuck up on him. Jaune put a hand on the other man's shoulder, startling him.

"Hey Jaune." Oscar said.

"Here for Ruby?" Jaune unlocked the door.

"Um…yeah." Oscar said. Jaune unlocked the door.

"Ruby, Oscars here!" Jaune called.

"Tell him to come in here." Ruby called from the bathroom.

"Is she…in the shower." Oscar blushed.

"Yeah, you heard the lady." Jaune pulled a can of soda out of the fridge.

"I…" Oscar swallowed. "I don't think that would be appropriate!" His meek voice called.

"To hell with appropriate!" Ruby called back. "Get the fuck in here!"

"I can leave if you…" Jaune started.

"Sorry Rubes!" Oscar said. "As much as I would love to, I came here for business more than pleasure." The shower stopped. A second later Ruby came out wrapped in her towel.

"Well then, the world better need saving or I'm going to bitch about blue balls for the next week." Ruby stated.

"Ruby I…we…can you please put some clothes on?" Oscar asked.

"Why, nothing you haven't seen before." Ruby said.

"So long as the towel stays on it'll be nothing I haven't seen before." Jaune said.

"Well you can get out." Ruby said.

"Ruby." Oscar submitted as he sat on the couch. Ruby sat next to him. Jaune stood off to the side. "I'm afraid…I…there's something I have to do." He said.

"Leaving for a while?" Ruby asked.

"Not exactly." Oscar said. "I've…I've been chosen to be the next Ozpin." There was a moment of silence. Dread filled Jaune's lungs. Ruby's face twisted in a torment he hadn't seen in two years.

"No." Her meek voice said. "You can't."

"Ruby I must. The world needs me. And we both…we all know the responsibility."

"But we were getting along so well."

"That's why I wanted this to be as professional as possible." He cupped her cheek. She swatted his hand away. "Being the Wizard means being the watcher of Remnant. It means putting the safety of the kingdoms above all else. It means choosing guardians…people like you and your friends…to keep it safe whenever and wherever threats may rise."

"But we already destroyed Salem." Ruby said.

"She'll return eventually. And there are those who still follow her rule despite her absence."

"I know that. Fuck, I know that more than anyone." Ruby choked up.

"I know…that's why I wanted to tell you this in person. My mind is made. You were…are wonderful. And I know the more time I give to think it over the more I'd want to be with you instead of fulfilling this responsibility."

"I can't." Ruby choked back tears. "I care about you. I wouldn't call it love, but even so, I'd like to think we'll stay friends."

"We'll still be friends." Oscar said. "In fact, our positions would force us to be."

"That's why I don't want to lose you." Ruby let it out. "After everything I told you…after that night where I poured my heart out to you…you'd still choose that life over being happy with me…after this same responsibility killed my uncle!"

Jaune let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Ruby's uncle had previously been chosen to replace Ozpin. But when the transfer of power was supposed to take place, an assassin named Tyrian had struck. They couldn't get him help in time.

"Qrow Branwen died an honorable death." Oscar averted her gaze.

"Say that to my face. He protected me his entire life! The one night I was supposed to protect him I failed!" She put her hands to her face. "And when I killed the bastard that did it, nothing changed. Nothing brought him back."

"I know." Oscar said. "I'm sorry it had to happen this way." Oscar stood up and kissed the top of her head. "But answer me this. If Salem does return, can I count on you?"

"The world can count on me…to the best of my ability." Ruby sighed. Oscar moved towards the door.

"Jaune?" Oscar asked.

"We all do what we have to do." Jaune said. "Best you got it out now…before she really fell for you."

"Thanks." Oscar said. "You're a good guy Jaune. Both of you are the best this kingdom has to offer. Even if you're not the best fighter. You're still an inspiration to so many of your peers." He left the room.

Jaune grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and a pair of shot glasses. He sat down on the couch next to Ruby and put the glasses down. He poured some of the whiskey into the glasses. Ruby grabbed one and examined it.

"I know you've already had some on the way here." Jaune sighed.

"Thank you." Ruby strained. "It's just everyone seems to leave me."

"Not everyone." Jaune knocked back his first shot. "I'm still here."

"Only because you'd be homeless otherwise."

"I take offense to that." He wrapped an arm around her. "I'm not going anywhere. You're the one person I like hanging out with. You're more than just my roommate. You were always more than just a friend. Every time I was in a rut you were there for me and all I've done is returned the favor."

"I appreciate it." Ruby leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It's been two years." Jaune said. "Your uncle died, then you found out Whitley was actively cheating on you, I thought I lost you. You were a light for so many people, including me. You saved the world without breaking a sweat. I was…I think you, were convinced you were unstoppable. Then when you had that reality check you nearly went off the deep end. But I tried to be there for you. We all were. But we've moved on. It's been two years and you still cry every time you think about him. All this…this drinking and cursing and fucking, and all these missions you go on, they help treat the symptoms. But I think you forgot you already treated the cause. The fact you're not crying right now is proof enough to me that you're ready to move on."

"The reason why I'm not crying?" Ruby adjusted her position. "Is because you're here. And what you just said…I really needed to hear." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, square on the lips. "Thank you…for everything." She stood up. "Good night Jaune. I'll pay those bills tomorrow…I promise." She walked into her room. "Good night."

Jaune knew she was being truthful. In those few seconds, she displayed true maturity. Not what she thought was mature from all the movies and books she's seen. Jaune's fingers ghosted up to his lips. His mind raced with how much he admired Ruby. How much he had always appreciated her. Two years…that's probably when problems started with Pyrrha. Maybe he had spent so much time helping Ruby in her time of need that Pyrrha became overprotective. It just took another year for Jaune to start getting sick of it.

"What the fuck just happened?" Jaune said to himself as he rationalized what had happened that day.

AN: A little shorter than some of the other chapters. I wanted the big turn with Oscar to be last chapter but just didn't fit it in. So, there's one more chapter left in this story. It's going to be…weird for me to write. Not because Lancaster, but because Lancaster with an M rating.