Hi! I'm back in a semi-timely fashion. I'd consider that a pretty good win. I'm going to do my best to keep this up because you guys are just too precious to let down. Enjoy!

No, Blake wasn't avoiding Yang. That would be ridiculous. What? Come on.

Yang was her best friend. Why would she be avoiding Yang? Because they almost kissed? Because her head was in her lap, and her fingers were working magic through her head, and their faces were bare few inches apart a few nights ago?

No, Blake wasn't avoiding Yang.

In fact, Blake had always stayed in her room all day until she was sure she was alone.

Feline habit.

Promise.

"A-hah!" Weiss exclaimed as Blake exited her room, making the faunus jump. "I knew you were hiding in your room until you thought everybody was gone!"

Blake took a moment to slow her heart rate. Weiss was outside her room the whole time? How did she not hear her?

What the fu-

"What the fu-"

Weiss clamped a hand over Blake's mouth, causing Blake to scowl. She didn't want Weiss' gross hand germs on her mouth. Why would anybody do this? Why would Weiss do something like this? She never did this. What was going on?

"Hush. I know you're upset with Yang," Weiss said, her voice full of authority and care. Like the parent she could only wish she had.

Blake scowled harder, then pulled Weiss' hand away from her mouth. "I'm not upset with Yang," she declared, sounding like she was sure of herself even though she knew she wasn't. And if she knew that, it meant Weiss definitely knew it.

"Are you sure about that?" Weiss asked, one delicate brow quirked up. Blake held her gaze for a while before giving up, throwing her hands up and sighing in defeat. Did she mention how sometimes she just wanted to throw Weiss out the window? Because she did. Very much. In fact, Blake took a moment to envision that happening, imagining only a tenth of the satisfaction she would have if she ever plucked up the will to do so.

Only she would never, knowing in all probability Weiss' ghost would haunt her, and be ten times as irritating as alive Weiss.

So she kept her friend alive... for now.

But the window beckoned.

"Blake?" Weiss slightly cocked her head sideways. Blake snapped out of her reverie, to resume her scowling at Weiss, which, thinking about it, wasn't that much of a departure from the norm in the loft. Weiss sighed, shaking her head. "If you want to solve this whole thing-"

"There's nothing to solve," Blake declared again, stubborn as ever. Now it was Weiss' turn to sigh. She shook her head, then stepped in closer to Blake, alarming the both of them. Weiss inched in, arms apart and hugged Blake.

Weiss.

Initiating hugs.

With Blake.

What.

"What."

"What?"

"...what."

Weiss let Blake go, and what can only be described as the most awkward silence followed. The only way Blake could think of to make the situation less awkward was to start making out with Weiss. Or jumping out the window. Neither option was desirable. This awkward silence made everybody in a three block radius instantly cringe. This was an awkward silence the Aztecs long ago had dreams about, and inscribed onto tablets. The comets foretold the coming of the awkward silence.

And here they were.

Blake cleared her throat.

Weiss cleared her throat.

"You have to talk to Yang," Weiss finally said. Blake had no choice but to nod dumbly, for fear of something like that happening ever again. Weiss cleared her throat again, then looked off over Blake's shoulder like there was something there and walked down into the hallway and straight into her room. Blake stood in stunned silence.

It wasn't the most refined way to get Blake to do what she wanted, but it worked.

Yang ran. Yang ran so far away.

Ruby waited around the corner, only pretending to smoke a cigarette in her trench coat and fedora. Only the cigarette was pretend, of course. The trench coat and fedora were very real.

She knew the route Yang took on her morning runs, and had sneaked out before her and planted herself in an alleyway, ready to catch her sister.

It was only a matter of time now.

3... 2... 1...

Crash!

Ruby sprang out from behind the corner, grabbing Yang by her midsection and driving them both down to the ground.

"What the fu- Ruby!" a very surprised Yang screamed from her position underneath her younger sister. Ruby grabbed her by the front of her tank top, putting on her nastiest expression. Which wasn't very effective, what with Ruby being the human equivalent to a puppy made out of candy. "What are you doing? Where'd you get the coat and hat? Wait. Is that mine?"

"I'm asking the questions here bub!" Ruby growled. 'Growled'. Yang pushed her laughter down, but couldn't stop the smile on her face.

"You know I can totally flip us over right? Like super easy."

Ruby blanched a bit but continued. "Now you listen here, and you listen good. You're gonna take your tush over to Blake and you're gonna talk to her."

Yang groaned, letting her head hang. "Nooooooo," she pleaded.

"This isn't a negotiation, pal," Ruby snarled. "Go talk to her," she put her normal voice back on. "Please. Before things get worse. She's your best friend."

Yang groaned once more before acceding. "Fine. I'll talk to Blake."

Ruby smiled. "Yes! Thank you."

Yang rolled her eyes, before grabbing the lapels of Ruby's coat and flipping them over, driving Ruby into the ground now. She planted a quick kiss on her sister's forehead before ruffling her hair and getting up.

As she ran off, Ruby got up, put a lollipop in her mouth, and pretended to light it.

Another successful venture for Ruby's Investigation Co.

But there'd always be another one.

Another dame. Another run. Another case.

There always was.

Yang didn't get cold feet. Her feet, much like the rest of her body, was smokin' hot. In a literal sense, and (if you were into that sort of thing) metaphorical sense. So, no, Yang didn't get cold feet. She was totally fine.

At least, that was what she told herself as she peeked out of her room for the nth time, to stare at the room opposite hers. The one with the white door and silver handle. The one that almost certainly held utter ruin for her. The one with the big, bad, scary Blake Belladonna behind it. The same Blake Belladonna who she had almost kissed a few nights ago. The same Blake Belladonna she still wanted to kiss and never stop kissing, only she couldn't because clever little Blake Belladonna had gone and gotten herself a fantastic new boyfriend who cared about her almost as much as she did, and loved her like nobody ever had.

Yang shut the door again, pacing around her room.

Yang shut the blinds, pacing around the room.

Yang bit her nails, pacing around the room.

Yang wanted to kill herself, pacing around the room.

Yang cracked the door open and stared at the opposite room again, and she had this sneaking suspicion that she probably looked as stupid as she felt. Yang shut the door again.

Ruby's words rang in her head.

Talk to Blake, before things got worse.

She was right. Ruby was right. Of course she was right. This was for the best. This was all for the best. Yang, like the mature adult she knew she had the capability to be, would talk to Blake, to clear the air, for the sake of their friendship. It was the right thing to do.

But-

But what if...?

What if Blake refused to speak with her? What if Blake had felt so hurt by the other night, she never wanted to associate with Yang anymore? What if this caused a permanent rift between the two of them? What if this was what broke their friendship down- the fact that Yang liked Blake? What if the fact that she was in love with her best friend caused her to run away?

What if Blake didn't feel the same way?

All these questions ran through her mind. Doubt crept into Yang's mind like poison, and it completely froze her on the spot.

Yang grabbed her helmet and her keys, and bolted out of the loft.

There wouldn't be any rejection if the answer wasn't yes or no.

Steel. Steely, steel-ish, steel-like resolve. That's what Blake had, as her hand floated inches away from Yang's door, ready to knock at any moment.

Any moment now.

Blake stood outside the door for an indeterminate amount of time (far too long), staring at the door. Why couldn't she knock on the door? It was just Yang. What was she so afraid of? All she had to do was knock. Little movements of her wrist.

But she didn't.

Instead, Blake backed off from the door, grabbed her car keys, and walked straight out of the loft, ignoring (heavily repressing) any thoughts of her being a coward and this amounting to nothing short of pure cowardice.

"Dang it," Ruby snapped her fingers as she saw Blake's form slinking out of the loft, shutting the front door ever-so-quietly, as she was prone to do. "It didn't work," she sighed, both hands on her hips as she stood up from behind the couch. She shook her head in disappointment.

"We have to keep trying," Weiss popped up beside her, looking thoroughly flushed, her hair a disheveled mess, and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "We have to get them to talk one way or another."

Ruby beamed at her partner (partner!). "You thinking what I'm thinking, partner?"

Weiss smoothed her skirt out. "Probably not, but tell me anyway."

Ruby snapped her fingers. "Big Christmas party! That way we can force them to get together!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes at the younger girl. "Talk to each other, you mean."

"Huh? Yeah, yeah- that."

Weiss shook her head, sighing. Even when she was in love with her, she couldn't stop herself from being exasperated. Not when it came to her. Especially her. "We already tried a Christmas Party, remember?" She lowered her voice a bit and looked at a particularly interesting brown stain on the carpet. "I got drunk and sang karaoke," she mumbled, much to Ruby's eternal pleasure.

"You did do that," Ruby giggled, only to be swiftly silenced by a cold glare from the Schnee. Ruby stopped giggling and cleared her throat. "So, how are we going to do this?"

Weiss pondered for the briefest of moments. She was a Schnee after all, and Schnees did things the way they had to to get what they wanted. So Weiss would, even if she had to pull out every weapon in her (admittedly very, very large) arsenal. "I have just the thing," she said pleasantly, smiling a devious little smile that made something inside Ruby jump very suddenly.

"Okay, but kissing first, right?" Ruby asked, and without prompting smashed her lips against Weiss'. It was alright. Weiss was just about to suggest the exact same thing.

Christmas was a weird time for Jaune.

Okay, scratch that. This Christmas was a really, really weird time for Jaune. Weird in both good and bad ways.

It started at the Christmas party.

That was weird because, and he still delighted to even think about it, he went with Pyrrha as his date. That was the very good weird.

Then it turned weird-weird, because a certain owner of a certain company he was working for (Weiss, it was Weiss) started ranting to him about the second season of X-Ray and Vav, which he hadn't started watching yet, so it was thoroughly spoiled for him.

Then it turned weirder-than-weird when the same Weiss Schnee went up on stage to sing karaoke and ended up having a very touching, very sappy, (and Jaune thought a bit romantic) apology-cum-cry-session with a black-haired girl.

Then it turned into a really, really good weird when he went home with Pyrrha. Then it didn't turn weird at all, and it turned really, really, good. Really good.

But every day after that was weird because he couldn't believe how smoothly his life was going. Okay, he was still the little bitch-boy (intern) for everybody at the company, but more often than not, he actually got to do meaningful work. Work on cameras, edits; hell, he even got to give an editor his opinion on a recent shoot they did with CFVY. Honestly, it made being the little baby-bottom-of-the-totem-pole-bitch (intern) seem not as bad. And it was all especially good because he had Pyrrha.

Oh my god, he had Pyrrha. Jaune squealed a bit just thinking about it.

Pyrrha, the drop-dead-gorgeous model/athelete/cereal box. That one. He was dating that one. Not just the athletic cereal box model- the real Pyrrha. The one with the kind heart, the guilty pleasures, the one with the snorting laughter and the amazing dance moves. The one that he couldn't believe existed. He was dating that one. He, Jaune Arc, Jaune Arc, was dating Pyrrha Nikos?! Get out of town! Shut the front door! Eat your hat! Every other dumb expression that Jaune couldn't think of right now because he was so happy.

"What are you smiling about?" Ren asked as he looked up from his scroll, a sip of coffee already halfway to his mouth.

Jaune shrugged. "Thinking about stuff."

Ren nodded. "Pyrrha," he said. Jaune couldn't stop the flush from creeping onto his face. Ren smiles. "It's alright. I felt that way about Nora, too."

Jaune cocked his head to the side. "Felt?" he asked.

Ren considered for a moment, then the faintest tinge of pink graces his features, along with the smallest of smiles. "Still do."

"D'awww," Jaune said teasingly. Ren gave him a measured look, then shrugged, returning to his scroll, and returning breakfast to it's sanctity of silence.

Silence that he broke almost immediately.

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," Ren said simply, like, duh. Jaune took the news in stride for all of two seconds before choking on his breakfast cereal. Ren looked on in mild concern, still sipping his coffee. Once Jaune had recovered and cleared his airway, he spoke.

"Th-that's great!" Jaune squealed. Jaune cleared his throat once more. "I mean, it was obviously coming," he said in a way that made him seem, rightfully so, like he was blindsided completely by the news. "But congratulations, Ren."

Ren nodded. "Thank you. I just need to figure out how to do it."

Jaune thought for a moment, then came to the realization of Ren's nigh-insurmountable task. How would he contain Nora when she found out? Dear god, she would just explode! This task wasn't just about finding the right moment, it was about safety. Barriers and blockades would have to be put up. Shelters and ear-plugs would have to be given out to everybody in a three-block radius.

"How long have you been trying to ask her?"Jaune asked.

Ren gave him a hard stare. "A year and a half," he replied, very serious. Jaune didn't doubt the validity of his claims. He wouldn't have the faintest idea of where to begin with Nora when talking to her, let alone trying to propose to her. Ren pulled up some schematics on his scroll. "So far, I've come up with ear-muffs, an abandoned building, and an evacuation notice in a three-block radius."

Jaune nodded solemnly. "Set up shelters for your friends," he suggested. Ren nodded thoughtfully, considering it a little bit before typing it in.

A little while after breakfast, after Jaune had mournfully eaten, and subsequently thrown away the last of his Pumpkin Pete's, his scroll dinged with a message. Pyrrha's face lit up his screen, amongst other things. Jaune snatched it up.

Hi! Are you free after work?

Jaune smiled wide.

I am now.

Then he frowned.

I mean, actually I had nothing going on. I didn't cancel on anybody or anything.

He sighed in relief, putting down his scroll. Then he snatched it up again, typing hurriedly.

Not to say that I wouldn't normally cancel on anybody for you. I totally would! Absolutely. In a heartbeat. But I didn't. In this case. Because I had no plans.

It showed that Pyrrha was reading all his messages. She just wasn't responding.

Um

Shit.

A few more beats passed by before Pyrrha replied.

I'll see you later.

Another beat.

You dork.

"How is it," Neptune asked in between stuffing his mouth with noodles. "That you have more luck with ladies than I do?"

Sun quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Neptune pointed an accusatory chopstick at his best friend. "You know what I'm talking about."

"No Neptune, I honestly don't."

"You," he jabbed the chopstick wildly. "And Blake. I mean, you managed to snag yourself a really hot, mysterious, cool girl, who's really hot. Meanwhile I," he jabbed the offending chopstick towards his chest. "Am woefully single and very, very alone," he sank a bit in his seat. "So very alone."

Sun rolled his eyes at his blue-haired companion. "You're a model. You go home with a new girl every other night."

Out came the chopsticks again. "First of all, my job has no relation whatsoever to the ladies I bring home. Second of all, I'm well aware of all the game I got goin' on, bay-bee," he curled a bicep and kissed it. "But I don't have a girl like Blake," he paused. "Not like Blake. Like- y'know what I mean," he rolled his eyes. "Third of all, how did you land a girl like her, and I somehow haven't?"

Sun smirked. "Guess you don't have as much game as you thought, bay-bee," he said, curling his own bicep (which was, and they already verified this even though Neptune would adamantly refute it, 2 centimeters bigger in circumference than Neptune's) and kissing it.

Neptune scowled.

Sun grinned in his own little self-congratulatory way that Neptune hated oh-so-much. "So there's this thing Weiss invited me to," Sun began.

"Weiss? What thing?"

"Um," Sun pulled his scroll out, covering it with his hand to protect it from the early morning glare. "It's a 'Schnee Initiated Gathering in Loft 4B'. Roughly translated, I think it means a party."

Neptune's eyes lit up. "A party?!"

Sun shrugged. "Well, I'm inferring from all the Schneese I speak, which I'll admit isn't that much-"

"A party?!"

"Yes Neptune, we've already established-"

"A party?!"

Sun paused. "Oh, right. Because of your thing with the Weiss and- right. Yeah. A party."

"A party?!"