Hello everyone, and welcome to this sweet little one-shot. I don't know why this short story popped into my head, but maybe the hot weather's getting to me lol. Anyhow, hope you all enjoy the free entertainment, and maybe I'll write up some other one-shots when my inspiration is running low. Which going as of right now, is pretty down in the dumps lol.
With that, Cheers everyone!
Searoar.
Ding~
"Aha, the first customer of the morning! Good day to you, lad." Grinned the old man behind the front counter of the flower shop. The spring season flourishing with plants sharing every color of the rainbow, Jaune made sure to catch the earliest bullhead to Vale with the intent to buy his dorm and that of his sister team a vase with flowers to celebrate their spring vacation. The act was a small one, admittedly, but it was the thought that counts right?
Jaune offered the store owner a polite hello, but just as he did so, the shop door opened once more to reveal a most beautiful sight in the shape of Blake Belladonna; who Jaune hadn't seen for the past three days and was also in tune for the cool springtime weather. Adorned in a thin violet sweater, snug-fitting black shorts that reached the thighs, sheer gray stockings that traveled into a pair of black flats, and lest we forget Blake's trademark ebony bow that sat comfortably atop her long midnight hair that flowed freely over her slender shoulders with the perfect dab of purple eyeliner.
Jaune's eyes shot up and down, and to the young man's credit, he did not repeat this process and calmly walked to a nearby stall of dark-blue starflowers to distract himself until Blake left the scene. It wasn't that Jaune wanted to avoid Blake, but given recent events, he wasn't sure if she was still on edge when it came to interacting with her teammates or acquaintances. Jaune assumed he fell in the latter category.
However, to his shock, Jaune's shoulder was tapped by a dainty, black polished nail that made him turn around. His blue eyes set in a staring contest with a sleek pair of amber, Jaune was at a loss for words and felt his heart skip a beat at the adorable giggle that slipped through Blake's thin lips as she greeted him.
"Um... Hello, Ms. Belladonna, nice weather we're having, eh?" Jaune said with a sheepish smile. He wasn't sure how to approach the girl given her sudden reveal of being a Faunus, not that her being a Faunus mattered, but it was mostly the drama and revealed secrecy that Ruby had relayed to him that twisted his gut.
"Ms. Belladonna?" Blake arched an elegant brow at this making Jaune feel stupid for reasons he did not understand.
"S-Sorry, I'll let you browse the flowers in peace." Jaune sighed and moved to walk past Blake, but the Faunus sidestepped to block his path. The young man tried again, and his acquaintance repeated to bar his way.
Jaune asked Blake to explain herself, and she rolled her eyes as a brief tint of pink appeared on her pale cheeks.
"Isn't it obvious?" Blake muttered shyly.
Jaune rubbed his neck and tried to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Out of all his school company, Blake had to be the most mysterious girl of the group given her silent demeanor and reluctance to interact with her fellow students. Even her teammates struggled to get Blake involved in their day to day antics, so how was a boy like Jaune who was completely off Blake's radar supposed to figure out what she was thinking?
"Do you... want to look at the flowers with me?" Jaune offered and gestured to the rows of petals and pollen around them.
"...That would be nice," Blake replied and slowly strolled beside Jaune as the two perused the vast array of flowers in the shop.
However, with each step, Blake's bow twitched and her fingers tapped against her thighs as she glanced at the boy who'd unknowingly made a strong impression on her as of late. Two days ago, in fact, when she'd happened to overhear a conversation between a certain ice-queen and valiant knight in the making.
To said flashback...
"And why shouldn't we report this to the headmaster?" Weiss tapped her foot against the courtyard pavement as Jaune stood firm in front of the school doors.
It was nothing short of a chance that the knight happened to be where he was at that time, and he was thankful that he at least had some experience with the heiress. Though looking back at all of his failures to court her... perhaps somebody else should've taken Jaune's role.
"Because that's not something that you alone should get to decide." Jaune was a tad shocked at how low and serious his voice had gotten but thanked Oum that his courage had not failed him despite the harsh look on Weiss' face.
"Do you honestly expect anyone else to lift a finger and declare what that Faunus truly is?!" Weiss snapped and crossed her arms. "She's a liar and a thief who's only been doing my team more harm than good, and that's putting it lightly!"
Jaune's expression darkened. "Blake. Her name's Blake."
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Why should that even matter-"
"So would it be okay for me to call you a spoiled rich snob?!" Jaune blurted. "Because as far as I'm concerned, that's all you're being at this very moment!"
Weiss stepped back in shock. Shock, that quickly shifted to unbridled anger as she jabbed a finger against Jaune's chest and screamed a vast vocabulary of insults at him. The boy showed little reaction and swatted the accusing finger off his person as if it were no more than a pesky fly. He continued to advance, his visage the epitome of a man determined beyond reason to protect something of utmost importance. In this case, it was the risk of Blake being forever ostracized from the few friends she had and the shattering of her dreams of helping others as a huntress. To Jaune, that was a fate almost if not the same as death.
"Look," Jaune closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "I'm not happy with how Blake handled her problems either, and it wouldn't be fair of me to say that you weren't affected by her poor choices, but for Oum's sake Weiss! Will you look past the books for a second and consider what Blake's heart is feeling right now?"
"Her heart?" Weiss scoffed. "What on earth are you talking about? By every law in both Vale and Atlas, Blake should be condemned for withholding information and locked behind bars!"
"You see! This is exactly what I mean!" Jaune gripped his hair and threw his head back. "You're so blind by what you've read, that you can't see what's happening right in front of you! The faunus have been unfairly judged their entire lives all because they look different! Heck, I bet the only times the Faunus were allowed around the noble class in Atlas was when they were either serving their petty whims or breaking their backs in the SDC mines!"
Weiss' face flushed a furious scarlet. She opened her mouth to protest, yet Jaune beat her to the punch.
"Think about it, Weiss! You're the next in line to inherit the most powerful dust company on the planet, and here you have an opportunity to make the difference you desire!" Jaune yelled and clasped his hands on Weiss' shoulders.
"W-What are you talking about?" Weiss demanded and tried to wriggle out of Jaune's grip, but the boy hadn't skipped a gym session with Pyrrha since the day he arrived, and his righteous vigor proved stronger than Weiss' strict upbringing.
"Would it have mattered to you if you knew that Blake was a Faunus before she became your teammate?" Jaune asked.
"H-Huh?" Weiss blinked.
"I said," Jaune sighed irritably, "Would you have judged Blake differently if you knew she was a Faunus?"
"T-That's irrelevant!" Weiss growled. "The reason I'm angry at her is that she was a member of a terrorist group, and for all we know, she could have been sent to Beacon as a secret informant!" "It's completely relevant!" Jaune boomed and his face twisted so menacingly that for once in her life, Weiss was afraid of someone who wasn't her father.
"You've just admitted that you would have held prejudice over Blake if she didn't wear a black bow! That you would haven't given her a second glance because she's considered a class below you! Do you have any idea how degrading that is, Weiss? To be unfairly judged because of a quality you were born with? When I first saw you, I was in awe at how determined you were about your goals of changing the SDC into a working environment that was safe and fair for anyone of any background while at the same time being a badass huntress who was sworn to protect the weak!"
Jaune drew a deep breath and felt the strength leave his arms as they slinked back against his sides.
"You have no idea how beautiful I thought you were when I heard you speak. It was inspiring, especially for a loser like me who's only gotten to where he is now because of a few blessings and a lot of great friends. I don't have your talent, your knowledge, or your skill with a blade, but what I do have that you're lacking is an open heart."
Weiss' cheeks flushed and the tint that marred them went from a furious crimson to a sheepish pink. She was speechless. To hear such powerful words from a man she dismissed as a moron... was this truly Jaune Arc who spoke?
"Give Blake a month," Jaune said sternly while staring Weiss straight in the eye. "One month is all I ask for Blake to prove to you that she's changed. She might not have put all her past deeds behind her, but slowly I'm sure she'll surprise us all while earning back our trust. Because deep down, I know that the Weiss Schnee I admire isn't a cruel and prejudiced person who truly aims to better the world for the downtrodden."
The heiress in question broke eye contact and fiddled with the hems of her school uniform. She stared at the tips of her pointed shoes, hoping they'd provide her with an answer to what she'd just heard. However, Weiss' tongue remained dormant and the words within her mind would not line up into a coherent sentence.
"But..." Jaune's voice brought Weiss to lift her head. "If Blake hasn't changed, and she decides to abandon us again and fall back into her nasty habits, then I'll give you my full support in having her atone for her crimes."
A tear trickled down Weiss' cheek. She didn't know whether it was out of sadness or anger, and the confusion brought her neverending grief. Yet, when Jaune gently swiped the tear away from her milky-white face with his thumb, she felt as if she understood why she cried. Even if she couldn't put it into words.
"Can you promise me that much, Weiss?" Jaune asked after his heart had run its course and settled to a humble rhythm.
"Y-Yes," Weiss moved back and fixed her wrinkled clothes. She clasped her hands below her waist, stared Jaune straight in the eye, and agreed to give Blake a worthy chance of redemption as all people deserve no matter their ethnicity.
"I can promise that..."
"Sniff~"
Weiss curled a brow at the tears that flooded through Jaune's watery blue eyes.
"Oh, thank you, Weiss!" Jaune lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the heiress. He pulled her in until her head pressed against his chest, and from there, Weiss could feel the young man's physical improvement over the past few months as his chest heaved up and down.
"I promise you won't regret this!" Jaune declared and the moment he let go, Weiss offered a quick 'okay' and disappeared through Beacon's main doors with a face painted in hot scarlet.
Now alone, Jaune looked to the shattered moon, took a deep breath, and pointed a fist toward it.
"Alright, Oum, if you're listening, you'd better not screw me over alright! Blake's a wonderful, intelligent, and beautiful person who wants to make the world a better place! So don't go crushing all her dreams and aspirations! Or else I'm going to... well I'm sure I'll do something! So please give Blake as many blessings as she needs! Because I'm not gonna lie... I really wanna see her cute velvety cat ears!"
His rant finished, Jaune exhaled and shook his head vigorously. His heart could only take so much emotion in a single day, and he was rather parched, to be honest. With that, the young man left the courtyard and headed back to his dorm, completely unaware that his encounter with Weiss had a secret observer...
Huddled behind the nearest wall, Blake Belladonna fell to her knees in a torrent of tears and hurtful sobs. Her backpack slipped off her shoulders and her possessions littered the ground. She didn't have the strength to stand, nor the willpower to bottle her emotions any longer as she let out a pathetic scream of anguish.
She tore off the bow that hid her shame and threw it against the wall. How on earth, in a single moment, did a young man manage to break down all her defenses and leave a gash in her heart too big to fill? The notion of such a thing was incomprehensible, and Blake couldn't understand why Jaune, a man she only knew by name, would stand by her with such resolve. He even challenged the girl he admired and wanted to court to protect Blake! Why? Just Why?!
Blake cried herself dry, lied down on the cold pavement, and curled into a fetal position. She bit her lower lip and tasted blood, but she ignored the pain for nothing hurt more than her heart at that given moment.
"You stupid idiot!" Blake snarled. "You shouldn't believe in me! You shouldn't trust me! You should have never bothered with me!"
"But he did," said a small voice in the back of Blake's mind. "He trusts you to do the right thing, learn from your mistakes, and move on to a brighter future. If you run like a coward with your tail between your legs now, you'll never be able to look at yourself in the mirror and not feel disgusted. Is that what you want? To bring yourself more grief just because you can't bear to deal with the problems that are in front of you right now?
"Shut up!" Blake bawled and shot to her feet. She tried to take the first step into the courtyard, but as the tip of her boot touched the light provided by the courtyard lamps, it retreated to the shadows as Blake stumbled back and slumped against the wall.
She covered her woeful tears with both hands, trying to stop herself from crying, but the salty water flowed all the same. Her chest heaving and breath shallow, Blake sobbed nonstop until her wobbly legs could no longer support her.
"You know how to make things right," the voice returned and Blake smashed her palms against the brick wall in exasperation. "You can keep the promises you vowed to yourself, though it will take some time, I'm sure your friends will help you through the rough parts—even Weiss Schnee.
Blake stomped her feet so hard the laces of her right combat boot became loose. When she delivered a harsh kick to the wall, her boot slipped off putting her off balance. Blake cared little for the loss of shoewear, however, as her exposed foot landed on something that was not a part of the pavement.
Blake glanced down and curled her toes at the sight of her Menagerie ticket due for tonight's boat. She'd done the purchase in secret four nights before, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to flee the academy until the day that the boat left. Pity, as if Blake had gathered the courage to do so a day before, she wouldn't have heard Jaune's speech that frustrated her to no end.
"Why don't you just go back?" The voice in her head whispered softly. "Work on your apology and prove that you're truly sorry through actions and words. I know you can do it, Blake, because I believe that deep down, you're a wonderful, intelligent, and beautiful person."
Unable to speak, Blake stumbled to pick up her ribbon and wrapped it around her ears with shaky fingers. One by one, she picked up her belongings, which comprised an extra set of clothes, a toothbrush, her favorite books, and a single photo she couldn't part with no matter how much she wanted to tear it apart.
Though damaged, Blake took extra care in straightening out the photo's wrinkles and sniffled at the sight of her honest smile as she stood there with her new friends. Yang had her arm wrapped around Ruby's shoulder, Weiss crossing her arms but still showing a small grin, Pyrrha and Nora pulling Ren in view of the camera against his will, and last but not least... There was Jaune, standing beside Blake of all people while laughing at the antics of his team.
"Do you really want to say goodbye to them?" This time Blake didn't shut the quiet voice out. She simply gave a soft shake of her head, picked up her boat ticket, and tore it to shreds.
Slowly, and carefully, Blake made her way back into the school and made sure to take the long way around the halls on her way to her dorm. She couldn't afford to have her friends see her like this, with a face drenched in past tears, a crumpled bag strapped on her back, and a missing knee-high boot that she'd forgotten and didn't care to go back and collect on the spur of the moment.
Thankfully, she'd arrived at her dorm without trouble, and immediately shoved her bag in her private closet and locked it tight. She pressed her weight against the closet door, at war with herself on whether she made the right choice to return. After a minute, Blake eased off the closet and noticed she hadn't put away her precious photograph. She didn't know why, but she searched for a pen in Weiss' study drawer and decided to do some highlighting...
Blake's ears perked at the knocks that echoed from her dorm's door. If it were her teammates, they would have used their keys and entered without hassle... Perhaps the headmaster had caught wind of her disloyalty and sent a professor after her? Or maybe Weiss had a change of heart and was using the door knocking as an intimidation tactic to show Blake her impending doom.
"Um... Blake, you in there?" Jaune asked calmly.
Blake dared not make a sound. She couldn't bring herself to look at the man who'd made her head flip so many times she'd lost count. No, her heart couldn't withstand the pressure as it thundered against her ribcage, but fate would not allow Blake to flee anymore as the door creaked open.
"Blake?" Jaune peeked past the door and patted the walls for the light switch. However, before he could illuminate the dimly lit dorm, Jaune paused at the sound of muffled sobs. Slowly, Jaune stepped into the room and locked the door behind him. He wasn't sure what his plan was, but he needed to ensure Blake was here.
He found his target, huddled on Ruby's bed while doing her best to fade into the corner as she stifled her teary breaths.
"Blake?" Jaune asked again and sighed in relief when the figure in question flinched and peered at him with bright amber eyes.
Silently, Jaune sat himself down and rubbed his neck. He wasn't sure how to deal with the situation at hand, and he hadn't anticipated for it either. Nonetheless, he spoke softly and did his best to reassure Blake that all was well. Then he spotted a crumpled piece of paper in Blake's hand and alarm bells began to ring in his head.
"Blake?" Jaune asked. "What's that?"
"I-It's nothing!" Blake stammered and slipped deeper into her corner.
"Come on, you can show me. Whatever happens in here between us stays between us. You can trust me, I promise." Jaune said sincerely and crawled curiously toward the quivering Faunus.
"D-Don't come any closer, please don't!" Blake thrust her exposed, stocking-clad leg against Jaune's chest as her hands pressed against the wall behind her and her booted leg dangled off the side of the bed.
Jaune could still see the crumpled piece of white paper in Blake's hand and was determined to find out what it was. He didn't want to lose hope, but fear nicked at his conscience at the possibilities of what was written on Blake's paper. Was it a ticket for a boat or a bullhead out of Vale? Was it a letter from the white fang asking her to return to their ranks?
"Blake..." Jaune urged as a tear threatened to spill.
"I-I'm not showing it to you!" Blake sputtered. "And nothing you do will make me change my mind!"
"...Nothing?" Jaune's demeanor turned sly as Blake's eyes widened in panic.
Jaune eased back and cupped Blake's stocking-clad foot by its heel. "Well see how long you can hold back the truth after I've done some... interrogating."
"W-What are you-" Blake's words died in her mouth as a bubbly, fluttery sensation trickled up her foot that worked its way up to her stomach, heart, and lungs.
"This little kitty went to market..." Jaune said innocently and wiggled Blake's pinky toe back and forth.
Blake sucked in a deep breath and her nails dug into the walls while her amber eyes went wide.
"This little kitty stayed home..." Jaune hummed and wiggled Blake's ring toe.
This earned him a couple of muffled giggles from Blake and a messy smile that was desperately trying to curve back into a frown.
"This little kitty had a fresh bowl of milk..." Jaune's grin widened as he gripped Blake's middle toe and wiggled it.
Tears swelled in the corners of Blake's eyes as her cheeks puffed and her nylon-clad foot flinched back.
"This little kitty had none..." Jaune skipped over Blake's index toe and went for the kill.
"And this little kitty..." Jaune gently pinched Blake's big toe which proved to be the most ticklish of the bunch from the way the girl's foot swayed side to side in an attempt to block out the tickles.
"Wee, wee, wee, all the way home!" Jaune announced and dug his fingers into Blake's twitchy, ticklish arch.
Blake squealed in a fit of childish guffaws unfit for her character with her arms flailing and legs twisting in a futile effort to free themselves from Jaune's nimble hands. However, with Jaune in mint condition and Blake sore from emotional stress, the young man proved triumphant and after shifting his hands to Blake's ribs, he was able to snatch the paper from her when she curled on the bed with her hands wrapped around her waist as she panted to catch her breath.
"Um... Blake?" Jaune asked cautiously and reeled back slightly with wide eyes.
Blake gathered her bearings and her jaw clamped shut. Her whole face was painted red, which soon spread to the middle of her neck as she fumbled to formulate a coherent speech. She sat upright, with her legs crossed over one another, and pleaded so weakly to have her photo returned that Jaune strained to hear her. Nonetheless, Jaune did as requested and gave Blake her photo.
"So... am I on a hitlist or something?" Jaune felt stupid for asking, as Blake had never shown him any malice, but to see his face highlighted in red marker brought forth reasonable concern.
Blake shook her head. The expression on her face was so vulnerable and delicate that Jaune had to choose his words very carefully.
"Are you staying?" He said in a tone light as a feather. "Nobody wants you to leave, even if they might say some things they don't really mean in the heat of the moment."
Again, Blake shook her head. She tucked the photo in her back pocket, then crawled over to Jaune and nestled her head against his chest while her plump bottom made space on his lap. She said nothing, nor did Jaune, and for the rest of the night, the dorm of RWBY would be left alone.
Back to the present...
"So how's everything with your team?" Jaune didn't want to pry, but given that the members of RWBY had been a bit tense around him as of late, he figured there were still hurdles to be crossed.
"Not the best... but better." Blake managed a short smile that brought a wave of relief through Jaune's soul.
"That's great, it's the little steps that lead to the big jump, that's what my father always says." Jaune grinned and fiddled with a display of purple violas with faces of gold at their center. The flowers reminded him of Blake, funny enough, as their dark complexion and bright interior spoke volumes about his acquaintance's personality.
A lightbulb shining over his head, Jaune excused himself for a moment, but Blake didn't really hear him, and the lad hurried to the front counter and pointed to the violas. The old store owner smiled and hurried to the back storage then returned with a bundle of healthy purple violas that were neatly wrapped by a black ribbon.
"Here we are, Blake, happy spring!" Jaune beamed a goofy smile as he presented his cohort with a beautiful bouquet.
"These flowers reminded me of you," Jaune said, "y'know... because they've got a purplish-black palette and a sunny center that's warm and friendly..."
The suggestion of Jaune's actions finally caught up to him, and his gaze flicked between the bouquet he held and the blushing girl who stood across of him. Wait... blushing?
"Um... Blake?"
Blake bit her lower lip, tilted her head in a cutesy and flustered manner, and accepted the bouquet with a timid thanks. Silence loomed over the two for a bit, until Blake gathered her courage and broke the ice.
"J-Jaune?" She asked and looked up from her new flowers with trepidation. "W-Would you like to join me for l-lunch?"
"That'd be nice," Jaune said so quickly his brain hadn't caught up with his mouth. Soon, both his face and Blake's were covered in hot blushes.
The beautiful girl nodded but felt her heart skip a beat as a rush of desire and hope flooded her veins. With a short step, Blake closed the distance between herself and Jaune, stood on her tippy toes, and delivered a kiss on the warm skin of Jaune's cheek. When Blake's heels returned to the floor, she trembled and twirled the loose strands of her bouquet's black ribbon around her slender fingers. Her breath hitched, however, as Jaune smoothly cupped her chin and lifted her head so that her amber eyes stared straight into his cerulean blue. The young man seemed puzzled as if he was contemplating whether or not Blake's intimate action actually occurred.
"Um... I'm not complaining, Oum knows I'm not, but... what was that for, Blake?" The blonde said after a heavy gulp.
"I-It was to thank you, for the flowers..." Blake replied meekly.
Jaune nodded with his hand still at Blake's chin and spoke. "Is there any way I can get another gift of thanks?"
For the first time, though her face was flooded in scarlet, Blake took Jaune's hand and playfully shook her head. This brought many mixed emotions that Jaune would have to sort through, but for some strange reason, he was excited to figure them out...
"Ah, budding love..." The shop owner grinned from behind the front counter and decided to flip the sign on the window from open to closed. He then pulled down the window blinds to grant the young lovers their privacy and pulled out the morning paper to keep his own eyes busy.
All the while, while Jaune and Blake held hands and perused the beautiful spring flowers, the brave knight did not notice the wrinkled photo peeking out of Blake's butt pocket. The photo itself with a pink, heart-shaped highlight over Jaune's and Blake's faces as they smiled happily in their first picture together.