A bit of a weird chapter, but necessary for the road ahead… this fic is actually approaching its end, though I won't say how long that will be since it might spoil things. For those who asked, and I think I did say before, this fic is not going to cover things like the breach, the fall, or the end of season three. It's not about re-writing the series. It's something standalone.

Chapter 29

Yang had a feeling Blake knew about the date. She had that knowing smile, the one with the cunning eyes and smug twist to her lips. If Yang hadn't been in such a good mood, she'd have felt compelled to do something about it. A pillow to the face would have wiped it away. Luckily for Blake, and luckily for her pillow, she was in a good mood. She was nervous too, but that made sense. She could deal with that. A lot of people seemed to think she wasn't the kind of person to be afraid of anything, but that wasn't true.

She could be anxious. She just hid it better. Besides, if you never took a risk, you'd never get anywhere in life. Someone had said that once, and although she couldn't remember who – it sounded good enough advice that it had stuck with her.

No real advice on the dating angle, though, she considered, posing before the mirror in the bathroom. She'd gone with a casual outfit, one that looked nice but didn't push the boat out. Jaune hadn't ever really confirmed whether this was a romantic date, a platonic date, or just a day out eating fast-food and catching a movie. She'd gone with something that could fit all three, a pair of tight jeans that hugged her legs and showed off her figure, along with a black short-sleeved tee-shirt and a white jacket over the top. All in all, she looked good. Good enough? She didn't know.

That was what she'd hopefully find out.

"You're going out?" Ruby asked as she came out the bathroom. Her sister looked her up and down, but Yang had chosen her outfit well. It wasn't dramatic enough to raise suspicions. The last thing she wanted was Ruby following her, or assaulting Jaune if he turned her down. She loved her sister, but there were limits.

"Going shopping," she said, knowing the word would instantly kill any and all interest Ruby had in coming along. True to expectation, Ruby eeped and buried her head in her book. Yang laughed. "Don't worry. I wasn't going to force you to come along."

"You weren't?"

"Nope." Yang grinned and looked to the others. "You two staying here?"

"I have coursework to catch up on," Weiss confirmed.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way of your shopping trip." Blake said. She then smirked. "I hope you find something you like…"

Okay, Blake definitely knew. She was also definitely going to pay for that comment, and how it made Yang cough and hide her red cheeks. She was lucky Ruby didn't notice. Blake was lucky Ruby didn't notice!

"I'll see if I can't find you something too," Yang said, earning a panicked expression. "I think I know what you like. Maybe I could even have Sun bring it here if I can find him~"

"No. That won't be necessary."

"Okay, later!" Yang waved and rushed to the door.

"Yang!? Yang, I don't want or need anything!" Blake yelled. "Yang. Don't you dare!"

The door slammed shut behind her, Yang cackling to herself as she jogged down the hall. Blake was too easy. Ah, it felt good to be the best. She checked her scroll, noted that there was still time, and rushed over to the Bullheads. Jaune had suggested they meet in Vale, ostensibly to make it easier, but since it did the opposite, she guessed it was more so that he didn't draw attention and upset Pyrrha.

She could get behind that. She didn't want to do that either. The Bullheads made round trips to Vale on the weekend anyway, with one leaving every thirty minutes or so. Catching one was easy, and although she would have liked to take Bumblebee, she wasn't sure she wanted to scare Jaune off that soon. Most people didn't like how she drove.

Most people were clearly idiots.

She wasn't going to take the risk.

Instead, she sat on a cramped Bullhead, fiddling with her scroll as she tried to ignore the guy next to hers attempts to catch her attention. The moment it landed, she was off, checking her messages to find the place Jaune had suggested they meet. It was outside one of the main malls, a favoured haunt of hers. For a second, she wondered if he'd known that, but she dismissed the thought. It was one of the best places to go shopping in Vale. He probably knew that as well as any since he grew up in the city.

She caught him stood outside, a mop of blonde hair a head taller than most people. "Hey!" she called, waving one arm.

He smiled when he saw her. "Hey yourself," he laughed, strolling forward. He looked her up and down. "You look great. I've not seen you dressed like that."

"I don't exactly get many chances to wear this at Beacon," she said, taking a look at him in return. You could tell a lot about someone's expectations from how they dressed. Jaune had gone for black trousers, well-fitted and straight. They were smarter than jeans, but still casual. He also wore a light grey shirt, the top two buttons undone. Over it all, he had a navy blue jacket that reached down to mid-thigh. It was thin, since the weather was still hot, but more fashionable than she'd expected.

He looked good. Really good... as in, she was honestly surprised how good he looked. It was a little familiar too, though she couldn't quite place it. Her eyes trailed on the small expanse of chest he showed, but she dragged her attention up to his eyes before he noticed.

Dark blue… sapphire, almost. That felt important somehow.

She shook the thought of, "I hope you didn't get started without me, lover boy. What's on the agenda?"

"Whatever you like, I guess." He shrugged one shoulder. "I figure we could catch a movie, then take a walk around, see if anything takes our fancy in here. There's a good place to eat on the top floor if you're hungry. I already had breakfast, but I don't mind if you haven't…"

"I've eaten." Nothing made a day out more awkward than starting off hungry. "What movies are up? Did you buy us some tickets?"

"I didn't want to assume and pick something you wouldn't like. I grabbed a programme though."

Yang took it and looked over the list, hiding her disappointment. While it was sweet he'd done that for her, and she'd been out with people who hadn't done the same and chose something she hated, it didn't help her current situation. If he'd picked a specific movie, she might have been able to guess what he wanted from the day. If he went with romance or romantic comedy, she could assume he was interested. If he went with action, then they were probably just here as friends.

No such luck. In being considerate, he'd robbed her of the chance. Ah well, that was fine. At least she wouldn't be made to sit through some sappy teen romance. "What do you think I'd like?" she asked, voice teasing. "I'm curious. In your head, what kind of movie is for me?"

"For Yang Xiao-Long?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Hmm… I'd say definitely not something too serious. I don't think tragedy is your kind of thing."

She stuck her tongue out. "Enough of that in real life without watching more…"

"Yeah, especially when everyone makes it a tragedy caused by a Grimm attack."

"A little hard to take it seriously… I mean, you'd think with all the money in films, they'd be able to make them look more realistic. Couldn't some huntsmen just take the Director out so he can at least see what a real one looks like?"

"I doubt they'd be willing to do that." Jaune said, laughing. She joined in. Honestly, the CGI wasn't bad in some movies, but for a huntsman or huntress, it was just sad. They looked nothing like they did in real life. "Okay, so tragedy is out. Honestly, I don't pin you as someone who likes romance either."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"

"Those movies are too slow." He watched her, and she couldn't hide her small grin. He caught it, and nodded, a little more confident. "You're too fast-paced for them. You'd get bored with all the pussy-footing they do."

"Pretty much," she agreed. It was a little ironic now, especially with how she was in the shoes of every movie actress in those damn things. Gods, she'd never thought it would be like this. In her head, she'd find a guy – they'd click – and he would ask her out. Even if she was living the nightmare, however, she still didn't want to sit and watch someone else do the same. "Looks like you've got me pegged. Should I be worried? Are you stalking me?"

"Call it intuition."

"You asked Ruby, didn't you?"

"And admit I'm taking you out in Vale?" Jaune leaned back. "I don't think I could have survived the interrogation."

"Good point." Her eyes narrowed. "You asked Blake, instead."

Jaune flushed and looked away.

"Ha. I knew it. Nice intuition, by the way. I'll be sure to remember that line."

"Hey, asking Blake was intuition too… sort of."

Well, it also explained how Blake knew, the sneaky cat. Well, it wasn't like she could blame him, or feel bad about it. The fact he'd bothered to ask at all showed he was willing to put some effort in. Blake would need to be silenced, of course. She couldn't have this getting back to Ruby, or god forbid, her father.

"Action it is, then," she said. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the mall, toward the cinema complex. "Come on, lover boy. Since you asked me out, that means you get to pay for popcorn and drinks."

"Does that mean you pay for the tickets?" he asked.

"Ha, you're funny!"

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

/-/

Jaune felt relaxed.

He would freely admit that surprised him, but it was definitely in a good way. His expectations for the day had been somewhat uncertain, but he'd felt fairly sure in saying it would be awkward in the same way it had been taking Pyrrha out to the Oyster. He'd sat through the movie tense and awkward, waiting for her to try and take his hand in hers, or make some overly romantic gesture.

She hadn't. Not once. She didn't make things awkward, or even make a move to. It wasn't the same as with Pyrrha. It wasn't the same at all.

It was… it was fun.

That was what led him to the current situation. The movie had been pretty good. The story wasn't amazing, but the action was there and a few comedy scenes cracked both them and the audience up. They'd sniggered and chatted animatedly about it afterwards, then taken to wandering around the mall, lost in conversation about this or that. Now, Yang was in front of a store window, face pressed to the glass.

"Hey, look at this." she said. He wandered over, and smiled at what she was pointing to. "Aren't they cute!?" she practically crooned.

"They are." Jaune placed his hand to the glass, smiling as a puppy jumped up to place his paw against it. Yang cooed and brought out her scroll to take a picture. He couldn't blame her. He loved animals as well.

"We have a dog back home. His name's Zwei."

"Really? What breed is he?"

"Here, I'll show you." Yang flicked through her scroll and motioned for him to come over. He did so, looking over her shoulder as she opened up a folder on her phone. He caught one labelled family, another Ruby, and one for her team too. Yang was apparently someone who enjoyed taking snaps of her daily life.

He wondered if she had any of him.

"There he is," she giggled, bringing up an image. It was of a small and grey ball of fluff, tucked in a much smaller Ruby's arms. She couldn't have been much older than ten, and she smiled a huge smile. The dog looked more confused than anything.

"It's cute," he laughed.

"What, the dog or my sister?"

"Both." He laughed, and then laughed again when she pushed it onto another picture. Ruby was older in this one, sat on a couch with her scythe. Someone else must have taken it, for Yang was sprawled over the back of it, arms in the air. The corgi was bigger now, legs flailing wildly as though swimming, Yang's arms keeping him aloft.

"He's a nosey little thing," she said. "He likes to butt his way into conversations, or into your lap. Ruby fed him aura-infused food when he was younger – don't ask where she got it – and he even has his aura unlocked too. It's pretty crazy."

"Animals can do that?"

"Officially, no. Zwei-ficially, yes." She showed him another, and then another. She had at least fifty pictures of the dog, and each one was adorable in its own right. Most involved her or Ruby, but there were a few with a blonde man he assumed was her father, and another older male with grey hair, maybe a family member or friend of her father's. "He's cute, huh? I should see if I can introduce him to you one day."

"I'd like that. I've always wanted a dog."

Yang smiled, but didn't ask why he'd never had one. She knew the truth, of course, about him growing up on the streets. That was one of the things he loved about her. His past was tragic, at least by the standards of most people. It was the past, however, and he'd gotten used to it. He'd move on and didn't want to dwell on it. He didn't want sympathy, nor did he want pity. Yang gave neither, and never brought it up either.

"Maybe you can get one once you graduate from Beacon," she said. "They're a lot of work, but it's worth it. Zwei's always so happy to see me or Ruby. It doesn't matter if it's been days, weeks or just a few hours. He just jumps all over us."

Jaune smiled and thought about that. It sounded like she'd had a good place to grow up, even if she had lost both her mothers. In a way, her past was worse than his. He didn't comment on it though. It was the same as him, really. He didn't think she'd want that conversation. He took a breath, inhaling her scent. It was around that time he realised just how close they were.

His chest was pressed to Yang's back, his hands resting casually on her hips. His chin was on her shoulder, cheek against hers, as they both looked down at her scroll. It was a strangely intimate position, and one that generated its fair share of jealous, irritated or fond looks. Jaune's first instinct was to flinch and prepare for the awkwardness to hit. It never did.

It felt comfortable and easy, in a way it hadn't with Pyrrha. Even though he knew Yang felt the same about him, she didn't jump on the opportunity, nor did she turn their nice moment into anything else. Jaune smiled and backed away, taking a moment to enjoy the contact for what it was and nothing more.

"I plan to once I become a real huntsman," he said. "I'm thinking of getting my own house somewhere, probably not in Vale."

"You want to live in another Kingdom?"

"Not that far. I still have a lot of friends here after all. I was just thinking not in the city." He rolled his eyes. "Between you and me, there are a lot of people who talk about living here, but it's not all it's cracked up to be."

"I think that's how it always is," Yang said. She turned to face him, flicking some hair over her shoulder. She wore a wide smile, but didn't blush, flutter her eyes or flirt with him. "Ruby was all for the city when she was younger. I think that was just because there weren't enough comic and weapon stores on Patch. She calmed down when I got my motorcycle license though."

"And you became a taxi service?"

"Yep. Ruby complains about how fast I drive too. I mean, come on. She has a speed Semblance, and at least I wear a helmet when I'm hurtling down the road." She sighed. "Not exactly an easy thing with all this hair either."

Well, you could cut it, Jaune didn't say. It wasn't just that he had the feeling she'd kill him for so much as expressing the thought, but also because he didn't want to see it happen. Yang with long hair was just Yang. While he was fairly sure she could pull off something else just as well, it wouldn't feel the same.

The two of them wandered about the mall for a little while longer. It was a large complex with multiple floors, and balconies above them where shoppers went from store to store. In the middle was a large fountain with chairs set around it. Jaune sat on it with a bag holding a top Yang had bought. He'd half-expected her to model it for him, but she'd laughed and said she knew her own fashion, thank you very much.

Right now, she was off grabbing them a drink from a small food vendor. She handed over some lien, said something to the man, and then sauntered over with a can in each hand.

"Thanks," he said, taking it and having a drink.

"You must be the only person I know who would actually drink coffee in a can." Yang pursed her lips to show what she thought of that, cracking open her fizzy drink. "Well, other than Oobleck." She eyed him. "You don't want to be compared to Oobleck."

"I don't know… he's a respected and intelligent professor of Beacon."

"He's also insane."

"Don't they say that insanity and genius are only a fine line apart?"

"Yeah, and he'd laid across it in a caffeine-induced coma. Don't make me keep an eye on your intake. I used to do it with Ruby and sugar. I can do it with you too."

Jaune laughed, and Yang did too, the two of them bumping shoulders as they sat and recharged their batteries, watching the crowd mill around them. There hadn't been anything he really wanted to buy, but that was fine. It was fun just hanging out, and Yang was good company. She made him laugh and smile, and she was genuinely fun to be around.

It honestly took him a second to remember he was supposed to be doing this to make her feel better. Well, there's no reason I can't enjoy the day too. Maybe Nina was onto something… maybe I should try and give this a go.

What was the harm?

His smile fell. The harm was in their friendship cracking under the pressure, of things going wrong and not working out when feelings were involved. It was in Pyrrha's eyes when he told her he'd said no to her, but accepted Yang's offer. It would be in trying to talk to Ruby if Yang and he didn't work out and they split up after an argument.

Was it worth the risk?

Jaune's stomach grumbled. It was a sudden thing, loud too. He knew Yang heard when he saw her grin. "Ignore that," he said. Her grin grew bigger. "Ugh. Damn body. So… how about getting a bite to eat?"

"Hm, I don't know… a girl like me has to watch my figure."

Really, she was going to make him beg? The look in her eyes said she was, and it was with a sigh that he fell down onto one knee. "Please, oh wonderful and kind Yang Xiao-Long. Please spare your humble servant and allow him one meal."

"Ooh, that's a compelling argument. I think I like you down there." She tapped her chin with a finger. "I'm not sure if there was enough grovelling though. You didn't even compliment my beautiful looks, or my hair that falls like spun gold."

Jaune's eye twitched. "Forgive me. I'll do better next time."

"Make sure you do, slave." She laughed. "Okay, fine. I wouldn't mind getting a bite to eat. You said you know a place?"

He nodded.

/-/

The place Jaune knew was actually on the roof of the mall, or as close to it as they could get. Yang hadn't ever been, but as she leaned back from her meal and sighed, feeling the warm sun on her skin, she definitely knew she'd be coming again. Ruby would have loved the place, not to mention the view from the balcony they were on.

"Nina showed me this place," Jaune said, sat across the table from her. They were positioned so that they both had a side to the balcony, which was several hundred metres up, but had a tall railing with reinforced glass panels that would stop anyone walking through it. There was also a safety barrier below to catch anyone who fell. "It was when I got accepted into Beacon. She said we should celebrate and brought me here. I've wanted to come back ever since but never had a reason to."

Yang's ears perked at that line. Did he mean that she was reason enough to come here, or that she was important in some way? The question burned in her mind, but she tried to ignore it, propping her elbow on the table, and her chin atop her hand. "It's pretty nice. I'm glad you showed me it. Honestly, today's been pretty fun."

"It has for me too," he said. She caught his eyes on her. "Are you feeling better then? You were upset yesterday."

"I'm going through something. Leave it at that."

He watched her for a second, but nodded and didn't say anymore. She liked that about him. Her drama was her drama. She didn't need everyone else getting involved in something she'd sort out on her own. "Well, I'm here if you need me," he said. "I can't say I didn't enjoy this either. It's nice to have a break from training all the time."

"Little Jaune, all so tired of being beaten up," she mimicked a baby's voice, earning an eye roll for her trouble. "I take it that's why you asked me out. Wow… and here I thought it was just out of concern for my wellbeing."

"Asked you… out?"

Yang's eyes widened. She cursed, even as her heart beat a little heavier in her chest. Damn it. Now wasn't the time for a slip of the tongue like that! "Out here," she said. "Well, out to Vale. Why? What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing…" Jaune lifted a glass and took a quick drink, eyes on her. She tried not to show any of the nervousness she felt. "We're just out here as friends, right?"

Yang felt a pit open up in her stomach. Well… that was what happened when you let yourself get too excited. She should have known better. "Yeah, I know. We're just hanging out."

"But you'd… you wouldn't mind if it was something more… would you?"

His eyes didn't meet hers, but that didn't stop her from sighing. Yang's façade fell, as did her hand. She sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms. "I guess the Blake's out of the bag, huh?"

"The Blake-?" Jaune blinked, and sighed. "You realise she'll go crazy if she hears you said that."

"Which is why you won't tell her." Yang tried to grin, but the motion felt hollow. She gave up half way. "I take it you know then… or figured it out." She sighed. "Was I that obvious?"

"No. Not really. You never made any overt gestures. You never pushed it…"

"Unlike Pyrrha," she finished for him. A great sigh escaped her. This was everything she hadn't wanted to talk about, and everything that had been festering inside her for what felt like weeks. She'd hoped it would go away. She'd also hoped he wouldn't ever notice. This went to show what hope led to.

This wasn't how she'd expected it to go either. In her mind, whether it was dream or nightmare, she'd imagined something more natural, more organic. Maybe she'd muster up the courage to tell him, or one of her friends would spill the beans. Never had she imagined they'd be sat at a restaurant and he'd just look at her and say that he knew. It had happened though, and she had to deal with it. She hit the ground running, as she always had.

"I didn't mean for you to know at all," she went on. "I thought I could keep it secret. I saw what happened with Pyrrha. Can't say I wanted the same. I know that you wouldn't say yes as well," she added. "I know you're not interested, that you wouldn't ever be."

"I didn't say that."

"Huh?"

"I didn't say that. That I wouldn't ever be interested," he added. "I never meant to make it sound like that."

Something burrowed up inside her. Was it hope, desperate or otherwise? Her mouth felt dry and she swallowed, trying not to get too excited. It didn't mean anything. She shouldn't let it get to her. It did though. She couldn't ignore it. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Please don't beat around the bush with this, Jaune."

"I won't." He sighed and put the glass down. His expression was serious. "What I said to Pyrrha before was true. I don't feel like I could have made it work with her, and I still don't. I'm also not really looking for a relationship at the moment… but that doesn't mean I won't ever, or that I haven't considered it." He looked out over Vale and sighed. "Honestly, I've had more fun here with you than I thought I would. More than I have with anyone else I've spent time with. That's true in Beacon too. If there was anyone I think it could work with, it'd be you."

Her heart dared to beat a little faster. She tried to caution it, temper her excitement, but she couldn't hide her excitement. "You mean…?" She didn't know what she meant, or what he meant. She just knew it wasn't a no.

"I mean that I don't know. I don't want to lose you as a friend, Yang. You're important to me." He raised his head. "And I don't know if that means important as a friend, or what. I know I like you more than I do most other people. I know that I find you attractive, and I did enjoy today." He looked down at his empty plate. "And yeah… I did ask you out. This was more than just friends."

"Like a date?" she asked. The very words she'd choked on yesterday.

He nodded.

Holy… okay, this was delicate. Yang swallowed her instinctive reply. She had to think about this. She'd always been one to rush in, but she didn't want to here. "So, I actually do have a chance? Is that what you're saying?"

"More than anyone else. I don't know what you see in me, but yes."

"Neither do I," she admitted, then grinned when he stared at her. "What, you thought I wanted to fall for my best friend? Get real. If I had a choice in the matter, you wouldn't be on the list."

"Wow, thanks…"

"Sadly, I don't have a choice." Yang smiled at him, reaching over to touch his wrist. He didn't pull away. "I'm not sure when exactly you got into my head, but you did. Now? Well, I tried to stay away and not let you know. I guess you can see how well that went."

"Ha…" He shook his head. "I guess it's the same for me. Beacon wasn't meant to be this complicated."

"What now?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I've no idea. Do you want to continue on like normal? Pretend this never happened?"

"Honestly… no."

He winced.

"I don't mean it like that," she continued. "You're still my best friend, but I can't really keep pretending that I'm not interested when I am." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I know it sucks, and I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you either, but I'm not willing to sit there and smile if you get with someone else. I'll wish you well, but I won't like it." She looked him in the eye. "I like you. I won't call it love. That feels a bit too sudden. I like you though, and I've liked you for a while."

"What do you want to happen?" he asked.

Yang's eyes locked onto his. "I want us to try," she said. He opened his mouth, but she reached over to press a finger to his lips. "I'm not saying we should get together," she added, "just that we try things out. That we have a few dates… see where it goes."

"Dates?" he asked once she'd moved back. "Like this one?"

"Sure. You said you had fun, right? Was that a lie?"

He shook his head. "No. I enjoyed today. It was great."

The honesty in his eyes fuelled her confidence. She grinned and pushed on. "Yeah, well I had fun too. It was nice to just get out and spend some time together that doesn't involve fighting for our lives. I'm not saying I want you to take me to the beach or hold my hand as we have a candlelit dinner. I'm just saying more of this, with the understanding that we're both giving it a go to see if something develops between us."

Jaune's shoulders relaxed. It was an almost imperceptible thing, but it was there. "Dating to see if there's a spark?" he asked. "Not like we're already together?"

"Exactly! Going on a few dates doesn't mean something has to happen. It's not a contract." She grinned and sipped her drink through a straw. "I mean, for some people it can be, if they're already together. I'm saying we should date while not being together. Basically, we're just two people spending time with one another, and if we both keep enjoying it, and if it feels right, then maybe it can grow into something more. No pressure. No commitment." She waggled her eyebrows. "No benefits either, mister."

Jaune laughed. It was the first time he had since the topic came up.

"If something comes of it, that's great." she said.

"And if not…?" Jaune asked.

"Then we had fun and spent time together as friends. We'd have probably hung out even if I wasn't interested in you, so it's not like anything's different." Yang shrugged. "The only change is that I'm laying my cards on the table. I'm interested in you, but even I'm not sure if it'll work. That's what dating is for, at least in my mind. We're seeing if us," she pointed at the two of them, "could work. We're not saying we're together, in a relationship, or promised to one another-"

"We're just dating."

"Bingo."

He didn't say anything for the longest time. Yang wasn't patient, but she forced herself to wait through it. The silence was agonising. It was also promising. If he hated the idea, he'd have said no immediately, right?

"Would you really be okay with that?" he finally asked. "I feel like I'm short changing you here. I feel like an ass…"

"What, for not returning my feelings?" Yang kicked him beneath the table. It wasn't a gentle tap and he yelped, drawing the attention of some nearby diners. "Don't be an idiot." she whispered. "Do you think there's something wrong with not feeling the same way I do? Sure, it sucks, but that doesn't mean you've done something bad. As for whether I'd be okay with it, this is better for me than nothing happening. At least I get a chance to change your mind."

"And how would you go about doing that?" he asked, massaging his shin.

"By making you have fun, obviously. That's how dating works. Two people go on a date, they do things together, and if it's fun, then they'll try it again. I'm not going to pressure you into anything, and you can always tell me if you're feeling off." She shrugged. "I'm just going to be myself and act like I normally do. It's not like this would work if I was faking it. Even if you came to return my feelings, it wouldn't really be me."

"I guess you've got a point." Jaune sat back up. His eyes were a little softer, his lips set in a smile. "Honestly, you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would."

"Aww, baby~" she cooed. "Were you worried about me?"

"Of course I was. You're my best friend."

Yang felt a rush of warmth. Not romantic, this time, but rather affectionate. He was so sweet. Honestly, this was why he was her friend. She tapped her foot against his, gentler this time, and although he flinched at the sudden contact, he didn't pull away. "And you're mine," she said with a smile. "If this doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Our friendship doesn't have to change. It might even be stronger for it." She winked. "It'll be less complicated for sure."

"Then I guess I'll agree," Jaune said. He sounded surprised. "I can't promise it'll work out, but I've had fun today. I wouldn't mind doing this again." He smiled. "I wouldn't mind if it did work out, either."

Yang felt like cheering. "Same," she said. "Besides, it's not like anything has actually changed. I liked you when this date started, and you apparently knew as well."

"Now it's just official," he agreed. "That sounds like the wrong word."

"We're officially unofficial." She grinned when he laughed. "Honestly, I think this is called `seeing one another`. We're dating, but we're not together. We're seeing if it'll work, and kind of agreeing not to see anyone else until we know. Whether you feel the same, or whether I find out you're a bore and go back to just being a friend."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to disappoint. What should we tell the others?"

"Uh, I'd go with nothing."

"Ha?"

"They don't really need to know, do they? I mean, nothing is set in stone so what would we even tell them? If we do, Ruby will just get excited – then upset if it doesn't work out. Everyone else will be awkward too." She shrugged. "I think it's best if we keep it between us for now. That way if it does or doesn't work, people won't start acting weird around us."

"Huh… works for me. Actually, you're probably right. Everyone would just be weird about it."

It would be better this way. Yang was sure. If they told everyone and then this didn't work, then Blake would probably be upset at Jaune, and that would cause tensions in the team. They both wanted this to be low key, not to break any friendships, be it their own or others among the teams. Yang leaned back and smiled, rattling off an example of what Ruby would do if she ever found out.

Jaune laughed, and then added his own thoughts on what pranks Nora would have subjected her to if she felt she'd broken her teammate's heart.

It wasn't how she'd expected it to happen, and it felt more like a business deal than anything else, but Yang couldn't help but feel thrilled nonetheless. It was official – sort of. They were dating. She'd done it. She'd let him know how she felt, and hadn't been rejected, at least not yet. Now all she had to do was be herself and show him how much fun she was. He would make up his own mind.

If he didn't… it would hurt, but she could move on knowing she'd tried her best, and that it probably wouldn't have ever worked out.

For the first time in weeks, she felt a weight lift itself from her shoulders, replaced by shakes and shudders as she laughed and talked, hissed and dramatically argued. It was light. It was easy. It was fun. It was just the two of them.

It was perfect.

And she didn't once think of that bastard, Crimson.

That was what she kept telling herself.

You know, this is how my first real relationship started. It was also, on a different occasion, how I was first rejected. Both in a little diner, both over a casual conversation that just sort of naturally shifted to one of us saying; "So… I kind of know you fancy me. What are we going to do?"

Either way, officially unofficial… honestly, this is why I feel the "it's complicated" tab on social media exists. Well, that and making passive-aggressive gestures towards your significant other. I'm glad I quit Facebook years ago.

Next Chapter: 20th June

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur