Days before, the only thing that Jaune could remember waking up to was the sound of bullhead engines whirring in his ears as he was dragged off of the craft. His armor was in tatters, its white plates and golden outlines cracked and lacerated, but he was alive. He remembered being dragged through town, through the forest, and back home.
Beyond that, there wasn't much else. Everything still felt blurry and out of place, but at least he was home now. But there was still a problem.
The problem wasn't that his armor was destroyed. It was bound to happen some day or another, really. No, the problem came in the form of Ruby Rose.
As he sat at the couch of their living room, his arms still sore from days prior, he couldn't help but notice how dull Ruby's silver eyes were. She was watching the same movie that he was, but it felt… off. Like she was somewhere else in the confines of her own mind. A look that he'd seen all too well from his own teammates.
Slowly bringing a hand to her shoulder, Jaune gave her a brief shake. "Hey, you hanging in there?" He asked, a brow curling on his face as he felt her jolt beneath him. "We can put on a different movie, if you want?" Jaune wasn't really feeling this one anyway. It was just another campy action movie that exaggerated what it was that Hunters did.
Ruby's eyes lingered on his hand for a moment before shrugging. "It's fine." Her eyes quickly flicked back to the screen as they faded again.
Jaune mentally sighed, his shoulders slumping forward. "If you say so." Without thinking, his hand dug through his pants pocket, pulling out his scroll to check the time. Well, it was 4:45, and there was still plenty of sun to burn. "What do you think we should make for dinner? Got anything you're craving?"
A hum vibrated in Ruby's throat as she blankly stared at the roof. "Not really," she started, shrugging again. "You pick tonight."
"But I've picked for the last three nights." His brows furrowed as he stared ahead at the screen, watching whatever blank-slate character Spruce Willis was playing this time take part in ridiculous acrobatic feats.
"And they've all been good dinners." Ruby shot back, her cheek resting in her hand as she leaned against the armrest.
Sighing, Jaune set his scroll on the coffee table in front of the couch, leaning further into the backrest. "Well, I'll try and find something that we both like tonight." She'd been like this for days now, and he couldn't figure out why. Was she just mad that she had to drag him out of a bullhead? "Are you sure you've got nothing you-"
"Yes, Jaune." Her brows weighed heavier on her face as she stared at the screen. "Have we got to do any grocery shopping tonight?"
Jaune's tongue poked at the inside of his cheek, humming as he stared up at the ceiling. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. For now, I think I'm gonna go get started on the dishes-"
"I'll do them." Ruby said, pushing herself to her feet as she rushed to the kitchen.
Falling back to his seat, he rubbed his eyebrows, the sound of the tap running in the kitchen filling his ears. Great, now he was stuck with an angry roommate, a trashy movie, and nothing to do. The only thing that would make this situation worse was that he was just told that Salem was actually not frozen and back to fighting again.
Jaune's eyes widened as he sat up, quickly knocking on the wooden coffee table in front of him. "Yeah, let's not leave that one up to chance."
Well, there had to be something for him to do, right? Jaune thought. Okay, let's think. Laundry? Wait, no, Ruby did it. Uh… the floors! They needed sweeping, right? Dammit, no! Ruby did that this morning. And I've still got to go pick up a lawnmower to get started on the lawn tomorrow, so…
The biggest issue he had was that she wouldn't talk to him, and whenever he went to make himself useful, she'd cut him off and do it herself. If he were a worse person, he'd be happy to let her do all the work. The problem was that he wasn't, and naturally, it made him feel weird.
Just a week ago, the two of them were doing all the chores together, laughing and smiling as they did their thing. Ruby would normally turn on music whenever she was doing the dishes, singing the lyrics of her favorite songs. Except instead of singing the lyrics correctly, she'd get them a little off. It was a thought that made him smile.
And now the kitchen was silent, the only sound being the running tap.
"You know what?" He mumbled, pushing himself to his feet. "I think I'm going to go pick up some groceries." Along with a few other things.
Jaune didn't think twice about stepping towards the door, quietly turning the knob and closing it behind him. Wouldn't want to distract Ruby from her dishes now, would he? And so he turned around and started to walk down the paved path that always led to town.
The autumn leaves seemed to cover his path in differing shades of yellow and orange, the quantity of said leaves growing every time he walked out of the house. He loved it, honestly. The more time he spent on Patch, the more it felt like home. The more the forest felt like it was his own.
His only complaint was that he should've brought his jacket with him, but it wasn't exactly like he was thinking critically right now. All he had with him was his t-shirt, his jeans, his wallet in one pocket, and his scroll in the…
Jaune's hand quickly patted at his right pocket, feeling a lack of resistance. A hand loudly smacked against his forehead as he groaned. "You idiot, you forgot your scroll." He hadn't forgotten to grab his scroll since he was still in Beacon! "Maybe this whole soft-retirement thing isn't for me. I'm losing my edge."
Looking over his shoulder, Jaune already saw that the house was well out of sight, obscured by the thick oak and elms that made up the forest. Sighing, he shrugged. "I guess I'll be quick, then." If he was quick, Ruby wouldn't even notice that he was gone. And if she didn't notice, then that made what he had in mind all the better.
As Jaune finally made it to town, the first thing he did was run to the local grocery store. It wasn't anything to write home about for most people, but considering the fact that he had to live off of a mix of oats, dried beef, and beans for the better part of his last six years, he was more than happy to have it. Walking into the store, Jaune got to work.
Going through the store, Jaune was quick to pick up everything that he'd hoped to make for dinner. Steak, potatoes, stuffing, and oddly enough, pasta salad. He was a little surprised the first time that he'd brought it home, considering how much effort it took to keep Ruby from eating the whole batch of it. But if it meant that he'd see her smile again, he was more than happy to let her have it all.
With all of that in his cart, Jaune would have been more than ready to head home. But something caught his eye as he walked by. Fresh bouquets of vibrantly red roses stood out on a stand, but they were far from cheap. 50 Lien for a couple of roses.
Jaune quickly patted his wallet, feeling it all but pushed back against his hand. "Yeah, I've got some money to spare." So, like the fool he was, he bought them. All of his groceries plus the flowers rounded up to the better part of 78 Lien, but he was fine with that.
With his bag full and a smile on his face, Jaune walked out of the grocery store. Normally, that would just be that, him having gone out of his way to pick up some groceries before walking home. But as the sweet scent of chocolate wafted by, he stopped mid-step, his head slowly turning to look at the local bakery.
His smile widened as he quickly walked into the bakery, leaving with a small bag of fresh chocolate chip cookies. If all of this failed to make Ruby ease up, then he would have to resort to his final contingency. Hug her until she accepts his apology. After all, he was so much bigger than her, and Ruby was always weak to a good hug.
Now he started his walk home, walking through Patch proper before making his way back into the woods. If he were on the Frontier, he wouldn't have dared walk with as much confidence as he did. With the way that he was just strolling through the woods with not just his groceries, but cookies and flowers? Yeah, he was sure he'd make for a tasty snack for a passing Beowolf.
If he couldn't choke it out with his bare hands, anyway.
As the house came into view, Jaune sighed, smiling to himself as he slowly made his way to the door. "Okay, time to face the music." He said, chuckling to himself as he brought his keys from his pocket, slipped them into the keyhole, and gave it a turn. But before he could reach for the knob, the door swung open. "Oh, hey Ruby-"
The words died on his tongue as he watched warm tears stream down her cheeks, her silver eyes bloodshot as she loudly sniffed.
As she slowly stepped away from the door, almost as though she were trying not to scare away a skittish squirrel, Jaune stepped through, his brows furrowed as he kicked the door shut behind him. "Hey, what's the matter?"
Without a word, Ruby tightly wrapped her arms around his midsection, a shaky breath leaving her as she held him close. "I'm sorry…" She said, her face buried deep into his chest, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The tension between Jaune's brows eased as he set his grocery bag aside, wrapping his arms around her as he held her close.
"I just-" Ruby hiccupped as her hands dug into his back, her fingernails digging deeply. "If I wasn't that little bit faster, you would have…"
Jaune could feel her weight grow as she slowly fell, her knees shaking. So he did the only thing he could, and that was to fall with her, his back sliding down the surface of the door. He could feel a growing wet spot on his shirt, but he paid it no mind, holding her close.
"I thought maybe you would have wanted to leave. That you'd go back to the Frontier." Ruby sniffed as she quietly sobbed, her lips shaking all the while. "That you wouldn't put up with me anymore. That I'd have to live in an empty house again. I just- I don't want you to leave me."
A frown pulled at his lips as he set his forehead against the top of her head, quietly shushing her as his hands rubbed small circles against her back. In moments like this, Jaune had learned that it was best to not say a word. When someone hurt the way they did, it was better to be a wall than anything else.
In any other case, Ruby straddling him would have made him mildly uncomfortable. But given that she was crying, he easily ignored it, her head sitting in the crook of his neck as wet droplets fell against his shoulder. For minutes on end, the only thing to ever touch his ear was the sound of Ruby's quiet sobbing, her shoulders shaking as she clung to him, as if he'd disappear if she let go.
A deep put formed in his stomach as he held her. And here I thought I was at fault. He thought, a hollow smile touching at his lips. Now Ruby's crying, and it's all because you weren't paying enough attention to her. Do you feel happy now?
When Ruby inevitably quit sobbing, her body went limp against his chest, her warm breath tickling against his ear. Setting Ruby aside for a short moment, Jaune stood before scooping her up, one hand beneath her back, and the other beneath her legs. Walking towards their room, Jaune carefully managed to get the door open, taking her to her bed as he draped the covers over her.
Stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind him, Jaune sighed. "Well, I can't exactly let the groceries just sit by the door." He said, chuckling to himself as he scooped up the groceries before bringing them to the kitchen.
Ruby had left the kitchen spotless, something that he was normally glad to see. But today, it felt different. Every shining counter, every clean dish, the spotless tiles, they were all an effort to keep him from leaving. As if he ever would have left in the first place.
Quietly putting the dishes away, Jaune wasted no time grabbing a glass from the clean side of the sink, filling it with water before setting it on the center of the kitchen table. There was only one thing left in his bag, a bouquet of bright roses.
Undoing the bouquet, Jaune set the roses in the glass as he found his seat at the table, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he sighed. "I really fucked it up, didn't I?" Staring up at the ceiling as he spoke. "My roommate and closest friend is eating away at herself because I almost died, and she pins it on herself. What kind of friend am I?"
Jaune had never felt such shame before. Not when he'd snuck into Beacon, not when he'd stolen his Family Sword, not when he'd gone behind his father's back and snuck out. Nothing beat the shame he felt now.
He'd scarred Ruby in such a way that he never thought possible. "I… almost became her Pyrrha." There was something so funny to him, how the analogy worked so well. "Except she actually managed to save me. Talk about a cruel twist of fa- no. I'm lucky she saved me, but…" He wished she didn't have to.
If he'd just beaten the Elder Beowolf on his own, Ruby would have never been scarred. But that just wasn't in the cards, and he knew that. There were a lot of things that Jaune was - a great meatshield, a thinker, a friend - but a peerless warrior, he was not. Beating it by himself wasn't an option. So, with that in mind, would have still fought it alone if it meant that Ruby didn't have to fight the way he did?
He could still vividly remember the fight. How it used every advantage it could, its long claws like a series of blade slashing at his shield, or how its tail flicked around to pull his legs out from beneath him, or how it had taken him into its maw and tossed him like a dog with a chew toy. Would he still have fought it alone?
"In a heartbeat." Because if it meant that Ruby would have had to deal with that, she wouldn't have survived.
As his eyes pulled away from the ceiling, they drifted towards the bouquet of roses, each of them brighter than the last. But his eyes didn't gravitate to the brightest, but to the darkest of them all, barely blooming as it was now. He brought his hand to gently brush at the dark petals, making sure not to tear them.
He sighed as he slumped against his seat. "Ruby was already a little iffy when we were still traveling together. To think that she'd be like that now that everything's over?"
The clock on the wall quietly ticked as he stared at the roses on the table, his hand still brushing the darkest rose of all. "Then I'll just have to be here until I know she doesn't need me anymore." He said, grabbing the stem of the rose on his mind, bringing it close. "Never thought she'd be the one to need me, though. But if she does, then I'll do whatever it takes."
Because he knew, in heart of hearts, that she'd do the same.
From the darkness of her room, Ruby yawned, peeling open her eyes as she rubbed the crust away from them. When did she find the time to crawl into bed? Come to think of it, she didn't remember feeling all that tired at all?
Throwing the covers off, Ruby sat up as she brought her feet to the floor, her hands running through her dark hair as she fought the need to yawn again. Okay, she thought. What were we doing before bed? Uh, I was watching a movie with Jaune, got started on the dishes, and then…
And then he left.
A pit formed in Ruby's stomach as she shot to her feet, eyes wide as she rushed for the door. Please still be here, please still be here. Her heart hammered against her chest as she twisted the knob, the hinges creaking from how harshly she pulled on them.
Instead of silence, Ruby was met with the sound of sizzling oil, the pleasant aroma of meat cooking wafting into her nose as she blinked. Looking to the kitchen, Ruby watched as her blond roommate stood at the stove, a white apron draped over his chest. A sigh slipped from her mouth as she shut the door behind her, trudging towards the kitchen.
Ruby wordless trudged into the kitchen, the pit in her stomach subsiding as she found her place at the kitchen table.
But regardless of her silence, and despite the fact that Jaune didn't even so much as shoot her a look, he laughed. "Good morning, sleeping beauty." A smile plastered on his face as he continued to work at the stove, going through and stirring all the different pots in front of him. "I was wondering when you'd wake up. Had me a little worried there for a second."
Her shoulders tensed as she clasped her hands together, humming. "Hey, Jaune. Uh, what time is it?" From a brief glance, Ruby could tell that it was more than a little dark out, the stars clearly in view from where she was sitting. But beyond that, she didn't know.
Looking over his shoulder, Jaune looked at the clock on the wall, his smile holding its ground. "Well, from the looks of things, it's just short of 9:30. Sleep well?" He asked, his blue eyes settling on her face. They weren't bloodshot like they were before, but considering how her eyelids sagged, he wouldn't assume anything.
Ruby stared down at the table, her hands grasping tighter. "I… I had a nightmare, I think." The kind of nightmare that made her sick to her stomach, one that she couldn't bear to have come true. "I thought you just… got up and left. Like you couldn't stand to be around me anymore."
"I only went to the grocery store for less than an hour." Chuckling as he turned back to the stovetop, giving the steaks a quick flip with his pair of tongs. "Besides, as if I could ever get tired of you now. I'll have you know that you were way worse when we were still on the road."
Against her better judgment, Ruby snickered, a hollow smile making its way onto her face. "Oh yeah? Then how come you didn't pick up the eight calls I sent your way? It didn't exactly make me feel any better, you know." Even now, she still wasn't entirely convinced that he wouldn't just get up and leave.
Jaune curled a brow as he stirred the pasta salad he had going on the stove. "I didn't know you called me? I haven't picked up my scroll since I left." Sending a quick glance to the living room, Jaune could still see his scroll sitting on the coffee table. "It's still there."
Ruby's brows furrowed, confusion settling in her chest. "Then… how come I didn't hear your scroll going off?"
Shrugging, Jaune looked over his shoulder to shoot Ruby a smile. "I'm not really big on having my scroll off of vibrate. With our time on the road, I learned it's better to just keep it quiet." Granted, that was just his paranoia talking. It's not like he had any stories to tell about his scroll chiming and him getting jumped by bandits or Grimm, but it was a very real worry.
Sighing, Ruby slumped forward against the table, heat tickling her cheeks as she groaned. "I'm such an idiot." She mumbled, hiding her face behind her arms.
But Jaune only laughed, turning back to his stove to grab the pot of pasta, carrying it over the sink to dumb it into the strainer he left. "Well, if it's any consolation, you're not the only one," his smile dimmed as he stared at the rising steam from the boiling water. "I should've paid more attention. I thought maybe it was something I did wrong, and here you are, suffering because of it."
Shooting up from her place, Ruby sat up straight. "That's not true!" She watched as Jaune's shoulders jumped at her volume, clearing her throat as she eased back into her seat. "It's… it's not really your fault or anything. I was just worried. Didn't want you to leave because I was a bad partner."
Jaune paused for a moment, his hand lingering next to the strainer. "Hey, hey, hey, I wouldn't leave because you're a bad partner. The only thing that'd make me leave is if you suddenly became a slob." Before he could turn to see Ruby's face pale, Jaune took the strainer of pasta back to the pot, dumping the noodles back in with ease. "But knowing you, that'll never happen. What with not wanting to let me clean up around the house and all."
Ruby chuckled, awkwardly smiling as she flicked a strand of hair over her eye. "Uh, that's because-" She couldn't actually tell him why, right? "Hey, do you need any help with making dinner?"
Snickering, Jaune rolled his eyes, holding up a hand as he turned to see Ruby rising from her seat. "Ah, no, I'm fine. How about you let me handle things for the rest of the night?" Jaune asked, smiling as he watched Ruby's head tilt. "With the week that you've been having, I think you need a little spoiling yourself."
The heat that previously clung to Ruby's cheeks returned two-fold, falling back to her seat as she twiddled her thumbs. "Oh, so you figured it out then?"
Going through the process of seasoning the pasta in the pot, Jaune briefly stirred it before flipping the steaks he had on the frying pan. "I wouldn't quite say that, but considering that you were offering to do all the chores after I nearly died? Let's just say that I've got my suspicions." No point in lying about it now. "Besides, I survived, you survived, let's just leave it at that."
Ruby shook her head, feeling her hair brushing against her forehead. But before she could really give him a piece of her mind, her silver eyes gravitated to a glass of water next to the sink. It wasn't the glass that had her attention, but rather, what it held.
A bundle of roses.
Ruby felt the tension in her face disappear as she turned to watch Jaune get back to working at his stove. "...Why the roses?"
Jaune laughed as he scratched the back of his head, turning the heat on the pasta to a low simmer as he continued to stir. "Oh, you saw those, huh?" Awkwardly smiling as he turned to stare at what remained of the bouquet. "Well, I thought you needed some cheering up, and considering the whole rose petal thing you've got going, I figured you'd like roses."
There it was again, the tightness that she felt whenever Jaune did something weird. Buying her roses, saying that someone would marry her eventually, how much of a catch she was, calling those comments weird were the only way she could phrase. And those were the only ones that Ruby could specifically remember.
"I-I mean," her eyes flicked between the floor beneath her and the flowers by the sink. "They're nice for sure, it's just… roses mean something very specific, you know."
Jaune paused his stirring, looking over his shoulder to curl a brow. But as he took the moment to stare at Ruby, he watched her cheeks darken as her shoulders rose, biting her lip as she twiddled her thumbs again.
"Ah," a twinge of heat resting at his own cheeks. "I didn't really think that far into it, so don't worry about it." He said, awkwardly chuckling as he quickly turned back to his stove. "Besides, my track record with wooing women isn't exactly great, so I wouldn't be worried."
A frown marred Ruby's face, but she didn't say anything. Oh, so we're not going to talk about all the girls that did have an interest in you, huh? Her mind spewed something far more vitriolic than she thought possible. But she didn't rush to stop it. How about all those older ladies that liked you in Atlas- she quickly cut that line of thought off.
Whole lot of good it was to think of a crater in the ground.
Sighing, Ruby shook her head again, this time much slower. "I thought I killed you, you know." Her eyes casting down at the table as her frown deepened. "Thought that maybe if I was a second slower, you'd have been halfway down a Beowolf's throat."
Jaune hummed, flipping the steaks he had on the stove. "And I'm sorry to hear that." He really was, but there was something that he couldn't stand by. "But if you're thinking that I would have you trade places with me and see you thrashed by our mark? Yeah, good luck dreaming that up, because I wouldn't let it happen."
A crease formed between Ruby's brows. "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't recall Beowolves having speed semblances."
"Whole lot of good it would've done you when it can out-think you." He snipped, his face going neutral before he sighed. "Look, I'm not saying I don't think highly of you, because you know how that debate ends. What I'm saying is that nobody else could've taken the beating I took and walked away. If that means losing my armor and walking it off so that you're safe, then I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
For a moment, the only thing that Ruby could hear was the sound of meat sizzling on the frying pan, Jaune keeping his back to her as he silently continued working at the stove. Why do you always have to be so stubborn? Ruby thought, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"Can you at least promise me that you won't do it again?" She asked, her brows curling upwards as she clasped her hands together again. "Promise that you won't split up to just… die alone."
"You know I can't do that." His shoulders had never felt so heavy. Not when he had to carry his friends out of the line of fire, not when he had to bear the burden of leadership, and most definitely not since their mission to take down Salem. "If we're in the same situation again, then I'll-"
Ruby stood from her seat. "What you're going to do is stick by me and we'll take as many hours as it takes." She pushed away the frown that threatened to form. Being angry wasn't the way to keep Jaune from needlessly endangering himself. "If it means standing in front of you, then I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from following your weird martyr complex."
Huffing, Jaune looked over his shoulder. "Okay, I don't have a martyr complex."
"You totally do!" Ruby shouted, a smile touching at her lips. "What would you call you disappearing into the Frontier for months at a time if not a martyr complex?"
The blond cook snorted as he turned back to his stove, shrugging his shoulders. "I'd think that was just me fulfilling my Huntsman duties. But hey, what do I know about my own motivations?" It wasn't like he knew his mind better than she did.
"And what about all the times you've stepped up to take the hit for someone else?" Ruby asked, curling a brow as she stepped around the kitchen table. "Or how about all the-"
Jaune groaned. "Fine, fine, I get it! I… have a lot of actions that show symptoms of a martyr complex." But that didn't mean that he had a martyr complex, right? "Purely coincidental, though."
Ruby's strides got shorter the closer that she got to Jaune, who was still working at the stove. "Maybe so," she started, giggling to herself as she wrapped her arms around his midsection. "But will you at least promise that you'll try to not throw your life away? Every other option is better than dying, okay." She knew Jaune wasn't the kind of person to throw himself into the line of fire without reason. But the last thing she wanted for him was to die.
She felt his figure stiffen against her touch, his broad shoulders stiffening as he cast a shadow over her. Funny, she didn't remember being that much smaller than him. "...I'll try my best, but I make no promises." His voice low as the tongs in his hand went slack. "And, uh, this is a bad time for a hug."
"When's it ever a bad time for a hug?" Her brow rose higher as she wrapped her arms tighter around him. "Besides, you said you'd spoil me tonight. Let me have this." There was just something so comfortable about being so close to him. It was like being wrapped around in a big, warm blanket that just came out of the drier.
As much as he wanted to, Jaune recognized a handful of problems with giving in to that kind of request. "Yeah, but I'm working at the stove here, Rubes." He said, and the fact that her hands only dug deeper into his abdomen led him to sigh. "I'm gonna burn the steak if you keep this up."
Of course, those were only the two problems he could bring up. The third problem was actually in a pair, and it was currently pressing against his back.
Well, Jaune thought. Ruby's definitely a woman. Not that there was any room to deny it. His face warm as he looked over his shoulder.
Ruby let out a breath, smiling to herself as her grip loosened, but she hadn't let him go. "Just… my life would be so much worse without you in it." There were plenty of times where his critical thinking had not only saved her, but the lives of her friends and teammates. His easygoing personality and simple smile kept her grounded. "So, thanks. For being with me, I mean."
The sound of Jaune's tongs falling filled her ears, scraping against the side of the pan. But what she couldn't see was the wide, dopey smile on his face. "Well, shucks Ruby, you're really putting me in a bind here." Laughing as he picked his tongs back up. "And here I did all of this because I thought you were mad at me. I bought you flowers, I offered to make dinner, I even got you-"
His words stopped as the smell of smoke filled his nose, his eyes shooting wide as he looked down at the frying pan to see smoke rising from beneath one of the steaks. "Oh, no, no, no!" He yelled, voice thick with despair as he panickingly flipped the charring steak. "Goddammit, that was a perfectly good steak! Who eats well-done steak, for goodness' sake?"
Ruby stood on the tips of her toes, peeking around his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the steak as he set it on a plate he had on standby. "Eh, I dunno, it doesn't look that bad. I think I could still get through it." Sure, it was a little darker than she thought a steak ought to be, but it didn't look inedible. "A little dry though."
Sighing, Jaune placed his head in his hands after he set the second steak on its own plate. "Yeah, that's half the problem. Well-done is… certainly a choice of steak, but it's hard to get through." Running his hands up and down his face, he sighed again. "It's fine, I'll just eat it myself. Can't have you suffering because of my mistakes now, can I?"
"Hey, remember what I said about martyr complexes?" A smirk on her face as she curled a brow. "But there's no reason to fight about who gets the bad end of the steak. Let's just split them both down the middle and call it even."
As Jaune turned to argue, the stern look that Ruby shot him was enough to stop him in his tracks. "I, uh… yeah, okay, I can do that." If there was anything that Jaune had learned from his time of living in a home with eight women, it's that it was important to choose one's battles. However, there was one he was willing to take to the grave. "And fighting over steak will always be worth it. I'd sooner die than listen to someone who likes their steak well-done."
A hand slapped at his shoulder. "And what did we talk about when it came to dying?" Ruby asked, a dry brow rising on her face.
Rolling his eyes, Jaune undid his apron before rolling it up and stuffing it under his arm. "Anyway, feel free to serve yourself. Oh, and uh, don't touch the pasta salad yet, it's not ready." Watching Ruby's eyes widen as she smiled made dinner a special treat every night. "Now then, I'm gonna go throw this in the wash for the night."
So, as Ruby watched Jaune walk into the bathroom, she got started on setting her plate. It wasn't exactly the most impressive, considering it was just two halves from two different steaks, along with some scalloped potatoes, and a special place on her plate for her pasta salad.
But even with her plate set, she didn't get started on eating. Instead, she waited for Jaune to come out of the bathroom, fill his plate, and finally throw the pasta salad he made in the fridge. After all that, Ruby half-expected him to take his seat so they could eat.
Instead, Jaune walked over to the microwave, opening it to reveal a paper bag. "By the way, I got you a little something." A smile on his face as he tossed her the bag.
Catching the bag, Ruby squealed. "You got me cookies! Oh man, have I ever told you how awesome you are?" They were obviously not fresh, but she didn't care. Local Patch cookies were the best, regardless of freshness.
Taking his seat at the table, Jaune snorted. "Once or twice, but I won't say that I don't appreciate it." He said, his smile widening as he took his cutlery in hand. "Now then, let's see just how badly I messed up this steak."
Ruby didn't bother wasting time, picking up her knife and fork as she dug into her meal. The steak that had slightly charred was… honestly not as bad as Jaune made it out to be. Sure, it was a little tough and had the aftertaste of ash, but it wasn't the worst thing she'd ever eaten. Shoot, she could even still taste the seasonings that Jaune added, so it wasn't that bad.
But when she got to the steak that Jaune had managed to get right, she melted into her seat. It was chewy, tender, and absolutely packed with flavor. And given the fact that Jaune had to put down his fork after he took his first bite from it, Ruby knew just how much he liked it.
It felt kind of funny, actually. There were two different steaks on her plate in the same way that there were two kinds of people in her home. One was tender, flavorful, and great to be around. The other was tough, dry, and trickier to maneuver, but there was still a semblance of taste beneath it all. If she had to harbor a guess as to which Jaune was, he'd easily be the tender of the two.
After quickly going through the scalloped potatoes on her plate, Ruby rushed to the fridge to pull out the thing that she'd been waiting all dinner for. Fetching a healthy serving of pasta salad, Ruby relished in the sour flavor, enjoying the texture to its fullest extent. She was never all that big on sour growing up, but pasta salad felt different.
By the time that her plate was emptied, Ruby heard her roommate across the table sigh, watching as he slid down his chair. "Okay, uh, wow. That was such a good idea." Jaune muttered, laughing to himself as he ran a hand down his face. "But man am I miserable. I think I ate a little too much."
Rolling her eyes, Ruby pushed her empty plate forward. "Yeah, I think I've hit a pretty cozy spot." Seeing the way that Jaune's eyes went half-lidded, or how his head slowly began to nod back and forth, she giggled. "Are you hitting a food coma?"
"Maaaybe." Chuckling as he sat up in his seat. "Well, what do you think? Have I managed to get my feelings across to you?"
Resting her chin on her hand, Ruby sighed. "You not only made us some great dinner, but you bought cookies and flowers?" Curling a brow as she watched his smile widen. "If I didn't know you as well as I do, I would think you were hoping for tonight to end in a very specific way."
Jaune's smile fell as he coughed into his hands, color dusting his cheeks as he stared at the floor. "Just trying to fulfill my manly duties is all." His father had a simple saying when it came to growing up around so many sisters. "When a lady's feeling down, it's a man's job to make her that little bit better. You don't have to fix her problem, but being there is enough for some people."
Laughing to herself, Ruby felt a familiar warmth spread across her chest. "You're too sweet, you know that?" She'd never really noticed it when they were traveling. Of course, she knew Jaune was always a solid guy, but the fact that he was that thoughtful? "Just where in the world did that awkward dork go?"
Shrugging, Jaune laughed with her. "Oh, he's still around, beneath all the muscle, experience, and the odd scar or two."
There was something so simple about laughing with Jaune. In some weird way, it made her safe. So long as she and Jaune could keep talking and laughing about nothing, life would be good. The warmth in her chest spread as her smile widened, the feeling of her heart beating faster as blood slowly passed through her cheeks.
Her eyes widening, she cleared her throat. "I'm gonna use the bathroom really quick!" She didn't bother waiting for an answer as she rushed into the bathroom, locking it shut behind her as she turned to look at the mirror.
And in her reflection was her worst fear.
Her cheeks were red, her heart was pounding loudly in her ears, and her chest felt tight. All because of one simple fact.
"Oh no… I think I like that dork."
Howdy. Been a while since I've thought to post. Frankly, this one's been done for a good month and a half or so and has just been collecting dust, but I just... didn't feel like posting, honestly. Life's been full of some pretty low lows, and it's not been great. But I've dragged my feet enough for a while, and I ended up starting another novel for shits and giggles. Soon I should be have this one that I've been working on since last year done, so that'll be fun.
I'll be honest, I haven't really got anything else to say. Thanks for reading up to this point, I suppose. Ciao, y buenas noches.
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