Author's Note: I have been waiting with baited breath to post this chapter. Holy shit. I was pacing around my room waiting for Tricia to send me a heads up on it's completion. And now...it's here.

Enjoy.


The high school dance- a particularly dreaded beast, known for causing immense peer pressure and anxiety. Yet it is still considered one of the milestones in a young adult's life, mainly because they are great venues for making connections, creating beloved memories, and for socializing with friends in a safe yet fun environment.

...yeah. Don't believe everything the administration tells you.

This chapter will highlight the escapades of our favorite group of misfits during their adventures at the dance. And, spoiler alert- there will be a lot of ships sailing tonight. Prepare to be validated.


Kylie didn't expect Weiss to invite her to the dance. She didn't expect anyone to invite her, honestly. Kylie may have had a nice dress for the occasion, but she preferred to hang out with friends in a more casual setting, like they always did. And it didn't help that the few school dances Kylie went to had been painfully boring, with cheap decorations lining the gym or lunch room, overplayed top 40 hits blaring out of old amps, and the genders split up on opposite sides of the room and refusing to talk to each other.

...Yeah, Kylie would rather stay home. Her plan for that evening was to either work on her papers or play video games, and maybe make some mac and cheese for dinner. Instead, here she was in the ballroom, staring out at a lively crowd.

The invite went like this-

"Hey, Kylie."

"What's up?"

"Uh...do you want to go to the dance with me?"

"Sure thing!"

"...alright, cool."

Kylie had spent the week up to the dance mentally hyping herself up. She'd daydreamed about how it would go about a million times, rehearsed conversations she'd have with Weiss, and maybe how their other friends would go about.

...of course, knowing reality's cruel whims, none of this happened. Kylie froze up the second she saw the crowd, and Weiss was busy stressing over the little things, like the fog machine and the food and why aren't there any doilies, you promised Yang! At least Weiss looked really pretty tonight, her white dress simple and shiny, with parts of it revealing sheer gray mesh that reminded Kylie of fishnet.

Kylie sighed, overwhelmed by the crowd and the fancy airs everyone tried to put on. On slightly shaky legs she retreated to the punch bowl, where Ben was standing pensively.

"I see you're hiding at the punch bowl too," Ben said, raising an eyebrow.

Kylie nodded. "Yep." An audible pop could be heard as she emphasized the "p".

Ben grinned. "To the socially awkward."

Kylie rolled her eyes and clinked glasses with Ben.

"Thought you'd be happier attending the dance with Weiss," Ben noted, taking a sip of punch.

"Eh? We're just going as friends." Kylie said. She looked over at Weiss, who was trying desperately to coax life out of a wilting white rose. "I mean, I thought I'd like it here, but, like, my anxieties...God, I haven't gotten used to wearing the Beacon skirts, how on Earth do you think I feel about wearing this thing?" Her own dress was dark green and flattered her curves beautifully. Her skirt was knee length, her neckline high, and her long flowy sleeves paneled, with dark green mesh inside the open cuts. It was a genuinely lovely dress, but Kylie still felt uncomfortable in it.

Ben nodded. "I get you."

"Just, argh. I feel like I'm being more of a burden than a friend here tonight," Kylie grumbled. "When's the optional leaving time?"

Ben looked down at his Omnitrix jokingly. "Oh right, it doesn't tell time."

Kylie gave her friend an unenthusiastic look. "I will not hesitate to bonk you on the head."

"Hey, don't worry. We can leave at 9:30. It's 8:00 now. Just hold out for another hour or so and you and Weiss can retreat back into your beds for a recharge," Ben reassured her.

"Thanks." Kylie smiled. "So, where's your date?"

"Didn't bring one," Ben said. "Hell, I just had this tux delivered to me today."

"Seriously? Didn't even ask her?" she teased.

"Like I said," Ben refilled his cup, "I don't wanna make things awkward."

"Dude. She's your best friend," she told him. "I'm here with mine...wait, am I Weiss' best friend?" Kylie shook her head. "I don't have time for that question- look, what I'm getting at is, she's your best friend. You're her best friend. It'll work out."

Ben glanced around the room. "Where even is Ruby?"

Kylie blinked. "Dunno. Weiss said she was preparing when we left-"

The doors to the ballroom opened, and Ruby stepped inside. Her red dress was short and sleeveless- the corseted bodice and thick black sash at her waist flattered her figure beautifully, and the lacy black detailing on the corset and hem of her skirt gave the outfit a flirty edge to it. Transparent mesh covered her chest, and the two lines connecting her neck to her shoulders gave the outfit a slight halter top look. Black stockings covered her long, toned legs, and shiny black pumps clacked against the tiles of the dance floor as she walked further inside.

Ben's punch glass hit the ground. "Oh. My. God," he whimpered.

Kylie had to shut Ben's jaw for him. "Yeah, you see that? That's a sign, dude. THAT'S A SIGN."

Ruby first saw Penny and happily greeted her. Penny gave a quick twirl to show off her cute and flowy pale green dress, and they both immediately hurried into the crowd.

"You better say something soon, dude." Kylie smirked. "You got competition~"

Ben gave her an annoyed look. "I thought you were anxious like a minute ago."

Kylie pouted. "I can be snarky for my friend, damn it."

"There you are," Weiss said, walking over. "Oh, Ben. I didn't expect you here tonight. I thought you said dances weren't your thing."

Ben shrugged. "I decided to see what all the hype was about."

"I'm just surprised you own a tux," Weiss said, looking him up and down. "It's a bit old-fashioned, but it works."

"That's because it's...my grandpa's tux," Ben reluctantly admitted. "Verdona dropped it off a while ago. Fits better than I thought it would."

Kylie smiled- it was nice to know Max was still there for his grandson, even in...

(For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to say the word 'death'.)

"Well, I hope you enjoy the dance," Weiss said sincerely.

Kylie's ears suddenly perked up- they were playing "HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON'T", something that delighted her pop punk side. "Come on, Weiss. It's not really a dance if we don't party a bit~"

"Oh, alright." Weiss grinned as she followed Kylie onto the dance floor.

Both girls danced a few times- once to some Daft Punk song Weiss found rather repetitive ("Yes, we get it. Around the World."), Mr. Brightside (which Kylie went absolutely wild to), and, surprisingly, a slow dance. Mainly because they saw the others doing it, and decided to join in on the fun.

Kylie felt a bit of embarrassment as Weiss held her waist, and she desperately hoped her hands (which were on Weiss' shoulders) weren't sweating. There was room between them for Jesus, so Kylie didn't have to worry about them being too close. She was suddenly glad Glynda was such a tyrannical chaperone.

Eventually the minimal attendance time came, and Kylie slowly made her way to the door. She'd have to apologize to Weiss in the morning.

"Oh, there you are." Kylie spun around to see Weiss approaching her. She looked rather frazzled. "I was just about-"

"I, uh-" Kylie blushed. "I'm not feeling all that great! Punch didn't agree-"

"You know, you don't have to make excuses about wanting to leave." Weiss smirked, taking off her heels. "Believe me, I do not want to be in that sweaty, stressful dance room for the rest of the night."

"...didn't you set it up, though?" Kylie had to ask.

"Doesn't mean I have to stay for it," Weiss declared. "People are having fun, there's no real shenanigans...but the music is kind of terrible. I don't care much for Daft Punk."

Kylie laughed. "They're alright. I only like a few select songs from them. But, hey...thanks for taking me."

"Honestly? I should be thanking you," Weiss told her. "Lord knows I'd go with my best friend rather than..." She made some vague gestures. "Well, a stranger. Or a guy."

Kylie blushed upon hearing the words 'best friend'. "Thank you, Weiss."


Kevin couldn't believe he was going through with his dumb idea. Granted, his dumb ideas normally ended up succeeding, like the time he got $100 for drinking an entire bottle of BBQ sauce. But this one was just stupid.

Kevin walked into one of the library's reading spots and slowly approached Min. She was laying on a couch, happily tearing into one of Blake's smuttiest books and laughing at how poor the sex scenes were. "I can't believe she reads this garbage," Min snorted, not at all turned on.

"Uh, hey, Min," Kevin called.

"What's up?" she asked, shoving the book away.

Before walking into the library, Kevin had a semi-smooth pick up line he wanted to use. Said line was gone now, and instead he was a sweaty, nervous, tongue-tied mess. "...uh, do...do you wanna..."

"Oh god, I'll just ask," Doppler snapped, already tired of this. "Do you want to go to the dance with him or not?"

Min grinned. "Sure, I'll go."

Kevin walked away, absolutely dumbstruck.

"You're welcome, loser," Doppler said smugly.

Kevin tapped his foot to the rhythm of the song playing. He was, admittedly, a bit lost: sure, he was handsome and (somewhat) charming, but this was his first time taking a girl on a date. He felt overwhelmed and embarrassed- was dating supposed to be this stressful? And the sweltering heat inside the dance hall was not helping.

And Min's dress? Not. Helping. Either.

It reminded Kevin a bit of her usual black minidress, at least from the waist up. Form-fitting and black as night, Min's dress accentuated her ample curves beautifully. From the waist down, the dress flowed and rippled, revealing golden layers that, when she walked, reminded Kevin of fire. The dress had a daring slit up the side, revealing smooth, toned legs and shiny black pumps. As Min got closer, Kevin could see a simple golden necklace at her throat, distracting from her bold neckline. And to complete the look, Min had put her long hair in shiny, gentle waves, giving her the appearance of a golden halo every time the light hit her just right.

And then Min smirked at him, calling out, "Hey big guy!" Like she knew what she was doing to him. And Kevin was absolutely helpless to react differently. Clever girl, he thought.

"Hey Min!" Kevin squeaked. He coughed and readjusted his tie, trying to hide his flushed face. Even after spending hours looking over videos on how to act suave and how to keep cool on a date, he was still caught flat footed just by looking at his date.

...was this how Yang or Weiss felt when they were around some of the others? Was this how Ben felt every time he looked at Ruby? Either way, he now understood his teammates and their romantic endeavours (and the subsequent drama that came with all that).

"You- You look good!" he proclaimed. Thankfully his voice was level.

Min cocked a hip and placed a manicured hand upon it. Giggling softly, she moved a little closer, a Cheshire grin already on her face. "Oh really? In that case, why not get a feel too?" Kevin sputtered and Min snorted, poking him on the nose. "Chill out bro, I'm just teasing! You look good too, you should wear suits more often." Min grinned as she took in his outfit- a charcoal black suit, tailored to perfection (thanks Amma!); shiny black shoes; a black vest that accentuated his waist; a gray button up with a matching gray tie; and a black suit jacket. His hair, clean and with a nice-smelling product in it, was pulled back into a ponytail, completing the look.

Kevin knew he looked good when he checked himself out earlier, but Min looking at him appraisingly made for a nice confirmation.

The two eventually made their way to the dance floor, much to Kevin's dismay. He wasn't much of a dancer, and he didn't want to look like a tool in front of all these people. But the beat was simple and catchy, and soon he and Min were dancing together, uncaring of the world around them.

Not bad, not bad," Min said approvingly. "You mentioned once you had two left feet, but you're a quick learner." Her grin only continued to grow as she quickly spun Kevin in her grip and put an arm around him.

Their movements almost perfectly in sync, Kevin allowed himself to get lost in the music… and in Min's odd yellow eyes. Lev had a similar eye color, but his were a solid metallic gold- the Archimedean equivalent to brown eyes, if Kevin remembered correctly. Min's irises had flecks in them, all of them of differing shades of yellow and hard to discern by the human eye. It was why they were so unnerving at first, but the more Kevin stared into them, the more he liked them.

When the song finally finished, Min found herself cackling and rubbing her hands together ."Ooh, you're even better than I thought! Kevin, do you play DDR? 'Cause I hear Lev likes doing bets and I totally wanna one up him-!"

Kevin could only stare as her words started to blur together. He just kept staring at her- Min had always been beautiful, from her eyes to her brown painted lips to her oddly sweet voice. But as he took in her gleeful, conniving smirk and her self-assured nature, Kevin slowly realized that he liked Min. Genuinely liked her in a way that was more than friendly.

Was this how Kylie and Ben felt whenever they were near their crushes? Did their palms sweat and their hearts beat rapidly? Did they suddenly worry about becoming tongue-tied and foolish, ruining any chance of furthering their relationship? Because if so, Kevin owed them a massive apology.

"Hellooooo? You still in there?" Min smiled whilst playfully poking his nose. Kevin immediately looked around, puzzled, only being drawn back to her playful expression.

"S-Sorry I just...You wanna grab a drink real quick?"

Min shrugged. "Sure thing. Hopefully no one spiked the punch yet- I don't mind a little alcohol at a party, but I don't wanna get too fucked up, ya know?" She shuddered. "Last time that happened, I accidentally fucked up the Chaos Sphere's weather patterns. My parents were not happy about that."

Kevin pondered that for a moment, and then shrugged and followed her to the punch bowl. It was then he saw Yang near the front, still standing at the hostess podium. She was wearing a simple but pretty white dress with matching heels, her long curls like a river of gold down her back. Yang gave him a knowing smirk, her purple eyes darting from Min back to Kevin. She gave him a thumbs up and mouthed, 'Go get 'em, tiger.'

Well, that definitely worked as motivation. Kevin took a deep breath and reached for a large cup; Min had already filled hers with punch and was staring at the dancefloor with an odd expression. Kevin quickly filled his glass up and started to watch people with her.

"So, Min, can I ask you something?" Kevin started, taking a sip of his drink. The punch reminded him of sherbert, and he couldn't detect any alcohol in it. He wondered when that would change.

"Technically, you just did," Min teased. "But sure."

"What made you wanna go to the dance with me?" he asked, genuinely curious.

She smiled wistfully. "I went to a lot of these parties growing up, but they were always so stuffy and boring. And any other kids there would only talk to me because their parents made them. My dad's pretty important in the Chaos Sphere, so I guess they thought it was a way of staying on his good side. Because of that, I had very few friends outside my family. So when you asked me to the dance, I guess I thought I could use this as a clean slate? You know, actually enjoy myself at a party for once?"

Kevin felt a lump in his throat. Usually when he saw Min, she was smiling or joking around with Zeta and RWBY. She had integrated herself quite easily into their chaotic little friend group; it probably helped that all of them had their hang ups and dysfunction, even if Kevin wasn't privy to all of it. "I had no idea," he finally said.

Min swallowed some punch. "Yeah, well, I don't make a habit of talking about it. Everyone's got their own traumas, and a lonely childhood full of backstabbers isn't really a blip on the radar."

"Doesn't make it any less valid," Kevin stated. "Pain isn't a contest, and you're allowed to be unhappy." His years of therapy had certainly drilled that into his head.

Her smile was soft but genuine. "I appreciate you saying that." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "But as to why I chose you… honestly, you make me laugh."

"...what?"

"Don't get me wrong, I like all your friends," she hurried to explain. "You're all so loving and understanding, and you welcomed me into your group so easily."

"Yeah, you and Lev and Yang get along like a house on fire," Kevin said, shivering.

Min smirked. "We're gonna turn Glynda's hair gray by the end of the year, just you watch." Her smile softened, and her eyes turned warm. "But out of all our friends, I like spending my time with you the most. You're funny and I feel happy around you. Even when you're the butt of the joke," she teased.

That last statement made Kevin frown. "See, it's stuff like that that makes talking about this so hard. You say I'm funny but I'm mostly the butt of the joke. People say I'm strong but then there's people like Ben or Ruby. Min, be honest- do you actually like me for me, or as someone you can play around with?"

Min's smile faded as she looked at him. He didn't know what she was seeing, but all Kevin knew was that he was overwhelmed and insecure, and honestly? He kinda wanted to lie in his bed and forget about the rest of the night.

"Kevin, did you think I was joking when I said yes?"

He put a hand to his face, breathing deeply. "I don't know. I've never even dated a girl properly; my life up until a few years ago was way too messed up to even consider it. A part of me knows this is real and that we're having a good time, but I can't shake the feeling that someone's gonna yell 'psyche' and that this was all just… fake."

Min stood there, staring at him. And then she socked him on the shoulder.

"Ow!" He glared at her, hurt.

"Did that feel real to you?" she demanded to know.

"Yeah! It did!"

"Then guess what? All of this is real."

He stopped and stared.

"I wasn't joking earlier. I chose to come with you because you make me laugh and you make me feel happy. None of this is a joke. And I don't like the voices in your head making you feel bad. Honestly, I just don't like the idea of you being upset." She took both their glasses and put them down. "So how about we just enjoy ourselves? We've got enough to worry about in our normal lives, so let's just… put in on the back burner. Just for tonight."

And as Min led him back to the dancefloor, Kevin could only stare after her. A dark part of him was still trying to convince him this was all a dream, but the feeling of Min's soft hand in his own drowned that out. This was real. This was real. And Kevin could only grin as they started to slow dance.

("Told ya that they'd be good for each other." Ceres smirked as she nudged Ben in his side, motioning over to the dancing couple.

"Fine, but we can't let Kevin know we made a bet on him," Ben grumbled as he handed Ceres ten bucks. He was, admittedly, proud of Kevin for taking that first step; Min and Kevin had been quietly crushing on each other for weeks now, and it had taken some prompting from Rook and Ben for Kevin to even ask her out. Kevin deserved every ounce of happiness coming his way, and Min clearly made him happy.

...but there was no way Ben was going to admit he had been betting on all of this. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't have a death wish.)


There are three certainties in life- death, taxes...and a hell of a party whenever Archimedeans were involved. And Blake and Yang had been thrown headfirst into the mayhem.

Here was the deal- Blake and Yang had heard that a restaurant in Vale was offering a special discount for parties of four, specifically for the dance at Beacon. The two knew that they needed to profit off this, because 1) spending less money on a tasty meal sounded amazing and 2) that place had some great fish dishes.

That second one was more for Blake, but Yang understood. So they made some reservations and eagerly hyped themselves up for dinner.

They were the first party, obviously, but who would be the second? They considered a few people: Kylie and Weiss, Min and Kevin, Coco and Velvet...but they were all doing their own thing. Ben, Ruby, Lev, and Rook had no dates to take, so they were going to trash the idea...

Until they found another couple. This is where the Archimedeans came in.

The Empire produced a proud race of warriors and scientists, dedicated to universal safety and progress. What most people didn't know was that they had a charming romantic side to them. Courtship used to be entrenched in tradition and rules, and while many had fallen to the wayside in modern times, some resolutely stayed. One such tradition was the presenting of ornate but useful weaponry to the person they wished to court or marry.

Ceres came from a long line of scientists and artists, but before they worked in labs, they had worked in smithies. Weapon forging had been passed down her family for generations; most Archimedeans knew the basics of forging (it wouldn't do to be without a weapon, after all), but most relied on modern tech in a fight. But a well-crafted blade in the right hands could be just as deadly as a gun, and that mantra repeated itself in Ceres' head as she put the finishing touches on her new project.

The sword was a lightweight falchion. The metal had a slight red hue to it, which turned purple when the light hit it just right. The pommel had been shaped into a perfect imitation of a dahlia flower, it's numerous petals in varying shades of red and lavender. On the blade was an intricate engraving of Fajra, Goddess of War and Fire. Ceres didn't want to brag, but she was very happy with her work.

Since this was Beacon, no one batted an eye as she carried a sword around. If she carried that around on the Plumber base, she would get a lot of stares and maybe a few reports filed. It was a nice change of pace, really.

Plus, Velvet took a picture of the sword and her gauntlets (and possibly her biceps), so, you know. Ceres was pretty happy about the whole thing.

Ari was in one of the dorm sitting rooms, going over a new medical textbook. Ceres cleared her throat and, when she had her girlfriend's attention, got on one knee and presented the sword.

"You know, we're dating," Ari laughed. "You didn't have to make another."

"I know, I just wanted to show off a bit," Ceres said, setting down the sword and getting on the couch. "So, are we going?"

Ari's kiss worked as an answer.

Blake and Yang, who had been trying to add healthy things to perfectly good instant ramen, shared a look.

When Ceres and Ari split apart, Yang called out: "Hey, if you two aren't busy, we had a party cancel on us for some dinner reservations. You two want some good food for half the price?"

Ceres' eyes lit up. "Oh, you know I love a good discount. I'm in."

Ari shrugged. "I do like good food. Name a time and place."

There was a notable price difference between Yang and Blake's dresses. Blake wore a short, purple, asymmetrical halter neck dress with a black collar and a noticeable slit up the side. Translucent black mesh covered her shoulders, decolletage, and back, and decorative black swirls covered the left side of the dress and continued up the left strap. The outfit was completed with black pumps, and she replaced her usual black bow for a fancy purple one.

The total cost for the outfit? $85.

Yeah, given that description, you would've thought Blake spent HUNDREDS on it. Nope. She found it at a thrift shop while hanging out with Kevin.

In contrast, Yang wore a short, white, halter neck dress with a pale gray hem and white heels. That's a simple description, right? Now, how much do you think it cost?

No, really, guess. I'll give you a minute to think.

...did you guess? Good.

That number you thought up? Throw it away. This outfit cost around $10,000. Let's break it down- $50 for the dress, $20 on pumps...and the rest was dumped into Yang's robotic arm.

Prosthetics aren't cheap, sadly.

"So, you ladies ready for the straightest place possible?" Yang asked mischievously.

"...okay, I'll bite. What makes this place 'heterosexual'- sorry, INCREDIBLY 'heterosexual'?" Ceres asked.

"Rich restaurant in a gentrified area," Blake deadpanned.

"Ooh, yeah, I get it."

Ari grinned. "So, ready to ruin so many people's night just by being there? I'm sure they'll be clutching their pearls when they see us."

Two bisexuals, one pansexual, and a lesbian all walked into a fancy restaurant surrounded by straight culture...

Said restaurant was literally the rich person equivalent of Olive Garden. That fake, stupid Italian facade hung in the delicious smelling air. All four girls had to hand it to the owners- the restaurant may mostly cater to terrible people, but the food was bound to be delicious.

The group were finally seated, and there was a moment of silence before the chaos truly started.

"So," Ari drawled. "Who wants to help me steal all the breadsticks they give us?" She put her carpet bag on the table. "I literally bought this ugly thing for tonight, and only for tonight."

Yang raised her hand. "I'll help with that."

"Guys, be serious," Ceres sighed. "Why focus on bread when we can take their silverware?"

Yang and Blake stared at her.

"Listen," she insisted. "Between the entire Zeta Squad dorm, we only have two forks, two spoons, and two knives. Everything else is just those stupid plastic cutlery you get from carry out or grocery stores." Ceres rubbed at her temples. "I want to save on dish washing as much as the next person, but those plastic knives could barely saw through bread. It's not like this place is gonna care that the silverware is gone. They're a damn restaurant, they have more in the back. Why not take four?"

"...she makes a lot of sense," Yang agreed. "Ever consider joining the debate team?"

Blake shook her head. "Well, this is off to a good start."


Let's flashback to Ben and Ruby, during the weapon presenting scene. I can tell all of you have been waiting for this one.

"...huh." Ben blinked, watching Ceres and Ari walk off. "Everyone's going a bit crazy about this dance, huh?"

Ruby shrugged as she took a sip of her water. "Yeah," she said, swallowing. "I feel like everyone's asking each other out. It's kind of pointless. The dance isn't much of a dance."

Ben looked at her. "Explain."

"It's more of a mixer for other schools. Your team meets with some opponents, you possibly make some friends, maybe you'll hook up with your date...I dunno." Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "Last year my team treated the dance as a 'girl's night'. We danced, drank some punch, met a nice team from Haven...that's about it, really. I didn't really ask anyone because, well, I was a weird freshman who was fifteen and really self conscious at the time."

"As most fifteen year olds are," Ben joked.

"Damn, you're just gonna murder them like that?" Ruby said, jokingly punching her friend in the arm.

"Hey, fuck those kids. They gotta learn," Ben declared.

"Anyways, have you been to a dance before?" she asked.

He paused to think. "I've been to at least one dance."

"Spill the tea." Ruby grinned, eager to hear more. "I want to know everything."

"I went with my...then girlfriend. It was kind of weird- Julie was on the tennis team, so her teammates decided we should all go as one big group. It was great that they got along so well, but us guys had never met one another. So, that was kind of awkward."

"Ugh," Ruby said, finishing up her water. "It's like how your mom has her friend over? And they expect you to be besties with her kid?"

"Also, side topic- why are we asked to call their best friends 'aunts' or whatever? Unless we're, like, related by blood, you aren't worthy of the title," Ben huffed.

"...I mean I get your argument, but wow that was just so harsh." Ruby chuckled. "Who hurt you, Ben? Who do I have to kill?"

He snickered. "Anyway, we had dinner at Julie's house, but like...her mom didn't cook it? I dunno if it was time constraints or if because she was busy, but it was an order from Olive Garden. I even said at some point, 'man, these breadsticks taste like Olive Garden's' and less than a minute later I saw her mom dump another bag of it into the basket."

"Gotta admit- tasty breadsticks," Ruby pointed out.

"I guess," Ben said, shaking his hand.

"...what?"

"They taste alright, but breadsticks don't really do it for me. I'd rather have a different appetizer," he explained. Ruby stared at him with an intense rage, but only for a second.

"...continue," Ruby said, reminding herself to debate with Ben about this later.

He cleared his throat. "The dance itself? Lackluster. Small area, lots of random mosh pits, annoying song selections- it had all the hallmarks of a high school dance in some B-list teen drama. My girlfriend didn't really dance with me much either, she spent it dancing with her friends, so, waste of an evening right there. Then we went to get some overpriced, horrible sushi...ugh. Not fun."

"Ouch." Ruby patted him on the back. "You deserved a better date, Ben."

He chuckled, before a thought crossed over in his head-

What if this was the moment?

What if he said 'fuck it' and just asked Ruby out?

Ben then decided that, if the voice in his head was urging him to make a stupid-ass decision, he could elect to ignore it.

"So, I really can't third wheel with my teammates. Maybe I'll hang out with Rook." Ben shrugged.

"Why is Rook not going? You would've thought the most limber guy around would jump at a chance to show us his style," Ruby said, brow furrowing.

"Something about finals?"

Her face turned pale. "Oh shit, we have those next week."

"What are you gonna do?"

She paused to think. "I can't really third wheel either." Ruby smiled. "So, I'm probably just gonna hang out with the others, make some new connections and stuff. I need to get to know Cass better, since Penny seems to be good friends with her."

"That's good." Ben nodded. "I still dunno if I'm gonna go, though."

"You should, though!" Ruby begged. "It's fun, I promise."

Ben looked her in the eyes and sighed. "I'll go call Grandma Verdona to see if she can drop off a tux."

She gasped. "You don't have a tux ready?!"

"I never thought it'd come up, ok?!" Ben defended himself. "Do you seriously have heels just lying around the place?"

Ruby opened her mouth to retort, before pausing in thought. "...damn it, I'm gonna have to borrow a pair from Weiss again."

Ben smirked. "Remind me to rub that in your face after I get done with my call."


A few hours later, Ben was at a nearby Plumber base- the same one he saw Gwen off to just a few weeks ago, and the one he'd been dropped off at over a month ago. The last time he was here, he was a girl.

Wow, the concept of time is weird, Ben thought as he saw Verdona's ship in the hanger.

He held the tux up in front of him. From a first glance, it looked good enough to fit him. It had a vintage feel to it, mainly in how the jacket looked. Ben just shrugged- tuxedos haven't changed that much over the decades, so it was unlikely anyone would comment. Well, except maybe Coco, but Ben didn't even know if she was going to the dance.

"It was your father's." Verdona smiled. "Or your uncle's, I don't remember. They had very similar body types back in the day. Before that...it was Max's."

Ben felt a twinge of sadness at that, but he pushed through it. "This one isn't going to be like the infamous pincushion tuxedo from the wedding, right?" he asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, you won't be suffering in that thing. Wonder where that old suit went..." Verdona shook off the thought. "But I am concerned about how late I'm delivering this."

Ben glanced to the side. "Uh, slipped my mind," he lied. "Tests and all that, you know? Gotta learn, uh, Grimm stuff. Did you know that ancient cultures believed that Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits or were the tortured spirits of animals?"

Verdona raised an eyebrow. "You can just say you didn't want to go, y'know."

"Maybe," Ben huffed. "You remember how my last dance went, right?"

"That's because you went with a stranger," Verdona said. "Is it time for my world-famous grandmotherly advice?"

"I guess."

"I'm sure Max told you about our first date," Verdona began. "We were long time friends before that. Assigned study buddies, semi daily lunch time meetings, friends who hung out beyond school, subtle hand holders..."

"Getting off topic, grandma," Ben interjected, holding the sleeve of the jacket up to his arm.

Verdona rolled her eyes. "Okay, zoomer."

Ben blinked, dropping the sleeve. "What the hell? Since when did you know memes?"

"Oh don't give me that look, Ken taught me that one. Honestly, you kids are impatient nowadays." Verdona's glare softened. "What I'm getting at is, whoever you fall in love with should be your friend first. Rather than love at first sight, you have to really know the person you fall for. That's how love happens. And something tells me that out of everyone, you really know Ruby Rose best."

"What? That's not true."

Verdona laughed. "Oh, please, she can't spend her life on the battlefield, you know. I certainly know that..."

"...hey," Ben said softly. "How are you doing, actually?"

"I've been doing fine, to be honest," Verdona told him sincerely. "Max was always busy saving the world, I was always busy saving the universe, and he never wanted me to worry. I'm a bit shocked we didn't drift apart from all the work we had to do. Sweet man he was...we had many good years together. I can recall each and every memory so vividly. Truth be told, I never even planned on marrying. I guess things just changed when he stepped in."

"I've...sort of come to terms too," Ben admitted, looking down at his hands. "Things are getting a lot scarier out in the world. Tensions are high. Whoever Zs'Skayr's working with is slowly making more and more appearances. And it's not going to be long before the peace we've been enjoying for so long goes right out the window."

Verdona raised an eyebrow. "So, what are you going to do?"

Ben looked down at the tux again. "...I think I'll enjoy the dance."


So, we're going to make a slight detour back to Ceres and Ari, and their double date with Yang and Blake. Might as well get this out of the way.

Ari found herself enjoying the restaurant...mostly.

Their waitress hadn't batted an eye when Yang declared they'd be getting the couples discount, so she was definitely getting a big tip. The families around them, upon hearing Yang, gave them dirty looks, huffed, and whispered under their breaths, even occasionally pointing at them.

Ari rolled her eyes. These were the same people who insisted they were good, civil company, and then did shit like this. The hypocrisy was, sadly, familiar for this planet. It was times like this she missed the Empire, where she and Ceres could hold hands and go on dates and not have anyone bat an eye.

But she digressed. The restaurant, despite the hostile air, had genuinely excellent food. Ari had already stolen most of the breadsticks, her carpet bag insulated so they would still be warm later. She ate some ziti smothered in five different cheeses and marinara and admired her girlfriend from across the table.

Ceres, who was eating these delicious-looking fried lasagna rolls and stealing as much cutlery as she could, was wearing a black sleeveless skater minidress with a bold v-neckline. Her entire back was bare, the dress only being held up by a few thin straps. She had an electric blue leather jacket on the back of her seat, just in case it got cold later, and shiny black pumps. Her blue phoenix pendant rested at her collarbone, and her hair, normally so scruffy, was styled into soft waves, showing off her blue highlights.

Ari's own dress was a deep purple, darker than her eyes. It was strapless with an empire waist, an ornate silvery white belt at the waistline. The main skirt fell at her thighs, but there were layers of light purple cloth attached, giving the dress a hi-low hem. The extra layers made Ari look delicate, and when she moved it was like she was walking on sunset-drenched clouds. Honestly, she really liked this dress, she was totally wearing it again.

Anyway, the dinner continued, and all four girls found themselves genuinely enjoying their time there… mainly because they could piss off as many people as they could. A few people tried to complain to the manager, but then he remembered that they were from Beacon and wisely stayed away.

After leaving their waitress a massive tip and securing their stolen goods, all four girls went to the bathroom for a quick touch up before the dance. Ari, who's hair bun was supposed to have wisps of red hair framing her face, only did some light touch ups. She waited with her carpet bag outside the restroom, idly looking at her phone.

Or she was, until some Karen in a terrible haircut sneered at her. "I love your necklace," she said with false sweetness. "Where'd you take it from?"

Ari smiled her sweetest smile. "I stole it from a woman who died on the Titanic."

The woman looked like she chomped on a lemon. "I'm not surprised your kind would make fun of such a tragedy."

"Get over yourself, Karen," Ari said, her smile filled with malice. "I'm not the one in a bad haircut and a tacky, ill-fitting dress, trying to start a fight with a sixteen year old girl. Go to Claire's and pick a fight with a twelve year old, you both have the same level of maturity."

Ari whirled around, leaving the Karen sputtering behind her. She sent a quick text to her friends still inside the restroom.

Yang made a suggestion, and Ari snuck into the kitchen, her girlfriend following close behind her.

Twenty minutes later, the entire restaurant had to be evacuated due to the overpowering stench of the stink bombs Ceres had created. They would find said stink bombs in the giant soup tubs, courtesy of Ari.

Ari marveled at the pretty and expensive watch she had stolen off the Karen and nibbled on a breadstick. Life was good.


So, we're finally back to Ben and Ruby, at the dance proper. Prepare for validation.

Ruby looked back over at Ben, who was chilling in the back of the dance hall. She hadn't seen him interact with anyone all night long, so there was a big chance that boy was trapped in this sweaty hell of a room. Granted it was the middle of summer and the outside air was no better, but STILL- they needed to crack a window or two open.

"Is everything alright?" Penny asked Ruby, snapping her out of her thoughts. The two of them were sitting at a table with Cass.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine!" Ruby blushed. "Why?"

"You've been looking over at Tennyson every now and again." Cass smirked, swirling her punch cup as if it were a glass of wine. In her white ruched bodycon dress, her red hair pinned up with a gold-flame hairpiece, and a classy gold necklace, she looked the picture of sophistication. (Now, if only someone had actually spiked the punch…)

"It's fine," Ruby lied.

"You mentioned a time the two of you were separated, right?" Penny asked, tilting her head. "I'm sure that hurt for you."

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck. "...yeah, it really did. Sadly, it was inevitable. We had our goals, and we had to sacrifice something to get them. At one point...I wanted to delay the Huntress dream. Spend another year with Ben...and then I realized how stupid that'd be. And I'm sure he would've told me the same. Saying goodbye to him hurt; I was basically crying the whole time.

"There was a big difference from when we said goodbye when we were 10- we thought we'd never see each other again. I didn't expect to see him the next day. The other goodbye lasted a few years. And we both changed a lot since then," Ruby said. She suddenly flushed red. "Especially physically."

"Is that why you often stare longingly at Ben's behind?" Penny asked innocently.

"Shuuush," Ruby wailed, covering Penny's mouth. Once she calmed down enough, she said: "But...in the end, I'm just glad we're working together again. I love spending time with him."

"...so why aren't you with him right now?" Cass asked. She motioned over to Ben, who was biding the time, waiting to get out.

"I think she wants to keep staring at him. Perhaps we should get a mop and bucket," Penny joked.

"Shuuuuuuuush," Ruby cried out, covering Penny's face again.

"I'm a little surprised he didn't bring you as his plus one," Cass mused. "I shouldn't assume how close you are, but, you know, friend dates or whatever you call 'em. I dunno."

Ruby looked visibly disappointed. "Yeah, maybe."

"...are you just scared about what might happen if you two fall in love?" Cass asked seriously.

"What? No." Ruby shook her head. "I know how these stories go- you start dating, next thing you know your enemy of the week has your love interest tied to a funeral pyre. And considering the kind of people Ben and I have fought, that outcome is very likely."

Cass raised an eyebrow. "I seriously wonder what kind of childhood you two had. Although..." she trailed off, looking at the subject in question. "Are you sure he has similar reasons? Ben seems like the type to hide any emotional baggage underneath a goofy exterior."

"Ben isn't the type of guy to do that. He's pretty open about his experiences, especially to his friends," Ruby explained. "He's not just open with me."

Cass made a humming noise, clearly not believing her.

"I-I mean, he did do a therapy thing with a few of our friends not too long ago!" Ruby blushed. "He was pretty damn open-"

"But not about everything," she smoothly interjected. "And to his friends, not necessarily to you."

"W-well where's your date?" Ruby asked, desperate for a subject change.

"Oh, I'm going with friends," Cass said flippantly. She motioned over to Mercury and Emerald, who were dancing amidst the couples. "I'm not interested in dating. Never saw romance as an essential thing, you know?"

"Ah," Ruby said, blushing. "I see."

Cass stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. "Go to him."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Go to him," she implored. "I know we don't know each other that well, but I can tell you two have something special. Ben deserves someone like you. You've got similar goals, similar lives, similar personalities. You need to take a chance before it's too late."

Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "...Alright. I'll try, but no promises. Maybe I'll just hang out with him a bit."

"Hey, I'll give you points for trying." Cass shrugged, taking a sip from her cup.

"Good luck, Ruby!" Penny grinned, wrapping her friend in an iron gripped hug. "I just know this will go over well!"

"T-thank you, Penny!" Ruby gasped. "Now please let me go!"

Penny released the girl. "Good luck~!" she said as Ruby stumbled away. "That was very nice of you, Cass!" Penny smiled. "I didn't think you would do that."

"Eh, decided to be nice for once," Cass laughed, her hair piece suddenly catching the light.

Ruby, after making that grand farewell… chickened out.

She knew she just got hyped up, but STILL, she was scared out of her mind. Ruby sighed as she stood in the back of the room. The place smelled like teenage musk and over applied cologne, which did not mix with the sweltering heat. And her feet were killing her, why did Weiss have to lend her the most painful heels imaginable?

"Hey." Ruby turned to see Ben standing next to her, holding cups in both hands. His suit, which actually fit him rather well, was slightly disheveled. Ruby had spent quite some time ogling him when he was prim and proper, but now that he had forgone the tie, had his shirt untucked, and had the first two buttons open? Hello~

"You need a drink?" Ben offered her some punch.

"Yep!" Ruby took the drink and downed it.

"...well then," Ben responded, blinking dumbly.

"Sorry, I'm just really, really bored here." She sighed. "Blake and Yang are busy smooching somewhere, Ceres and Ari are taking over the DJ booth because the music sucks-"

"It really does," Ben interjected.

"Kevin is with Min, that's a whole thing...And Weiss and Kylie went back to the dorms. So I'm just kinda bored here," Ruby said tiredly.

"What about Penny?"

"She's with Cass, she'll be fine."

"...wanna cause chaos, then?" Ben asked, mischief in his eyes.

Ruby arched an eyebrow. "We can't spike the punch, Professor Goodwitch already read the Riot Act to the few people who actually tried."

He thought for a moment. "Well, do you wanna forget this night entirely, or do one quick prank?"

Ruby already knew her answer. "What do you have in mind?"

"I wanna put a fake hand in Kevin's car." Ben grinned evilly. "Like, just out the trunk, just to scare someone."

"...funnily enough, I know where we can get one."

"...how?"

Ruby's evil grin matched his own. "Science lab."

They ended up disassembling the skeleton and putting the limbs all over Beacon, like a macabre scavenger hunt.

"10 bucks says you won't put the skull in Glynda's office." Ruby grinned, tossing a ribcage in Cardin's locker.

"Challenge accepted." Ben turned into Big Chill and grabbed the skull.

"HEY!" Glynda's voice suddenly rang out from down the hall. "WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"CHEESE IT!" Ben cried out as he grabbed Ruby and flew away.

(The skull was miraculously in Glynda's office, nestled inside one of the potted plants.)

Ben and Ruby flew across campus to a small garden right near the school's entrance. Ben reverted, and the two of them shared a nice long laugh. People were gonna freak the next morning~

"So...what now?" Ben asked, putting his hands in his jacket pocket.

"I dunno…" Ruby trailed off, and then her mouth went to autopilot. "Wanna make out?"

Ben choked, eyes wide. "Wait, really? That's allowed?"

Ruby sputtered, partially at her own daring, and also- "I did NOT expect that reaction?!"

He visibly deflated. "Ah. So, it was just a joke? That's, uh, that's fine." Except Ruby could see the hurt in his eyes, the way he had to force himself to smile. He started to back away-

She grabbed his hand. "Are you okay, Ben?" she asked.

"...not really," Ben admitted. He wouldn't look her in the eyes. "It's just- I've been thinking about how right this all is, fighting together and hanging out like we used to, except it's more now, you know? Like, I still wanna be your best friend, but whenever I look at you now I realize that you're it."

Ruby's heart pounded madly in her chest, and her brain desperately tried to catch up to the fact that oh my god? This actually happening? "...w-wait, by 'it', do you mean like..."

"You know how I dated in the past? I was looking for you. It's always been you. And- and I don't know if you feel the same way, but I do know that this is the scariest thing I've ever done and I just hope I haven't screwed up everything," Ben finished, his voice cracking.

Ruby blinked, her heart still pounding. Her brain caught up with his words-

And everything crystallized.

"Ben, I love you."

He stopped. Stared. And said, "Fuck, I think I'm gonna cry."

"Please don't, I wanna kiss your dumb boy face without the waterworks."

"Then do it already!"

And she did.

Ruby had been kissed before, but it was like comparing a lit match to a comet. It took her breath away and sent shivers down her spine- she could see sparks behind her closed eyelids, and she had to clutch onto Ben's shoulders to make sure she didn't collapse. But then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close, and she could feel the heat of his skin as she fit perfectly in his arms.

It was every sappy movie-perfect kiss rolled into one, but it was somehow better because it was him. It was them. And really, how could it feel any less?

When they finally let go- except not really, Ruby was still wrapped in his arms like he was afraid to let her go- she looked Ben in the eyes and giggled at what she saw. "You know, that look of awe is extremely flattering."

Ben blinked, and his awestruck expression turned wry. "Well, freshly kissed looks perfect on you."

Ruby flushed. "You jerk! You get all emotional on me about how I'm 'the one' and now you tease me?! How dare you?"

"Well, I know you like me back, so..."

"Actually, I love you back."

Ben blushed cutely. "I love you too."

"I know," Ruby teased. "Now kiss me again."

And so they did. Again and again and again.


At the dance, Ceres and Ari had commandeered the DJ booth. They started to play Athlete's "SUPERHUMAN TOUCH" to the rapturous joy of the partygoers. No one tried to stop them- Glynda wasn't there, Oobleck and Port were too drunk, and Ozpin just smiled approvingly at them.

I'm on fire

Nothing's gonna hold me back

Blake and Yang continued to make out in a darkened alcove, away from the dance.

Unless the sky has a pocketful of tricks to try

Ceres smiled at Ari lovingly, her girlfriend getting the crowd to sing along with her.

Oh

You pick a color and I sing it for you

Min and Kevin snuck back into the dorms, making sure to avoid Lev and Rook as they watched a movie and shared popcorn.

I know you feel the same way

Say

Say

Say you feel the same way

Kylie and Weiss, mugs of hot chocolate in hand and with their feet bare, sat in the RWBY dorm room, the two of them enjoying each other's company… and missing the loving gaze both of them gave each other.

Your fingertips are like a superhuman touch

Can't get enough of this electric love

Burning the sun with just a wave of your hand

Ben and Ruby stayed in that garden, completely enraptured with each other.

Sparks flying out in every direction

Cass and Penny joined the crowd of singing teenagers, the clock about to strike ten. Mercury and Emerald made their way out of the hall.

There's more of this to come

I think it must be heaven

Upon seeing their text, Emerald and Mercury shared a smirk.

Burning the sun with just a wave of your hand

A screen flickered to life, revealing a black queen chess piece.