Note: I'm back! I don't think I can do one chapter every few days all the time, as fun as it is. But I definitely want to keep the updates as frequently as possible, since there is still so much story to get through. Speaking of story, here's something you've probably been looking forward to. Writing pure, cutesy, fluffy romance has never really been my thing, so it was interesting stretching out of my comfort zone. This is going to last two chapters, since there's a bunch I want to cover and I want to make sure you get your fluff. So, no more stalling. Enjoy.

"Hello, Jaune. I was wondering if you would like to…"

Not it.

"Hi, Jaune. It's so lovely outside, don't you think? I mean—"

Not it.

"Hi, Jaune. I wanted to know, if it isn't a bother, if you could… dammit…"

Not it.

"Jaune. Hi. Hello again."

Not it.

"Hello, Jaune. Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Not it.

"Hello, Jaune. I would like to have dinner with you tonight. What say you? Wait, what say you…?"

Pyrrha pressed her forehead against the bathroom mirror. She could do this. It was just a question. One question. It should not be this difficult. And yet, for the past twenty minutes, the words seemed to tumble into nonsense the second they escaped her lips. She pounded her fist against the granite countertop. "Come on. You've got this."

She stood up straight, looked her reflection in the eye, and focused. She could do this. Not too direct. Not too vague. Get to the point. Be assertive. Be proud. She could do this.

"Hi, Jaune. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? Just the two of us."

Her eyes widened. Closer…

"Hi, Jaune. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? Just the two of us."

That didn't sound pushy at all. Did she need the bit at the end though? The first part seemed to get the job done. He was a smart boy. He could figure out what she meant. If she needed to clarify it, then she could easily add it later. She repeated it.

"Hi, Jaune. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

That.

She liked that.

Pyrrha took a few more deep breaths, calming herself down. Gods, her heart was beating fast, faster than it did in the heat of her most glorious battles. She could do this. She just needed to nail the execution. After another minute of hyping herself up, she stepped out of the bathroom and began her march to Jaune's room.

It wasn't far, maybe only a dozen paces, but every step seemed to drag down time around her. Though she started out confident, after two steps, the panic started to set in. What if she forgot her words? Hi Jaune. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? That's it. Just hold onto that. She could do this. She could totally do this. Unless he said no.

She took another step forward, her stomach churning. Gods, what if he said no? What if he laughed at her? He was definitely going to laugh at her, wasn't he? No, no, that was stupid. He'd never laugh at her. Absolutely not. The worst he could do is let her down gently, politely breaking her heart into a billion pieces and permanently leaving a scar on their friendship. That was much worse. No! He'd accept. Even just as friends, he would accept. And she could live with that, right? They were already friends. That wouldn't be so bad.

Just say the sentence. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? Wait, there was something at the start she was missing. Hi Jaune. Don't forget to say hi to him. That would be very dumb. He'd probably be so disrespected that he'd deny her on the spot—no, no, no, no, no. Doubts. No time for doubts. She got this. She so super fucking got this. As long as she remembered to look him in the eye and say: Hi Jaune, would you like to dinner tonight?

Another step toward destiny. Another step toward humiliation.

Her fists were clenched awkwardly at her sides. She moved stiffly like a wayward statue. She could still turn around and save herself the heartbreak. Jaune hi, like dinner tonight would to me you with have?

Focus. Of all the times for her mind's obsessions to fail her. Why now? Couldn't she just focus for one goddamn—

Pyrrha looked up and slammed on the brakes. She hadn't realized how far she traveled. She was here, standing outside of Jaune's door, a hair width away from colliding into it. It was too late to back down now. She swallowed down her fears. For all of her panicking, all of her stress, and untethered hysteria, she was surprised to realize that at the moment, she was completely calm. Everything that she wanted was directly in front of her. She just had to reach out and take it. This was her moment.

She got this.

Pyrrha knocked thrice on the door and heard shuffling from the other side. Her shoulders relaxed. She smiled at the sound of Jaune's voice on the other side. When he answered it and peered his head out at her, disheveled and gentle and oh-so-Jaune, her eyes lit up. For once, the words came out easy.

"Hi Jaune," she said sweetly. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Fucking nailed it.

Jaune seemed confused for the moment, the gravity of the question not fully hitting him. He opened the door wider, leaning against its frame.

"You want to have dinner?" he asked. "Like… with me?"

She was so ready for that.

"Just the two of us," Pyrrha clarified. Her warm smile melted through his defenses, yet he still seemed unsure.

"Why?"

Pyrrha opened her mouth…

And stood there.

Fuck.

A follow-up question.

"W-What?" she said nervously.

"No, I mean…" Jaune scratched the back of his neck. "Is there a reason you just want to do dinner with us alone?"

"I, uh… uh…" Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer. Oh gods, answer the goddamn question. "I just really wanted to spend some time together."

Her response came out as a nervous laugh, and while the truth of it was buried in meaning, it still stuck like a sore spot. Jaune wasn't entirely sure what to make of the stuttering, blushing Huntress that stood before him. However, he hardly had to think much when he smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Sounds great."

Pyrrha nearly jumped but was able to restrain herself at the last moment. "R-Really?"

"Sure. It's a date!" Jaune said enthusiastically.

"Great!" Pyrrha said. Holy shit, did he just say date?

"Great!" Jaune said. Holy shit, did he just say date?

"I'll see you on the patio at six o'clock. Wear something nice. Don't worry about the meal, I'll take care of everything," Pyrrha informed him.

"I… guess I'll see you then," he stated. They nodded at each other and then stared. They stared for too long. "Bye now."

Jaune closed the door. The instant he was out of sight, Pyrrha booked it down the hall. She sprinted around the corner, entered her room, jumped onto her mattress, grabbed a huge cluster of blankets and pillows, and screamed into them. She kicked her feet furiously into the mattress, letting out all of the pent-up energy that was threatening to burst out of her the entire conversation. She didn't know how, but she did it. She was going on a date with Jaune, and he consented. She wasn't a horrible, blubbering mess. The worst was over.

And then a terrible thought hit her: She was going to have to keep that up the entire evening.

Strike that comment about the worst being over.

Coco wasn't expecting a knock on her door in the middle of the afternoon. She was in her room doing her daily workout, in the midst of ab crunches, blasting heavy metal on her headphones, when the knocks began. They were haphazard and loud, enough to break through a razor-sharp guitar solo and make Coco question herself on whether to answer. With a sigh, she turned off her music, brushed off her sweat with a towel, then opened the door. She was somewhat surprised to see Yang standing there in her bikini top and mini-jeans, waffling back and forth. Her cheeks were bright red and her gaze was heavy—something that, admittedly, took Coco a few seconds to notice.

"Uh… hey," Coco said, trying to refocus her eyes back up to Yang's face.

"Okay. Let's do it."

"Do what?"

"Let's fuck," Yang said casually. She quietly pushed her way into Coco's room. It was a mess, all things considered. While the clothing was neatly folded and hung up in the closet, the rest of Coco's belongings had been scattered and left without care. The sheets were crumpled and unkempt. Coco struck Yang as the exact kind of person who was too rebellious to clean her room as a kid. It was another thing they had in common.

"You want to have sex… now?" Coco asked, uncertain. "When I offered, I sort of meant it as a midnight thing."

"What's the difference?" Yang muttered. She sat on Coco's bed, testing its springiness. "I'm in the mood now. Why wait?"

Yang reached down to unbutton her shorts, and it was seeing the shaky, unfocused movement of her fingers that triggered Coco's suspicions. Yang wasn't stuttering, and she definitely seemed coherent, but there was a sourness to her breath that was unmistakable. Coco closed the door but did not approach the bed.

"Are you drunk?"

"What? No."

"You haven't been drinking?"

"I've been drinking, but I don't get drunk. I told you that," Yang groaned. "I burn that off too quickly. Come on." She popped open her jeans with a snap, and laced her fingers beneath the hem to remove them. Coco shook her head.

"Hold it, hold it. I'm not comfortable with this."

Yang paused, unable to remove her pants even an inch before she was stopped. "What? I'm consenting. You aren't taking advantage of me." Yang stood up and walked forward in a straight line, trying to demonstrate her steadiness. After touching the opposite wall, she shrugged, frustrated by Coco's immobility. The leader of Team CFVY just crossed her arms.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling this," she admitted. "Something's going on here."

"Nothing's bothering me," Yang grumbled, returning to the bed.

"Okay, well, that's not what I said, but that's telling," Coco stated. "You want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Then I guess I'll see you at dinner," Coco said, gesturing to the door. "I'm not going to touch you until you get in the right headspace. This? This ain't what I signed up for."

Yang bowed her head, digging her fingers into Coco's mattress. Of course, she was being rejected. Rejection was just everyone's favorite thing these days. Blake didn't want her heart. Coco didn't want her body. What else was there to take from her? She only had a few shots. Nothing major. She could handle this. Why couldn't Coco appreciate that? Here she was, finally moving on, making a decision to put Blake behind her, and the universe wouldn't let her. That was some bullshit. Why deny her? This was what she wanted. Right?

The answer was as clear as day.

Yang felt like shit. She was a mess. She could feel it down to her bones. She could try her hardest to bury her pain in alcohol and sex, but she was just delaying the inevitable. She didn't mean to drag Coco into this, truly. But she couldn't let her disappointments bury her.

"Wait," she said softly. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"Go on," Coco said encouragingly.

"The truth is… I'm going through some shit," Yang admitted. "I… I do want this. I want to be able to forget everything and have fun, but I just can't right now. Everything is just… it's a fucking mess, and I don't know how to deal with it. It has nothing to do with you, I promise. I can't… I can't be with you right now. I know I won't be able to live with the regrets."

Coco sighed. She wasn't wholly unexpecting this. She heard rumors of Yang's troubled mind going back to Beacon, and the strong Huntress always struck her as having a hot streak. She hoped it had passed, but she guessed wrong. Sex for Coco was something fun, light, and most importantly, unattached. Pleasure without consequences. She didn't want to weigh down Yang's thoughts when they were so close to sinking. Yet, not all was lost. She may not have been able to soothe Yang's body, but they were still teammates, in a sense. In the distant future, perhaps they could make it work. For now, she was needed elsewhere.

While Yang stewed in her regrets, Coco sat on the bed next to her. She wiped more of the errant sweat from her face and patted Yang on the back.

"Why don't you tell me what's been bothering you?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, dinner's not for a few hours, and apparently, I'm one hell of a listener."

Yang sprawled back onto Coco's bed, letting the air rush out of her lungs. "If you say so. It's… about Blake."

Coco frowned. "Of fucking course, it is."

Six o'clock exactly.

Okay, six o'three and a half.

Jaune only brought one nice shirt with him. He was told explicitly that he was going on a beach vacation. People didn't wear suits at beaches! He only happened to have a nice, buttoned dress shirt for spare emergencies, on the off chance that Weiss would enforce some weird rule about formalwear inside her mansion. He looked himself over in the mirror and frowned. His hair was slicked back and his shirt seemed tucked too tightly into his pants, and he didn't have any fancy shoes with him, so he was forced to wear sneakers. Hopefully, Pyrrha wouldn't look down, or she was just kidding about wanting to look nice. Otherwise, he'd feel like he was disappointing her.

Which was crazy. For reasons.

After enough nervous stalling, Jaune trekked through the villa. His destination was in mind, and he did his best to block out the distractions. Pyrrha said she would take care of all the technical details. Unfortunately, that left him worrying about other things. Like whether or not this date of theirs was an actual date date, and whether or not they would be dating after this date, or whether or not he wanted to date date Pyrrha at all instead of normal, friendly, not-dating friendships that didn't involve dates. Or whether or not the meal tonight would involve dates. He hated dates…

Jaune stepped out onto the patio, and instantly, his mouth was shut and his thoughts were silenced. Candles had been spread throughout the patio surface, casting the entire space in a warm glow that contrasted against the sharp moonlight. Gentle piano music played over a Scroll set up in the corner. A table had been brought out and sat next to the pool, draped with the finest cloth and silverware that could be found in the estate. And then, there was Pyrrha.

God, was there Pyrrha…

Jaune didn't know what fashion was. He didn't know how to describe Pyrrha's outfit, some dress of red and gold that complimented her features perfectly. He couldn't list all the accessories she wore and pinpoint what priceless jewels they used. He didn't really think of beauty at all. Yet, when Pyrrha rose to greet him, the soft wind blowing through her hair, and green eyes twinkling through candlelight, he felt nothing less than pure adoration and awe. He was only blown from his stupor when Pyrrha approached him and hugged him.

"I'm glad you showed up," she smiled into his shoulder. When she pulled away, Jaune tried to think of a sentence.

"Y-Yeah. Wouldn't miss it!" He cleared his throat. "You like really great by the way."

Pyrrha blushed. "Thank you. I think you look cute. Though, this…" She ruffled her fingers through his hair, letting it return to pristine, shaggy form. "This isn't necessary."

"Hey, it took forever to keep it there," he protested, though she simply laughed away his protests. They returned to the dinner table, and Jaune was quick to pull out her chair for her. She graciously accepted. He took a seat opposite her, though not quick enough to hide the shoes he was wearing. Pyrrha didn't say a word. Truthfully, she wouldn't have had it any other way. They sat under the moonlight, looking at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

Because regardless of what they told themselves, this was definitely a date. Pyrrha bit the bullet first, her earlier victory imbuing her with confidence.

"I'm… I'm happy we're doing this," Pyrrha started. "It's nice to get away from the others for once."

"Definitely. Some peace and quiet is always nice," Jaune nodded. "So… how long have you wanted to do this?"

"Dinner? Not very long. Truthfully, I only thought of it this week. I hope it isn't too sudden."

"No, no, it's fine. I always enjoy spending time with you. It's better having dinner than getting caught up in Team RWBY's shenanigans." Jaune flinched. "Oh, sorry. Probably shouldn't be talking about other teams."

"It's all right," Pyrrha sighed. "Let them have their… shenanigans. We have this. I told everyone to stay out of our way tonight, so we don't have to think of them at all."

"Speaking of which," Jaune asked. "What exactly is the plan for dinner? I mean, you haven't really told me—"

Nora materialized out of thin air, springing up behind Jaune and scaring the crap out of him. "Good evening!"

"Ah!"

"Monsieur. Mademoiselle. Welcome to Chateau Patio," Nora introduced herself, stepping between them. "I am Norene, and I shall be your server tonight."

Pyrrha and Jaune both stared at Nora with bewilderment. She was dressed exceedingly fancily, with a black vest and tie and sharp clothes that wouldn't put her out of place in a fine dining establishment. She carried with her a bottle of wine fresh from the cellar. She also had a very large fake mustache on, something that was not at all discussed in the plans before now.

"So, what brings you lovebirds to our lovely establishment tonight?" Nora asked with a knowing smirk. Pyrrha raised a finger.

"Nora, where did you get a fake mustache?"

"Norene."

"Okay. Um, Norene, where did you get a fake mustache?"

"Store."

Pyrrha blinked.

"Okay."

"Can I interest either of you in our Concord Grape Juice? Non-alcoholic of course."

Before either Jaune or Pyrrha could answer, Nora began filling up their glasses. Jaune muttered quietly. "I actually would just like some water…"

"We have an excellent menu prepared for you tonight," said Nora. Once she finished pouring drinks, she left the bottle on the table and whipped out two slips of paper from her back pocket. She handed each to the guests and bowed. "Each dish in your three-course meal will be prepared by our marvelous Chef Ren, who has created these delicacies from the memories of his homeland. Allow the flavors to whisk you away to a sensory, erotic experience like no other. If you need me, simply give me a call—otherwise, I shall leave you cute kids to yourselves. Try to keep your hands off each other, if you know what I mean." She leaned into the table with a toothy grin and whispered. "Also, I accept tips."

Nora bounded off toward the kitchen with a spring in her step, leaving Jaune and Pyrrha in shock. A few flustered stammers later, Pyrrha was eventually able to apologize.

"I promise, I didn't tell her to do any of that."

Jaune didn't seem overly bothered. "I know. But hey!" He raised his glass. "Free grape juice… I guess."

Pyrrha pushed away her shyness. It was okay. She was okay. If Jaune was willing to go along, there was nothing she couldn't handle. She lifted her glass and lightly clanked it against Juane's.

"Here's to a lovely evening," she said, her words less of a cheer and more of a prayer. She downed her first glass of grape juice and quickly poured herself another one.

The first course—a salmon soup served with fresh radish and potatoes in a dashi broth—was served by Nora with great gusto. Pyrrha and Jaune thanked her and chowed down. The meal was quite good; honestly, better than Jaune's best efforts. Pyrrha didn't say a word on that front though.

"Oh, this is so good," Jaune said hungrily. "Ren is such a better cook than I am."

"Don't be hard on yourself," Pyrrha insisted "You are plenty talented."

"Well, it's nice to feel talented in some areas," Jaune said. "Still, I wish I was a better Huntsman."

"You're practicing and improving every day," Pyrrha reminded him.

"I still can't use my Semblance," Jaune reminded her. "And I still suck at not blowing my Aura all at once."

"Aura takes time to master, and every Semblance is unique. It's all right if it doesn't come to you all at once." She took another sip of her grape juice. It didn't pair at all with the soup, but she didn't expect cohesion from Nora; and hey, it was pretty tasty regardless. "My Semblance revealed itself early, and that caused all sorts of problems."

"Yeah, but you're also a prodigy. If I could be a quarter of the Huntress you are, I could contribute so much more."

"Jaune, you contribute plenty," Pyrrha said truthfully. "This might sound weird, but I'm glad you're so… normal."

Jaune pursed his lips. "That does sound weird."

Pyrrha sighed, trying to find the words to explain herself. "I spent most of my childhood distant from my peers, moving from region to region to fight other students. Ren spent most of his life studying and meditating, and Nora is… well, herself. We are teaming up with a group of famous celebrities to fight off ancient forces of darkness, and they have showered us with more money than I can imagine what to do with. Our headmaster openly conspired against us. There's a lot going on in our lives that is weird and confusing. Having someone like you around who can keep a reasonable perspective on things and cut through the noise is incredibly valuable to our team. You're the glue that keeps us all together."

"I mean, I guess."

"Do you not think so?"

"I just wish I was more useful in measurable ways," Jaune sighed. "Like test scores. Or fighting."

"And you will be," Pyrrha promised. "But I wouldn't trade your place on this team for anything."

Pyrrha hadn't quite realized what Jaune was fishing for, and he hadn't the courage to come out and admit it. Pyrrha was always difficult to crack, but in the past few hours, her perception of the world became truly out of reach. He decided not to dwell on it, and instead enjoy the soup.

"Do you think I can ask Ren for the recipe for this?"

"Probably. Oh, here comes Nora."

The mysterious server who definitely was not Nora returned to their table, hands clasped behind her back. "How is everything going so far?"

"Wonderful," Pyrrha stated. She held up the bottle of wine, swirling it around to show that it was already mostly empty. "We might need another one of these at the rate we are going through."

"Of course," Nora grinned, turning to Jaune. "Anything for you, sir? Fresh napkin? Perhaps a change of music? I can serenade you if you wish."

"Um… I'd still like that glass of water," Jaune mumbled.

"Of course," Nora repeated. "I shall return with the beverages."

Nora dipped away from the table, eager to not interfere in the date any more than necessary. She entered into the villa through the patio doors and stepped into the kitchen. Per her and Ren's request, Teams RWBY and CFVY kept their distances. Where had they gone? Nora literally couldn't care less. Probably out to dinner somewhere. The only person in the kitchen was Ren, who was carefully watching over two pots on the stove. "You're doing great, Ren! They are digging the soup!"

Ren was unable to answer, focused on his various meats and sauces. When Nora told him to "make something fancy", he probably shouldn't have gone so hard. It wasn't like he was deeply invested in the romantic bond between his two teammates. He was happy for them, sure, but it wasn't really his business. He dedicated himself to the task for two reasons: a respect for the finer art of cuisine, and a worry that Nora would relentlessly scold him if he didn't put in maximum effort. Fortunately, he had reached a stage in the cook where he could take a moment to breathe. The next course would be a phenomenal shank of beef with greens and a heart sauce, something as warm and tender as the blossoming romance between two lovers. As Nora wandered back into the kitchen, she was suddenly hit with a pleasant aroma and stopped in her tracks to admire his handiwork.

"Smells amazing," she noted, hovering over the pots, bottle in hand.

"Thank you," he said. "You don't think it's too wintery, do you?"

"Wintery, schmintery. It's delicious. And hey, if we have leftovers, I'll be glad to take them off your hands."

Ren nodded toward Nora. "Thank you, though I did portion the meal so that I…" He trailed off, his eyes fixed on the bottle swaddled in Nora's arms. "What is that?"

"Grape juice," Nora said simply, adjusting her fake mustache.

"From the wine cellar?"

"Fine. Fancy grape juice." She turned to leave, but Ren stopped her.

"Let me see that." Nora did not understand the problem, but she did not resist. Ren took the bottle from her hand and examined the label semi-closely. He furrowed his brow. "Nora, this is wine."

Nora scoffed. "What? No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"Read the label," Nora said, pointing to the very large words directly on the bottle. "Concord Grape Juice. Doesn't mention anything about wine."

Ren sighed. "Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"What does the text beneath that say?"

Nora's eyes wandered down the bottle. Sure enough, right beneath the very large text in shiny, gold lettering, there was smaller—but also still quite noticeable—plain text. It read: Premium Vacuon Red Wine.

"Huh," Nora said. "You know… I might not have read that far."

"How much of the first bottle did they drink?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Nora played off the trouble with a bright smile. You know what? It was probably fine. It was just a little alcohol. A tiny smidge. Like… half a bottle's worth each. That was normal, right? And also, Jaune and Pyrrha probably knew to moderate themselves. They both had to know it was wine. Sure, it didn't taste like wine, or smell like wine, and she didn't call it wine, and both of them were such massive, anxiety-ridden messes that neither had bothered to give the label more than a passing glance, but like, it was fine. They'd know somehow. And if they didn't, well… Auras. Auras would do something. Probably. They'd do a metabolism or whatever. No need to cause a panic or upset them. Just play it cool, she decided. It was all gonna work itself out, the classic Team JNPR way.

Like… what was the worst that could happen?