A/N: Hello, again! Essiter back with yet another new story. The title literally came to me randomly as I started singing it. Have no idea why. I blame my ADHD. That is all. I was going to upload this with the next chapter of Clout (Which is still being written, by the by) but seeing as it's Lancaster Week, and this first chapter happens to by my favorite ship in all of RWBY, well, why not.

RWBY was created by the late Monty Oum

Love's First Rose

It was the day of the annual Beacon Dance and once again, Ruby found herself alone. No one had asked her if she wanted to go this year either. And, unlike last year, where she had been fine with that, not even really wanting to go herself, save for helping out Blake by taking her mind off of the White Fang, this year had been different.

Maybe it was because she was older now, being sixteen and a half. Or, maybe it was because so many of her friends, her family, were now in a relationship.

But, she had really wanted someone to ask her out, to take her to the dance.

Just this once, she had wanted someone to see her, the quiet, awkward girl named Ruby Rose, not the excellent Huntress-in-training who could go toe-to-claw with any Grimm out there, especially now that she had these wonky magic eyes, and not the Hero of Beacon, or Haven, as some of the other Second Years or First Years had taken to calling her as rumors of her and her team's reputation began to spread throughout the campus.

It didn't have to be anymore than that.

In fact, she really wouldn't want anything more than that, still really not being a fancy, dancy kind of girl. Though, she had learned how to dance, just a bit, because of a certain someone.

She sighed as she sat down at one of the benches around Beacon's Courtyard, near to the statue cum fountain of the Huntsman and his Prey as music from the dance drifting through the air. The one with the Huntsman and Huntress towering triumphantly over the cowering Beowolf Grimm.

Just once, she wanted someone to see her for her and not her sister or her teammates. And, now she was feeling guilty over thinking like that about them all. She loved them all so much, her big sister, Yang, and her found family sisters of Weiss and Blake. But, when it didn't have anything to do with being a Huntress, when it was all about being a girl, she felt like she was fighting an uphill battle that she couldn't win.

Everyone still saw her as either Yang's cute, weird younger sister, or that awesome, quirky girl in charge of Team RWBY, who people still confused her with her name. No one saw her, for her, and she, was tired of it, at least for today.

She was close enough to lean over and look down into the mirrored waters in the fountain's basin from where she was currently sitting, so she did. She stared at her reflection curiously, wondering what it was that everyone else saw of her instead.

It couldn't be how she looked, right? As she had definitely upgraded to a more pronounced and womanly figure. She had ballistics now. Maybe they weren't as big and bouncy as her sister's, or Blake's, or, Oum forbid, Pyrrha's, but they were there. And, her butt was, well, her butt had always being nicely shaped as far as she was concerned, but it was bigger now, too. As she had let her hair grow out before getting it cut to its current, choppy style that she like. And, and… well, she had run out of ways to relate herself to a weapon as soon as she got to her hair, but she dressed differently, carried herself differently, and even acted differently. Mostly.

So, what was it about her that made people overlook her in that way? She cocked her had to the side as she pondered over it all, still staring at her reflection. Was it her attitude? Her skillset? Was she, Oum forbid, now too good for them?

She just didn't know, and that was annoying. It was also, rather depressing, too.

For all her life she had been singled out as a prodigy, as special, when she hadn't wanted to be singled out, to be thought of as anything more than a normal girl with normal knees. She had hated how that seemed to make people want to avoid her, made her feel as if there was something wrong with her for being that way. In fact, for much of her life, the only time people had wanted to be around her was when it was convenient for them. Like when they wanted to get to her sister through her.

Heck, even her "friends" back at Signal had quickly stop replying to her letters or texts once the next semester had started, with a couple of them only reappearing to ask if she could get them a good seat at the Vytal Festival once they heard that her team would be participating in it. She had, in no uncertain terms, told them where they could shove it, much to Weiss's approval.

She hadn't told her partner how much that meant to her, to have someone say that it was okay to stand up for herself and approve of the way that she had gone about it. Both her and Pyrrha had shared a moment over that, back before she had changed. Back before the Fall of Beacon.

She sighed again as she sat back in the bench before rubbing at her face, making certain to not mess up the make-up that she had so painstakingly applied, before looking down at the elegant red and black dress she had worn to the event.

It was a really cute one, too. With black frilly bits along the edges of the hem and at the shoulders of the sleeveless gown. Although, as Weiss had explained, it wasn't really a gown. What with that tastefully short skirt that ended just above her knees, allowing one's eyes to travel up the black mesh stockings she wore to reveal the pale creamy parts of her thighs as she walked.

She had worn splats, just in case she had a wardrobe malfunction. She had overheard Russel and Sky talking about pranking all the girls with a bit of Wind Dust to see who was wearing what colored undies. Why was that so important, anyway?

She had asked Yang about that, and all her sister had said was that it was a guy thing before excusing herself from the conversation to go deal with something she'd forgotten. Her sister was weird sometimes. Still awesome, but weird.

She had also worn heels! And she had hated those lady stilts. Hated them! So, why had no one noticed her? Asked her out? Or to dance with?

She just didn't know.

She sighed again, despondent. "Maybe I should just go back to the dorms after all. Not like anyone will miss me being there," she muttered to herself as she slumped down in the seat and pouted. she sat there for a moment in silence, letting the quiet chirping of grasshoppers and other background noises lull her into a sense of peace and quiet.

She was just about to get up and do that, to go back to her dorm room when she heard someone stalking up behind her. She went to get up anyway, not really in the mood to see anyone right now, unable to muster up the energy to be her normally energetic and happy self right now.

Only to pause as she heard the voice of the one person she had being trying to avoid all day. She turned to look at one Jaune Arc as he called out to her, "Oh, hey, Ruby, there you are!"

He walked up to her with that usual goofy grin on his face that she had come to love as he said, "Been looking for you all dance." He paused to point a thumb back the way he had come as he asked, "What are you doing out here, anyway? Yang said that you had been practicing your dance moves and I was looking forwards to seeing you in action."

"Oh, I was just taking a breather out here," she said quickly as she turned and brushed at the hair around her face in a vain attempt to hide from him. "Was feeling a bit too stuffy in there, you know." Dang it, Yang. She thought as she did so. Why do you have to so awesome of a sister?

"Oh, yeah. I get that." Her fellow team leader and friend said in reply with a nod as he placed his hands in his pockets. "Still not use to all that many people myself, after traveling with you and the rest of our gang the last six months."

He turned then and walked over towards the fountain to get a better look as he gazed up at the night sky and the massive, broken face of the moon as he almost absentmindedly said, "What an adventure that was, huh? Not going to lie, for all the bad things that had happened to us on that journey, from dropping the map to Qrow's being poisoned, I miss it. Just hanging out with you, and the rest of those girls." He muttered the last just softly enough that Ruby almost failed to hear it.

She tensed up at that, feeling her heart start to beat like it had for the past few month, every time she was around him, wondering if she should say something to that.

Instead, she said, "Yeah. It was pretty awesome, wasn't it?"

He turned his head to look back at her with a big grin on his face as he said, "Yeah, it was." then he looked back up at the sky while she stood there at the bench, not sure what to do, waiting for him to make the first move.

Finally, he turned to her and asked as he began to walk over to her, "Remember when Nora tried to make us all breakfast that one time?"

Ruby thought about it briefly before letting out a snorting laugh as she answered with, "I never knew that you could burn water until then." The two continued to chuckle at that for a moment before she then asked, "Remember when Ren was washing our closes that one time, but forgot to check the pockets of my Combat Skirt and blew up the washing machine?"

Jaune snorted then and shook his head as he grin took on a pained look as he chuckled and said, "And, that's how we used up all the Lien I had to buy you guy's new clothes instead of using it to fund my upgrades to Crocea Mors." He tilted his head then as he continued with, "And then you promptly tore up those "Combat Leggings" you just had to have."

"Hey," Ruby returned seriously, a finger raised for emphasis. "They completed the look I was going for, and they still looked good torn up like that."

"Yeah, they did,"Jaune muttered softly in agreement. Ruby flushed faintly in embarrassment at the praise.

They stood in silence again after that, staring deeply into each other's eyes as they did. Simply happy to just be alone together after all the recent hectic days of their Second Year. Headmistress Goodwitch had been true to her word when she said that she would let the two teams back in midway through the school year, but at the expense of an accelerated term.

Finally, Jaune broke the silence as he asked while taking another step closer to her, invading her personal space. "Remember those nights where you and I would just stare up at the night sky like now while we sat around the campfire?"

"Yeah," Ruby returned softly as she matched him step for step, having to tilt her head to look up into those warm, deep blue eyes that she loved so much. He had grown so tall over the last year and a half, hadn't he? Grown so much in so many other ways, too. Just like her. "I remember the nightly training you did, too." She spoke softly before wincing as she shrugged apologetically and said, "Sorry for spying on you as you did that, by the by. I was worried."

He winced himself before he lightly shook his head as he gave that same pained smile of his and answered with, "No worries. You were right to be worried at the time. I was going through some things."

They stood there in silence again after that brief exchange, still looking at each other.

Then, Jaune said softly, "Hey, Rubes? What's a girl like you doing out here, anyway?" She glanced away for a fraction of a second, trying to hide from him again. Only for him to place his thumb under her chin and gently tilt it back up to look at him again as he said, "Hey, you can tell me anything, you know that, right?"

"Yeah," she replied as she looked up into him eyes again after swallowing drily before looking down towards his lips and said, as she stared at them, "I was, trying to avoid some people. Didn't want to be seen there, at the dance, all alone again, you know?"

He frowned as he asked,"No one asked you to the dance?"

She shrugged as she said, "Nope," while popping the P. "Guess I'm just too damned intimidating for 'em all. Darn it all."

Jaune didn't smile at her poor attempt at humor. Instead, he said, as he began pulling something out his suit jacket, "Oh, that does remind me. Here, this is for you."

Ruby blinked as she stared at the red rose Jaune had just pulled from his jacket, somehow still unblemished even though she knew he had been dancing with Pyrrha for most of the night. "Uh, wa…" She said stun-locked, confused and perplexed by that. "H-how l-long has that been in th-there? She stuttered as she tried to get her thoughts out.

Jaune merely smiled beatifically at her as he placed the rose behind her left ear as he explained softly, "Been meaning to give this to you all night, but I just couldn't find you."

Then he stepped back to look at his work as he stated, "There. Pretty as can be. A Rose for the only Rose I want to be with."

Ruby flushed at that and ran a hand through her hair in embarrassment, making certain to not jostle the rose as she did so, before asking, "A-an-and, w-what do you mean by that, Jaune? Didn't you go to the dance with Pyrrha?"

He frowned softly at the question before smiling softly as he lifted his hand towards her while bowing with a leg gallantly extended and asked just as the music for the final slow dance started drifting through the still, night air, "Would you share this dance with me, Miss Rose?"

Ruby hesitated, unsure as to what to do, before gently taking his hand in hers as she replied with, "Y-yes. I would love to, Mister Arc."

Jaune's smile turned into his usual grin as he pulled her in close and began to lead her through the time honored waltz. Ruby was over the moon as she felt his firm, strong arms guide her through the steps to the only dance she had bothered to practice, feeling like she was floating on air, graceful as a swan, so very different from when she used her Semblance. She grinned, elated, as they flowed through the night air to the music.

It was perfect. Simply perfect.

Then she frowned as she looked up into those beautiful blue eyes and, hating to ruin the spell that they were currently under, asked, "Jaune? What's going on with you and Pyrrha?"

He frowned himself before shifting his face to a more neutral one as he concentrated on the dance and said, "We're, going through some things, right now, is all. I'm sure, it'll all blow over soon enough."

Ruby nodded at that, but said nothing in return as she placed her head against his chest and let herself fall back into the spell they had been under, bitter that she had had to spoil it for even a moment with reality.

Because this was a dream that could never be. Not anymore.

Not now.

/ /

Finally, as the music ended and they stepped away from each other, their clasped fingers lingering for just a moment before they finished separating, Ruby brushed at the hem of her dress and said, "Thank you for the dance, Jaune. It was lovely."

He smiled as he placed his hands back in his pockets and replied with, "You're welcome, Ruby. I'm glad to hear it."

"It was the best one of the night for me." He said as the two of them heard someone call out, "Jaune?"

They looked up to see Pyrrha Nikos in another elegantly long, red gown walking down the stairs as she searched for her boyfriend. Jaune seemed to grimace at that before turning back to smile at her as he said, "Well, looks like the dance is over. Goodnight, Rubes."

"Goodnight, Jaune." Ruby answered, suddenly feeling somewhat awkward for the first time with her friend since their first meeting. And, as he was starting to walk away, she gathered up what courage she had to ask as she took a couple of small steps forward, "Hey, Jaune? Why the flower?"

He paused and looked down in silence for a moment before looking up at Pyrrha as the other woman called, "Jaune?" He stared at her for a moment before turning back to Ruby to say, "Because, you are who I wanted to go with the Dance today, Ruby."

Then he nodded to her as he turned and left.

She stared after him, clutching at the bodice of her dress as her heart beat double time at that and watched as he slowing waltzed up to his date and girlfriend. He smiled up at her as she asked something of him that she couldn't hear before replying in kind, he stepped up towards the redhead and kissed her softly on the lips as they held each other's hands.

Then they walked back up the stairs and went back into the dance, the Celebrated Heroine and her Partner.

/ /

Ruby felt tears prick at her eyes as she turned and slowly made her way back to her room, deep in thought. Once she got there and opened the door with a quick press of a button on her Scroll she found the rest of her team getting ready for bed themselves.

"Hey, Ru-baby!" Yang called cheerfully to her as she brushed at her hair while her girlfriend, Blake, laid in bed reading, already in her kimono. "Where ya been?"

"Oh, hey, guys," Ruby responded, not expecting to see them so soon. "I was, uh, walking the gardens. Thought you would all still be at the dance."

"Nah," Yang said as she shared a glance with her partner before turning back to her sister to say, "It was boring so we bailed."

"That's doesn't even cut the surface of it, Xaio-Long," Declared Weiss as the white-haired girl exited the team's shared bathroom while scrubbing at her long hair with a towel. "The things that Team CRDL tried to pull out there. Ugh, pitiable. For the life of me, I just don't see what Velvet sees in that, that thug?"

"Careful there, Weiss." Yang said with a condescending smile. "You're letting your pedigree show again"

"We-well, why not!" The shorter girl huffed indignantly. "You saw how they were acting! Hells, you even stepped in when they tried that stupid prank of theirs for the second year in a row!?"

"True," Blake said as the quiet girl spoke up for the first time and turned a page in the book she was reading. "But Cardin wasn't involved this time. Was too busy trying to keep his jaw off the floor while he danced with Velvet." She turned to the next page before saying as an afterthought, "It was rather cute. All things being said."

"True." Weiss returned before turning to her partner and team leader to asked, "Anyway, where were you? I didn't see you all night, Ruby."

"Yeah, did you even get to dance? I know that you were practicing for it this year." Yang seconded as she got in bed with her girlfriend.

Then the trio looked at her questioningly, a slight bit of worry to their faces at seeing her standing there. After a moment, she smiled softly at them as she said, "Yeah. I got to dance. It was really nice."

"Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed now. Night!" She then said as she made her way towards the bathroom. Her sisters and teammates gave a collective goodbye to her before looking at each other silently behind her back.

She closed the door as the tears finally started flowing. "Damn it," she swore softly so that Blake couldn't hear before wiping her eyes and turning on the shower.

It seemed that no matter what she tried to do to get over it, she still had a crush on her best friend. No she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. No. It's not a crush, is it? I'm, actually in love with him, aren't I?

Her reflection gave no answer.

She frowned before getting in the shower. After washing off and dressing in her PJs that her sister brought in for her when she once again forgot them, she made her way to bed. Weiss was still up, waiting for her, studying for the test that Profes - Doctor! - Oobleck had prepared for them the next day.

Her partner put down the book she was reading to sit up in her bed and asked hesitantly as she was climbing into bed herself, "Hey, Ruby?"

"Hm?"

"Did you have a nice Dance?" Weiss asked.

Ruby thought about it as she prepared to lie down. Of a pair of strong arms around her waist and a quiet, patient smile below two warm, blue eyes. And answered with, "Yes. It was a very nice dance. One I would want to do again."

Then she went to sleep with a small smile on her face.

A week later, Jaune and Pyrrha would have their very vocal, very public breakup, and Ruby would do her best to take care of her friend, and secret crush. It take another two years for him to finally get over it.

A/N: A bit bittersweet, true, but seeing as we all know Ruby (And the other girls of Team RWBY) eventually get with Jaune in Clout, it's not as bad as you might think. Here's hoping you liked it.

Essiter out!