Chapter Text
The convention center was bustling with activity, nerds of all stripes clad in costumes from anime and video games. Jaune and Ruby fit right in, their X-Ray and Vav costumes drawing admiring glances from fellow fans. Ruby's silver eyes sparkled with excitement as she dragged Jaune from booth to booth, her cape fluttering behind her.
“Look, look!” She squealed, grabbing a massive tome, emblazoned with a familiar red symbol and the roman numeral I. “The Berserker Complete Collection! Jaune, do you think my dad would be mad at me if I used his credit card to buy the whole thing?”
Jaune glanced down at the price tag, and the number he saw made him cough in shock. “Ruby, that's like five hundred lien! Your dad would definitely notice that.”
“Aw, but it’s soooo good,” she said, clutching the book to her chest. “Have you ever read Berserk, Jaune? And I’m not talking about any of the anime, I mean the manga.”
“I haven't,” Jaune admitted. “I mostly stick to lighter stuff. As far as manga goes, I’ve read Haruto, Light Music Club Girls, and That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Hikikomori.”
Ruby gasped dramatically, nearly dropping the thick compilation. “You've never read it? Oh my gosh, you absolutely have to! It's dark and complex and beautiful and...” She trailed off, noticing Jaune's amused expression. “What?”
“Nothing,” he smiled. “I just like seeing you excited about things.”
“Well, I want to see you get excited about this,” she said, thrusting the book into his hands. “We’re buying it, and we’re reading it together.”
“Ruby, I can't let you spend that much money,” Jaune said, but she was already pulling out her wallet. “At least let me split it with you.” He reached into his own pocket to take out his credit card.
Ruby didn’t waste a moment before grabbing it from his hand. “We can read it together at the library. Or maybe in the dorm common room? Or—” She slumped her head forward, blushing a bit, but her grin never faltered. “Or we could read it in your room? If you want?”
Jaune felt his cheeks warm. “Yeah, that... that could work.”
Ruby was grinning from ear to ear, stoked at the idea she would have someone to share one of her favorite manga with. He understood her enthusiasm, he was always stoked to share his random fixations with whoever would listen. Come to think of it, lately, Ruby has been the perfect candidate for most of them.
They liked the same kind of comics and anime, albeit Ruby’s tastes were a bit darker than his. They played the same video games, which was lucky because they were the only two in the dorm that regularly gamed. They liked the same hard rock and heavy metal. They even shared a taste for Schnees, or so it seemed. They really were two peas in a pod.
“Let's hold off on any big ticket purchases until the end of the con. I don’t want to break the bank on day one,” Jaune said.
Ruby sighed, and looked longingly at the massive tome. "You're right." she said, but she didn’t sound convinced. “We should check out the artist alley first anyway, huh.”
“Listen, if we don’t buy the complete collection, we can read it online,” Jaune said, reassuring her that, one way or another, she’d get to show him Berserker.
“I’d like that,” Ruby said, her voice soft. She shuffled a bit closer, looking up at him with those big silver eyes. “Jaune, you’re my best friend. You know that, right?”
Jaune glanced down at Ruby, a soft smile on his lips. “You're mine too,” he said. “Although, I’m a bit surprised I beat out Weiss.”
Ruby let out a small laugh. “Weiss is... She's my partner, and I love her...” She trailed off, fidgeting with the hem of her cape. “There isn’t really anyone I can be myself with in team RWBY. Yang’s my sister, Weiss is really… you know, fancy, and Blake, well, Blake is more Yang’s friend than mine. You’re the only one I can read comics, watch anime, and play video games with.”
It should have been a purely platonic statement, but for some reason Jaune felt a warm flutter in his chest. “I’m glad I have someone like you to hang out with too,” he said. “I’d have been stoked to have a guy friend to do this stuff with, the fact that you’re a cute girl is just a bonus.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Shocked, Ruby looked up at him, her face turning as red as her cape. “Y-you think I'm cute?” she stammered, nearly dropping her wallet.
Jaune's heart raced. He hadn't meant to say that out loud, but now that it was out there... "Yeah," he admitted. “I mean, just, objectively speaking, you are pretty cute.”
Ruby's blush deepened, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks, Jaune. You're… not so bad yourself,” she mumbled, peeking up at him through her bangs. Before Jaune could process what was happening, she grabbed his hand and began to drag him away. “Come on,” she said. “Let's go check out the artist alley before it gets too crowded.”
What neither of them knew was that amongst the crowd, watching them, was a certain Schnee, dressed in an amazing cosplay of Noel from Dark Clover. She really fit the bill perfectly.
But she wasn’t here for comics and manga, she was here to keep an eye on a certain pair of dolts. Weiss watched as Ruby HELD JAUNE’S HAND, dragging him around to see some silly thing.
She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from fuming. What were they doing, acting all cutesy, like this was a date, when Jaune…
It wasn’t that she was jealous, no, she was just worried about Ruby. Bringing her into this nonsense wasn’t fair. She was innocent, naive, and far too young to be involved with a boy like Jaune Arc.
A boy who was currently treating women’s hearts like a sample platter.
The audacity of that blond philanderer. Didn’t he realize, not only was he pitting Ruby against her own sister, but also her partner and the Pyrrha Nikos? It was bad enough watching him bounce between herself and Pyrrha, but now he was going after Ruby too? Weiss clenched her fists, watching as the pair disappeared into the crowded artist alley.
No, she wasn’t jealous, she was righteous. The spoon game was silly, and this was, at best, stalling and, at worse, dragging Ruby into a disastrous situation. If Jaune was the gentleman he claimed to be, he’d clear everything up and simply tell everyone who he intended to court.
And maybe, just maybe, Weiss wanted him to pick her.
But she couldn't admit that, not even to herself. Instead, she followed them through the crowd, keeping her distance while staying close enough to observe. The way Ruby smiled at him, the gentle brush of their hands, the shared laughter over some obscure reference, it all made Weiss's stomach twist. She told herself it was protective instinct, nothing more. Yet with each passing moment, that lie became harder to maintain.
Weiss was creeping along, overly focused on Jaune and Ruby, not paying close enough attention to her surroundings, when all of the sudden, she found herself crashing face first into a solid wall of muscle. She stumbled backward, nearly falling, when strong hands caught her shoulders. Looking up, she found herself staring at a buxom blonde in a Power Gal cosplay.
“Woah, watch where you’re going l… Weiss?” Yang cried in disbelief. "What are you doing here?”
Weiss froze, her mind racing to find a plausible excuse. “I... I'm here for the manga,” she stammered, gesturing vaguely at her costume.
Yang scoffed, hands on her hips. "There’s no way you’re into that crap. I bet you don’t even know who you’re dressed as.”
Weiss huffed, turning up her nose in indignation. “Hmm, I’ll have you know I’ve enjoyed the heroism and drama of the Dark Clover illustrated novels since I was a little girl. Noel has always been one of my favorite characters. Her and Aster’s relationship is quite endearing, actually.”
Yang's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. “Right... and you just happened to be going to the same con Ruby and Jaune are at, at the same time, in disguise.”
“I’m not in disguise! This is a costume,” Weiss protested. Then, crossing her arms and glancing at Yang’s leotard, replete with boob window. “And at least it’s modest, unlike the slutwear you’re sporting.”
“What did you just say about Power Gal?” she barked. Her eyes flashed red as she stepped toward the little heiress. Weiss, didn’t back down, she stared up definitely into Yang's crimson eyes
The tension crackled between them for a moment, until Yang cracked a grin. Then, despite fighting it with every muscle in her face, Weiss did the same. They both snickered for a bit before outright cracking up at the absurdity of the situation.
When their laughter subsided, Yang wiped a tear from her eye. “So, you're spying on them too, huh?”
“I prefer to call it 'chaperoning,'“ Weiss replied primly, adjusting the sleeve of her dress. “Ruby is young, and innocent, and Jaune is a bit naïve himself. I’m not spying anymore than a concerned parent would be.”
Yang rolled her eyes. "Right, because you're totally not interested in vomit boy yourself." She flashed a grin, and poked Weiss' shoulder. "You want to make sure little Rubes doesn’t make a move.”
Weiss sputtered, and twisted away. "That's preposterous! Honestly, I’m here more for Ruby than Jaune. While it is true he’s been… more interesting than usual lately, Ruby is my dearest friend. I don’t want someone like him, a known philanderer, to take advantage of her.”
“Philanderer?” Yang said, her face scrunched in confusion.
A soft voice came from over her shoulder, as a girl dressed as a gender swapped Sasuka Uchina stepped forward. It was Blake. “A philanderer is someone who dates or flirts with multiple people at once," Blake explained.
“Oh yeah, I know that,” Yang lied.
“Though I'm not sure that label fits Jaune,” Blake added.
“Blake?!” Weiss cried. “What are you doing here?”
"Oh, she’s with me,” Yang replied. “She actually likes some of these comics and stuff. I figured I’d drag her along in case I needed someone to fill me in on some nerd shit.”
“It’s not nerd shit,” Blake grumbled, pulling her cloak around her shoulders. Yang grinned and ruffled Blake's hair, earning a scowl from her partner.
“Whatever you say, kitty cat. But hey, since we're all here for the same thing, why don’t we team up?”
Weiss hesitated, glancing between her teammates. Working together would make tracking Ruby and Jaune easier, but it also meant admitting she was actually spying. Before she could respond, Blake pointed toward the crowd.
“They're heading to the food court,” she said quietly.
Yang grinned and grabbed both their hands. “Perfect! I'm starving anyway. We can grab some grub while we keep an eye on the lovebirds.”
Weiss glanced from side to side, as if concerned they were being watched, and then nodded. “Yes, let’s.”