Lanterns in the sky

Song Inspiration: FMLYBND - Young Wild

Lancaster

Here we go

"Oh come on" her older sister drawled out. "just talk to him."

She felt her stomach flip and do a break dance at the mention of him. "It's not that simple Yang." She huffed. It wasn't really. It had been a year since he had broken up with Pyrrha, and things were still awkward between them. She didn't want to get caught in the middle of that. Plus, he was one of her best friends, one of her closest. When she wanted to tear her hear out, and scream at the world, he would come over and volunteer to become her punching bag. Well, that's how Yang put it. She thought Jaune would volunteer to become her teddy bear, that she hugged the crap out of. Ruby sighed as she looked at Jaune talking to his team. She felt her face flush as she realized she was staring.

'Stupid Jaune. Stupid Me' Ruby grumbled in her head.

She felt her hood whip over her head, like it usually did. "Come on Ruby." Yang ruffled her sister's hair. "Just talk to him like you always do. And just ask him to go out! What's the worse that can happen?"

Ruby sighed. "Oh, I don't know... Maybe we'll never be friends again!" She hated that. Hated that she wanted to be more than friends, but scared of becoming less than friends. It was crazy. She never had a-

Ruby shook her head from the word, trying to shake loose the grip it had on her head. She didn't have many friends at school, only close ones. And she cherished every single one of them.

"Well, you dressed up for this occasion. Might as well try!" Yang chirped, continuing to prod her sister.

Ruby huffed. Yang was right, Weiss had gone over and helped her dress up. With Yang doing her hair. Blake had been the one to suggest it. They had all noticed Ruby hanging out with the other team leader often. Normally, they would chalk it up to friendship but they noticed how often she dived out of the room with an excited grin on her face.

There was a tap and a crackle of the speakers. Everyone slowly stopped talking as Ozpin stood before the microphone. "Welcome. To the first annual gathering of the Hunter Tribute." Ozpin paused, eyes scanning the crowd. "We are gathered here to release these Lanterns into the sky, in memory and vigil. Do not misunderstand." Ozpin clarified. "These Lanterns represent the Hunters who have gone before you and those who will come after you. But you are the flame inside. You are the ones to carry them. Take some time to reflect on what that means."

With that Ozpin stepped down and students started piling up to the edge to release their lanterns. Ruby looked at the small lantern in her hands. 'Future and Past huh. And I'm the one-' Ruby smiled as she looked at it. It was an interesting metaphor to say the least.

"Sup Rubes?"

Ruby jolted as she looked up. She saw Jaune standing in front of her, kind smile on his lips. She felt her heart race quicken and her face start to go crimson. She looked behind her to see the rest of her team winking and doing silent fist pumps. Ohh, she would murder them afterward.

Ruby returned her attention to her problem and smiled weakly. "H-hey Jaune." She swallowed. Why did she need to go get water so badly? Why did she feel the need to run and hide again.

Jaune smiled as he held his lantern in one hand and reached up with the other. Ruby felt her body stiffen as she felt Jaune pull her hood down slowly.

"There." Jaune chuckled. "Much better. You look better without the hood."

Ruby looked down, raising her lantern slighlty, trying to hide her face. "T-thanks."

"Is something wrong?" Jaune asked as he peered to the side, trying to get a closer look at his friend.

"N-nothing." Ruby shook her head furiously.

"Ok..." Jaune said, but he didn't look convinced.

"Anyways." Ruby said quickly. "How are you?"

Jaune shrugged. "it's fine. I mean I just got the news that Pyrrha's leaving back to Mistral for a few."

"Huh?" Ruby blinked in surprise. This was the first time she heard about it. "She's leaving. But the team?"

"Can still function, but" Jaune sighed. "I think it's for the best. It's been awkward. And We need some space. More than we've been trying to give each other." Jaune chuckled bitterly.

Her hand was instantly on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yea. Thanks Ruby. You're always there for me." Jaune chuckled.

Ruby fought a blush, but nodded. Jaune sighed as he looked around . "I guess this will be the first year, I won't have a dancing partner." Jaune and Pyrrha had made it a point to dance at every ball. One of their ways to celebrate the year.

"You can release your Lanterns now!" A voice called out into the crowd. Jaune blinked at the announcement and sighed. "Well, I have to go now." Jaune smiled at Ruby and turned around and leave.

Ruby wanted to stop him. Tell him that she liked him, a lot. Tell him that he was really her first friend. Tell him that she loved his cooking. Loved the way he would doze off in the library. Loved the way he just sat down with her to laugh. She wanted to talk about the all the little, insignificant, small things that she loved about him. She wanted to scream and shout that she... loved him.

Ruby smiled as Jaune walked a few paces away. She whispered to herself, as she watched him go. "I'd dance with you." And she really wanted to.

Jaune shook his head as he grasped his lantern. What was he going to do? Pyrrha was going back to her country in a week. Needed to get some space. The awkwardness between them, it was suffocating. He was lucky Ruby was there for him. Helping him out every step of the way. She helped him avoid Pyrrha, sometimes sneaking him food, while he was hiding out on the roof.

They had talked a lot. Talked about the battles, about movies, about food, and even complained about classes. Jaune chuckled as he looked at his lantern, the flame was so small. But, she made things brighter.

Jaune sighed as he racked his brain. 'What did she say? She would dance with me?' Dance huh? The only time he had done that was with Pyrrha. And he had been a dunce back then. He bet he couldn't recognize a brick if it hit him back then. Jaune chuckled at his past idiocy. 'Still dancing. If she wants to go clubbing, Yang would more than happily-' Jaune felt his heart freeze for a moment.

Jaune turned slowly, half in shock, half in disbelief. He turned to Ruby and saw her standing a few yards away. She was looking at her own lantern, her attention captured by it.

Her whisper rang in his head. Knocking the mist out of his head. Emptying it. And instead of trying to think, instead of trying to reason, he looked at her.

Jaune watched as she held the lantern in front of her. She had grown her hair out, he had just noticed that out now. A small rose clip acted as the band for her pony tail, which was swept over her shoulder. The lantern seemed to make her face glow, softly. He watched as the lights, the one in the lantern and the one in her eyes, dance. The small, childlike glee she always carried about her. It was one of things he loved about her. No matter what, no matter how dire it was, she had that about her. That everything felt right. He always felt her drive to help, to make things better. Being around her, made him feel calm, burnt out the nervousness and even the stress he pent up.

Things were just better, around her.

Jaune didn't notice his lantern leave his hands. It slipped quietly, silently, like a phantom. The world seemed to blur, seemed to wash out. The people seemed to drift away, as if the lanterns, shining so brightly, carried them away. Still, she held the lantern in her hands, smiling. A sincere, gentle smile. Just happy to be here. In this moment. His eyes never left her.

The world had left. He was standing on a small platform. She was standing on another.

Her hair seemed to be silky smooth. Her skin held a healthy glow. She seemed like an angel, who had just recently descended to Vale.

She let go.

The lantern, the tiny, small, insignificant lantern, drifted upwards, up, up and away. Even still, she watched it, watched it soar high. Watch it reach up towards the sky, with all its might. She smiled, cheering it on. Sincerely hoping it's success. Hoping for it to reach the highest. Because, she believed in even the worthless of lanterns.

She turned, her face was radiant. He almost had to turn away, his face burning as if it had been splashed with lava. She gave a smile wide, and a small shrug. A giggle, he could hear it from here. It was like a soft melody played on a piano, a soft gentle brush of wind. It drew him closer.

He walked forward, off of his platform, into the empty space between them.

And he tripped.

"Woah. Watch it there Klutz." hand grabbed his shoulders and made him steady. Hands held him upright, and kept him from falling.

Jaune blinked. Ruby was holding him up on the small porch . The lanterns drifting in the sky. People slowly leaving. Most of them were tired and wanted to go to bed. Others went to go party, happy with the year being completed.

He looked around, he felt dizzy. Something must have hit him in the head, must have messed with his senses. Jaune coughed and stood straight. "S-sorry about that Ruby."

She giggled again, and he felt his world spin. It was more than a melody, a soft breeze. It was liquid joy. It poured into his veins, coursing through his body. Her laughter enraptured his body. His hands moved on their own, guided by her laughter, guided by her glow, her prescence.

They wrapped around the hands on the shoulder. Grasped them gently, as if any force would shatter her like a porcelain. He brought them down slowly, quietly, as he stared at her.

"Jaune?" Ruby asked, her eyes searching his face. Searching for something wrong. That was so like her. Always trying to help him. Every step of the way. It was funny. He realized now, if it hadn't been her. If she hadn't told him what it meant to be a leader, he would never had gotten to where he was. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have done a lot of things.

"Hey Jaune? Earth to vomit boy?" Ruby smiled, still a bit confused. She tilted her head slightly, her long ponytail brushing his hand. Her voice was melodic. It was like she was singing in a concert, like Weiss did.

"I-" He leaned in. He couldn't help him. Her eyes seemed to pierce him. Like precious diamonds mixed with the purest spirits, they hypnotized him. They reached into him and pulled him forward, drawing him closer.

Her scent flickered through his nose. Strawberry. 'Her favorite' He thought. One of the few things he knew about her. One of the many things. He knew that she loved puns, especially Yang's. He knew she loved to hear Weiss sing, and had actually recorded Weiss's last performance. He knew that she had accidentally wasted all the shampoo in a giant bubble bath, because he had helped. He knew all the crazy things she did and all the small things she loved.

And she knew his.

"Ummm Jaune?" her voice jarred him, a strike of a bell, a strike of thunder in his mind. A moment of clarity. A moment of pure self awareness. He knew. He knew what he was feeling and he knew what he wanted. Sometimes the light really did shine on their desires.

Jaune smiled at her, his heart felt full. Probably because she filled it.

"Hey Ruby?" The words escaped his lips. He let them. Other words ached to come out.

"Sup?" She asked, the small confusion on her face made her face scrunch up a bit. It made her adorable how her how her lips would form the smallest pouts and her nose would twitch just slightly.

"That dance. You always keep missing. We have time right now. You wanna?" He asked. The air was silent, regardless of the announcement to head back into dorms. They were alone, even if there were other students passing by.

Nothing else mattered.

Ruby blinked as she heard the question, contemplated as she stared into his eyes. Their eyes locked into one another, linked by the smallest of threads, a red thread. For a moment her eyes widen. For a moment, Jaune could feel everything. He could feel her breath hitch, feel her fingers grip a fraction tighter, could feel her heartbeat pick up.

"I- I- mean." She looked away, looked down. Her face now aglow with a different color. "Sure." She mumbled out. Reserved, not her usual color. But, it suited her just the same.

Jaune shifted his left hand to guide her hand back onto his shoulder. He grasped her waist, brushing the soft fabric.

They swayed.

They danced.

Under the night sky.

Under the Lanterns in the Night sky.

Hope you enjoyed it!