There were days when Jaune Arc felt like his world was collapsing inwards, where he felt that everything that he had struggled for was for nothing. When he wished for nothing more than a swift death so he didn't have to face his troubles any longer.

And then there were the days that were good, when he had never felt more alive. Where he looked around and saw all the good in the world, saw the changes he and his generation had made. Saw the safety and life he had helped preserve.

Today was one of the second kind, the kind of day's he wouldn't trade for the world. He'd been woken up that morning by the sun streaming through his curtains. He'd woken up feeling safe, hearing Ruby in the kitchen as she yelped after stubbing her toe. It had always amazed him how someone so elegant and in control in battle could be so clumsy out of it. It was almost cute.

He shook himself as he climbed out of bed. Ruby was a friend, nothing more. She wasn't cute, she was an eighth sister. And an annoying one at that.

"Jaune you awake?" Ruby yelled from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" He yelled back as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Did you finish the milk last night?" Ruby asked as she shook an empty milk jug and gave him an accusatory glare. "Because I was going to have cereal but apparently I can't."

"Just have toast." Jaune said as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"There is no milk for coffee either." Ruby said.

"It won't kill you to drink coffee without milk."

Ruby glared at him. Still in her pyjamas and with her hair in a half ponytail she didn't look fearsome, but Jaune knew her too well. Her morning coffee was serious business, and there was no way she was going to just drink it without milk. "Yeah, but it might kill you."

"There's a dairy on the corner, just go buy some." Jaune said as he poured himself some coffee from the pot. Casual death threats were normal for pre-coffee Ruby he had learned.

"I'm not dressed."

"It's Saturday morning, no-one's going to care."

"I also didn't finish the milk." Ruby said, determined that she would not be leaving the apartment.

"There's a can of coconut cream in the cupboard, use that." Jaune said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You disgust me."

"It's not that bad," Jaune said. "I actually might have that now."

Ruby folded her arms. "Just go buy some milk."

"But I don't want milk."

"Jaune!" Ruby almost yelled. "For fuck's sake, just go buy milk."

Jaune glanced over at her. "How about we both go?"

"It's your fuck up."

"And you're the one who wants milk," Jaune said, making eye contact. "I can do this all day."

"Fine! I'll go put on shoes!" Ruby said, throwing her hands up in the air as Jaune took another sip of his coffee. "I hate you."

"Love you too!"

It wasn't long before they were walking to the dairy, Jaune's flip flops slapping against the pavement as Ruby sauntered beside him.

"Oh cheer up it's a nice morning," Jaune said, a grin on his face. "Look the sun's out, birds are singing."

"Go eat a dick," Ruby said half-heartedly, she couldn't stay mad at him for long over something small and she hated it. Something about the mischievous glint in his eyes made it to difficult. "I can't believe I'm wearing pyjamas in public. I don't know what they do where you're from, but Pyjamas are not acceptable in public here."

"Bare feet is also acceptable back home, in certain situations," Jaune responded cheerily. "Did you decide what you're wearing tonight by the way? You can't just say you're not going, Ren and Nora would be devastated."

That was the other reason Jaune was happy this morning, Ren and Nora's engagement party was that night. To him it felt like his generation were finally beginning to move on, To move past everything that had happened to them. There had been other marriages sure, Yang and Blake, and Velvet and Yatsuhashi. But Ren and Nora were his team, his family. Their engagement felt more personal to him.

"I bought a dress," Ruby said, perking up a little. "I'm not drinking though."

"No?"

"No." Ruby said with a sense of finality. "I might not be addicted like Qrow was, but I have issues with alcohol. And it's Ren and Nora, there'll be hash brownies no matter what, I'd rather have those."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "That sounds like sound logic."

"Well, I want to have fun Jaune," Ruby said as she kicked a rock. The street was empty except for them. "The corner store will be open right?"

"I mean, it should be, it says 24/7." Jaune said as they came to a stop outside it.

"We should get strawberry milk as well." Ruby said as she walked into the store.

"Why?"

"I feel like it." Ruby opened the fridge door and handed Jaune two bottles. "You want anything?"

"Do they have lime?"

Ruby turned her head and stared at him. "What?"

"Lime flavoured milk," Jaune said. "We have it back home all the time. It's good."

"That sounds disgusting."

"It's my favourite flavour."

"You're disgusting."

"Say's the girl who likes pineapple on pizza."

Ruby glared at him. "That is different and delicious. You just happen to be in possession of defective taste buds."

"I resent that statement," Jaune said. "Do they have it?"

"No."

"Nowhere in Vale does." Jaune sighed. "Something I miss from my childhood. Rouge used to buy them when we were sick."

"To make you puke?" Ruby asked with a smirk.

"If you're going to keep ragging on lime milk I'm gonna just leave you here," Jaune said. "I mean I didn't even need to come, you're the one who wanted milk."

"You finished it!" Ruby hissed. "I can't believe you."

Jaune rolled his eyes as he walked to the counter. "Grab some chips?"

Ruby shrugged noncommittally as she grabbed a packet of chips from the stand beside the counter. "Chicken okay with your broken taste buds."

"It's my favourite." Jaune said with a smile.

"Okay not completely broken." Ruby smiled back while the shopkeeper's eyes darted between them, like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

"So how long have you two been dating?" He eventually asked as he rung up their items.

"We're not." Ruby said flatly at the same time as Jaune said "Ew, her?"

Their walk home was uneventful, though both squinted as the sun hit their eyes.

"I don't know what he was thinking, I mean, we don't look like a couple right?" Ruby later said when they returned home, after taking a hefty swig of strawberry milk straight from the bottle.

"A man and a woman walked into his store in pyjamas while bickering to buy milk." Jaune pointed out. "I mean I'd probably think something similar."

"Well you didn't have to say 'ew'." Ruby said, looking away from him.

"Well what was I supposed to say?" Jaune asked as he leant against the counter.

"We're just flatmates? Just friends?" Ruby suggested. "Anything other than 'ew'."

Jaune glanced at her out of the corner of his eye leaning against the kitchen table and drinking straight from the bottle while the sun caught the red highlights in her hair. She looked like she'd lived there her whole life, like the war had never happened and she'd been able to just be happy. But at least she had that chance to be happy now he mused.

"Noted."

The rest of the day passed slowly, the pair lazing around while they waited for Ren and Nora's engagement party to tick around.

"Is it a fancy bar?" Ruby asked as she pulled herself into an upright position on the couch. "For the party?"

"Why?" Jaune stopped as he walked through the kitchen. "They hired a small event room."

"So I know how much makeup and what shoes I need."

Jaune gave her a long look as he thought for a minute. "It's not super fancy, but everyone is going to be there."

"Eh, they've seen me covered in blood, they can handle seeing me with no makeup." Ruby said as she lay back down on the couch.

"Well, I'll just wear makeup to make up for it," Jaune said, smiling as he heard her laugh from the other room. "It won't be the first time."

"You're an egg." Ruby walked into the kitchen. "We've got a few hours right?"

"Two." Jaune corrected her. "And we're walking remember. So that'll take half an hour."

"We can be a little late right?" Ruby asked.

Jaune nodded. "Velvet and Yatsu will be there early anyway, Yatsu is helping Ren doing some of the setup. So it won't be like we're the only ones there."

"Yeah but showing up early is still awkward," Ruby said, fingers barely tracing the grain of the cabinet wood. "I suppose I should go get ready, have a shower and all that."

"Don't use all the hot water."

"When have I ever used all the hot water?" Ruby asked.

"Yesterday."

"True." Ruby looked slightly proud of herself. "I won't do it again today."

Jaune watched her as she walked off down the hall. "Sure you won't."

"Is that all you're wearing?" Ruby asked Jaune as she leant against the doorframe of his room. "I mean I'm not complaining, it looks good on you."

"Huh?" He looked up from adjusting the sleeves of his soft grey shirt. He had them rolled above his elbows, exposing some of his scars. "It's warm out, and we'll be with family. And at some point I'll probably lose it, if this goes anything like how our parties used to."

"And walking home?" Ruby raised one eyebrow.

"Alcohol blanket." He said. "I mean I'll pay for it tomorrow sure, but I'm going to have fun as you put it." He gave her a smile as he looked her up and down. "That dress suits you."

"You think?" Ruby smiled as she did a spin, letting the rose patterned lace of the knee length skirt spin out. "It was the first thing I tried on when I went shopping. And it fit so I got it. Also, the skirt does the twirly thing so I love it."

"Well it looks great," Jaune said. "I'll have to dance with you so you get lots of spinning in."

"I'll stand on your feet and break your toes," Ruby said. "And these heels are not made for dancing." Ruby stuck out her left foot showing off the 4-inch stiletto, knowing full well that they would eventually be abandoned for bare feet. "Buuuut my legs look amazing."

Jaune nodded in agreement as he picked through his collection of leather cuffs, before finding a brown one with round gold studs to cover the worst of the scarring on his right wrist. "I can teach you how to dance."

"You tried and failed during the war." Ruby reminded him.

"I'll try again." He said, his smile reaching his eyes. "No weapons in that handbag?"

"Noooooo . . ." Ruby said as she opened the clutch. "Not even my throwing knives from Vacuo."

"I'm proud of you." He said as he crossed the room to stand in front of her, still slightly surprised that her head reached his nose rather than his chin, despite knowing she was wearing heels. One of the habits she had told him her therapist was trying to break her out of was carrying weapons when she didn't need to.

"I'm still a little on edge," Ruby said. "But this is going to be a fun night. And there is no threat. My anxieties are telling me there is, but there isn't." She said it with unwavering certainty, her eyes darting up to meet Jaunes. "I'll be fine."

"Good," Jaune said with a smile before offering Ruby his arm. "Shall we set off to the party Miss Rose."

"I think we shall Mr Arc." Ruby said as she linked her arm in his as they headed out of their apartment.

The venue was in a posh hotel in Vale's party district filled with glittering lights and imported Mistrali panelling. The room they were celebrating in wasn't overly large, but there was a balcony and private bar.

"You're here!" Nora pounced on Ruby like an excitable pink puppy. "Ohhhh you look amazing."

"I should be the one telling you that." Ruby held Nora at an arm's length, studying the pink playsuit. "And I should be telling you congratulations."

"Eh, we are practically married anyway." Nora bounced back on her heels. "This is just like, making it official! Ren baked by the way, so if you want that there's plenty to go around." She gave Ruby a wink. "Come in, sit down have fun. I mean there's only six of us here now but more are showing up. Weiss is even going to pop in for a bit, she's in Vale signing a trade deal - Sorry!" Nora paused. "Sensitive topic."

"It's fine!" Ruby brushed off Nora's concerns. "It's a celebration, if we can't cooperate for a few hours then we aren't acting like adults."

"Well said." Ren appeared by Nora's shoulder, a smile on his face. "It's been too long since we've seen you two."

"Well missions and all," Jaune said with an easy smile. "As Ruby said, congratulations."

"Thanks," Ren said. "Turns out she was going to propose at the same time. Surprising no one."

"Well, you two are joined at the hip after all," Ruby said. "Velvet is here right, I haven't seen her in months."

"With Yatsu by the food table." Nora pointed to one corner of the room, where sure enough Velvet was sitting with her husband. "Go chat, more people are going to arrive soon."

Jaune tapped the back of Ruby's arm. "I'm going to go grab some drinks, what would you like?"

"Lemonade thanks." Ruby said, giving him a smile.

"It's been forever since I saw you." Velvet said as Ruby sat down opposite her. "I heard about you and Weiss, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, we were never going to last. Everyone knew that." Ruby brushed off Velvet's comment. "How's Beacon?"

Since the end of the war, Velvet had become first involved in the rebuilding of Beacon Academy, and then in it's day to day running, filling the role Glynda once had, as Glynda was the new Headmistress. "Good good, Our student intake is almost at what it was before the war!" Velvet's eyes lit up as she spoke about her work. "I mean it's hard work, keeping everything running smoothly with so many students, but I love it. And Yatsu is coming on next semester to run combat classes because we need more staff."

Yatsuhashi nodded. "It will be hard work, but I'm looking forward to it."

"This the academy?" Jaune asked as he sat down on Ruby's right side, sliding her drink in front of her. "I hope you don't get too many students like me."

"You'd be surprised." Velvet muttered, taking a sip of her drink.

"She gets a lot of applicants who have never attended combat school before," Yatsuhashi explained. "And not all of them are like Jaune with a powerful, well-known bloodline."

"Sorry bout that." Jaune gave a relaxed smile.

"We'd be dead if you hadn't," Velvet shrugged, stirring her drink. "And I mean, you let these kids think they can do anything which as a teacher we try to inspire to be like that. "

Jaune nodded along. "Maybe I'll try retiring as a teacher when I'm older then."

"Don't it's a thankless job," Velvet shook her head. "All that paperwork and asshole kids."

"You love it." Yatsuhashi pointed out.

"Yeah I do." Velvet said with a smile on her face. "I wouldn't trade my kids for the world, they're amazing. Also photos!" She waved her scroll in the air. "Remind me to take some of the pair of you."

"I'm sure you will." Ruby smiled. Since the war Velvet had carefully documented her friends lives with photographs, collecting them in huge albums accessible online to her friends.

"Just make sure you get our good sides right Velv?" Yang dropped down into the chair beside Ruby, a glass of wine in hand.

"I'm sorry she had like two wines on the airship over already." Blake leant against the back of her wife's chair.

"I have no child for 12 hours I am going to fucking well enjoy that." Yang tipped her head back to look into her wife's eyes.

"And I'm staying sober to look after this one," Blake said, patting Yang on the shoulder. "You know how she is. And one of us needs to have a clear mind for the airship home tomorrow."

They continued chatting like that for a few hours, bringing more chairs and tables into the circle ass more guests arrived. First Neptune with a weary Sage and Scarlet who had just finished a mission, the Neon and Flynt who never missed a party. Weiss arrived about an hour in, and Ren passed Ruby a brownie before toasting her with his own. Eventually, they were inebriated enough that their sense of shame faded away and Jaune led the charge to the dance floor, while Weiss gave a rendition of a song from their early teens using a table as a stage. The party seemed to pass in a blur of alcohol and noise and lights for Jaune before he found himself sitting on one of the barstools, staring into the depths of his drink with Ruby sitting beside him, seemingly preoccupied with a simple scroll game

"Hey Jaune." Ruby tugged at Jaune's sleeve.

"Yeah Rubes?" He said, his speech slurring as he swung his head round to look at her. He'd lost track of how much he had drank, placing his trust in Yatsuhashi and Blake that they would cut him off when he became too intoxicated. It was heading towards the end of the night and most people had gone home. He could see Blake softly stroking a crying Yang's hair in the corner, Velvet dozing against Yatsuhashi, and Ren and Nora making out in one of the booths. The other's had left earlier citing having had enough for the night or flights they needed to catch, so only those with accommodation in Vale remained. The bartender was messing with his phone while he waited for the partiers to disperse or bar open hours to end.

Ruby stared back at him, the pupil of her right eye blown out be the drugs and dim lighting, and her eye patch had a piece of ribbon Ren had found tied to the band. "You're cute."

"You told me that." Jaune held his hands in front of his face, trying to count his fingers. "Like, like 10 times. Maybe more. I only have 10 fingers."

"Asshole." Ruby turned her face away from him in indignation.

"What?"

"You answered wrong."

"How was I supposed to answer?" Jaune asked, his brain desperately trying to connect the dots of what he'd done wrong.

"You're meant to tell me I'm cute in return." Ruby said as she brushed her hair behind her ears.

"I thought you knew that."

"What?"

"That you're cute," Jaune said. "Like insanely cute. Like fluffy bear cute."

"Stop sucking up."

"I'm not," Jaune took a long sip of his beer. "You are cute."

"You really think so?" Ruby leant against Jaune's arm. "You aren't just being nice."

"If I was just being nice you would break my wrist." Jaune said, avoiding looking at Ruby.

"You'd heal." She said.

"It would still hurt," Jaune said. "You're being uncharacteristically fellsy."

"Jaune I'm high as shit I can't be held responsible for what I say or do." Ruby closed her eyes and put more weight on Jaune's arm.

"Do you want to go outside, get some fresh air?" Jaune asked, before downing the end of his drink. "I could sure as hell use some."

Ruby just nodded as she stood up, slipping her hand into Jaune's as he led her out to the balcony, not wanting to lose him despite the room being near empty now and there was no crowd for her to get lost in. She wasn't sure why, but the contact made her feel safer, more secure.

"This is good." Ruby said after taking a deep breath of the cold night air and lacing her fingers with Jaune's.

"Good," Jaune said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You know, I never learned the Valean names for the constellations."

"Aren't they the same in all the kingdoms?" Ruby said as she stared up at the night sky, picking out familiar constellations Huntress, Death Stalker, The King.

Jaune shook his head. "The rural areas use different names, relating to the time of year. The Farmers appear during the harvest," He pointed at a cluster of 7 stars. "They used to be what told us when to harvest. Now we have technology for that, but tradition remains."

Ruby squinted at the sky. "We call that the Seven Sisters. The legends say they were the most beautiful women to ever live, and the most deadly."

"Reminds me of someone I know." Jaune muttered, glad when Ruby seemed to ignore it.

"They toppled corrupt government and battled Grimm according to the Legends, allowing their brother to form the Kingdom of Vale in the safe zone they created." Ruby continued.

"Why didn't they form Vale themselves?"

"The sister's hated each other." Ruby smiled, remembering how as a child she had asked her father the same question. "Couldn't rule together, none would let the other rule alone. So the brother formed the kingdom in the area made safe by the sister's competitions," She paused. "I always liked that story."

"Fair enough." Jaune said as he disentangled their hands and moved to lean on the balcony railing.

"Do you think a fall from here would kill me?" Ruby mused aloud as she leant on the railing beside him. "You don't need to be worried, I'm just curious."

"Maybe," Jaune rubbed his chin as he looked at the drop. "Would depend on how you landed."

Ruby nodded as she once again leant against him, this time more for warmth than for support. "Awesome."

"I mean it would still be dangerous." Jaune subconsciously wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders, pulling her closer to himself.

"Yeah, but it's interesting," Ruby said. "You don't have to worry about me though."

"No?"

"No," Ruby said. "I'm happy for the moment."

They stood like that for a while, his arm wrapped around her and the cool night air pulling at the edges of their clothing, just enjoying staring out into the night, watching as partiers stumbled home along cobblestone streets and smiling as they caught the occasional snippet of drunken song.

"Hey Jaune?" Ruby twisted out of under Jaune's arm.

"Yeah?" He turned to face her, concern etched over his face.

"I want to try something." Ruby said as she took a step closer to him, placing her hands on his chest and standing on her tip toes, unsure of her own actions, but knowing that now it was too late to back out.

"Yeah?" He felt his breath hitch in his throat, both incredibly sure and unsure of what was to come next.

Though that melted away as she gently pressed her lips to his, ever so softly. He felt his heart skip a beat as his mind raced, confused over what she was doing and why he seem to be enjoying it. She pulled away abruptly, as though she was second guessing her actions, unsure of what she had just done.

"Sorry." She squeaked out as she stared at her shoes.

"Don't be." Jaune said softly, still trying to process what she had done, trying to process his own reaction. Surprising himself in wishing she hadn't stopped.

"I was just testing a theory." She mumbled ignoring him. She didn't want to tell him the truth, that him standing there face lit up the street lights had brought forward feelings she had been trying to squash for weeks now. Infatuation she kept telling herself. It would pass like most of her crushes. "Wanted to see if it would be any different to when I was eighteen I'm sorry I won't do that agai-"

She was cut off as he took a step towards her, and gently cupped the side of her face before kissing her, more forcefully than she had him. He shocked even himself, unsure of why he felt the need to kiss her back. When he was sober he would blame it on the alcohol, claim that it was nothing more than that. It was her turn to be taken by surprise, to softly melt into the kiss as her muddled brain observed that kissing him now was very different to when she was a teenager. There was a spark now, that made her want to continue, that made her hope the moment wouldn't end.

"What was that?" She asked after he broke the kiss.

"Just testing a theory." He said as he leant back against the balcony railing, desperately trying to ignore as his heart raced in his chest and his prosthesis whirred as it kept up. Why had he done that? Why was his heart beating so hard?

"And?"

"I'm not sure what it means yet," Jaune said. "Probably nothing."

"Yeah," Ruby said as she leant on the railing, facing the city. "We've kissed before, it's never meant anything. Why should this time be any different?"

"Exactly." Jaune agreed.

A long silence stretched between the pair, both reflecting on their actions.

"Do you want-"

"To go home, yes." Ruby pushed herself off of the balcony and walked towards the door of the room, ignoring the tension between herself and Jaune. "We won't-"

"Talk about this again, got it." Jaune said as he followed her inside.

Neither of them realised that a pair of observant yellow eyes had witnessed it all.

Once again shout out to Bryce (and some others from the Lancaster Discord) for being immensely helpful on this chapter. Writing this wouldn't happen without the support of others.

Also, shout out to the reviewers, your comments make my day, and I love reading your feedback.