Mechanic 13: The “Not-A-Date”
Super sorry for the delay! I’ll explain a bit more after the chapter! Heads up: Longest chapter so far.
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Pyrrha tried to ignore the snickers of her teammates and friends as she paced back and forth. They had finished doing up her hair a few minutes ago, and she was all dressed up. All that was left was for her was to meet up with Jaune. She was still a few minutes early though, so she had nothing to do to calm her building nerves.
Jane was sympathetic and trying to offer her some friendly idle chatter to occupy her, but Pyrrha kept getting distracted, her eyes drifting over to her scroll.
Weiss and Yang were cleaning up all the supplies they had brought over to help do Pyrrha's makeup and her hair. Pyrrha had insisted that they didn't do too much, and they both agreed. They felt Pyrrha really shone without too much make-up on, and Weiss had admitted that she felt Jaune wouldn't be one to notice or really appreciate it anyway. That was a fact all had agreed on, a bit reluctantly. He wasn't the most observant after all.
Giving up on pacing, she sat on the edge of her bed, placing a hand on her chest and breathing deeply. They were just going out as friends for a dinner as a reward for him working so hard. It was simple. At least, that was the lie Pyrrha was trying to convince herself of.
When her scroll chimed, Pyrrha jumped up. Reaching her hand out to summon it to her, her heart was racing too much and it zoomed across the room like an arrow, causing Jane and Yang to duck as it right near them, narrowly missing before it landed in Pyrrha's hand.
“I'm sorry!” She apologized quickly as she saw the text. “He's here!” She said, looking to Jane in a bit of a panic. “Wait, that's good.” She said, suddenly remembering her nerves were cause she was happy, not out of sadness. She started grinning. “He's here!” She repeated, in a much more elated tone.
Yang leaned over to Jane. “Is she going to be okay?”
Jane offered an exasperated smile. “I'm not sure. I haven't seen her like this before.” She said with a weak laugh.
Pyrrha stood up, quickly putting her scroll in her purse. Normally she wasn't one to carry a purse around, but her current outfit was annoyingly devoid of any sort of pockets, so she had to relent. She took another deep breath, trying to calm herself. She was acting far too out of character. Pyrrha was just concerned about going on a not-a-date with Jaune. Due to her upbringing and her fame, she never had the chance to form many close bonds, let alone dream of dating.
Normally when she was with Jaune, they were fighting or training, which gave Pyrrha a baseline to start from. Even during the ball she found herself surrounded by her friends for support, and was much more like a formal occasion she had attended before.
Just the two of them, eating dinner, was much more intimate than she had experience with.
“You look amazing! Are your shoes okay? You shouldn't have to walk too far, but neither of you have your license.” Yang offered.
Pyrrha smiled, walking a few steps just to be sure. They had insisted on rather fancy footwear, but Pyrrha had managed to talk them down into more comfortable heels, knowing that she would be back to training tomorrow and she couldn't afford to be dealing with sore feet.
“They're just fine, thank you.” She reassured. Pausing at the door, she smiled at her friends. “I'm off. Thank you for all your help.”
Yang just waved her off. “Don't worry about it. You'll pay us back in details later.” She teased with a wink, earning a blush from Pyrrha.
Pyrrha opened her mouth to find a reply, but suddenly found words failing her. She turned, quickly making her way away from her room, towards the front of Beacon where she knew Jaune would be waiting for her.
Back in the room, Yang and Weiss highfived as Jane and Nora snickered in the corner of the room, excited to hear the results of how their teammate's date would go.
As Pyrrha made her way there, she ignored the curious glances from the various students littered around beacon. The star student dressed up certainly was enough to provoke curiosity in the student body. Some could guess who she would be going to be meeting, but others saw it as an opportunity.
As Pyrrha walked, her mind in a daze as she thought about all possible combination of first words she could say to Jaune, she failed to notice a second year beginning to approach her.
Judging by his smirk, and his confident walk, it was pretty easy to assume what his intentions were. He failed to even register on Pyrrha's radar as she walked, unintentionally on a collision course with her pursuer.
However, before he could “accidentally” bump into Pyrrha, he found himself “accidentally” bumped into as a lady cloaked in brown stood over him, staring down at him with a threatening gaze. She lowered her sunglasses as she raised an eyebrow. “Can't you tell she has plans? Perhaps you should stay out of her way from now. I heard from my precious underclassmen that she's been looking forward to this night.” Coco said stared down at the boy.
“Coco! You didn't need to knock him over.” Velvet said worriedly as she stood nervously behind her, eyes flickering as she looked over at Pyrrha who had missed the whole interaction. After hearing Ruby and Yang teasing Pyrrha earlier, she certainly felt relieved to see their friend having the chance to find someone in her life. Though, velvet had to admit she was curious as to who could capture the champion's heart.
Ignorant of the shakedown that she had just passed, Pyrrha's pace sped up and slowed down periodically as she debated between rushing to Jaune, and trying to slow down to make it look like she wasn't too eager.
Before long however, she found herself at the gate of Beacon, seeing a certain blond fidgeting with a tie. Seeing him struggle a bit with trying to get it straight, made her laugh and immediately she felt the weights of stress fall away. Suddenly all the pressure of the night seemed distant.
“Would you like some help with that?” She asked with a small chuckle.
Jaune turned to her, eyes wide and face flushed. “If you wouldn't mind.” He said, giving her a warm smile.
Pyrrha's heart fluttered a bit as she knew, tonight was already worth it, regardless of how the rest of the evening went. Stepping forward, she quickly straightened his tie as she stepped back.
“Is the tie too much? I told Alice I didn't need it but she said it was important.” He rambled a bit nervously.
Looking him over once, Pyrrha realized she needed to thank Alice later.
To Pyrrha, Jaune had looked good in the formal clothes he had worn to the ball, however now her heart had skipped a beat.
Jaune was waring a simple black two piece suit, but it had clearly been tailored to fit him as it rested on him perfectly. A plain black tie hung around his neck, disappearing behind his closed jacket. Even his hair had been slightly groomed, though Pyrrha appreciated that it still had remnants of the shaggy mop that she had come to love seeing. Seeing him in a proper tailored suit made him look older and more mature, versus his usual hoodie and jeans. A blush creeped onto Pyrrha's face, as she was suddenly grateful again that she had let Weiss and Yang take charge. “You look very handsome tonight.” She praised warmly.
Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he looked at her, finally noticing what she was wearing. “You look – wow.” He forgot how to speak for a moment.
Pyrrha's dress was similar to the one she wore to the ball, but made her slightly more mature. It was a rather simple red dress, with a slit down the side to allow for movement. The neckline of the dress was slanted, with just one strap to it over the left shoulder. Her hair was still in it's signature ponytail, but with a hairpin in it and the hair was curled slightly as it cascaded down her back in a much more controlled manner than usual.
Seeing the shy embarrassed smile on Pyrrha's face made Jaune's stomach drop as he suddenly was very grateful for all the effort his sisters had put in cleaning him up, and realized they weren't joking when he was going to have to look his best to keep up with her tonight.
“You look gorgeous.” He stammered out finally.
“Thank you.” Pyrrha responded simply, her face matching her dress as she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
“Yes yes, you both look amazing. My sisters and I, as well as your friends are all praise worthy. Now quick, move closer for a moment.” Alice said suddenly as she walked out hiding behind a pillar.
“I thought you left!” Jaune said suddenly.
Alice snickered. “Nah, I just wanted to see you two react to each other. Don't worry, I'm leaving. But I know of at least 8 people who would kill me if I didn't get a picture of you two, and I'm pretty sure two of them could actually do it.”
Jaune and Pyrrha just shared a gaze, before they started snickering. Their friends certainly could be a bit nosy, and Pyrrha had a feeling some of Jaune's sisters wanted to see their investment pay off. At least the tension was gone.
“Now I need another picture, look at me quickly!”
Pyrrha and Jaune both turned their head and looked at her, the echo of laughter still in their smiles as they turned and the camera flashed.
“Perfect!” Alice said triumphantly.
“But I wasn't ready.” Jaune complained.
Waving her hand dismissively, Alice smiled. “That's why it's perfect. It's natural. I'm not making you pose for an awkward prom photo.”
Jaune grumbled, but knew she was right. Trying to pose for a proper photo would have been nothing but awkward.
“Another photo?” Pyrrha asked hesitantly, not missing what she had said.
Alice snickered and turned her scroll around, showing the pair a picture of Pyrrha's fixing Jaune's tie as they were only inches from each other.
Pyrrha had to admit it was a good photo, but she blushed. “Don't take photos of us without us knowing!” Both Jaune and Pyrrha said at the same time, before they glanced at each other and looked down blushing harder.
Alice just burst out laughing as she tapped a few buttons on her scroll. Suddenly both Jaune's and Pyrrha's scroll sounded as they both received a message from her.
“Matching backgrounds are cute. Make sure to set it later. Now you should be on your way, you don't want to be late.” Alice teased as she turned and started to walk away, still snickering to herself. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she was really happy for her brother. They certainly seemed to be a wonderful pair together, they seemed healthy for each other. She knew things were now out of her hands, she just hoped those two would be able to get through the night without trouble.
Glancing at each other, both Pyrrha and Jaune let out a sigh of relief before starting to laugh.
Dealing with Alice certainly had managed to kill the awkward tension of just meeting up.
Soon, they boarded the airship, as the upper class section of Vale happened to be the furthest part of the city away from the school, so walking in their current attire would be a little impractical.
They both sat on one end of the airship, laughing and enjoying each others company as they ignored the rest of the world.
Some of the other passengers were a bit curious as to why the pair were dressed in extremely formal attire, but more found themselves a bit jealous of the laughter and smiles that the pair seemed to be sharing from the corner of the ship.
By the time the airship had landed and they were walking down the streets of the upper-class portion of Vale, Jaune and Pyrrha were completely at ease. That also meant however, their guard was down.
Pyrrha had been living at Beacon for quite a while by now, which meant that many of the residents had gotten used to seeing the “Pyrrha Nikos” walking around the town, seeing her as just another student rather than a celebrity. However, the upper-class section attracted both visitors, and many who had yet to meet with the celebrity.
Suddenly finding their conversation interrupted, Pyrrha looked over as a little girl was running up to her. “Pyrrha Nikos!” She let out a squeal of joy as she began to panic.
“Hello there.” Pyrrha said a bit reluctantly, shooting a nervous glance over to Jaune.
Jaune smiled reassuringly. Jaune was more than aware of the fact Pyrrha could be stopped by fans. They had talked about a lot during their months together, and Jaune had heard stories about what it was like to be a recognizable huntress. He was aware that Pyrrha felt very grateful for all of her fans, so he didn't mind waiting a little so she could greet them.
Stepping back a little, he gave Pyrrha some space as the girl's freakout drew more attention to her, drawing some others over to see the great “Pyrrha Nikos.”
Pyrrha smiled politely and greeted all of them, a bit concerned about the size of the crowd. It didn't always happen, but from time to time she could find herself trapped greeting fans for a while, as she felt too awkward to tell them she wanted to leave.
She signed various things, and posed for photos with her fans for a few minutes. They were all asking her various questions, complimenting her dress and her hair, her latest fight, telling her she was their hero. All of it made Pyrrha's heart swell a bit. She was honored she could be a hero to so many young girls and boys. Though she had to admit some of the attention it gained her from some of the older folks made her a little uneasy.
Some more time passed, and Pyrrha glanced over at Jaune again. By this point, the crowd had surrounded her, having pushed him farther and farther away.
He once again offered her a smile, but she felt a fist clench around her heart as she saw the hint of sadness that echoed in his smile. It was clear he was feeling a little ignored, but based off the smile he had offered her he understood that she wanted to be kind to her fans.
This was supposed to be their night after all.
The blonde dropped his gaze to the ground as he kicked a few pebbles around with his foot, wandering a few steps away as his shoulders slumped. By this point, most of the fans around her probably didn't even know she was supposed to be with him. They didn't even care either, they just wanted to meet with her.
Clearing her throat, she got the attention of those clamoring around her.
“I really am honored to meet you all, and I'm flattered by your kind words. But I'm afraid I must leave, I have to catch a reservation.” She said kindly, but determinedly as she made her way through the crowd.
“Dinner? With who?” Came one of the voice, a reporter from the looks of it.
Glancing over at Jaune's shocked expression, a smirk creeped onto Pyrrha's face. “With my date of course. Now if you'll excuse we, we must be going.”
With that, Pyrrha wrapped her arms around Jaune's as she hugged close to his side, glancing back and winking at the crowd as she began to lead them back towards their destination, leaving a stunned crowd behind.
Still in shock, Jaune let himself be lead along by Pyrrha, slowly smiling as he saw her smirk turn into snickering.
“Something funny?” He asked, still a bit red from being called her date.
“I'm sorry! It's just that reporter. His face was priceless.” She thought for a moment, her smile faltering. “I'm afraid I may have caused you some trouble in the future when those pictures get out.”
Jaune shook his head, smiling reassuringly. “It's no problem. I'm sure my parents will appreciate the publicity.
This caused Pyrrha to laugh, the sound like music to Jaune's ears. “I'm sorry to tear you away from your fans.” He said after a moment, very real guilt underlining the apology.
Pyrrha looked up at him, frowning. She stopped walking for a moment, trying to figure out the proper words.
“I... appreciate my fans very much. I have been very blessed to have so many. But tonight, it's about us Jaune. We're to enjoy a meal together, I'm afraid my fans will just have to understand that. Tonight you are my priority Jaune, not my career.”
That final sentence earned a blush from both of them. Jaune nodded meekly, unsure of what he could possibly say in response to that.
They started walking again, both letting the weight of what Pyrrha had said sink in.
“But I admit, it was nice being able to be free. I'm sure you will also alleviate some of the attention I'd rather not get.” She offered after a moment, looking over at him with gratitude.
Offering a smile, Jaune nodded. “I'm glad I can help. You know we're away from them though, you don't need to hold onto my arm if you don't want to anymore.” He offered, noticing she was still locking arms with him and walking next to him closely.
“I know.” She said with a cheery smile, not letting go. She giggled slightly at Jaune's blush as he kept walking.
Smiling sheepishly, Jaune glanced at Pyrrha. “I have a feeling you're going to get a lot of questions tomorrow when the news gets out. They're probably going to call us a-”
“Arkos?” A voice said suddenly.
Pyrrha and Jaune both looked up confused. Jaune wasn't going to say that. That was just his sister's nickname for them.
“Arkos, I presume?” The voice repeated.
Jaune noticed they were standing in front of the restaurant. The maitre d' smiled at them, waiting for confirmation.
“Uh, yes.” He said quickly, realizing that must have been the name his sisters had arranged them under. Of course it was.
“Right this way.” He said, motioning for them to follow.
“Arkos?” Pyrrha asked curiously as they walked.
Jaune just sighed. “It's our names mashed together. My sisters came up with it.”
“Oh.” Pyrrha said, lost in thought.
Moments later they were sat down at a table.
Looking around, Jaune suddenly felt extremely out of place.
All around them were clearly very rich patrons. Successful huntsmen, businessmen, politicians. Many wore jewelery, held them selves professionally. Sure his sisters had given him some reminders on proper manners, but he felt much more comfortable near a forge, versus this high class situation. Glancing at Pyrrha, she seemed a bit uncomfortable but certainly more at ease. He figured she was more experience with situations like this.
“Uh...” He struggled to find something to say.
He perked up as he felt Pyrrha's hand reached over, gently squeezing his.
“Hey, look at me. It's okay, it's just us. No one cares about two students eating dinner.” She offered reassuringly.
Taking a deep breath, a smile crept on Jaune's face. “Right.”
Satisfied that Jaune seemed more relaxed, she picked up her menu. “I've heard wonderful things about he...” She trailed off as the prices jumped out at her. She had eaten at a fancy restaurant or two before, but these prices...
“Welcome! Arkos I presume? Or should I say Ms. Nikos and Jaune! It's wonderful to meet you.”
A voice rang out, causing both Pyrrha and Jaune to look up from their frightful menu. A smiling man that looked like he could have handed out movie awards was standing next to the table, perfectly at ease in such a tense atmosphere.
“The pleasure is mine.” Pyrrha offered, trying to piece together who this friendly fellow was. He seemed a bit to casual to be just a waiter.
“Oh! You must be Josef.” Jaune said after a moment, piecing it together. Glancing over at Pyrrha he smiled. “He's dating my sister. He must be the one who helped pull this night together.” He offered her.
Smiling, Josef bowed his head slightly. “Correct! Your sisters came to me with this request, and we were more than happy to accommodate such a situation. Young love is so precious after all.” He said with a slight swoon in his voice.
Jaune and Pyrrha both blushed, staring down at their laps.
“Of course, Dinner is on the house tonight! Order what you will, but I'm afraid the wine menu is off limits of course.” He explained politely, earning a nod from both Pyrrha and Jaune understanding. They hadn't planned on drinking even if they could anyway.
Coughing a bit nervously he leaned over to Jaune. “If you could tell your sisters afterward that you enjoyed yourselves tonight, that would be a very large... relief.”
Jaune smiled sympathetically. Very obviously his sisters had applied some pressure on the poor man. “Of course. I'm sorry for them, they can be a bit... pushy. But you made them very happy, I'm sure my sister will find a way to make it up to you.” Jaune offered, watching the man's face relax.
“Very good. Now then, I'll give you two some time to decide. Let us know if you need anything.” He said formally, before bowing his head and leaving to attend to other matters.
“Well, that's very generous them.” Pyrrha said after a moment, looking at the menu with renewed interest. If prices truly weren't a concern, Pyrrha's interest was certainly piqued. There seemed to be a lot of interesting dishes here. “There's so much.” She said in awe, looking at all the different options. Many of them were also beyond her limited scope of understanding food. Usually her agent would offer her recommendations beforehand, or she'd go with whatever she recognize. Glancing up at Jaune, she was surprised to see him studying the menu intently.
“Hmm... Perhaps the filet mignon?” He mumbled, debating. Glancing up, he realized he had been lost in the menu. Smiling sheepishly he looked at her. “Have you decided what you want?”
Shaking her head, Pyrrha returned his sheepish smile. “I'm in a little over my head I'm afraid. I enjoy eating good food, but I'm not very knowledgeable about choosing it.” She confessed. “Do you have any recommendations?” She asked with a spark of hope. The redhead had to bite back a laugh as she saw her date's eyes light up in eagerness.
Nodding eagerly, Jaune thought back over what he had learned about her appetite. “How hungry are you tonight? Is meat okay or would you prefer something lighter. We should stick to something healthy if you have to return to practice tomorrow.” He began to analyze the situation, making Pyrrha smile.
Normally, it was obvious Jaune could be a bit of an airhead. He wasn't the best at social cues, and when it came to just walking around he could be a hazard to anyone when he held a sharp object. But when he was focusing with tools in his hands, or he was preparing food, she saw a level of focus that really made him stand out to her.
“I am rather starving tonight. I think I would love to try some of the stake here.” She decided to be honest, forgoing attempting to undersell her appetite.
Jaune nodded eagerly, flipping through the menu. After a moment, he nodded in confirmation to himself before setting down his menu. “You'll love this.”
Before Pyrrha could ask what he had picked out for her, the waiter showed up.
Jaune smiled, handing him his menu. “I'll have the Grilled King Salmon with Asparagus, Morels, and Leeks. And just water please.” He said politely, his eagerness leaking out.
When the waiter turned to Pyrrha, Pyrrha glanced at Jaune expectantly.
“She'll have the Steak Au Poivre with Shallots & Rum Sauce.”
Glancing over at Pyrrha, the waiter looked for confirmation.
Nodding a bit sheepishly she added “and just water please.”
“As you wish.” He said, taking both their menus as he quickly made his way away from their table.
Looking up at Jaune, Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow. “What exactly did you order for me?”
Smiling nervously Jaune shifted in his seat. “Ah. Pepper steak with Shallots and Rum Sauce. It was one of the recommendations from my sister, it's healthy, and I'm pretty sure you don't mind the seasonings. Sorry, I should have confirmed.”
Pyrrha shook her head. “Not at all, Jaune. I asked for your help. It sounds absolutely lovely. I'm looking forward to it.” She assured earnestly.
“Good.” Jaune replied a bit awkwardly as they glanced away from each other. Their conversation had crashed and burned already, and they hadn't even gotten their drinks yet.
“Here you go.” The waiter replied, making them both jump as he poured fresh water into their glasses, leaving them a pitcher. He quirked an eyebrow at seeing how jumpy the extremely young patrons were, but shook his head and left them alone again.
Glancing at each other, they took a sip at the same time before they gently set down their drinks, their gazes sliding to the floor again.
Pyrrha wanted to say something, after all she had been the one to reassure him that no one else cared that they were there, but the words failed her. The setting didn't seem right to discuss combat, their usual topic, and many of her stories from Beacon involved battling Grimm or training.
After another moment of awkward silence, they both reached for their glasses again.
The pair paused when they saw each other drinking at the same time. Their gaze met for a moment, before they both started laughing, setting down their drinks to avoid spilling them.
A minute later they both regained their composure, ignoring the curious and judgmental glances from the other patrons.
“What are we doing?” Pyrrha asked after a moment.
Jaune shook his head, sighing. “I don't know. I'm just nervous.” He confessed.
Pyrrha smiled. “I am too. I'll admit this is a bit out of my comfort zone.”
“We're two teens sitting in one of the nicest restaurants in Vale, with no idea what to say to each other, because my sister has nothing better to do than meddle in my life.” Jaune explained, with a soft sigh.
“I'm just glad I can here with you at least. And I'm sure the food will be lovely. We should be sure to thank Alice and the rest of your sisters.”
Jaune nodded. “I should get them a gift, after all without them I wouldn't be able to be sitting here with you.” He returned, watching Pyrrha's blush grow to match his own.
“I suppose I should find a way to thank my teammates and friends too.” Pyrrha offered, going over options in her head.
“They certainly didn't seem to mind helping my sister.” Jaune said with a small laugh. “Students of Beacon seem to love finding their way into trouble.”
Pyrrha laughed, setting down her drink again after taking a sip. “You have no idea. Just last week during class, Yang got this idea..”
A little while later, when their food was delivered, Jaune and Pyrrha were snickering quietly, laughing as they swapped stories about their friends and families. They looked up, not realizing how much time had passed as their plates were set in front of them.
They thanked the waiter, and looked eagerly down at what was waiting for them.
Jaune's mouth was already watering, but he looked nervously at Pyrrha.
Taking a whiff, Pyrrha let out a pleased sigh. “You chose very well Jaune.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Jaune was glad she was happy with what he had chosen.
Pyrrha took a bite, and her eyes widened. “This tastes even better than it smells.”
Eager to try his own plate, Jaune dug in himself. They looked at each other for a moment, each staring at each other in surprise at the wonderful dish. This was much better than anything that had had before.
Their conversation died down as they both quickly wolfed down the food, both absolutely stunned. This place certainly had it's prices and reputation for a reason. Beacon certainly didn't shy away from providing good food for their students, but this was on a whole different level. Even Pyrrha had to admit she couldn't remember having another meal that had been that delicious.
It had earned some disapproving glares from some of the other patrons, but both of them had to let their companion try their dish. They realized they really did have to come up with a way to pay back the Arc sisters for setting this up.
Almost too soon, forks were scratching against empty plate as they had both cleaned their plate completely clean. Looking at each other with a satisfied grin, they slumped back in their seats slightly. Moments later, waiters had already come and cleared the plates from their table.
“That was amazing.” Jaune said in shock. “I need to learn how to cook like that.”
Pyrrha smiled. “I'd be more than willing to be your taste tester.”
They both laughed slightly as they slowly resumed their conversation from before.
However, before long they realized that the restaurant still had plenty of patrons waiting to be seated, and they shouldn't hog the table after they were done eating. Jaune managed to flag down Josef again, looking a little helpless about if they were just able to leave.
“I trust the dishes were to your liking?”
“They were absolutely mouthwatering. Please, send our compliments to the chef.” Pyrrha said politely, her appreciation of the food evident.
“As you wish. As I said before, both the meal and the tip has been covered beforehand. You are free to go.” He said graciously. He paused for a moment, glancing at the blond. “Though, if you wouldn't mind mentioning to your sister that you enjoyed your evening out tonight, I personally would appreciate it.”
Jaune just laughed, offering a smile. “Of course, I'll let her know just how well we were treated here.” He offered.
Satisfied, Josef bowed again slightly before disappearing back to attend to his duties.
Jaune stood up, reaching into his pocket as he fished out his wallet, pulling out what little lien he happened to have on him, he set it down on the table, surprised to see Pyrrha placing money right next to him. Glancing at each other, they were surprised they both had decided to make the same gesture. Some part of Jaune noticed Pyrrha's stack of Lien was larger than his, but he figured her tournament winnings, combined with her rather conservative nature meant she wasn't exactly pressed for cash.
“I guess great minds think alike, huh?” He said with a nervous chuckle.
“The food was very delicious. Even if it was paid for and this isn't much, it only seems right that we leave something for their hard work.” She added.
Stacking their tip together, they quickly made their way out of the restaurant into the evening air. It was getting late, but wasn't quite straight dark out.
The second they had left the restaurant, Jaune let out a sigh of relief. The pressure of acting formal, watching how he ate, managing his posture, seemed to slip his mind. Once again, he was just out with his friend Pyrrha.
Pyrrha was feeling similarly. Proper events always made her feel a bit on edge, though experiencing it with Jaune certainly made it worth it.
“That was wonderful.” She said appreciatively, as she felt a bit bold and leaned into Jaune, holding onto his arm again.
Jaune was a little surprised for sure, but didn't even dream of complaining as he leaned against her as well as they walked. Their chatter was soft and simple, enjoying each others company very much in this beautiful evening night.
“Do you have room for dessert?” Jaune asked after a brief lull in their conversation.
Pyrrha perked up slightly at the mention of dessert. Glancing at him, she slowly smirked. “I'm sure I could be persuaded. Why?”
Smirking in return, Jaune thought for a moment. “Well it's certainly nothing like the place we just ate at. But, working at a counter means you hear of and meet a lot of people. There's this legendary ice cream parlor that's still open.”
Pyrrha looked at him a bit curiously, her sweet tooth suddenly very interested. “That certainly sounds worth the trip.” She replied playfully. Honestly, she was just glad to have another reason to continue the wonderful night she was having. Taking a step away from him for a moment, she leaned forward, clasping her hands behind her back. “I'm buying though. I think it's time I treated the Arc family for at least a treat.” She explained, before she offered her hand a bit nervously.
Jaune was just staring at her, in awe of how she looked as the lamps at night illuminated her form. The soft light danced over her red dress, her hair looking a little more natural after the long night as she smiled at him, filling his chest with warmth. His response was obvious as he reached forward, taking her hand as he began to walk to next to her, still holding hands as he lead her towards where he knew the ice cream shop was.
Their soft chatter continued as they spoke softly, both of them enjoying the night sky. Pyrrha had been stopped once again by a fan, but after signing their shirt, Pyrrha had raised Jaune's hand that she was still holding and excused herself to avoid drawing a crowd.
Before long they found themselves in the ice cream parlor. It was a smaller shop, similar to Jaune's own shop, a little tucked away cozy place.
They had welcomed Pyrrha when she entered the door Jaune had held open for her, but when Jaune walked in after the the red head, both dressed to the nines in fancy clothing, the owner's jaw dropped.
“Little Jaune?” She asked in a warm voice.
“Hey Garnet.” Jaune replied a bit sheepishly.
Pyrrha cast a curious glance over her shoulder at him.
“Friend of my mom.” He offered. Looking up at the owner he smiled. “Is the ice machine still working?”
“Like new!” She replied happily, patting a large machine. Turning to Pyrrha she walked out from behind the counter, offering her her hand. “Pleased to meet you. I'm Garnet, Jaune here fixed up my ice machine and that’s how I met his mother. And you are?” She asked warmly.
“Pyrrha Nikos. Pleased to meet you.” She offered politely. “Jaune spoke highly of this place so we were hoping for some desert.”
Garnet placed her hand to her chest, smiling. “Well aren't you the most polite thing. Jaune, your girlfriend sure is cute! You are dressed up all nicely as well aren't ya? On a little date?” She asked as she moved back behind the counter.
Jaune just groaned, dropping his head into his hand. He had forgotten Garnet owned this particular shop, he hadn't been in here for quite a while.
Pyrrha was just snickering, amused by Jaune's reaction.
“We had gotten dinner, courtesy of his sisters.” She explained, while looking childishly at the freezer with all the different flavors of ice cream.
After Jaune recovered, he was choosing next to her. Once they had both ordered and received their cones, and Pyrrha was at the register. “How much is it?” She asked, handing Jaune her cone while she fished her wallet out of her purse.
“Oh darlin' You don't need to pay! It's on me.”
Pyrrha shook her head. “I insist. We were already treated to a fancy dinner, it's the least I can do.”
Garnet smiled. “Well bless your heart. Aren't you sweet? All the more reason I insist it's on the house. Now listen here, Jaune over there is a good boy. Bit clumsy, and he can not always be all there, but he's got an honest heart. I hope you take good care of him, cause he'll take real good care of you sweetie. Now let the grown ups have their fun and spoil the kids, and just enjoy your date for me, mkay?” She said in a warm voice.
Pyrrha just nodded, unable to respond, fighting off a blush. “If you insist.” She said, getting her cone back from Jaune who had missed the conversation as he struggled to start eating his cone while avoiding spilling it all over his suit.
Garnet just leaned on the counter, watching as Jaune and Pyrrha sat across from each other in the empty ice cream parlor, snickering as they joked and ate their cones. She recalled fond memories of her youth, going on similar dates with her husband when they had just met.
Some time had passed, and both Jaune and Pyrrha had managed to finish their cones with minimal damage to their outfits as the stood up.
“Now do be sure to come on by again, okay? And tell your mom I say hi Jauney! Make sure to walk your girlfriend home all proper like, alright? I know your momma raised you right.”
“Right! I got it Garnet. Thank you.” He mumbled, cursing the fact that everyone in his family and their friends still treated him as if he was a child.
“Pleasure to meet you. I'll tell my teammates about this, I'm sure you will be seeing them before long.” Pyrrha offered with a smile and a wave, as she walked out of the parlor still snickering at Jaune.
Checking their scroll, they realized they had to get to the airship station soon, or it was going to be a nightmare getting back to beacon. As they hurried down the street, Jaune couldn't help but notice Pyrrha shivering.
“Are you okay?” He asked, a bit concerned.
Pyrrha smiled. “Lovely. It's just a little cold. I'm afraid my dress isn't very warm.”
Jaune nodded understandingly. “It looks beautiful, but not very warm.” He offered sympathetically.
Pyrrha blushed at the compliment. “We're almost at the airship. It's fi-” She was cut off as Jaune draped his jacket around her shoulders. Her eyes widened at the action. It was something she had always read about in her romance novels, but had never expected such a cliché action to happen to her in real life. But she had to admit it was nice.
“Are you sure?” She asked as she pulled it tighter around her shoulders, the smell of Jaune reaching her nose.
“Of course! Wouldn't want you to catch a cold.” He said with a grin, before shivering after a moment.
Pyrrha just chuckled at his smile, as he pretended he wasn't cold. She moved closer to him, leaning against him. “I wouldn't want you to be cold either.” She said with a smile. She stared at him expectantly for a moment.
Jaune looked at her, almost as if asking permission as he raised his arm. Seeing her playful smirk still on her face, he took a leap of faith and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him as they walked.
Pyrrha let out a hum of happiness as she snaked her arm around his wait, as they walked, sharing each other's warmth.
Before long they had gotten to the station in time to catch a fight. While they sat on the ship, Pyrrha kept his coat on, leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder as they sat in silence. By this point, they were both a bit tired, having been dealing with nerves the entire day, then exhausted after spending the entire date together.
“Are you going to be okay getting home?” Pyrrha asked curiously, shifting her head to rest her chin on his shoulder to look at him.
Jaune blushed at her close proximity, earning a smirk from Pyrrha, as he nodded slightly. “I'm sure I'll be fine. It's not that long a walk to my home.”
Pyrrha frowned slightly, before she quickly fished her scroll out of her purse, sending a quick message before depositing it. She ignored his questioning gaze as she rested her head again.
Almost too soon, the moment ended and they were walking back to the dorms, arms around each other.
“You didn't have to walk me all the way back you know.” Pyrrha offered, not complaining in the slightest.
“I wanted to, it's polite after all. My mom would have killed me if I didn't.” He countered with a small laugh.
Pyrrha just chuckled as well, before sighing as she saw the door to the dorms up ahead. It seemed the night was ending, and she certainly didn't want it to. Stopping just outside it, she handed Jaune back his jacket.
“Thank you for lending me it.” Pyrrha offered with a warm smile.
“Anytime.” Jaune countered, putting it back on. He fumbled with his tie a bit, trying to straighten it back out to the best of his ability.
“Let me help.” Pyrrha offered as she reached up, taking it and gently straightening it.
Looking up, she found herself inches from his face, her eyes widening to match his.
Silently she asked for permission.
It was permission he quickly granted.
Pyrrha pulled down on his tie gently, and their lips met.
The kiss was brief, and gentle. Neither had directly kissed another before, so they certainly weren't very good at it. After a moment, they just stared at each other, their faces turning a strong shade of scarlet.
“I...” Jaune started out.
“Yeah...” Pyrrha continued.
“I uh... liked that.” He mumbled a bit awkwardly, clearly having no idea what to do or say.
“So did I.” Pyrrha said with a smirk, before she leaned up and kissed him again.
She felt him gently wrap her hand around her back, pulling her closer ever so gently.
They continued to awkwardly kiss for a minute, neither quite knowing what to do, but very eager to learn. After a moment they heard the sound of a camera going off.
Separating, they looked at each other, before they saw a dark figure scramble up the side of the building, disappearing into an open window.
They looked at each other, before they burst out laughing. They had a guess about what had just happened.
Regaining their breath, they just smiled at each other.
“I had a lovely night Jaune, thank you.” Pyrrha offered.
“No, thank you! It was... very fun.” Jaune stammered out, words failing him yet again.
Pyrrha blushed, but nodded. “Well, I'll see you later?” She asked a bit hopefully. Though, she knew they would have training before long as always.
“Yeah! Of course. Yeah. I'd like that.” He continued on a little too long.
Just chuckling, Pyrrha leaned in and gave him another quick kiss before she opened the door to the dorms. “Good night Jaune.”
“Good night Pyrrha.” He said with a small wave, as he watched her close the door.
Turning around, he began to stumble away, still in shock as his hand gently touched his lips.
“Well done.” Alice's voice said suddenly as she walked out from around the corner. She threw an arm over Jaune's shoulder, gently messing with his hair. “I'm proud of you kid. It looks like you two had a fun night.” She teased light-heartedly, incredibly happy to see her brother having found someone.
Jaune looked up at her, surprised to see her. “Yeah. Thank you for setting it up. I'll never forget it.”
Alice just smiled. “Aww, my brother's so cute when he's honest.” In the end, seeing him like this made her feel like all the effort of pulling strings for his outfit and the dinner and making sure Pyrrha had time off was worth it.
“Why are you here?” He asked after a moment. “Not that I'm complaining.”
Alice snickered. “I wasn't following you, don't worry. Pyrrha sent me a message, saying that you were gonna walk home alone. It's late out so mom sent me to fetch you.” She explained.
Jaune just nodded, still running through the events of the night in his head.
He knew he could never forget it, even if he wanted to.
Up in the dorms, Pyrrha stood outside her dorm room nervously. She had finally managed to calm the raging blush on her face a bit. Sure she had been a bit confident when they first kissed, but once she had time to realize what she had done, her nerves were exploding. Trying to take a few deep breaths before she entered her dorm, she was denied that as the door flew open, to seven curious pairs of eyes.
“YOU KISSED HIM.” Jane, Nora, and Yang said at the same time, as they pulled her into the room, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Ren sighed. “You cost me 20 Lien. I said not till the second date.”
Pyrrha was just blushing wildly.
“How was it?” Yang asked, unashamed.
Pyrrha just stared her down. “I won't kiss and tell.” She replied sternly, which just earned an excited squeal from Jane.
Yang just laughed. “It's okay, we got pictures anyway.” She said, showing Pyrrha her scroll with a picture of them kissing on it.
Pyrrha's eyes widened. “How?”
“We have two ninjas in our group. Climbing down a building isn't that difficult, you know?” Yang continued.
Pyrrha glanced over at Ren and Blake.
Ren just shook his head, and Pyrrha had a feeling he wouldn't be up to that anyway.
Blake just hid a little more behind her book. “They bribed me with tuna.” She confessed.
Pyrrha just sighed, her friends were a handful.
“So... how was it?” Jane asked eagerly, her eyes wide as she waited for details.
Once again, Pyrrha knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep without satiating the curiosity of her friends.
“Let me change first at least.” She plead as she moved to the bathroom with her clothes. As she began to change into comfortable wear, replaying the night in her head, a smile was plastered on her face. Jaune had made her night, been her first kiss, and she knew one more thing. He was her first true love.
XxXxXxXxX
Thank you very much for reading, and I’m very very sorry for how long this took to come out. A few different things came up, causing this chapter to be a hassle to write. One, I started up some art commissions, hoping to get some income which took some time to set up. (No hits yet, but I’m hopeful!) Then my days were also busy with portfolio work and family matters. Finally, this chapter was a nightmare. I hope it’s not too obvious in the chapter, but I was a bit out of my depth with some elements. Being a bit of a stereotypical dude, trying to come up with Pyrrha’s outfit took longer than you would expect, and I also have 0 real life experience with fancy dining, which also took some research and questions. I also haven’t really had much dating experience, so I’m hoping the chapter turned out okay as I hoped to cover up my lack of realistic experience with knowledge I’ve gained from others. xD Plus it ended up being rather long as well.
Either way, I hope it was enjoyable at least. The next chapter shouldn’t take nearly as long to come out, as I have a plan already and it’s one of my favorite tropes to write. I hope you all have a wonderful day! Cheers! o/