Chapter Text
It was an early Saturday morning in the Rose-Xiao Long household, and twelve-year-old Ruby Rose was bouncing off the walls with excitement. It was finally time for her to go on holiday! She'd been waiting months for this! She was going camping with her sister, her dad, and her uncle, and she could barely contain her anticipation. She was the first one up and she was all packed and ready to go, waiting in the living room with her suitcase. This was going to be her first time camping and she was so eager for it, as she was always willing to try out new things.
Yang was the next to wake up, and she groggily dragged her suitcase into the living room while yawning sleepily. She was usually full of energy, but it was way too early for that. She watched as her little sister bounced up and down on the spot, a big, cheesy grin on her face. She didn't understand how Ruby could be so enthusiastic this early in the morning, it didn't make any sense to her. When Summer woke up and headed downstairs to see that Ruby and Yang were waiting in the living room, she placed her hands on her hips and sighed heavily.
"Let me guess, your father and uncle aren't up yet?" She asked in a mildly sarcastic tone, and Ruby and Yang shook their heads in response. That fact didn't come as much as a surprise to Summer, she was easily the most organised member of the family and it wasn't even close. But even so, she wasn't even going on holiday and yet she still woke up before Tai and Qrow! She had just been about to go back upstairs and give them both a rude awakening when they finally decided to get their lazy asses out of bed and join Ruby and Yang in the living room of their cabin.
"Have you got everything? Are you forgetting anything?" Summer inquired as she crouched down so she was at eye level with her daughters. Just because she wasn't going on holiday with them didn't mean she didn't have motherly duties to do. Those questions were also directed at Tai and Qrow, as they were two of the most forgetful people she knew, and she was glad that she'd gotten up before they'd left because of that. Sometimes that got on her nerves, but at the end of the day she loved them all so much and wouldn't change a single thing about them.
When everyone confirmed that they had everything they needed, it was time for them to go, as the plan was for them to get to the campsite as soon as possible. However, they had to say goodbye first. Ruby walked up to her mom with a poutful expression, sad that she wasn't coming with them. She knew why that was the case, Summer was unable to get the time off work and she'd definitely lose her job if she went with them, but it still hurt. It was the only thing dampening her excitement for the holiday, would it still be enjoyable without her mom being there?
"I'm going to miss you, mom," Ruby spoke while sniffling slightly, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She'd never gone on holiday without Summer before, would it be the same without her? At least she had Yang to support her, especially during the night when their dad and uncle were fast asleep. It wasn't long before Yang joined her in front of Summer, also wishing to say goodbye to their mom. Yang wasn't on the verge of crying her eyes out like Ruby was, but she was still visibly upset. It wasn't fair! Why did Summer's boss have to be so mean?
"I'm going to miss you too, Ruby. And you as well, Yang. But please, enjoy your holiday while it lasts, because it will be over before you know it," Summer responded with a warm smile, knowing that she had a motherly job to do here. She gently wiped Ruby's tear away with her thumb while comfortably stroking Yang's golden locks with her free hand, knowing that she was the only one who Yang would let touch her hair. Not even Qrow and Tai were allowed to do that! To finish things off, she pulled both her daughters into a tight hug, squeezing them hard.
Tai and Qrow watched from the corner, smiles on their faces as they crossed their arms over their chest. Summer was such an amazing mother to Ruby and Yang, and they were just as disappointed as them that she wasn't coming as well. It sucked but there was nothing they could do about it, the holiday had been booked for a long time. When Ruby and Yang started to groan in pain from the hug, Summer released them from her strong grip. Sometimes she underestimated her own strength, which was something that came with being a slayer of Grimm.
"Right then, off you go. I don't want you to be late," Summer said, making sure to plant a soft kiss on the top of Ruby and Yang's heads before they left. It was a tearful goodbye as she walked outside and watched them drive off, but at least she was able to wave to Ruby and Yang as they were sitting in the back of the car. She felt an aching pain in her chest as the realisation truly sunk in that she wouldn't be seeing them for another week. She supposed that she could call them on her scroll, but they weren't likely to have a good signal at the campsite.
After wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, Summer headed back inside and closed the door behind her, locking it with a key. The island of Patch was one of the safest places on Remnant, and she could easily kick the ass of anyone who tried to break in, but she preferred not to take any chances. She walked over to the sofa and sat down, letting out a deep exhale as she switched on the TV. She wasn't at work until Monday, but what was she going to do until then? Clean the house? Ugh, she didn't have the energy to do that yet.
With it being so early in the morning, there was nothing interesting to watch on TV yet. She wasn't going to watch children's cartoons, she had grown sick and tired of them after raising Ruby and Yang. Seriously, if she had to sit through one more episode of My Little Grimm then she was going to lose it. After mindlessly flicking through the channels for what felt like an eternity, she gave up and switched off the TV. She slumped back into the soft cushion, wondering if she should take a quick nap. That wouldn't be a bad thing, would it? No, it wouldn't.
She closed her eyes and let herself relax for the first time in a good while, she had the entire rest of the week to do chores around the house and that was plenty of time! The house would be spotless by the time her family got back, she'd make sure of it. Just as she felt herself drifting off to sleep, there was a knock at the door which jolted her awake. She bolted upright and rubbed her eyes sleepily before standing up and making her way towards the front door, wondering who it could be. Nobody had ordered anything lately, so it couldn't be a delivery.
Maybe they'd decided to turn around? No, that wouldn't make any sense. Why would they come back home so shortly after leaving? Unless they'd forgotten something after all, which wasn't outside the realm of possibility. In fact, it wouldn't have surprised Summer at all if that was indeed the case. When she turned the key and pulled down on the handle before opening the door, her eyes went wide at what she saw. It was none other than Jaune Arc, Ruby's best friend from Signal Academy. What on Remnant was he doing here? He lived an hour away on foot!
"Hello, Jaune. If you're here for Ruby then I'm sorry to say that she's gone on holiday, you just missed her," Summer explained in a polite tone, praying to the Gods that Jaune hadn't walked all the way here. It didn't look like his parents had dropped him off, unless they'd already driven away. Didn't he have a scroll? Why wouldn't have Ruby communicated to him that she was going on holiday for the week? Everything about this situation left her scratching her head in bewilderment, and she hoped that Jaune would have the answers she was looking for.
"Hi Mrs. Rose. I'm, um... actually not here for Ruby. She t-told me she was going on holiday but that you weren't going, and I... I thought you would get lonely on your own, so I-I'm here to keep you company!" Jaune answered with a kind smile, accidentally tripping over his words a few times. Summer was stunned into silence, unable to believe what she just heard, it was absolutely crazy. But it was also kind of sweet, in a weird way? All sorts of conflicting emotions were stirring within her. There was also a hint of nervousness in Jaune's voice, but she wasn't sure why.
Had he really walked all this way just so she would have someone to hang out with? The idea seemed so strange to her, but Jaune was just a child, so maybe it made sense in his mind? Either way, it wasn't like she could turn him away. He was only twelve years old, there was no way she was making him walk that long distance again immediately. She considered calling his parents and getting them to pick him up, but it was true that she was lonely. Very lonely, in fact. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they hung out for a while? A few hours, at most.
Jaune's heart was pounding so hard he feared it might explode out of his chest. This was the riskiest thing he'd ever done and there were so many ways that it could go wrong. He'd told his parents that he was going to a sleepover at Ruby's house for the next few days, as they didn't know she'd gone on holiday. Now that he was standing before Summer on her doorstep, his stomach was full of butterflies. She was beautiful. From her rosy red cheeks to her shining silver eyes, to her muscular arms, to her flowing dark red hair, everything about her was perfect.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Jaune, I appreciate it. Would you like to come in?" Summer offered as she stood to the side, gesturing for Jaune to come inside. Jaune felt his heart skip a beat as his breath caught in his throat, it took his brain a few moments to process what Summer just said. His plan was working? His plan was working! Step one complete! That was the easiest part though, it was going to get much harder from here on out. Now that he thought about it, he probably should've looked up some guides on how to seduce a woman beforehand.
But did he really need that? Wasn't the golden rule of romance to 'be yourself'? The problem was that he didn't know if Summer would be into him if he was 'himself', and that frightened him to no end. He only had one shot at this, he couldn't mess it up. Maybe his inexperience and innocence would be attractive to her? The one thing he knew he needed to do was show her just how much he cared about her, but that could come later. He noticed that the silence was beginning to grow awkward, which meant he needed to move on to step two and fast.
"I-I actually brought food. Sandwiches and stuff, I made them myself. M-maybe we could have a breakfast picnic?" Jaune suggested with a shrug, pointing to the backpack he was wearing which had the food he mentioned. Summer tilted her head to the right slightly, surprised by the fact that he'd prepared the food himself. He'd put a lot of effort into this, hadn't he? As if on cue, her stomach started to rumble, and she remembered that she hadn't eaten yet. There was plenty of food in the house but if Jaune had brought some then she didn't want to waste it.
"That sounds lovely, Jaune. Just let me grab a blanket quickly, and then we can get going. I know a great picnic spot atop a hill near here," Summer replied with a nod of her head, and it took all of Jaune's willpower to stop himself from victoriously fist-bumping the air. When Summer turned around and headed back inside to get a blanket, Jaune let out a deep exhale of relief. He couldn't believe it! His plan was working flawlessly! Was it possible that Summer was already interested in him in that way? She was married, but perhaps Tai wasn't fulfilling her needs?
If that was the case then that would make things much easier for him. But he'd need to gather more evidence before doing anything bold, rushing something like this would surely end in disaster. He stuffed his trembling hands in the pockets of his blue jeans and started whistling casually, if Summer noticed how nervous he was then she might get suspicious. She couldn't find out about his ulterior motives. Not yet, anyway. When Summer returned to the front door with a checkered red and white blanket, he stopped whistling and gave her another smile.
"Are you ready to go?" Summer asked, wanting to make sure Jaune didn't need to use the toilet or anything before they left. He was a boy though, so she supposed he could just pee in the bushes if it really came down to it. Her motherly inclinations didn't go away just because Jaune wasn't her son, as he was still a child. When Jaune nodded his head in response, Summer stepped outside and closed the door behind her, making sure to lock the door for safety reasons. She then handed the key to Jaune as her red dress annoyingly didn't have any pockets.
When Jaune received the key from Summer, he gulped nervously. This was a lot of responsibility, what if he lost the key? Then Summer wouldn't be able to get inside her own home and she'd hate him forever! His head was filling up with anxious thoughts, they were burrowing into his brain like parasites, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. He couldn't let her down, she'd never date him if he did that. After double checking the door was locked, Summer flung the blanket onto her shoulder to carry it and then started leading the way to their destination.
Jaune didn't know if Summer was doing it consciously, but the way she swung her hips as she walked was mesmerising. Her dress was blocking him from seeing the black leggings she was wearing that likely made her bubbly ass look amazing, which was a shame. But if all went according to plan, he'd be seeing it very soon. He drooled a few times as they walked, there was zero chance Summer didn't know how sexy she was. Nobody else in the world compared to her, nobody made him feel like she did. And there was a connection between them, he could sense it.
Upon reaching the top of the hill Summer had talked about, Jaune immediately collapsed onto the grass and lay on his side. Sweat dripped from his forehead as his chest rose and fell, he was utterly exhausted. Summer looked behind her and giggled at the state Jaune was in, which made him blush slightly. Was she making fun of him? Or did she find his fatigue cute? He sincerely hoped it was the latter. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, taking in big gulps of air as his heart rate slowly but surely returned to a normal pace.
"Trust me, when you see the view, you'll realise that climb was worth it," Summer explained as the set the blanket down on the grass. She did feel a little bad as Jaune had been wearing a backpack that whole time, but she was remarkably proud of him for making it to the top without complaining once. Ruby and Yang had certainly been very vocal about their displeasure while climbing that hill in the past! That thought made her feel a little sad, she sorely missed her daughters and her husband already, but at least she had Jaune with her to keep her company.
Still too worn out to speak, Jaune raised his arm and gave Summer a thumbs up in response. He believed that she was telling the truth, but there was no way he was getting up yet. Lying on his side had been a conscious design to not crush the food in his backpack, he couldn't allow anything to go wrong that day, everything had to be perfect. It was still early in the morning but the sun was beginning to come out and he could feel it faintly shining on his face. That was a sign it would be a sunny day, which was great. Nobody wanted to have a picnic in the rain!
"I'm okay... I'm okay. I'm fine..." Jaune whispered as he found the strength to sit up straight. That was one part down, now for the second part. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as he stood up straight, managing to get up on his feet despite his aching legs. Summer couldn't help but admire his strength and determination, but she figured it made sense as he was studying at an Academy designed to train people to fight monsters. Battling Grimm while unfit wasn't an option, you had to be in peak physical condition to stand any kind of chance.
Turning to his right and opening his eyes, Jaune's jaw dropped at the sight that lay before him. He let out a sharp gasp of wonder as his eyes went as wide as plates, the view was astonishing! This hill overlooked most of the island! He could see Signal Academy, he could see Summer's house, he could even see his own house way in the distance! The people down on the streets looked like ants and the way the waves gently lapped at the shores was so serene and calming. His reaction made Summer grin from ear to ear, it was exactly what she'd been hoping for.
"Told you it was worth it," Summer teased as she playfully nudged Jaune with her elbow, which made him blush again. Was she flirting with him? No, no way. That was just wishful thinking on his part, it had to be. The two of them stood there on the hill, basking in the view as rays of sunlight beamed down from the sky between the parting clouds. Jaune almost couldn't believe it was real, it was just so beautiful. Not as beautiful as Summer, of course, but still breathtaking. Summer was right, this was the perfect spot for a picnic, not that he ever doubted her.
Was there anything bad about Summer? As far as Jaune was concerned, no, there wasn't, and someone as flawless as her deserved better than Tai. Not that Tai wasn't a decent person, but a Goddess like Summer shouldn't have to settle for 'decent'. He had to prove that he was better, that he was the only one on Remnant who could make her happy. He was off to a great start, but getting cocky would be a bad idea. Summer wasn't just going to break up with Tai and date him instead at the drop of a hat, no matter how badly he wanted that to be the case.
"So, shall we sit down and eat?" Summer inquired, breaking the silence that had formed between them. As happy as she would've been to simply stand there and take in the view with Jaune all day, she couldn't ignore her rumbling stomach. She was starving, so she hoped that the food Jaune brought would be enough to fill her up. Her words knocked Jaune out of his stupor, his thoughts had really drifted there and so it took a few moments for him to come back to reality. Eating sounded like a great idea, as it would allow him to move to the next stage of his plan.
"Yeah, let's do that," Jaune responded as he took off his backpack. He then walked over to the checkered picnic blanket and sat down, placing the backpack in front of him. Summer was quick to join him, sitting opposite him on the blanket. It was just the two of them on the hill, there was nobody else around for miles. As Jaune unzipped his backpack, he couldn't stop a big, cheesy grin from spreading across his face. He was on a date with a woman! Okay, technically it wasn't officially a date, but it was a date in his head and that was all that mattered.
Getting Summer to also see this as a date would be tough, but he was confident that he could get it done. After all, he'd gotten this far. Unfortunately, the thought of being on a date with Summer was getting him quite aroused, and he sat cross-legged in the hopes that it would hide his erection. He was only twelve years old but puberty was hitting him like a truck and he'd gone through some sex education at Signal, so he wasn't entirely innocent. He had no experience though, he'd never even kissed a girl, but he hoped that Summer would be his first.
He took the sandwiches he'd made out of the bag and placed them in the centre of the blanket, there were four overall which meant they could have two each. He then reached back into the bag and took out some packets of crisps, which would pair nicely with the sandwiches. Summer watched with a smile, looking at the sandwiches that were wrapped in foil. They looked delicious! The last thing to come out of the bag was two bottles of water, which he also placed on the blanket. Afterwards, Jaune zipped the backpack up again and placed it to the side.
"I, um... I hope you enjoy," Jaune said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as his face burned red from how hot and flustered he was getting. Gods, this was so nervewracking. Many conversations with Ruby had led to him finding out that Summer's two favourite sandwiches were BLT and ham and cheese, so he made both of those. He'd been preparing for this for months, training hard every day to become an expert at making the tastiest sandwiches possible. Finding the perfect blend of ingredients was hard, but he was sure that he'd managed to do it.
"I'm sure I will, Jaune. These look very tasty," Summer replied in a reassuring tone, sensing that Jaune was nervous and wanting to comfort him. Just as Jaune suspected would happen, Summer reached for the BLT and ham and cheese sandwiches, which was fantastic. He watched with fated breath as she unwrapped the BLT sandwich before bringing it up to her mouth and taking a bite. He was so filled with anxiety at that moment that he thought he might pass out, if this failed then all his plans would be ruined and there would be no way for him to salvage them.
The next few seconds felt like they lasted an eternity. Time seemed to go into slow motion as Jaune sat there, frozen in place. He hadn't touched his food, he was laser-focused on his crush. If he was being honest, he wasn't even that hungry. But that didn't matter, this had never been about him eating. This was about seduction, about proving to Summer that he was the man, or boy, for her. He studied Summer's expression carefully, waiting for the slightest change that would tell him what her opinions were on the sandwich he'd made especially for her.
And then it happened. Summer's face lit up. Jaune felt all the stress leave his body at once, his muscles relaxing as he let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. Summer swallowed the mouthful she'd taken, smiling as she did so. There were a few crumbs on her mouth from the bite, and she stuck out her tongue to lick her lips to get them. That simple act made Jaune's cock throb in his pants, it was more arousing than anything else he'd ever seen in his life. But he couldn't let it show, he couldn't let Summer get suspicious, not when he was doing so well.
"Oh my God, Jaune! This is incredible! Did you really make these all by yourself?" Summer questioned in a shocked tone, barely able to contain her glee from how delectable the sandwich was. That compliment made Jaune blush even more than he already was, and he gave a small nod of his head in response as his eye contact darted away towards the floor. Summer couldn't believe it, she'd gone to world-renowned bakeries that didn't have sandwiches as good as this! It blew her mind to no end and she dove in for another bite, and then another, and then another.
Seeing Jaune in such a flustered state made her giggle, she'd never seen him like that before. Granted, she hadn't seen much of him outside of when he came round to visit Ruby, but still... he was quite cute like this. Was that weird? That she thought he was cute? And not in a 'awww, aren't kids so precious' way. Maybe it was, so she decided to keep that to herself. As adorable as he was, she didn't want to embarrass him further. She returned to eating and finished the BLT sandwich in no time at all, letting out a soft moan of delight afterwards.
"Honestly, that might've been the tastiest thing I've ever eaten. And I've been alive for quite a long time," Summer laughed as she licked her lips again, making sure she got every last crumb of food. Jaune's face was as red as a tomato from all the praise he'd gotten from the woman he loved more than anything else on Remnant, and he felt his spirit soaring to new heights. Not only had he pulled this part of the plan off, it had gone so much better than he ever imagined it would! All that training had paid off and then some, it had been so worth it in the end.
"Wow, uh... thank you, Summer. I made these last night on a whim and I thought I did terribly, so I was kind of expecting you to hate them," Jaune lied through his teeth, knowing that his fabrication would result in Summer viewing him in an even more impressive light. Did he feel bad for lying to her? Of course he did, he cared about her more than he could ever hope to put into words. But at the end of the day, the only way he was going to succeed was by utilising a few clever tricks. After all, he wasn't even a teenager yet and Summer was a married woman.
"Are you kidding? Jaune, these are extraordinary! You are extraordinary! You should consider becoming a chef!" Summer beamed, fully believing the lie that Jaune had told her. Jaune got a giant boost of confidence from Summer's words as adrenaline coursed through his veins, things were going so unbelievably well that he now fully believed that he could pull this off. Summer would be his by the end of the day, he was certain of it. He just had to keep this momentum up and not do anything stupid, how hard could that be? He basically had this in the bag.
To prevent Summer from getting suspicious of him in any way, Jaune grabbed the cheese and egg sandwich he'd made and unwrapped it before starting to eat it. Summer was correct, his sandwiches were mouth-wateringly good. He wasn't that hungry but that didn't stop him from loving it, and he kept every bite in his mouth for as long as possible to truly savour the flavours. He was still eating his first sandwich when Summer reached for the ham and cheese one, much to his elation. This day had been a triumph so far, everything had gone perfectly.
The rest of the picnic went just as excellently, with them laughing and enjoying each other's company as they finished their food and drank their water. The crisps weren't nearly as nice as the sandwiches, but that was to be expected as he'd just bought them from the store with his parents' pocket money. Summer didn't seem to mind though, and that was all that mattered. The next step of the plan was for him to tell Summer how he felt about her, but he wasn't ready for that yet. He needed to do that at the right moment, and that hadn't happened yet.
"So, how long were you playing on staying here, Jaune? Will your parents be picking you up soon?" Summer asked after swallowing the last mouthful of her second sandwich. While she was greatly enjoying Jaune's company, she figured that he wouldn't be staying around much longer. The food had filled her up nicely but she still desired more, she hoped that Ruby would invite Jaune over more often in the future so she could eat more of his sandwiches. If Jaune didn't at least pursue a career in cooking in the future then he was wasting a wonderful talent.
"Oh, the plan at the moment is for me to stay until Monday. But they're okay with me staying longer than that if I want to," Jaune explained, hoping that Summer would take that news well. His parents assumed that he was hanging out with Ruby, and if they ever discovered the truth, they would surely drag him back home and ground him for weeks. He was taking a giant risk here, but that was the only way he could succeed. Summer was stunned into silence by Jaune's admission, and for a moment she thought that he was telling some kind of joke, but no.
How were Jaune's parents okay with him staying with a stranger over three times his age for multiple days!? She didn't know Jaune's parents that well but that seemed insane to her, she couldn't wrap her head around it. She had no reason to assume that Jaune was lying to her, he was such a sweet kid, but... was that really the plan? For him to stay with her until Monday at the very least? She unscrewed the lid on her bottle and drank the rest of her water in one go as she struggled to think of a response to the crazy information she'd just been given.
"I-I see... w-well, I'm back at work on M-Monday, so you'll have to go b-back home then," Summer stammered, still unsure about all this. Where would Jaune sleep? On the sofa? Also, his parents had her number, why didn't they inform her about any of this beforehand? Jaune nodded his head to show he understood as he made a mental note of the new timeframe. If for whatever reason Summer wasn't his by the end of the day, he had until Monday to convince her to become his girlfriend. That was plenty of time! Okay, it was only two days, but still...
Wait a minute, was this it? Was this the right moment for him to tell her how he felt about her? Her opinion of her was the highest it had ever been, she knew that he'd be staying with her for a few more days, and they were all alone in quite a romantic location. Surely this was it! But how should he go about it? He didn't think he'd get this far! Should he build up to it or just get it out in the open as soon as possible? There was a distinct possibility that Summer would reject him, and he had to prepare for that. This was it, he wasn't going to hold back any longer.
"I like you, Summer!" Jaune suddenly blurted out, his face a beet red as he finally confessed his feelings to the woman he'd been in love with since the moment he met her. He was well past the point of no return, there was no turning back now. He placed both his hands on his lap, trying his best to cover his erection which was still wildly out of control. How would she react? A smile appeared on her face which made his breath catch in his throat. Was this it? Was this really happening? Holy shit, it truly seemed as though she was going to accept his advances!
"I like you too, Jaune. You're a great friend to Ruby and I've enjoyed spending time with you today," Summer replied in a nonchalant tone, and Jaune was seconds away from passing out when he realised what was going on here. She said that way too casually for it to be inferred in a romantic context, which meant... Summer thought he meant that he liked her as a friend, didn't she? No, no no! That wasn't how this was supposed to go! How was he going to fix this? He had to be much more explicit with his feelings, it was the only way for her to realise the truth.
This wasn't the end of the world, this was salvageable. Everything had gone so flawlessly so far, he couldn't mess it up now. He grabbed his water bottle and chugged the rest of it, trying desperately to find the courage inside himself to do what he needed to do. The only way this would work was if he was confident, if his seduction was clumsy and awkward then Summer would reject him in an instant. When he finished his water he placed the empty bottle off to the side before taking a deep breath and calming his nerves. He could do this, he could do this.
"No, I mean... I like you, like you, Summer," Jaune confessed in the most self-assured tone he could muster, staring deeply into Summer's silver eyes as he did so. There was no way she could misinterpret that, right? It was pretty blatant. Summer tilted her head to the right slightly in confusion for a moment, but then her eyes went as wide as plates when she realised what Jaune meant, and then she began laughing. Jaune wasn't sure how to take that, was that a positive or negative reaction? She didn't seem to be mad, so that was a good thing... right?
"Oh Jaune, I... that's very sweet of you, but I'm afraid I don't feel the same way. You're so young, Jaune, and I'm happily married to the most wonderful man I know. But thank you for telling me, that was very brave of you," Summer responded in a gentle tone, not disgusted in any way. Jaune was only twelve years old, he didn't know any better. There was no reason for her to get angry at him for something like that. It was more adorable than anything, especially with how much he was blushing, she just wanted to reach forward and pinch his little red cheek!
Jaune felt his heart being pushed through a grinder, crushed into a million tiny pieces. Summer... had rejected him outright, she hadn't even given it any thought. He didn't understand, what did he do wrong? The sandwiches were perfect! She was loving his company! They were having a romantic picnic! All the stars had aligned but then they drifted apart at the last moment, much to his disappointment. Was it over? Should he just admit defeat and go home? There was little reason for him to stay with Summer if she wasn't at all interested in him in that way.
No... no, that would be the cowardly thing to do. He couldn't give up, there was still a chance for him to get what he'd wanted for so long. An extremely small chance, sure, but a chance nonetheless. He tried not to let his sadness show on his face, he didn't want Summer to pity him. This was a sign that he was going to have to up his game, and he was more than willing to do that. After all, there was nothing he wouldn't do for Summer. An awkward silence was forming fast and he knew he didn't have much time before he lost his opportunity, it was now or never.
"But you're so beautiful, Summer. You're so kind and funny and I love being around you," Jaune spoke, inching closer to Summer as he moved the empty packets of crisps out of the way. He'd never flirted with anyone before, Summer was the only girl he'd ever been interested in. He didn't think he'd have to do this, and he'd never been great at improvisation, both in conversation and on the battlefield, but he had to try. In the absolute worst case scenario that this didn't work, at the very least he hoped that it would give Summer a boost of confidence.
"Oh wow... I, um... your words are very flattering, Jaune. But I'd like you to stop now, you're making me rather uncomfortable," Summer chuckled nervously, afraid that Jaune was going to ruin the great day they were having. Was he really that into her? He was only twelve years old! What did he know about romance? Did he really think she was beautiful? Was this some kind of dare put on him by Qrow? Knowing that dusty old bird, it wouldn't have surprised her if that was the case. She shifted away from him slightly, hoping her discomfort would get him to stop.
Her words came as a gut punch to Jaune, but he wasn't going to admit defeat just yet. Basic compliments weren't working, which meant he was going to have to pour his heart out to her. If that didn't work then he would be out of options and he would have to give up, but he prayed to the Gods he didn't even believe in that it wouldn't come to that. He continued to inch closer to her even as she moved away, he hated that he was causing her distress but it was the only way this would work. She'd understand eventually, once she realised she loved him too.
"Ruby is my best friend, but every time I've come round it's been to see you. I love getting lost in your shining silver eyes, I love those double chocolate chip cookies you bake, I love how you stifle your giggles when you don't want to get caught laughing at an inappropriate joke Tai made, I love the way your hips shake when you walk, I love fantasising about you picking me up and holding me in your big, strong arms. I love everything about you," Jaune continued, passion dripping from his voice with every word as he trailed his fingers up and down Summer's leg.
Against all odds, this time his compliments seemed to have a positive effect because Summer started blushing. And not only were her cheeks now a cherry pink, but she was no longer moving away from him. Was this it? Had he done it? Countless thoughts were racing through Summer's head at a million miles an hour, the way Jaune just spoke to her made her feel all tingly inside. Those flattering remarks came from the soul, she could tell, and it completely changed how she saw him. He was deeply in love with her in a way she previously didn't think was even possible.
"Do you... do you really mean that?" Summer replied, her voice barely above a whisper as she bit her lower lip gently. Nobody had ever spoken to her like that before, not even Tai. The way Jaune was running his fingers up and down her leg sent a shiver down her spine, and she was getting all hot and flustered. The want to move away had totally left her mind, now she just desired to be close to him. Everything about how he'd treated her made so much more sense, not just in regards to that day, but every day since they first met several years ago.
"Yes, Summer, I mean it. Every last word," Jaune confirmed with a nod of his head, a serious tone in his voice. This wasn't a joke, this wasn't a trick, this was real, and he needed Summer to understand that. He was so close, the finish line was in sight, all he had to do was not stumble at the last hurdle. He had her right where he wanted her. Summer's heart pounded in her chest and she swallowed hard before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. This was wrong on so many levels, she was married and had two children and Jaune wasn't even a teenager yet!
But as much as she wanted to, there was no denying how she felt. She was seeing Jaune in a brand new light, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this loved. In fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever felt this loved in her whole life, not even when Tai proposed to her. She tucked a strand of her dark red hair behind her ear, which made Jaune's heart skip a beat. He'd seen girls do that in porn before, was that a sign that she liked him back? He really hoped it was! He didn't want to get ahead of himself or jinx himself, but things were looking the best they ever had.
"We should head back to the house, it looks like it'll rain soon," Summer uttered suddenly, pulling away from Jaune and climbing to her feet. Jaune looked up and frowned, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining brightly. Summer clearly had an ulterior motive here, but he had no idea what it was, she was impossible to read. Summer turned away from Jaune and brought her hand up to her mouth to bite on her fingernails anxiously, she could end up doing something she'd regret if she wasn't careful here, and that frightened her to no end.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Jaune responded with a shrug of his shoulders, deciding to just go along with it and see what happens. Arguing with Summer could destroy all the goodwill he'd worked so hard to gain, and that wasn't a risk he was willing to take. Summer placed her arm back by her side before leading the way back down the steep hill, with Jaune following closely. Going down the hill was much easier but it was also much more dangerous, one wrong move could result in them slipping and rolling all the way to the bottom which would hurt a lot.
As they walked back to the house in silence, Jaune couldn't help but wonder if he'd succeeded massively or failed miserably, because at that point it really was one or the other. Would Summer agree to date him, or would she slam the door in his face and tell him to get lost? Or maybe... maybe she'd go as far as to take his virginity? His stomach was all tied up in knots and the anticipation was killing him, but he didn't dare open his mouth. There was nothing else he could do to seduce Summer, now he just had to cross his fingers and hope for the best.