Beacon Academy – Team RWBY's Dorm
The room was lively, filled with laughter, playful arguments, and the occasional victorious cheer as the group indulged in a rare night of relaxation.
Onyx, for once, had no paperwork to do—which meant he could actually join in on the fun this time.
Movies had been watched.
Games had been played.
And now… they had somehow ended up playing Truth or Dare.
Nora was the loudest advocate for the game, naturally. "Alright, alright! Who's next?!" she asked, bouncing excitedly.
Hemera, curled up comfortably in Onyx's lap, suddenly perked up, a mischievous glint sparkling in her silver eyes. She sat up, looking straight at Ruby.
"Ruby!" she chirped. "Truth or dare?"
Ruby blinked. She had been expecting someone else to get picked, but with everyone's attention suddenly on her, she hesitated for only a second before answering, "Uh… dare?"
Hemera's grin widened. She had the look of a child who had just thought of the best idea ever.
"I dare you to make out with Papa for five minutes!"
Silence.
Dead silence.
Ruby turned a shade of red that almost rivaled her cloak.
Onyx raised an eyebrow, but he didn't look fazed in the slightest.
Yang, Weiss, and Blake all choked on their drinks.
Jaune's brain short-circuited.
Ren blinked calmly.
Nora fist-pumped. "YES! This is the content I signed up for!"
Pyrrha giggled behind her hand.
Even Penny, who had joined in for the night, tilted her head in curiosity. "This seems like an intense bonding activity!"
Hemera, completely innocent in her intentions, tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
Ruby's mouth opened and closed like a fish. "I—I—uh—well—I—"
Onyx, meanwhile, was watching her with his usual calm expression. His amethyst eyes held no judgment, no teasing amusement—just quiet patience.
"You don't have to if you're uncomfortable," he said simply.
But now, it was a challenge.
Ruby's competitive streak flared up. 'Oh, it's just a dare. It's fine. It's totally fine. It's just five minutes—'
Before she knew it, she had grabbed Onyx by the collar and crashed her lips onto his.
The room erupted.
Yang's soul left her body.
Weiss nearly passed out.
Blake hid behind her book—but was definitely watching.
Nora whooped. "GO, RUBY!"
Jaune was in shock. "I—uh—should we be—?"
Pyrrha covered her mouth, blushing.
Ren remained completely unbothered.
Penny clapped. "Oh! I believe Ruby is experiencing great enthusiasm in this moment!"
What was supposed to be an innocent kiss quickly became heated.
Ruby tilted her head, deepening it.
Her fingers curled into Onyx's shirt, pulling him closer.
Her tongue brushed against his lips—
And then Onyx actually responded.
A quiet growl rumbled in his throat as he parted his lips just slightly, allowing her to deepen the kiss even further.
The others could only watch in stunned silence as Onyx, who had been entirely passive up until now, subtly tilted his head to match Ruby's rhythm.
Yang dropped her drink.
Weiss squeaked.
Blake stared.
Jaune stammered. "O-Okay, five minutes is over, right? RIGHT?!"
But Ruby didn't stop.
And Onyx… let her continue.
The air was thick with tension.
At least, until Yang finally snapped out of her daze and hurled a pillow at them.
"RUBY!" she yelled. "TIME'S UP! STOP MAKING OUT WITH ONYX IN FRONT OF US!"
Ruby jerked back, breathless, her wide eyes staring at Onyx in shock.
Oh no.
Oh no no no no no no.
Her face burned hotter than a forge. "I—uh—um—"
Onyx, completely calm, simply wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Hn."
Silence.
Then, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Hemera grinned brightly.
"I like Ruby the most!" she declared.
The room descended into chaos.
Weiss buried her face in her hands. "This is so improper—"
Yang looked betrayed. "RUBY, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
Blake let out a tiny amused smirk from behind her book. "Interesting."
Nora was having the time of her life. "BEST. NIGHT. EVER."
Pyrrha giggled, shaking her head.
Jaune was still trying to process. "D-Did Onyx just—?"
Ren, unfazed as ever, simply took a sip of his tea.
Penny clapped excitedly. "I am so happy to witness human romantic interactions!"
Ruby, meanwhile, was still frozen in pure mortification.
She had won the dare.
But at what cost?
Onyx, still completely composed, looked at her with those calm, unreadable amethyst eyes.
"…You kissed me longer than five minutes," he said flatly.
Ruby wanted to die.
Three Days Later
The days following the incident had been… interesting.
For one, Ruby hadn't been able to look anyone in the eye for a full twenty-four hours. Every time Yang so much as opened her mouth, Ruby had vanished at speeds that even Weiss begrudgingly admitted were impressive.
The others had mostly left her alone—except for Nora, who wouldn't stop grinning at her like she had won the lottery.
But the worst part?
Onyx.
The infuriatingly calm, unshakable, stupidly attractive wolf Faunus had acted like nothing happened.
No teasing.
No smug looks.
No awkwardness.
Just… the same unreadable, ever-composed Onyx Thorn.
And it was driving Ruby crazy.
Because now, she couldn't stop thinking about it.
How warm his lips had been.
The quiet growl he made when he actually kissed her back.
The way his amethyst eyes had flickered with something—just for a second—before returning to that damn calm expression.
So yeah.
Ruby had a problem.
And she was going to fix it.
Step One: Casual Physical Contact.
Day one of Operation Slowly Win Over Onyx began with small, innocent touches.
Nothing too obvious.
Nothing too bold.
Just… small things.
Like sitting just a little closer to him on the couch.
Or brushing her fingers against his when they passed something to each other.
Or leaning in when he spoke, as if she were listening extra carefully.
If Onyx noticed, he didn't say anything.
Which was frustrating.
But Ruby was persistent.
---
Step Two: Subtle Compliments.
Day two required a different approach. If Onyx wasn't reacting to touch, maybe words would get through to him.
"Your eyes are really cool, y'know?" she said casually during a training session.
Onyx glanced at her. "Hn."
Ruby scowled. That's not an answer!
"…I mean, they're kinda mesmerizing," she pressed, twirling Crescent Rose between her fingers. "Like, they're this deep amethyst, but sometimes they glow, and—"
"Ruby."
She nearly choked on her own spit. "Wh-what?"
Onyx stared at her, expression unreadable as always. Then, with deliberate slowness, he stepped closer.
Too close.
Ruby barely had time to react before she found herself trapped between Onyx and the training room wall.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Onyx tilted his head. "Are you trying to do something?"
Ruby's brain short-circuited.
Abort. ABORT. ABORT—
"I—uh—what—hahaha, noooo, why would I—"
Onyx blinked. Then, as if deciding she wasn't worth the effort, he simply stepped back.
"Your attacks are slowing down. Focus."
And just like that, the moment was over.
Ruby, gripping Crescent Rose like a lifeline, let out a very dignified squeak.
Oh.
Oh, this was going to be harder than she thought.
Day 2
Ruby refused to lose.
Onyx might have been unreadable, but she knew he wasn't oblivious. He had to have noticed by now. No way could someone as perceptive as him just ignore what she was doing.
So, if he wasn't going to react to subtlety—
Then maybe it was time to be a little bolder.
Nothing too crazy.
Just… a bit more intentional than yesterday.
Step Three: Stealing His Personal Space.
It started at breakfast.
Team RWBY, along with Onyx and a few others, had gathered in the cafeteria. As usual, Onyx sat at the edge of the group, his posture relaxed but always just alert enough to spring into action if needed. Hemera was happily munching on pancakes beside him, swinging her legs as she chatted with Nora.
Ruby took a breath.
Then, before anyone could question it, she plopped down right next to Onyx—closer than usual.
As in, their thighs barely had any space between them.
If Onyx was surprised, he didn't show it. He simply continued eating.
Okay. Fine. You wanna play it cool?
Ruby hummed thoughtfully, leaning slightly toward him under the guise of grabbing a piece of toast. "Y'know," she started, "you never really told me what your favorite food is."
Onyx spared her a glance. "Hn."
Ruby huffed. "That's not an answer, broody wolf."
At that, Hemera perked up. "Papa really likes grilled meat! And noodles! Oh! And he makes really good coffee, too!"
Onyx sighed but didn't deny it.
Ruby smirked. Progress.
She leaned just a bit more, resting her elbow on the table, her chin in her hand. "Huh. Never would've guessed. You always seem like the type to live off black coffee and intimidation."
Onyx side-eyed her. "That's what you think of me?"
Ruby grinned. "I dunno. Maybe I'll have to observe you more closely to figure you out."
His eyes flickered over her for a brief second—before he looked back at his food.
Still no reaction.
Damn it.
---
Step Four: Testing His Limits.
Later that evening, the group was hanging out in the common area.
It was casual—just a laid-back night where everyone was doing their own thing. Yang and Nora were engaged in some kind of arm-wrestling rematch, Weiss was reading, and Blake was definitely pretending not to watch another trashy romance novel adaptation.
Ruby?
She had claimed the best seat in the room.
Which happened to be right next to Onyx.
Again.
This time, she didn't just sit near him. She leaned into his side, resting lightly against his shoulder.
If Onyx had noticed her antics before, now she was forcing his hand.
And yet…
No reaction.
At all.
Not a single twitch. Not a single glance.
Ruby frowned.
Was he really this unshakable? Or was he just messing with her?
Determined, she pushed her limits further—shifting just enough to let her hand brush against his.
Still nothing.
Ruby's eye twitched. 'Alright, you stubborn wolf, you asked for it'.
She shifted again, this time slipping her entire arm through his.
Yang, who had been watching in amusement, immediately choked on her drink.
Weiss, glancing up from her book, nearly dropped it.
Nora silently pumped her fist in encouragement.
And Onyx?
Still. No. Reaction.
Ruby pouted. "You're no fun," she muttered, leaning against him just a little more.
Onyx finally glanced at her. "You're being unusually clingy."
She tilted her head, giving him her best innocent look. "Am I? I hadn't noticed."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
For a second—a brief second—she thought she saw something flicker across his face.
But then it was gone, replaced with that ever-stoic calm.
"Hn."
Ruby pouted harder.
Okay. He's good. But I'm better.
Tomorrow?
She was escalating.
Day 3
Ruby was done playing it safe.
She had tried being subtle. She had tried stealing his space. She had even wrapped her arm through his, and the infuriatingly unreadable wolf had still acted like it was nothing.
It was time for drastic measures.
Nothing too crazy.
Nothing too bold.
Just… enough to make him react.
---
Step Five: The Whisper Attack.
The morning started off normal enough.
Breakfast.
Small talk.
Hemera cheerfully making Onyx eat more than just coffee.
But Ruby had a plan today.
And it started in combat class.
Since Onyx was their professor, it was usually impossible to get under his skin during training. His control was insane.
But Ruby was persistent.
When it was her turn to spar, she made sure to do just well enough to get his attention—forcing him to analyze her movements, to focus on her.
Then, when she just barely missed a counterattack and Onyx moved in to correct her stance, she struck.
Ruby leaned in—too close—and whispered, "You're really warm, y'know that?"
It was so quick, so low that no one else could hear.
And for half a second—Onyx hesitated.
Not much.
Just a flicker.
A tiny pause before he adjusted her grip and murmured, "Focus, Ruby."
But she saw it.
She felt it.
Victory.
A small one, but a victory nonetheless.
---
Step Six: The 'Innocent' Touches.
That afternoon, she turned things up another notch.
She waited until everyone was settled in the common area again, casually lounging after a long day.
This time, Ruby didn't just sit next to Onyx.
She collapsed against him.
Dramatically.
With zero shame.
"Ughhh," she groaned, resting her full weight against his side. "I'm sooo tired."
Onyx—who had been calmly reading—merely glanced at her. "Then go to bed."
"Nooo," she whined, nuzzling into his shoulder. "This is more comfortable."
Silence.
Weiss let out a scandalized noise. "R-Ruby!"
Yang, across the room, had to physically cover her mouth to stop from laughing.
Nora was grinning so hard her face might split in half.
But Onyx?
Onyx was still acting like this was normal.
His only reaction was a small sigh as he adjusted his book slightly to keep reading.
Ruby huffed. Okay. Fine. You wanna be stubborn?
She shifted, curling against him just enough to lace her fingers through his.
Onyx froze.
It was subtle.
So subtle that anyone who wasn't staring at him might have missed it.
But Ruby saw the briefest pause in his breath.
The slight twitch of his fingers.
The barest flicker of something unreadable in his amethyst eyes.
And then—
"Hn."
He didn't pull away.
Didn't move.
But he also didn't stop her.
Ruby beamed.
That was progress.
And she was just getting started.