Heyo, Constable Paperbag here. I thought I might write a cute little Arkos fic, to appease all you shippers out there. Please enjoy:
Pyrrha waited until everyone else had fallen asleep.
It was easy enough to do, for she had more than enough energy due to her excitement. She had a plan tonight. One that required everyone - especially him - to be unconscious for.
It had all started when she had a talk with Ruby, after seeing what she had done with her team - how she managed to get Weiss to spend the entire day with her, and even make her sister give her money and the keys to her motorbike.
Apparently, Ruby had learnt a hypnosis technique from somewhere she didn't care to reveal, and the results when performed worked every time. She was then kind enough to share with Pyrrha the methods of hypnotising people. All she had to do, was wait until her subject was asleep, and then she'd whisper subliminal commands into their ear. The next morning, said subject would follow these commands without hesitation.
Tonight, she would see how well this technique would play out.
She stared down at the object of her desire - her team leader. It was obvious the two were made for each other. Everybody saw it and everyone knew it. Well, everyone except him. Despite her subtle advances and looks, he never seemed to get the message.
Perhaps all he needed was a gentle nudge in the right direction…
"Jaaaune~" she whispered, directly into his ear.
"Mmm, Weiss…" he mumbled happily in his sleep.
Her eye twitched. She would help him forget all about that frigid bitch.
"Jaune, tomorrow morning, you'll no longer have romantic feelings for Weiss."
"Not… possible…"
"No, very possible. Very very possible. Instead, you'll fall in love with your partner."
"Pyrrha?..."
"Yes, good boy," she cooed, running a hand through his soft hair. Now it was time to give him his instructions. "Tomorrow morning, you will confess your feelings to her, and then ask her out on a date."
Her heart fluttered at the thought. She wouldn't tell him where to take her. That would be a nice surprise.
"But… might ruin… friendship."
Damn it, even in his sleep he was dense.
"You don't want to be her friend, Jaune. You want to be her boyfriend. It's all you've ever wanted." She wondered how to make it more convincing, when an idea came to her head. "It's the least you can do to repay her for all those training sessions~"
"The least… I can do…" He seemed to think it over in his sleep. "Your right… must… love… Pyrrha."
She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop her squee of delight. It was happening. It was finally happening!
"That's right, Jaune," she said after composing herself. "You want to make her happy. You want to love her forever and ever."
"Forever and ever…" His mouth formed a small smile. "I will love Pyrrha… forever and ever…"
"Yes you will, Jaune," she smiled, taking a risk by reaching over to kiss him on the lips. "Yes you will."
She then climbed back into bed, twisting and turning in excitement for the next day. She didn't know how she was going to sleep through all her excitement, but somehow, sleep took hold of her. Tomorrow he'd be hers.
Forever and ever.
[/]
Who needs an alarm clock, when you have Nora as a teammate?
Team JNPR alway awoke to the sound of her merry chanting about 'seizing the day' or something along those lines. She wondered if this was something Ren had to deal with for most of his life. Poor guy…
When she first saw Jaune, he quickly looked down at the ground, unable to look her in the eye. This continued for the majority of the day. Her heart went into overdrive.
Had it worked? Did her methods have any effect on him? She decided to test it by asking him some questions. She waited until they were both alone, before she made an advance on him.
"Are you okay, Jaune," she asked with fake curiosity. "You look a little nervous."
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled, still not looking up at her. A blush was forming on his face.
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong, Jaune? I'll always be here to help if you need me?"
Oh, he'll need her alright. If everything went how she planned, she would be all he'd ever think about.
"Well… I guess there is something on my mind," he said nervously, finally bringing his head up to look at her. "Pyrrha, you and I, we make a good pair, yes?"
She smiled. "Jaune, being partnered with you is a wonderful thing."
"That's great to hear. But thing is, I've been wondering if we would make a good… couple."
Jackpot!
"Jaune, what are you saying?" she gasped, whilst cheering on the inside. It had worked. She would have to buy Ruby a truckload of cookies for this gift.
"I guess I'm saying… didyouwannagooutwithme?" He said the words so quickly she could barely keep up. She pretty much knew what he said, but she wanted to hear it loud and clear.
"What was that?"
He took a deep breath. "Did you wanna go out with me?"
He might as well have proposed to her, based on her reaction. Tears welled up in her eye and her mouth stretched into a wide smile. She threw herself at him, enveloping him in a crushing hug.
"I would love to," she cried. "Oh Jaune, you have no idea how happy this makes me." She then sealed the deal with a searing kiss, one that he obediently returned.
This was perfect. The man of her dreams had finally returned her feelings. Sure, she influenced his decision a little bit, but their relationship was bound to happen eventually. All she did was speed things up a bit.
They were a match made in heaven and it was time to prove it. He'd be by her side and she by his.
Forever and ever.
[/]
Since that day, Pyrrha's life couldn't be better.
Tournament fights and hunting couldn't compare to the rush she felt when she was around him. She was addicted to his love, his company and everything else about him. He was perfection wrapped up in a blonde, goofy package. And he was hers.
Everyone approved of the relationship, naturally. Nora boasted about being the first to ship it, whilst everyone else gave their congratulations. Weiss especially was happy about it, but this was mostly due to the fact that Jaune would now stop pestering her. Well, she certainly got her wish, as he never even batted an eye at her anymore.
They were the perfect couple. They never argued, never fought. A lover's quarrel was an unheard concept to them. People were jealous over how easily the clicked. For once, Pyrrha basked in the jealousy of others, proud of herself for finding her soulmate.
Jaune rarely spent time with anyone else except her. He was always by her side, accompanying her through her daily walk of life. She loved this, as she just couldn't get enough of him. He was so obedient as well; he always knew when she wanted kisses, when she wanted cuddles, when she needed to be comforted. She was a princess, and he was her knight. It was like something out of a fairy tale.
She would always remember the first time he said 'I love you' to her. She thought her heart would stop right then and there. It had been when they were alone in their dorm, a rare thing in of itself. She told him she loved him too, and the next thing she knew, she was beside him naked under his bed sheets. It was perfect.
Shortly after graduation, they ended up getting married. Now they were legally bound together by law, although they certainly didn't need some stuffy government official telling them they could spend the rest of their lives together. They looked even better holding hands, now that they had matching rings on their fingers.
Once they had children, he had long given up his career as a huntsman, instead choosing to look after the kids. He was an excellent father, teaching them all the values they needed in life, whilst she was off being the breadwinner. Under their love and guidance, they raised a perfect family, one that was admired by all.
Pyrrha never really believed in the concept of 'happily ever after'. That sort of thing was reserved for children's books and movies. But frankly, her life from then on was pretty much one big romance movie. To think meeting him had all been due to simple luck and a little initiative on her part. Weiss honestly didn't know what she was missing out on. Come to think of it, she didn't really know what any of Team RWBY were up to these days. She still kept in contact with Ren and Nora, but she rarely ever made contact with anyone in her old life, for she had invested too much time into her family. She never complained, as her husband and children provided her everything she ever wanted.
She could proudly say, she had achieved her own 'happily ever after'. Something she'd never thought she'd admit until now.
Alas, age caught up with all of them, and soon Pyrrha found herself old and weak. She was surprised to learn that her body had given in first, but it was okay, for she had her knight looking after her. He attended to her every need, doing everything he could to make her comfortable, never leaving her side. He held her hand in her last moments, a small smile on his face. She looked up at him with more love than ever before. He had aged like fine wine, his eyes still glowing with youth and love.
She died without fear, completely satisfied with her life. Even when death came, she knew he would always be by her side. They were soulmates, and they would always be together.
Forever and ever.
[/]
Jaune Arc was screaming.
Even if no sound of distress came from his smiling face, he was still howling on the inside.
What the hell was happening to him? Where had these feelings for his partner suddenly come from? Sure, she was pretty, he would never deny that, but to be this in love with her all of a sudden? He had never felt this way about anyone before, not even Weiss.
He tried fighting his feelings that first day, but every time he resisted they came back with more force than ever. They burned inside him with a heat that felt like he was going to explode. It was so terrible, yet so wonderful at the same time.
When he had asked her out, it felt like he wasn't even saying the words himself. It felt like they were forcing their way out of him, no matter how hard he tried to fight back. He was hoping she would reject him - that by doing so, she might smother the agonising fire for her in his heart.
His despair when she agreed…
After that, his fate was sealed. He stuck with her like a tumour, never leaving her side. Everytime he spent too far away from her, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart, like a million needles jabbing into him, where only her presence would free him from the agony. His body would always tremble at the thought of ever having to leave her side…
He fed on her compliments and love like a leech. He absorbed every bit of affection she sent his way, as it was sometimes the only thing that kept him alive during the day. He couldn't imagine the idea of ever upsetting her. The pain would be excruciating, literally. As such, he did everything he could to appease her, hoping that she would keep him around a little while longer, if only to spare himself from such dreadful agony.
The sight of another woman made him want to claw his eyes out. He could barely interact with Nora and the rest of Team RWBY without his eyes starting to sting. There was something venomous about them now, something that repelled him away from them. Every time he was in the presence of another woman for too long, his body and mind would ache for Pyrrha's return. And when she did return, his body would ache again, only it felt horribly pleasant this time.
And the worst part, was that she seemed to be enjoying this. She loved every moment with him, which only fueled his fire even more. He was completely dependent on her, following her every footsteps like a damn dog. She could've have asked him to do anything, and he would do it without hesitation. He even gave up his dream for her, so that she could continue living hers.
This was not love, this was sickness. Her love was practically life support to him, but he felt disgusting receiving it. No matter her looks or accomplishments, it didn't change the fact that Jaune Arc was simply not in love with Pyrrha Nikos…
Except he was...
What had she done? What the hell had she done to him!?
His life past too slowly for his liking. He was currently sitting on his bed, holding his wife's hand, watching her take her last breath. It was a shame to see her go - he would never deny the friendship they once had - but for a moment, he felt hope. Maybe he was free? Maybe with her passing, he might have a life of his own again.After waiting a few moments after her death, he tried leaving the room, hoping to test his theory.
The pain in his heart shot through him, threatening to rip him to pieces unless he returned to his wife. He crawled back to her body, holding her hand tightly to ease his pain.
His children, now fully grown adults, came into the room to see the situation. He looked back at them with despair in his eyes.
There was no escape. His life was tied to hers.
Forever and ever.
Those who control the heartstrings are the real puppet masters...