Summary: Jaune, Weiss, and an afternoon out.

If Only

RWBY

The hills were alive with the sound of Zwei barking. Butterflies scattered in the wind as he scampered through the fields, basking in the sunlight.

"He's… really into it," said Jaune Arc, bewildered. "I can't blame him though, with all the rain lately." He looked around. "Uh… Weiss?"

"Hmm?" Weiss Schnee blinked out of her reverie. "Um… yeah. Sorry, it's just… it's just that ohhhhh look at him he's so adorable!" She clapped her hands over her mouth to suppress her squeal.

Jaune only sighed. He was used to this by now.

In between the tests and the missions that came with being a third year student at Beacon, times of relaxation were few and far between. And when such opportunities arose, they were welcomed with open arms. Not everyone could be Penny, after all.

A groan escaped Jaune's mouth as he collapsed on the grass. "Phew," he breathed, looking at Zwei chasing a dandelion. "I now know the feeling li'l guy. Feels good to be out." He looked up at his companion. "Weiss?"

No response.

"Weiss?"

"Mmhmm?" Slowly and painstakingly, Weiss tore her gaze from Zwei. "What?"

Jaune patted the grass next to him. "Sit."

She hesitated. "But-"

"Zwei will be fine."

More hesitation. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Sparing one more look at Zwei, Weiss' boots crunched their way over to Jaune. She sat down, smoothing out her skirt as she did so.

Jaune shook his head. "What is it with girls and cute animals?"

"Aw…" Weiss nudged him. "Is someone jealous that a precious little corgi is more of a ladies' man than he is?"

"Tch-wha-?! No!" he scoffed. "I am totally fine with being emasculated by a dog."

Pause.

"That's… not something I'd personally be proud of," she said.

"It's not against the law to be more in touch with your feminine side."

"That explains the shampoo."

"Aha, so you noticed!"

Laughter rippled through the fields. A butterfly returned and landed on Zwei's nose. Seconds later, he sneezed, scaring the butterfly off. With a yip he gave chase, determined to catch the sneeze-starter.

"He's just so cute!" said Weiss.

Jaune sighed. "Believe it or not, sometimes I think I preferred it all those years ago when you actually lived up to your nickname…"

Weiss laughed. "So does my father," she said wryly.

"Ooh," he grimaced. "Sorry, bad timing?"

"No, no," she shook her head. "It's okay. Really."

Still, as she said that, though the world in front of them looked completely the same, it wasn't. The sun got that much dimmer. The sky got that much darker. The wind got that much colder.

"What did uh…?" Jaune paused. "What did he want this time?"

"Um…" Weiss thought for a moment. "He still doesn't have an opinion of you?" she offered.

"Good, let's keep it that way," he said. "I plan to die an old man, that you very much."

"You're being overdramatic," she sighed, giving him a look.

The butterfly landed on a sunflower. Like a predator, Zwei stalked his prey. Creeping, creeping, and… spring! He dove headfirst into nothing, the butterfly fluttering above him in jest.

"What else did he want?" Jaune asked.

A bitter laugh. "You know what," Weiss said.

"Still? After all this time?"

"Even more so because of all this time."

A grimace. "All for the legacy, huh?" he murmured.

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p'. "Just the way it's always been."

The two sat there for a while, watching Zwei and the butterfly engage in a deadly game of tag. No matter what he did, Zwei was just far too slow. It was almost pitiful to see after a while.

"I kind of… get it," said Jaune. "Not to your extent, of course. That's completely apples and oranges," he added. "But uh, I sort of understand the pressure. I mean, my great-great-grandfather's a war hero! It's… quite a name to live up to."

"Well, my father's a renowned racist slave driver who's made an enemy of every Faunus in the world," Weiss panned. "So there's the bar. I'll try not to trip."

"Like I said, apples to oranges."

Exhausted, Zwei rolled himself onto his back, panting heavily. He had given up. The butterfly was far too good of an opponent for him to match. The butterfly lazed around in circles above him mockingly.

"Sometimes," said Jaune, looking off into the distance. "I think that it'd be nice, if…"

"If?" Weiss pressed.

"If… if only for a moment, we could just sit here and not be anyone," he said. "Like, I could just be a guy with no pressures to live up to the family name." He turned to Weiss. "And you could just be a girl with no troubles in your family."

"Troubles would be putting it lightly," she said dryly.

Jaune laughed. "I know, I know. But, wouldn't it be nice, if only for a just moment, we could be two people without a care in the world. No pressures, no nothing. Just… freedom." He smiled. "That'd be something, wouldn't it?"

Weiss stared back at him. It was as if in that moment that the spell cast earlier on the world began to reverse. The sun got that much brighter. The sky got that much lighter. The wind got that much warmer.

The corners of her mouth began to slowly upturn.

"Yeah."

She leaned in.

"If only."

If Only Fin

- Narutochaos22