A/N: Heya, everyone! I promised venashade1 a Valentine Arkos fic so I figure I might as well deliver. I feel kinda bad about the end since it was pretty rushed (not the Bonus, just the last bit) but overall I'm happy enough with it. I hope you all enjoy it!
Don't forget to give me a review, constructive crit or compliments, I dig both. Prefer crit but hey I'll take people liking my stuff too.
I do not own RWBY or any of the characters involved in it. They are owned by RoosterTeeth and Monty Oum, those wonderful people.
Jaune was doubled over, his panting breath coming out in crystalized bursts. His lungs burned as he gulped down cold winter air as he pushed himself into a standing position. Grabbing Crocea Mors out of the small snowy bank in front of him, the leader of Team JNPR took up a defensive stance, shield at the forefront.
His vision was still blurry and his ears rang from the last blow but he couldn't give up. He remembered the breathing exercises Pyrrha had taught him and tried to calm his nerves. But the thought of his partner… It resulted in the exact opposite. Her bewitching, soft smile that reassured him that everything would be fine… Her glimmering emerald eyes, full of joy and kindness… Her silky long crimson hair, swinging in the snow like a candle flame against the white night… Her gold and red weaponry, flying towards him like a speeding arrow, preparing to pierce his heart…
The last thought registered with barely enough time for the blond boy to brace himself as the flying spear slammed into his shield. However, he made the poor decision to try and block the attack on an icy patch, which ended with him reeling and crashing onto the soft wet snow behind him. The fall hadn't hurt him anywhere but his pride, as he slowly pushed himself back to his feet.
Once he finished brushing the white powder off, Pyrrha had arrived by his side. "I'm sorry…" she said meekly, rubbing the back of her neck and smiling nervously. "You almost had it that time though!"
As much as he appreciated the notion, Jaune knew she was only being nice. The training had been going well but he had hit a wall. And it wasn't from any lack of effort or hitting his maximum potential. No, it was much more straight forward and somewhat embarrassing for Jaune. He had fallen for his mentor. And he had fallen hard.
Even when he first met the Amazonian goddess who was his partner, he had found her incredibly attractive. She was incredibly stunning and it didn't take a genius to pick up on that. But when she ended up allying herself with him and proved to have some bizarrely misplaced interest in him? He was afraid. Having spent most of his youth being bullied and pushed around, he didn't quite have an easy time trusting people. For reasons that seemed almost comical now, he never opened up to Pyrrha. That is, until the night he blew his cover.
When she found out he had cheated to get into Beacon, she had still been willing to help him. And even then, he had rejected her. The memory filled Jaune with deep shame. Even after that, Pyrrha had welcomed him back with open arms and offered to help him improve.
He wasn't the sharpest blade in the armory so the realization that he was head over heels for her took about a month of practicing to truly sink in. What he had first seen as a beautiful warrior became a beautiful woman and then a beautiful person. Everything about her was perfect, for Jaune couldn't think of any better way to describe Pyrrha. Sure, she had flaws but that's what made her perfect in his mind. Her chewed up fingernails, the occasional stutter and pause in her speech, the way she sometimes spaced out around him… All of these traits enamoured Jaune to her more and more. Because, in some incredibly shallow and superficial ways, the two were alike.
Jaune's inner narration was interrupted by a playful jab to the shoulder. "You there?" asked Pyrrha, grinning softly.
"Huh…? Oh, yeah, sorry!" Jaune chuckled quietly. "I'm sure I'll do better next time, coach!" Swinging his arm, he flashed a smile with all the false confidence he could muster. However, judging by the downcast look he caught in her eyes, he hadn't fooled her.
He had to figure out how to deal with his emotions towards Pyrrha and fast.
Pyrrha was mentally steeling herself as she watched the snow fall on top of her fallen partner, jogging slowly up to him. She did her best to mask the disappointment she was feeling about her partner. For the last week or so his dedication to training had been waning. And it had all been going so swimmingly as well…
However, upon reaching her sparring mate, the need to mask disappointment vanished like the breath from her lungs. The light from the shattered moon reflected in the bright white snow that encircled his head, giving it a halo-like appearance. She had to find something else to focus on and fast. So she relied on her tried and true tactic that had gotten her through the many awkward moments in her life so far.
"I'm sorry…" she apologized, doing her utmost to hide her embarrassment as she rubbed the nape of her neck. "You almost had it that time though!"
If she was being honest with herself, he really hadn't. Not that it was his fault, in this case. The snowy and icy rooftop was not an optimal battlefield but it was best to be prepared for the worst, or so she had been trying to teach Jaune. She thought he had mastered the basics but he was starting to slip, which Pyrrha found more than a little odd. At least he wasn't as hopeless as he was when they first met.
She noticed that her trainee was looking off into space with a slight smile on his face. She wondered what on Remnant he could be thinking of. It was probably a nice warm bed. Or maybe it was a girl. She dismissed that thought as Jaune had been rather politely reserved around his female peers as of late. None of the usual attempts at being overly charming, no pet names…
And to think I never got one… Pyrrha thought to herself. Although that wasn't entirely fair; he had called her "hot stuff" on their first meeting but she heard him use the same line on Yang as well as a few others. The thought of the blond and the blonde brought a blush to her face but she could explain that as the cold.
"You there?" she asked her student, the thought allowing her a small smile as she playfully jabbed him in the shoulder.
"Huh…?" Jaune looked incredibly flustered as he snapped back to reality from whatever thoughts that had him grinning so genuinely. "Oh, yeah, sorry!" His nervous chuckle only made him look more adorable to Pyrrha. "I'm sure I'll do better next time, coach!"
Coach. She'd only be a friend to Jaune, it would seem. Maybe not even that. Maybe all she'd be good for would be his mentor…
She needed to decide on how to explain her emotions towards Jaune. Preferably quickly.
Jaune lay in bed, face still beet red as he did his best to summon up his courage. He needed to tell someone before he burst. Before his emotional state got any worse. Before he got seriously love sick.
He sneezed loudly and reached over to the box of tissue paper on his bedside table.
It seemed that while his Aura was adept at deflecting physical blows, it didn't help at all with sickness. After training too much in the freezing winter nights, Jaune had managed to come down with a rather loud case of the flu. Sneezing and coughing constantly, he had been bedridden for two days now. However, he was more worried about his teammates, as they were worried about him.
Both Ren and Pyrrha had offered to stay back and look after him but there was no way Jaune was letting them put him ahead of their studies. "If I can fight an Ursa, I can fight a cold," he had told them, but there had been two coughs and a sneeze in there as well. Which elicited the response of "You have the flu, not a cold!" from the duo of health freaks.
At least Nora had quickly decided that she'd just wish him to get better soon and dragged her teammates off so they could get to their classes on time. He knew the hammer-wielder hated having to see the doctor so she would do whatever it took to keep her from getting sick too. He appreciated that, although he'd only be able to thank her after this whole Dustdamned ordeal was at an end.
Sneezing again into a handful of tissues, Jaune grabbed another tissue with his spare hand to rub his watering eyes.
"I hope you aren't getting worse."
Jaune's mind had him spin around on the bed in a rapid motion to see who addressed him but his body just sluggishly and clumsily twisted around, further entrapping him in his comforter prison. Ren calmly walked past his bed and over to the tea kettle.
"Ren, I thought I was clear…"
"Don't worry, fearless leader; I finish classes about an hour ahead of the girls. Now relax while I make you some tea."
Jaune had quickly learned of Ren's secret sarcastic side when the two had spent a night by themselves while their partners went out with Team RWBY for a girl's night out. It was his special way of unloading his stress that built up from dealing with Nora's near infinite energy and was actually rather amusing. While it often involved poking fun at him, Jaune had grown accustomed to being the punchline over the years. Besides, Ren was never malicious so the team leader let it slide.
"Thanks, Ren…" Another sneeze violently shook Jaune's body as he rubbed his nose with a tissue and groaned.
"Any particular flavour?" he asked from the kitchen, the low whistling of the slow boiling kettle barely audible over Jaune's sniffling.
"Hibiscus," the blonde teen replied, rolling around in his blankets. As the silence between the two stretched, he finally gave up. "I need your advice, Ren."
As Ren walked up to his sick friend's side, he raised a solitary eyebrow. "A riddle… What could the boy who has everything need my advice for?" He set down Jaune's teacup and saucer on the bedside table while resting his own on his lap.
"What do you mean?"
Ren rolled his eyes. "I'm not blind, Jaune. So when are you and Pyrrha going out for your first date?"
Jaune's sickly face somehow further reddened. "Th-That's what I need to ask you about… How do I ask her out? What do I do if she says no? How do I make it so the team isn't at risk?"
"Calm down, for starters. Now, take at least one sip of that tea I made before it goes cold." Jaune reluctantly took a gulp of the hot beverage, savouring the wonderful warming sensation along with the sweet taste. The steam rising from the cup also warmed up his face, helping to ease the snuffling a little.
"I-I haven't asked her out yet," he admitted, waiting for Ren to slide in a quip. When none came, he took it as an invitation to continue. "I really want to. But I… I don't know how. I mean, what if she says no or, worse, she says yes and we have a falling out? I'll have hurt the team…" His anxious voice dropped to disappointment. "I'll have hurt her…"
"Do I need a written invitation to be at this pity party?" Ren's tired expression rivaled the sheer dryness of his spoken sarcasm. "If you worry about what ifs, you're never going to get anything done. Follow your heart. Besides, I'm pretty sure Pyrrha's mad for you too." Taking a delicate sip from his cup, he smiled at Jaune's shocked gaze. "Why else do you think she teamed up with you?"
"Be-Because she's nice? Because she wants to help others? Because she was afraid I'd die by myself?"
Ren pondered these suggestions for a moment. "Actually, those are all good reasons. I'm probably wrong then." He kept up the poker face just long enough to get a good glimpse of what true despair was. "Well, one way or another, she cares about you. And to avoid any drama when you start going out, just don't screw up."
Jaune sighed and took another loud sip from his tea. "I think I'm going to go back to getting advice from Ruby."
"Alright, I'm sure the socially awkward girl two years your junior with the loosest lipped sister in the entire school will be of tremendous help in your quest to woo your partner."
Jaune really wished he was better at this whole snappy comeback thing. "Well, okay I'll ask her out then. But how? And when?"
Ren smiled slightly and wagged his finger. "You're the team leader, I'm sure you'll figure something out." Ren got up and brought the teacups to the sink. "Maybe you'll manage it before graduation. Maybe even in time for Valentine's Day."
The mention of the romantic holiday overrode the sarcastic preface as Jaune began to ponder. It was a few weeks away; he still had time!
Pyrrha was a tad anxious about the assembly that had been called, as the rest of the students filed in as well. Structure and routine were her body and blood and if no news was good news…
"You alright? You look a little… worried."
She turned to her partner and flashed a weak smile, trying to mask her nervousness. "Any idea what the assembly is for?"
She got a half-hearted shrug as an answer. However, a second later she heard a loud clearing of the throat. Professor Ozpin had made his way to the stage, his signature cup of coffee in hand. He was looking uncharacteristically cheerful this morning, his light brown eyes almost twinkling behind his thin glasses. "For those inquiring what the purpose of this assembly is for," he began, adjusting his glasses with a single well-applied finger push, "you will not have to wait any longer. For the first time in four years, we will be hosting a Valentine's Day dance. It will be a formal affair. Attendance is not manda—"
Pyrrha tuned the rest of it out, as the headmaster moved on to explain why there would be none of the craziness that got the dances banned in the first place. This was her chance! She could ask Jaune to go with her. The issue, she quickly realized, was that she had no idea how to go about it.
"—and that's why we will not be providing punch and will be temporarily be emptying and deactivating all vending machines for the night of the dance," concluded Ozpin, adjusting his glasses once again. "Are there any questions?"
Pyrrha noticed that, amongst a few others, Jaune had raised his hand. The headmaster chuckled to himself. "Good to know we are all clear on this. You may return to your regularly scheduled classes."
As the Amazon pondered on how to ask her leader, she considered who she might be able to turn to assistance. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a feisty companion's yelling. "Ren, whatcha looking at Jaune so weirdly for?"
Turning to face the sound of her distraction, she saw Nora on Ren's back, grinning while her mount showed no such hints of amusement. "Off, Nora," was his soft but firm response. The girl frowned but obeyed and dismounted him.
Pyrrha sighed and looked at her partner, who shrugged and chuckled nervously. She sighed again and Team JNPR departed the ballroom along with the rest of the students.
The sooner I do this, the less likely she will agree to go with someone else…
Jaune sat at the cafeteria with the rest of his team and Team RWBY. After yesterday's announcement, talk of the dance hung heavy in the air. Yang had already refused more than her fair share of invitations and was more than happy to brag about it. Weiss had as well but she seemed almost jealous that she had rejected fewer advances than her blonde teammate. Jaune was sure Ruby and Blake probably got asked but neither discussed it and he figured it would be rude to ask.
As for his own squad, Nora had quickly asked Ren to go with her and he accepted. Pyrrha had been propositioned by a few other students but she had politely refused them. While this meant that Jaune still had a chance, he was worried he'd receive the same response. But he wasn't that stupid; he knew that if never asked it would be as good as a no. At least, that's what his parents always taught him. "If you don't speak up for yourself, who will?" was how his father had phrased it.
"So, Pyrrha…"
Every single head turned to face him and Jaune froze. The eyes watched him in anticipation and he could feel them searching him. Lilac eyes seemed to smile knowingly as did the magenta pair. Silver and turquoise orbs waited to hear the conclusion of his thoughts while amber and ice blues were only watching from boredom. But the glimmering emerald eyes seemed almost… hopeful? No, Jaune knew better than that. Jaune couldn't stand the thought of being so thoroughly examined and looked down at his food.
"…do you think I could skip tonight's training? I still need to finish the extra assignment Oobleck gave me for slacking off in History… Again…."
He cursed himself for his weakness but he told himself there'd be a better time. It needed to be perfect or it would never work. While the rest of the table let out sighs of disappointment, Pyrrha merely smiled softly and rested a hand on Jaune's shoulder.
"Of course. Do you need any help with it?"
"Actually," interrupted Yang, the spark of genius striking her as she got to her feet, "I need your help with something now, P-Money. Immediately."
Before the Amazon could voice her objection, the blonde had grabbed her wrist and taken off like a bullet. The rest of Team RWBY seemed rather unperturbed while Jaune was too deep in his own pity and planning to notice and Ren was trying to get Nora to stop twirling his ponytail.
"Could you keep an eye on them, Ruby?" asked Blake, returning to her book once again.
"But Blaaaaaaaake…" moaned the team leader, staring at her plate full of cookies and half-empty glass of milk.
"You're the team leader," interrupted Weiss, examining her manicured nails. "Plus she's your sister. Just make sure that there are no casualties."
"Okay…" In a flash of roses, Ruby was off after her teammate and her unfortunate hostage.
Pyrrha sat on the bed opposite of her kidnapper with a rather annoyed frown on her lips. "So what's the matter that was so urgent you needed to kidnap me?"
Yang looked her deep in the eyes, almost seeming to not blink. "Are you gonna go to the dance with Jaune?"
"I… what?" Pyrrha did her utmost to repress the flush that was rising in her cheeks but it was proving ineffectual.
"I said, are you gonna go to the dance with our favourite dorky ladykiller?" Yang stood up and smiled. "Because it's not a matter of want, P-Money. You are the deciding factor here."
"What exactly do you mean?"
"I mean, there's no way Vomit Boy is gonna ask you out; he's too mad about you to do that."
The assertion made Pyrrha blink. "And what exactly makes you think that?!"
"What makes you think what?"
The two teen girls turned and found a confused Ruby standing in the doorway, the smell of rose petals in the air. Yang groaned. "Did they send you after me?"
"Yeah," Ruby shook her head and adopted a stern look, or rather attempted to. "No, wait! I mean, as your team leader, I must keep an eye on you in case you do anything… Anything…"
"Reckless?" suggested Pyrrha, getting an enthusiastic nod from the smaller girl.
"Reckless! Exactly!" Ruby's triumphant grin shrunk however, as her team leader speech ended. "Wait, so what are you two talking about?"
"Boys," smiled Yang.
"Boys?!" echoed Ruby. "Wha-Why would you be talking about boys?!"
Yang rolled her eyes. "C'mon, lil sis; the dance is just around the corner and P-Money over here needs help with hooking up with her date."
"I need no such assistance!" protested Pyrrha, glaring at the laughing blonde.
"What, would you rather go with me?" chuckled Yang, which caused the Amazon to look away as her blush deepened. However, she was too enamoured with a new idea to notice. "Wait, Ruby, you and Jaune are friends, right?"
"Well, yeah, I guess…" Ruby looked confused at where Yang was taking this. "Why?"
"Because that's Pyrrha's heartthrob."
"Jaune?!"
"I know, right!"
"Enough!" roared Pyrrha, leaping to her feet. "Jaune is a perfectly attractive young man and I do not need the assistance of either of you in this regard!"
"Wow…" muttered the sisters, surprised to see Pyrrha angry.
Seeing their frightened and bewildered eyes, she calmed down and sat back on the bed. "I'm… I'm sorry. I had no intention of behaving so childishly…"
"Love's a drug," shrugged Yang. "Makes you do some crazy shit."
"Language, Yang!" shouted Ruby.
Before Yang could get her rebuttal in, Pyrrha cleared her throat. "Fine. I need help. What do you suggest?"
The two sisters looked at each other for a moment, nodded, and turned to face their new student.
"Ask him out yourself."
"Th-That's it?!"
"Well, Jaune's kind of a giant dork so he won't be able to do it himself…" said Ruby, her sister nodding behind her.
"And besides, he likes you as a strong, powerful woman. You need to take charge and show him whose boss!"
"Hold that thought," Pyrrha said, looking at Yang suspiciously. "What do you mean, 'he likes you'?"
Ruby and Yang shared a confused glance. "Well, that he's head over heels for you, obviously." Yang leaned back and crossed her arms. "Just what did you think he was gonna ask you before he chickened out from the pressure?"
Pyrrha was about to rebuke that suggestion when she went back over her interactions with Jaune for the last little while. Suddenly, his increased clumsiness and awkwardness made sense.
"I… I think I can handle this now." Pyrrha got up and was in the hallway before she turned back to the two sisters. "Thank you."
Jaune was lying on his stomach, staring at the door to the room. Ren and Nora had left to… Actually, Jaune had no idea what they were off doing. Ren only said he'd get Nora out so that the team leader could ask Pyrrha out without distractions or prying eyes. Jaune was about to get up to sit on a chair or something to present himself in a more romantic fashion but he realized with growing horror that his legs had fallen asleep.
So when the apple of his eye, the object of his affection, the glorious Amazon who had stolen his heart walked through the door, she found her admirer on the ground attempting to pull his legs free of the entangled comforter. "Jaune?"
"Uhh… Hi." Oh Dust, everything's ruined… Jaune was more than a little upset; he was running out of time and he doubted that Nora would fall for Ren's suggestion twice in a row.
"Do… Do you need a hand?" Pyrrha was at his side before he could respond and helped to pull off the comforter.
"Th-Thanks, Pyrrha…" As he looked into her shining emerald eyes, Jaune cursed himself. This could've been the moment. This could've been it! It should've been it! He was so close he could almost taste—
"Would you go to the Valentine's Day Dance with me?" asked Pyrrha, soft but firm, doing her utmost to maintain eye contact.
"Wha… What?!" exclaimed Jaune. When Pyrrha looked away, he knew he couldn't waste this opportunity. He had to set right what he had stupidly almost ruined. "I mean, yes! Yes yes yes! A thousand times yes!" He threw his hands around her, ignoring the distracting buzz of pain his legs were shooting off. He could suffer any pain now; him and Pyrrha were going to the dance together!
Jaune stood out in the hallway, incredibly nervous and pulling at his collared shirt. A stinging sensation and a noticeable thwack noise let him know that Ren had slapped his pesky hand. "Do I look alright?" Jaune asked, his foot tapping the carpet silently.
"As good as you can be expected to," muttered Ren, crossing his arms. He did a good job of hiding it, but Jaune noticed his friend worrying as well. The magenta eyed teen was also wearing a suit but was sporting a pink tie and a red undershirt rather than the classical black and white piece Jaune wore.
Just behind the door they were stationed outside, the ladies of Team JNPR and Team RWBY were getting prepared. The shopping trip had horrified a few of the girls but Weiss had, in a strange illustration of caring about others, covered the bill. Ren and Jaune had been forbidden from seeing the dresses before the dance so there they were, awaiting their Valentine dates.
And did they ever not mind the wait when that door opened.
While Ren and Jaune were mostly transfixed with their partners, all six of the women were positively striking in their dresses. Ruby wore an elegant black and red dress that was a classier rendition of her usual combat wear but was still amazing. Weiss also chose to wear a dress that carried her white and red colour scheme from her usual combat skirt attire. Blake's gown was a simpler one, all in black with a brown choker with a marigold-styled centerpiece. And Yang was, as usual, quite the eye catcher in a flowing gold dress, with a black leather belt around her waist.
Ren was tackled to the ground by the ever feisty Nora, who was looking elegant even in her usual bouncy behaviour. She wore a simple pink dress that was short enough to give her the ability to still run around as crazily as she did. Although Jaune was more than a little happy that it wasn't too short.
But he would have time to think about that when he wasn't presented with the most beautiful sight he had ever had the opportunity to witness. Pyrrha stood in a crimson satin dress, swaying with her as she sauntered up to Jaune.
"Are you okay, Jaune?" she asked as his chest heaved in and out, rapidly. "Guys, I think Jaune needs medical attention!"
"Give him mouth-to-mouth!" suggested Yang, receiving an elbow to her gut from her date.
The rest of the group joined in laughing until Jaune actually collapsed.
When Jaune slowly opened his eyes, his first view almost blinded him. The light in the nurse's office was really bright. However, the second thing he saw was far brighter. A goddess was sitting next to the bed he was in, holding his hand tightly. She wasn't crying but he could tell she was sad, even without seeing her eyes. Her long red hair hid her downcast face.
"P… Pyrrha?"
The goddess raised her head to reveal beautiful green eyes, which grew in size and joy. She leaped out of her seat and hugged Jaune tightly. "Oh thank Dust you are okay! I thought…"
He chuckled. "I only fainted, Pyrrha."
"Only fainted?! We were all worried!"
"Mostly just you, P-Money." Jaune looked up and saw a grinning Yang standing outside his little room in the infirmary. "We all knew that our favourite ladykiller was made of sterner stuff."
Jaune's chuckling was cut off by Pyrrha's death grip. "Promise you won't ever worry me like that again!"
"Okay…" The blond looked deep into his partner's eyes, smiling widely. "I promise."
BONUS:
Nora was bouncing around when her and Ren left the classroom. As usual, she had far more energy after a boring class than her more morose partner. However, she had a question that she really wanted answered.
"Ren, what's Valentine's Day?"
She was met with a sigh. "Nora, we talked about this last week in History. Do you not pay attention in class?"
"I do too!" Nora shouted, puffing out her cheeks. "I just can't remember it all!"
Ren rubbed his temples before relenting; there was no way he'd be able to get out of it. "Persimmon Aric Valentine was a high ranking politician when the Faunus Rebellion broke out. He sided with the Faunus and performed the first ever human and Faunus marriage and later took a Faunus husband himself. He was killed shortly afterwards by a pro-human terrorist cell.
"When the White Faunus were protesting to get a holiday to celebrate the peace between humans and Faunus, Vale created Valentine's Day, a day which celebrates love and acceptance of all kind. Of course, some Faunus are upset that they chose to celebrate a human over a Faunus but that's more… Nora, are you paying attention?"
The bubbly ginger had started looking out the window, when she heard her name. "Not really, no. But I've got a class to go to now and you need to go check up on Jaune! See you later!"
Ren almost felt bad for Jaune as he walked back to the dorm room; he felt a lot of bitter sarcasm rising up within him.