Author's Note:

I would like to thank my brother, toona666, for reading and helping me make sure I wasn't getting off track.

Chapter I

Hiding

We couldn't say them

So now we just pray them

Words that we couldn't say

The sounds of fighting could be heard during the night. While many would be resting at this time, there were those that relish the night and the shroud of cover it brings. Some just like the extra privacy this time brings, such as the two using one of Beacon's practice rooms.

"That's good! Now, again."

Here they can train without distractions or interference. Here she can be alone with him and enjoy the time spent together as she helps him. As she tries to gather the courage to finally tell him those words. To tell him how she feels.

"Great! Let's try something different."

"Uh, are you sure?"

"Yes."

She is not even sure if he is interested in her. Some of their friends had noticed how she felt and how she struggled with it. They all tried to offer their help but she would tell them no. She would say that she was fine and that there was nothing she needed help with. Every once in awhile though she would wonder if this whole situation was affecting her but as always, she would shake those thoughts from her mind. With that she would set aside her feelings to help him. Don't focus on those, just help him. That was her mantra, what kept her going.

"Thanks Pyrrha."

"You're welcome Jaune!"

Day after day she continued. Sometimes she had to put off some of her own things in order to help him but she didn't mind. Hopefully this would finally help her gain the courage.

"Jaune, may I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure, what's up?"

It never did though. She never had the courage. She would come so close but never able to fully finish and express herself.

"It's nothing, actually."

"Oh, well okay then. See you back at the dorm."

To tell him those words she so desperately wanted to. Night after night, week after week, she prayed. Prayed that one day she could finally say those words, if even just to herself.

Funny, ain't it? Games people play

Scratch it, paint it, one and the same

We couldn't find them

So we tried to hide them

Words that we couldn't say

"You dunce! Can't you do anything right?!"

"Weiss I'm trying-"

"Oh you're 'trying'? Maybe if you were more competent you wouldn't always be trying!"

Yang quickly stepped towards Weiss, putting herself in front of Ruby. "Hey lay off of her! Give her a break!"

Weiss scoffed at Yang. "A break? If we were on a mission, would the Grimm give her a break? Oh that's right! It wouldn't." She took a step forward, her face adopting a stern expression. "So why should I give her break?"

Yang, not backing down, glared at Weiss. "We're not even on a mission and she said she's trying okay? So chill."

Weiss raised her hand and poked Yang. "That is exactly my point! She is always 'trying'!" With her other hand she gestured to Ruby. "If she was more competent she wouldn't always be trying! She's not fit to be leader.

"Oh and let me guess," Yang's glare steeled, "you think you would be a better choice. Right? That you would make such a better leader."

"Of course I would." Weiss smirked. "I've been trained most of my life to be a leader." Yang started to talk but Weiss held up her hand to silence her. Without another word to her, she turned around and began to walk away. Ruby moved out from behind her sister and slowly begin to follow her only for Weiss to stop and look back. "I still say Ozpin made a mistake. I should be leader and if I was, you wouldn't be a part of the team any longer." Finished speaking, she finally turned and left the training room.

Yang stood shocked, still reeling from the fact that Weiss would have to 'balls' to actually dismiss her like that. She stayed like this for several seconds after she left before a glance at Ruby shook her from this state. Ruby looked crushed at Weiss' words and stared at the spot she had just been occupying. Yang walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't let her get to you." Ruby didn't react to her words. She shook her a little bit and she still didn't react. "She can't treat you like that. I'm going to go have a 'talk' with her." This finally brought her from that trance like state. She shrugged off Yang's hand and turned around to face her. "Hey-"

"You don't have to do that Yang. I'm fine." Ruby smiled. "You know she gets in these in moods every once in awhile. It doesn't bother me."

Yang didn't believe her. "C'mon Ruby, don't lie to me."

Ruby shook her head. "I'm fine, really." Her smile dimmed slightly and she hoped Yang wouldn't notice. "I think I'm going to head back to the dorm now okay?"

"Are you sure?" Ruby nodded. "Okay then. We'll be back in a few hours so be careful."

"I will."

"Okay." As Ruby started to walk out of the room, Yang began think. She could tell Ruby was forcing that smile. Why does she continue to let Weiss walk all over her? And what the hell is with the little princess lately? She's playing Ruby. She shook her head. Stop! Trust her and let her handle this. If it doesn't work out I'll step in. Pulling herself from her thoughts she turned towards Blake who had been silent throughout the entire ordeal. "What do you think about all of this?"

"I think this is all a waste of time. We could be hunting them down but instead we're here dealing with these idiotic distractions." Blake's stare was harsh.

"Oh come on don't be like that. I said I would help you but nothing is going to get done when you are like this. Just let me help you!"

Blake growled in contempt and glared at Yang. After several minutes, she huffed and turned her gaze slightly from her. "Fine. You really want to help?"

\m/-_-\m/

Ruby made her way back to their room quietly, deep in thought. Her frenzied state of mind only further addled by the run-in with Weiss minutes before. "What is going on?" She walked over and got up on her bed. Laying her head down, she closed her eyes and began to think back to their conversation.

...

She had just left the practice room. As she was making her way back to the dorm she began to think back at the last several weeks. This is all just so tiring. Weiss had begun to act differently to Ruby. After promising her that she was going to be a better teammate everything seem to have settled. She even started to spend more time with Ruby outside of schoolwork and assignments. They spent more time together and it seemed like Weiss could possibly be interested in her, at least to Ruby. This continued and everything was going fine until one day Weiss started acting different. She started to question Ruby's every action and push her away. Several days had passed and she still continued to be harsher. Today was just a continuation of this.

"Ruby!"

Torn from her memory she noticed Weiss not to far from her. "Oh, hey Weiss."

Weiss walked up to Ruby and stopped in front of her. She met her eyes briefly before quickly looking anywhere else. "I... wanted to apologize for my behavior and for how I've been treating you. It's... it's not right and I'm sorry."

"Aah... okay. You don't really have to apologize to me."

"No, I do. You see I, aah..." She seemed to be struggling with her words.

Noticing this, Ruby took a step closer to Weiss. "Are you okay?

Weiss shook her head and took a step back. "I, have... I'll speak to you later Ruby." She took off sprinting away from Ruby.

Ruby watched as she ran off. She wasn't sure what was going on with Weiss and this conversation didn't help in the slightest. At least she apologized. With her gone she continued heading back to the team's room.

...

Picking her head up, only to throw it right back into the pillow, she sighed. "I'm just so tired of this right now." Weiss's actions these past days had taken a lot out of her and right now she is unsure how to feel about the entire situation. Several weeks of what she considered progress and then suddenly Weiss is acting worse then when they first met. Like nothing had changed. Now she had just tried to apologize. Then there was whatever was going on with Blake and Yang. Why can't it all just stop! Ugh, I can't think about all this right now. I just want to sleep.

For now she decided to sleep instead of trying to figure out what was going on with her team. All of that could wait until later. Maybe then things would make sense.