So I've been dying to get this chapter out. Am I rushing it? Maybe. But I'm having so much fun writing and have so much stuff planned in advance, so forgive me on that. Anyway, hope you're enjoying the story a bit.
The evening was drawing near and the sun slowly setting behind Beacon tower. Jaune lightly jogged into the courtyard. There were small vases lined up by the walls in preparation for the Beacon dance. He scanned them over for a red rose.
"White, white, white," he muttered to himself. Why was everything so formal here at Beacon? He had heard Weiss was on the decorating committee, and the lack of vibrant colors most definitely supported this, but this was a bit overblown. Wasn't Yang making sure she didn't go overboard? At this rate there might even be doilies under the punch bowl.
Well, maybe a white rose fit better. It was, like her, something pure and innocent, prim and proper and trimmed to perfection. He stifled a chuckle. She did have a thing for white, after all. The more he examined it, the more it reminded him of Weiss and the more he enjoyed its company.
He plucked a single snowy flower from its place and hummed merrily. She'd take him seriously. Finally, after all this time, he would be taken seriously. Just the thought of a woman honestly considering him lifted his spirits to an all time high. No more Jaune the goofball, just Jaune Arc.
The blonde noticed her immediately. Her white hair shone in the strengthening moonlight, her dress reflecting constellations in the sky. In his eyes, she seemed to shine with the heavens, a delicate glass figurine. He could not have imagined the scene any better, the two of them alone in the Academy gardens with the night encroaching from the east. Weiss looked from side to side, possibly searching for someone.
"What's she doing out so late?" he mused, but pushed the thought out of his cloudy mind. He stumbled a bit, intoxicated by the thrill.
Do it now.
He walked up to her, briskly so he didn't lose sight of her. "Weiss!" he called.
She turned abruptly, smiling wide, then noticed the Arc and frowned.
"I told you already, I'm not going to the dance with you," she said.
"Wait, please just hear me out," he begged, reaching out to her.
"Oh sure, what are you going to do this time?" she wondered sarcastically. "A magic trick? A pantomime act?"
"No, there's no act, but please-"
"Can't you see I'm a little busy right now? Learn to read the mood or something you-"
He thrust out the flower, staying his trembling arm. Now or never. Weiss skewed her eyebrows quizzically.
"What's this, a flower? Wait, where did you get-"
He cut her off a second time. "Weiss Schnee!" he exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly.
She stared at him. He averted his eyes, too embarrassed to meet hers. The moment was there, but he was too cowardly to speak. Is this it, Jaune? he thought. Is this the real you?
Mentally kicking himself in the rear, Jaune shook his head and strengthened his resolve. He hadn't finished what he came for just yet.
Still facing away, he continued. "I've wanted to say this since the moment I met you. At first, I thought you were just beautiful, because... well, you were, but that's not the point!" Jaune stammered. He glanced back to check her reaction, only to catch her silently smoldering and look away.
"But then... then I noticed that you were fun and caring and love your team and can make jokes when you want to." Jaune tumbled through his words, each one becoming more confident and decisive. "And I think that's what did it. That's when I fell in love with you."
Not daring to look at her reaction, Jaune waved the flower again frantically and bowed in an attempt to appeal to her.
"I know I might be a loser and I try all sorts of crazy stuff to get your attention but..." He looked up through the curtain of blonde hair into her light blue eyes. "...would you mind if I escorted you to the Beacon dance?"
The real Jaune was out, bared for all the world to see. Well, for Weiss to see. She blinked a few times, shocked. Jaune remained bowing, the white rose swaying precariously in front of her face. The wind blew it up to graze her nose and she exited her brief daze.
"Uh, I'm sorry Jaune," she started, slowly backing away from the pure flower. "I'm already going to the dance with someone, so I have to say no."
Jaune bit his lip, waiting for the inevitable.
"I... I'll be going so..." With that, Weiss retreated into the main building, leaving Jaune in his subservient position. The rose, holding on tenaciously to the edges of his fingertips, finally took flight on a sudden gust and fell to the ground.
Jaune slowly raised himself to a tall, proud standing position. He dusted himself off, smacking his suit solemnly. The knight snorted at himself.
"Just a little sooner and maybe..."
Jaune strolled to the dormitories, hands in his pockets and kicking at imaginary cans in his way.
Cardin's footsteps were heavy. He twirled the red rose between his fingers as he paced through the halls of Beacon. The sun was setting and curfew would be up in a few short minutes. He had been a fool not to send her a message or ask her to wait outside, now he was paying the price. With all that planning and literary preparation, forgetting to invite her to his confession was just ridiculous.
"Too much time in the library and my brains have turned to mush," he rumbled.
He had just decided to turn back to the room and give up on a confession tonight when he spotted her in the distance. Of course he would be able to spot her anywhere, what with that brilliant red ponytail which burned brightly even under the cover of dusk. The lighting from the moon, the empty halls, this could work.
He waved a hand and she took notice of him, stalking over angrily. She seemed pissed over something, but he couldn't think of anything. Was it really safe to continue? Cardin ran over the simulations again, but seeing her right in front of him threw all his plans into disarray. He couldn't think. He stood frozen like a deer in headlights.
"Cardin!"
"Yes!" he replied, standing to attention and staring up at the ceiling, avoiding Pyrrha's very direct gaze. She was always to the point like that, another thing he loved about her.
"Have you seen Jaune?" she barked, uncharacteristically gruff.
"What? Uh, no, not recently. I think he was looking for Weiss around campus..."
"Thanks!" she shouted, and began to hurry off in the direction of the gardens, fuming.
"Wait!" he cried, and grabbed her by the arm with his free hand. A bad decision, as Pyrrha deftly threw him to the ground. He had forgotten, she was a renowned huntress and combat specialist.
"Oh dear, Cardin, I'm sorry!" She knelt down and checked to see if he was okay. "It was just a reflex, I didn't mean to-"
"Wait, I said," he groaned as he struggled to his feet. Pyrrha gave him a hand.
"I just need to talk to you. Five minutes tops."
She crossed her arms again and raised her eyebrows. Something was bugging her, but he couldn't let that stop him.
"I really like how you're like that." When she gave him a blank stare, he elaborated "How you're always looking out for people and being kind to people and trying to help people. That's something I really admire about you and something I never could pull off on my own."
"Oh, don't say that Cardin. You're getting better, I promise," she soothed.
"You're also amazing, and good at everything you do. But despite that you're the nicest girl alive. And that's the reason why... I fell in love with you." His voice faded to silence on the last few words.
"Excuse me?" she inquired, prompting him to speak up. Her foot was tapping the floor incessantly and she could not wait much longer.
"I fell in love with you!" he exclaimed, and whipped out the red rose, slightly crushed by the fall. "So... would you please go to the Beacon dance with me?"
He let the confession sit there for a beat, then two. Why wasn't she responding? He watched as the expression of surprise on her face grew into one of rage.
"I'm sorry, I didn't wan-"
"THAT JAUNE ARC!" she screamed, throwing her head back. "This is the fifth time today something like this happens! I mean, even Russel confessed to me today, all because Jaune is spreading some stupid rumor that I'll go to the dance with anyone!"
"What? But-"
"NO! This is so foolish! I can't believe that idiot would go and do something like that just to get me a date to the dance. Doesn't he... doesn't he understand how it feels?" she began sobbing, her tears leaving echoes in Cardin's mind like Goliath footsteps. With all the test runs and all the books he had read, he had overlooked the most important aspect of the confession: her own feelings.
She wiped her cheeks and set her features in anger again, her eyes ablaze. "I'm going to find that idiot and give him a piece of my mind. Dust, I've never been so humiliated in my life."
"Pyrrha?"
"Yes, Cardin?" she growled.
"I... I was serious when I asked. I only need an answer, it doesn't matter what it is," he whispered sheepishly.
She smiled through her rage, melting his heart again. "Sorry Cardin. Maybe if you'd come to me sooner."
"Yeah, sooner," he mumbled.
"I hope we can still be friends."
He nodded silently, and watched her stomp off in a fury. Turning to the moon, he hung his head sadly.
He had a chance this whole time. He had a chance and he blew it.
"Friends, huh," he sighed. Then it struck him.
Since when had Pyrrha become his friend?
Listlessly twirling the rose between his fingertips, he staggered back to the dorm. His motivation was gone. All that was left was a chestnut haired meathead in a nice suit. He fumbled the stem and let the flower drop slowly to the cold stone floor.
So it turns out I suck at romance. Also, double rejection! I actually really like this kind of stuff, but if you think it's stupid just tell me.
I know it's slightly OOC, but that's because these are trying times for our characters, and who knows what canon Pyrrha is like when she gets angry?
If you think I'm ruining the story, please leave a review telling me how much I suck. All reviews are super helpful, so thanks in advance :D
