Blake's Mistake

By wildstraydog

Chapter Eight: The Sting that Lingers

Here we go folks, another epic chapter in the long battle for Jaune and Blake to fall in love. Guess what, there's going to be a tournament, and other original ideas that will test this relationship. I don't know how long this story will go (probably awhile). I just hope this long wait in-between chapters is worth it. I love reading the reviews and it inspires me to improve every day. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum, please read and review!

Jaune slept peacefully in the infirmary bed, his chest rising up and down in a slow rhythmic motion that Blake became mesmerized with. It was awkward to watch from afar, but she hadn't decided on how to wake up Jaune without disturbing him. The answer-there was no way. With soft sigh, Blake walked up next to his bed and looked down.

For the first time she decided to study Jaune with more detail, besides the obvious ocean-blue eyes hidden by his lids. His hair was often described as scraggly, but she found it wild yet serene. Jaune carried no signs of a stubble, his face still soft, but there was no denying the outline of his muscular features under the infirmary sheets.

Maybe I should come another time...

The quiet, it was so peaceful, Blake never wanted it to stop. If time froze at this instance, she would have relished the time to sit down and crack open a book and sit down next to Jaune's sleeping form. The thought was selfish, but blocking out the more stressful memories seemed to soothe her. She noticed that none of the nurses were present at the infirmary, leaving her a perfect opportunity for some alone time.

A small grunt left Jaune's mouth as he turned over in the bed, tightening his hold on the blankets like a child suffering a horrible dream. Blake could only imagine the nightmares Jaune would be having because of her. She was proven wrong when the word pizza was moaned, making it hard for her to stifle a giggle without waking him.

With another groan, the knight began to shuffle and sat up like a zombie, surprising Blake as she took a few steps backwards. Jaune rubbed his groggy eyes and took a few seconds to blink while he stared at Blake. She tossed her eyes to the side to hide her small blush, being caught staring was an embarrassment no matter how unromantically involved the person was.

"B-Blake is that you? What time is it, don't you have class?" Instead of a straight answer, she stood in silence. Blake found it hard to form her words, shifting her feet like a nervous school girl being stared down by an upset teacher.

"I...decided to skip this morning."

"Blake you shouldn't have done that," Jaune said with a tired sigh. He stretched his arms out and stood up from the bed, much to the surprise of Blake who tried to walk over and assist before he waved her off.

"Should you be moving around?"

"I'll be fine Blake, so why did you skip class?"

"Jaune...I know you've already accepted my apology, but there must be some way for me to make it up to you. This is all my fault, and now you can't even participate in the tournament!" Blake's voice began to shake, and she looked down in shame until Jaune place a hand on her shoulder.

The touch was cool as first until she felt the warmth of his strong callous hands against her pale skin. Her heart began to beat at a faster pace, and she felt herself sweating as she looked up at Jaune. His smile was welcoming and warm, and the uneasiness within her faded. Blake wasn't able to pin down why, but at that moment she felt safe.

"We've already been over this. I forgive you Blake, I know how much you're hurting about this, but please for me...forgive yourself." She had nothing to say, in all the commotion and heartbreak, Blake never took time to reel back and settle down. Her hands were shaking until Jaune clasped them together with his own.

How...can I ever walk forward?

The amount of mistakes one is measured against always mattered to her. Blake felt responsible for her people, and when the White Fang began to change its viewpoint with more aggressive initiatives, she felt it was her job to drive them straight. Yet it became too large to bare, and soon she found herself taking on jobs that were blurred by a moral compass. Her life could have been different-so many times she could have backed down or walked away.

She was afraid to admit it, but this was more about what happened to Jaune and more about how she was living. Every choice she had been making was reckless, her decisions guided by impulse and anger. Blake truly wanted to stop the White Fang, but at what cost would it take her? Yang had spoken to her before about the risks-at the time she was sure she had a handle, but now?

"Your right...I can't do this anymore," Blake whispered.

Jaune let go of her hands and smiled. "All that matters is that I'm alive Blake...don't be held back by your insecurities." How does he do it-how does he trot along and smile? He's stronger than all of us.

Before he could walk any further, Jaune fell to his knee and grasped the side of his waist, winching as another sensation of pain swept through his body. Blake rushed over and sat him back on the bed, noticing the sweat pour down his temple as he panted a few shallow breathes

"Looks like you tried to rush things Mr. Arc," the doctor said as he appeared behind Blake, rolling in a wheelchair with a cyan-colored seat and steel handles.

"Can I still leave early?"

"I would like to keep you one more day, but I see that's impossible. However you won't be walking for several weeks, you need to heal before you can handle the pressure on your bones. Be thankful you're aura is so large or else you would still be here for another week." The doctor set the wheelchair next to Blake who took the reins and helped Jaune into the chair, but not before setting a pillow on the seat.

"Thank you again Doc, Blake please wheel me to the cafeteria." Blake nodded with another soft smile and escorted Jaune out into the hall, also surprised that the infirmary decided to let him go. It didn't matter, she just wanted to help.

Down the hall the wheels twisted and turned faster than Blake expected and she found herself trying to regain control much to Jaune's amusement. He pulled out his scroll and noticed it was already 11. So it was much to their surprise when they turned the corner to almost bump into the towering Cardin Winchester-an equal amount of confusion upon his face.

Blake tensed up, her guard already up as she glared daggers at the bully of Beacon Academy. Men like him disgusted her, and the blatant racism he showed at the beginning of the year almost took her to a point of no return she had never revealed to her teammates. When she first saw Velvet being bullied, Blake was about to pounce within seconds until she noticed the subtle look in Velvet's eyes.

Again any tension within Blake vanished as Jaune turned around and shook his head. Cardin turned around not with a cocky smirk planted on his chiseled face, but one of concern. He looked Jaune up and down and studied the wheelchair for a moment-Blake watched his every move. Cardin stepped forward and placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder and started to grin.

"Glad to see you in one piece Arc, gotta admit I was worried." She wanted to clean her ears out as both of the boys began to laugh.

"Thanks Cardin but I'm fine, just need to rest."

"Is it true though-are you not in the tournament anymore?"

"...yeah, the injuries were sort of severe, they don't want me taking any chances. Better to be safe." Cardin frowned at the revelation and turned his attention to Blake. Her back straightened like a cat about to hiss, but for some strange reason, she felt no hesitation or hate.

"Make sure to keep Jaune safe, he doesn't know how to."

"Um, sure," Blake replied, her mouth still open.

"Well I'm off to lunch, don't think we won't fight again!" Cardin walked away with a wave and made his way further down the hallway toward the cafeteria, Jaune laughing at Blake's expression. Was that really Cardin Winchester we just spoke to? He's changed that much?

The smell of pizza danced inside Jaune's nostrils as Blake wheeled him into the cafeteria, his tongue salivating for the chance to finally dish on some proper food. Some of the students gave him confusing glances no doubt to his condition, but the hearty cheering from the tables of team RWBY and JNPR drowned out any whispers.

Pyrrha was the first to notice the wheelchair, but beamed at seeing Jaune out of the infirmary. Her excitement died however when she spotted Blake, her smile disappearing from her usual cheerful face. Blake set Jaune next to Ruby and Nora, but not before catching Yang giving her a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. She could already predict the accusations.

"You're finally out Jaune," Ruby yelled in excitement. "What kind of pizza do you want, how many toppings?" Ruby bounced around him with Nora as she restrained herself from hugging the boy. It took all of Ren's power to keep Nora at bay.

"Just a regular Pepperoni will be fine, I appreciate it." Within seconds Ruby disappeared and returned with several slices of pizza, rose petals still falling onto the table.

"Our leader has returned, so how long until you can walk, I can hold you up like a puppet, oh wait let's put boosters on them so you can fly around-"

"What Nora meant to say was, we're happy to see your better." Ren said as he covered Nora's mouth with a small piece of his veggie pizza.

His laugh echoed throughout the cafeteria, remembering how eventful it was for him to hang out with his friends. Even Weiss cracked a smile from behind her textbook. It didn't take long until Sun and Neptune spotted them and waltzed over, walking up to Jaune with an expression of relief. Blake sat down next to Yang who began to nudge her, until she let out a small embarrassing hiss.

"Wow Jaune I'm glad you're ok, you had us worried bro."

"Yeah I heard it was serious," Neptune added. The Cool-headed boy looked at the wheelchair and then back at Sun with a concerned expression. Jaune just waved him off and felt the pressure of Sun leaning on his back.

"I'm okay, I just won't be able to participate in the tournament is all." Sun got up and did a double-take with Neptune, their mouths agape as they almost looked on in pity. Blake or Pyrrha would have said something if it wasn't for the surprise interruption from Weiss.

"Jaune will be fine, you two should be more worried about how your team will fare in the tournament. Qualifications begin Monday, don't think I haven't noticed you two slacking." Neptune and Sun began to whistle, as they avoided the harrowing gaze of the heiress.

"Don't mind her guys, she's just worried," Jaune said with a laugh as Weiss began to blush. Neptune walked over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder that calmed her down, despite the giggle-fest that was Yang Xiao Long.

After her bouts of laughter Yang wiped her brow of sweat and turned to look at Weiss. "Speaking of the tournament, shouldn't we be taking advantage of the rest of the day training? I mean that is why we only have morning classes." Ruby ran up to Yang with an innocent look of confusion written on her adorable little face.

"Yang are you actually being responsible!"

"Very funny Ruby," Yang said with a snort as she ruffled Ruby's hair. "I want us in tip-top shape so we wipe the floor with every team there is!" Everyone noticed the look in her eyes as Yang looked up at the ceiling, her eyes glazed over as she imagined the ultimate battle.

Blake looked around for a moment, zoning out as she observed her friends banter and laugh with each other across the tables. Everything was once again peaceful, it was as if nothing happened, besides the glaring evidence of Jaune's wheelchair stuck on her mind. It was nice though, and with the tournament it would give them all a chance to forget things.

Out of the corner of her eye, Blake noticed the glare that Pyrrha still held, only lasting for a second as she conversed with a concerned Jaune. It could take months until Pyrrha ever forgave her, if ever at all. The tournament seemed so far away from her mind that she began to think about her relationship with the 'adorkable knight' as Yang put it. In short weeks they had gone from acquaintances to close friends.

He was admirable-it was a surprise to her that she couldn't see it before, passing him off as some klutz who somehow found a way to get into Beacon. Ruby and the others had always mentioned that Jaune was a caring individual, not that it wasn't obvious by the way he acted. Yet there was even more beyond what Jaune himself presented.

She sensed a great amount of hesitation within himself, a boy afraid to take charge, someone unable to cope with the fact that others depended on him. If Jaune did not wish to speak of it, she wouldn't pry, after all she wasn't that close to him, at least to her knowledge. Besides, there was doubt Pyrrha had spoken of this to him.

Unknown to her, the black bow settled on her head began to twitch, her concentration elsewhere as Sun snuck up behind her. It was unintentional, and when he tapped her on the shoulder Sun didn't expect for her to jump in shock. Blake took a moment to calm down and glared at the monkey Faunus.

"Did you have to sneak up on me?"

"To be honest I didn't think it was possible. Blake I've been meaning to ask you something since you returned from your mission."

"What is it?"

"How are you doing? In all the commotion everyone has been hovering over Jaune, but what about you?" Blake was surprised. The question caught her off guard, blinking for a few seconds before actually thinking of an answer.

She had never come so close to death until the incident in the village. Being so helpless scared her, naked without Gambol Shroud to protect her. The masks and hatred-filled eyes of the men who subdued her were etched into her mind, while Jaune sat across from her dying as each blow was delivered. She was fine...not that it mattered.

"I-I'm fine Sun, thank you for asking though." Blake began to smile, bringing a large blush to Sun's cheeks, his tail wag.

"Jaune," a familiar accented voice said with glee from behind the table. Both teams turned around to be greeted by team CVFY, there plates full with pizza and seasoned bread. Jaune managed to maneuver his chair and took himself over to where Velvet was standing. It didn't take long for Yang and the others to notice the huge grin on Coco's face as she slid her pitch black shades down.

"Well Hello, is this the boy Velvet?" The bunny-eared girl tensed up and began to beg Coco silently to not embarrass her, although much in the vein of Yang it was a pointless request. Coco waltzed up to Jaune and bent down to examine him, earning a blush from the boy.

"Not bad Velvet, though you never said he was in a wheelchair," Coco said with a raised eyebrow. Velvet rushed over and separated the two with haste.

"He was injured Coco, don't be rude. I'm glad to see you're out of the infirmary, I was going to come by after lunch." Velvet shifted her eyes when she noticed everyone staring at them with earnest looks.

"Yeah I got out early, how's your team doing?"

"We've been qualified for the tournament-actually its part of the reason I'm glad I found you. I don't think we'll be able to go out until sometime after our matches, it shouldn't be too long however!" Jaune noticed how nervous Velvet was, and laughed. He didn't expect a date right off the bat, but it was good to hear Velvet was still up for it. That was until his team caught the entire conversation.

"Are you two going out!?" Nora shouted nonchalantly. Velvet and Jaune began to turn red, the Faunus zipping past her team to a table on the other side of the cafeteria. The rest of team CVFY waved goodbye as everyone at the table turned their attention to Jaune.

"Details...now!" Yang proclaimed. Nora jumped over the table and wheeled Jaune back into the swarm as questions bombarded him.

For some strange reason Blake felt peeved, yet her attention was focused on Pyrrha who held a false look of enthusiasm as she joined the conversation-her heart broken again by the oblivious knight. Blake felt sorry for the warrior, pursuing a love that would never come true-it was tragic, but Pyrrha would never accept help from anyone, especially her. All she could do was watch from the shadows.

Away from the noisy cafeteria and the prying eyes of the students, Cinder and her team relaxed on a bench under a rather large tree with sun-colored leaves that whisked against the chilled wind. Mercury sat on the grass humming a tune while Emerald fiddled with her scroll, checking back with Cinder from time to time making sure everything was in place.

The flaming beauty reflected on the turnaround of their given situation-the recent events of the breach front and center. When word came from Adam that one of their outposts had been re-occupied by the Vale military, it only piled on their problems. Two particular teams were the source of their setbacks, and finally gained enough of her attention to deal with them. Through all the misery however a light had shined upon her plan.

The news of Jaune Arc being injured during their last mission from the White Fang spread fast across the school, despite attempts to keep it hush-hush. Cinder decided to be bold and see the boy herself, but what she heard between him and his Faunus friend was even better. This Blake Belladonna was to blame for the fiasco, and it resulted in her team's mistrust. It was all too good to hear.

The seeds of doubt had been planted without a lift of her finger. Observing them even further brought more evidence of tension when Pyrrha Nikos attacked her, obviously fond of the Arc boy. The scales were in their favor, but it needed more weight for the plan to fully blossom. Adam and Belladonna's relationship was the key, and the tournament would be the perfect opportunity for everything to come together.

"So when do we move again?" Mercury asked with his usual cocky smirk. He stood up and strode over to Emerald, leaning on her shoulder to look at her scroll.

"Much sooner than you think," Cinder said with a purr. "As the qualifications take place I'll introduce myself-I want everyone to get closer to these teams, worm your way into their hearts."

Emerald set down her scroll and sighed. "Sounds like a lot of unnecessary work. You really want to tear them apart huh?" Cinder stood up and brushed off her uniform, taking out her own scroll and pulled up a picture of Jaune.

"Emotional damage lasts much longer."

"And you wonder why people are afraid of you," Mercury replied.

Yep the plot is beginning to thicken, however don't expect some silly story of Cinder magically pitting Blake and the others against each other. I view Cinder as a powerful puppet master. Also I don't believe Cardin is an awful person, and I like to believe his experience with Jaune changed him. Please let me know what you think of the progress in this story.