Dear Winter,
It has been a while since I've written to you. A lot has happened since the day you left Beacon Academy. Part of me is not even sure where to begin.
I told Jaune the truth about my wager with Cardin Winchester. As expected, he did not take the news very well. I was even accused of treating him as a pawn, much as you once said I was doing. While it may be selfish to think about my own feelings at a time like that, the validity of his accusation did hurt. I saw much of our father's mindset in myself with the way I used him for my own personal gain.
However, unexpectedly, Jaune went to challenge Cardin to their duel earlier than the schedule planned. I sincerely doubt that an extra week or two of training would have made a significant difference, so perhaps in the end the time of the fight did not matter. However Jaune could not have been in a proper state of mind, and he let his emotions lead him in the duel. He came close to victory. He was a single hit away from defeating Cardin, but an unexpected feature in the boy's mace wound up making the difference. A feature which I was unaware of. I failed as a teacher. I failed to adequately prepare Jaune for what he was going up against. I accept the full blame for his loss.
After that Jaune and I made peace, and came to accept one another despite our flaws and the lies we had told one another. I would like to say that we are friends, but at the same time I can't help but feel that things aren't how they used to be. I wish things could go back to how they once were, but after everything that has happened I know they can't. After all, what do we even have in common anymore now that I am not instructing him in swordsmanship? What reason do we have to spend time with one another? Even if we did, how could I look into his eyes and not see a person who I had hurt?
It hurts me to know that I hurt him, and I can't help but feel he thinks the same about hurting me. It hurts to not spend time around someone who has become a true friend. You might think this is dumb, but in a way Jaune reminds me of Klein. It is perhaps that familiarity which breeds the comfort I feel around him. Both exhibit silly and foolish behavior which can make me laugh even when I am not feeling particularly well on that day. To both of them I am not Weiss Schnee the heiress, I am just Weiss. I don't have to act prim and proper around them. There are no expectations. I can simply be myself. Does that make sense to you? Sometimes it doesn't even make sense to me, so I would understand if it does not.
On a lighter note, I am currently spending the semester break on the island of Patch with my friends Ruby and Yang. It's a quiet and secluded cabin far enough away from civilization to feel true privacy, but close enough to a settlement to not want for basic human necessities. They have the cutest and most amazing dog in the world named Zwei, and after meeting him I cannot imagine going on in life without having a dog of my own. I only wish that I did not have to wait until I graduate from Beacon in order to have one, as keeping one cooped up in our dorm room all day would be too cruel for such an adorable creature.
I met Ruby and Yang's father, who is perhaps the funniest man I have ever met in my life. If he had not already found his calling as a huntsman and a teacher, I would sincerely hope he would be a comedian. Ruby and Yang do not seem to appreciate this side of him, and just how amazing he is. I am tempted to make them see the folly of their attitude towards their father. As you well know, not everyone is so lucky to have one like they do.
Lastly, the most important reason I am writing you today is a difficult one to explain. I have questions that I feel only you can answer, and that I am only comfortable confiding in you about. They're about boys. For example, hypothetically speaking, how would you know if you cared for a boy in a romantic sense? How would you know if one cared for you? What would one do to show that kind of fondness? I have never had these kinds of feelings before, and as such proper recognition would elude me. Any affection from the opposite gender has been entirely one-sided on their part, and has come from the sons of wealthy Atlesian businessmen seeking to marry into our family. I do not feel I can look to those examples for a true understanding of courtship, or how to proceed if I did in fact begin to develop feelings for a boy. Keep in mind that these questions are all merely hypothetical, and that there is no reason for concern or alarm.
I will be staying in Patch for the duration of my vacation, and will include the address at which you can reach me until I return to Beacon.
I miss you, Winter. I sincerely hope that our next reunion will be soon, and that it will not be as brief as our recent one. Until then please take care of yourself.
Love,
Weiss
Jaune looked down at his scroll, and then back up again. He repeated the process a couple more times just to make sure he was correct. This was the place. It was certainly not what he had been expecting.
When he had received a call from Ruby a couple days ago inviting him to Patch, he had not really known what to expect. He had never been to the island before, but he assumed it wouldn't be that different from the mainland. After all, there were only certain ways in which humanity could survive in a world filled with the creatures of Grimm. Walled settlements and strength in numbers were two of the main ways. This place defied both norms.
The log cabin wasn't a small or simplistic looking home by any means, but it also didn't scream safety and security in a cruel world where each day could be your last. Perhaps there were simply no Grimm on the island? Or maybe it was the fact that two trained, and if he was being honest, two exceptional huntresses lived there? Whatever the case was, this was the address he had been given.
He felt odd wearing what he was in this rustic backwoods environment. However Ruby had been quite specific on his choice of attire. She had told him to wear something fancy. Not too fancy, but something nice. The way she had tried to explain it had been so appropriately Rubyish. She could have just said semi-formal, but apparently that term had been lost on the redheaded girl. Neither Ruby nor Yang were the fancy girly-girl type, so he wondered if maybe it had something to do with their father being strict when it came to these sorts of things.
In any case, Jaune only had one outfit that could be described as either formal or semi-formal. He felt quite stylish in the black slacks and jacket he wore over his blue button-up shirt. He would expect no less from the girl who had chosen the attire for him. Only once had he worn the clothes before, and that had turned out to be quite an awkward situation for everyone involved. He smiled at the memory. It was just one of many that he had come to treasure from his first semester at Beacon Academy.
Wearing the clothes made Jaune wonder what Weiss was up to. He guessed that his invitation to hang out with her over the break had been denied, as he had not even seen her once in the past week. Maybe she was cooped up in her dorm with Blake. Or maybe she had defied all expectations and had indeed gone home to Atlas to visit her family. Winter was there after all, but he had no way of knowing how free the schedule of an Atlesian soldier might be.
Stepping up to the door he briefly looked around for a doorbell to ring, but found none. Instead he opted to give the thick wooden door a couple hard knocks.
A moment later he was answered by the faint barking of a dog, followed by the muffled yell of someone inside. "Coming!" the tiny voice shouted. He could tell it was Ruby who had said it.
After a few seconds the door swung open to reveal a familiar black and red-clad girl. She smiled warmly at him. "Hey, Jaune!" Ruby greeted.
She certainly wasn't wearing anything he would describe as formal. It was only her usual combat skirt. The only difference between here and Beacon was that she did not have Crescent Rose strapped at her hip. How odd.
"Hey, Ruby," he replied. "Thanks for inviting me. There is one question I-"
She cut him off as she ushered him inside. "Come in, come in!" she insisted, grabbing him by his sleeve and all but dragging him with her. Not wanting to risk tearing his jacket he followed her willingly.
The source of the barking was quickly discovered as Jaune looked down to see a small dog at his legs. It was busily sniffing at the boy, and did not seem threatening or mean at all. Not that something of that size would have been a threat even if it had turned out to be a less then pleasant dog.
"Oh, that's Zwei," Ruby said, as if reading his thoughts. "He's a good boy. Say hi to Jaune, Zwei!"
The dog stopped his sniffing and looked up to Jaune, as if he was greeting him in his own canine way and expecting something in return. It was actually kind of eerie the way he followed Ruby's command more like a person rather than an animal.
Jaune wasn't about to disappoint him though, and bent over to pet his tiny head. "Hey there, Zwei," he said as he began to scratch behind the dog's ears. "Nice to meet you."
Zwei pressed his body up against black-clad legs, and seemed to enjoy the feeling and attention. However he was soon shooed away by Ruby. "You're gonna get dog fur all over his nice black pants!" she squeaked.
She wasn't wrong, but Jaune didn't mind. However that had brought his question back to the forefront of his mind. "Actually I was kinda wondering about that," he started. "Why did you insist I wear something nice?"
The girl laughed. It wasn't a humorous laugh. It was nervous. As they moved into another room he was about to voice his concern about that laugh, but was stopped in his tracks by the sight of another two girls. One of whom was entirely unexpected.
Weiss looked up from her seat on the living room couch, pale blue eyes widening in sudden surprise. "Jaune?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"
The way she had asked hadn't quite been accusatory, however it was very apparent to the boy that she had been caught off-guard. Like neither Ruby nor Yang had told her that he would be arriving today. That in itself was curious, however in the past few months he had learned not to be surprised by the two sisters.
He saw how Zwei trotted over to the couch where Weiss sat, hopping up onto it and lying down against the girl. Both seemed quite comfortable with the arrangement, and Jaune was honestly surprised that Weiss had no problem with the dog being so close to her. Especially after all the times she had rather unfavorably compared him to a dog. If it turned out that she was a dog lover, what did that say about him? What did that say about them?
Jaune cast those thoughts from his mind. Thoughts put into his head by Yang long ago. They would cause him nothing but trouble.
He shrugged, looking over to Ruby before returning his focus to Weiss. "Well, Ruby invited me a couple days ago," he explained. "What about you? What are you doing here?"
"I was also invited," the white-haired girl said as she looked over at Ruby, and then to Yang. Her vision lingered on the blonde for long moments, her expression unreadable as she stared. Finally, however she brought her gaze back over to him. "Why are you wearing that?"
It was a question he himself had been eager to ask on more than one occasion, but had not yet had a chance to get answered. It did not seem to be a problem for the outspoken heiress. She would get her answer. He wasn't sure if he should be grateful for her strong will or disappointed than he himself did not possess the same strength.
"Ruby told me to. Well, not specifically this outfit, but she told me to wear something nice. And this is the only nice thing I have in my wardrobe."
Weiss gently bit down on her lower lip and nodded. "I see."
A brief silence overtook the room, but thankfully a certain redhead was well-known for her talkative and energetic personality. "So, the gang's all here!" she exclaimed happily. "Well, minus one cat faunus. And the rest of Jaune's team. B-but a gang is here! Four people counts as a gang!"
"Speaking of Blake, how's she doing?" Yang asked him.
Jaune shrugged. "Haven't seen her all that much," he admitted. "I think she's mostly cooped up in her room all day. The only times I've seen her around the school have been in the cafeteria where she picks up some food and then goes back to her room."
The blonde girl laughed at his explanation. "Classic Blake. Must be hitting those books extra hard. And with her choice of reading material I'm sure she appreciates the alone time too."
He saw how Ruby blanched at Yang's choice of words. Weiss' reaction was much more vocal. "Yang!" she shouted. "Please. I do not wish to have that image burned in my mind."
Jaune had no idea what kind of books Blake liked to read. However if it earned those types of reactions from her teammates he was sure it could be nothing good.
"Yeah, Yang," Ruby agreed. She looked around nervously, seemingly trying to find anything else to focus on but her sister's words. "So, we have this thing," she said as she held up her scroll.
On the scroll's screen was clearly the controller setting for playing video games with. A look over to the TV showed that they had been playing something before he arrived. Jaune had simply been too focused on Weiss to even realize it at the time.
A spark of excitement ignited inside of him as he realized just what they were playing. "Primal Combat?" he asked. "That's a classic!"
"I know right?" Ruby gushed. "It's nice to know some people still have an appreciation for the classics."
He did. A glance down at his side was all the proof he needed of that. Ruby had even said something similar the first time they met.
"I haven't played this game in years. I wonder if I'm still any good at it."
"Wanna find out?"
He nodded as he pulled out his own scroll. "Sure."
"Even if you're rusty, we can just put you up against Weiss first," Yang added, nodding over to the other girl. "She's awful at it."
Jaune wanted to say he wasn't surprised, figuring that Weiss would have never been into playing video games. However at the same time he could not help but be surprised as well. Weiss excelled in everything she did. Even the things she had never done before.
She folded her arms with a harrumph, looking away from Yang. "Big deal. So you've found the one thing in the world that you're better than me at. Enjoy your meaningless achievement."
"Awww," the blonde girl cooed. "Sounds like someone's a sore loser."
"I believe that would be your sister, if experience is anything to go by."
"That's because Yang plays dirty!" the girl in question squawked.
It sounded like all three girls had already been having a lot of fun long before he arrived. Jaune hoped that his arrival would not upset the balance of things.
"Or you play stupidly," Weiss suggested.
"Says the girl who didn't even land a single hit on me!"
"Says the girl who barely passed her Dust Properties exam."
Ruby took a step back, gripping her chest where her heart would be. "Why are we bringing school into this?"
"I'm merely stating that we both have fields in which we excel," Weiss explained. "You have video games, and I have practical, real-world knowledge. It's nothing to be ashamed of though. Wear your talents like a badge of honor for all to see."
Jaune was amazed. He had seen many sides of Weiss. He had seen her be cold. Angry. Arrogant. Even so sad that she had been on the verge of tears. However he had never seen this sassy, sarcastic side of the girl before. It was amazing how much she had changed in a few short months.
Ruby's eyes narrowed. "I can't help but feel you're being sarcastic," she said slowly.
A slow clap sounded, and all eyes turned to Yang who wore a sly grin on her face. "The girl's learning. Way to go, sis. I'm so proud of you."
"Everyone stop being so condescending!"
Jaune couldn't help but laugh. If this is what they had been doing for the past few days, and what they'd be doing until they had to head back to Beacon, then he was glad that Ruby invited him over. Sure, he and all of his friends had their fun at the school. However here in Ruby and Yang's home, away from the campus, there were really no limits on the fun that could be had. No curfew. No looking over your shoulder to see if a teacher was around. They could simply cut loose and be themselves.
He was so happy that he had wound up forging his transcripts. It had been the best decision he had ever made in his life. Not only was he living out his dream, but he was doing it with friends the likes of which he never could have imagined. All of the pain and struggle he had went through in the past few weeks had been worth it. Things seemed to be better now. Even Weiss seemed fairly comfortable in his presence again.
What could possibly go wrong?
What was he doing here?
Weiss looked on from her position on the couch, staring at the back of Jaune and Ruby's heads as they engaged in combat in that video game they both seemed to enjoy so much. This wasn't right. She was supposed to have more time. She wasn't supposed to see him again until the second semester at Beacon had started. By then she would have had time to hear back from Winter.
But he was here. Now. It wasn't right. It wasn't right at all!
Her focus shifted solely to the back of Ruby's head. Icy eyes would have frozen her stupid head in place had her glare been any stronger. This was her fault. All her fault. Why had she invited Jaune here? Why now of all times? When she had nowhere to escape to? No way of avoiding him?
"No, Jaune!" Ruby cried out. "Don't you dare!"
Look at them. So carefree. So engrossed in that stupid little game they were enjoying so much. Not a single troubling thought in their simple little heads.
"And what if I do?" Jaune countered.
Weiss had no idea what was even going on in the game anymore. She wasn't focusing on the screen most of the time like Yang was doing as she rooted for whoever was winning at the moment.
"No! Nooooo!"
A glance out the window showed the dying rays of the sun peeking through. A colorful swirl of orange, pink and purple painted the horizon. Just what time was it? Jaune had been here for a few hours, but it didn't feel like it.
"Aw, so close, Ruby," he offered apologetically.
As if to put an exclamation point on what had just happened, the game declared the winner. Valiant Knight wins!
"Maybe you should stick to playing Weiss," Yang suggested with a point over to the heiress.
The mention of her name snapped Weiss from her thoughts. She looked around, and saw that only Yang was currently looking at her.
Stupid Yang. Stupid blonde loudmouth Yang. Putting all sorts of stupid thoughts in her head. Just like Winter had. Stupid older sisters.
Ruby turned back to look at the girl, a less than happy expression on her face. A sore loser indeed. First she had been thrashed by Yang, and now Jaune. It seemed like the only person in the house the girl could beat was in fact the heiress herself. That wasn't saying much either. Weiss had been more than forthcoming in the fact that she had never played video games before. Even once she had, there was no desire to become good at them like the three other teens.
Yang's words had certainly taken the fire out of Ruby's eyes. There was no more arrogance like there had been earlier in the day. She looked deflated now. Defeated. The way she set her scroll-turned-controller down made it seem like she didn't want to touch another game in her life. It might have been a little sad had it not been so satisfying.
"Yeah well... shut up," the younger girl grumbled.
Weiss smirked at the response, her hand idly petting Zwei as he still lay beside her. The dog had been there for hours now simply enjoying her presence, as she enjoyed his. Someday. Someday she would have a little dog of her own. Much like Ruby treated Crescent Rose as her child, Weiss' dog would be her own. And she would be the greatest mother in the world to it.
The blonde girl's grin deepened before she spoke again. "Sore loser~!" she sang happily.
Well at least she and Yang finally agreed on something.
"Yeah. Well. If I am, and that's a big if, maybe it's only because I'm hungry. I'm not myself when I'm hungry!"
The mention of food woke Weiss' own hunger from its slumber. Had Ruby not even mentioned it she probably would have not even felt it. She had much bigger things on her mind right now.
Pulling out her own scroll to finally check the time, she saw it was nearly seven in the evening. Where did the time go?
"Hey, I know," Yang said as she looked at Weiss. "While Ruby and I get the whole food situation sorted out, how about you and Jaune go take Zwei for a walk? I know you two probably have a lot of catching up to do."
The warm ball of fur beside her shifted, but Weiss was too caught up staring at Yang to care. "What?" she asked.
"But we already walked Zwei this morning," Ruby pointed out. One sharp elbow to her ribs later courtesy of her older sister, the girl changed her tune entirely. "Oh, that actually sounds like a good idea. I'm sure Zwei would love it."
Zwei loving it aside, there was something fishy about this. "Why don't you two come with us?" Weiss asked.
"We, uh, have to cook," Ruby said. She nodded forcefully to emphasize the point.
The heiress raised an eyebrow. "You two?" she asked incredulously. "Cook?"
Ruby shifted nervously in her seat. "Yeah...? What's so weird about that?"
"Are you sure you're not just going to order delivery and say you cooked it again?"
"That was only the one time!"
"Regardless. I'll believe it when I see it. It wouldn't surprise me if Yang got angry at the food for not cooking fast enough and burned the house down with that Semblance of hers."
Ruby and Yang shared a quick look. Neither said a word, but the silence spoke volumes.
"No..." Weiss gasped. "What did you two do when you were younger?"
"Anyway!" Ruby said with animatedly waving arms as she got up. "Here, I'll go get his leash."
"Isn't it a little late for a walk anyway? It will be dark out soon."
"Well you should have thought of that before offering to walk him," Yang shrugged.
"I didn't suggest it! You did!"
"Yeah, well, oops. Zwei heard the word 'walk' and now he's excited." Yang pointed to the corgi next to her. "Look at his face, Weiss. Are you going to disappoint that face?"
Looking over to the dog who now stood on the couch beside her, Weiss felt her chest tighten. To see the way those eyes stared at her. To see the way his tail wagged wildly. It was all too much to bear. She had heard of the term 'puppy dog eyes' before. Seeing them live and quite literally was nothing short of heart wrenching.
It was a dirty trick, even by Yang's standards. She couldn't say no now. She couldn't disappoint Zwei. Not when he looked at her with such expectant eyes.
She ran a hand over his head with a smile on her face. "It's okay, Zwei. We'll go for a walk."
"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "Sounds like it could be fun. I've never had a dog or anything, but there's a first time for everything, right?"
Something else they had in common. Weiss wondered if he liked dogs too. He was a kind and caring enough guy, so he probably did. Considering how she herself had been monopolizing Zwei's time today, she wondered how he and Jaune would get along out on the walk.
"You kids just make sure to bring protection for your alone time together, alright?" Yang said.
In a flash Weiss' head whipped to the side to stare at the stupid annoying blonde. "What! Yang!"
"Got that covered," Jaune said as he patted his hip. Right where his pants pocket would be.
Pale blue eyes widened as her focus shifted to the boy. "J-Jaune!" she screeched in disbelief.
"What?" He turned to his side to reveal Crocea Mors strapped to his belt. Right above the pocket of his blue jeans.
Weiss felt her face grow impossibly warm. Knowing how pale her complexion was, and how obvious her blushing had appeared to Yang in the past, she knew that there was no hiding her embarrassment from the girl.
Her intuition turned out to be correct. Yang laughed. Oh did she laugh hard. More than just that. She was cackling. Cackling like some sort of fairy tale witch.
Weiss had another word in mind. A much harsher word that just so happened to rhyme with 'witch'.
"You two be careful out there," the blonde girl continued. "They aren't too common, but there are Grimm in the woods."
"Right," Jaune said, a hand coming to rest on the hilt of his sword. "If Weiss brings her weapon along I'm sure we'll be able to handle anything." He turned to look at the white-haired girl. "Right?"
She heard his words, but they didn't really register in her mind. She nodded absentmindedly.
"Here ya go," Ruby said as she held up one end of Zwei's leash. The other end was already attached to the dog.
Both she and Jaune went to reach for it. Their hands collided, and the leash fell to the ground as both retracted their arms.
Weiss' hand recoiled as if it had just been burned. Burned by that large, and now ungloved hand of his. She remembered the last time she had felt it. A time when they had both been in a bad place, and he had placed his hand upon her own to offer comfort and support. It had been warm. Like an embrace from Winter. If she was being honest, it had felt quite nice. It had comforted her.
"Whoops," he said as he reached down to pick it up. "Sorry about that, Weiss."
She shook her head. Why was she thinking of things like this now? Why did Yang have to put these stupid thoughts in her head? She couldn't think about perfectly rational and explainable things, like their hands accidently touching, without thinking about them in some sort of romantic sense.
"It's fine," she said hurriedly.
Why was he here now? Why couldn't he have waited until she had heard back from Winter? It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. She wished that Zwei could have in fact understood her when she had poured her heart out to the little guy. She wished that he could have offered her some advice on what to do or how to feel.
"Might as well get going while it is still light out," he said as he began leading Zwei over to the door. The dog happily trotted with him, all too eager to go out once again and explore the wide and amazing world he lived in.
"Right," she agreed. Weiss could already feel her heart rate increasing. She could feel hints of anxiety begin to creep into her body.
"Have fun!" Yang called after them. "We should have something figured out by the time you get back."
Weiss didn't reply. Her brain was running a mile a minute, and it didn't have the time nor the focus to respond to stupid Yang's stupid words.
She only hoped that things wouldn't be too weird being alone with Jaune again.
For such a tiny dog, Zwei was incredibly strong.
It was taking an effort to keep Zwei pulling Jaune off of his feet as they trekked through the forest around Ruby and Yang's house. The corgi gave brief respites as he stopped to sniff around seemingly every piece of foliage he came across. It made Jaune wonder what he was smelling. He wondered what went through an animal's mind as it did so.
In the end he simply decided to let the dog lead him where he wanted to. Jaune was not familiar with the geography of the island, and had no route or destination in mind. However he would also be sure to pay attention to the directions they travelled so that they wouldn't risk getting lost. Having an over-eager dog as your sole guide would get you lost in a heartbeat. He wondered if Weiss was doing the same. She had been quiet during their walk so far.
A glance over to the girl showed her looking around the forest, seemingly in any direction but his own. Was she uncomfortable? She seemed alright back when they had all been inside the house. He wondered if maybe being out in the forest was bringing back memories. It certainly was for him. Jaune could not help but think back to the 'field trip' he and Weiss had gone on a couple months ago. It had been a time before all of their secrets had been revealed. A time when they were still training for what at the time he had thought was a straightforward and noble goal. Things had been so much easier back then.
Well, easy except for the part where they were attacked by a pack of Beowolves. That was when his clothes had been ruined and he was mildly injured. In fact that incident was the very reason he had the clothes he was wearing now. He hoped that they wouldn't get too dirty as he and Weiss shared in Zwei's outdoor adventure. The girl probably would not be too happy if they were to be sullied in such a careless manner.
Speaking of which, she had seemed surprised at the fact that he was wearing them. He wondered why. And with no conversation currently going on, he felt as if now was as good a time as any to ask. "Hey, Weiss?"
The girl snapped to attention, bringing her gaze to focus on him. "Yes?"
"Back there you asked why I was wearing this," he said motioning to his torso. "I don't look bad in it or anything, do I?"
"What?"
Jaune shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you just sounded, I don't know. Surprised. Like I shouldn't have been wearing it or something."
"No no!" she insisted, her hands waving around a little bit before her. "They look very nice. After all, I picked them out for you."
He figured as much. She wouldn't have deliberately purchased him bad clothes for him to wear. Not unless it was some sort of elaborate prank. He could see something like that from Ruby or Yang or Nora, but not Weiss. She was as straightforward as they came. Any deception on her part had meaning behind it. Motive. After all, he had already experienced that once before.
He shook his head. He didn't want to think back on that. They were past it. The situation was resolved. Over. They were friends again. Both of them had lied without malicious reasons. It was a fresh start as far as he was concerned. A better start.
"You said that Ruby told you to wear that," she said. "Do you know why?"
Jaune shook his head. "No idea. At first I thought it was because maybe their father had strict standards or something. But then I saw them wearing their normal clothes. I haven't even seen the guy around today anyway."
"Tai is away on business," Weiss explained. "He's a teacher at Signal Academy."
That was interesting. Weiss and Ruby and Yang's father were on a first name basis?
"And he is not strict at all," she continued. "In fact he is perhaps the funniest and most laid back person I have ever met in my life. A true joy to be around, I have come to discover."
The surprises just kept coming. Just how close were the two? And why? Jaune figured that Weiss had only known the guy for a few days, but by the sound of it she seemed to genuinely enjoy his company.
"Wow, he sounds pretty cool. I hope I get to meet him before we have to head back to Beacon."
Silence settled over them once more. It gave Jaune more focus to give Zwei, who continued to dart back and forth, right and left, as he explored new things to sniff. More places to relieve himself. Just what other animals were out here that made it so important for the dog to mark his territory? He hadn't seen anything yet, but then again night was swiftly approaching.
Up ahead he could see what looked like a tree line where the forest would come to an end. It would be a welcome change as far as Jaune was concerned. Without the risk of tripping over any branches or roots sticking out of the ground he was far less likely to wipe out and tear his pants. Weiss was also far less likely to trip in her heeled boots.
Once they had left the shelter of the trees, Jaune was surprised to discover a small lake, or perhaps just a large pond, that stretched out further than his eyes could see. In its reflection he could see the broken moon, and at this hour it and the stars were the only illumination the sky provided. It was actually nice to be away from the light pollution that came with living at Beacon or in Vale. Out here on Patch, in the open wilderness, the sky was bright and clear.
"They don't realize how fortunate they are."
Jaune turned to look at the girl who had broken the silence. Her arms were around her torso as she looked over to the reflective surface of the lake.
"Hmm?" he asked.
"Ruby and Yang," she explained. "They don't know how lucky they are to have a father like that."
Jaune nodded. He understood immediately what she was saying and why.
I hate my father.
The words from that day still echoed in his mind. How could they not? Jaune and his parents had a great relationship. It may not have been perfect, with them all but expecting him to fail at Beacon and return home, where they would accept him back with open arms. However they loved him. They cared about his happiness and safety. He could never imagine saying that he hated either one of his parents.
He didn't know what to say to her statement. So he simply chose to agree with her. "Yeah."
More silence. He hoped he hadn't said something wrong. He hoped that she hadn't been expecting him to offer more than he had. The last thing he wanted to do right now was offend her.
Thankfully that didn't seem to be the case, as it was she who continued. "How'd you do it?"
It wasn't like her to be so vague. Maybe something really was bothering her more than she was letting on. "Do what?"
"Stand up to him. To Cardin."
Jaune hummed. He didn't quite know how to respond to that. It hadn't been a well thought out or clear decision he had come to. It had simply happened.
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I was just angry. I was angry and I saw him, and the next thing I knew I was walking up to him and challenged him to the fight."
"Really? That's it?"
Her tone made it sound like she was expecting more than that. He was sorry to disappoint her. He shrugged and simply confirmed her doubts. "Yup. Pretty much. I remember you saying that I should never let my emotions get the better of me, but they did." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Guess I was a pretty bad student, right?"
Weiss shook her head, her eyes still locked on the water as she did. "No," she said sadly. "You were fine. It's like you once said, there are no bad students. Only bad teachers."
Jaune remembered saying those words. He had said them the last time they were out alone in a forest. Now that they were back in one, they were being thrown back in his face. It was fitting in a way.
"You did the best you could with what you had. But we've had this conversation already, remember? You shouldn't feel bad about what happened. I don't. If I'm being honest right now, you deciding to train me is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Not only did I get stronger because of it, but I got you as a friend. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
It was the truth. Since the first day they had met, Jaune had attempted to win Weiss' friendship. It had been a long and arduous affair, and at times even hostile, but in the end they had become friends.
She still refused to meet his eyes when she replied. "I wouldn't either."
He couldn't help smiling at those words. The Ice Queen who had stomped on his feet, punched him in the face, inflicted untold amounts of pain and damage upon him while training, and called him every insulting name she had in her arsenal, was happy to be his friend. The destination had been worth such a long and winding road.
"I'm just curious though, why ask about Cardin? Why now?"
Weiss shook her head slightly. "Fathers," she answered cryptically.
Jaune frowned. "Fathers?"
"Before when we were talking about Tai," she explained. "And thinking about my own father. I never really told you about why I wanted you to beat Cardin, did I?"
She had not. He had always assumed it was just because Cardin was arrogant. He was a bully. His interactions with Jaune had simply provided an excuse to make a wager. Jaune had no idea there might be more to it than that.
"No," he answered. "I don't think so at least."
"Would you like to?"
Her heart was racing in her chest. Out here with him. Alone. After everything that had happened. After everything that had been going through her mind for the past few days.
The air was chilly here by the lake, but she was shivering for more reasons than just that. She was about to open up again in a way that she only felt comfortable doing so around him. Well, Zwei too. However the corgi didn't really count when he could neither comprehend her words nor offer any advice in return. She had to know though. She had to pick his brain for her own sake. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to find some sort of strength to face the executioner's blade which hung over her head. The problem that she would eventually have to confront in the future.
"Yeah," he replied. "I'd like to if you're okay sharing it."
Of course he would have to add that last part. It was so like him to be considerate of others feelings.
She shivered again, her arms tightening around her body. "Well, you see-"
"Hang on," he interrupted. Looking over to him, Weiss saw how he fumbled around with the leash in his hands as he began taking off his black jacket. A moment later he was reaching out to her with it. "Here, take this."
In a flash she realized what had just happened, and what he was attempting to do. She shook her head nervously at the idea of it. "No, I'm fine, really."
"You are not," he said as he stepped around and draped his coat over her shoulders. "You're shaking. I didn't even realize it would be colder by the water because I'm wearing this." He smiled genuinely at her. "I may not be the strongest or the brightest guy in the world, but my parents did raise me right."
The jacket may have been light, but it felt heavy on her shoulders. It smelled like him too. Had he worn cologne for the occasion? Or was it just simple deodorant? Whatever it was it was nice.
She nodded in response to his kind words. "Thank you, Jaune," she said meekly.
It was a classic gesture of courtship, and it was not lost on her. It was a far more genuine action than she had ever seen from any of the elites back in Atlas. This simple boy from some little village in Vale was more of a gentleman than all of the wealthy, self-proclaimed gentlemen in that cold and icy kingdom.
Weiss was still shaking slightly, only now it was for a reason other than the cold temperature. Again, such a simple and innocent act carried heavy undertones with it. Ones which only existed because of the teasing of her friends and her sister.
He said you were amazing and beautiful.
"I'm sorry for interrupting," he said as they walked along the shore. "What were you saying?"
What had she been saying? It took her a few moments to remember. Cardin. Her father. All of that.
Taking a deep breath, she continued. "The truth is, I saw a lot of my father in Cardin," she explained. "My father is a bully just like him. So when I saw him bullying you, I wanted you to fight back. I wanted you to win. I thought that maybe, just maybe, if you did then that meant that I could fight back too. Maybe I could win." Her next breath came out shaky, but she held herself together in a way she hadn't been able to with Zwei. "I thought that maybe if I helped you win then I could feel better about myself too. I could win too for once. Even if it would only be by proxy."
There it was. The last of her cards had been laid out on the table. The last of her secrets. It wasn't a malicious one either. In the end, after all of the dust had settled and the smoke had cleared, none of her motives truly mattered anymore. However she thought that by getting it out in the open that maybe he would be able to offer some sort of advice to help her.
Instead he responded in a way she hadn't expected. "Oh. Um, I'm sorry for losing then."
Her hands curled up into fists. How could he even say such a thing? How selfless was this boy?
"Don't say that!" she insisted. "I used you for my own ends and you're apologizing to me? You should still be furious. Why aren't you?"
Stop being so nice to me, she added silently. She kept those particular thoughts to herself.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, there's nothing to be upset about anymore. It's over and we both said we were sorry about what happened. We both made mistakes. Why harp on the past instead of looking to the future? A better future?"
A better future. Her heart continued to pound in her chest. He wasn't upset with her about the bet. He wasn't upset about her using him as a proxy to fight her own war. Could it really be so simple? Could he really just want to move on with their friendship? Or was there more than mere friendship now? Was Yang right?
"Because I'm a coward, Jaune," she told him. "A coward who used you for my own gain. In the end I wound up with nothing. In the end you didn't even need my help to stand up to your own bully. You did so without me there. You did so when you were still angry with me."
The boy stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her sternly as he did so. "That's not true at all, Weiss," he said. "I couldn't have done it without you. Without everything you taught me. I only came close to winning because of you."
"Maybe," she admitted. "However in the end it was your choice to face him, and you did. You did it alone. You weren't afraid to face your bully like I still am to face mine."
"No, that's where you're wrong. I may have been angry, but I was still afraid."
"Then why did you do it? How?"
He shrugged again. "Well... somebody once told me something. She said that courage isn't the absence of fear, but the mastery of it." He chuckled briefly at the words. "But I guess you should expect that kind of wisdom from the four time Mistral Regional Champion, shouldn't you?"
He was talking about Pyrrha. She had spoken those words to him. Weiss briefly wondered why. In what context had she said that?
"Is that so?"
"Yup. Pretty wise words I'd say. I guess it means that all of us are always afraid of things. But that's the only way you can ever be brave then, right? I think you can be brave too, Weiss. I think you already are. You just have to show it."
Courage. Fear. Doubt. The words spun in her head for more reasons than one.
Why did he have to be so kind to her? Why did he have to make her feel the way that she did around him? Why did he have to encourage her? Why did he have to fan the embers which burned inside of her frozen heart?
He said you were amazing and beautiful.
The scent from his jacket lingered in her nose. Why did he have to give it to her? Why were Yang's words still stuck in her head?
Winter... I can't do this alone...
Why did he have to be here? Why couldn't Winter have saved her again?
I'm not always going to be around to save you, Weiss.
The words echoed in her mind. Words her sister had spoken before she ran away to attend Beacon Academy. Before she had found the courage to face her father's own proxy. The proxy which had marred her once flawless face.
Winter wasn't coming.
"Weiss?"
She heard him speak but she was too lost in her own thoughts to care. Her heart raged against her ribcage.
He said you were amazing and beautiful.
That was before. Before all of their drama. What if he didn't think she was amazing and beautiful anymore?
How would you know if you cared for a boy in a romantic sense?
She still didn't know.
How would you know if one cared for you?
A guy won't stick around and put up with the kind of abuse you dish out if he doesn't feel something.
Did he? Did Jaune care for her in that way? Is that why he was still around? Is that why his forgiveness came so easily?
What would one do to show that kind of fondness?
Zwei's suggestion returned to her.
A kiss just like in the fairy tales?
If only things were that simple.
These questions are all merely hypothetical.
"Weiss, are you okay?"
I'm a coward.
No.
I'm a Schnee.
Do something. Do something!
Courage isn't the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.
You just have to show it.
Her mind went blank.
She grabbed hold of his face and pressed her lips against his.
Author's Note: To paraphrase Gabe Newell: After fifteen months in development, hopefully it will have been worth the wait.
An awful place to leave a cliffhanger from a reader point of view. But a fun one from my own.
As always, I want to thank everyone who's still around at this point. I know there are a lot of you who have been around since day one, and a lot who have only recently found this story. I truly appreciate all of you, and your response to this story has been nothing short of awesome. So again, thank you for all of your support.
Questions, comments or concerns? Let me know.
I hope you liked the chapter. Thanks for reading.