How was it that everything in the world seemed so much better than it had just a few days ago?

Mornings had once been the bane of his existence. Now Jaune woke up feeling refreshed and looking forward to the new day. There was the anticipation of the unknown around every corner. Every buzz of his scroll brought the hope and possibility of something exciting. Colors looked brighter. Food tasted better. He noticed the little things he never had before. The singing of birds. The rustling of leaves in the wind. Everything around him was just so amazing and beautiful.

One thing stood out specifically. One thing that was particularly amazing and beautiful.

Or rather, one girl.

Jaune stood back as he watched Weiss fumble around with the leash she was trying to attach around Zwei's neck. Despite the dog loving walks, he often made the preparation of taking them difficult. He was easily excitable, and when he was running and jumping around in anticipation, it made actually putting the leash on unusually difficult. Watching Weiss desperately try and calm him down was amusing. So much so that he did not feel bad about not going over there to try and lend her a hand in bringing the little corgi under control.

It had gone on that way without fail for the past couple of days now. It was funny. Despite the fact that every day brought with it new surprises and experiences, they had already developed a routine. Every morning they would take Zwei for a walk in the woods around the house. Weiss loved that dog, fussing over him in a way which Jaune would have never expected to see out of the usually cold and reserved girl. However when she was around the tiny creature, all of those normal walls seemed to crumble. She showed no signs of regret or doubt about exposing that vulnerable side of herself.

It was fitting that this had developed into their routine. It had been during their first outing with Zwei that Weiss had kissed him. In a way it was like they were going back to their roots with each morning they spent together. Like a couple going back to the spot where they had first confessed their feelings to one another. Or listening to the song which had been playing in the background of their first kiss. That was what Zwei was to them. A reminder of how everything had begun. The reason they were together.

Or at least, that was what Weiss would argue. Now knowing the truth of what Ruby and Yang had planned, it made sense that Weiss would latch onto the dog she adored as being the reason she and Jaune were a thing now. She would never give Yang the satisfaction of knowing that her plan had worked. At least not publicly.

"Come on, Zwei," the girl said as she struggled. "Down, boy. Down. I can't get this on you if you won't stay still."

Jaune smiled. He only hoped that Weiss' words would not wake the two girls who were still asleep.

An audible click was heard, followed by a sigh of relief from the heiress. "Finally." Her shoulders heaved as she let out a deep breath. She looked over to Jaune as she walked over towards him. "Are you ready?"

He couldn't possibly say that he had been ready for five minutes now. Five minutes of watching the girl struggle with the simple task of leashing a dog for a walk. No, that would undoubtedly result in some sort of retaliation from the girl. Some angry show of emotion. Harsh words. Maybe even a light smack.

Which is exactly why he did just that.

"I've been ready for a while now," he answered playfully. "Just waiting on you."

Pale blue eyes narrowed. A small wrist flicked, and his arm was struck by perfectly maintained fingernails. "Jerk."

Bingo.

Jaune smiled at her predictable reaction. For as long as he had known the girl, Weiss had a fiery temper. It was paradoxical that a girl who was so cold and reserved could be so passionate. Then again, he remembered what Winter had told him all those weeks ago. Weiss became unusually emotional around him. Her normally calm and collected demeanor shattered when it came to him. Whether it was frustration, anger, annoyance, or these brand new emotions she was feeling for him, he made them come out.

He wouldn't have it any other way. His goal long ago had been to bring those emotions out. To tease her. To annoy her. Back then it had been mostly for his own amusement. Now though... now he simply loved to see every facet of the girl. He loved to see all of the layers that made up Weiss Schnee. Both the good and the bad, because even the bad aspects of that girl were good so long as they were hers.

The sun was still creeping up over the horizon as the two stepped outside and onto the wooden deck of the cabin. The sounds of nature were all around them as newly woken animals were beginning their daily routines for finding food. Birds chirped. Insects buzzed. Branches rustled as small creatures scurried across them. Had life always been so beautiful? Probably. Jaune just noticed it more now.

He noticed lots of things now. Like how Weiss wasn't wearing her more traditional combat skirt. Maybe it was the simple fact that she wasn't expecting to do much fighting out here on Patch. Or maybe it was because wearing a skirt wasn't a particularly good idea in a forested area. Where had she even gotten pants from anyway? Weiss never wore pants! Maybe they were old clothes from the two sisters which had been abandoned and left at their home once they went off to Beacon. Borrowed from Ruby perhaps? Or Yang? They seemed to fit alright, so it was probably the former. Or maybe they were Yang's old pants from when she had been younger. Smaller. A good half a foot smaller, at least.

He smiled at the thought. Weiss really was just so tiny. At her age she probably wouldn't be growing anymore, and that was absolutely fine. She didn't need to be tall like Yang or Pyrrha. The fact that such a domineering personality came from such a short and petite girl made it all the more comical.

Jaune had been so lost in his thoughts about the girl that he didn't realize how long he had been staring at her as they walked. However he quickly came to his senses when Weiss turned and gave him a questioning look. "What is it?"

He looked away almost immediately, as if he had been caught red-handed committing some sort of crime. "Huh? Oh. Nothing."

Her lip twitched. "Is that why you were staring at me? What's wrong? Is there a bug in my hair?" Her free hand went up and began to swipe lightly at the ponytail which hung down her back.

"No no, nothing like that," he insisted. "I was just... I dunno. Thinking."

"About?"

He didn't know why he was embarrassed about admitting the truth. He and Weiss had been together for a couple of days now, and he loved everything about it. He loved every minute of it. However he could not help but treat each new experience, each new confession of his feelings, as a landmine that needed to be treaded carefully. He feared that too much affection could scare the girl off. Too little could make her feel as though he didn't care for her.

Why did relationships have to be so hard? Why couldn't there be some sort of guidebook to this completely new and wonderful experience? Something to tell him what to and not to do? What to say and not to say?

He scratched the back of his neck. "Uh... you know. You."

Weiss' eyes widened for the briefest of moments before she turned away. The slightest hint of a blush crept over her cheeks. "Oh."

Blushing was good. At least that's what every piece of media he had ever read or seen on TV told him. So did that mean she liked the comment? Should he continue? Should he say things like that more often?

Thankfully that assertive girl answered his own internal questions when she continued speaking. "So... what were you thinking about me?"

She liked it! Jaune was beaming inside. She had given him the green light to continue.

So how did he follow up now?

Thankfully he hadn't been thinking any particularly embarrassing or dirty thoughts, so being honest wouldn't be an issue. Somehow he thought that she would know if he was lying at a time like this.

"I was just thinking about how... small you are."

Those were the wrong words if her reaction was anything to go by. Her free hand drifted over to rest upon her hip. "Excuse me?"

Mouth? Meet foot. Jaune couldn't help but think he had just touched on some sort of taboo issue with the girl. He had never considered that she might be self-conscious about her height. He had to do some damage control.

He waved his hands in front of him franticly." "No no no!" he insisted. "I didn't mean that in a bad way! I like how short you are! It's really cute!"

Jaune grimaced as he blurted out the last part. He hoped that it wouldn't be too sudden. Too forward.

Eyes widened again. Pale blue eyes which only a moment ago resembled sharp chips of ice softened, and now looked more akin to calm pools of water. Weiss looked away again, all of her anger seemingly gone in an instant.

"Oh," she said softly. Her hand fell from her waist back down to her side, that show of defiance seemingly over. The other hand which held Zwei's leash had begun fidgeting with the device. "I... I like that you're tall."

Disaster averted. Jaune made sure to take a mental note. Talking about the heiress' height was a bit of a touchy subject, but seemed to be okay if he talked about it in a positive light. Perhaps someday he would grow bold enough to tease her about it like he did with so many other things about her. Once they became more familiar with one another. More comfortable with the relationship.

"What else do you like about me?"

Her follow up question caught him off guard. However he did not need to be prepared to be able to answer such a question. What did he like about her? Let him count the ways.

"I like your passion," he answered almost immediately. "Your strength. Your will. How you're the strongest person I know, and it's even better that it all comes in such a tiny package."

She said nothing, but even as she stared down at the ground Jaune could tell she was desperately holding back a smile. It was that struggle, which despite her silence, urged him to go on.

"I mean, what's not to like about you? You're smart. Talented. Beautiful. And your voice? The way you sing... it's just amazing."

For long moments she said nothing. Jaune briefly wondered if he had been too bold in his confession. She had never sung for him, but he had still heard her sing before. Videos of her concerts had been circulated online, and once he had gotten to know her better he looked those up. To hear such a powerful and emotional voice come from the girl was surprising to say the least. He only hoped that doing so didn't make her think he was some sort of stalker.

Finally she spoke. "Those last two things you said," she said softly. "Can you say them again?"

His brow scrunched in confusion. "Huh?"

"Can you say that I'm amazing and beautiful again?"

He had no idea why she had such a particular and detailed request, but he would be more than happy to grant her wish. It wasn't as if he would be lying by saying those words.

"Weiss," he said gently. He knew this request was important to her, so he made sure to sound as warm and genuine as he could. He took his time in saying the words. "I absolutely believe that you're the most amazing and beautiful girl I've ever met in my life."

Her cheeks were undeniably flushed right now. The way her head bobbed up and down rapidly was utterly unlike anything he had ever seen from the girl before. The way her curved lips quivered all but guaranteed that she was holding back an enormous grin. The struggle between hiding her feelings and letting them go on full display was so utterly Weiss-like. He wouldn't trade that part of her for anything.

"Thank you, Jaune," she whispered. Her tone was almost euphoric.

Those words had seemingly made her day. He was happy he could oblige. It prompted him to continue. "I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. I just wonder how any of my sisters will ever believe me when I tell them about you."

Weiss' smile vanished almost immediately after he had spoken. "S-sisters?" she questioned.

Oh dear. Had he said something wrong? "Well, I guess I don't have to if you wanna keep this secret," he amended.

"No no," she insisted. "It's not that. I guess... I guess I just forgot you have sisters. Seven of them, if I remember correctly?"

"Yup," he confirmed. If she knew he had sisters, and didn't want to keep their relationship a secret, then what was it that seemed to be troubling the girl?

"And... how many of them are older sisters?"

What an unusually specific question. Regardless, it wouldn't hurt to answer it. "Uh, four of them."

She nodded absentmindedly. "Four," she repeated. "Four older sisters."

Was that fear in her voice? Hesitation? Insecurity? It was something along those lines. It was also completely unnecessary.

"Weiss, why do you sound worried about the fact that I have four older sisters?"

She shook her head now. Rapidly. "Nothing!" she insisted. "I mean, there is no reason. I am certain that I will be able to impress and live up to the standards which your sisters expect."

Impress and live up... oh...

Jaune's mind made a connection which he had not expected. Weiss only had two experiences with older sisters. One was Yang. The fiery blonde who would do anything for her own younger sister. The girl who would look out for and protect Ruby with her very life.

The other experience was Weiss' own older sister, Winter. The young woman who Weiss idolized. The sister who she so dearly wanted to impress. The one member of her family who Weiss could open up to. Whose relationship she treasured.

Perhaps Weiss expected Jaune's own older sisters to be much the same as her own. Girls who she would need to win over. Impress. Prove that she was worthy of their younger brother's time and affection.

How... utterly adorable.

His mind desperately wanted to mess with her about this. However his heart could not bear to put the heiress through such anxiety. Not when he knew how much Weiss valued the relationship with her own sister. This topic in particular was unsuited for teasing.

"I'm sure they'll love you," he said comfortingly. "Trust me. I know my sisters. The very fact that there's a girl who's interested in me will be enough to win them over."

Weiss seemed to be put at ease by his reassurance. "That's good," she said softly. "I'm glad."

She still seemed a little bit nervous. What could he do or say to put her mind at ease, or at least take her mind off the subject? How could he show her that everything would be okay? How could he show her that he cared?

Inspiration struck. Maybe he had seen one too many romantic comedies back at home with his sisters, but it was worth a shot. He placed his hand on her shoulder as his feet came to a halt. She stopped walking as well shortly afterward.

"Weiss," he said as he smiled.

"Jaune?"

He leaned down and gave her a soft peck on her lips.

It was brief. Nothing like the either of their first two kisses. Both of those times they had been caught up in the moments which they were in. There was a certain amount of anxiety and emotion behind them. Both had been to prove something. This on the other hand was a simple display of affection. A way to hopefully reassure the girl that everything was going to be alright.

The look of surprise on her face told him he had done something wrong. He was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to do that? Should I have asked first?"

She shook her head frantically. "No no, it's not that," she insisted. "I was just caught off guard. That's all."

"Yeah. I'm sorry. This relationship stuff is just all new to me."

"It's new to me too." Her free hand brushed against her hair as she looked off to the side. "I mean, I'm not opposed to what you just did there. I liked it. But... maybe we could keep that sort of thing private. Just to start off."

A look around revealed nothing but forest. They were a good distance away from Ruby and Yang's cabin. Unless the two were tracking them in order to spy on them, it was unlikely that anyone would be around for miles.

Still, he understood. Weiss really was not the most outgoing person under normal circumstances. Sure, he was able to bring out those emotions in a way that most people could not. However it made sense that the girl was not a fan of public displays of affection.

He smiled, deciding that a joke would be a good way to diffuse the situation. "Are you embarrassed of me?" he asked playfully.

Luckily she seemed to catch on, and offered a small smile of her own in return. "Every minute of every day."

The response caused him to chuckle softly. "I guess we're kinda bad at this stuff."

"For now. Do you know who would know more about these things?"

"Who?"

"Yang."

Jaune raised a surprised eyebrow. "Huh. Really?"

"Yes," Weiss said with a grin. "She enjoys bragging about how many guys she's been with."

The blonde's amused expression turned to a slight frown. "That's... interesting."

"It is," Weiss agreed. "That girl simply must choose her words more carefully. One might get the wrong idea should she phrase things poorly."

Jaune was certain that whatever Yang had said, Weiss was purposefully taking it out of context. Either way, it was funny to see Weiss telling jokes rather than the blonde. It spoke volumes of just how much she had grown over the past semester. The fact that she was sharing those jokes with him of all people only reinforced the thought. The Weiss he had met back on the first day of school would have sooner impaled him with Myrtenaster than she would have joked around with him.

Or kissed him.

He couldn't stop himself from smiling at the thought. A comfortable silence settled over them as they continued to walk. Weiss had her eyes glued on Zwei more often than not. The tiny creature was having the time of his life as well, perhaps even more so than Jaune and Weiss. The constant sniffing pulled Weiss left and right time and time again. She was seemingly unaffected by the fact that Zwei would occasionally stop to mark his territory. Jaune would not have expected someone as prim and proper as her to take the act in stride. Yet there she was, simply happy to be around the dog.

Finally her gaze left the corgi, and focused on the path ahead. "I suppose you'll do for now," she said cryptically.

Jaune's head turned to look at her. "Huh?"

Weiss, however, kept her eyes straight ahead. "Until after graduation," she explained. "Until I can finally get a real dog of my own. You'll do until then."

It was hardly the first time she had called him a dog. It was, however, the first time she had compared him favorably to one. It was painfully obvious for all to see that she loved Zwei to a degree which no one would have expected. If she was still comparing him to a dog... what did that say about how much she cared for him?

"Is that a compliment?" he asked. "Or should I be offended that you still think of me as your dog?"

For a few seconds there was no response. When she finally decided to it was just as cryptic as before. "Yes."

"Yes what? Oh and another thing. Should I be worried about you getting rid of me once you do get your own dog after graduation?"

She shot him a glare that sent chills down his spine. "Please, I don't plan on getting rid of you." Her expression softened as a small smirk curled on her lips. "However if I do it will be entirely your fault."

Jaune pointed a finger at his chest. "My fault? How will it be my fault?"

"Because everything's your fault."

"Since when?"

"Since always." She reached up with a hand and gently patted him atop his head. "Now be a good dog and be quiet, please."

He smiled. "Only if you give me a treat."

What exactly he meant by a treat was entirely ambiguous. Intentionally so, too.

With the way Weiss blushed and looked away, Jaune could only imagine that her mind had not gone to beef jerky. No, she had thought of something more personal. Something she had only minutes ago said that she would prefer to do only in private.

Jaune wouldn't be opposed to being rewarded like that on a daily basis. He would be the best dog in the world if it would get him treats like that.


Two weeks on Patch had gone by far too quickly. Annoyingly so.

It was the day before the start of their second semester. The foursome had made their way back to Beacon to get settled back in once more. Apparently they were not alone in their thinking.

The air ship pad was buzzing with activity as Bullheads came and went with scheduled regularity. All around her were both familiar faces and those she had never before seen. Loud and obnoxious conversations from those with no sense of decency or personal space filled her ears. Reunions by those who had not seen one another in a whole two weeks were annoyingly emotional. Seriously, some of these people were acting as if they hadn't seen one another in years. People were stupid. Even the elite huntsmen and huntresses of Beacon were not immune to the stupidity which infected humanity.

Thankfully her own team and her own friends were not so obnoxious.

The thought hit her like a truck. Yes they were. Of course they were. How could she have lied to herself for even a second? Ruby, Yang, Jaune, Nora... they were all insanity personified in their own unique ways. She had simply built up a tolerance to them. They had changed her.

She was absolutely fine with that.

Speaking of familiar faces, speaking of insanity, and speaking of Nora...

"You guys!"

Through the sea of people walking to and from the dock, Weiss could make out the jumping form of a familiar redheaded girl. Nora's arms were flailing in the air in an attempt to get their attention. Her short stature made bouncing up and down a necessity to see over the many taller bodies, however Weiss was confident that the energetic and bubbly girl would have acted the same even if they had been alone at the dock.

As the group grew closer she saw that Nora was not alone. Unsurprisingly, her partner Ren was at her side, as calm and collected as ever. What an odd pair they were.

Weiss glanced over to the boy on her left.

What an odd pair they were.

"What's up, Nora," Yang greeted as she bumped their friend's fist with her own. "Were you waiting for us to get here or something?"

Nora waved off the question. "Nah! I just like people watching. I mean, have you ever seen people? They're crazy! Especially at air terminals."

Nora was calling other people crazy. Weiss wondered if she was joking, or if the girl simply had no sense of self-awareness.

"Like look at those two," Nora continued, pointing over to a pair of students. "They totally don't know it yet, but I can tell they're in love!" she gushed. "Look at the way she touches him when they talk. All those little signs. A hand on the shoulder. Brushing against his arm. A finger poke to the chest. People are just so fascinating!"

Weiss followed the redhead's finger and saw the students in question. It looked to be simple and innocent conversation. Two friends, and probably teammates reconnecting after being separated for the past two weeks. Yet there was an interesting amount of physical contact between the two. Maybe Nora was on to something.

Then again Weiss herself had never been the most open or outgoing person when it came to affection. She didn't know what was normal and what wasn't when it came to displaying that sort of thing. It was one reason she felt self-conscious about sharing those kinds of affectionate moments with Jaune out in public. It wasn't that she didn't want to share those kinds of moments with him. It wasn't that she didn't like the feeling of being in his arms, or having his lips meeting her own. It was just... she didn't know. A lifetime of keeping everything bottled up. A lifetime of maintaining appearances. A lifetime of not wanting to open up at the risk of being hurt. It made such public displays uneasy. Like someone might embarrass her if she acted on her desires. Like someone might use such displays against her.

Thankfully he understood. He never pressed the issue. He never even asked why. Jaune would wait until she was comfortable with revealing such things. He was a good man.

Weiss was stirred from her thoughts when she heard a screech. Eyes widened and looked to the source, and saw Nora's arm shaking as it pointed out accusingly at Weiss herself.

"Oh my gods!" the redhead cried. "No way!"

The heiress looked around worryingly. Was Nora pointing at something behind her? Was someone sneaking up on her? What was the issue?

Before she could even ask what the problem was, Nora went on. "You two," she said pointing back and forth between Weiss and Jaune. "You two. When did you two happen?"

Weiss' own eyes widened at the accusation. It wasn't as if she had planned on keeping her new relationship with Jaune a secret or anything. However she simply wondered how Nora had reached the conclusion so quickly, and with such concrete conviction.

She panicked, blurting out the first words which came to mind. "What?" Weiss said quickly. "What do you mean?"

The shaky arm of Nora lowered, going from Weiss' chest down to her side. Specifically her arm. Her left arm. Her left hand. Her left pinky.

The pinky which was currently resting in the right pocket of Jaune's hoodie.

Had she been standing this close to him the whole time? Of course the four teens had been smashed together as they navigated through the large crowd at the air ship terminal, but had she been pressed up shoulder to shoulder with Jaune since escaping the crowd? Had she not noticed? Had she not even wanted to separate from him once the opportunity arose?

In an instant Weiss sidestepped a couple of feet away from him, taking her finger with her as she did so. The warmth which she hadn't even realized was pressed up against the left side of her body left her feeling suddenly cold. Unpleasantly cold.

"Aw don't be so shy!" Nora squealed. "I knew there was something going on between you two. Two people can't spend like every minute of every day together without something developing between them." She elbowed her partner in the ribs. "Right, Ren?"

The boy took the hit in stride, and nodded. "It's not uncommon for prolonged exposure to another person to cause intimacy to grow between them."

Nora laughed. Perhaps a little too hard. A little too forced. "Yeah. You're right. You're too right."

That poor girl. That poor, poor girl. Weiss could not help but feel sorry for Nora. She could tell what the loud girl was trying to hint at. Could Ren not? Or did he simply not feel the same way?

While she felt pity for Nora, Weiss could not help but feel happy for herself. Jaune felt the same way she did. There was no wondering about those kinds of emotions from the blonde boy. It would have broken her heart had she confessed to him the way she had, and he not felt the same way.

"Oh these two lovebirds?" Yang smiled, throwing an arm around Weiss' shoulders. "They hooked up on Patch over the break. It was so adorable. I've got pics if you wanna see later."

Weiss thrashed like a feline being forced to take a bath, finally pulling Yang's arm off of her. "Don't you dare, Yang!"

"Aw, come on," the blonde girl cooed. "You two make such a cute couple. I only wish I had gotten to see the first kiss, because it sounded like it must have been a total dumpster fire by the way you were freaking out." She shrugged. "Oh well. I guess the second will just have to do."

"I thought I told you before to delete all those pictures! You will get rid of them immediately!"

"Immediately?" Yang smirked. "Even before I send you a copy of them all?"

The question gave Weiss pause. Her mind betrayed her. It may not have been her first kiss, but it was indeed a much, much more enjoyable one. Yang, while not exactly a poet when it came to her words, was correct about one thing. Her first kiss with Jaune had been an anxiety-fueled mess which she had called a mistake and run away from.

Their second kiss on the other hand... just the memory of it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Yes, she would not mind having a picture of that. For entirely pure and wholesome purposes. For scientific purposes. Yes. For science.

"I'm not hearing a 'no'~," Yang sang annoyingly.

"Shut up," Weiss snapped. Her next words were so soft and mumbled that they barely resembled human speech. "Just send them."

"What was that?"

"I said send them!" she snapped.

Yang laughed. Ruby and Nora joined in immediately. Ren showed incredible emotion of his own with a tiny smile on his face. And Jaune...

Weiss' eyes narrowed as she focused on the blonde boy trying desperately not to laugh.

"Excuse me, do you think this is funny?" she asked him.

He shook his head immediately. "No, ma'am," he answered quickly. The stupid smirk on his face and quivering lips betrayed those words completely.

"Oh my goodness, what has happened to my leader!" Nora wailed as she rushed over and grabbed him by the front of his hoodie. "Jaune! You are whipped! You are so completely and totally whipped! How can we ever take orders from you again when you're taking orders from... from... her?"

"Hey! I'm not whipped!" he protested.

"Oh sure. That's why you were getting up at like six in the morning every day to go train with her! That's why you went off... off... gallivanting in the Emerald Forest with her! That's why you were having secret meetings with her older sister about who knows what!"

Weiss was surprised that the word 'gallivanting' was even in Nora's vocabulary. Regardless, the girl wasn't exactly wrong. Jaune had done all of those things. He had done them all for her.

All of that hard work. All the effort. All the training. In the end it had indeed paid off. Simply not in the way she had originally wanted it to. It had manifested itself in the most unexpected of ways.

She was satisfied with the result.

That satisfaction was why her eyes had wandered to someone else. As the rest of the group talked and joked about her and Jaune's relationship, Weiss' gaze was drawn to another boy. Unlike Jaune, however, her focus on him was for entirely negative reasons. This was a boy she had nothing but contempt for.

Cardin Winchester.

There he was. The stupid, smug and arrogant brute, laughing with his own friends. Probably about how he had bullied another faunus student, or something equally as repulsive. As she looked at him, all she could think about was her father. The bully in her own life. The one she had yet to stand up to the way Jaune had stood up to Cardin.

Taking a step away from her friends, Weiss excused herself. "I'll be right back."

"Weiss?" Jaune questioned. The look on his face expressed concern for her. Perhaps her tone had contained a little too much contempt in it when she had spoken.

She did her best to clear her mind of its raging emotions as she looked back. "I'm fine," she said. "This will only take a moment."

Without waiting for another word she marched over to where Cardin stood. She knew that the eyes of her friends were following her, but she didn't care. She had to do this.

The boy saw Weiss approach, her intent unmistakable as she made straight for him. The laughter subsided, and the grin vanished from his face as she grew near. It was replaced with an expression of confusion, bordering on concern. "What's up, Schnee?"

Such an informal greeting might have once annoyed her, however she expected little from this boy. As such it did not affect her in the slightest. "I never got a chance to congratulate you," she told him. Her words were sincere, however her voice dripped with sarcasm. "For winning our little wager."

Cardin looked around to his friends. If he was looking for some kind of explanation from them, he would be waiting forever. In the end he merely shrugged. "Uh, thanks, I guess?"

"It would be most unbecoming of a Schnee to not own up to their words. You were indeed the better man in that match."

More confusion. As if Cardin had never expected her to actually admit that to him. Truthfully didn't want to admit it, but as she had said, she was a Schnee. A Schnee kept their word.

However, the purpose of her coming over here had not been to merely keep her word.

Such praise was making the boy uncomfortable, like he was waiting for the rug to be pulled out from underneath him. "Oh. Sure," he said uneasily.

"However," she said as she held up a finger. "While you may have won the bet, I still won in the end."

Cardin's face scrunched up, not quite knowing how to react to the declaration. First she had said he had won, then that she had won? Such uncertainty was entirely understandable. Luckily Weiss had an explanation.

"You see, while you may have been the better man in that fight, Jaune is still the better man," she said, pointing over at the blonde boy. "And I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to discover that for myself. While he may have lost your duel, while I may have lost our bet, we both still gained something out of it in the end. Something better than a petty victory. Something more important than mere ego. So thank you, Cardin. Thank you for forcing me to improve myself. For forcing Jaune to improve himself. For allowing us to find each other because of it."

It was petty. So incredibly petty. However it felt good. Satisfying. To have still won in the end. Even if it wasn't the way she had foreseen.

Cardin's eyes widened for a moment as he pointed over at Jaune. "Wait. You mean. You two..."

A ghost of a smirk graced her lips as she stared him in the eyes. "Yes."

With that she turned, leaving the boy in stunned silence. Oh yes. That felt so incredibly satisfying.

To have a victory over a bully was indeed an important thing to her. It gave her hope. Hope that someday she would be able to stand up to the bully who had tormented her long before ever meeting Cardin Winchester.


There was a certain peace and tranquility that Patch possessed. For a girl who seemed destined to forever be in the spotlight, it had been a welcome change. Initially there had been no one to impress. No appearances to maintain.

That feeling was gone now that she was back at Beacon. It was gone in more ways than one.

It had more than just returned, however. It had evolved. It wasn't her instructors she sought to impress. It wasn't her peers. It wasn't even her father.

It was him. The last person in the world who she needed to impress. Yet she still felt as if she did.

Jaune would not judge her. Never. Not in a million years. So why did she always feel the need to look her best around him? To act her best? Is this what relationships did to people? Is this what romance turned them into? Nervous wrecks who were worried about what their significant others saw in them? What their significant others felt about them?

Or was this simply because she had no experience in romance? It seemed as if every action she took, every decision she made, and every word she spoke was heightened in her awareness of them. She was worried about doing something wrong. About screwing something up. About giving off the wrong impression.

She was scared her past would haunt her future.

Weiss knew she did not open up easily. She did put her feelings on display all that often. Public shows of affection had been frowned upon her entire life. A Schnee had to maintain appearances, after all. It was why she had spoken a few words to Jaune back on Patch which she still regretted. After he had been so bold as to kiss her like he had. After he had the courage to show her how much he cared for her. She had retreated. Hidden herself behind the mask. Raised the shield on pure instinct.

No more.

He would be arriving soon. Right here on Beacon's rooftop, where it would be just the two of them.

The night's sky was beautiful on this night. Their last night of freedom before classes would resume. Before the entire school would eventually become witness to the fact that they were together. After all, there would be no hiding it soon enough. She planned to sit next to him in every class they shared. At the cafeteria. She had no doubt that their proximity and interaction with one another would spark rumors. She also had no doubt that eventually a display of their feelings for one another would surface in public.

She had to prepare herself. She had to practice. She had to not look like a complete fool.

After all, that was his job.

Weiss smiled at the thought. What a fool he was. One her father would never approve of.

That thought made her smile even more.

It wasn't as if this relationship was an act of rebellion against the man. No, she was more aware of her motivations than ever before following the debacle of using Jaune for her own purposes. She liked Jaune for Jaune. She enjoyed being with him. Both in physical proximity as well as relationship status. If it just so happened to rub her father the wrong way, well, that was just icing on the cake.

"Weiss?"

A soft voice. A cautious one. Jaune's voice.

She turned around, her eyes piercing the darkness to see the open stairwell from where the boy had emerged from. "I'm here."

The blonde started forward, his head tilted up as he gazed up at the darkness blanketing Vale. "Wow. I never knew there was such a nice view up here."

She hadn't either. That too was an unexpected bonus.

"It's peaceful up here," she said. "Away from all the other students. The stars are a nice touch too."

He moved to stand beside her. Once there had existed an unspoken rule of personal space between them. When they had been training, when they had been sort of friends, he would have never stood this close to her. So close that the sleeves of his hoodie grazed the thin fabric of her bolero.

A faint chuckle slipped through his lips. "I think you like it just so you can look down on all the little people."

Once upon a time she might have taken such words at face value. She might have thought that he was making a comment about her Schnee name. That he was calling her an arrogant elitist.

Now, however, she knew that he was just being an idiot.

Weiss brought a hand up to his arm and lightly shoved him. "Oh shut up," she replied playfully.

Her hand lingered on him for a second longer than necessary. There was still something so thrilling about physical contact with the young man she cared for. It raged against every instinct she possessed. Every lesson which had been drilled into her. It wasn't even any kind of amorous touch. It was the simple act of her hand upon him. It was exhilarating. Foreign. New. It sent shivers down her spine.

Shivers he must have noticed.

He began fidgeting with his hoodie. "You know for someone as cold as you are, you really do get cold easily."

"I'm not cold," she protested. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

By the time she had replied he had already removed his hoodie. "Here," he said as he held it out to her.

Memories of Patch flooded back to her mind. The time he had given her his jacket by the lake. The jacket she had picked out for him. The only surviving piece of that outfit following the Ursa attack.

Again, she recognized the gesture for what it was. That classic, and at this point stereotypical act of courtship. The chivalrous knight suffering the wrath of the elements for the sake of his lady. Never mind the fact that it wasn't even cold out. That she wasn't even cold herself. However... she did want to become more comfortable with acts of affection. So that she wouldn't make a fool of herself or him in the future.

She took the hoodie without further protest. "Thank you."

After slipping it on Weiss could not help but feel like she did in fact look like a fool now. The thing hung so low that it might as well have been a short skirt on her. Sleeves hung from her arms, giving them an almost winged, bat-like appearance. Should she have needed to jump off the roof for any reason she was confident that she would be able to glide down to the ground on the fabric wings.

Jaune's light laughter filled her ears as he looked her up and down. "Looks better on you anyway."

She gave him a harsh glare, uncertain on whether or not his comment was sarcasm. Even that idiot must have realized that it could probably fit two of her comfortably inside of it.

"It doesn't even fit me properly," she argued.

His smile didn't waver. "I know. That's why it looks so cute."

Weiss felt her cheeks warm as she looked away from him. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Keep it."

"But it's yours."

Jaune shook his head. "Nah, you fixed it, remember? It's yours. Just like I am."

She was happy to be wearing the oversized hoodie now. The words sent further chills down her body.

Yours.

Weiss had never had much of anything that she had been able to call her own. Everything in her life was her fathers. What belonged to her? Myrtenaster? That was it. Nothing else was hers.

But Jaune... Jaune was hers. And hers alone.

"Yours," she whispered softly. "That's nice to hear."

He shrugged. "It's the truth. And you're mine. Right?"

There was such hope in his voice. Such gentleness. Such innocence. It was all ripe for the exploiting.

He loved to tease her. Yang loved to tease her. Everyone loved to tease the uptight little princess. The cold and stern ice queen.

Well. Two could play that game.

"No," she replied. "Mine. You're mine. And I'm mine." She smiled the most genuine smile she could muster. "Everything's mine."

Clearly that had not been the answer Jaune had been expecting. The look on his face... oh it was priceless. "Everything?"

"Everything."

"What about Ruby? Is she yours too?"

Weiss nodded. "Yes. She's my partner, and no one else's."

"What about Yang?"

"She's by burden." Memories of the past semester returned to her mind. Memories from Patch. "My annoying, loudmouth blonde burden."

Jaune gave her a strange, uncertain look as thought about his next words. "...Blake?"

"My conscience. A reminder of why I must be better than my father when I finally take control of my company."

"What about-"

"Shh," she said, silencing the boy in an instant. "Jaune. You don't seem to understand. You're mine. They're mine. The whole world is mine." That sweet and completely sincere smile remained on her face, as if she believed every word she was saying. "It just doesn't realize it yet."

For long seconds he stared at her. A mixture of confusion and horror looked back at her serene smile. It was too much. She wasn't good at this sort of thing. She broke first.

A most unladylike snort shot through her nose, and soon enough she had begun to giggle uncontrollably. "Oh, Jaune. You should see your face right now."

As she continued to laugh he closed his eyes and let out a large sigh. "Weiss... don't ever do that again. You seriously sounded... looked like a psychopath."

Finally. Finally she had gotten something over on him. She, the girl who was forever teased, had finally become the teaser. It felt good. She felt good. She felt proud of herself knowing that a few months ago she would have never been able to perform a stunt like that.

"Serves you right," she smirked.

"What did I do?"

"Everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything," she confirmed.

He chuckled. "If you say so."

Weiss still beamed from her victory. She felt warm. It wasn't just the fact that she was clad in an oversized hoodie. Just being by him like this, joking around, acting so informal around him. It made her feel so comfortable. Bold. Wanting to press on with her plan.

"Jaune," she said.

"Yeah?"

"This roof..." She looked up to the sky, then back down to her feet. "It's private, don't you think?"

A glance over to the boy showed him looking around them. Pick up on the hint, she thought. Pick up pick up pick up.

"Yeah," he agreed. "It's pretty private."

Her eye twitched. How was she going to ever become comfortable with public shows of affection if she never got to do any?

It wasn't as if she could just come out and tell him to kiss her. How embarrassing would that be? Maybe if he wasn't such an idiot he would be able to recognize the clues she was leaving for him.

"It's nice," she continued. "Because while it's out in the open, there's no one around."

"Yup," he agreed once more. "I like it."

She shot him another glance. Idiot. Total and utter idiot. That's what he was. Why did she have to fall for someone so oblivious?

She would simply have to try again. "I mean, when you think about it, no one can ever see up-"

"Weiss."

She looked over to him, surprised that he had cut her off. "Yes?"

"If you want me to kiss you, just say so."

Another twitch. That... that idiot! He knew what she wanted all along. Was this some sort of vengeance? Some petty act for what she had just done?

She looked away, clearing her throat. "I realize that I'm not the most... openly affectionate of people," she said. "Which is why I would like to attempt to become more so through exposure therapy."

There was silence for a few moments. Weiss looked back over to him, where she saw Jaune blink a few times. "Wow," he deadpanned. "You really know how to melt a man's heart."

"Shut up," she said softly.

"No no," he insisted. "That was cute. I like how awkwardly adorable you are when it comes to this stuff..." he trailed off. This time he looked away. "Because honesty, I am too. This is all still so new to me. I'm trying my best not to screw things up. To not do or say the wrong thing."

That confession was comforting. Weiss at least knew she wasn't alone in her anxiety. Her uncertainty. Her inexperience. Knowing Jaune how she did, she would not have expected him to be some sort of suave lady's man. However hearing him come out and admit that he was in the same boat as he was reassuring.

"I, um, feel the same way," she admitted.

"So..." He placed his hands on her hips. His touch made her hot and cold at the same time. It was paradoxical. Yet it somehow worked. "Do you like my hands here? Or should I hold your face like you did the first time we kissed?"

Her heart was thumping. Despite having been here before, it was still such a new experience. While it may have been a cold and sterile term, exposure therapy would indeed make them more comfortable with these kinds of acts.

"This is fine," she said. "I... I'm ready if you are."

He nodded. "Yeah. I guess we close our eyes now."

"Right." Weiss began moving towards his face. Her eyes closed, and her head turned to the side.

And her nose smacked right into his.

For a brief moment her eyes squeezed shut, more in surprise than pain, as she drew her body backwards. When she opened them again she saw Jaune rubbing his nose.

"Ow," he said half-heartedly.

"Why did you turn right?" she asked.

"Why did you turn left?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "I'm left-handed! Left makes sense to me!"

He laughed. It was one of the last reactions she would have expected following their failed attempt at a kiss. However, at the same time the laugh was reassuring. A simple little screw up like that wasn't the end of the world. It was just another experience in their budding relationship.

"You know, this was a lot easier when you ambushed me with a kiss like you did the first time."

She knew there was nothing inherently bad with what he said, but there was just something about that word which seemed off. "Excuse me? I did not ambush you."

"You totally did," he argued. "Out of nowhere."

"I did not. The signs were all there. You were just too oblivious to pick up on them at the time." She folded her arms across her chest. "Then again I should expect no less out of a dunce like you."

"Oh yeah? What kinds of signs?"

"Well. First of all, there was-"

Weiss never finished, as Jaune took all of the initiative this time and brought her close. She barely had a chance to gasp in surprise before his lips crashed down onto hers. There was no nose bump this time. No time to think. No time to prepare. Just the taste and feel of his mouth against hers. The feeling of his arms around her body.

She unfolded her arms which had been pinned down between her body and his own before wrapping them around him. He felt wonderful. This moment felt wonderful. Here under the starlight everything was perfect.

Eventually they were forced to separate, but their arms remained around one another. He was right, loathe as she was to admit it. Preparing and stressing over the act had only brought them disaster. Going in and... ambushing the other seemed to work. At least for now while they were still getting used to this.

"See?" he gloated. An annoying and smug smirk was plastered on his lips. "It's easier with a sneak kiss."

Weiss giggled. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

"It's either that or ambush."

She rolled her eyes at the choices she was given. "Sneak kiss it is. It sounds far more romantic. Ambush just makes me think of a military operation."

Military. She wondered what Winter would think of all of this. Her sister must have received her letter by now. There was probably a response coming any day now. It would be too little too late. And she meant that in the best way possible.

Jaune moved one of his hands up to her face, gentle nudging a few errant strands of hair out of her face. His finger brushed over the scar which marred her face in the process. She shied away from his touch.

He stopped immediately. His expression turned to concern. His voice was equally as full of it. "Weiss?"

She shook her head softly. "It's okay," she whispered. "It's just... I'm a little self-conscious about my scar."

The look on his face showed genuine confusion. "What? Why?"

"It's ugly. I'm..." You must be perfect. "I'm not perfect."

"That's okay. You don't need to be perfect. I don't want you to be perfect." He gazed down into her eyes, as if to prove the truthfulness of his words. "I want you. Scarred, sideways ponytail-wearing, pushy Weiss and all the flaws that come with her. Because... a person's imperfections are what make them beautiful."

Weiss felt a lump in her throat. Like her heart was trying to burst forth from her body. No one had ever called her scar beautiful before.

"So... you don't care that I'm broken?"

Jaune smiled. "I'm pretty broken too. So let's... I don't know. Fix each other?"

Weiss knew she was ever the perfectionist. She enjoyed fixing things. Jaune, as she had seen throughout their entire time training, was in dire need of fixing. Maybe he could help fix her own emotional baggage as well.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "Was that supposed to be your idea of something romantic?" she asked as she looked back up at him.

"I don't know. I guess. Was it?"

"Good enough," she said as she decided to be the aggressor this time, and leaned up to kiss him once more.


Dear Weiss,

I am relieved to hear that this ugly and unnecessary business with the Arc heir has finally drawn to a close. While you may not have received your desired result, I am sure that you have learned from the experience. As students, as warriors, and as people, we learn more from our failures than we do our successes. Perhaps it is for the best that events with the boy you made a wager with turned out the way that they did.

To make amends with a person you have hurt is not an easy thing. It is not a pleasant thing. However, I do believe with all of my heart that you will find a way to do so. You are a stronger person than you think you are, Weiss. You are not one to give up so easily. Over the past few years our time together may have been limited, but do not think that I have not been watching over you all this time.

Every time you have set your mind to a task, you have succeeded in it. It was you who desired to train as a huntress, and you did. It was you who expressed your wish to study at Beacon Academy rather than in Atlas, and you did. It was you who fought against, and defeated father's test in order to prove that you were ready to step out on your own. It was you, Weiss, who found herself tangled up in a web of lies with a friend and sought to escape it. From what your most recent letter has told me, you have achieved just that. I am supremely confident that you will achieve all of your dreams and wishes when it comes to Jaune Arc.

As for the final part of your letter, Weiss, I will say this. I will be the first to admit that I do not have a great deal of experience in the field of love. It is a difficult subject, as it cannot be defined or measured. It is simply something that you feel inside of you. There is no right or wrong answer. If you feel it you will know it, even if you do not recognize it at the moment. You must merely follow what your instincts tell you is the correct path.

Since we are merely speaking hypothetically, as you insisted, I do not know how much value my advice will hold. Hypothetically speaking, a healthy relationship is one which would be built on honesty and trust, rather than lies and deception. Hypothetically speaking, partners are encouraged to communicate their feelings to one another. Hypothetically speaking, the intent of a question is sometimes as important as the answer.

Hypothetically speaking, my dear sister, sometimes an outside influence is required to push people who are too stubborn or oblivious to see the truth that is right in front of them. A truth that has been apparent to an outsider since they last spoke via the Cross Continental Transit system.

Take care of yourself, Weiss. I wish you all of the best in whatever your future holds for you.

Love,

Winter


Author's Note: Pure fluff. I thought everyone deserved it at this point of the story.

Wow. Let me start off by saying that I never expected this story to get this big. Both in word count and popularity. I want to thank everyone for all of your support over the course of this story. I never expected so many people to like it. All of you who have ever read, reviewed, favorited and followed, thank you.

Next, I want to thank Myareska. In case you didn't know by this point, the whole reason I was inspired to write this story is because I started reading "Just A Few Pointers". In fact once I started writing this way back in August of 2016, I was concerned that his story would influence me more, so I stopped reading it entirely. Now I can finally get back to it. I'll definitely have to start over from the beginning. If you haven't done so already, make sure to check out Myareska's stories.

And, I want to thank everyone on the Jaune Shipping Discord server. All of the discussion we had about the story, all of the ideas that were bounced around, were critical in making this story what it was. I'm happy I was able to talk to so many people about it in real time.

So yeah, this may have been the first RWBY story I posted, but it won't be the last. I have another ongoing fic right now, called Take a Walk on the Wild Side. It's all about Jaune and the Malachite twins. Maybe you should check it out if you haven't already.

I also have future fics planned. What's next? I suppose you'll just have to wait and see. I have a lot more White Knight ideas. And ideas for other pairings as well. It all depends on which idea I can get behind the most.

A portion of Weiss' "mine" dialogue was taken from a White Knight comic which I can't find the source for. If you happen to know who drew it let me know. I'd love to give the artist credit.

And finally, you may notice that I'm not marking this story as complete yet. The actual story is complete, but there may be a little extra bonus chapter coming in the near future. Maybe. Hypothetically.

As always, thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed the story.