Quite a few people commented on how `Jaune's last comment was wrong, etc` and I just thought I'd clear it up for a second. It was a symbolic question, not a literal one. The point Jaune was trying to make is that if he chooses Weiss over Cinder, then he is accepting that he will always do so from this point on, and that this will be the first step on him basically handling Cinder a victory. I'll try to explain it early in this chapter, but the point is – it's not a literal "do A and B happens" kind of choice. It's more of a "if I choose this, then it's me setting my path for ALL future events". Cinder's CCT attack isn't an isolated incident; it's the first in a series of events that leads to the fall of Beacon.

Also, because it was raised – when someone says "half-seven", what they normally mean is 7:30, not 6:30. I wouldn't say "half to seven". It means "half seven" as in "half of the seventh hour" or "7:30". It can differ in some countries such as Germany, which would say Halb-sieben as 6:30, but that is because their version of the word "half" translates not only to half, but also nearly; ergo "Half/Almost seven" as opposed to half of the seventh hour. Random trivia, ho!


Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: A Stuck at Home Tome

Chapter 28 – Mirror Mirror


Why were there never any easy choices in life? Why was it that his had to weigh so heavily? Music thrummed behind them, the beats reaching his ears over the raucous sound of dancing, and yet it sounded dull and muted. His own heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning it out. It felt like he could hear each desperate pump of blood the tortured organ sent around his body.

Yang watched from nearby but made no move to intervene. It was as clear as day she wanted to, and yet she understood not to interrupt his mental process, as jumbled as that was.

When had Weiss…? Sure, looking back there were occasions where they were close, where they laughed or talked to one another. It might even have been considered flirting by some, but she'd always seemed to know the difference. It never felt like that. I'm not wrong here… Weiss never showed any feelings like this. This is all too sudden!

And in the end, it didn't matter, did it? How and when Weiss had decided she felt this way made no difference in the fact she was upset and alone now, nor did his lack of understanding on when it happened.

All that mattered was that a decision had to be made.

Cinder… or Weiss?

The immediate choice shouldn't have been so binary and yet in a way it was. He knew that if he stopped the CCT, Cinder would find another way around it. Nothing would be halted by his going off to stop her… he could go to Weiss and keep her happy, then interfere with his nemesis another way.

But it wasn't quite so simple… if he chose Weiss now; if he prioritised his team's happiness over what he knew would happen in the future, then it was the first step on doing that for every occasion. If he couldn't bear to choose duty over Weiss' happiness… then what happened when he needed to choose all the people of Vale over Yang losing an arm? What happened if he had a chance to save thousands of lives but had to leave Blake to face Adam alone? How could he be expected to do those things if the sight of Weiss upset was enough to make him drop arms?

It would be the first step on that path… onto a path of abandoning everyone else in favour of the people he loved. It would start with Weiss, but where would it end? In the grand scheme of things, Weiss could survive a little rejection and pain.

Others would not be so fortunate.

And yet he couldn't. His eyes clenched shut and his head pounded inside his skull. There was something wrong; something viscerally not right about the idea of leaving Weiss behind like this. It was Pyrrha all over again, except that he'd learned to avoid Pyrrha's feelings for him. He'd learned to manipulate her so that she never fell for Jaune Arc and never had to suffer for it.

It didn't ever occur to him to do the same for her. Weiss was a safe option, a reliable security net. He didn't need to act differently around her because she wouldn't develop feelings.

Yang's patience didn't last as long as it ought to have. "What's so difficult about this?" she asked. "You're acting like it's the end of the world."

He ignored her. She didn't understand. Plans flashed into his mind, discarded moments later when they failed to take everything into account. Was there some way to do both, to comfort Weiss and sabotage Cinder? Should he do both if there was? One was a distraction, the other a necessity… but she was his friend too. She was special.

"I know it's a shock," she went on, "Well, it shouldn't be, but apparently it is for you… but still, it's not like you're new to this or anything."

His teeth ground together and he took several deep breaths. He felt dizzy, like the world swayed left and right before him and he might fall over at any point. One hand latched onto the wall beside him. He felt sick.

"Jaune… you can't just stand there. What about Weiss' feelings?"

Something snapped. His eyes zeroed in on her. "And did you-" he seethed "ever consider my feelings?" He took a selfish pleasure in the way Yang's eyes widened and she stepped back. His anger spiked and he pushed off the wall to step towards her. "Did you consider that this might not be easy for me? Did you consider that I might not feel the same!?"

She hadn't, that much was clear. Yang's face fell in an instant, skin drained of all colour as she realised the cruel truth and what it meant. Her eyes flickered from him to the dance floor and she seemed to pale even further.

"Of course you didn't!" Jaune spat and pushed her away from him. She caught herself on the balcony but it didn't stop him tearing into her. "You just assumed, like you always do, that everything would work out. And once more I'm backed into a corner and someone's get hurt no matter what I do. Again," he added with a meaningful look that made her pale further.

"But I thought-"

"You thought what?" he scoffed. "You thought that just because I sleep around, I'd be fine to hop into Weiss' bed as well? I'm not going to fuck Weiss, Yang!" He spat out the word like some kind of slur, and in a way it was. He didn't want to do that to his friends, not anymore. Weiss was more than a shag to complete a full set. "Or was it that you thought I had feelings for her too, just because I stepped in front of an attack for her? If memory serves, I did the same for you and Blake too – are you going to force me to pit someone else's feelings against my own, again? Or is that something only you get to do?"

"N-No, I-" Yang shook her head wildly. "It's not like that. I didn't make this happen. I didn't do this – Weiss is the one who felt this way. She thought you were taking her because of what you said. Not me! I'm just the messenger."

She was right and he knew it, but he was too far gone to listen to such incriminating logic. Everything was a mess in his head; a jumble of plans, plots and contingencies that fell apart the moment he touched them. What had he done when Pyrrha did this-? He'd dressed as a woman if he recalled… what had been the point of that? Why had he even done it!? That wouldn't make Weiss feel better, nor would it solve the Cinder problem.

His head pounded, but when he felt cool fingers touch his cheeks, he recoiled. "Stay still," Yang whispered and he felt her pinch his nose between her fingers. His eyes widened to see her with cloth in hand, his nostrils held between it. When she pulled away, the white cloth was stained red.

He touched his nose and saw his fingertips come away with spots of blood on them. Calm down… don't lose control.

"This…" Yang began softly, "This is really serious for you, isn't it?"

"Shouldn't it be?" he asked, snatching the cloth from her and using it to stem the rest of the flow.

"No, it should… I mean, it's Weiss' feelings. No, Weiss' and yours… I just…" She looked away and sighed. "I guess I assumed too… maybe I fell for your words like Weiss did. You act so differently to her than you do anyone else. You act like you're a married couple."

"And you say I act like your father too," he grunted, "It doesn't make it true."

"No… it doesn't."

Neptune hovered nearby, silent as the grave and clearly unsure if he should speak or run.

"About Weiss," Yang said, "Could you… how you feel for her… is it really not…?" She shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is, are you sure it wouldn't work out? You can always try, right? What's the harm?"

The harm? He wanted to laugh but felt too drained for such a display, and she didn't deserve it either. To anyone else, the chance to try a relationship out was part of growing up. It didn't have to mean anything.

But then again, most teenagers hadn't lost their last few hundred loves, had they? How many had been forced to watch the people they loved die over and over again? How many had cradled not one, not two, but countless women as they died in their arms? Or rather, it was the same women, but they continued to die, over and over.

Or worse, having to see them again – and realise that the woman you loved and died for had forgotten you. To realise they were strangers once more, and that everything they'd built together was gone.

I can't do that anymore… I just can't.

He couldn't handle it.

"No," he rasped, voice thick with emotion. "No, I can't. Weiss is… Weiss is better off with someone else." Even if she didn't realise it – even if she didn't want it – he would make the choice for her. "I'm sorry Yang," he added as a last to her, "But it's not going to work out."

The blonde girl looked disappointed. Oh, she hid it well behind a calm expression, and no doubt that was to try and save his feelings, but he knew how to read her better than she did herself. Clearly, she'd known about Weiss' fledgling feelings for a while, since it seemed she really had hoped they would get together. I really am sorry Yang.

"If that's how you feel then that's how you feel," she whispered. "It's just… Weiss has to be told."

"I know…" It was only fair, and the sooner the better, since to delay would mean hurting her feelings even further. To think, back when this started, this was what I dreamed of, wasn't it? How time changed a person.

"I could tell her," Yang said. "It… if anything, I'm partly to blame for putting this on you."

It would be the easy option, wouldn't it, to let Yang deal with the situation, the hurt feelings and the distress? He could avoid the problem altogether and stop Cinder. It would just mean doing his partner a disservice. "I'll do it," he said. "Weiss deserves to hear it from me. Besides, if you want to talk about blame, I'm pretty sure this is my fault too. I'm the one who stupidly dropped hints about dates and never realised she thought it was me."

Yang tried to smile. It was weak and brittle. "Go easy on her," she begged.

"I will. I promise."

There was still time, after all. He could talk to Weiss until he saw Cinder make her move… at which point, he would have to as well. He staggered away from the wall, away from Yang, and away from a man he'd wrongfully threatened. None of them tore away at his insides as much as the person who awaited him inside, however.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

/-/

She should have been angry. It was a thought that crossed her mind multiple times through the night, and yet despite her desperate wishes, the anger just wouldn't stick. Instead, she felt empty, drained and just a little tired.

Maybe she should have felt embarrassed too, since so many people had seen her stood alone and waiting outside the hall. Some asked what she was waiting for, and she'd told them, only to be proven wrong later. Her eyes drifted shut as she recalled her rolled eyes and vague irritation when the time had come and Jaune was still absent. "How typical of him to be late," she'd told herself. "I'll make sure to step on his shoes as punishment."

Even when fifteen minutes passed and she still stood alone in her borrowed gown, she'd convinced herself that he was playing some silly game, that he would come at any moment, embarrassed and rubbing his head with some asinine apology about how he'd fallen asleep.

How long had it taken for her elation and excitement to dim? How long until the doubt crept in, and eventually grew into crushing certainty.

How many people had snickered and laughed as the truth dawned on her?

Yes… she ought to have felt humiliated. But she didn't… she felt too empty for it. The opinions of others just weren't important enough, certainly not when she was too busy feeling sorry for herself. Her eyes remained locked onto the tiled floor. They didn't lift when white shoes appeared within them; didn't lift even when she heard her partner whisper her name.

"Would you like to dance?" Jaune Arc asked.

Her heart beat in her chest… that was all she could say. It didn't beat faster or slower than usual and there was no great shift at his appearance. She shrugged one shoulder. She didn't know what she wanted, but now that he was here, she felt confident in saying she didn't want him to be. I'd rather be in my room, buried under my sheets… but then he'd see me there too, wouldn't he?

It wasn't like there was anywhere she could escape to, even if she was allowed to. A Schnee did not run… a Schnee faced their problems, but right now she wanted to be Weiss and just hide in her room. Of course, she didn't have the luxury of choice.

And Jaune didn't give her a choice now, either. His gloved hand took hers, and her heart plummeted as she noted how the colour of her dress so easily meshed with his. He looked dashing in a military uniform, more handsome than she had ever seen him before. She wasn't sure if it would have been easier had he looked a mess, but the fact he looked wonderful made it hurt more. Their outfits matched and they looked like the perfect pair.

But they weren't.

She allowed him to tug her along, even as she lowered her eyes once more. He pulled her against him, and she rested one hand on his left shoulder as she felt his wrap about her waist. Her eyes remained fixed on his chest. There was the Schnee snowflake over his heart. How ironic. How painfully ironic…

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

Her heart dipped. Those were the words she'd wanted to hear when he first saw her; the words she'd expected to hear, for the attention she paid to herself this night had been beyond anything she had done before. A brand new dress, one far more enticing than what she'd originally planned to wear. Make-up, the best product… she'd pulled out all the stops and even asked Winter for a little advice too. To hear those coveted words now hurt, and not just because they were late. "Stop it," she whispered as he began to sway from left to right, drawing her with him.

"I mean it," he said. "I've never seen you look so gorgeous before. You look older, regal, absolutely stun-"

"Please stop," she begged. His words cut off immediately as she buried her face in his jacket and took a deep breath. She didn't cry, nor did she feel the desire to. She felt stiff, afraid and also nauseous. "Please…" she whispered, "Don't sugar coat this. I don't think I can handle the slow build up. Just… say it now. I beg you."

He paused. He sighed. She could feel him nod through his chest.

"I didn't mean to make you think I invited you to the dance. I… didn't intend to ask you."

They continued dancing, even after his words trailed off. He didn't prod her for a reaction. He didn't ask her if she was okay. She was grateful for that. The words… they hurt. They hurt as she knew they would, for she wasn't so foolish as to have not put the pieces together when her date failed to arrive. She didn't feel angry like she thought she might. She didn't feel like bursting into tears like she'd been afraid she would.

She felt heavy and weak, instead. His words confirmed what she'd already known, but even so, there was a naïve, hopeful part of her that had whispered that there might be another reason. That he might have gotten lost or delayed... that it might still be possible.

"Thank you," she whispered, "for being honest."

His arms tightened around her frame and drew her close. Did he think she would flee? It seemed possible, especially since she didn't know herself what to do. She allowed him to dance with her, however, if only because it let her hide her face against him and not look at him, or the people around them.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry that I made you think things I didn't mean, and I'm sorry I didn't come to pick you up. If I'd known, even if I didn't mean it, I would have come as your date."

"Don't apologise for that, I'd rather… if you didn't feel that way, I'd rather you did as you are now. I wouldn't want to be misled." At least, she didn't think she did… her feelings were confused, her thoughts even more so. The idea of him coming up and making excuses, of giving her a single night of happiness… it was a nice image, but she knew it wouldn't have lasted. It would just have led to more pain later. It was better to do things now, as he had, out in the open.

"Weiss, do you… do you have feelings for me?"

The emphasis on the word made her want to laugh, or maybe cry, but she didn't think she could do either without succumbing to both. She pushed her face against his chest and the hand that rested on his shoulder tightened. Her nails dug into the thin material. "I don't know. It's… I haven't felt like that for anyone before so I don't have anything to compare it to. I think I do..."

"I understand," he sighed, and in a strange way, she felt he just might.

She clenched her eyes shut and took the plunge. Nothing ventured, nothing gained… right? It was a maxim for business but she couldn't help but wish someone had taught her about this too.

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you… do you think it could work? I know you didn't mean to invite me to the dance but we could always try and see if something could come of… this." She paused, took a deep breath, and then dared to be bold. "Could you imagine the two of us… together?"

She didn't think he would agree. If he returned her feelings, whatever they were, then surely he would have said so by now. He would have shown some excitement, some enthusiasm. She knew he would say no but…

"I don't think I can, Weiss."

Somehow that hurt even more than she'd imagined.

"Oh," she breathed. She wanted to say more but something clogged in her throat and she couldn't. "Ohh…" she repeated again, this time in a higher pitched tone. Her body began to tremble.

"It's not for the reasons you think," he said. He reached down to cup her chin and lift her face up towards his.

It was the first time she'd really looked at him that night and it took her breath away.

He didn't look overly handsome, at least not in any way that made him look different to normal. If anything, he looked troubled and distracted. It was the emotion she saw in his face, however, that shocked her. It was the overwhelming concern and affection for her, tempered with something else. There was no doubt in her mind this hurt him as much as it did her.

"It's not that there's something wrong with you," he continued. "You are beautiful Weiss, you truly are, and I don't just mean your body or your face. You've got a fire that burns inside you, a drive that puts other people to shame, and a soft side that has two girls your age call you mother. You're incredible… it would be so easy to fall in love with you. Any guy would if you let them."

Why then? She tried to speak it but no words came out. Why haven't you?

"I'm not the right kind of guy for you," he said. "I mean, come on Weiss, look at me… I've slept with so many different women and I under-achieve in everything I do. I'd drag you down with me." Her father would have agreed with him. He would have hated Jaune. "Can you imagine me in a relationship, either?" Jaune added. "I can't remember the last time I had a genuine relationship. I respect you too much to take advantage of you."

"Those aren't good reasons," she whispered. "I wouldn't mind…"

They are to me, and I would," he said, almost a sigh. "I'd mind if you didn't get the care and respect you deserve." The way he sighed said there was a deeper story there, one that she didn't – or couldn't – understand. "Just… trust me, Weiss. You don't want to get into a relationship with me. I care for you, but… I care enough not to get you involved in something that just wouldn't work. It's nothing about you, it's-"

She laughed into his chest. "I never fought I'd hear this," she said. "I've always heard about it but… I guess I was arrogant enough to think it wouldn't ever happen to me."

"Hear what?" he asked.

"The whole `it's not you, it's me` rejection," she sighed. "I'm not a child, Jaune. If you don't wish to entertain my feelings, you can say so. You have the right to make your own decisions in life." The truth would hurt less too, since his reasons gave her hope… hope she didn't want to harbour if it wasn't true. Somehow it was easier to know it wouldn't ever work, that it was her fault and nothing else. There would be no need to blame this on anything else. No reason to doubt or wonder what might have been had things been different.

She disentangled herself from him the moment she finished speaking, which coincided with the end of the song they had just danced to. At least he'd granted her the one dance… her reputation might be salvaged because of it. He'd probably thought of that, the cunning – kind – man. It was time for her to be kind in return, she supposed. She'd seen him look away from her occasionally… she'd followed his gaze and seen the beautiful, black-haired woman he focused his attention on. She tried to swallow her bitterness, especially at his attention being taken by the one who'd caused this in the first place, the one who had put him in the infirmary.

If he wanted to be with her… she would step aside and let him. She cared for him too much to deny him that happiness.

"Thank you for the dance," she said with a bow, "and thank you for listening to me. I'm going to retire for the night. Please…" she bit back on her emotions, "please enjoy the rest of the night."

She hoped he couldn't see her face when she turned to leave. If he had, he might have noticed the red around her eyes.

/-/

The time for thought was gone. As Weiss pulled away from him, he saw the pain in her eyes. She didn't believe his reasons, even if they were the best he could give and he meant every word. He wasn't right for her, no matter how much he might once have wanted nothing more than this. Even so, to see her so easily dismiss herself as being at fault was painful.

But he if stopped her now, it would mean allowing Cinder to continue her plans. What would he say to her either way? Lies would only hurt her and he wouldn't put someone he cared for through the pain of trying to deal with him and his problems. The future would be bleak enough without him adding that onto her.

But if I go to try and stop Cinder… what changes there, either? Life after life, repeat after repeat, he'd failed and failed again – so what was the point of trying here? Was there even a point, or was he working on habit alone?

I don't have time to think! I need to make a choice!

If he chose Weiss now, then he locked himself into a never-ending cycle of choosing his team over stopping Cinder. Her plans would come to fruition, as they always did, and Beacon would fall. His team would die, he would lose them, and then he would repeat – to live it all again.

If he chose to leave and fight Cinder, her plans would likely continue, but he could limit the damage… it would be little here, but in future he could delay her – and more importantly – he could escape himself. He could continue his original plan and retreat when the attack hit. He could escape, survive, and then – when he died – return with enough time in advance to train and defeat her… maybe.

All he had to do was sacrifice Weiss' happiness. Here, in the future and then – when Beacon fell – he would need to sacrifice her life. Yang and Blake's too, along with Ruby, Pyrrha and everyone else he loved. They would all die so that he could escape to continue the fight in a new world.

All he had to do… was let them all die.

A tear fell from Weiss' face and splashed against the tiled floor.

"J-Jaune?" Amber's voice cracked, light blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she looked up at him. In pain, distress…

He'd made Amber cry too, he remembered. He'd not only hurt her, but almost made her think he didn't care. Amber, his own sister… God, when was the last time he'd thought of her? Talked to her? He'd practically forgotten her - all of them. He'd been so focused on his duty of late. Just like when he'd gone back to Ansel the first time, intending to abandon her at the arcade. Back then, he'd been prepared to walk away… to leave someone he claimed to love to walk home alone, wondering if her brother had not only abandoned her, but never cared in the first place.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't do it anymore.

His hand snagged Weiss' wrist at the last second, when she had been about to move out of reach entirely, but even then he knew he would have dove across the dance floor to reach her.

Weiss gasped out in shock only for it to be smothered as he dragged her back in against him, so that her face crashed into his chest. She couldn't escape his grasp. He wouldn't let her. His grip, gentle yet unyielding, ensured it.

"You can't leave yet," he said, almost too fast to be understood, "I said I'd get you a date to the dance and I have. You're not going to leave me here dressed like this, are you? I'd be a laughing stock."

"L-Let go," she almost, but not quite, sobbed. "There's no point in my being here. Go and be with who you want to be with. I'm just in your way."

"You could never be in my way, Weiss. My reasons aren't because of you. You're beautiful… you're perfect."

"Liar," she hissed and tried to push away. "I-I'm not a fool. You don't need to treat me like a child, just tell me I'm not good enough. Tell me I'm not pretty enough or that I'm too bossy!"

He wasn't getting through to her. She didn't believe a word he said. Something like white hot fire shot through him; anger not at her or him, but at the very idea that she could think so little of herself. He gripped her shoulder with one hand, tilted her face up with the other.

And slammed his lips against hers.

It wasn't the best kiss he'd ever given. It was desperate and rough and he banged his nose against her cheek too. Spectators on the dance floor whispered but he didn't care in the slightest for them. All he cared about was making sure she knew, proving to her without a doubt, that it wasn't her. That there wasn't something wrong with Weiss.

But Gods, her lips were so soft… she melted into him without thinking about it and her small frame in his hands felt divine. She tasted of berries and punch, smelled of something heady and sweet that set his senses a tingle. He wanted nothing more than to push her against the nearest pillar, pin her arms above her head and force her to scream that she understood it wasn't her.

It was those dangerous thoughts that made him pull back and gasp for breath. She did so as well, her cheeks red and flushed – lips almost bruised. Pale eyes watched him, a mixture of shock and something he refused to acknowledge altogether.

"It's not you," he whispered, as firmly as he could. "You, Weiss Schnee, are perfect. You're beautiful and intelligent, everything a man would want in a woman. Don't you dare think my reasons are because you're not good enough. You are."

Weiss' face pressed against his chest. The struggle seemed to leave her entirely. She pushed weakly against his chest, mumbled something incoherent into his jacket, and then stood in his arms, shoulders unnaturally stiff.

She was hurting, he knew, but she would have hurt more had he let her be alone. Slowly, and with a gentle tug, he pulled her into a soft dance. Perhaps she still reeled from the kiss, or maybe the fight had left her entirely. Either way, she followed him as he danced with her, each of her steps picture perfect and graceful.

Over her head, he watched Emerald say something to Cinder. The dark-haired woman nodded and slipped away. His eyes drifted shut and he lowered his chin to rest atop Weiss' hair. The CCT would be attacked tonight… and he would let it be.

His team came first.

It was for them he did these repeats, for them that he continued to fight, even when giving up sounded so easy. In a way, he'd always been doing that, hadn't he? If he'd truly been committed to his plan then he wouldn't be here in the first place. If he were willing to let them die, it should have made no difference if Yang died here or in a cell. He wouldn't have accepted Ozpin's offer to join Beacon.

The mission to save Blake at the docks that had ruined his first chance of escaping… it had been a decision made because Blake came first. The subsequent attacks against the White Fang, because he knew she would be at risk if she went alone. But if he truly wished to let them die, what did it matter if she died a few months earlier?

And now with Weiss as well… Cinder could have the CCT and everything it entailed. If it meant leaving Weiss to suffer alone in their room while the rest of the school celebrated, then he wasn't interested.

It won't be the end, his mind warned. This is the first step… if you choose Weiss now; it means you'll choose her and the team again for all future choices. There's no point siding with her here if you're just going to abandon her later. You can't have the best of both worlds.

His arms tightened around her. He knew that… there were choices ahead which would test him again, and if he couldn't even bare to see Weiss in pain, then he knew he would let Cinder get away with far worse to preserve and protect Yang and Pyrrha. It would also mean the end of his original plan. Running away would hurt them more than anything else. If I choose this then I have to be prepared to stay and die with them.

It was an easy choice.

It should have been an easy choice before. This life, this entire repeat, hadn't it originally started with the goal of spending it with his family? His throat caught as he thought of them, of a family he hadn't called in what felt like weeks… even when he'd promised to call each and every day. His mother, his pregnant mother, his sisters and father… were they worried about him?

He hadn't stuck to that goal at all… in the same way that he hadn't stuck to the plan of getting expelled and escaping. Each time that clashed with a risk to his team, he rushed in and threw the plan aside to protect them. In the same way, he'd thrown his family aside the moment Cinder reappeared in his life. Old duty and habits had settled in. His days had been filled with watching, his nights with covert attacks on the White Fang.

Was that the life of someone living a holiday? What utter nonsense…

I said this life would be one I lived for my family, he thought. With a smile, he looked down at the woman in his arms. Weiss is part of my family too… as are Blake and Yang. Ruby, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora too – they're all family to me.

With a sigh, he looked up in time to see Cinder finally leave.

You can have this life, Cinder. It was probably yours anyway. But I'm going to spend it with the people I love. He would move against her still, but only when it was necessary to protect them. No more late-night missions against the White Fang. No more leaving his team behind while he risked his life to try and stop her.

"Why are you doing this?" Weiss asked, voice barely above a whisper. They were the first words she'd whispered since his display.

"Because I care about you," he answered honestly. "I love you like I love Blake and Yang, our entire team, and even Ruby's team too. I'm doing this because I want you to know that nothing is going to change because of this. I want us to still be friends… to still be a team."

Weiss' hands clutched his shoulders, but she finally looked up and into his eyes. They were rimmed with red, the proof of the tears she'd buried in his uniform. She smiled, however, and although it was watery, it was also filled with relief. "Thank you…"

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. "Anything for my partner," he said. "I meant what I said earlier, by the way. You are beautiful and I'm not doing this because I don't think I could love you."

"You have your reasons?" she offered.

"I do," he said with a nod. "That said… there's nothing I'd rather do right now than spend the night here with you. Weiss Schnee, would you do me the honour of being my date to this dance?"

Weiss laughed. It wasn't one filled with joy and there was a definite bitter tone to it, but it was better than the pain she'd worn before. "I suppose I shall have to," she said, "You've taken up so much of my time that people would talk if I didn't."

That smile, those eyes… the way she pushed aside her pain and did what she felt had to be done. She was the most mature of the girls he knew and it showed. Something might have stirred within him as he looked down and into her eyes, but he squashed it ruthlessly down.

Once upon a time he'd thought he'd fallen in love with Weiss; back before this all started. He knew that it'd been nothing more than an immature crush, an adolescent fantasy, but he knew now that if he'd seen this side of her back then it would have been for real. He knew full well he shouldn't fall for her again. He'd meant what he said about how it shouldn't be him. It would be oh so easy to fall for her… he hadn't lied about that.

But it was best for everyone if that didn't happen.

His fingers intertwined with hers and he winked as he pulled her into another, faster dance. She kept along with him easily, her gown swaying behind her as she expertly danced and weaved between other students with him. "You're good at this," he said.

"Dancing? I had tutors… this is nothing."

"Is that a challenge?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "What if it is, Arc? I doubt you could keep up with me."

"Well," he grinned and looped one arm about her waist. He tipped her back, but she arced gracefully down and only raised an eyebrow in response. "We'll have to see who has the best moves after all."

/-/

Ruby sighed as she watched Jaune and Weiss tear up the dance floor. Well, that term might have been better used to describe Yang's kind of dancing, since those two moved with much more grace and skill. They made their dances look good, which put just about every other gyrating and arm-thrusting student to shame. It should have made her smile or laugh, even more so to see them together. But it didn't.

"I don't understand," Ruby sighed, "I thought they liked one another."

Pyrrha placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled as comfortingly as she could. It didn't help much, but the reassurance that she was there did. "I suppose the heart is a delicate matter," she said. "I've never been in love but… well, things don't always end well."

Things not ending well… the words brought back memories of Summer. Ruby sighed and looked away. She knew all about unhappy endings, but she'd hoped to never see another when she became a huntress. It just didn't seem fair that Weiss' feelings go unanswered like that.

"At least they're still together in a sense," Pyrrha smiled. "It would have been so easy for the team to fall apart over something like this. I personally think it speaks well of both of them that they're willing to put this aside and continue as friends."

"Yeah… I guess…"

"You disagree?"

"Well, no…" Ruby sighed. "I just wanted to see them both be happy. That's all." Was that selfish of her? She didn't know. She just wanted Jaune to be happy and it always seemed that he wasn't quite as happy as he pretended to be. That he needed to pretend at all was wrong. Weiss liked him too, and she was sure he liked Weiss back. It was just so obvious from how he looked and acted around her.

So where was his happy ending?

A sigh tore itself from her throat and she just had to look away from the bittersweet scene. She'd never understood the word before, since how could something be both good and bad at once? Now she did… seeing Jaune and Weiss have fun together was good, but knowing that both hurt because their feelings had been rebuffed… that was bad. Ruby couldn't look any longer, and instead watched the night sky outside the window.

A dark shape flashed atop a nearby rooftop.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha whispered when the younger girl slipped away. "Where are you going?"

"I thought I saw something… someone…"

Pyrrha sighed and downed the rest of her drink. "Let me come with you then," she said, "I'm fairly tired of guys asking if they can dance with a champion."

"Worry not my fair maiden," Ruby orated, "I shall protect you for the rest of this night."

"My hero," Pyrrha chuckled. "Come on… let's go and see what that thing you saw was. Did you see where it was headed?"

"It looked like it was towards that tower…"

/-/

Weiss smiled as she watched Jaune dance with Blake. Despite her feelings, as sore and confused as they still were, it was impossible to feel jealous. The dark-haired girl seemed to be having fun and laughed as Jaune said something. He was good with her… very good indeed. Blake was such a quiet person, yet even from the start, he'd been the one to get the most emotion out of her. That hadn't always been good emotion, especially when he'd kept getting her name wrong, but it had evolved into something far better. I bet he'd be good with children too, she thought, then shook her head with a sigh.

"You okay?" Yang asked as she settled down beside her. A glass of punch was pushed into her hands, but sadly it lacked any kick.

"I'm fine," Weiss waved it off. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Yang's face twisted as she tried to think of a way to put word to what thoughts hid inside that head. The silence said enough, not to mention the sympathy and anguish Yang directed at her.

"Ah," Weiss said, unwelcome shame pooling inside her. "So, I guess you know what happened…"

"I'm so sorry. I tried to push him towards you but-"

Weiss cut the girl off by pushing a finger to her lips. "You didn't do anything wrong," she said. "You didn't make me develop feelings for that idiot and you weren't the one to make me believe he wanted something more. It's not your fault."

Yang nodded and only then was the finger removed. "Are you okay, though?" she asked. "I… I can't say I know what it feels like but… if you want to talk, you know that I'm here for you, right?"

She looked at her teammate from the corner of her eyes but could detect no deceit in her tone. A moment later she felt foolish for even suspecting it. This was Yang. She was loud, rambunctious and patently bad at wordplay… but she was also someone Weiss trusted and loved dearly. That realisation surprised her for a second. And if she trusted Yang as much as she did her own sister – then why not tell her?

"It… does hurt," Weiss admitted after taking a deep breath. "I suppose I got my hopes up, and for that I'm paying the price. In my defence, since I thought he was asking me to the dance, I went into this assuming it was a foregone conclusion." How laughable… she'd thought his acceptance a formality at best, only to be rejected in the most brutal of fashions. A no would have been more merciful than the slow wait for a date that would never come.

"We did too," Yang admitted, "Both Blake and I thought he said the same. You're not alone in this Weiss."

The heiress smiled when she felt Yang's hand grip her own and squeeze. If someone had told her a year ago that this would happen, she would have called them a fool. For one, Weiss Schnee needed the comfort of no one, but more importantly, no man would say no to her. She squeezed Yang's hand and whispered a thank you in return. "The team is going to stay in one piece," Weiss said. "Jaune and I both expressed our fears that this would cause problems and… well, I suppose we both realised that neither of us wants to see Team Jazzberry run into difficulties. We're still good friends and that isn't going to change."

Yang looked relieved at that. "That's good," she said. "We only just finished with the last intervention to get you two back together. I don't think we could trick you into another classroom."

Weiss laughed and made to swat at her, but the other girl leaned back with a grin.

"There is one thing I wanted to ask, though," Yang said, "What was it that made you actually want to take that step with Jaune?"

"What made me want to attempt a romantic relationship?" Weiss asked, getting a nod in return. "I'll admit… I'm not completely sure. I've liked him for a while, but it was never anything more than how I liked you or Blake."

"You didn't like him at first," Yang pointed out. "Then again... I don't think anyone did."

Weiss laughed. "You'd think that, but..." she trailed off, not looking at Yang but at someone in particular not far away. "Did I ever tell you how we first met, really? That I chose him as my partner over your sister."

Yang stilled. "Apparently not. I thought it was the night before initiation, when he was making a racket."

Weiss smiled at the melancholic memory. "I remember thinking he was being... unconventional at the time. But no- I actually met him not long before. We met at a concert… my last one for charity before I was to study here. He won a competition and had a chance to meet me after the show." Weiss sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I hadn't been warned about it, and to be honest I wasn't in the mood, either. Still, duty called and I put on a polite face as everyone wanted me to. I suppose I expected a rabid fan, or some over-enthusiastic child." She looked to Yang in time to see the blonde's grin. "Instead, I got Jaune Arc. He told me he was there because he'd been injured and it was his family's get-well present. He told me he wanted to be a minstrel, traveling Remnant." She laughed lightly. "When I saw him at Beacon, I thought I had inspired him to apply himself and reach for greater things."

Yang swallowed. "I see," she said awkwardly.

"I know. I soon learned otherwise, of course, but at the time... it was a good impression, if unusual, and that was enough to make me choose him over Ruby." She shook her head and chuckled. "It didn't take me long to regret that choice."

"I'll bet."

"Once that debacle was out of the way, however… I suppose I started to feel the same about him as I do about all of you. He was special to me, a friend, someone I could rely on to say what he felt and not what he thought I wanted to hear." Weiss shrugged. "He always saw me as Weiss and never Weiss Schnee. Not that I think it would have stopped him being a lazy idiot if he did…"

"But none of that is enough to make for romance…"

"It's not," Weiss sighed. "I think the truth of that is… less impressive than you might imagine. I never considered the two of us together, no matter what your silly jokes. I suppose the first person to put it in my head was his mother."

"Juniper said you were together?"

"She hinted at it once or twice," Weiss said. "I dismissed it at the time. I appreciated Jaune then, yes, but romance? It was a laughable idea."

"But the words stuck with you?"

"In a sense..." Weiss took another long drink of her punch as she thought back on it. "Despite what you might think, they never bothered me and I still didn't lend them any credence. They just opened my mind to the possibility, even if it was still 99% impossible in my head. As time went on, I started to forget them entirely. The team was fun, it was family – and feelings like that never seemed apparent so I didn't dwell on it. It wasn't until the recent sparring match that I really tripped up."

"When he saved you?"

"Indeed… but also a little before, I suppose. Your silly prank left my sister with some choice questions, as you might recall." She made sure to glare at Yang for that, even if the blonde looked far too amused in return. "It was like Mrs Arc all over again, but this time with my own sister. I was humiliated when I returned to the dorm, especially when I saw Jaune. I instantly thought of us as together, but not in a romantic sense – more a `oh my god, Winter thought I would be making out with him` sort of way. I was embarrassed and it got stuck in my head again… it didn't help with his display of fighting Pyrrha. Did you know she came to me afterwards and said Jaune had as good as confirmed it to her?"

"No way," Yang gasped. "But if he did… why turn you down now?"

"I have no idea," Weiss sighed. "He gave his reasons." Reasons that were neither satisfying nor detailed. "Either way, after that – and after he saved me from the fireball – I couldn't get the thought out of my head. It plagued me, tormented me, and everything he said and did seemed to suggest it further."

"I'd jump into an inferno for her."

He'd meant his mother, but the similarities… the way he would risk his life for his mother, but also did the same for her? Was it so unbelievable that she'd taken it the wrong way? "I thought he had feelings for me and that I'd somehow never realised all this time," Weiss sighed. "I started to wonder if maybe I was wrong… if maybe Winter and Mrs Arc had seen the truth and it was I that was blind."

"Oh Weiss…" Yang whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Those shoulders hitched. "I started to ask myself if there was something more… and that if there was, what I'd do. When he mentioned my having a date for the dance and not to worry, it felt like confirmation. I went back to my room and asked myself; could Jaune and I work? What did I think about the possibility?"

"And you liked the thought of it…"

"I did," Weiss whispered. "It was so stupid but I got excited. He was different from other men, he saw me for me, he respected me… and I respected him too. It wasn't love, at least not in the way the movies show it… but I decided that when he asked me, I'd say yes." Her eyes closed and she took a shuddering breath. "And then he didn't ask me… so I asked him."

Yang didn't finish for her. They both knew how that turned out. "What will you do now?" she asked instead.

"What can I do? Jaune was… he was kind with his words. He made it clear nothing bad would come of this, he was so much more gentle than I would have imagined."

"He cares for you."

"I know." Weiss sighed. Just… not as she now wished he did. "Honestly, I wish I'd never let this happen, Yang. If it wasn't for him taking that attack, I'd have never considered him as a potential suitor, and I wouldn't be feeling this now. We'd be partners still, arguing and having fun together but with nothing deeper than that. Now… now we're something more and less at the same time and it… it sucks." Not how a Schnee would normally speak, but the Rubyism was perhaps the best way to describe it. "It really sucks."

It was better to have it out though. It hurt, yes, but surely now that it was in the open, she could start to accept the rejection and heal. It wasn't a big deal… people got turned down all the time. It wasn't the end of the world. Surely now she could take a deep breath and let it go.

Her heart suggested otherwise.

"Will you be okay?" Yang asked.

I'll have to be, won't I? Weiss thought. She watched him approach, catching more than a few eyes in his Atlas uniform. He didn't return those admiring gazes, however, even if once-upon-a-time he might have. As far as she could remember, he hadn't even shown interest in his casual flings since… at least before the end of last term. Had that been another red herring she'd latched onto like a fool? There were any number of reasons for why he no longer slept around like he once had. Even so, she couldn't help but reach her fingers up to brush against her lips. That... she hadn't expected that; hadn't been prepared for it, either. How was she supposed to forget about this, to accept this, if he went and did something like that?

Jaune paused before them, made a quip towards Yang, and then turned to her. "I know it's late," he said, "but would you like to dance again?"

"Wouldn't dancing with me keep you from your fans?" She gestured to another, female, student. "If you went and talked to her, I'm sure you could go home with someone tonight."

Yang kicked a leg against hers in warning, but Jaune was the one to reply. "I'm not here for them. I'm Weiss Schnee's date for the evening. You mean more to me than they do."

As a friend, she reminded herself, even as she reached out to accept his hand. His skin was warm and his hand was large enough to almost engulf hers entirely. Despite the situation, or perhaps because of it, she found herself smiling at him.

It wasn't everything she wanted… but it wasn't as bad as she feared, either.

/-/

Jaune's shoulders felt lighter than they had in a while. The pain he'd caused his partner aside, the decision to spend his time for them helped him put down the burden he'd been carrying. Weiss' form moulded against his, and they slipped between the other students as they danced.

Back when this first started, I promised this life would be a holiday… He snorted at the thought of it. How foolish that ideal seemed now. I guess when it came to it, I couldn't stop wanting to look after them. I never tried as hard as I could to get expelled. There was always something holding me back… something I didn't understand.

Yang at the club, Blake at the docks, Weiss at the dance… he'd spent this entire repeat trying to keep them safe, just like he had each and every one before. It felt natural. It felt right. It was who he was.

He would call his family. He would speak to them, explain and ask their forgiveness – both for his silence and for the fact he would be staying now at Beacon. He would use what little time there was to make sure his team were safe and happy, even if he knew it wouldn't last. I'll look after you, he thought as his arms drifted across Weiss' waist. I'll look after all of you.

In the distance, barely audible over the music, a great crash sounded. Weiss turned away from him but couldn't escape his arms entirely. "What was that?" she asked, as even a few other students paused to look around.

He took her chin in one hand and pulled her face back to meet his. "Probably someone knocking over some glasses," he lied. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Her eyes remained on his, like gentle pools of water, before thick lashes hid them and she rested her head against his chest once more. Theirs seemed a sign for others and dances soon began as people ignored what must have been an accident elsewhere. He knew better, of course, but this was Weiss' night… not Cinder's.

It would be hard… to act like nothing had changed. Despite his words and promises, things between them were different. She had seen him as something other than a partner, and he? Well, he'd always known what she was. Her body was small and warm against his, tempting in a way he'd promised his friends would never again be. His nose pressed down into her hair and he inhaled of her scent. The taste of her, the touch of her, was still on his lips.

It would have been so easy to love her…

But it would have broken him.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked as she felt him shudder. She looked worried, concerned, like she would have fought against whatever ailed him.

It filled his heart with warmth, even as he felt guilt eat away at his gut. "Nothing's wrong," he said, placing a chaste – friendly – kiss against her cheek. "Everything is perfect."

Everything would be perfect… he would make sure of it.


Well, here I am, peeking out from my bunkers as I wait for the shippers to ready their artillery. What would life be without a little conflict to liven it up, eh?

I'm also fairly sure his choice will lead to some rage from people and well… all I can say is, people ought to have really seen it coming, based on how Jaune acts and what he's been through. It reminds me of how, up until this point, there are some who keep bringing up how Jaune "isn't trying to get expelled" and "I've forgotten or given up on even writing it" and how "it's a mistake by me"… maybe now it's obvious that I did know and I was aware, but that it was an actual plot point – not a mistake. You were meant to notice that he missed opportunities or that he prioritised his team more than chances to escape. Those were there on purpose.

Anyway, the chapter is a little shorter this week, partly because of my having a super-busy weekend, but mostly because there wasn't much more to include. I wanted this chapter to be about this issue, and not to include other things unrelated to it.

Naturally, the Weiss x Jaune issues are not over. This isn't a "one chapter write off" or something.


Next Chapter: 4th March

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur