A/N: And here we are, nearing the end of JNPR's involvement with Volume 1 of RWBY. I can't believe I finally made it. It means a lot to me, since it's been a few years since I've written such a long work, but for some reason this fic has just kept going strong.
Thanks for all your support! After this chapter, we're going to veer off the canon plot (because JNPR isn't really involved in Vol. 1's finale) but don't worry, it'll be as fun as ever. Let me know what you think!
Laws of Attraction
"Do you think he's in trouble?" Nora asked worriedly, pouting as she lay her head upon her folded arms, hunched over the dining hall's table. "He's gonna miss dessert."
"No worries!" Yang called, sliding in beside her. "I got him some extra cake!"
"Thanks, Yang," Pyrrha smiled, lightly blocking Nora's sneaky fork from stealing some whipped cream off the extra slice the blonde handed her to safekeep.
"It's probably Cardin who's getting yelled at," Weiss said loftily, examining her nails. "He did confess to trying to stick a bunch of rapier wasps on you, Pyrrha."
"Yeah! That creep! Ugh, I want to fight him!" Ruby yelled, pounding her fists on the table angrily. "I can't believe he tried to use Jaune for that!"
Pyrrha laughed, heart warmed down to her core as she watched everyone around the table agree. When the class had returned from Forever Fall that afternoon, Professor Goodwitch had pulled Cardin and Jaune aside to ask about the events leading up to the Ursa attack. Nora, forever curious, had eavesdropped on what turned out to be a longwinded confession from the bully; his plan being to essentially force Jaune to throw some of the sap onto Pyrrha, then release a box of rapier wasps upon her. As the wasps were attracted to sweet nectar of any kind, it would've been a potentially lethal attack on the redhead, all orchestrated to assuage Cardin's bruised pride after Pyrrha stood up to him in class.
When she had first heard it, she had been absolutely horrified. Who would think of doing that to another person? Who could even imagine such a disgusting plan?
But after seeing everyone else's visceral reactions, Pyrrha had actually calmed down. All that remained was confusion, curiosity… and the mildest tinge of hope.
Jaune had said no to Cardin, after all. Despite everything he had done, Jaune had protected Pyrrha the best he could.
At long last, Pyrrha saw two figures enter the dining hall. Cardin was quickly surrounded by his team, while Jaune walked over to Team RWBY and JNPR quietly.
"So? So so so? What happened?" Ruby cried, her anger immediately slipping into concern.
Jaune slid into the seat across from the younger girl, smiling in thanks as Pyrrha handed him the dinner and dessert they had hoarded for him. "Cardin confessed to-"
"Yeah, we know what he was trying to do," Nora interjected, "but what's going to happen to him now?"
Jaune spooned a tentative scoop of rice into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Well, since he admitted to forcing me to get rapier wasps for him in order to potentially hurt another student, I think he's getting suspended."
"Only suspended?" Ruby cried, slamming her palms on the table angrily. "So he'll still be around?"
The blond shook his head. "He's losing a week of classes. He'll have to head out tomorrow, and then I think he's going to be doing some grunt work in the archives until next week- apparently it's worse than Professor Oobleck's office."
The entire table winced at the prospect of entering a cavern even more cluttered than the green-haired Huntman's workstation. "That'll teach him to mess with others, at least!" Yang chirped brightly, crossing her arms in satisfaction.
"He deserves it," Blake muttered bitterly, eyes locked on said boy's figure across the dining room.
Jaune leaned his cheek against his hand, sighing dreamily. "And, guess what? Apparently if they catch him acting out of line after this," his voice dropped to a whisper, "they'll expel him."
"Oh my gosh," Pyrrha breathed. "Well… good riddance. He's awful to everyone."
"Yeah," Nora whined. "He's such a jerk! So why did you even sit with him, anyways?"
The blond hung his head, avoiding eye contact with Pyrrha. "Well… let's just say he found out about something he shouldn't have." Pasting on a false smile, Jaune looked up at the group. "But it's alright now- I told him not to mess with any of us ever again. If he does, I think that's automatically another strike."
"Ooh, take that, Cardin!" Nora squealed. Pyrrha sighed as Nora's gaze shifted upon the redhead, eyebrow raised in curiosity. Did Cardin find out about that secret of Jaune's, whatever it is? Pyrrha could almost hear the orange-haired girl's voice ask.
She shook her head. I'm not sure, she replied with her eyes, shrugging.
Suddenly, a friendly arm slung itself around Jaune's neck, causing the boy to splutter and choke on his dinner. Pyrrha leaned to the side, eyebrows shooting up on her forehead as she made eye contact with a devilishly grinning Coco. "So, I heard that you took down an Ursa Major by yourself, blondie. That's pretty good," the tall, confident girl murmured, squeezing against the boy's windpipe lightly.
Ren sighed and patted the blond on the back when the older girl finally let go. Gasping, Jaune croaked out, "Yeah, it was pretty scary."
Two long ears, accompanied by wide, sweet eyes, popped out from around Coco's tall back. "Congratulations on making it back from Forever Fall!" she said kindly. "It's a tradition for first-years to go. It's pretty, isn't it?"
Pyrrha smiled warmly at her. "It's a lovely place, without the Grimm," she responded mildly.
"We heard you protected another guy, too," Coco said airily, brushing her bangs out of her eyes with a lofty smile. "Not bad for your first time. You did good, kid."
Although it was a sweet moment, Pyrrha's heart quickly sank as she watched Velvet's eyes widen in fear as the girl looked over Pyrrha's shoulder at the table behind them before ducking behind Coco once more.
"Speak of the devil," Ren murmured.
Shifting in her seat, she took a look behind her. A weary sigh escaped her lips immediately as she made eye contact with a watchful Team CRDL, the four boys glaring at their table defensively. Russel's gaze in particular was focused upon Velvet, who peeked out at them fearfully from behind her team leader's back.
That's it, she groaned internally. Swinging her legs around to straddle the bench, she said loudly, "Velvet, Coco- would you all like to come for dinner with us sometime?"
Ruby clapped her hands gleefully at the prospect. "Ooh, yeah!" A dangerous glint emerged in her eye. "And maybe you could show us what's in that little purse of yours, Coco?"
Coco snorted, not even noticing the group of boys still looking over to them. "I'm not sure you could handle it, little Ruby," Coco drawled, poking the younger girl's forehead. "It's a little too big for you to play with- I've got to keep it a mystery for now, at least."
"Awesome," Pyrrha continued while Ruby complained, eyes still locked onto Team CRDL. "I'm glad we're friends."
From behind her, she heard Jaune put down his spoon and loudly affirm, "Y-yeah. They're our friends, too." She felt herself straighten up, a wide grin growing on her face. Jaune had understood what she was trying to say, and was backing her up.
Jaune saved you, so you better leave us alone, she thought as she locked eyes with Cardin, sending him the most threatening smile she could muster. That includes Velvet.
Cardin got the message, but to her surprise, he didn't retaliate. The tall boy simply gritted his teeth, stood after a moment, grabbed his dinner tray, and walked away from his team, crossing over to the other side of the hall where he found an empty area and continued his meal. The rest of his team spluttered at his sudden departure, and then after a moment, they ran after him.
Pyrrha swung back around in her seat, grinning at Jaune and Velvet. "Tell us if he bothers you, okay?" she said softly to the Faunus girl. "He owes Jaune, so he better not act out again."
Stepping away from Coco, Velvet smiled sweetly at the first-years. "That's really sweet of you," she replied. "Thank you!"
Coco's expression softened, and she nodded in acknowledgment towards Pyrrha before turning away. "C'mon, Velvet. You needed more photos of Port's gun, right? His office hours will start soon."
"R-right!" the shy girl said, trotting lightly after her team leader.
And with that, the group finished up their dinner in relative peace. Team RWBY skipped off to do their own thing, while Nora salivated just by watching Jaune eat the piece of cake Pyrrha had dutifully guarded for him. It had been quite a long conversation with Professor Goodwitch, after all- the group had long finished eating before Jaune had re-emerged from her office. By the time he had cleaned up his plate, Nora's stomach was rumbling again.
She pouted pitifully at Ren as they left the dining hall, rubbing circles on her stomach. Rolling his eyes, Ren hunched over and muttered, "Okay. Get me my apron."
With an excited cheer, Nora sprinted off towards the dorms before anyone could blink.
"Making pancakes for her?" Pyrrha asked, a rueful smile on her face as they walked after her, albeit at a much slower pace.
He shrugged. "That's my job, right?"
Pyrrha shrugged back, watching Nora enter the dormitory with as much grace as a hurricane. "I suppose so." After a moment, she bumped his shoulder with hers lightly, startling the boy. "She really appreciates it, you know."
Ren paused, confusion flitting across his face, but he very quickly recovered, wearing his own sweet, knowing smile. "Yeah," he murmured, picking up his pace just a little bit. "I know she does."
The redhead felt her smile grow even wider as they reached the dormitory at last. Climbing the stairs and entering the common kitchen, she could only chuckle at Nora lying hunched over on one of the sofas, moaning as she clutched her stomach and an empty pancake syrup bottle to her chest.
Ren groaned, gently feeling Nora's forehead. "Please don't tell me you ate it all," he grumbled.
"Ren," she gasped, wincing in pain. "Ren- please- cure me-"
Instead of helping her, however, he simply picked up his apron from where she had apparently flung it across the counter, put it on, and got to work. "Next time, wait till we get some food in you before you down the syrup?" he said mildly.
Pyrrha took a seat upon the armrest of the sofa by Nora's head, brushing the girl's orange bangs to the side gently. The two girls shared a sweet smile. I don't think he really gets it, Pyrrha thought to herself, but Ren definitely does care for you back. You're lucky, Nora.
Suddenly, the missing fourth person of their team caught her attention. Nora noticed it, too, asking, "Hey, where did Jaune go?"
Pyrrha stood up, searching the room for the blond. When it came up empty, she immediately jogged for the door. "I'll… I'll go search for him. You guys focus on the pancakes, okay?"
Nora sat up, playful demeanor slipping into concern. "Wait, you don't think he's hanging out with Cardin again, right?" she chuckled awkwardly. "Like, there's just no way, right?"
Pyrrha bit her lip. "I hope not." Because the same thought had crossed her mind when she had noticed he wasn't there. With that, she left the kitchen and began exploring the dormitory.
Their room was empty, and Team RWBY, albeit all present in their room, said they hadn't seen him since dinnertime half an hour earlier. She quickly jogged through all of the common areas, even knocking on the boys' washroom to see if anyone would respond. However, soon she had exhausted all the possible areas he might be. "Maybe he went back to the classrooms?" she wondered aloud, leaning against the wall of the third floor lounge. One of the upperclassmen- a fourth-year student, most likely, walked by her, giving her a strange look as they passed. It wasn't often that a new student would go up there, after all.
There was one place she hadn't checked, though. She gritted her teeth, trying to banish the surge of emotions that rose up into her throat as she remembered her last visit to the rooftop above the first-year's wing- her last full conversation with Jaune.
Maybe he's there. Her stomach churned at the thought of going back there. It's worth a shot.
"I'm not that depressed," he had said, peering over the ledge, that day.
Her speed turned from a jog to a full-on sprint.
Finally, she hit the top step and threw open the door leading to the rooftop. "Jaune?" she cried, anxiety splashing into her mouth like bile-
But he was there, standing serenely still, looking out into the clear night at the distant CCTS Tower at the heart of the Academy. He didn't respond to her call.
She paused, catching her breath quickly, shoving her fears away into the little black box. Breathe- in, out- 1, 2… When she had finally calmed her heart, she took a few paces forward, glancing up at him through her bangs. "…No Cardin tonight?" she asked, finally working up the courage to walk up beside him. When he didn't respond, she added bitterly, "I thought you two were best buds?"
"He tried to make me hurt you, Pyrrha," Jaune whispered at last. "I could never do that."
She bit her tongue. Cardin shouldn't have worried. You're plenty good at doing that on your own. "But why did you go with him?" she insisted. "You have to tell me. We were all so concerned."
"He… um…" Jaune ran a hand through his unruly hair. "He overheard us talking that day- about how I got into Beacon."
She bristled instantly, taking a step back. "Wait, he was blackmailing you?"
"Yes!" Jaune cried, throwing his hands in the air. "Look, I know I should've just told you, but he said he'd tell Professor Ozpin, and I just couldn't let him do that!"
She propped a hand on her hip, trying to sort through the information. This was a possibility she had never really entertained, before dinner that night when Nora had mentioned it. "But how did Cardin know?"
Jaune pointed down. "His room's like, right below this wing," he chuckled awkwardly. "Guess we were talking really loudly that day."
Pyrrha sighed, and then, she froze, shock-still. Her heartbeat began running a mile a minute as she realized what he had just admitted to, what he had just said.
Cardin was blackmailing him… and he still disobeyed him. To protect me. "Oh, Jaune…"
The blond turned to face her, his expression nothing like it had been the last time they had spoken upon this very rooftop. "Pyrrha," he began, face utterly apologetic, "I'm… I'm sorry. I was a jerk! You were only trying to be nice, and… I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head-"
"Jaune! It's okay!" she interjected, unsure of how to take this sudden change of heart.
Jaune's eyes met hers, and as they flitted across her face, she felt herself warm up from her toes all the way to the tips of her ears. Whatever he was searching for, he found- and soon, he was smiling sweetly back at her.
A blush began to work its way to her cheeks, and for once, she thanked the universe for not having decent lighting installed on the rooftop. She looked down at his chest and softly murmured, taking a step closer to him, "Your team really misses their leader, you know."
A flash of guilt crossed his face, so she quickly brightened up and began heading to the exit. "You should come down! Ren made pancakes! No syrup, though- you can thank Nora for that!"
Jaune held out a hand to stop her. "Wait!"
At his words, Pyrrha turned around, only to find Jaune standish sheepishly before her, scratching the nape of his neck awkwardly, shoulders hunched, cheeks tinged pinked. "I know," he breathed, "I don't deserve it after all that happened, but… would you still be willing to help me… to help me become a better fighter?" He peered up at her through worried lashes, biting his lip, nervously shifting from foot to foot.
That little admission was all it took. Pyrrha spun away immediately, ensuring that he wouldn't see the wide, satisfied smile that took over her face. Yeah, he made a mistake, she thought to herself, mind racing back to her conversation with Nora in the washroom, but maybe… maybe he's not so bad. He apologized. He realized he was wrong. And with what he did with Cardin, he made up for it. Maybe… Maybe this could work. The more she repeated that idea to herself, the more it seemed to make sense to her.
Maybe we could work.
Wiping the smile from her face, she walked up to Jaune and innocently raised her hands. With a devilish smirk, she reached up and pushed the taller figure to the ground, a small chuckle escaping her when he hit the floor, immediately whining, "Hey!" in pain.
She propped her arms on her hips and mustered up as much of a serious tone as possible. "Your stance is all wrong," she commented, trying to channel her inner Professor Goodwitch. "You need to be wider and lower to the ground." Allowing her grin to return, she offered him a hand, which he graciously accepted. With a small tug, he was back on his feet, and suddenly, Jaune was standing right in front of her, hand still wrapped around hers, eyes meeting hers filled with gratitude and joy. She fought down the blush which wanted to shine even brighter with his newfound proximity. Ignoring her rapidly-rising heartbeat, she whispered, "Let's try that again."
Jaune squeezed her hand tight, drawing her close for just a moment before he took a step back and released her. And with that motion, as he settled into the fighting stance Professor Goodwitch had tried to drill into him time and time again, the reality of it all hit her.
Nora… you were right, huh? she thought to herself. With a rueful smile, she settled into her own battle stance, shifting her weight low to the ground. Her eyes flitted across Jaune's face- soft and sweet and confused, but with a glint of determination in his eyes, a set to his jaw. He was ready for whatever she would throw at him. I guess for now… this is good enough.
