What did I just say, huh? The moment I posted the second chapter was the moment I suddenly found so many errors in it.

Annoying.

Disappointing even.

This is why the third chapter is brought to you by Rust-Eze Medicated Bumper Ointment, new rear-end formula.

Jokes aside, I'm happy that people are liking this story.

Anyways, enjoy.

This is the fate of all fools.

The once sane blonde knight of Beacon Academy has been reduced to a slobbering mess on his bed. Screaming into his pillow, staring dumbly at the ceiling, and gesticulating his arm was the norm every morning.

Well, if you're the type of fool that Jaune Arc is then this is your fate.

Waking up wasn't rainbows and sunshine today, especially with what happened the afternoon before. He saw himself as a buffoon, an idiot, the biggest joke of an Arc to ever exist. And he dared let Weiss Schnee see that side of him.

He showed the woman, who is one of the most proficient users of dust, his lack of ability to even understand the basics of dust reactions. The only thing missing is a sign that says 'stupid' with an arrow that points straight at him.

He buried his head onto his pillow.

Wait, this shouldn't be a problem. The more that Weiss looks down upon him the better. The harder the reality check that they're not meant to be would make it easier for him to let go.

But is it necessary for him to look like a dumbass the whole time?

The blonde groaned.

"Jaune, whatever you're trying to convey to your pillow," Ren said as he sat on the edge of his bed, fitting his shoes in, "I think he already gets it."

"Leave me alone, Ren," Jaune grumbled.

"No can do," Ren stood up, grabbing the yellow towel that hung on Jaune's bed and threw it at its owner, "you need to take a shower. We still have classes."

Jaune didn't reply, nor did he move. Leaving the cotton to cover his head and back. Ren sighed, making his way towards the door.

"Ren?"

The man looked back, surprised to see Jaune had moved from his bed quickly. He was sitting down, idly staring at the window that leads outside of their dorm room.

"You do your best to always do the right thing, right?"

Ren's eyebrow quirked from the question his leader had thrown at him, "as much as possible, I try to do the right thing."

Jaune lazily turned to his teammate, his blue eyes looked dull and were filled with so much weight that he could barely keep them from looking down at his feet, "what do you do when doing the right thing feels so… wrong?"

Ren was stoic, almost unbelievably so. But the way he looked at his leader showed the most emotion that the blonde had ever seen from his friend. And Jaune couldn't dare to look at him longer, he couldn't stand the pity.

Ren hummed and sank back into his bed, hoping that Jaune would look him straight in the eye, "What's going on?"

"I wanna stop doing," Jaune paused, "something…"

It was a touchy subject, Ren could figure. His leader often wore his heart on his sleeve, something he admired and, at the same time, felt concerned about him. So to see him feel so secluded, as if he wanted to cover something under a facade of self-control, Ren couldn't help but be reminded of himself.

And right now, Jaune needed him, "Why do you want to stop?"

"It's for my own sake... and others."

"What made you do it in the first place?"

The blonde sighed, a small frown etched on his face. "I didn't expect that I'd be doing it. If you ask me two years ago if it would happen, I wouldn't believe you-"

"But it happened?" Ren added.

"Yeah, it happened. And I initially thought that something good could come out of it, but recently I realized that wasn't the case." Jaune laid his back on his bed.

"How long have you been doing it?"

"Ever since the start of my stay here."

Ren's eyes narrowed, his concerns bubbled.

"Jaune," the monk had moved, opting to sit beside his friend, "I believe that most things that happen to us are a direct result of our choices."

"Yeah, I can get behind that." Jaune nodded along.

"But what can separate you among others is your willingness to live with the consequences."

"Oh…" Jaune stared dumbly at the ground, unable to look at Ren.

"Things happen for a reason, Jaune. That's a fact of life. Coincidences are mere excuses of people who have no control over theirs," the monk turned to the knight, "And I believe you have control over yours."

Jaune didn't say anything.

"People believe in you- your team believes in you, Jaune. You can do this."

Jaune stood up, nodding slightly towards his friend, "Uh… thanks, Ren. I'll go ahead and... use the community showers."

When the door to the outside inched close, the one to JNPR's bathroom opened. Nora was standing inside, a towel covering her modesty. She looked just as concerned as he was.

"What was that about?" She asked.

Ren shook his head, "Jaune's questioning his place as the leader of JNPR."

Jaune really wasn't having a good day. What's worse is that his friend told him that he should keep pursuing Weiss.

It's crazy how much hope they have placed on him.

But this isn't what he wanted; he wanted to get over his feelings for Weiss. For his sake, and hers too. And hearing his friend, the wisest one at that, tell him to continue pining over her threw a wrench in his schemes.

He sighed, head leaning back on the door he just closed. He didn't like how difficult it was becoming.

But he'd still try. And he'd make sure it'll happen.

"Jaune?" And throw in another wrench if you may, "perfect, you're here."

Looking at her still gave him that familiar ache.

Weiss peeked from her dorm room with eyes that looked like she was expecting to meet him. Jaune felt uneasy, he never imagined having Weiss act like she was looking for him. What was she going to say? Is he ready to hear it? Can she postpone it to some other time?

She stepped out, already wearing her uniform. "Your cheesecake yesterday was so much better," she said.

What?

"You took my comments and improved upon them. Quite commendable, I'll be excited to see what else you'll be making." She walked past him, but not before throwing a small smile and a curtsy. Jaune, however, stood frozen and only an annoyed-looking Yang woke him from his stupor.

"Yeah, she ate my cheesecake," she was grumpy. He's gonna have to make a new one for her.

"You didn't tell her?"

"She kept droning on about how she thought of your cheesecake. I had no chance to talk"

Yang soon followed her teammate, with Ruby in tow who had her eyes glued onto her scroll. She was playing a game. Blake remained, and motioned closer to him.

"I'm surprised Jaune," the faunus said, "didn't expect you to take the teacher's pet route with Weiss." She smirked, and Jaune got even more confused. Blake never teased him like that.

But, if that's how she sees it then that must mean Weiss also did.

Inwardly, Jaune was fuming. If steam could come out of his ears then they'd be akin to a boiler.

This was not happening.

Jaune made sure that the girls had turned the corner, before releasing his frustration into the open air. He grumbled, threw his arms in indignation, kicked the foot of the wall, and even slammed his head on team RWBY's door, disregarding the ache it gave his forehead. He already has a migraine, what's gonna stop him from hurting his head even more?

"This. Is. So. Stupid!" Jaune screamed to the wood.

Weiss is gonna think that he made the cake specifically for her. A gesture that, when she realizes, is not going to fly by. He doesn't want her to think he had those intentions, but how could he clear it up with her? He can't exactly say that he initially made the cake for Yang and not for her, then turns out she didn't think it in the first place, then he'd end up making a fool of himself again, and by then she'd probably assume that he subconsciously wanted her to eat the cheesecake by which he most definitely did not.

Then a pair of arms wrapped around his torso. The feeling of hair burying deep into the arch of his back was comforting. He felt warm, protected even. His shoulders slacked, losing all of the tension it carried.

Sighing, Jaune turned around to see that Nora was the one hugging him. She craned her neck, smiling solemnly at him. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks, Nora,"

"No problem Fearless Leader," she held onto him for a while, before arching back an unrecognizable look on her face.

Jaune lifted an eyebrow, "Is anything wrong?"

"You stink."

He smiled even more, "Thank you, Nora. Really, thank you."

Jaune wondered if his dilemma is not a question of whether or not moving on is the right thing to do, but what is he going to do when he no longer goes crazy about Weiss Schnee?

The one constant that he has for the first half of his study in Beacon Academy is that he was the dork with a massive crush for the heiress. It's one of the few things he's known for, a major conversational point that he has with his friends- granted that Weiss was not around but if she was, then the blonde would just opt to sit in silence and only respond when spoken to.

Jaune pursed his lips, soaked his face with cold water, and lathered with the towel that hung on his shoulders.

He stared at the mirror, taking in his reflection. Who was Jaune Arc, besides being lovestruck by Weiss Schnee? He can't say that he's a hunter when everyone in the school is, it's not that interesting to note. He's not a baker yet, nor is he a potter. But there's gotta be something hidden inside Jaune Arc's bag of tricks.

Or under his sleeve…

Perfect. All he needs to do is to stop by his dorm room, wait until classes are done and his friends are by the cafeteria then do what he does best-

"Hey. Jaune, right?" Instantly, Jaune's eyes whipped to his right, and there stood, already in his uniform, the guy that he had talked to during the dance. The one he set up straight.

"That's me," Jaune turned off the running water, whisking his hands on the sink, "and- uh, Neptune, right?"

The bluenette nodded, standing near the sink that was beside Jaune's. Silence loomed with the duo, eyes seemingly unable to even be allowed to catch a glimpse of the other.

"Hey- uhm," Jaune froze as he waited anxiously for what Neptune was gonna say, "thank you, by the way. For your help."

Jaune sighed, it was nothing to worry about, "With Weiss?"

"Yeah,"

"Don't worry about it. I'm her..." Jaune swallowed a lump, "friend. We want what's best for each other."

"Yeah, I told her that she had good ones looking out for her." Neptune stood up, facing the blonde, "she's lucky to have you."

"I guess..."

"I'm taking her out this weekend," Jaune nodded, glumly, "if it's not too much, do you know places in Vale that she might like? I'm not from here…"

Jaune's breath hitched, "Uhm… no, sorry. I'm not familiar with the city too,"

It was a half-lie. While Jaune does barely know anything about the city of Vale, he does know some places that he could bring Weiss to on a date.

But those were his ideas.

Neptune frowned, nodding in understanding, "I see. But thank you though." He waved towards Jaune, bidding his goodbye.

But before Neptune exited the communal showers, Jaune called him back.

"Wait," he said, rather unwillingly, "I remember Weiss saying that she loves Mistralian cuisine. When you enter the docks from the east, turn right on the third corner. On the left side, there's a nice place that I saw. It's the only restaurant there, you can't miss it."

Neptune smiled happily, but Jaune could only mirror half of it, "Thank you so much, man!" He practically bolted out of the showers, and he could only assume was running like a mad man.

Jaune sighed. He did good, he reminded himself.

That's one step forward.

After classes, the cafeteria was often crowded with students, either starved for a hearty meal or starved for some friendly conversation. And with the assimilation of the other students that hail from the other kingdoms, navigating these halls was a nightmare.

But today, the place was completely barebones. Jaune chalked it up to the menu.

Only a handful of students were present. People spoke in hushed tones as if they were in a library. And even their usual table was empty, his friends were nowhere to be seen. But he knew they'd stop by in a while, so waiting for them wouldn't be too bad of an idea.

Though he wished they were here already, he had something to show them that would blow their mind. A practice that he, quite frankly, spent too much time on- yet it did yield into him becoming the master that he is now.

But excitement without gratification burns out as quickly as it ignited, and his friends were taking way too long.

"Jaune," a voice called out to his side, and his face gleamed with joy. Finally, they're here.

While Jaune expected an ensemble, he was greeted with the form of Weiss Schnee, a tray in her hand. His eyes were wide, wondering as to why she was still standing and hadn't thought of just sitting across him. Was she waiting- expecting something? It looked like it, with the way she stared at him.

The blonde bolted up and inched closer to Weiss. He reached his hand out, concerned with the way Weiss' eyes widened. He grabbed something behind her ear, "What's thi-"

And immediately dropped it. A sharp metal clang sounded when the object met the ground. It was a coin. It twisted, tumbled and every rotation only increased the growing embarrassment in Jaune's face.

He leaned down, picking up the coin. He looked at Weiss again, an apology was written on his face.

"Well, that's one way to say your greetings…"

Oh.

"Uh… I was planning to do this," Jaune placed the coin on his left hand, displaying the action for the heiress to see. Closing his fist, he immediately reached out again behind her ear, and from there the same coin appeared.

Weiss looked impressed, "you can do sleight of hand tricks?"

"Yeah, I saw this one guy perform in my hometown. Then I begged my parents to buy me this trick set," He raised his left hand, and twisted it around to show Weiss that he was holding nothing. But with a simple flick and a snap with his other hand- a misdirection, Jaune was able to seemingly conjure a card from nowhere.

"It came with a deck of cards too."

Weiss hummed her approval, a small smile on her face, "Excellent. Keep it up and you'll end up being as good as those novice entertainers in Atlas."

Jaune went agape, his dignity attacked. It wasn't uncommon for Weiss to take jabs at his capabilities, but those remarks felt different. Maybe it was the smirk that came along with it. But for him, a novice? She could not be any more wrong.

"I'll have you know that I am quite the master, I've impressed countless people with my talent," Jaune defended.

"Who, your mother?"

"I impressed you, didn't I? And I assume that Weiss Schnee barely does." Jaune smiled. The heiress was unable to make a retort, so he pressed the advantage, "Unless your tastes have worsened since your stay here in Beacon."

Weiss huffed, signing her surrender to the banter, "Whatever, Jaune."

Silence ensued the two, but not before they shared some light laughter. These interactions with Weiss had recently picked up in occurrence. It was pleasing to Jaune to be able to converse with Weiss that is devoid of their old self. To him, they were both better people now.

Now if his past would stop haunting him, that'd be great.

"Look at these two having fun," and if Yang Xiao-Long would shut up.

Weiss scooched as Yang used her rear to create some space for herself. Much to the dismay of the heiress that formerly occupied that side of the bench. Surprisingly, however, Ruby asked him to scooch, not with her rear, but with those tiny hands of hers.

Jaune obliged but had to ask, "Uh, Ruby? Shouldn't you be on the other side?"

"I asked Ren to switch with me until Yang begs," she glared at her sister, "for my forgiveness."

Jaune turned to his teammates who had just begun to take their seats, his eyes spoke of his questions.

"Remember when Professor Oobleck confiscated a scroll from Yang earlier?" Nora was the one to explain, "well it was Ruby's."

Immediately, Ruby began to burst, "And I told her not to use it!" She looked at Jaune, "But she nabbed it, then got caught! I can't believe her." The reaper crossed her arms, staring grimly towards her sister.

The sister, however, just giggled, "I said I was sorry!" She waved Ruby aside, "I've seen my share of tantrums from her so it'll be okay."

"And she's seen many of yours," quipped Blake. Yang feigned being insulted by her partner, which devolved into a back-and-forth quip-fest between the two, and poor Weiss was caught in the middle.

However, Jaune paid less attention to that and more to the moping classmate beside him.

He nudged her, gaining her attention. "Wanna see something?"

Ruby looked expectantly, "What?"

Jaune reached out from behind her ear, similar to what he did with Weiss. He retracted his hand and a coin came into Ruby's view. "Woah, look what I found," the blonde said.

Ruby's eyes widened like saucers, with a level of enthusiasm that can only be rivaled by his when he watched the street performer from years ago. He lifted her hand and placed the coin into her open palm, while simultaneously grabbing more coins that hid behind her ear. The pile grew as the silver stacked upon each other. The reaper was ecstatic and it showed with her expressions which, subsequently, brought joy to Jaune as well. He missed showing his talents, no matter how few they may be. But, most of all, he loved to make other people happy.

Ruby gasped, finally realizing the coins that Jaune kept on creating from thin air, "are these tokens?!" She practically screamed.

"For the arcade, yeah! Wanna go there this weekend?"

"Do I? This is amazing, we are gonna have so much fun!" Ruby turned to the rest of the group, displaying the pile of coins in her hands.

Jaune was greeted by a myriad of surprising faces from his friends, except for Weiss who was busy eating her salad.

Ruby picked up on it, "How are you not impressed by this, Weiss?!"

"Jaune already showed it to me."

The blonde saw Blake's eyebrow quirk, but it was her bombastic partner who spoke.

"What else did he show, hmm?" She nudged her elbow to the heiress.

"You brute, cut it out! Jaune and I just happened to have arrived early before everyone else," she turned to look at him, "Tell her, Jaune!"

"Uh, yeah…" How he wished Yang would stop.

"Sounds like a rendezvous," Nora chided in.

He also wished that Nora didn't even open her mouth.

"It was not!" Weiss' face grew red, clearly out of stress. But Jaune knew his friends would misunderstand the flushness of her face. He had to act quickly especially when he too would burst like a tomato.

"Guys, come on. Cut it out. I think she's had enough for today," the knight and the heiress passed glances, the latter nodding her thanks to him. He smiled, he was looking out for her.

He always had her best interest at heart.

Was Jaune cringe? Yeah? Good.

Come on, Jaune, stop giving your friends mixed signals about whether or not you're actually moving on!

Anyways, I figured that Jaune is from the Mistral area, especially when in Volume 4 he said that his family would visit Shion often. Knowing how difficult traversing the landscape of Remnant is due to the Grimm, I'm inclined to believe he is a bit closer to the area.

I spent a little bit more time with this one, as opposed to the 4 hours that I gave to Chapter 2.

I think eight hours is good enough. But in the end, only you would really know.