Jaune sighed at the silent treatment he was currently on the receiving end of.

Well, that wasn't really what was happening but that was what he was most familiar with.

'Doesn't this really feel like home?' As much as he tried to joke about it to himself, it was hard for this situation to be anything but awful for the two of them. As often as he had a sister angry with him or been angry at one of his big sisters, it had never been like this even if it had been the same silent treatment.

This was a lot worse.

Since their argument yesterday, Pyrrha had been quiet. He had thought she just needed space, would talk to him over what upset her so much yesterday once she had time to clear her head, but he had clearly been wrong. This morning had been the same as yesterday, reuniting for lunch after his and Ruby's extended Leadership Course had it continue.

She wasn't ignoring him but she wasn't talking to him any more than she absolutely had to.

And she looked absolutely miserable the entire time.

He just wanted to help her but, every time he tried, he was only met with a shake of her head, that miserable look on her face never fading.

He hated seeing her like this, hated not knowing how to help his partner.

He didn't care that he's barely known her for hardly even a few weeks, that she had been a stranger to him before he had met her in the locker room before Initiation. He just couldn't stand to see a friend upset like this, see her so upset and not knowing how to help her.

Nora and Ren weren't blind to it either, Ren had been glancing between the two of them when they weren't looking, Nora more open about her curiosity. If Ren hadn't been at her side, he was sure she would've dragged the both of them off by now to get answers on what happened.

And that wasn't beginning to talk about Team RWBY.

At the table they shared for lunch, Jaune and Pyrrha, the thing between them, had drawn the focus of half of the team. Blake had taken all of one glance at the two of them across the entire day before she had seemingly decided to remove herself from the situation and read a book while Yang had only sent him a teasing look when she noticed the distance between them at the table.

She had said something about "trouble in paradise" before going back to her lunch. She had quickly made a game of popping a grape into the air and catching it in her mouth. After a handful of successes, Nora had joined in, laid out a challenge that was quickly progressing into handfuls of fruit tossed into the air.

Weiss, at least, seemed determined to speak with Pyrrha about what was going on between them.

Ruby only kept shooting him worried looks, concern in her silver eyes as she saw him and Pyrrha like this.

'I hate this.' He wished he knew what to do. His friends, his team, were all getting dragged into a problem he didn't know how to fix.

He just wished he knew why Pyrrha was like this, why she was so upset since yesterday. He wanted to know what to say to fix this, to get the Pyrrha he knew back, but he didn't know what to do.

A shout reached his ears.

Blue eyes, along with most others at the table, quickly turned to the source, narrowed at who was responsible.

Cardin had stuck his leg out from where he was sitting, tripped another student.

Of course, he was a Faunus and of course he was laughing at him. Him and the rest of his team.

Jaune didn't even think before he was out of his seat, before he was heading over.

"Oh!" Yang stopped tossing grapes once she noticed Jaune on the warpath. Her smile was a mile wide, popped another grape into her mouth. "Looks like we're getting a show today."

From their table, they couldn't exactly hear what was being said but Cardin was out of his seat, was managing to tower over the already tall Jaune. The two seemed to have resolved nothing from their fight earlier in the week, both seemed determined to keep going further and further with the issues between them.

Jaune must've said something to the Faunus student because he nodded, left in a hurry with Jaune stepping to be between him and Team CRDL.

"Break his legs Jaune!" Nora cheered on her Team Leader, seemed only moments away from leaping out of her seat and going over to join him. Ren laid a hand on her shoulder, stopped her from making the situation worse.

Team CRDL were all up and out of their seats by now, Jaune seemingly deciding not to back down even if the other three backed up their Team Leader.

Pyrrha was stubbornly focused on her plate in front of her. No matter the worry on her face, her clear desire to turn around and keep an eye on her partner, she didn't.

Ruby wasn't of the same mind.

She dashed over the table using her Semblance, a flurry of rose petals showing her path before she was at Jaune's side.

She grabbed Jaune by the arm with both of her hands, blue meeting pleading silver. She was saying something none of them could hear. Cardin was quick to say something to Jaune from the way his eyes turned back to him, seemed to have said something to Ruby too judging from the way she wilted, the way Jaune pulled her behind him. He was already stepping up to Cardin, the bully doing the same. Ruby tried to pull him back to no avail, Jaune, somehow gently, pulling his arm free of her grip.

She said something and Cardin clearly snapped at her, Jaune immediately in his face as Ruby dropped back again.

Yang was promptly out of her seat.

Cardin and Jaune's problem with each other seemingly wasn't entertaining to her anymore.

"Hey Jaune." Lilac was replaced by red by the time she had walked over to the brewing conflict. "What's up?" She patted Ruby on the back as she stepped up next to her fellow blonde, crossed her arms. "These dorks being a problem?"

Cardin didn't seem to want to continue their confrontation even if he had his whole team with him, snapped something at Jaune before he abruptly turned and left. Russel, Dove, and Sky were quick to follow after him, shoot glares back at Jaune but made a point of avoiding the smiling Yang.

Lilac was back as she turned to Jaune, gave him a light punch to the shoulder when she saw he was still glaring at the four.

"Hey, lighten up a little." Yang grabbed his arm and pulled him back to Team RWBY and JNPR's shared table. Ruby followed after them, a worried look directed at Jaune. "They're gone now." Yang noticed the way her sister was looking at the blonde.

Jaune still shot a glare over his shoulder to the retreating backs of the four.

"Enough already." She dragged his head around with one hand grabbing his face. "No need to worry anymore." She nodded towards Ruby. "Besides, someone's really worried about you Jauney."

Yang left the two to talk.

While she was gone, it seemed like Weiss had decided to broach whatever she had been thinking about all morning to Pyrrha.

And it seemed to have ended amazingly poorly.

"I'm not interested." Yang was immediately interested in whatever it was judging by the fact it had gotten Pyrrha angry, had Weiss wilting in her seat.

"Just an option." She hastened to backpedal, Yang dropping into her seat as she took in the scene in front of her.

She glanced back over her shoulder, noticed Jaune heading out the cafeteria, Ruby frowning as she watched him leave.

"Well, that's probably bad." Yang turned back to her food once she was sure her sister was coming back over.

She didn't drop back into her seat but picked one next to the blonde, leaned into her side. Yang wrapped an arm around her.

"Don't worry about him." She would talk with Jaune later. If whatever issue between him and Pyrrha was starting to upset Ruby, Yang would make the two of them deal with it.

Courtesy of Blake being focused on her book, Weiss shooting looks to Pyrrha, Pyrrha refusing to look back to check on Jaune, and Yang hugging an upset Ruby, Ren was the only one to notice Nora slip away from the table. He already knew that she intended to head out after Jaune. She met his eye, wasn't smiling as she headed out to talk with JNPR's Team Leader.

He turned his focus back to the table, would keep an eye on Pyrrha while she spoke with Jaune.

It didn't take Nora long to find Jaune, had correctly guessed that the blonde had headed off to be by himself in the locker room. With lunch not even halfway over, it was unlikely for anyone to be inside to bother him.

She spotted him sitting in front of his open locker, a sheathed sword set in his lap. He stared down at the polished surface of the metal, stared down at the double golden arcs on the sheath.

"What am I doing wrong?" His head was bowed, his focus on the sword so great he didn't notice even as Nora stepped further into the room.

Jaune, so focused on the sword in his lap, didn't notice.

She sat down next to him.

"I think I get what's going on." Nora's voice didn't startle Jaune, didn't make him jump when she started speaking.

He moved the sword in his lap, set the end down on the ground and kept hold of the blue hilt and the golden cross-guard between his hands. He looked to Nora, blue eyes still unfocused even as they turned to her.

She noticed, turquoise eyes flickering down to the sword before back to Jaune.

"That sword is…special to you, right?"

Jaune only nodded, turned his eyes back to the blue wrapped hilt between his hands.

"It means more to you than just a sword, right?"

Again, he could only nod.

"OK." She lightly nudged him with her shoulder from next to him. "Want to talk about it? Talking, sometimes, help."

"…Not right now. Not today." Jaune looked to the sword in his hand before rising from his seat, turning to his locker. The sword was returned to where he always kept it, the blonde not yet closing the locker. He could only stare at the sheathed sword. Even if it was put away for now, it still drew his eyes to it. "…I'm sorry about this thing between me and Pyrrha. I know I messed up and I'm trying to fix it but it feels like I…like I can't do anything right now."

"Hey, nobody's perfect. Especially not when they're a leader. You mess up sometimes." Nora didn't know if Jaune needed a hug to be left alone, settled for just talking with him first and foremost. "You're gonna get better."

"Huh…" Jaune could only sigh, finally managed to close the door in front of him. He turned to Nora, managed to give her a smile. "I guess I've got something to work on?"

"Yeah." Nora got up from the bench, matched his smile with one of her own. "Don't worry too much about this stuff with Pyrrha. You and her are going to get through this. You've got this." She offered her hand out, her fist. "Even if you don't think you do, I think you do. And Ren thinks you can to. So you can totally do this leader thing."

Jaune smiled as he bumped his fist against her.

"Yeah…I guess I can do this." He managed a laugh. "Mind giving me a minute to change?" He nodded towards the door. "I'll meet you outside Professor Goodwitch's class, alright?"

"Sure." Nora grinned before turning on her heel. "Don't be late Fearless Leader!"

"I won't!"

He waited for her to leave before his smile dropped, before he turned back to his locker.

'This is supposed to be easy, right Gramps?' He knew there wasn't going to be any answer, not anymore.

The only thing he could do now was change, get himself presentable for their extended block of Combat Studies after lunch. As much as the majority of their afternoon classes being cancelled should be a problem, none of the Professors seemed set to treat it like one.

He guessed he shouldn't either.

Whatever was going on, it was under control.

Unlike this mess he was in with Pyrrha.