So, I had something interesting happen to me recently. I'm always looking forward to meeting and talking with fans of my work but I'd always assumed I'd have to wait for a convention before I'd have an opportunity. However, I unexpectantly met a fan who just started working with my office. They mentioned my story "Archangel" in passing and from there I found out she was a fan. It was a very cool moment for both of us. At the time they hadn't been reading this story but I've converted them. Just makes this worth so much more to me when I can talk with and hear from people who enjoy my work as much as I love making it.
Beacon – Dr. Oobleck's Office
"You seem somewhat distracted today Jaune," Dr. Oobleck observed.
Jaune snapped back to reality, the Doctor's statement having reminded him of where he was and what he was doing. Despite being his history teacher and one of the instructor's here at Beacon well known for his no-tolerance policy towards bullying, racism in any form, and late turn in homework, the man had an unusual talent for setting up a relaxing atmosphere, one which had Jaune's mind reflecting back to the incident that had occurred recently between Jade and Ruby's family pet Zwei. While not disastrous by any means, the resurgence of Jade's Cynophobia had been enough to drastically change the easy going atmosphere the two teams once possessed with Jaune having to revert back to a more cautious mindset as he slowly coaxed Jade out of her shell once more.
Shortly after calming her down from the initial incident, a new one arouse the following morning. Whether it could be blamed on her memories of her first terrible experience, her continued combat tutelage under Weiss, or a combination of two, Jaune had found himself attempting to argue with a five-year-old about taking her short sword with her to daycare. Ignoring the obvious adverse reactions parents of the other children would have to another child bringing an actual weapon with them (regardless of whether or not this was a combat school), he also foresaw an unfortunate chance encounter occurring between her and Zwei once more with this interaction ending much differently than last time. After half an hour he'd managed to negotiate the blade out of her hands and replaced it with her stuffed wolf from the Zoo to act as a safety blanket of sorts, promising to protect her should they see any other dogs.
Breakfast was awkward enough. Jade insisted on being carried wherever they went and Jaune was too emotionally exhausted to argue. All the while she kept her head on a swivel, refusing to stray from her brother and looking to be on the verge of tears when he parted with her for classes. It was heartbreaking to be sure but something he had to push through. As soon as he was done for the day he went straight to the daycare to pick her up before leaving her in the care of his team while he attended his therapy session. Needless to say, he was at his wits end, ready to snap and quite honestly grateful to have this time to speak with Dr. Oobleck outside of the classroom. It felt weird to admit that to himself, honestly, but it was liberating nonetheless.
"Things have been a little distressing recently," he replied.
"How so?"
"Are you aware of my sister's condition?" he asked.
"Yes, I've spoken with Lizzy and she's informed me of your sister's phobia. I take it something happened to trigger it?"
Jaune nodded and proceeded to recount the recent incident to the Doctor, albeit with some slight alterations to the story such as the dog's owners and it occurring off campus. Dr. Oobleck listened patiently, only interrupting a couple times to ask a few questions.
"How has Jade been acting as a result?"
"She's receded into herself more than I would have liked," he admitted.
"Unfortunate but not surprising," Dr. Oobleck said. "When confronted with what were fear most, it's natural for us to be on guard. Jade's reaction isn't very surprising. I believe you're handling it well and, given enough time and support, she'll begin to slip back into the comfortable routine you had once before. Until then, it would be best to show her as much support as possible. Lizzy will obviously help you on her end as she works with her to overcome her phobia."
"It's just hard to watch," Jaune admitted. "To see her go from this confident, energetic child eager to learn and wanting to be just like to me only to spiral into a buddle of crying and tears. The worst part is that it was no one's fault. The dog only saw her as a friend and the owners were very apologetic. I wanted to be able to attack the object of her fears, if only to feel like I was protecting her like an older brother should, but I couldn't do anything because no one was at fault. It's just so frustrating."
"I understand how you feel Jaune but you mustn't blame yourself. Incidents like this our bound to happen. Even on the road to recovery we're going to experience a few bumps along the way. It is unfortunate that Jade had to have an experience like his but the fact that you and your friends are around to help her will ensure she'd better able to overcome this obstacle. It's best to take these things one step at a time and not try to rush them. Be sensitive to her needs and seek help from those who are able to give it. I know you're doing your best to give Jade the support she needs and I've little doubt she understands that as well."
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll keep that in mind."
"Now then, what else is on your mind," Oobleck asked he transitioned onto another subject.
/-/
"Hey Jaune, how did it go?" Pyrrha asked, falling into step as they walked back towards their dorm.
"Good, I suppose," he said, unsure of how much he wanted to tell her. "How's team RWBY doing?"
"Better. I saw them after they came back from the Headmaster's office. From what Ruby told me Professor Ozpin managed to smooth things out, though Miss Goodwitch had a few choice words for them."
"I'll bet she did," he replied with a chuckle.
Somehow it didn't surprise him that Team RWBY of all people find themselves the stars on the five o'clock news, flying down the highway in pursuit of what could only be described as a mech. They later learned from their friends that the machinery in question was a prototype Atlas Paladin, one of the newer human operated mechanized units they'd showcased after Atlas, along with General Ironwood, had arrived in Vale for the festival. The level of destruction their team had caused was overshadowed by a few prevailing details namely that the White Fang had somehow managed to steal the prototype out from under Atlas' nose without them knowing and the fact that Roman Torchwick of all people had been the one piloting it. They'd managed to destroy the machine but the gentleman thief had an escape, leaving them with more questions than answers.
The worst part about all of it was that it had originated at a White Fang recruitment rally. Typically that wouldn't have bothered him, especially considering that Jade was too young to care or even know who they were. The problem lay with Blake. Being a former member of the non-violent protestors turned violent extremists, she had been on a crusade ever since the incident at the docks, determined to put a stop to their actions whatever the personal cost. While he'd grown concerned about her as the effects of her lack of sleep were beginning to take a toll on her and was certainly showing, he was more worried about the influence she might have on Jade. He had enough problems as it was and he didn't want to have to stop Blake from being around Jade just to ensure she didn't try and recruit her into her anti-White Fang crusade, well-meaning as it might be.
"How's Blake been doing?" he asked.
"Better. I saw Yang drag her into a classroom after their meeting with Ozpin. Whatever happened inside, it was enough to get her to calm down. I think she went off to find Sun."
"Her stalker?" Jaune asked.
"Jaune, that's not a nice thing to say," Pyrrha chided with a chuckle.
"Yet not inaccurate," he added.
While no one of team RWBY would admit it, Sun Wukong was basically Blake's stalker. The boy had followed her to the docks and would be attached to her hip were it not for them having separate classes. The boy himself didn't act like it was such a big deal and, in all honesty, he hadn't done anything to warrant intervening. If anything he was more surprised that Blake was able to tolerate the boy's obvious infatuation with her, something which he doubted any other girl at Beacon would have allowed. Well, perhaps maybe Pyrrha but his partner had the patience of a saint. Then again most people would probably think twice before stalking a girl who could break every bone in your body with ease before she ever considered filing a restraining order.
"He's been asking her to go to the dance with him for a while now. I think she's on her way to say yes finally," she mused.
"Hmm," Jaune said, not as interested in the upcoming dance as everyone else was.
Weiss was, of course, completely enamored with it. Having a family who hosted several such events throughout the year, she'd all but jumped at the prospect of designing the school dance alongside Yang when Coco asked them to take over after he team were hit with a surprise mission. Her blond teammate, while excited about the prospect, was less enthused about working on it with Weiss. Jaune couldn't help but agree, though he'd been smart enough to keep it to himself. A school dance was a very different affair when compared to what Weiss no doubt had in mind. The argument they'd had this morning about the decorations was enough to tell him she was going way overboard with her design plans.
"Have you put any thought into who you're going to ask to the dance?" Pyrrha asked, giving him one of her signature smiles.
"Not really," he replied, completely missing the hint. "I'll probably take Jade. I know she's been wanting to wear that dress Weiss gave her for her birthday forever and this seems like a good opportunity to help distract her from that incident with Zwei."
"O-oh, yes that does sound like a nice idea," Pyrrha agreed, her smile faltering only marginally.
"How about you? How many offers have you received so far?" he asked.
"None yet," she replied, turning her attention back to the empty hallway.
"Bet you'll be drowning in requests right up to the dance."
"Who do you think Ren will go with?" Pyrrha asked, shifting the conversation away from her.
Jaune gave her a sideways glance, earning a laugh from the champion.
"I don't know who I pity more. Ren or any girl foolish enough to try and ask him in spite of Nora's claims that she'll break her legs," he said.
"It's not that bad. They did agree to go as friends," Pyrrha pointed out.
"Yea but I think only Ren believes it to be such. I'm just waiting for the moment Nora loses her composure and tackles him to the ground."
"That would be unfortunate," Pyrrha cringed.
"But still entertaining. Might actually see some actual emotion from the guy aside from his usual neutral tone."
/-/
Jaune checked himself in the mirror, adjusting the clip-on bowtie in an effort to make it look straight. He tugged at his shirt collar, attempting to stretch it out a little and relieve the strain on his neck. His time in Beacon had increased his muscle mass, a positive in many ways but a pain in others, especially when it came to being fitted for a tux that he would wear only once to a dance that was occurring at Beacon. Thank the gods this was a rental. He had no idea if or when he'd find himself in a situation that required such formal wear. Given that Beacon didn't play host to many dignitaries or host many formal events throughout the year it would probably be a waste for him to purchase a tux now only for it to sit in his closet gathering dust. It might make more sense once he was in his final year as his career began to take off. He wasn't certain but he was sure there would be times when having a tux would be useful to him.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at their door. Knowing who it might be Jaune quickly went to answer it and found Weiss waiting patiently outside. Being an expert on formal events such as this, he was surprised to see she had decided to go to the dance wearing a plain white dress, albeit with a mesh material sown in over her bust line that added a certain allure to it without being overly provocative. The dress itself was about the length of her combat skirt and white in color. While this would have been a bit too plain for most people, Weiss, with her white hair and pale skin, looked very attractive making the overall simplicity of her dress that much more alluring. Adding to her figure was the fact that she had decided to wear her hair down and had tiny snow crystals fleck throughout, each one catching the light as she tilted her head.
"Good evening Jaune, you look quite dashing in your suit," she complimented.
"I feel like I'm suffocating," he replied, earning a small laugh from the heiress, "you look quite beautiful yourself."
"T-thank you," she said, blushing slightly as his own compliment. "Is Jade ready?"
"She's dressed and the curling iron has had time to warm up. We were just waiting for you."
"Then I won't waste any more time," she said, stepping inside.
"Hi Weiss," Jade greeted, walking over wearing the green and gold trimmed dress Weiss had given her for her birthday. While the tiara had been set on top, underneath the dress had been a pair of matching sea green slippers with tiny heels to complement the outfit. It had taken Jade a few minutes to get used to walking in them but she'd quickly mastered the shoes.
"Hello Jade, are you ready to have your hair done?"
"Yep."
She followed Weiss into the bathroom, standing on top of the step stool Jaune had gotten to help her brush her teeth, and waited patiently as the older girl started curling her hair. While Jade had always had long hair, it had grown quite a bit since they'd come to Beacon. Jaune had considered taking her to get it cut short to help her during training but, with the dance coming up, he decided to put it off until after. Weiss worked efficiently, brushing Jade's hair out until it was smooth before taking the curling iron and adding long curls all around. The whole processes took her about twenty minutes before she took the tiara and set it on Jade's head just between her ears. Several small hair pins kept it in place, ensuring it wouldn't fall off during the night.
"There, all done," Weiss announced, "now you look like a little princess."
"Thank you Weiss," she said, turning and carefully giving her a hug which Weiss readily accepted.
"Ready to go?" Jaune asked as she got down off the stool.
"Yep," she said, taking his hand excitedly.
"I'll walk with you. I need to relieve Yang as the greeter anyway."
"I'll save you dance then," he said.
"I'll be looking forward to it," she said, turning her head to hide her pink cheeks.
/-/
"Aww, you look so beautiful!" Yang cooed as Jade walked up hand in hand with her elder brother.
Jade smiled, walking a little bit taller as she did her best to emulate the elegance of a princess. She still looked like an excited kid playing dress up but no one pointed that out. Instead, Yang asked her to twirl around so she could get a better look. Jade was only too happy to do so, almost tripping on her slippers as she spun like a tiny emerald ballerina. Yang clapped, reliving moments from her and Ruby's childhood and excited to have something of a surrogate little sister who was actually into girly things rather than a weapon nut.
"So, who asked whom?" Yang asked as she turned her attention to them.
"W-what!?" Weiss croaked, looking back and forth from Jaune and Yang in quick succession.
"We came together but we're not together," Jaune, earning a cocked eyebrow from Yang in response.
"H-he's correct. Jaune simply offered to walk with me after I finished Jade's hair," Weiss confirmed.
"Your loss," she said with a shoulder shrug. "Podiums all yours Weiss. Should be easy enough. Most people showed up early so it'll just be late shows or people trying to be fashionably late," she said, making quotation marks in the air with her fingers.
"Sure thing. Go have fun. I believe you owe Blake a dance," Weiss said as she took her position.
Walking inside Jaune took immediate notice of the dresses each girl was wearing, many of which were meant to draw attention to themselves. Some were understandable, being reflections of each Kingdom's culture with Atlas being the most modest and even reflecting their militaristic viewpoint while Vacuo was on the opposite most spectrum with their dresses being sheer and breathable while toeing the line between being modest and too revealing. The moment he walked inside with Jade all eyes turned their way and their expressions quickly melted when they caught sight of her.
Jade was used to being starred at. Given her heritage it came with a territory that, sadly, the five-year-old had grown used to dealing with. Now, though, she basked in the looks of adoration and the soft cooing the girls were giving her as she strutted (wobbled really) into the dance, head held high and her face split into a wide smile. Jaune walked close behind, giving his sister enough room to set her apart but still close enough that he could intervene should anything untoward happen to her. Her joy was infectious as he could hardly contain his own smile as he watched her confidently walk through the crowd, greeting people and stopping to chat with a few of the girls who complimented her on her dress. Some of the girls even asked to take pictures with her which Jaune obliged, standing to the side as they took selfies with Jade, faces pressed up against one another. At the rate they were walking it took them nearly twenty minutes to reach the snack tables where Ruby was waiting for them by the punchbowl.
"Aww, she looks so cute," Ruby cooed, taking a step towards them only to trip over her own feet. "ACK!"
"I got you," Jaune said, catching her by her armpits before righting her once more.
"T-thanks," Ruby said, latching onto the table to steady herself. "Stupid heels. Why couldn't Yang just let me wear boots or flats like I wanted?"
"I'm wearing heels," Jade said proudly.
"Huh?" Ruby said, confused by their appearance.
"They're actually evening slippers," Jaune corrected, making quotation signs with his fingers as he said the words.
"Weiss?"
"Weiss."
The two friends shared a laugh with Ruby imagining Weiss reverting to her upbringing as she proudly explained what the shoes were called and what their purpose was. It would undoubtedly have gone unheard as Jade would have been more enamored with simply being able to wear something that looked like high heels rather than what they were actually called.
"I see Blake brought her stalker to the dance," Jaune pointed out.
"He's a friend," Ruby stated.
"He's still her stalker," he reiterated, earning an eye roll from Ruby. "Who'd Yang come with?"
"No one," Ruby replied and explained further when Jaune gave her a look, "no one asked her out. Yang says they were all probably too nervous to ask or just assumed someone had already asked her."
"Sounds about right," he said, thinking back to some of his older sisters and the times they'd arrived at a formal event at Ansel without a date simply because everyone interested had simply been too nervous to talk with them. "What about Weiss?"
"She doesn't have a date either."
"You're kidding," he said, giving her a disbelieving look. "I thought she was interested in the stalker's friend, Nepotism."
"Who?"
"The blue haired guy who's always trying way too hard to act cool."
"Oh Neptune," Ruby replied with a giggle. "No, he never asked her and she'd didn't ask him either."
"Huh."
That was a bit of a surprise. Given Weiss' name and family connections he wasn't surprised that she'd have people vying for her attention as well as making attempts to foster a relationship with her by accompanying her to the dance. She'd have no doubt turned them all down, politely of course, but the fact that she hadn't asked anyone herself was puzzling. He was sure he'd seen her laughing at something Neptune had said when they'd first been introduced at the library. The boy seemed nice enough. He wasn't arrogant by any means, he was simply trying too hard to appear cool all the time. Honestly, it was exhausting just watching him. As he pondered this he caught sight of Weiss making her way along the outskirts of the dance hall, having finished her work as a greeter, and quietly slipped out onto the balcony.
"Big brother," Jade's voice cut into his thoughts, drawing his attention to the little girl at his side, "may I have some punch?"
"Of course," he said, carefully filling up glass with the ruby red liquid before gingerly handing it off to her. "Be careful not to spill any on your dress," he instructed.
"I won't," she said, the careful way in which she took a sip more than enough to convince him of just how upset she'd be if she let even a drop spill on it.
"Can you keep an eye on her for me? I need to step out for a bit," he said, smiling when Ruby nodded her consent before heading off in Weiss' direction.
/-/
Weiss moved through the crowd, swimming through the mass of bodies with a practiced ease that came with having spent years avoiding people who saw her as a potential avenue to the Schnee family name, their reputation and everything that came with it. She was all too grateful to make her way outside and find the balcony on the second floor was still vacant. It was still early in the dance so not too many couples would have made their way outside. More likely they'd found other secluded areas to sneak off to so they could become more acquainted with one another.
A cool breeze caressed her face and, as she looked around to confirm she truly was alone, she allowed herself to breath and relaxed her shoulders. She'd entered the dance not long after the last of the arrivals made their way inside, hoping to find Jaune and possibly steal a dance. Finding the blonde noodle hadn't been difficult given his blonde hair and tall figure. It also hadn't been difficult to see Ruby with him, standing by the punch bowl rather than out on the dance floor. Before she could make her way over, though, she caught sight of the young girl trip on her shoes and almost kiss the floor before Jaune caught her with ease. It was a friendly gesture, Weiss knew that. It didn't stop the ugly feeling that surfaced as she watched Jaune help to right her, the two of them looking into one another's eyes as they smiled, Ruby laughing at something he said before Jade drew his attention away.
Quickly squashing the feeling of jealousy that had surfaced, Weiss had taken the quickest exit she could find and swiftly left. She didn't want Jaune to see her like that. She didn't want Ruby to see her either nor deal with the awkward questions that she would innocently ask. She especially didn't want to admit to herself that she'd just had jealous feelings about Jaune and her partner. Weiss Schnee did not get jealous. She certainly didn't want that to happen to her, to have Jaune catch her in his surprisingly strong arms despite them being hidden in his oversized hoody or the fact that it would be a legitimate gentlemanly gesture on his part rather than a calculated move meant to help further his own schemes. No, Jaune Arc was a friend, nothing more. Besides, it would be completely inappropriate for them to date, especially when she was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and he was the orphaned son of a family with no reputation to speak of. She also had to remind herself that Jaune had made it quite clear he had no intention of dating anyone prior to graduating Beacon. There was simply no way around it. Why, then, did none of those reasons bring her any comfort or help to soothe the irritable feelings brewing beneath the surface of her heart.
"Weiss?"
To make matters worse, Jaune had naturally noticed her leaving and had followed her outside, the concern in his voice informing her that he'd noticed the dip in her mood. She quickly wiped away any tears that might have begun to form for no particular reason before schooling her expression into something presentable and turned to greet him.
"Jaune, how are you? Have you been enjoying the dance?" she asked in a pleasant, manicured tone.
"As well as one can. Jade's certainly garnered a lot of attention thanks to that dress you got her. What are you doing out here, though? Shouldn't you be inside, enjoying the fruits of your labor? You and Yang were the ones to set everything up as I recall."
"I will, I just needed some air," she said, tossing out the excuse easily.
While it might have been enough to satisfy Ruby or send away any annoying suitors with enough vitriol behind it, Jaune proved much more difficult to pacify as he placed his hands on her shoulders in what was no doubt meant to be a friendly gesture.
"Weiss, what's wrong?" he gently prodded. "I know you'll tell me everything's fine and I shouldn't worry but you forget I had sisters. I know that I'm fine is just code for somethings bothering me but I don't want to talk about it."
"So why are you asking me about it then?" she asked, immediately regretting the snappish tone she'd spoken to him in.
Whether he was unperturbed by the comment or was simply good at weathering the storm, he didn't mention her attitude and simply smiled kindly before continuing, "because I'm your friend and despite you saying you want to be left alone, I know at times like this it helps to have someone willing to listen while you vent."
Weiss wanted to huff in frustration but instead cracked a slight smile at the irony of her situation. Leave it to Jaune Arc to pick up on her mood when he was the direct cause of it.
"I came out here to get away from someone," she admitted.
"Someone giving you problems?" he asked, his "big brother" instincts immediately kicking into gear.
"No, no, nothing like that," she said with a slight giggle. "They're more of… someone I might fancy."
"Oh," he replied with obvious surprise. "Someone's actually managing to melt the ice queen's heart?"
Weiss shot him an equally icy glare, annoyed by the use the nickname she'd unceremoniously been given by the student population. In response, Jaune made a "zipping his lips" motion before raising his hands in surrender. She smiled, shaking her head, before continuing on with her explanation.
"I saw them speaking with a friend and I was… bothered by the interaction."
"Bothered?" he asked, creasing his brows as his brain worked to decipher her coded message. "So you're- "
"Weiss Schnee does not get jealous," she quickly interrupted.
"You said it, not me," he replied. "So, this person you fancy, are they a boy or a girl?"
"A boy," she replied.
"I see and they were speaking with a girl."
"Yes," she replied with some reluctance.
"Mmmhmm," he said, thinking it over for a moment. "Is it Neptune?"
"What? Neptune?" she asked, surprised and a little frazzled.
"Yea, Sun's partner. You two seemed to hit it off when we met him in the library. I figured he might be the guy you're crushing on."
"No, it's not him," she said before adding, "and I don't crush on people."
"Semantics," he countered.
"I don't fancy Neptune," she said firmly. "He's nice and I do find him charming, but I've noticed he acts that way around all the girls he finds attractive. I don't much care for someone who likes to sample the entire buffet rather than commit to a single dish."
Jaune gave her an odd look as he quirked an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Nothing, I've just never heard you use a metaphor like that. Kind of threw me off guard to be honest."
"You'll find that I'm a girl of many talents," she stated proudly.
"And unquestionable humility too," he said sarcastically.
"Hush," she berated, hitting him lightly on the chest in a playful manner. This only caused Jaune to start laughing with Weiss joining him soon after. For a while that's all they did before they finally settled down and recalled why they were here.
"So, this boy you like," Jaune said, bringing them back on topic, "do I know him?"
"Possibly," Weiss said, feeling her heart flutter at the notion that Jaune might have caught on.
"Does he know how you feel about him?"
"I'm not quite sure. It's difficult to say and I only just recently began to recognize these feelings I've been having."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"I- "she hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I'm not sure I should. I wasn't exactly the most cordial person to him when we first met. It undoubtedly left a sour first impression that he won't soon forget."
"People change," he said dismissively. "You're not the same person you were at the beginning of the semester. I'm sure, if you took the time to explain things, he'd come to see that as well. The worst he could say is no and even then it's not forever. Just accept the rejection gracefully and try again at a later time. I'm certain you'll have gained his attention enough for him to see the positive changes you've made since you first met."
"You sound so sure of yourself," she commented.
"Well, my father always told me all you need is confidence. Never understood what he meant until now. Just find a moment when you feel you have the best opportunity to speak with him and dive in feet first. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"You know, you're sounding more and more like an older brother by the minute," she snarked.
"That's because I am," he replied with smirk. "And if you need helping talking to him, let me know. I'm more than happy to act as your wingman in the endeavor."
That last statement had Weiss giving him a quizzical look before it dawned on her. Reality trickled down the back of her neck like cold beads of sweat but she quickly dismissed it and put on an easy smile to prevent Jaune from noticing. It made sense that Jaune would assume she was talking about someone else and given that his main focuses were his Huntsman career and Jade it didn't surprise her. Still, it didn't help much to assuage the feeling of disappointment that bubbled to the surface. Thankfully, the start of a new song, one meant for couples, reach them out on the balcony and Weiss spied an opportunity to return to her solitary meditations.
"Sounds like a good song. You should go find Jade and share a dance with her," she said, motioning to the dance floor.
"I will but I do believe I owe you a dance," he said, stepping closer to her before offering his hand.
"What about Jade?" she asked, surprised and a little perplexed.
"Jade will be fine. I left her with Ruby who can barely go anywhere in those heels let alone dance and there are five other people more than willing and capable of keeping an eye on her while I'm absent. Besides, I see a friend who needs me now more than Jade does."
Weiss' mouth gapped open like a fish gasping for air. She tried and failed to form words, any excuse really, that would convince Jaune he should abandon her in favor of Jade. She couldn't think of anything and, as she took his hand in hers, she felt a primal part of her awaken, relishing the opportunity to have Jaune all to herself, if only for a few minutes. That feeling only seemed to grow as he placed his hand firmly on her back, sending a mixture of nervous and excited chills racing up and down her spine, and took her hand in his as she rested her other hand on his arm.
Given Weiss' upbringing it was no surprise that she would have been instructed in the proper ways to dance for all occasions. Naturally, she expected she would have to take the lead but was caught by surprise when Jaune took the initiative instead, seamlessly directing them into a slow waltz.
"I didn't know you could dance," she finally managed to say.
"You'll find I'm a man of many talents," he replied, echoing her earlier statement with a smirk, "and I had seven sisters, most of whom took dance lessons and needed a male partner to practice with. I didn't have much of a chose since our dad was always away on missions and ended up learning along with them."
"Well, they have my thanks," she said, easily giving herself over to his direction as he steered them into the next portion of the dance.
The song was short and the moment somehow shorter. Yet, despite all this Weiss wouldn't have given it up for anything. She had to resist the urge to lean her head against his chest and let him gently sway them along the balcony. It would have made things a bit awkward, especially after the conversation they'd just had. Instead, she settled for keeping her eyes fixed on a portion of his face just below his eye line. Every time she looked she looked up into his sky blue orbs she felt her face heat up and her heart begin to Samba so she settled for staring at the stubble on his chin instead. Before long the song ended and the moment along with it all too soon. Weiss found herself praying desperately for another song to play, if only so she could steal that one too, but she was vexed to find it was something more akin to what Yang preferred to bounce around to at the clubs in what she claimed was "improvised dancing."
"Hey guys."
Thinking of the devil, her blonde teammate had chosen that exact moment to interrupt them, her eyes flitting between her, Jaune, and the various ways they'd been intertwined.
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" she asked with a not so subtle smirk.
"Of course not!" Weiss said, quickly extraditing herself from Jaune's embrace and looking away to hide her beat red face from view.
"Are you sure 'cause you two looked like you were really enjoying yourselves," she continued, wiggling her eyebrows for emphasis.
"Nothing happened!" Weiss snipped.
"We were just sharing a dance," Jaune replied calmly, cutting into the argument before it could escalate. "You need something?"
"Yea, I was wondering if either have seen Ruby? I can't find her anywhere."
"Last I saw her she was standing over by the punch bowl. I left Jade with her. Where is she now?"
"Nora's taking care of her. She's been dancing up a storm, even more than I usually do. I even recorded Professor Ozpin sharing a kind of daddy/daughter dance with her too."
"Did you record it?" Jaune asked excitedly.
"You want me to send you a copy?"
"Of course," he replied, grinning from ear to ear.
"Aside from that, I've no idea where Ruby could be. I practically had to drag her out here and now she's up and disappeared. If she's snuck back to our dorm room I swear I'm going to obliterate her cookie stash in retaliation."
"Calm down Yang, I'm sure she's fine. She can barely walk in those heels of hers so she's probably hiding out in the bathroom or something."
"Maybe," Yang said, sounding unconvinced.
"She can't have gotten far. Besides, what's the worst she could- "
An explosion ripped through the air, cutting off whatever Jaune was about to say. Tiny shards of glass sparkled in the night sky, illuminated by the plume of flame that erupted from a hole blow into the side of the CCT. Several shots echoed soon after, the sound too distinct to be anything but Crescent Rose.
"Gods dammit Ruby," Jaune grumbled.
/-/
"What were you thinking!?" Yang gripped.
Ruby winced as her elder sister carried her bridal style into the dorm, gently setting her on her bed despite her irate disposition.
It was just more of the same starting with the interrogation she'd received when General Ironwood along with Professor Ozpin, Goodwitch, and a handful of Atlas soldiers arrived at the CCT just minutes after the assailant had made her escape out the hole she'd made in the wall. Not long after she had to be carried to the infirmary to have some of the cuts and burns she'd received from the fight treated as well as have her feet looked at. They were currently wrapped in bandages, more so as a precaution, due to the vast amount of glass and shattered computer screens that littered the floor. Thankfully her aura had her protected from most of it but a few had managed to cut up her feet enough for nurse Tsune to insist on cleaning them and bandaging her feet. While Ruby had hoped that would be the end of it, she knew better, especially when her sister fixed her with her crimson gaze.
"You could have been hurt!"
"She is hurt, Yang," Blake pointed out.
"Not helping," Ruby snipped.
"She's right, you got hurt and it could have been worse. Why didn't you get one of us to come with you?"
"There wasn't time. As soon as I noticed them and found the unconscious guards, I had to act. It's what Mom would have done."
"And how did that end for her?" Yang snapped.
That final comment went a bit too far. Even Blake and Weiss, who only had the cliff notes on what had happened to their mother, knew it was out of line. Reeling herself back in, Yang took a breath to calm herself down before returning to the conversation.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just worried. You're all I have left of her. I know I can be an over protective older sister but that doesn't mean you should've gone in alone. Even just sending a message to us or one of the teachers would have been enough. All I knew was that you were missing and then the CCT exploded and I assumed the worst. Just please, in the future, can you at least let us know when something like this happens so one of us can back you up?"
"Yea, yea I can do that," Ruby replied in a quiet voice.
Having said their piece, Yang pulled Ruby into a tight hug which the younger sibling reciprocated. It was a touching moment, one that reminded Weiss of the relationship she had with her elder sister Winter, though theirs was a little less touchy-feely.
"So, now that that's out of the of the way," Yang said, turning her attention to Weiss and plastering a devilish smirk on her face, "what's going on with you and Jaune?"
Weiss stiffened, the warm feelings she'd had earlier quickly dissipating as she felt everyone's eyes zero in on her.
"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, glancing away.
"Oh really?" Yang challenged.
In the next moment Yang pulled out her scroll, quickly typing something into it before turning her gaze back on Weiss. The heiress gave her a quizzical look before three scrolls, one of them hers, chimed with a message notification. Taking it out, she saw one new message from Yang with an attached video. Hesitantly, she opened it up and began to play the video. In it was a POV video of her and Jaune dancing out on the balcony, the sound of the slow dance song playing in the background sounding muffled due to the scrolls small speakers. While it appeared harmless, Weiss understood the implications well enough and looked back at Yang with a mortified expression while the blonde simply looked at her like the cat who'd caught the canary.
"You two look cozy," she purred.
"Delete. It." Weiss growled.
"Sorry, couldn't hear you. Could you repeat that?" Yang said, exaggerating her point by cupping her hand over her ear.
"Yang Xio Long, you will delete that video or so help me," she started, taking a threatening step towards her teammate, soon to be former.
"Ah, ah, ah," she said, wagging her finger while she held her scroll out of reach with her free hand, "one more step and this video gets uploaded to the school's community page."
"You. Wouldn't. Dare." She snarled.
"Try me," Yang challenged.
Weiss glared daggers at her teammate, willing her to drop dead and release the scroll so she could erase the video completely. The other's had copies so they would have to be dealt with too but for now Yang was the main target of her aggression. After a while, though, it was obvious Yang would be unwilling to relent and so Weiss sat down with a huff, defeated but only for now.
"I didn't realize Jaune was such a good dancer. Had I known I would have stolen a dance from him the moment he arrived."
"Grr," Weiss growled.
"You certainly look to be enjoying yourself. I've honestly never seen you smile so much. Kind of creepy, to be honest."
"GRR," Weiss growled, louder.
"Oh, chill Weiss-cream. The way you're acting I'd almost think you might have a crush on our resident big brother."
Never before had Weiss wished she had full control over her bodily actions, especially those of her face. Her reason for this was the fact that she could feel her face beginning to warm, a telltale sign that she was starting to blush. To make matters worse this tiny, insignificant detail did not evade the laser focused gaze of Yang whose smile quickly disappeared as realization colored her features.
"Yang," she started in a warning tone.
Too late. Yang sprang up from the floor, quickly locking the door before snagging the desk chair and bringing it back to sit in front of Weiss. With her only means of escape securely blocked (aside from the window behind her but she wasn't desperate enough to brave the two-story drop) Weiss quickly found herself cornered.
"Tell me everything. Don't leave any details out," Yang all but demanded.
Flabbergasted by Yang's imperious reaction, she quickly looked for some means of escape but found no allies there to help her. Ruby was surprisingly intrigued as well despite the girl's only real loves in life being cookies and Crescent Rose. Blake seemed fairly enamored as well though that was a given seeing as how she always had her nose buried in one of her trash novels that she believed no one knew about. Defeated, she expelled a tired huff before everything, beginning with their arrival at the dance, seeing Ruby and not feeling jealous (despite Yang's protests to the contrary), and Jaune's complete obliviousness at the subtle hints she'd been giving him before his offer to share a dance with her.
"Man, leave it to Jaune to make me hate the guy for being ignorant of your feelings but still love him for being a decent guy. In a completely platonic way, of course," Yang quickly added at the end.
"I don't get jealous," Weiss snipped.
"Sure and Yang doesn't go ballistic and try to kill someone for messing with her hair," Ruby said in retort.
"Hey, I spend a lot of time making it look this good. The least people could do is respect my efforts," her sister argued.
"Look, I appreciate the support from you all, I really do, but Jaune made it clear he has no interest in dating. He's too focused on taking care of his sister and graduating Beacon. Even if I were to ask him, he'd no doubt turn me down just for that reason."
"You don't know that," Blake countered.
"What makes you so sure?"
"The fact that you haven't tried," she countered. "Jaune did point out that nothing's gained if you don't at least try. Who's to say he wouldn't change his mind if you were the one to ask him out?"
"But Jaune said- "
"Jaune said that people change," Blake interrupted, earning a frustrated growl from the heiress but soldiering on regardless. "At the beginning of Beacon I saw you as little more than a pompous, arrogant, high class snob who looked down on everyone and expected them revere you simply for your family name alone and I was right."
"Wow Blake, way to let her down gently," Yang commented sarcastically.
"Yes, very subtle," Weiss added dryly.
"My point is that's who you were. Who you are now is completely different. You've changed, made improvements and alterations to yourself because you wanted to be better, a better person and a better Huntress. The same applies to Jaune. He said that if you were turned down the first time that doesn't mean you should give up. People notice subtle changes we make to our characters as we grow. Sure, Jaune may turn you down and for the reasons we discussed but that doesn't mean he won't start to have a growing interest in you over time, especially with how much we see one another on a daily basis. A loss today doesn't preclude a victory tomorrow."
Weiss was speechless. Not just with how broad Blake's vocabulary was (maybe there was something to those books she was always reading) but with how much it reminded her of the lessons she had drilled into her as a child. On more than one occasion her father advocated the necessity of taking a loss now in order to ensure a greater gain in the future. One couldn't seek to achieve greatness if they weren't willing to make a few sacrifices along the way. Her grandfather Nicholas Schnee had known that better than anyone else. He'd staked everything on a do or die expedition that could very well have ended with the deaths of himself and his men but instead proved fruitful when they found their first Dust deposit, paving the way for their family's livelihood and further expeditions. The same lessons could be applied with Jaune. Even if he declined, that didn't mean she couldn't make a tactical retreat and try again at some point in the future.
"Alright," she said quietly, fighting the urge to smile along with the rest of her team as they broke into broad grins at their victory. "I'll find a moment to speak with him and let him know my feelings."
"Oh, oh, you should do it at the Vytal Festival," Ruby eagerly suggested.
"Ruby's got a pretty good idea," Yang commented. "They're plenty of games, shops, and food stalls open, more than enough ways for us to distract his teammates and Jade while you two find a private moment to chat before meeting back up with us like nothing happened."
"That does sound rather well thought out," Weiss mussed. "I just need to think of a good excuse to use to get him away."
Her musings were interrupted by a soft knock at their door. Given how late it had gotten, no one was sure who it could until they opened it. Outside, dressed in one of Jaune's oversized t-shirts, was Jade.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi Jade," Yang coed, bringing the girl into a tight embrace. "Are you getting ready for bed?"
"Yep, big brother said I could come say goodnight," she said, dropping from Yang's arms before rushing over to give Weiss a hug. "Thank you for the dress. Everyone said I looked pretty like a princess."
"You're very welcome," Weiss replied, finding the girl's infectious enthusiasm too difficult to overcome. "It looked very good on you."
"She certainly rocked those heels better than Ruby did," Yang snarked.
"Hey, those were your idea! I was perfectly fine wearing boots."
"Which would have been a horrendous choice. You just need practice. Weiss can teach you. She practically fights in them."
"I'm just surprised she hasn't twisted an ankle yet," Blake commented.
"You're one to talk," Weiss shot back.
"What were you all talking about?" Jade interrupted.
"What do you mean?"
"I heard you talking about big brother," she said.
Hearing this, the girl's exchanged nervous glances. They weren't sure how much Jade had heard but, if she'd caught them on the tail end of their conversation, then it could possibly spell trouble if she revealed anything too soon.
"O-oh we were just talking about this cute video I shot of Weiss and Jaune dancing," Yang said, taking out her scroll to show her the video.
"Ahh, I didn't get to dance with you," Jade said in a disappointed tone.
"Don't worry, sweetie. We'll go dancing another time, just us girls," Weiss promised.
"Don't they look cute together?" Ruby asked, earning a baleful glare from Weiss.
"Yea, Weiss likes big brother," Jade said.
"Huh, what makes you say that?" Yang asked.
"I heard you talking about how Weiss has a crush on big brother," Jade said matter-of-factly.
"What? How?" she said before her eyes roamed up to the ears perched on top of her head.
For a moment the room was dead silent. No one said a word as the girl's exchanged uneasy and uncertain glances. Everyone was thinking the same thing but no one wanted to venture to find out for sure.
"Jade," Weiss finally asked, "how much did you hear?"
"I heard you say you're going to tell big brother at the festival," Jade said proudly. "I hope he says yes."
Weiss' jaw fell to the floor while Yang's hand flew up as she face palmed.
"Dammit Blake, how do the Faunus not rule the world with genetic advantages like that?" she groaned.
Blake merely shot her partner a baleful glare, unsure of whether that comment was racist or just plain rude.
"Jade, I need you to do me a favor," Weiss said cautiously. "I need you to keep this our little secret, okay?"
"Why?"
Uge, why does every child have to ask that damning word! "It's a surprise. Jaune doesn't know yet and I'm a little nervous about how he'll react so I need you to not say anything to him, not until I've had a chance to tell him."
"Oh, okay," Jade said.
"Thank you sweetie," Weiss said, visibly relieved. She soon gave the small child a quizzical look when she then reached her hand out expectantly. "What is it?"
"Nora says I should never make any promise without incen- ince- "she said, struggling to remember what the older girl had taught her.
"Incentive?" Blake finished.
"Yea," Jade chirped happily.
"What sort of incentive?" Weiss asked hesitantly.
"Mmm, if Ruby gives me cookies I won't tell," she replied.
"Is- is she blackmailing us?" Ruby asked.
"Oh brothers, it's like five year old Ruby all over again," Yang moaned.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know many people had predicted this would be a White knight ship and I've all but confirmed it at this point. The next chapter won't be far behind this one either. I had an idea and decided to start working on it. Before long I had a good portion already typed so all I have to do is copy and paste it and then it's just half a chapter or more left to do.
Also, while I'm sure most of you have already figured this out, my "World War Remnant" and "Ice Dragon of Remnant" stories are currently on hold. WWR is something that I may make another attempt at in the future but for now I'm done with it. IDR I'll pick up again. I was working on it at the same time as WWR and the dock scenes were just coming out as too similar. I wanted them to be distinct and not cookie-cutter so I'm taking a break from it for now. More news when I have some.