It was clear that he wasn't going to win.
Out of breath, Jaune struggled to keep himself upright. He was losing focus. His arms felt as if they were made of lead, and the dam of endurance that kept him from collapsing was close to its breaking point. He could feel his heartbeat banging like a mini jackhammer in his chest.
But he didn't mind too much because he'd just set a new record for himself. Each of the nonstop unforgiving rounds of hand to hand combat had lasted at least a minute, impressive enough given he was against someone who specialized in it, but even moreso given that they'd started just after completing two mile run around the Nest's running course. His legs had been jelly by the he'd finished they'd set up their mat for sparring. To say that he'd been pushing himself today was quite the understatement.
The spot they'd chosen: a lawn under some oak trees a few meters away from the Nest's outdoor pool, had been selected because of how much shade it had. Not that they really needed it. Autumn was taking its bow, and today was sure to be one of the more moderately cool ones before the winter months arrived.
At first, a round against Yang usually lasted no more than seven seconds. But as they trained more and more, as he became more accustomed to reading her body language, as his endurance and strength built up, those rounds began to last longer and longer. Now, eight days in, with about three weeks until they had their exam, his current record was now two minutes.
It was better than he'd ever hoped for himself when they'd been first paired up. Wielding Crocea Mars was easier too, with all the upper body strength and endurance he'd built. The only drawback? For the first three days, he'd been left so sore, he couldn't walk to dinner without ice packs strapped all over his body. But as far as he was concerned, the trade off was worth it.
That being said, his sudden improvement didn't mean Yang went any easier on him. Not that he wanted that to change. He still had a long way to go to be able to go toe to toe against his peers, and he did not lack the willpower to put in the work to change that.
Still, that didn't mean he never got exhausted or frustrated. Moments like now, as he watched Yang in envy. She didn't seem to be the least bit tired, even though she was just as sweaty as he was and had done the two mile run with him. To him, fact she was still even able to stand and bounce around him was nothing short of a miracle. Someday, he hoped, maybe he'd able to do the same.
He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender and forced a cough to clear his throat. Remembering, Pyrrha's lessons, he concentrated on controlling his breathing, allowing oxygen into his lungs at a steady pace without risk of hyperventallating.
"H-How on earth are you still standing?" he wheezed.
Yang grinned, wiping sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. She pushed her bangs aside and readjusted her ponytail. Having as much hair as she did; a frizzy curtain of golden locks that reached down to her waist, should have been a considerable cumber for her, and slowed her down a little. Somehow she managed to stay speedy and no less dangerous. "I'd like to say that training was all I did, but honestly, part of it is just my lucky genes," she said. "Maybe it's a part of my semblance, but for someone like you who apparently doesn't have one, it's nothing that a lot of training can't make up for."
Jaune rolled his eyes. It seemed that Yang still had some trouble accepting that fact. He'd told her about that not long after their study session together, and managed to relieve her by admitting he'd at least unlocked his aura, which had quelled some of the initial panicking that had come from her. He wasn't a little bit afraid that she might resent him for it, either. He was certain she understood they couldn't let it get in the way of their success in the exam, so he didn't take any of her complaining too personally.
After downing the last of the water left in his bottle, Jaune felt a little more refreshed, so he walked back onto the mat and resumed a fighting stance. "Again," he said, and Yang didn't waste a second in delivering a quick jab aimed at his right cheek. Jaune blocked it with his forearm and, knowing she'd lost some balance in order to land a blow on him, proceeded to sweep his right foot under her left leg.
Normally, Yang should've easily countered it, but it seemed that she'd finally started to lose her edge, because her blocked miss his fist, which collided against her collar, right above her left breast. She slipped, tumbling sideways, landing on her bottom with a hard thud onto the mat. She grimaced from the impact.
Jaune gasped. His blow had been aimed at her left cheek, but would've missed had Yang not slipped up. "You alright?" he asked.
"I'm alright," Yang assured coolly. She looked up at him. Her face was flushed, her eyes scrunched as she blew a few strands that had come undone from her ponytail away from her eyes.
Jaune smiled in relief. "Thank goodness your lucky genes only get you so far," he said, grinning down at her. He extended a hand had to help her up. "I'm sure it must've gotten boring seeing me lose so many times."
Yang blinked twice, shaking her head. She wiped away a sweat drenched bang whuch had stuck to her forehead. She looked up at him. Despite being a little dazed, she gave him a nod and beamed. "You're definitely getting a lot better. Good job, Jaune."
"Thanks." As Jaune pulled her up, she grimaced with the strain, and the muscles on her forearm suddenly tensed. Jaune, without really trying, couldn't help but notice how her biceps bulged, and swallowed hard.
The both of them usually wore lightweight sports gear whenever they trained together. Today, Jaune wore a breathable fabric tank top provided by the school and gym shorts, while Yang had on a matching sports tank and yoga pants. Today, the air conditioners in the Nest were broken, so they blasted cold air at full power, making it far too cold for them both. So they'd decided to practice outside, where the temperature was just right. Of course, no matter the temperature, it didn't stop them from finishing their sessions with sweat drenched clothing, which clung to their skin, making them look almost as if they were wearing spandex. And while the fall breeze gave them some relief, the sunlight also also made every definition of their bodies shine and become more pronounced.
As a result, Jaune could not help but be distracted by how toned Yang's toned abs and arms, looking mighty with every punch she threw. Even after weeks of training, Jaune still found himself mesmerized by them. Sure, there were plenty of girls around him who were athletic and lean, but Yang's muscles were in a league of their own, and they only complemented her lithe thighs, the curve of her waist...
"You jealous, Jaune?"
Jaune felt his cheeks heat up and hoped that his blush could be masked by how red his face already was from excercise. "I...I wasn't-"
Yang laughed heartily and smacked him on the back. "Relax, I'm not gonna murder you. It was bound to happen given what we're doing. You're still a guy, after all. Though I will say, it does feel good to be buff." She flexed her bicep in a showy manner, and Jaune shut his eyes before he could form even an inkling of an embarrassing thought. Especially whem there was a risk it would affect him...down there.
"You know," Yang continued, "I've never understood why some girls here insist on trying to stay lean and thin. Personally? I think having this much muscle like this makes me feel so powerful. You ever think about that stuff?"
Did she like doing this to him? Jaune managed to force his attention away from her arms to meet the mischievous glint in her eyes. "Getting jacked won't do much to help if I still can't keep up with you." He shrugged, hoping to shift the conversation so he wouldn't feel more embarrassed at himself.
Even when Yang teased him like this, despite the initial hurdles, Jaune could now say he enjoyed having the girl for company. Though, if training with Pyrrha gave him catharsis with considerable ease, attempting to recreate the same with Yang was akin to roll a boulder up a mountain. He was still grateful for his teammate's training though, since there would've been a much more steep upward hill to climb without it.
In the end there wasn't much to complain about, not when he was finally experiencing the growth he'd craved for so long. What was more important was that he make up for the poor impression of him she had. Working against that (and trying not to incur Yang's wrath) was just another challenge.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune noticed a snack cart making its way on the sidewalk, approaching them. It made a round trip all over Beacon four times a day and came stocked not only with sandwiches and other snakes but also with chilly, irresistible beverages. They were free too, and who could say no to free? "You wanna stop for a drink?" he asked Yang.
His tired training partner slash coach wiped her brow and nodded. "Let's call it early, actually. I've got a study group with the girls in about an hour, and I don't want to be too sore when that starts. The upcoming history exam we have with Oobleck? Less painful than a Beowulf bite, from what I've heard. And his quizzes are already tough enough."
At the cart, they got their usual: Yang savored a freshly blended strawberry-banana fruit smoothie, and Jaune got a bottle of sparkling spring water.
"You really like that stuff?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow as she watched Jaune gulp it down with delight. "So bitter."
"I like the way it burns my throat," he replied. "Plus it's sugar free, and that's a plus since I'm watching what I eat too. Before we started training, I didn't have any discipline to not indulge myself, but with our matches coming up, I have to be in the best shape possible."
"Just keep in mind that you should consume extra carbs too," Yang added. "Otherwise you'll burn out, need time to totally recover, get out of shape and lose just as much as you gain. And I'm sure none of us want to go through those rough first few days all over again, do we?"
Jaune nodded. "Got it, boss."
Yang quietly sipped her smoothie. "You know," she spoke up after a moment. "Back at our first day in the Nest..."
Jaune felt his stomach begin to sink. "Do we really have to talk about that again?"
Yang shook her head, her face suddenly darkening, her mouth curling into a frown. "Back when I was in combat school," she explained, "I had to deal with really nasty stuff from other boys who thought it would be fun to treat me like I was something to be ogled at. There was I had gotten a stuffed animal for a secret Valentine's day present that turned out to have live video camera installed in the eyes. And I kept that on my bedroom windowsill, so it had a clear view of me whenever I was..." Yang clenched her fists, scowling while blushing red. "Still haven't found out who did it, but all the more reason to throw anything that wasn't flowers or cards into the trash from then on."
"Wow," Jaune breathed, feeling immense pity for her. He wondered how often she ever went on dates, if she still did, after all of that. "What's different about me then?"
"Because...you seemed scared when started," Yang said, looking down at her feet. "And you still do, actually, even when I make light of it. When we're training, you're determined and undistracted, but outside of it, whenever I'm around, you're always making excuses to stay away. You don't even seem to want to so much as look me in the eye."
Jaune was stunned, not only by Yang's confession, but by his own shortsightedness. Had he really thought that low of her, to assume that she was deliberately torturing him with her teasing?
Then it hit him.
"So um, a few days ago, Blake had a talk with me about you."
Yang's eyes widened. "What did she say? She didn't try to like, threaten you or anything, did she?"
"Ahhh what?" Jaune exclaimed. "No, nothing like that. She just told me to keep my distance. Which makes sense, a girl's gotta keep an eye out for a girlfriend, right?"
Yang let out a sigh in relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried she might take Blake has... trauma from troubles with boys," she explained. "She had a horrible ex she doesn't like to talk about." There was an obvious hesitation in her voice that Jaune recognized as being a sign of the weight of what she was telling him. " I've told her about the stuff that happened to me in combat school, and I had a feeling it might've made her suspicious of you. Stuff like that are things that most girls are forced to accept as...part of life, you know. It could've happened to anyone."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Jaune suddenly thought about the way he'd asked Weiss to the dance. How that might've made Weiss and the others feel. Looking back, yeah, the song had been...a little much. And while getting rejected had been embarrassing, he definitely hadn't considered how Weiss might've felt, even with how upfront and callously she'd rejected him. Sure, Ruby might still feel comfortable around him since they were already good buds, but...
"I really got to go now," Yang said. "But why don't you come up to our dorm sometime and I can set you down with Blake? She can apologize, and you can talk it out together. Plus I'm making her doing it eventually, though maybe you can talk to Weiss too, if you want?"
"Um..." Jaune said, a rising feeling of dread in his gut. "ll think about it."
"No pressure. I'll put in a good word for you to Weiss too. Not that means she'll be going out with you anytime soon, but at least—"
"I get it," Jaune interrupted. "Guess I'll clean up here then." He waved farewell. "See you then."
After Yang had left and he'd handed their training mat back to the equipment stand, he went to the Nest's locker room to take a quick cold shower. While he stood under the showerhead, letting the chilly water ran over his body, easing some of the soreness in his arms and legs, snapping him awake, he reflected on the events of the past week. On Yang's offer. Of the numerous possibilities that it could go horribly wrong. What if Blake refused to apologize? And even if he apologized, what if Weiss handed him a restraining order for him to sign instead?
But eventually he realized that there was no way out of it. He was going to have to man up because as much as it could go downhill, he knew he could make things right. And he had to make it right. That came with risks, of course, but wasn't that true for anything worthwhile?
Wasn't that what being a huntsman was about too? Ozpin had told them all of the dangerous risks they might face on the journey on their very first day at Beacon. And if wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of his childhood heroes, want to be more than the cheat he really was, there was no backing down from it. The consequences of doing so couldn't be any worse than what what inevitably happen if his feelings, their fears, kept simmering, buried.
And, like all the risks he'd taken since he'd decided to get into Beacon at all costs, he would just have to hope for the best.
"Compared to what it's been like working with Ren, who by the way, is a true gentleman? I truly pity you, Yang." Weiss flipped through the pages of her history notebook as she sipped from her teacup with a practiced grace befitting an heiress. "And what you must have to deal with Jaune."
Yang looked up at her teammate from her copy of A Grimm History of Vale. "Actually, he's not bad at all," she said. "Hasn't so much as put a toe out of line when it comes to the boundaries I've set. I had my doubts at first, but now? I'm honestly looking forward to training together. It's been only a little over a week, and he's ten times the fighter he was when we started. So long as we keep on working, he'll be a top combatant in no time."
"I think you should let it go, Weiss," Ruby added. "Yeah, the love song was a little much, but he's got a good heart. All of JPNR should be our friends, not just most of them."
"I wouldn't be so willing to let my guard down," Weiss remarked. "Given how we're the hotshot new team at the moment, and we're all, as the saying goes, very fine, I don't see what's wrong with keeping people you don't trust at a distance."
"Okay Weiss, I get it," Yang groaned. "And I appreciate that you're looking out for me, but I don't want to work with a partner who won't even so much as look me in the eye whenever we're not doing sessions together. And Blake," she turned to her other teammate, who was still buried in her copy of Ninja Girls In Love. "You have something you need to tell me?"
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"
"Jaune told me you talked to him," Yang said. "And I appreciate that you're looking out for him, but really?"
Blake put her book down. She gave Yang a solemn, serious look, something in her eyes that told her she was contemplating what to do. Yang didn't like that look. It was one of those faces that reminded her of just how dangerous she could be. Then she closed her eyes and bit her lip, and her features laxed. "I was protecting a friend. It's what I did to any Fang recruits who I felt could step out of line."
"Oh Blake," Yang shook her head. "I get that you're looking out for me, but...this isn't the Fang. He doesn't even have a Semblance to fall back on. ?"
"Jaune wouldn't even hurt a fly," Ruby added with a determined nod.
"Honestly, I understand the impulse for caution," Weiss said. "I've met plenty of men, boys even, who can give impression that they're saints. And yet, would gladly make sure that people who got on their bad side would be forced to lick their boots clean. My family tree is filled with them, and they certainly make up the majority of my father's friends as well."
"Jaune isn't an Atlas elite though." Yang rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. When they'd first met, Weiss had been quite a handful to deal with, her personality traits seeming to consist of being either condescending or bratty. Not that she expected less from someone of her wealth and status: a spoiled princess who'd never had to complain about anything in her life. But, as she began to work through some of the prejudices conditioned into her against Faunus and people like Ruby, Yang began to appreciate Weiss for her intellect and insight into a culture Yang knew nothing of.
But even so... that didn't mean Weiss still retained a short sighted and judgmental attitude. Even when she was actively trying to shed her racial biases, there were other walls she had yet to take down.
"He's just a dorky dunce who got too cocky once, that's all," she said. "He's nothing like the people you grew up with, Weiss. I'm pretty certain of that."
Weiss took a long, drawn out sip from her teacup, somehow making the gesture look as graceful as her fighting, as if she'd practiced it. Knowing the heiress, it probably was. Even when in the company of friends, she carried herself with the formality of a princess. "We shall see," she said curtly.
Then came a knock at their door.
"W-Who is it?" Ruby called nervously.
"Hey Rubes," answered a voice she knew. "It's Jaune. I'd... like to talk Weiss, please. If she is there."
Weiss's eyes widened. Concern briefly flashed across her features. Yang looked into her eyes, and she seemed to relax a little. No way Jaune was going to get away with any funny business when she was surrounded by friends who could kick his butt. "You may enter, Jaune."
Yang unlocked the door for Jaune, who walked into the room so slowly, she wasn't sure if it was because he was nervous or still sore from their earlier training session.
"Hey, um...I just want to say that I'm sorry." Jaune stopped in the middle of a room, a yard away from where they had arranged their desks. "For um..." he gulped. "For putting you on the spot like that, with the whole 'asking you out by song' thing. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, if you did."
A brief, but suffocating silence fell upon the room, in which Weiss seemed to do nothing but stare blankly, stone faced. But then...
"Oh," Weiss said. "Um... thank you Jaune. I appreciate that. And I forgive you."
Jaune let out a heavy sigh he'd clearly been holding in, eyes still cast downward. "I swear, I won't even so much as look you in the eye whenever we're in class toge-wait..." His head snapped up in surprise. Really?"
"Most people who have ever admitted they've wronged me are too afraid to look me in the eye when they do," Weiss explained. "That's just one of the many signs which tell me that they're not being. I barely know you and you've shown none of them. So, even if your anxiety is as clear as ice, you seem pretty sincere to me."
"Um...thanks I guess," Jaune said. "And I know you have feelings for someone else and I respect that. As for my own, well...they're mine and only mine to deal with."
"I appreciate that. Would you like to sit with us? I have some Mistralan tea. It's very expensive."
"Sure!" Jaune squeaked. Yang chuckled, knowing that he must've been all too relieved to have gotten that over with.
Jaune noticed their textbooks and notes laid out on the table in front of them. "You guys studying for Oobleck's exam, right? On the first Siege of the Emerald Castle?"
"Yeah, and there's soooo much to memorize," Ruby said. "Don't know why we need to know the names of all the generals, captains and all the stuff they did to move the armies around too. It's such a snooze."
"Well if you didn't like staying up late playing video games when you think we're all asleep, maybe you would've been able to stay awake during his lectures more often. He is our first class in the morning," Yang scolded. Ruby sighed, her shoulders falling in shame. "Yeah, don't remind me. But that's why I have you guys to mooch off of, right?" she laughed.
"Yeah, except memorizing all this isn't going to be a piece of cake," Blake remarked, biting her thumb as she scanned her wall of notes.
"It... is a lot," Weiss admitted. "I've been studying as much as I can, and even I think I've only grasped about half of the material. No wonder most apparently only get a C, looking at it optimistically."
"Hmm," Jaune looked over some of Yang's notes, taking the time to also admire her surprisingly elegant cursive. "It's not so much stuff to remember. I actually happen to know a lot about that siege. My grandfather fought in it, after all."
"Wait, really?" Ruby's eyes went wide. "The same grandfather who used to own Crocea Mars?"
"Yeah," Jaune said, standing a bit straighter at that. Ruby's reaction must've filled him with a surge of pride in his heritage he hadn't felt in a long time. "And there's a lot of details that most of the history textbooks don't talk about that he's told my Mom and Dad. It's actually pretty interesting. I remember the names of most of the generals based on what kind of unique personality ticks they had. All of which, somehow, factored into a really unique strategy."
"That sounds really cool!" Yang exclaimed, with a sudden giddiness that took Jaune, and by the looks of it, her own teammates, by complete surprise. Part of her was surprised too. But this was the perfect opportunity for them to get a little closer. To break down some walls.
She got up and walked over to their coffee table, where she poured a new cup of fresh, scalding tea. "Maybe you could tell us more?" she asked as she walked over and offered it to Jaune. That might help us memorize them better."
Jaune gulped, fingers twiddling nervously. His cerulean eyes flipped back and forth from her to the girls at their desk. But slowly, his expression transformed from nervousness to gratitude, and Yang knew he understood what she wanted out of this.
"Sure," he finally said, and took the teacup from Yang's hands.
They moved the desks they'd gathered closer to Blake's bunk, since Jaune ended up have to sit on her mattress since they didn't have a fifth chair for him.. Ruby sat next to him, which Yang figured would help Jaune feel more at ease among them, being the first time he'd ever been alone with the girls at once. Yang hoped that the idea of eventually being comfortable with Blake and Weiss, maybe even befriend them, was something that would make him happy. Because there was no deadline, she would let him go at his own pace.
After all, despite their occasionally strange quirks and annoying flaws, Yang couldn't have asked for better people to have her back.
"So, Captain Baccus," he began, and now he had everyone's full attention as he effortlessly explained the events of the siege, like he knew them like the back of his hand. "He could barely hold his alcohol in. He was so nervous the night before it that he ended up getting a little tipsier than he wanted to. At the end of the battle, he earned a nickname from some of his troops, the Drunk. I know, not exactly the most creative bunch. The guy who actually led his troops, then, was his Lieutenant, a dude who always cut himself with his razor whenever he shaved..."
