*Looks at the clock, notices it's still Sunday* Nailed it.
The chapter may not be coming out as early as I'd hoped, but I don't think I did half bad all things considered!

Hey there everyone, hope your week's been a good one! I honestly thought I'd have to push this chapter back a day or two, but I managed to sneak out a couple of pages near the end of the day and made it work. We're taking a dive back into mostly-cannon territory, which has been a fun game for my brothers to play: Which is cannon, and which did I sneakily add? Funny story, we were concerned about a line not sounding 'in character enough' only for us to figure out it was a line I'd taken word for word from the show. This chapter serves as the conclusion of the Jaundice arc, and as the push our favorite red-head (sorry Ruby) needs to finally acknowledge what pretty much everyone else knew from the start. I've actually enjoyed filling in little details here and there to try and better characterize the growths of these characters, and I hope you've enjoyed them! I don't want to stray too far from cannon however, as that would kinda defeat the point of this story.

Anyway, It'll be a week or two before I update this story again. I'm planning on taking the time to update a few of my other stories, but then I'll be back! Hope you're looking forward to the beginning of Pyrrha's struggle to get her waifu to notice her!
Just an FYI, while Cardin basically disappears after Jaundice (I think), this won't be the last time you see him in this story. It won't be anything that breaks cannon, but I always thought it was a bit of a waste that we never get to see how Jaune's actions affected him (I mean come on, you can tell they had an impact on him) after the fact. It won't be anything that breaks, or even necessarily impacts cannon, but I plan on him making a reappearance. Hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am!

As another blonde-haired swordsman once said: Alright, everyone, Let's mosey.
Take care.
~Amaratsu


It wasn't supposed to be like this… Pyrrha thought as she walked at the head of her team of three.

"Yes students, the Forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but, we are not here to sightsee." Professor Goodwitch said sternly, her high heels somehow managing to clack imposingly on the leaf litter dusting the soft earth. "Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."

Pyrrha tried to listen to their chaperone's instructions, she really did, but her attention kept drifting back towards the rattle of jars. Jaune had been repurposed as a pack mule for team CRDL, and the lanky leader of team JNPR was obviously struggling to balance the heavy box and numerous bottles he was weighed down by.

Pyrrha sighed as Professor Goodwitch wrapped up her speech, emerald eyes finally coming to rest on her leader as the teams split apart to go about their task. As if he'd sensed her gaze, he looked up and for just a moment their eyes met. She saw it all in that split second: the longing, the regret, but his stubbornness won out and he dropped his gaze in shame.

If I'd been too afraid to fail… Wouldn't that have been the same as if I'd chosen to do nothing at all?

The Champion took a deep breath—disappointment and fear warring within her breast as she let her eyes slide closed—and made a difficult decision.

Pyrrha opened her eyes and turned her back on her leader.

She wasn't sure he was ready, but she gave him the chance he asked for anyway.

Time seemed to both crawl by and disappear at a startling pace, she attributed that to the appearance of JNPR's sister team. The girls of team RWBY were a welcome presence, one that kept Pyrrha's mind from dwelling solely on the hole in team JNPR.

RWBY, for their part, didn't comment on their sister team's missing member. She wasn't sure what the other girls knew about Jaune's bullying, but she was grateful for their discretion.

It took the teams longer than it should have to collect their sap, but once Nora was officially banned from holding her own by her partner things proceeded much faster. Still, as time passed Pyrrha felt her focus slipping. She wondered where he was, how he was doing. She hoped he was okay.

Forever Fall was indeed beautiful, what would it have been like to spend time there with their team in one piece? Would Jaune have helped Ren keep his partner from slurping down their entire collection of sap? Would he have laughed off the hyper girl's antics and indulged her? Knowing her leader, Pyrrha couldn't help but think he would have found something in between. It was something she admired about him: How he managed to find solutions were she was convinced none exist.

Looking around at the faces of team RWBY, Pyrrha couldn't help but feel a little ungrateful. Here they were, coming to spend time with them, but she couldn't help but wish it had been someone else that had sought them out. It wasn't Yang's laugh she longed to hear nor Ruby's voice, they just didn't sound right in her ears at that moment.

She missed him.

She missed the adorable way he scratched the back of his neck when he was unsure of what to say; She missed his honest blue eyes that had looked at her and seen Pyrrha were everyone else had seen The Champion; She missed his earnest smile, his unquestioning loyalty, his nervous laugh—

Pyrrha's head snapped up and around as a sound, so achingly familiar, whispered against her ears from somewhere far away. Her eyes searched the area anxiously before she grudgingly concluded she must have been hearing things. Disappointment hammered into her heart like a bullet, and her shoulders dropped miserably.

"Pyrrha…" Ruby said slowly, making The Champion's head snap around in surprise, "Are you okay?"

Pyrrha tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice, off of her face, but even she knew she hadn't succeeded. "Yeah." She tried anyway, her dull emerald eyes sliding away as she found herself clutching her jar of sap to her chest.

Her jar of sap that was abruptly and suspiciously light.

"Nora!" The Champion squawked, her despondence momentarily forgotten.

/*/

Pyrrha grumbled to herself while she tightened the lid on her jar, careful to keep any of the sticky sap away from her outfit. The day… hadn't really been going according to plan, to say the least. Carefully wiping her hands on the grass, the champion made to stand up just in time for a flicker of light to reach her through the trees.

Pyrrha blinked, frowning for a moment before a slight breeze breathed through the trees and made the shadows around her spin and dance. She shook her head, writing the odd flicker off as just another trick of the wind and turned back to her task. Still though, as she held her jar up to the light and checked it for impurities, she couldn't help the sense of unease that flared up within her.

Something was wrong.

A guttural roar echoed through the trees, confirming her suspicion. Pyrrha whirled about, ears straining to determine the source of the noise. Ruby said something, but Pyrrha wasn't listening, 'Please, Brother gods, don't let that be…'

She could confess to a fair bit of distraction, perhaps that's how team CRDL—sans its leader—nearly ran right into her in their hurry to escape something. At first she thought Nora was coming for her again, and she yanked her jar protectively to her chest as they sped past her. "Ursa! Ursa!" One of Cardin's cronies shrieked, speeding past them.

Where?!

Pyrrha opened her mouth to shout out a desperate question, but Yang took a far more proactive approach. "What?! Where?" The blonde huntress-in-training snarled, letting the young man bounce off her and snatching him out of the air as he rebounded.

"Back there!" The boy pointed desperately, even now continuing to struggle in a vain attempt to put distance between himself and the beast of Grimm, "It's got Cardin!"

Pyrrha's heart stopped as her entire world shattered. It felt oddly fitting when her jar slipped through numb fingers, smashing at her feet in a shower of glass; It matched her heart. "Jaune!"

Ruby was quick to act, "Yang! You and Blake go get professor Goodwitch!" the younger girl ordered.

Pyrrha drew her weapons in an explosion of anxious energy, "You two go with them," She snapped out, her eyes meeting those of her teammates, "There could be more."

Pyrrha didn't wait for a response before she spun around and threw herself into the undergrowth, her heart pounding in her ears as the trees flashed by in a red blur. What was wrong with her? This was hardly her first taste of combat, why was she losing control of her breathing?

Broken glass caught her eye, giving her a moments pause before she left it in her wake: The shattered remains of a jar of sap, the sweet substance clinging to the glass but notably absent on the forest floor. The sap was a powerful attractant for certain creatures of Grimm, Ursa and Rapier Wasps being chief among those that couldn't resist the sweet scent. Pyrrha felt a blade of ice embed itself in her heart. He wouldn't have… He couldn't have…. Not to Jaune…

"No no no no no…" She found herself muttering under her breath like a mantra; Like a prayer.

Jaune had only lasted thirty seconds against Cardin; It had been significantly more than that since they'd first heard the creature's roar.

The sound of a large animal snuffling drew Pyrrha up short, Ruby and Weiss stopping slightly behind her a moment later as the three of them assessed the situation. "Oh no…" Someone breathed. Distantly, Pyrrha realized it was her.

Cardin was down, crawling on his hands and knees away from a truly massive Ursa.

There was no sign of Jaune.

There was a buzzing in her bones, behind her eyes, in her lungs. In her heart. Miló hung limply by her side as the Ursa raised one massive paw to finish what it'd started.

A blur of yellow and white threw itself between Cardin and the massive Grimm, the symbol of the Arcs flashing proudly on the heater shield that stood between the Ursa and its victim. The crash of the massive paw slamming into the shield echoed across the clearing but to Pyrrha's shock her leader caught the blow without flinching, his face twisting under the strain as he fought to hold back the Ursa's weight with one arm.

He was alive… Pyrrha inhaled sharply, and the world slid back into focus once more.

Jaune must have made his approach from the other side of the Ursa, likely not even realizing backup had arrived when he made his move. He didn't know it yet, but his desperate gamble was about to pay off. The Ursa was overcommitting, pushing against Jaune's shield with all of its weight and leaving itself exposed. It would have been an excellent strategy if Jaune had been aware of their presence, but as it was Pyrrha suspected it to be one final desperate stand. Jaune likely believed that he was about to die, it was about time she disabused him of that idea. Her weapons creaked under her tight grip as she felt her vision spill over with red, emerald eyes coming to rest hatefully on the creature that might have stolen everything from her.

Before she could step forward, a flash of blue drowned the fires of her rage. Jaune had shot a glance at the battered boy behind him, blue eyes passing unknowingly over her position before shifting back to the Ursa.

She's seen it in that brief moment. Jaune's eyes hadn't been full of fear or despair, only steely determination as he'd redoubled his efforts to push back against the massive beast; One of his legs shook under the pressure, on the verge of giving out entirely. Blue eyes as deep and gentle as a calm inland sea flared like a storm surge, darkening with a single-minded fury as team JNPR's leader locked eyes with the beast forcing him to his knees.

Beside her, Weiss spun her sword around and readied an attack.

"Wait!" Pyrrha cried, catching the heiress off guard, as Jaune pushed. The Ursa had no time to react as its weight was thrown violently to the side, and it staggered right into Jaune's blade. Team JNPR's leader wasted no time on technique, stepping forward with his shove to catch the falling beast with a crude slash that sent it reeling. Crocea Mors flashed wickedly in the sunlight, its keen edge biting into the massive Grimm.

It didn't cut deep enough. Even as the Ursa staggered back from the force of the blow, its cruel red eyes were focusing on its attacker. A massive paw speared its claws forward in a move no normal animal would try, but Jaune threw himself to the side and it only buried itself in the dirt. Still, those hateful red eyes remained locked on its target. The Ursa tore its claws out in a horizontal swipe that sent dirt and stone flying like missiles, but Jaune jumped over it.

A mistake. The Ursa caught the blonde in the air and batted him across the clearing like a plaything, only for Jaune to surge to his feet mid-tumble and lunge back into the fray with a clumsy leaping slash that the Ursa sidestepped easily. Once more, a massive paw slammed home, sending Jaune crashing into the dirt with a strangled cry.

Jaune picked himself up more slowly this time, and as his eyes glanced down at his shield Pyrrha's scroll let out a warning chime, one she didn't need to check to know what it said: Jaune's Aura was dangerously low. Fearful emerald eyes went wide, and she would have stepped forward were it not for the way Jaune's face set with fierce determination. Deep blue eyes flicked from where Cardin was still on the ground and back to the Ursa before hardening, and the leader of team JNPR let out a defiant cry as he threw himself forward into what would be the final exchange. One way or another.

Pyrrha's heart pounded frantically in her throat as time seemed to slow. For just a moment, she saw everything both fighters had to offer: The Ursa lunged forward with massive claws poised to take her leader's head from his shoulders as Jaune stepped into the blow, his shield falling as made to bet his life on one final stab.

He'd never make it in time, and with Miló currently in its sword form, neither could she. In desperation she reached out with her semblance, wrapping it around the metal in his armor and preparing to throw him to safety. His sword was too small, even if she could tear it from his hands without taking his arm with it his grip would slow it too much to kill the beast. Throwing him was a risky maneuver, one that could snap his neck or smash his brain against the inside of his own skull, but it was all she could think of.

'I never will be if everyone keeps saying I'm not ready and refusing to give me a chance.'

Her mind flashed to stormy blue eyes, flashing with determination as a teenager momentarily found the strength to overpower a massive monster; Her eyes—and semblance—focused on his shield. She could move it. Just enough to buy him a moment, just enough to give him a chance.

In the silence between one frantic beat of her heart and the next, she made her decision.

Her semblance dragged the shield up and into position just in time for it to catch the Ursa's next blow, its claws sparking off of the symbol of the Arcs as Jaune's foot slammed down under the sudden weight with enough force to kick up the leaves around him… and held. He'd only have a moment, one singular moment in which he was inside the Ursa's guard, but those stubborn blue eyes had never left their target and Jaune didn't waste it. Team JNPR's leader exploded upwards, and this time his aim was true, Crocea Mors biting eagerly into the flesh of its enemy as it rent the Ursa's head from its body.

There was a beat of stunned silence as the Ursa's head and body fell in opposite directions to crash into the earth with a sound like distant thunder. Pyrrha let out a long breath and blinked her way back into the present, darting a glance towards where her outstretched hand still had her semblance wrapped protectively around her leader and consciously forcing it back even as a relieved, proud, smile worked its way across her features.

"Uh… What?" Ruby asked from beside her, reminding the red-haired champion that she was hardly alone.

"How did you…?" Weiss chimed in from Pyrrha's other side, bright blue eyes darting back and forth between Pyrrha and her partner with obvious curiosity.

"Well…" Pyrrha started hesitantly, suddenly aware of the ramification of what she'd just done. Pyrrha Nikos was The Champion, The Invincible Girl; Her sponsors and trainers had been very careful to instill in her the importance of keeping one of the keys to that success a secret. There were many fighters with powerful semblances, but everything had a weakness that could be exploited with enough time and thought. Keeping her semblance a secret allowed her to flex in subtle ways during fights, giving her an indispensable advantage. That wasn't to say she used it as a crutch, of course—she had more than enough skill to dismantle most opponents with ease—but Beacon attracted many talented students. Students that could use the knowledge she was about to reveal to shatter the illusion of invincibility she and her trainers had worked so hard to cultivate.

'Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who it is you're talking to?' 'Not in the slightest, Snow Angel.'

Her team flashed through her mind, maybe breaking that image wasn't something she needed to fear.

"Ruby has her speed, you have your Glyphs." She took a deep breath, "My semblance is polarity."

"Woah…" Ruby said, her voice soft with awe, "You can control poles…"

"No you dunce, it means she has control over magnetism." Weiss sniped before Pyrrha had a chance to more… delicately correct the younger girl's assumption.

"Magnets are cool too…" Ruby said dreamily, apparently inoculated against her partner's snappish attitude. Pyrrha chuckled lightly to herself at her friend's antics, taking one last lingering look at where her team leader was straightening up before turning her back on him.

"Wait, where are you going?" Weiss asked, turning after her, eyes confused.

"Yeah," Ruby chimed in, "We gotta tell them what happened!"

Pyrrha's eyes drifted over to Jaune, whose shoulders were straightening proudly for the first time in weeks as he sheathed his weapon. "We could." She admitted as Jaune took his first step towards the fallen bully, his gait determined and filled with a confidence she hadn't seen in him before, "Or perhaps we could just keep it our little secret."

Weiss and Ruby exchanged a look, but followed her without complaint. It didn't take much longer for their teams to find them with Goodwitch in tow but Pyrrha left recounting the story to Ruby, who took to it with gusto, making use of several sound-effects and gestures she was quite confident did not actually pertain to the battle she'd witnessed.

The relieved voices of her friends filled her ears, and for the first time in what felt like weeks Pyrrha just enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her skin and the wind in her hair. The world finally felt right again.

/*/

Professor Goodwitch wasted little time establishing order, stern emerald eyes flashing dangerously as she secured the area and swept both boys away for medical attention and questioning. It wasn't until later, when she felt that she'd given Jaune enough time to think things through, that she finally found him.

Perhaps it only made sense that fate conspired to have her find him on the roof where this had all started.

"No Cardin tonight?" She probed, she'd not actually heard what had become of the bully and could admit to being a little curious, "I thought you too were best buds?"

In retrospect, perhaps that could have been interpreted to be a little accusatory. Jaune certainly seemed to take it that way as he turned to root her in place with his deep blue eyes. She never understood how he could be so utterly open, unafraid or unwilling to hide his every emotion from her as they swirled through his ocean eyes. "Pyrrha, I'm sorry." He said softly, and she could feel his shame, disappointment and regret.

He didn't make any excuses, didn't flinch from admitting where he was wrong, he simply laid out his perceived sins with an earnest honesty that took her breath away. Pyrrha felt a soft smile curve her lips even as a pang when through her heart. Jaune was really going to just take responsibility for all the tension and dysfunction their team had gone through over the past few weeks, wasn't he? The pang in her heart grew, and she knew she had to cut him off. "Jaune." She said forcefully, knocking him out of his self-recrimination, "It's okay." Jaune twitched, deep blue eyes registering surprise, and she gave him a relieved smile of her own. She didn't have the words yet, not to really express how she felt, but she poured all of her relief and happiness at having him back into that smile. "Your team really misses their leader, you know." She said softly. Jaune looked shocked, but then his lips curved up in a soft, incredulous smile.

Ren was right. She thought to herself, face flushing with happiness, all I needed to do was wait and give him a chance.

"You should come down." She said, turning away abruptly and breaking eye contact, "Ren made pancakes~" She paused by the door, a thought hitting her, "No syrup though, you can thank Nora for that." She might still be slightly irritated that Nora had slurped down her first jar of sap, even if it had allegedly been with her best interests in mind.

"Wait!" Jaune called out, stopping her in her tracks. She turned back to him, emerald eyes curious. He seemed to struggle with his words for a moment before his eyes darkened with determination. "I know I don't deserve it after all that happened." He said hesitantly, "But would you still be willing to help me…?" He took a deep breath, his back straightening as he met her eyes with a confidence she hadn't seen from him before his encounter in Forever Fall, "To help me become a better fighter."

She couldn't help it. Pyrrha turned away to hide the wide grin that played out across her lips, almost giggling out loud at the shocked look that passed across her leader's face as she put her back to him. If anyone asked she did it just to tease him because really, how could he possibly have any doubts that she'd say no? The truth, however, was that she simply wasn't ready for him to see the overjoyed smile she couldn't hide. Something warm and happy and wonderful danced through her gut, and she could almost scream her joy to the soft lights that blanked Beacon at night.

She loved Beacon at night. The gentle lights of the school reminded her that she had her own home now, and the silly, awkward, wonderful boy that had given it to her.

Emerald eyes narrowed in anticipation, and she utilized all of her public relations training to hide her smile as she spun around to approach Jaune. The boy stiffened at her approach, somehow managing to look both hopeful and nervous at the same time as he stood at awkward attention. He was unbalanced and stiff, something she quickly sought to correct by playfully shoving him to the ground. "Hey…" He whined, looking up at her like a scorned puppy.

"Your stance is all wrong." Pyrrha noted playfully, cocking her hip as she fixed him with a teasing smirk, "You need to be wider and lower to the ground."

Jaune took a moment to process that information, and his smile when she offered her hand was blinding.

Pyrrha pulled her partner to his feet, green eyes locked with blue, and said the words that would bind them: "Let's try that again." Both parties seemed to understand that she was referring to more than just his stance.

"Let's." Jaune murmured, his voice soft but determined as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

/*/

"So what happened to Cardin?" Pyrrha asked later as they sat together overlooking the lights.

"Oh, he just got knocked around a bit by the Ursa." Jaune answered casually, "Nothing big, I think the shock of the whole thing was worse for him than anything else."

Pyrrha frowned slightly, that hadn't been what she'd meant. The pieces of a suspiciously empty jar flashed through her mind. "Jaune." She said diplomatically, "I can't help but suspect that Cardin was somewhat complicit in the Ursa's presence."

To her surprise, Jaune let out an awkward chuckle as he scratched the hair at the back of his head. "That… might have been me actually." He confessed haltingly. Shocked green eyes met his, and he chuckled nervously again before elaborating. "He had this whole plan, see? He wanted to nail… someone, with a jar of the sap and let some rapier wasps at 'em. I guess he wanted me to be the one to throw it though and I, uh, let him know that I didn't want to. Messily."

Pyrrha blinked, her mind flashing back to the scene she'd stumbled into while stepping out of the woods; More specifically, the purple sap that had clung to Cardin's breastplate. An incredulous laugh slipped through her lips before she slapped a hand across her mouth, coloring slightly.

Jaune just chuckled, "No, no, I guess it is pretty funny." He said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, "I mean, I knew I was gonna have to pay for it, but I never thought I'd be getting slapped around by an Ursa on top of Cardin and his team."

That little tidbit drained the humor from the situation, "On top of…?"

"It's in the past." Jaune said hurriedly, flushing slightly at his slip-up.

"Jaune." She made to stand up, eyes flashing like blades as she contemplated exactly what he'd just said, when a gentle hand landed on her shoulder.

"Pyrrha." He said, and it was the gentle humor in his voice as he parroted her tone that really gave her pause, "It's okay, Cardin and I worked it all out in the end. I won't be running around for him anymore."

His hand was warm, and she had to fight the sudden urge to lean into it. "It's not okay." She tried to argue, but that steady hand made it difficult to doubt his conviction, "He shouldn't just get away with everything he put you through."

Jaune just shrugged, withdrawing his hand (That time she did catch herself leaning into it slightly, chasing that steady warmth, before she forced herself to hold still) and staring out across the lights of Beacon. "Maybe…" He said quietly, "But… I mean…Is what Cardin did that much better than what I did?" His hand had taken up permanent residence on the back of his neck, and the look he shot her was equal parts apology and reluctant determination.

Pyrrha's frown deepened, "That's not true!" She argued flatly, "You did what you did to improve yourself, Cardin's just some jerk trying to flaunt his power over people he thinks are weaker than him."

"Can't really argue with that assessment of the guy." Jaune said with a rueful chuckle, "But, I mean, I wonder who'd really still be here if everything came out."

"No one deserves to be here more than you!" Pyrrha said hotly.

"And you know that's not true." Jaune answered back without a moment's hesitation, "Look, Pyrrha, this isn't how I meant this to go." He hesitated, then fixed her with a surprisingly steady look, "Pyrrha, I'm lucky to have you, have I ever told you that?"

To her horror Pyrrha felt her cheeks darken, she was lucky it was so dark that she doubted he noticed. "I—"

"I'm serious. I don't deserve this second chance you're giving me, and as soon as I tell Ren and Nora, I'm sure I won't deserve their forgiveness either. Thing is, it seems to me that if I get all these chances, the least I could do was give Cardin one."

Pyrrha… Didn't know what to say. That didn't stop her though, "You're more of a Huntsman than Cardin will ever be."

Jaune looked away, which was fortunate because Pyrrha was fairly certain her face had turned as red as her hair at that slip-up. She couldn't see his face, but his nervous laugh told her how embarrassed he was. "I don't know about that." He said modestly, "But, I mean, maybe this'll be the push Cardin needs to be a better Huntsman. Although honestly, I'd settle on him being a bit of a nicer person."

This silly boy. She had no idea how he hadn't realized that that was exactly what she'd meant.

"Look," Jaune said with a hint of anxiety bleeding into his tone, "I'm not asking you to like the guy, just maybe don't go burying him before he has a chance to have a change of heart."

Pyrrha was silent for a time, perhaps too long based on how Jaune appeared to get increasingly nervous from beside her, but finally she gave him a reluctant nod. "If… that's the decision you've made, I'll respect it." She said, not necessarily agreeing with him but not disagreeing either.

It was enough for her team leader, who gave her a smile that made her heart flutter. "Thanks Pyrrha." He murmured, leaning over to gently bump her shoulder with his own. She found herself chasing that warmth as it withdrew, scooting ever so slightly closer to him. A comfortable silence fell over the pair, and she found herself relaxing muscles she hadn't even realized she'd been holding taut.

And then he leaned back, his hand coincidently brushing against her own.

Pyrrha's heartrate skyrocketed, electricity lighting up every nerve in her body in a way that not even combat could replicate. She was suddenly hyperaware of the distance between them, the lines of his body, the curve of his lips. Against her will one of her fingers twitched, inching ever so slightly closer to one of his own before she caught the motion and shoved the perpetrator into her lap.

Fortunately for her, Jaune seemed unaware of his partner's sudden dilemma. Clear blue eyes looked out over the lights of Beacon with a calm tranquility he'd not possessed before and she watched out of the corner of her eye as his shoulders relaxed. He'd… really changed, hadn't he?

Her mind flashed back to the moment her soul had touched his, to the pure white glow that had been within him all along. No, he hadn't changed, he'd simply moved past the fear that had been holding him back. She found her eyes drawn to him once more, roving over the changes in his expression, trying to puzzle him out.

"We should head back." He murmured, breaking through her thoughts and making her flinch slightly. "I don't want to make our team wait much longer."

"I—Yes, of course." She stammered, tripping over her tongue in a way she never had before. Thankfully, Jaune didn't notice, and she quickly covered her slip-up by pulling herself to her feet and offering her partner a hand up. Jaune accepted it with a meek smile, apparently oblivious to the way her cheeks colored slightly at the contact, and she easily pulled him to his feet to cover it.

A low rumble split the night, and Jaune let out a chuckle, "How much you wanna bet Nora's already gone through all the pancakes?" Jaune asked ruefully.

Pyrrha's lips curved into an amused grin, "Odds aren't good for you." She said truthfully.

Jaune's laughter was bright and honest, like warm sunlight in her ears, and she found herself laughing along with him. "That's true." He chuckled, "Maybe I can convince Ren to make us some more. I should tell them the truth, and it might take a while."

Pyrrha sobered slightly, catching the note of anxiety that hid in his words. Hesitantly, she found her hand reaching out for him. She came close, so agonizingly close before her nerves got the better of her. Jaune looked up, startled blue eyes meeting her own as she settled a hand on his shoulder. "We'll tell them together." She said, her voice far more steady than she herself felt.

It was enough. Jaune's eyes cleared, crinkling slightly around the edges as he gave her a smile that made her heart dance. "Yeah." He said, his voice growing more confident, "I guess I don't have to do anything alone anymore. Thanks… Partner."

Hours later, when questions had been asked and answered, Pyrrha found herself once more alone in their dorm room with Ren and Nora. The soft hum of the shower told her that Jaune was occupied, which was good… She had her own apology to make.

"Thank you." She said quietly, "Both of you. You were right about what he needed."

Nora smiled, but shrugged graciously, "It's what friends do." She chirped happily.

Pyrrha smiled, her heart swelling at the words. Friends. They really were friends, weren't they? The thought was accompanied by a spike of guilt as she reflected on the distance that had grown between them recently, at the time she'd thought her teammates had grown distant as they'd retreated into the comfort of one another, and while she was certain that the thought contained a seed of truth she was beginning to realize that the problem had just as much to do with her. In a way, Ren and Nora had been left alone. Their leader had fallen into the clutches of a bully while she'd been lost to the confusion within her own heart.

"I'm… I'm sorry." She said quietly, shame winding its way around her throat like creeping vines.

To her shock, Ren and Nora just exchanged a confused look, "What for?" Nora said, tilting her head inquisitively.

She couldn't look at them, couldn't stand to see the truth on their faces when it finally dawned on them what she was speaking of. Her tightly clasped hands were much more fitting company. "I… I shouldn't have been so distant… I've endangered our partnership, I shouldn't have pushed you away and—"

Pyrrha's aura flashed as her face was embedded into a pillow travelling at Mach speeds. She rocked backwards, stars flashing across her vision as she vaguely felt her body slump limply onto her bed. So this… is what defeat feels like? The Invincible Girl thought.

Her suffering had only begun. "How could you think that!?" Nora tutted, sweeping Pyrrha up like an unruly child. Pyrrha's limbs flopped bonelessly about as the shorter girl sat her up with surprising ease and gripped her in a tight hug. "You're our friend Pyrrha." Nora whispered, "You needed space, that's not something we'd be mad about."

Pyrrha felt her face flush, and Nora giggled happily at the reaction; At least until Ren, without even looking up from putting his weapons away, calmly said: "Nora. You're strangling her."

"Er, whoops…" Nora cringed as she released Pyrrha, whose color improved almost immediately as she gulped in desperate gasps of air.

"What Nora's trying to say is that you hardly have anything to be sorry for." Ren put in, "People need their space. We can hardly fault you for being upset and needing time."

Pyrrha might have said something in return, but her lungs were still burning and so she settled on a simple nod. Still, a soft smile played its way across her lips as she massaged her aching ribs.

She'd never realized just how strange friendship could be. It felt… It felt good.

/*/

It shocked her how quickly things returned to normal. Team JNPR/RWBY's table went back to being one of the rowdiest tables in the cafeteria, a fact that was not lost on the staff if the increasingly irritated looks the staff kept giving them was any indication.

Pyrrha smiled to herself as her team leader tried to imitate Yang and catch a grape Nora tossed him, missing terribly, and getting hit in the eye for his trouble. He didn't seem broken up by it, catching her eye with a brilliant smile and a laugh that she found infectious.

A soft sigh escaped her lips and… and she couldn't lie to herself anymore. Could she?

Her lies had fallen down before her eyes when she'd found out the truth of his transcripts. She couldn't deny that he'd snuck his way into Beacon… and… and into her heart.

She sighed again, this time in amused resignation as he tried to catch a syrupy chunk of pancake and ended up with it slapping into his face with a wet thump. She reached forward to offer her napkin but Weiss, ever the neat freak had anticipated the mess and beaten her to the punch. Jaune reached out blindly, accepting the napkin with a mumbled thank you even as he peeled the food from off his face. It happened in just a moment, the Heiresses' skin brushed against Jaune's as he finally got a look at his savior and—

Jaune's face went red, his mouth moving soundlessly before he stammered out another (redundant) thank you.

Pyrrha blinked, her eyes travelling between the blushing boy and the thoroughly oblivious girl.

Oh no.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.