A/N: Last chapter of volume 1! This is going to be the longest chapter thus far as I wrap everything up for this semester.
We are officially halfway through this story, which is just wild to think about. To celebrate, there's a goofy little bonus (for those who've been requesting it in PMs) placed at the end of this chapter, so enjoy!
Let me know what you think about this chapter, and the first half of Laws of Attraction. There are so many of you following along now; I can't wait to hear from you all!
Laws of Attraction
That night, only one thought plagued Pyrrha's mind as she lay in bed, bundled up in her blankets, staring listlessly into her ceiling. What could she give to the others as gifts for the winter solstice? Time before the traditional gift exchange was running out, and she had no idea what to do.
Ruby would be easy to shop for, she thought, mentally making a checklist of things to buy down in Vale over the next week. I'll buy her some of those cookies she likes from that new bakery. She bit her lip, furrowing her brow in thought. But would it really be okay to buy things for the rest of RWBY? I don't know what they'd really like… The thought of buying them all individual gifts was daunting, and the fear of buying the wrong gift was even more concerning.
She let out a weary sigh. I'll just get enough treats for everyone.
Moving on from that point, she rolled onto her right side, looking at the peaceful sleeping faces of Nora and Ren. Nora loves sweets- maybe those? And Ren… She rolled onto her back once more, staring at the ceiling. Ren only ever buys things that have utility. Is there anything he's missing right now?
After a few moments, she found a solution for something he might enjoy. Satisfied, she rolled onto her other side, looking at the blissfully unaware face of Jaune, the blond curled up tightly in his many blankets. But what would Jaune like?
Her cheeks flushed as she saw how innocent and unguarded he was, his smooth brow and small smile instantly making him look years younger. What would Jaune like? He never really mentioned physical objects that he could want- if she tried to buy him comics or games, she'd for sure buy something he already had. Ruby would probably be able to help with that, but Pyrrha didn't want to bother the girl. Buying sweets for him like she would for Nora and Ruby wouldn't work, since he wasn't as big of a fan of desserts, and those two would probably steal whatever she gave him anyway. And, there was something about the idea of just giving Jaune just sweets that made her uncomfortable. It just didn't feel… right.
What would Jaune want from me? she thought, eyes tracing over his silhouette in the darkness. Is there anything Jaune always asks me for?
The only answer her mind could supply was summed up in one word: confidence. The only thing that Jaune looked to her for was support, be it with his training, his academics, his leadership, or as a friend. Her cheeks flushed darker as Nora's sly grin immediately flashed into her mind.
"Especially when all you wanted was to help the guy you like."
And then, she had her answer.
The thing that Jaune relied on her for the most was their training sessions. Their near-daily workouts and sparring was the one time she was really able to spend time with him alone, and even though they never spoke about anything other than technique during those tutoring sessions, Pyrrha knew that those moments had become an invaluable part of Jaune's training.
Yet, there were still so many moments when Pyrrha would look up across the rooftop, only to see a glimmer of shame fill Jaune's face as she explained manoeuvres she had learned when she had been a child. There were always moments when the difference in their skill became so stark that he couldn't help but take a second to compose himself, trying to stay strong in the face of a talent that he didn't know how to match up to.
Despite those moments, however, Jaune kept going forward. After everything that had happened with Cardin, the blond's determination to improve his skills had only increased, his drive to become a true Huntsman growing by the day. He kept his word, and worked to be the best student Pyrrha could've asked for, no matter how frustrated or embarrassed he got.
But what if I didn't need to be there for his training? What if he could do the basics on his own, and then meet up with me for the more complicated things? Wouldn't he feel a bit better?
With a suddenly racing heart, Pyrrha slipped out of bed, getting dressed as quietly as possible. Pocketing her Scroll, she ran to the washroom to get ready. It flustered her a little as she applied her makeup, realizing that she was doing it the same way she used to for competitions, for interviews… for whenever she needed to be onstage, to impress people.
She placed a hand on her chest, feeling it beating loud, fast in her chest. She wanted to do this well. She wanted to impress Jaune.
Acknowledging that fact made her hands clumsy as she adjusted her circlet, but she paid it no mind as she ran towards the locker room in the main building, ignoring the snow that was still gently painting their world in white.
At last, she was dressed in her combat gear. Her boots clicked against the laminate and tiled floors of Beacon's halls as she wandered, trying to find a good place to set up her Scroll. The lecture halls felt too daunting when empty, the smaller classrooms and workshops to stuffy to move; as she poked her head into each and every room she crossed, nothing seemed to work.
I suppose I can check that place, she thought to herself doubtfully as she crossed off the final room in the first-year's wing.
To her surprise, when she finally found herself on the rooftop, the snow had stopped and the clouds had broken up to reveal a dark, vast sky. The little alcove she trained Jaune upon every day was protected by the other buildings around it, which had prevented the snow from building up too much upon the ground. Walking forward, her eyes immediately trailed upwards to the crumbling moon, the fragments shining across the sky behind the glowing green silhouette of the CCTS tower.
As her heels crunched across the thin layer of snow, she pulled out the small chair and table that was always stored in the corner of the rooftop, trying to ignore the chill. I'll just try it out today, and if I need to fix it, I can do that later, she decided, pulling out her Scroll. Opening up the camera, she propped the device onto the table.
"Okay. I can do this," she murmured, breathing in, out- 1, 2-
And she pressed the record button, interview mask on.
Standing straight and tall, she smiled as she looked at the camera. "Hello, Jaune," she said evenly. "Happy holidays! This is my gift to you. I'm sorry if it's not as complete as it could be- I wasn't sure what to get you, but I thought this might help you train if you ever wanted some time to go over the basics on your own. I hope that this will help."
Taking a deep breath, she added, "This will be a series of videos going over everything we have discussed over the last few months. It will include everything from explanations, to demonstrations, and will include time for your rehearsal. If you find that this is helpful, and you want any other videos made, I'd be more than happy to make them for you. I believe in you. Good luck." And with that, she stopped the recording, rewinding it back to make sure it turned out alright.
After a few moments, Pyrrha was satisfied with the video quality. Setting her Scroll back down, she pressed the record button once more. She pulled Miló and Akoúo into her hands, looking into the camera. "Lesson one: holding your stance."
And so, the night went on. Very quickly, the redhead forgot about the chilly air, the steam from her breaths, the crunching of snow under her heels; instead, she focused entirely on the words she was reciting to the camera. Her heart was calm, simply repeating everything she had learned and practiced over and over again during her time in Sanctum, her body and mind working as one as she transitioned each lesson from theoretical explanations into pauses for Jaune to practice everything himself.
Even Aura control, something that Jaune continued to refuse to touch, was something she could demonstrate. Although she couldn't exactly explain how to use his Aura (since his Semblance was still unknown) Pyrrha was still able to explain the sensation of summoning it. She explained how to center herself, how to let her body drift away into that familiar, silent, comforting darkness that led to the core of her soul. She explained how to manifest it into a thread or a blanket, how to control it precisely and how to let it surge through her like a tidal wave. Everything she could think of, she poured into her Aura video, desperately trying to build something Jaune could use.
Eventually, she could sense the moon sinking in the sky. Checking the time, she couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh- it would be sunrise soon. Thankfully, she had finished making all the videos she could think of, so all that was left to do was to edit and compile them.
There was still one that she wanted to make, however- one more message she had to share. Putting away her weapons, she zoomed the camera in onto her face, pressing the record button. After training, Jaune often forgot to cool down his muscles, and to consolidate the basics she was so desperately trying to drill into him. It was time to finish the series.
Clearing her throat, she pressed the record button for one last time. "Alright Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions." She paused, granting him time to ready himself. "Shield up; keep your grip tight; don't forget to keep your front foot forward." Another pause as she pictured the boy following her commands, imagining his focused expression, the set in his jaw, the determination in his eyes. "Ready? Go!" She took a breath. "Again! And… again!"
Giving him a moment to breathe, she chuckled, "Okay! Now assuming you aren't cheating, we can take a break." From behind the camera, she could see the horizon slowly start to be tinged with the faintest glimmer of light. It was dawn.
I spent all night doing this, she realized with a start. Looking at her feet, she saw just how much snow she had kicked aside while recording, and she finally realizing just how cold her body was. Her bare shoulders were flushed, and the metal of her bracers and jewelry, of Miló and Akoúo on her back, was gathering ice crystals. I can't believe that I was so focused.
But as she imagined Jaune standing in front of her, worn out and weary from their training, she couldn't help but soften her features, letting a warm, adoring smile cross her face. Her business-like tone dropped, her mask falling apart.
Finally, she murmured, "I know this can be frustrating. And, it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount, but… I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning."
She closed her eyes for a moment, visualizing perfectly blue, clear eyes staring back at her, and her heart swelled with pride, with warmth. "Jaune…" she whispered, looking away from the camera sheepishly, looking away from those eyes that looked back at her from within her heart. "I-I…"
I love him.
The realization struck her like a sack of bricks. Although she had known that there were feelings, that she cared about Jaune differently from everyone else, it startled her to suddenly have a name, a label, to put on those emotions.
Love. What was more surprising than anything, however, was how the word came so easily to her mind. How did it end up like this?
And then, she closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath, conjuring his face in her mind. Jaune, young and sweet- determined, hardworking- and Jaune, standing atop the statue, the man in her dreams that made her heart race every time.
The word was right.
However, Jaune wasn't ready to hear about something like that. It wasn't the time.
She finally looked back at the camera, holding her hands over her heart. "I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune."
With that, she turned off the recording, letting out an audible sigh of relief. It was a long night of hard work, but she felt contented. It was time to head home.
As she crept down the stairs, Pyrrha found herself suddenly face-to-face with a familiar visage. "Professor Goodwitch!" she yelped in surprise, straightening up on instinct. "Wha-what brings you to the student dorms?"
The stern woman raised one perfectly arched brow, crossing her arms as she looked Pyrrha up and down. "There were reports of a dog barking- likely a prank. Also, I might ask you the same thing, Miss Nikos," she replied smartly. "It's not even dawn, and you're wearing your combat gear. May I ask why?"
"Uh- well, I was… working on something," she finally replied, trying to fight down the blush.
Professor Goodwitch's look of skepticism remained. "You were working on something at this hour? I hardly think that you of all people would need to train, especially not at this time." When Pyrrha didn't reply, her expression hardened. "Miss Nikos, is there something going on?"
The woman planted her hands on her hips, clearly refusing to go anywhere. Pyrrha let out a tired sigh, the weariness from staying up all night suddenly crashing down upon her. "I was making some videos, professor," she explained simply. "Training videos."
"For?"
"…my team."
The blonde snorted. "For Mr. Arc then, I see."
Pyrrha chuckled wryly. "It's for a gift."
The woman scrutinized her expression before holding out her hand. "May I?" she said quietly.
Without a word, Pyrrha handed the woman her Scroll, clasping her hands shyly as the elder sped through a few of the tutorials Pyrrha had created.
"They're well done," she said after analyzing Pyrrha's Introduction to Auras video, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Pyrrha perked up. "Thank you!" She felt a bit of pride rush through her at the words- Professor Goodwitch was one of the greatest Huntresses when it came to Aura manipulation.
"You described it succinctly. Even Mr. Arc, who is forever confused, will likely benefit." And with that, the blonde handed back her Scroll, a confident smile on her face. "You're dedicated to your team, Miss Nikos. Easily one of the best in your year. I'm proud to have you as a student. Enjoy the rest of your holidays, and I'll see you back in classes soon- you have to be ready for the Vytal Festival, after all."
The redhead stood frozen upon that spot for a moment after the professor left, basking in the words still ringing in her ear. After all of the strife, the stress, the anxiety of that first semester… she had succeeded. She hadn't let her professors down. She was still Pyrrha Nikos.
Unfortunately, her body's shivering woke her up out of her happy stupor. Breaking into a light jog to keep warm, she ran to the locker room, putting away her gear before heading back to the dormitory. Her heart felt light, and with the clear sky slowly filling with beautiful oranges and pinks above her as the sun kissed the world once more, Pyrrha was at peace.
By the time she reached her floor, the sky had lit up, and all she wanted was something warm. Heading first to the lounge, she set herself a cup of tea and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. The warm liquid soothed her throat, filling her up with warmth from the inside out. She let her stiff fingers slowly uncurl as the heat seeped into her cold joints, leaving her in a cozy, tired bliss.
Her Scroll vibrated. Sleepily, she pulled it from her pocket, snapping open her inbox. Her heart sank as she read the sender's name.
Mother.
Gripping the handle of her cup tightly, she set the Scroll down, tapping open the message. "Call."
She didn't respond.
After a few minutes of staring at the screen, another one buzzed in. "Why aren't you coming home for the break? You're needed here."
She sighed, resting her forehead on her hands. I just want to relax for once without thinking about this, Pyrrha moaned internally. I wanted to have this time for myself. You've never wanted me back before- why now? For every winter since she had moved into Sanctum's dormitory had been spent with no one other than trainers, interviewers, or professors. Never had her mother been there, when she looked back.
"I'm busy," she typed at last, ignoring how much her fingers trembled as she sent it.
"No. Come back to Mistral. I'll wire you the ticket and Lien."
"I'm needed here," she insisted.
Barely a moment after she sent it, her mother replied, "You were expected to show your face here. You will be back by this Friday, and you may return for school the next week."
Pyrrha had to bite back a whimper as she realized what the woman was saying. "I wasn't aware of that."
"You will return."
The redhead let out a haggard breath, squeezing her eyes tightly shut, clutching the handle of her mug almost desperately. "Why won't she understand that I don't want to?" she whispered, feeling bile rising up in her throat, any comfort she had felt having disappeared. The warmth that had filled her up now turned to acid, burning her, the lid of the little black box threatening to burst. She swallowed heavily, running her hands through her bangs, combing her fingers through her ponytail. "Why won't she understand?"
"Pyrrha?" a familiar voice called, and she was brought back to reality with a crash.
Spinning in her seat, her voice trembled as she murmured, "Jaune?"
The blond had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, looking cozy in his pyjamas. His blue eyes were bleary, hair spiked in all directions, blinking sleepily at her as he shuffled over. When he was a few feet away from her, however, he suddenly paused, taking a moment to look at her face, her Scroll, and the fear in her eyes. His expression quickly hardened, sleep falling from his frame as he strode on over, slipping into the seat beside her.
"Pyrrha, what's going on?" he said quietly, expression twisting in concern. "Talk to me."
"Nothing's happening, Jaune," she laughed shakily, snatching her Scroll off the table. "Why would you-"
Before she could pocket it once more, Jaune grabbed her wrist. "Pyrrha," he whispered, "is it your mom again?"
She yanked her hand out of his, jumping out of her seat. "Why would you say that?" she protested, slipping on a mask of nonchalance the best she could. "Everything with her is fine."
His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he tried to find the words. "Pyrrha, y-you look like you're about to cry," he spluttered, voice rising in pitch and volume as he frantically got out of his seat as well. "What's going on?"
"I'm fine, Jaune," she laughed, brushing off his concern. She could practically hear the lid of the little box banging against its restraints with every rising beat of her heart. Stop asking, Jaune- I don't want to think about this- especially not with you. "There's nothing going on with her-"
He frowned, taking a step towards her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose in warning. "If everything was fine, you'd be going home like Ruby and Yang-"
"It's not your business, Jaune!" she finally exploded, cutting him off. "Jaune, let me deal with it!"
And immediately, her heart sank seeing the betrayal, the worry, the sadness in his eyes, guilt rising in her throat from her outburst. Where was her mask? Why wasn't she able to keep it inside? Barely an hour before, she had been doing just fine while recording. Why was he always finding her when she was at her weakest?
"I'm worried about you, Pyrrha!" he cried back, holding his arms open wide, blocking her way. "You're my friend! My partner! I want to make sure that you're okay!"
"If you really were my friend, you'd believe in me," she whispered.
Jaune froze, eyes wide in shock. His arms fell limply to his sides, body slouching slowly as he took in what she said. "But I do, Pyrrha," he said quietly. "You're just… you're always upset after you have those conversations with your mom. I just want you to be happy, to look out for you the way you look out for me. You know that, right? I believe in you, more than anyone."
Her heart was clattering in her chest, deafening her; still, she straightened her back, placing the most impassive expression upon her face. "Jaune… if that's true, then you need to let it go. It's not your business. I'm Pyrrha Nikos. I can handle it alone." With that, she walked towards the door.
"You're always saving me, Pyrrha," he whispered suddenly. Pyrrha paused, looking back at him over her shoulder. He was still facing away from the door, looking at where she had stood, clenching his fists tight. She could see his shoulders trembling, his whole body curling in on itself.
"You're always saving me; but who's going to save you?"
She fled to their dorm room, quietly grabbing her toiletries while Ren and Nora slumbered on, only pausing when she was finally hit with a stream of hot water in the shower.
I'm Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune. I swore to myself, to you, to everyone- I can handle it myself. I don't need saving.
There was something so childish about putting it into a solid thought, putting it into a tangible idea. Would it really be so bad to let Jaune in?
Not until he's strong enough to protect himself, her mind immediately supplied. She didn't know why, but the thought left a sour taste in her mouth.
Her thoughts shifted to her mother as the water ran down her face. I'm not going back, she decided tiredly. There's nothing there waiting for me in that house, and she'll probably want me to do another ad campaign. I don't want it anymore.
By the time she was dressed for the day, she felt utterly exhausted, her conversation on her Scroll deleted and her conversation with Jaune tucked away in her mind. She didn't want to think about it- there was no point. Entering Team JNPR's room, she tiptoed in and headed to her bed. It was still early enough that Nora and Ren would be asleep for a while, giving her more than enough time to catch up on her sleep.
"Pyrrha?" Jaune whispered from his bed.
She stiffened, smoothing out her expression before slipping away from her covers. Crossing the space between their beds, she sat down on the edge of Jaune's bed, feeling him shift into a sitting position.
"Pyrrha…" he breathed, concern obvious on his face even in the darkness of the room. The guilt welled up again in her throat, constricting it, twisting it until all she could do was remember his expression from the lounge.
"Jaune, I'm sorry I yelled at you," she whispered slowly. "I… I really do appreciate the concern."
He paused. "And I'm sorry I pried," he replied glumly. "I should've backed away-"
"No, Jaune- really. I appreciate it a lot," Pyrrha insisted, running her hands through her ponytail. "But, I need you to also understand that there are some things I need to work out on my own."
He chuckled weakly. "The great champion of Mistral can do anything, huh?"
The words were hollow, and stung more than Pyrrha could've expected.
She let out a shuddering breath and reached for his hand. Tentatively, she grasped it, squeezing lightly. "I'm counting on you as my leader, Jaune," she whispered. "I told you from the start- I believe in you. So, the only support I need is for you to just… be here, for me. And that means letting me fight my battles alone."
There was a moment of stillness in the room, where Pyrrha's face slowly grew hotter, her hand growing a little more clammy as Jaune didn't react. Finally, he squeezed back, whispering, "We'll always be here. I won't ask anything more."
"Thanks. Goodnight, Jaune," she murmured, scooting off his bed and slipping back under her own covers.
"Goodnight, Pyrrha," she heard him reply before he tucked himself back in.
Pyrrha rolled away from him, brows furrowed in thought. One day, Jaune, she prayed. One day, when you're a great Huntsman… maybe then it'll be okay.
Her Scroll buzzed again with a new message from her mother. Without opening it, Pyrrha bit her lip, then pressed the mute button set it on her nightstand, consequences be damned.
The next few days were idle and cozy, save for one hectic trip to Vale that Nora insisted upon. There was no animosity from Jaune for their argument in the early morning, leaving nothing but peace for the group, that morning's tumultuous conversation nothing but a distant memory.
But her Scroll continued to buzz, and she continued to ignore it.
After buying gifts for Ren and Nora and the rest from Vale, she was able to focus solely on editing the videos she had filmed. It wasn't easy, escaping Nora's watchful eye- she knew something was up, but thankfully the orange-haired girl allowed her to run away whenever her cheeks flushed red. Nora knew that it was about Jaune, so she let it go, and the videos were eventually condensed into one cohesive series.
Finally, the winter solstice crept up on them. On one hand, she was nervous, but on the other hand, Pyrrha was utterly thankful that Team JNPR and Team RWBY decided to give each other gifts in the evening. It was Friday, after all. Her mother's messages had stopped coming in two days earlier, but the fear of receiving another one lingered on, and the distraction was welcome.
Pyrrha's entire body felt like she was on fire, skin tingling as she passed her gift to the group of girls. Thankfully, RWBY accepted her basket of cookies from Vale with wide eyes and even wider smiles.
"And this right here is for you, Pyrrha," Ruby said cheerfully.
"It's from all of us, Ruby," Weiss cut in, rolling her eyes. "Don't try and steal credit."
Ruby stuck her tongue out at her partner while Pyrrha accepted the gift bag in her hand. Inside were an array of things- a tiny weapons repair kit from Ruby, a small set of beautifully embossed notebooks from Weiss, a small novel from Blake, and a cheery little gift card from Yang.
"Thank you," Pyrrha murmured, touched. She hadn't expected everyone to get something individually for her.
"You're welcome!" Ruby chirped, giving her a quick hug before bouncing back to her teammates to give them their gifts.
Before the redhead could pull out her gifts for her own teammates, however, Nora grabbed her arm and pulled. "You're getting dressed, missy," she yelled as she dragged the redhead out of the room.
Spluttering, Pyrrha had no choice but to follow Nora and the others back to their bedroom, away from a bewildered Team RWBY. "What's going on?" she yelped, trying to parse together what was going on in front of her very eyes.
Once everyone was in their dorm room, Ren and Jaune began getting dressed in the warmest clothes they own, with Nora closely following suit. From Ren's closet came a huge duffel bag, and Nora ended up pulling a nearly identical bag from her closet as well. Jaune slipped a long, thin bag over his shoulder on top of his many layers, beaming at Pyrrha excitedly. "Pyrrha, what're you waiting for?" he scoffed under a thick scarf and earmuffs, acting as if she was the one who was behaving strangely for remaining idle. "C'mon, we gotta go before the sun sets!
"Where are we going?" Pyrrha insisted, planting her hands on her hips. "I really don't understa-"
And suddenly, her voice was muffled as Nora shoved a heavy turtleneck sweater over her head. "Don't talk, just get dressed, silly!" she scolded, lugging one of the duffel bags over her shoulder.
Shaking her head ruefully, Pyrrha complied, putting on her warmest clothes. By the time she was ready to go, she was already sweating under layers upon layers of sweaters. "I really don't see why this is necessary," she admitted, gifts for her teammates in hand as Nora finally began leading the way out of their room.
"Follow the leader, Pyrrha," the other girl insisted.
"Yeah, follow me!" Jaune called, guiding them to the stairwell. "We'll be there soon."
She rolled her eyes, but as Ren passed her, she decided to follow along. If Ren was going along with it, whatever they were up to couldn't be that bad… right?
Finally, Jaune held open the door leading to the rooftop where he practiced with Pyrrha every day. "Tada!" he announced with gusto. "We're here!"
"Ooh, this is good," Nora agreed, immediately throwing down her bag, opening it up, and pulling out a large tarp to cover the icy rooftop.
Pyrrha crossed her arms, watching the other three get to work unpacking their bags. "Seriously guys, what are we doing?"
"Don't you remember, silly? I wanted to go camping!" the orange-haired girl cheered as Jaune began pulling tentpoles out of the thin bag he had been carrying.
The redhead gaped at the trio who were treating this with complete nonchalance. "You're not serious," she said, deadpan. "We're not camping out here tonight, are we?" She remembered vaguely marking the spot as a potential campground for Nora, but that had been intended for the summer months!
"We haven't used the tents Nora found yet!" Jaune explained as he threaded the poles through straps on the tent. "And if we don't do it now, then we'll never get the chance to use them until this summer."
Pyrrha sighed, picking up the other end of the tent fabric to help Jaune set it up. "We're going to freeze," she commented mildly. "This would be a nice place in the spring, maybe- but not now."
"We'll be fine, Pyrrha- don't be such a worrywart!" Nora waved Pyrrha's concerns away. "Besides, Ren's got the fire covered, right?"
"What?!" Pyrrha spluttered, looking around the tent to see Ren hunched over a small mobile firepit he had magically procured. "We're not having a fire on the roof."
"It'll be safe," Ren said mildly, not even phased by Pyrrha's concern. "We need to stay warm somehow, after all. There shouldn't be a problem."
"Um… fire regulations?"
Ren shrugged, placing small pieces of firewood and charcoal inside the bowl of the pit, and that was that.
In half an hour, everything was set up- Nora had brought marshmallows and other goodies, Ren was in charge of the small, cozy flames that were keeping them all warm in the chilly December evening, and Jaune spread out all the bedrolls and blankets he could find for them. The group was huddled in a circle around the pit, watching the sun slowly sink behind the CCTS tower in front of the horizon.
"I still can't believe you didn't tell me about this," Pyrrha said, still mildly reeling in amazement from how organized the operation was.
"Don't doubt the ability of your leader," Jaune winked, puffing his chest up in mock self-importance. The group chuckled.
Nora added, "I figured we should keep it quiet since you would've protested the campfire." She bit into her smore with relish.
"I still am protesting the campfire," the redhead giggled, shaking her head in disbelief as she watched Ren dutifully tending to the smoldering embers. He was utterly enraptured by the task, ignoring most of their conversation.
Jaune licked marshmallow fluff off his fingers, rubbing his hands together in delight. "Well, time for what we've all been waiting for!" he announced, reaching into one of the duffel bags. Procuring three misshapen, awkwardly wrapped boxes, he handed them out to everyone else on the team. "Happy winter solstice!"
"Happy solstice!" Nora cheered, crawling inside the tent to find her own gifts, with Ren putting down a poker for a moment to follow suit. Pyrrha blushed as Jaune's box landed on her lap, soon followed by a meticulously wrapped package from Ren and a small gift bag from Nora. Even more embarrassed than when she had given Team RWBY their gift, she handed out her own gifts to everyone- a unique cookbook for Ren, an assortment of sweets for Nora, and a small plug-in chip for Jaune's Scroll containing the entire playlist of training videos.
One by one, the group unwrapped their gifts, the givers watching for bright reactions pensively. Pyrrha clenched her gloved fists tight in fear and anticipation as Nora and Ren made it through their gifts- Jaune had gotten them both matching t-shirts with 'Flower Power' written on the front, laughing excitedly as if there was a big joke that all of them were missing- but their reactions to Pyrrha's gifts were sweet and satisfying. As they thanked her, she felt her heartbeat calm a little. They'd be happy even if I got them a chocolate bar each, she realized as Nora launched into one of her long rambles, Ren merely nodding absentmindedly as he flipped through his new cookbook. They hadn't bought anything for each other, but Pyrrha could tell that it was simply due to how many years they'd spent together- gifts didn't need to come on certain days of the year. They're too sweet.
Next in the circle was Jaune. Ren had picked out a surprisingly appropriate book on battle strategy, leaving Jaune excited to read something other than a comic book for the first time since Pyrrha had met him. Nora gave him a board game- something based on a new superhero comic he and Ruby really liked. And then, he saw the small envelope.
"Pyrrha, what…?" he raised an eyebrow at the girl as he opened up the envelope, finding the chip.
She lifted the edge of her scarf up to cover the redness of her cheeks. "It's for your Scroll, Jaune. Just download the folder."
Curious, Jaune obliged, clumsily trying to insert the small chip into the card reader on his Scroll while still wearing his gloves. Eventually, he was able to get the folder open and skimmed through the titles of each video. As he ran through the list, however, Pyrrha could do nothing but sit and watch his eyes slower grow wider and wider in shock, the quiet campfire and bright moonlight capturing his expression perfectly.
"Pyrrha… did you make all of these?" he breathed at last.
She shrugged, suddenly far more self-conscious than she would've liked. "It was nothing," she quickly deflected. "I just thought that there might be times when you would like to practice without someone watching you. This way, you can train here at anytime." She paused, then added, "I put in some Aura tutorials, too. I know that you're a little embarrassed to practice channelling that with me, so… I hope this helps!"
After a moment, Jaune let out a long, heavy sigh. "I just… I can't believe it," he murmured, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. "I don't know what to say."
"Was it… not what you wanted?" she murmured, and suddenly, the scarf became like a gag, her heartbeat quickening once more, body too warm because was it all a mistake? Was everything I did wrong? Oh god, did he not want any of this? Was I rude? I didn't mean-
"Pyrrha, this is incredible!" he cried at last, surprise finally morphing into an expression of pure joy. "I- I can't believe this. This'll help so much." With the widest smile she had ever seen from him, he said, "Thank you, Pyrrha. I'll do you proud."
The gratitude oozing from his every pore stunned her. How did Jaune always look so brilliant, always beam so brightly, always shine like nothing was wrong in the world?
What am I thinking?! she screeched internally, but somehow, she was able to keep her expression smooth. Just in case, she pulled her scarf up further- all she could do was nod before redirecting her gaze to her own gifts.
Ren's gift made her laugh out loud- in the carefully wrapped package was a single apron, red with gold trimmings, bearing the bold comment of "Please do nothing to the assistant cook" to match with Ren's normal apron. "You can't be serious," she gasped, barely able to calm down enough to speak.
Ren merely shrugged, a small smile playing on his face. "Nora insisted," he explained dryly.
Next, she pulled out Jaune's box, barely having to tug on the tape before the entire crumpled sheet of wrapping paper fell off limply. "I tried, okay?" the blond muttered glumly as the other three snickered. The small box inside was plain, unmarked. Hesitantly, Pyrrha removed the lid and set it aside, pushing away the tissue paper inside to see what was nested within.
To her surprise, the object caught the firelight and glinted amidst the fluffy tissue. Pyrrha squinted, finally freeing it, only to find a beautiful, classic emerald stud earring nestled in a golden base pinned at the bottom. Pulling off her gloves, she picked it up, watching how the tiny gem shone in the flickering flames before them.
"I wasn't sure what to get you, but Ruby suggested getting something small, and Yang insisted on jewelry, and then Blake said it shouldn't get in the way of your combat gear, so… the lady at the counter showed me that one when I described you." After a moment, his own cheeks tinted pink and he held his hands up in defense. "It wasn't very pricey or anything, so don't worry about it!"
"Are your ears pierced?" Ren asked. "I feel like that would be impractical for you."
Pyrrha reached a hand up to touch the chains of her circlet. "They are," she admitted, "but anything hanging gets caught in my hair or in this, so I don't wear them unless there's an occasion."
Nora bounced impatiently in her seat. "Put it on, Pyrrha!"
She complied, warming the metal in her hands before putting the stud in her right ear. She pulled down her scarf and posed with her head to the side to show the others.
Nora smiled sweetly. "It matches your eyes, y'know." Turning to Jaune, she punched him in the shoulder. "You did good, kid."
"Thanks," Jaune chuckled back before beaming at Pyrrha. "It looks good."
Immediately, she pulled the scarf back up, trying her best to ignore her sudden hyperawareness of her ear. "Thank you, Jaune." In her mind, she knew that she would keep the tiny stud somewhere safe so she wouldn't lose it.
The last bag to open was Nora's- it was bulky and full of the same tissue that Jaune had used in his box. Removing wad after wad from the bag, eventually she reached the contents lying down at the bottom of the bag. With her gloves back on now, she clumsily picked up the book, surprised by the hefty weight it bore. "Open it," Nora whined.
Pyrrha giggled, obliging the orange-haired girl. The cover was smooth leather, fairly innocuous- opening it up, the first page said nothing but 'JNPR' in fancy lettering. Nora's grin was practically reaching ear to ear as she drank in Pyrrha's reaction, the redhead flipping through the pages slowly with increasing delight and awe.
It was a photo album.
On every page, Nora had printed out pictures she had taken throughout their first semester using her Scroll and placed them lovingly inside, each one annotated with little notes and hearts, haphazard yet organized in a way that only Nora could pull off. Speechless, all the redhead could do was examine each page, read each note, not a word passing her lips.
You can see how I changed, she realized slowly. A picture from their first day showed the four of them, bright-eyed and eager. Another one from a few weeks later showed a similar scene, except for the dark circles around Pyrrha's eyes, the weariness marking her first confrontations with her demons, the little black box. As the dates drew closer, it was her who recovered and Jaune who's expression slowly dimmed, until he wasn't present anymore- likely during the Cardin incident.
Earlier that day, after they had settled around the campfire, Nora had taken another picture of them- and lovingly placed on the next empty page in the album was a little sticky note, saying "Winter Holidays!", marking the spot for it.
She felt a rush of emotions flood her, tears springing up unbidden into her eyes. After her father's passing, her mother had gotten rid of all their photo albums, hidden them away somewhere. She hadn't seen anything like this in years.
Nora was still waiting anxiously for her reaction. Letting out a shaky chuckle, Pyrrha murmured, "I've never had one like this before."
"Well, I figured it was time to get one!" she chirped.
Jaune scooted around the circle to peer into the book over Pyrrha's shoulder. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What time would that be?"
She smiled, softening her voice, trading gentle looks with Ren. "Well… this is what family does, right?"
And Pyrrha couldn't breathe, couldn't think- all she knew was that one moment, the album was in her lap, and the next, her arms were around the smaller girl, squeezing with all her might. "Family," she whispered, the word for once not bringing to mind her mother, her past.
Nora giggled in the taller girl's arms. "I'm good at gift-giving, see?" she called, sticking her tongue out at Jaune.
Pyrrha finally released her, gathering up the paper and cleaning up the area, storing the gifts safely away. Her heart was racing, her cheeks still flushed- but she no longer cared, the smile on her face so comfortable that she couldn't even remember why she had been stressed about gifts to begin with.
That night, the four of them camped out in the tent together, a lantern on the floor separating the boys and girls. Nora cuddled up against Pyrrha's side like a child hugging their mother for warmth, as the foam mats they found to place under their bedrolls and sleeping bags weren't enough to stave off the cold completely. Pyrrha didn't mind- there was something comforting about having her there.
After the two boys had drifted off to sleep (as Jaune's mild snoring began and Ren's forehead finally smoothed out completely) Pyrrha was only a few moments from slumber when Nora whispered, "Sorry I'm not Jaune, Pyrrha."
"What are you talking about?" she spluttered out, keeping her voice as low as possible.
She felt, rather than saw, Nora's entire frame shaking with silent laughter in the darkness. "Don't they always cuddle like this in romance movies-"
Immediately, the redhead was wide awake. Her entire body stiffened, on full alert, panickily waiting for Jaune's snoring to stop and the blond to listen in. Embarrassment flooded her from head to toe, her mind running through the scenario unbidden, replacing Nora's frame with Jaune's- it was enough to make her want to curl up in a ball and disappear. "Nora, stop it-"
"It's just a thought," the orange-haired girl sang wickedly. "It's okay, they're sleeping."
"And I'm leaving," she nearly hissed, muffling her face with her hands, utterly mortified. "Don't do that."
"Fine, fine," Nora giggled. "But… the earring really is beautiful."
The redhead raised a hand to fiddle with the green gem in her ear. It was indeed a beautiful piece- not expensive, nothing fancy, but beautiful nonetheless. "He didn't mean anything by it," she said, trying to ignore the crushing weight of those words.
"Not yet, he didn't," Nora said loftily, but she dropped the subject anyways. "Night, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha didn't respond until she heard Jaune's snores continue on, steady, completely unaware. "'Night, Nora," she finally whispered, drawing her own covers over her face, allowing sleep to finally overtake her. "Thank you."
"Anytime."
That night, she dreamed. She soared through the trees of the Emerald Forest, wandered Mistral's dense greenery, strolled through the crimson Forever Fall, slaying Grimm with grace and ease. There were no shadows, for once- no thoughts flying back to her Scroll, her mother, no lucid nightmares to haunt her as she slept. It was a simple dream, one that ended just like it always had before entering Beacon- she was victorious.
Before she woke, she found herself in front of the dormitory. The three faces waiting to greet her in that moment were part of the greatest family she could've ever dreamed of.
-end of term 1-
*** BONUS CONTENT FOR THE END OF VOLUME 1!
Some people have asked in PMs how I draft/plan out my stories, thinking that I have some grand method to the madness. I don't. My plan is literally just made of my rambles and silly summaries of each scene, which are all grammatically incorrect, full of errors, lacking any and all punctuation, and full of nonsensical memes. It all makes sense to me, I swear. Since y'all didn't seem to believe me whenever I explained this, here's a few short tidbits of my original plan for chapter 33&34. These are legitimately how I wrote these scenes initially. I hope you will get some giggles out of this!
[33]
…
-Weiss bristles thinking about atlas and Pyrrha is really sorry but ruby says don't worry our snooty princess just doesn't like talking about home
-Weiss says to not remind her of her father, Pyrrha winces because same dude, daddy issues be real here
[34]
…
-she's busy planning a gift for jaune
she helps jaune train still, she thinks hey you tend to forget basics, maybe we can make training videos? runs it by goodwitch since her aura control is so good, goodwitch is like damn guuurl too dedicated to your fam
…
Doesn't tell him anything, he hits that its something to do with home and she's like no everything's fine
And jaune says wtf but if everything was fine then you'd be going home like ruby and yang
She's pissed cuz fuck you don't call me out on my issues
Eventually, on a starry night Jaune and Ren and nora take her out onto the roof
They're all dressed in snow gear, super uncomfortable, but they've lowkey lit a fire on the school roof
She is freaked out but like… ren's in charge so they're probably okay?
…
she gets a little box of goodies for nora and nora is surprisingly sweet and gets them all a team photo album, just a small one, printed out all the team photos from her scroll and put them inside, pyrhha's like well shit I've never had a photo album
and nora and ren are like isn't that what family does?
They're doing their camping trip and so nora and Pyrrha snuggle, although nora's like WANNA SHARE A SLEEPING BAG WITH JAUNE and Pyrrha almost dies
Thanks for being here for this ride, and I'll see you soon with the next chapter to kick off volume 2! Leave your theories of what will happen next term in the reviews :D