A/N: This episode is my favourite in the entire show, and is honestly what really inspired me to write this fic to begin with. I've been waiting to write this chapter from day one. Pyrrha's character intrigued me from the get-go, but this is what made it all come together for me. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
This also marks the two-thirds point of this fic, which is absolutely wild to me. Thanks for sticking with me, and let me know what you think of it!
Laws of Attraction
The ballroom, which was so rarely used by the students of Beacon outside of special occasions, looked truly special tonight as she walked shyly through the grand doors. Pyrrha couldn't help but marvel at just how much work Weiss and Yang had put into setting up this inter-academy gathering. Through the glass chandeliers hanging high above them all, bright pink streamers had been hung up to swoop across the room in a graceful banner. Bundles of pastel blue and pink balloons littered the aisles and lined the hall, intermixed with low tables for hors d'oeuvres and vases of gentle white tulips. Miniature blue spotlights lit up the sides of the room, somehow managing to cast a warm tint to the whole affair.
What was less than ideal were the amount of people present. She had arrived fifteen minutes late, thanks to a last-minute addition to her wardrobe which she had been debating about to herself for ages. All the students, from first-years all the way to any upper-years who weren't away on missions, were present from all academies. Even the professors mingled amiably, chatting along the sidelines while sharing a dance every once in a while. The music to start off was elegant and classy, offering the students an easy waltz to begin the night.
Looking out into the crowd, all Pyrrha really saw was a sea of black and white, the outfits fairly conservative and traditional for party attire. So, when she finally walked into the light in all of her red, suede glory, eyes instantly tracked her through the room.
Pyrrha gulped uncomfortably, suddenly acutely aware of how she looked. The last time she had worn this dress, there had been less people present, and definitely fewer people who knew her personally. It suddenly felt odd to be in such a revealing dress- her hand, on instinct, fell to her side and gripped the cloth around the long, revealing slit by her leg, holding it the gap closed. The breeze upon her bare back tingled, raising gooseflesh every time she felt it push her primly curled hair to brush against naked skin. Every curve and plane of her body was hugged by the clingy material, making what had felt like a classy evening gown feel more cheap, the high collar choking, cloying.
Nervously, she reached up to tug the simple green stud in her ear, letting out a sigh when she felt the smooth gem under her fingertips. She smiled. It had been right to wear it after all.
As she stepped towards the sea of people, the stares only grew more and more prominent, and she started to hear hushed whispers underneath the lovely string accompaniment to the evening.
"That's Pyrrha Nikos, right? The Mistralian Champion?"
"Damn, she looks good. Do you think she'd dance with me?"
"A loser like you? No way. She's too good for normal guys like us."
"I dunno, dude. I'm more scared of her."
"She looks like she'd lead us around the dancefloor, not the other way around."
Her heart began to race, the room dimming behind her eyes as the black box creaked open. Her palms were clammy and sweat beaded up underneath her circlet resting upon her brow. Suddenly, all she wanted was to be back in the cool evening air she had just escaped on the way here.
Glancing around the room frantically as her breaths began to rise, she spied a staircase near the back of the hall. It twisted up to a small balcony on the second floor which seemed to be unoccupied. Setting that as her target, Pyrrha breathed in, out, and was on her way as stealthily as possible, keeping her expression pleasant and her discomfort under control.
You've done this a million times, Pyrrha. You can do this.
Walking through the dancers was a dangerous task when trying to blend in, however. A part of her regretted the wine pumps she had decided to wear. They were a bit taller than her normal combat boots, meaning she easily reached over six feet tall in them. While they did look beautiful- Nora wouldn't stop gushing about how Pyrrha's legs "never ended" in them when she had tried them on the day before- the redhead wished that she could still blend into the crowd more.
Maybe the red dress was too much.
Sighing again, she picked her way through the busy crowd, heading to the staircase in a manner that she hoped to appear languid and unhurried. People continued to eye her and murmur as she walked by, so she quickly shut the voices out, focusing on the rhythm of the music. The faces turning her way became a blur, one that she was eager to get rid of.
She definitely didn't ignore the waltzing dancers because they were all partnered up, looking happily at one another. Definitely not.
She grimaced, the thought lingering. With that pathetic realization haunting her mind, she strode forward with a new purpose. Soon, she ended up on the wide and thankfully empty balcony, gazing out into the campus grounds below.
The wind whipped around her, blowing her hair across her shoulders. Tucking whatever strands she could behind her ear, she gripped the balcony railing and breathed in deeply, forcing air into her lungs. She had barely been there for two minutes, and already she had dragged herself away from it all. A tired laugh escaped her lips. What am I even doing here?
Before she could wallow in her thoughts too long, a familiar voice called out hesitantly, "Hey, Pyrrha."
A rush of heady nervousness and anticipation shot through her from head to toe, cheeks flush and eyes wide as she recognized the speaker. Quickly, she glanced down, smoothing the front of her dress and tidying her bangs before she turned around.
"Hello, Jaune," she murmured, keeping her eyes on his despite every nerve ending in her body screaming at her to turn away. She shifted her weight slightly as she felt his eyes roam her figure from top to bottom, the boy seemingly just as surprised as she.
As she looked at him, Pyrrha couldn't help but melt inside. He looked adorably dapper in his suit, having decided to wear the formal mess uniform given to all students as a variation of their normal ones. The striking lapels of his blazer were detailed in the same shade as his neat bowtie, and his waistcoat was buttoned up prim and proper. Even his hair, usually an unruly mop of blond strands, had been slightly tamed, most likely thanks to Ren.
His eyes, having found their way to hers, were far too blue in the darkness.
It took a moment for either of them to speak as the two of them stared at one another. The wind died down slightly, and she cursed it- the biting chill would've given her at least some excuse as to why her cheeks were tinged red.
Finally, Jaune approached her, calling, "You okay? I haven't seen you tonight."
She immediately turned back away, tearing her eyes away from his. "Arrived late, I'm afraid," came the easy reply.
"Well, you look really nice."
She hadn't been expecting a compliment like that so casually. Instinctively, she raised her hand to cover the small smile which appeared, murmuring, "Thank you," through her trembling fingers.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jaune rocking back and forth on his heels. "Your, uh, date isn't going to beat me up for saying that, is he?" he asked curiously.
A stab of loneliness cut through her heart. "I think you're safe for tonight." She closed her eyes, letting herself focus on the gentle wind around her face, letting the frustration slip away as best as she could.
"So," Jaune murmured, "where is the guy?"
Pyrrha turned back to the blond, meeting his hopeful gaze once more. The expectant look in his eyes crushed her spirits yet again. She hung her head despondently. "…There is no guy."
Jaune huffed, taken aback. "What?"
She bit her lip, keeping her eyes fixated upon Jaune's bowtie. Although there was no need for it, an inexplicable shame became to rise in her throat. She paused, breathing in, trying to force it back down, but it refused to stay down. Before she could stop herself, she shook her head and admitted, "Nobody asked me."
Jaune gawped at her. "But that's…" He gestured towards her up and down, trying to find the right words. "You're Pyrrha Nikos! H-how could nobody ask you?"
The black box cracked open again, the sinister little voice creeping out and whispering her answers back into her heart. Because why would anyone ask you? Why would anyone find you attractive, or funny, or interesting enough to ask to a dance like this? You're not beautiful. You're not graceful, or perfect. You're a fighter. You're a Huntress. And Huntresses don't need friends, or lovers, or anyone to want them.
It sickened her. She pressed her lips together and turned towards the balcony, trying to tune the voice out, hoping that Jaune would say something she could focus on instead. Unfortunately, the blond simply stood there, shocked and confused and a little lost, awaiting her answer.
It was a lot to confess. She didn't want to. But judging by the look in his eyes, his silence… Jaune wasn't moving until he really understood what was going on.
Tentatively, she began, "I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise-" she felt sickened by the words coming out of her mouth, the fact that she was actualizing them and giving them form "-but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place." She heard a sharp intake of breath from Jaune, so she turned to look back at him. It crushed her to see how his expression had fallen.
"Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain," she continued with his silence raging on, her voice increasing in volume despite all her wanting to do was quiet down, it's not his problem, don't let him know, he'll judge you- "It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people."
She paused. But she had formed meaningful relationships with people- quite a few of them, in fact. And that first person to ever treat her like a person was standing there in front of her.
Courage arose within her- from where, she didn't know. But it was now or never. "That's what I like about you," she confessed, quieting down once more. With a rueful, nostalgic smile, Pyrrha continued, "When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you," she smiled, Nora and Ren and Ruby's faces flashing to mind, "I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with." She let out a heavy breath, looking up at the few clouds floating lazily across the evening sky. Warmly, wistfully, she added dreamily, "Someone who just saw me for me."
Sometime during her admission, Jaune's face had hardened, the boy taking in what she said thoughtfully. She searched his eyes for a moment, but all she found was astonishment.
He'll understand. You blew it. He's not reciprocating, he's not even supportive- that means he's not interested. Give it up, her heart whispered.
She waited another moment to see if her heart was lying. He didn't speak up.
…it wasn't lying, then. She had just confessed to him, however roundabout it was, and had been rejected without a single word.
Her throat was parched. The realization brought her back to her senses, and suddenly she was aware of every fiber of her being. She was cold, she was windswept, she was thirsty, she was hungry.
Focusing on the physical sensations helped her to not acknowledge the fact that in a few brief moments, her heart had been crushed, too.
As she walked away, she thought she heard Jaune's muffled voice cry out, "W-wai-!"
Give it up.
But when she turned the corner, he didn't follow her, and that was that.
She faintly saw a flash of blue hair coming up the stairs and passing her, but if Neptune said anything to her, she didn't hear it. In her ears, there was a faint ringing drowning out all sounds of life from the party, the people in front of her nearly a blur as she wandered down the steps and through the crowd. She was in a dreamlike haze, the air thick, her body drifting towards the side of the room as if moving through honey. Time had slowed down, and the voices which whispered her way sounded warped, each syllable stretched out sickly-sweet.
A cup held up in front of her face broke her out of her stupor, and the world righted itself once more. Blinking, it took her a moment to grab the cup and adjust herself to where she stood. To her right was Ruby, the shorter girl looking sweetly at her despite her obvious discomfort in her own attire. "Hey Pyrrha! You look great!" Ruby chirped cheerfully, wholly unaware of the raging storm inside of Pyrrha's heart.
"Ruby," Pyrrha breathed, bringing herself back to reality. "You look lovely tonight. Are you enjoying the dance?"
The girl shrugged, linking arms with Pyrrha cheerfully and sitting her down on the side. "Meh. It's fine, I guess. Not really my scene."
Pyrrha nodded slowly, glancing at the cup in her hand. Tentatively, she took a sip, instantly feeling refreshed at the fruity punch hitting her tongue. "Thanks for this," she said quietly.
Ruby grinned widely. "I'm here to protect the punch bowl! Heck yeah for being socially awkward!" the girl cried, pumping her fist in the air. The few students who had heard her giggled at the sudden outburst, but soon the two of them were soon ignored again.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar blond stalk out of the ballroom. She didn't know where he was going, but her instinct told her to get up, to follow him, to make sure he was okay-
Give it up.
She stayed seated.
The younger girl swung her legs back and forth in her chair, slouching slightly as the music faded only for another classical piece to replace it. "Don't they have anything fun to play?" she pouted.
Pyrrha's head and heart were still completely out of sorts. Vaguely, she looked to the back of the room where a discreet DJ was setting up the tracks. "You could always request something," she pointed out quietly.
Ruby clapped her hands together. "Ooh, I should go make requests with Yang! We'll at least have something fun to listen to." With that, the girl skittered off, all gangly limbs and wobbling feet as she strode away in her short heels.
Pyrrha remained seated, head swimming until another presence beside her caught her attention. "Care to dance?" the boy murmured, voice husky and dark and inviting.
Most boys didn't talk to her- the list of those who did was almost depressingly short, really. Almost on reflex, she said, "Hey, Ja-" only to clamp her mouth shut at the neutral, vaguely disinterested expression on familiar stormy features. She took a moment to compose herself. "It's… Mercury, right?"
The slate-haired boy bowed in his seat mockingly. "I'm impressed you remembered me," he hummed, his pleasant smile twisting slightly into a sneer.
Pyrrha frowned, keeping her eyes on him warily. Their practice fight had left much to be desired. Something had been suspicious about his combat boots, and looking back, she still wasn't sure what it was. Add to that the fact that he had given up on their match without even bothering to try, and she did not have the best opinion of him.
After a moment, she asked, keeping her voice carefully controlled, "Where are your friends?"
At least Mercury had the sense to pretend to be mournful, all wide-eyed innocence with a hint of paradoxical cynicism. "They disappeared on me, wouldn't you know," he replied airily. Turning his gaze back onto her, he narrowed his eyes, extending his hand out to her. "So, what do you say?"
She carefully glanced down at his outstretched hand. She hadn't ever thought anyone would ask her to dance, other than maybe Nora, or one of the RWBY girls, or-
Give it up.
The thought crept up again, and her soul collapsed once more. She placed her hand into his and allowed him to lead her out onto the dance floor. In a blur of motion, his free arm was around her waist, pressing into the small of her back and pulling her against him as he lead her through the dance floor in an elegant waltz with an air of nonchalance. They danced in silence for a few minutes, twirling in and out of the dancers gracefully.
She squirmed back away from him, eyes hardening as he refused to give her some breathing room. She sighed, biting her tongue wearily. "What do you want? I was under the impression that you thought we were 'leagues apart'."
Mercury chuckled, unfazed. "On the battlefield, sure. But on the dance floor, maybe we're equals." He squeezed her hand tight, uncomfortably so, as he spun her around. Pulling her back in, he murmured, "Don't you want to find out?"
She pressed her lips into a line, not responding. Something was going on, and she didn't like it.
He continued talking without a care in the world. "I was also really curious about our fight, Pyrrha. You're really something, you know that? You dodged so many of my attacks so easily. Some of those dodges just… didn't seem possible." His eyes glinted, but his tone remained light as he asked, "Fancy that. Do you do something special to avoid getting hit?"
The way he phrased it sent a chill through her. Had he figured out what her Semblance was? There was no way. No one had yet to figure it out during a match- the only people who even really knew in Beacon were those whom she had told explicitly, after all. "I just pay attention," she responded, casting a glance towards the crowd for someone, anyone she knew to whisk her away-
Suddenly, she felt his body press up against hers, and that was all she needed to just give up playing nice and push him away.
Drawing herself up to stand tall, she felt a small hint of satisfaction creep onto her face when she realized she was looking down into his eyes. Maybe it was a good thing she had worn heels after all. "Thank you for the dance, Mercury. I hope you have a lovely time this evening."
The boy didn't back down, regarding her with an air of what she could only describe as languid superiority. He bowed again, waving back, "You too, little Miss Invincible. You too." A chill ran through her, but a light pink dress off in the crowd caught her eye enough to distract her.
She didn't know what that had been about, but she didn't want to think about it. Not tonight. There were too many things to think about already.
Immediately changing course, she weaved through the dancers as quickly as possible until she found Nora and Ren hanging out by the side of the room. "Pyrrha!" Nora squealed happily at the sight of her, wrapping her in a contented hug. "Look at you!" Slapping the redhead's arm playfully, Nora added, "We've been looking for you, you know. You look amazing!"
Pyrrha's heart instantly felt at ease. For the first time since her conversation with Jaune, she smiled genuinely at the two of them. "You two look lovely as well," she complimented warmly. "I'm impressed."
Ren's cheeks softly tinted pink, a reaction which Nora leapt upon with great gusto. The short girl gave him a teeny 'boop!' on the nose before turning back to Pyrrha, grabbing the girl's hand. "We should dance! Let's go!"
Pyrrha shook her head, still reeling a little from the uncomfortable exchange with Mercury. "I think I'll take a break. You two go ahead."
Nora's eyes immediately flashed with understanding. Leaning up to whisper in Pyrrha's ear, she said, "Something happened with Jaune, huh?"
Give it up. "Nothing big," Pyrrha brushed off her concern. She pushed Nora gently back to a spaced-out Ren, who was currently staring intently at his punch. "Go dance, you two. I'll join later."
Pouting, Nora nodded and hooked her arm through Ren's. "C'mon, Ren, let's go dance over there. There are some snacks we haven't tried yet." Ren murmured a goodbye to Pyrrha before trotting after Nora, leaving the redhead to think in peace.
Pyrrha let herself get pushed back by one of the low tables, gingerly picking out tiny finger food. It all tasted like ash upon her tongue, but she ate anyways. She needed to distract herself from everything that had happened that night.
However, hearty peals of laughter began to echo throughout the room, breaking through her concentration. The sound began by the entrance hall, moving its way closer towards the back of the room. Pyrrha glanced upwards, looking at the people who were seated along the sides of the dance floor- most of them had their eyes trained on something, the wave of giggles following the object of their attention. Curious, Pyrrha spun around to look at a blond figure breaking through the crowd to stand in front of her.
Her jaw dropped, disbelief radiating from every pore. "Jaune?"
Gone was her weariness, her pain, her discomfort. In its place was utter shock as her eyes trailed from decidedly bare, broad shoulders, to the ill-fitted, empty white bodice, to the dainty lilac sash, down to a pleated white skirt ending in bare, toned legs and sneakers. The blond stood before her proudly, all open arms and welcoming smiles and embarrassed flushes.
The crowd continued gawping and laughing, the music even taking a pause as the entire room listened in to understand what was going on.
Despite all of the attention, Jaune kept his playful expression lighthearted. He shrugged. "Eh, a promise is a promise."
What in the world is he talking about? And yet, just as quickly as the confusion had arisen, she understood what he was doing in a heartbeat. Suddenly, the world was sparkling.
"Oh please. If you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress. Heh."
Pyrrha felt a small smile pull her lips, and although she tried to keep it in, tried to maintain her cool, she failed miserably. Soon, she was giggling, then laughing like the rest of the crowd, her face scrunched up in joy and amusement and adoration. Her laughter echoed in a way that brought a hopeful smile onto Jaune's face.
When she could finally breathe a little, Pyrrha gasped, "Jaune! You didn't have to!"
Resolutely, Jaune shook his head. "Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word. Now do you wanna stand there and laugh at me," he paused dramatically, extending his hand out to her, "or do you wanna dance?"
In the background, they heard the DJ shift the track into a peppy pop song, and more of the students burst onto the dance floor to let loose without the formalities of ballroom dancing.
Pyrrha's heart melted, and all the thoughts that the little black box had been overflowing with dried up in an instant. She reached out her own hand, placing it in his lightly. "I would love to dance." To her surprise, strong fingers wrapped around hers, and she was pulled into Jaune's embrace and swept away before she could compose herself again.
Over the next few songs, Jaune twirled her around and led her to the center of the dance floor, easily spinning and dipping her without ever letting her hands go. He held her comfortingly- his grip was strong, but not menacing, the way Mercury's had been. Pyrrha felt heady, almost drunken, in how warm the boy's touch was, and his every brush against her waist, her arms, the small of her back- it was never enough. And yet, it was all she had ever wanted.
In the back of her mind, she realized that he was still taller than her, even in her pumps. Despite that, she never felt as if he was looking down on her. Instead, he simply shone with a radiant energy, a playful, nearly coy light that threatened to blind her with every smile, every silly dance move, every lingering touch.
Eventually, Jaune spun her to the side of the room and let go of her so they could take a quick breather. "I had no idea you were a dancer," Pyrrha laughed, the giggles still erupting without pause. She couldn't believe how light and airy she felt- like all the other dancers had melted away.
Jaune shrugged, still stepping in time to the music alongside her. Pyrrha watched defined clavicles dip, his muscles taut and strong and safe as the boy grasped her hand again. "Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters." He dipped her low, much to her delight, and spun her back into the center of the dance floor with an impish grin.
She chuckled, "Remind me to thank your sisters one day. You're good at it!"
Jaune laughed brightly back, but as they continued their exchange, the upbeat tempo slowed to a romantic ballad. Slowly, the solo dancers filtered out, leaving behind just those with their dates and loved ones, along with a few close friends.
Pyrrha blushed heavily, fussing with the chains on her circlet. "I guess we should stop-" but a hand held out in front of her interrupted her sentence.
The boy's face was beet red, but his eyes were earnest when he asked, "You and I both may have shown up to this shindig alone, but it doesn't have to end like that," he mumbled. "Pyrrha, may I have this dance?"
Meekly, Pyrrha placed her hand in his, trying not to jump when a zap of electricity rushed through her. Tenderly, the boy pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist loosely. She moved in closer, avoiding all eye contact as she place her own arms around his neck. A small giggle escaped her again, however, as she realized how heated his bare shoulder was- and how silly they both must look, with Pyrrha being dressed to the nines, and Jaune being dressed in a… well, a dress.
Jaune pouted, feigning mock-hurt. "Don't laugh at my petticoat," he huffed childishly.
Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "I was more laughing at your little sash and bow," she teased. When the boy cocked his head in confusion, she simply said, "Lilac isn't your colour."
He gasped, eliciting another laugh from the redhead. "How could you!" he shrilled. "Then what is my colour, Pyrrha? I'll have you know I was very happy with this dress, thank you very much! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dress that will stay up when you have," he glanced down at his achingly empty bodice, "nothing to hold it up?"
Pyrrha was near wheezing by this point, her sides hurt so from the laughter. "I'm still impressed you found one on such short notice," she sighed, letting all the tension in her shoulders fade out as she calmed down. "But in regards to your colour…"
The little black box tried to squeak out, Give it u-
No, she insisted internally. No. I'm not giving up. I'm not giving him up. She looked up into Jaune's face at last, a small, meaningful smile on her lips. His eyes shone with mirth. "…Your colour is blue, of course. Sky blue. Like a sunny day."
Jaune blushed beet red at that, looking to the side of her head to avoid eye contact. Before he could stutter his way to changing the subject, however, Pyrrha saw his eyes catch something. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
Jaune opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. He licked his lips nervously, looking down at his feet for a moment. "….-ring it."
"Pardon?" She leaned in closer to hear what he was mumbling.
"You're wearing it. The earring."
Pyrrha instinctively raised a hand to caress the stud in her ear. "Of course."
"I know I saw you wear it like, two days ago, but… you really liked it?" His voice was small, hopeful.
She smiled, heart full to bursting. "Of course," she repeated sincerely.
With that, Jaune beamed, "It looks wonderful. I mean it, you know. You look wonderful."
I'm glad I decided to wear it. Being late tonight wasn't so bad after all.
"So do you." He scoffed at her comment, and she laughed yet again, and the two of them continued dancing like that, heads leaned in close, all warmth and gentleness and safety shared between them feeling nothing if not perfect. All the tension from the start of the night had drained away, and Pyrrha could only slowly move with the blond, silently marvelling at how the night had gone.
She had told Jaune the truth about her situation. Her loneliness, her frustration, and her longing had been laid bare for all to see. And, although she hadn't said it in explicit terms, she had confessed how important Jaune was to her.
In spite of all that, Jaune was still here, in her arms, smiling gently at her.
I'm not giving up. I won't give up. I can't give up, not now. Not when he's finally seen me.
She felt more determined than ever before, but after a while, she pushed that to the side. Worrying about the future and what she had to do could come later. For now, she just wanted to memorize the feeling of her first friend- her partner- one of her best friends in the world, dancing in her arms.