A/N: So umm I'm starting to project onto this fic, cuz this was the last line of my outline for last chapter:

-So when merc asks her she's like meh maybe I kinda just wanna go alone cuz fuck this dude amirite no that's not right I love him Merc ditch Em she's boring

Let me know what you think of the fic! We're past halfway now.

Thrown to the Wind

Neighbourhood

Their schedule persisted, and Pyrrha got the pleasure of spending more time with him every day the next week. In their hour-long meetups, Jaune brought her the same chocolate bar from their first awkward interaction (her collection was growing, moving from her router to take over one of her shelves, but she didn't have the heart to tell him that no, she didn't really eat chocolate very much) and Pyrrha learned more about him. He worked so much because he was almost the youngest with seven sisters, and all of them were either pursuing higher education or just about to begin. He loved his classes, and dreamed of making superhero comics (although she didn't have the heart to tell him that his idea for 'the Huntsman' sounded a lot like a Batman rip-off) and his drawings were actually quite good. He adored action movies and video games and cartoons, things that she herself had never really been interested in- but she also knew that he would one day write something incredible, because he had this way with words when storytelling that made her feel like she was loved those things, too, and it was magic.

By the end of the week, it was Yang's turn to host a party. The girl finished all of her midterms, and thus was free until finals- "Time to go out with a Yang, guys!" she kept insisting, inciting groans from everyone within earshot- so she was more than happy to supply food, booze, and convince Sun and Neptune to be on duty that night. With them, they wouldn't get caught, and the boys would even join in. If it was Sage, though, they'd likely be busted, and that wouldn't be fun for anyone.

After coming back to the dorms that evening (although the tram was indeed working after her practice, meaning she didn't have to run for her life down Main Avenue again) Nora refused to let Pyrrha check in on the lounge's festivities until the girl had cleaned up properly. "Trust me," the shorter girl insisted, pushing her into their bedroom despite Pyrrha's protests. "Go shower. Put on some makeup, layer up, then come in."

But the girl's eyes were wild and frantic and knowing, so Pyrrha mutely complied, only entering said room once she was wearing a simple dress and warm tights, her hair clipped back to dry, makeup lightly done. She felt her entire body freeze on the spot when she saw her favourite blond seated on the floor next to Ruby, a cup of something alcoholic in his hand, smile wide and welcoming.

"The nacho cheese machine finally exploded," Jaune explained as the redhead promptly took the drink handed to her by Nora (who, from her seat on the couch, could enjoy the exact moment Pyrrha's expression shifted from amicable friendliness to embarrassment), settling down next to the blond so she could lean against the orange-haired girl's knees. "Nora was right that time, but when I told my manager he didn't listen, so… yeah. Cheese was everywhere."

Ruby nodded excitedly, showing photographs the blond had supplied her with so much vigor it may as well have been the younger girl's story.

He continued, "Got the night off, and Ruby told me about this, and my eldest sis said I should go have some fun for once." Holding his drink up, he smiled wryly. "And that brings us here. You know, they really need to install more maps around campus. Figuring out exactly which building was yours was awful."

She chuckled, clinking her red plastic cup of poison with him before taking a sip. After two full years with Nora, her roommate knew exactly what she liked- and, thankfully, they had the exact wine she liked in stock that day on the lounge table. The dry, crisp red filled her mouth, fruity and sharp and smooth.

Before they had time to continue, Yang- who, by this point, had had one too many strawberry sunrises, and was more than a little bit tipsy- revealed a stack of board games. Collective groans filled the air, but she simply waggled a finger. "Nuh-uh. It is finally October, so tomorrow will be spooky games- only boo-rd games allowed!" Everyone groaned, but she relished in the cringing of her friends. "So today, we get to play all the fun stuff!"

Everyone sighed, but acquiesced, and Pyrrha let herself lean back onto Nora's legs, just watching in peace. The buzz from the wine slowly crept through her body from her gut out to her fingertips, and she delighted in it. Her next big meet wasn't for a couple of weeks, so she deserved the treat. Nora easily provided refills, only leaving every once in a while to check on Ren, who was busy marking midterms for the first-year course for which he was a TA.

It took precisely two hours for Jaune's face to completely turn a cherry red, his tolerance for alcohol utterly non-existent. He stood up, swaying lightly. "Oh no, time for Vomit Boy to make his comeback!" Ruby slurred, cheering from only her second can of cider.

Jaune rolled his eyes, reaching over to grab the guitar Neptune had brought when the two RAs joined the party. The blue-haired boy had been woefully trying to learn it 'in order to woo the ladies', to Weiss' chagrin. He didn't protest, however, when the blond stumbled back to Pyrrha's side, guitar in hand. He sat down, utterly pleased with himself at his new acquisition. "I'm cutting myself off," he murmured as she watched. "I need something to do, otherwise I'll keep drinking."

To Pyrrha's surprise, his fingers deftly plucked at the strings, and the boy soon was providing a gentle backdrop to the otherwise-intense game of Uno that was occurring in the center of the room. He swayed with the melody, bumping into Pyrrha's shoulder every once in a while, sending her a sheepish grin as he finger-plucked song after song. She melted. It was wonderful.