A/N: Ah, yes, the penultimate chapter. So much fluff. I know this doesn't sound super realistic of college kids- they're far too innocent- but I just can't imagine socially-inept Pyrrha and Jaune moving any faster than a snails' pace. I hope this will appease those still mourning LoA's canonicity. Let me know what you think!

Thrown to the Wind

Youth

There were no words exchanged, no planning to be done- they simply traded glances, smiled, nodded, and grabbed their coats. Sending a quick text to Nora, Pyrrha met up with Jaune at the door, and the two of them headed out into the night.

The sky was surprisingly clear, the stars twinkling whenever they found themselves in periods of darkness. Thankfully, since Neon lived in a fairly affluent neighbourhood, the streets were well-lit and they didn't need to worry about shady strangers. On the bus, Jaune showed her a text from Ruby, saying that the girl had convinced Sun to let the boy crash in their lounge for the night, despite it being against protocol. So, the two of them headed back to campus, ignoring all the strange looks they received from passersby.

Pyrrha was thankful that she was in costume. The pale makeup hid her blush as the boy reached out a hand, gently intertwining his fingers with hers between their seats.

When the bus finally rolled into the campus' bus loop, the duo paused for just a moment. They both looked towards the direction of the dorms, then shook their heads. "It's such a lovely night," Pyrrha reasoned.

"It really is," Jaune replied, squeezing her hand tight.

So, the two of them wandered in the opposite direction. Neither spoke, but they both knew exactly where they were going.

Soon, they found themselves in the little quad behind Pyrrha's classes, taking a seat underneath the oak tree. It was completely empty, lit up by only the light of the moon, the stars, and the faint glow of a streetlight from around the corner of the nearest building. With an overdramatic flourish, Jaune lay his jacket down so they could sit on it. Pyrrha curtsied mockingly before taking a seat, but her laugh was genuine.

"I'm sorry I didn't respond to your messages. I just... didn't know how."

"Don't ghost me again, okay?"

"Hm. Promise."

It was quiet.

"You know," the blond murmured at last, "I didn't think you were serious about it."

"About what?"

He sighed. "Any of it. I mean, you're you, and I'm…" He sighed again, slumping over slightly, even more disheartened. "…well, I'm me."

"Jaune," she trailed off, but the blond continued forward.

"Pyrrha, you don't get it," he murmured. "Like, you're… you're beautiful! And smart, and funny, and nice and- and you're kind of amazing. When I watched you on the track that day, I sort of…"

She exhaled heavily. She didn't want to think about- god, had it only been a few days earlier?

"…I was jealous, okay?" He leaned back against the tree, removing his Robin mask and dropping it wearily to the side. "You… I guess when I first met you, you seemed so normal. But then, Ruby and everyone kept telling me about this amazing athlete, and then it turned out to be you… They kept telling me about your full-ride, and how you're so put together, but how you work so hard and are still so humble… it just… all didn't seem to be you. All you ever did was buy cereal and chocolates for your friends when they were high. That isn't exactly what a pro-athlete does."

She snorted softly. "I'm pretty glad Ruby decided to give Blake's offer a chance, though," she mused. "Ruby refused for years. She had such a complex about being younger than all of us, about skipping grades to come here with Yang- so she always tried to be as well-behaved as possible."

"Ah," Jaune mumbled, "so you're glad she's loosened up now?"

"Well, that, and…" she reached out for his hand once more, lacing their fingers together. "I got to meet you because of it, didn't I?"

"Yeah." But the boy's laugh was a little self-deprecating. Even in the wan light, she could make out the bitterness in his eyes. "A lot of good that did you-" She suddenly smacked him lightly on the shoulder, eliciting a small yelp from him. "What was that for?"

"Jaune," she explained, "why do you think I kept coming back there?"

He shrugged. "Nora, I assumed? Honestly, I thought that you were just messing with me for the longest time."

"Oh, Jaune." She turned onto her knees, facing him head-on. He straightened up a little, confused. She covered the back of their interlaced hands with her other one, imploring, "Don't say that. You don't have any idea, do you?" When he didn't respond, utterly baffled by her sudden transparency, she continued, "I went back there because I wanted to see you. The only thing Nora ever did was make sure that I had the courage to. You… you may not be in the same boat as me, but I really, truly admire you, Jaune. You work so hard! You're so good to your family! And you treat me like I'm normal. No one else usually does, so when you… it was perfect, with you. Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?"

He stared at her blankly for a moment, searching for the words. Finally, he whispered, "So… it wasn't just to get free cereal and chocolate?"

"I paid for it mostly!" she scoffed, and the two broke down into laughter. Finally, they settled into easy familiarity, and she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. "I'm serious, Jaune. I know that I'm… a little clumsy off the field, but… I think I really like you."

The blond merely wrapped his free hand around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest, and she felt the light press of his lips onto her hair. "Me too," he mumbled. And his movements as he shifted so he could hold her properly were clumsy, and his hands were sweaty, and in a stark moment of realization, Pyrrha realized that they were still wearing their ridiculous party costumes. But it was okay.

"Can we… try and be a thing?"

"I'd like that. Team Nikos- Nikarc- Arkos. Arkos. Neat."

She had no idea what he was talking about. She didn't mind. "That sounds grand."

In his arms, all of Pyrrha's doubts faded away.