Hero.

Part three.

…

"Give up?" He asked her again, seriously doubting his hearing.

"Yea." She affirmed as casually as she did before. "The way I see it, you should just give up, plain and simple."

"I…" He started, fell short on words or any coherent thoughts for that matter, and shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know what to say." His grin lopsided, he threw his arms up in defeat.

"Because?" She questioned, though had a feeling she knew why.

He couldn't answer her right away, and she noted his face looked serious.

He's thinking. She figured, and patiently waited.

"…Well, let's just say that out of all the people I know, you were the last one from whom I'd ever expect to hear words like 'Give up.' Hell," He chuckled. "I was doubtful if you even knew such words," He said, a fair dose of sincerity to his words.

She grinned almost child-like. "Well, now you know."

"But you're serious? I mean, serious, serious?"

"Yes." She answered so simply while he pursed his lips in return.

Thinking again. She guessed as his blue grew more distant.

"…"

The lengthy pause started to grow slightly concerning, but fortunately, he did speak up before she had to.

"Giving up trying to become a huntsman," He uttered calmly, his blue still distant. "And you were the one to suggest me that," He said, ever so slightly shook his head and looked up the evening sky.

After some time looking at it, his blue returned back to her lilac, his eyelids sagged down, painting a picture of someone who's tired.

Then a smile which bolstered the look of weariness even more.

"Why?"

"Because the way you talked about it, it gave me the impression of someone who knew he wasn't in the right place. Someone, who knew he didn't belong here."

"Perhaps I don't," He said, his entire posture sagging lower on the bench they sat. "After all, I'm not a spectacular-"

"I didn't mean it like that." She interrupted. "Sure, you're not the most graceful in weapon combat, but it's not about that, is it? Or rather, it's not the only reason why you're doubting yourself that much."

"I wouldn't be so sure." He disagreed, a bitter laugh following suit. "The reason I struggle so much and am doubtful is because I'm a lackluster fighter."

"And only that?" She intoned, pointedly.

"Of course, why else would I…" He started rather brusquely, confidently, yet both of those faltered so quickly, leaving him speechless momentarily.

"You lacking the aptitude is the only reason you doubt your success to become a good huntsman, is that what you're truly saying, feeling?" She inquired again, her eyes steady in his while he struggled to return the same.

Struggled, though not only with that, but also with surfacing thoughts and ideas.

"…But I've given it so much. Being a huntsman is what I've wanted to be for so long, and…and everyone else? My team? Ruby? Estelle? They've supported me through thick and thin, how could I possibly just throw it all away?" His voice trembled just briefly, he finally set his eyes in hers, expectant.

Maybe even desperate or simply hurt.

"First of all, our childhood dreams are often just that, dreams we had when we were just children. It's completely okay for them change later on. Secondly, do you really just rather crawl and claw your way through the remaining three years we have left? And then what? Hope you can do the same through-out your whole career as a huntsman?" She inquired, and he felt his chest tighten from being pressured and intimidated.

Not because she sounded harsh or something, if anything, her tone was calm and rather than angry, she looked concerned. Her words, they simply gave rise to that ever so lingering question slowly eating him up from the inside.

What happens next once he'll finish the Beacon?

"I…" He started just barely, his hand balled into a fist.

'You're still my hero.'

He remembered, his hand relaxed and that invisible weight on his shoulders lightened a bit.

"I can't give up." He said evenly, his face straight and sincere. Then it softened a bit, his lips a fine smile. "I am her hero, after all."

"And that's awesome." She said with sincerity, her lips a fine smile too. "But honestly, do you really have to be a huntsman to remain her hero?" She asked a simple question, yet he couldn't answer right away, nor give her a straight answer once he did.

"I mean…I think so. Estelle, she…" He trailed off a bit, then smiled brightly. "She looked absolutely exhilarated once I revealed my desire to be a huntsman one day."

"Okay, but didn't it boil down to you simply setting out a new, hard to reach goal for yourself?" She asked, hintingly, then continued before he could answer. "It could have been anything else, I think, as long as you just showed good effort and determination," She reasoned, and this time around waited for him to answer.

"Honestly, it has never really crossed my mind." He admitted, finding it rather surprising, even a little bit funny, now that he thought about it some more. "I don't know, maybe you're right." He shrugged, falling silent momentarily.

She noted his expression growing heavier as he did.

"Even if I take Estelle out of the picture, and that's just a possibility, I still have my team to think of, as well as Ruby. They've been my backbone through-out this whole year, that me just giving up like that would honestly feel like spitting in all of their faces."

"Jaune," She started, shaking her head. "Firstly, it wouldn't be you just giving up. You showed some really nice effort for a whole year. Secondly, your teammates and Ruby are more than just that, they're also good friends. They'll understand your decision as long as you explain it."

"But does that automatically make it alright?" He asked right back, his brows furrowed a bit. "You just said so yourself, Yang, they're good friends to me. Together, we've been through so much and always, always looked out for each other's back.

Pretty much like a family," He said, his smile genuine even if his blue continued to look somber.

"I'm not saying you absolutely must quit trying to be a huntsman, but why not give something else a try?" She asked, a smile which could mean so many different things across her lips. "Give boxing a try, at least. Just train for a month or two, enter a few matches and then decide if it fits you or not," She said, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.

"Heh," He, on the hand, gave her a lopsided grin. "Why are you so eager and stubborn to make me try out boxing?"

"Because," She started so simply and paused. Then smiled to him and just briefly, he lost himself in a moment.

Rather, lost himself in that simple, gorgeous but above all else, straight-forward curve in her lips and couldn't tell why.

Maybe…He had a quick thought, but all too soon lost it somewhere among the feelings he felt at this very moment. Wonderful, warm feelings he had.

"I believe you can make it, Jaune," She said, and noted his expression deepened. Giving his hand an encouraging squeeze, she wiped clean that lonesome tear he had in one of the corners of his eyes.

He looked flustered once she did, but composed himself quickly for whatever reason there was.

"You," She said, and fixed herself to a standing pose. "came from the pit of uncertainty, from lingering doubts and fears, yet still chose a path harder than many." She started to speak as if announcing a big event, each word followed with a gesture of hand. "And you walked it like a man who knew failure so well, but also with an air of confidence that you were stronger than any.

Fallen, but not defeated.

Tainted by bleakness of this cursed world, but allowed your light to still shine through it.

A performer, but not of scripted event, rather, a purest form of your passion and heart.

You!" She exclaimed, spread her arms out like a pair of wings and had a toothy grin. "You, the one and only among us, 'Jaune, the dancing Arc angel'." She finished, and slowly let her arms fall down by her sides.

He, he simply enjoyed himself laughing heartily, then steadied his eyes in hers once he could.

She giggled as well, though some point amidst it, wondered if his blue hadn't become more gorgeous.

"Wow, I…that was nice," He said with a grin, hands clapping.

"I know. I used to love watching promotion videos before big fights and such. I always found them to be so cool and inspirational, even now I still love that sorta stuff."

"I can tell," He said. "Also, 'Jaune, the dancing Arc angel', that's a pretty cool ring name, actually."

"I know, right?" She said, and sat beside him. "So, what do you say?" She asked, ready to wait however long it would take for him to answer properly.

"…"

He certainly didn't rush, his palms open and eyeing them attentively, perhaps just lost in a thought.

"Well…" A slow start anyways, she figured he still wasn't certain. Not at least till one of his empty palms were filled with her own again, a miniscule curve in his lips thereafter.

"Would you be there with me? You know, if I started boxing?" He asked softly, innocently, yet his fingertips dug a bit deeper into her hand.

"Sure," She said simply. "Maybe not at all times, but I can hit the gym with you every now and then."

"…Am I being too pushy right now?" He asked with an apologetic grin.

"Not at all. It was my idea, first of all, and secondly, I do want to see for myself how you'll do. Or rather, see you develop into one bad-ass boxer." She grinned truthfully, and he felt the next breath he took, was a shaky one.

"Sure," He answered so simply, his face looking anything but, however. A fine mixture of all sorts of emotions and hidden truths, but the last one she saw was uncertainty. So at least she thought once his look went astray for a second.

"Chin up, blondey. Push your chest forward, clench your fist hard and shout, 'Hell yea, I'm awesome!'"

"Thanks, but I'll pass." He smiled, thinking she was just joking there.

"Just do it, come on." She urged him.

"…You're joking, right?" He asked, dubiously.

"Totally not."

"No."

"Come on."

"Okay, now you're just trying to make fun of me."

"Am not. Just do it," She said, and watched him give it a try.

"…H-hell yea, I'm awesome…" He uttered just barely under the nose, his fist only slightly extended out.

"Lame." She cringed, wholly unimpressed.

"Hell yea, I'm awesome," He said so again, his tone flat and with-out an oomph.

"Spirit, you have to put spirit into it. And guts." She chastised him, then showed how to do it.

He shrank inwardly. "But that's embarrassing, no? What if someone see's or hears us?"

"Like who? Your sister? And even if someone does, why care? Spirit, blondey, I want to see spirit!"

His look was still dubious, but he gave it another go.

"Hell yea, I'm awesome." His posture decent, but tone was still severely lacking.

"Blondey."

"I'm awesome."

She added a look.

"Hell yea, I'm awesome."

Her look did not falter.

He jumped to his feet and almost punched her from below as both of his fists shoot to the sky.

"Hell yea, I'm awesome! You've got a problem with that?!"

She burst into a good-natured laughter. "Nope, not at all."

He blushed, his bravado deflating quickly. "So you were making fun of me." He accused, though couldn't find any way to be angry about it. Her laughter, it was rather pleasant, he mused.

"I wasn't," She said, her expression calmer now. "But it was kinda funny to see." She added with a giggle.

He gave her a rather believable glare, though it faltered quickly and in the end, he even laughed about it himself. After he finished, his shoulders sagged down a bit, his posture a pure expression of calmness. Or rather…He had a quick thought, his lips a small smile and she smiled too.

"So it's a deal, I guess. Together with you, I'll do a bit boxing."

"Okay then," She said, waited a moment longer but after he didn't continue, jumped to her feet. Doing a little stretch, she started. "Let's go back to the dorm, then? Or do you want to stay here with your sister or something?"

"Well..." He started, then let his blue wander about in search for her. Once she was found, he called her name and with-in some moments, the youngest Arc was standing next to them.

"Let's go then," She said after he asked her. He made sure she wasn't just saying so out of some wrong reason and once he did, they were on their way back to the dorm.

"First, I'll have to go and get my bumblebee," She let them know as they continued to walk.

"Sure." He didn't think much of her words at first, but couldn't tell why they started to bother him as they continued to move forward.

"…"

A flicker of memory here and there, he remembered her doubled-over form and like an impending storm, it all hit him at once.

"Did you seriously ride your bike?!"

"Y-yea," She said, immediately then and there regretting she did so.

"How could you?!" He exclaimed frantically, starting to shake her maddeningly by the shoulders. "And the side-effects?! What if they kicked in once you were speeding down the streets?! Do you even care what could have happened if you.." He rambled on and on, while she sealed her ears with her hands.

Oh, for fuck sake…She cursed to herself, wondering when he would stop.