Author's Note: Challenge accepted, Anon.
Jaune had gone to bed. Somehow she didn't imagine him getting much sleep tonight. So much had happened, even if it didn't seem like it. To her this had been a mere few hours. For him, it had been years. Literal years. All leading up to today's reunion. Holding onto hope for this long all for this moment.
If their situations had been reversed, she knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep either. Today had been a long-awaited day for the boy- no, for the man. The man. It still shocked Weiss to see what Jaune had become. Who he had become.
The Rusted Knight. The hero from The Girl Who Fell Through the World. How was it possible? Not that she was doubting said possibility, the proof had been standing right in front of her. Still, how did the seemingly fictional character who had captured both her imagination and her heart during childhood turned out to be... be... him? The boy who had so clumsily and awkwardly hit on her back at Beacon? The boy who she'd turned out time and time again? The boy who, as it turned out, had saved her life more than once up to this point.
Had Weiss not been holding a piping hot cup of tea, she would have buried her face in her hands. Of course the boy who she'd rejected would turn out to be her fairy tale knight in shining armor. Of course that's how life would work itself out. Life just had a way of stomping her into the dirt these days, didn't it? Salem. Atlas. Her father. She wondered, did he make it out of Atlas? The last she'd heard he'd been sitting in a jail cell. Were those in charge able to free him and help him escape to Vacuo? Or were they too busy fighting a war of survival and simply... forgotten about those who sat in prison?
As much as she hated him... she didn't want him dead. She could only hope that someday, when she finally left this place, she would be able to find her family and learn the truth.
Her sour thoughts must have shown on her face, for as she stared down into her cup she heard a voice call her name.
"Weiss," Yang said from her spot on the floor in front of the fireplace. Concern showed on her brow. It was an expression she hadn't seen on the blonde since finally coming to terms with her love for Blake. "You okay?"
Okay? How could she be okay? None of this was okay! She was stuck in a world where the laws of nature didn't exist, and literally anything could happen. Weiss was a woman of logic and reason, and Ever After spat in everything she believed in. She was far from okay, but she wouldn't let her own feelings and emotions spoil what was a joyous occasion for the two girls who'd finally snatched the victory of love from the jaws of defeat.
"I'm fine," she lied, turning away from them to hide her face. She masked the action by examining the shelf which held all manner of fruits and vegetables. Some of them looked familiar, if only in color or shape, but Weiss knew they were nothing like the foods she knew from her own world.
Weiss took a few steps toward the open window and gazed out it, hoping that a bit of fresh air would make her feel better. She hadn't seen anyone else in Jaune's village when they'd arrived, but then again it was nighttime. She wondered what kind of people lived here. She wondered if they were people at all. Knowing this place they were likely some sort of strange inhuman creatures like gumdrop people. Or tiny mushroom people even shorter than her who wide-brimmed fungi hats on their heads. She couldn't help but smile at the mental imagery of such creatures.
"If you're not, you can talk to us," the blonde continued. "Even if it's something... simpler than just stress."
Yang's hesitation made Weiss' brow crease in confusion. She turned back around to gaze down on the girl who was busy holding Blake's hand on the floor.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Yang smiled a soft, innocent little smile, and shook her head gently. A clear contrast to the sharp and poignant question Weiss had just thrown at her like a javelin.
"Nothing," she lied back to her. And yet telling such a lie didn't end the thought there. Rather, Yang continued on. "It's just, speaking as someone who waited way too long to admit how I feel, don't do that." She shared a brief glance with Blake, smiling softly before turning back to Weiss. "Just don't."
Icy-blue eyes narrowed on her friend. Her friends. After all, they were so close together that it was only natural that Blake would be caught in the crossfire. The two had been inseparable before, and now that was only going to become more and more of a thing for them.
Weiss snorted dismissively at Yang's wisdom, and this time it was she who shook her head. "Great, you've been in a relationship all of five minutes and you're already giving single people advice. You were insufferable before, but I fear what you're about to become."
To her credit, Yang took the verbal barb in stride, and stuck her tongue out mockingly through her smiling lips. A tongue which had probably been jammed down Blake's throat. Lips which had tasted Blake's own.
What a wonderful feeling it must have been to find love. Weiss herself had searched for it back at Beacon, but sadly Neptune hadn't turned out to be reliable in any sense of the word. He'd regularly hit on girls who weren't her, a trend which continued even when meeting Ilia back in Mistral. Talk about chasing after a lost cause there...
And of course, he'd been too much of a coward, or at least too proud to ask her to Beacon's dance. Out of fear of humiliation of all things. It was only when Jaune had spoken to him that he'd gathered the guts to talk to the sad girl who sat alone on the sidelines. What a pathetic creature she must have appeared as, to be so distraught over her crush not asking her out...
Besides, what was Yang even getting at? Admit what? What feelings? The only feelings Weiss felt here and now was anger and frustration for this place. A simmering rage which had already boiled over a number of times, but would continue to bubble afterward. The only thing which she desired was to go-
Back!
Weiss yelped as she felt something poking against her back. Nearly dropping her teacup, she whirled around to see not a strange creature or a mortal threat like the Jabberwalker, but rather...
"Juniper?"
The jackalope had seen fit to poke its snout through the open window, where its large nose could sniff Weiss. First her back, and now the front of her torso. It was a truly large and beautiful creature. One which the Rusted Knight, Jaune, rode into battle. She'd seen it in action and it was truly a magnificent and majestic beast.
And now it was busy sniffing her. Weiss wondered what could be so interesting about her scent to draw the attention of a magical creature such as this.
Setting her cup down on the nearest flat surface, Weiss decided to give Juniper her full attention. After all, how could she turn down the chance to get her hands on something so unfairly cute and fluffy?
Removing the glove on her right hand, Weiss held it up before the jackalope's nose. Sure enough, Juniper sniffed it for a few seconds before rubbing the side of its snout against it. Seemingly given permission to do so, Weiss placed her fingers and palm on the side of Juniper's face and gave it a soft rub.
"Well hello there," she said sweetly as her fingers grazed the soft fur of the animal. "Your name's Juniper, isn't it? I'm Weiss. I'm one of Jaune's friends."
Juniper offered a strange, warbling purr in return. It seemed to be a good sound. At the very least, it wasn't pulling away or biting Weiss' hand. Rather, Juniper turned and shifted its head so that Weiss could continue to rub and scratch it.
Weiss smiled as she allowed herself to shed all of her problems and worries, lost in the simple satisfaction of showering a sweet animal with love and affection. "You're such a sweet girl, aren't you?" She paused, not knowing if Juniper was in fact a girl or not. It wasn't as if Juniper could speak and offer protest, but Weiss decided that until proven otherwise, Juniper would be female. "What a pretty girl you are," she continued to coo softly. "Such a pretty white fur coat."
Juniper continued to warble happily under Weiss' touch, and she was happy to indulge the creature. Weiss loved animals. She'd loved Zwei back at Beacon. She'd found Jinxy to be as adorable as he was devious. She'd even loved how paradoxically large Little had been when she'd been shrunk. Weiss had never had the opportunity to own a pet of her own, so whenever she had the chance to indulge in her desires to be around one, she took full advantage of it.
"Oh does that feel nice?" she asked as Juniper lowered her head. Due to her impressive antlers she wasn't able to fit her whole head through the window, but Weiss was more than willing to stretch out her arm to get behind the jackalope's huge ears. "You have such big, floppy ears. Yes you do. I love how big they are. They're so pretty, just like you. You're such a sweet, pretty girl. Do you look after Jaune? Have you taken care of him all these years?"
Weiss couldn't imagine what he'd gone through, but she was glad that he had a companion like Juniper. After Alyx had left and Lewis had vanished, he'd had no human contact. The sheer loneliness of such a reality must have been devastating on the boy's psyche. Hopefully Juniper had helped to lighten the burden.
Juniper purred loudly, though Weiss wasn't sure if it was due to her touch, or if she was answering her questions. Surely it had to be the former. Juniper didn't actually understand human speech, did she? Zwei had, but he was a special case. A special case for a special boy. Then again, Juniper was certainly a special girl. So maybe, just maybe, she did understand Weiss' words.
"I think she likes you," Blake commented. It made Weiss feel good to know that her assumption of Juniper's gender was shared by someone else.
"She does, doesn't she?" Weiss smiled. It felt nice that her affections were being returned by such an adorable little, or rather, big critter.
"Maybe she senses something about you and her master that you don't," Yang offered oh so unhelpfully.
Weiss groaned with frustration and spun around, denying Juniper of the attention that she so rightfully deserved. "Sense what?" she all but snapped. "There's nothing to sense."
Yang, and her stupid little smirk, would not be deterred. "Oh please. We saw how you were looking at Jaune. Didn't we, Blake?"
Great. They were already acting as if they were a single person now. Not that they hadn't been before, but it was extra bad now. They were doing the classic couple behavior of sharing each other's thoughts and feelings, and looking to one another to confirm their ridiculous claims.
"It was surprising to say the least," Blake agreed. "I haven't seen you act like that since back at Beacon."
Weiss huffed, shaking her head and straightening her arms out at her sides. "I did not look at him in any way."
"No, you're right," Yang agreed, though Weiss somehow knew it was a trap. Yang wasn't about to clash with her newfound lover over this. "She was even worse. She sounded straight up sultry when she called Jaune mature."
The former heiress' mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish. Sultry? Absolutely not! Weiss could describe herself in many ways, but the word sultry was not one of them!
"I was not sultry!"
Yang turned to Blake. "Maybe Weiss likes 'em older?" she wondered. "Like if we'd gone to a normal high school instead of Beacon, she'd totally be the girl with a college boyfriend. You know, because she's so much more mature than us normal girls."
Blake giggled at Yang's words. Weiss on the other hand was not amused. There was nothing funny about it. In fact, it was highly inappropriate!
"You were so thirsty that you might as well have been lost in the Vacuan desert," Yang pressed. She spared a glance away from Blake for a second to look over to Ruby, who up until now had been quiet. "Isn't that right, Rubes?"
Ruby, however, seemed disinterested in the conversation. Her chin rested in her palm, and she'd been staring at the wall up until this point. It seemed only natural that Ruby wouldn't care about things like romance. She'd never shown any interest in it period. Weiss wondered what was going through the younger girl's mind seeing her sister being so open about her new relationship.
"Yeah. Sure," Ruby agreed, though Weiss could tell it wasn't genuine or heartfelt.
Yang didn't seem to notice or care though, and simply gloated in her victory. "Three against one," she declared, as if that proved anything. Or meant victory. "I think maybe you and Jaune need to spend a little bit of time on a broken suspension bridge."
Weiss had absolutely no idea what that meant, but knowing Yang, it was some stupid pun.
"You're delusional," Weiss argued.
"Aw, she's so cute when she's in denial. Isn't she, Blake?"
Weiss growled. They weren't even a day into this whole couple thing and it was already getting old. The last thing she needed was to be teamed up on in every petty and immature argument she got into with Yang now that she had Blake in her corner.
"Look, can we just drop this? You're simply imagining things. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way I spoke to Jauuuaaaaa!"
So distracted had she been with Yang and Blake's antics that she'd forgotten all about Juniper. Juniper, however, hadn't forgotten about her.
The feeling of the tip of her long ponytail being munched on was a new one for the girl, and there was enough slack in Weiss' long braid to turn around to see the adorable jackalope nomming on her hair. Not enough to tear it, but definitely enough to feel the tug on her scalp as she tried to pull away.
Weiss panicked, not knowing what to do about the gigantic creature who saw fit to chew on her beautiful long white locks. "J-juniper!" she whispered loudly. "No! Stop!"
She didn't want to scold or chastise the creature. After all, she loved her even after only knowing her for a few hours. However, she definitely didn't want to lose a chunk of her hair to the curiosity of the jackalope.
After trying to pull away a few times without success, Weiss did the next best thing she could think of. Raising her hand toward Juniper's face again, she began to stroke her snout. That did the trick, and almost immediately her hair was released. If she hadn't needed one before, Weiss would most assuredly need a shower now. The idea of going to sleep with jackalope saliva coating the end of her braid was not an appealing one.
She didn't know if they even did have showers in this world. Perhaps a bathtub? Jaune had to keep clean somehow. Or, in the worst case scenario, a large and clean body of water would do. However, knowing this place, lakes were probably filled with pudding. Mere hours in this place and she was already expecting that kind of stupidity.
As she gazed lovingly on the sweet animal, a thought entered Weiss' mind as to what had just occurred. "Were you jealous?" she asked Juniper. "Jealous that they were stealing my attention from you?"
The adorable warble-purr sounded in the back of Juniper's throat, and Weiss' smile deepened as she stroked the white fur. She tilted her head curiously. White hair. White fur.
"Either that or she thought your hair was a big marshmallow," her blonde friend quipped.
Weiss ignored said joke, and instead focused her attention on the one who deserved it. "Or maybe you just like my hair because it matches your fur? You have good taste, I must say. Apparently you must think I have good taste too. Literally."
She did prefer to use a coconut scented shampoo, after all. Maybe Juniper had thought her luscious locks were food.
"Ayyy!" she heard Yang say from behind her. She could practically feel the finger guns being pointed at her back. Weiss rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips didn't waver.
Fingers stroked Juniper's face and head, and it was clear to Weiss from the creature's closed eyes that she was basking in her touch. Weiss adored petting her too, but she wondered if she should be keeping the trusty steed up this late. She wondered too if she should be getting ready to go to bed as well.
"I know you probably want to come in here with us, but the house just isn't big enough," Weiss told Juniper softly. "You should get some sleep though, sweety. We'll likely have a busy day tomorrow. We could all use our sleep."
Juniper's head shook about, ears flopping loudly, but sure enough she pulled back away from the window. She moved a few feet underneath a wooden structure which acted as an outdoor roof, and after spinning in place for a few seconds plopped down on a rug before lowering her head onto her front paws.
Weiss stared in disbelief. Did Juniper actually understand? More importantly, did she actually obey Weiss herself? How was it that the Rusted Knight's personal mount was taking orders from a girl she'd only just met a few hours ago?
Surprised and confused, Weiss turned back to the other three girls in the room, confident that her hair wouldn't become jackalope food this time. "Perhaps some sleep would do us all some good." She glanced around the seemingly safe and secure home. "Do you think one of us should stand watch?"
In a new and unknown place like this it was a solid idea. However, it wasn't like this was Mountain Glenn either. It wasn't teeming with Grimm. They had enclosed shelter. If anyone, or anything tried to get inside, they would know. And now that Ruby had Crescent Rose back, they were all armed and ready to stop any such intruder.
"I don't know," Yang replied. "Jaune stayed here alone for who knows how many years, right?"
Weiss nodded, and a frown bordering on a grimace tugged her lips downward.
"And besides, we have a trusty watch-jackalope here to protect us too," she continued. "If nothing else she won't let anything gobble up Weiss. That's her job, after all."
While it hadn't been too amusing at the time, Weiss reflected fondly on the fact that Juniper had been lightly munching on her hair. It was kind of cute. Okay, it was super cute. Weiss adored how Juniper had taken such a liking to her. A little hair nomming was a small price to pay for such affection.
She also wondered just what their sleeping arrangements would be like. Jaune had a small bedroom with only a single bed. Weiss supposed he didn't entertain much company, nor did he share the home with anybody.
Yang and Blake would likely share whatever place they found to sleep. She would expect no less from those two now that they were finally honest with their feelings for one another. The floor by the fireplace seemed like a good enough place as any. Aside from that, they could at least use their jackets as makeshift pillows. Ruby had her cloak. Perhaps tomorrow they would be able to secure more comfortable bedding, or maybe even some actual beds.
"I still can't believe Jaune's the Rusted Knight," Blake said, breaking the silence which had overtaken them after the question about keeping watch had been resolved. "The same one we all read about as kids."
Of all the surprising things which had taken place today, that was perhaps the most shocking. How was it that her dopey, dorky friend had changed so much in the span of a few hours? How was that fair? How was it right? How...
How much had Jaune gone through since they'd last seen each other on the bridge from Atlas to Vacuo?
"Do you think he's okay?" Yang wondered. All of her playfulness had evaporated in an instant, leaving only concern in her voice. "I mean, he told us what happened, but that's gotta only be the cliffnotes version, right? He's been here who knows how many years waiting for us. What if every day he spent here was like what we all went through today?"
It was an utterly bone-chilling thought. Every day struggling against the laws of physics and reality. Every day facing some new and strange fictional character like the Red Prince or the Herbalist. Every day a constant struggle to survive in an unknown world which did not need to take your expectations of the possible into account.
"He seems very different now," Weiss said softly. She wasn't just referring to his rugged beard or silvery-blond hair either.
Yang breathed a pained sigh. "Trauma will do that to a person." Weiss knew that she was speaking from personal experience. "Even with what he told us, we have no idea what he's been through. The only way we will know is if he allows us to know. If he opens up. And trust me, that's not always the easiest thing to do. Even with the people closest to us."
Weiss knew this all too well. For too many years she lived a life with walls of ice built around her frozen heart. She distrusted all but a scant few people in her life, namely Winter and Klein. Meeting her teammates at Beacon had increased that number dramatically, but it had still taken many months for her icy heart to thaw. With Jaune, with how long he'd been here by himself, or worse, being betrayed by Alyx, she could only imagine what kind of mental and emotional defenses he had built up around himself since she'd last seen him.
"But it wasn't all bad," Weiss countered. Perhaps she wanted to see some good in what had become of Jaune. A silver lining, much like the streaks of silver-white which now ran through his hair. "He's more assertive now. More confident. Mature. We had no idea what that cat was doing or what his true intentions were, but Jaune did. He saved us."
"Mature," Yang echoed, utterly shattering the more serious tone which Weiss was going for with her description.
Weiss nervously and absentmindedly tapped her fingers together. Yes, he was mature now, and she liked it. Who cares if she liked it? Was it wrong to? The beard suited him. His maturity suited him. His assertive and take-charge attitude suited him. Gone was the boy from Beacon, and the man who stood before her now may have just saved her from certain death at the hands, or paws, of that constantly annoying cat.
Who cares if he had a few strands of white hair? Her entire head of hair was white, and that didn't make her old and decrepit! Weiss had no idea how many years had gone by, and it would be rude to ask. The fact of the matter was that this newfound maturity suited him. Stranger still, it suited her!
"Oh yeah she's got it bad," Yang said, breaking Weiss from her train of thought. "So, Ice Queen. You wanna be the one to talk to him?"
Reality came crashing back down on Weiss. "I'm sorry?"
"We're all worried, but I think you should be the one to talk to him. You and him, um, have history, right? Maybe he'll feel more comfortable opening up to you."
Would he? Weiss supposed that might make sense. They did have quite the history, after all. Some good. Some bad. Things had improved a lot since their time together at Beacon. And yet as much as things between them had changed for the better, the world around them had collapsed and crumbled.
"Perhaps," she said softly. Weiss knew all too well what it felt like to be isolated and alone. Even when there were other people around, they meant nothing if they didn't attempt to reach out to you. A lifebuoy meant nothing to one who was drowning if no one bothered to throw it out to them. "Very well," she concluded. "I will."
She straightened out the creases of her dress and inhaled deeply. She could do this. It was just a man's bedroom. A man whom she'd let slip that she found quite appealing these days. Mister tall, blond, and scraggly had become tall, blond, and mature.
Who cares if he's aged like fine wine and alcoholism runs in my family? Right now I need to be there for him as a friend. As someone who will listen. The kind of person I always wished I had when I was alone back home…
Weiss walked the few steps over toward his closed bedroom door and reached for the handle. She was stopped in her tracks by the voice of her friend.
"Uh, Weiss?" Yang questioned. "I didn't mean right this instant."
Her hand froze on the knob. Staring down at it, she blinked.
"Someone's eager," Blake chimed in.
Weiss' nose wrinkled in disgust. Great. They were already starting to act alike. Blake didn't used to be the kind of girl to make snide little remarks like that, but Weiss could clearly see that Yang was beginning to rub off on her. That wasn't the only kind of rubbing she expected them to partake in tonight, either.
"But I also don't think it would be wrong to do so," Yang continued. Her tone had softened, and despite that change she sounded more serious now. "I think it would do him a lot of good to talk about his feelings, and the sooner the better. I'm sure he won't mind either. You're friends, after all."
They were. As much as things might have changed for Jaune, Weiss had to cling to the thought that they were indeed friends. Nothing, not even a little age gap, would ever change that. Not after all they'd been through together.
"Right," she confirmed. Staring at the door again, which seemed in her mind like an almost impassable barrier rather than a simple wooden slab, she raised a fist and knocked gently on it. "Jaune?" she said, softer than her normal speaking tone, but hopefully loud enough to be heard on the other side. "Are you awake?"
"It's unlocked," came the deep, baritone voice from within.
His body hadn't been the only thing to change. His voice... his voice... how had it gotten so deep and dark? Why did it send tingles down her spine every time he spoke to her?
Weiss swallowed and breathed once more before turning the knob and pushing the door open. She'd expected to find Jaune in bed and underneath the covers. However, rather than that, she found the man still wearing his old armor and sitting upright on the bed. His feet were planted on the floor, and it was apparent he hadn't been trying to sleep.
Closing the door behind her, it took a few seconds for Weiss' eyes to adjust to the darkness. With no lights on the only illumination came from outside. It was enough to see, but not to clearly make out the details on the man's face. At least not from this distance.
"Did you need something?" he asked.
Need? No. Want? Yes. Or maybe that want was need. Who could say? Weiss was a confused mess, and it wasn't just because of this bizarre world they now inhabited.
"No. I just wanted..."
Jaune's head tilted as he regarded her. "Wanted?"
She took a couple steps closer. Jaune looked and sounded so tired. Eyes which had once been so bright and filled with life were jaded and dull. She couldn't fault him for that. After everything he'd been put through it was understandable. Expected, even.
"To talk. With you." Her eyes darted away from his, and she looked around the room for a brief moment before continuing. "May I?"
Jaune nodded, and his armor creaked as loudly as he shuffled over to sit on the side of his bed. He didn't make it explicitly clear, but it was an unspoken offer for a seat if she desired to sit down. "What's on your mind?"
Accepting the gesture, Weiss moved to sit down next to Jaune, keeping a respectable couple of feet away from him. "Well, you," she explained before her eyes widened. "Not in a weird way," she clarified. Her face burned with embarrassment, and as she sat there in the uncomfortable silence only a single question came to the forefront of her mind. "Jaune. Since you were awake, did you... hear what we were talking about out there?"
She hoped not. How utterly mortifying would it be if he'd heard all of Yang and Blake's quips? If he'd heard all of her denials? Even the way she cooed and gushed over Juniper? Maybe she wouldn't have been embarrassed in front of the Jaune she'd known only hours before, but the thought of this Jaune knowing all of those things made her want to be a turtle faunus so that she would have a hard and protective shell to hide in.
"Yes," he answered flatly.
A soft whine sounded in her throat. Weiss buried her face in her hands as she sat beside Jaune on his bed.
"Four teenage girls are very loud."
In an instant all of her burning embarrassment was cast aside with those few simple words. It was yet another harsh reminder that he was no longer a teenager. This place had stolen his youth from him. Attractive or not, it wasn't fair to Jaune to have gone through such a harrowing experience. It was yet another reason for Weiss to loathe this world with every fiber of her being.
"It kind of reminded me of being back home," he continued, seemingly unbothered by the same trivial matters as she was. Weiss cast a glance to her side to see Jaune staring down between his legs to the floor as he spoke. "My sisters were so loud. Louder than all of you, with there being seven of them. I wonder how they're all doing now."
At times it was easy to forget that Jaune had a family. A large family, most of whom she'd never met. Weiss was familiar with most of Ruby, Yang, and Blake's family. Jaune, on the other hand, she'd only ever met Saphron, Terra, and Adrian. For them, Jaune had only been gone for around a year since he decided to make the journey to Haven Academy with Ruby and his team. For Jaune, however, it had been many, many years since he'd seen any of them.
Weiss' heart ached at the thought. Today was the first time in literal years he'd seen anyone he cared for. The loneliness during that time must have been absolutely crushing. It was all the more reason she wanted and needed to speak to him here and now.
It was enough for Weiss to toss all of her embarrassment and hesitation aside and move forward with the resolve she was known for. She'd had enough will to twice cast aside her familiar and comfortable life for her dreams. Being here for Jaune would be easy compared to that.
"So what did you want to talk about?" he asked. "If I have information that can help I'm happy to share."
Right now this crazy world was the least of her concerns. Alyx, the cat, the tree, they meant nothing in the face of her wounded friend. While his wounds may not have been physical, it didn't mean that those unseen didn't hurt just as much. Or worse.
"When I said I wanted to know about you, I meant it," she said softly. Weiss mimicked Jaune's own posture, and she stared down at her knees which pressed together tightly as she sat atop his bed. "Your time here. What you've been through. I... I want to know about it. Unless you don't feel comfortable discussing it. I would understand if you're not."
Just because a person needed to talk didn't mean they wanted to. It didn't mean they were ready to. She wouldn't force Jaune to do anything. She would merely present the opportunity to him. She would be a shoulder to lean on. An ear to listen. Honestly it was just about all she could do.
Jaune didn't answer immediately. In fact, that silence which overtook the room spoke louder than any response could ever do. It dragged on for long seconds. Long enough to finally prompt Weiss to glance back up at him. His posture hadn't changed, and he still stared down at the floor.
Weiss had just been about to speak his name when he finally responded. "Okay. We can do that."
The faintest ghost of a smile graced Weiss' lips. Okay. So he wanted to talk. That alone was progress. That was good.
She scooted a few inches closer to him. "I know that..." she began before trailing off. Weiss shook her head softly, immediately recognizing her error. "No, I don't know. I have no idea what you've been through. I won't pretend to know. Even someone like me who knows a thing or two about being lonely, I have no clue what you've experienced here since you fell. But I do know that it's been hard, Jaune. I know that you must have experienced pain the likes of which I'll never truly understand."
Her eyes were locked on his face when she spoke, and even in the darkness she could see the faint twitching of his facial muscles reacting to her words. His gauntleted hands came together, and his fingers began to squeeze each other in nervous, idle fidgeting.
"Yes," he answered simply.
Yet that didn't mean she didn't want to try and understand. Even in her wildest imagination she couldn't begin to dream up what kind of insane trials Jaune must have gone through in Ever After. Her own experiences in a single day were only scratching the surface. As such, she wanted to hear all about it. She wanted him to talk to her. She wanted him to share. That alone would go a long way in healing a person. Simply listening. Simply acknowledging. Simply understanding.
In all his time here alone, he'd never had someone who could do that for him. Now that Weiss was here, however, that would all change.
"I want you to know that you're not alone anymore," she continued. She wouldn't look away now. All former traces of embarrassment and hesitation had been cast out of her mind. All that remained was the strong huntress with a will of steel named Weiss Schnee. "I'm here for you. We're here for you. And we're not going anywhere."
Jaune nodded. "Thank you," he stated simply.
His words were short and terse. Weiss knew they shouldn't be. If he was keeping things bottled up for her sake then that was a mistake. Keeping everything inside and to himself would do no one any favors. Not least of all, himself.
Weiss had noticed how agitated Jaune had been earlier in the day by her and her friend's little squabbles and antics. When she'd dropped through the punderstorm's hole and fallen from the sky, it had been a perfect opportunity for him to catch her like he'd done back during Beacon's initiation. The Jaune she knew from Beacon had leapt, quite literally, at the chance to catch her as she fell. This Jaune, on the other hand, didn't even seem to notice or care. Did he even remember Beacon? Did he even remember catching her and holding her in his arms as they fell? Questions like that made Weiss' heart hurt.
Things like this, like the relics and even Salem didn't seem to register with him anymore. It made sense though. While those were all fresh wounds for her, that had been many years for him. He'd had a lot more to worry about since then. Since the bridge. Since Cinder. Since Penny...
How long had he been holding all of that inside? All to himself? It wasn't right. It wasn't healthy. He needed to let it out. He needed to tell her. Jaune had been her shield back when they were fighting Cinder. She would be his rock now. She would be strong enough to carry both of their burdens.
Once upon a time he had healed her physical wounds. Now it was her turn to try and heal his emotional ones.
Weiss was on the verge of tears herself just thinking about these things, and she used her shoulders to wipe at her wet eyes. Hopefully he hadn't noticed.
"Jaune," she said quietly, though here in this small dark room, loud enough to be heard by him.
"Yeah?"
"You don't have to pretend to be strong in front of me," she told him. She held his face in her gaze, unwilling to break it while she spoke these powerful words. "You don't need to be the Rusted Knight in here. Not for me. Not here when we're alone and out of sight of the others. It's okay. I won't judge you. And in fact…"
For the first time since entering, Jaune's poor, tired blue eyes regarded her. "What?"
"I think you're at your best when you're just being yourself. Not putting on a show for others."
Simple honesty was always the best policy for Weiss. Long ago she had treasured truth and honesty because those around her all wanted to use her for her name and wealth. As she grew and matured, she saw all the ways lies and deception harmed others. Harmed the world. Harmed herself.
Lies and deception had led them to where they were right now. Ozpin's lies. Leonardo Lionheart's. Even their own. Sometimes the truth may have been ugly, but it was always worth speaking. Nothing was uglier than a lie in Weiss' eyes.
"Funny. Someone I knew a long time ago said something similar to that." Jaune's lips cracked one of the few rare smiles she'd witnessed since they'd come upon him in this strange new world. His eyes closed and he shook his head sadly. "It's still hard to believe that it's been so many years since I've seen her."
Her. Weiss knew who he was referring to. So he did still remember Beacon. He did still treasure those memories. Of course he did. He still wore the last vestiges of her red sash to tie his long hair into a ponytail.
The fact that Weiss could make him smile, even if it was a bittersweet one, made her smile in turn.
Taking a deep breath, Weiss moved her hand closest to him and rested it atop his own. The size difference between them was laughable, and even if he hadn't been wearing his gauntlets his hand still would have dwarfed hers. Still, she let it rest there, and Jaune didn't pull away.
"She would be proud of you," Weiss said. "Proud of the man you've become. One who has had to overcome so many hardships. You're still standing, Jaune. Even after everything you've been through."
He nodded, but Weiss knew that it was just simple acknowledgement and understanding. Not necessarily agreement. His next words only confirmed her intuition.
"Proud of me," he whispered. "After what happened? After what I did?"
He didn't need to specify what he'd done for Weiss to know what he meant. Penny's death had occurred mere hours ago for her, and that wound was still fresh and painful. Jaune on the other hand had carried that burden with him for years. Years, with no one to talk to. It wasn't exactly the sort of thing you shared with strangers like Alyx and Lewis. Certainly not any devious and deceptive felines.
Weiss' hand squeezed down on his. She hoped he could feel it through his armor. "That wasn't your fault," she said, matching the volume of his voice. Her next words turned bitter, as if tasting ash just by speaking her name aloud. "It was Cinder's fault. There was nothing you, or I, could have done. Nothing."
Jaune said nothing. His eyes were cast back to the floor. Like it was where he belonged.
She pressed forward, determined to help Jaune understand just how strong and wonderful he was. "Penny was brave. She understood that even with your Semblance there was no time to help her. At least now..." she trailed off, wiping a pair of tears from her eyes with her free hand. "At least now Winter has the Maiden power. At least now our friends and family have a fighting chance. So long as Salem can't get all the relics..."
Despite Weiss speaking the truth, or at the very least the truth as she understood it, she knew her words were ringing hollow in Jaune's ears. No amount of rationalization or reassurance would make him okay with what he'd done. Especially not when he'd had years to dwell on it. Still, she had to try. All she could do was try.
He said nothing. He had become a man of few words, and those words had evaporated to almost nothing since beginning this conversation. He'd built so many walls around himself. She could tell. Once upon a time she'd done the same herself, though she couldn't say that her own traumas were anything near his own. Still, at the very least she could understand trauma. She could empathize with it. With him. That was all she wanted right now. To try to understand.
"You don't have to bear this alone anymore, Jaune," she said gently. Warmly. "Talk to me. Talk to me about how you feel. What you've been through. I'm here. I'm here for you."
She heard how he sniffed sharply. His head turned away from her, and his hand which wasn't in her own reached up to run through his long hair. One deep exhale later, he finally spoke again.
"What I've been through," he repeated quietly. "Which part?" Those two words were louder and sharper. "The helplessness? The frustration? The anger? Resentment? Betrayal? Hate?" His breathing had become sharper and more ragged now, but he didn't direct his ire at her. "And the worst part of all was having all the time in the world to think about it. All of it."
His right hand remained safely under hers all the while. Only now it was trembling.
"That was the worst part," he said once more. "Being alone. So alone. I waited years, only for Alyx and Lewis to arrive. And then after they'd gone, I waited years again. No human contact. Only those... things. Things that couldn't offer any kind of friendship or companionship. At least, not until Juniper... but still..."
But still, there was no replacement for living, breathing, human contact. No matter how sweet and caring the animal was, it wasn't a substitute for another person.
"I know," she offered, despite not knowing at all. Still she was acknowledging his burden. Acknowledging his pain. "It must have been so hard for you. Being alone for so long."
Not even Weiss herself, who had once sang a song about the topic, knew this kind of loneliness. If there had been a mirror in the room it would have finally been able to answer the question she longed to receive an answer to.
Jaune was the loneliest of all.
"I was alone... for so long..." he echoed.
She gently rubbed the top of his hand with her own. "I know. I know."
"I've... been... so... alone..." he struggled to say through ragged breaths. Weiss could see the tears beginning to trail down his cheeks now. As much as it hurt him to do so, and as much as it hurt her to see, these were necessary tears. There was only so much a person could hold back before the pain they kept locked inside would destroy them.
She held his hand even tighter. "I know, Jaune. You were so alone. It hurt so much. It wasn't fair. I know."
"I can't..." he started before shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I can't stop crying..."
She didn't want him to. Not out of any sort of satisfaction from seeing him cry, but because she knew it would be cathartic. Tears, even the saddest of ones, were just one small step in the healing process.
"It's okay," she whispered soothingly. The hand which had taken his own moved, and Weiss wrapped her whole arm around his large and bulky torso. Her fingers found a place atop his head, and she began to run them though his hair. "I understand. It's okay to cry, Jaune. It's okay."
With those seemingly innocent words Jaune's defenses finally began to crumble and the walls began to topple down. His head turned toward her and found her shoulder. There he let out such a pained cry that Weiss' own eyes welled up with tears once more. To hear someone hurt so badly, especially such a close friend, made her chest ache.
The dam had finally burst, and tears flowed out like powerful gushing water. Jaune wailed as Weiss' shoulder bore his burdens, and his tears, without hesitation. Her other arm wrapped around him, and there on the bed she held him tightly as he cried. One hand stroked his hair while the other rubbed his armored back. For someone clad in metal he seemed so soft and vulnerable. That was fine. He didn't need to be anyone's hero tonight. Tonight, she would be his.
"It's okay," she whispered into his ear, even as his back heaved in her arms. "It's okay. You're not alone anymore. We're here for you. I'm here for you. I won't leave you, Jaune."
He didn't acknowledge her words with his own. He didn't have to. Honestly, she didn't want him to either. She just wanted him to let it all out. Words could be saved for later. Right now was about ripping off the bandage and allowing the wound which had festered for so long to be cleaned so that it could heal.
"I missed... you all... so much..." he wept into her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her body as if to physically show just how much he missed her, holding her just as tightly as she held his. "Please... please don't leave me..."
Weiss was crying now too. How could she not? Even an Ice Queen such as herself could be melted by something, by someone, so heartfelt and emotional.
She leaned her forehead against the top of his, allowing her own tears to be soaked up by his long blond locks. "We missed you too," she said. Even though they'd only been missing him for a few hours, it didn't make the statement any less true. "And we're not going anywhere, Jaune. We'll never leave you again."
Together they would find a way out of this place. Together they would go back home. And together, they would find a way to defeat Salem and save the world. Just like he'd saved hers.
"You saved my life again on that bridge," she told him. "You were my shield, Jaune Arc." A hand found one of his shoulder pauldrons, and her fingers traced up and down it as she held him tight. "You're literally out of a fairy tale. You're the Rusted Knight I read about as a little girl. You're a hero. You're my hero. My knight in shining armor."
That phrase had never carried a more literal meaning that it did right now. Even with his armor being rusted, it shined more brilliantly than any polished steel in Weiss' eyes.
"Thank you..." he whispered. She couldn't see it, but Weiss could guess from the sounds he was, or rather wasn't making anymore, that the tears in his eyes were beginning to subside.
"No, thank you," she countered. "If it wasn't for you I would be dead. Once, twice..." she thought back to Beacon. Would that fall during initiation have killed her, had it not been for him? She didn't know. He'd taken the brunt of her fall, and he possessed tremendous amounts of Aura. She would give him the benefit of the doubt. "Three times," she finally concluded.
She sniffled, a smile forming through her tears like the sun peeking through the clouds after a storm. Beacon. It truly had been the best and the worst of times. How she wished she could go back to such a simple life.
Weiss felt Jaune try to pull back, and in an instant she released her iron grip on his body and allowed him to depart from her warm embrace. His face, despite still being wet and puffy from tears, seemed more human than before. Warmer. More filled with life. Paradoxically, a long cry could help one feel better, though Weiss knew that there was a very long road ahead of them before Jaune could even be close to being considered healed. He needed professional help that she was simply lacking the skills to provide. While she was here though she would provide what she could. Even if those things were simple.
"We should get some sleep," she said. This had been a good start, and there would be more time for talk later. Right now she wanted the night to end on a good note. A happy note.
"Sure," he agreed. He stared at her for long moments before speaking again. "So..."
In that moment Weiss made a decision. Not one out of desire or lust, but out of pragmatism. Not only were they woefully lacking in proper sleeping arrangements, but Jaune was still wounded. He was still in need of healing. He was still in need of comfort. Being there for him to open up to had indeed been a fine start, but sometimes...
Sometimes you just wanted to be held. She knew that she did back when she was at her lowest points.
"Take off your armor," she commanded. Giving orders just came naturally to her, even if the person was older. "And lie down."
Jaune, despite being older than her, obeyed as if she was his elder. Weiss watched with innocent and untainted eyes as Jaune stripped his armor from his body, setting it down on the floor next to the bed. Next he moved to lie down in the bed which was barely long enough to contain his frame, but would be more than enough for her own.
Shifting to lie down herself, Weiss crawled up the bed beside him and once more wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. There was nothing sexual or lecherous about it. It was merely one human being comforting another. Being there for the other. Just as she said she would.
"I told you I'm not going anywhere," she said as she held Jaune's body against hers. "And that I would be here for you. Plus, if you think I'm sleeping on a hard, wooden floor..."
The shadow of her old haughty personality coming out earned a soft chuckle from Jaune. Despite their closeness and the unfamiliarity of the situation they found themselves in, Jaune had not offered up any protest, nor had he made any kind of discomfort apparent. He needed this kind of contact and affection dearly. Even if he wouldn't say it aloud.
"You haven't changed a bit," he murmured as his face rested in the crook of her arm.
Weiss peered down at the top of his head. At the streaks of silver-white hair that glinted in the moonlight. "You have," she whispered back.
"Sorry..."
She shook her head. "Don't be. I like who you've become."
Even if Jaune didn't see it, she did. Jaune had changed, yes, but it wasn't all bad. His strength, his confidence, his knowledge... and okay, his beard. Especially his beard. Weiss may have had a thing for mature, bearded men. So what if she had a preference? Sue her!
"Thank you," he said. "For everything."
She smiled. "You don't need to thank me. That's what friends do."
Friends. Yes, they were just friends. For now at least.
As Weiss gently stroked his hair while Jaune drifted off to sleep, she wondered just what the future would bring for them. Once, long ago, and even longer for him, she had rejected him. Things had changed since then. So, so much had changed.
And as she stared down at the steady rising and falling of his back, Weiss wondered if he would give her a chance now that he'd become so... mature.
Author's Note: Well, that was fun! I can only hope we get some more white knight action in the last four episodes of the volume.
Speaking of volume 9, I've actually enjoyed it a lot. It's amazing what you can do when you don't have 30 different characters hogging time, along with trying to do a bunch of social and political stuff rather than focusing on the main cast.
Special thanks go out to my buddy MattCac who came up with the incredible idea that Juniper would enjoy nomming on Weiss' hair. I just had to use it in the fic. Honestly, I just love writing Weiss interacting with animals. She's canonically drawn to cute, fluffy creatures.
Oh and I do hope somebody picks up that phone because I fucking called it in Weiss Likes it Rough!
As always, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.