The clash of steel sang triumphantly throughout the amphitheater as the two combatants traded blows, their weapons of war whistling as they cut the air. They circled each other with precise footwork, their movements controlled and powerful as they sized one another up. Sword and halberd came together in a shower of sparks, neither one giving an inch. One had the clear reach advantage and much more leverage, yet it failed to move the other, held within an iron grip refusing to budge. The halberd retreated for another strike but it was met this time with the flat of a shield, an unpleasant screech cutting through the air as it was deflected expertly, the bladed head lodging in the ground.

"Get him, Jaune!" Ruby screamed.

Sky Lark grunted as he was left wide open, Crocea Mors slamming into his side viciously. Aura flared as he staggered, and he could do little as Jaune's shield rose and fell in a brutal chopping strike that slammed into his chin with great force. Feather's Edge clattered to the ground as he fell, his body erupting in a shower of light as his aura shattered. When Sky hit the floor, his face was slack as his consciousness fled.

"Hell yeah!" Yang roared with bloodlust, pumping her fist at the sight while stomping her foot against the wooden flooring. Professor Goodwitch shot her an unimpressed look but didn't miss a beat, raising one of her arms to halt any follow up attack.

"The match is over," she said sternly. Jaune froze instantly at the sound of her voice, sword poised above his head. "The winner of this bout is Jaune Arc."

There was a moment of silence, the moment suspended in time – and then pandemonium erupted. Ruby cheered loudly while Yang continued to stomp, rattling the floorboards. Next to her, Nora brought her hands to her mouth to let loose a series of deafening whistles. Ren stood and began clapping, Blake joining in a moment later with a smile on her usually reserved face. They were all proud of their friend but perhaps proudest of all was his partner.

Pyrrha didn't cheer or holler, or whistle or even clap. She simply stood and beamed happily as Jaune sheathed his sword, looking up into the stands to find them and wave. The look of extreme concentration he had worn during his fight had quickly melted away and it was now replaced by that familiar goofy smile, his eyes crinkling as he laughed awkwardly at the praise his friends showered upon him.

It was a heartwarming sight.

Weiss scowled at her noisy friends, crossing her arms as they continued to make a commotion. Did they really have to be so rambunctious?

"Come on, Weiss," Ruby nudged her before trying to make her stand. "Get up!"

"I'm perfectly fine where I am, thank you," she replied, wriggling out of Ruby's grip.

It wasn't like she wasn't happy for Jaune but weren't they overdoing it a little bit? This was Combat Class, not the finals of the Vytal Festival. They did this every other day, it was nothing special. No one cheered wildly for her when she wiped the floor with Cardin Winchester. What made Jaune so special?

Weiss grit her teeth, instantly feeling ashamed for her unkind thoughts.

It wasn't a stretch to say that their relationship was a tumultuous one. Their friendship was fraught with misunderstandings and one-sided feelings, and it had taken the better part of a year for things to settle into the situation they now found themselves in. Weiss wanted to claim that it was all Jaune's fault but that just wasn't the case. In fact, if she were being completely honest, a lot of the blame for their rocky friendship laid squarely at her feet.

Her actions had been... unfair. While his unwanted advances had been annoying and amateurish, he had hardly deserved the scorn with which she had targeted him with. As silly and downright clumsy as he had been in trying to court her, his intentions had always been pure, his actions never overstepping, and one could even say he had always conducted himself as a gentleman. Never crude or demanding, never growing angry at her dismissals, only ever annoyingly persistent in attempting to talk with her.

But she hadn't seen that at the time. No – all she had seen were them.

Those blood sucking leeches from Atlas. Slimy and unfeeling with their fake smiles and shark eyes, always on the lookout for any weakness to exploit to get what they wanted. Oh, and how they wanted! They wanted her exquisite body, her beautiful face, her fathomless wealth. They wanted the Schnee name and the power it would bring them, the influence, the authority. None of them wanted Weiss, the girl. They wanted Weiss Schnee, the winter rose of Atlas, the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. She was nothing but a trophy to win; an object to claim. And she had believed wholeheartedly that was all Jaune had seen in her, for why else would he have fallen at her feet within moments of meeting her? He had seen the opportunity her arrival at Beacon had presented him, and he had stepped forth to seize it.

Only that couldn't be any further from the truth.

Weiss leaned back in her seat with a grimace.

Weiss always thought she was an impeccable judge of character but coming to Beacon had shown her that she was utterly useless at divining the motives of those around her. Growing up among the Atleasian elite had not prepared her for dealing with those her father would scornfully label as common. The earnestness of Ruby and Jaune, the idealist Blake – these were the types of people she wasn't accustomed to reading. Was it any wonder that she got it wrong with every single one of them?

And boy did she get it wrong.

But where things had been settled between her and Ruby rather quickly after Professor Port had quite thoroughly shown her the error of her thinking, and her issues with Blake were resolved after the former White Fang member had idiotically run away to try solve everything on her own, things between her and Jaune had festered much longer. It hadn't been until the Beacon dance that Weiss realized that all her opinions on the knucklehead had been based on a misunderstanding.

Jaune had set aside his own feelings for her and promoted someone else, all because he believed it would make her happier. No matter how hard she tried to rationalize his actions or try and uncover some ulterior motive, the facts were plain as day. He had put her first.

Neptune had told her that she had good friends looking out for her. She was ashamed to admit that she had never really considered Jaune a genuine friend until that moment. Watching Jaune wear a dress and make a fool of himself in front of the entire school, Weiss had promised herself then that she would do better – and that she would make it up to him, no matter what.

But learned habits were hard to break.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop being unreasonably harsh with him. Even though she now considered him one of her valuable friends, it was difficult to reign in her sharp tongue whenever he was involved. He no longer tried to sweet talk her and he never, ever asked her out on another date, but she couldn't help but point out every little mistake he made, every folly, every misstep. He was clearly improving, she could see that. His training with Pyrrha had progressed his skills by leaps and bounds, but for some reason that eluded her, she couldn't just tell him that. That she was impressed by his work ethic and drive. That she was happy with how far he had advanced.

It was infuriating. Why couldn't she just not be a bitch?

Even now, after a good win, she was growing impatient with her friends because they were showering him with their praise. She should be joining them! Not getting annoyed by it.

She needed to make more of an effort. He had put himself on the line for her. The least she could do was help him out a little and commend his efforts. That is what friends did! And they were friends now. She was going to prove it!

She was going to tell him what a great fight this was and then she was going to offer to help him with his homework. They'd just been set an ungodly amount of revision by Professor Oobleck and History wasn't his best subject. Meanwhile, it was one of her best! Her help would be welcomed, surely!

Nodding resolutely, she stood.

There was just one problem.

"Where is Jaune?" she asked aloud.

Ruby gave her a curious look. "He already left. Class is about to end."

Had she really been in her head so much that she'd missed that? Quickly looking around, she noticed that other students were getting ready to leave. Professor Goodwitch had stepped off the stage and she couldn't find Pyrrha anywhere.

"Where did he go?" Weiss demanded.

Silver eyes blinked, betraying surprise. "Uh – the locker rooms, probably? He'll need to shower after that fight and remove his armor—hey, wait, Weiss, where are you going?"

"I have something I need to do," Weiss said haughtily, hurrying to the exit. "I will see you soon."

"What's her deal?" she heard Yang ask but if anyone answered, Weiss was too far away to hear their reply.

The locker rooms weren't that far away from the amphitheater and it didn't take her long at all to reach her destination. She was about to barge in before realizing that there was a good chance that he was in a state of undress. The locker rooms were unisex like many of the facilities at Beacon were but that didn't mean she couldn't show some level of tact.

"Calm down," she chided herself. "I can just wait here. He won't be long."

So that is what she did. She waited.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen – twenty. When the door finally opened, she perked up but it wasn't who she expected. Sky Lark paused when he noticed her, looking a little worse for wear but freshly showered. Of course – Jaune hadn't been the only one fighting.

"Schnee," he muttered before attempting to walk by. In a moment of madness, she stepped in his way. "Hey, what are you-"

"I'm waiting for Jaune," she cut him off.

He eyed her warily. "Okay?"

"He is in there, yes?"

Sky nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah. He is in there."

Weiss nodded and stepped aside. "Excellent. You may go now."

Sky stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and continuing on his way, though not without saying, "The hell do you girls see in him?"

Weiss frowned.

What did he mean by that?

She thought about calling out to him to question his words but then thought better of it, shaking her head. That was none of her concern.

Weiss leaned against the wall, hands neatly folded across her belly as she continued to wait. Another ten minutes went by and just when she was getting fed up, she heard voices from within growing closer. Not just a single voice – voices.

Familiar voices at that.

It only took Weiss a split second to make her decision, diving away as the door opened to reveal Jaune in shorts and casual shirt. As the voices implied, he was not alone. Weiss scrambled around the corner and peeked out, surprised when Pyrrha stepped out beside him, no longer in her school uniform but in a pair of spandex shorts and a crimson tank top. So that is where she went. She'd gone after her partner.

But why had she been in the locker room with him? Pyrrha hadn't been called up that day to fight so she shouldn't have needed to use the showers. Had Jaune asked her to accompany him?

The nerve! Didn't he understand that was wholly inappropriate! Pyrrha might be his partner but she was still a girl! He shouldn't be asking her to come into the locker room with him when he was about to shower! Unisex or not! Honestly, just when she was trying to mend the bridge and he pulls something like that!

Weiss huffed, looking away in annoyance. Pyrrha should know better, as well. As someone as well known and regarded as her, the crimson haired beauty must know all about the dangers of sharing such intimate space with a man. Surely she got her fair share of creeps following her around, being who she is. Not that Pyrrha couldn't defend herself but – well, she'd always been a little soft when it came to Jaune. If he pressed her, there was always the chance that she'd fold under the pressure.

Wait, was she really thinking that Jaune would pressure Pyrrha into something?

"There I go again," she muttered, cross with herself. She really couldn't help but think unkind things about him, couldn't she?

It was a habit not easily broken.

It wasn't like they hadn't all been in the locker room together at various points, anyway. Learning to get comfortable around the opposite sex was a big part of why teams shared living spaces and had no divide when it came to things like this. It had been difficult for her at first, being in such a vulnerable state around strangers – not just boys, but other girls – but she was now used to it.

Jaune and Pyrrha being alone wasn't the end of the world. She needed to calm down.

"You were very impressive during your bout today," she overheard Pyrrha say. Weiss peered around the corner and noticed that they were heading in the opposite direction.

"Thanks. That move with the shield really helped out," he replied, mimicking the finishing blow. "I could never get a hit with it in training but with Sky, it felt so easy."

"All it takes is practice – and a little patience," Pyrrha chided modestly. Weiss rolled her eyes. The reason it didn't work for him in training was because he was fighting against her. Compared to Pyrrha, Sky must have seemed like he was moving in slow motion. "Now come on – we haven't finished yet."

Finished?

The direction they were headed was away from the dormitory which meant they weren't returning to their room. Intrigued by Pyrrha's words, Weiss hesitated for a second before hurrying after them. She felt a little silly, stalking them like this – but her interest had been piqued.

Beacon Academy was outfitted with a variety of facilities all aimed at creating the best Huntsmen and Huntresses possible. One such facility was a fully stocked gym, open at all hours to those that wished to train their body into peak physical fitness. While Combat Class was their chance to pit themselves against their peers and honed their technique, they were expected to use their own time to manage and upkeep their physical growth. It just showed how dedicated Jaune and Pyrrha were that they were immediately hitting the gym right after class. It was not completely unexpected. Their change of clothes even made a little sense, now.

Jaune had already shown her that he was a hard worker. Nothing needed to be said about Pyrrha. You didn't become a four time champion by slacking off.

She almost turned around and left, but something compelled her to keep following them. So she did, being careful to keep as much distance between them as possible without losing sight of the pair. Her curiosity was rewarded when they didn't stop off at any of the equipment but passed everything by before disappearing through a door towards the back of the building.

Just where were they going?

The rooms back there were used for physiotherapy, equipped with treatment tables and padded benches. Beacon spared no expense in keeping her students healthy and even employed professionals to ply their craft. Just like the cafeteria was staffed by chefs and the grounds keepers were qualified landscapers, and the forge was manned by blacksmiths, mecha-shift engineers and dust technicians, the gym had personal trainers employed, as well as physiotherapists and nutritionists, and more.

Weiss had never used them before, even though they were available to all students but Yang had mentioned once or twice that she had received a massage after a particularly brutal workout session.

Is that what was happening here? They were coming to get a massage?

The idea had merit. Weiss knew the benefits of such a thing, even though she had never partaken in that activity before. The thought of a stranger touching her body made her extremely uncomfortable and even back in Atlas, where she had all the influence and money needed to employ whoever she wished, it was not something she had ever thought to engage in.

The closest thing was Winter rubbing her shoulders and feet when they were much younger and her elder sister still lived at home. Ballet took a significant toll on the body and her sister had been more than willing to help chase away her aches and pains, long before Weiss had unlocked her aura.

Weiss felt a little awkward, standing outside the closed door like some sort of pervert but her curiosity was urging her onward. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she waited for a moment, listening carefully. When she heard nothing from beyond the door, she slowly turned the knob and entered.

It wasn't a room but a hallway; a hallway lined with doors. They were all open and when Weiss peered inside each one, she was greeted by the expected treatment tables. It wasn't long at all before she found her friends, Jaune's voice carrying in the quiet hall.

"Go easy on me, will you?" he said, and even though Weiss couldn't see him, she could imagine the stupid smile on his face just by the tone of his voice. "Last time you nearly killed me."

Pyrrha scoffed playfully. "It wasn't that bad, you big baby – and it felt amazing afterwards, right?"

"...maybe."

The champion's laugh was musical. "You were full of knots. I noticed you were much more limber during training after I got them out. Now – get on the table."

There was a rustle of clothing and Weiss paused by the doorway, her throat suddenly dry. Nerves erupted in her belly and she almost turned around and fled right then. She was being ridiculous, sneaking around like this. It was childish and stupid, and it was not the sort of behavior that the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company should be engaging in.

Her feet remained rooted to the floor despite those thoughts, and when she heard Jaune mount the table, she couldn't fight the urge to look. Carefully peeking around the corner of the door, her breath caught.

When had Jaune ever looked like that?

Well defined muscles greeted her prying eyes, his build lithe and tall but powerful like a warrior should be. There was nothing vain here like those bodybuilders Weiss often saw in the magazines Yang would read. Even though he was pleasing to look at, this body was a weapon forged to slay the creatures of Grimm, not for petty competitions. His shoulders were broad while his waist was trim, his chest strong with firm pectorals while his abs were rugged and hard. His arms rippled as he positioned himself on the table, easily shifting his weight as he got comfortable, his thighs thick and strong.

Most everyone at Beacon had amazing physiques but for some reason, it had never occurred to her that Jaune was the same. He was just so different than everyone else, almost like he didn't belong. And that wasn't her being harsh or unfair – other members of her team agreed that Jaune was the most civilian-like huntsman-in-training they had ever met. The way he carried himself was in a word – mundane. He wasn't cocky, or self-assured or even confident, no matter how hard he tried to project that he was. Even Ruby with her awkwardness and nerdy behavior carried herself with a certain poise that could only be found in someone that had aura.

But Jaune was a huntsman-in-training – and the proof was right in front of her!

"Oh my god," Weiss whispered, unable to look away. He was wearing nothing but a small pair of boxer briefs and if nothing else, she made sure to not stare at that particular spot. Spying on him in such a manner of undress was unforgivable but at least she wasn't peeking at his privates!

"Comfortable?" Pyrrha stepped up beside the table, rubbing her hands together. They were slick with some type of lotion.

This was too much. Why was this happening? Didn't Pyrrha understand what was happening here? He had lured her into training him and now he had lured her into doing other things. That had to be it, right? She wasn't being unfair, right?

"Yeah," Jaune said.

When Pyrrha's hands touched his thighs, it was unlike anything Weiss was expecting.


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