When Jaune got started on his newly acquired schedule, he didn't think much of it at first. After all, it was just a bit of extracurricular studying and training with friends, so it couldn't have been all that hard, right? Better still was the fact that he had his weekends to himself to do whatever he wanted.

The problem was all the free time that he tended to have. So, instead of lazing around and doing nothing with it, Jaune figured that it would have been just as good to train on his own time. He'd study with Weiss one day, then train on his own, and the next day he'd train with Yang before doing swordsmanship with Pyrrha. And if he still had a little steam in him, he'd train another hour after the fact.

Despite his expectations, the first week was a lot easier than he thought it'd be. It was probably the extra bit of stamina he'd gotten from training with Yang. Not that he'd say it out loud, of course, or he'd never hear the end of it.

When the first month passed, his new schedule started to show its cracks. His body felt more sluggish, dark spots were forming under his eyes, and his joints felt perpetually sore. But nobody ever said that improving was going to be easy, so he pressed on. After all, he was training because it was going to be hard. Better to face hardship early than to kick it down the road.

But for reasons beyond him, after he'd finished training with Yang earlier in the day, his partner pulled him aside with a simple offer. The chance to go out and pick up some dinner for the team. And Jaune - being who he was - said yes, despite his legs shooting stabbing pains along his nervous system.

So there he sat, in the middle of this sandwich place in the middle of the commercial district in Vale, watching as his partner twiddled her thumbs as they waited for their food.

Jaune felt a little underdressed if he had to be honest. He'd thrown on the first outfit he could think to wear - a white t-shirt beneath his uniform blazer, and a pair of jeans to match. But Pyrrha, she came out wearing a form-fitting red jacket over a peach colored shirt, her jeans having small tears and holes along the pant legs.

Needless to say, he took back what he said about his partner's fashion sense.

Jaune jolted as he watched his partner cough into her hand, smiling as she stared back at him. "I, um… sorry if this isn't the best place for us to be. It was the only thing I could find on such short notice." Pyrrha said, chuckling as she ran her hands through her ponytail. "We could still find something else, if you like?"

"That's not necessary, really." A smile tugged at Jaune's lips as he shook his head. "Just a little surprised that you picked this kind of place, you know? Figured you'd be bigger on getting some Mistrali food."

Pyrrha tilted her head, bringing a hand to her mouth as she laughed. "And what makes you think that?"

Snorting, Jaune rolled his eyes. "Because I know you, Pyr." Gee, why would a girl from Mistral not like Mistrali food? "And because of the fact that, despite the fact that we're at a sandwich place, you still ordered a Mistralian-style Gyro." Now, Jaune may not have been the sharpest knife of the bunch, but he felt he had a good understanding of his teammates.

Pyrrha only laughed again. "Could it not just be that I wanted to try them for the first time?" She asked, curling a brow as she clasped her hands atop the table. "Or is there something about me that I don't know?"

Jaune's smile widened as he placed his hand against his cheek, setting his elbow on the table. "Pyr, I know I'm not the smartest guy in Vale, but please don't pretend that I don't know anything about you. After a whole semester, you learn a few things about people."

He watched as Pyrrha leaned further back against the seat of her side of the booth, sighing as she slouched. "Oh fine, maybe I wanted something a little reminiscent of home. Is that so bad now?" Her smile softened as her eyes cast down onto the table. "But that's enough about me for a moment. Let's… how are you feeling?"

A brow rose on Jaune's face. "What do you mean?"

Pyrrha laughed as she sat up straight, her shoulder stiffening. "Ah, I mean- you've been training hard lately, both in combat and outside of it. I thought maybe you'd want to talk about that sort of thing." Was that wrong of her to think? That maybe her partner had been literally working through something?

The sound of shoes clacking against the tile floor filled Jaune's ears, clinking silverware and chattering voices following as one of the waitresses walked past their table.

Jaune chuckled, closing his eyes for the briefest of moments. "What's there to say?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders as he plastered on a smile. "My grades are up, I'm performing up to par in Combat Class, and my technique is developing alright."

Pyrrha's smile drooped as she stared not at Jaune's eyes, but rather, beneath them. Dark, heavy bags forming hanging from his lower eyelids, contrasting with his otherwise clear skin. "...I'm proud of you, you know." As Pyrrha spoke, she watched as his eyes flicked up to meet hers, his mouth ajar. "Even with all the training and studying you're doing, you're still carrying on- no, you're improving. That deserves commendation."

Jaune blankly stared back at her, slowly blinking as he sat a little taller in his seat. But as he went to open his mouth, he heard the sound of shoes clacking growing closer. "Excuse me?" A soft voice called, and as Jaune turned his head, he found one of the waitresses holding a pair of plates. "Just making sure, but you're the ones with the Cheesesteak sandwich and the serving of Gyros, right?"

Quickly nodding, Pyrrha smiled. "Yes, that's us. Thank you."

As the waitress set the plates on the table, she smiled back. "Oh, not a problem. Enjoy your meal, if you two need anything else, be sure to call me." But before she left, she looked over her shoulders before leaning back down. "By the way," her voice was as quiet as a whisper. "Hi, huge fan. Hope you do well during the tournament in a few months."

Watching as Pyrrha's smile dropped, Jaune couldn't help but chuckle, watching as the waitress scampered away. "Huh… you know, I didn't think too much when Weiss told me how famous you were." Jaune said, watching as Pyrrha's emerald eyes snapped to him, her face draining of color. "But I don't think there's anyone out there that's a bigger fan of you than I am."

Sighing, brought her hands to cover her face. "Please don't say such things!" Her words muffled by her hands as she placed her forehead against the edge of the table. "I can't imagine my life if you were just another fan of mine."

Jaune could almost see the steam coming from Pyrrha's ears, given how red they looked. "But it's true," he started, smiling as he lowered himself to catch a glimpse of her hidden eyes. "Everyone's a fan of you because you're a champion or a celebrity. But me? I'm a fan because you're one of my closest friends."

Moments ticked by as Pyrrha pressed her hands against her face, her shoulders shaking as her forehead grew white from how hard she was pressing it against the table. "...Can you please not embarrass me any further?" Jaune felt a hollow pang in his heart.

Grasping at his chest, Jaune groaned. "Fine, just stop doing that! You're making me feel like I kicked a puppy or something." Watching as she raised her head, Jaune didn't fail to notice her smile growing. "Anyway! We were talking about something earlier, right?"

Pyrrha giggled as she covered her mouth. "Besides how proud of you I am?"

"Yes, besides that." Jaune shot back, grabbing a fork and knife before beginning to cut away at his sandwich. After all, a cheesesteak sandwich wasn't something to be ruined by eating it whole. Better to cut it up first, if only for his blazer's sake. "Plus, you're giving me way too much credit for that. I'm nothing more than a guy who's a little in over his head with some good friends in his corner."

Pyrrha quickly shook her head. "Not at all!" Her hands banging against the edge of the table, her silverware clattering for a moment. "Your improvements are your own. Despite your interesting background, you fully deserve everything you have."

Grabbing his cut piece of his sandwich, Jaune's eyelids felt heavier. "I don't deserve such a good partner, for one." A smile tugged at his lips as he spoke. "I wouldn't have gotten so far as I have if I didn't open up a little. The fact that you went so far as to help me after that? Well…"

Heat dusted Pyrrha's cheeks as she awkwardly laughed, waving him off. "Think nothing of it, really."

"No, I mean it." If he didn't push the point now, Jaune didn't think he could ever do it. "Without your help, I wouldn't be the person I am. I wouldn't be the leader I'd want to be. If anything, I'm a little surprised that you weren't picked to be team leader."

Pyrrha snorted as she rolled her eyes, picking up a gyro from her plate. "You, dear leader, don't give yourself enough credit. Can you imagine any one of us being the leader instead of you?"

That… was a hard question to answer. Nora was a little too aggressive and hyperactive, so she probably wouldn't be able to account for the logistical side of things, so that cut her from the pool. Ren - as good of a friend as he was - was too cautious. Methodical, most certainly, but as a wise man once said, a good plan executed today was better than a perfect plan executed next week.

And Pyrrha?

"You'd be too nice to be team leader, Pyr." He said, the words fumbling from his mouth before he could think.

Her eyes widened for a moment, only for her to laugh. "See? You're not only our leader because you're qualified, but because everyone else is just so much worse." Ah, wait, that sounded off. "Not to say that you're only our leader by process of elimination, of course! You're simply-"

Jaune laughed as he watched his partner's face turn red. "Hey, I get it. Now that you bring it up, I guess it would be pretty bad." He may not have been the best leader he could be, but at least he wasn't insufferable. It was about the little victories.

As Pyrrha went to speak, she heard Jaune let out a deep yawn, his eyes forcing themselves shut. "...How have you been sleeping?"

Humming, Jaune tilted his head. "Fine enough." He said, shrugging his shoulders as brought a piece of his sandwich up, taking a bite. It took every bit of strength he could muster to not make any weird sounds as he ate. "Oh man, this is awesome. I know what I'm ordering next time we come here."

Pyrrha's head perked up as her smile widened. "Next time." She parroted. "But are you sure that you've been-"

Jaune only waved her off. "I'll be fine." A wide smile on his face as he went to take another bite. "Besides, I'm just a little tired. Nothing a shower and some water can't fix."

Pyrrha's smile wavered for a moment as she watched her partner eat. Is he really..? She thought before shaking her head. What am I thinking? He's fine. After all, if he weren't, it would be more obvious.

Days passed by in their silence, and all Jaune could do was keep training. It wasn't exactly bad living or anything, but it was starting to weigh on him. Wake up, shower, get dressed, go to classes, eat lunch, get punched in the face, and then finally, study with Weiss. On the surface level, it seemed like a pretty easy schedule for just one day.

Except for the fact that it was every other day. And then on the days where he wasn't studying with Weiss, he was training with Yang, which didn't really account for his training with Pyrrha every other night too. But they were helping him of their own volition, so it wasn't like he had any room to complain.

If anything, Jaune made sure to smile. After all, it was a nice smile, and it'd be a shame if he didn't share it. Even if life was a little harder than before.

The sound of Weiss' voice trailed into his ear as he placed the side of his head against the surface of the wooden table in front of him, an opened book propped up in front of him. There were… words. Not that he cared to read through them. But the least he could do was pretend to be cognizant.

"Okay, pop quiz." Weiss started, holding a finger up as she stared down at him. "During the Great War, Mantle wanted to open a new front and force the Valean Army into a pitched battle. Why?"

Jaune felt his brows twitch as he smiled to himself. "Trick question." A yawn leaving his mouth as he slapped his own cheek - a trick he'd learned to keep himself awake. "The Kingdom of Mantle predates a lot of the SDC, as I'm sure you know. Without those mines, Mantle was lacking a lot of the Dust surplus that Atlas is known for. Throw in the fact that Vacuan volunteers were enlisting in the Valean Army in the hundreds, and you've got your answer."

Weiss huffed as she placed her chin against her hand, a single brow rising on her face. "Is that so? Are we not forgetting something important?"

Sighing, Jaune sat up in his seat, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "Besides the Valean Naval blockade and the battle of the Northern Reef?" That… was a tricky question. Was there actually something that he was missing, or was he going nuts? "Yeah, I got nothing."

"Give it a look." Weiss said, smiling as she flipped through the pages over her book before shifting it over to him.

Casting his eyes down at the open pages, Jaune facepalmed, a loud smack reverberated through the library. "The Battle of Two Flags, right." Okay, Jaune knew History wasn't exactly his strongest subject, but the fact that he forgot it at all? Now he felt like an idiot. "Remind me to buy us some coffee the next time we study."

Weiss curled a brow before shaking her head. "Let's just focus on studying for now. If we start talking about things like changing location for time, we'll get distracted."

"Changing location?" Jaune shot her back a curled brow of his own. "I was just thinking I need some caffeine in me."

A light shade of red dusted Weiss' cheeks as she cleared her throat. "Coffee is easiest to get from a cafe, so I thought maybe we could study at this cafe I know in Vale." Her hands clasping together as she stared down at her textbook. It seemed she thought a little too far ahead. "B-but that's besides the point. What was the Battle of Two Flags?"

Leaning back in his chair, Jaune sighed. "It was the largest and most decisive battle in the Northern Vacuan Desert. Vacuan Militiamen and Valean Fusiliers caught Mantlese forces off guard and encircled them in the desert." His head hanging forward, Jaune could feel his eyes closing against his will.

The heiress hummed, nodding to herself as she smiled. "Hence why the Battle of Two Flags is considered to be the battle that ended the Vacuan front." At the rate that things were going, Weiss wouldn't have to miss out on some much needed sleep before exams. "Next, we'll be moving on to our Grimm Studies-"

"Actually," Jaune cut her off, his eyes still shut. "Two Flags isn't the battle that ended the Vacuan front."

Weiss' brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Shrugging, Jaune continued. "The Battle of Two Flags crippled Mantle's ability to fight in Vacuo, but it didn't end it. Valean and Vacuan forces cornered them in the major supply port of Roca Inke- Inqui- whatever its name is. It translates to Restless Rock." He could never really get Old Vacuan down, really. Too many rolling r's. "Anyway, Vacuo and Vale brought the port to siege, and after 48 hours, the port fell and Mantle's forces surrendered."

Weiss slowly blinked as the tension between her brows lessened. "...Why do you know that?"

Jaune's eyes snapped open as he hummed. "Oh, uh, I may have stayed up a little later than I should have last night." It was one of those things that couldn't really be helped. There were so many different exams to study for next week, and he had to really cram it all together. "So I thought, hey, maybe I can actually use some of this time I've got to study for World History?"

Weiss' face darkened as she stared up at him, her brows furrowing deeper than they had before. "How late were you up last night?"

His shoulders stiffened as he stared down at the table, chuckling to himself. "Not too late, really." Non-answers, as Jaune had come to find, were the best way to answer uncomfortable questions. Living with seven sisters and an overbearing mother proved that fact.

Weiss only leaned forward, her glare intensifying. "How late?"

An awkward smile spread across his face as he grit his teeth. "Uh, 4AM..?" At least, he thought it was 4AM. He didn't exactly bother checking the hour before he collapsed in his bed, but it didn't matter.

"You got a combined four hours of sleep?" Her hands coming to grip at his shoulders as she violently shook him. "I have half a mind to call our study session early today. Your sleep would be infinitely more important if it meant you'd actually be ready for next week."

As soon as Weiss stopped shaking him, Jaune brought his hands up, if only to pull hers away. "I'm fine, really. Besides, four hours of sleep is totally manageable." Ignoring the dark spots under his eyes, his general lack of focus, unenthusiasm, and need to crawl back under his covers, of course. "Think of it as… conditioning! There's going to be times when we're in the field and have to work off of four hours, right?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed as she stared at his blue eyes. Sighing, she let her hands fall to her lap, shaking her head. "...This better not become a running theme with you." She said, her shoulders slumping forward. "If it does, I'll have you chained to your bed."

"Kinky."

Jaune slapped a hand over his mouth, screwing his eyes shut as he groaned. Okay, maybe he was more tired than he thought. Passing thoughts like that were fine enough, but they never really made it out of his mouth before. You know what? He thought. That's totally fine. Just gotta apologize and say it was an intrusive thought.

Opening his eyes, Jaune sighed. "Sorry," an awkward smile tugging at his lips. "Intrusive thoughts are weird like that."

Weiss' face was drained of color as her eyes scanned over his features, her brows furrowed deeply as her hands tightly grasped at the hem of her skirt. "Please don't tell me that's something you're actually interested in." If it was, that would make her feelings for the boy that much more complicated. She didn't exactly like him, but toleration was certainly one of those things that she had for Jaune.

Jaune paused, bringing a hand to his chin. Him in his bed, Weiss with handcuffs, and the hormones to follow. He mulled over the thought some more, his mouth curling to the side as his brows furrowed.

"Yeah, I can't really see it." Jaune said, shrugging as he shook his head. "It's just… no offense, but you feel too short to have that kind of presence."

Pushing herself to her feet, her pale face now flush with color as she brushed her skirt. "Okay, I think we're done studying today."

Rolling his eyes, Jaune leaned further back into his seat. "Hey, I said I was sorry. Besides, I'm still awake enough to study some more." If a little sleep deprivation was enough to keep him from studying or training, then how was he going to be a Huntsman in the first place?

Weiss huffed as she started gathering the books at their table, piling them before going to pick them up. "I'd rather save myself the trouble of having to hear anymore of your intrusive thoughts, thank you." That, and if it meant that Jaune went to sleep a little earlier, then she wouldn't mind. "Besides that, you're in no shape to even be awake, much less thinking critically."

"Aw, I didn't know you cared." Jaune said, snickering as he stood from his seat as he watched Weiss take the books into her hands. Of course, it didn't last, considering that he'd all but snatched them from her. "And didn't I tell you that you can just leave me to carry the books?"

Shaking her head, Weiss sighed. "I can carry the books fine by myself. I'm not made of glass, you know." She watched as Jaune walked away with the stack, moving towards the many towering bookshelves. And so she followed. "And as for caring, I'd say that it's simply in my interest that you stay healthy enough for our sessions. You're no good to me if you can't listen."

Jaune had gotten fairly used to the routine of putting away their books over the last few weeks. He'd carry them, and Weiss would find where they went. It was a simple system, one that he quite enjoyed. It was just enough work to feel like he was actually doing something helpful, but not quite enough to actually drain him of any energy.

"Now then," Weiss started, stopping at the bookshelf as she swiped a few of the books from Jaune's hands. "Once we're done putting everything away, you will be going to get an early night of sleep. If I need to, I'll work with you to draft up a supplementary study guide for our exams next week."

Jaune groaned as his shoulders slumped forward, setting a pair of books on the higher shelves. After all, it wasn't like Weiss could reach them. "Thanks, I guess." He mumbled, his lips curling to the side as he continued to set the books away. "But still, it feels a little weird that we've got so many exams in one week."

Curling a brow, Weiss shot him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

Jaune shrugged as he leaned against the bookshelf. "I mean, isn't it? Like, did all of our professors wake up one morning and decide that they wanted us to suffer for a week?" He had to do an exam in Port's class for the entire period on Monday, then Doctor Oobleck's exam on Tuesday, then Professor Peach's class on Wednesday, only to wrap it up with Miss Goodwitch in Combat Class on Thursday. "I'm half-surprised they didn't just go the extra mile and say that we need to suffer on Friday too."

Weiss giggled as she rolled her eyes, holding her hands out at her sides. "Wow, I really do wonder why our semester finals are taking up so much of our week." Letting out an exaggerated breath as she shook her head. "It just baffles me, really."

Weiss watched as Jaune's blue eyes blinked, his brows furrowing as the blood drained from his face. "Oh…" He mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he kicked the carpeted floor. "I didn't know finals were coming up so soon."

"Then you haven't thought about the fact that spring break is coming up soon?" She knew Jaune was a special kind of dunce, but he had to be aware of his own schedule, right?

Jaune awkwardly chuckled, staring down at the floor all the while. "I've been more focused with training and studying that I just kinda forgot." How could time pass so fast that he forgot finals were here? Worse was the fact that spring break was still coming, and he had nowhere to really go. "Time flies by when you're having… fun?"

Weiss deadpanned as she stared up at him, resting her hands at her hips. "You don't sound very sure of yourself."

Snorting, Jaune waved her off. "That's because I'm not." Color slowly returned to his face as he smiled. "But when life gives you lemons, you grow them in your garden."

Against her better judgment, Weiss smiled. "Lovely as that metaphor is, I believe you have some sleep to be catching up on." She reminded him, jabbing his chest with a single finger. "Now go on, shoo, leave."

Jaune laughed as he stepped away from her, giving her a brief wave. "Alright, alright, I'm going." Smiling as he made his way to the end of the bookshelf. "And, uh, thanks again for all the help. I know I'm not easy to be around - especially for you - but this means a lot to me."

Before Weiss could answer, she watched as he walked away. So she did the only thing she could, gripping her hands behind her back as she bit her lower lip. I really do hate when you do that, Arc. She thought, fighting the smile threatened to appear. That kind of vulnerability is wasted with me.

As she watched her study partner walk out of the library doors, she could only hope that she made the right decision. Because knowing that dunce, he'd probably get hurt pushing himself.

Despite what people thought of her, Yang Xiao Long was not the easygoing party girl. Easygoing, maybe. But a party girl? Yeah, not so much, and that's because of a few simple facts. Partying meant subduing her senses for a while, whether it be for alcohol, dancing, or whatever else there was. Observational skills weren't exactly common, as she'd come to find out.

So, when she got a chance to use her skills in observation, she made the utmost use of them.

Every day for the last month or so, she'd made sure to pay special attention to a certain someone at the lunch table. A blond boy who seemed to have a lot of trouble keeping his head up high, dark bags forming beneath his eyes as his shoulders sagged. It didn't take a genius to find out the cause.

Jaune was burning himself out, and Yang wasn't blind to it. So, she did the only thing she could think to do, and that was kick her feet up and wait. Specifically in the training room that she and Jaune always grabbed together. And if there was anything that Yang knew about her sparring partner, it was that he was a creature of habit.

So, as Yang heard the door slide open to the training room, she didn't move from her seat. If anything, she sat deathly still, the sounds of footsteps growing closer as she crossed her arms. And from the corner of her eye, she watched as Jaune stepped by.

Just from a quick glance, Yang could see the light behind his eyes had faded, his steps sluggish and heavy as he slowly made his way to the arena. On his hip was his sword, dangling at his side as he yawned loudly.

Pulling her feet from the seat in front of her, Yang stood up, silently stalking behind her mark before slinging her arm over his shoulder. "Heya, Champ," she started, smiling as she felt him jump from the contact. "Whatcha up to?"

Jaune stopped mid-step, the color draining from his face as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Oh, uh, you know, burning some steam before bed." From the way that he stared at her, it almost felt like he'd just seen a ghost. Good, then hopefully her lesson would stick.

Her smile widened as she dragged him along. "Hey, that's great! Because I'm here to do the same thing."

Jaune felt a bead of sweat trail down the back of his neck, awkwardly laughing as he walked with her. "I was just thinking about maybe hitting the bots for a while. A little bit of light cardio never hurt anyone, right?" The way that Yang's smile widened left a cold pit in his stomach. "Anyway, uh, what do you plan on doing for your break?"

Yang's smile lessened as she shook his shoulders. "Oh, I was thinking about maybe hanging out on Patch for a couple weeks. Been a while since I've been able to throw a couple punches with Dad, and I haven't worked on my bike in forever." There were so many things that she could catch up on, and only so much time to do it all. "How about you? Got any plans for break?"

Humming, Jaune's mouth curled inwards. "I dunno, I think I might use the time to catch up on some training." He still wasn't in a place that he felt comfortable with. Jaune was sure that somehow, some way, he'd fumble and get someone hurt. If training meant that chance got smaller, no matter how small, he'd take it.

So when he watched Yang's smile drop, replaced by apathy, he felt his mouth go dry.

"So you're just gonna spend all of your time training then?" She asked, her voice deadpan as she shot him an uncaring expression.

Jaune paused for a moment, blinking as he stared at her. "...It wouldn't hurt is all I'm saying."

Huffing, Yang shook her head. "Alright," she started, pulling him along as she made her way up to the arena. As she made it to the top of the steps, she threw him forward, watching as he stumbled to find his feet. But as he found his feet, she brought her hands up, shifting her feet into the floor. "Let's spar then."

A crease formed between Jaune's brows as he stared at her. "We're not going to do any warmups today?" But they always did warmups before a spar?

"You're warmed up enough." She said, her tone sounding as neutral as she could keep it. After all, he'd been warming up for a fight like this for the last few months. If he couldn't hold his own after all that, he never would. "Put your fists up, Champs."

The bags beneath his eyes seemed to darken as he sighed, raising his fists as he made ready. "Go easy on me-" He couldn't even get the words out as he watched Yang dash towards him, raising his arms to block her swing.

When her fist met his forearm, Jaune felt the vibration trail along his whole body. Then the next came, and it was exactly the same. He tried to slip and backstep away from the strikes that he could, but she always seemed to find her mark. His breathing was labored as he kept trying to just keep her at a distance.

Okay, don't panic. He thought, his mind buzzing with a dozen potential solutions. Find a way to break her momentum.

As Yang's hand snapped forward, hoping to find his left cheek, Jaune stepped into the strike, letting it slip over his shoulder. But before he could so much as smile, he felt something solid crunch against the bridge of his nose.

He stumbled backward, his breathing uneven and vision blurry as he watched a blob of gold and brow close distance with him. Jaune didn't even have the strength to raise his arms, feeling a fist strike him across the cheek as his body hit the floor.

Seeing how Jaune hit the floor, Yang smiled to herself. Letting her arms fall to her sides, she set her hands at her hips. "So, what have we learned today?" She asked, curling a brow as she watched Jaune's chest heave, his eyes glossing over as he stared at the ceiling.

But instead of answering, Jaune pushed himself back to his feet, his arms shakily setting themselves back into position. Her smile falling, Yang sighed, ridding herself of the emotions that she could. If she got angry at him now of all times, then she'd end up losing her sparring partner.

So, back in she went, hammering away at his guard as he stood there and took each shot. But as she shifted her body for a hook, she felt a jab snap against her cheek. Quickly blinking, Yang backstepped, feeling the air slash at her face as Jaune missed a swing of his own.

But he didn't stop, lunging forward as he threw shot after shot, the light behind his eyes dim and unfocused. So Yang did the only thing she could think to do, and that was slip, block, and punish. Each swing that Jaune took, Yang snuck beneath it and ground a fist against his cheekbone.

She was sure it would take him down, but he stood firm, reeling an arm back before his fist struck her temple.

Stumbling backwards, Yang took a deep breath, shaking her head as she brought her guard back up. Okay, she thought. New plan.

As Jaune rushed forward to keep his assault going, Yang slipped onto his outside and kicked the legs out from underneath. She wasn't surprised when he caught himself, jumping back to his feet to rush back to the fight. After all, he'd been training with her for months.

So she did it again, then again, and again. She'd stopped keeping track after the 27th trip up. But the fact that Jaune just wouldn't stop lit a fire in her that she'd never felt before. But it wasn't the usual one that she felt when she fought, roaring with glee as she met someone fist for fist, pound for pound. No, this was different.

It was the kind of fire that felt cold. It crackled and burned loudly, but it sat in her stomach in the worst way, like she'd just swallowed a 12 ton lead ball.

Tossing him to the ground one last time, Yang didn't wait for him to get back up, joining him on the floor as she straddled his waist. Even when he raised his arms to cover his face, she didn't bother raising a fist.

Grabbing his wrists, she gently pulled them away. "Champ, you're done." Her words quietly echoed throughout the training room as he tried to pull his hands away. "Look at yourself, you're a wreck."

Jaune grit his teeth, glaring at her from between his arms. "I can keep going."

"No you can't!" Yang's hair burst into flames as her eyes shifted to a red color. "It doesn't matter if you're determined to keep fighting, your body's giving out on you! If you keep this up, your heart's going to give out, aura or not!" Didn't he see just how poorly he's been treating himself? Better yet, why was she the one that had to grill into him? He had a partner, great teammates, and even Weiss to grill him.

And here she was, beating some sense into him.

As Jaune tried to sit up, he felt her hands push his shoulders back down, her mouth curling into a frown. He wasn't being that unhealthy, was he? All he'd ever done was train, study, and sleep. After all, wasn't that what he was here to do..?

Blinking, Jaune curled inwards on himself, turning his head to look at the floor. "Sorry," he mumbled, the tension between his brows easing as he let his arms fall to the floor. "I know I haven't exactly been doing a whole lot of good lately, and I'm sorry for that, but I can't stop."

"Why?" She pushed, her brows furrowing as she leaned closer to him, watching as he shrunk away from her. "Are you still on about this whole weak link stuff?"

Jaune sighed as he turned back to look at Yang, his brows upturned as his frown deepened. "...Maybe. What of it?"

The fire in Yang's hair, along with that in her chest, turned to a simmer as the red faded from her eyes, letting out a deep breath. "Champ, you know there's no way that you'd let them down, right?" After all, this was Team JNPR she was talking about. "They love you like your own flesh and blood."

"I don't deserve it." He never felt like he did. All he'd ever done was treat them like they were normal people, and in turn, they loved him like a brother and leader. "I haven't done anything for them to care that much. Haven't done anything for you to care that much either."

Yang blinked as her brows shot up, pointing to herself. "Me?"

A hollow laugh left Jaune's mouth. "You wouldn't be beating sense into me if you didn't care at least a little." A dry smirk tugging at his lips as he curled a brow. "That, and you're the only person to address me about my… issue this directly."

Scoffing, Yang rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, but it's not because you deserve it or don't." This time, she watched as Jaune's brows rose. "Who I care about and what I do to show that care is my own business. Whether you think you deserve it or not doesn't matter to me. And I"m willing to bet it doesn't matter to your team either." A smile gracing her lips as she stared down at him.

Jaune's smirk fell as he hummed, turning back to face the floor. "Maybe so," he started. "But that doesn't change the fact that I… I don't belong. I never did, and I still don't."

"Oh God, this again?" Yang's brows furrowed as she lightly shook the boy's shoulders. "Look, I already told you, you've fought for this just like everyone else-"

She felt Jaune's hands tightly grip her wrists, turning to face her with furrowed brows of his own. "No, that's- it's hard to explain." He said, pulling a hand free from her wrist as he scratched the side of his head. "There are so many things that I want to tell you, but I'm not sure how much I can say."

Yang sighed as she shook her head, a tired smile on her lips. "Champ, you're talking about yourself as if you're some kind of super spy." Besides, she doubted that there was much he could tell her that would actually shock her. "Honestly? I think you're probably overthinking stuff again. Not to downplay how you feel, but I know that when push comes to shove, you'll push yourself and dig in your heels."

"But what if I'm not?" Jaune knew he wasn't exaggerating. He knew just how many laws and rules it took just to get into Beacon in the first place. "For all you know, I could be some crook that snuck his way in for the sake of getting some half-decent training."

Snorting, Yang leaned away from him. "You should meet my Uncle if that's the case. You two'll get along great." If Jaune was a crook like he said. "I can't really see you being a crook or bandit though. You've got too much good in your heart for that."

Before Jaune could get a word in, Yang cut him off.

"But we're getting off-topic here." She said, watching as he sat up, using his arms behind him as support. "You, dear Champ, are going to take your foot off the gas and relax for a few weeks. And if I find out that you didn't relax over break..?"

Awkwardly laughing, Jaune saw Yang's grin widen. "You'll beat me into a puddle?"

"Nope." Her arms came to rest against his shoulders as she pulled him closer. "If I find out that you didn't, then I'll draft up a special training plan just for you. That way, I'll make sure you're too tired to train yourself stupid." Maybe it was the proximity, or maybe it was the fact that she could feel Jaune's breath on her face, but her heart was beating really fast.

Jaune wasn't much better, what with the blood rushing to his face. Well, he supposed it could've been worse. "I-I'll see what I can do." Clearing his throat as he turned to look away.

Oh man, Yang couldn't take it. The way Jaune looked so uncomfortable, she could live off of that look for the rest of her life. But some part of her, deep down, wanted to be a little more greedy.

She wanted more.

Shifting against his waist, Yang used a single finger to pull his chin, forcing him to look at her. "Arc's promise, mister?"

Jaune quickly nodded, gritting his teeth as his hands dug into the floor behind him. This was really bad. Even after the short burst of training they did, Yang smelled nicer than Jaune thought possible, her lavender perfume weakening what little self-control he was clinging to. That wasn't even getting to the fact that she was physically clinging to him, or how soft she felt, or-

Or how scrambled his brain was! What was he thinking?

"Yeah, uh, Arc's word." He said, taking a deep breath as he set his jaw. To think he almost lost his cool there. After all, he had a thing for Weiss, right? He couldn't just go feeling weird things for his boxing coach of all things.

Yang quietly laughed, bringing her mouth close to his ear as she heard his breath hitch. She could get addicted to those kinds of reactions, and that was scary. "I'm glad you see this my way." Her words were as quiet as a whisper. "Look at you, getting this kind of special attention. A lot of guys would kill for this."

Yang's eyes widened as she felt Jaune sit up properly grabbing her by her shoulders and keeping her from falling flat on her back. "Okay, please get off of me." He spoke through gritted teeth, his hair obscuring his eyes as he stared down at the floor.

Shifting off of him, Yang curled a brow before feeling a growing heat in her cheeks. "Oh, uh, yeah. My bad." There she was, teasing him so much that she didn't bother to see just what she was doing. Sitting in his lap, whispering in his ear, sitting nose to nose. That was dangerous. She thought.

Jaune turned his back to her as he scooched away, groaning as he ran his hands up and down his face. Oh man, his brain abuzz with thoughts. That was way too close for comfort. Yang was a pretty girl, and Jaune was never blind to that, but he'd never gotten such a close look before. Well, besides one other time, but that had never really gone anywhere.

Doing his best to shake off the weird heart palpitations, Jaune laughed. "So… spring break, huh?" Why did he have to be so awkward? That was such a bad way to pick back up the conversation. "You plan on spending your couple weeks on Patch?"

Yang nodded, running her hands through her long blonde locks as she pushed down the heat in her cheeks. "Y-yeah, I was thinking about taking a couple weeks to stay at home for a while, maybe work on my bike. Hitting the beach doesn't sound bad either."

Jaune hummed as he smiled to himself, staring up at the ceiling as he kept his back to Yang. "You did say something about Patch's beach being better than a certain other one." Granted, that was months ago now, but it was something he thought about a lot. Actually, come to think of it, he hadn't gone on a mock date with Yang in a while.

Not to say that he was in a rush to go on another! It was… just a passing thought.

Bringing a hand to her chin, Yang could feel the gears slowly turning in her mind. She may have just found a way to make things less weird. "Hey, you said that you don't really have anything in mind for spring break, right?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to see his shoulders stiffen.

Jaune only managed to look back for a brief moment, catching a glimpse of her lilac eyes before turning back. "Well, I actually said that I wanted to train and study." If he actually bothered to remember that they were going on break soon, he'd have thought of something. "Given the fact that I can't do that anymore, I guess I don't."

Yang rolled her eyes, snorting loudly. "What the hell's with that long-winded way of saying that I'm right?" Giggling to herself as she crossed her arms. "Whatever. I was thinking, since you haven't got anything figured out, maybe you and I could hang out and do something. As friends, I mean." She was quick to tack on that last bit.

A weight came off of Jaune's chest as he heard her say that, laughing to himself as he turned around. "As friends." He echoed, nodding as he shot her a smile. "What were you thinking?"

Shrugging, Yang flipped around to face him properly, a light tinge of pink on her cheeks. "I'm pretty sure I offered to take you to one of Patch's beaches, and since break is coming up, I figured we could go." Fiddling with her hands as she shot him a smile. Truth was, she didn't remember doing any of that, but it wasn't a bad idea to offer. "Besides, it'd suck to be cooped up in Beacon all break, right?"

Well, that put Jaune into a bit of a bind. On one hand, if he went with Yang, he risked things still being a little awkward. But on the other, he risked being bored for the trio of weeks that he had for break.

"Sounds like it's not much of a choice then." After all, it wasn't like he was in the position to refuse. Even under the threat of awkwardness, it was hard to say no to Yang. "I guess I'll go out and buy something for the beach before next week."

Yang gave a short fist-pump as she giggled to herself. "Sounds good." She said, pushing herself to her feet as she brushed off her shorts. "Well, you should probably go and get yourself some sleep, and I need to shower. So how about we get up and scram, huh?"

Jaune was quick to join her, pushing himself to his feet, despite his wobbly legs' protests. "Yeah, sounds good. Man, I could really use that…" His words drifted away as his head nodded backwards and forwards.

Before Jaune could fall forward, his body going limp, Yang was quick to catch his arm and sling it over her.

Laughing to herself, she pulled Jaune along, his feet dragging beside her. "You pushed yourself too hard, dumbass." Smiling softly as she dragged him down the steps of the arena. "But that's why you're the Champ." Her smile faded for a moment as she pulled him towards the doors that led out into Beacon's hallways. Things were getting complicated.

Yang hated when that happened.

Howdy.

Yeah, I know, it's been a fat minute since I've updated this story - any story, really. And I'm sure I could go on a long tirade about how bad life has been lately, but I'd rather just tear the bandaid off and come out with it. Ma passed away a little while back, just a day after I updated last, on August 7th. I've had a lot of time to think since then, and I'd be lying if I said I was at a hundred percent. But I'm better than I was when it happened.

Point is, I'm sorry I've been AWOL. Can't say it won't happen again, because my moods have been up and down for a while. What I will say is that I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I won't ask for anyone's sympathies or anything like that, all I ask is that you hold your family a little closer to you if you can. Tell them you love them, drink water, go out and exercise, all that stuff. You never know when you won't have that.

Anyway, at the risk of rambling for too long and artificially inflating the word count to this chapter with an author note, I'll cut it short and hope you all have a lovely rest of your day, wherever you are.

Ciao, y buenas noches.

discord: /7ksPCNs3ZM