First and foremost, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and new year! Thanks for the comment, Kitsuna G, as I'm doing just fine. Though my new year's resolution has to be to finish my damn original novel XD.
So, this chapter was an experiment if anything for me, as it revolves around Weiss who's definitely on par when it comes to the linguistic arts. So I decided to try something new and have them exchange their feelings. Maybe I'll try this with another girl, like Pyrrha, since she's already close to Jaune on an emotional level.
Anyhow, hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
Cheers, Searoar.
"Nora, stop eating the cookies!" Ruby scolded as she put a fresh tray of dough into the oven.
With how many new members were added to the movie night, Ruby took it upon herself to go the extra mile and prepare a collection of sweet treats that everyone could enjoy. At least, that was the plan as a certain red-headed Valkyrie had other ideas. Instead of helping, Nora went about with the intent to examine that every gingerbread cookie was baked to perfection. How she accomplished this, was through cracking off a leg of every gingerbread man and eating it, which was very counterproductive.
"These cookies have to be inspected!" Nora argued and plucked a hot cookie off one of the many racks.
" Nora!" Ruby puffed her cheeks and pointed a wooden spoon at her hungry adversary. "Ren, can't you do anything about our friend? Because if you don't there won't be any sweet treats to celebrate our Christmas together!"
"Right..." Ren sighed with a smile and wrapped his arms around his best friend's waist and gently pulled her to the side. "Sorry, Nora, but I need to save the holiday cheer from your appetite."
"No, you can't do this, Ren!" Nora whined. "I'm Beacon's greatest cookie inspector, and I cannot allow a single gingerbread to be imperfect!"
"They are perfect!" Ruby's voice teetered between despair and anger at how her close friend would claim that her baked goods were not up to par. The young reaper had taken the mantle of the greatest baker from none other than her passed mother and would reach new heights in the baking arts to honor her memory. According to her dad and Uncle Qrow, Ruby was already nearing her peek in the sweet skillset.
"They need more icing!" Nora held up a piping bag triumphantly, but Ren was too quick and got around to snatching any possible deterrents for his partner's leave.
"Come on, Nora!" Ren huffed. "If you don't follow me, I'll make you work with Jaune for the next four hours."
The remark didn't appear to be threatening, but by Nora's reaction, the valkyrie was more than eager to follow her partner's example and skipped out of the dorm faster than ever before. Ren and Ruby blinked at this. Was Jaune really that great of a punishment? The boy was pleasant if anything, at least if he wasn't on a bullhead or any other rocking mode of transportation.
"Maybe you should keep an eye on her," Ruby suggested as Ren let out a dreary sigh.
" Right, I got it." The boy accepted his duties and left the dorm in a hurry.
Alone, Ruby contemplated whether she should continue with the gingerbreads or move on to the custard for the tarts. Then again, the fruitcake still needed to be prepped and the frozen fruits needed to be defrosted. However, the microwave needed to be cleaned from a failed experiment of pop tarts and excess sugar. Courtesy of Nora.
"Ah, there's so much to do!" Ruby complained.
"Then how about I give you a hand with some of the jobs?"
Ruby squeaked at the interruption and whirled around from the stove to see a smiling Jaune with a bag of white flour and a tray of eggs in his hands.
"I passed Ren and Nora on the way here, they told me you could use some help," Jaune explained and set down his contributions on the countertop. The kitchen was a mess, to be frank, and many of Ruby's efforts had gone into the final product instead of maintaining a proper workspace. Flour, and a cracked egg on the floor, Jaune shook his head at the potential accident that littered the ground. It would be a shame if Ruby were to put in all this effort to make everyone a splendid dessert, only for her to receive a few lumps from a silly trip.
Thus, Jaune's first order of business was to get a broom and dustpan, then set to ordering the kitchen's mess. At least, that was his plan until a certain icy heiress entered the picture. With her trademark glare on full blast, Weiss entered the dorm with her hands on her hips and an empty sack slung over her shoulder.
The whole image was odd for Weiss, but the girl cared little for the opinion of her peers for she had a greater mission in mind. Which happened to involve a certain blonde boy who was eyeing her warily.
"Jaune," Weiss said primly, "I require your services in the storage room."
Jaune looked at the sack Weiss held, then at the person who owned it.
"Um..." The blonde set aside his cleaning utensils and rubbed his neck. "Sure, I'd be happy to help you, Weiss, but I'm already giving Ruby a hand."
" Ruby," Weiss said sharply, "do you need Jaune?"
"Nope!" The young reaper replied as she mixed a warm pot of caramelized sugar over low heat. "I'll be alright until you get back, so don't worry about me!"
"Oh, alright then," Jaune shrugged. "So... what did you have in mind, Weiss?"
"I need to gather some Christmas lights and extra lightbulbs along with some chairs and tables. The ones in the auditorium don't fit the aesthetic I'm aiming for, thus I'm seeing to it that everything in my power is aimed at correcting this improper decor."
"Um, right, okay." Jaune nodded sheepishly. He had to hand it to Weiss, to be able to elaborately describe something as simple as changing a few lightbulbs was quite a gift. If only he had such a power, maybe his attempts to woo the heiress would have had a higher chance of success.
Jaune blinked. "Hey, wait a second, I thought the movie night was supposed to be in my dorm room?"
Weiss rolled her eyes and gestured to the walls around her. "With how many people attending, there's no way that we'd all fit in a restricted space such as this. So I asked the higher-ups if we could rent out the auditorium. To cut a long story short, it was a success. Come along now, I don't want to fall behind schedule."
Jaune chuckled. "Yes, no problem, Weiss."
/-/
Boxes. Those were the only objects that Jaune could see in the vast storage room of Beacon Academy. Weiss, oddly enough, had selected the blonde boy to aid her in gathering supplies for the movie tonight for reasons that still eluded him. If it was raw strength that Weiss desired, Nora and Yang would have equaled more than enough. Though Jaune hadn't seen Yang since the sled race, so perhaps she was out of the picture for now.
"All water under the bridge," Jaune hummed and set to sorting through an assortment of red, blue, and white lightbulbs of all shapes and sizes. However, there was a thought that nicked his mind every now and then, and the blonde felt compelled to voice his thoughts.
"Hey, Weiss?" Jaune asked as he opened another large box. "I'm sorry to pry, but why did you ask me to help? Neptune and his teammates were more than ready to lend a hand, and I was supposed to help Ruby and Nora with the desserts. Or rather, me and Ren were supposed to make sure that Nora didn't eat any of the treats that Ruby made."
The boy pondered at the battlefield that was his dorm's kitchen. Nora would no doubt be doing everything in her power to convince Ren to go back to the dorm, and maybe attempt some skillful lurking to sneak in a few bites when no one was looking. Jaune sighed. He enjoyed his red-headed valkyrie's company but sometimes she was just too much to handle for a single man. Or group for that matter.
Jaune blinked when he noticed Weiss had moved straight in front of him. If it weren't for the sharp fingernail that tapped his forehead, the blonde would have never noticed the angry glare on the girl he once held affection for. Then again, did Jaune still like Weiss? In a romantic sense, he never really did give up, but he did offer some much-needed breathing space when it came to a conversation and general interaction.
Perhaps Jaune decided that his time was up, and he'd missed his chance the day Neptune got into the picture. The blue-haired student was not a bad person, and from what Sun, Scarlet, and Sage described, he was as good as they came in regards to a teenager. That, and being a person who didn't look down on Faunus gave Neptune major points in Jaune's book.
"Hello, earth to Jaune?" Weiss huffed.
Oh, right, the heiress was still scowling at him. Alright, Jaune, time to clear your head and focus on your maybe former crush. The blonde opened his mouth, but before he could get a word out, a familiar and excited voice broke the awkwardness like a hammer would a windowpane.
"Hey there, newbies." Coco strutted into the storage room with a wide grin while adorned in her usual huntress attire. Yatsuhashi close behind her, the young man offered his fellow students a polite hello, then went to gather some chairs that were leaning on the nearest wall.
"O-Oh, Coco, how's it going?" Jaune stuttered and scratched his cheek. "Did Yatsuhashi give you the books I dropped off?"
"Yup, and I think I owe you big time for doing me such a favor." Coco lowered her sunglasses and winked at Jaune as she tilted her hips and rested a hand on her purse.
The seductive pose made Jaune blush and he stepped back with a hand on his neck. At first, Blake was acting odd, and now Coco was being even weirder. What had Jaune done in the recent hours that would make everyone act differently? He'd heard from Velvet that her team leader possessed an insurmountable level of confidence that would put even Yang to shame, but to have that attention directed Jaune's way made his brain twist.
Coco grew bolder still, and with a firm step, she put herself a few inches from Jaune, and her hazel eyes could be clearly seen. The way they were narrowed, Jaune assumed Coco was studying him, though he couldn't grasp a reason as to why. Did he have something on his face? No, he'd made sure to clean up a bit before he left with Weiss, yet the more he stared at Coco's fair visage, he witnessed her lick her lips; the subtle action sending a bolt of heat through his heart.
"Excuse me," Weiss sighed and put herself beside Jaune, "but Jaune and I need to head back to the auditorium to finish our final preparations."
"Oh, there's no need to be so uptight," Coco giggled and snagged a stray length of Jaune's blonde locks and twirled it around her finger. The boy was already blushing, but this intimate action made sure the rest of his face and neck followed suit.
In the background, Yatsuhashi curled a brow as he'd called Coco to assist him with the chairs some time ago, only to find that she was... was Coco flirting with JNPR's team leader? This made Yatsuhashi do a double take on the situation. Not once, had he ever seen the fashionista reveal her intentions so boldly, nor had he ever seen her so sincere and determined. Sure, Coco was known to give playful butt pats, much to her teammates' ire, but they took it as Coco wanting to make the atmosphere as awkward as possible for her own enjoyment.
Yet, the longer Yatsuhashi observed, he could see the teeniest blush on his own leader's face, and it only increased when Jaune asked her what the heck she was doing. Yatsuhashi seconded, as he would like to know what was going on as well.
"How about this?" Coco grinned. "I'll take tall, blonde, and handsome here and you can take Yatsuhashi. I'm not one to boast, but my heavy hitter is sure to supply all the muscle you'll need."
"There's no need," Weiss said sharply and to the utter shock of all those in the storage room, wrapped her arm around that of Jaune's.
Jaune had given no consent to this physical contact, but he wasn't against it either. Hmm? Did Weiss change her perfume? The fragrance was most pleasant, giving an air of sweet cinnamon with a hint of spice. Jaune tried to make this observation discreet, but subtlety was never a strong trait of his. His head leaning in Weiss' favor, Coco curled a brow and lowered her sunglasses, then coughed.
"Getting a little touchy there, aren't ya?" Coco mused as Weiss gave a practiced smile in return.
"It's necessary to ensure that Jaune stays on task. Otherwise, we'll never finish what we came for, as I'm sure your partner agrees." Weiss gestured to Yatsuhashi who was waiting at the doors with a stack of foldable chairs in his arms.
"It's alright, Coco," Jaune added. "Weiss and I won't be too long, and once I'm done here I can give you a hand."
The fashionista was displeased and opened her mouth to retort, but a snippy remark from the storage room entrance demanded attention. Standing there, was none other than Velvet whose fair face was twisted in a discontent pout. Fox was there too, along with Sun, and the three students greeted their peers with waves and smiles. At least, Fox and Sun did, as Velvet was more inclined in snagging her sly team leader by the wrist and dragging her back to their dorm to prepare for tonight.
However, Velvet did ensure that Weiss was separated from Jaune, and gave the heiress a look unfit of her cute features. Left alone in an awkward atmosphere, Jaune rubbed his neck and timidly leaned down to continue his lightbulb sorting. This did well to ease his beating heart, but his mind remain perplexed as it tried to sort through the emotions that currently filled it.
"One red light to the left, and a blue to the right..." Jaune hummed in rhythm as he made sure to do his task perfectly. He was working with Weiss, after all, and if there was one thing he'd learned over their months spent together; was that he always had to put in more than a hundred percent to fit her standards.
Jaune chuckled. In some ways, Weiss was sort of like Saphron, as while the boy's older sister had mellowed during her relationship with Terra, there were still times when the older Arc was a little bossy with how she wanted things done or arranged.
Jaune glanced at Weiss, and the heiress appeared to be in her own world as she held up two different light diagrams and contemplated their benefits and downsides in regard to the Christmas theme she was going for. Hah... she was still the same stunning beauty that Jaune met on his first day on campus, and a part of him longed to try his luck once more.
Jaune rid himself of the idea with a soft knock on the scalp. He'd struck out, many times before, and Neptune had secured a potential interest in Weiss' heart. To make a move would be dishonorable, and Jaune would not dash his friend's dreams for his own selfish desires.
"Jaune, what do you think of this..." Weiss paused as the faint echoes of a sincere, husky voice echoed over the room and sharpened the white-haired girl's dulled emotions. Her heart pumping at a similar pace to the poet's syllables, Weiss slowly made her way down the aisles of boxes and found Jaune holding a single spherical ornament in his palm.
"To be the one left behind in winter, as my friends push on for the warmth of a new spring. Such a thing pains me, but alas I find myself also curious to what this new season will bring..."
Jaune's cerulean eyes studied the transparent complexion of the globe and paid keen attention to the plastic snowflakes that danced within their confined sphere of glass.
"Jaune?" Weiss poked the blonde's shoulder, and he turned to her with an expression that made her feel terrible for reasons she could not understand.
"Oh... Weiss, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Don't mind me, I'm just letting my rambling get the better of me again..."
"I see... well, don't allow my presence to stop you. I understand the tedious migraines that are sure to come with a boring task such as lightbulb sorting. I'll leave you be, and again, don't think that I'm here. At all."
Jaune chuckled weakly and went about his business with a downtrodden visage. Weiss looked over her shoulder, and a barb nicked at her heart when she saw her friend's sulking form. Weiss scrunched her nose. Did she really consider Jaune as a friend, or was he a tolerable acquaintance nowadays? She herself did not know and felt exceptionally muddled that she did not have an answer to such a simple question about the status of their camaraderie.
Again, a low voice drummed in rhythm with words that flew on a hot breath of passion. Weiss slowed her footsteps and glanced at the long row of boxes that filled the shelves. Each one, was the exact same as the last with the same cardboard fastened by two streaks of duct tape. Weiss fetched a short ladder and spotted a potential box labeled with the decorations she desired. Yet, with each step that she took, she found her will to climb failing by the second.
The heiress abandoned her initial task and meekly made her way back to where Jaune stood. However, the boy was nowhere to be seen, until Weiss checked upward that is. Perched on the top shelf with the snow globe still in his palm, Jaune contemplated through meticulous ramblings of his past, debating whether the feelings he felt were worth keeping for the years to come.
"It's all useless..." Jaune laughed pathetically and wiped a tear from his eye. Little did the Arc know, however, that he had a perceptive audience below him.
"I-It's not useless..." Weiss said and hid when she realized she'd voiced her thoughts.
Jaune's eyes snapped from the globe to the floor beneath. He couldn't see Weiss, though he supposed his friend had gone to search the farther corners of the warehouse. His heart still aching, Jaune let out a long sigh and his poetic visage returned.
From humble beginnings my journey began.
To find a place I could call my own.
Yet here I am, lost among the peers I respect.
Can I truly claim that I've grown?
/
Hair, white as snow and flows like water.
My cerulean eyes weep for such a daughter.
For my conquests fell flat, I've helped a greater warrior.
Who will never disappoint where I have faltered.
/
Do you hear me, Weiss Schnee?
My voice calls out to you.
Through the constraints that I've bound with my mistakes.
Is sheer effort and an apology all it takes?
/
To make ammends for a new friendship to grow.
Only time will tell, but my feelings are woe.
I'm sorry, Weiss for all the pain I've put you through.
Because an idiot like me was never meant for you...
"H-Huh?" Weiss blinked as tears budded in her icy eyes. Her heart weak and breath weaker, she put a hand over her mouth and debated in muffled silence on whether she should respond. No, to interrupt someone during such a spiritual piece was unladylike, and yet Weiss wanted to correct the blonde's folly. As for Jaune to feel such grievous agony, was unacceptable for the heiress, even if the blonde was a bother sometimes.
However, had anyone given Weiss such attention before? Winter was one, but even her presence was seldom seen. The days Weiss spent in her study room to please her father, there was nothing more than the head Schnee's approval that Weiss desired, or the warm embrace of her mother... when she didn't reek of excessive drink. Weiss slumped against the wall and stared at Jaune as he sat while tossing the snow globe between his hands. Through his words, the heiress finally understood that his affections were true, that he wanted to know Weiss, but his brash attempts to get closer to her had dug a moat between them.
Weiss' eyes gleamed with determination. There was only one way for her intentions to reach Jaune, to explain to him that they could truly be friends. With a deep breath and stirred heart, Weiss opened her mouth and spoke clearly, and strongly.
Chances come and chances go.
Where they lead we do not know.
But to quit when the voyage is still early...
Is that not an error of childish worry?
Weiss gulped with baited breath. She'd spoken her piece, but when no immediate response came, she stifled a sniffle and gripped her head. How foolish could she be? She wasn't interested in Jaune in a romantic sense, but the way he spoke about his feelings... it was liberating and captured Weiss' entire focus. Then, it happened, Jaune's poetic musings had not been destroyed, merely rerailed as he ventured down this trade of poems.
Flowers bloom and flowers wilt.
From their decay a new garden is built.
Is it not too late for this seed to bloom?
Or am I dreaming before my doom?
Weiss curled her fists and bit her lower lip.
Time is measured not through length, but importance.
And I've accepted your performance.
The standards of a Schnee are tall and far.
Yet here you have not only met, but raised the bar.
Jaune took heed of these words, and sniffled as his nose and throat grew congested.
These words are pleasant and lift my soul.
But is boy with blue not your true goal?
To poach a fair maiden from another man I respect.
I must gather courage and deflect...
Weiss grew bolder still and a fire had been lit in her breast.
To deflect is cowardly!
This is not the man I've come to admire!
A naive boy who hides his true intentions.
Is a person I will never be able to acquire!
Jaune's tears dripped off his chin, and he stood while still staring at the snow globe in his hand. He walked slowly on the roofs of the shelves, with Weiss strolling beside and beneath him.
Romance is not a trophy that is obtained.
But a garden that must be cared for and maintained.
Because the finish line is but a new place to start.
And from there, I wish to truly hear your heart.
Jaune stopped and lowered his snow globe. His grip on the ornament was weak, so he decided to gently kick it along as he continued his ramblings. Though now it was Weiss' turn to respond, and her vigor was explosive.
I hear your songs and heed their words!
I am no longer a distant, soaring bird!
I've humbled myself to the earth below.
And I refute your wishes to forgo!
Jaune had reached the end of this side of the shelves and tapped the snowglobe as it hung precariously over the shelf's edge. However, the blonde did not get the chance to speak as the heiress beneath him burst.
Am I no longer a beauty to you?!
Has my tongue soured your opinion?!
My scowls frightened your ambition?!
Tell this stupid girl, knight!
Because she is lost without an answer!
Weiss sunk to the floor and her knees touched the ground. She covered her face with her cold palms and cried pathetically in her own misshapen sorrow. Then, the shattering of a winter trinket roused her from her despair, and the appearance of two, kind cerulean eyes damped in tears, above a warm smile ebbed the pain in her heart away.
Perhaps, this sullen beauty would lift her lips for me?
Because she is not a person who I wish to pity.
From the day I set foot on this campus, your face is the only one I've seen.
Weiss Schnee, a girl who I hope to bring everlasting glee.
Jaune's thumb traced over the heiress' visage and removed her tears. Weiss was smiling now, and there wasn't a sight that could hold any equal to the radiance that the girl displayed.
"With such a poem of dedication... I think you've earned this compensation." Weiss stood on the tips of her toes and planted her thin, delicate lips on Jaune's cheek. The warmth of his skin, seeped into Weiss as she made contact, and though her face was covered in a crimson blush, her actions were calm and controlled.
"Till the next time we meet," Weiss turned and showed Jaune her back, "I expect my gift to be a favorite treat."
Weiss, her feet light as a feather, skipped out of the storage room as she swayed her hips with her hands-free to dance as she performed a series of pirouettes and twirls. For even if the moment was brief, the kind-hearted snow angel had spread her wings for all to see, and it was all thanks to a knight she hadn't forgotten and embraced.
Jaune's brain finally caught up with his actions. His ramblings were still a blur to him, but the revelation that Weiss had given him a kiss, not just a peck, on the cheek had to be one of the greatest moments in his life. The blonde blinked. Hold on just a second, Weiss said that he could return the offer, which meant there was still a smooch that needed to be delivered!
With a heart eager for affection, Jaune ran out of the storage room with a smile so electric that it could power a city. He blitzed down the halls and retraced his steps, but made a wrong turn and went the opposite way in which he came in. Though to his luck and delight, he found the elegant girl taking stiff steps in the middle of the wide, empty hall.
"My Schnee, your Arc has come to deliver!"
The white-haired girl turned to address the blonde who called out to her and wore a face of bewilderment that turned to absolute shock as Jaune cupped her face with warm palms, leaned in, and delivered a smooch right on the bloody lips. He savored the sweet taste of her beige lipstick, finding it to not be murky but holding a hint of nutmeg. He then pushed his tongue to lick the clamped teeth of his crush that soon opened to have her own tongue entangled in his devotion as the girl's toes and fingers curled at such raw passion.
After Jaune's gift was granted, he opened his eyes to observe the fluttering effect of his advance.
Then it dawned on the boy. Huh, it was odd that Jaune didn't need to hunch and only had to tilt his neck to give his kiss. That, and how capable was Weiss with her mastery of hair to change her off-set ponytail to a bun in the short span of a minute! Wow, she must be really talented with cosmetics. Also, did she cover her scar with makeup too? No... that didn't seem right...
Jaune blinked, as did the tomato-tinted face of the woman he held. Odd... did Weiss seem... older? The sound of a pin dropping echoed through the halls, and as the seconds ticked by, Jaune's inner poet had come up with both a solution and a revelation.
My wings have spread, but my eyes play tricks on me.
It would appear, that in my haste I have made quite a folly.
Forgive me my dear, for I must depart.
Because with that angry face and blade you wield, I need a head start!
After a deep breath, Jaune released Winter from his grasp and yelled for mercy as he eventually passed a muddled Ren and Nora, who were promptly plowed by a Boarbatusk and Beowolf respectively.
"I-I-I'LL HAVE YOU EXPELLED BY THE END OF THE DAY YOU HOOLIGAN!" Winter shrieked as she drew her sword, activated her semblance, and summoned all sorts of ice-shapen Grimm with the sole intent of gnawing the running blonde to pieces.
Jaune's journey of peril led him to the second floor of the school, where unbeknownst to him, Emerald Sustrai was strolling without a care in the world. That is until she saw a panting blonde and a fierce Atlesian elite hot on his heels with a blush that would put a pomegranate to shame.
Emerald did a double take on what she saw. Wasn't that the boy Cinder said not to harm for the rest of the vacation? Then again, Emerald wasn't the one causing Jaune any harm, and she could simply walk away knowing that she wouldn't be punished for something she wasn't responsible for.
On the other hand, Emerald needed something to distract her from her insufferable boredom, and it looked like Jaune was an easy ticket out of her mopey state. Thus, with a deep breath, Emerald activated her semblance and allowed her aura to take care of the rest.
Before Winter could hack Jaune to pieces, the boy was out of sight and replaced by... a pineapple? The Atlesian elite scowled, and searched high and low but could not find any trace of the boy. However, his face did seem familiar, as Winter's conversations with Weiss had often gone into detail about the students her younger sister had classes with.
"That boy is as good as dead..." Winter huffed and bit her lower lip. She shook her head frivolously in an attempt to forget the random, but very passionate kiss, and pulled out her scroll to call her beloved sibling... and plot her revenge.