Symbiote Knight

Chapter 17: Attraction

Jaune was grinning as the memory of him and Weiss actually hanging out entered his mind. He couldn't believe he had done it. He actually got her to spend time with him alone, not once but twice. At this rate maybe he could even convince her of an actual date. He was starting to plan on what he could do next when he was smacked in the head with a black sword caused him to shift his focus.

"Ow," Jaune stumbled as he looked at the black figure across from him.

"You're distracted," Valor told him as the sword melted back into its form.

"Sorry," Jaune sighed as he rubbed his head, although they were in the training space of his mind while his body slept, he was wondering one thing. "Okay so if this is all in my head why does that hurt?"

"Pain is a valuable teaching tool," Valor explained. "Also, I did dull it down or else that blade would have cut through your skull."

Jaune paused thinking about something. "So, if I die in here…"

"It will not come to that and besides if such a thing did happen it would harm me as well," Valor then placed his hands on his hips. "You have been distracted all night."

Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "I thought you could read my mind?"

"I can but I do allow my hosts some privacy when needed," Valor didn't mention that privacy worked both ways. There were some things that Jaune wasn't meant to learn, like the origin of his race. That was a personal shame he didn't want to expose his hosts to, as did most of their kind.

"I was just thinking about Weiss."

"Ah," Valor nodded his head. "You're near obsession with this female."

"It's not an obsession…" he paused thinking about it. "Is it?"

Valor shrugged. "In these matters it is hard to say, as you know my kind do not have the 'romantic love' that other races have. I have bonded with plenty of other species, but they all have different definitions of what 'love' is for them, if they even have a word for that concept."

"I am curious Jaune, what will you do if you fail?" Valor asked tilting his head in consideration.

"What do you mean?"

"What if she doesn't choose you? Will you continue? What if she chooses another?" Valor knew of things like jealousy, but he was sure that Jaune wasn't that type of person. He had seen too much of that made up the young man to know he wasn't the type that would be twisted by rejection. Valor had seen many people fall that way in their long life.

Jaune sighed as he put his weapons away really thinking about it. "I mean…it's going to suck that's for sure, but I'd step out of the way. I just want her to be happy after all."

The alien seemed to contemplate that. "I see, well there are certainly other female options for you…are you sure you're not attracted to males of any kind?"

Jaune blushed at the comment a little. "Yes, I'm certain."

"I just wanted to be sure," Valor waved his hand as suddenly a line up of women that Jaune knew showed up. There was Ruby, Blake, Weiss, Yang, Pyrrha, Nora, Coco, Velvet and even Miss Goodwitch. "These are the predominant females in your life, I'm hoping you can help me in understanding why you feel attracted to them."

"Attraction!? Wait why all of them?" Jaune asked him frantically looking at them all.

The symbiote looked at him as though he had asked a silly question. "Jaune, through our link while I may feel your emotions, I don't always completely understand them. You have felt some kind of attraction to each of these women in some form."

"Wait…I have?" Okay so maybe he could see it, they were all pretty girls at the very least, but he wasn't really that attracted to all of them…was he?

"The emotions do vary," Valor stepped up to the Ruby facsimile. "This one you care about deeply but in a more unique way."

"Ruby is my best friend," Jaune explained as it was odd seeing how still they all were, like statues but they looked so real at the same time. "She's fun and she's been helping me to be a better leader. She always seems to know what to say to help someone out."

Then he smiled. "Even though she can get easily flustered and panics in social situations. I guess I just see her as like a little sister?" He thought about it long and hard looking at her. "She's cute but I think because of the age difference between us I can't help but see her as like a younger sister."

"Ah yes age does come into play doesn't it," Valor nodded and then looked at Ruby and tilted his head. Jaune watched in surprise as the Ruby image grew a few inches, her hair a little longer and her figure was a bit more like Yang's as she filled out. "What about now?"

"What did you just do?" Jaune said looked at the new Ruby image.

"Guessed as best I could with how she could look in a few years' time, I used her sister as a base as I figured they could in theory grow in similar ways. So would this older Ruby be more to your liking?"

Jaune had to admit that she was a bit prettier now, she had lost a little of the childish look she had. "I…I guess so, but that's only a guess at what she'll look like."

"Hmmm, that is correct," Valor turned it back to its original form of current Ruby. He then walked over to Blake. "I have noticed you giving her a few looks."

Jaune felt embarrassed about all of this, yes, he had looked at Blake a few times. "I mean, she's got this cold mysterious vibe going for her."

"I also noticed her sneaking glances at her legs now and then."

Jaune winced at being caught, it wasn't his fault. All the girls wore skirts at school so of course he saw all their legs. It was just that Blake had nice legs like Weiss did. Blake had this dark beauty look to her with her long dark hair and purple eyeshadow and her intense golden eyes. "Okay yes, she's attractive but I don't really know her that well. She's kind of hard to get to know as she's not very much of an open book."

"So, if you knew her better perhaps something could start?" Valor honestly asked curious about it.

"Maybe?" Jaune shrugged. "Again, I'd have to get to know Blake a lot better. Okay seriously are going to go through all of them?"

"I would like to," Valor explained to him. "While I share your body and mind, just because I have access to knowledge doesn't mean I fully understand it. Knowing something and understanding something are two separate things."

Jaune thought about his words and that was something he understood. Sure, with Valor's help he could recall anything in a book or in class but that didn't mean he fully understood the knowledge. He still sometimes needed an explanation about it to fully understand said knowledge. He guessed that with Valor being an alien and also being with so many other alien races, he was just trying to deepen his understanding of the people of this world.

"Okay I can see what you mean." Jaune signed in defeat. Valor had been helping him for so long now it was only fair for him to help the alien in understanding humanity.

Valor nodded, "Excellent." He pointed to Yang as he continued on. "From what I have seen Yang is what many would consider beautiful, in fact I've heard your thoughts on the matter a few times."

Jaune felt embarrassed by that, sometimes having a symbiote was a double-edged sword. "Okay, yes I admit it, Yang is very attractive, but she wouldn't be interested in me, she could have any pick of anyone in the school."

Valor's 'face' made a frown. "You really need to stop with the negative perception of yourself. You are not the same man you once were."

"I…guess so," Jaune did feel a bit more confident these days to say the least.

Suddenly Yang's image smiled at him as she walked towards him with a sway of her hips. "Now Jaune you should know a girl can change her mind." She lightly touched his nose with her index finger slowly dragging it to his chest and then leaned forward.

"Especially if the right person shows up," She smiled with a very intense look in her eyes as she bent forward and took said finger to trail down her neck and to her yellow top, slightly pulling it down slightly to show off her cleavage.

"Okay! Okay stop!" Jaune's face was all flushed as Yang's image disappeared and went back to its original spot standing straight up like nothing happened. "What was that!?"

"I was attempting to show you that perhaps you should keep your 'options open' I believe the phrase is." The symbiote explained to him. "If Yang did come up to you like that, would you accept her?"

"I mean, I don't, it's not that simple…" Jaune was flustered, there was no way someone like Yang would be interested in him, right? "Look…maybe? I don't know unless it would happen but please don't make them do anything like that again, it just feels wrong."

"Very well," Valor would agree to the term. "Now what about your partner Pyrrha?"

"Well, what about Pyrrha?" Jaune looked at the image of his partner.

"Do you not find her attractive?"

"I mean…sure, but she's Pyrrha." Jaune simply said.

"I will need more explanation than that," Valor turned to face the red head. "By all accounts that I have learned she too would be considered a beautiful woman on this world. She is tall, athletic but not too much, the green eyes and red hair are a good combination on this world, isn't it?"

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, really looked this time. Yes, he had to admit she was picture perfect, she had just the right built, and her eyes and hair were a great combination for her. He started to think, on that day in the locker room when he had tried to be 'confident' with Weiss and then with her, only to get speared (literally) to another locker. Granted he had it coming, things in hindsight were always clearer than in the present.

It was because of that incident and how she had been so kind and understanding towards him that he felt asking her out might be an issue. She was this famous person apparently and who was he? Sure, he was her partner but that had been random chance. Looking again, maybe in another life things could have been different?

"I think it might cause issues if we dated," Jaune sighed. "I mean yes, she's really pretty and amazing, warm and kind…but we're teammates."

"I have seen many partnerships fail because of things like this," Valor nodded his head with the memories of other hosts. "But I have also seen many thrive because of it. Only you two can determine if such a pairing can last."

"Yeah, I guess so," Juane looked at her. "I mean she would be a good girlfriend but I'm her friend and partner, I don't want to risk losing that. Besides I don't think she would be interested in someone like me. I'm not famous or come from some kind of great background. I was literally a nobody before coming to Beacon. She should have someone more on her level."

Valor tilted his head in confusion. "If that is the case then why are you after Weiss? Wouldn't the same reasons you just listed be the same reasons you shouldn't go after her."

"I mean…" Jaune paused as he found he had no answer. If he was willing to go after Weiss despite all that then why did he think Pyrrha would be any different? Just because they were on the same team? Because they were partners? It left him stunned by the realization as it left him with something to think things over.

"Then there's Nora."

"Oh no," Jaune waved his hands. "She's like a sister to me and I think there's something going on between her and Ren."

"They are very close," Valor admitted. "Perhaps if things don't work out with Weiss you could ask to join them since they are both very close to you?"

"Wait, WHAT!?"

"Oh, that's right you are not into males of the species," Valor suddenly remembered as there were races that had multiple pairings either for culture reasons or biological ones. "It is a shame as Ren I believe is considered quite handsome by your people."

"Why would you even suggest that?" Jaune groaned feeling a little uncomfortable. He had nothing against that kind of relationship, he would be a huge hypocrite given his siter Saphron and her wife Terra after all. It just wasn't for him.

Valor tilted his head at Jaune. "It is a perfectly natural way of coupling on Rigel Prime, there is only one female for every four males so the females who run the planet take on males as part of their 'union' as they call it." The alien explained to Jaune.

"That…doesn't happen on this planet," Jaune patiently explained.

"So, it would seem," Valor conceded the point but then suddenly paused as a thought entered his mind. "Although why is it that you have memories of watching a video of two males and a female coupling together in-"

"Okay that's enough!" Jaune was fully red know as he forgot just how deep Valor can search into his memories. Apparently, the few times Jaune was able to actually watch porn was not considered off limits to the alien just yet. Something he might have to talk to him later about and boy was that going to be an embarrassing conversation.

"Well then moving on," Valor stepped up to Coco.

"Okay let's just get this out there, that's not happening," Jaune told him. "Yeah, she's hot but I got like zero chance because I'm a guy."

"Ah yes, like how you prefer women she also prefers only women." Valor tilted his head. "Strange, why is there still an attraction then if there is no chance of coupling?"

"Well," Jaune scratched the back of his head. "I mean just by her looks and personality, she's still attractive. I mean, you can still feel attraction to someone that doesn't like you back. Look at how I am with Weiss."

Valor thought about it, this was so confusing at times trying to fully understand humans.

"The last two are older and yet I feel you are attracted to both I thought the age difference between you and Ruby was one of the main issues?"

"Yeah, she's a little older but, well…how do I explain this?" Jaune looked up. "It's actually safer for me to like older women? I mean there are laws against dating girls under a certain age after all."

"So wouldn't it be wrong for her to like someone your age?" The symbiote was trying to follow the logic. "Or are you old enough past that minimum age?"

"The second one," Jaune said. "Wait, aren't there other species that would have similar taboos?"

"There are," Valor nodded. "I just needed to be sure, I would hate to think that I had a misunderstanding of your culture in a key moment. This is to ensure that I completely understand the differences between your culture and the hundreds I have access to in my memories."

When he put it like that, Jaune had to admit there had to be a lot of different culture clashes out there in space.

"So, what would you consider Velvet then?" The symbiote asked.

Jaune groaned, why did his symbiote had to pick people he knew? This was all kind of awkward for him. Maybe fictional characters or famous people would have been better, he would have no chance of meeting them after all. Looking at Velvet there was just one thing he could describe her as.

"Yeah, she's the definition of the cute girl next door," Jaune sighed if he was being honest with himself. "The bunny ears I find really cute on her. Plus, I like her accent, it's really unique. I'm not even sure where she's from but I like it when she talks."

"I have noticed she talks slightly differently than everyone else," Valor knew about accents, but he wasn't familiar with all the ones on this planet just yet. Even in stellar societies when a planet was unified there were still local accents even if the populous all spoke the same root language.

"Lastly we have Glynda Goodwitch," Valor spoke up, but Jaune waved it off.

"Okay, I'll stop you there buddy," Jaune told him as he was going to finish this one off quickly. "The age thing is back, she's almost old enough to be my mother and yes, she's every student's dream of being with your teacher fantasy, it's just morally wrong."

"Because she is in a position of power, and it would be unethical to break that?" Valor said surprising Jaune.

"Oh, so you got that one figured out."

"Mostly," Valor looked at the teacher. "I can see why nothing happens, but you still find her attractive."

"It's…mostly physical," Jaune admitted. "I mean look at her! She's like every schoolboy fantasy right there, despite her age she's still extremely beautiful." He didn't like to admit it, but he was pretty sure many boys and some girls at the school found her very attractive. She was an older woman who had this air of authority but there was also that forbidden fruit of a teacher and their student thing going. It would never happen of course she was way too strict and wouldn't break the rules for something like that.

"So does this help?" Jaune groaned feeling more emotionally drained after all this.

The symbiote nodded. "Yes, while I'm still learning I do believe this had helped me to understand."

He waved his hand as now only Blake, Yang, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Velvet were left. "So, by process of elimination I can conclude that these five are the most suitable for you at attempting to find a mate."

"I-I just wanted to try and get Weiss to like me," Jaune blushed again. What was with this whole 'mate' talk?

"Yes, but if you should fail you should look for backups." He looked over the choices as Weiss disappeared. "If you can't have Weiss would any of these females, be attractive enough for you to pursue next?"

Jaune was put on the spot as he looked them over, what if things didn't work out with Weiss? Would he just go on to the next girl? Well not right away he wouldn't, most likely he would mope around a bit trying to nurse his broken heart, that much he knew. Looking them over they were all pretty girls that he would be lucky to get.

"Maybe? It's not like I have any plans for this or in a hurry." Jaune told him.

"Granted," The Symbiote nodded. "You do have the rest of your life and after Beacon you may also find someone out there you are extremely attracted to. I'm just trying to help you as best I can."

Valor started looking at the images again as Blake and Velvet vanished leaving only Yang and Pyrrha. "I think if you did try to choose a new female to be with, it would be these two. You spend a lot of time with them, and I have noticed that you do enjoy your time with them. That is an important aspect of relationships of your people, the ability to enjoy your time with someone?"

"It's a big on yeah," Jaune looked at the images of Yang and Pyrrha. He had to admit both girls were very beautiful but also very different. Yang was full of energy and excitement, ready to have fun at the drop of a hat but she was also a caring big sister. Something Jaune knew very well as he could appreciate that side of Yang.

Pyrrha was so caring and loving, he could see being the most supportive type of girlfriend he could ever think of.

"Well at any rate," Jaune stopped looking at them and back to his symbiote. "I need to see if I can get anywhere with Weiss first after that…we'll see."

"Agreed, oh our time is up."

"Huh?" Jaune blinked as he suddenly heard the sound of the alarm in the room. He heard Nora groaning asking for five more minutes as everyone else was getting up. Jaune rubbed his eyes as he stretched out.

"Good morning, everyone," Pyrrha smiled as she too stretched out. She was always a morning person and always seemed to be cheery when getting up.

Jaune couldn't help but noticed how her pajamas formed around her body when she stretched. He felt his face warm as he quickly looked away. Great, now because of what Valor and him were talking about he suddenly found himself looking at his partner and friend as…what exactly?

~An attractive female?~

'Not helping!'

"Are you okay Jaune?" Pyrrha noticed Jaune was lost in his own little world and was his face looking flushed? Maybe he was coming down with something.

"Oh no worries, do you girls want the bathroom first today?" He asked trying to act normally. But then he looked at her eyes and suddenly he was surprised that he had never noticed just how pretty her eyes were before. They were green like emeralds and her red hair was very vibrant.

Pyrrha didn't notice him staring as she looked over to see Ren trying to wake up Nora and smiled. "I think you boys should take the bathroom this morning, it might take Nora a little more time to wake up today."

"Alright, yeah good idea." Jaune quickly excused himself.

It was a long awkward morning as he tried not to notice little things, like how much he enjoyed Pyrrha in stockings in her school uniform.

'Stop it, why can't I stop these thoughts? Valor, can you make them stop?' Jaune begged his symbiote.

It was silent a moment before answering. ~I could…but I won't. That would be a taboo to my kind that to alter or control the mind of your host. I am sorry but I will not break that, even for you~

Jaune mentally signed. 'Yeah okay, I get it.'

Breakfast wasn't much easier, Yang was sitting across from him as he tried to follow along with what everyone was talking about but he couldn't help notice little things about Yang now. There were the obvious things about her physically but like Pyrrha and Weiss she had very unique eyes. The violet eyes were so full of live.

"Yo, something on my face?" Yang joked seeing Jaune looking at her.

"Just your eyes." He said absentmindedly before he could stop himself.

"Huh?" Yang blinked.

Jaune started to panic a little. "No, I mean, it's just, well I didn't notice how pretty they were until now. Violet's not seen often, and it was a nice color…sorry," He muttered the last bit feeling embarrassed.

Yang however was shocked silent, but she would be lying if she said she didn't feel anything from that. It actually felt nice to be complimented about her eyes, usually when guys bring something up, they never go for that or her hair. She smiled as she started to play with a strand of her hair.

"Oh, well thanks, it's nice of you to notice." Yang felt a small blush as a smile slowly grew on her face. She locked eyes with Pyrrha who looked a little down. While Yang felt like she scored a point over the former champion, she couldn't help but feel for the girl. Their little talk she felt she got to know Pyrrha on a deeper level than before.

"Anyone else you think has pretty eyes?" Yang half teased and half giving him an opening.

"I mean…" Juane paused, was she being serious? So, he thought about it. "I mean everyone here has something, I think. Weiss has those light blue eyes I've never seen before they remind me of crystals."

Said girl was only half listening before she heard her name, and she raised a single eyebrow at his description of her eyes. She wasn't unpleased by his description of her eyes. As she mulled it over, she kind of liked it.

"Ruby, I think has the most unique, I never even heard of silver eyes until I met her." He pointed out.

"Apparently I get them from my mom," Ruby said in the middle of eating. "She had them too."

"Blake's yellow eyes are really intense, but I like them," Jaune shrugged as Blake heard this being on the end of the table.

"What about Pyrrha?" Yang asked.

Jaune got a little quiet as both him and Pyrrha got a little uncomfortable, but the redhead was curious. So Jaune remember what he should earlier. "Well, I think they look really nice, like pieces of emerald or jade."

"Oh…thank you." Pyrrha smiled but felt her stomach do a little flip. This was the first time Jaune had every complimented her looks to her. She cast a look to Yang who the other girl gave a wink. Pyrrha felt a little grateful to see that Yang was being civil with the fact both of them had feelings for Jaune.

Jaune decided to focus more on his meal after that, he felt a bit embarrassed by expressing his thoughts on the matter. Thankfully Nora was too busy with enjoying her pancakes to care and Ren was, well he was just being himself, quiet and composed as ever. Of course, now he really couldn't stop thinking about the girls in his life.

He was used to being surrounded by them, but then again those were mostly family members. He had no relations with any of the girls at Beacon. He actively was starting to wonder what he could do if he couldn't win Weiss over. Just how long was someone supposed to go on with a broken heart? Sure, he liked Weiss, but it wasn't ready to commit to saying he had undying love for her, and she would be the only person for him.

He thought about his options, and he had to admit he never had so many female friends before. There were other girls as well in the school, but the young women here were the ones he was closest too, Velvet was a few years older than him, but he didn't mind, she really did have this cute girl next door vibe about her.

He was thankful when first period started that day, he could pay attention to the class and focus on just that.

Then came the part of the day that Jaune used to regret but lately had started to look forward to. Combat Class, the time of day he could finally test out all the training he had been putting himself through. Lately he had been doing really well, oh sure he still struggled and had a loss here and there but at least he wasn't losing all the time and the times he did loose he had to force his opponent to push themselves.

He wasn't the only one that took notice either, as someone who had been the bottom of the class everyone noticed when he had suddenly started showing a lot more improvement.

One person however knew something strange was going on and this was Pyrrha. At first, she pushed it off that Jaune was just starting to really pick up on their late-night training. Then something else started to happen. He was using techniques and moves she had never taught him before. He claimed he was researching and that little fencing lesson with Weiss sure, maybe that could have happened.

As the red head saw Jaune go up another class member of their year she paid close attention to hos he moved. She tried to force out how her teammate would cheer for him and even both Ruby and Yang were into it. Weiss would give nods of approval as Blake stared with an interest in his style of fighting.

That was also what Pyrrha was watching for because over time Jaune had started to develop his own style, but it was things he couldn't possibly had learned while only researching. He used his shield in ways she might have but never got around to teaching and there was no way Weiss could teach him anything like that. From all the training they had together she felt she had the best sense of the kind of fighter Jaune was.

But over the last few months something had changed in Jaune. She couldn't stop noticing it anymore, couldn't stop putting if off as him just learning quickly or picking something up in a book. The way he moved his feet was too practiced, he was using feints now, another thing she hadn't gotten to yet. He was looking at how his opponent was moving, this was something a more seasoned fighter would react.

She watched as Jaune deflected his opponent's weapon stepped in and used the pummel of his sword to strike the other student and then when they staggered back to follow up with his blade. Jaune made it look simply but Pyrrha could tell it was well practiced. She had faced so many opponents to keep her three-year champion status, so she had a good idea of how experienced a fighter was by how they moved.

Jaune had somehow gone from someone with no experience to someone who had a lot more experience than he should have way too quickly.

Something was off here, and it wasn't a bad thing, she liked that he was getting better. It was just that he was getting better faster than he should with knowledge he shouldn't have. Was he getting training from someone else on top of her own? She didn't see how as they had classes, night training and even the training he was doing with Yang and Nora in the gym he couldn't sneak away for anymore.

She doubted he was sneaking out of their room in the middle of the night to meet with someone, one of them would have caught him by now if he was and he was way too well rested in the morning if he somehow had been. Then there were his marked improvements in class and his strange appetite.

Pyrrha watched as Jaune won his match as their friends cheered but she sat there simply politely clapping. She couldn't ignore it anymore; she couldn't tell herself it was just nothing.

Jaune was keeping secrets from them.

His sometimes odd behavior lately was another thing that had been nagging at her. Jaune was keeping something from her, from all of them. Part of her felt a little hurt that he couldn't trust them with whatever it was. Had he been playing the fool before now? No, it wasn't that she was certain of that. His personality was just too honest for that kind of deception. But he was being deceptive about something.

The fact that he hadn't confided in her, his friend and partner, well that hurt the most. She wanted to say that she could trust him with anything but whose to say that? Maybe it hurt because she suddenly realized they weren't as close as she had thought.

"Hey Pyrrha," Nora nudged her.

"What?" The red head snapped out of her thoughts.

"Professor Goodwitch called you up." Nora explained.

"Oh!" she jumped up haven't even heard her name being called by a now slightly irritated class teacher waiting for her. "I'm sorry, I'm coming."

She felt a bit embarrassed as she got up to quickly get her weapons. She passed by Jaune on the way back to the seats.

"Go get'em Pyrrha," He smiled at her.

She forced one of her well preformed smiles on her face. "Thank you and good work."

Pyrrha's smile fell as soon as he was no longer in sight. She had no idea what was going on with Jaune but maybe Yang had been right about taking the initiative at times. She couldn't come out and say it but maybe if she gently asked him, he would open up to her. She hoped so, she wanted to understand what was going on and she wanted him to be honest about her.

Maybe then she could start to being honest with her own feelings towards him.

TBC…