A/N: One day later!? Egads!
Enjoy.
X
-Yang-
An image flashed through her mind, and not for the first time that evening. It was a picture of Jaune and Weiss walking next to each other, chatting away as they walked to his truck. A screenshot of Jaune making a little joke that Weiss rolled her eyes at before calling him a dolt. A capture of the moment that Weiss glanced around to ensure they weren't being watched before rising on her tiptoes and bringing Jaune's head down to her level so she could steal-
"Yang!"
The voice, her mother's voice, was sharp enough to snap her out of her daydream. She looked across the dinner table and sheepishly said, "Sorry, Mom; I didn't hear whatever you said to me. What's up?"
Rather than being angry, Summer seemed to be more concerned than anything else. Why was her mom looking at her so warily? "'What's up,' Yang, is that you've completely crushed your cup."
Yang looked down at her right hand. Before she had slipped into her delusions- because it wasn't real, she told herself - she'd been taking a drink from her plastic cup filled with water. As advertised it was completely worthless now, the center of the cup collapsed within itself from the sheer force her grip had exerted on it. Slowly, and shaking a little bit, she extracted her fingers from the remains and addressed her family. "Sorry, guys. I-I didn't mean to do that. At least it wasn't a glass cup, right?"
"Sis..." Ruby's voice was no less concerned than their mother's. "What's wrong? You've been acting strange all afternoon."
"Rubes, I'm fine, just a little distracted." It was plain to see that nobody was fooled, so she enacted plan B: tactical retreat. She collected her plate and utensils and stood up. "Thanks for dinner, Dad, but the noodles were a little overcooked this time."
Gasp. "You take that back, young lady."
"You can't hide from the truth, old man." Forcing a giggle at his expense, she slipped into the kitchen to rinse her plate off. Success! Now she just needed to put all of this in the dishwasher and disappear to-
Summer popped up beside her like a ghost, rinsing her own plate off before turning to face her. Damn. "Honey, what's bothering you? Ruby's right, you haven't been 'you' since you came back from school."
She truly didn't want to be having this conversation, so she walked away as she answered, "Mom, I'm fine, really."
"Are you fine, or are you f.i.n.e.?"
Yang stopped, more than a little confused. Looking back at her mother she asked, "What the heck does that mean?"
Summer held up four fingers and ticked them off for each letter. "Freaked out. Insecure. Neurotic. Emotional. It's a saying that Nicholas Arc used to share back in the day. I guess it's more accurate than I gave him credit for."
Naturally, the name rang a bell. "You knew Jaune's dad?"
"Indeed, although I didn't recognize Jaune's name at first because I only knew him as Nick." Summer reached forward and gently grabbed Yang's shoulder. "Is Jaune part of what's bothering you? Is he okay?"
"He's fine, Mom; as in he's actually okay. I just-" She stopped and sighed. "Can we not talk about this on the stairs?"
"Of course. Do you want to talk in your room instead?" Yang answered by walking once more, her mother following right on her heel. When they entered her room, Yang made sure to lock the door behind them to prevent any intrusions. Summer sat down on bed and pat the space next to her, a clear invitation to sit. She obeyed, and once she did Summer took the reins. "If Jaune really is okay, honey, then why are you so upset?"
How could she answer that when she herself couldn't wrap her head around everything? When her mind kept feeding her falsified images of things that she couldn't help but hate? For lack of any better idea, she started from the beginning. "Do you remember when I asked you for help with Jaune?"
"I do. You said Jaune was headed to a blind date with someone you personally knew and you were afraid of how things would turn out."
"Yeah, well, it definitely went to the bad side. The girl was a no-show, which was why I took Jaune out the next day to cheer him up. On Monday I confronted her and found out that she didn't have a reason for ditching besides being a coward, so I decided that I was going to be Jaune's new best friend no matter what. I got Jaune a date to the dance and everything seemed to be going alright-"
"Rewind just a moment," interrupted Summer. "What do you mean 'you got Jaune a date to the dance?' You mean you asked him to go with you, right?"
She shook her head. "There's another girl in school named Pyrrha. I think that she's childhood friends with him or something like that. Anyways, I convinced Pyrrha to ask him out because she's liked him for a long time, in a 'everyone knows about it except Jaune himself' way. She didn't confess to Jaune, but she did ask him to the dance."
Summer furrowed her brow. "Why would you do... No, nevermind. Please continue with your story."
Yang mentally questioned what her mother was trying to get at, but obliged and continued to explain. "Well, this morning she and Jaune came to school together in his truck, chatting and having fun with each other; and in the afternoon, after Jaune put on an amazing show for the band, he drove her home. I've been... out of sorts since then."
"I see." Her mother took a moment to properly phrase the questions she wanted to ask. "The first thing I have to ask is: why does this girl connecting, or rather reconnecting, with Jaune make you upset?"
"Because it isn't right!" Yang got too intense and accidentally yelled the last word, making herself flush at ruining the whole point of their privacy before continuing. "Because what she's doing isn't right. You can't just destroy someone else's feelings and then waltz back in to pick them up. In what world is that okay?"
"Consider this," replied Summer diplomatically. "In society, people make mistakes all the time; some worse than others, of course. What, precisely, is wrong with somebody trying to make amends for what they've done? After all, you don't know what might have happened between Monday and today."
Logically speaking, the immediate answer was "It's not wrong," but Yang didn't feel like admitting that right at that moment. Instead, she opted to switch tracks. "Still, it's clear that she's trying to get closer to Jaune, but that spot belongs to Pyrrha now."
"Which brings me to my other point, Yang. Why would you intentionally set Jaune up with another woman when clearly you care for him so much yourself?"
Yang's mental gears stopped for a second. "Wha- Jaune's my friend, okay? What's wrong with trying to make him happy?"
"Not a single thing, but you're dodging the real question." Summer didn't raise her voice, simply laying things out as she saw them. "I'll approach this from a different direction. You say Jaune is your friend. Okay; what parts about him do you like?"
The gears started turning again; she could answer this easily, after all. "He and I share a wonderful sense of humor, though I'm naturally better at puns. His music is out-of-this-world, bringing me back to his house every week for the next set. I get along great with his sisters, particularly Lavender. She kinda reminds me of Ruby, you know?"
"I can imagine."
Yang wasn't done building momentum. "He's dedicated to his family, working to pay bills instead of being selfish; you don't see a lot of that in teenagers these days. And when he talks to me he isn't staring at my 'girls'; instead, he's looking me straight in the eyes and seeing me for me instead of seeing me for my body. Don't get me wrong, I know I look great; I work hard at it. But Jaune doesn't make me feel like a slab of meat about to be devoured."
"Uh-huh. And how do you feel when he compliments you?"
She chuckled a bit. "That's a weird question; but, if I had to answer, it honestly makes me happy when he does. I get a little- what's the word I'm looking for? Flutter? I feel a flutter in my stomach and kinda want him to say it again. And...and..."
In the back of her mind, a cog that had been mysteriously missing reappeared and clicked into place, helping to bring every piece of machinery in her head into the same pace. Her brain ran through every one of her descriptions, cross-referencing it with every relationship she'd ever seen in person and in the movies.
No. No, no, no, that wasn't right. He belongs to Pyrrha, she deserves him. She's pined for him for gods know how long.
The fake image of Weiss tiptoeing up to Jaune appeared again. Taunting her. Who are you really angry for? Pyrrha, or yourself?
Yang brought her knees onto the bed and buried her face into them. It was wrong! It had to be wrong, because she was doing the right thing for the right reason!
The image shifted. Instead of Weiss it was Yang herself in the shot, pulling at Jaune's hoodie with just enough force to drag him closer. Jaune laughed and began to hold her tightly against him.
"...No...!" It was a breathless syllable, but she couldn't help but release it as tears began to form around her eyes. She didn't want to see anymore of it, snd she struggled to vanquish the thought of Jaune's parting lips inviting her in-
Right.
It was a single word. A description of the new picture that she'd been deathly afraid of attributing to it, but couldn't shake once it was planted. It felt right to imagine herself with Jaune, and the fact that it felt right was wrong because she knew what it would lead to.
In fiction you can make whatever scenario you want to happen, happen. Power fantasy of killing all the monsters? Done. Two girls able to share a guy and everyone be okay with it? No problem! But this was reality. Not only would today's society frown upon a polygamous relationship, human emotions are brittle things. Even with established guidelines, people get jealous of one another and want more of what makes them happy.
She and Pyrrha both liked the same guy; and at the end of the day, only two people could be together while the third wheel falls to the wayside. And if you included Weiss in the equation, there would, in fact, be two girls left in the dust. She had been so desperate to deny her feelings because if she never acknowledged them, she'd never have to register the pangs of loss when Pyrrha and Jaune became happy together.
But it was too late now. The truth had been laid bare before her, and now she could only begin to cry as her feelings threatened to crush her. Summer put her arm around her and brought her into a one-sided hug in an attempt to soothe her. "Yang... Yang, it's okay..."
"No it's not..." -sob- "I-I-I don't want to lose him. Not to Weiss...Not to the girl who's loved him longer than anybody! And that's wrong!"
"Honey..."
They wound up staying just like that for several minutes, with Summer whispering softly to her as she tried to come to grips with herself. She didn't shout and her sobs were quiet, but every breath was a labor to get in and out.
Yang Xiao Long was a notorious tease. She always knew which parts of her the guys liked, and she enjoyed turning their heads while simultaneously keeping them at arms length; look, but don't touch. On the occasions where she would go clubbing, against her family's wishes most times, she would tear up the dance floor like everyone else. But those guys were never allowed to lay hands on her. Those were her rules.
But the party girls are supposed to lose to the girl next door, right? That's why Pyrrha was better for him. She would support Jaune in everything that he strived for, and he would do the same in return. Yang was supposed to be stay to the side, maybe become a beta couple with some unknown dude; not take Pyrrha's place for her own.
When she was finally able to breathe without struggle, Summer got off the bed and kneeled down in front of her; the end result being that her mother was looking up to see her eyes. "Yang, what do you want to do?"
She wanted to find Jaune right that second and sort through her feelings together with him; but that wasn't an option, was it? "...I don't know, Mom. What did you do about Dad?"
Summer blew out a long breath of air. "You don't wanna do what I did... Have we ever talked much about Raven?"
She wiped some of her tears off on her sleeve. "Not really. Whenever I asked about her, you and Dad would almost always change topics."
"I guess we did." Summer reclaimed her previous spot on the bed. "Your mother was the definition of headstrong; when she wanted something, she worked herself to the bone to get it. One day, that 'thing' was Tai. I'd already been developing feelings for him, but when Raven swooped in and claimed him I decided to sit back and let them be happy."
"Unfortunately, you know what happened next. She left Tai with you and I had to spend the next few years putting his heart back together. I love you as my own daughter, Yang, but I still sometimes wonder what would've happened if I put my foot down before." She took a deep breath. "Just like I told you last time, there is no right answer. One way or another somebody is going to get hurt, and if you aren't careful that person will be Jaune himself. The only real advice I can give is about this mystery girl- what's her name, anyways?"
"...It's Weiss."
"Weiss. If she wants to make amends with Jaune and fix her mistake, that isn't a bad thing at all; but, on the other hand, I would hate to see you sacrifice your own happiness for someone else's, because there are no guarantees that anything will work out in this world. All you can do is put your faith in the person you love and follow your heart."
Faith, huh? Such a simple, yet difficult word. Finally letting go of her own knees, she leaned forward and gave her mother a hug. "Thanks, Mom. I feel a little better now."
"I'm glad. If there's anything else you ever need to talk about, I'm here for you, Honey. Always."
"I know you are." The embrace lasted a few more moments before Summer let herself out of the room, leaving Yang to her thoughts.
To Yang's mind, there were two paths in front of her and both of them were covered in fog. On the left was doing what Raven did and going for what she wants full throttle. On the right was what Summer did, falling back and praying for the best. There was also the unknown path between them; but rather than it being misty, it was completely black and unknown. No road to follow for guidance.
So which path should she take?
-Friday-
Yang left early that day as well, but unlike before she had a plan. Some things needed to be said, and they would be said without fail.
The parking lot was near empty upon her arrival, so she decided to stand by the doors and wait for her target. A good ten minutes passed, and the cold air was starting to get to her when the green truck she was looking for pulled up. As expected, Jaune and Weiss both stepped out of it and came towards her, so she stepped away from the wall and offered them a wave. "Hey, Music Man. Do you mind if I borrow Weiss for a bit? It's kind of important."
Jaune looked back and forth between them as Weiss came to a stop. "Is everything okay?"
To her mild surprise, Weiss answered for her. "It is indeed important, Jaune, but nothing terrible. I'll see you at lunch."
"Secret meeting, got it. I'll see you both later." With a wave of his own he went in, leaving both of the girls to their discussion. Yang couldn't help but note that while she still disliked Weiss's behavior, she didn't hate the girl herself anymore. Curious.
But that was neither here nor there, and when they were definitively alone Yang simply asked, "Does he know?"
They both knew that she didn't needed to clarify herself. "Not yet."
"So you plan on telling him yourself?"
"Yes." Weiss wasn't averting her eyes. That was a good thing; it showed the honesty in her answer.
Yang let the atmosphere soak into herself before she spoke. "I don't know what you were thinking when you did what you did, and right now I don't care. What matters is the future, and I want to make it clear that I'm pushing for Pyrrha to have Jaune to herself."
That seemed to catch her by surprise. "Pyrrha? Not yourself?"
"Right now, no. I'm the one that pushed Pyrrha into asking him out, and I intend to stand by that call. If they stick together, great. If they don't, then we'll see what I decide then. I just wanted to let you know where I stand."
Weiss crossed her arms as she thought about her words, and then gave two subtle nods. "You're striving for Jaune's happiness before your own; I can respect that. But do understand that if Jaune is willing to forgive my transgressions, I fully intend to be by his side from here on out; even if you hate me for it. It's the right thing to do."
She nodded in return. "You aren't wrong. Well then, since we're in agreement Weiss-Queen, how about we get to class?"
"Wait just a moment." Weiss's words stopped her from turning around. She motioned for the Schnee to continue. "Speaking of Jaune's happiness, his sister Olive has come up with a plan for you and I to push him into pursuing a career in Music. Are you willing to cooperate with me on that?"
It was an interesting concept, even if she didn't know all of the details yet. Jaune loved music like nothing else, but he was living for his family in the role of big brother and family provider. Perhaps Olive had come up with a workaround. "I'll think about it, Weiss."
X
Thank you all for dealing with my strange writing speeds. Hopefully, Muse will turn its efforts to Charismatic Gamer for a chapter or two.
I hope you enjoyed it! Please consider leaving a review, and have a nice day!