This is a day late, sure. But it only popped into my head at midnight last night. Here is a quick extra interlude chapter.

REAPER IN RED

Interlude: Valentines Day Special

"So, your team is a little…"

"Strange? Unusual? Peculiar? The list of possible adjectives to describe my team is long and not dissimilar."

"I was going to go with weird."

Weiss could only smirk at Sun's choice of word. Like any of their conversations, it was a breath of fresh air that she had not known she needed. Not to say her own team didn't give her the same sort of satisfaction, but it felt different with Sun. She had decided to try and take advantage of the Vytal festival and Beacon's change in seating policy, letting her sit alongside Sun Wukong, and the rest of his team. Not to say that she sat far from her where she did usually.

Blake and Ruby were both sitting right in front of her, afterall. Weiss did see Yang walking off with Pyrrha and a few others from Mistral, discussing some sort of fighting competition that they had all participated in in their youths. Weiss did blink at that. She had not been aware that Yang had known Pyrrha previously, let alone fought her on mulitple occassions. If that had been the case, then Weiss may have spent less time pursuing Pyrrha alone.

She could have had the other sister as her partner, leaving Blake and Ruby together. As they always seemed to be.

"So, not to break up your thoughts," Sun said, breaking up her thoughts. "But, are those two…"

Weiss shook her head. "Not at all," she whispered, having seen Blake's cat ears swivel slightly at Sun's half-question. "Ruby is two years younger, and while her sister may joke constantly about her dating preferances, it does not seem like my partner is inclined one way or the other. Blake and her have just been close friends for quite a while. Not to say that we as a team aren't close. We very much are. But, it has always felt like the two of them share a strange bond."

"Any ideas to what?"

"Not so much. Ruby was the first to find out that Blake is a faunus." Sun nodded at that. It was how the two of them met after all. "And Blake seems to know something equally as… important about Ruby. Possibly something Yang doesn't even know."

"Ah, then there is no intra-team relationships, then."

Weiss turned to look at Sun. He was lazing back in his seat, arms resting behind his head, and tail scratching at his neck.

"What has you so concerns about the dating habits of my teammates?"

Sun shrugged. "Just curious. Trying to get a better read on them, you know. Very important Vytal festival stuff."

"Sure."

"And you've got yourself a very hot team."

"Ruby is-"

"She's the baby of the group. Not interested in the slightest. She's also…"

"Weird." Weiss said, repeating Sun's thoughts on her team. "Weirder than the rest of us."

"Yup."

"Also, are you trying to have me 'wingwoman' my own teammates for you?"

"Nope."

Weiss huffed, not at all liking this turn in the conversation. "Then what is your play."

"Hey," Sun said, finally sitting up in his seat to face her more fully. "I've got a team of hot dudes myself that I've got to wingman for. Not gonna barge in on settled relationships. Besides, why do I need a wingwoman for? Got what I want right here?"

Weiss blushed lightly at Sun's smirk and piercing eyes. "During class is very much not the time for this sort of discussion."

"Don't see why not. You're a bookworm and perfect student. Couldn't think of a better spot for this."

"Ugh," Weiss sighed and leaned down on the table, breaking her perfect posture for the first time since sitting down. "You're lucky that you are appealing, and we already have an established raporte."

"You can just call me hot, you know."

"I will do no such thing!"

"I may be all la-dee-da about things, but I'm still training to be a huntsman. And I've got eyes. It's not like it's hard to notice you looking at me."

"Once again, this is very much not the place for this kind of conversation." Weiss said, pausing a moment before continuing in a much quicker voice, "and I don't look at you."

She stared him straight in the eyes, willing her own eyes to take on the piercing glare that Ruby so insisted she was an expert in. Judging by the monkey-faunus's relaxed and careless expression, along with his slowly upturning lip, it was not working by any means.

"Ugh, why did I have to become friends with you."

"You enjoyed my charming personality, rocking hot bod, and ability to talk to you through the harder questions without forcing you down in any way."

Weiss gave the boy a quick look over. Very much not in the way that Sun was implying. More so, she was getting a better read on him. While they had talked a great handful of times between and after classes, it was always nice to see a new side of him. Or, to be made aware verbally that he knew he had this side to him. He always acted so lazy and care-free, but he truly was a hunter through and through. It was refreshing. It always was.

While her team was her team, and she was starting to consider them as a family of sorts, Sun was a very different sort of relationship. Not one she minded. And not one she ever thought she would truly have.

"We were discussing my team?" Weiss said, stearing the conversation away from the sudden tension.

Sun took it with ease. "Your team is weird. And not in the usual huntsman team weirdness. My team is weird too. But, you all seem… close."

"Close?" Weiss frowned, unsure of his meaning.

"Like, look at the two of them. They are sitting close. Close enough to talk, much like we are, but despite a few words, here and there, it's relatively quiet."

"They are just paying attention to the lecture."

"But that's just it. Look at Blake's posture. Her ears. Don't give me that, it's not racist to look at a faunus's features. Just to overly concentrate on them. Her shoulders are hunched, and her ears are on a swivel. I bet if we looked at her face, her eyes would be darting around the room. She's thinking aout something. And thinking mighty hard about it. I bet the lecture is going in one ear and out the other."

"Huh."

"And your team leader, there. Shoulder's back, head facing straight. Not even a little turn here or there. Usually when someone's paying attention to another, their eyes and head movements follow that person. Oobleck is darting from one side of the room to the other. That's a lot of head movement. She's perfectly still -no- she's shaking slightly. She's concentrating extremely hard on something, while also trying to relax herself. My guess is some sort of forced meditation."

"What-"

"And Ruby's sister, back there," Sun gestured with his over his shoulder, in Yang's direction. "She's goofing off with Pyrrha Nikos, and some others, but she slumped over. My guess is something bad happened to her, but she's got no clue how to process it. So, she's chosen to put it on the backurner until she knows more."

Weiss just stared. "How?"

Sun shrugged. "I may not care much for much, but I do care. Otherwise I wouldn't be in this profession, right?"

Weiss nodded slowly. "What about me then?"

Sun smiled a boyish grin. "I've never fully been able to get a clear read on you."

"I guess I should take that as a compliment."

"You most definitely should."

Weiss could feel her own lips twist into a grin of her own.

After a second too long of staring at one another, Weiss turned back towards the front of the class, and coughed lightly into her forearm. "That is to say, yes. My team is a bit peculiar. We all know each other quite well, considering we live together, and despite it not being a full year yet since we've known one another. But, we have been through some hard times. Nothing does quite bring a team together like facing off against a Reaper early on in our year.

"That isn't to say there aren't still secrets. I have plenty, though most revolve around my family and company secrets that I'm privy to. Not bad ones," Weiss belatedly added, at Sun's reaction. "Those I share openly and freely with you and my team. I mean more so in the business aspect. New forms of dust being studied and the like. I do still plan on taking over my father's company and restructuring it into a force for good."

"What about the rest of them?"

Weiss had to think for a moment. "I thought Blake and I were open books with one another. We were handling some team issues together, particularly those concerning Ruby and Yang. But, it seems like she found out something about Ruby which she has not seen fit to tell me. Which is completely understandable. I won't force anyone to share their secrets, let alone the secrets of others. We were, and I guess still are, doing some digging into the sisters' past, but it has slowed lately."

Weiss thought for a moment, her mind circulating with thoughts, yet none of them held her attention for longer than an instant. She shook the daize from her mind, and continued on.

"There is something going on with Yang. Something to do with her memories. We aren't quite sure what it's about. She remembers things fine, but things from her past? Something happened and I'm not sure what. It isn't effecting her day-to-day, but it is effecting her more than it used to. I'm worried for her."

"And Ruby?"

Weiss sighed. "She is the most secretive of them all, and yet you wouldn't think that, judging by her open and cheery personality. There has always been something uncanny and otherwordly about that girl, and I could never quite put my finger on it. She's much more travelled than Yang is, despite the two of them being sisters. She is much closer to her deceased mother, while Yang is much closer to their living father. And, their fighting styles are so different. Ruby is… she is beyond gifted. When she fights with her scythe, it's like watching someone who has spent decades mastering her craft, rather than someone with only a few years. Yang says constantly that Ruby is a once in a lifetime prodigy. A future Reaper-hunter if there ever was one. And I very much believe it. Did you know she's almost undefeated in Professor Goodwitch's class? She took on our team and Pyrrha's team together, and almost came out of it with a win. I don't fully understand her. But she is my partner, my team leader, and very much my close friend.

"So, what is there to do? I will try to keep being on her side until she opens up to me. And then I will stay by her side afterwards too."

Weiss frowned. "What?"

Sun was just staring at her with wide eyes. "What are you looking at?"

"Just you."

"Why?"

"You are so different than what I originally thought, Weiss."

Weiss blushed at hearing him say her name.

Sun continued on, his eyes darting from her eyes to her cheeks and back up. "You are much less distant and reserved than even you believe. You know your team. You respect them. Care for them even. Much more than normal. Sure, it may just be that you all trauma bonded with one another, but I think even without a Grim Reaper, you would all still be close. You have this way of connecting with people. It's… fascinating. I kinda admire it. And you."

Weiss leaned forward, opening her mouth to speak.

"-Reaper!" The door slammed open, to Qrow. His eyes wide and blazing. His weapon was drawn and preparing to strike.

"What the hell was that?" Weiss had to say. But Sun wasn't paying attention to her. No, his eyes were facing Ruby. She was actively panting, despite seemingly unaware she was doing so.

Sun was gazing intently at the girl, his eyes hard and truly huntsman-like.

Once professor Oobleck managed to calm Qrow down, the bell signalling the end of class chimed.

It was only then did Weiss realize something. "I forgot to take any notes at all during that class," she said out loud, yet more to herself. Her eyes were wide in confusion. When had she ever forgotten to take notes in class?

Sun smiled and waved it off. "Don't worry. I'll give you my notes to copy." He stood up and shoulder his bag. "You still up for coffee after classes today?"

Weiss could only nod. She had barely even noticed Sun taking notes. When could he have had the time? It was like every time they spoke, she learned more about the boy. Who knew he was so studious? Honestly, she liked it more than she cared to admit.

"Goodwitch's class!" Ruby said with a laugh, bringing Weiss's attention to her team leader. "You okay Weiss? You haven't started packing up yet."

"It's fine. I'm just running a little slow today," Weiss's mouth moved, her eyes still very firmly on Sun's departing back, his tail seeming to wave at her as he walked out with the rest of his team.

Yes, she would definitely be enjoying coffee with him after classes today.