Pyrrha, as she does most of her days, finds herself in a free training room after her classes and after she is done with her schoolwork. There is a reason why she is as good as she is, and part of it is her consistent routine. When she didn't train, she always felt restless; it was almost meditative for her. It was the only time she felt no obligations and could just be herself. Well, at least it was. She can be herself with her team and with her friends.
Standing in the middle of the room with Miló in hand, she takes a deep breath and moves. Her fast-paced, overhead thrust and slashes with her weapon in javelin form transform mid-slash into her short sword while simultaneously equipping her shield from her back seamlessly. No movement is wasted, not a moment of reprieve for an enemy.
Over and over again, Pyrrha drills these movements into her body, trying to get faster, more precise, better. It is exhilarating. Each slash and thrust is followed by a feeling of excitement. She continues her drill for thirty minutes before she takes her first break.
Sitting down, she thinks about tomorrow, about her and Jaune's date. Her face starts glowing red just thinking about it as a date and she even comented about it not being one this morning. She shakes her. No, she needs to keep it together. She is supposed to be mad at him. It's supposed to be a chance for him to apologize.
But the flowers were really lovely.
She puts her head in her hands and groans loudly. Gods, she always feels so helpless when it comes to Jaune. Shaking her head again, she stands up. She should get back to her drills and just forget about it for the moment.
Getting back into her routine seems now more complicated than she thought. Her thoughts usually so focused, begin to wander.
Where is he going to take her? Is he going to get her something else as a gift?
Her movements are slower than before, but her heart still beats heavily in her chest. Now, instead of the reason being her drills, thoughts of Jaune keep her occupied. When she suddenly stops.
Oh, gods! What should she wear?
She can't just wear the school uniform. And her armor wouldn't be appropriate, either. And it's not like she has any other great options here at Beacon. What would Jaune even like? Well, he did have a crush on Weiss or still has; Pyrrha isn't really sure about that. And when she is not in her school uniform she would wear dresses, pretty short dresses at that. She doesn't think that something like that would even fit her. Weiss was so small and petite; Pyrrha, on the other hand, sported a lot more visible muscle than her.
A slight frown forms itself on her face. She does not like to think about it, but Weiss is pretty, beautiful even. It's not often that Pyrrha finds herself lacking in any department compared to others.
She always excelled at what she was doing, and even if it sounded vain, she knew she was beautiful, but Jaune was interested in Weiss, not her.
She groans again. What is she doing? This is supposed to be time for training and not this, whatever this is.
The electric sound of the door unlocking knocks her out of her thoughts as Weiss Schnee steps into the training room and stops with a wide-eyed expression as soon as she sees Pyrrha.
Great.
Pyrrha looks Weiss up and down and feels her mood plummet again. Even dressed for combat, she seems like she is about to attend a gala or a ball.
With a surprising amount of jealousy and a frown, Pyrrha just, short of snarling it, says, "What!?"
She immediately regrets it the second she sees Weiss' shocked and hurt face. Weiss doesn't say anything and turns around, about to leave again.
"Weiss, wait, please!" Pyrrha shouts after her.
Weiss stops and looks back at Pyrrha with an unsure face.
"I'm sorry. I just felt really frustrated," Pyrrha says. "I did mean to let it out on you."
"Oh, alright," Weiss says. "But I do not want to keep you from your training. The room was not reserved, so I did not think anyone would be using it right now."
Having said her piece, Weiss turns around again.
"We could train together?" Pyrrha suggests, still feeling bad for her outburst.
Maybe a sparring partner would be a good thing right now to keep her concentrated on her workout and not on the upcoming day and Jaune.
"Yes!" Weiss says eagerly. "Ah, I mean, if you are sure. I would not want to intrude."
Pyrrha giggles a bit, "Yes, I'm sure."
With a slight blush of embarrassment, Weiss steps fully into the room; she stops opposite Pyrrha and readies her weapon.
"Do you wish for me to use my semblance? Or only a light spar?" Weiss asks.
"Without monitoring our aura, we should only spar lightly," Pyrrha answers, getting ready herself, "Ready?"
Weiss nods.
Pyrrha rushes forward, javelin poised for quick thrusts. Weiss stands her ground, holding her rapier at waist level with the point facing forward. Pyrrha knows she has no intention of engaging first and is probably counting on a counterthrust.
Instead of an underhanded thrust, she changes tactics. She throws the javelin and deploys her shield in a single motion. The javelin aimed at Weiss' head is parried upwards, spinning into the air. Weiss has to scramble to bring her point forward again as Pyrrha, now directly in front of her, runs her shield directly into Weiss' weapon, catches her javelin, transforms it into the sword- form, and slashes downward.
Weiss doesn't have any opportunity to counterattack now and is forced to retreat; Pyrrha doesn't let her, following her step for step, all the while delivering quick slashes and thrusts with her short sword, not letting up for even a moment.
With no chance to do anything without using her semblance, Weiss tries to attack back, only to be blocked by Pyrrha's shield and then disarmed by a heavy strike on her sword arm, making her aura flare up for a second and drop her sword.
Pyrrha stops and smiles at Weiss.
"That was great, Weiss."
"But I didn't do anything," Weiss says, frazzled by her swift defeat.
"No, no, you were on the back foot from the very beginning and forced to defend, but I couldn't land a hit until you counterattacked. You have an excellent defense," Pyrrha says.
Weiss perks up and smiles back at Pyrrha.
"Thank you, Pyrrha."
"You're welcome. How about you go on the offense now? I will concentrate on defending."
"Alright!"
For the next hour, Pyrrha and Weiss would spar; some fights concentrate on offense or defense, and some are without any limitation. Pyrrha has to admit that Weiss is an excellent sparring partner. She might not be the best regarding martial prowess, but with her dust casting and semblance, she was a worthy opponent; still, every fight ended in her favor. A few years ago, Pyrrha wouldn't have been so sure of her victory against someone with such a diverse set of skills.
Sitting down after their rigorous exercise, both drinking water and beginning to come down from their adrenaline high, Pyrrha's sweaty face sports a grin of exhilaration. Weiss looks more beat, breathing through her mouth.
"You are a great fighter, Weiss. That was one of the most fun I had in a while fighting someone," Pyrrha praises.
"There is no need for exaggeration, Pyrrha," Weiss says, but Pyrrha still notices the pride and enjoyment in her tone and just smiles at Weiss. "I would love to do this again if you ever feel like it."
"You want to train? With me?" Weiss asks, bewildered.
"Um, yes?"
"Pyrrha Nikos wants to train with me," Weiss whispers to herself before a manic smile blooms on her face. Pyrrha doesn't know how to describe it other than Weiss laughing almost diabolically.
"Weiss?"
Weiss straightens suddenly, her expression carefully blank, and coughs into her fist, "What I meant to say is, I would gladly spar with you again, Ms. Nikos."
"Great," Pyrrha says, choosing to ignore the strangeness of Weiss Schnee.
"How about tomorrow morning? We do not have any classes then." Weiss suggests.
"Sorry, I am meeting with Jaune in Vale tomorrow, and I don't know how long we will stay there," Pyrrha says.
Oh, fantastic. Now, she is back to thinking about tomorrow.
"Ah," Weiss says with furrowed brows. "You really like Jaune, don't you?"
Pyrrha feels her face immediately heat up by the question.
"What!? No! Who told you that!?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean like that. I meant as your partner."
"Oh! Yes, of course!" Pyrrha answers.
"Why?"
She looks a bit surprised by the sudden interest in her and Jaune's relationship.
"Mmmh," she takes some time to actually think about her answer. "I can't really describe it very well, but when I am with him, I feel like I can just be myself. I don't need to put up any walls or hold myself back; talking with him feels easy. He is genuine and kind, but he can also be really thickheaded and stubborn. I don't think I would have become friends with Nora and Ren if it weren't for him; there wouldn't be team JNPR without him."
She only notices it now, but while talking about Jaune, she begins smiling.
"I see." Weiss chews on her bottom lip, deep in thought. "That sounds nice."
"It is," Pyrrha says. "He is."
"I should apologize to him, shouldn't I?" Weiss says in a meek voice.
"Why is that?"
"I have been awful to him, and now he doesn't even try to talk to me anymore. He must hate me."
Pyrrha is shocked. She would never have thought that Weiss would feel this way. She thought she'd be happy with Jaune not talking with her anymore.
"Weiss, Jaune isn't mad at you. I think you have to do much worse than rejecting him to make him mad," Pyrrha reassures the Schnee heiress.
"So, why is he avoiding me then?"
"Um, he actually felt really guilty that he kept bothering you and thought you would appreciate it if he gave you some space."
"He.. what?" Weiss says, confused. "That.. that—"
Pyrrha understands Weiss. It is really sweet of him and shows how mature he—
"Dolt!" Weiss finishes, outraged.
Huh?
"If he felt so bad, why didn't he just apologize?" Weiss rants. "I mean, he did bring you flowers; would it be too much to expect some flowers myself and an apology?"
Pyrrha is sure that Weiss wouldn't have been happy about Jaune giving her flowers?
"You know what? I will tell him what I think about his idiotic ideas. Then he can apologize," she stands up, storms up to the exit, and, just before leaving, turns back to Pyrrha. "Thank you, Pyrrha, for the spar and for telling me about Jaune."
With that, she leaves a befuddled Pyrrha behind.
What just happened?
As Pyrrha enters the restaurant, warmth and the softly glowing lights of the interior greet her. The intimate and charming atmosphere replaces the cold and grey outside world while the wonderful smell of grilled meats and spices hangs in the air. The occasional clinking of cutlery and a few whispers between other guests accompany her as she enters the room. Her heart already racing and a flutter of anticipation gathers in her stomach.
Looking around the room, she finds the familiar figure of her partner already seated at a small table nestled in an intimate corner. He notices her, too, and his face morphs into a sunny smile while his tail wags happily behind him. He looks so handsome tonight; a black suit adorns his body, making her heart clench from delight in her chest.
"Pyrrha!" he exclaims while standing up and pulling her chair out. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you, Jaune. You are very handsome yourself." She sits down, excitement running through her body as Jaune lightly touches her back. Locking eyes with him for a moment, she can almost feel the electricity between them; a tangible feeling in the air hangs between them.
Searching through the menu, their conversation flows easily as they exchange past stories, share laughter, and the occasional teasing touch. She found herself mesmerized by Jaune's dark blue eyes sucking her in like the deepest ocean as he recounted a story of his sisters teasing him. Her face hurts from the constant smile; she can feel the heat of her face radiating as butterflies gather in her stomach.
"Have you already chosen what you want to eat?" he asks her, still looking at his menu.
"I think the grilled steak sounds lovely," she answers with a smile. "It's simple, but it never disappoints."
"That sounds good," he says. "I think I will order the same then."
Soft music from hidden speakers sounds out as their order is brought to their table. Jaune sits a bit straighter in his chair, throwing Pyrrha a more serious look.
"I've wanted to tell you something, Pyrrha," he says with a slight break in his voice.
"Yes?" Her heart skips a beat. "What is it?"
Rubbing his neck, a nervous tick of his, he hesitates for a moment, seemingly unsure how to proceed with his next words, before taking a deep breath.
"We have been becoming closer, even more than just partners, and I think I need to tell you that...," His gaze drifts down, not quite meeting her eyes, but then snaps back up at her, eyes now holding a gleam in them. "I like you, Pyrrha. I really like you."
An explosion of warmth floods through her. The surrounding sounds fade away, the lights dim around them, and only the two exist in this moment, in this world.
"I like you too, Jaune," she replies softly, her voice only a whisper, as small tears gather in the corners of her eyes.
Their confession lingers in the air as both are caught in the moment their hands reach forward to hold one another.
The rest of their dinner is marked by playful banter between each bite of their food. Pyrrha feels peace in the moment, an ease surpassing what she usually feels with Jaune, as if nothing could disturb their feelings; everything is right.
Just then, a sudden breeze blows from behind her, making her turn around only to find herself in an open field surrounded by thousands of flowers as the night sky filled with millions of stars hangs above them.
"What? Where are we?" Pyrrha looks around, confused.
"I have no idea," Jaune laughs, his voice now coming from beside her, sending a pleasant tingle down her spine as he grabs her hand and begins to walk with her. "But it's beautiful!"
Running through the field, laughter fills the air as they begin chasing each other with no care in the world. In this place, the universe only revolves around them, everything else unimportant.
As if to mock Pyrrha's feelings, the star slowly begins to blink out of the sky. At first, only slowly, single stars slowly fade, but then whole clusters give away to the void of the night sky. Panic rising, she turns to Jaune, who looks at her with warmth and understanding.
"It's alright, Pyrrha. Don't worry about what's to come," he said, pulling her into his arms. "Just stay here with me."
And even as they stand surrounded by a world slowly fading into endless darkness, they find solace in each other's arms. Their laughter was not forgotten, their bond strong.
Suddenly, a loud crash fills the air, and Pyrrha falls.
"Jaune!" she cries out.
Pyrrha wakes up with a jolt. Their dorm room is still filled with darkness; the sun is only just beginning to rise, and Jaune looks at her with a sheepish smile across the room, already dressed casually.
"I am so sorry, Pyrrha. I didn't mean to wake you up," he says sheepishly. "I was just about to leave. They want me to help with their breakfast program."
It was just a dream.
Her heart still soars when she sees Jaune, the dream perhaps showing her a glimpse of what could be. She stands up from her bed with a sense of determination, closes in on the still-rooted dog faunus, and pulls him into a hug.
"Pyrrha!?"
"We will meet when you are finished there?" she slowly separates from him, receiving a nod and making her smile in return. "Then have a good day, Jaune. I will see you later."
Walking into the bathroom, leaving Jaune's confused form behind, she felt an eagerness to discover how her reality would pan out and wished it could be as wonderful as her dreams filled her thoughts.
"We will meet when you are finished there?" she slowly separates from him, receiving a nod and making her smile in return. "Then have a good day, Jaune. I will see you later."
Walking into the bathroom, leaving Jaune's confused form behind, she felt an eagerness to discover how her reality would pan out and wished it could be as wonderful as her dreams filled her thoughts.
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