177The days were long. The temperatures were frigid. The training was brutal. Nighttime was supposed to be an opportunity to collapse into bed and sleep their way to blissful recovery. To curl up underneath your blanket, hug a pillow close to you, and drift off to a peaceful slumber.
Most nights, at least.
Not this one.
Jaune Arc yawned, silently cursing the luck of the draw. Maybe it was Qrow's fault. He had been in the room when the teams had been chosen. Then again the rest of their friends had been there as well, so everyone was equally affected by the man's bad luck. Oh well. At least they got to do their late night training in comfort.
Clad in the black shorts and white shirt of Atlas Academy's pajamas, Jaune stared blankly at the computer monitor in the small room he and his partner occupied. Grunt work. Menial work. Security work in a highly secure facility. Naturally they weren't the first nor the last line of defense when it came to their sentinel duties, but it was important for them to learn the value of being able to keep watch for an entire night if need be. Even if they'd spent the whole day before training.
Jaune blinked his weary eyes awake, catching himself as he almost drifted off to slumber. Forcing himself to be awake and alert, he craned over to look at the other person sharing the room with him.
Weiss Schnee had a palm pressed up against her cheek, propping her head up as she stared into her own monitor. He saw the glaze expression on her own face, soft blue eyes blinking rapidly as her fluttering lashes indicated her own impending slumber. The pair of teens were three hours into their shift. If they could just make it through one more they would be relieved by the next shift and finally allowed to go to bed.
Seeing his old friend on the brink of collapse, Jaune knew he had to act. They would not fail this test. "Weiss."
The former heiress jumped, startled by the sudden noise of the boy in the room with her. "I'm awake!" she insisted.
Jaune blinked, watching with curiosity as Weiss twisted her head around to take in the sights around her, still blinking rapidly. Her left hand came up to rub the weariness from her eyes.
"We need to do something," he said, as much to himself as to Weiss. "Something to keep us awake and alert."
"What do you suggest? Coffee is out of the question, because I want to be able to properly go to bed in…" Her face fell when she pulled her scroll from a pocket. "One hour…"
"Just one hour," Jaune said with as much enthusiasm as possible. "Just gotta pass the time for one more hour."
Weiss yawned, making sure to cover her mouth as a light, almost sweet sound escaped her lips. "Do you have anything in mind?"
Watching Weiss yawn made Jaune do the same, a deeper bellow sounding as he did so. What was something they could do? Something immersive that only required two people. Something entertaining enough to keep them awake for the final hour…
Inspiration hit him. This was like a big old sleepover after all. Why not play the kinds of games he used to play with his friends and sisters as a child?
"I've got it," he said with a trace of excitement in his tone. "Weiss, wanna play truth or dare?"
Pale blue eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at him. "Truth or dare?"
Jaune's lip twitched, stopping before he could frown. He had to remember that this was Weiss he was with. He wasn't entirely surprised she'd never played the game before.
"Yeah. Don't worry, it's simply. One person asks the other-"
"I know what truth or dare is," she interrupted him. So much for that conclusion he'd drawn. "I've just never played it before. Growing up I didn't really have the kinds of friends who would play silly games like those. Winter was of course out of the question. And Whitley…" She sighed, her gaze falling to the floor between her feet. "And not Whitley…"
The was unspoken sorrow in her voice at the mention of her brother. Jaune didn't know what their relationship was. He wasn't about to ask. Even if he did have the opportunity in their game. It wasn't his place to pry.
"Would you like to play then?" he asked. "I know we've never exactly been close, but hey. Things could be worse. It could be Yang asking you to play."
Her eyes shifted back up to him, this time warmer in expression. A soft smile played on her lips as she replied. "Very well. Let's play."
"Great!" In all honesty Jaune was thrilled. What he said was true. He and Weiss really had never been close to each other.
Their history at Beacon was rocky to say the least. After the fall they had been separated for months until finding one another in Mistral. Even after the Battle at Haven Academy, after he had unlocked his Semblance and saved her life, they were friends, but not close ones like she was with her teammates and he was with his. They were cordial. Companions. But never truly close like he was with Ruby.
Maybe a nice, fun game of truth or dare would help them to learn about one another. Maybe it would help them grow closer.
"How about you start us off," he offered.
Weiss shrugged softly, and spun her chair around so that she was facing the boy. "Okay. Jaune, truth or dare."
He hummed in thought for a moment. Best to start things off safe. "Truth."
"Truth…" she echoed softly. He saw how Weiss' eyes drifted off in thought for a few seconds before focusing her attention back on him. "What's your favorite color?"
The question was a softball one. Favorite color? Even then, it took Jaune a moment to recall just exactly what that was. He hadn't thought about things like his favorite color or movie or music in ages. "Green."
"Green?" she asked, appearing surprised in both her expression and tone. "Really?"
"Yeah. What's wrong with green?"
"Nothing's wrong with green. I just expected… I don't know. Blue. Black maybe."
"Why blue or black?"
She gestured out with an open hand. "It's what you wear normally," she explained. "What you've worn forever. Blue jeans and that black hooded sweatshirt of yours. But not a stitch of green on you."
Jaune looked down, knowing that he wasn't wearing the attire she had mentioned, but couldn't stop himself from doing so. "Well, it's green because of the camping trips I used to go on. I love nature. Trees, leaves, bushes, all that stuff." Jaune smiled as he stared down at his lap, recalling happy childhood memories. "As hard as it was to go from Patch to Mistral, I really was in my element out there with the rest of Team RNJR."
The sound of Weiss' soft laughter brought his attention up to her. She wore a serene smile on her lips as she stared at him. "That's sweet."
Jaune felt himself blush, as he realized he had inadvertently answered far more than just her question. "Ah, well… yeah. So that's why it's green. My turn," he said hurriedly, hoping to move on from his embarrassing answer. "Truth or dare."
The smile evaporated from Weiss' lips. "Truth."
Playing it safe too, I see. Jaune decided to give her an easy one too in order to return the favor. "How tall are you?"
Judging how her lips pouted, maybe not so easy.
"With or without heels?" she asked.
"There's a difference?"
Weiss scoffed. "Men…"
"Did I do something wrong?" he wondered.
She shook her head. Whether it was in response to his question or an action for herself, he couldn't say. "With heels, five-foot-three."
"And without?"
The girl's face soured, lips twisting as she broke her gaze from him when she spoke. "Five feet even…"
Jaune's eyebrows rose. He knew she was short, but putting a number on it made him consider just how short she was. An inch less and she's break the four foot barrier…
"Oh. Wow," was all he could say.
"Well I don't see your height doing wonders for you, mister six foot… how tall are you?"
"Six-foot-three."
She scoffed again. "Yes, well, good for you. I could still probably beat you in a fight."
"You probably could." Jaune let the words hang in the air, watching as Weiss continued to refuse to meet his gaze. "You gonna be okay?"
"I'm fine!" She snapped. "Now truth or dare?"
She was upset. Probably about her height. Maybe he should make it up to her and let her command him to do something stupid. "Dare."
Weiss' expression changed in an instant, and a gleeful grin spread across her lips. Jaune instantly regretted his choice. "Blake and Yang have been particularly annoying as of late. I dare you to prank call one of them."
Jaune's eyes narrowed. That was quite a daunting task. Waking up either of them in the middle of the night could invoke their wrath. And Aura amplification or not, Jaune didn't want to bring a world of hurt down on himself.
Still, the expectant look on Weiss' face hold him he had to do it. It was either that, or lose the game.
"Alright," he said, standing up and fishing his scroll from the pocket of his shorts. He pulled up Blake's number, her being the far safer choice than the blonde with anger issues. "Here goes nothing."
He hit Blake's contact info and pressed the call button, and he heard ringing as he brought the device up to his ear. All the while he stared at Weiss' smug expression as she peered up at him. He paced around nervously as he waited for the girl to pick up.
"…hello…?"
"Yeah, Blake, good evening," he said, pinching his nose to make himself sound more nasally and high-pitched. He hoped she would be too tired to check the caller ID. "Um, I just spoke to the General, and Atlas is embargoing the importation of tuna. Just thought I'd let you know."
He hung up immediately, in disbelief that he'd just woken the girl up in the middle of the night in order to tell her that load of tripe.
Weiss appeared to be unimpressed with his prank. "That was terrible," she huffed.
"I was under a lot of pressure!" he spat harshly. "Sorry that I'm no good at spontaneous prank calls!"
"It's fine," she waved off. "It's your turn."
So it was. Now to hopefully get the bad taste of a failed prank call out of his mouth. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
Apparently she was returning the favor now. "Dare…" he mused aloud. "What's a good dare…" It hit him. "Oh, Weiss. Do you sleep in that braid every night?"
Her face scrunched up in confusion. "That's not a dare."
"No, but it's a question I just wanna ask before I do my dare."
She frowned, but offered no vocal protest to the question. "Most nights. It would be a pain to redo every morning, though some nights it's such a mess that I just give up on it to redo in the morning."
With his question answered, Jaune proceeded. "Okay. I dare you to let your hair down."
"Why?" To her credit, her hands were already up and removing the ornate decoration which helped to keep it in place.
Jaune shrugged softly. "I dunno. I haven't seen it down since…" he trailed off, going back in time nearly two years. "The night before initiation."
She removed the metal clip and shook her head softly, hair flying as she moved. "Is it really that important to you?"
"I dunno," he admitted honestly. "I just remember it looked nice. I mean your hair always looks nice, but I've only ever seen your hair in a ponytail or braided. And seeing how we're here in our pajamas letting our figurative hair down, we should let our literal hair down too, right?"
She eyed him curiously, and with one final run of her hands through her long, snowy locks, Weiss' hair cascaded down her shoulders and back. "Like you've got any more hair to let down since cutting it."
Jaune blinked. Weiss with her hair down was a rare thing to behold. She was beautiful. As beautiful as she had been the very first day he'd laid eyes on her. Here and now, in her Atlas-provided pajamas and long white hair casually flowing down her shoulders, she looked like the girl next door. A girl that any average and ordinary guy might stand a chance with.
Not an heiress. Not a huntress. Just a pretty girl.
Gods, was she pretty.
"Happy?" she asked.
He nodded absentmindedly. "Very."
"Good, because it's my turn. Truth or dare?"
Jaune had to force himself to avert his gaze from the beautiful girl across from him. "Dare," he said boldly.
The wheels on Weiss' chair squeaked softly as she rolled herself closer toward him. Icy eyes never left his as she neared. "Seeing how we're relaxing, I dare you to use your Semblance on me again."
She pulled up next to him, mere inches from his own seat. Despite his size advantage over the five-foot-even girl, he felt small next to her. Her poise, her confidence, her intensity, and not to mention her beauty, were all intimidating.
"My Semblance?" he questioned. "Why?"
"There's no asking why in truth or dare," she chided. "You either do it or you lose."
Never mind the fact that she had questioned why he wanted to see her with her hair down. An argument when the two of them had such a good rapport between them wouldn't do.
Cautiously, Jaune raised his hands and willed them to glow with soft white light. Weiss' eyes were locked on them the whole time, even as they neared her shoulders. "Okay. Here goes nothing."
Placing them atop the girl's shoulders, Jaune began to use his own Aura to amplify hers. To supercharge it. To fill it well past its normal limits, and enable her to do great and wonderful things with her own Semblance just as she had at Haven Academy.
Her body glowed, the girl he had once called 'Snow Angel' bathed in angelic light. Even with her hair down she looked regal in appearance. Even with her eyes closed she looked as beautiful as ever.
A shaky breath slipped through her lips, and Weiss' mouth opened as she began to suck in gasps or air. Jaune could hear her as she breathed in and out, and he couldn't pinpoint what kind of feeling or emotion she was experiencing right now with the aid of his Semblance.
"Weiss…?" he questioned cautiously.
"Oh gods, it's just as wonderful as I dreamed…"
"Weiss?"
"The last time you did it I was unconscious…" she whispered again. "But I still felt it in my dream…"
Her eyes were squeezed shut as shaky breaths continued to pour from her lips. Those kinds of noises combined with him touching her was giving him all sorts of wrong feelings and thoughts…
"So warm… so safe… so wonderful…"
Was she really getting that sort of feeling from his Semblance? Jaune wondered if Ren felt the same kinds of things when he used the ability on him. The boy had never said a word about it feeling nice. Or feeling anything period. Ren was a quiet one though…
His hands left her shoulders a second later, and the white light around her began to dissipate. As it did, Weiss' eyes opened to stare accusingly into his own. "Why did you stop?"
"I don't know," he lied. "It kind of seemed like, um, you were enjoying it."
"I was enjoying it and you stopped?" she asked incredulously.
"I mean… like… in a… dirty way almost. Like you were…"
The unspoken word of what it sounded like Weiss was experiencing made the girl's eyes widen. Her lips moved several times without making noise before she was finally able to speak again. "I was not!" she practically screeched.
"I know, I know!" he insisted. "It just sounded kinda like it…"
Weiss crossed her arms across her chest and looked away from him. "As if you would know what that sounded like. From me or any girl." An eye peeked open and a single icy blue orb glanced at him questioningly. "Right?"
It wasn't as if he hadn't had the opportunity. Some of those moms had been pretty brazen about what they wanted from him. Especially the one who gave him daily casseroles… "You're right. I wouldn't." Jaune paused, the awkwardness hanging in the air for a moment before continuing. "Weiss. Truth or dare."
She harrumphed. "Dare."
Jaune knew she probably wanted to avoid him asking anything further on the topic, and figured that a dare would be a good way to do that. How wrong she was.
Just for that little jab about him and his lack of amorous experience, he would make Weiss give him a little window of what it might sound like. Specifically with her.
"I dare you to moan my name, Weiss," he said, struggling to utter the words without giggling.
Her eyes snapped open and her head twisted to face him again. Shock was evident on her flawless features. "What? You mean like… like during an orgasm?"
"I mean, you were practically there when I was amping your Aura," he grinned. "Just the words. Nothing else. Unless… you wanna lose the game…"
She glared at him. It was a cold look that could have frozen water with just a glance. He knew he'd just upped the stakes here in their game, but that merely made things more entertaining, did it not?
Weiss cleared her throat. "Jaune…" she whispered.
The boy leaned in closer, exaggeratedly cupping a hand over his ear. "Sorry, what was that? Doesn't sound like your heart's in it, Weiss."
"Oh, Jaune…" she moaned softly. Sensually. Hot, shaky breaths slipped through Weiss' lips as she closed her eyes, letting her chest heave as she pretended he was pleasing her. "Jaune… yes. Just like that. Oh gods, yes. Jaune! Don't stop!"
The blood drained from the boy's face completely. It hadn't left his body. It just went somewhere else.
Jaune sat in stunned silence as Weiss opened her eyes, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks as she met his gaze once more. This time it was Jaune who had to glance away.
His hands were clenched into fists, and his throat was dry. He couldn't say a word even if he wanted to. If he was capable of it.
"There, happy?" she asked in a huff.
Jaune said nothing.
Weiss tapped his shin with a foot to earn his attention. "Well?"
His eyes met hers and immediately retreated. It took several attempts before he was able to look at anything other than the floor.
"Jaune?"
"Wow," he breathed. "Weiss… have you been practicing or something?"
The kick to his shin was far harder this time. "Excuse me? I have not!"
He winced, the tips of her slippers still enough to cause his sensitive lower legs pain. "Okay. Because wow. That was… that was realistic. That was hot."
"S-shut up," she stammered. "No it wasn't."
She could deny it all she wanted. The fact of the matter was it was. It was incredible. Far better than anything he'd ever heard in any sort of pornographic material.
"I wish I had been recording that…" he muttered absentmindedly.
"You idiot," she continued. "I was just faking it."
"If that's what you sound like faking it, I think you'd kill a man doing it for real."
He saw how this time Weiss was forced to glance away, and as he stole a look up at her face, found her blushing. Embarrassing or not, it had been incredibly attractive. Maybe deep down she realized it too. Or maybe she had decided to accept the compliment for what it was.
"Jaune," she finally said after long seconds of silence. "Truth or dare. Pick truth."
He didn't dare to cross her now after he had just increased the game's stakes. "Truth."
"Is that your… is that your penis?" she asked, pointing a finger down to his lap.
Jaune's head followed her accusing finger. His mind had been so completely on Weiss that he hadn't even realized it was still hanging around. Yeah. That was a problem. Especially in these loose sleeping shorts courtesy of Atlas.
He nodded, and moved his hands to rest atop his lap in order to cover it. "Yeah…"
"Did I… did I make it happen when I moaned?"
"That's two questions," he thought to say quickly.
"Jaune!"
"You'll have to wait your turn." Thank the creators of truth or dare for such an ingenious system.
"Fine!" she huffed impatiently. "Ask me!"
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth!"
"Are you interested in my dick?" he asked, flipping her outrage back around on herself.
Weiss choked on her own breath, sputtering as her cheeks turned red once more. "W-what kind of question is that?"
"There's no asking why in truth or dare," he mimicked her in a faux high-pitched voice. "So are you going to answer or not?"
Weiss was practically vibrating with anger. Or embarrassment. One of the two. Either way he might end up with the business end of Myrtenaster through his gut. But if he were to go out tonight, it would be in a blaze of glory.
She blushed deeper. "I… I…"
"Remember, no lying."
She scowled, perfect white teeth bared as the scowl evolved into a snarl. "Fine! Yes. I am interested because I want to know whether or not my fake moaning caused such a reaction from you. Are you happy?"
"Very," he smiled triumphantly. "Ask away."
"Truth or dare!" she shouted.
"You'll probably kill me if I pick dare, won't you?"
"Smart boy," she stated evenly. "Choose."
"Truth."
"Did I give you an erection from my moaning?"
"Yes."
Weiss leaned back in her chair, sucking in a breath through her nose as she digested what should have been the answer to an obvious question. "I see."
"Sorry," he said bashfully. "It sounded really hot. I imagine that's what the real thing might sound like with you."
"Have you… thought about those kinds of things about me?" she asked meekly.
"It's not your turn."
"Oh come on!"
"Truth or dare, Weiss."
She growled at his lack of an answer to her question. "Truth."
How could he up the odds yet again? It was all just innocent fun, after all. After getting her to moan his name and her asking directly about his boner, this one shouldn't be too bad.
"What color are the underwear you're wearing right now?" he asked.
"White," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Huh," he thought aloud. He had expected something crazier from a girl like her. The ones who grew up sheltered or repressed sometimes became the wildest ones. "That's boring."
"Excuse me?" she snapped. "And what color are your underwear, mister fancy-pants?"
"You didn't even ask me truth or dare," he corrected her.
"Fine! Truth or dare!"
"Dare," he smirked, knowing that he had just found a way to put a wrench in her plans to find out the color underwear he was wearing right now.
The glare she gave him this time was glacial. He knew he was playing with fire, or rather, playing with ice by toying with the Ice Queen. However, messing with her was too much fun. He didn't know if he would ever have another opportunity to speak with her so casually like this again. To play truth or dare with her again. To be alone with her again.
"Oh you son of a…" she whispered, irate that he had blocked what her question would have been. But suddenly her face relaxed, and a small smirk even formed on her lips. "Okay. You know what? That's fine. I can work with this. Jaune, I dare you to take your shorts off. Let's see what color your underwear is!"
Jaune's face paled. In that moment, he realized he'd made a terrible mistake in underestimating her strategy. And her wrath.
"You're serious?" he asked nervously.
Weiss crossed her arms in front of her chest once more. "Dead serious. Guys lose their pants all the time in popular media. Surely you don't want to lose the game over a silly little thing like this, right?"
She wasn't wrong. Even in children's TV shows, guys had a tendency to be relieved of their pants and shown in their boxers. It was just like wearing a pair of shorts, after all. Or swim trunks. Showing Weiss his own underwear shouldn't have been too big a deal…
Except for the fact that he was still settling down from her earlier hard time.
Taking a deep breath, Jaune stood up and turned away from the prying eyes of his security partner. Shoving his thumbs underneath the bands of his shorts, he shot a harsh breath from his mouth and pulled them down. Bending at the knees, he stepped out of the shorts, his black boxer-briefs showing the slight bulge that lingered as a result of Weiss' moaning.
Even indoors, Atlas felt just a little more chilly without his sleeping shorts.
"Impressive," he heard the girl behind him say.
He peeked back, and noted how Weiss' eyes were below his waist. Was she checking out his… he knew that the Arc family was blessed with a particularly nice backside, but for her to be so brazen about commenting on it…
"I can see you never skip leg day," she added. Jaune blinked, sighing in relief that she wasn't staring at a particular asset of his. "Most boys are only concerned about working on their arms and chest."
He craned his neck around so that he could look behind himself at what she might have been staring at. A pair of particularly toned and muscular calves filled his vision. Carrying around the rest of his large and imposing figure, Jaune did indeed have nice legs that got a workout just from walking.
"Oh, um, thanks," he muttered modestly.
"Well are you going to turn back around? As much as I'm enjoying the view I'd prefer to speak face to face with the person I'm playing with."
Jaune nodded, and strategically placed his hands in front of his pelvis in order to cover up his shame. It was a funny thing, sometimes. The harder you urged it to go down, the longer it remained. The stronger it got. Much like a Mistrali finger trap, the more you fought, the worse it became.
Jaune sat back down, his hands atop his lap in order to cover himself up, hoping that Weiss wouldn't notice. Or if she did, that she wouldn't press the issue. Thankfully she seemed preoccupied with his calves and thighs, and didn't comment on what was further up his legs.
"So, black," Weiss finally wound up saying. "Not particularly exciting, considering you made such a fuss about my own white underwear being boring. I'm surprised they're not green."
With a shrug he stared down at the tight-fitting garment that went down to the middle of his thighs. "I do have green. Just not wearing them."
"Well maybe I have more than just white," she countered.
Fair enough. But he didn't want to linger on either of their underwear for too long. "Is it just me or is it really cold in here?"
"I feel perfectly fine," she bragged. Easy for her to say when she had her shorts on. "Now it's your turn."
Maybe getting back to the game would get his mind off the cold. And off the fact that he was now sitting there in his underwear with Weiss. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Were you checking out my butt while I had my back to you?"
Her eyes widened, and Weiss blinked several times before turning away. Jaune noted how he seemed to be getting particularly good at forcing a blush to creep across her cheeks.
"Well?" he pressed.
"Highly inappropriate…" she whispered.
"But me taking off my shorts isn't?"
An exasperated sigh shot through her lips, forcing her shoulders and chest to heave with it. "Fine. Yes, yes I was looking at your backside. It's not every day that I'm able to see such things, having roomed with three girls at Beacon and now here in Atlas. And no, I'm not a pervert who looks up pornography online. It's just… I haven't had much exposure to the opposite sex. There, are you happy?"
Jaune blinked. "It was a yes or no question. I didn't need a whole back story to justify it."
Weiss' eyes narrowed on him. "I'm not a pervert. That's why I needed to explain it to you."
"I never said you were one. And it's perfectly natural for guys and girls to check each other out. Especially at our age."
"What are you, a sex ed textbook? I already told you it's because I've never had ample opportunity to see what a boy's posterior looks like."
Jaune smirked. "Posterior."
"Is there something amusing about what I said?"
"Nothing. It's just… I wonder what it'd sound like if you swore. I've never heard you say a bad word before, Weiss."
She hummed. "A lady such as myself does not give utterance to such inappropriate language."
"What if I dared you to?"
"It's not your turn," she said, using the old adage she or himself had been so keen on using tonight.
"Fair," he conceded. "Go ahead then."
"Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"What do you think is my most attractive asset?"
Jaune's eyes fell over the girl next to him. Where did he begin? How could he possibly list all the things he found attractive over her? Both physically and personally?
Pristine and pure white hair. A slender build that most girls would kill for. A deficiency in height that a tall guy like himself found particularly appealing. Legs, that while short, were smooth and toned. The voice of an angel. A will of steel. Intensity and drive to do what she thought was right. Weiss was… she was… perfect.
"Well?"
"Your eyes," he said without hesitation.
The words caused said eyes to narrow. "My eyes?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Your eyes."
If the look of those eyes told him anything, they seemed to indicate that she wasn't convinced. "If it were Yang you were playing with, you'd have said her breasts." She paused for a moment, and Jaune tilted his head slightly in agreement. "If it was Blake, you'd have said her… posterior." Again, Jaune couldn't argue with that. "Ruby… Ruby, her…"
"Smile," he answered for her.
"Her smile?"
"Yeah. Ruby's just… she's so happy. So positive. Her smile can brighten up a room. It's brightened up my life more times than I can remember. Ruby's smile is the prettiest thing about an already very pretty girl."
It felt a little weird to be talking about his oldest friend from Beacon in such a way, but it was true. She had grown up to be a very attractive young woman. But in the end they were just friends. Best friends. One who he couldn't see himself being with, nor could he see her viewing him in a romantic light. Especially not when the fate of the world hung in the balance.
"I see," Weiss said. "So Ruby's smile. And my eyes."
"Yup."
"What's so good about my eyes?" she asked. A hand drifted up to the scar which marred the left side of her face. A finger traced the line from forehead to cheek, the girl likely having memorized its path down her face. "Especially when one is so…"
"Brave," he finished before she could say anything negative.
She squinted at him. "Brave?"
"To do what you did," he explained, recalling the story he had heard about her circumstance. How she had made it from Atlas to Beacon. "To fight what you did. To earn your freedom. You were brave to stand up to your father. To take his test. To pass it."
He saw how Weiss swallowed, and was forced to avert her gaze from him once more. "I never should have told you people about that…"
"Maybe not, but I'm glad you did. I'm glad I know as much about you as I do, Weiss. I'm glad we're friends."
A soft smile crept onto her lips, and those eyes of hers he admired so much returned to his own. The chills they sent down his spine made his cold legs feel like a blazing inferno in comparison. "Me too," she admitted softly. "You have nice eyes too, as long as we're sharing compliments."
"Not as nice as yours," he argued. "They're like pale blue gemstones. Sapphires. So full of life and passion. That's why I like them so much. They're just like you. Cold as ice, but hot as the sun."
"Hot as in…"
"Passionate. My bad." He didn't want her to get the wrong idea. Like he was hitting on her alone in this room when they couldn't leave it. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.
"Passionate," she echoed. "Not attractive."
Did she sound disappointed? Had he still managed to say the wrong thing despite trying to say the right thing?
"I mean, no!" he said hurriedly. "You are attractive, Weiss. Gods, you're so attractive. You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen in my life. You're-"
A moment later he clamped his hand over his lips, realizing what an utter fool he was making of himself. He'd done a complete 180 in seconds, going from not wanting to compliment her appearance to showering her with praise over her looks. He was a grade A fool.
"Jaune. Truth or dare."
"Isn't it my turn?"
"Truth or dare," she pressed, ignoring his protests.
He shrugged, knowing that Weiss wasn't going to be deterred. He could only imagine that she wanted him to answer with truth here. "Truth."
"Did you look at anyone else besides me at Beacon?" she asked. "I looked at Neptune, so it's only fair to know from you."
It was a strange question to ask about events from two years ago. "Why do you care now?"
"It's not your turn," she chided. Technically it was his turn, but he wasn't going to press the issue. "Answer. Who."
Jaune leaned back in his seat, his mind going back in time to a happier, simpler time. He closed his eyes, recalling the images of so many pretty girls in their school uniforms. Some with bare legs. Some in stockings. All of them so beautiful. Was it a rule that huntresses all had to be supermodels or something?
"Yang, Blake," he started to list. "Velvet. That Reese girl. Regretfully, Emerald…"
Images continued to flash in his mind of girls. Images abruptly interrupted when Weiss spoke next.
"Gods, Jaune!" she said loudly. "Maybe I should have asked you who you didn't look at. Are you just a walking erection or something?"
Thankfully not anymore. The problem in his pants had dissipated, though if he continued to picture the girls from Beacon, he knew it would return with a vengeance. It was best to focus on the girl in front of him.
"I'm a guy," he told her honestly. "A guy in a school filled with beautiful girls who could all kick my ass. Even today, we have Neon. Ciel. You and your team. Am I not supposed to be attracted to them?"
"Then why me?" she pressed. "If you're so into all those girls, why was I the only one you ever asked out?"
"It's not your turn."
He saw how Weiss clenched her teeth, an angry breath shooting out from behind them.
"Truth or dare?" he asked.
"Dare."
"Curse."
"Excuse me?"
"From before," he recalled. "You said that bad language was beneath you or something. I want to hear Weiss Schnee curse. Curse like a sailor."
The look she gave him was indignant, and it made sense. She'd told him that cursing was something inappropriate for a lady such as herself.
But this was truth or dare. This was where rules were made to be broken. People were forced to step outside their comfort zone. All in the name of fun.
"Bastard…" she whispered.
"Hmm?" he asked, leaning in. "I can't hear you."
"Lying, cheating bastard!" she shouted. "Dumb cock-sucking fucker! Worthless pile of shit manipulative bastard! I hate you! I fucking hate you!"
Jaune's eyes were wide. That had been… something else.
Oh gods, was it directed at him?
"Are you okay?" he whispered. "That wasn't about me, was it? I'm so sorry I made you-"
"No," she interrupted, shaking her head softly. "No, Jaune. Please understand that wasn't directed at you. We may not have always seen eye to eye in the past, but we've repaired our relationship and become friends. That was in no way about you."
He nodded, but he still didn't feel any better about the outburst he'd witnessed. "Are you okay?" he asked again.
She nodded in turn, another harsh breath passing through her nose. "I'll be fine." Her lips curled into a sly smirk. "In a way it felt good to let that out. Feelings I've only ever thought in the security of my own mind. Words I never could have said aloud to their intended recipient…"
Her smile was contagious, and Jaune found himself grinning softly at her. Ruby wasn't the only one with a pretty smile. "If you ever need to vent more, just let me know. My Aura's really big, so I can take all the punishment you can dish out."
"I don't know, Jaune. I can dish out quite a bit of wrath while imagining… who I was thinking about."
"Either way. If you ever need someone like that, my door's always open."
Weiss nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Jaune. But it's my turn now, and I expect you to answer what I asked you before. Truth or dare."
"Dare."
Eyes widened, a feeling of betrayal evident on her face. "You… you little…"
She really was so fun to mess with. Jaune doubted that even Yang would be this much fun to play truth or dare with. "I picked dare. Sorry, Weiss. Better luck next time."
"You did this on purpose. All you've done is dig your own grave, Jaune."
"Still waiting on that dare," he responded smugly.
"Fine," she said evenly. "I dare you… to sing my hit single."
"Mirror Mirror?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"I… don't know the words."
"Yes you do."
He sighed. "Yeah… I do…"
He'd listened to it many times. He'd listened to Weiss many times. Videos of her concerts were online for the world to see. Her music was readily available to download. How was it that one person possessed so much talent? Not only was Weiss gorgeous, but she was smart. A skilled huntress. On top of it all, she could sing. What couldn't this girl do?
Jaune stood up, taking a deep breath as he prepared to perform. Closing his eyes, he recalled how Weiss had done the same on stage before a live audience. Maybe it was to help with nerves. He was absolutely nervous right now, and he only had an audience of one.
Another deep breath, this one shakier than before, and he was ready. "Mirror… tell me something… tell me who's the loneliest of all…"
The harsh and sudden cackling of the girl next to him opened Jaune's eyes, and he saw that she was clutching at her stomach as laughter poured from her lips.
"Oh my gods…" she struggled to say through her laughing fit. "You're so off key! Jaune, how can you be so bad? How can anyone be so tone deaf?"
Her legs kicked up and down as she continued to laugh. He'd only made it one line into the song and Weiss was a wreck. There was no way he could possibly continue. She'd probably die laughing if he completed the whole song.
"Well excuse me for not having the voice of an angel," he snapped defensively.
The laughter died down in almost an instant, and Weiss opened her eyes back up to peer up at him. "You think I have the voice of an angel?"
He nodded wordlessly, sitting back down in his chair. Only then did he speak. "How could you think you didn't? Your eyes may be your most attractive feature, but your voice… it might be a close second."
All traces of amusement were banished from the girl's lips as she continued to stare at him. Jaune was forced to look away before she spoke. "I see. Thank you, Jaune."
"It's like what I told Ren about you once back at Beacon…" he started. Then realized that his loose lips were giving away too much information. He immediately squeezed them shut, going as far as to bite down on his lower lip to ensure he spoke no more on the subject.
Weiss was indeed smart, and she picked up on his mistake. "I suppose that answers the other question I had in mind. At least partially. About what made you pursue me back at Beacon."
Jaune shrugged noncommittally.
"Jaune. Truth or dare."
"This is like the third time you've gone twice in a row…"
"I don't care. Truth or dare."
He shrugged again, giving up on the girl playing fair. "Dare."
"I dare you to kiss me."
Jaune's eyes widened for what must have been the hundredth time tonight. His head snapped up to look at the girl who sat only a few feet away from him. Her own expression was dead serious.
"What?"
"Are you going to lose this late into the game?" she asked. "Or are you going to do it?"
"But… but why? Why would you dare me to do that?"
"It's not your turn."
It wasn't, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted, no, he needed to know. Why, here and now of all places, after everything that had happened and everything they'd been through, was she offering him a kiss?
"You're sure?" he asked.
Her expression, her voice, her body language, were all defiant. "I dared you, did I not?"
"Yeah. Yeah you did. So…"
She rolled her chair closer to his. She tilted her head slightly to the left. "Are you going to do it or not?"
Jaune tilted his own head to match hers. He only hoped that his breath would taste good hours after brushing his teeth for what he thought was bedtime. "R-right," he whispered nervously.
He rolled closer over to her, and tilted his head further to the left to ensure their noses wouldn't collide once he closed his eyes. Weiss' eyes already were closed, and she turned her face ever so slightly. He felt the brief feeling of her warm breath before his lips found hers.
He kissed her. He kissed Weiss Schnee on the lips. Her own were moist, and upon contact they parted slightly to accept him. Jaune mimicked the action, and for several seconds the pair of teenagers were locked in the shared embrace of their lips touching each other.
Pulling back, his lips felt like they were electrified. Like they were on fire. Like they were numb from cold. Paradoxical and conflicting feelings all rolled into one. All as a result of the touch of Weiss Schnee.
Jaune opened his eyes to find that Weiss had as well. For long seconds they merely stared at each other, and for all her earlier confidence, she had just as little to say as he did.
Her eyes spoke volumes, however, and were as wide as dinner plates.
"W-was that okay?" he asked nervously.
Weiss swallowed hard, and her eyes fell to her lap. "I… had only expected you to kiss me on the cheek…"
A chill ran down Jaune's spine. "Oh my gods. Weiss, I'm so s-"
"Don't be," she interrupted him.
The coldness in his body subsided ever so slightly. "What?"
A soft, embarrassed smirk curled on her lips as she glanced away. "It was… it was pleasant," she murmured. Weiss' arms crossed over her stomach, and her hands rubbed her forearms nervously. Perhaps attempting to warm herself up from a sudden chill of her own. "I've… never been kissed on the lips before." Her eyes darted up to look into his own. "I don't regret the misunderstanding."
That was a relief. Recalling the moment that would be burned into his memory for the rest of his life, Jaune had felt how Weiss not only didn't pull away from his lips when they touched hers, but she actually reciprocated. Had she found the act repulsive she could have easily pulled away. She could have told him to stop, or that it was a mistake. But no, Weiss had kissed him back. For long seconds her lips had moved with his, feeling his flesh and tasting his breath just as he had hers.
"Why'd you dare me to do that?" he asked.
"You never asked truth or dare."
The rules of the game were quite good at preventing sensitive information from getting out. They'd both used them to avoid answering certain questions asked by the other.
She'd better pick truth.
"Truth or dare," he asked.
"Truth."
"Did you enjoy kissing me?" he chose to ask instead.
She nodded. "Yes. It felt good."
"Do you want to do it again?"
"It's my turn now" she smirked.
He breathed a frustrated sigh. "Right."
"Truth or dare."
"Dare," he answered, wondering what she would do this time. Hoping that she would continue down the path they had started on.
Weiss scooted closer to him, reaching out with her left hand and resting it on the back of his head. "Do it again."
Jaune let a soft laugh out. "Guess that answers my question," he whispered as he tilted his head once more.
He pressed his lips against hers again, the earlier hesitation and fear gone now during their second kiss. His hungry lips moved against hers, and the faintest sound of a moan passed from hers into his. It was nothing like her earlier fake moaning. This one was real. Genuine. Brought out by his actions. By his lips.
The second lasted longer, but even they had to come up from air, and so reluctantly pulled back to catch their breath. A look at Weiss showed her blushing once more. It showed her smiling.
"Truth or dare," he asked.
"Dare."
He didn't even waste time asking her, for the answer was already apparent. He closed the distance with Weiss again, and their lips locked for a third time. Her hand squeezed down on his short hair to keep him close to her, and Jaune's own hands came to wrap around her back. One held onto her body while the other began combing through her long, loose hair. Her other hand came to rest on his back. Another soft moan escaped her lips, and knowing that he was drawing those sounds from her excited him more than he would have thought possible.
When they were forced to come apart again they did so only slightly. Their faces were still inches away from the other. Their hands were still in place on the other.
"Dare," Jaune whispered preemptively to save time. More time for kissing the Snow Angel next to him.
Weiss wasted little time reigniting the passion, and as their lips crashed together this time, she slipped her tongue into his mouth to begin battling against his for dominance. Despite his size and strength, all tongues were created equally, and hers won the duel. Not that Jaune was complaining, and it was he who moaned this time as Weiss' hungry mouth utterly dominated his own.
The sounds of heavy breathing filled his ears, and Jaune had no idea how long they had been locked together for their fourth kiss when the door opened. When it did, it was only the shocked voice of the person on the other side of the entrance that broke him and Weiss from their make out session.
"Oh my gods!" the familiar voice of Yang sounded. "No freakin' way!"
He and Weiss pulled apart in an instant, both their eyes wide in shock and horror.
"Y-Yang!" Weiss sputtered. "This isn't what it looks like!"
"What it looks like?" the blonde girl grinned. "What it looks like is that you and Jaune were making out like a couple of horny teenagers." She jabbed Blake in the ribs softly with an elbow. "Well, I guess they are still horny teenagers, aren't they?"
Blake smirked. Of all the times for her to lighten up and show some emotion, she chose now?
"We were just playing truth or dare," Weiss insisted. "Tell her, Jaune."
He nodded hurriedly. "Truth or dare," he agreed. "It was, um, just a dare…"
"Was the dare to make out with each other? 'Cause it looks like you were about to throw her down on top of the control console and… wait, why aren't you wearing pants?"
Jaune looked down to see that… yeah. He sure wasn't wearing pants. Or rather, his shorts. And Little Jaune had reared its little head with a vengeance.
This absolutely didn't look good. Not one bit.
"Um… that was also a dare…" he said honestly.
"Look, your shift is over," Yang smiled. "If you two need to go have a little fun before bed, there's empty rooms here on campus."
"We- we most certainly do not!" Weiss protested. She stood up and pointed down to Jaune's shorts on the floor. "Grab your shorts! We're leaving!"
Jaune hurriedly collected his clothing and followed Weiss as she fled from the room. A look back revealed Yang still grinning from ear to ear.
"Don't forget there's condom machines in the bathrooms!" she called as they left.
Neither teen offered a response as they strode down the hall in complete and utter embarrassment.
Weiss' face was on fire as she strode down the hall as quickly as her five-foot-three legs could carry her. Jaune, still clad in his boxer-briefs, moved beside her with his long strides.
Here they were in the most prestigious huntsman academy in the world, and she had just been caught by her teammates smacking lips with Jaune. Who was wearing no pants. Who she had caused to have a natural physical reaction once more…
She would never hear the end of this. Yang and Blake would tell Ruby. Ruby would tell Penny. Penny would tell…
Oh dear gods, she was dead. Maybe not physically, but Winter would certainly give her an earful for her behavior. And Jaune…
What would Winter do to Jaune?
Weiss looked over to him, panic on her face as she realized that while Winter would not draw her sword on her sister, the same immunity did not extend to Jaune.
No, no, no. She was a grown woman now. She was nineteen years old. She could do whatever she wanted with whoever she wanted. Winter would understand that. They weren't the same little girls who had grown up at the Schnee household. They were free to make their own choices in life. Walk their own paths. Winter was set to become the Winter Maiden. And Weiss, if she wanted to kiss boys and do whatever it was that Yang thought she was about to do, then she could!
Boy, she mentally amended. Just one boy. Not boys. Only one. Only Jaune…
Another look at him made her teeth sink into her lower lip. She could still hardly believe she was able to have that sort of effect on him. Just her voice, making a few fake noises. Just her lips on his. And he had been so… ready. It was quite honestly a bit flattering. Weiss hadn't been lying when she said that she had no experience with the opposite sex when it came to romance. Or physical affection. She wondered if all guys were like that. So easy to rile up. So easy to provoke…
A blush crept onto her face as she looked away. A hand came up to feel her cheek, and it burned like she had just run a mile. How could she go to sleep after what she'd just done? What they'd just done? She was bound to be up all night lying in her bunk. Thinking about the feeling of his lips. The sight of the thing in his pants she had created. The… posterior he had which apparently ran in the family, if memories of her time in Argus were anything to go by.
She wondered if he felt the same way. There was only one way to find out.
Her pace slowed, and Jaune's did along with her. Despite not having said a word to one another, they were still in sync.
"Jaune," she said, finally breaking the silence. "Truth or dare."
He turned, giving a quizzical look to her. "Weiss?"
"That's not one of the options. Truth or dare."
Jaune frowned. "Truth."
"Would you… would you like to continue playing truth or dare?" she asked softly. She swallowed hard. "In one of the empty rooms Yang mentioned?"
His blue eyes widened and his lips parted, but no words came out. It took long seconds for him to finally answer her question. "You mean…"
She had a feeling she knew what he meant with his unspoken question. However, that wasn't how the game was played. "It's a yes or no question, Jaune."
And her pride would be hurt if he said no.
The boy nodded, glancing away from her as his gaze turned to his feet as they walked. Finally, mercifully, he spoke. "Yes." His attention returned to her with a smile on his lips. "Yes I would."
A smile of her own spread on her face. "Good. Because… I'm not tired anymore."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Same here."
As they roamed the academy to find an unoccupied room, Weiss' mind played with the possibilities that the night might bring. Using his Semblance on her felt wonderful. Kissing him felt amazing. Perhaps he would need to kiss her while simultaneously warming her with his Semblance. If she had made… suggestive noises before simply from his Aura amping hers, she wondered what kind of noises she might make if he did it while they kissed. More than that, she wondered what kind of reactions those noises might give him.
They had all night to find out.
Author's Note: My thanks go out to Lightningstrxu for coming up with the idea for this story, and then allowing me to use it. And of course I want to thank the whole Work in Progress Discord server for their encouragement, interest, and help with the fic.
Just a silly one shot. Hopefully we start to see more fics set in volume 7 now that it ended.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.
