Learning To Bloom (ch3)

2-DAY EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!! THANK YOU!!

This is a very short chapter, more of an intermission of sorts.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 3.

After all the attention Neptune gives her constantly, Weiss feels it's only right, only polite to reciprocate. In her household when a boy showed affection toward her, no matter how much she disliked it, she was required to acknowledge and appreciate it.

And it wasn't that she didn't like Neptune - quite the opposite in fact. There was something about his charm, his wit, his appearance, that stood out to her above all other boys. Even if there were still a few things that rubbed her the wrong way, she was willing to give it a try.

He seemed ecstatic to say the very least, and got right to spreading the word and bragging about the fact that Weiss Schnee was giving him a shot. She didn't like that - being talked about and paraded around like a some rare trophy - but she tried to ignore it, hoping it would soon fade.

Likewise, Pyrrha did her best in getting along more closely with Jaune. He followed her everywhere, like a duckling, constantly calling out for her, asking her opinion on things, talking to her even when she would rather not. It was sort of like how he'd always been around her, pining and clingy, but doubled.

And she hated to think about it that way, so she did her best not to. She just tried to think of him as Jaune, her partner and leader, the boy whom she'd helped in training and practicing and aura control and semblance unlocking.

When he touched her hand she kept finding excuses to shake it off gently.

And yet she never felt her own urge to reach out for his.

It's a few days after their supposed double date together when Pyrrha finds Weiss sitting on a bench in the gardens. Pyrrha herself had been out for a stroll during their free period and is pleased to discover Weiss cupping a purple hydrangea to her lips. Pyrrha smiles and wanders nearer.

"Weiss! Good afternoon."

Weiss looks up from her flower and smiles back.

"Pyrrha! Care to join me for a moment?" She makes room on the bench and Pyrrha gladly accepts the offer.

"Taking a break from all the studying for once, are we? That's good. Sometimes I feel like you push yourself too hard, Weiss."

"Oh, please. It's nothing I can't handle."

"I'm sure it isn't. But still, it's nice to enjoy the weather on a perfect day like this."

"I'll say."

For a moment they sit quietly together side by side, surrounded by the various bushes and plants sprouting petals of all different colors. Everything is calm and the air smells like spring.

"So..." Pyrrha feels compelled to keep the conversation going and addresses one of the few things that's been on her mind primarily within the past few days. "How are things with Neptune?"

Maybe she just blinks at the wrong time, but she almost feels that Weiss flinches at the question.

"Things are going well, I suppose." She offers no detail and immediately reflects the question. "What about with Jaune?"

"Oh, things are just grand as always."

"That's good."

"Yes."

Silence comes again, sprinkled with distant birdsong and the brush of the wind. Both girls try to make eye contact with the other, but they're just a second too early or too late every time.

Eventually, Pyrrha musters up the voice for an offer.

"You know, Weiss, if you ever-"

But she's cut off by the sound of the warning bell. Weiss stands up immediately and dusts off her skirt.

"We've got to get to class." But she doesn't want to leave things off like this, so she makes sure to meet Pyrrha's eyes this time. "Maybe we can... talk like this again sometime...?"

It's less of a question and more of an offer. A request, even.

Pyrrha smiles.

"Of course we can."

Weiss dips her head and scurries off, and Pyrrha watches her go. She waits a moment before following, disturbing the fallen hydrangea petals as she goes.

It's a few days later when the incident occurs. Not a big one, but definitely something everyone notices and questions.

RWBY and JNPR are having a mock battle and training session on the outskirts of the Emerald Forest, overseen by Glynda. They're paired off, one member of each team facing off against another.

Weiss isn't exactly sure why, but she's both relieved and disappointed not to have gotten Pyrrha as her partner.

But still, she'd gladly take Nora over Jaune. For some reason, Weiss feels if Jaune were her opponent she might fight a little more irritably than usual.

But with the spitfire redhead as her opponent now, Weiss focuses on dodging Nora's overpowered attacks charged with electricity, using her glyphs to avoid being hit. She keeps checking on her three teammates engaged in their own battles around herself; Ruby is fairing just fine with Jaune, Blake doesn't seem to need any help with Ren either, and Yang is equally matched by-

Weiss isn't sure what comes over her in that instant. She's just leapt back to dodge Nora, and she has her own next counter move planned and ready in her mind.

But the second her gaze comes to find Pyrrha, she freezes.

She's just so stunning, the way her hair streams out behind her in the heat of the fray, the way her body twists and counters with such power, such grace, the way her lips curve up slightly and her green eyes sparkle with the thrill of the fight-

"Weiss! Watch out!"

"Huh?"

But Yang's warning cry comes too late. Weiss turns her face at the last second right before she crashes into her blonde teammate, bowling the both of them over into the dirt. Nora and Pyrrha skid to a halt before sharing a grin.

"Awwww yeah! We win, we win!"

"Are you two all right?"

As Nora cheers to herself, Pyrrha offers her hand to help the others up. Yang groans and pushes Weiss off herself, earning an offended "hey!"

"What the heck was that, Weiss?" Yang huffs, accepting Pyrrha's hand. "It's not like you to get distracted during a fight."

"Well I'm sorry," Weiss mumbles. "I was trying to keep an eye out for you three."

"Seems to me you only needed to worry about yourself, princess."

"Yes, yes. Hush now."

Weiss is glad that Yang accepted Pyrrha's hand because it means she doesn't have to; even though part of her thinks she might have liked to.

Weiss stands herself up promptly, but the aftereffects of the collision make her head swirl from the motion. She sways upon standing and isn't quick enough to use her rapier as support.

But a gasp of concern and a pair of arms around her prevents the heiress from a potential concussion. Weiss closes her eyes for a second as she feels herself slumping against someone else. And it isn't Yang.

"Weiss! Are you all right?" The voice is Pyrrha's of course, high with concern. She'd dropped Milo and Akouo in favor of Weiss and is keeping a steady hold on her.

Weiss shakes her head a little, nervous about making eye contact.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Would you like me to take you to the infirmary just to be certain?"

Weiss has to admit she's tempted by the offer, not because she feels she needs to be checked by a nurse, but because of the potential of having a few moments alone with Pyrrha on the walk getting there.

But she knows better. She isn't going to waste Pyrrha's time when Weiss doesn't truly need medical attention. Besides, it would feel like taking advantage of her somehow if she were to lie about this.

"I'm sure," she replies. "Thank you, Pyrrha." Weiss slips herself free of the embrace and eases back. Pyrrha watches her with concern and a hint of confusion, but ultimately dips her head.

"All right then." She turns to Yang. "Good match."

"Same to you."

Weiss treads away slowly back to where the others are wrapping up their matches and commending one another. Somehow she almost feels like she's upset Pyrrha somehow by rejecting her offer, but she knows if she'd accepted it without really needing it, she would've felt even worse.

She doesn't understand it. She wants to be both next to Pyrrha and far away from her at the same time.

Weiss wakes herself up enough to offer words of congratulations to Nora, and in those moments has a change of heart.

She wants to talk to Pyrrha. Alone. She isn't sure why or what about, but she knows she wants to talk to her about something.

Weiss musters up her nerve and turns back around to call out to her companion.

But the words die in her throat when she sees Jaune approaching her instead, grinning and patting Pyrrha's shoulder in a manner somewhere in between friendly and affectionate. Pyrrha smiles back at him.

Weiss feels a sting in her chest.

She turns away back to her own teammates and hardly speaks another word for the remainder of the day.

A/N: Final chapter coming up! I know it's been a bit of an odd(?) story jumping around between Weiss and Pyrrha and the boys, but I think the final chapter will flow the smoothest.