It wasn't much of a guess to say he was in the dream of someone from Team RWBY when the four members of said team were fighting for their lives at what looking to be a shipping area on the docks. The water was still in the distance – as in, unnaturally still, with no waves or currents whatsoever – and the night sky was dark. This must have been the events of only a few hours prior to him waking up in the first place, the rescue of Blake, which one of the four must have been having a dreamlike flashback of.

There were White Fang running about shooting and shouting; there was fire spreading from several smashed open cargo containers; there was a monkey faunus that Jaune just flat-out didn't recognise flipping here, there, and everywhere, and there was Blake, running around the back of a container as someone in a white coat fired a gun – a cane? – at her. It didn't look like she was in any immediate danger, and he spotted Ruby on a nearby warehouse shouting something. Meanwhile, Yang was punching way through terrorists and Weiss was dancing among the containers.

It was a messy dream and he couldn't tell which of the girls was the dreamer. The White Fang were content to ignore him as not a part of it all, rushing around him toward a fight they couldn't hope to win. There was no pressing need for him to get involved with Team RWBY handling it all. It was hard to even think of this as a nightmare, though he supposed anything could happen at any moment to make it turn into one.

"I guess I'll stay ready for if that happens. Um. Go Team RWBY? Fight, fight, fight?"

As if his words had brought about disaster, a stray shot aimed at Blake blew up a container near Ruby and caught her mid-sprint. Semblance or no, she was thrown to the ground and Crescent Rose scattered away. The man with the orange hair saw and adjusted his aim, smiling madly. "Goodnight, Red."

"Ruby!" screamed Blake.

The shot hit Jaune's shield about halfway between the shooter and Ruby, exploding off the metal and washing oddly heatless fire back over him. It was strange how he felt the impact but not the fire itself. Blake watched with wide and grateful eyes, and he sent her a quick nod. Rather than ask what he was doing there, she nodded back, turned and sprinted at their enemy, forcing him on the defensive. Jaune loped over to Ruby to see if she was alright, but she'd already snatched up Crescent Rose and she ran past him like she couldn't even see him.

I guess that means this isn't Ruby's dream if she's acting like some kind of NPC. Or, in this case, like the White Fang members dreamed up who didn't react to him either. He wasn't sure as a test if it'd always work to find the dreamer since they could dream another person's reaction to him, but it probably worked now because they were distracted by their own fight and leaving the rest to just play out in their heads.

Blake, Yang or Weiss. It could have been any of them. He hadn't been in Weiss' dreams yet, but Yang certainly worried enough in her own for a dream like this to make sense. He could see her reliving it except with Ruby dying, all due to her self-perceived failure, and leaving her to take all the blame. He could also imagine Blake dreaming it since this must have been a big deal for her at the time.

"I feel like I'm getting better at this. Or maybe this nightmare is just an easier one."

The fight wrapped itself up fairly quickly, the White Fang laying defeated, and the main criminal having fled with a blurry accomplice Jaune couldn't make out. Odds were the dreamer hadn't seen them when this really happened, so they lacked detail. Instead, he watched the four members of Team RWBY meet in the middle of the burning docks. By all accounts, this had gone well last night – or last evening? – with the four of them making up and returning to Beacon in time to meet him in the cafeteria.

It wasn't going so well here.

"This would never have even happened if the two of you hadn't started fighting!" shouted Yang. The targets of her ire were Blake and Weiss. "Ruby nearly got killed over this."

"It's not my fault," said Weiss. "Blake is the one who ran away and brought us all here."

"I can't be blamed for that when you're a faunus-hating racist like your parents!"

"I'm not racist!"

"You did call faunus animals," said Yang. "And you had us chasing after that faunus who helped Blake because of course he'd be a criminal. He's a faunus, right?"

"What? No. He was being chased by police for stowing away on a ship. He admitted it by his own account. That's illegal."

"So is cutting back on safety equipment in mines and letting faunus die to make a few million lien, but that didn't stop your family doing it."

"Why do you always bring my family into this!?"

"Because you act like your parents."

Weiss gasped. "I do not! I've never acted like them!"

"You do," said Blake, arms crossed. She had stepped between Yang and Ruby so that the three of them could line up and stare at an isolated Weiss. "You judge people before you get to know them; you instinctively criticise the faunus and insult anyone who tries to defend them."

"You tried to have me removed as team leader as well," whispered Ruby. Weiss paled.

"Ruby, no, I apologised for that. It was a mistake!"

"Doesn't mean it didn't happen," said Yang, with a sigh. "Makes me wonder what else you've complained about to mommy and daddy. Do you want me off the team as well? I bet you want it to just be you and Pyrrha. I heard she was trying to recruit her when Beacon started."

"Weiss," whimpered Ruby. "Is that true?"

"No!" snapped Weiss. "I mean, well, yes, but... but it's not how it sounds! This was before Team RWBY. This was before us. I wanted the best partner – and I didn't know you all well. I'm happy with how things are now. I am!"

"Happy? With Blake driven to run away because you screamed at her?"

"No. I mean being on this team-"

"She isn't going to change," said Blake. "Not if she's already making excuses. This is going to happen again and again and again."

"It won't!" said Weiss. "It won't happen again. I'll do better. I'll be better."

This was Weiss' dream. There was no doubting it. Jaune moved forward to try and interrupt, to say something – or just break the conversation up and let Weiss dream of something else. His feet moved sluggishly however, as if they were dragging their way through thick tar. He looked up as he heard a strangled cry, and saw Blake, Ruby and Yang walking away, leaving Weiss in much the same situation as he: struggling to catch up, but with her steps bogged down and the other girls getting further and further away.

"Come back!" demanded Weiss. "Come back! I... Please come back! I didn't mean it-"

Jaune growled and broke the silence. "Weiss! Weiss!"

His words reached her, but the world shifted as she looked his way. The docks faded away while the containers melted and flowed like water, connecting with one another until they had become solid walls. Those metal walls then grew softer and more decorated, with fuzzy paintings and wall-mounted lamps dotted along them. The floor was coated in a thick carpet down the centre of the hall, and varnished wood on the edges. Weiss stood in front of a tall man in a white suit a little further down the hallway.

"Why are you doing this, Weiss?" asked the man. He sounded exhausted. "Have I not given you everything? Is it not enough?"

"It's my dream. I want to become a huntress."

"I thought you wanted to take over the company. You certainly boast of it enough."

"I do want to."

He made an irritated noise and blew air through his moustache. "You want to go off to school for four years, traipse through the wilderness for however many more, and then be granted control of the most powerful company on Remnant? With no training or experience in running it? You would run it into the ground."

"Is that it, then?" snapped Weiss. "I don't do what you want so I'll be disinherited?"

"No one is talking about disinheriting anyone. No one but you. But even you have to admit it makes no sense to give sole control of the company over to someone who refuses to give it the time and attention it deserves. Whitley wants to run it."

"Whitley is a brat!"

"You're no better acting like this. And at least he's willing to listen to me."

"He can be your little clone, then. I'm my own person. I've earned this."

"You?" The man burst out laughing. Weiss bristled. "You do nothing more than copy your sister's rebellious attitude and call it your own. And what have you earned? Those combat skills you're so proud of were taught by expert trainers hired by me. Your weapon is one of the most expensive on the market – custom built – and again paid for by me. Your singing career was due to yet more tutors, not to mention my greasing the palms of producers to have you given prime slots on radio. Or did you think just anyone who wanted to sing would get as much exposure as you did? Who do you think paid for backing singers, marketing, events and everything else? Don't delude yourself into thinking you've achieved anything on your own merit. You owe this company, Weiss. You owe me."

Weiss grimaced and looked away, one hand clutching her other arm across her chest. The fire had been torn out of her, but there was a simmering defiance that remained. It just lacked the heat of what had been there before.

"I've already made up my mind. There's no point learning to fight and having Myrtenaster commissioned if I'm going to sit here learning to run the family business. I will go to Beacon. But after – after, I promise – I'll be back to run the company."

"Tch. With a four year gap in your education and no knowledge of how to run it. That's your problem, Weiss. You want everything for nothing. You feel you deserve the company just because your grandfather founded it."

"I have a better claim to it than you..."

"Do you?" asked the man, who must have been her father. "You have a claim by blood. That's it. I have a claim by virtue of being the one to drag it out from utter collapse. Is that less worthy in your eyes? I came in and proved myself to the company and its investors through action. You would come in by right of me having finished inside your mother and claim you have more right to it."

Weiss winced at the crude language, and Jaune did as well, but it was hard to argue with what he was hearing. And if it was hard for him then it must have been harder still for Weiss.

Jaune didn't know anything about the intricacies of the SDC. He didn't know anything about Weiss' family situation either, and he didn't want to know this. Weiss sure as hell wouldn't want him to know it either.

"For all your pretences of not being a spoilt little princess your whole argument for why you should be able to take the SDC away from me is because of the name you happened to be born with."

"That... That's not..."

"If you truly believed half the lies that come from your mouth, you'd put aside your selfish ambitions, enter the SDC, prove yourself, win over the investors and replace me. But you won't, will you?" The man snorted and turned away. "You'll do your own thing, get by on the advantages my actions have bought you, and then pretend you earned it all when the company comes your way after my death." He paused, to add, "You're no better than your mother."

Weiss' breathing hitched.

That was his cue. He should have gotten involved sooner but Oobleck had told him to try and not expend aura... No, that wasn't the real reason, was it? He could pretend it was, but there was no hiding the fact that he wanted to know more about Weiss. He'd always had that thought in the back of his mind asking if he couldn't go into Weiss' dreams and make her think more positively about him. Jaune swallowed the selfish ambition, stepped forward and reached for her.

"Weiss, you don't-"

"G-Go away."

His hand touched her shoulder. "I won't."

"I said go away!" screamed Weiss, spinning and slapping his hand away.

There were tears in her eyes. Of course there were. This dream – this nightmare – was custom built to hurt her. Built by her worst fears, her hang-ups, and her imagination. He couldn't fault her looking so broken up when it was her own subconscious hurting her; no one knew better how to hurt a person than themselves.

"Weiss-"

"What? Is it that time already? Come to ask me out again!?"

"What? No, why would I ask you out in your... house...?" The walls were no longer so expensive or posh; they were the hallways of Beacon. He hadn't even seen the transition, though maybe he'd been the one to spark it. Weiss' mind would expect to see him in Beacon, so his appearance in her dream had probably made her switch up the setting. "Huh. I guess we're in Beacon now. Okay."

"I can't believe this is happening again already!" snapped Weiss. "When will you get the hint? No means no! I won't go out with you!"

It hurt. It hurt even though it was a dream of hers. Not in your wildest dreams, she'd told him once, and it looked like that held true. Weiss really did hate him.

"But I didn't-"

The tears were still there from the last two parts of her nightmare. He'd thought his interruption might help, but it really didn't look like it had. Am I a night terror to her? No, that doesn't make sense. Weiss is way stronger than me. That didn't stop the misery tumbling around in his stomach like a pair of sneakers in a washing machine.

"You always do this!" she said, voice cracking. "Why won't you take a hint? Why won't you leave me alone?"

Jaune couldn't help snipe. "Do you think I like being constantly turned down?"

It was the wrong thing to say – even in a dream.

"DO YOU THINK I LIKE HAVING TO DO IT!?" Weiss' voice boomed louder than she'd ever sounded. Higher pitched, too. It made the walls of the dream shake. "DO YOU THINK I LIKE HAVING TO WATCH YOU SQUIRM AND DIE A LITTLE INSIDE EVERY TIME? DO YOU THINK I LIKE HAVING TO LISTEN TO RUBY AND YANG TALK ABOUT ME HURTING YOUR FEELINGS WHEN YOU ARE THE ONES WHO COMES TO ME!?"

Jaune could hardly stay on his feet. Weiss had grown taller, over ten feet tall, and she was bent over to address him, looking down on him. He felt small – he was small – but he felt it too, deep inside, and not just because of the dream. For all her position of strength and power, there was no missing the frustrated tears in her eyes, nor the crack of her voice. He couldn't even be convinced it wasn't because of him anymore. This almost felt worse than the argument she'd had with her father.

"You always put me on the spot!" whispered the girl, shaking like a leaf. "I'm scared whenever I see you. I feel actual fear when you enter the room. Not because you're going to hurt me, but because you're going to make me hurt you! Why do you always make me the bad guy? Why am I the monster?"

"What? Weiss, I-"

"And then Ruby, Yang, and Blake look at me like I enjoy hurting you. And your teammates, too. Pyrrha looks like she hates me, and everyone shakes their heads, but it's not me who keeps making it happen! What am I supposed to do? Are you just going to keep asking until I give up and say yes because I can't stand having to keep rejecting you?" Her entire frame shook as a sob wracked her. "Is that it? I... I should just give up, be what you want me to be, swallow my feelings and let you do what you want. W-Will that make everyone happy?"

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. Was this... Was this how she really felt? The butterflies in his stomach had dropped dead, and they were now a lead weight threatening to pull him under.

I didn't mean... but I... I thought it was okay to keep asking. If Weiss ever changed her mind about me then... but...

It wasn't okay, was it? He'd ignored her answer, ignored her time and time again, and forced her to keep having to reject him. Often in public. He'd been so lost in his own misery at being turned down that he'd never spared a thought for her.

And then he heard the voices.

"Poor Jaune," said Ruby, not physically present but her voice carrying. "Why does she have to be like that?"

"It's what a Schnee does," said Blake. "They like hurting people."

"Even if he's annoying, he's not all that bad," said Yang. "She could let him down softly..."

"I hate the way she belittles him," said Pyrrha.

"There goes Weiss again," said Nora, "Breaking Jauney's heart. I should break her legs."

Ren only sighed, but even that sigh sounded judgmental.

The ten foot tall Weiss collapsed to her knees in front of him and shrank to ten inches tall. She screamed, but the sound was tiny and fragile, hardly even reaching his ears. He tried to reach out for her all the same but the world shifted and shattered like glass, and Jaune woke up in the infirmary, panting for air and feeling sick to his stomach.

"Weiss..." His hand came up to his face. "Fuck. I'm such... gah! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

/-/

Blake had already told his team the truth about her heritage by the time Jaune met them in the afternoon. They were in the common rooms between sets of dorms, idling around playing a boardgame. It looked like Yang was winning handily, pushing Weiss and Ruby to the point of near collapse. Ren had already taken over Blake's kingdom since she didn't seem interested in playing, and Nora was backseat gaming to the point of telling him where to move and what to do. Ren bore it all with a patient smile.

"Look who it is," crowed Yang when she saw him. "I hope your aura is full or you'll be going straight back to the infirmary."

"Full aura and full stomach," replied Jaune. "Out of curiosity, did any of you even sleep yet?"

"We had a nap." It was Ruby who answered. "I wanted to have a full sleep, but Weiss said it'd screw up our internal clocks and we'd be late for lessons on Monday."

"We're running on caffeine," reported Blake as she turned another page in her book.

Hm. So, Weiss' nightmare had been during a nap. Jaune tried not to look at her, both afraid of what he'd see and not wanting to put her on edge. He took a seat by Pyrrha and watched the game wrap up with Yang as the inevitable victor. Ren came close, but by the time he had taken over for Blake it looked to be a foregone conclusion.

"Anyone else want to try their luck?" asked Yang. "How about you, Jaune? Want to make a wager with me?"

"I've got a feeling I'd get my ass kicked so I'll pass this time." He caught a brief flash of disappointment from Yang at being denied and ignored it. "So, did I miss anything? Any exciting stuff happen while I was sleeping?"

"No-"

"A guy asked Weiss to the dance," chirped Ruby. It was practically tattling, as Weiss, who had literally been about to deny it, covered her face with one hand and groaned. "Weiss agreed. It was so funny – he even called her a stupid name like you did, but Weiss was all blushing and embarrassed and-" Ruby froze suddenly, and winced. He wasn't sure if she'd cottoned on or if Weiss or Yang hadn't kicked her under the table. "Oh."

"Yeah?" Jaune smiled weakly, but he tried not to let it show. "That's great. Good for you, Weiss. I hope you have fun."

Weiss knew he didn't mean it.

He knew that now. It was hard not to look at her and see the way she tensed up, ready for an explosion of some sort. What, he wasn't sure. Grief on his part? Tears? Hurt? Angry demands asking why his nicknames were rejected but a stranger's was accepted. The worst part was that he felt all that. He wanted to do and ask those things, all but proving Weiss' fear was correct.

"Thank you..." she said, unable to look at him.

And now he was making things worse. It was no wonder she hadn't wanted to mention it. He wondered if everyone else hadn't either, and if they'd have kept it all a secret if Ruby hadn't dropped the ball. He wasn't sure if he should have been angry at the perceived betrayal, or not. Probably not. Weiss had told him no umpteen times and it wasn't his place, nor his right, to get upset about her accepting an invitation from someone else.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Blake got asked as well," said Yang, valiantly trying to change the subject. "It was a guy who helped her out last night. Kept her company while she was out in Vale. He seems like a good sort."

Jaune grasped onto the life raft Yang was offering. "Yeah? What's his name?"

"Sun. Comes from Mistral. Has a phobia of shirts. Blake likes that."

"I do not," called Blake.

"You didn't turn him down~"

"He risked his life to help me out. The least I can do is give him a chance." The faunus set her book down and rolled her eyes. "But to be completely honest, he isn't my type."

"Why not?" asked Yang. "He was good looking, fit, friendly, fun, and he's obviously a cool guy if he helped you out."

"Exactly. He's bright, friendly, active, chatty, an extrovert." Blake fixed Yang with a pointed look. "All of those things I very much am not. I'm not saying it's impossible but I've a feeling I'd get annoyed at how... well... how nice he is."

"That has to be the worst reason to reject someone I have ever heard," said Weiss. Jaune sort of agreed.

"I'm not rejecting him, am I? I'm just saying there's a big difference in personalities there and it might become an issue. It might not. I'm open to bring proven wrong. That's why I decided to give him a chance."

"Don't they say opposites attract?" asked Jaune.

"They do say that. But does that really happen all that much? Most people prefer someone they can relate to or understand on some level. People meet over similar hobbies, similar careers, or similar interests all the time. Complete opposites butt heads more often than they're attracted to one another."

"So says our resident romance expert," said Yang. "And who can doubt her credentials with all those textbooks she reads, hm?" The blonde cackled when Blake's face flamed red and her bow twitched. "Ah, you're too easy. I kinda agree, though. My opposite would be... what? A broody guy who never goes out, never wants to interact with anyone, and doesn't like violence? Someone inactive with no sense of humour. Yeah, sure. Totally my type."

He didn't need to hear Yang's snort to catch the sarcasm thick in the air there. He supposed they were right. The old saying was cute and all, but maybe it was just that. He liked Weiss, but even if someone wanted to say he and her were dissimilar, he wouldn't say they were opposites. They both wanted to be huntsmen, they were both active, they both shared the same friendship circle. They honestly weren't that dissimilar when you got down to it.

"Yang likes popular guys and rockstars," groaned Ruby.

"I do not! I like looking at them, but I don't like them. It's different."

"Then who are you asking out to the dance?"

"I can't believe you of all people are asking me that, Ruby. Seriously. You don't just not have a foot to stand on, but you don't have a leg either." The older sibling laughed with them as Ruby blushed. "But I guess I'd be interested in a dependable guy. Someone who can be fun at times and serious at others, and who cares." She shrugged. "But I don't really plan to ask anyone. Me and Weiss are stuck helping to organise the thing anyway, so I'll be too busy at the start. That's not to say I won't give anyone asking me some consideration, though."

"Is that a plea for help?" asked Weiss.

"More like a hint," chuckled Blake. Yang shot her a glare. "But maybe we should go full circle if Ruby is that interested in knowing. After all, she's the only one of us who hasn't made their plans clear."

"Meep! I-I have to go... um... give Crescent Rose a bath!"

Ruby actually managed to slip out from under Yang's grip and away. They watched her go, before Yang first snickered, and soon everyone was laughing. He would have felt bad for it if not for the fact Ruby started this. If she couldn't take then she shouldn't give. It also helped distract a little from his own lack of a date. Ren would surely go with Nora, assuming she mustered up the courage to ask him; the real question was whether they'd be going as friends or as a date.

Blake had someone, Weiss had someone, Yang didn't but would surely be asked, and Pyrrha was much the same. About the best he could hope for was asking Ruby to go as friends, which wasn't awful by any means but also wasn't what he really would have hoped for. A new school, a new him, and more of the same when it came to dating.

As the game wrapped up, Jaune slid over to the three remaining members of Team RWBY. He knew Weiss saw him coming because she briefly fumbled the board, catching it at the last and sliding it onto the shelf so others could use it. Yang wore a grin, amused, and Blake looked curious. He didn't think either reaction was really deserved.

"Hey Weiss. I..."

He thought about asking to speak to her alone, then decided against it. Weiss would have probably accepted, but it would have made her feel isolated and on edge, and that wasn't fair. The only cost to him was some embarrassment from speaking in front of Yang and Blake. A small price compared to what Weiss had to put up with because of him.

"Yes, Arc? What is it you want?"

"To apologise, I guess."

Her pale blue eyes widened. He had to look away from them because he could have gotten lost otherwise. Weiss wasn't going to change her mind about his feelings – and that wasn't her fault. It was because he'd pushed too hard and not only burnt that bridge but ground up the ashes, salted them, and doused them in acid.

"I felt like I should say sorry for all the times I harassed you and asked you out when you clearly said no. I know this probably sounds like some kind of trick or play on my part, but I'm genuinely annoyed at myself for all of that..."

He scratched his head, acutely aware, and bothered, by the surprised looks both Blake and Yang were shooting him. He could almost feel his own team staring at the back of him in shock as well. Was it that unlike him? Maybe. If so, then that was even more reason to be annoyed at himself. He almost wished someone had pulled him aside and said something earlier, but that felt like putting blame on them for his actions.

Weiss still hadn't said a word. Her mouth was hanging open.

"Y-Yeah, anyway, I'm going to try and move on and just wanted to make it clear I'm cool with you seeing another guy. Not that you needed my permission or me to be cool or anything, but I mean this as more of a don't worry about me kind of thing. Not that you should be worrying about me – this is my issue – but... well... uh." He winced. "I hope you understand what I'm trying to say?"

At last, Weiss spoke. "I... think I do..."

"Basically, I'll never ask you out again, I'm sorry for all the times I did after the first, and I hope you can forgive me putting you on the spot like that and we can be friends. Or acquaintances. I know I must have pissed you off enough times that friendship wouldn't be on the table-"

"You know, if you had come to me and said this a few weeks ago I would have thought it some asinine trick on your part," said Weiss. "Some hairbrained scheme to try and make me jealous, or act like you're not interested to have me pine for you."

He heard Pyrrha make to speak; he heard Ren stop her; he saw Yang's brows come down; he saw Blake stop her speaking as well. In the midst of it all, he felt at least a little amusement for the comparison between the two teams that way.

"Yeah," he said, laughing a little. "I deserve that one, I guess."

"But I don't anymore," said Weiss, shaking her head. "However you acted before you've... matured. I'm not the first to say it, but I think I can see what they meant now. You're not nearly as annoying as you used to be." She smiled and seemed relieved when he didn't make a big deal of it, or go dopey-eyed, or turn to mush. He realised it had been a test of sorts. One he'd hopefully passed. "You're almost becoming somewhat reliable. Thank you for the apology. I can forgive how you acted before and do my best to forget it moving forward."

Jaune breathed out. Weiss meant it as a compliment but if it took him invading all their privacy to grow a little maturer then he wasn't sure that was maturity at all.

"That's all I ask. Thank you, Weiss. Thank you. Enjoy your date and don't worry about me interrupting it."

"I won't." Her eyes narrowed slyly, almost teasing. "I'm sure you'll have your own date to focus on anyway."

Would he? Jaune wasn't sure where her confidence came from, but Weiss turned and walked away before he could ask, and Blake and Yang followed after a second, the latter shooting him an impressed thumbs up as she went.

That had been gruelling... and doing it in public had been worse.

But, he couldn't say it hadn't been worth it. And whatever embarrassment he felt was nothing compared to what she'd gone through having to reject him over and over again. He just hoped this would put a stop to her and his team criticising her for shooting him down.

"Well," said Nora. "That was a thing."

"A good thing," said Ren.

"Yes!" agreed Pyrrha, smiling ever-so-brightly. "A very, very good thing!"

He hadn't forgotten Oobleck's little slip about how Pyrrha's dream of him on a date with her might mean something. Did she like him? If so, then she hadn't ever said anything, and now would be a great time for her to do so. He wasn't feeling confident enough to ask after just realising how much stress his first attempts had caused Weiss. But if Pyrrha really did have feelings for him then she had the perfect opportunity and excuse to ask now.

"Where did all this come from, though?" asked Nora.

"I've had a lot of time stuck in the infirmary with not much to do other than think. Looks like even I can put my brain to good use when there aren't any distractions." He smiled for their sakes, to let them know he was okay. "Weiss said no. I should have taken that as answer the first time she said it."

"I guess that means you won't be asking her to the dance," said Nora. Obviously not. Weiss already had a date. "Any ideas who you will be asking?"

None. Well, none other than Ruby as a fallback friend option, but he knew that wasn't what Nora meant. He was also a little curious to see if Pyrrha did like him that way, or if he'd just misread something in her dream. He hadn't been in her head since and it would be easy to misconstrue Pyrrha being an awesome friend and teammate for her liking him. He didn't want to take a risk and ruin that.

"I think I'll see if anyone asks me." He didn't look at Pyrrha as he said it, but the hint had to be obvious enough for her to have caught it. If she wanted to ask him, she could. He decided to make it even easier. "I think I'll keep my mind open to be honest, so I'll make a promise here and now. If anyone asks me to the dance I'll go with them."

"Anyone?" teased Nora. "Even Renny?"

"As if you'd let him get anywhere near another person."

"Hey. I might if it was you. I'll happily go alone if I get to see Ren in a dress."

"Lucky me," chortled Ren. "Alas, I'll have to say no. It's not you, Jaune. It's me."

Grinning, Jaune clicked his fingers. "Drat. And here I was already planning our wedding."

Pyrrha laughed along with the rest of his team, but she didn't say a word as to his promise, nor did she make any effort to pull him aside and ask him if he wanted to go with her. Not through the day, not in the evening when they trained, nor when the two of them were sat alone on the roof after.

Jaune went to bed wondering if he hadn't been wrong about all of it.

/-/

The forest was still but not quiet. Cicadas chirped, owls hooted, and the leaves rustled in a breeze that he was sure was probably mean to be rather cold. It wasn't. He had blinked awake, or asleep, standing among the trees looking at a small camp. A single figure sat there, her back silhouetted against a campfire. Jaune's foot stepped on a branch and made it crack, and the figure twisted and stood, pointing a staff of some kind at him. Her hood was up, but her face was lit by the fire. As was his.

"Amber...?"

"You!" Her eyes lit up and her staff lowered. She smiled, but it turned awkward. "Um. You. You're the one who helped me escape but... I don't think I ever got your name."

"Jaune. Jaune Arc."

She smiled again. "Jaune. Wow. I can't believe I ran into you here of all places." Her eyes shrouded momentarily. "You're not here on his orders, are you?"

"I don't even know who he is. But no. I was..." Sleeping? Dreaming? "I was having a wander around. You know, just exploring the woods and all that. Travelling. How have you been? It's been... um. How long has it been?"

"Gosh, it must have been seven months by now." Amber laughed and patted the ground beside her, encouraging him to share her fire. He did, sitting cross-legged even if he felt no heat from the flames. "I've been all over the place. I went to Vacuo first, but then I took a boat to Mistral. I couldn't deal with the sand."

"I've never been myself. I've heard the city is nice."

"Oh, it was. Really friendly people, but a lot of poverty. It's strange; there wasn't much inequality in terms of the rich and the poor, but there were a lot of beggars and homeless children. Most of them were being helped as best they could be, though. The problem was the sandstorms. They're just horrid. I couldn't stay and put up with them any longer."

"Yeah, I get that. You just travelling randomly then?"

"Yep. I'm going to explore the world. See the sights. Meet people." Her elbow nudged his and she winked. "Not that meeting you isn't a fun surprise, eh? Maybe we should travel together." Her expression faltered. "Unless you have somewhere else to be."

"No, I... I think I'm just wandering right now."

At least until he woke up and had to start the week's lessons all over again.

"I guess I can hang with you for a bit." He saw her smile brighten and felt a little better in himself for being the cause of it. Far from the overt nightmare of Weiss', Amber's was so very tame. Maybe loneliness in a forest was her biggest fear. He'd heard – and seen – worse. "So, why don't you tell me all the little adventures you've had since we split up in Vale. There must be more to it than just Vacuo."

"Oh, totally. You sure you want to hear it all, though? Fair warning – I've been cooped up for years before this, so I'm going to talk and talk. You might get bored."

"It's a risk I'll take."

Her eyes lit up. "You were warned. Okay, so, my first adventure was helping a caravan get across the desert after it got ambushed by Grimm. You should have seen how many of them there were. I had to come swooping in to save them." Amber swept her hand before her as if to mimic throwing them away. She went on to discuss how grateful they'd been, how she had to turn down rewards, and how she'd travelled with them for a time to make sure they were safe and sound.

The moment she finished that story, she leapt into another, and then another, and then a fourth without pause. Amber talked and talked, just like she'd warned him she would, but she was smiling wildly the whole time, and seemed so happy to have someone to talk to that he didn't have the heart to interrupt her.

They must have talked for hours into the night, a whole eight hours it turned out, as Jaune woke rested the next day, unsure how such a dream could count as a nightmare, or why the person who dreamt it wanted nothing more than someone to talk to.

Sometimes the things we dream of are just the things we're never given the chance to have in real life. In Weiss' case, a chance to vent and finally get across how she feels, or in Amber's case a chance to have a companion to talk to.