A Lot of Truth

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Jaune stepped in, thrusting the hard point of his sword for his partner's face as hard and fast as he could manage. She ducked back only an inch, as though she knew exactly how far his thrust could go, and then stepped to the side and into his guard. He brought his shield across his chest, arm pressed tightly against his ribs, and felt her own shield slam rim first into it so hard his arm ached through steel and Aura both.

It forced him back and away and Pyrrha followed, ducking under one flailing, warding slash and catching the second on her sword-side vambrace. Her shield snapped out again, and up, towards his jaw. His own shield met it, if only just, catching it nearly on the rim and forcing her attack aside. In the second that bought him, he snapped his shield forward and into her stomach, shoving her back.

"You've improved." Pyrrha nodded as she stepped back, bouncing on her heels gently and smiling. She rapped her pommel against her shield and added, "You fight more with your shield."

"My, uh, my friend's training is kind of harsh." He shrugged, shaking his shield arm to clear the numbness as best he could. It didn't do much, but he ignored it, circling with Pyrrha and smiling. "She doesn't exactly let up, so I had to learn to fight however I could. Like… Yang, or you, if you were as fast as Ruby can be. But, all the time."

"Sounds exhausting."

"And painful, and challenging, and terrifying." He laughed, shaking his head, "But she's helped me a lot. I owe her."

"Your balance, footwork and shield skills have certainly improved." Pyrrha nodded, smiling and flicking her gaze down to his carefully moving feet. "And you are far better with your sword than you were before, to say the very least."

"I mean, I wasn't that bad." He smiled, watching her flick her sword and set it spinning in the palm of her hand. A Semblance exercise, and a bit of a distraction, but one he knew better than to try and take advantage of. "Was I?"

"Oh yes, very much so." The Mistralian answered, laughing and shaking her head at the question. He frowned and she smiled, head cocked to the side and voice teasing as she spoke, "Disarming you used to be easier than breathing, sometimes, Jaune. Winchester had better footwork than you, and-and the one time you sparred with Ruby, she managed to trip you because you didn't mind your legs."

"Shit didn't trip me." Jaune argued playfully, "She hit the back of my knees with a twenty pound scythe at something near Mach One."

"She wasn't going nearly that fast."

"Well, I mean, it felt like she was..." He laughed and Pyrrha joined him, bouncing her shield arm as she did.

A little signal of hers he'd learned to read that told him she was getting ready to fight again. It was small, the motion only ever lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough.

"Guard." She prompted, a heartbeat before she shot towards him like a red-headed bullet from a gun.

His shield snapped up to catch hers and he turned, letting the metal scrape along his shield as her momentum carried her by him. He thrust in at her back but she anticipated it, turning and bringing her sword between them to bat the attack aside as she spun. He stepped back as she readied herself, raising his own shield at the same time she did.

The Mistralian was never one to favor defense, though, and sure enough she launched at him a heartbeat later. Her shield struck his again and sparked off, replaced by her sword and then her shield again as she spun, slamming a flurry of blows into his shield as fast as she could. Which it turned out, for Pyrrha Nikos, was very fast. Not quite Ruby fast, or even Neo fast if she decided to be vicious and use her Semblance, but still very fast.

Still, he was used to defending by now, and took the strikes with ease. He gave the ground he had to, kept his shield up, and even managed a couple probing, ultimately useless thrusts of his own on occasion. But, he had an idea. One he'd had for a while, honestly, but it was one he didn't fancy trying against Neo.

Dropping to a knee, he tossed his shield at her, making Pyrrha stop to bat it aside with her own. It clanged across the roof and into the rooftop access door. Gripping his sword in both hands, he slammed it up, into the rim of her shield as it came down to defend her. His sword clanged against it, sending shockwaves through his hands and arms that numbed them so much he almost couldn't keep a hold on it.

Almost.

Barely hanging onto it, he leaped, slamming into Pyrrha with every possible ounce of his force. A surprised noise was cut off in a grunt and she feel, the spar turning into a grapple as he wrestled on top of her and she tried to get him off. Finally, he felt himself yanked up and away, Pyrrha scrambling back from him with a hand raised up, palm towards him. His feet hit the ground, but at an angle, so he stumbled back and away, falling a few feet away with a grunt and a groan.

Everything ached, now, from the struggle and all the kicks, knees and everything else that had gone into it. And how many times he'd slammed something into hard armor, hurting himself, of course. Neo would get a kick out of it when he told her about it. If he told her about it, that was...

"Should look at getting armor myself…" He groaned, thinking back on just how many times he had slammed something into her armor and hurt himself. He could hear heels on concrete a moment before he saw Pyrrha standing over him, smiling but worried. "Hey, Pyr. What's up?"

"Not you." He smiled, offering him a hand and then pulling him up when he took it. "Are you alright?"

"I am, yeah." He nodded, rolling his shoulder and moving to get his shield back. Turning as he went, he pointed a finger at her and smiled, "I made you use your Semblance, finally."

"I will have you know that I use it all the time." She argued, pulling his shield away from him and towards her when he stooped to pick it up as if to prove it. She caught it in a hand, her weapons on her back, and smiled, holding it out for him. "That was the first time you managed to make me use it against you, though."

"Yeah." He smiled, taking the shield from it and sheathing his sword at his waist with it. "I'd say that's progress. And hey! I knocked you down, too."

"You tackled me, Jaune." He laughed at the correction and the woman rolled her eyes, turning for the edge of the roof and sitting there.

"Still counts." Jaune smiled at her laugh, sitting beside her with their legs dangling off the ledge. After a quiet moment watching the city in the distance, Jaune sighed and mused, "You know, six months ago I would have been terrified sitting like this."

"With your legs hanging off the roof five floors up?"

"No, alone with a pretty girl I know likes me as more than what we are." Pyrrha flushed and he laughed, shaking his head at her rather good impression of a fish.

"I-I didn't- I mean, I don't-" Finally, Pyrrha sighed, crossed her arms and pinched the bridge of her nose, "H-How did you…?"

"One of my best friends is a mute, Pyr. Reading body language and watching for when she���s looking at me are things I've had to learn how to do to be able to spend time with her." Left unsaid, for her sake as well as his own, was how often he'd caught her little looks at him. "I figured… We should talk about it, is all."

"Do we have to?" She sighed, bringing a leg up and hugging it against her chest, the heel balanced on the edge of the roof. "It's clear you don't feel the same way… Not with how you're phrasing your words."

"I don't." He saw her deflate and grimaced, already feeling guilty for the pain he'd caused. "You're a wonderful partner, Pyrrha. And my best friend. But when I look at you, I see my best friend. Someone to spend time with, fight beside- Hell, I'd die for you, if I had to."

"Don't talk like that." She chided sharply, eyes narrowing angrily. "You ought not be flippant about death, Jaune."

"I'm not- What I mean is I love you, Pyr, but I'm not in love with you." He explained, giving the woman his full attention. Her face was flat, almost impassive, but he could tell she was listening from her little nod. And the pain on her face, pain he'd knew would come as much as he wanted to avoid it. Quietly, he added, "I just… Figured it would be better to have that out in the open. I don't want you hurting for weeks on end because I don't respond to you the way you want."

"I know, and… And I thank you for that." She smiled sadly, giving him a genuinely grateful look, even if he could see the sadness in her eyes. "Even in this, you treat me like everyone else. With all the kindness you can, and complete honesty. That's why I feel this way, you know. You're so kind and genuine, I just… I've never experienced a friendship like ours."

"I believe it, from what you've told me." He answered, "And that's why I wanted to talk to you about this. I don't want secrets between us, Pyr. Not ever. We're partners."

"You and I against the world, hm?" Pyrrha asked. He could hear the ache in her voice, still, but like he'd expected of her, she was pushing on. Ever the stalwart champion, even if he had a feeling she'd lock the bathroom door later.

"I'd like that, yeah." He answered, smiling brightly at her and then turning his gaze out on the distant city once more. "Ever since you told me how Partners work, what they are, I've wanted that."

"I suppose I can be content with that." She nodded, "I… Always wanted genuine friends, and a partner I could trust."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry that you're hurting." He offered genuinely, watching her blink slowly and take a long, deep breath beside him. "One day, though, you'll-"

"Oh, please don't start with the cheesy platitudes, Jaune." The woman sighed, turning a playful little smile on him and raising her eyebrows. "If you start, I will throw you off this roof."

"That's pretty violent…"

"We were just bearing each other up with swords and shields, Jaune." The woman laughed, bumping her elbow into his playfully. "Also, I know how much Aura you have. You'll almost certainly survive me launching you at the ground from this height even if I happen to use my Semblance to speed you along."

"Y-Yeah." He laughed awkwardly, jokingly scooting out of her reach and earning a brighter, more honest kind of laugh.

"So…" He gave her a look and Pyrrha smiled, "That trick you used. Where did you learn that?"

"Neo taught it to me." Sort of. In reality, she'd just used it on him, latched onto him, and then hurled him across the room. He could do the first part, though, he'd hoped. And hey, it had worked! "I figured, if I can't out skill you, maybe I should just rely on my weight."

"A good trick, if used rarely." She nodded, seemingly more comfortable now they'd moved on to talk about training again. "But don't use it too often. If you do, I, and others, will begin to expect it. Then again, that expectation could itself be an advantage if you want to be clever and play the long game."

"Like how you mask your Semblance?"

"Exactly." She nodded, "A long, strategic move. But one I imagine you won't need, unless you intend on joining the tournament circuits?"

"Nah, that's… Not my thing." He waved her off, flopping back on the roof and sighing. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to do, his armor resting awkwardly under him, but the stars were pretty. "I want to be a Huntsman, not a champion fighter. I want to, you know, do something."

"Ahem." She coughed, giving him a look over her shoulder, eyebrows raised challengingly.

"Um…" He laughed awkwardly, "No offence?"

"None taken, Jaune." She laughed, laying her weapons on the ground beside her and laying back with him, looking up at the stars. For a while, they were quiet, simply watching the stars and the clouds, and enjoying the peace and quiet. Finally, though, Pyrrha spoke, "I was… Going to ask you to the dance, you know."

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know, but… No secrets between partners, right?" She turned to see his nod and smiled. It was an odd smile, though. Like she was sad, disappointed, but ultimately content with how things had come to end. "That was my plan, though, to train with you and then ask you to it. I doubt I would have gone through with it, cowardly as I am."

"You're not a-"

"Not in a fight, no, but in this?" She laughed, bumping her arm against him so he knew she didn't think too terribly of herself for it. "I have been terrified for a couple weeks, Jaune, knowing that the dance existed and what I wanted from it. And yet, I did nothing. Said nothing. Only your attentiveness brought the topic up."

"Yeah." He nodded, "Sorry about that."

"Don't be." She sighed, "It is for the best. I can move on, now, with only a few regrets."

"But you do have some…?"

"Only that, all this time, a simple conversation would have solved the problem. Or, well, ended it at least." She waved him off when he started to say something, though, turning a warm smile on him. "Leave it, Jaune, please. You've made your position known, and done so respectfully. I'm going to be fine, so don't fret over me."

"If you say so." He trusted her, so he wouldn't pry unless things got awkward or she seemed to be hurting. For now, he turned them back to the spar and asked, "So, what do you think? I'm improving, right?"

"Very much so." Pyrrha smiled, "Though, I wonder if it is my tutelage or your... Friend's which is doing you so much good."

"You and Neo are both amazing teachers, Pyrrha, you don't need to worry about that." They were so different that fighting each of them, and learning from each of them, was worlds apart in difference. Pyrrha seemed unconvinced, though, so he shuffled over and explained, talking as much with his hands as not. "Just… Okay, so, you use a shield and a sword, or sometimes a spear, against me. And, generally, you fight from in front of me. Fast, hard hits, but all in front of me. On the ground."

"Right." She answered, if only to assure him she was listening at all.

"Well, Neo, she bounces around. Hits me from every side, like lightning. She kicks, she grapples." He sounded excited, he was sure, but honestly it terrified him every time he fought her. "She'll slap me, and she uses this little rapier to fight, but no shield. Just Mister Stabby."

"M-Mister Stabby?!"

"Yeah, Neo's… Kind of funny like that, sometimes." The whole weapon, umbrella and all, was called Hush, according to Roman. But she insisted that her straight sword was Mister Stabby. And he knew better than to argue. "But between the two of you, I'm learning a lot."

"Mhm." Pyrrha hummed, clearly thinking about something else. But she still asked, quietly, "So, Neo uses a one handed rapier, does she?"

"Yeah, it's kinda small, but it does its job." He nodded, smiling, "She's kinda small, too, but she hits like a truck. With and without Mister Stabby."

"You're heading back into Vale to spend the weekend with her again, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we have training and I might have some part time work to do." Assuming Roman had any letters he wanted delivered, that was. Or anything else that was strictly speaking legal that the man might need done. "Why do you ask, though?"

"Because, well…" The woman took a breath, like she was anxious, "Because I think it's time your partner meet these friends you spend so much time with."

"I-I don't think that's a good idea, Pyr." He answered, suddenly anxious and cursing the little stammer it gave him. The woman sat up and looked down on him, clearly displeased and demanding a reason why he would think that. "I mean, you're famous. And they live down in the warehouse districts, Pyr. What will people think if they see you down there?"

"I will tie my hair in buns, and wear a hood." She answered simply, "With pants and baggy clothing, my identity will be easily concealed. I did this fairly often in Mistral."

"I just don't think-"

"Jaune, what are you hiding?" She asked suddenly, tucking her legs under her and turning to look down on him worriedly. "You disappear every weekend, into an area everyone knows is filled with criminals, and now seem incredibly against me meeting friends of yours. Ren and Nora don't know them, either. Nor do team RWBY."

"I'm not hiding anything bad, I just-"

"Not anything bad? So you are hiding something, then." Pyrrha argued, sighing and shaking her head, "Jaune, you can trust me. Just… Tell me the truth, please. You said there should be no secrets between us."

"...You have to swear, you won't tell anyone." She opened her mouth to speak and he sat up, straight as a ramrod. "I mean it, Pyr. You're not going to like the truth if I tell you, but I trust you enough to keep the secret if you promise to."

"You already told me about your transcripts…" She murmured, her confused eyes searching his grim face for a long, long moment. Finally, though, she sighed and nodded, "Very well, then. I swear, what you say lives and dies with me, Jaune. I won't breathe a word of it, even on pain of death or dishonor."

"Alright, alright." He sighed, turning so he was once more sitting with his legs dangling off the roof. "You've seen the wanted lists, right?"

"Yes, of course, there are some posted in the main foyer of…" She blinked, suddenly, as if realizing something that answered a slew of questions. Or, from her resigned sigh, confirmed some suspicions. "This 'Neo' is short for 'Neopolitan' isn't it?"

"It is, yeah…"

"It makes sense." Pyrrha sighed, sounding distinctly pained as she spoke. "She's a mute, according to the postings, and you're learning sign language and are very attentive now. She even uses the same weapon you mentioned your friend fighting with. I'd suspected it, but, Gods, I'd hoped I was wrong…"

"Look, they're not bad people-"

"She's a criminal, Jaune!" Pyrha argued, hissing the words for fear of being heard. "Criminals tend to be very bad people, in my experience."

"Am I a bad person then?" She blinked and he pushed on, explaining quickly before she could even try and argue with him. "I falsified paperwork to get into Beacon, Pyrrha. That is a felony, prison time and everything. That gets reported, and I will go to prison. For years. I'm a criminal, just like them."

"Jaune you are not like them, you're-"

"Look, you wanted to meet them, so... " He sighed, standing and running his hands through his hair wearily. "Just come with me tomorrow, then. Meet them, spend some time with us. Neo will probably want to spar with you, put you through the ringer, but… Please. Give them a chance."

"I don't like it…"

"For me?" He pressed, smiling, "For your partner?"

"Fine." She sighed, accepting his hand and letting him pull her upright. Frowning thinly, she promised, "I'll give them a fair chance, criminals or not. And we'll… Well, we'll see how things go from there."

"Thanks…" He just hoped it would work, and they wouldn't be furious with him for telling Pyrrha the truth.

Oh who was he kidding? Neo was going to kick his ass.

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An attentive Jaune and a healthy relationship conversation! I figured Arkos training to show Jaune's improvements, a bit, and let them have some of dat healthy relationship communication.

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Elderfire :

Agreed! Except for murder Neo. She's awesome in her own way, too.

Nine yetis :

I'm trying to strike a good balance between the two.

Scrub Lord :

Thanks!

Dr Killinger :

Silent Knight, believe it or not from my frequency in writing it, isn't my favorite. I personally prefer Lancaster or Arkos, or Copper Knight if I feel adventurous. But Silent Knight is just as good!

Grannster :

Oh god, yeah he is.