58

Chapter 58 – Ouijaune

Yang followed her into a corner of the cafeteria, turning around and leaning against one of the windows. "You wanted to talk?" she asked, arms crossed. She didn't look upset, however. In fact, in a way the blonde almost looked pleased. Blake looked around, just to make sure no one was listening in. Jaune was back in their room, locked within his teddy bear form. He'd probably done it so she couldn't see his face, or maybe to escape her glares.

"I did," Blake sighed. "You were right about me and the team. I didn't even realise how much I'd messed up until Ruby seemed so surprised we'd get to eat as a team."

"Ruby's never been one to complain, even when something is making her really unhappy. Either way that's in the past now, right? You've decided to spend more time with us."

Quick to become angry, even quicker to forgive. She should have expected that from her partner.

"But this isn't what you wanted to talk about, is it?" Yang asked. "What's on your mind kit-kat?"

Too much. Too much and yet not enough at the same time… it didn't even make sense. She should have been worried about Cinder, Mercury and Emerald, about the tournament, about her team. Instead, all she could think about was him. Had a more infuriating person ever existed? Even so… was Yang the right person to talk to about it?

"I need some advice." Blake said with a sigh. She kept her eyes locked onto Yang's, trying to impart how serious she was. The other girl raised a single eyebrow, letting out a long breath.

"Okay… hit me."

"You can't tell anyone."

"Trust me, Blake. I'm a big sister, I know how it goes." Yang no doubt meant whatever childhood secrets and problems had faced Ruby, but this wasn't quite the same. This was no childhood crush or embarrassing incident at school. This was life or death… or more specifically, death and the undead. Yang seemed to notice the pause. "Blake, trust me… anything you tell me, I won't pass on. You told us all about your past employment," Yang said it quietly, "and we never told anyone about that. How much worse could this be?"

"It's not that bad. It's not illegal for one." It was just hard to explain, and something she didn't even want to explain. How could Yang be expected to believe the truth? Maybe if she showed Jaune moving the bear it would work, but with him in this mood – trying to act like he didn't exist – there was a good chance he would refuse to. That was his goal in the end, to try and force her to live without him. Without proof, she had nothing.

She needed a different way of explaining it to Yang, something she could understand.

"How…" Blake fought for the right words, "How do you get your point across to someone when they're being incredibly stupid?"

"Get your point across…?" Yang frowned for a moment. "Not sure what you mean. Anyone in particular?"

Uh… was she really going to rely on that stupid excuse again? It had blown up in her face the first time and now knowing how Jaune felt about her, it was even more awkward.

"I'm having… relationship troubles."

Yang nearly fell over. "That's what this is about? You took me aside for romance advice?"

"I didn't say romance," Blake argued. The excuse felt weak, even to her. Yang managed to hold her gaze for all of a second before bursting out laughing. Cheeks aflame, Blake made to walk away – only to freeze as Yang grabbed her arm.

"Wait, wait," she said between guffaws, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just… relieved, you know? With all the hush and serious looks, I thought you were going to say something a lot worse." Blake wanted to argue that it was worse, that it was life threatening – but with Yang thinking this was about her love life that would only lead to more teasing.

"Well…?" she said instead, tapping one foot as she waited for an answer.

"Oh geez, calm down kitten. Right… so he's being stupid then? How so?"

"He doesn't want to interact with me anymore."

Yang winced, "Are you sure he isn't breaking up with you?"

We couldn't even if we wanted to. "It's not that." Blake tried to explain it in a way that made sense in the context of a boyfriend, yet still using what was going on between them. It wasn't easy. "He's as good as said he still has feelings for me, it's just that… he thinks it would be dangerous for us to keep seeing one another."

A close enough excuse, though if Yang thought that danger was physical as opposed to emotional, then that was fine. That was the crux of Jaune's issue, however. That he worried his presence was distracting her from reality.

"Ugh," Yang rolled her eyes, "the `I don't want you to be in danger` card? What does he think you are, a civilian? So, he's basically trying to cut things off `for your good` or something?"

"Yes," Blake nodded.

"And he's given you the whole `this is for your benefit` and `it will be better in the long run` crap?"

Blake nodded again. Yang was hitting it dead on. Did that mean she'd been through similar in the past? "His words were a little different," Blake said, "but it is just about the same."

"And you disagree?" Yang grinned coyly, eyes looking down on her. It made Blake shuffle slightly, if only because she was acutely aware how lovesick that made her sound. This wasn't the same though.

"I think he's being stupid about it," Blake said, "It's not… you don't know everything about it, but I don't want to part like this."

"Because you love him."

"I didn't say that," she snapped, ears flat beneath her bow. Yang shrugged, never losing that damnable smile.

"You as good as did," she grinned. "Listen to yourself Blake, no one gets this worked up over a little fight if they're not into them."

"It's not like that," Blake argued, "I would be just as frustrated were it a friend. That doesn't mean I love them. You were worked up over me not talking to the team."

"You were like that for well over a month," Yang pointed out. "Since you were fine yesterday I have to assume this was a recent development. A friend acting stupid is a pain, but not enough that you'd be absolutely lost without them for twenty-four hours. Face it Blake, whatever you have for this guy is deeper than friendship."

She didn't want to hear it. Maybe it was deeper… Yang was right that Jaune's words had affected her worse than those of anyone else. Even Adam hadn't been able to generate such feelings within her, such frustration. But that didn't automatically make it love, did it? No… it was just a deeper friendship than most, formed by how they were bound to one another.

It couldn't be love… because them being together wasn't possible.

And to avoid that pain, the agony of knowing that and loving him anyway, she would never allow it to become more. They were friends. Nothing more, nothing less. But she still needed him, more than needing him just for his skills and abilities. He'd as good as said he would still follow the plan. But screw the plan, she didn't want to watch him be some silent observer for the rest of her life.

"Do you have an answer or not?" Blake sighed at last. "You can think what you want but I asked for advice, not a psychoanalysis."

"Whoah girl, calm down," Yang laughed. "As for advice… well why not take a leaf out of my book?"

"I dread to ask, but go on."

"What do you-? Argh, never mind. What I mean is do what I did with you, to finally break through your shell." When Blake didn't seem to catch it, the blonde girl sighed. "Confront him, like I did you in the changing rooms. Get everything out into the open and then explain yourself."

Great, now Yang was as good as comparing her own actions to Jaune. The fact that she was right made it all the worse. Hindsight was 20-20 as they said, and Blake was all too aware of the many times her team had tried to reach out, only for her to foolishly ignore or miss them. But Jaune's issue wasn't like hers… he was aware, but purposefully ignoring her overtures.

"And what if he refuses to listen?" Blake asked. "What if he's ignoring everything I say?"

"Then you," Yang poked Blake's chest to make it clear, "need to do something to grab his attention. Something that he can't ignore, something that will force him to pay attention, even if he doesn't want to."

Force him to pay attention? Or rather, force him to interact with the world, whether he wanted to or not?

"Think you can do that?" Yang asked, smiling down on Blake.

"I think I can."

/-/

"Not Mercury this time either," Blake whispered to herself, or rather to the spirit dwelling within her at that moment. Jaune didn't reply verbally, but she did feel his acknowledgement across the link they now shared. He was paying attention, that was good. Weiss was currently exchanging some small talk with one of the oddly dressed duo across from them, the dark-skinned man complaining about what the SDC had done to his family.

Blake could sympathise… though not with targeting Weiss for his ire. It wasn't her fault.

"Welcome to the first match of the two vs two rounds," their professor shouted, generating cheers from the crowd. "Let's hear it for our contestants, combatants from Team RWBY and Team FNKI!"

"They fit their team name," Blake said to Weiss, getting a nod in return.

"We can't underestimate them," Weiss warned. "As funny as they might look their team chose them for a reason. Be on your guard."

"You can count on me," Blake lied, feeling a sigh coming on. "I brought a bit of a secret weapon."

Here it was… all or nothing, as she reached behind her back and drew forth the shape strapped there, wrapped in grey cloth. She felt Jaune's panic lance through her, he realising what it was long before she unwrapped it.

"A longsword?" Weiss asked, curious. "It's different from your usual weapon. Do you know how to use it?"

"No," Blake whispered, too quiet for Weiss to hear.

"Blake…" Jaune sounded worried. Good.

"But I know someone who does."

A siren sounded, marking the beginning of the match as the multi-coloured girl barrelled towards her. Blake's hands tightened on the leather hilt of Crocea Mors, its weight strange and unfamiliar.

"And if he doesn't help me… then this isn't going to end well."

Jaune didn't reply, though she could feel his panic. He didn't have the time to… because the enemy was upon her.