The Lessons of Regret

Jaune woke with a start from his nap. There had actually been a Grimm menacing the children that he was protecting today. Just a Boarbatusk, but it had been difficult to balance killing the Grimm and protecting the kids, but he had made it work. As it had turned out, with a liberal application of his Semblance, he was capable of stopping a Boarbatusk's rolling charge dead in it's tracks.

Why had he woken up again? Oh, right. Someone at the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Jaune grumbled.

He opened the door to find a mildly preoccupied Weiss Schnee.

"Hey, Weiss. What can I do for you?"

She definitely seemed preoccupied with something. One of the few positive things about how he had pursued her back at Beacon was that he was more perceptive about her emotional state than he was with others.

"Jaune, I have a conundrum that I'm trying to deal with, and I thought another set of eyes would help. I'm asking you because of your... ah... unique experience with this." Weiss said.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Well, consider me curious. Come on in, oh, don't sit on Nora's bed. It might explode."

Weiss couldn't decide if Jaune was being serious or not, and that was mildly concerning.

After they both took their seats, Jaune on his bed, and Weiss on a chair, Weiss launched into explaining her problem.

"You see," Weiss started, "Recently, I've realized that I have developed... new feelings for Ruby. Feelings of a romantic nature."

Oh, for the love of... why the hell did Weiss come to me for this? "Weiss, why did you think to come to me for this? I'm not exactly... well, you're painfully aware of my shortcomings when it comes to romance."

Weiss fidgeted, "I came to you, because outside of our team, you know Ruby the best."

Jaune couldn't really say anything to that, it was true after all. "That's fair, Weiss. Lay it on me."

And so she did. "I want to tell her how I feel, but I'm worried that now isn't the right time. With everything going on, Amity Arena, training with the AceOps, and all the other things we're dealing with... I don't want her distracted out there and-"

Jaune cut her off. "Don't wait, Weiss. Tell her the next chance you get."

Weiss blinked. "What?"

"Do not wait." Jaune said emphatically.

"But Jaune, what if-"

Jaune sighed, Weiss was about to make the same mistakes that he had made with Pyrrha.

And he'd rather be damned than see any of his friends do that.

"Weiss, don't make my mistakes."

She looked at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"You're about to make the same mistakes I made with Pyrrha. I... Gods, I've never told anyone this... By the time the Vytal Festival came around, I had fallen for Pyrrha pretty hard. Took me long enough, right? It gets better. I had planned to confess to her... after the tournament." Jaune paused to let his words sink in.

Weiss could only stare at him, her face a textbook example of horror. Jaune decided to keep talking. He'd probably start crying otherwise.

"Weiss, let me put it this way. If Ruby dropped dead right now, what would you regret?"

In a quiet voice, Weiss replied, "Not telling her how I feel."

Jaune nodded, "That's what I thought, so do you need my help, or-"

Weiss interrupted him. "What about your happiness, Jaune? I've seen the way that... that Ruby looks at you."

Jaune couldn't hold her gaze. "I don't deserve to be happy. Not when it comes to... that."

"Jaune, how can you say that? Why would you say that?" Weiss could feel her heart breaking for the knight.

"Because... because..." Jaune stammered.

Weiss remained silent, he would tell her when he could.

"Because I was a FOOL!" Jaune yelled, "I spent all my time chasing you, when I could've... Me and Pyrrha could have had more time together than that damned kiss before the locker! We could've had weeks! MONTHS! I don't deserve to be happy because I practically ignored someone who wanted nothing more than to make me happy!"

"Jaune, I-" Weiss started.

"Save it. Just go tell Ruby how you feel. If you don't tell her by tomorrow, I will tell her for you." Jaune said, his tone of voice making it clear that this was the last word.

Weiss left without a word, an expression of iron on her face. An idea was forming in her head. An idea that most would consider insane.

But then again, most people weren't Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee.

Weiss walked into the room shared by team RWBY. Thankfully, Blake and Yang were nowhere to be found. She didn't need their commentary for what was about to happen.

Ruby looked up from her comic book to greet Weiss.

"Hey, Weiss! What's up?" The ever cheerful reaper asked.

You can do this, Weiss. Just tell her how you feel, then tell her your idea for helping Jaune.

"Ruby, I have something very important that I need to talk to you about." Weiss said.

Ruby cocked her head in confusion. "Is this team stuff, or personal stuff?"

Weiss couldn't help but smile. "Personal."

Ruby winced. "Okay, Weiss. But, you know that I'm pretty bad at personal stuff."

"It's okay, Ruby... This personal... matter... well... it's about us."

Weiss couldn't decipher all the emotions that ran across Ruby's face. Confusion? Hope? Doubt? Longing?

Ruby remained silent, waiting for Weiss to continue.

"Ruby, every second we spend together is precious to me. By suggesting that we have bunk beds at Beacon, you helped me reclaim part of my... less than ideal childhood from Schnee Manor. I can say without reservation that I always want you to be part of my life... as more than friends. If you're willing, I would like to... start... well, as Nora would say, being together-together."

"Weiss, I would love to!" Ruby said excitedly, "It's just, I kinda have those same feelings about Jaune too, and I really don't want to break anyone's heart, you know?"

"Oh, thank the gods!" Weiss blurted. "That makes this so much easier!"

Ruby inhaled sharply, "Weiss?"

"I came here after talking with Jaune. He helped me figure out how to confess to you, but... he also confided in me that because he feels that he ignored Pyrrha's feelings for him, he doesn't deserve to be happy." Weiss explained.

There are many things on Remnant that could be considered heartbreaking. None of them were as heartbreaking as the forlorn look on the face of Ruby Rose. "No... Jaune... what do we do, Weiss? Please tell me that you have an idea!"

"I... have an idea. Most people would consider it insane."

"Well, let's hear it!" Ruby demanded cutely, as only Ruby could.

"I want to... include Jaune in our relationship. This way you don't have to break anyone's heart, and... and..." Weiss cut off as a sob threatened to overtake her.

"Okay! If you're okay way with it, I'm okay with it." Ruby said.

Weiss nodded at the reaper, "Yes, Ruby, I am. He needs this, needs us. You didn't hear him, Ruby... he's still in so much pain..."

Ruby crashed into her new girlfriend with a tight hug and swirling of rose petals. "We'll help him, Weiss. Together."

They stayed like that for a long time, simply reveling in the removal of boundaries that had been in place for so long. Tomorrow, they decided. Tomorrow they would tell Jaune about what they intended to do for him.

Ruby smiled. Most people would think that their idea for helping Jaune was insane.

Luckily, most people weren't her and Weiss.

(The next day...)

Jaune grumbled as he dragged himself to the mess hall for breakfast. His talk with Weiss hadn't left him in a good headspace, and as a result, he hadn't slept well. Nothing a little coffee couldn't fix.

As he sat down to eat his breakfast, he noticed Ruby and Weiss walk in.

They were holding hands.

Good, she took my advice. Good... I'm just glad that I could keep her from making my mistakes.

He was so focused on his breakfast and staying awake until the caffeine kicked in that he didn't notice Weiss sit across from him, and Ruby sit beside him.

"Hey, Jaune." Ruby said.

With a start, Jaune noticed Ruby and Weiss. "Oh, hey guys." He said, stifling a yawn. "What's new?"

Weiss decided to take the lead. This whole crazy thing was her idea anyways. "Jaune, this needs to stop. You absolutely deserve the same kind of happiness that you helped Ruby and me find-"

"I thought I made my stance on that clear, Weiss." Jaune snapped.

Ruby fixed Jaune with her best puppy dog eyes stare. "Jaune, at least hear us out, please?"

They could physically see Jaune melt under her gaze. "Alright, Ruby. Alright. So, let me guess, I should stop blaming myself?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, Jaune. That isn't it. So, when Weiss came to me yesterday and told me, well, everything... the thing is, I feel the same way about Weiss as I do you, and I didn't want to break anyone's heart. You know?"

Weiss picked up the narrative. "Jaune, me and Ruby both think that you deserve to be happy, regardless of what you think. So, we... are inviting you into our relationship."

Jaune could only look at Weiss and Ruby with amazement. "Weiss... Ruby... I...Thank you."

After they had eaten their breakfasts and prepared to go their separate ways, Weiss gave Jaune a rather adorable ultimatum. "Oh, Jaune. Me and Ruby expect you to sleep with us tonight. Understood?"

At this point, Jaune certainly wasn't going to argue. "Got it, I'll see you guys tonight."

Weiss and Ruby looked at each other. Everything had gone according to their crazy plan. But before they could get to the fun, warm, and fuzzy cuddling, they had a mission to attend to.

They'd get it done, of course. There was too much at stake to fail now.