Trapped

Chapter 1: Avalanche

By Lightningstrxu

Jaune awoke in a daze, his whole body numb.

"Where?" his eyes saw only white, he pushed himself off the ground to find himself in a snow-covered landscape. Looking around he saw nothing but white around him, broken up by the occasional rock and shrub.

"How did I?"

His eyes widened as his memories returned all at once. The joint job between teams RWBY and JNR to clear Grimm that had been attacking a small village located in the Atlesian back country. Being ambushed by the Grimm, perfectly adapted to hunt in this polar environment. The fight against them, a sudden explosion, a wall of white.

He stood up his muscles aching, he checked his scroll.

"No signal."

He checked his aura, it had taken a beating during the fall but his reserves still held out at a little over thirty percent.

He checked his weapons, his shield still strapped to his arm, his sword only a few feet away, which he very quickly retrieved. He looked up at the mountain before him.

"How far did I fall?"

He scanned the area, trying to assess the situation. The fight had taken place near the peak, a quick look up at the mountain and then to the ground below. By his guess he had fallen to just under the halfway point.

His gaze went skyward. He raised his hand to his brow and found the sun; it was relatively low in the sky. It would set in only a few hours.

"If the sun is there then I should be facing west." He turned in place. "So the village should be this way."

With course plotted Jaune set off on his journey.

"Ruby!" he shouted out to the vast white emptiness. "Nora! Ren!"

"Weiss! Yang! Blake!" he panted for a moment. "Pyr…"

He stopped and sighed. It had been almost a year and calling for her aid was still second nature to him.

"She won't save me this time."

He trudged along for a little over an hour when a shape in the snow caught his attention. He ran up to it.

"Someone's here!"

He knelt down brushing the snow away revealing a familiar white haired heiress.

"Weiss!"

He began to franticly dig her out, he checked her scroll her aura barely holding on, struggling to keep her warm.

"C'mon wake up." He patted her cheek with his hand. Panic evident in his eyes.

"Nnnng, go away Ruby it's Saturday." She said groggily.

Jaune gave a sigh of relief as she spoke; he wouldn't be losing another friend today.

"Weiss!"

Jaune shook her lightly.

Her eyes shot open as she sat up confused. This wasn't her bunk, the voice wasn't Ruby's and it most certainly wasn't Saturday.

"Jaune?" she looked over at him. "Where are we?"

Suddenly almost instinctually Jaune wrapped his arms around Weiss pulling her into a hug.

Weiss could only sputter random syllables in shock and confusion before finding her words.

"What are you doing" she tried to wriggle free from his grasp. "Let go of me!"

He released his hold.

"Sorry."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"I just thought I lost you there for moment."

Weiss's anger subsided seeing the look of genuine relief on his face.

"Well I'm obviously fine." She crossed her arms over her chest as she said this.

The wind started to pick up around them.

She hunched over shivering suddenly aware of how cold she was.

Jaune procured a blanket from his bag.

"Here, your aura is nearly broken; it can't do much to help you against the cold in your condition."

She took the blanket and wrapped it around herself.

"Thanks."

"C'mon let's get out of here." He stood up and held out his hand. "Let's see if we can find the others."

"Right." She nodded and grabbed his hand.

She started to stand and hissed in pain as she fell forward, Jaune grabbing onto her to keep her from falling.

"Are you alright?"

"My leg." She held her right leg off the ground. "I can't put any weight on it."

"Just lean on me." He moved to stand next to her.

"It's not that bad, I can make it."

She put her right foot on the ground. Her face contorting into an odd grimace as she seemed to be willing her leg to not hurt.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm walking obviously."

Her legs shook, refusing to take a step forward like she commanded them to.

"Uh huh." He replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Just give me a moment."

"Weiss we don't have time for this."

He grabbed her right arm and maneuvered it so it was draped over his shoulder.

"I don't need…"

"Weiss!" he snapped at her.

She blinked in surprise not expecting that tone from him.

"Either I support you and help you walk." His voice took on a harsh whispered tone. "Or I will carry you."

Her eyes narrowed as she fixed him with a cold glare.

"Fine." She relented.

They took their first tentative step forward.

Weiss's step faltered slightly causing her to grip more tightly against him.

"Don't worry I've got you."

He shifted trying to better support her weakened right side.

Weiss seemed determined to ignore any encouragement he gave her as she took another step forward.

They continued their journey through the snow covered landscape in awkward silence.

They marched on for nearly two hours finding no sign of their teammates.

Jaune looked over at Weiss, despite the brave face she attempted to put on he could tell she was exhausted, not that he was fairing much better.

"We need to find shelter."

Weiss took a moment to respond.

"We can't stop."

Her breathing was labored, coming out in shallow pants.

"We haven't found the others yet."

"I know." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"But it will be sunset…" his gaze turned towards the horizon. "In about an hour by my guess."

"By your guess?" She sounded annoyed and frustrated. "I'm not spending a night on this mountain because 'you guess.' "

"Weiss you're exhausted. At this rate you'll pass out."

She looked back at him and sighed. She didn't want to stop; her pride wanted her to stubbornly carry on. But she knew he was right.

"Fine." She replied back to him. "Where are we going to find shelter out here?"

"We're looking for anything that will protect us from the wind and snow, a cave or even an overhang of rock, as long as it provides some protection."

"I see." She nodded. "I'll keep my eyes peeled."

They wandered close to the walls of the mountains searching for anything that could pass for a shelter.

"I think I see a cave up ahead." She followed his line of sight and did indeed see a cave.

"Finally."

She gripped onto him as she limped into the cave; Jaune set her down gently on the ground.

"Well home sweet home." He grinned.

Weiss took note of her surroundings; the cave was small, not much bigger than her dorm back at Beacon, other than a rather high cave ceiling. But it would suffice she guessed. At least it blocked out the wind and snow.

"Yeah it's real cozy." She shivered as she wrapped the blanket around herself.

"Hold on." He shrugged his backpack off and began rummaging through it.

He pulled out a small canister and gave it a twist. A red crystal glowed fiercely inside the device putting out a large amount of light and heat. He picked up the canister and brought it next to Weiss.

"One Schnee Dust Company emergency heater, for all your mountain survival needs."

"This isn't the time for jokes Jaune!" She exclaimed sharply.

"Excuse me for trying to lighten the mood then." He said with rolled eyes

Still she couldn't say that the heat didn't feel wonderful, almost immediately causing her to relax which made her right leg involuntarily twitch.

"Ahh." She grits her teeth as she tries to find her leg a more stable position.

Jaune walked over and grabbed his backpack bringing it next to Weiss. He procured his sleeping bag from it still tightly rolled up.

"Here you can use this to rest your foot on."

He knelt down in front of her, placing the rolled up sleeping bag near her foot.

"Besides if I'm remembering correctly elevation should be good for it."

Weiss lifted her right leg shakily off the ground

"Need a…"

"I can do it!" she stubbornly ignored his offers for aid and managed to get her leg onto the bag.

"There all fine." She looked back at him with a smug smile on her face.

Jaune sighed into his hands.

"I still want to have a look at your leg if you'll let me."

"You may." She attempted to lean forward to undo her boot. "I wanted to look myself."

"Weiss." He grabbed onto her hand. "Just relax and let me help you, stop trying to struggle and do it all yourself."

Jaune looked her in the eyes, receiving only in an icy cold stare in return. Jaune sighed; it was time to bring out the big guns.

"Please?" he gave her the dreaded puppy dog eyes.

Weiss's left eye twitched, then her right. She tried very valiantly to keep a straight face. She failed.

"You look ridiculous." She laughed. "Fine go ahead, I won't make you continue to demean yourself for me."

"Works every time."

He started to undo her boot and as gently as he could remove it off her foot. She gave a slight wince of pain.

"Sorry." He hesitated at removing her sock not wanting to hurt her anymore.

"Don't worry about it." She shook her head. "Just get it over with."

"Right." He nodded and pulled the sock from her foot and pushed her pant leg up to get a better look at her ankle. It was swollen to nearly twice its normal size, as well as heavily bruised.

He ran his fingers gently over the bruised areas of her ankle.

She watched him curiously. He seemed to be muttering to himself.

"Well?" she looked at him expectantly.

"I'm not sure." He shook his head

"I can't really tell if it's broken or not."

She sighed. Of course the dolt wouldn't have a clue what he's doing.

"Not unless my semblance suddenly decided to awaken as x-ray vision." He chuckled

"Not funny." She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest as if to block any theoretical x-rays.

She watched as he went back to his bag and pulled out a first aid kit.

"Well when in doubt about whether an ankle is sprained or broken treat the injury with a serving of R.I.C.E."

She just stared at him confusion plain to see on her face. This was it, she was going to die on this mountain, and this buffoon was going to kill her.

"And a bowl of rice helps my leg how?"

Jaune just shook his head.

"Not that kind."

He walked back over to her.

"Rest the ankle, Ice the ankle, Compress the ankle, Elevate the ankle."

Jaune knelt down next to her opening the first aid kid pulling out a bandage.

Weiss simply stared dumbfounded.

"Who are you and what did you do with Jaune?" she asked genuinely perplexed "How do you even know all this, you could barely write a paper at beacon."

"A lot happened while you were gone Weiss, after the fall of Beacon."

"Alright I'm listening."

"Do you trust me to bandage your leg for you; I'll tell you while I work."

She nodded.

Jaune gingerly traced his finger over the bruise studying it.

"While Ruby, Ren, Nora and I traveled to Mistral, we were attacked by some mad man named Tyrian."

Jaune pushed Weiss's pant leg further up her leg to just above her knee.

"Luckily Ruby's Uncle Qrow was there to intervene."

He began the process of wrapping her leg starting with her foot and working slowly upwards.

"Unfortunately he got hurt in the process, poisoned actually."

The bandage made its way further up her leg, every so often his fingers would gently caress Weiss's leg a side effect of his very though and careful work.

Unbeknownst to him these actions caused a small shiver race up her spine, and not from the cold. Her face reddened slightly and she hoped that it would go unnoticed.

"There wasn't anything we could do for him, our only option was to try and explore an old settlement in hopes that there would be medicine there, but it was infested with Grimm, one of which was particularly nasty. By a stroke of luck an air patrol from Mistral saw the commotion and picked us up."

The bandage reached up to just below her knee now, he made some final adjustments to it.

"I didn't want anything like that to happen again, so while I was there I decided to learn first aid."

"I see."

She glanced down at her leg; perfectly wrapped she couldn't have done better herself, well if she actually knew how to that is.

"You had a very good teacher."

Jaune continued to inspect his handiwork; once he was satisfied he pulled Weiss's pant leg back down.

"I did, Dr. Athena Nikos is one of the most respected physicians in Mistral. It was an honor to have her teach me."

Weiss froze. A look of slight shock on her face.

"Is that…"

"Pyrrah's mother yes."

He stood up and stretched.

"I can't say it wasn't one of the most awkward meetings I've ever had but once I expressed interest she insisted that she would be the one to teach me."

"Well, she definitely taught you well."

"I tried my best." He smiled at her. "I just hope it was good enough."

"It is…" she paused "I don't suppose she taught you how to get us off this mountain."

"Nope."

"Great." She sighed.

"But Ruby's Uncle Qrow did."

"Are you sure you're really Jaune Arc?" she asked incredulously.

"Pretty sure I am."

He walked back over to his backpack putting the bandages and first aid kit away within.

Which now that Weiss could get a better look at she realized the word backpack was an understatement, it probably weighed half as much she did, not that she was heavy of anything.

"Still the same tall blond and scraggly guy you knew from school." He closed up the bag. "Just maybe a little wiser than before."

"You're definitely prepared for the worst." she pointed to the bag behind him.

"I decided a long time ago that I would never be able to compare to you guys in terms of combat ability, even with how much I've improved. So I decided to support my team the best way I could, I decided to be prepared for anything."

"That's…rather impressive actually." She gave a little smirk. "A surprisingly mature decision on your part Jaune."

"Thanks I guess." He replied unsure how to take the compliment wrapped in an insult.

They sat in silence for a while. Weiss continued to shiver.

"I'm still freezing. Even with this stupid heater."

Jaune walked over to her

"Well the heater melted the snow you were covered in, so now your clothes are soaked. You'll have to take them off and dry them out if you want to warm up."

"Excuse me?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "You just expect me to just strip naked in front of you."

Jaune's face turned beet red.

"I didn't say that…" he shook his head. "I have an extra set of clothes you can wear, they'll be a bit big but it's better than nothing."

"Fine." She sighed. "But what about you?"

"I wasn't out as long and my aura held up better and is keeping me warm, I'll get changed once your clothes are dry."

"I see, so this was your plan all along, to have me naked and vulnerable before you." She pointed at him. "Well I see through your clever plan Jaune Arc."

"Well if you want to get technical."

He reached into his bag fishing around for a moment. He pulled out a pair of jeans and held them out in front of him.

"I am trying to get you in my pants." He wiggled his eyebrows for effect.

The finger she had so sternly pointed slowly began to fall, her other hand failing to stifle a laugh.

"Alright."

She seemed to relent.

She shook her head, she had been worried since he had pined for her so much at school that there was some underhanded motive. But looking at him she knew he would never try anything like that.

"But if the words huddle together for body heat so much as leaves your lips I will end you." She gave a little glare his way.

"Understood." He smiled back at her.

She slid out from under the blanket.

"Well?" she cocked her head to the side hands on her hips.

"Well what?"

"A little privacy please."

"Oh yeah sure."

He hadn't thought about that, he had spent months in a coed dorm with Nora and Pyrrah, and several weeks with Ruby and Nora. Hell growing up with seven sisters meant very little time for privacy. It wouldn't be any different than seeing Weiss at the beach.

He chuckled; she'd probably turn redder than ruby's cloak if she even set foot on a beach.

"What's so funny?" she asked, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

He was sure that if she could stand her foot would be tapping impatiently.

"Nothing at all."

He stood up and grabbed the clothes from his bag laid them in her lap.

"I'll just be at the entrance okay."

He walked over to the entrance and waited. He took the time to survey the area around the cave, the sun had long since set and the wind was picking up.

"It's going to be a rough night." He said to no one in particular.

He pulled out his scroll, eyes flickering over the names and faces of his comrades. Only Weiss's showed that it registered a signal. Well it was worth a shot.

"Hopefully you guys managed to make it out alright."

"You can come back now." He walked back into the cave to see her curled up in the blanket, practically swimming in his Pumpkin Pete hoodie, his pants nearly half a foot longer than her legs. Her clothes folded neatly in separate piles next to the heater.

He rather liked the look of his hoodie as it hung loosely on her frame.

"Feel better?"

"As best as I could be given the circumstances." She wrapped the blanket tightly around herself. "By the way I where did you put Myrtenaster?"

"Bless you"

"My rapier you idiot!" her face turned red with sudden fury. "I didn't see it when I was changing."

"Weiss…you're all I found out there. I didn't see your weapon."

"What?" she tried to push herself up "What do you mean you didn't see it?"

"Weiss just calm down…"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU LOOK FOR IT!" she panted slightly out of breath from shouting so loudly but still glaring daggers at Jaune.

"I'm sorry." He glared back his temper flaring. "I was too concerned with making sure you were alive!"

Weiss's face went blank and she leaned back against wall of the cave.

"I'm sorry Jaune." She blinked a couple of times, tears forming in her eyes.

"Weiss?" a look of concern washed over his face.

"Myrtenaster was a gift from my grandfather." She gave a mournful sigh. "He gave it to me when I said I wanted to be a huntress. Father was furious." She chuckled lightly at the thought. "He died not long after…"

"Weiss I'm sorr…"

He had no idea it had meant so much to her, he always assumed that with her being…Well a Schnee she simply bought the best weapon of her choosing.

"Don't apologize." She interrupted. "You had no way of knowing, and it doesn't excuse my behavior."

Weiss clenched her fist and slammed it into the ground next to her.

"I was my fault anyway, I should have never let go of it in the first place. Or at least had the presence of mind to search for it when you woke me."

"Weiss you were delirious, you weren't in any condition to think of that."

"It's still my fault." Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes. "I missed…"

Jaune moved next to sit next to her.

"Weiss what are you even…"

"I missed my shot Jaune. I sent fire dust careening into the mountainside, I caused the avalanche, and I lost Myrtenaster."

Her shoulders fell, she looked positively distraught.

"I killed our friends."

The floodgates opened then and she broke down.

Jaune inched closer to her and tentatively put an arm around her. He wasn't exactly sure what he could do. But he could always be a shoulder to cry on.

A shoulder she gladly accepted.

He sat there for several minutes, just letting her it get out of her system.

"Better?"

"No." her voice was muffled, her face still buried in his shoulder.

"If it means anything, if you're alive then they are most likely alive a well." He laughed. "After all they are all tougher than you."

He felt her tense.

"Excuse me." A single light blue eye popped open and stared into his own. "Do you mind repeating that?"

He smirked, just as planned.

"Mirror, mirror tell me something, who's the frailest of all?" he poked her forehead. "That would be you."

He didn't there was no way; he hadn't just insulted her so blatantly, and with her own song to boot.

"What do you mean I'm frail?"

She backed away from him glaring at him in anger.

"You're a fragile little snowflake Weiss."

"How dare…"

Her voice was silenced when she saw the goofy grin on his face.

"You're toying with me aren't you?"

"Finally realized it didn't you. Classic misdirection tactic, my older sister would use it on me anytime I was in a funk. Although it can backfire."

"Oh I will show you backfire Arc, I'm going…"

Her words were cut off as he placed a finger to her lips.

Apparently the fool was suicidal as well.

"Weiss, you don't need to worry about the others, their fine; and they won't blame you for your mistake. Hell Nora probably enjoyed the ride."

He removed his hand and stood up.

"Now get some sleep Weiss."

"Really pushing those boundaries there Jaune."

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Maybe now I'll just stay up out of spite."

"Weiss first of all you're exhausted, if you sleep you'll recover, if you recover we can actually get out of here. And most importantly you can kick my ass once we're safe."

"Deal." She smirked.

She leaned her head back eyes closed. She was asleep within seconds.

"About time."

He stood up and stretched cracking his back.

"No time for sleep anyway." He griped to no one in particular as he made his way to the entrance to the cave, not when there was so much work to be done. After all what kind of knight would he be to leave a lady in distress?

####

Weiss's eyes opened slowly, she shifted feeling the rough wall of the cave on her back.

"Oh…" she looked around and saw a small fire and had been built. "When did he go find firewood?"

She felt something move next to her and found Jaune curled up asleep at her side, he must have moved close to her subconsciously for warmth.

She slid the blanket off her shoulders and covered him. "Idiot."

She shifted herself slightly causing her to bump into something propped up on her left it fell to the ground with a metallic clang, startling her. She looked over her eyes widening as she saw Myrtenaster on the ground.

She reached out and took it in her hand; she glanced over a Jaune and smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered.

She placed her rapier back on the ground. She flexed her ankle experimentally and winced, it hurt significantly less but she doubted she'd be walking anytime today at least. She checked her clothes now perfectly dry thanks to the heater which had long since burned out. She picked up her top and then looked back to Jaune making sure he was asleep. She pulled the borrowed hoodie over her head and shivered as the cool air hit her, folding the hoodie and placing it to her side she grabbed her own top.

"Morning Weiss."

She froze as she heard his voice and saw him stir and look up at her.

"Did you sleep…"

His eyes widened in shock as his brain slowly registered the sight before him. He now knew why she required privacy earlier. Weiss Schnee did not wear a bra.

"Sorry!" he quickly covered his eyes his face a deep red color from embarrassment. "I didn't see anything."

He lied, he saw everything. Her flawless pale skin, the soft curve of her breast, rosy pin…he tried to halt his thoughts from going any further…they went further.

"Don't worry so much." She said after regaining her composure and putting her top on. "Given the circumstances I will forgive you this one time."

To be honest she found it hard to be mad. The fact that she could fluster him so easily with just her appearance was just the boost her ego needed at the moment. As well as fitting revenge for last night.

"Are you decent yet?"

"I'm always decent, but just a moment."

She slipped off the pants Jaune had lent her, a devilish smirk played across her lips as she considered asking for his help with putting her own pants back on. How would he react to seeing her long perfect legs bare before him, the black lace of her undergarments? It would definitely give her back some of the control she had lost over the situation.

She shook her head; Yang must never know she had these thoughts.

There was silence for a few minutes as Weiss struggled with her pants, she considered asking him for help again legitimately this time. But she would take back what independence she could.

"You can look now."

He looked back up at her.

"Sorry I didn't mean…"

"I know." She cut him off. "Let's just forget it happened."

"Right." He nodded.

"Thank you."

"Huh for what?"

"For this." She grabbed Myrtenaster from her side. "And well everything really." She sighed "I know I haven't exactly been the nicest person to you in the past…"

"Weiss you're a friend a teammate." He sat up cracking his back as he did so. "So you were a little…difficult to deal with. I wasn't much better we were just stupid kids then."

"Jaune that was only a year and a half ago." He stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Has it really only been that long?"

"Hard to believe isn't it, feels like it was only yesterday that Ruby was blowing me up on the steps of Beacon."

She smiled, at the time she had been furious but now she looked back on it with fond memories.

He reached over and grabbed his bag pulling out two granola bars, he handed one to Weiss.

"Thank you." She took it tearing it open, suddenly realizing how hungry she was she wolfed it down in only two bites. As soon as she finished she found another thrown into her lap. She looked back at Jaune. "Shouldn't we be saving these?"

"You need them; the faster you recover the faster we can get out of here." He stood up and threw a few more branches on the fire. "When I scouted around last night I got a good idea about where we are on the mountain, if we can head out tomorrow morning and make good time we should make the base by nightfall, from there it's a simple matter of navigating back to the village nearby."

"I see."

She found herself staring at him, was this really the same klutz she knew from Beacon. She opened up the second granola bar and took a bite.

#####

Several hours had passed. Idle chit chat, a change of bandages, a rather embarrassing incident to relieve herself, which they agreed to never speak of again.

Weiss had decided to clean and maintenance Myrtenaster in order to better make use of her time.

"Say Weiss?" Jaune asked while setting up another dust heater for the night.

"Yes?" she looked up from her rapier.

"You said your sword was given to you by your grandfather."

"It was."

"And when you received it you said your father was furious. Why?"

"My father…" her eyes looked downcast at the sword. "My father had certain expectations of me. I was named heiress of the Schnee Dust Company after my older sister abdicated the position. As heiress I should have been studying business, rubbing elbows with the elite."

Her grip tightened on the swords hilt.

"Making connections, currying favors,…producing heirs." She was particularly disgusted with the last one.

With each word her frustration grew, she didn't notice the glyph forming on the cave wall behind her.

"Weiss." Jaune called to her concerned but it fell on deaf ears.

"Those were all things that were preferable to traipsing around the forest like a common soldier, never mind that I was saving lives!"

"Weiss!"

She snapped out of her tirade as she felt his hand grab hers, out of the corner of her eye she saw the glyph shatter. She took a few short breaths to calm herself.

"I'm sorry Jaune."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She took another deep breath. "Sorry I just had a lot of expectations growing up."

"I see." He nodded before moving to sit next to her.

He drew Crocea Mors from its sheath and held it out to Weiss.

"Have a look at this if you will."

"What are you doing?"

"Sharing. Now just take it."

She set her rapier to the side before taking the broadsword from him, it felt heavy in her hands, much heavier than her own weapon.

"This is Crocea Mors; it belonged to my father, to my grandfather before him, and so on going back to my great-great grandfather who wielded it during the Great War."

"Okay." She looked at him curiously not sure where he was going with this.

"For four generations it was passed down, every Arc who held it a respected huntsman. A hero in their own right. When I was eleven my dad said it was time for me to live up to the family legacy, to learn how to wield Crocea Mors."

He took a deep breath and sighed.

"He taught me for three months before telling to hang the sword and shield back up on the mantle. That I didn't have what it took to be a fighter, let alone a huntsman. He refused to train me after that. A part of me has never really forgiven him for that."

"I don't understand. You're skill may have been…" she paused searching for the right word. "Lacking but you still made it to Beacon, you obviously have some…"

"I cheated Weiss. I forged my transcripts to be accepted."

"I see."

She looked away from him.

He had cheated to get in. those words echoed inside her head. It all made sense now. His skill and aptitude had been so low because he literally had none, she looked back at him.

He looked sick; the wait for her reply was agonizing, just waiting to be admonished.

"Well then your father was definitely wrong about you."

"What do you mean?"

His face was a mask of genuine surprise.

"You survived Beacon Jaune, the initiation, the Vytal Festival, the fall. You survived a journey to Mistral on foot. You're surviving right now in the middle of an Atlesian wasteland."

She grabbed onto his hand.

"You survived with almost no training and look how far you've come. I would be dead if it weren't for you. That makes you a hero." She squeezed his hand. "That makes you my hero."

He blinked once, twice, thrice. He opened his mouth to speak but could only do his best imitation of a fish as his mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Her words still playing on repeat in his mind.

"Jaune you okay?"

"Thank you Weiss." He finally stammered out, his mind still reeling.

What happened next surprised him even more; she adjusted the blanket so that it was wrapped around both of them.

"There that should be comfier than just sleeping on the ground."

She placed her head on his shoulder. Her body cuddled up close to his. It felt…nice like hugging a giant teddy bear.

"Consider this a thank you."

She nuzzled into his shoulder, yes this was definitely the comfiest she had felt in days. Such a shame that Jaune was shaking like a leaf from nervousness.

"I thought you said no huddling together for body heat?" he asked a smile plastered to his face, hoping that some humor might calm him down.

"If I recall correctly I said that you couldn't request it." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I can move if you want me to."

She expected him to say yes, if only to break the awkwardness on his end

"No this is fine." He shifted to make himself more comfortable. "Good night Weiss."

She cuddled into him some more, his body relaxing as he fell asleep. She looked up at him once she was sure he was asleep.

She glanced around to cave as if to make sure no one was watching.

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Good Night Jaune."

Well so ends the first chapter of this random little story my brain decided to come up with. I'm back on fanfiction after a very long break. This will be a pretty short story maybe about 5 chapters at the most but I look forward to your reviews and feedback.

Special thanks to my advisor and friend Kraven Ergeist for assisting me as well as for the use of Athena Nikos a minor character from his story Resurgence.

Chapter 2 is about halfway done at this point so hopefully I'll have the next chapter sometime in the next week or so.