Blake walked into the study next, and sat with Jaune on the loveseat. She stared intensely at him, and he did his best to meet her gaze. It came easily but he was still feeling exhausted as he did so.
Blake: "... I suppose I can't fault you for resisting my advances."
Jaune: sighs "Blake, for the last time-"
Blake: "After all... I-I abandoned you all... I ran away. Again. I didn't even come back to save you, just to try and make up for my own mistakes-"
Jaune: "Blake!"
Blake: near tears "And-And I just stole your girlfriend while you suffered in another dimension for decades-!"
Jaune sighs and hugs Blake tightly. She sniffles into his shoulder. He rubs her back up and down.
Jaune: "Blake..."
Blake: "Did... Did you just put up with me to try and stop me from doing all those terrible things-?"
Jaune: "I did all this to help you, Blake, because I do love you."
Blake: looks up, shocked
Jaune: "I mean platonically-"
Blake: "You've gone through hell for all of us-Platonically?!"
Jaune: sighs "Blake, you have Sun-"
Blake: "I don't want Sun! I want you!"
Jaune: "No you don't. You want a hero, an ideal-"
Blake: "And what's wrong with wanting a hero?! What's wrong with wanting the Rusted Knight himself?!"
Jaune: "I'm not-I'm not a perfect hero! I'm not an ideal! I'm a flawed, stupid, stupid man! A failure, Blake! I failed to be a hero-"
Blake: "And you didn't stop trying! No matter what! I know... I know I latched onto Adam. I was young and foolish. I know what he was really like now... M-Maybe he was stringing me along, maybe I could have changed his mind... I failed there. But you! You've done all this, just to save the world! Save us! And been honest with me! I-I mean, mostly... How could I not care for you, Jaune?"
Jaune: sighs "Blake..."
Blake: "... Just tell me this. Did you fall for her because you wanted to save her from... From me? Or would you have fallen for me if I'd... I'd asked you out?"
Jaune: very long, hard sigh "Blake... I am the perfect example of why you don't torture yourself with what ifs. Please... Don't."
Blake: "Then just answer my question."
Jaune: sighs "... Same deal with Pyrrha, Blake. If Yang and I break up... Give me two weeks and we'll try. But I'm in love with Yang. So please? Just stop?"
Blake: "... All right." She leans in and kisses his cheek "I won't obsess over what ifs."
Jaune: "Thank you."
Blake: "I'll focus on making things reality." She smiles... And steals a kiss from his lips
Jaune: "Ah-Blake-Damnit you infuriating cat! We just talked about this! Your NTR fetish is trash, just like you!"
Blake: smug "I love you too, Jaune." She gets up and walks away
Jaune: sighs
Jaune's Brain: Who knew she'd be even more irritating when she wasn't running off? Geez...
Finally, Weiss enters. She sits across from him.
Weiss: "... So... You had a torch for me in the old timeline?"
Jaune: "Yeah. I was... Pretty terrible about it. Sorry."
Weiss: "It's fine. I imagine I was rather terrible to you about it."
Jaune: "Well I was a total and complete jackass. Plus, it didn't happen here."
Weiss: "No. No, I suppose not." sighs and reaches out to squeeze his hand "I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through."
Jaune: "Sorry about everything you've gone through."
Weiss: smiles wanly "In retrospect... It was foolish of me to think I could become the CEO of the SDC by being a Huntress. I suppose, in the end... I was running away too."
Jaune: "You can still fix things, Weiss. Still reconnect with your brother. He's a good guy, honest."
Weiss: "I believe you."
Jaune: "Well, good."
Weiss: smiles gently "And well... A princess does dream of a knight coming to save her."
Jaune: "Not you too-"
Weiss: "You only have yourself to blame, you know. Saying you love us, being heroic and self sacrificing and moody. It's catnip to girls!"
Blake: from outside "That's racist."
Weiss: "Blow it out your ass, Blake!"
Jaune: chuckles as Weiss turns bright red and covers her mouth "Well now. Wouldn't have expected that from the proper princess."
Weiss: "See? You've corrupted us thoroughly, you scoundrel."
Jaune: "Scoundrel? Seriously?"
Weiss: flush "Ruby made me watch Space Wars."
Jaune: "The original trilogy, right?"
Weiss: "Of course! Even I know the prequels and sequels are trash!"
Jaune: "Hey now! The prequels were a good story told badly, the sequels were a terrible story told by morons."
Weiss: "Yes, please, keep telling yourself that."
Jaune: sighs "Impossible woman."
Weiss: "Heh. You're the one who had a crush on me in the old timeline."
Jaune: "Yeah."
Weiss: "... Do you... Still-?"
Jaune: "For God's sake!"
Weiss: rolls her eyes "I'm just saying!"
Jaune: sighs "Weiss? I'm in love with Yang. Please, stop."
Weiss: "I know... And I'm glad. You two are happy together. Almost disgustingly so. And you're so affectionate and lewd in public!"
Jaune: "Wha-That was one time and at night! How did you-?!"
Weiss: bright red
Jaune: "... I thought Blake was the pervert."
Weiss: "She is! And so are you! You-You exhibitionist!"
Jaune: "Says the voyeur."
Weiss: "Ugh! Ridiculous man!"
Jaune: "Impossible woman!"
Weiss: "UGH! Look... My point is, we're in this together now. All of us. So please, stop treating us like children."
Jaune: "Says the woman who wants to call me 'Daddy'."
Weiss: "I-I do not! That was in another timeline! And I don't want you to spank me or manhandle me or anything else lewd! Especially not with Yang and Pyrrha involved!"
Silence.
Weiss: "... Shut up."
Jaune: "Not a word-"
Weiss: "You're talking!"
Jaune: "Sorry!"
Weiss: groans "Must you tease me? No wonder Yang is so worried about infidelity!"
Jaune: "She is not... Is she? Shit..."
Weiss: "Either put her fears to rest, or accept that like your great-grandfather, you have a harem."
Jaune: "I don't have a harem!"
Weiss: "Then stop flirting with everything female with a pulse!"
Jaune: "I'm not flirting!"
Weiss: "Then what have we been doing for the last ten minutes?!"
Silence.
Jaune: "... Goddamnit."
Weiss: "Told you~."
Jaune: annoyed "Shut up."
Weiss: "Your fault for attracting impossible women."
Jaune: "And there you go shifting the blame around. Typical."
Weiss: "Again, we're flirting. That's on you!"
Jaune: "You started it!"
Pyrrha: "Jaune?"
Jaune: "All right, all right... Anyway Weiss: You can change things for yourself and be happy. That's literally all I want for anyone. To be happy. And not die."
Weiss: nods "I know... Anyway, um..."
Jaune: "Yes?"
Weiss: "..." leans in to kiss his cheek "Try not to be too hard on yourself. If we don't get to be hard on ourselves, you don't either."
Jaune: "I happen to like it hard on myself."
Silence again.
Jaune: "That didn't come out right."
Weiss: "Or did it~?"
Jaune: "Stop-Stop that! Stop flirting! Goddamnit you're why Yang is freaking out about infidelity! You and Blake! Freaking perverted princesses, you deserve eachother!"
Weiss: "Hmmm... Well, I have wondered what she would look like in just a collar~."
Jaune: gapes
Weiss: smirk "Pervert."
Jaune: "Takes one to know one!"
Weiss laughs, kisses his cheek again, and leaves. Jaune sighs and leans back.
Pyrrha enters, looking nervous. She sits next to him.
Pyrrha: "... It could have gone worse."
Jaune: "Yeah..."
Nora and Ren come in, looking... Disheveled. Nora is grinning, Ren... Is actually smiling.
Nora: "Hey guys~! Renny and I are going steady~!"
Jaune: "... I'm glad. Really."
Ren: "As am I."
Nora: "Pfft... Least our future is easy to fix, huh? Just don't take romantic advice from Blakey!" shakes her head "What was I thinking?"
Jaune: "I have no idea."
Jaune's Brain: Neither did the writers...
Pyrrha: "Jaune? Maybe you should get out. Clear your head for a while."
Jaune: "Yeah... Yeah! I should."
Pyrrha: "But um... Before you go?"
Jaune: "Yes?"
Pyrrha: blush "... Just so you know... I am okay with being in a harem."
Jaune: "... What."
Pyrrha: "Well, um, I talked with your Nana and may have listened in and-"
Jaune: "Ooookay, I think I need to go find Yang now. Gonna go find Yang, my girlfriend, whom I love very much."
Pyrrha: "Jaune... I-I'm sorry... I just..." sighs "If you knew I loved you... Why didn't you try... You know?"
Jaune: "Pyrrha! I..." sighs "We've been over this-"
Pyrrha: "Then just answer me. Would you... Could you have fallen in love with me-?"
Jaune: "YES! Of course I could have! The fact this is so hard on me is proof enough!"
Pyrrha is bright red, and restraining a squeal.
Pyrrha: "Um... S-Sorry."
Nora: snickers "Are you sure it's hard on you, Jaune-Jaune?"
Jaune: "No pancakes for a week."
Nora: "Not fair!"
Jaune: "Too bad, I'm feeling petty and vindicative."
Nora: "Well at least you're honest!"
Jaune leaves, walking down the dirt road with his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face as the sun began to set.
Jaune's Brain: Geez... Well... It could have gone worse... A lot worse. I mean... That might sound like cope but it could have gone worse...
His Scroll beeps. It's a message from Katy. Asking him to meet her by the old watertower.
Jaune's Brain: Crrraaaaaapp... Please tell me she's not going to confess to me too?! Please...
Nevertheless... Jaune goes to the old watertower. His danger sense is screaming something is wrong the second he sees that no one is around.
Jaune: "Oh crap..." He goes for his Scroll... Just before he gets hit from behind and he feels something getting injected into his neck "CRAP-!"
He awakens... Groggy... Drugged... Tied to a chair with chains. A bag is over his head... Which is removed. A light goes on over his head, and he winces. He looks up.
Sienna Khan: "Well, well, well... If it isn't Jaune Arc, the Hero of the Breach."
Jaune: "... Please tell me you're not going to confess your love to me, too."
Sienna: "What? No!"
Jaune: "Oh thank God."