Weiss never thought she would be back here.

It wasn't simply that she was back in Atlas. A place she had risked everything to escape from. It was being here specifically which she could not help but feel trapped by. While the location was different, the room was all too familiar. It was suffocating. It reeked of sterility. Of phoniness. Of life in the kingdom of Atlas.

All around her, the who's who of the kingdom had gathered for some new charity event. To raise lien for the less fortunate so that the people here might feel better about themselves as they looked down at others from their ivory towers. They had put on their finest suits and dresses. Powdered their faces with expensive makeup. Gilded themselves with invaluable jewelry. All of these things were just the masks which disguised who they truly were. Rotting, decaying, and utterly repulsive creatures. Predators who preyed on those weaker than themselves.

The sad part was, it was necessary. Even Weiss knew that. The fate of the world was far more important compared to her own past traumas. It was why she had bit the bullet and willingly returned to a life which had once imprisoned her.

She along with her friends and teammates had been smuggled back into Atlas at Professor Ozpin's orders. They had to speak with General Ironwood concerning the Relic they had obtained at Haven Academy. However, with the CCT down there was no way of getting in touch with the man prior to their arrival. There had been no way of securing a private meeting with him without actually seeing him. Upon finding out where he would be tonight, they had only one option. They had to crash the party and force an audience. Luckily there was one person amongst them who could pull off such a trick and not be thrown out by security. Even when she was no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss' name still carried enough weight to enter without any kind of invitation or formal attire.

That had ironically been the easy part. Professor Ozpin and Qrow were speaking to General Ironwood at this very moment. That left Weiss and the rest of their group with nothing but time to kill. A party to enjoy. If such a thing was even possible here.

Weiss glanced around, a look of disgust on her face which she used to need to hide. She didn't care anymore. None of these people mattered to her. She had no appearances to keep up. She could finally be open and honest about who she was with these parasites. Weiss had spent her entire life playing nice with them. No longer.

Taking a tiny sip of her drink, the conversation between a pair of women off to the side grabbed her attention at the mention of her friends. Not by name, but she knew when she and her ragtag group were being spoken of. Their entrance had been anything but inconspicuous. They were the talk of the party now.

"Can you believe it?" one of the harpies said. "Mrs. Marigold has already sunken her claws into the boy. A married woman, no less! How scandalous."

The boy. With Oscar not present, Weiss knew that there were only a handful of people the woman could be talking about. It didn't take long for Weiss to find her target.

Jaune stood out amongst the partygoers. Not simply because of his massive stature. In a black tie event, the boy wore blue jeans and armor. To say he stuck out like a sore thumb would be an understatement. And yet, it did nothing to stop the women who were currently surrounding him. Young and old alike, they stood gawking at the boy, asking him questions, laughing at his jokes. Doing anything they could to get on his good side.

And Weiss knew exactly why.

"You're just jealous you didn't get to him first," the second woman said.

"It's infuriating," the first all but confirmed. "How am I ever supposed to meet the General if that little brat is being swarmed by those leeches?"

Ironic that she would call the others leeches. She would be a leech herself if she had it her way. They had the same plan, after all. The same goal. Get close to the friends of General Ironwood, and thus get close to the General himself.

Every single one of the teens who had come tonight were recognized for who and what they were. They were huntsmen and huntresses. Heroes from Beacon Academy. Normally that would not have meant anything to the Atlesian socialites. However, when they had not only approached General Ironwood, but had been greeted warmly by him, that's when everything had changed. They were now very important people. They had friends in high places. And who could be higher than the man who held two seats on Atlas' council?

Oh yes. Getting on Jaune's good side could only lead to good things. It could lead to an audience with the General himself. Opportunities to gain favors. And these women had the assets to do just that.

Weiss knew that game all too well. It was a game Jaune has no business in playing. A disease against which he had no immunity.

The thought of these people using her friends before tossing them aside made her sick. The stem of her wine glass snapped as her fist clenched in anger.

The sharp shatter of glass on the floor drew a few gazes her way, but again, Weiss didn't care. These people could choke on the shards for all she cared.

One person whose attention she gained did say something, however. "Jealous?"

The voice was a familiar one. It had a small effect on calming her down. "Excuse me?"

Weiss looked up at Yang, who had sidled up next to her holding a pair of her own glasses. She drank them both with zero shame. Then again, she had already proven she had none by showing up to the party in a brown leather coat. "You're staring at Jaune. Are you jealous of all those beautiful women paying attention to him?"

Preposterous. The last thing she cared about was how popular Jaune was right now. No, the only thing she care about was the intentions of those women. Women who would whisper sweet, deceiving lies to ensnare him. To use him in order to get closer to the man who truly mattered. They would use Jaune before discarding him and laughing at his pathetic, betrayed expression.

Weiss was all too familiar with being used by these sorts of people. She would never let that fate befall any of her friends.

"They're using him," she said, giving voice to her thoughts. Weiss glanced over to where Nora and Ren stood. The boisterous redhead was as active as ever, and her demeanor was keeping the predators away from other potential prey. "They would be doing the same to Ren if Nora wasn't protecting him. To Oscar if he wasn't speaking with Ironwood already."

Yang took a peek over to where Weiss had looked and snorted a soft laugh. "Gotta hand it to Nora. She's a great bitch-repellant."

Weiss nodded, not even slightly fazed by Yang's language. She wasn't wrong, after all. On either account.

No one wanted to get close to that loose cannon. Or the man she was fiercely guarding from their advances. Perhaps the redheaded girl understood what was happening too. She knew that Ren would be a target for those harpies to try and influence. And she would never let them get near her partner.

Jaune had no such protection.

The group of women all laughed at something Jaune just said. It sounded so hollow. So phony. It was a laugh Weiss had heard all too many times. One she had been forced to use herself.

It was infuriating. Why couldn't he see what was going on? This may not have been his world, but even Yang could see it. Even Nora could see it!

"Idiot," Weiss breathed.

"Come on, Weiss. Don't be mad at him."

"I'm not mad at him," she clarified. "I'm mad at the situation."

"That's why you called him an idiot."

"He is an idiot. But he's our idiot."

"That's right," Yang agreed. "He's our idiot."

"Indeed."

"Our Vomit Boy."

"The vomitiest." Weiss blinked. Was that even a word?

Before she could even contemplate it further Yang had continued. "Our big stupid idiot."

Weiss nodded. "The dumbest idiot around. And tall. More room for more idiocy in his body."

"Your idiot."

"My idio- hey!"

Yang chuckled when she heard Weiss nearly slip up. "So close, Ice Queen."

Weiss glared over at the girl. "Oh shut up."

The words and the glare which accompanied them only made Yang laugh even harder. Well, at least one of them was having a good time.

Weiss hadn't seen the others in a while. Blake had wanted to stay outside, not even wanting to be a part of this debauchery. However Sun had forced her to go with him, saying it would be great seeing the looks on everyone's faces when two bare-stomached faunus stepped foot inside. He had been right. Meanwhile Ruby was with her uncle and Ozpin discussing all the important details. Weiss certainly hoped that they would be done soon. The quicker they could leave this place, the better.

She felt a tiny nudge against her side, courtesy of Yang's elbow. "Why not go over there?"

Weiss gave the blonde a quizzical look. "Go where?"

"To Jaune," she said motioning over to the horde who had surrounded him. "Go and be his hero. After all, you owe him one."

Weiss frowned. As painful as it was to say, Yang was indeed correct. She did owe Jaune. She owed him her life.

It wasn't that long ago that his healing hands had brought her back from the brink of death. The Battle of Haven had cursed her body with a new scar. For the remainder of her days, Weiss would have a reminder of what not to do in combat. Her summoning abilities were still so new to her, and she craved to use them at every opportunity. Doing so against Vernal had been a costly mistake. She had been thoroughly thrashed by the bandit girl, and ultimately her back had been turned to another opponent who had sought to take her life. Cinder would have done just that if it hadn't been for Jaune.

"Unless maybe you want Jaune to give those ladies a taste of his white stuff," Yang continued.

Shock and horror spread across Weiss' features as she looked up at the girl. "Yang! That's indecent!"

"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm only talking about his Aura. Remember the time he filled you up with his white stuff? Was it warm? Was it intimate?"

Weiss began to rapidly shake her head, moving her hands to cover her ears. "I can't hear you," she said hurriedly as she began walking away. "I'm not listening."

Desperate to get away from Yang and her inappropriate humor, Weiss' short legs carried her as quickly as she could in the opposite direction. That direction just happened to be toward Jaune.

Lowering her hands, she made a decision. She would indeed save him tonight. Not in order to get even, however. Rather, because it was the right thing to do.

Jaune had never felt more out of place in his life. Even his first day at Beacon hadn't been this bad. And he hadn't even known what Aura was back then.

It felt like he was in an entirely different world. He was surrounded by wealth and prestige. It was a wonder he had even been let in here at all with his attire. However, one look at Weiss was all it took for them to gain entrance. He supposed the larger world wasn't aware that her name meant little these days.

There had once been a time where Jaune would have loved being surrounded by the young and attractive women that were so infatuated with him at the moment. Each wanted to know something about him. They all wanted to be his friend. But even Jaune was smart enough to know that they had ulterior motives.

"So you were at the fall of Beacon?" the one who had introduced herself as Mrs. Marigold asked. She was an attractive enough older woman. Old enough to be his mother. Their age gap was proof enough that her infatuation with him was only skin-deep.

"I can't imagine how terrifying that must have been," another said. Scarlet, if he remembered correctly. Like all the others, she was beautiful on the outside, with long blonde hair done up and a mole on her right cheek that couldn't have been natural.

"But you were so brave," Marigold said, trying to outdo her competition in the conversation.

Jaune looked away. "I didn't do much..." he admitted

The truth was that he hadn't. He had been there for the initial battle in the middle of the stadium. However, he had quickly been pulled away when Ozpin had summoned Pyrrha. He had gone with. He had one job.

A job he failed.

"So modest," the woman continued. "You certainly are a rare treat here in Atlas. Most men in your position would try to hog all the glory for themselves. To flaunt it around like a trophy for all to see."

Mrs. Marigold probably thought that he was avoiding her gaze out of embarrassment. Or modesty, as she had said. No. The truth was far darker than that. He reflected bitterly on that reality.

In the end Pyrrha had sent him away. She hadn't given him a choice. Instead she made one for him. She had gone off to battle alone after stuffing him in a rocket locker in order to keep him safe. She succeeded in that task. As always, she had thought of him rather than herself.

It had cost the girl her life.

"And then you travelled across Anima to save Haven Academy? On foot?"

"Strong, brave and heroic. And handsome too," Scarlet added quickly. Again, trying to outdo the competition.

Empty words from empty people. That was all they were. Sure, they were beautiful on the outside, but they had no good qualities inside. They were nothing but plastic dolls. They were all just complimenting him because they wanted something. They had to. He wasn't getting by tonight on his good looks. Not that those really existed anyway.

"And I've heard that you know Weiss Schnee as well," Mrs. Marigold said. "What must that have been like? Knowing someone like her?"

"Weiss Schnee," Scarlet echoed disdainfully. Perhaps there was history between the two?

Jaune shrugged lightly. "It's been... interesting," he said. It wasn't a lie. Their relationship had been nothing short of complicated since the first day he met her.

"Oh I can imagine," Mrs. Marigold agreed. "By any chance, would 'interesting' perhaps be a polite way of saying... negative?"

The woman was certainly good at reading people. All of these people probably were. In a world of intrigue and politics, Jaune knew he was woefully unskilled. He only hoped that he would make it through the night without stepping on too many toes.

"No," he lied. He hoped it was a convincing one. "We're friends," he added with a weak smile.

"Friends," the woman said with a small smirk. "I understand. You know, I've heard she was disinherited because of being traumatized by the fall of Beacon. The poor thing. But not you. You've accomplished so much for someone your age, and are none the worse for it."

Jaune wanted to laugh. If only they knew just how much he had suffered. If it was true that Weiss was traumatized by the fall, she wasn't alone. Everyone carried the scars of that day with them. Some were physical. Some were much harder to see.

Then there was what she had said about Weiss. Simultaneously complimenting him while also putting her down. The woman must have seen right through his lie. The only part she got wrong was that Jaune held no contempt for his former classmate. She must have hoped to further get on his good side by playing herself off as an ally against the ex-heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. How wrong the woman was on that.

"If you want my opinion," she continued. Jaune desperately did not want her opinion, but he had no choice but to politely nod and listen. He wasn't about to make a scene here. "I think making her younger brother the new heir was a smart move. Imagine the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company gallivanting around the world playing hero. How could someone ever run a company while doing such a thing?"

"Perhaps she's simply a gifted multitasker?" a familiar voice chimed in.

The gathered group turned to see a new face. Despite her tiny stature, she was the most intimidating person in the room in this moment. Weiss strode up to the gathered group, the women before her parting like she was some leper not to be touched.

Only, someone would indeed touch her tonight, as she held out her hand to Jaune. "Please excuse me, ladies," she offered with sickeningly-sweet politeness. "But I would like a dance from my boyfriend, if you don't mind."

Numerous pairs of eyes looked at her in shock, but none more so than Jaune's. He mouthed the word boyfriend to her, questioning if he had heard her correctly.

Weiss didn't miss a beat, and winked at him before taking his arm in her own, leading him away from the group. "Sorry, but this one's taken," she smiled as they walked out to the dance floor.

The looks on their faces made them look like kids caught with their hands caught in a cookie jar. Mrs. Marigold in particular, who had been caught red-handed discussing the ex-heiress, couldn't hide the fear on her face.

It was a rather satisfying look, Jaune had to admit.

Once out of hearing distance from the group, Jaune asked the obvious question. "Weiss, what are you doing?"

For someone so small and short, Weiss' grip was certainly strong. Her hand moved to squeeze down on his tightly as they continued. "Look, Jaune. The women around here can be very aggressive. Especially with someone who they can use to their benefit. So for the time being I'm going to pretend to be your girlfriend in order to keep you safe."

Upon reaching the dance floor, Weiss turned around to face Jaune. He felt more comfortable speaking to her face to face. "Keep me safe?" he questioned. "You make it sound as if we're in actual danger."

Weiss frowned, keeping her grip on his left hand as her own left moved to his shoulder. "These people can be very persuasive when they want something," she told him before quickly changing the subject. "Can you waltz?"

It took only a moment after Weiss asked the question for Jaune's ears to pick up the music being played. It was indeed a familiar triple time melody. Most people would not have recognized it. There was no surprise Weiss did, being a young woman of culture and privilege. However, she was about to be amazed by just how much he knew.

"I can," he confirmed. "Can you?"

Weiss looked to be almost insulted by the question. "Of course I can. Look who you're talking to."

Jaune had already known the answer before even asking the question. However, he just wanted to see just what her reaction would be. It did not disappoint.

Wasting little time, Jaune moved his free hand around Weiss' back to rest on her shoulder blade. Now that their hands were properly placed, custom and style dictated that there be as little room in between them as possible as they danced. They were supposed to be a couple, after all. There wouldn't be any shame in a simple little display of public dancing between boyfriend and girlfriend. There was only one problem. They weren't.

Jaune felt a shiver run through his body as they began to move. Step. Side. Close. Step. Side. Close. The three steps repeated over and over again as they moved to the rhythm of the music. Jaune had more experience than most when it came to dancing, but he had never been this nervous before. The atmosphere he was in meant that all eyes would be on him and the world-famous Weiss Schnee. Any mistakes he made would be amplified. Talked about by the gossiping socialites. But it was more than just that.

It was the girl herself.

Being close enough to the girl that he could nearly feel the rise and fall of her chest was one of the most intimidating things Jaune had ever experienced in his life. This wasn't just any random girl. This was Weiss. His hands were on her, and hers on him. Willingly. Deliberately. After all this time, after everything they had been through, how was that even possible? Was it really all just to protect him from those Atlesian women?

Jaune recalled the last time he had been this close to her. He had been moments away from losing another friend. His hands had been on her wound, trying desperately to do anything in his power to save her. Pleading with her to survive. To not let herself be taken away by that monster of a woman Cinder. And she hadn't. His Semblance had finally unlocked not a moment too soon, and Weiss had been saved.

Now here they stood, here they danced, mere weeks after such a trying time, closely in one another's arms. The world was a strange and bizarre place sometimes.

His grip on her back tightened, fearing that she might disappear if he didn't hang on.

Fearing that she might die.

"Jaune."

The sound of his name broke the boy from his trip down memory lane. He looked down to see the icy eyes of Weiss looking up at him. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

He shook his head softly, driving the old thoughts from his mind completely. The hand upon her body loosened. "Yeah. How are you?"

She looked at him curiously, but otherwise made no comment about his question. "I'm fine. I must say, however, that I'm surprised you know how to ballroom dance instead of that... whatever it was you were doing the night of Beacon's dance."

Indeed. This display here was nothing like the group dance he and the rest of his team had performed that night. This was an intimate dance between only two people. Not as exotic and provocative as a tango, but one where the partners held one another close. Where their faces were mere inches away from each other.

Weiss frowned as she spoke again. "But I suppose there's a lot I don't know about you, isn't there?"

That would be an understatement. Prior to their reunion back at Haven, Weiss had never given Jaune the time of day. Even then, they were more casual acquaintances than true friends. They were friends of friends. Their tumultuous history together made anything but that difficult. And yet here they were tonight, dancing in perfect sync as if they had been together for years.

Their movements were perfect. Their timing flawless. They were the shining example of what a waltz should be. A display that everyone else in the room could only hope to emulate. Weiss was as graceful as she was beautiful, and she was still the most beautiful girl Jaune had ever laid eyes upon. Together with Jaune's own years of experience, they were a duo that would not be topped on this night.

"Maybe," he admitted.

That frown remained on her face. Jaune didn't like to see her frown. A smile as beautiful as hers deserved to be shown off for all to see. "I never made much of an effort before. I'm sorry for how I treated you back then."

There was a genuineness to her words. Remorse. Guilt. Weiss may have been from Atlas. She may have been able to play the same games as these other women. However, there was no doubt in Jaune's mind that she was telling the truth right now.

Still, the last thing he wanted from Weiss was to see her sad. He wanted to see her smile. "Water under the bridge," he told her, giving the girl's shoulder a soft, reassuring squeeze. "It's not like I didn't have it coming. I was pretty awful back then too."

"Tell me something about yourself," she all but ordered.

"What?"

"Tell me," she repeated, this time a bit more slowly and deliberately. "About you. About Jaune Arc. I want us to learn about each other in order to make up for lost time. This song," she said as her eyes glanced around, as if she was motioning to the music in the air itself. "Is one of my sister's favorites. The Flower Waltz, from an opera called The Rainbow Garden."

Jaune was impressed. He would have never been able to name this song, much less know its place of origin. He may have been a skilled dancer, but that was the extent of his musical knowledge.

"You know that technically wasn't about you," he commented. A small smirk grew on his lips as he pointed out this detail. "You told me about your sister, not you."

Weiss gave a soft, exasperated sigh. "Fine. But it's your turn now."

"Okay..." he said, reaching back into his mind to try and find something interesting to tell the girl. "Oh. Speaking of sisters, I have seven."

Her eyes widened. "Seven?"

"Seven."

"That's... something."

"More than something. Seven, even."

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh shut up. I'm not used to meeting people with such large families."

This was true. Ruby and Yang were lone siblings. Blake was an only child. Ren and Nora were as well. Pyrrha had never mentioned anything about any siblings. Then again, neither had Weiss until months after meeting her. It was entirely possible that Pyrrha had brothers and sisters too.

It was sad that he may never know. The thought hurt his heart.

Once more the voice of his dance partner drove the unpleasant thoughts from his mind. Like a lighthouse, able to pierce the fog of negativity which clouded his thoughts. "Oh gods. Yang's taking pictures."

Looking over to where Weiss' attention was focused, Jaune saw that Yang was indeed holding her scroll sideways. Pointed at the two of them.

"So?"

"That insufferable little... I bet this was her plan all along."

Reality came crashing back down upon Jaune. Of course Weiss wouldn't be happy about Yang capturing this moment in time. Pictures were a best case scenario for the ex-heiress. Maybe even a full length video of them dancing. Yang would hold that over the girl's head for the rest of her life.

"I'm sorry," Jaune said, his grip on the girl's hand and shoulder loosening. "We can stop if you want."

As much as his grip on her loosened, hers on him tightened to keep him in place. "No. I will not be scared off by that blonde-headed bimbo."

Jaune couldn't help but laugh at the insult. "Come on. You know you missed her."

"Oh really? And how do you know that?"

"Because I missed her too. And I'm not the one on her team."

A small pout formed on Weiss' lips as she looked away briefly. The telling expression was gone by the time she returned her focus to him. "Since when did you learn how to apply logic?"

He laughed again. "Like you said. There's a lot you don't know about me."

She couldn't keep a tiny smile from curling on her own lips. "Touché, Jaune."

This was nice. Seeing Weiss so unguarded, so unlike how she behaved back at Beacon. He wondered if this was the real her. The girl who was no longer constrained by her old life. Someone who didn't have to impress those around her. Or play nice with the other guests. Her snatching him away from those Atlesian women showed how little she cared about their opinion of her.

"I guess I should thank you," he told her as they continued to move to the music. "I know those women weren't talking to me for my winning personality. You really saved me from having to spend all night with them."

"Knew and did nothing," she commented bluntly.

"What could I do? I didn't want to cause a scene."

Weiss snorted dismissively, but somehow she was able to make the noise sound elegant and refined. "Sometimes scenes are fun."

Jaune gave her a curious look. "Weiss?"

The pair of dancers spun around as they continued to waltz. "Do you recall the story I told back at Haven? About the summoned Boarbatusk?"

"Yeah?"

"That woman over there," she said as they spun. It put them in perfect position to look off to the side, where Weiss motioned with her head. "Blonde hair. Fake tan. Ugly mole."

"You mean Scarlet?"

Weiss looked back at him, a look of disgust on her face that did surprisingly little to detract from her beauty. "You know her name?"

"Unfortunately."

Another breath shot from her nose. "Then, yes. Scarlet. She was nearly impaled on the tusks of my summoned Grimm."

Jaune's eyes went wide, not quite believing what his dancing partner had just told him. "That was her?"

"It was an accident, naturally," she clarified. "However, it was nice to put the fear of the Grimm into her. Even if only for a moment."

"You almost sound proud."

Weiss smirked ever so slightly. "Almost."

"I mean, I knew you could be vindictive and all..."

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Nothing," she said softly. An equally soft shake of her head followed shortly after. "I'm merely surprised you even know such a large word. Regardless, just shut up and dance. You're going to ruin the moment."

He hadn't realized they were having a moment that could be ruined. But now that he thought about it, they were having a good time. Two teens, two friends, simply enjoying one another's company. No walls built up around them. No masks being worn. Just two people being open and honest with each other.

The conversation died down just as the music did, and the dancers slowed to a halt. A moment later a light clapping filled the room in appreciation for the live orchestra that drove their movements.

Jaune smiled down at the girl who he had just shared a dance with, and surprisingly, she smiled back up at him. "Thank you for the dance, Jaune," she spoke softly. "It was the first fun I've managed to have here tonight."

The boy shrugged, admittedly a little bit embarrassed by the compliment. "Yeah. Me too."

He was about to walk away, assuming that she would join him. However when he made a move to turn, her hand reached out to grab his wrist. "Jaune."

Looking down first at her hand and then at her face, Jaune frowned in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Those women, they'll still want to talk to you." Her eyes darted off to the side, teeth biting down on her lower lip momentarily before continuing. "Perhaps you would care to join your girlfriend for another dance?"

Jaune looked around. He could go back to the sidelines, drinking his expensive wine and being prey to those blood-sucking parasites. Or he could stay here on the dance floor with the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen in his life.

It wasn't a hard decision to make.

Taking hold of Weiss' hand, Jaune quickly picked up the time signature of the new song and began to lead her once more.

Author's Note: I've been having a little difficulty as of late with my two ongoing stories, so I thought writing something new and different might help. Maybe getting something, anything out there will help with motivation and inspiration.

So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this little story. It could exist on its own as a one shot. Or there are a few more ideas which could turn it into a short story. Two, maybe three chapters. Is this something you would be interested in seeing continue? Hypothetical volume 6 territory in Atlas? Let me know what you think.

As always, thanks for reading.