Old Embers || Jaune & Pyrrha
When Nora had suggested sneaking Pyrrha inside Team JNR’s home, she initially declined the offer. It seemed… wrong to her, even though any place they called theirs had once been hers as well. She hadn’t gotten the chance to properly re-introduce herself to the others, and she didn’t think entering their house uninvited would leave the best impression. However, once Nora had seen she was taking refuge in Wonderland Haven, she outright refused to let her return and Pyrrha struggled to say no to anything she wanted. They’d been apart for so long now, it was a relief to be close to her again.
The actual sneaking in had gone fine, all according to the girls’ plan. Ren had been out and it didn’t seem that Jaune had taken any notice to their presence, locked away in his room. The problem came after Nora fell fast asleep.
Pyrrha knew it was a bad idea to get up looking for a glass of water at half passed one a.m., but waking up the other thunderous huntress was a lost cause and she supposed if she was quiet enough she could skirt by. Slowly, silently, Pyrrha crept from Nora’s room and down the stairs, cringing at the creak that sounded from the cabinet she opened in hopes cups would be waiting for her.
She was right, luckily, instinctually remembering they kept their own cups in the middle cabinet in their first dorms. However, as she reached for the sink, phased by the darkness of the room, Pyrrha’s hand knocked a plastic bowl clattering to the floor from where she had assumed it’d been left to dry. She sucked in a deep breath and swung her body towards the entrance of the kitchen at the same time a gleam of metal shone through it. Throwing her arm up, her shield released and she entered a defensive stance.
When her focused eyes landed on her attacker, Pyrrha’s throat had never been dryer. Jaune. Swallowing thickly, the huntress took a tentative step away from his sharp sword, allowing her shield to lower slowly. Bright gaze studied him intensely, not only watching for an offensive motion but to see how he’d changed. And he had changed.
His shoulders were broader, and he styled his hair different. His expression was set far more fiercely than it had been back then, and his footwork indicated he was sure of himself in his attack. Pride swelled in her chest, but another emotion swirled underneath and threatened to take over: fear.
She hadn’t prepared herself for this interaction. She new it was coming but thought she would have more time to think of what to say, how to apologize. She needed time to analyze every possible outcome, as she did with her battles, and the rug had been pulled from under her feet with this confrontation. Her breath picked up and her pulse quickened.
“Hello again…” Pyrrha spoke, voice sounding far more controlled than she felt as she curled and uncurled her fingers uncertainly. Should she call for Nora? Should she call for anyone? How do you go about telling someone you loved that you weren’t dead anymore and had been snuck into their home without their knowledge? How do you tell them you missed them even when you couldn’t miss anyone at all? “Jaune.”
That voice...how long has it been since he last heard that voice. Memories of Beacon whipped through his mind’s eye of team JNPR’s training sessions, their first exam, the dance, and...and their kiss. Jaune felt his head start to spin in circles as he felt his grip on his sword loosen. Then he saw the shield unfurl and Jaune’s face revealed the shock that he felt.
“H...how...this....this c-can’t be happening r-right now...”
Hearing her voice say his name caused his heart to beat faster and his eyes start to water. His heat was telling him that this was possible and that this was Pyrrha. Pyrrha was back and he was being an absolute dick about it. Was this his reality now? With everything that happened at Atlas, being ripping from his home again, and now Pyrrha being brought here? What else could happen.
Jaune dropped his sword and slid down the island that was behind him and tried to calm his breathing. His mind wouldn’t stop screaming at him to think logically, to fight this thing that was impersonating Pyrrha, but also to cry and give Pyrrha the tightest hug possible.
Jaune’s breathing started to quicken again and he could feel himself start to ball up, “W-Why...wh-why can’t anything make sense anymore!“ Jaune’s voice raised slightly, not loud enough to wake anyone up, and out of reaction his hand fell to the ground, palm opened; a strategy that team JNPR made when Jaune’s panick attacks were common.
