Chapter 6: Gloom

In-fat-u-a-tion: An intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone else or something.

Pyrrha re-read the definition again.

A short-lived passion, eh? Pyrrha darkly chuckled at that, I wouldn't say short-lived, it has been four months.

The red-haired girl found herself in the library as a downpour happened outside. Pyrrha was idly looking through her scroll, her homework had long since been done; it had provided a suitable distraction over her current dilemma while it had lasted. The current dilemma was what had come to a head during the weekend; what were her feelings towards one, Jaune Arc?

Her first thought was to try and describe why she was drawn to him, why she was attracted to her own partner. Failing that, she had tried to use any word that would come to mind. Infatuation was the best one she could think of. Logically, she had gone and looked up the definition of the word after turning the word over and over again in her head.

It should be simpler than this, Pyrrha huffed at the idea of it being simple, they are my feelings and I should know them!

It boggled her mind that all she might have for her partner was an 'infatuation'… the word sounded dirty. It sounded like something a love-struck school girl would have… not…not her. Rather, it made Pyrrha sound like she was madly in lust with him…. Not to say she didn't have certain fantasies but everyone had those, right?

Pyrrha could feel the onset of a headache as continued her admittedly subjective introspection of her feelings.

She started to type in a new term to search;

Pas-sion: a very strong feeling about a person or thing.

-a state or outburst of strong emotion

-an intense desire or enthusiasm for something

-a thing arousing enthusiasm

That sounds… more accurate, so I have a passion for Jaune. Pyrrha shook her head, but a passion is an intensifier for an emotion… not an actual emotion. Sighing, she set down her scroll to rub her forehead, trying to alleviate her headache. Slowly her head came closer and closer to the library table before resting in her crossed arms. Why does this have to be so complicated?

Ping!

As Pyrrha started to stew in her thoughts, her scroll's notification noise went off. A new text message. Her head titled upward to look at the device lying a few feet away.

Pyrrha stared at the device, unmoving; it's not Jaune. He is on a study date with Velvet. Ren and Nora are sparring, so they probably aren't going to text… and that's everyone who'd be messaging me. Pyrrha gloomily realized that she didn't have anyone else she really spent time with besides her own team. Once in a blue moon her team and team RWBY did something together outside of lunch and class, but that was just about it for her non-team interactions. Maybe someone from team RWBY? Pyrrha considered it before giving a slight shake of her head; I never gave any of them my number.

Perhaps it's a text from the school? Pyrrha turned the thought over as she mulled in silence, but wouldn't it be announced via the PA system? No, so that's not it.

Ping!

The scroll beeped again. The girl's eyebrows furrowed. Inertia stilled her hand from motion. If its urgent they'll just call.

Ping!

Pyrrha's headache worsened. Her head sunk deeper into her arms, eyes half-closed. I just want to be alone.

"Pyrrha!"

It was a familiar voice, not male, definitely female. It wasn't Nora. Pyrrha cracked an eye open slightly to notice a blur of black and red approach her.

Ruby Rose.

Scratch that, Ruby Rose carrying a stack of books taller than herself. How does she even keep herself upright? Pyrrha watched as the rapidly approaching girl's stack of books leaned left then right, like a collapsing tower. The collapsing tower held off its imminent demise until it had reached Pyrrha's table… the tower leaned a tad too far one way before spilling its contents everywhere.

Pushing her head off her arms, Pyrrha made pulled, or tried to pull herself out of her current dazed, "Here, let me help you."

"Thank you thank you thank you!"

As Pyrrha busied herself with putting the books in neat stacks on the table, she glanced at the subject. Chemistry. Huh, I wonder why she needs this many books since her partner is a walking database on all things dust, chemistry included.

"D-d-did you get my message?"

"Sorry?" Pyrrha blinked in surprise at Ruby's face as her brain sought to process what had just been said. So THAT was who was messaging me. "Oh! So that was you?"

"Yea!" Ruby nodded her head vigorously, so much so that Pyrrha was curious if she was using her semblance. "Um, so Jaune said you were really really good at chemistry" Ruby's eyes started to wander the room as her speed increased, " and Weiss is kinda busy but I sorta kinda have a big project due in it, and I was hoping that you could possibly help me with it, please?"

Pyrrha cast an eye on her own notebook, It's not like it would be hard, I did just do it after all. Looking back at Ruby, big silver eyes stared at her, clearly begging for help. It was hard for Pyrrha to contemplate even saying 'no'.

Giving a tired smile to pleading girl, "Sure, I'll be happy to help"

Something was off with Pyrrha.

Ruby couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something was definitely off with the older girl. It had started about a week and a half ago; Pyrrha seemed really distracted, zoning out quite a bit. Okay most of the time.

At first Ruby thought it was just something that Pyrrha was going through, something that she would come out of, like she failed a pop quiz; but if anything Pyrrha seemed to be more and more distracted ever since Ruby had found her in the training room that night.

Come to think of it what caused her to…well, fall apart?

It was a question that Ruby hadn't even thought to ask at the time. Pyrrha needed a hug and a shoulder to cry on. Cry silently to boot. Ruby didn't intend to pry, so she didn't ask anything at the time. As the week had gone on it had become abundantly clear that something was still troubling Pyrrha. When Ruby heard that Jaune and Pyrrha were going to see the Spruce Willis movie, she had hoped it'd help Pyrrha; Pyrrha always seemed to be the happiest around Jaune. Which is natural considering they're partners.

Yet the next day, she seemed even more distracted.

Ruby was not the most observant cookie in the cookie jar, but it seemed obvious to her after Pyrrha trailed off in mid-sentence the third time in as many minutes. It was weird. Pyrrha usually had the focus of a sniper rifle on whatever she was doing, something that Ruby could only admire.

"Pyrrha?"

The older girl blinked for a moment, "Hm?" Realization dawned on her as she tried to picked up where she had left off, "Sorry, right, now where were we?"

Ruby didn't answer for a moment, just staring at the redhead as she fidgeted. Inside, a battle was taking place between being concerned for Pyrrha and wanting to get the project done. "Are you okay?" It was a no contest fight.

Pyrrha's small smile twitched for a moment, "I'm fin-"

Ruby shook her head as words started to come out, "No, I, uh, don't think you are. You've been… been…" Ruby searched for the proper word as Pyrrha's expression started to take an inquisitive sheen. "You've been spacing out, like a lot. Like a lot a lot."

Pyrrha stared. And stared. Ruby was starting to question the wisdom of being this direct. Silence continued between the two, only punctuated by the pitter-patter of rain hitting the library's windows. Maybe I should of just of been quiet? Ruby glumly thought. "Um, j-just forget I said anything, o-o-okay?"

To Ruby's surprise, Pyrrha's shoulders slumped slightly. That in of itself was weird; the elder girl usually had a straight back with shoulders pushed back proudly. "You're right." Ruby blinked what? "I've…just got a lot on my mind that's all."

Ruby slowly nodded, "D-d-do you wanna talk about it? Um… if that's okay?" Words started to spill out of her mouth, "I mean I'm not trying to pry, but I'm here if you need someone to talk to, but of course you know I'm here, you can see me!" Ruby's mouth wouldn't stop as Pyrrha's lips curved into a small smile, "B-b-but I'm not saying you can't see me, I mean, you can shoot a quarter at twenty yards, of course you can see me, that would be weird i-"

Ruby stopped as she felt a slight weight on her shoulder, Pyrrha's hand. Her other hand was covering her mouth, is she laughing?

"If I need someone to talk to, I'll come to you, okay Ruby?" Ruby nodded, at least its something. Pyrrha gave a small smile, her giggling subsided for now, before gesturing towards the mess of chemistry textbooks that had swallowed up the table.

"Okay, so where did we leave off?"

AU: Well that took longer then expected. Oh also the Rubbles is back! If my schedule sticks I only have eleven more chapters. Except I'm pretty sure I should have another not quite planned chapter for chapter seven. I know what purpose it will serve, but the actual content is something I still need to figure out. I intend to post the next faster then chapter six. Thank you for the continued support and reviews from everyone!