SxD: When friendship Becomes Something Else

At first, he was a nuisance. A walking headache with too much enthusiasm, zero shame, and a terrifying amount of raw power. Issei Hyoudou. W

At first, he was a nuisance. A walking headache with too much enthusiasm, zero shame, and a terrifying amount of raw power. Issei Hyoudou.

Weiss Schnee had pegged him as a troublemaker the moment she met him—loud, unrefined, utterly lacking in decorum. He stared too long, said too much, and made no effort to pretend otherwise. He was shameless, frustrating and impossible to ignore.

And yet...

She didn’t realize when the irritation turned into something else.

At some point—far too subtly for her to have noticed—she began to expect him to show up.

That he'd be there in the mornings, crashing into the dining hall half-asleep, rubbing his eyes and muttering something about a weird dream or how a red dragon kept yelling in his head during the night.

That he’d sit beside her at lunch, dropping onto the bench like gravity had personally insulted him, carrying two trays of food one for him, one for whoever forgot to get their food, usually Ruby.

He’d ramble, mouth half-full. “Pyrrha made me spar blindfolded today. Thought it would help with instinct. Pretty sure she just wanted to see me fall on my face.”

Or…

“I think I’m getting closer to unlocking something. I can feel it, Weiss, but it just suddenly disappears.”

And she listened.

Brother Gods help her, she actually listened.

She’d nod while sipping her tea, finger tapping lightly against her scroll, pretending she wasn’t committing his every word to memory.

She didn’t know when she started seeking him out after classes. When the library started feeling a little too quiet. When training sessions without him nearby felt… off.

She didn’t know when her gaze automatically found him in battle.

Especially during the White Fang ambush near the docks.

It had been chaos—dust flying, bullets pinging off metal containers, Blake disappeared and turned out to be an ex-terrorist.

But then—

A roar of power. A flash of red.

Issei. Crashing through a wall like a wrecking ball, grinning like an idiot and holding out his hand to Weiss with that ridiculous, “Sorry I’m late” energy.

“Did you miss me?” he said, offering her a wink.

She rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand, and used the momentum to vault over him into a midair Glyph attack.

But she didn’t let go right away.

And she still didn’t know why.

Maybe it was the way he always showed up. Not just physically—but emotionally. He was present. Unwavering. No masks. No lies.

It was him who helped her forgive Blake for her lies.

And that—more than anything—was dangerous.

Weiss hated liars. Grew up surrounded by them. Could sniff out falseness like a bloodhound.

But Issei? He never lied. Not to her.

He told her when she was being unreasonable. “Telling Ruby she’s a reckless idiot won’t make her listen, Weiss. You’ve gotta lead with something other than frostbite.”

He told her when her strategies were brilliant. “That Glyph combo you pulled off earlier? That was badass. I mean, terrifying—but badass.”

He told her outright that he liked looking at women. That he thought Yang’s confidence was hot, that Pyrrha had a goddess vibe, and that yes, he did walk into the girl’s changing room, mostly because he got lost, but it always ended with a beating that he didn’t fight back against.

And yet… he never once disrespected her.

Not once.

He teased. Called her “Snow Angel” or “Ice Queen” or once—and only once—“Frosted Flakes.” He paid for that one with a week of cold-shoulder treatment and a blizzard-level Glyph to the face.

But he never crossed the line. Never made her feel small. And it was infuriating.

Because little by little… she started waiting for him.

She started seeking him out in quiet moments. When classes were over, and stress began to curl in her stomach like a tightening spring, she found herself walking toward the rooftop where he liked to nap. Or checking the training schedule to see when he’d be in the gym.

And one afternoon, she caught herself smiling at the sound of his voice echoing down the hallway.

Smiling.

What is wrong with me?

Then came the moment.

He was sparring with Jaune.

No Boosted Gear. Just simple, honest combat.

Jaune, bless him, had improved. He dodged a jab, pivoted, and landed a solid hit to Issei’s ribs.

Issei stumbled back—and laughed.

Not the forced kind. Not the “haha, good one” kind.

He laughed like he was proud.

“Nice one, dude! You’re getting better!”

And Jaune grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. “You didn’t even block that.”

“I let you hit me,” Issei shot back. “Don’t ruin my pride here.”

They kept going.

And Weiss watched, arms crossed, standing in the doorway. The sunlight caught the dust floating in the air, turning it gold around them. The sound of their laughter rang out, echoing off the gym walls.

And it hit her.

He makes people better.

Not just stronger. Not just faster.

Better. He made her better.

Not through force. Not through pressure.

But through being himself.

And that night, when they sat at dinner, he caught her looking again.

She didn’t mean to stare.

But he raised an eyebrow. “What? I got something on my face?”

Weiss blinked, heart stuttering. “No. I was just thinking.”

He smiled, a little lopsided. “Dangerous habit, that.” And went back to eating like nothing had happened.

But Weiss… Weiss couldn’t stop the warmth climbing up her neck, burning into her ears.

She turned away quickly, pretending to adjust her napkin.

‘This is bad.’ She thought. ‘I’m in trouble.’