Poll Winner -- Jaune x Pyrrha -- Maidenhood (Patreon)

The sun blazed high above in the cloudless sky, the scorching hot sands buffeted by growing winds. Creatures of Grimm gathered around her on the surrounding dunes, a sea of roiling black muscle, gleaming white bone and burning red eyes filled with malicious intent. She was outnumbered tremendously and yet she felt no trepidation, no fear. Instead, she raised her hand towards the sky and closed her eyes, exhaling gently as power welled up inside her.

As if her action was a call to action, the Grimm advanced with baying calls and ferocious roars, fangs gleaming as they snapped rabidly in anticipation of an easy kill. They rushed towards her like a swarm, a black tide rolling across the desert intent on only one thing; her complete annihilation.

And still, faced with such mindless rage and desire for destruction, she felt no fear.

The growing winds surged powerfully, kicking up billows of sand that flared out in every direction. As they approached, the Grimm found it difficult to advance. Hurricane force winds slammed against them with her at the epicenter, the howling winds still growing in intensity. The Grimm did their best to dig in but the soft sand did them no favors, forcing them back no matter how hard they struggled.

Eyes still closed, she twirled on the spot, sweeping her arm around and the winds followed her wordless command. A vortex formed around her, throwing several Grimm airborne as they were lifted from the ground like they weighed little more than tissue paper. Their snarling cries were lost beneath the roar of the storm and she opened her eyes, emerald flame spilling forth as she rose into the air.

Dozens, hundreds – the Grimm could do nothing as they were swept up in the tsunami. Tumbling through the air, they flailed and struggled pointlessly; their fate was already sealed.

Holding out her other hand, power surged with a red hot crack and a flash of light. Lightning thrashed within her grasp like a writhing snake, attempting to free itself upon the world but her control was absolute. The formerly clear sky darkened with cloud as magic blanketed the area in rolling waves, the energy quickly reaching a crescendo – and then with a blinding flash and crash of thunder, she loosened her hold.

It was over in less than a second. Free of her control, the lightning leapt eagerly from her hand. It lanced through the air, too quick to see, tearing through flesh and bone with little resistance, burning through them. Hundreds of Grimm, dead, all before you could take a breath. The smell of burnt ozone and roasted flesh was swept away in an instant, carried by the swirling vortex.

An army of Grimm reduced to black smoke with contemptuous ease.

As the winds slowed and she lowered back down towards the ground, the sand erupted without warning. A huge gaping maw emerged and snapped shut around her floating form, shielding her from view. Having devoured its prey, the massive armored worm screeched in triumph – only to explode in a shower of bone and cooked flesh.

Fire wreathed the area, swirling chaotically around her form as the enormous Grimm flailed and fell, no longer whole. It slammed to the sand with an earth shaking crash, sending waves of sand into the air before beginning to decay in curling streams of pitch black smoke.

Feet lightly touched down upon the now ruptured battlefield, eyes no longer alight with fire – and Pyrrha Nikos smiled, her heart at ease, not a single hair out of place. The sky had returned to an endless blue, the sun beating down upon her neck and she took a moment to observe the carnage around her.

It was all in a day's work.

She was about to take her leave when a familiar call sounded high above her head and she looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. A crow circled lazily, gliding effortlessly as it slowly made its way down only to land by her feet. It hopped from side to side and cawed at her, talons scuffing at the sand as it ruffled its feathers.

“Hello,” Pyrrha greeted dryly.

The crow tilted its head and then it was a man; a Qrow to be precise.

The scruffy older man took one look at her handy work and whistled, “You sure did a number on them, didn’t cha, kid?”

“The train is now safe to pass through,” she ignored the sardonic expression adorning his face, clasping her hands politely across her stomach. “I believe my work is done.”

Qrow stared at her with dark eyes. “There are always more Grimm to kill.”

She was having none of it. “I wish to return to Beacon.”

Her voice was pleasant, her face calm – but the undercurrent of tension was thick enough to cut, oppressive as it passed between them. Qrow sighed and reached for his hip flask, twisting off the lid and taking a healthy mouthful. Pyrrha wrinkled her nose as the scent of rum touched upon her.

“Well – if that’s what you want,” Qrow snarked. “It isn’t like I could stop ya, even if I wanted to.”

She could hear the ‘but’ coming a mile away.

“But we still have a settlement in dire need of help---”

“And I will do my duty,” she cut across him. “I will exterminate the Grimm and ensure their safety – but then I will be returning to Beacon. I have not seen my team in months. I may be a maiden and this work is required, but I will not abandon my friends any longer.”

“You aren’t abandoning them,” Qrow replied gently; as gently as he was able. To anyone else, it may have sounded gruff but she knew. They’d spent enough time together now that she could pick out his true thoughts, his true feelings, even when he didn’t wish to reveal them. “No one feels that way.”

“I feel that way,” she said curtly. “And that is more than enough. I wish to see my friends.”

When was the last time she had seen Nora’s infectious smile or heard Ren’s soothing voice? It felt like a lifetime since she’d had to witness Weiss’ haughty complaints or Ruby’s silly ideas, Yang’s boisterous boasts or enjoyed Blake’s silent companionship.

It felt like an age since she had seen her team leader and felt her heart race, her blood heat her cheeks, her mouth and throat run dry just from his mere presence.

She’d been away from them – from him – much too long. It was time.

Qrow grunted. “Fine – we better move, then. The faster we deal with this shit, the faster we can go home.”

Pyrrha nodded, not batting an eyelash at his crass language. She had more than grown used to it.

A year had passed since that disastrous Vytal Festival Tournament and in that time, Pyrrha was much changed. She was no longer simply a huntress-in-training but the Fall Maiden, and the events that had transpired to gift her the mantle of magic she now adorned were not ones she liked to reminisce about. While she still believed that it was her destiny to carry this power and do good, to help Remnant in any way she could, she refused to believe that her destiny would keep her away from those she loved. If that was truly the case, then Fate was a cruel mistress indeed.

Growing up, Pyrrha had friends. Bright eyed and polite, it had been second nature for her to draw people in. Full of naive hope that only a child could claim, those days were some of the best of her life. She’d been surrounded by people that cared for her and she had never questioned that, living a life full of love and acceptance, raised by her single mother who showed her nothing but warmth and compassion.

It had been at a young age that they discovered that Pyrrha was talented. Any physical test she applied herself to, she passed with flying colors. She was the fastest runner, the longest thrower, the best swimmer – no matter what task she undertook, she was the best at. In this world, when gifted with such ability, there really were only a few ways forward.

You could become an athlete, a noble goal. Just like the arts, sports were well regarded across the globe. They helped to keep the population entertained and happy, raising morale, though it could sometimes be a double-edged sword. Inflaming passions went both ways and when negativity seeped in, it was a dangerous thing. But never again would they return to the days where governments attempted to suppress the emotions and creativity of their citizens. The Great War had ensured that people were free to follow their hearts and express themselves, and so they would accept the dangers that came with it.

Or you could become a huntsman.

Pyrrha never had a doubt in her mind about which career she wished to pursue. It hadn’t even been a question.

But as her abilities grew and her training took up more and more of her time, that was when things began to change. As she joined a combat academy, those cherished friends from her youth felt left behind, attending their regular primary and middle schools. They were normal people, after all, and she was now something more. They talked less, and no longer met up as often, and soon she had to substitute those old friends with new ones, ones that understood her new reality, that of becoming a huntress and fighting the creatures of Grimm.

That lasted all of five minutes.

It was clear from the onset that she was different. While she started training relatively young, some of the other students had been training all their lives and yet she surpassed them in short order. It didn’t take long until this random girl with no huntsman backing, no family history in the profession was at the top of the class, both in academics and application. With each fight she fought, it grew apparent that her skill was unmatched and so under the recommendation of her tutors, her mother allowed her to compete in sanctioned matches to broaden her experience.

Pyrrha loved competitive fighting. Her ultimate goal was to protect the world from Grimm, to slay those wicked creatures and ensure the safety of humanity and faunus-kind, but nothing got her blood pumping more than testing her mettle against another human or faunus opponent. Grimm were largely mindless creatures, operating off pure malice – people, on the other hand? They were thinking creatures. In some ways, they were even more dangerous than Grimm and to pit yourself against another trained fighter? To Pyrrha, that was the greatest test.

In those early days, she wasn’t the Invincible Girl. She was just another competitor. While there was definitely something special about her, these were trained and experienced professionals. The Mistral Regional Tournament was open to all comers. There weren’t only students competing. In reality, almost no students competed because they simply weren’t good enough. The fact that she was not only competing but winning was one of the biggest indicators of her supreme talent and hard work. As she continued to rise through the ranks, her fame grew alongside it.

It was somewhere around this time when she unlocked her semblance. After that, she was truly unstoppable. There weren’t many huntsmen around that didn’t use metal in their weapons. Even those that fought with their hands tended to have metal in their clothing or wore armor, which was just the worst thing to wear when fighting against her. If Pyrrha really wanted to, she could end most fights in an instant. It was one of the reasons why she used her ability so minimally. She would never grow and learn anything if she disabled her opponent in less than a second.

But it was lonely at the top.

When you are that good, people begin to see you are something else, something more than a person. An ideal or a concept, something to aspire to, something to idolize – but not something to love, or befriend, or get to know. Most people didn’t even try, thinking she was too good while the ones that did? They were always after something. It wasn’t always the same thing; sometimes it was money, sometimes it was the rub that her fame could provide, and sometimes they just wanted to sleep with her because she was beautiful and strong. In this way, Weiss understood more about Pyrrha than anyone else she had ever met. None of them talked to her because she was Pyrrha, just like many of the boys that had approached Weiss never talked to her because she was Weiss.

It was the entire reason why she applied to Beacon instead of Haven.

Beacon was a new beginning. Beacon was on another continent, different than everything she had ever known. While it wasn’t unheard of for people to attend a different combat academy than the one stationed in their homeland, it wasn’t the common practice. While huntsmen were beholden to no one government, huntsmen were still people. People had pride in where they came from, in their home towns and countries. None of that mattered to her, though. She just wanted to get away.

So she did.

It was the best decision of her life.

If her destiny was to be the Fall Maiden, she accepted it – but she refused to leave behind those precious people she had gained when she moved to Vale. Ren, Nora – Team RWBY. Jaune, most of all. They would never understand how much they meant to her. To have people that just did not care about her fame or how good she was at fighting, that didn’t care that she was now a maiden? That was something money could not buy.

She loved them and they loved her. Pyrrha remembered reading once that love was the death of duty but she refused to believe it. Love and duty can go hand in hand, and even if she had to go away for months on end, she would ensure that she always returned. And then she would make it up to them however she could, for all the time lost, for all the memories they could not share.

Especially with one person in particular.

Just thinking about Jaune made her stomach squirm these days. She knew that her infatuation with her partner had been incredibly sudden and built upon a desperation for normalcy that wasn’t entirely healthy. It wasn’t unusual for such a crush to burn out just as quickly as it formed, a flash in the pan, a strike of a match – a sudden passion over too soon. If it had been anyone else, then maybe that would have occurred but Jaune wasn’t anyone else. He was Jaune.

He was everything she had ever wanted. Beyond his ignorance of her status, Pyrrha had always believed in his potential. She had been around a lot of huntsmen and huntsmen-in-training. He had been completely hopeless, untrained and uninformed. Jaune hadn’t even known what aura was and if not for her sudden interest, he might have died then and there when their Headmaster had launched them off that cliff face and into the Emerald Forest. He had so desperately wished to do everything on his own, full of pride and a desire to prove his own worth. It had caused their team problems at first and had allowed that cretin, Cardin Winchester to take advantage of the situation to make everything worse.

But despite all of his self esteem issues and his dubious method of getting into Beacon, he had never once given up on his dream. Even knowing he could die, torn to shreds by the creatures of Grimm, he had taken that first step. It was foolish and idiotic, but also incredibly brave and courageous. It was a fine line – but when they had fought against the Deathstalker and Nevermore, she had known.

He was going to be great.

How many other people would face down such foes with no training, aura unlocked for less than an hour, and not only survive but contribute. It had been Jaune’s idea that had ultimately led them to victory, an idea conceived in the heat of battle. If Pyrrha had been in his position, could she claim that she could have done the same? She might be modest and humble, but when it came to her fighting ability, she knew where she stood.

She didn’t think she could have handled herself as well as Jaune had. Not when she had been at a comparable level, as green as the canopy of the forest that surrounded their school. While she would never claim that he had been unflappable or not full of panic, he had nevertheless handled the situation like somebody that was used to such high pressure, high stake battles. He had fought through his fear and had led them.

He had led her.

There had been zero doubt in her mind going forward and Ozpin had obviously agreed. When he finally overcame his pride and asked her for help, she saw first hand what she was working with. Raw, untapped talent and a ruthless drive to prove oneself. It was rare to find someone who worked harder than she did but Jaune was one such person, though sometimes that was a detriment to his growth. He didn’t know when to stop.

Rest was important. That was a lesson that had taken her much too long to beat into his skull.

So while his ignorance of her had been the initial spark, it was his character that had solidified her feelings. Pyrrha didn’t just want somebody to treat her normally as a partner. She wanted an equal. She wanted someone that could stand beside her and deserve to be there, in all ways.

And he was swiftly becoming that someone.

But she wasn’t the only one that saw how special he was. Not anymore.

She was happy that other people were beginning to see his worth because he deserved recognition. Pyrrha would never deny him that. It was just that recognition wasn’t the only thing he was receiving these days. Jaune had always been handsome to her with his boyish good looks and optimistic personality but as he grew into himself as a man, other women were sure to notice.

No, they already had.

She was reminded of this a week later when her airship touched down at Beacon, the ramp lowering to the ground and giving Pyrrha her first glimpse of her team in months. She hadn’t told them that she was returning but they always knew, no doubt informed by the Headmaster. Pyrrha grunted as Nora flew into her arms, squeezing her powerfully and almost lifting her off the ground. When it came to pure physical strength, Nora was Queen.

“Pyrrha!” Nora shouted into her chest. “Welcome home!”

“Welcome home,” Ren echoed, gifting her with a smile. “We’ve missed you.”

Jaune beamed at her above their heads, looking even taller and broader than the last time she’d seen him, his messy hair damp with sweat and his skin lightly flushed from previous exertion. Her breath caught in her chest, locking eyes with those beautiful blues before noticing the person standing beside him.

“Heya, champ,” Yang grinned widely at her. “Good to have ya back.”

They were standing close together, almost shoulder to shoulder and Yang showed visible signs of exertion also. Cheeks pinked and strands of her beautiful hair plastered to her forehead, it was clear that she had just finished doing something strenuous. The pair of them had, she amended. Had they been training together?

When Nora finally released her hold, Pyrrha stepped forward. Jaune met her halfway and embraced her, his strong, sturdy chest meeting her cheek as she tucked against him, returning the hug with equal vigor. Pyrrha was tall for a woman but she felt small and fragile like this, enveloped by his clear strength. When she inhaled, she could smell the sweat and hard work, as well as his familiar, reassuring cologne; a blend of spice, cinnamon and something earthy, woody and fresh. She shivered and burrowed deeper, fingers digging into his back.

“Hey partner,” he whispered, his breath gusting against the shell of her ear. The hair on her nape instantly stood on end as goosebumps raced along her neck and arms. It was exhilarating like nothing else. Not even calling upon the Fall Maiden’s powers could match it. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“I’m glad to be here,” she returned, slightly muffled by his shirt. When she pulled away, she spotted Yang had moved up beside them and placed a hand on Jaune’s shoulder.

“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” the blonde haired girl said. “And I bet you have some wild stories of your own to share. Come on – Ruby and the others should be in the cafeteria.”

As Pyrrha stepped out of Jaune’s hold, she instantly spotted the affection laid bare in Yang’s lilac eyes as they turned on him. This is what recognition meant, an acknowledgement of his growth. Pyrrha wasn’t the only girl with her sights set on him, not anymore. This was the price of Jaune attaining what he deserved, the respect of his peers.

But she had been first. She would not simply stand aside and allow someone else her rightful place, the place she desired above all else. It was her own fault for not pushing for her position earlier. Pyrrha knew that she should have confessed her feelings long ago but there was no time for regret. She’d been afraid, then; frightened that their friendship might fracture if he didn’t feel the same. She wasn’t scared anymore. If he rejected her, it would hurt, there was no doubt – but their friendship would survive.

And if he didn’t reject her? It would be a dream come true. It was worth the risk.

Yang had the advantage of her absence but she was still his partner, the one who had believed in him from the very start, his mentor and friend. He was her destiny, just as much as the mantle of power she now adorned.

She’d never lost in her entire life and she wasn’t about to start now. Cinder Fall had learned first hand what it meant to stand against Pyrrha Nikos. The battle for love was different but a battlefield was a battlefield all the same.

“Have you been training?” she inquired as they made their way towards the school. Her luggage would be taken care of by the crew, sent ahead to their dorm.

“Oh,” Jaune chuckled, looking a little sheepish. “Yeah – sorry, I probably stink. I should have thought about that.”

“Not at all,” she assured him.

“We train together most days,” Yang revealed, bumping him with her elbow and shooting him an attractive, teasing grin. “This big lug doesn’t know when to stop but I dig it. We should totally spar later, I feel like I’ve gotten waaaay better throwing down with Jaune so regularly. I want to test these babies against the champ!”

Yang flexed her arms jokingly. Jaune laughed, caught up in her enthusiasm but Pyrrha didn’t let it bother her. She wasn’t jealous of their new found closeness.

Okay, she was – a little. But she was also happy that he was getting along so well with Yang these days. Seeing her friends being friends filled her with so much happiness after so many months alone with nobody else but a grouchy, drunk bird for company.

“I usually join them,” Nora chimed in and when Pyrrha met her eyes, Nora gave her a little nod. She was the best wingwoman in the world, looking out for her interests. Her team was amazing. “We need to start calling him Mister Muscles now because wow, he is looking pretty spunky these days. We’ve been working on his strength while Blake has been trying to get him to limber up a little. Watching him trying to flip is hilarious, by the way.”

Jaune groaned. “Nora, don’t call me spunky – that sounds horrible!”

Yang laughed. “I’m using that from now on.”

His sound of despair made even Ren laugh.

“Pyrrha~!” a familiar voice called out as they stepped into the cafeteria, and before she could blink, her face was pelted by a rush of rose petals as Ruby slammed into her chest. Pyrrha grunted as she hugged the smaller girl back. “Ack~! Pyrrha, too hard~!”

“Oh my, I apologize,” she said, not meaning it. She squeezed Ruby harder. “I am just so happy to see you. I thought you felt the same way.”

Ruby flailed and made happy sounds, even though she was being crushed. When Pyrrha released her, Ruby pouted adorably, staggering on uneven footing.

“I guess I deserved that,” Ruby admitted. “I was just so excited to see you, that was all! I didn’t mean to semblance into you! It just kinda happened. Come on, let’s eat. You must be hungry, right?”

She was. She was ravenous. Pyrrha hadn’t eaten in hours.

Blake and Weiss stood from their seats as they approached, rushing to embrace her. This is what she wanted to protect by being the maiden. Not just for herself but for everyone the world over. Pyrrha’s heart felt fit to burst.

“You are well, I hope?” Weiss inquired as they all sat down. Ren and Jaune left to get them food, leaving the girls alone.

“I am,” she said, gifting Weiss with a smile.

Blake gave her a curious once over. “Where have you been? You look – well, tan.”

Pyrrha chuckled, extending one of her arms and turning it over. “Vacuo. As you would expect, the sun is unforgiving.”

Her once pale skin had turned a brilliant olive from spending so much time outdoors. Pyrrha liked it, though she had maintained a strict skincare routine to ensure she didn’t dry out. She smirked internally. Qrow had complained long and loud whenever she required him to purchase what he deemed non-essentials. He really didn’t understand girls despite helping to raise two of them. She wondered what Jaune thought of the new look? Knowing him, he probably hadn’t noticed.

How he could be so observant in the midst of battle but miss the obvious when it came to anything else was a mystery she hadn’t quite solved. It worked against her, at times – but it also worked in her favor.

Yang wasn’t the only one looking at Jaune like he was a meal.

When the boys returned with their food, Pyrrha observed the way Blake perked up as he set a plate down in front of her. The cat faunus hadn’t even asked for anything extra but Jaune had provided without prompting, all but declaring that this was a common occurrence. Grilled fish lightly seasoned with herbs and lemon, accompanied by a white sauce. It was difficult to tell if the light flush upon her cheeks was from the fish or from Jaune, though Pyrrha didn’t miss the way those amber eyes looked at him.

Blake was eating him up with her gaze alone.

Ren and Jaune distributed the bounty, and Pyrrha inhaled the mouthwatering scent of her grilled cheese chicken melt. He knew her too well; Pyrrha loved cheese.

“I must admit, it suits you well,” Weiss looked a little envious. “The sun is not my friend, I’m afraid. I would simply turn red.”

The person she was worried about most was Weiss. It was no secret that Jaune had harbored feelings for the slender, beautiful girl from Atlas. It had been awhile since then but there was always a chance that those feelings lingered and if Weiss decided that she liked him, it would only be all too easy for them to fall together.

But as Pyrrha tried not to inhale her delicious cheesy goodness, she could see no deeper longing in her eyes or expression. When they spoke, it was warmer than before, a clear friendship having bloomed between the two but nothing more.

That was a relief. Yang and Blake, she could deal with confidently. Weiss was a different matter because of their history.

“You’d look ridiculous with a tan anyway,” Yang said bluntly. “It would clash horribly with your hair.”

“Excuse me, no it wouldn’t,” Weiss said, offended.

“No, seriously – totally not you,” Yang pressed, shaking her head. “Me? Sure, I’d rock it – and Pyrrha looks hot as fuck,” Pyrrha felt her cheeks redden slightly at the praise. “But on you? You’d just look weird.”

Weiss spluttered as Nora and Blake snorted, clearly amused at her outraged face.

“Don’t take it personally,” Yang continued. “It wouldn’t work for Ruby, either. Tanned skin just hits different on blondes – right, Jaune?”

Jaune chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.”

“You’d look good with a little more sun,” Blake made her opinion known. “You cover up so much, though. Perhaps you should try it?”

“Yeah, remember Sun? He used to walk around with his shirt open at all times,” Yang made a show of tapping her stomach. “He had those bad boys on display, soaking up the rays. You could do something similar.”

Jaune simply laughed, as if he found the idea ludicrous.

“That would look a little strange with all the armor I wear.”

“You wouldn’t always do it,” Yang amended. “Just casually, you know?”

Yang and Blake were partners, and their teamwork was on full display as they needled Jaune about showing off more skin. Together they could be quite formidable, Pyrrha thought. She didn’t disagree with their words, though. Not at all. They were right on the money.

Jaune would look scrumptious with a bit more color on his skin and an absolute treat if he showed off his body a little more.

It felt good to be around her friends again and she soaked it up as much as she could. When they finished their meal, they decided to spend the rest of the day lazing around, watching movies and playing video games. It was the beginning of the weekend and so no one had class, meaning they could do whatever they wished as they caught up.

The common room in the dormitory was mostly empty. They commandeered a pair of couches and pushed them together, raiding several vending machines for snacks. Evening was still a long way off, only having just passed noon but they all got changed into their pajamas before hauling their blankets and pillows to their new destination. They drew some stares from other students but they didn’t care if they came off as childish or silly, piling onto the couches as Ruby booted up the TV and began scrolling through movies.

There was plenty of room for all of them, though Pyrrha noticed that Blake slipped in next to Jaune before Yang could claim the spot, poking her tongue out as Yang scowled at the cat girl. The blonde didn’t dare try and take his other side, not with Pyrrha newly returned, so she had to settle with being beside Blake.

“What do you guys want to watch?” Ruby asked.

“Horror,” Nora said at once.

“Nah, it’s too early for that,” Yang countered. “Maybe later. How about something with a bit of action?”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “I, for one, would like something a little more sophisticated.”

“80 Hues of Pink?” Blake suggested hopefully.

“I am not watching porn,” Weiss snapped.

Blake glared. “It isn’t porn! It’s art!”

Weiss scoffed. “I’ve seen the trailers.”

“Then you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Blake said heatedly. “It is about self discovery and following your passions, and finding someone who will accept you for who you are!”

“A pervert?”

Blake spluttered incoherently as her anger got the best of her and Pyrrha couldn’t help it, covering her mouth as she laughed. It wasn’t long before everyone else was laughing too, something the raven haired girl didn’t appreciate. Ears flat against her head, she pouted, crossing her arms petulantly.

“You all suck.”

Even though she was sulking, Blake took the opportunity to lean against Jaune and snuggle into his shoulder, the sneaky little cat. Pyrrha arched an eyebrow as Jaune ruffled her hair playfully, her black cat ears twitching excitedly. It was cute, even if the girl was encroaching on territory that didn’t belong to her.

The blanket draped across their bodies suddenly shifted as Yang spun sideways, and Jaune grunted as something landed in his lap.

“Yang,” Blake griped. “What are you doing? Move your legs.”

“My feet are sore after all that training,” her partner wiggled her feet, the blanket shifting back and forth. “Jaune, take responsibility; rub my feet.”

“Proceed at your own risk,” Weiss piped up.

Jaune gave Weiss a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”

“Athlete’s foot,” the white haired girl offered simply.

“I do fucking not,” Yang fired off immediately, incensed. “The hell kinda slander are you spreading?”

“Yang’s always had stinky feet,” Ruby collaborated.

Blake and Yang weren’t the only partners with good teamwork.

“Alley-oop~!” Nora cheered.

“Ruby,” Yang growled, betrayed.

“I know a homemade remedy to cure such an ailment,” Ren said with a straight face, and Yang covered her face in embarrassment as Ruby started laughing uncontrollably. It was difficult to tell if Ren was being completely serious or poking fun, which only made it funnier. His deadpan delivery was on point.

Peeking through her fingers, Yang went for the throat. “Ruby wet the bed when she was thirteen.”

The laughter stopped immediately.

“Yang!” Ruby screamed, mortified. “Why would you say that?”

“You play with fire, you get burned sis – I don’t know what to tell ya.”

“Yang used to stuff her bra with tissue paper at Signal before she had her growth spurt,” Ruby returned viciously, face red and silver eyes watery. The insane smile on her face told them all that she was in it to win it, consequences be damned. “When she had her first kiss, she was so nervous that she threw up on him afterwards!”

Yang was off the couch in an instant and Ruby shrieked as she barely avoided the blonde's lunge, scuttling around the back of the couches as Yang chased her, eyes red and hair threatening to burst into flame. Whenever it looked like Yang was about to get her hands on her little sister, Ruby scattered in a bloom of petals and flew around the room, too fast to catch.

“Get back here you little bitch,” Yang snarled.

“Neener-neener-neener~!” Ruby taunted.

Yang’s beautiful mane roared as it ignited, a halo of hungry flame flowing from her scalp. Ruby eep’ed and moved even faster.

“This is your fault, you know,” Ren directed at Weiss.

The heiress sighed. “I suppose I will take responsibility for this. I should know better than to joke with such idiots.”

While everyone was distracted, Blake took this time to burrow even deeper against Jaune’s side, rubbing her cheek along his arm and squirming for the best position. Jaune simply let it happen and Pyrrha decided that Blake had the right idea. Grabbing his arm, she looped it around her shoulders before laying her head against his chest.

“Um,” Jaune looked down at her and then at Blake. “Are you guys comfortable?”

“Very,” Pyrrha confirmed while Blake stiffened, peering at her uncertainly. “My partner makes the best pillow, doesn’t he?”

“Y-Yeah,” Blake looked away, ears flattening out.

“I’ve missed this,” Pyrrha confessed, meeting his eyes. She watched how his throat bobbed as he swallowed, a sign that he wasn’t quite so unaffected as his calm expression told. “Mm – you’re nice and warm.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned further into him, squeezing his body. His tender gaze upon her caused her stomach to flip, her heart jumping erratically. Burying her face against his shirt, she inhaled deeply.

When Yang finally caught Ruby, the younger girl screamed as she was forced to endure the mother of all noogies. Yang made sure to really dig her knuckles in, grinding her scalp until her red-black hair was frizzy and stuck up in all directions. Tears in her eyes, Ruby tapped frantically but revenge burned brightly in Yang’s heart, and so she didn’t stop until Ruby managed to worm her way halfway out of her headlock and bite Yang’s arm.

“Yeouch~!” Yang cried, cradling her forearm. “You bit me!”

Ruby hissed threateningly while backing up, looking ridiculous with her messed up hair.

“As amusing as that was,” Weiss spoke up. “Can we watch something now? Blake is about to fall asleep. She has started purring.”

“I-I have not!” Blake rejected at once.

She totally had. Pyrrha had felt the vibrations in her own chest, passing through Jaune.

In the end, they settled on comedy for their movie, followed by action and then horror as day turned to night. They didn’t bother with dinner, content with the snacks they had raided from the vending machines. The last thing Pyrrha felt was Jaune’s hand idly stroking her side, his fingers light as she drifted off to sleep.

She woke up in her bed the next morning and knew that Jaune had carried her back.

Pyrrha was annoyed that she hadn’t been awake to experience it.

Peeling back her blankets, she stretched until she felt and heard her back pop. Satisfied and refreshed from sleeping in her bed for the first time in months, she glanced to the side and smiled when she spotted that familiar mop of messy blond hair. Getting out of bed, she tiptoed over and took a moment to admire her partner, his face slack and defenseless. He looked so innocent and cute like this, and without hesitation she leaned down and pressed her lips to his cheek. His stubble tickled her lips and she shivered, lingering a little longer than she should have before pulling back.

“You should do that when he is awake,” Nora said bluntly from her bed and Pyrrha nearly screamed, stumbling back.

“Nora!” she hissed, adrenaline spiked. “Don’t do that!”

The ginger haired girl giggled, sitting up and crossing her legs. “I couldn’t help it. But I meant what I said – you should do that when he is awake.”

“I know,” Pyrrha sighed. “I know – and I will. I – I’m done waiting.”

Nora perked up. “Oh?”

Pyrrha nodded. “Spending so much time away from you guys... I can’t waste another second. Next time I might come back and he might have a girlfriend,” she frowned. “I don’t think I could ever live with myself if that happened. I’m an adult. I need to stop running away.”

“Damn straight,” Nora said. “If you don’t hurry up, one of those girls on Team RWBY will snatch him up.”

“I did notice that,” Pyrrha began making her bed. “I mean, the last time I was back, I knew they were hanging out more but they seem a lot closer this time. Did something happen?”

Nora shrugged. “Nothing in particular, they’ve just been training together a lot and Jaune ended up leading the pair on a mission for class, so maybe something happened then. He didn’t really say anything about it that was out of the ordinary, though.”

Pyrrha hummed as she collected her clothes.

“He’s just really hot,” Nora supplied, and when Pyrrha looked at her in clear surprise, Nora shrugged. “What? He is. I might be with Renny now but that doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes. Our leader is a serious hunk and even better, he is a good person. It isn’t really a surprise that other girls started to notice. Especially when they hang out with him almost every day.”

It probably wasn’t a good idea to continue this conversation when Jaune was right there, even though he was asleep. He could wake up at any moment.

“Do you have any plans for today?” Pyrrha asked.

“We were going to do some training with Team RWBY and then we were going down to Vale. You’ll join us, right?”

“Of course,” Pyrrha replied at once. “I’m taking first shower.”

Pyrrha stepped into the bathroom and closed the door before leaning against it, her clothes hugged to her chest. She’d been fairly confident that things hadn’t progressed between Jaune and any other girl, and her conversation with Nora proved it. Blake was definitely more touchy with him than before and Yang was flirting with little gestures, but he wasn’t dating them or – or having casual sex with them. If something that big had occurred, Nora would have noticed. Pyrrha was sure she would have noticed a difference, also.

That was good.

After washing up and getting changed, Pyrrha was met with a very much awake Jaune when she reentered the room. Her hair was still damp and tied up in a towel, and she flushed when his eyes raked over her form before hastily meeting her eyes. It wasn’t as if she was particularly exposed but for some reason, it always felt that way right after a shower.

“Morning,” he said with a smile, his face lighting up.

“Good morning, Jaune.”

“Nora said you’re going to train with us?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

He gathered his things and stopped beside her before entering the bathroom.

“I’m so happy you’re home,” he said softly. Pyrrha felt her mouth dry up as his blue eyes fixed her with an intensity that left her breathless. “I’ve missed waking up and having you here.”

And then he was gone, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Pyrrha tried to swallow but couldn’t, rushing over to her bed and sitting down.

“Hey~!” Nora yelled, storming over to the bathroom door and pounding on it. “I was going second!”

“You snooze, you lose~!” Jaune yelled back.

Pyrrha embraced herself as Nora continued to shout through the door, feeling her heart thud powerfully in her ears. He hadn’t said anything profound or especially deep, and yet it almost crippled her all the same. She knew he meant it in a friendly way but her mind couldn’t help but imagine; what if he meant something more by it? What if he wanted to wake up beside her, as lovers?

She would like that very much. Their time apart had only made the heart grow fonder and had stripped her of any immunity she may have built up to his unintentional charms. Perhaps after training, they could do something alone – just the two of them. Partners catching up. That wasn’t so unusual.

She nodded to herself.

Ren groaned from his bed and rolled over as Nora continued to make a racket, stuffing a pillow over his head to shield himself. Pyrrha grinned.

It really was good to be back.

When everyone was showered and dressed for the day which took much longer than it should have due to Nora’s antics, they made their way to the amphitheater where they typically hosted Combat Class. Seeing as it was rather early and the weekend, the place was completely deserted. They had the place entirely to themselves.

It wasn’t long before Ruby skipped through the doorway, her team hot on her heels. While Ruby, Weiss and Yang looked ready to get down to it, Blake was another matter entirely, her eyes in danger of closing as she stumbled her way over to the closest available seats and collapsed into them.

“Heya,” Ruby greeted before following their line of sight. “Oh, don’t mind her. She couldn’t sleep much after that horror movie.”

“Oh,” Nora wore a shit eating grin. “So you could say that she is a scaredy-cat?”

Yang was already fist-bumping the shorter girl before she’d even finished, seeing it coming from a mile away. Weiss groaned at the joke, rolling her eyes but Pyrrha didn’t miss the way her lips twitched despite her vocal disapproval.

“Come on, Weiss, that was gold,” Yang nudged her teammate. “Blake makes it too easy.”

“Yes, well – I suppose some may find it clever.”

“You smiled,” Ruby pointed out. Pyrrha hadn’t been the only one to see it.

“Lies,” Weiss sniffed. “Even if I do find your idiocy amusing at times.”

“Someone is frosty this morning,” Nora said and fist-bumped Yang a second time.

“Two-for-two,” Yang grinned at Jaune. “Mind if we swap teammates? We’ll take Nora, you can have Weiss and that sour puss over there. Two for one.”

“Oh, sour puss, I like it,” Nora giggled, bumping fists for a third time.

Weiss shook her head. “I really am surrounded by idiots.”

“Yeah, whatever – so, you ready to rumble, P?” Yang snubbed her teammate and directed her words at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha blinked. “P?”

“You and me,” Yang jerked a finger at her chest. “How about it? We can get it out of the way now.”

Pyrrha looked to her team. “Do you mind?”

“Go for it,” Jaune said warmly. “Yang seems pretty excited about it.”

Pyrrha faced Yang and nodded. “Then I am willing.”

“Great,” Yang clapped. “Don’t hold back, you hear?”

“If she doesn’t hold back, she’ll blow the roof off this place, are you stupid?” Weiss said, giving Yang an annoyed look. “Don’t answer that. So please, do hold back – but beat her quickly so her ego takes a hit. She has been getting cocky lately just because she has won a few fights against us.”

Yang scowled. “Don’t be mad just because I made you eat dirt last time.”

Weiss strutted away with all the arrogant disdain an heiress of the Schnee Dust Company could exhibit. “Who is mad? I’m not the one that went berserk just because she lost a few strands of hair.”

“Beat her good,” Ruby said, though not to her sister. “Weiss is right. Take her down a peg.”

She had clearly not forgiven her sister about revealing her bedwetting, even after dumping several embarrassing facts in retaliation.

“My own sister?” Yang shook her head. “I should be used to being betrayed by now but what do you know, I’m not. Go on then, shoo – hurry up, you’re in the way.”

Ruby poked out her tongue and followed Weiss. The rest of Team JNPR cleared out, sitting beside Ruby, Weiss and Blake, who was now drooling on herself as she swayed back and forth in her seat. Pyrrha giggled at the sight before focusing on her opponent, deploying her weapons with practiced skill.

“Weiss is right,” Pyrrha said. “I will not be using my maiden powers.”

Yang looked disappointed but understanding at the same time. “Yeeaah, I guess that is for the best. We don’t need Goodwitch on our ass because you accidentally knock the school down. But don’t hold back otherwise, got it? I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.”

Pyrrha nodded, even though she knew that to keep the fight competitive, she would need to hold back substantially. That wasn’t arrogance speaking, it was facts. Her semblance combined with Yang’s weapons meant that Pyrrha could disable her in an instant if she really wanted to. More so than any of their friends bar Jaune, who wore armor and was easy pickings for her polarity. Ember Celica encircled her wrists and when deployed, her hands. It wouldn’t take much at all for Pyrrha to tie her up like a pretzel if she were so inclined.

Pyrrha paced away until there was a sizable space between them before turning to face her. Yang shook her arms and danced from foot to foot, loosening up before throwing her arms down and activating her weapons. They snapped into place, mecha-shifting smoothly before she raised her fists. Their scrolls synced with the overhead display, their profiles from class appearing alongside their aura bar.

“Ready when you are,” Pyrrha called out, raising her shield.

There was a moment of tense silence as Yang sized her up before she exploded into motion. The blonde crossed the distance in a couple of quick strides, blazing forward at incredible speed. Akoúo̱ rang loudly as Yang struck swiftly, her fist slamming into the shield with tremendous force. Pyrrha tanked the blow expertly, tilting the face of her shield to bleed off any power before stepping back to avoid the follow up, Ember Celica whizzing by her face. Her fists were a blur as she went on the complete offensive, shotgun blasts roaring.

Picking her moment, Pyrrha ducked and swept at the legs. When Yang leapt to avoid the kick, Pyrrha continued to spin and executed a perfect rising cut, the now airborne Yang unable to evade. Her blade clashed against her gauntlets, throwing Yang back and creating space. Within seconds her sword mecha-shifted into a rifle, and Pyrrha aimed down the sights and fired.

To her credit, Yang readjusted and dodged, blocking what shots she couldn’t avoid with her weapons. Leaping forward, she increased her speed by blasting back with her gauntlets, the recoil carrying her into Pyrrha’s guard. Without missing a beat, Pyrrha’s rifle transformed back into a sword, parrying Yang’s furious assault. When the blonde overextended, Pyrrha punished her with a vicious knee, slamming it into her chest and forcing her away.

Yang grunted, a rush of air leaving her lungs as her aura flared from the hit. Regaining her feet, she rushed in once again, ducking and weaving before firing off a blistering combo. Pyrrha blocked each strike with poise, twirling her weapon rapidly. Yang leaned back, the sharp point passing by her eyes, a streak of red and bronze. Before Pyrrha could press any advantage, Yang slammed her fists into the ground and discharged two shots, the force flinging her up and over the champion fighter's head.

Suspended in the air above, Yang fired shot after shot down at her as she somersaulted, forcing Pyrrha to cover up. Landing with a spin, Yang darted in low, roaring as she chambered a powerful uppercut. It hit nothing but air, Pyrrha’s crimson hair trailing behind as she pulled back before surging in.

Pyrrha slammed her forearm into Yang’s face before driving the edge of her shield into her chest. As Yang stumbled back in pain, Pyrrha spun and executed a perfect side kick, morphing her sword into its spear form. With the longer reach, she carved a swath of Yang’s aura away with cleaving strikes before finishing it by driving Miló into the ground and using it as a pole, swinging around it to gather momentum and driving both of her feet into Yang’s head in a dropkick.

Yang grunted as she hit the ground and tumbled, aura protecting her from most of the damage. Slamming her hands into the floor, she bounced up, scowling. Eyes burning red, she flew back in, teeing off with wide, looping punches.

Pyrrha avoided each one with ease, knowing that the haze of anger that accompanied Yang’s semblance was beginning to descend, making her attacks sloppy in exchange for brute force. When Yang threw her next punch, Pyrrha stepped inside her guard and drove her elbow in under Yang’s ribs before spinning, hip checking her and sending Yang sprawling. Before she could press on to victory, Pyrrha was forced to retreat as Yang exploded in a wreath of red hot flame.

One moment Yang was on the ground and then the next, she was in Pyrrha’s face. The first punch that impacted her shield was felt across her entire body, passing through muscle and bone and reverberating in her core. The floor cracked as Pyrrha deflected two more rapid strikes, aura flaring at the strain. Even with her shield, she was taking damage by halting Yang’s outrageous strength, fueled by her semblance, and so when the next punch came, Pyrrha slowed it just enough with her polarity that when it crashed into Akoúo̱, it no longer felt like her shoulder was in risk of being dislocated.

“Come on,” Yang roared as she swung wildly, her speed increased just as much as her strength. Her fists resembled pistons as they shot at her opponent again and again. “Dance with me, P~!”

Yang was a literal fire storm, sparks flying as metal fists clanged against her shield with punishing force. A halo of fire surrounded them, Yang’s hair igniting further. Pyrrha didn’t try to meet her strength, stepping back as Yang advanced in a frenzy. Mentally counting down, Pyrrha timed each punch and then when she had the timing down, went on the offensive.

Yang’s next punch missed her cheek by less than an inch, Pyrrha tilting her head just right. Stepping forward, she stomped down on Yang’s foot and bashed the face of her shield against Yang’s chest. The blonde gasped and tried to pull back but with her foot trapped, she stumbled and Pyrrha was on her like a vengeful goddess.

The first strike landed across her face as she furiously attempted to regain her footing, Yang’s aura blazing in protection. The next was a brutal stab to the heart, followed by the edge of her shield against her jaw. Disorientated, she could do nothing as Pyrrha systematically picked her apart, rocked by every blow. Pyrrha finished it off in style, flipping in the air in a sideways corkscrew and driving her heeled boot down into Yang’s stomach, slamming her into the ground with force. The stage shook and Yang choked on a combination of saliva and blood as her aura exploded in a shower of golden light.

The match was finished.

A picture of calm on the outside, the exhilaration of a well fought bout thundered beneath the skin. Heart pounding and blood surging, Pyrrha inhaled deeply as she stared down at the groaning form of her friend before stepping back, removing her foot from Yang’s stomach. The glorious rush and thrill of the fight continued to fill her, heightening all of her senses.

Another fight, another victory.

“Hell yeah~!” Nora screamed, clapping wildly. “That’s our Pyrrha. Com-plete annihilation~!”

Nora wasn’t the only one clapping, all of her friends delighting in her triumph. Ruby jogged over and peered down at her sister, while a now very much awake Blake joined her.

“You got your butt kicked,” Blake said bluntly.

Yang simply groaned in response, panting and gasping for breath.

Pyrrha felt Jaune long before she heard him, hyper aware of her surroundings.

“Beautiful,” he said, and Pyrrha felt her heart squeeze as she met his eyes. He didn’t elaborate and it didn’t matter to her if he was only talking about her fighting technique or something else. The way he was looking at her scorched her down to her soul.

“Thank you,” she said, beaming at him. She then offered her hand to Yang. “Well fought, Yang.”

The downed girl groaned again and grabbed Pyrrha’s hand, grunting as she was pulled up.

“Man,” Yang whined. “I couldn’t even hit you.”

She was despondent for all of three seconds before she smiled ruefully.

“Fuck, you were awesome,” Yang conceded, already over her loss. She wiped at her sweaty brow. “Damn it. I’ve got to train even harder now. I need to close the gap. This is bullshit.”

“Brilliant as always, Pyrrha,” Weiss nodded to her in respect before smirking at her teammate. “I hope this serves as a lesson, Yang – that is what a real champion looks like.”

Yang responded by giving her the middle finger.

Ruby and Jaune fought next, a showing of complete opposites – speed versus stamina, sublime technique versus unrelenting drive. Crescent Rose afforded Ruby a reach advantage, and coupled with her semblance, she wasn’t an easy opponent to face. She wasn’t a heavy hitter like Yang, though – Ruby relied on blistering combo attacks to defeat her enemies, meaning that Jaune’s semblance had time to regenerate and amplify his defenses. It was like watching a moth continually test an open flame. Eventually it was going to get burned.

One mistake and Jaune capitalized, his backfist catching the younger girl in the face as he spun to meet her. Reeling from the punishing blow, Crocea Mors carved through her aura in powerful sweeping slashes. She got her own licks in, her scythe collapsing into its compact firing form and blasting Jaune point-blank with heavy caliber rounds. Anyone else would have sustained heavy damage but the bullets crumpled upon the enhanced shielding of his amplified aura, flaring brightly as it protected him from harm. Ruby scattered in a cascade of rose petals to escape but the screen above showed that she was well into the red.

“Aww,” Ruby pouted furiously, annoyed when she saw Jaune’s aura bar not even below 80%. “I hate your semblance.”

He laughed in reply, infuriating her even more.

“You just gotta hit him harder, sis,” Yang mocked. “You need a little more muscle on those twiggy arms.”

Ruby scowled.

Weiss and Nora matched up next with Blake and Ren finishing it up, ending with two wins for Team RWBY and tying the series, as it were. Everyone was in good spirits as they moved onto practicing combination attacks.

“Hey,” Jaune said as they went through the motions. “I was thinking – instead of going down to Vale, I thought that maybe we could do something together, just the two of us. That is if you want to? I mean, you are probably looking forward to hanging out with everyone.”

Pyrrha perked up.

“But I thought we could just hang out, catch up – as partners,” he continued, swinging his sword lazily. “You know, if you want?”

“That sounds lovely,” Pyrrha agreed at once.

“Yeah?” he looked pleased. “Cool – um, I’ll let the others know.”

Alone time is just what Pyrrha desired most. With none of their friends around, it would be the perfect opportunity for her to finally confront that which had been brewing between them for so long. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, a sudden bout of crippling nerves that made her feel sick. She was a world renowned fighter, athlete and Fall Maiden, and yet this was the most nervous she had ever been in her life.

As they finished up their training, they all went their separate ways. While the rest of their friends went to shower and get ready, Jaune grabbed her hand and led her through the school. Pyrrha’s cheeks flushed scarlet when he laced their fingers together, tugging her along as they simply walked around campus. She couldn’t help but think that if anyone saw them at this moment, they would believe they were a couple, walking hand-in-hand like this.

She liked it. She liked it a lot.

Beacon had many courtyards and gardens, and Jaune led them through several of them, admiring the full bloom of flowers and enjoying the warmth of the sun. They didn’t speak, simply walking and enjoying each other's presence. The mad scramble in her stomach had lessened somewhat but a well of anticipation began to swell deep inside, waiting for something. Jaune wasn’t the silent type. Whenever he got like this, it was because he was contemplating something important.

“Are you hungry?” he suddenly asked.

Pyrrha nodded. “I must admit, I am rather famished.”

There was a nice little grassy area behind the groundskeepers shed, a small meadow blanketed with wild flowers that very few people knew about. They sometimes trained there when it struck their fancy and that is where Jaune took her, much to her confusion. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest when she spotted the picnic basket and folded blanket, having been set up beforehand.

“When did you...?” she questioned, perplexed. He’d been with her all morning. How could he have set this up?

“Nora,” he answered, grinning. “When I told the others that we were staying behind, I got her to set this up for us. Do you... do you like it?”

Pyrrha almost kissed him right then and there.

“I think it is wonderful,” she said, meeting his eyes. “Truly.”

Jaune shook out the blanket and spread it along the ground before kicking off his shoes and removing his armor. Pyrrha followed suit, unclasping the armor that adorned her legs and pulling off her heeled boots. They set their weapons aside and sat, Jaune opening the picnic basket and pulling out their lunch. It was nothing elaborate. There were sandwiches, salads and small cups of fruit salad, alongside a large bottle of juice – and cake!

Pyrrha loved cake.

It was all food taken from the cafeteria, nothing special. But the food at Beacon was high quality and when Pyrrha bit into her sandwich, she hummed in appreciation. It was good. The bread was soft, baked just that morning and filled with ham, lettuce, tomato, onion and more. The fruit was also fresh and juicy, and Pyrrha relished the sweet taste as her teeth punctured the soft flesh of an orange piece, the juices exploding across her tongue.

They ate quietly. Pyrrha watched him carefully, eyes constantly on the move. She traced the cut of his jaw line, the width of his shoulders, broad and strong, and down further across his arms. He had removed his hoodie, wearing a plain t-shirt and it left his forearms exposed.

Pyrrha had a thing for arms; specifically the forearm, and even hands. The way they shifted and rippled, even when completing such mundane tasks did things to her that she couldn’t control, even if she wanted to. Every time he moved to bring his sandwich to his lips, the muscles would twitch and make her breathless. Branching veins ran from the insides of his wrists to the insides of his elbows, and when he leaned back to support his weight, they would bulge attractively. He had large hands and long fingers; powerful hands, dexterous fingers.

They would feel amazing on her body.

She knew it.

She wanted to find out just how good.

And then he shuffled closer, until their shoulders nearly touched. Pyrrha froze when one of those magnificent hands brushed against her cheek, cupping her tenderly and directing her eyes with a gentle nudge. The heat in his gaze caused something to shake loose inside her, something liquid and hot. It started in her chest and finished low in her belly, a velvety sensation that instantly made the hairs on her neck stand on end.

“I want to tell you something,” he said, and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. “Something that I should have told you the last time you were back.”

His fingers lightly stroked across her cheek and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Pyrrha shivered, ticklish – and it was that action that completely undid her. Before he could say anything else, lay bare the words she was dying to hear, she crashed into him with a passionate lunge, sealing her lips to his. Jaune made a sound of surprise as he rocked back and she followed him, chasing his mouth with a sudden overwhelming hunger. Throwing her leg across his hips, she settled heavily into his lap.

He tried to speak but it was swallowed by her mouth, her teeth latching onto his lower lip and biting down. Tugging on the feather soft skin, she sucked it into her mouth and rolled her tongue over it before coaxing his mouth open. She’d never kissed anyone before but she did her best, cupping his jaw with her hands as she did her level best to devour him. His shock at her sudden ardor was short lived and before she knew it, he was kissing her back, his tongue battling with hers as he chased it back into her mouth. Pyrrha moaned as their tongues writhed together, his taste and scent overwhelming her.

His mouth was so hot and wet, and lewd smacking sounds filled the air as they made out. Seeing as this was her first time, it didn’t take long before she realized that she hadn’t been breathing and her lungs were burning furiously, desperate for air. Pulling away with a gasp, Pyrrha panted as she stared into blue eyes blown wide with desire.

“I love you,” Jaune uttered, breathing heavily. “Pyrrha – you mean everything to me. I should have told you sooner but--”

She rushed back in and silenced his words, kissing him wetly. Something hard quickly grew between him and Pyrrha shuddered as his growing erection pressed in under her skirt and right against her panty clad core. Rolling her hips, pleasure shot up her spine. Wetness gathered between her legs, silky and hot. Rutting against his covered length, Pyrrha mewled into Jaune’s mouth.

He pulled away and stared into her eyes with hunger, his hands settling on her waist and giving her a tender squeeze. She arched against him, biting her lip.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he said, flexing his hips against her. Her clit throbbed as his covered dick pressed on it, stimulating her sensitive bundle until she wanted to cry.

“Don’t you dare,” she ordered, shimmying her hips side to side. “Don’t you dare, Jaune Arc.”

That was all the prompting he needed.

Pyrrha squealed in delight as he lifted her up, spinning her around until she was underneath him. Bracketed between her spread thighs, he grinded against her core and relished the look of wanton desire on her beautiful face. He had dreamed of this moment for so long, how she would taste, how she would smell and look. His imagination hadn’t done her justice. Emerald eyes darkened with lust gazed up at him like twin gems, scorching him right down to his very soul. Powerful thighs squeezed his hips as he rutted against her, her skin silky smooth as he palmed her legs and rubbed his way down under her skirt to grip her ass. It was soft and full, and when he squeezed harder, she bucked into him, his cock throbbing in excitement.

They were both dressed in too many clothes.

Pyrrha watched with glazed eyes as Jaune pulled his shirt off, revealing his rock hard chest and abs. Her belly clenched with want, her panties flooding with desire and she hastily grabbed at his belt, unlatching it and pulling it through the loops. She sat up and allowed him access to the back of her corset, and Pyrrha felt her heart rocket into her ribcage as it loosened around her bust. When it fell away completely, her chest was covered in a plain strapless bra, barely containing her breasts. Instead of unhooking it, he simply pulled it down to her waist, freeing her chest.

There was a moment, a very brief one where embarrassment flared and she almost covered up. No one had ever seen her like this before, bare and open. But one look at his face and instead she thrust her chest out, giving it a little shake. Her breasts were large and shapely, bottom heavy with real weight. They swayed from side to side, her nipples puffy and wide. Jaune groaned at the sight, palming one of her tits and giving it a squeeze. Her nipples crinkled in an instant, pebbled and ready, the areola dusky and plump.

He had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. Her skin was pale and perfect, a wonderful contrast to her bronzed arms, face, neck and upper chest. His eyes followed those tan lines across her body, down to her belly which was an attractive olive and well muscled. It drove him mad with lust.

Leaning down, he captured one of those sexy nipples between his lips. Pyrrha moaned loudly, balanced on one arm while the other rose, threading fingers through blond hair. Clutching his head to her chest, she struggled for breath as he sucked and licked the sensitive peak until it was throbbing. Squirming, she tightened her hold on his hair and directed him to her other breast. This time he bit down hard before soothing it with his tongue, and more wetness gushed heavily into her panties, her core clenching.

“Mm, J-Jaune,” she hissed as he sucked hard, pulling his head back at the same time. Her raw nipple popped free and it stung, the very tip rock hard and throbbing. When he pinched it between his fingers, rolling it gently, she almost sobbed.

“Beautiful,” he said, grabbing her breast roughly and giving it a shake. “Fuck, Pyrrha, you’re so beautiful. Mm – these tan lines are so sexy, you have no idea.”

She had a bit of an idea, feeling his erection throb between her legs.

She unbuttoned his jeans while he feasted on her tits, licking and nipping at the skin of her cleavage. When his pants were loose, she helped them down with her legs, hooking her feet against the material and pulling them. Jaune then placed a hand on her chest and forced her down until she was lying flat, breasts heaving as he unclipped her skirt. She brought her legs up and together so he could pull it free, revealing her sodden underwear for the first time.

That was when she noticed his bulge, straining heavily against his boxer briefs. Even though it was covered, she could tell that it was large and excitement flooded through her like a spike of adrenaline, leaving her dizzy. Any nerves were buried underneath countless months of desire and when she grabbed his clothed cock, it throbbed within her grasp.

“Oh~!” Pyrrha made a sound of surprise, biting her lip as she stroked him slowly. Jaune pressed against her hand, insistent. “Mm – look at this. Did I do this to you?”

Jaune nodded. “You always do this to me.”

“Oh?”

“You have no idea how many times I’ve stroked off to thoughts of you,” he confessed, his voice low and dark. Deep in her core, something pulsed darkly. “Those weeks and months you are away, hoping for your return.”

“I touch myself,” she admitted, rubbing him harder. Her voice was rough, husky. Any hesitation, any of her reserved nature was blown away. There was no room for hesitation or shame. “I’ll slip into a hot bath at an inn and finger myself until I can’t think, fantasizing about what you would do to me.”

Their lips came together again, frantic. His long, strong fingers dipped down and traced over her pussy, rubbing her plump labia through her ruined panties. Cupping her completely, he used his palm to grind down on her mons and clit, and Pyrrha shuddered, pulling her mouth free and tipping her head back in bliss.

They touched each other for several moments, Pyrrha stroking his still hardening length while he teased her overheated quim. Peeling the crotch to one side, she moaned as his bare fingers touched her cunt for the first time. Jaune rubbed up and down each side, pinching her vulva lightly before stroking up the middle, his fingers coming away sticky and wet. When he lightly teased her urethra, Pyrrha squirmed.

She was so wet and hot, and Jaune loved it. He focused on her reactions, testing out what she liked. Her inner labia were small and curled, grasping at his fingers whenever he rubbed them. Dipping down, he inserted the tip of one of his fingers and wiggled it, marveling at the texture of her inner folds. They clamped around his digit firmly and he knew then that when he replaced that finger with his cock, it would be exquisite.

Just like her magnificent tits, her pussy was untouched by the sun; flesh soft and pure creamy white, as were her upper thighs.

The hand on his cock continued to squeeze and stroke him through his underwear, frustrating him. He wanted more – and so he quickly kicked off his jeans that were still looped around his ankles and yanked his boxer briefs off, freeing his member.

Pyrrha stared in wonder as she saw his cock for the first time. She’d seen pictures before and knew what they were meant to look like. While she didn’t watch porn, she’d seen a picture or two – it was impossible not to in this day and age, with the internet connecting all of Remnant. But this went beyond any of her understanding, any of her considerable imagination.

The first thing she noticed was that it was long. It bobbed between his thighs as he knelt between her legs, stretching out towards her. If he laid it against her belly starting at her pussy, it would easily touch her belly button and her core trembled at the thought. It was also thick, the shaft wide and covered in countless bulging veins, the base ringed in a light blond dusting of hair. The head was thicker still, a little like a mushroom cap; rounded with a prominent ridge and flushed red with arousal. The tip was wet, a thick string of pre-cum dangling from the end, threatening to touch her skin.

She had to have it; this vision and symbol of masculinity, of virility. She was witnessing the cock of a man, primed and ready to take and pleasure its woman. She was its woman.

Her fingers curled around his length and Jaune groaned, his cock flexing. The strand of pre-cum slipped free and dripped on her belly, and Pyrrha delighted in the heat. Despite how it looked with all its bulging veins, the skin of his shaft was smooth and soft, her hand gliding up and down as she stroked him. When the curl of her fist met his flaring crown, his cock tensed further.

“Does this feel good?” she asked breathlessly.

He nodded wordlessly.

It wasn’t long until her hand was slick with his wetness. Whenever her hand passed over his glans, his cock would twitch and flex powerfully, leaking large amounts of pre-cum. It was surprisingly heavy in her hand and when she added a second hand, it easily dwarfed her grip.

He was perfect.

He was going to ruin her and she welcomed it, gladly. There would be no other. Jaune was hers – and she was his. Yang, Blake – they would never have this, as much as they wanted it, as much as they desired it. This cock and the man it belonged to would never be theirs.

“Mm, Jaune – you’re so long and hard,” she teased the end with a finger, tickling the very tip. The head swelled and a drop of pre-ejaculate beaded, sticking to her finger. “Tell me what you are going to do with it?”

“What?”

“Tell me,” she commanded, feeling bold. “Tell me what you are going to do to me.”

Jaune stared at her, pupils blown wide. “I’m going to fuck you.”

“Uh huh~”

“I’m going to fuck that pretty little pussy of yours until you beg me to stop,” he continued, his body growing taut as her hands sped up. One hand focused on the shaft, pumping up and down firmly while the other twisted around the head, the pleasure sharp and electric. His eyes settled on her tits and the way they shook as she pleasured him, plump between her working arms. “I’m going to take you every way you can take a woman, and I’m going to cum inside you even if you tell me not to.”

Her womb pulsed at the thought.

“Is this cock mine?”

“All yours.”

“And no one else gets it,” she grabbed his heavy balls, rolling them. “Just me?”

“Just you.”

“Yang and Blake – they can’t have it.”

Jaune blinked at her. “What?”

“They fuck you with their eyes, every chance they get,” Pyrrha clutched his testicles firmly yet carefully, wishing to cause pleasure, not pain. “Surely you see it? They fantasize about you, about you taking this thick, long cock and fucking them senseless.”

If possible, his cock became even harder.

“Do you like that?” she asked darkly. “That they desire you? That they want you to mess their pussies with your burly cock. That they act like sluts around you, hoping for just a crumb of your attention? And you don’t even notice, do you? They are so desperate for your attention and you can’t even see it.”

Pyrrha wasn’t sure where this was all coming from, the words spilling from her lips without thought as possessiveness reared its head. The hand still on his length moved furiously, gliding effortlessly.

“I bet they touch themselves, thinking about this thing right here. Does that turn you on?”

Jaune grabbed her thighs and squeezed, pulling her along the ground. Pyrrha gave a squeal of surprise when he loomed over her, trapping his cock between their bodies as he kissed her furiously. He was out of control, plundering her mouth as his length burned against her abs. He kissed her until she felt like she was about to pass out and when he finally pulled away, his eyes were dangerous.

“I love it when you’re jealous,” he said, and she shivered when he created a bit of space, grasping the base of his erection and pointing it directly at her burning quim. “But you have nothing to be jealous about. I want you. I only want you.”

Jaune admired her body, stretched out underneath him as he rubbed the tip of his cock against her springy labia. As they parted around his glans, he groaned at how wet and pink she was, unfurling before his eyes. Above her beautiful cute pussy, an attractive strip of crimson red hair sat neatly trimmed. Gripping her panties and pulling them further to the side, he lightly pressed into her, massaging her thigh as she tensed.

She was tight.

Her entrance was small and resisted his push, his cock gliding up along her clit. Pyrrha arched as pleasure spiked up her spine, her wonderful tits shaking. She was still wearing her circlet, as well as the bronze gorget around her throat and the thick cuff around her upper arm. It only added to his arousal – he was about to fuck a warrior, the best of them, the Invincible Girl and Fall Maiden, and he tightened his hold on his cock to keep it steady as he attempted to penetrate her once again.

Pyrrha hissed as his head popped inside her, stretching her pussy wide. There was a sting of pain as her body was forced in a way it had never been before, his length cleaving her insides as he thrust deeper. The curvature of his length pressed it against the top of her passage, and when he grinded on a shallow spot only an inch or so in, she clenched around his invading cock furiously, a groan of pleasure spilling from her lips.

“Do you like it here?” he asked roughly, pausing. His eyes were blue flame, licking at her flesh with a hungry desire to devour. He pulled back slightly before thrusting gently, focusing on that spot that caused her such delight. Pyrrha’s hips trembled, her legs snapping shut around his body as he slowly fucked his way into her.

Wetness gushed from her tightly packed cunt, drooling down over her ass. Jaune stared at her stretched pussy, at her pointed clit as it stood on end. Wetting his thumb, he brushed it in tight circles as he pressed up against her g-spot, timing it to perfection. Pyrrha gasped and writhed along the blanket, cupping her own breasts and squeezing them viciously, her fingers sinking into the pillowy flesh.

“Oh~! Uunngh~! Jaune, fuck me~!” she called as molten heat bloomed low in her belly, the pleasure overwhelming. Any discomfort and pain from losing her virginity was gone, leaving only ecstasy in its wake. “Haaah~! Haaaannnh~! OooouH~!”

“Do you want me to go deeper?” he asked, keeping his hips controlled. Emerald eyes consumed his body, locking onto his abs as they shifted and stretched with every thrust. “Do you want all of my cock?”

She did, she wanted it so much – but he was already driving her crazy with just this. If he fucked her deeply, she would break apart at the seams. Every time his glans grinded on her g-spot, her inner walls vibrated and clutched desperately at his rod. When he slipped in a little deeper, his thumb still circling her clit, a whine lodged in her throat, choked. Her eyes rolled up, her hands aggressively mauling her chest.

Icy pleasure settled in the base of his shaft, his balls thumping in delight. Watching his partner lose control was incredibly erotic, she who was usually so composed and full of poise. Her beautiful muscles contracted whenever he pressed in, her face and chest flushing red as her eyes became hazy with lust. Pulling her legs further apart, he thrust deeper, forcing more of his cock inside. Sweet cries filled the air as half of his shaft entered her, then three-quarters, her heat embracing him. Her folds were plentiful and rough, the texture stimulating him beyond reason. When he bumped against the entrance to her womb, Pyrrha locked up, a silent cry upon her lips. She squeezed around him furiously, trapping him as deep as he could go. Only about half an inch remained, almost entirely buried within her molten snatch.

“Fuck,” Jaune swore, trying to retreat but her pussy refused to let him go without a fight, his glands catching on every fold. He made it about halfway before rocketing forward, smacking into her cervix and driving the breath from her lungs.

“So deep~!” Pyrrha sobbed, gasping desperately. “Ouuuh, you’re so deep~! Mmm, fuck me, fuck me harder, please.”

Gritting his teeth, he planted his knuckles on the ground and set a relentless tempo from the start, thrusting into her powerfully. His cock flexed in joy, almost numb with pleasure as she throbbed and coiled around his shaft, milking him from root to tip.

“You feel so fucking good,” Jaune grunted, their flesh clapping together lewdly. Their thighs were drenched in her wetness and every time he pulled back, it stretched between them, their skin sticking together. “Fuck, Pyrrha – you feel so damn good. You’re so fucking hot. Mmm – do you like my cock?”

“I love it,” Pyrrha cried, her hands curling in the blanket so she didn’t slide, holding her hips steady as he pistoned into her. Every time he struck her womb, she shook wildly, her core pulsing faster. “I love it, I love it, Jaune – mm, ouuuhn~! Fuck me deeper~! I want it deeper.”

Grasping her hip in a punishing hold, he yanked her against him whenever he bottomed out, pounding on her uterus with everything he had. Pyrrha howled and thrashed, her feet kicking against the ground and lifting her hips, tilting them just right. She was doing her level best to wring his balls dry and he felt the approaching end already, his testicles pulling tight against the base of his cock.

“Kiss me,” she demanded. “F-Fuck, kiss me.”

Leaning forward, he captured her lips in a punishing kiss, his hips sealing against her pelvis. Pressuring her cervix, he gently rocked back and forth, grinding her deepest spot as he swallowed her desperate pleas. His cock swelled, stiffening further as icy hot pleasure bloomed on the tip.

Pyrrha panted between kisses, her lungs on fire. Her skin tingled as her insides tightened, a knot of sensation growing larger in her belly. It felt like his cock was prodding at it, attempting to coax it open and whenever he grinded on it, her heart quaked in her chest, pounding furiously. His hard pelvic bone mashed against her clit, the dual assault almost too much.

And with it, a more familiar feeling crashed through her body like an unstoppable wave. Emerald fire erupted from her eyes, magic surging. Jaune felt it tickle against his cheeks and he pulled away, staring down at her in surprise as he continued to pound her without remorse, lengthening his glide until he was fucking her with the entire length of his dick. The sky above their head darkened as clouds gathered, a dim rumble of thunder sounding as wind gusted.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, fucking her harder.

“Don’t you dare,” she hissed, face twisted in rapture. The combination of her building orgasm and the flaring magic of her maiden powers mixed together, a heady cocktail of power and womanly fulfillment. Pyrrha rolled her hips in tempo with his thrusts, crying out sharply. “D-Don’t you fucking dare~! Hnnng~!”

Their picnic basket was whisked away in a powerful gust, a louder crack of thunder booming above head. Leaning back on his haunches, Jaune seized her wide hips and lifted them off the ground, her upper body still stretched along the ground. He fucked into her even harder, their bodies clapping loudly as she gushed around him. A sudden flash and an arc of lightning tore through a nearby tree, the trunk splintering in a mess of scorched wood chips.

“Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me,” she screamed, his cock knocking on her womb relentlessly. That tight knot was on the verge of snapping, her mind consumed by nothing else. The ground cracked around them, ruptured stone erupting in a shower of dirt as Jaune felt the beginning of the end.

“Oooh, Pyrrha, I’m gonna cum,” he groaned, body straining as he clapped into her. “Fuck, your pussy is going to make me cum so hard.”

Pyrrha’s back bowed aggressively as her cunt tightened like a vice, her chest shaking – and then with a shout of ecstasy, that knot broke open like a runny egg yolk and spilled through her body. She could do nothing but writhe and howl in bliss, her vagina spasming and contracting wildly in orgasm, her muscles clenching down again, and again, and again.

Jaune pounded her through her climax, his balls aching as his cock jerked in bliss. His groan started deep in his stomach, roaring out into the world as he spat hot, fat streaks of molten cum straight into her womb. Even though he was cumming, he didn’t stop fucking her, his glans a pin point of pleasure as he unloaded shot after messy shot, filling her up with his seed. Another flash and another bolt of lightning hit the earth, wind screaming in a vortex around their shattering forms.

They weren’t sure how long they remained like this, lost in the throes of pleasure, their bodies rocking together as wave after wave pulsed through them. Pyrrha felt her magic flowing out of her with an ease she had never felt before, pouring into their surroundings and wreaking havoc. If she was in her right mind, she would have attempted to reign it in, but she wasn’t and she didn’t. It felt too good, her tight control loosened for what felt like the first time in her entire life.

Eventually the dark clouds receded and the wind died down, Jaune’s flexing cock reduced to simple throbbing as Pyrrha squirmed through the aftershocks of her mind blowing orgasm. Jaune collapsed onto her sweaty form, their skin slick with perspiration. Pyrrha hummed low in her throat, a small whimper escaping as he cradled her exhausted body against his chest. When his still hard cock jostled inside her sensitive quim, her body jolted.

“J-Jaune?” she whispered, a little out of it. “Jaune?”

“I’m here,” he whispered in return, massaging the back of her neck as he rolled them to the side, and then her body on top of his. He cupped her ass and squeezed in reassurance, keeping her tight against his rock hard frame. “I’m here.”

His seed was hot in her belly, burning her from within as it settled deep in her uterus. The mantle of the Fall Maiden fizzled beneath her skin, a feeling of fulfillment resonating deep within. Pyrrha kissed his chest, licking at the salty sweat and delighting in the taste.

This was her man. Jaune was her man.

“Um – I think we might be in trouble,” Jaune mused, and when Pyrrha found the energy to raise her head, she looked around and understood what he meant.

Upturned dirt surrounded them in a perfect circle, spikes of rock jutting from the meadow like claws. Several trees had been felled, their thick trunks obliterated by lightning, wood smoldering with a deep orange glow as they burned from within. The wind had torn the roof off the groundskeepers shed, carrying it beyond their sight.

“Oh,” she uttered, completely astonished. “Did we do this?”

Jaune couldn’t help it; he laughed.

“S-Shut up,” she muttered, embarrassed. Pinching his side, he grunted and retaliated by slapping her on the ass, the sharp crack deafening.

“Hey,” Pyrrha tried to sound stern but it came out in a moan, squirming. “Don’t spank me.”

“Naughty girls get spanked.”

His smile stole her breath away.

“We better get moving,” he then said, and she frowned at him.

“What happened to having me every way you can have a woman?”

Jaune tweaked her nose, amused at her annoyance. He found it cute.

“The entire school would have just heard this happen,” Jaune gestured at their surroundings. “If we stay here, we are going to get caught.”

Pyrrha made a sound of understanding.

“I suppose you are right.”

“He is indeed, Ms. Nikos.”

They both froze, a feeling of dread killing their blissful mood. Turning as one, the stern visage of Glynda Goodwitch greeted them.

“I am happy to see that you have returned safely from your trip,” the blonde woman continued, “but next time, try not to damage school property when you desire some alone time with Mr. Arc.”

They both wanted to crawl into a hole and die.