Author'a Note: Okay! Love's Fickle When it Calls, here we go. Whew! This is my first full-fledged story! I'm both nervous and excited, but this is honestly just an attempt at quenching my thirst for a very specific Arkos story. I'm no stranger to writing, as I've made some works on AO3, and helped Enigma2187 with his story "Holding On" (Go check it out if you're into DDLC! It's both an interesting and sweet take on Doki Doki Literature Club) here on FanFiction, but I just helped a bit here and there at best. As such, make sure to leave your thoughts on this story, I'd love to hear them. I would seriously appreciate all the constructive criticism I could get. I changed a few things so that Jaune and Pyrrha would have been able to attend Sanctum academy together, meaning that yes, Both Jaune and Pyrrha's families will live in Argus. Just a warning; Jaune and Pyrrha may be a bit OoC, but only in the beginning. The most obvious change you'll notice is Jaune and Pyrrha being comfortable with each from the very beginning here as opposed to the show, where it took them some time to grow close. They ARE childhood friends after all. I'm not going to be changing things in terms of teams or relationships, just the dynamic between Pyrrha and Jaune, so teams RWBY and JNPR will still be a thing. At the end of the day however, Pyrrha's still a distanced girl who yearns for deeper relationships and Jaune is still the awkward, bumbling idiot. Another thing you'll notice is that some events will take place quite differently as a result of their relationship...but you'll see that in time. Like I said, this is an Arkos romance with my own surprise twist.

Huge thanks to Enigma2187 for helping me decide where and how I wanted to take this story!

Jaune had just finished listening to yet another one of his father's missions when he had his best idea yet. He left the kitchen, where as usual, all the adults were situated. He heard roaring laughter behind him as they continued to celebrate the return of both Alexander Nikos and Nicholas Arc, the patriarchs of their respective families as well as seasoned huntsmen. He turned to peek into the living room, eyes searching for his target before he decided to look upstairs.

"Pyr?" he called out as he ascended the stairs leading up to the second floor of the house, waiting for a response before calling out again.

"Pyrrha?"

He found the door to his room and looked inside to find Pyrrha Nikos, his best friend and honorary sister. She was laying on his bed reading a book and turned her head to regard him, before smiling and redirecting her attention to the book once more.

"Oh, here you are!" he said with a grin, "I've been looking for you!"

"What's up?" Pyrrha put her book down. She turned to look at him and cocked her head to the side.

"Well, I was downstairs with my Dad and then I had an idea!" Jaune exclaimed, barely concealing his excitement. Emerald eyes regarded him with curiosity but she otherwise stayed silent. When it was clear that he wasn't going to get a response, Jaune continued.

"We should become hunters!" he whooped. Pyrrha's eyes widened in surprise but her face then took on a confused expression at his proposal.

"Why? My dad says that it's really dangerous," she asked, eyebrows furrowed. Jaune scoffed.

"Well that's why we're doing it TOGETHER, duh."

"I-I...don't know, Jaune. I don't like the thought of having to fight Grimm." her expression grew dark. "We've seen what they can do..." she whispered.

Jaune hurried over to her and grabbed her trembling hands. He looked her in the eyes and gave her a comforting smile.

"Pyrrha, I promise that while we're together, I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay? That's an Arc promise! And an Arc never goes back on his word!"

Pyrrha seemed to relax a little.

"Plus, that way we can watch each other's back while we travel around helping people!" he reasoned. Pyrrha seemed to consider it, before turning to him, eyes filled with resolve.

"Okay then. Let's do it. We'll train hard and go to a huntsman academy together!" she said, a wide grin forming on her face.

"But you have to promise, Pyr! No going back!" he looked into her eyes with sheer determination. Pyrrha returned his look in kind.

"Promise!"

"Jaune..."

"Jaune."

"Jaune!"

"JAUNE!"

Jaune's eyes snapped open in alarm as he heard his name being shouted from right beside him.

"H-Huh? I'm awake! I'm awake!"

He looked to his side and groaned.

"Rosie, how many times have I told you not to do that?" he asked his younger sister groggily.

"Well it's not like you were waking up when I called your name out normally!" she accused.

"Okay, okay. Now get out so I can start getting ready." Jaune ordered, getting out of bed.

"Alright, but you better hurry! There won't be any food left for you if you take too long~" his sister sang, making her way out of Jaune's room and down the stairs.

Jaune's eyes widened as he remembered what happened when he woke up later than usual. He'd get to the kitchen only to find the pitiful remains of a far gone breakfast, evident by both the satisfied looks on his sisters' faces as well as the empty plates he was met with. His stomach growled at the memories. Sadly, that was not a rare occurrence. He finished getting ready and made his way downstairs, ignoring the usual commotion.

"Mom! June keeps calling me fat!"

"Mom, are there any more eggs?"

"MOM! May won't let go of my hair!"

"Good morning sweetie!"

Jaune turned to see his mother already smiling brightly this early in the morning, unaffected by the chaos that was happening just a few feet behind her. She was standing behind the stove, cheerfully cooking some eggs in the pan. You'd have thought that having eight children would at least do something to a woman's health, but if it did, Jaune's mother showed no such thing. She carried herself with the grace and elegance of a gentle Fall breeze, but her spirit was much more akin to that of a strong gust of Spring wind.

"'Morning, Mom. Sorry I took so long." Jaune said as he made is way to the table and took a seat. He greeted his sisters, taking a seat of his own before slumping down against the table. He wasn't showing it, but he was all but calm. He hadn't gotten a single wink of sleep the night before, until he finally gave out from exhaustion around an hour before having to "wake up". It's not like he had been able to do anything productive throughout the whole night either. He had been left alone with his thoughts the whole time, which only served to increase his already existent nerves about starting at one of the most prestigious huntsman academies in all of Remnant.

"Jaune?" he heard beside him yet again. He turned to look at whoever was talking to him. It was none other than his older sister, Violet.

"Yeah? What's up?" he asked

"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't think you've fully grasped what exactly it is you're getting yourself into..." she replied nonchalantly, keeping her eyes on her scroll.

"You DO know that the dorms are co-ed, right?" she finished, looking up at him.

...

Jaune swallowed before answering, averting his gaze.

"...yes."

A sigh left the older girl as she put down the device.

"You can't be serious. How did you not know this?" Violet exclaimed, earning the attention of everyone else at the table. He could feel his face burning up as all six of his sisters turned to look at him, but he managed to choke out a nervous laugh.

"O-Of course I knew about this Vi. It's as if you don't expect me to have read every single one of the entrance papers at all!" he tried for a confident grin. Something told him it didn't work, if their unimpressed looks were anything to go by.

"I can't believe this, Jaune. You're going to be there for four years!" his other sister, June, added.

"But we don't even know if mine will be!" he defended, unable to hide his embarrassment.

"I'm not sure I really trust you to be alone in a room with a girl either Jaune. You're a boy in your teens, you're bound to do something stupid at some point..." his sister Rouge said accusingly.

"Hey! I wo-" Jaune began, before he was interrupted by a plate of food being placed in front of him. He turned to see his mother smiling sympathetically at him before turning to his sisters.

"Rouge sweetie, try to have a little faith in your brother. We've all raised him to be a respectable young man. Not to mention, I'm sure dear Pyrrha will keep an eye on him," her eyes flicked towards her only son, "one way or another..."

"Besides!" she continued and turned to look at him, "if I found out that he did anything even remotely inappropiate to a girl, what his sisters thought of him would be the least of his concerns." she finished, her gentle smile never left her face, but her voice dripped of a dark undertone. Though the threat was meant for Jaune, everyone who'd heard it shivered. They were no strangers to their mother's wrath. It was enough to turn even their father into a nervous wreck.

Jaune swallowed before answering.

"R-Right. Of course."

"Then we have nothing to worry about! Right girls?" his mother turned to look at the three older girls. They grumbled in agreement.

"Speaking of Pyrrha, where is she? I thought we'd be heading to Beacon together." Jaune piped up, eager to change the subject.

"Well, she left early. She came to say goodbye and pick you up, but seeing that you weren't awake, decided to take the earliest bullhead to Beacon and wait for you there." his mother informed.

"So much for starting Beacon together..." he grumbled, before beginning to eat his food.

"Oh, don't be like that, honey. It's not her fault. Now more than ever, she needs to be the model student if she wants her sponsors to stay with her."

Jaune sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I just wish they took it easy on her, you know? People have always placed Pyrrha on a pedestal like that and she's too kind to do anything about it. I don't want her to snap one day because the stress finally gets to her."

His mother's eyes softened and she kissed his forehead before turning back to the kitchen.

"Just get together already..." Rouge muttered, but he decided to ignore it, no longer being able to disregard his growling stomach.

The rest of breakfast was uneventful, and as Jaune finished getting his bags ready, he took one last look at his room.

I wonder how much time it will be before I'm able to see this room again...

"Jaune! Your shuttle's here! Hurry up and get down here before I change my mind, young man!" he heard from downstairs.

"Coming!" he yelled back.

Jaune had expected a less emotional departure when he finally stepped out of the house, but he was met with hugs, kisses, and even the occasional tears. From his younger sisters of course. His older sisters would rather be caught dead than crying over him, but they showed their love in a different way. A far less manageable one.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay? Stay safe, because if you don't I swear I'll kill you, Jaune."

"You better not die on us, idiot. Just...be careful okay?"

He was finally seen off by his mother, who wouldn't let go of him, claiming she had changed her mind nonetheless.

"I just don't want you to leave the nest so soon!" she wailed, unfazed by the amused chuckles that the driver made no effort to hide, much to Jaune's embarrassment.

"Mom, please!" he begged, struggling in vain. That woman had a grip of steel.

"Oh please, it's not like you hate it." his mother teased.

"Yes I do..." Jaune grumbled.

"What was that?"

"Bye! Love you, Mom!"

Before she could say anything he bolted for the car and closed the door.

"You ready, kid?" the driver asked, still smiling from the whole ordeal.

"You'd better call, Jaune!" he heard from outside the vehicle.

"Yeah, let's go." Jaune answered sheepishly.

And with that, they were off. Jaune turned around to see his house shrinking in the distance, a mixture of feelings ranging from sadness to excitement settling in his heart.

When they arrived at Vale he could see Beacon's tower in the distance. He took out his scroll and searched through his contacts, finding Pyrrha. He pressed the call button, waiting for her to answer but was met with an automated voice message. He sighed before pocketing his phone. He didn't need to worry about her. If anything, he should be worried about himself.

"Everything okay back there?"

Jaune turned to the driver and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just nervous, but I'm fine." the blonde assured.

"I don't blame ya. It's a dangerous line of work, being a huntsman. I can't see myself doing that, selfish as it may be." the man admitted.

"I understand..." was all that Jaune could reply. He hadn't said it as a shallow way to comfort the man. He really could understand where he came from. His father, although supportive, had reluctantly taught him the basics of being a huntsman. Not only did that include the training, but the risks he would inevitably face, be it physical or psychological. Being a huntsman was more than glory and fame, he had learned. It was also about sacrifice and suffering. Hearing that had almost been enough to dissuade him from the career entirely, had it not been for Pyrrha's unrelenting support. They were in this together, through the good and the bad.

"So," the man started, trying to lighten the mood, "you ever been on a bullhead?"

A bullhead? No. As a matter of fact, he had rarely even been on a car. Argus was just that small.

"No, I've never been on one," Jaune admitted, "is there anything I should know?"

The man laughed ominously.

"I'd advise you to try and hold in your breakfast if it's your first time on an aircraft. Especially if you're susceptible to motion sickness," he advised. Jaune laughed nervously at the warning.

"It can't be that bad, right?"

It was that bad, it turned out. Jaune groaned as his stomach heaved along with the airborne deathtrap. He tried to find purchase on the bullhead's wall, but that only made it worse, making him sway along with it as it rose off the ground. Some people were smart enough to back away at the sight of him in distress, apparently all too familiar with the event. Unfortunately, not everyone could get away from, though whether it was from their lack of attention or being unable to, he couldn't tell. Jaune groaned again as the ship lurched sideways, clutching his stomach. He heard some conversation somewhere close to him, though he guessed he could be forgiven if it sounded a bit muted over his own suffering.

What the hell do a bee's knees have to do with Beacon?, he thought to himself after catching snippets of the conversation.

Jaune's attention was quickly redirected to his stomach as it threatened to resurface his earlier meal. Jaune grit his teeth as beads of sweat decorated his face, trying desperately to steady his breathing.

Here I am, on my way to one of the most prestigious academies in all of Remnant and yet I can't keep my food down for the life of me. Some huntsman I am...

His thoughts were interrupted as the voice of a self proclaimed "Glynda Goodwitch" gave what he assumed to be a welcome speech. Suddenly people turned to the windows and sauntered over, seemingly having forgotten about him. He could hear them exclaim in awe and excitement as they looked out the window, pointing at whatever it was that caught their attention. He made the mistake of looking out the window, if only to find out what exactly they were looking at. The moment Jaune's eyes saw the massive canyon they were flying over, his eyes widened. He gagged and clamped a hand over his mouth as he tried to make his way to the nearest trash can, but it was difficult over the sheer amount of people crowded in one area. Just his luck that it was the area he needed to be in.

"Well I guess the view isn't for everyone," he heard someone retort behind him. He made to give a snappy comeback himself, but decided against it. If if he did, words wouldn't be the only thing spilling from his mouth.

You're not going to make it!, his mind screamed as he was blocked off once again by another student. He tried to push through, but whenever he moved someone, a new body replaced them almost instantly. Eventually someone pushed back, and that was the final straw. The ride from Vale to Beacon had been awful, filled with incessant swaying, but it was the sudden motion of the push that broke the dam.

He'd tried to make it to the trash bin, but if he couldn't, then the next best place would suffice, which was away from as many people as possible. Ironically, it was easy considering that almost everyone was in the crowd that had impeded him from reaching the trash can in the first place. He finally let go of his mouth and retched loudly, and as people finally noticed him once again, they started inching even farther away as he emptied out the contents of his poor stomach. Jaune's only solace was the fact that he could hear the same person from before yelp in disgust as she got some on her boots.

Luckily for him, the minute that happened they landed, and as the ship lurched and swayed one final time, his stomach threatened of an encore to his earlier performance. At least it was easier than it had been the last time, what with all the students literally walking around him as they rushed out the airship. As soon as he was outside the airship, he found the nearest trash can and unloaded the last remaining bits of his earlier meal. It was official.

Jaune Arc was having the worst time at Beacon.

When he finally regained his composure he trudged his way towards the front of the school, only to jump out of his skin as two girls literally exploded. Jaune sighed.

Welcome to Beacon...

"UNBELIEVABLE!" a white-themed girl screeched. She was covered in soot, but that didn't stop her from yelling at a shorter girl, this one dressed in red and black. She seemed to shrink further as the white-haired girl continued her verbal onslaught. Despite all the screaming she still carried herself with a certain sense of control and composure, however. She's pretty, I suppose. In a regal, princess type of way. Were it not for what he was seeing right now, he'd have mistook her for the soft-spoken type.

That was clearly not the case.

His attention snapped back to the conversation as he heard her continue her tirade. I should probably do something if it escalates...

"Ugh, you complete dolt!" she seethed, voice dripping with so much venom that it made even Jaune flinch.

Or not.

By this time, a third girl had entered the fray. Whereas the girl in white might have been as volatile as a bomb, the newcomer seemed to be the embodiment of serenity. There was a certain air of mysteriousness as she spoke to the two girls before her, a stark contrast to the girl who'd talked before. The fact that the new girl was dressed in black certainly helped see said difference. Jaune chuckled to himself as a thought crossed his mind.

The difference is night and day.

"Wha- How dare-?, the nerve of-!" the white girl stuttered, seemingly insulted by something the new girl said. With a red face she gave up and ripped something out of her hands and walked away. Behind her, the third girl had also begun to saunter off. Instead of following, the girl in red collapsed onto the floor. Not one to look a gift horse in its mouth he approached the girl cautiously, not wanting to trigger another explosion in case it was some crazy semblance of hers. Alright Jaune, this is the moment that makes or breaks the next four years of your life. Don't screw it up! When she noticed him in front of her he extended his hand.

"Hey. I'm Jaune." He tried not to show his nervousness through his smile. If the girl noticed, she didn't say. She took his hand and he helped her up, keeping a friendly face as he did. She dusted herself off and looked at him, before she snorted and reeled her hand back.

"Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"

And aren't you the girl that almost blasted a hole through the cliff? But that's neither here nor there.

"Uh..."

The girl giggled and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She gave him a toothy grin as they started walking to the entrance.

"I'm Ruby! Now, where're we headed vomit boy?"

Jaune slumped. They continued walking as he tried to rack his brain for a snappy comeback. He finally gave up and instead said the first thing that came to mind.

"Really? 'Vomit Boy'?"

Ruby winced. She offered an apologetic smile at him as he stared at her, unimpressed.

"Well, it's not my fault! It was my first time on a Bullhead. All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on! What if I called you 'Crater Face'?" he argued. It wouldn't do to ruin his first potential friendship because he'd been unprepared for the atrocities of air travel.

"Look, I'm sorry, 'Vomit Boy' was the first thing that came to mind!" she defended. This ended now, however.

"Well the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." he said, secretly pleased at his rather suave introduction. His Dad would be proud.

Ruby paused and looked at him skeptically.

"Do they?"

Jaune stumbled at the question.

"T-They will! At least, I hope they will..." he replied, wincing at the last few words.

Jaune wanted to scream. You could practically SEE the awkwardness in the air after that pathetic remark. He kept walking though, hoping for once that maybe Ruby would humor him and try to keep the conversation going.

"...sooo I've got this thing!" he heard her say from behind him. He turned at the sound of metal shifting and gears turning only to find the petite girl holding a massive scythe easily twice her size.

Or she could do that.

Seriously, this day keeps getting better.

"Is...that a scythe?"

Jaune mentally slapped himself.

Ruby beamed at the question and held her weapon upright.

"It's also a customizable, high-impact, sniper-rifle." she said with a smile.

Jaune stared at her. Ruby scoffed at him and moved closer.

"It's also a gun."

"Ohhhhh! You could have just said that!" he shrugged. Ruby just grumbled something about it not being fair.

His attention was brought to his pocket as he heard his scroll ring. He fished it out and shot Ruby an apologetic smile when she regarded him with confusion. He took a look at the caller ID and gasped.

"Pyr!" he shouted with relief. He heard her laugh through the phone as she greeted him.

"Hello Jaune! I couldn't help but notice that you're not in the main hall like everyone else." she quipped. Jaune scoffed.

"If only SOMEONE hadn't left me to play catch-up, I'd be there with her, not having to worry about being lost."

Jaune could practically HEAR her unimpressed expression.

"Jaune...I tried to pick you up. You were asleep. I wasn't going to miss my bullhead because of your poor sleep habits."

Jaune heard Ruby snicker, making his face burn with embarrassment before he shot her a playful glare. He turned back to his scroll.

"Is someone with you?"

"Nobody important. Anyway, how do I get there?" he asked as Ruby shoved him.

"All you have to do is walk straight once the bullheads land, Jaune. So have you landed yet or are you still in a bullhead?" Pyrrha wondered, but he hadn't paid any attention to her question. His mind was focused on the first part of what she'd said.

"Walk straight once bullheads land"...

He looked back at Ruby, who was sending a glare his way. He let out a nervous chuckle.

"Definitely still in the bullhead. See you in a few, Pyr." Jaune rattled off as he hung up. He turned to Ruby with an apologetic smile.

"So...I know where to go now."

Pyrrha sighed. She shook her head as a small smile crept up her face. Typical Jaune. She supposed she shouldn't have been so surprised. He'd been like this since the very day they'd met.

The day we met...

The thought made her smile grow.

Her attention was brought back as a familiar mop of blonde walked in front of her. Pyrrha's smile took a mischievous edge as she snuck up on him.

"Hello again!~"

Jaune jumped at her voice before turning to her. He visibly relaxed when he recognized her.

"Pyrrha! I'm so happy to see you!" he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, which she gladly returned. He quickly let go, much to her disappointment. "I thought you'd leave without me again." he accused.

Pyrrha punched his shoulder lightly. "You're never going to let that go, are you?" she asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Take a guess." he grinned. Pyrrha punched him again. Once upon a time, such a blow would have been more than enough to knock him to the ground, but that was back when he was still a scrawny boy. Years of huntsmen training alongside her had fixed that. He was not close to her by any means, but the evidence of his effort was plain to see in the form of a toned body.

"So what have you been up to Jaune? Anything new since I last saw you?" she asked with a warm smile.

"We saw each other two days ago, Pyr."

"R-Right, but a lot can happen in two days!"

"Hmm...anything new with you then?"

"Well...not really. I suppose you're right. Sorry." she blushed as Jaune laughed.

"Pyr, you don't need to apologize. Plus, something did happen! I met a really nice girl called Ruby! We got to know each other before...making our way here." he laughed awkwardly at the last part, but she ignored it. Jealousy had reared its ugly head, and Pyrrha quickly subdued it.

"That's...great, Jaune. I'm happy for you. Maybe you can introduce me to her sometime?" she replied politely, connnecting the dots from earlier. The invitation felt empty, even for her, but if Jaune noticed he gave no indication.

"Definitely! I can't wait for you to meet her, I think you two will get along great!" he said with a grin.

Suddenly the crowd around them grew deathly quiet, and they both looked around to find Headmaster Ozpin making his way to the center of the stage along with Glynda Goodwitch, the same woman from the bullhead. He tapped the microphone, making everyone wince from the feedback.

"I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge; to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. A need of purpose. Direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but you will soon learn that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

With that, he stepped aside for Deputy Goodwitch.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins."

Pyrrha turned towards Jaune. "I suppose we should start getting settled in then?"

Jaune looked around to find everyone beginning to do the same. He nodded and they went to collect their sleeping bags. They passed by a pair of girls arguing loudly, and Pyrrha noticed Jaune staring at one of them. Most likely the blonde one, who had a wild mane of hair and was a bombshell of a woman. Pyrrha looked wide-eyed as the second one, a smaller girl dressed in black and red, waved at Jaune before returning to their argument. Without meaning to, she nudged Jaune.

"Hm? Sorry Pyr, did you say something?" he asked, looking flustered.

"Oh! Uh..."

Think! Think!

"I-I just asked if you knew what we were doing tomorrow!" she blurted.

She mentally slapped herself.

"I thought we were doing initiation?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Pyrrha let out a soft sigh.

"Right...my bad. I think I'm just nervous." she rattled off. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder, and turned to find Jaune's hand resting atop it.

"You don't need to worry about anything, Pyr. If anything, it should be me worried about tomorrow. I've seen how you perform. I know you're going to do fine." He said with an easy smile that made her heart melt. Pyrrha returned his smile before leaning into him.

"Thank you Jaune."

She basked in the moment until she noticed other people starting to change into what she assumed they were going to sleep in.

"Perhaps we should change into our sleepwear..." she said reluctantly, not wanting the to moment to end.

"Yeah, we should. Meet you back here?" he asked, letting go of Pyrrha. She nodded and grabbed her things, making her way to the impromptu changing rooms the other girls had set up. Once she had changed into something far more comfortable, she made her way towards their agreed meeting spot. As she got there, the room was overtaken by the sound of snickers and muffled laughter. Confused, she looked around until she found the reason. Jaune Arc was strutting through the ballroom, clad in none other than his favorite Pumpkin Pete's onesie. Even Pyrrha couldn't contain her laughter when she saw the blue outfit that her favorite blonde oh so loved.

"Jaune, I can't believe you brought that!" Pyrrha said in between laughter. He just glared at her.

"C'mon, you love it. Plus, I couldn't just leave it at home for everyone else to use!" he defended. Still, it was funny seeing a future huntsman wearing a onesie.

"What a tragedy that would be." she said with a roll of her eyes, when suddenly, yawn escaped her before she could suppress it. She turned to Jaune, a smug grin decorating his face.

"Aw, you're so cute when you yawn. Is little Pyrrha tired? Remember when you used to-" he teased. Quickly pushing him a little stronger than usual, Pyrrha could feel her face start to heat up.

"Shut up Jaune!" she yelped, face surely as red as her hair. His only response was to laugh, much to her chagrin. She could see other people were beginning to stare, some even exchanging whispers. Her years in the eye of the public kicked in as she composed herself, albeit with a slightly red face.

"I'm sorry, Jaune. I didn't mean to be rude." she tried to say with the best neutral face she could pull off. Jaune just waved it off.

"You know, you don't have to keep appearances here Pyrrha..." he said quietly, just enough so that only she could hear him. Pyrrha couldn't help but feel warm at his kindness. It was one of the many things she loved about him, after all.

"I know, Jaune. Thank you. It's just...old habits die hard." she sighed. She felt his hand squeeze hers.

"You'll get there. And when you do, everyone will see how much of a wonderful person you are, Pyr."

She fought down the blush that threatened to invade her face.

"Don't sell yourself short either, Jaune..." she smiled.

Be sure to tell me what your thoughts are, as well as any predictions! Reviews are love. Peace!