"Guys guys guys!" an excited voice squealed from behind where Pyrrha and Blake walked hand in hand. They turned with identically affectionate smiles at the familiar voice of their girlfriend.
"What's up, little rose?" Blake asked, chuckling at her obvious enthusiasm.
Ruby skidded to a halt where they'd stopped just outside of the classroom building. It was a Friday afternoon, and they had two more classes to attend before they could enjoy their weekend.
"I have a mission for us!" the smaller brunette whispered excitedly, grabbing hold of both girls and dragging them back with her into the shadows cast by the early afternoon sun.
"Do tell," Pyrrha prompted, bending over to plant a kiss on the crown of her head.
"Okay, so hear me out first," Ruby resumed in her loud whisper. "See, it's such a nice day out, and the carnival in town is gonna pack up tonight and leave for Mistral, and Pyrrha's still never ridden the ferris wheel, and I've just been dying for deep-fried candy bars, and-"
"Ruby, breathe!" Blake exclaimed. "Wait, deep-fried candy bars?"
"Oh, yeah," the brunette breathed dreamily. "It's like the best of all worlds, total nirvana of sugar and fat…"
"I think I feel nauseous even imagining it," Pyrrha murmured. "So, what you are saying is that you want us to actually… skip class?"
Ruby nodded eagerly. "Yeah, let's play hooky!"
Blake gave her a stern look. "Ruby, you know how important classes are…"
"And I expect Weiss would have some words to say on this issue as well," Pyrrha added.
"You guys!" Ruby exclaimed. "When have you ever skipped class?"
"Er… never?" the redhead replied, nonplussed. Blake shook her head as well to indicate the same for her.
"Well, neither have I," Ruby proclaimed. "So, just this one time, let's do something, I dunno… naughty. Together."
Pyrrha and Blake shared a skeptical glance. "I am not sure about this…" the leggy redhead murmured.
Ruby huffed out an exasperated sigh and mumbled something under her breath that vaguely sounded like "Didn't want to resort to this…"
And then she turned her face upwards, eyes wide in her best puppy-dog impression, lower lip slightly extended and trembling. It was her secret weapon, a force so powerful she had to be careful in its use otherwise the very fabric of the universe might become unraveled. As she gazed up at her girlfriends, the pout turned up to a massive scale, she finished with her ultimate attack, one guaranteed to leave mere mortals cowering in defeat.
"Please?" she whispered.
Pyrrha hung her head, shaking her mane of red hair from side to side. "That is so unfair," she muttered half-heartedly.
"Right?" Blake sighed resignedly. "Alright, little rose, stop that before you damage the building behind us. We'll go."
Ruby's squeal likely could have shattered eardrums were she indoors as she tackled her girlfriends in a tight, happy hug. "Thank you thank you thank you I love you both so much and we're gonna have so much fun!"
The trio made haste back towards the dorms to change out of their school uniforms and into more comfortable clothes that reflected the, admittedly, nice weather outside. Pyrrha emerged from her room and entered RWBY's wearing a pair of red shorts and a white tank top with sandals, while Blake had donned a black tee shirt and a fairly short purple skirt. She had on her usual black ankle boots. Ruby bounced excitedly on her toes, clothed in tattered jean shorts, a baggy red shirt, and sneakers, for once leaving her beloved cloak in her closet.
"Okay!" Ruby proclaimed enthusiastically. "Now we just gotta sneak onto the airbus!"
"And do you have a plan for this, little rose?" Blake asked amusedly.
"Of course," the brunette replied loftily. "Don't I always?"
"Is it one that requires extensive use of shenanigans?" Pyrrha chuckled.
"Naturally," Ruby retorted.
"Perhaps fewer shenanigans this time," Blake advised as they left the room. "I think we can sneak by easily enough."
"Fine," Ruby huffed. "Don't blame me if the whole thing gets messed up, all because we didn't do shenanigans."
"Yes, love," the Cat Faunus smiled, leaning over to press a quick kiss on the brunette's cheek. Ruby's humor was immediately restored as they quickly walked across the quad, avoiding the classroom buildings or any other structure where students might be congregated at this hour.
"Okay, there's the pad," Ruby murmured. "The next airbus is still on the field, we can-"
"And where are you all off to?" an imperious voice called out.
Ruby let out a startled eep as she spun around, hands raised defensively like some sort of cheesy action vid star. Blake and Pyrrha, equally startled, turned without the theatrics.
"O- Oh, hello Coco, Velvet," Pyrrha stammered, rubbing the back of her neck as she smiled hesitantly. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
The gatling-gun-toting fashionista wore lighter clothes than usual, a stylish short brown skirt with a tan blouse, and she dipped her sunglasses down to peer at the trio suspiciously. Clinging to her side was her teammate Velvet, the Rabbit Faunus also looking to be ready to enjoy the weather in a nice orange sundress.
"Yes, yes it is," Coco replied levelly. "Pity underclassmen have classes right about now, though, isn't it?"
"Oh, they do?" Ruby squeaked out. "I mean, we do? Oh, ha ha, yeah, so we do… um… Yeah, I got nothing here."
"Are you about to tell on us?" Blake asked the second-year girl calmly.
"No, no… not right away, at least…" Coco gave them a smirk. "You all have a nice day, now." With that the beret-wearing girl strode off with Velvet in tow, the shorter brunette shooting them furtive glances over her shoulder.
"Huh." Ruby stared off after them, somewhat perplexed. "That was… odd."
"In more than a few ways," Blake murmured, steering her girlfriends off and onto the waiting airbus."
"They did seem unusually… brusque," Pyrrha mentioned as they took their seats, Blake in the middle. "Velvet didn't even say a thing to us, she's usually much more friendly than that."
"And what was with the looks the both of them gave us?" Ruby asked, her brow furrowed in concern.
Blake chuckled lightly. "Alright, girls. Allow me to lay it out for you."
"Oh, please do," the redhead giggled, wrapping her arm around the raven-haired girl's shoulders. Ruby snuggled in on the other side, giving the back of Pyrrha's hand a quick kiss.
"They're dating."
"They…" Ruby gazed up at the Cat Faunus in perplexion. "Wait, what? How d'you figure?"
Blake let a small smirk grow on her face. "They were obviously holding hands before they walked up and we noticed them, with how close they were standing. Velvet looked worried that we might see that, and was also worried we would tell Weiss. I imagine because she doesn't want to hurt her feelings, and that they want to remain friends."
"Wow," Ruby breathed, her eyes wide and shiny. "You're like a romance detective."
Pyrrha giggled merrily. "Oh, indeed. Now you have a backup plan in case the huntress line of work doesn't pay well enough."
"I might consider it a hobby, nothing more," Blake replied, her smirk widening. "And one more thing…"
"Yes?" the redhead prompted.
"I believe they were headed for the airbus as well, but didn't want to board with us. That way, they wait for the next one to come by and can act like a couple."
"Hmm," Ruby mused softly. "We're not gonna tell Weiss, right?"
"No, it's not our place to." Blake frowned slightly. "Next time we see them, however, we should encourage them to let her know. It'd be cruel for her to find out second-hand like that."
"Yeah, true," Ruby sighed softly. "It sucks sometimes, y'know?"
"What's that, little rose?" Pyrrha asked quietly.
"Well, why is it everyone can't be as happy as us?" the brunette asked, grabbing hold of Blake's hand from her lap and clutching it tightly. She smiled as Pyrrha's other hand drifted over to lie on top of their entwined fingers. "Sometimes I just, I dunno, feel like I'm the luckiest girl in all of Remnant, and it's just not fair that nobody but us can be like this."
Blake laughed quietly as she laid her cheek against Ruby's head. "You have the purest soul of anyone I've met," she murmured. "Always concerned about other people's happiness."
Ruby shrugged uncomfortably. "I just… I feel selfish, sometimes. And yeah, I guess I do want everyone happy, all our friends. I'd like them all to find someone, but I know I can't push anyone together."
Pyrrha nuzzled Blake's neck, leaving a soft kiss that made the Cat Faunus giggle. "I can tell you that I feel incredibly blessed to have what we do have," the redhead murmured. "And while I may hope for others to know the happiness I do, I will not let it diminish any the joy from being with the both of you."
The trio of girls let out almost identical soft sighs of contentment.
"We're a sappy bunch, aren't we?" Ruby asked humorously.
"The sappiest," Blake agreed with a quiet chuckle.
o o o
"I cannot believe you convinced me to try that," Pyrrha groaned, clutching her belly as if some alien organism might burst from it at any moment.
Blake grinned at her redheaded girlfriend unrepentantly. "Sucker," she murmured cheerfully.
The taller girl shot her a glare, though without any heat behind it. "And if the words, 'I told you so,' cross those wonderful lips of yours anytime soon, you shall surely regret it."
"The thought never crossed my mind," the raven-haired girl smirked smugly.
"I dunno what you're making such a fuss about," Ruby commented, chewing on the end of her deep-fried chocolate bar that was filled with some overwhelmingly sweet combination of peanut butter and caramel. She took another large bite. "Thish ish delishioush."
Pyrrha let out another groan. "I can feel my arteries hardening already."
"I was just one bite!"
"And that was more than enough to spell my doom."
"Oh, now you're just being dramatic."
"It is true, I will be felled not by Grimm but by some dastardly confectionary abhorrence," Pyrrha intoned with a deep sigh.
"So, I suppose you're feeling too sick to ride on the ferris wheel?" Blake asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
Pyrrha gazed up at the sky, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I suppose it might be therapeutic," she mused in mock seriousness. "I might just make a miraculous recovery after all."
"Especially if we give healing snuggles," Ruby giggled, skipping backwards in front of the other pair. "They're the best."
"Oh, well now, that does sound grand," Pyrrha smiled softly. "Only snuggles, though?"
"Well, it is a public ride, after all," Blake smirked once more. "I think they might object if we were not to keep our clothing on."
The redhead blushed a bright red as she stared ahead. "That is not… I did not mean… That is, I…"
"It's okay, fluffy fox," Ruby giggled, stopping in place so that she might give the flustered girl a tight hug. "She's just teasing you. And yes, kisses are a big part of the healing snuggles."
Pyrrha sighed, though she couldn't keep the smile off of her face as Blake closed in on the other side and wrapped the both of them into another hug. "Meanie," the redhead chuckled.
"Sorry, sweetie," Blake laughed. "You're just so adorable when you blush."
"Like you're one to talk, kitty cat," Ruby giggled once more. "Would you like some company, Pyrrha?"
"That is quite alright," Blake said hurriedly as she separated from her girlfriends and began striding down their original path. "Didn't we have a ride to get to?"
Pyrrha and Ruby shared a wink and a giggle as they clasped hands, hurrying to keep up with their Cat Faunus.
o o o
"This…" Pyrrha breathed, "...is amazing."
The three of them had a car to themselves on the ferris wheel. As it was during a time when most were still in classes or school, there wasn't much of a line, and the friendly ride operator agreed to just let them ride for as long as they desired.
The view from the top was, truthfully, pretty spectacular, with the sparkling blue water spread out from the docks, the red of the Forever Falls coating the horizon, and the shining tower of Beacon thrusting into the sky in the distance.
"I could just stay up here with you guys forever," Ruby murmured happily, sitting sideways and against Pyrrha's chest with the redhead's arm wrapped around her torso.
"That wouldn't be such a bad thing," Blake said softly. She brought a hand around the back of Pyrrha's neck, playing with her girlfriend's hair idly. "The view is certainly lovely enough."
Pyrrha grinned as she shot her a look out of the corner of her eye. "And you're referring to the scenery, of course."
"Well, of course," the Cat Faunus purred, leaning in closer. "I mean, there's scenery, and then there's scenery."
The redhead turned her face towards Blake just as the raven-haired girl closed the remaining distance, rising up enough to seal their lips together. They both gave small contented moans of pleasure as they parted their lips and brushed tongues alongside each other's.
Ruby craned her neck up, a happy little smile of her own forming on her face as she watched her girlfriends kiss. She brought Pyrrha's palm up and pressed her lips into it.
"Yeah," the brunette sighed dreamily. "I really am the luckiest girl in all of Remnant."
o o o
In the end, it was to be expected, really. Every action has a consequence, every decision ripples that spread.
"I cannot believe how incredibly irresponsible you were," Weiss ranted, standing in the middle of the dorm room with one hand on her hip while the other pointed an accusing manicured nail. "I expected much more from you. Skipping classes? We are in an elite academy, training to be huntresses, and this is how you behave? Unacceptable!"
Sitting in a row on the edge of Blake's bed, the three girls hung their heads as they received their rebuke. "But, Weiss," Ruby began weakly.
"Ah-pupupup!" Weiss cut her off. "I do not want to hear it!" The heiress sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fortunately, Yang decided that you three deserved covering for the classes you missed. Thus, I do have notes for you to copy." She shot them an unamused glare. "Tonight."
"Um…" Blake looked up hesitantly, her Faunus ears under her bow laid flat against her head. "Yang didn't take the notes, did she?"
"Of course not, what do you take me for?" Weiss huffed. "They're mine, and I expect them back before bed. Now, hop to it." With that, she grabbed a large stack of papers, crowded with small, neat handwriting, and flopped them in Pyrrha's lap before spinning around and flouncing out of the room.
"Well, that could have gone a lot worse," the redhead mused.
Ruby giggled softly. "Yeah, that wasn't even her A-game lecturing. And she didn't need to take notes. I think she's getting soft."
"Do you want to tell her that?" Blake asked with a smirk.
"N- No, not at all!" Ruby backpedaled quickly.
"Well," Pyrrha sighed, rifling through the papers. "It shouldn't take terribly long to go through these… especially if we split them up…"
Blake leaned in to peer over the redhead's shoulder. "Hmm, I believe you're right, maybe, what… a half hour, tops?"
"And the others will be gone for at least another hour," Ruby snickered with a gleam in her silver eyes. "Whatever shall we do with the leftover time?"
"I'm sure we can think of something," Blake giggled, giving Pyrrha a kiss on the neck before moving away once more.
Pyrrha blushed and shook her head. "Degenerates, the lot of you," she murmured affectionately.
A/N: Shenanigans! Crosshare shippers represent! Also… beware the power of the pout, lest it be used for evil and not good. So we're back again with a slightly longer chapter to make up for the hiatus, and I'm lining up the buffer, so that the fluff shall roll on once more. Hope everyone had a good weekend!
FelipeCH98: Sanity is indeed highly overrated. I do hope I don't get called out for the illegal levels of cuteness in my little slice of relationship crack…
Boarador: LOL, I'm imagining a Truth or Dare session with NobleMETA's group of writers, talk about dangerous…
Gorsouul: Sorry to sink the Dust Bunny ship! Will an offering of Crosshares suffice as an apology? And fear not, Weiss will have something eventually…
ILikeHotDogs: Hey, I'm around 6 feet and I have the alcohol tolerance of an adolescent schoolgirl. It's embarrassing, really. I have much shorter friends (heya KellyConnely!) who can drink me under the table easily.
THB4: I'd like to think it was actually Blake who dared Nora to make the run. It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for… Weiss' bad date actually does serve a purpose, have no fear…
growlscout: The way I see it, everyone there knew how much Nora and Ren liked each other, and were very cognizant of the direction their relationship would go. They also knew how much Ren liked Nora and vice versa, even if they were not willing to admit it to each other. Thus the conference between the three of them - there's no way they would force something like that on Ren if he weren't willing to reciprocate. The trio gave them a nudge, and Nora took that nudge and went to town with it. And yes, we will indeed have the story continue on past the point at which A Thorny Bind events might occur, their relationship will indeed progress past that point, and I know where it's gonna happen. Stay tuned…
ladygoddess8: Note that as open as Ruby can be, it's always when it's just the three of them alone. She's become very confident within her relationship, but outside of it… she's still the same socially-awkward girl. Even if they are her friends. And I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to talk about sex while Yang was sitting there, much less the boys (shudder).
RealTerminal: *snicker* Freezerboner, gods I'm still dying over that…
TacoKing23: Nah, no worries definitely not shipping Weiss with Jaune. And this Crosshares is dedicated just for you, because you're awesome. Cheers!
Guest: Hmmm, the catnip idea is actually tempting, but it's been done so many other times by others like FiercesomestDefenestrator who have written it much better than I ever could…
kaiju62: Heya! Welcome to both the fun of FF as well as the insanity of this fluffy little ship! Reviews are always welcome, but by no means necessary. And thanks so much for the kind words, hope I continue to entertain you! No regrets!
Stay shiny!