Title: Arkos Dramatic – Love is War!

Desc: Marriage! A life-bonding experience that everyone in Remnant must go through once they are 24, a tradition forcefully continued to today by the enforcement of the Kingdom. But what would happen if two people got married without their own choice? And what would happen if these two idiots utterly refused to confess their love to the other?

Characters: Jaune A., Pyrrha N., L. Ren, Nora V.

A/N That's right, name change! Old one was way too much of a mouthful, so this one should get the point across much better! winkwink

As for review responses, to Uvuvwvwevwe, hm, I'll think about it. I do see your point though, so thanks for that, and for reading too!

A bit late, but better that than never! Sorry for that! And such, With that out of the way, enjoy!

Chapter 5 – Pyrrha Wants to Cooperate!

Pyrrha woke up early this morning and couldn't help but be giddy. How could she not? This was her first mission with her husband, after all!

Of course, this was also part of their agreement after the whole Schnee Gala fiasco. He had to train with her, and she in turn had to take missions with him.

And since he had just bested her, if only just, Pyrrha felt that it was about time she held her end of the deal. Even if Jaune had smiled dumbly for days after their fateful last match… she was a woman of her word and couldn't help but remind him of the fact.

And so here she was today, preparing for the big day.

Granted, Pyrrha thought, we won't be doing it alone. They also had the company of the rest of Jaune's team, Team JNR.

And that thought sent wave of apprehension crossed her mind, a wave that quickly expanded. She huffed as she crossed her arms. A three-man team wasn't odd, but it wasn't ideal either. They should be thankful that she'd be completing their empty slot. She was the great Pyrrha Nikos, after all! Someone who won multiple championships in a row and was the best in all of Mistral!

Not about her fame, though. If that was what she brought over to Team JNR, then she'd be immensely sorry for wasting their time.

Regardless, though, as Pyrrha donned her armor in her room, they'd better treat her with the respect she deserved. It didn't matter that she had only spent time with a third of their Team; she'd be expecting the best of the best from them!

And in turn, she'd try her best too. Prim and proper, elegant and perfect… only if they were good enough would she ever think of letting them close. They had to earn it, they had to prove that they were worthy-!

"Pyrrha, breakfast's ready!"

"Coming, Jauney dear~!" Pyrrha shouted back. She rubbed her stomach and resisted the urge to salivate at the thought of her husband's world-class cooking.

Well.

At least one of them already proved it to her.

"Alright Team." Jaune clapped his hands as Team JNR Pyrrha rode the Bullhead for their mission AO. Across from him sat Nora and Ren, while beside him sat Pyrrha. Jaune continued on with a smile, "Our mission is simple: protect the village while its citizens extract out. Guard until when everybody should already be out, then we'll go out too. Simple, easy. Any questions?"

Nora raised her hand. "Can we take any pancake makers left behind?"

"No, Nora. We can't take any pancake makers they might have accidently left behind."

Nora lowered her hand.

Nora raised her hand again.

Jaune sighed. "We can't take their waffle makers either."

Nora lowered her hand in the end with a sheepish smile.

Jaune let out a long-suffering sigh. "Alright. Any real, real questions?"

Pyrrha nudged her husband. "You never explained why the villagers are leaving. I didn't get the chance to read the briefing last night, so…"

"Oh, right." Jaune coughed into his fist. "Right, the reason is because the Grimm attacks around there have been increasing as of late, and the village has decided that it needed to move for the time being. They've pooled in their money, bought out a little district they could stay in in Vale, all that's left is to get out while they can."

"And the Grimm would've noticed such a mass emigration…" Ren muttered.

"Yeah, that." Jaune nodded towards his teammate, "That's where we come in. Make sure no one's left behind and the Grimm get pushed back enough until everyone gets out of dodge."

Pyrrha raised a hand. "What's the extraction method for us?"

"Bullhead. The very same one we're on." Jaune smiled, but then grimaced when he felt his accursed Arc inheritance coming in. His face turned green and he turned to his wife, "Speaking of, Pyrrha-."

"I've got you." Pyrrha quickly pulled out a motion sickness pill from her armor's many hidden pockets and handed it over to Jaune. "Here you go."

Jaune took it with barely restrained haste and downed it with a bottle of water in one big gulp. He ahhed as he felt his sickness suppressed and wiped his mouth with a satisfied smile. "Gosh, you're a real lifesaver, you know that?"

Pyrrha blushed and looked away, trying her best to hide the redness in her cheeks. "Y-yeah. You better be thankful."

"Mm. I always am." Jaune put his water bottle down and leaned back in his seat. He checked his watch. "Gonna be a few more hours 'till we reach the AO…"

Jaune couldn't help himself. Unknown to Pyrrha, he had spent the entire night worrying about this mission; how it was going to go, how it was going to look, whether she'd have good chemistry with JNR or not…

The thoughts kept him up late at night, and he barely got a wink of sleep because. Because he so wanted this to work. Team JNR had been only three people for so long, and while he didn't hate Nora and Ren, it was just…

Sometimes, he felt like he was just a third wheel. Sometimes, Jaune felt lonely.

But if Pyrrha was here, perhaps she'd even the odds? If he could get her to like them, then he'd be immensely relieved. Not to mention it being another way for him to close the gap between them.

He just had to make this work. He had to. And judging by how well the previous conversation had gone, it seemed as if they could go on without a hitch! But now all he could do was wait. Wait until they arrive, and wait until they get to see their competence in battle together…

And so now, with so much free time left with nothing to do but wait, Jaune felt his eyelids droop, and in mere seconds, had fallen asleep against his will. And with him falling asleep, he fell to the side and leaned his head against Pyrrha's shoulder.

Pyrrha felt her cheeks burn as Jaune silently snored while leaning on her. 'E-EEEEEPPP!' She tried to shake her off, but found herself unable to do so. She moved once, slightly shimmying to the other side, and yet that only caused Jaune to lean even more on her, now his whole body practically almost falling over on her lap.

She felt her whole body heat up as Jaune began snoring on her lap. And yet… she found that she wasn't all that opposed to it either. And, slowly, she found her hand moving to run themselves over his scalp.

'So soft… not that it means anything!'

And watching from across, Ren and Nora couldn't help but sweat drop. 'Couldn't they make it more obvious…?'

Pyrrha was saved from her torture – pleasure – no, torture! When the Bullhead finally landed a few hours later. She felt relieved when Jaune woke up without seeming to even realize what happened and immediately led the team out of the Bullhead.

She was relieved, truly. But then, a part of her wondered, why didn't he show any reaction at all?! That part of her fumed, did he not find her comfortable at all?

Jaune's voice broke her out of her thoughts. He opened his arms to the sight in front of them, to the people who had waited for their arrival, and spoke to his team and her. "Alright, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren! This is Hope Village. And as for everyone else, we're Team JNR, with an extra member for today!" Jaune did a little bow of respect, "We hope to serve you well."

The village itself wasn't anything noteworthy, but it was beautiful. Flanked by a bountiful forest and two hills, it was little wonder why people would choose to live here. And yet, the rich nature also provided plenty of opportunities for Grimm to sneak around, strike, and slinker away, a price to pay for beauty. And apparently, that price was getting too high to pay.

From behind Jaune, Pyrrha watched intently as Jaune he covered the PR and details of the mission with the villagers. For once, she was glad to not be the face representing something. And from the way things were going, it seemed that Jaune was a lot more sincere than she could have ever managed. Not that she hated being a Huntress, oh no! But after so long in the spotlight she outright despised anything that resembled it.

The crowed had clapped politely, the mayor of the village stepping up and shaking Jaune's hand with a smile. "Good to see you, Mr. Arc. My name is Smith, and I'm the mayor of our little village. And I must say, it's such a relief to finally have capable Huntsmen and Huntresses on the ground for us."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mayor Smith." Jaune smiled back. He looked around and was glad to see that two Bullheads were already prepped for transport. Jaune coughed into his hand and continued, "Now, we've reviewed the plans and several Grimm movements over the last few days, and… hm, looking at the time, we won't have long until their first wave reaches the walls."

The mayor sighed tiredly. "We know. We tried our best to be ready, but with the limited funds and time we have as is…"

"Not to worry." Jaune placed a reassuring hand on the mayor's shoulder. "We can offer our Bullhead as transport as well. Your last census showed that you have three hundred settlers, right?"

"Hm. But that's not counting the children…"

"Then we'll load them on first. Each Bullhead can bring about 300 adults at the maximum… hm, that'd mean three or four trips back and forth. Average round travel time to the nearest stronghold would be around an hour…" Jaune rubbed his chin. His mind ran a mile a minute, considering the options and looking at the village's conditions.

In his mind, he criticized his still lack of preparation. He had considered everything he could think of and yet forgot about the human factor of the operation. The village had barely any money as is, so of course they'd run late in preparations; they were lucky they even had two bullheads to spare in the first place. He could call in extra Bullheads, but that would often mean more trouble than it was worth, and he did not want extra negativity to draw the Grimm in.

No choice, then. They had to dig in and defend to the best of their abilities.

"…We'll see this through." Jaune mumbled to himself. He turned back to the mayor and gave him a reassuring pat.

From behind him, Pyrrha saw the way Jaune's shoulder seemed to square, the way his eyes seemed to sharpen, the way he gained a sudden confidence she never saw before. Oh, her husband wasn't a shy man, but he always had a slight lack of confidence. After all, if he wasn't, the why hadn't he taken her by the arms and confessed his love for her?

Pyrrha quickly squashed the thought that she wasn't much better. That wasn't the point! The point was that in this mission setting, Jaune seemed so different! Not that she was opposed to him being like this, Pyrrha thought with a contained blush.

Jaune continued, oblivious to Pyrrha's revelations. His presence seemed to grow, and all were glued to his very words.

"Situation's still manageable. Mayor Smith, please have all the children and their parents board the Bullheads we already have ready. My team and I will prepare the perimeters for the Grimm attack. Everyone else, hey! Please, pack as light as possible, we might be able to fit more people that way. Take off once every Bullhead has hit max capacity, and wait patiently for their return. And no cutting in line! We have enough negativity as it is..."

"We start now, and we might just make it before the sun sets and things become much harder. No questions? Okay. Good. Now, move it people!"

"I never knew you could take charge like that."

"Hm? Ah, yeah, that just kinda comes out sometimes." Jaune rubbed his neck with a nervous laugh as his wife questioned him. The two of them were sitting on the edges of the wall, side-by-side after completing all the defences they could. Now, all they had to do was wait until the Grimm came.

Jaune continued. "I mean… I can't help it."

"Hm?" Pyrrha turned to look at him and motioned to continue.

"I mean, this is a serious thing, right?" Jaune explained. "People are putting their lives in our hands. We've got a responsibility to uphold their trust. I can't second-guess myself now."

"You make a good point." Pyrrha nodded. And in her mind, as they talked, she realized that this was a prime opportunity to get to know him better without seemingly compromising her pride.

Because her husband was many things, but a normally assertive person he was not. He was the kind of guy to coast by, the kind who wouldn't stand for anything that was wrong yet wasn't the type to crusade around the world to save it either. It was like someone who knew their part and wanted nothing more. But as it was shown today, when it came to what he knew, he would step out and do what needed to be done.

And so Pyrrha pushed forward. "Then why aren't you that confident outside…?"

"Because this, this I know I can handle." Jaune sighed, turning and meeting her emerald eyes. "I guess pressure just changes me. I have to succeed here, we have to, because it's not just us. It's all those people looking to us for help, all those people that are powerless against the Grimm. We have power. We can do something. It's our responsibility to use it in the place of those who don't."

Jaune then turned back to the sky. "I just wish it didn't have to come at a cost…"

And when Jaune turned away, he either didn't notice or didn't comment on the slight admiration in Pyrrha's eyes when she heard him speak. And similarly, he didn't comment when she scooted closer to him ever so slightly.

"In Mistral…" Pyrrha began, "A lot of people don't think about others. Everyone's always looking for something from someone. Real connections are rare, Jaune, and altruistic motivations are… well, the less said the better."

She left out the part where that environment had shaped her as well. Sure she wanted to save people as a Huntress, that this was her dream too, but the bitterness that had taken root from witnessing Mistral's upper society was hard to supress. Seeing people discuss lives as mere statistics, dismissing tragedies as mere trivia, it had slowly consumed a part of her. The part of her that only looked at this mission as a chance to prove herself, as a chance to become more popular and gain wealth. An opportunistic leech that had been birth by Mistral's pessimistic environment.

She hated that part with a burning passion. And as such, now with her husband… she was willing to admit that she loved it when he burned it away.

Not love him, of course. He still had a long way to go.

And as such, that was what she was willing to admit to him. "But seeing here, getting down at the ground…. I kind of missed this." Away from the media, doing honest work that fulfilled her heart, it was such a welcome feeling that she had longed for. "Thanks for inviting me along, Jaune."

"Heh. Well, glad that I could help, then." Jaune said. And the way he sounded so relieved, yet so oblivious as to how much she had helped her. It took everything she had to stop herself from giggling.

'So dense.' And so honest. It was refreshing, even now.

A loud ring of alarms interrupted their moment. Jaune and Pyrrha stood up in sync, looking down at the wall and seeing traces of Grimm approaching far off in the distance.

"It's time." Jaune said, unsheathing Crocea Mors and expression back to what Pyrrha now dubbed as 'leader-mode'. "We've got no time to waste. Let's do this."

And Pyrrha was all too happy to comply with someone who didn't have an ounce of opportunism in his heart. "Right behind you."

They found Nora and Ren at a pancake shop. Because of course Nora was stuffing her face in, rubbing her belly as she belched out the remains of a 12-stack pancake tower.

"Oooooo~!" BURP!

Pyrrha pinched her nose and sighed. "She's practically a balloon…" As in, a literal balloon. She was practically a ball, no arms and legs!

Ren raised his hand at Pyrrha apologetically. "Give her a second."

Flip!

And in just a moment, Nora had reverted back to her normal state, her tongue licking her lips as she laughed. "Alright! Now, let's go crush some Grimm!"

Pyrrha stared wide-eyed. "How the hell did she do that…?"

Jaune laughed beside her. "I know, right? Makes you wonder why you even train…"

"She's not human…" Pyrrha shook her head. "But back to the point. We need to get rid of the Grimm right now. We're already wasting time waiting for you to finish that last meal!"

An in response, Nora only hefted her hammer and smirked at Pyrrha confidently. "Girl, you thought I wasn't accounting for that?"

Pyrrha stared at her pointedly. "If you want me to be honest-!"

BOOMBOOMBOOM! Loud explosions echoed through the village, accompanied by the sounds and shrieks of Grimm dying. More importantly, none of those explosions had shook the village, meaning that they were most likely detonated outside and killing many a Grimm before they reached the walls. Most likely traps… and only one person was the explosive expert currently.

Nora raised her eyebrow at Pyrrha with her smirk ever present. "You were saying?"

"I stand corrected." Pyrrha admitted, but not without skulking about it. "Now can we please get to defending this village?"

"Way ahead of you!" Nora's smirk turned to a smile –genuine, to her surprise – and the Valkyrie gave her a thumbs up. "See you there!"

And just like that Nora was out of the shop, the sounds of Magnhild transforming fading away as she laughed and engaged the enemy.

Ren sighed and stood up from his seat. "I'll go keep an eye on her."

Jaune chuckled and gave his brother in all but blood a pat on his shoulder. "We'll regroup once you clear whatever area Nora's decided; Pyrrha and I will handle the opposite of wherever you guys go first."

"Hm." Ren pulled out StormFlower from his wrists and nodded. "Don't die out there."

"Heh. Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"

"I can aim Nora's explosions well and keep any stragglers out of her back. Just have to get out of the blast zone before she hits me."

"That sounds like a recipe for collateral damage." Pyrrha pointed out.

But Ren had only gave her a loving smile. "Trust me. We wouldn't have it any other way."

When Pyrrha had first accepted this mission, she had the stray thought that there might be a chance Jaune and her wouldn't work well together in the field.

She knew it was preposterous. She had been training him for the past few weeks, had even looked at his past records to structure his training regimen. More than that, she also knew that she was Pyrrha Nikos. Her history spoke for itself, and she doubted merely adapting to simply another Huntsman would be hard.

And yet, that thought lingered. She couldn't get it out of her head no matter how much she reassured herself and even pushed Jaune in their training. So it was to her immense relief that those fears turned out to be unfounded.

"Watch your left!"

"Gotcha!" Jaune ducked under a Beowolf swing and swiped its hand clean off, following up with a quick decapitation. He shouted back to her. "Your right!"

Slash! Pyrrha swung her spear in his advised direction and took out several Ursas with one swing. Her eyes went to her husband's location and she shouted back, "Up above!"

Jaune looked up and saw a Nevermore rushing in for his head. He responded by charging up an Aura blast and sending it to the avian, decapitating it before it even came close.

CRASH! The corpse of the Nevermore came crashing down and casted dust around the area. And then, when it cleared, it revealed Jaune and Pyrrha jumping to the skies together, their backs to the other and their swords pointed at the enemy.

"HAAAAA!"

Jaune and Pyrrha descended together and engaged the Grimm as one. Jaune landed first, slicing his sword around him and clearing the Grimm around him first. Pyrrha landed next, her spear piercing an Ursa's spine that had been sneaking up behind him.

Pyrrha then jumped back up, aiming at more Grimm coming in from Jaune's sides. And as she fired, Jaune let loose several Aura slashes that killed any Grimm that had leapt at his mid-air wife.

BANGBANGBANG!

SLASH! SLASH!

The Grimm screeched as they fell to a combination of yellow and red. Pyrrha landed back on ground and Jaune rushed to cover her back, killing off an Ursa Major that had stepped just a little too close. And Pyrrha quickly did the same, killing a wisp that seemed much too interested in Jaune's shield.

Jaune and Pyrrha both took a step behind, their backs hitting each other and sharing a quick smile. For Pyrrha, this was where she was alive; the thrill of the fight, the movement of her muscles, and the sound of her blood in her ears, this was what she had lived on for so long.

And for Jaune, this was where he had dreamed. To have someone he could lean on for himself, someone to fight alongside in his dream, someone to cover his back when he had been partnerless for his entire stay in Beacon.

Their smiles lasted for eternity, their gazes seeming to be unbreakable… that was, until Pyrrha gasped and brought her rifle up, shooting past Jaune's ear and killing a Beowolf that had leapt at them from behind Jaune.

Jaune, for his sake, didn't flinch when Grimm tar hit his clothes, though he did groan when realizing the mess it made. "Aw, come on!"

"Can't stay distracted forever, honey." Pyrrha teased with a smile, grabbing his hand and pulling him down as she fired her rifle around them. Their little moment had caused Grimm to circle around them closer, and her rifle took out most of the approaching party.

BANGBANGBANG!

But Jaune didn't want to be outplayed. Channelling his Aura to his sword, Jaune let his wife drag him around and unleashed the Slash, cutting the legs of the Grimm around them in a circular arc; fully intending on the pun.

SLASH!

Their fight was getting to a crescendo, the Grimm beginning to thin out. Jaune felt it too, and Pyrrha did too. And so, with that in mind, Jaune channelled his Semblance to his partner and threw her up in the air.

Pyrrha felt ecstasy swell as Jaune's Aura Amplification coursed through her soul. With a smile and a laugh, she pulled Jaune up with along with her with Polarity, his weight nothing when she was enhanced like this. Once he had reached her, she grabbed him by the back of his collar and spun them both around mid-air with her Semblance, a blurry mix of their colours glowing brightly the only thing visible as Jaune charged one last Aura Slash.

And then they stopped dramatically, Jaune's sword raised high as they both glowed bright. And like the smite of nature, Jaune swung Crocea Mors at the Grimm down on the ground and unleashed his final Aura Slash.

BOOM! The ground cracked as his blast consumed the clearing they were in, erasing all the Grimm they had faced from existence in one last magnificent blow. With grace they both landed hand-in-hand, their breaths caught in their throat as they took a small breather for a job well done.

"Whew…" Jaune wiped his brow and looked at his surroundings. Good, all the Grimm were dead. "That's one wave down."

Pyrrha checked her Scroll. "And we've still got around two hours to go…"

"Cheer up, Pyr. We've managed to last this long, right?" Jaune wrapped a hand around her shoulder. "We can manage this. I can, if you're with me!"

Pyrrha stuttered. She tried desperately to change this situation. She liked having him so close, but she- she just couldn't handle him just yet! "R-right. Yeah… s-so, we should probably group up with Ren and Nora now!"

Regrouping had been a quick affair. Nora and Ren had cleaned out the north and west sections of the walls, and with the way they were sweating, they too had gone through the same efforts that Jaune and Pyrrha had. Furthermore, a quick check to their scrolls confirmed that they were roughly on the same Aura level – in the yellow, but recharging ever so slowly.

The Grimm wouldn't come again for around half an hour. Coincidentally, the Bullheads had returned again, the villagers quickly boarding into them ASAP.

"One more to go and we'll be out of here too." Jaune said. He leaned on Crocea Mors and breathed a sigh of relief, "'Least the kids are already out of here…"

"Agreed." Ren nodded. "However, if this pressure keeps up, we might be cutting it close. You've seen our Aura levels – if this doesn't hurry up…"

Jaune grunted. "Yeah, I know. Might be good to call in some extra Bullheads…"

"Tried that, they said they're all packed up." Ren answered back. "Though, I guess we can stretch the flight limits a bit. I mean, it's just an hour round flight…"

"We'll take that as an option." Jaune nodded to Ren. "Though I don't like pushing things like safety… what about ground escorts?"

"Any that could come would only be here much later." Pyrrha said to her husband. "They'd be pointless."

"You're right." Jaune sighed.

Nora spoke up next, her tone laced with concern. "Back when Renny and I were fighting… the Grimm felt off. I think the next wave's gonna be more intense. I mean, I'm down for that, but with all these villagers…"

Jaune closed his eyes. Here came the hard decision, where his role as the leader needed to shine. He considered all the factors; the villagers were the first priority no doubt. His friends could handle themselves, but he couldn't stand if one of them got injured or worse. With the Bullheads and their mechanical limit, that also posed an unbendable factor…

But a horrified shout broke his thoughts, the shrill scream of the terrified villagers sending a chill through his spine. "THE GRIMM! THEY'RE HERE!"

JNR and Pyrrha immediately snapped to the ready, their weapons drawn as they stood protectively before the villagers. They could see a swarm of Grimm rushing towards them, Beringles and Ursas and Beowolves and Nevermores and Wisps all rushing for their heads. Much more in number than before, and much more invigorated to kill them where they stood.

Evidently, none of them weren't going to let their enemies succeed. They were Huntsmen and Huntresses, the protectors of Humanity and Faunuskind, and they would defend until their very last breath!

Jaune grit his teeth and made his decision. "Nora! Ren! Pyrrha! Hold the line!"

He heard a chorus of agreement, and in sync JNR Pyrrha opened fire. Grenade launchers, SMG fire, rifle rounds, and aura slashes met the Grimm head on, thinning their numbers as the villagers panickily rode the Bullhead.

Jaune shouted through the noise, guiding the villagers. "Get to the Bullhead ASAP! Even out your numbers, we'll arrange for another pickup for you if the Bullheads need an emergency landing!" He ducked under the swing of a Beowolf, smacking its head away and killing it with a quick slash before turning to the villagers again. "Go, go, go!"

The villagers did as they were told, abandoning all doubts and gathering in the same Bullheads as their family. Jaune danced around the battle as his team and wife covered his back, slashing and killing Grimm as best he could and keeping any that stepped too close off of everyone's backs.

His mind ran a mile a minute. This won't do. The Grimm were downright never-ending, and if they kept this up all of them would die standing here fighting. Not a bad way to go, but he didn't want it either way. They needed to split the Grimm in two, make them easier to handle in a way that wouldn't jeopardize the villagers.

As the battle continued, Jaune felt himself go out of breath, felt his Aura being drained and his stamina failing bit by bit. He dodged a Beringel's swipe and hit it back with a yell, stabbing its chest with Croce Mors and standing tiredly above its corpse. And yet, even more came, swarming them and forcing Jaune to take the defence with his shield.

He felt his body shake as he endured blow by blow, striking back with an Aura slash and clearing the field around him. His wife and teammates quickly covered his back, swinging and smashing and firing as he caught his breath, and Jaune quickly repaid the favour by giving them a quick burst of Aura Amplification.

But this wasn't sustainable. Slowly but surely, they were being pushed back. The Grimm were getting closer and closer to the Bullheads. He even heard a panicked shout from one of the villagers, quickly silenced when Ren appeared before them and killed the Grimm that had come too close.

And in that moment, Jaune made up his mind. There was no other choice, the Grimm had to be distracted.

"I'll be splitting up."

The reaction was immediate; Nora gasped, Ren growled, and Pyrrha clenched her teeth. They continued killing Grimm as they processed the information, though Pyrrha did smash one's skull in especially hard. "And what exactly does that mean?!"

"We need to thin out the Grimm, best way to do that is to split up their attention." Jaune elaborated. He blocked a lunge from an Ursa and cut its head off in return. Resigned, he turned to his team and spoke; "Nora, use your grenades to stall them as long as you can. At least until all the villagers are aboard. Ren, make sure none of them step too close to the Bullheads. Make that your priority, eliminate any with extreme prejudice. Pyrrha, I need you to kill as many in that sea of theirs as possible. Nora and Ren will cover your back. And then, once everyone's on board, all of you can get on too and-!"

But Pyrrha had scowled and shut his mouth with her hand. "I'm coming with you."

Jaune gargled and pushed her hand away. "Wha- no! I need you here, Nora and Ren are going to need all the firepower they can get!"

Pyrrha sputtered angrily. "And where exactly are you planning to go? Don't think I forgot about you telling us to board the Bullhead back there, mister. We'd be leaving you behind!"

"I'll be fine!" Jaune insisted. He pointed to a cave entrance behind several trees, "There's that cave there, I've done my research, and there should be an opening down south of it. Worse comes to worst, I'll cave myself in and wait till you guys can call for backup."

"That's a horrible idea!"

"It's the only option we've got!" Jaune reiterated back. His eyes wandered to those of his team's, and then to Pyrrha's. Giving his wife a nod that she didn't return, he cast his gaze to Ren and gave him a quick salute. "You're in charge, buddy."

Ren felt his eyes widen as denial swept in. "No, Jaune, wait-!"

"RAHHHHHH!" Jaune threw away Ren's everyone's concern and leapt into the sea of Grimm, his sword shining bright and his body landing right in the thick of it. He swung his sword around him with renewed yet limited vigour, attracting the Grimm to him in droves. He then began to slowly but surely separate himself from where his allies were, amplifying his Aura and attracting more and more Grimm, each step making his blonde hair grow smaller and smaller in his friend's vision. Lost in a sea of darkness.

Ren grit his teeth as he fired StormFlower around him, dashing around and killing a quick pair of Beowolves with its blade parts. True to Jaune's prediction, the Grimm had split, a sizeable amount of them going after Jaune. He clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tch. Fine. Nora, Pyrrha, group up on me. Stick close, we can't let any of them through!"

"This is insane!" Pyrrha shouted back. She killed a quick pair of Grimm with her weapons, jumping and spiralling over swipe before brutally slamming her shield at Ursa's neck. "There's so many! And we can't- we can't just leave him!"

"Jaune's the leader for a reason. He can handle himself!" Ren shouted. Beside him, Nora swung her hammer angrily and knocked an especially large group of Ursas back.

Nora agreed with her husband's reasoning. "Jaune-Jaune's always made the right choice! And if- if he doesn't this time, then we can't let it get to waste!"

"WHAT?!" Pyrrha couldn't believe her ears. They couldn't just- they couldn't just leave him to die! "I thought teams were supposed to guard each other's backs!"

"We're supposed to finish our mission!" Nora shot back with a scowl. She felt irritation grow in her chest. She wasn't any happier about this than Pyrrha was, but Jaune was her leader. "We can't second-guess Jaune now. Not when he's given his trust to us!"

Given his trust…

That was true. Pyrrha had never worked in a team before. Never knew what team dynamics really were. In all her career, she had spent it as a lone combatant. Participating in tournaments alone, taking on missions alone, fighting Grimm and saving lives alone. This had been a chance to see what real teamwork was like. To see what she had been missing out on, to see the success that cooperation yielded.

The cold, logical part of her told her that this was for the best. That Jaune was a leader after all, and that he could handle himself. The numerous simulations and trainings that she had went through told her that she should prioritize the mission too, that she should prioritize her success. That was what the Invincible Girl was about, what Mistral's darling needed to be.

But the part of her that had been alone so long refused to let another suffer that loneliness too. That was what she wanted, what Pyrrha Nikos wanted.

So with a shout and a warcry, Pyrrha jumped into the fray too and raced after her husband.

"HOLD ON, JAUNE! I'M COMING!"

Jaune huffed as he killed another Grimm, sweat dripping down every part of his body and his Aura lower than ever.

His eyes scanned the battlefield before him, noticing the amount of Grimm that had chased after him. Good, let them come. This way, the Bullheads can take off with the others, can make sure that everyone was safe.

As for himself…

"HAHHHH!" Jaune let loose a wide slash of Aura, cutting out the surrounding Grimm and giving him some breathing room. But a loud caw from above cut his break in short, a flock of Nevermores surrounding his skies and sending down sharp feathers aimed for his heart.

Jaune clicked his tongue and deflected them with his shield, taking a step and another closer to the cave. At this rate, he'd have no choice but to go in there, at least to minimize the amount of Grimm he'd have to face at one time.

This was all a desperate gamble, he knew. The fact of the matter was, he could have taken Pyrrha with him. But fact of the matter was, he didn't know her well enough yet. Sure, their earlier teamwork was amazing, was the best he had ever felt in a long time, but this was a life-or-death situation. He didn't want to risk anything to chance, at least not the ones he cared about.

Jaune dodged another feather and sent a wild Aura slash at the corresponding Nevermore. It struck its wings, sending it crashing to the ground, but he was quickly assaulted by a pack of Beowolves on top of the other Nevermores screeching for his head.

"Damn it…!" Jaune bit through his frustration and handled the Beowolves as best he could, blocking and parrying their slashes while driving Crocea Mors deep into their guts.

At least this way, Jaune thought, Pyrrha would be safe. It wasn't a matter of if she could handle this or not, but rather the fact that he didn't want to risk it. A lot could go wrong in a mission, and the fact that this was their first together… He can't let her be injured on his head.

He would never live with himself if she did. He could not, could not let harm come to her!

So it was with that mindset that Jaune was driven back slowly but surely, his left foot now right at the entrance of the cave. Peeking out over the sea, he noticed the Bullheads begin to take off, taking off not a minute later and carrying the people he cared about to safety.

Jaune resisted the urge to sigh in relief. This was good, he reassured himself. It didn't matter how much of a pinch he was in, what mattered was that the people he cared about was safe. That was his duty as a Huntsman, the code of his family that he had dreamed so long of following. And if that meant being where his life was currently, them he would have no regrets!

He was in the entrance of the cave now, its structure starting to provide a roof over his head. Now, all he needed was to swing up and block them from coming in, then wait for help to come-!

SLASH! "AAAAGHHH!" Jaune roared in pain as a Beowolf snuck up on him and struck his right arm, depleting his Aura and sending him skidding back. He hissed as he felt blood seep through the wound, his grip on his sword weakening.

Jaune looked up; now, he was a bit deeper in the cave, the Grimm swarming through the entrance like hyenas eager to devour a piece of fresh meat. His main hand was wounded, and without Aura… he wouldn't have the strength to close the entrance and cut them off.

He grit his teeth and prepared himself as best he could. There would be no easy way out, all he had was the option of standing his ground and lasting against this wave to the best of his ability.

If this was how he was going to die-!

Jaune took a deep breath and steadied his resolve. If this was where he was going to die, then he'd die standing!

He steadied his breathing and saw the first of the Grimm approaching, an Ursa Major eager to maul him to death. He raised his shield, prepared to block it's blow-!

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY HUBSAND YOU SCUM!"

In a flash of Polarity Pyrrha appeared before him, having moved as fast as she could with the help of her Semblance. With a roar she plunged her spear deep through its skull, Grimm tar coating her face as the Ursa Major gurgled to death.

Pyrrha looked up with nothing short of pure rage in her emerald eyes. Like a princess of death she moved, cutting up Grimm by the dozens as she became nothing but a blur.

Not a hair of her husband was touched, every Grimm that came into the cave having met a swift end either by her shield, her sword, her spear, her rifle, or her bare hands. Her shouts echoed through the walls, the Grimm's squeals symphonizing together to create a vision Jaune would never forget for the rest of his life.

"HAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

But even invincibility had its limits. Pyrrha had used a lot of her Aura and Semblance to get here, and she knew she couldn't last much longer. She had practically killed a hundred Grimm in this rush alone, but they still. Kept. Coming.

But she wouldn't let harm come to them both. She wouldn't let this all be for nothing, wouldn't let anything come between them. So she disengaged after killing the last of the Beowolves, skidding back into the cave as she saw a sea of replacement Grimm rushing them in.

Pyrrha turned her sword into its rifle form and aimed it at the roof of the cave's entrance. Licking her lips, she fired all her shots and sent the rocks tumbling down to close them in.

BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

CRASH!

Grimm were crushed as the entrance closed in, kicking up some dust and debris as the sea was finally stopped. Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief as she laid down, a slight gap in the walls providing sunlight and air circulation to the otherwise air-tight cave.

Pyrrha looked around and hummed. All in all, it wasn't the worst place to be trapped in. They certainly wouldn't run out of oxygen soon and there was also enough light for them to see. But they still had to get out of this area at some point, else they either die of hunger or dehydration.

With that conclusion reached, Pyrrha turned around to look at her husband. She wanted to shoot him a look, to give him a scowl and tell him how stupid his plan was, t yell at him for leaving her, because how could she let her worry and suffer like that-!

But then, her words and anger died at her throat when she saw him nursing his bleeding right arm.

Pyrrha quickly rushed over to him and took out a gauze she had prepared just in case. "Come here." Pyrrha called, and Jaune complied with a grimace. Gingerly, she wrapped his arm in, her tender hands making sure that the wound was closed tight.

Strap!

"There we go." Pyrrha whispered. She gave his arm a few experimental stretches and sighed. "This is gonna take a while to heal, especially without Aura. Best case scenario is half a day, that is if your Aura comes back online that fast."

"That seems… hrng! reasonable." Jaune leaned back with a grunt against the cave wall and let out a tired breath. He looked at her guiltily, puppy dog eyes that weren't even intentional being directed to his wife. "Sorry for getting injured."

"That's not what you need to apologize for." Pyrrha said softly. She slowly approached him and sat by his side, laying her weapons away and letting him lean on her to relax. She gave him a look that wasn't stern nor was it completely forgiving; it was just her stating the facts. "I'm more upset that you went off on your own."

"Yeah." Jaune shuddered. He knew it wasn't his best plan, knew that it wasn't his plan to disappoint her, but… "I just wanted you to get out of here safely."

"Jaune, I can handle myself." Pyrrha said. She kept her tone level, even seeping in a bit of kindness in it. And the best, or worst part of it, was that it wasn't even an act for her. In front of him, right here and now, somehow Pyrrha didn't feel like she didn't need her masks. "I'm strong and we both know it."

"That's not- that's not what I meant." Jaune stuttered. He seemed to lean even more to her now, and Pyrrha found herself leaning ever slightly back.

Perhaps this fight had drained what will she had in keeping up her pride, in shielding her feelings and playing most of this little game of theirs. Right now, all she wanted to do was relax. To air out what worries she had, for she knew she didn't really want to keep it buried and fester. No, not if it was for him… and she never wondered why he was different, why he was the exception.

Not knowing Pyrrha's thoughts, Jaune spoke again. "I just… I don't want to see you get hurt. I chose this mission, and as the leader, I'm responsible for every single life in it. I'm not chasing some 100% success rate, but… that kind of responsibility isn't something to take lightly, y'know?"

"I know." Pyrrha nodded back, "Nora told me how you put your trust in us. But… I think I disagree."

Jaune looked to her, a questioning gaze in his eyes.

And Pyrrha looked deep into those orbs, her gaze drawn impossibly deep into them. She felt her words come out so easily, past any PR training and mask she ever had to wear. "They don't know you like I do. I saw the way you thought about the threats, Jaune. And I saw the way you panicked, saw your concern for the villagers and all of us. And… and I saw how you thought you had to shoulder the burden alone."

"Pyrrha…"

Pyrrha's hand found itself above Jaune's own, and a genuine smile graced her face.

Thump! Jaune's heart skipped a beat. The way she was looking at him now, the way that smile seemed so perfect for her, and the way her eyes were glistening with honesty… he didn't know how to describe it.

If this was heaven, that Jaune didn't know why he deserved it.

And Pyrrha, not knowing Jaune's revelation, continued with her words; 100% her, no trace of the Invincible Girl in sight. "I've felt it too, you know. How it feels to handle everything by yourself. But we're partners now. I might not know how that's supposed to be, how real teamwork looks like, but I know when someone thinks others should come first."

"…Pyrrha…" Jaune breathed out, closing his eyes for a second as he rearranged his thoughts. "…do you know why I became a Huntsman?"

"No, you never told me…"

"I… It's because my whole family has a history of being heroes." Jaune explained. "All of them, from my great-grandfather to my father, all of them did something great that made them stand out. That made them remembered in history as heroes of the people. But they didn't want that for me; they wanted me to just work on the family farm. They wanted me to lead a 'peaceful life'."

"And… and heroes are meant to save people." Jaune choked. "I know I'm not that good of a Huntsman. My own family didn't believe in me… they do now, but, come on, childhood memories still kinda sting, you know? And I can't forget their doubts, can't unsee their worry whenever I come and go for a visit back home…"

"All that matters is that I can make my mark in Remnant. Can do some good for its people for a better future. Nothing more, nothing less." Jaune finished with a sigh. "If what I do here can make one person smile, then everything will be worth it. No matter what happens … that's what I believe. What I have to believe… and that also means keeping all of you safe is the first priority. The only priority."

Jaune closed his eyes and looked away. It hurt to recall those doubts, it hurt to remember how his family didn't believe in him, how everyone in Beacon thought him worthless once upon a time. The vulnerable son, the weak link, the dead last, the deadweight.

And he unknowingly leaned heavily into the comfort his wife gave him when she squeezed his hand tighter.

And now, it was Pyrrha's turn to have her heart stop a beat. Thump!

It wasn't the most moving confession or speech she had heard. She had heard the speeches of Headmasters, of politicians and councilmen, and she could admit that what Jaune had said only scratched the surface of their wordsmith.

But what struck her was the honesty within them. He hadn't needed fancy words. He didn't give her fancy ideals, grand but false promises, didn't offer her dreams that would lead her to his hand. Everything he said had been from his heart, had been everything he believed in.

And the most important fact, was that he had said it to her. To a wife he was forced to marry, to someone who was planning to make him confess his love to her and make and assert the role in this relationship. He had borne his heart out to her despite it all, had revealed the very reason he did what he did, even if she didn't like it.

He was the first person to have done that to her, to have done that for her. Pyrrha had never had someone else open up to her before, had never seen someone so willing to trust her with their insecurities.

And now, to see someone do it, and the contents behind it so raw and honest...

She felt her heart skip another beat. Jaune was middle-of-the-road in terms of skill, sure. But his intentions were the purest she had ever seen. He didn't aim for fame, didn't aim for money or glory, didn't aim for the adoration or praise of others like so many she had seen in Mistral. What he did, he did because it was right. Because it was what he believed in. Because it was what his heart told him to do.

Nora's words rang back in her mind. He gave us his trust!

And right here and now, Pyrrha realized what that meant. It might not have been the right form, but he had given it to them, to her. She had to repay that somehow. For a person as true as this, as honest and as willing to care for her like this…

When it's a person just like Jaune…

…Maybe spending the rest of their lives together wouldn't be as bad as she had first thought.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha said softly. "…I may not understand what you went through. Even when I was a child, everyone always pushed me. Always wanted me to be the best. And in a sense, I did, and everyone only became more supportive because of it."

She took a deep breath when Jaune's eyes turned to her again. They seem so pretty now…

"But, Jaune… in all my life, you were the first person I've ever met who never lied about their feelings. All those people that supported me, everyone that tried to get close to me… they all saw me as the Invincible Girl. Every word out of their mouths had an ulterior motive. Every mission they recommended, everything I was advised on, trained for… no one did it for the anyone but themselves. There was… there really was no one to lean on. No one to trust but myself."

"So… you may not have done the right decision, but you gave me your trust." Pyrrha smiled, and she relished in how genuine it felt. How, in this very moment, she felt secure enough to show her true self. And how she didn't need to feel ashamed in doing so… "That means more than anything to me, Jaune."

"R-really…?" Jaune asked, uncertain. His eyes were going everywhere now, as if he was embarrassed. "I just did what anyone would've done, Pyr…"

Pyrrha giggled. "Trust me, Jaune. Not everyone's brave enough to take that much Grimm on alone." She pressed her palm to his, holding it tight and rubbing circles over his knuckles. She remembered her days in Mistral's circuit, the interviews she had done, the latest one she had done with Dana.

Pyrrha smiled at him. "I understand that… well, really, none of us have ever had any partners before. This was our first mission with someone else on our backs… So I want you to know that I'll be here for you. You don't need to hesitate to offload some of your burdens to me. And in turn… in turn…!"

Pyrrha found the words hard to say. For a moment, she hesitated. Experience had shaed her; if she admitted that she had several difficulties, that she had weakness, then what would Jaune think-!

But now it was his hand on top of hers, his fingers interlocking hers as he looked at her again with a gentleness in his eyes, both so close and yet so far.

"I'll help you out too." Jaune whispered honestly, and Pyrrha's cheeks flushed red. Not so at the way they were close nor at the way he was holding her hand, but at how honest he was. How there wasn't any hint of a lie on his face, how he'd be willing to give up anything at a moment's notice to help her out.

A shot of true happiness pierced Pyrrha's heart, and she choked back a laugh. Her eyes became wet, and unable to force it back any longer, Pyrrha let out a real, true laugh for once leave her throat.

And soon her husband joined her too, laughing in sync as they leaned on each other. This may not be where they had both hoped to lay the first parts of their hearts were, nor were these conditions the most romantic of all. And yet, this worked for them.

This was enough to be special for Jaune and Pyrrha. What made it special was the person they were spending the time with, and not where it was held nor the circumstances that lead them here.

Their partner was all they would ever need to feel complete… and a part of them began to steadily admit that without embarrassment.

A message pinged Jaune's scroll, breaking their laughter and giving a ray of hope to their current predicament. It was from Nora, and the message had read: 'All's safe, Jaune! We're going 'round with backup to get you guys out!'

Pyrrha chuckled. "Well, they sure work quick…"

"That's Nora and Ren for you." Jaune smiled at his wife. He quickly typed back a response to Nora, giving an affirmative before asking his wife one more question:

They were here now, with nothing else to do but to wait. It struck Jaune how uncomfortable this place must be to a superstar like her, how she had so willingly helped him earlier with both the Grimm and his broken arm. So he had felt it prudent to ask, still smiling with eyes that cared so much, "Anything else I can help you with, Pyr?"

"Oh, Jaune…" Pyrrha closed her eyes and let her head fall on his lap. She let out a breath as she savoured his warmth, as he gasped and she buried her face in his stomach. She hugged him close as she felt exhaustion claim her, as she felt her husband's loving embrace as he slowly but surely returned her small, restrained gesture of love, as he fell asleep even faster than her.

It was all she could manage, at this moment. But still she felt her heart content in happiness, still felt that… this wasn't that bad.

This what was she had been looking for so long. This companionship, this loyalty, this honesty. And he had done it without even a single ounce of effort, had… had won her over just by being him.

And she loved every bit of it.

And when he fell asleep too, when she was on the throes of sleep in her already passed-out husband's arms, she whispered one word she was still unable to admit to him yet seemed so obvious to her now. A word she believed with every inch of her heart.

"…You're already doing more than you know, my love."

RESULTS OF TODAY'S BATTLE:

VICTORY FOR PYRRHA

A/N And that's it! Lemme know what you thought in the reviews! Thanks for reading and see you next time!