Author's Note: I want to thank Gorsouul, a guy who has been following my story since the start, for reading the first draft of the chapter. The feedback he gave me helped making it a bit better.

Hope you'll enjoy the first chapter of this year.

How long had she sat curled up in the corner of the dorm bathroom, dressed only in a simple t-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts, surrounded by pitch blackness? Nora did not know, nor did she really care. Time itself held no meaning to her anymore. The silence was so gripping she could almost not even hear her own breathing. She had gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to relieve herself in the bathroom, but had then become anchored down by her own misery. She could go back, but felt it would not make any difference. Sleep was something she would not find easily tonight. If at all.

Several hours had passed after the events of the nightclub. After having confessed her feelings for Pyrrha, a heartbroken Nora had returned to Beacon. Travelling alone with only her disappointment, anger and sadness as her company, had been like a never-ending ride of emotional suffering. She had called Ren while flying across the strait. His soothing voice had momentarily made her stop crying, but it had done little to calm her stormy emotions and torn heart. The first thing she had done when she met Ren was to throw herself against him and cry herself dry against his chest. He had not said much. He did not need to. His very presence had been enough. She knew he was there for her, just like he would always be.

What was I THINKING?! I wanted my love confession to bring us closer, to make it a sweet and happy memory for us that we could look back on whenever we needed to be cheered up. Because of my STUPIDITY, I've ruined our friendship and caused a rift between us! This is gonna haunt for me the rest of my life!

She stopped lingering in the past and present, and began to think of the future. She knew the timing was not ideal, but there was someone she needed to call and talk to. Her shaky resolve could never last until morning. She took out and opened her Scroll. The light from the holographic display acted as a beacon of light amidst the darkness that cast a dim illumination around her. She pressed a few buttons, navigating her way through a list of names until she stopped at 'Brunn'. She then put the Scroll close to her ear, and began counting each ringback tone. She felt nervous, even though she knew she should not. It had been a while since she had last called him. Usually, it was he who called her to check up on her once in a while.

A grumbling man with a deep voice answered her call, tiredly asking, "Mrrm… who is this? This better be important."

"Sorry for waking you up, Daddy," Nora apologized, keeping her voice hushed to not disturb her teammates sleeping on the other side of the door.

She heard Brunn gasp quietly. "Nora?" He quickly cleared his throat and continued, "I didn't notice it was you. It's in the middle of the night. Are you alright?" he asked, sounding more awake already.

Nora shook her head, even though he could not see her. "No… I'm not," she said melancholically, sighing afterwards. "Dad… have you been talking to mom recently?"

There was short, yet noticeable silence from the other side of the line. "How… how did you know that?"

"So it's true then?"

"Yes, she called me a few days ago. I recognized her voice instantly, even after seventeen years of silence."

"She… she contacted me too. I met her for the first time. She told me things. Things that I didn't know. I'm not sure what I should feel about it. Why didn't you tell me that you've talked to her?" she asked, trying not to sound too accusing.

"You shouldn't be talking to her at all. She has caused you enough misery already," explained Brunn with noticeable contempt.

"I deserved to know at least. She's still my mom."

"No, Nora!" Her father suddenly raised his voice laced with controlled anger. "Jorda stopped being your mother when she chose to abandon her only daughter!"

His small outburst did not surprise Nora, nor did she blame him for it. She empathized with him. He had every right to be angry with Jorda, just like she did.

Nora waited a few seconds, giving Brunn some time to calm down. "I know what she did was wrong. She explained to me what happened, why she did it, and how sorry she is. I wanna at least try and give her a second chance."

"Being sorry doesn't undo what she did!" retorted Brunn.

Nora gritted her teeth. I didn't call you to argue in the middle of the night! She tried to stabilize the conversation by shifting the subject slightly. "Jorda told me that she's gonna see you tomorrow."

"Yes… she is," answered Brunn, now having regained some of his composure. "I'm not sure why exactly. I'm not too keen on seeing her. I could've hung up when she called, but I didn't. I yelled at her. But when she cried and begged me to let her see me, I somehow ended up agreeing."

His explanation reminded Nora of how she had reacted and reasoned after her mother's unexpected return. Despite all the anger, doubt, and sadness she had felt, she had still chosen to meet her. It had taken strength, and the support of her friends to do so.

This is a chance to make things better… but also to make it even worse. I gotta do this! "I wanna come, too! I wanna see you, both of you!" she stated determinately.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Nora. I don't want to see you getting hurt."

Nora grunted. Typical daddy, always so protective of me. I know he means well. "I'm not a kid anymore, Dad. Besides, I might end up even more hurt if I don't come."

Her father let out a sigh of defeat. "You've always been stubborn, dear. A trait you definitely didn't get from me. I won't stop if you want to come. You know that I love you."

Nora felt his last words sap the warmth from her, filling her with doubt. She gripped the Scroll tighter. "Dad…" She lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper.

"Yes, Nora?"

"You… you said that you love me. You'll always do that… right? No matter what?"

"Why would you ask something like that? Is there something you're not telling me? You're not in trouble, are you?" Brunn asked worriedly.

Nora rubbed her face. "No. I… I guess I'm just tired. It's been a pretty rough week for me."

"I can understand that. You should get some sleep then. You might have a long day ahead of you. I want you to know that you're welcome to visit me tomorrow."

"Right. Night then, daddy."

"Good night, pumpkin." He called her by her childish nickname because of her orange hair.

Nora sighed after she ended the call. How am I supposed to tell him that I'm gay?



She feared that he would end up hurt and angry, just like when Jorda left him. What she absolutely dreaded, however, was that he would never want to hear from her again. Despite her father's negative stance on homosexuals, Nora could never bring herself to hate him. She had lost one parent before, and did not want to lose another. When Jorda had abandoned her out of doubt and fear, Brunn had taken his role and responsibility as a father.

The silence within the darkness was interrupted as she heard the door open.

"Nora? Are you still in here?" whispered someone. As the automatic lights in the ceiling came on, it revealed Ren standing by the door, dressed only his boxer shorts. Nora squinted and grunted quietly from the light stinging her eyes. After a few seconds, her eyes began to grow adjusted. Ren walked up to her and kneeled down. "You've been here for over half an hour. How are you feeling?"

As she reached out with her hand, Ren grabbed it and helped her stand up. She cracked a few, stiff joints in the process. She answered Ren with silence. How am I feeling? As if there's gaping hole in my chest after Pyrrha ripped my heart out!

Ren put his hands on her shoulders. "You want to talk some more? Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

Under different circumstances, she would ask him to comfort her by making her some pancakes and then give her a relaxing backrub. This time it would not cut it. She felt so cold, hopeless, and helpless. She needed to get warm, to latch onto a shred of hope and feel that she was not alone. She needed to be loved.

"Yes, you can." A strained smile spread across Nora's visage as she took a step closer to Ren and put her ear against his bare, hairless chest. His warmth spread through her cold body, filling her with pleasantness. "Love me, Ren! Become my cute, charming and dependable boyfriend! We can make it work, somehow. I just know it!" Please slap me over how pathetic I sound! Desperation and a broken heart made her continue, wanting to receive slightest bit of some form of love. "We don't need to have sex. We can-"

She was gently interrupted by her childhood friend, who put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her head back, making her look up at him. Magenta colored eyes expressed muted concern, and also pity. "Nora, we both know we can never love each other like that. We've tried, remember? A platonic relationship would leave us both unhappy. Do you really want to live like that? To keep up a charade, and convince yourself every day that you're happy?"

His honesty hurt her, but she knew he was right. Ren never told any lies to her, not even when he knew that the truth might hurt Nora. It was a trait about him that she liked. "I just want to be loved!" she whined.

Ren patted her head, bringing his fingers through her short, orange hair. "You'll eventually find another girl, Nora. You're beautiful, optimistic, caring. You'll make a loving girlfriend to someone. I know it."

"But I'll never find another Pyrrha."

"Even if Pyrrha can't love you, you must still treasure your friendship with her."

Ren's words served as a double-edged sword. They filled Nora with hope as much as they filled her with despair. She dug her fingers tighter against him. She felt her eyes tearing up again, and pressed her face against his chest.

Even if her chances to be together with Pyrrha were poor and dwindling, she never wanted their friendship to end. Having met and befriended her was one of the happiest moments in her life. If she ever finds herself a prince charming, then I must be happy for her… no matter how painful it will be for me.

She let go of Ren and wiped away a couple of tears. "Thanks, Ren. You're awesome. You know that, right?" she said to him and sniffled. She could not linger in the bathroom anymore. It was time to act, so she made a decision. "I should try and sleep now. I gotta go somewhere tomorrow."

"Go where?" asked Ren with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm gonna head back home to Vana… to meet my parents."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Nora knew Ren would ask that. It was tempting to bring him with her and let him be her emotional support, to prevent her from falling apart. "No, Ren. I need to do this on my own, no matter how ugly it may get."

"Are you sure now's a good time for you to see you parents?" asked Ren. "After everything that you've been through lately with your mother and Pyrrha?"

"The timing could be better, but I'll never know when I'll get a second chance to see them both. I need talk to them, just like they need to talk to me."

She noticed Ren frowning questioningly at her. She had lived with his stoic and introverted personality for many years. Now, however, his silence made her feel uncomfortable. "You're not leaving because you want to avoid Pyrrha, are you?" he asked.

"O-of course I'm not!" replied Nora quickly back at him, not having foreseen his confrontational question at all. "It's just that… Pyrrha and I… need to be away from each other for a while, okay? It's for the best. We both have a lot on our minds right now."

Ren tilted his head quizzically. "Are you sure about that, Nora? Maybe now's the time she needs you the most. What will she think if the girl who confessed her love to her suddenly decides to leave the academy the next day?"

Nora realized she needed to choose between her parents and Pyrrha, a Catch-22 between two equally bad options.

"It's only for a day at the most. I'll be back here tomorrow afternoon at the latest. You probably won't even notice that I'm gone." Nora defended her choice to leave, but there was hesitation in her voice. She did not want to think about it anymore. The only thing she wanted now was to get some sleep. "I wanna get some rest now. Lemme sleep in your bed."

Pyrrha saw herself as a morning person. She was accustomed to getting up early in the morning, even during weekends. She checked the clock on her Scroll while in bed. The time was past 10 AM, yet she still had no desire to get up and start her day. While half-awake, she had heard movements within the dorm as her teammates had gotten up. Jaune had whispered if she was awake. To her chagrin, she had pretended to be asleep.

"I love you, Pyrrha." Those four words from Nora had thrown her life around. It troubled her that she was not sure yet if it was for the better or worse.

Suddenly, Pyrrha heard the dorm door open. She continued keeping her eyes closed, her face partially buried into her two pillows. Light footsteps approached her. She then, to her surprise, felt someone sit down on the edge of her bed. She looked to see who it was.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" said Nora excitedly.

Pyrrha covered her mouth as she pretended to yawn. "Oh, uhm… good morning, Nora." She was not sure what else to say. It was the first time they met and talked since yesterday evening. Nora acted as if nothing had happened.

"You look cute when you sleep, despite the fact that you snore," said Nora and giggled.

Pyrrha blinked as the embarrassing news was revealed to her. "I-I snore?"

Nora nodded, her smile growing into a teasing grin. "Mhm, but only when you're lying on your back. Even your snoring sounds cute, like a baby sloth."

I don't care if my snoring sounds cute. From now on, I'll never sleep on my back again. She grew curious as she noticed Nora keeping a backpack on the floor between her legs. "What's in the bag?" she asked, noticing that it looked almost full.

Nora lifted the backpack up and placed it down on her lap. "Oh, nothing special. A change of clothes, my toothbrush, a few comics, sodas, some beef jerky, and of course candy! Enough stuff to last me through a day."

"What for?" Pyrrha then realized the answer to her own question. "Are… are you going home to Vana after all?"

"Yeah. Not the kind of family reunion I was hoping for. Oh well, I'm only gonna be gone for a day, but I didn't wanna leave without saying good bye. Especially not after what happened yesterday, you know. Wouldn't want you to think that I'm avoiding you, right?" said Nora, chuckling in a strained manner, her feet fidgeting.

As she said that, Pyrrha relived in the blink of an eye what had happened and been said yesterday evening outside the nightclub. The shame and doubt she felt within her was renewed, swelling with new strength. She raised her upper body up, and moved to sit down next to Nora. "I'm so terribly sorry for hurting your feelings, Nora. You must understand, I didn't know."

Nora averted her turquoise eyes away from her, and looked down on the floor. Her wide grin faded into a thin smile. "No, I'm more sorry for putting you in a dilemma. I overreacted at the club. It would've been best if I hadn't said anything at all."

"Nora…," Pyrrha said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Slowly, Nora raised her gaze from the floor and craned her neck to look at Pyrrha once more. She placed her hand on top of hers, entwining their fingers. "Look, Pyrrha, even if you won't able to respond to my feelings for you, I want you to know that I won't hold any grudge against you. I promise we'll always be friends, no matter what happens. I won't stop helping you overcome your fear of drowning. If you ever need to talk about something, anything, you know where to find me."

As she finished talking, Pyrrha felt her fingers being squeezed softly. She opened her mouth, but said nothing as Nora briefly checked her open Scroll. "I better go now if I wanna catch the flight to Vale City. It's gonna be a few boring hours to get to Vana. Good thing that I decided to pack those comics," she said.

But… I want you to stay, at least a while longer so that we can talk face to face. She kept those thoughts for herself. It would be selfish of me to make you stay. I know it's important for you to meet your parents. "I understand, Nora."

Nora leaned closer to Pyrrha and hugged her, rubbing her face against her shoulder. Pyrrha became sad, but she was not sure why. I know you will only be gone for a day… but why does it feel we are saying good bye forever? She embraced Nora tighter, as if silently urging her to stay.

"Looks like you'll be the woman of the house while I'm gone. Take care of Ren and Jaune," whispered Nora into her ear, their hug lingering.

"I will. I hope things will go well with you and your parents. Please call me if you need to talk."

As they withdrew from each other and ended the hug, Nora put the tip of her right index finger on her lips and then gently poked Pyrrha's nose. "Boop!" The tease elicited a short giggle from Pyrrha, something which she felt she needed. Nora stood up and walked over to the door. After giving Pyrrha one last look and a smile, she left the dorm.

Pyrrha sighed. I miss you already. She was not sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Not wanting to linger in bed anymore, she got up and headed to the bathroom.

Pyrrha was not sure how to spend the rest of the Sunday, and she hated it. She was bored, yet she did not feel motivated to do anything about it. She did not want to study for next week's test, go for a relaxing walk around the academy's gardens, visit the training area to release some pent up stress, or even read another novel she had borrowed from Blake. The only thing, the only person that was on her mind was Nora.

I need to have an answer, anything for Nora when she returns to the academy tomorrow. It was like being stuck in a hamster wheel. No matter how much she thought about what to do, she never came any closer to an answer. It felt like she was drowning, not in water, but in her own doubts. She needed to struggle to stay afloat, or she would sink and lose herself to depression.

Desperate to distract herself with something, anything, Pyrrha walked up to one of the two wardrobes within the dorm. She shared half of one wardrobe with Nora, whereas Ren and Jaune had the second. Her dresses, tops, underwear, socks, and more, had already been neatly folded and organized into their corresponding drawers and hangers. That, however, did not stop her, as she began to take them out and re-organize them.

She stopped as she caught sight of something she had not seen for almost two weeks: a red, two-piece bikini with yellow piping. It was the swimwear she had bought with Nora during their shopping trip together to Vale City. She reached for it and held it in her hands, rubbing the soft material between her fingers. The bikini brought back memories, most of them being pleasant. I think I know what to do to distract myself. But can I really do it?

She was scared to visit the academy's swimming pool, especially after the panic attack she had suffered when performing a mission together with Ren. She had lost herself to terror. If it had not been for Ren, she would have become yet another casualty to the Grimm. If Nora had been her on that rainy afternoon, Pyrrha believed that the panic attack could have been avoided. Her friend had been a crucial, supporting pillar.

If only Nora was here. She could have gone with me. Pyrrha groaned inwardly. Stop thinking about her, for just one day! Focus.

Fear, however, was not enough to stop her. She needed to go to the swimming pool alone. She recalled that her therapist, Tawny Katz, had said that Nora had helped Pyrrha so much that she may have become dependent on her. The woman had suggested that she should continue to seek help from her friend, but she must also learn how to help herself without her, for Nora would not always be by her side.

I must prove that I'm capable of fighting my fear alone, not only to myself, but to Nora as well. I know that would make her proud of me.

Pyrrha walked to her nightstand and pulled out the top drawer. She reached inside it and took out a white, plastic jar. It contained dozens of pills, which had been prescribed to her by her therapist. The woman had instructed her that if she were to take a pill approximately thirty minutes before swimming, showering, or going out while raining, she would be able to relax more easily and reduce the risk of panicking.

She put the jar back into the drawer and closed it. No, I must fight this fear with my own resolve and courage and not with some extra chemicals in my body. She did not care that Tawny had said they're non-addictive. She had no desire to swallow a pill every time she wanted to shower or head out into the having finished putting her clothes back into the wardrobe, Pyrrha grabbed the bikini and a large towel before leaving the dorm.

The distinct and familiar scent of chlorinated water greeted Pyrrha as she stepped into the academy's swim hall, wearing her red bikini. As she had expected, she saw no one else was there. It was how she preferred it to be. She could have asked either Ren or Jaune, maybe both even, if they wanted to accompany her.

Alright then, I must do this slowly and carefully. If I panic, there'll be no one around to help me. She had been alone when she had suffered her first panic attack, with nothing but her fear and terror accompanying her. It was something she prayed she would never experience again.

Carefully, she approached the pool's edge as if she was standing before a vast and deep chasm, where a single misstep could cause her to fall to her death. Even though the swim hall was a place meant for relaxation and exercise, Pyrrha felt on edge, as if she was walking deep within Grimm territory. She took a moment to clear her thoughts and steel her heart.

I know I can do this! Taking in a breath and sitting down on the edge, she slowly submerged her calves into the warm water, and then exhaled. Despite the short shiver that surged through her, Pyrrha thought it was a good enough start. She decided to sit there for a moment rather than jump in and try to wade out into the deeper end. Even though she had come here to have a respite from Nora, she could not stop herself from thinking about her.

In hindsight, she wondered if she had to some degree suspected that Nora liked her more than a friend, but had kept those thoughts buried in her subconscious out of fear. How long has Nora loved me? How long has she kept her feelings a secret? Pyrrha sympathized with her, knowing from personal experience how painful it was to have feelings for someone and not say anything about it.

She now understood what her therapist had meant when she mentioned that she had exhibited anxiety when talking about Nora. Her subconscious doubts about Nora's unknown feelings were the cause that made her aquaphobia to grow stronger. Tawny had recommended that if Pyrrha could defeat one of her fears, then the other would fall quicker. But which fear do I overcome first? My fear of drowning, or my fear of Nora's feelings? What if I can't overcome both or either of them?

"Oh, hey there, Pyrrha." Her deep thinking was suddenly interrupted by a familiar, female voice behind her. "Didn't expect to see you here." As she turned around, she saw Yang step out from the locker room, wearing a yellow bikini that matched her hair.

"Hello again, Yang." She greeted her with a smile. She had nothing against Yang as a person, but she preferred to be alone. She could not bring herself to tell her that though. "It looks like you know about the pool's existence as well. Did Nora tell you about it?" she asked.

The blonde girl nodded and grinned. "Yep! I can't believe we've been here for so many months without realizing that we have our own swimming pool!" She paused as she gazed throughout the swim hall, as if looking for someone. "Are you here by yourself?" she asked.

"Yes. Jaune, Ren, and Nora are… busy."

Yang giggled and sat down next to her, dipping her legs into the water, too. "Are they a bunch of bores like my team? I asked if they wanted to come, but nope! They all have their silly excuses. Rubes needed to go somewhere. Weiss keeps worrying about next week's test. And Blake hates swimming, cuz, you know, meow." Yang giggled while she licked the top of her hand and pretended to bathe herself like a cat.

"Well, at least you all went to the nightclub together," mentioned Pyrrha.

"True enough." Yang lifted one leg up from the water and wiggled her toes over the surface. "Aaah… the water feels great. The bores don't know what they're missing."

Pyrrha sighed inwardly. I wish I could enjoy the water like everyone else. But now's not the time for moping. She forced herself to smile as she looked at Yang. "Speaking of which, I forgot to tell you something before. Thank you, Yang, for inviting me and Nora to the Girls' Night Out."

"No problem! I gotta admit, I didn't expect you to come with us, but I'm glad you did. You should totally do it again. You and Nora did some pretty sweet moves on the dance floor."

Pyrrha shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see myself as a clubber, but I would not mind going out again, sometime."

"You can bet that I'll be sure to ask when it's time again. By the way, how's Nora doing?" Yang changed the subject, her face expressing a vague yet noticeable amount of concern. "She looked pretty upset yesterday."

As Yang said that, Pyrrha's smile faded, her fingers tightening against the edge of the pool. She averted her eyes away from the blonde, a strong sensation of doubt swelling in her mind. To her chagrin, Pyrrha did not really know the answer to Yang's question. "I… I think she is fine. We… just had a misunderstanding," she answered hesitantly.

After Nora had confessed her love and left the nightclub, Pyrrha had lied to the girls from team RWBY and told that Nora had not felt well and needed to go back to the academy. Pyrrha had stayed with them for another moment, trying her best to socialize and have fun before she too had decided that it was best to leave. As awkward as she had felt about leaving so early, none of her friends had questioned her about it.

"Hey, Pyrrha, listen," began Yang, her lilac eyes giving Pyrrha an apologetic look. "I've wanted to get something off my chest since yesterday. I'm sorry for what I said about you and Nora. I guess I got a little too happy about the thought that you two were dating each other." She palmed her face and groaned. "Ugh! I feel like an idiot! Ruby heard Nora moaning and I immediately thought that you two were having sex."

Pyrrha put her hand on Yang's shoulder. As she looked at her, she gave her a reassuring smile. "I appreciate your apology, Yang, but I wasn't blaming you. We all do mistakes."

Yang sighed and smiled in relief. "Great! Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna try out the water for real!" She walked back a few steps before she dashed and cannonballed into the water, splashing Pyrrha a bit who grunted softly in discomfort. Another shiver surged through her.

Yang resurfaced and brushed away soaked, golden blonde hair away from her eyes, an excited grin plastered upon her face. "Are you just gonna sit there? Come on!" She reached out and took a gentle hold around Pyrrha's wrist. "Let's see who can swim to the edge and back the fastest!"

Pyrrha widened her eyes, her heart skipping a beat. The moment was eerily similar to when Nora had grabbed and pulled her into the pool, unwittingly reawakening her phobia. No! I can't let it happen again! "Yang! No!" Pyrrha quickly yanked her hand free. She stood up and glared down at the other girl in the water. "Don't you ever try to pull me into the water!" she yelled, her body tensing up from both anger and fear.

"Woah woah!" Yang put her hands up in front of her in a defensive gesture. "I'm sorry!" she said sincerely, looking shocked.

Pyrrha blinked and exhaled. Her fading anger and fear were replaced by shame. "No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just…" Her voice faded. She was not sure how to explain her uncharacteristic behavior.

"It's about Nora… isn't it?" asked Yang carefully.

As Pyrrha reluctantly nodded, Yang got up from the water and walked over to sit down on a bench. "Are you up for some Girl Talk?" She patted the free space next to her. "Looks like you need it. What's troubling you?"

She's right. I must, no, I need to talk to someone. I owe her an explanation after my rude outburst. She sat down next to her and took a breath. "Nora has… feelings for me… but I'm not sure what I feel for her," explained Pyrrha, looking down at her twiddling fingers in her lap.

"So she actually does like you? Wow, and here I thought she and Ren had something going. Why are you unsure?" asked Yang.

Pyrrha became silent, frustration churning within her. She chewed on her lip as she searched her thoughts for anything that could help her answer Yang's question. "I just don't know! That's what I've been trying to figure out. This is all so very new to me. I think… maybe it's because she's a girl?"

Yang put her fingers on her chin, her lilac eyes glancing upward. "Hmm, so what do you think about boys then?"

Finally, a question I know I can answer. "I… I have liked a couple before."

"Then, do you think you would've liked Nora better if she was a dude?" asked Yang with a grin, seemingly amused by her own, odd question.

"I… don't know," answered Pyrrha and raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do you ask that?"

"I'm just trying to narrow down what's really concerning you," explained Yang. "Maybe you're bi-curious? I see myself as pansexual, and I'm comfortable with it."

Pyrrha was surprised. Not only about Yang's sexuality, but how she said it without any hesitation at all. "You're… pansexual? Do you mind if I ask how you came to realize that?" She could neither say that Yang was right nor wrong about her guess that she might be bi-curious. She was, however, curious to learn more.

Yang shrugged her shoulders. "What's there to say? I've known for years that I like both girls and boys. Gender just doesn't matter to me if I like them. It feels just right for me. Being bi or pansexual has its awesome benefits, Pyrrha. Why choose between apples and oranges when you can have both?" she said with a wink of her eyes. "Sometimes, I want nothing more than to let a charming, hunky guy hold me in his strong arms." Yang embraced herself and cooed. "Other times, I wanna instead cuddle up together with a girl. For the past couple of weeks, I've been seeing a particular Faunus girl."

Pyrrha remembered Yang mentioning a couple of days ago that she was seeing someone. "Ah geez, sorry Nora, but I'm sort-of already seeing someone."

"Is it… Blake?" she asked hesitantly, to which Yang nodded. Pyrrha was not sure whether she should delve deeper into the subject of Yang and Blake dating each other.

"Pyrrha, if I get it right, you shouldn't worry too much about Nora being a girl. Her gender isn't what defines her. Try to think of who she is, rather than what. I like Blake because she's Blake, not because she's a girl or a Faunus. It wouldn't make any difference to me if she was a guy or a human." She playfully nudged Pyrrha with her elbow. "So, say it to me out loud: who is Nora?"

Pyrrha thought for a moment. Of course I know who Nora is, but to describe her to another feels a little strange. "Well, Nora is…fun. Never a dull moment when she's around. She's a peculiar, but skilled huntress. She has a big heart."

"See? We're starting to make some progress here!" Grinning, Yang leaned closer to her and whispered to her ear, "Do you find her good looking? Sexy? I know I do, even though she's a bit on the short side. Don't tell her I said that. I don't want her coming for my legs with her hammer."

"She's… attractive," admitted Pyrrha shyly, feeling her cheeks grow warm. Yang's questions were honest and direct. They were what Pyrrha needed to help her get a different perspective with her dilemma. A few pieces of the puzzle came into place within her mind, yet there were still some missing. "Thank you, Yang. I do feel a little bit better now. I will think some more about it later," she said and smiled. She had initially wished to be alone, but now she was thankful that Yang had come.

"Anytime! I hope things will work out between you and Nora. How about we actually go swim now?" Yang suggested, looking eager to jump back into the pool.

Pyrrha stood up from the bench. "Actually, I think I shall head back to the dorm. I have something to take care of." She hated to disappoint Yang. She appreciated that she had listened and talked about her concern with Nora, but she was not in the mood to also begin talking about her aquaphobia. If anything, she would tell her and the others from team RWBY another time.

"Aww, alright," said Yang. "Oh, about Blake and I seeing each other, do you mind keeping it a secret? We're trying to keep it hush-hush for now."

"I promise."

My visit to the pool did not really help my fight against my fear, but it feels like I'm not returning empty handed. She had not found the answer she was looking for regarding her feelings for to Yang, however, she now felt more comfortable looking for it. She believed it would come to her eventually. Rather than wandering around aimlessly, she now knew which direction to follow.

End of Chapter 15

Author's Note: As you might know, Nora is based on Thor. I based Jorda's name on Jord, who is Thor's mother. That's why I wanted to base Nora's father on Odin, who is Thor's father. In Norse mythology, Odin has over 200 names and titles. Brunn is one of them. It means brown or bear in Old Norse.

In my headcanon, Yang is pansexual. I could explain what it is... or I could let you google it.