Ruby had been acting quite oddly lately. Well, more so than usual, perhaps a bit mysteriously if Pyrrha might ascribe an adverb to her behavior.

The tall redhead had often seen her in huddled conversation with either Yang or Weiss, sometimes both, but when she or Blake had approached she'd just giggle and meet them halfway as if nothing was amiss.

Today was Saturday, and after Pyrrha had awoken from her customary place of slumber in Blake's bed, she was startled to see that Ruby had already gotten up and left the room. In fact, from the sound of things, she and Blake were the sole occupants right now.

And if that wasn't enough to make a conflicted blush spread across her face, Pyrrha had ended up on her back somehow with Blake curled up against her, purring quietly in her sleep.

She looked down at the slumbering Cat Faunus with a sort of wonder. If anyone had told her that she'd end up in this position back when she first mustered up the courage to ask Ruby out, well… She certainly wouldn't have believed them. Would she still take the same path, knowing then what she did now?

Oh, yes, she smiled to herself softly as she ran her hand through Blake's raven tresses. Most definitely.

She sighed to herself, once again cognizant of the fact that as surely as she'd become head-over-heels in love with the vivacious brunette, currently missing in action, she was falling for the girl in her arms just as hard.

How is it possible to love two women, this much and at the same time?

Blake stirred slightly, tightening her arm draped around Pyrrha's waist. Her amber eyes blinked open slowly before gazing around and lighting upon her face.

"Good morning," the redhead breathed.

The raven-haired girl smiled sweetly. "'Morning," she mumbled back before burrowing in closer with her head in Pyrrha's shoulder. "Where's Ruby?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"No idea. She was gone when I woke, as are the others."

Blake seemed to stiffen slightly. "Um. So… we're alone?"

"Mmhmm."

"Oh."

Pyrrha laughed lightly as she placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, right between her Faunus ears. "That was about my reaction as well."

Blake gave another short purr from the contact, but kept her face burrowed in the crook of Pyrrha's shoulder. Knowing her, it was to hide the blush now on her face.

Not wanting her to feel overly uncomfortable, Pyrrha reached over to lightly scritch in between Blake's ears. The Faunus girl let out a happy little sound of contentment and hugged the redhead closer to her before resuming her purring, though at a much louder pitch.

Laughing softly once more, Pyrrha kept up her ministrations, enjoying both the close contact with the other girl as well as the opportunity to make her this happy.

"I really do love the fact that you can be this comfortable with me," she murmured. "I just… I appreciate it. Truly, I do."

Still purring, though softer now, Blake craned her neck so that she could peer into her face once more. "You're the only other person besides Ruby that I can be this way with," she whispered. "And I cannot adequately express just how… grateful I am. To both of you, allowing me to be myself." Her amber eyes got a bit watery, though not enough to shed any tears. "Thank you."

Pyrrha shifted her hand to the back of Blake's head, wordlessly tilted her head down, and gave Blake a tender kiss. She tried to convey in actions what she couldn't in words, either through her own momentary cowardice or her inability to articulate just how much the Faunus girl meant to her. Blake eagerly returned the affection, pushing herself up so that they were at an even level.

She wasn't sure who initiated it, but soon enough their tongues were dancing against each other, Blake's slightly rough but only enough to give her a small thrill of pleasure from the contact. Pyrrha moaned softly into Blake's mouth, wrapping her free arm around her and pulling her onto her chest. In return, the raven-haired girl snaked one arm around her neck and the other around her waist under her, pressing their bodies close.

Their half-dressed bodies, clad only in nightclothes, of which Pyrrha's was now riding up on her, the nightshirt exposing her panties that Blake was now pressing into…

Pyrrha broke the kiss with a gasp, her face flushed and eyes wild. "B- Blake," she stammered softly. "Er, that is… I don't…"

Blake's amber eyes, at first confused, suddenly lit up in understanding, and she leapt backwards to end up at the foot of the bed, crouched but with her eyes averted from the display Pyrrha was now inadvertently putting on.

"I'm sorry," Blake gasped, blushing furiously. "I didn't mean to-"

"No, no it's quite alright," she hastened to reassure her, quickly pulling her nightshirt back down. "Really, it was accidental…"

"Still, I let things, er… get out of hand…"

Pyrrha sat up, reaching over to cup Blake's cheek tenderly. "No, you did not." She pressed another kiss to her lips, firm but soft. "And I did not… mind the kissing part. I just don't know if I'm ready for, well… anything else." Her own blush intensified. "Quite yet."

Blake stared at her wordlessly, her eyes dancing about as she tried to come to grips with some hidden emotion. The moment was broken by the twin vibrations of their scrolls from where they lay on Blake's desk.

The redhead gave her a small smile that was returned as the pair of them retrieved their scrolls.

"Well," Pyrrha murmured. "It would seem as if we are given the morning to ourselves."

Blake nodded, her brow furrowed. "And Ruby specifically wants us out of the room, and away from Beacon, until lunchtime…"

They shared a curious look. "She has been acting a bit… off lately," Blake mused.

Pyrrha nodded. "Rather mysterious," she opined, reiterating her earlier thoughts.

"Well, I suppose we could… go into Vale?" Blake asked hesitantly. "Perhaps get some breakfast?"

The redhead smiled at her warmly. "I think that would be grand. I'll go get dressed and meet you in the hallway."

"Take your time, I need to shower still."

Nodding, Pyrrha went to leave, but Blake caught her by the arm first, turning her around and giving her another kiss. This one was longer, slower, almost as if time itself slowed down. And when they parted, it was with a contented sigh from the both of them.

She giggled softly as she stepped backwards, Blake's hand slipping down her arm until she briefly held her hand before releasing it. They gave each other another small smile before Pyrrha finally left for her room.

The rest of her team were there and greeted her, Nora as enthusiastic as always, but her mind really wasn't on the interaction, instead mulling over her morning.

What is Blake to me? she pondered. Do I truly love her? I believe I do, and it's not just our bond with Ruby that seems to be giving me these feelings… It's her, Blake herself.

I wonder if… Could we be girlfriends as well? Does she feel the same way about me?

As she pulled on a casual outfit for the day, she decided to push her unresolved musings to the back of her mind. There was time to figure out what, exactly, Blake and she were. For this morning, though, she'd simply enjoy the time with her, as it wasn't terribly often that just the pair of them got to hang out.

o o o

Blake and Pyrrha strolled through the streets of Vale, the Cat Faunus with her arm linked through the taller redhead's. They'd gotten breakfast at one of their favorite cafes (We've been together long enough to actually have a favorite cafe…) and stopped by the book store. Pyrrha had never been much of a reader outside of textbooks, but Blake had been happily sharing some of her adventure tales from her bookshelf, and so she was able to keep up with the excited raven-haired girl as she picked through the new arrivals. Many of the authors were now familiar to her, as well as some of the series that Blake pointed out to her.

Pyrrha had smiled softly at her companion, watching how the normally reticent girl's amber eyes twinkled with enthusiasm as she perused the shelves of the book store. She felt so incredibly honored to see this side of her, to be included in her simple joy at discovering a new book she hadn't heard of yet.

They left the bookstore and began to head for the airbus to take them back to Beacon, bags in hand. Blake had several new ones she'd bought, but surprisingly enough so did Pyrrha. Mostly recommendations from Blake on stories she had read in the past that she felt the redhead would enjoy and appreciate.

As they boarded the airbus, still chatting happily, their scrolls vibrated. It was a joint message from Ruby, asking if they were on their way to the room, which Pyrrha answered in the affirmative. She received a simple reply, Good.

"What on Remnant is this girl planning?" Pyrrha mused.

Blake chuckled lightly. "Knowing her, something grandiose and over-the-top."

"She does know how to show her appreciation, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does," the Faunus girl sighed dreamily. The two girls shared a blush and a giggle as they were both likely thinking the same thing.

"I just don't understand how she is so good at kissing!" Pyrrha exclaimed quietly.

"Natural talent?" Blake grinned. "I'm not complaining. Nor would I ever complain about, er…" She cleared her throat. "Yours, either."

"Oh," Pyrrha murmured. "Well… That is, I very much enjoy… Yes. Very much."

Blake snickered over the redhead's unusual flustering, which seemed to only come about regarding their threesome. "It's alright, Pyrrha," she interjected humorously. "I get it."

Pyrrha nodded, clamping her mouth shut over her inane babbling and just looked out the window. She knew she was blushing furiously, but a slow smile crept across her face as she felt Blake take her hand into her own and lean her head against her shoulder.

"Hey, Pyrrha," Blake murmured after a few moments.

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering… well…"

Pyrrha turned her head, gazing down at the raven-haired girl affectionately. "Wondering what?"

Clearing her throat once more, this time in nervousness, Blake rushed ahead. "Would you want to call me 'kitty cat' like Ruby does?"

She sucked in a surprised breath, but quickly grinned at the idea. "I'd like that," she replied softly. "Kitty cat."

Blake grinned as well, snuggling in closer and placing a quick kiss on the side of her neck. "Thanks," she whispered.

They walked back to their dorm building, hand in hand, enjoying the bright spring weather. The temperature was still mild but the sunlight warmed their faces.

"Now we just need to come up with a nickname for you," Blake murmured thoughtfully.

"For me?" Pyrrha laughed. "It's not necessary, truly."

"I want to, though. We call Ruby 'little rose', and you both call me 'kitty cat'... Hmm…"

Blake's features remained furrowed in thought as they entered the building, though she kept sneaking sideways glances at the redhead. Finally she gave a sigh. "I'll have to work with Ruby on this. A nickname shall be forthcoming, have no fear."

"I was never all that concerned to begin with, I assure you," Pyrrha laughed.

They finally got to their room, but upon opening it, saw that it was still just as deserted as before.

"Did she not say to meet her here?" the redhead asked quizzically.

Blake headed over towards her bed, noticing something out of place as she placed both of their bags on her desk. She picked up a notecard containing Ruby's neat script and let out a laugh. "What is she…?" The raven-haired girl shook her head as she handed the piece of paper to Pyrrha.

On it, Ruby had written, "Valiant heroes, your princess has been captured! Gather your weapons for an adventure!" It was followed by a string of numbers and letters.

"Well," Pyrrha grinned. "I do believe we have an adventure ahead of us!"

"I suppose we do," Blake laughed again. "Well, can't disappoint our princess now, can we?"

They quickly separated to don their normal combat attire, meeting out in the hallway once more before heading down towards their weapon lockers.

"What do these figures mean, though?" Pyrrha mused, staring at the card while they walked.

"Library catalog," Blake answered confidently. "It's a classification system for books. We'll head for the library after we retrieve our weapons."

The redhead shot her an amused grin. "You are certainly something else, aren't you?"

Blake blushed lightly at the praise, and ducked her head slightly. "Er… well, it's just because I spend all my time in there…"

"Well, I do as well, or at least I used to… Still, it wasn't something I thought of." She reached over and took hold of Blake's hand again, giving it a quick squeeze.

They held on to each other until they'd retrieved their armaments, Blake her Gambol Shroud and Pyrrha her Milo and Akouo. They then quickly headed over towards the library.

"Let's see…" Blake mused, glancing between the card and the library shelves. "I don't believe I've ever been in this category before… Oh, here we go!"

"Self-help?" Pyrrha questioned.

"Well, that's the category." Blake skimmed down the shelf before her finger came to a rest. She stared at the book uncomprehendingly before letting out an uncharacteristic sharp bark of laughter, earning her several glares from other students.

Pyrrha leaned over her shoulder and read the title.

How To Pick Up Women.

"Is she trying to tell us something, do you think?" Pyrrha giggled.

"I think she's just being funny. Let's take a look… Aha!" Blake pulled another piece of card stock out of the book triumphantly.

"That would appear to be nothing but a long list of numbers…" Pyrrha said, her brows furrowed.

"She got this from one of the novels I lent her," Blake chuckled. "It's a code! Here, take the book and I'll go grab a piece of paper and pencil."

They sat down at one of the tables together, Pyrrha with the card while Blake poised over the piece of scrap paper, the book in between them.

"Okay," Blake whispered excitedly. "Each set of numbers is first a page, then a paragraph, and then a word. Go ahead and read the numbers off to me!"

Grinning, Pyrrha complied, and between the two of them a simple message began to emerge.

"Right, that's the last set… so we have 'Congrats your on success'." Blake snickered. "I think she got those middle two switched around. Okay, so… 'Your next trial is in the training room.'"

"Er, which training room?"

"I suppose we shall see when we get to the rooms." Blake stood, pulling Pyrrha up by the hand with her. "Come, fellow warrior!"

"Lead on, valiant heroine!" Pyrrha giggled excitedly as they raced out of the library, once more hand-in-hand.

Fortunately it was easy to find which room they were to use, as it was clearly marked as having been reserved for Team RWBY for the afternoon. The girls eagerly opened the door to see Yang and Weiss, also decked out in combat gear, chatting together amicably.

"Well, finally!" Weiss huffed, though her smile cut through her irritation.

"Didn't think a pair of nerds like you would take that long on the book thingie," Yang chuckled. "So, you guys ready to do this?"

"Er… do what, exactly?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.

"Fight us, of course!" the blonde laughed cheerfully. "Ya gotta get past us if you wanna reach my sister!"

"And my partner!" Weiss reminded them with a confident smirk. "And don't think we'll be going easy on you!"

"Well," Pyrrha grinned as she slipped her weapons into her hands. "This should be interesting…"

"True," Blake replied, pulling her own weapon out. "Should be fun, though. You ready?"

"Always," Pyrrha grinned.

A/N: And there's part one of the trio of chapters! Ruby has been busy planning something, but what else does the devious little brunette intend to throw at our heroines? Stay tuned tomorrow!

I realize that I write both Blake and Pyrrha with a lot of blushes. Okay, a whole boatload of them. Once they figure out what they feel for each other, I expect it would reduce somewhat. At least until Ruby gets involved, she always knows how to make them blush, but she thinks it's adorable when they do…

Alturial: Hey, I always love getting reviews, and I'm honored that you took the time to do so. And, fluffy as marshmallows? That's awesome, I should put that in the synopsis.

SirAlcain: Thanks! I'm glad you like the pacing so far. I still have quite a few episodes planned out, and kinda have an idea where the story might end, but we'll see just how long the crack ship might sail on.

THB4: Nah the shopkeep was just a sweet old man. Hope you enjoy the first of the three-chapter arc!

Boarador: Yep, after all, this is really a romance story between Blake and Pyrrha, though that will change in about… oh… three chapters from now. THAT'S when it becomes a true Purruby love story. An' I'm squeeing just thinking about it.

The-Shadows-of-War: Wow, I'm someone's sempai? I don't think I can handle that much responsibility, lol. But thanks, and I'm glad you're enjoying the read! Compliments greatly appreciated!

Stay shiny!