*Author's Note: Special thanks to Gorsouul and tinjinkin for helping me come up with ideas for this chapter.*

Chapter 3

With the end of the semester and the year rapidly approaching, Pyrrha's – and for that matter every student at Beacon's – academic responsibilities ramped up. With assignments due and final exams looming, there was not much time to spend with Yang outside the context of studying together. Yang had insisted the pair study together, something which had made Pyrrha nervous. Yang had a reputation of being more interested in partying than studying and Pyrrha was very serious about her school work. As it turned out, Yang did not do much studying – at least by Pyrrha's standards – but the reason was surprising. It was not a lack of responsibility but a lack of need. Yang turned out to be every bit Pyrrha's intellectual equal and just did not need to put much work into it to succeed.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Pyrrha asked. It was the last night before exams began. Pyrrha felt the need to go over the material again but could tell that Yang was done. "I could study by myself instead."

"It's fine." Yang replied.

"I just feel like I'm wasting your time." Pyrrha continued. She was also tense and concerned that it would rub off on Yang and negatively affect her performance.

"How many times do I have to tell you: time spent with you isn't wasted, no matter what we're doing." Yang said. "Now take a deep breath and relax." Pyrrha tried but was too worried about the week's exams to really relax. It was not that she lacked confidence – far from it – but her grades were extremely important to her. "Now, if you want I'll give you a back rub while you read through your notes."

"I think that might be more of a distraction." Pyrrha said, blushing. She was still not entirely comfortable with the physical aspects of Yang's affection. "Maybe you could just quiz me on a few things."

"That's a good idea." Yang said. "If you get the questions right I have a special reward for you." She said with a wink.

"Alright, that back rub sounds good." Pyrrha said, totally flustered. Yang had an almost supernatural talent for leaving her off-balance. "Just…keep it above the belt, okay?"

"That's boring but I accept your conditions." Yang said. She slid her chair behind Pyrrha's and began rubbing her shoulders. "Relax; you're going to do great."

Yang's massage was far gentler than Pyrrha had anticipated. Yang had a reputation for being a bit rough, in more ways than one, but Pyrrha found she regularly defied expectation. Pyrrha worked through her notes as Yang worked her way up and down Pyrrha's back. Yang hit every tight spot, every knot in Pyrrha's muscles. It was pleasurable, but Pyrrha could not help but frown. Yang was willing to do so much for her – including putting up with her quirks and hang-ups – but Pyrrha could not figure out how to return the favor. She tried to step outside her comfort zone to make Yang happy, but the progress Pyrrha was making must have seemed glacial to Yang. She was willing to bend but only so flexible.

Pyrrha finished with her notes. "Do I disappoint you?" She asked.

"Where did that come from?" Yang asked, taken aback.

"I just feel like you're willing to accommodate me, but I can't return the favor." Pyrrha replied. "I know you'd like to do some things that are more…exciting, but I'm never ready. If you were expecting more from our relationship…"

"Stop it." Yang cut her off. "I could never be disappointed in you. I keep telling you, I'm happy just spending time with you. Whatever the situation may be, you'll be ready when you're ready. There's no need to rush. Take as much time as you need. If you changed just to please me it would only make me feel guilty. I just want you to be you. That's the girl I love."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha persisted. "It's just that…"

Yang grabbed Pyrrha's shoulders and pulled Pyrrha and her chair into Yang's lap. Yang bent forward and kissed Pyrrha at the unorthodox angle. As they kissed Pyrrha got the point. Yang was not interested in her for what she would do. It was about who she was. Pyrrha closed her eyes and was finally able to relax, reveling in Yang's touch and taste.

Yang pulled away and gently tilted Pyrrha back upright. "Now, get a good night's rest." Yang said with a compassionate smile. "You're going to ace that exam and all the others."

"Thank you." Pyrrha said. "And sorry for being…sorry, I guess. I really appreciate the help and everything you said."

Yang nodded. "Just remember, whenever you need me, I'll be here for you."

Pyrrha studied and fretted and studied some more. It all turned out to be a bit of a waste. The exams were easy, at least by her standards. Grades were posted the day following the last exam and Pyrrha, as usual, was at the top of the class. Even with her casual approach, Yang aced them as well. Not everyone was quite so successful. Ren, Blake and Weiss posted excellent grades with some difficulty. Ruby did a bit worse, but after skipping ahead two years it was hard to blame her. Jaune, well, Jaune was Jaune. At least he passed.

In celebration of the New Year the students got about a week off. Some would stay at the school while others would spend the time at home. Before going their separate ways, the two teams sat down for lunch.

"Pyrrha, Yang, there's something you should probably see." Ren said. He was impassive as usual but there was a hint of nervousness or maybe embarrassment in his eyes. "Better to hear from us than…"

"You're in a magazine!" Nora blurted out.

Ren sighed and slid the magazine across the table. "I saw someone reading it this morning." Ren explained. "When she was done…"

"I told her to hand it over!" Nora interjected.

"We persuaded her to share." Ren said. "Page seven, take a look."

The Hunt magazine was a tabloid gossip magazine focusing on famous Huntresses and Huntsmen. Nervous about what she would find, Pyrrha flipped to page seven. She was greeted by a full-page picture of her and Yang holding hands as they walked down a Vale street. It was accompanied by the headline "Pyrrha Nikos – Invincible in Battle and in Love" in bold lettering. Pyrrha covered her face with her hands, sick with embarrassment.

Yang spun the magazine around and flipped through. "Wow, a whole five pages, just on us." Yang said. She seemed to be taking it well. Pyrrha peeked through her fingers to see more pictures from their second date. The week before they had returned to the café that was the site of their first. "They found my name. At least they spelled it right. Not too much else on me though."

"This is so humiliating." Pyrrha groaned. "I just wish my private life could stay private for once."

"It's not so bad." Nora encouraged her. "Except for some innuendo they don't say anything that bad."

"You look pretty good in the pictures too." Yang added.

"I don't think you understand what this means." Pyrrha said. "As long as we're on campus, they can't really bother us, but as soon as we leave the paparazzi will follow us everywhere. They can't get enough of celebrity couples. It won't be so bad for me. If I go somewhere alone, they won't care because they've seen enough of me already. You though, you're new. They'll never leave you alone."

"I can handle it." Yang said. "Come on, don't worry. It'll be fine."

"Well, I suppose there's no point in worrying about it." Pyrrha sighed. "It's not like there's anything we can do. I'll have to get in touch with my lawyer to see if there's any way to stop them."

"I might have something in mind." Yang thought aloud.

"So…what are you guys doing during the break?" Ruby asked. She was uncomfortable with the conversation and desperate to discuss something else. "Me and Yang are heading home for the week."

"I'm going home." Jaune replied. "I'm a bit worried about what my sisters have in store."

"I'm staying here." Weiss said. "I have no interest in seeing my family. You're staying too, right Blake?" Blake nodded.

"Ren and I are staying here." Nora said. "We don't really have any place to go."

"I was planning to stay too." Pyrrha said. "Home is too far away." It was not the whole truth but it would do. In reality she did not want to go home. There the weight of fame and expectation was even more smothering. "At least I won't be alone." She faked a smile.

Yang saw right through it. "You don't really want to stay here, do you?" She charged. Pyrrha looked away and said nothing. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you come with us? There's plenty of room and I'm sure dad wouldn't mind." Pyrrha looked back but hesitated to answer. "Come on, it'll be fun!" Yang gave a pleading look. Pyrrha looked to Ruby.

"I think it's a great idea!" Ruby exclaimed. "Please."

"Oh, alright." Pyrrha relented. "I suppose it would be interesting to meet your family." Pyrrha thought for a moment. "But I'd have to pack. I wouldn't want to hold you up."

"That's not a problem." Yang said. "Dad was going to pick us up where the airship lets off, but he can take Ruby and I'll stick around with you. I have my own means of transport."

"Just as long as I'm not being a bother." Pyrrha said.

"It's no bother." Yang assured her. "This'll be the best New Year's ever."

By the time Pyrrha was packed and ready to go, it was already after dark. Pyrrha took what casual clothing she had, mostly boring sweaters paired with equally dull pants, all of it stuffed into a backpack. She had never focused much on that aspect of her attire as she was almost always in uniform, dressed for sleep or dressed for combat. Perhaps it was a deficiency Yang could help her resolve. A shopping expedition might be fun. That was a thought for the future though. She consciously focused on making the holiday with Yang and her family as enjoyable as possible.

Most of the other students had long since departed so the airship from Beacon was mostly empty. The ride was uneventful. What awaited them when they arrived in Vale was entirely different. They exited the station only to be blinded by myriad flashbulbs. "The paparazzi?" Pyrrha sighed. "How did they even know we were coming?"

"Well, if they could figure out who I am it wouldn't be that hard to figure out how I get home." Yang said with a shrug. "They were probably only expecting to find me here. It's not a big deal though; I know just how to deal with this." Yang stepped forward. "Alright, get all the pictures you need." She struck a few poses as flashbulbs popped all around. Pyrrha feared she would only encourage further prying with this sort of behavior. Yang turned her head toward Pyrrha. "Ready for the big finish?" She asked. "You might want to step back."

Something about Yang's facial expression and tone of voice was vaguely sinister. It made Pyrrha nervous. "Don't do anything rash." Pyrrha warned as she followed Yang's advice and backed up.

"Now then." Yang said to the cameramen. "You've got what you wanted, right?" She took a deep breath. Yang slammed her fists together, her eyes flared red and her hair burst into flames. "Now leave us alone!" She demanded. The paparazzi fled in terror from the human inferno. As the last of them raced out of sight Yang began laughing. The fire in her hair died and with a blink her eyes returned to their usual violet. "They won't be back."

"Yang, I fear you've done serious damage to your public image." Pyrrha said. "Now they'll think you're crazy."

"I don't really care what they think as long as they stop bothering you." Yang said.

"That's sweet, but I still don't think it was a good idea." Pyrrha said.

Yang shrugged. "Well, it's too late now." She said. "Anyway, just wait here; I'll go get our ride."

"Hurry back." Pyrrha said. As Yang walked away she took a seat on a nearby bench. She was flattered that Yang had scared off the paparazzi for her, but felt bad that Yang had again gone out on a limb for her. If she did not start repaying the favors soon they would become too much. Even if Yang did not expect them to be repaid, Pyrrha was determined to do it.

After a few minutes Pyrrha heard a low rumble approaching. Yang screeched around a corner astride her motorcycle and slid to a stop in front of Pyrrha. "Hop on." Yang said.

Pyrrha had not known about Yang's bike. "This is…unexpected." Pyrrha said. She gingerly stepped her leg across the motorcycle and sat down. Never having ridden, she was not sure exactly what to do. "How do I…"

"Rest your feet on the suspension arm and hold on tight." Yang explained.

"What do I hold onto?" Pyrrha asked. She looked around but found no hand-holds.

"Me of course." Yang replied. Pyrrha put her hands on Yang's waist. "Unless you want to fall off you'll have to do better than that." After a momentary hesitation Pyrrha slid herself forward until she was pressed up against Yang's back. She wrapped her arms around Yang's midsection and leaned into her. "That's better."

With her face so close to the back of Yang's head, Pyrrha could detect the smell of smoke on Yang's hair. Pressed together she could feel her warmth. Pyrrha had been nervous. Now it just felt right. "I could get used to this." Pyrrha said.

"You and me both." Yang agreed. "Here we go." Yang twisted the throttle and the bike lurched forward with unexpected alacrity. Yang laughed as Pyrrha gasped and clung to her for dear life as she sped down the street. Suddenly Pyrrha was not so comfortable with the arrangement, but Yang seemed even more so.

After zipping through the streets of Vale for a short while the pair arrived at the ferry terminal. They rode the bike aboard a ship for the short ride to Yang's island home, Patch. "Do you think you could go slower?" Pyrrha asked as they sailed. "Please."

"That's no fun." Yang sighed. "The roads on Patch are so exciting."

"I don't like the sound of that." Pyrrha said. "Maybe you're used to it but I don't like it at all. I just don't feel safe."

"Fine, I can slow down a bit." Yang said. "Whether you realize it or not, you encouraged me."

"How so?" Pyrrha asked.

"The faster I went the tighter you held me." Yang explained. "I was really enjoying having you so close."

"You know you don't have to speed along like a maniac to get me to hold you." Pyrrha said.

"That I know." Yang said. "From the way you were breathing I thought you were enjoying it though. I could tell you were excited."

"That was terror." Pyrrha admitted. "It was an adrenaline rush to be sure, but not an enjoyable one."

"Well, if you give me a squeeze every now and again, I can certainly slow down." Yang said. "Just let me know if I'm going too fast."

"When I start crushing your ribs, you're going too fast." Pyrrha laughed.

Once the ferry ride was over it was only a short drive to Yang's house. True to her word, she slowed down, though the way she took some of the corners was still alarming. In the forest, not far from Signal Academy, Yang's house sat at the end of a short gravel drive. Yang brought her bike to a stop and turned off the engine. Pyrrha stepped off, glad it was over. Yang hopped off and hung her helmet and goggles on the handlebars.

"Well, this is it." Yang said. She made a sweeping gesture with her hand. "It's not much but it's home. I haven't been here in so long."

Pyrrha thought Yang was being too modest. The house was smallish but pretty and well kept. With big windows and wood siding it looked a bit like a cabin. "It's nice." Pyrrha said. "I always liked the rustic look."

Yang walked up to the front door and knocked. Almost instantly it was opened by a man with blond hair. "Hey dad." Yang said. They briefly hugged. Yang pointed back. "This is my friend…"

"Pyrrha Nikos?" Taiyang said with surprise. "If I knew we were having such an illustrious guest I would have done a better job of cleaning up. Ruby told me you were bringing a friend but not who."

"It's an honor to meet you." Pyrrha said. She stepped up to Taiyang and held out her hand.

"Same." Taiyang said. He ignored Pyrrha's outstretched hand and hugged her. He stepped back into the house. "Welcome to our humble abode." He said with a shrug. "I hope it meets your expectations."

"It's a fine home." Pyrrha said. She was a bit embarrassed by Taiyang's reaction to her. She hated being treated like a celebrity. "I have to thank you for your hospitality. It will be good to not have to spend the holiday alone."

"Sorry to cut the pleasantries short but I'm in the middle of cooking dinner." Taiyang said. He headed deeper into the house, presumably toward the kitchen. Pyrrha stepped into the house and Yang closed the door behind her. "Why would you be alone?" Taiyang asked, yelling from another room. "What about your teammates?"

"One of my teammates is heading home." Pyrrha explained. "The other two…well…"

"They're a couple." Yang finished for her. "Well, maybe."

"Oh, Qrow's going to like you." Taiyang laughed. "Yang, could you show Ms. Nikos to the guest room?"

"Sure thing." Yang replied. "This way." She gestured toward a hallway and started that way.

"Yang, does your father know…about us?" Pyrrha asked as she followed.

"I guess I never mentioned it." Yang replied. "I don't think he reads the tabloids either. He probably has no idea." Yang opened the door to the guest room and flipped on the lights. She stepped inside. "Interesting, it doesn't smell like liquor. Ruby must have cleaned it up when she got home."

"Why would it smell like liquor?" Pyrrha asked.

"Qrow." Yang answered. "He's usually the only one who uses the room. I'm not saying he's a drunk, but he's always drunk."

Pyrrha put her backpack down beside the bed. "Is Qrow coming for the holiday?" She asked.

"He usually does." Yang replied. "Don't worry, he's nice. He raised Ruby and I as much as dad did and we turned out alright."

"Alright might be a stretch." Pyrrha laughed. "What about your mother?"

"Don't bring that up with Ruby." Yang said. She was suddenly very serious.

"What happened?" Pyrrha asked.

Yang walked over and sat down on the side of the bed. Pyrrha sat beside her. Yang looked to be close to tears. "Ruby and I have different mothers." Yang explained. "My mother disappeared just after I was born. Ruby's mother took over for a few years – she was the best, she treated me like her own – but one day she went out on a mission and never came back. Ruby was still very young and she took it pretty hard. Having lost the woman he loved for a second time, dad shut down emotionally. It was really hard after that."

"I'm so sorry." Pyrrha said. She put her hand on Yang's shoulder. "This is supposed to be a happy time. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's not your fault." Yang said. "I should have already told you. Just don't bring any of it up with dad or Qrow or especially Ruby."

Pyrrha pulled Yang in close and hugged her. "I hate to see you sad." She said. "I wish there was something I could do to make it all better."

Yang managed a smile. "You just being here with me helps more than you could know."