Chapter 2

Where do we go from here? Pyrrha was new to the whole romantic relationship thing so she had no concept of what to do next. For a sleepless night and a day if impatiently waiting for classes to end, she pondered the question. Maybe she and Yang could go on a date. There was another question. Who, if anyone, should we tell? Though there was really nothing to be embarrassed about, Pyrrha was. Should she let her team know she was seeing Yang? Maybe the point was moot. Nora knew and Pyrrha guessed a secret with her would only stay secret for so long. Yang was not exactly the most private person either. Perhaps it would be best if everyone heard it straight from Pyrrha rather than through rumors and gossip. Actually, it would be a good topic to discuss with Yang, something benign to start with so Pyrrha could build up her confidence for bigger questions.

Pyrrha walked out of class flanked by her team. Nora was excitedly chattering to Ren while Jaune complained about something. Normally Pyrrha would have no trouble being part of both conversations simultaneously – she was a good listener – but her mind was entirely preoccupied. Then she spotted Team RWBY down the hall. Ruby looked to be telling a story that had the others enthralled. Pyrrha froze in place and Ren walked into her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jaune asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Yang glanced up and spotted Pyrrha. Ruby's tale was forgotten and she sprinted toward Pyrrha. "Hey!" Yang exclaimed as she wrapped Pyrrha in the sort of vice-like hug usually reserved for Ruby. Trapped in Yang's bone-crushing embrace, Pyrrha could now understand why Ruby complained and squirmed so much under the same circumstances.

"Hello Yang." Pyrrha wheezed, her chest compressed by Yang as she continued to squeeze.

"What's that about?" Blake asked. Ruby shrugged.

"What's going on?" Ren asked.

"I'll explain later." Nora whispered to him.

"How are you?" Yang asked.

"I was good." Pyrrha gasped. "But I think my ribs are broken now."

"You sound just like Ruby." Yang laughed. She finally released Pyrrha from her clutches. "So, what do you want to do?"

Pyrrha thought for a moment. She turned to her teammates. "You guys go on." She said. "I'll see you later."

"If you say so." Jaune said with a shrug. Nora and Ren followed as they joined the remaining members of Team RWBY and headed off.

"I guess you're not planning to keep our relationship quiet." Pyrrha said once she and Yang were alone.

"Did you want to?" Yang asked. "It's not too late."

"Well, Nora already knows." Pyrrha admitted.

"Then it is too late." Yang said. "What's the problem with people knowing anyway?"

"It's not really a problem." Pyrrha said. "Well, not for me at least. It could mean more attention for you. I'm not sure how things would go if people found out you were seeing a world-famous Huntress."

"I can live with that." Yang said. "So, how should we break the news? We could throw a party."

"Perhaps just telling our respective teammates would be better." Pyrrha suggested.

"That's boring but I guess it works." Yang sighed. She really had her heart set on party.

"Uh, Yang…I was wondering...what…what do we do now?" Pyrrha stammered. "I've never had a boyfriend or girlfriend before so I'm in the dark about how I'm supposed to act."

"There's no way you're supposed to act." Yang said. "Just be you. That's the person I like after all." Pyrrha frowned. She had been hoping for specific guidance. Yang could see her discomfort. "We could go on a date." Yang suggested, giving Pyrrha something.

"I was thinking that." Pyrrha said. "Where should we go?"

"Anywhere you want." Yang replied. "As long as it leads to your bed or mine." Pyrrha blushed brightly. "I'm just kidding. Come on, you're too easy." The joke's timing was bad, leaving Pyrrha tense and unable to come up with any ideas. Yang sighed and decided to make her own suggestion. "How about we go for coffee? There's a nice little café next to where the airship from Beacon lets off."

"That sounds like a fantastic idea." Pyrrha agreed. "When should we go?"

"Right now is good for me if it's good for you." Yang said.

Pyrrha had not been expecting that. There was no time to prepare herself. The only excuses she could come up with were lies, and she was not about to lie to her new girlfriend. "Sure, I guess we can go now." She said, forcing a smile to hide her anxiety.

"Great!" Yang exclaimed. She grabbed Pyrrha's hand and pulled her down toward the airship.

Pyrrha took her seat on the airship, sitting bolt upright with her hands folded on her lap. Yang plopped down beside her and immediately rested her head in Pyrrha's shoulder. Pyrrha glanced over, initially unsure what to do, but relaxed and leaned her head against Yang's. They sat there in silence as the airship slowly made its way through the clouds. It was peaceful; the only sound on the empty airship was that of their breathing. For Pyrrha, it felt right. She smiled and closed her eyes, silently reveling in the serenity.

The silence was shattered when Yang's scroll beeped, indicating a text message had been received. Surprised, Pyrrha jumped, slamming her shoulder into Yang's cheek. Yang too was caught off guard and scrambled for her phone. "Oh, it's Ruby." Yang said. "She wants to know where I am."

"Are you going to tell her you're on a date?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah…well…actually…" Yang trailed off. The devious grin on her face told Pyrrha something was up.

"What are you planning?" Pyrrha asked.

"Oh nothing." Yang said. She began tapping away on her scroll, turning to hide the screen from Pyrrha.

"Whatever you're doing, don't." Pyrrha requested.

"And sent." Yang announced as she gave the scroll one last tap.

"What did you do?" Pyrrha demanded.

"Oh don't worry." Yang giggled. "I'm just playing a little joke on Ruby."

Pyrrha heaved a sigh of relief, glad she was not the butt of the joke. "You'd better not be lying." She warned. The pair went back to leaning against one another and the rest of the flight was uneventful.

Pyrrha and Yang walked arm in arm to the café. Though she went to great lengths to avoid showing it, Pyrrha was nervous. Showing affection with no one around was one thing; doing so in public was another matter. She felt like all eyes were on them as they walked even though in her mind she knew most people could not care less. Mercifully the café was only about a block away and the pair soon arrived.

"How about you get a table and I'll go order?" Yang suggested.

"That sounds good." Pyrrha agreed. She started for the door.

"Come on, let's sit outside." Yang said, gesturing toward the tables separated from the sidewalk by an ornate iron fence.

There would be no hiding. "Alright." Pyrrha reluctantly agreed.

"So, what do you want?" Yang asked.

"Uh…surprise me." Pyrrha said. In truth, she was not much of a coffee drinker. In addition she had no idea if Yang intended to have a meal or just a beverage.

"If you say so." Yang said. There was that devious smile again. Pyrrha suddenly feared she had made a terrible mistake.

Pyrrha walked the line of empty tables and selected one near the corner of the fence. She sat down with her back to the sidewalk. Maybe if she could not see the passersby she would not feel so nervous. Yang soon emerged from the café carrying a tray holding their drinks in one hand and two plates holding sandwiches in the other. She set the tray down then placed one of the sandwiches in front of Pyrrha. She pulled the drinks from the tray and gave one to Pyrrha before sitting down on the opposite side of the table.

"What did you get me?" Pyrrha asked.

"If I told you, it would ruin the surprise." Yang said with that same smile. Pyrrha looked at her meal nervously. The coffee looked coffee-like enough – if a little foamy, probably a latte – and the sandwich did not appear to have anything strange on it, but she was still concerned. "Come on, I promise you'll love it." Yang assured her.

Overcoming her trepidation, Pyrrha took a tentative sip. The concoction was creamy and sweet, hardly tasting like coffee at all. Subtle hints of mint and chocolate combined with a sweet scent to provide a delightful experience. "This is amazing!" Pyrrha declared after taking it all in. "How did you know I'd like it?"

"Well, you're not much of a coffee drinker." Yang said. "If you were you'd know about this place and have a specific order. That's the least coffee-like coffee they have. And who doesn't like chocolate?" Maybe her devious smile had not been malicious after all. "Now go on, try the sandwich."

"It looks like grilled chicken." Pyrrha observed.

"It is." Yang confirmed. "Just take a bite."

Pyrrha picked up the sandwich and bit into it. At first it seemed pretty standard – chicken, lettuce, tomato and a sauce she could not identify – then there was an explosion of flavor. A myriad of spices mixed with the familiar flavors to generate something wholly unique and delicious. "This has to be the best sandwich I've ever had." Pyrrha declared.

"That's the special sauce." Yang said. "I was hoping you'd like it. Not everyone does. Ruby almost threw up the first time she tried it but I love it."

Alright, so maybe there was some malice in there. It did not really matter. "I'm so glad you brought me here." Pyrrha said, beaming. "I never would have ended up here on my own."

"If you stick with me you'll experience a lot of things you never would have." Yang promised. "Now, enjoy it while it's fresh."

Yang looked on with a smile as Pyrrha ate, occasionally taking a bite of her own sandwich or sip of her own coffee. Pyrrha wanted to really savor her meal but it was so good she could not help but eat it quickly. She finished a few moments before Yang.

Pyrrha became aware of something rubbing against her stockinged calf. It was barely noticeable at first but became stronger and more insistent. It took a few moments before she realized it was Yang's foot, gently rubbing against her. "Uh, Yang, is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"Perfectly fine." Yang replied, staring into Pyrrha's eyes. That mischievous smile was back. Her foot slowly made its way up Pyrrha's leg, from her calf to her knee to her inner thigh.

This was too much. Pyrrha reached down and smacked Yang's foot away. "This isn't the time or the place." She admonished, putting on as serious a scowl as she could manage.

"You say that…" Yang said. In spite of Pyrrha's best efforts to control herself, she was blushing, again. As soon as Pyrrha removed her hand Yang was back at it.

"Stop." Pyrrha said. Yang did not. "I said stop." Pyrrha grabbed Yang's foot and squeezed until Yang grimaced. Yang drew her foot back and frowned.

"I'm sorry." Yang sighed.

"I'm not ready for this." Pyrrha said. "I can barely walk beside you without blushing and feeling embarrassed."

"You're right." Yang said. "It was too much too soon. I'm so sorry I ruined a good time."

"No, no, you didn't ruin it." Pyrrha said, almost pleading. She did not want Yang to blame herself for Pyrrha's own shyness. Yang was overly aggressive but Pyrrha could not help but feel prudish. She knew what she was getting into with Yang and well aware that she would have to overcome her own hang-ups just to keep up with Yang. "It's alright really. I appreciate the sentiment. I do." Yang seemed to cheer up a bit, a subtle smile creeping across her face. "So, what do I owe you?"

"Owe me?" Yang asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"For the food." Pyrrha explained. She pulled out her wallet and held it out toward Yang. "This couldn't have been cheap."

"You don't owe me a thing." Yang said. She shook her head and pushed Pyrrha's wallet back. "This one is on me."

"I insist." Pyrrha said. "You do realize how wealthy I am from my endorsements, right?"

"I don't care if you're wealthier than the Schnees." Yang said. "This is my treat. If you really want to, you can pay the next time we go out."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha huffed. She really wanted to pay. She knew Yang and Ruby, while not poor, were not wealthy either. The thought that she was putting them out could not help but make her frown.

"Pyrrha, getting to spend time with you is payment enough for me." Yang said, grabbing Pyrrha's hands and looking her in the eyes. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this."

"I'm touched." Pyrrha gasped. Yang had shown a romantic and loving side before, just not like this. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Yang said. "Come on, let's go back and tell the others. I'm sure they're wondering what's going on with us."

"That sounds good." Pyrrha said. "I can't wait to see the look on Jaune's face." She giggled.

Pyrrha and Yang made their way back to the dorm. Parting ways, Pyrrha swiped her scroll to open the lock. She swung the door open, her mind racing, wondering what she would say. It was an anti-climax. There was nobody home. "That's weird." Pyrrha said.

"What's weird?" Yang asked, still standing in the hallway.

"My team's not here." Pyrrha replied.

"Maybe they're visiting with mine." Yang said with a shrug. Pyrrha rejoined her as Yang swiped her scroll then pushed the door open. It was dark inside but Yang did not seem concerned.

The lights suddenly flashed on. "Surprise!" RWB and JNR shouted in unison. Ruby and Nora were holding a cake that said 'Happy Birthday' with the others forming a semi-circle around them.

"Happy birthday?" Yang said, utterly confused.

"Sorry, it was the best I could do on such short notice." Ruby said. "I asked if they could make one for 'Hooray You're Dating' but they said it would take a few hours."

"Yang, I'm very disappointed in you." Pyrrha sighed.

"I really had my heart set on party." Yang shrugged. "I hope you're not too bothered. Come on, there's cake!" Yang wore a huge smile and was bursting with enthusiasm.

Pyrrha considered the situation. She would have had to tell them anyway, even if she would have preferred a more low-key occasion. Everyone looked very excited. Well, except Ren, he always looked like he was about to fall asleep. "Oh with everyone so happy how can I stay mad?" Pyrrha relented.

Jaune walked up to Pyrrha. "I'm glad you finally found someone." Jaune said. "I was worried you never would."

Pyrrha briefly considered strangling him but managed to suppress the desire. "I'm glad too." She said through gritted teeth.

"So, how did it happen?" Ruby asked.

The question was awkwardly worded and Pyrrha had to think for a moment to divine the meaning. She assumed Ruby was asking how she and Yang had ended up dating. "I ran into Yang at the gym and we had a heart-to-heart talk." Pyrrha replied. "From there it kind of just…grew."

"So when's the wedding?" Nora asked, shaking with excitement. She was shaking so much that Ruby pulled the cake away to ensure its safety.

"We're dating, we're not engaged." Yang laughed. "That's way too far out to even consider."

"Right now I'm just content to see how things go." Pyrrha said.

"You make a great couple." Blake said. "I'm a little surprised you didn't end up together sooner."

Ruby placed the cake on the table and grabbed Crescent Rose with the intention of using her weapon to cut it. Ren grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, shaking his head. He drew his own, much more appropriately sized weapon, and precisely cut the cake into eight equal slices. Using the blade of his weapon again he transferred the slices onto individual plates.

"I don't think we really needed a party." Pyrrha said. "We only went on one date."

"Honestly, the way things have been going lately I think it's worth taking any opportunity to celebrate." Weiss said as Ren began passing out the slices. "I'm just a little disappointed I didn't have time to plan something more elaborate."

"Seriously though, this is all too much." Pyrrha insisted. "It's not that big a deal."

"Of course it is." Yang said. "You finally found what you were looking for and I finally worked up the courage to ask you out."

"Worked up the courage?" Pyrrha asked.

"I may seem super-confident all the time but I have my moments of doubt." Yang admitted. "You're pretty intimidating you know. Past that, I was a little worried about ruining a good friendship. I was afraid it might make things a bit awkward. I'm really glad I spoke up though." She gave Pyrrha a smile that was surprisingly meek. It was a side of Yang not many people go to see.

Pyrrha's heart melted. Surrounded by so many great friends and standing before a woman she loved – a woman who obviously adored her – she felt so loved. Once again she was speechless. It was becoming a common thing for her. Before she would have been mortified, but as good as things had been for the past few days, it was something she could get used to. She stepped up to Yang and wrapped her in a tender embrace, bending down a bit to adjust for their relative heights, and resting her chin on Yang's shoulder. "I'm so happy." She finally said.

"I love you." Yang said, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha.

A collective "aw" rose up from the others.

Tears of joy trickled down Pyrrha's face. She could not help it. "I love you too."

*Author's Note: I'm interested in continuing the story but have no idea where to go from here. I'd prefer it wasn't to smut, not that there's anything wrong with that. If you have ideas/suggestions/etc. please let me know.*