Chapter Text
Vale International Airport was constantly buzzing with life and energy, and Pyrrha felt dwarfed by it all.
With her carry-on suitcase in hand and her small backpack snug over her shoulders, the redhead made her way to the central terminal, past security and to her designated gate. Although it was still bright and early, people were flooding the airport, bodies moving in every direction. Signs flashed above terminal storefronts, with numerous stands and art installations and tourist attractions lining the massive facility everywhere she looked. It was enough to make her dizzy; and, with time ticking away on the clock, her anxiety was increasing little by little. She was running late, and she was stressed.
Oh, Nora, she sighed internally, thinking back to her pouting roommate who had refused to let her go that morning. I hope I make it in time. But with the endless crowd in Vale International, first she needed to find her group.
Thankfully, Glynda was taller than most people, her neat blonde bun and sharp glasses standing out of any crowd. Pyrrha spotted her easily and relaxed, then immediately made her way towards the woman; she was waiting by a small café, speaking to the other students and faculty who were going to ASEC together. A clipboard in hand and a coffee in the other, the professor looked just as put-together and professional as always.
That quickly changed, however, the moment Pyrrha approached, brightly waving at the crew awaiting their peers. “Hello everyone! I’m sorry I’m late,” Pyrrha called sheepishly.
Instantly, Glynda’s face flashed with a surge of panic before settling back into a neutral expression. She cleared her throat, then replied, “Good morning, Miss Nikos. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes ma’am!” Pyrrha smiled, focused on Glynda’s expression. What was that brief look of trepidation she had seen?
Before she could dwell too long upon it, however, Glynda glanced down at her clipboard. “You’re here, so all we’re missing is… your partner.” A small scowl hardened her features. “Does anyone have Mr. Arc’s contact information-“
“I’m sorry, I’m here!” a bewildered, anxious voice called.
Pyrrha glanced over her shoulder, recognizing in a heartbeat the ditzy expression of the young man making his way over to the Beacon group. He weaved clumsily through other travellers, stumbling and murmuring apologies as he dropped his small suitcase’s handle not once, not twice, but three times as he crossed the terminal floor. The chatter around Pyrrha died momentarily as the group all watched the young man achingly come towards them, finally arriving worse for wear. “I’m here, sorry about that,” he mumbled, face burning red from the tips of his ears to well below his hoodie’s neckline.
“Jaune Arc- do you have your passport and ticket?”
Blushing even darker, the young man pulled out a small bag literally zip-tied to an inner pocket in his backpack. “Yup,” he said, pouting when other people snickered at his warbling voice.
Pyrrha couldn’t hold back her light chuckle. She had been expecting a little bit of clumsiness, but this? I can definitely see how you and Ruby became fast friends, she thought fondly, the photograph of the duo popping back into her mind.
Glynda sighed, checking off Jaune’s name on her list. “Alright. Everyone’s here.” Looking over the small gaggle of Beacon’s students and staff, she took a step back, projecting her voice loud enough to carry over the din of the airport. “Students, please find your presentation partner. If you don’t know who they are, Professor Xiao Long has the list.” On cue, said man raised his own clipboard, smiling goofily at the students beside a barely-awake Professor Branwen. Glynda continued, “Take this time to introduce yourselves and get to know one another. You were paired based on your choices for conference sessions, so this is the person you will be spending the most time with for the next week. There was a slight delay, so boarding will be in about an hour.”
With that, people split off with their partners, a few stragglers hounding Professor Xiao Long to find out who they were presenting with. Pyrrha turned around to find Jaune awkwardly staring at his sneakers. She smiled, approaching him. “Hey. You’re Jaune, right?”
“Yup!” he replied instantly, perking up. When he saw her, however, his blush returned, albeit slightly less fierce than before. “That’s me. Jaune Arc. Yes.”
Pyrrha laughed, holding out her hand. “I’m Pyrrha Nikos. Professor Goodwitch told me yesterday that we’re going to be partners this week. I look forward to working with you!”
Hesitantly, Jaune took her hand. His touch was warm, comforting, if a little clammy from the clear run through the terminal. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, a shy, awkward smile on his face.
As he let go of her hand, his stomach grumbled loudly, and the flush only deepened on his cheeks. Oh goodness, he really is clumsy, isn’t he? Pyrrha gestured to the café beside their gate. “We have almost an hour before we have to be ready to board,” she said kindly. “Do you want to get some food? Have you eaten yet?”
Jaune’s face melted into a surprisingly-sweet smile, eyes lighting up. “That sounds great,” he beamed.
Pyrrha paused, struck by his relaxed expression. His eyes were the bluest she had ever seen.
After a moment, she shook herself out of it and grabbed her suitcase. She had eaten that morning with Nora, the other girl near-tears while eating some pancakes courtesy of Ren as Pyrrha had finished packing her backpack. She could do with another coffee, though. “Alright, lead the way!”
So, the newly-formed duo made their way to the café, finding a free table and settling in with their orders of croissants and coffee (or for Jaune, juice). She set an alarm on her phone for when they needed to head back to the gate, so they didn’t have to worry about the time.
However, Jaune seemed oddly embarrassed as she asked him questions- any time she said something lightly, he would frantically avoid eye contact, focusing on anything but her. Is something on my face? she wondered, taking a quick peek at her reflection in the glass wall beside their table. She looked normal overall, albeit a little frazzled by the (needless due to the boarding delay) rush to the airport. Why is he so uncomfortable?
Maybe that’s just how he is, her mind reasoned. He’s friends with Ruby. Can’t be a bad guy.
Still, if he was this stilted and stuttering all week, how would the conference go? She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable the entire time they were in Argus. So, Pyrrha did what anyone approaching someone in an academic setting would do: discuss their research.
As Pyrrha delicately tore a piece of bread off to eat, she murmured, “So, Professor Goodwitch told me that your focus is historical agricultural practices. Tell me more!”
After the initial surprise wore off, Jaune’s face split into a wide smile, all of his previous unease magically melting away. Pyrrha grinned, getting comfortable and cozy as she sipped her coffee. I knew it.
So, Jaune began to speak. He was presenting on agricultural practices used in the different regions most affected by the Great War and their impacts on troop formation. It was such a specific, niche topic, and frankly, Pyrrha was baffled by it all, but Jaune spoke with more eloquence and excitement and fluidity whilst explaining battle strategies and wars of attrition than he had the entire time she had seen him thus far, so she simply asked questions and urged him onward as much as he could.
When he finally ran out of a bit of steam, choosing to instead focus on his own breakfast, Pyrrha laughed, “How did you get into the topic?”
“Oh, that,” Jaune said, a slight pink tinge returning to his face once more. “Would you laugh if I said that I just… like super long battles ‘cause of video games and comics and stuff?”
She wanted to with the sheer ridiculousness of it. She didn’t, though, instead saying, “Not at all. I figured it would be something like that, based on what Ruby said.”
Jaune perked up. “You know Ruby?”
“Yeah! I told her we were partners for this conference, and she told me you two were friends.”
Instantly, Jaune’s expression deflated. “Was Yang there too?”
“…there may have been mentions of vomit.”
“Oh my god,” Jaune groaned, covering his face with his hands. He frantically dug around in his backpack, then pulled out a packet of anti-nausea medication. “I swear I’m prepared, I won’t throw up on you, I promise,” he rambled, absolutely mortified.
“I trust you,” Pyrrha said kindly. As she spoke, the alarm on her phone began to ring. “Oh- we should head back.”
Jaune frowned, confused. “We have fifteen minutes, though?”
She flushed herself. She always was a bit too early for things- the only reason she had come a little late that day was because Nora had refused to let her leave their dorm room, citing, “You can’t go on an adventure without us!” and pouting and moaning every step of Pyrrha’s morning routine. The only reason she had finally, reluctantly let go of Pyrrha was Ren, the boy having said randomly, “Haven’t you put money on this, Nora? Let her go.” And Nora had obliged, giving Pyrrha one final, doleful hug before allowing the redhead to sprint to the nearest bus stop.
Thankfully, Jaune shrugged, scarfed down the last of his food, and stood. “Oh well. Let’s head back to the gate then.”
Pyrrha relaxed and nodded, and the two began heading back. Their gate was just around the corner.
As they got closer, however, a familiar laugh rang through the air. “Do you really think she’s gonna go for it?” Professor Branwen’s unmistakeable voice cackled. “He was such a mess today.”
“Who knows,” Professor Xiao Long replied easily, “women like idiots.”
“You would know.”
“Yeah- hey, wait, what the hell man?!”
Pyrrha paused, looking uneasily at Jaune. It felt like they were listening on a decidedly private conversation. “Should we join them?” she whispered.
“Or go sit back down?” Jaune offered, just as uncomfortable as she was. What in the world were the professors gossiping about?
Glynda’s voice sounded utterly defeated as she said, “I cannot believe you are all doing this. Leave Pyrrha alone, please. You shouldn’t be betting on their relationship status- and it’s only a week, too!”
Pyrrha froze, eyes widening, breath catching in her throat. What? Silently, she crept up to the corner, listening as intently as she could. Why were they bringing her up?
“Look, they’re 100% going to end up together before the end of the trip,” Professor Branwen laughed. “Capable girls like her eat up guys like Jaune-“
“Qrow!” Glynda cried, the sound of an impact on cloth and a yelp of surprise from said man the only response.
Pyrrha felt herself want to scream as Professor Xiao Long’s voice said wearily, “I just can’t believe it blew up so big, right? Ruby’s really outdone herself this time.”
“Her sister’s a piece of work for encouraging this nonsense, too,” Glynda muttered.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and almost jumped. Thankfully, it was just Jaune, the blond looking almost purple as he stared fiercely at his shoes. “We should go,” he whispered, voice cracking.
Mutely, she nodded, scurrying alongside him to a small bench farther down the large corridor. Once they were sufficiently out of earshot, Pyrrha cried, “What were they talking about?”
“Don’t look at me!” Jaune protested, the weight of his horror too much to handle. “I have no idea!”
The two of them helplessly stared at one another for a moment before the things they’d heard sent them both fumbling in a fit of pure, agonized embarrassment. Finally, Jaune mumbled through his hands which covered his face, “They said they’re betting on our relationship status.”
“Do they think we’re going to… date?” Pyrrha squeaked. God, how she wanted to leave the airport and go home and crawl into her bed and die of shame-
“I think so?”
The only positive in the situation was that Jaune sounded just as mortified as she. Pyrrha sat down on a nearby bench, tucking her small suitcase between her knees and leaning her forehead onto the handle. Letting out a long, soul-crushing sigh, Pyrrha recalled, “They mentioned Ruby and Yang are in on it.” Suddenly, Pyrrha jolted upright, horror cascading over her anew.
“What is it?” Jaune asked, peeking through long fingers.
“Oh my god,” Pyrrha groaned. Nora and Ruby and Yang and- and even Weiss and Ren- everyone had been so excited when she told them that she was his partner for the conference. Had they all known beforehand that Jaune was going to ASEC too?
Was everyone in on it?
Something in Jaune’s eyes clicked with hers, the frustrated determination in his gaze mirroring her own. Clearly something ridiculous was going on, and they were going to figure it out. “We have to ask someone,” she said firmly, pulling out her phone and flipping through her contacts. “We can’t ask Nora- she’s got to be in on it.” No wonder she let go when Ren brought up money this morning, she realized mournfully. Who can we ask?
“Ruby won’t tell me, if she’s the one organizing it,” Jaune muttered, mimicking her behaviour and scrolling through his phone.
“Let’s ask Yang?”
“Okay.”
So, Pyrrha rang up Yang, putting the call on speakerphone and holding it up between herself and Jaune. The young man took a seat beside her, clutching his backpack to his chest in unease. They were going to get answers one way or another, but their flight was boarding soon.
Thankfully, Yang picked up fairly quickly, sounding slightly out of breath as she sang, “Hello!” The sound of jostling clothes and boots on pavement resonated in the background. Clearly she was on her way somewhere.
“Yang, what is this about a bet Ruby is running, and why is everyone in on it?” Jaune immediately cried.
There was a moment of silence on the other line, so long that Pyrrha had to check and see if the other girl had hung up on them. Yang eventually replied, laughing uncomfortably, “I see you’ve, uh… figured out our schemes. Before it’s started. Great.”
“What schemes, Yang?” Pyrrha said, suddenly absolutely exhausted. “Please, just tell us what’s going on. We overheard Glynda and everyone talking about something like-“ and she blushed, feeling her face absolutely burning, “-me and Jaune getting… together?”
“Together-together, as Nora would say!” Yang quipped.
“Not the point, Yang!” Jaune cried, absolutely horrified.
“Okay, okay Vomit Boy, calm down!” She laughed on the other end as Jaune’s strangled cry of defeat rang through the air. “Okay. I’ll tell you.”
Pyrrha bit her lip, leaning back against the wall, awaiting an explanation.
“Look,” Yang began nervously, lowering her voice. The footsteps in the background stopped. “Don’t tell them I’m telling you about it, but basically… Ruby has always wanted to introduce you two.” Hearing Jaune’s squeak of disbelief, she continued, “Look, you’re… you, so whatever, but Pyrrha’s always been single! She hasn’t dated anyone in Beacon and it’s such a waste! So Ruby thought y’all would be a good pair. And I agree, I think you’d suit each other. But it’s pretty unnatural to just force people together, right? So when Jaune told her he was going to Argus too, we started all talking about it-“
“’We’ as in who?” Pyrrha asked, feeling totally helpless.
Guiltily, Yang began listing off enough names that Pyrrha wanted to cry.
The other girl said, “It’s not like it’s a bad thing, it’s just- Ruby suddenly got super invested, and Weiss was saying that it’ll never happen, and then they started making bets. Next thing we know, there’s a whole betting pool and a bunch of people are putting down good money on it, and… yeah.”
Gulping nervously, Jaune asked, “Um… how much are we talkin’ here?”
The number that Yang muttered was horrifyingly large.
“How many people are in this?!” Pyrrha cried, humiliation and burning betrayal making her heart pound in her ears. The feeling was only worsened by Yang’s response- how had so many people found out about this bet?
However, Jaune cooled down in the blink of an eye. Calmly, he asked, “Okay. How many people are betting for us getting together? And what does ‘getting together’ look like?”
Yang groaned. “Oh my god, I am so screwed, I shouldn’t be telling you-“
“Yang,” Pyrrha said sternly.
“Ugh, fine. Let’s just say there’s only a handful of people saying you won’t get together, as in, like… you won’t kiss or go on a date or be openly affectionate in any way.”
“For the duration of the trip?” Jaune clarified. When Yang hummed in confirmation, Pyrrha frowned as Jaune’s eyes lit up mischievously. “Okay. So we’re joining the betting pool.”
“What?!” Pyrrha and Yang both cried simultaneously.
Jaune held up his hands innocently. “What? If there’s only a few people betting against it, then if we bet against it too, we’ll get some solid winnings since we won’t be splitting the pool with people!” He froze, face falling. “I- I mean… we’re not getting together, right-“
“Of course not! We just met!” Pyrrha said.
A stab of guilt drove straight through her heart as Jaune openly winced at that retort. He looked crestfallen. “Yeah,” he laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. “No chance.” Focusing his attention back onto the phone, he said, “Add me and Pyrrha to the ‘against’ pile, Yang. If people are actually doing this, then we might as well make money off of it.”
And so, that was how Pyrrha and Jaune both agreed to put in twenty lien to the pool.
For a minute, Yang refused to allow them to join. “That’s just rigging the pool,” she whined. “Ruby’s gonna be so mad-“
“Did you bet for or against, Yang?” Jaune asked.
“…for.”
Pyrrha wanted to cry.
“In that case,” Jaune said slowly, “can you switch sides? Just join our side and you’ll get the winnings too.”
“This sounds like a heist,” Pyrrha murmured absently.
To her surprise, Jaune winked at her. “Good thing I love strategy games,” he laughed. “C’mon, Yang, whaddya say? Join our team, put our names into the pool, and we’ll make money together!”
After a moment of reflection, Yang chirped, “Y’know, that actually sounds like a rad idea. Hell yeah! I’m a double agent!” She paused, then repeated, “Ruby’s gonna be so mad at me.”
“I’m so mad at you,” Pyrrha sighed. “I can’t believe even Nora’s in on this…”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Yang said gently, her bluster and bravado stripped away, “we all got into it because we love you and want you to be happy?”
Pyrrha sighed again, but that comment was enough to put a little smile on her face. No matter how ridiculous the plan was, Pyrrha knew that her friends wouldn’t have begun it with any ill-intent. Stupidity? Yes. Malice? No. “Yeah,” she said. “I know.”
Then, the announcement for their flight’s boarding rang on the speaker system. “We should go,” Jaune said, standing up.
“Okay kids!” Yang said. “Be safe and have a good trip! I’ll let you go, but just remember- no hanky-panky and no falling in love, okay?”
“Bye Yang,” Pyrrha replied, ending the call and gathering herself up.
Halfway back to their gate, Pyrrha paused, burying her face in her hands. Instantly, Jaune was there, murmuring, “Hey, you okay?”
“We’re going to have to look at them, Jaune. All the professors are in on it. I don’t know how to look at everyone! We can’t let them know that we know about the bet, right?” she said nervously.
Jaune froze, gulping audibly. “…I hate this.”
“Same.” Still, they had no time to waste, and they were clearly too far in the thick of it now. With a rueful smile, she straightened her back, raised her chin, and lightly punched him on the shoulder. “You ready?”
Her blow somehow managed to knock him off balance slightly, but Jaune grinned back anyways. “Ready as I’ll ever be, partner.”
Partner. As ridiculous as this whole affair was, and as deathly-embarrassed as she knew she was going to be every time she saw Glynda and the others for the rest of the week, it was more than a little comforting to know that Jaune was just as, if not more, flustered by the situation as she was. That camaraderie felt nice. At least we can still be friends and have fun this week.
Either way, ASEC was going to be an adventure, and she hoped she was ready for it.