Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. All rights go to respective owners.

In Your Name (I Will Not Quit)

Blake stood on the balcony and breathed in the night air. It was warm outside. She wasn't quite used to it yet, not after having lived at Beacon and with the White Fang before that. It wasn't unpleasant, though.

It reminded her of childhood and more peaceful times.

And speaking of the past…

"You know, you can come out," she called softly. "I won't let them know you're here."

There was a rustle on the roof and then the muffled thud of feet hitting the ground. Blake continued to gaze at the jungle and distant ocean. She felt, rather than saw, the small Faunus slide up next to her.

"You knew I was here the entire time?"

"Of course, I did, Ilia," Blake replied. She flickered her ears. "You might be able to disappear, but I will always hear you."

She turned to the shorter girl and smiled grimly. It had been a long time since she had the other Faunus. They hadn't parted on good terms, and Blake wondered where she stood with her.

Ilia grumbled and stared at the ground, refusing to look at her.

"What are you doing here, Blake?"

So that's how it was going to be.

"Running."

The brutally honest answer brought Ilia up short. She looked up and met Blake's eyes, and for the first time in weeks, the Huntress felt at ease. There might be an awkward tension between the two of them—the reasons why Blake didn't know—but this was her friend.

She was safe and familiar.

After a moment of silence, Ilia laughed slightly under her breath.

"I gotta admit, Blake. I wasn't expecting that much honesty."

"Neither was I," she admitted. "I didn't even realize what I was doing at first. I had to have a persistent friend show me the truth."

The two girls turned toward the house behind them. They could hear Blake's mother laughing at something Sun had said.

"Friend?" Ilia said, her tone surprisingly icy. "Don't you mean boyfriend?"

Blake's ears flattened. "No," she said firmly. "Just a good friend."

Another stilted silence filled the air.

"Blake, I'm sorry—"

"I didn't mean to—"

They started talking at the same time and abruptly stopped. Giving the taller girl a slight smile, Ilia waved for Blake to continue.

"I didn't mean to sound harsh," Blake explained. "I'm sorry. It's just that...he's not the one for me. I can always count on him to have my back, and we trust each other. But that's it. He's just a friend."

The words spilled out of Blake. Sharing her feelings wasn't something she usually did, not even with her team. But now that she had started, she found that she couldn't stop.

"I screwed up, Ilia. So many times." Blake looked at the stunned Faunus. "I failed you. I know that. I'm not even sure how I did exactly. Isn't that terrible? I know I let you down, and instead of trying to fix it, I ran away. I fought monsters and protected innocent lives, but I ran away when my team needed me the most.

"I've caused so many problems, and I don't think I can fix any of them, Ilia."

Blake took a breath and looked away. Her ears twitched, and she folded her arms across her chest. She heard a sharp gasp from Ilia.

"What is that?"

She turned toward Ilia and tilted her head in confusion. The shorter girl stared at Blake's forearm.

"Oh, this?" Blake asked. She lifted her arm.

The bright yellow bracelet practically shone in the moonlight. It looked innocent enough but didn't match Blake's style. She activated the gauntlet and watched Ilia's eyes widen in shock.

It had taken a while to get used to Ember Celica. She had picked it up after the battle with Adam. She had honestly meant to give it to Yang, but then she ran away and for some reason kept it. It wasn't as subtle as her pistol, and it messed with her balance in fights.

But she grew used to the weight, and now it reminded her that she had someone to fight for—and who was hopefully still fighting for her.

"It's a promise," Blake said quietly. Her voice trembled with emotion.

"To do what?"

Ilia searched her face with a critical gaze. It was as if the chameleon girl saw more about Blake than she even knew about herself.

"To come back," she replied. "My partner is counting on me, and I won't let her down. Not again. Never again."

Ilia snapped her gaze to the ground, and Blake watched tears stream down her face. Somehow, she had messed up again.

"You and monkey boy need to leave Menagerie."

Before Blake could ask any questions, Ilia turned and ran away, disappearing in the night.

"Not yet," Blake whispered to the darkness. "There's still work to do here."

A/N — I found some really amazing RWBY headcanons on Pinterest. I don't know who they originally belonged to, but I've fully accepted them as headcanons for myself. Thank you, though, mystery OP.

Headcanon used: At the end of Volume 3, Blake goes back to find Gambol Shroud and finds the right gauntlet of Ember Celica. She then uses it instead of her pistol.