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Chapter 7. Hot Tea And Resolve

This morning went much the same as yesterday morning had, for Blake.

She got out of bed quickly and darted around the house at an excited pace before heading out into the sunny world. It was slightly overcast, but that didn't sour her mood, not today.

Not with the prospect of her first hug with Ruby on her mind.

She was nothing short of giddy as she strolled her way towards the library.

Her mind was still full of thoughts of yesterday and the day before, their two consecutive lunch dates. And last night, she'd somehow mustered up the courage to text Ruby the name of the website she'd been searching for.

Blake could still vividly remember how much her hands had been shaking as she'd typed and sent that message, even though Ruby hadn't physically been there with her, seeing or listening to her.

But the response from the girl had been instantaneous, and even though it was only in text format, Blake could sense her enthusiasm in the bolded "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" she'd replied with.

Blake had sent her a simple "You're welcome!" but they hadn't texted beyond that. She'd assumed Ruby was all too busy last night looking up those old folktales after that.

But just the fact that they'd exchanged numbers and spoken to one another through text messages was a major step in Blake's intended direction.

Even so, she didn't want to get too ahead of herself. She still didn't know how Ruby felt about her, and it might take a while to receive that answer.

Even if Ruby just liked her as a friend, Blake would respect that and continue to enjoy spending time with her.

She arrived at the library and went straight to the cafe to order a cup of tea to calm the jitters inside her. As soon as Coco saw her, a grin appeared on the barista's face.

"Hey, Belladonna. So how'd the date go?"

Blake froze in her spot on the other side of the counter, and her ears drooped as heat rushed to her face.

"U-Um, I don't think it was-"

"Coco!"

Within seconds of her girlfriend's carelessly-loud comment, Velvet was on the scene to shush her. But as she turned to Blake and leaned over the counter with her ears standing tall, she asked the same question, just in a lowered tone.

"Well? How did it go?"

Blake flushed again.

"I... think it went well... She gave me her phone number and-"

"Hey, now!" Coco said in a congratulatory manner. "Got her number after just a few days of talkin' to her? Smooth, Belladonna, smooth."

"That is very impressive, Blake!" Velvet agreed.

"Not really... it was just to text her a website..."

"But now that she's given it to you, you can keep her number and message her whenever you'd like!" Velvet pointed out.

"...You think so?"

"Absolutely! You see, if she hadn't wanted to give you her number, she definitely wouldn't have. She would've just asked you to write the name of the website down on a piece of paper and bring it in the next day, right? But if she specifically asked you for your number or wanted to give you hers, then you're on the right track, Blake! So keep at it!"

Velvet made a triumphant fist and smiled at her friend.

Blake was feeling incredibly self-conscious now, so she just gave a quick nod.

"Can I... have the usual, please?"

"Of course."

Sensing that Blake was getting overwhelmed, Velvet happily took a step back and pulled Coco along with her.

Blake shuffled her feet as she waited, pulling out her wallet when Velvet returned with her tea. She paid, and quietly thanked Velvet for her support. The older girl reached out across the counter to take one of Blake's hands, and spoke in a hushed, earnest voice to her.

"If you ever need anything, even if you just need to talk off some of the nerves or something, just text or call me, alright? I'll always answer for you, Blake."

Her blush remained as she nodded.

At that point, Coco slid in beside her girlfriend and pouted.

"Good for you," she said to Blake. "Velvs ignores my texts half the time."

"Only because they're pictures of clothes you want to dress me in!"

"Aw, but you've gotta admit you'd look great if you just tried some of them on."

Velvet heaved a sigh and released Blake's hand, sending her one last smile and a wink for good luck before shooing Coco back a pace.

Despite her shyness, Blake smiled at the two girls' playful bantering. Three years ago, she never would have suspected she'd ever be close enough to them to be included in their conversations or addressed with comfortable informality.

Blake felt so unexplainably happy about that. It put a warm feeling in her chest.

She focused on that feeling so much, that as she reached for her tea, she forgot to pull out a napkin to wrap the cup in first. Upon contact with the outside of the cup, her sensitive fingertips were instantly assaulted by extreme heat.

"Ow, ow-!" Recoiling, she stepped away and hissed, clutching her hands to her chest.

The sudden sound alerted Velvet and Coco, and they hurried back over to her.

"Blake?" Velvet cried. "Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

"No..." she got out past grit teeth. "It's alright..."

Velvet clearly didn't buy it.

"Coco, please get her some ice."

"No, really-" Blake said quickly. "It's fine... I'm fine." Slowly, she withdrew her hand from her chest and sighed, trying to channel out the pain on the exhale.

Velvet looked her over with worried eyes, and even Coco wore a stern expression now. Blake plastered on a smile for them, grabbed a few napkins, and picked up her cup.

"Thanks, you guys. Don't worry."

The pair watched her go in silence, though Velvet clearly wanted to chase after her. Coco put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave her a quick kiss to calm her down.

Blake left the cafe behind, still feeling the heat wafting from her injured fingers.

She'd had a hypersensitivity to extreme temperatures her entire life, but had grown cautious enough over the years to ensure she'd avoid such things at all costs. Her doctors had told her parents it was a kind of skin condition, and though she'd been given many shots and medications, nothing seemed to help.

But Blake tended to take care of herself well enough nowadays. She hadn't had a slip-up like that in months.

Velvet didn't know about her condition, and Blake had never found the right time or reason to tell her. She was too embarrassed.

Even now, the cup in her hands radiated heat past the layers of napkins. She hurried to her space beneath the stairs so she could put the cup down on the little wooden table there.

With a sigh, Blake pulled her hands back up to her chest once more, then sat down in her chair. Eyes closed, she controlled her breathing, trying not to focus on the stinging in her fingertips.

She peeked down at them to discover all five of her right hand's fingers were red at the pads. She closed her eyes again, hunching over herself slightly as she breathed through her nose.

It's fine. It's not that bad. It's fine...

She'd been so focused on trying to calm herself down that her ears hadn't picked up on the familiar flurry of footsteps running down the steps.

Ruby had been so excited this morning, so gleeful about finding the old stories last night thanks to Blake's help. She'd made sure to complete all of her morning work short of helping patrons navigate the websites – after she saw Blake, she'd come right back up to do that.

But for now, she hopped off the final step and turned on her heel to direct herself towards the love seat where she knew her new friend would be sitting. She was so excited to see Blake that she called out to her before her mind registered the situation.

"Blake! Thank you so much for-"

As she skipped over to the Faunus girl in the chair, Ruby got her first good look at her friend. She came to a fast halt and gasped, horrified.

"B-Blake, what happened? Are you okay? Should I call 9-1-1?" Fretfully, she knelt down in front of her, hands fumbling and not knowing what to do. A sense of dread and fear trickled down her spine and made her stomach twist.

Blake was clearly shocked to see her and hadn't been expecting it so suddenly. With a small gasp, the Faunus girl looked up at her, hands still clutched to her chest, shaking and on the verge of tears.

"R...Ruby?"

"Blake!" Ruby kept her voice to a low whisper, doing her best not to make a scene right now. But if Blake needed help, she'd shout at the top of her lungs. Worried silver eyes searched guilty gold, and Ruby dared to place her hands on the other girl's knees. "What's wrong, Blake? What happened?"

Blake quickly tried to get control over herself and dropped her hands to her lap.

"I-I'm okay," she whispered. "I just burnt my hand on the tea cup, that's all. See?" She revealed her right hand, where her fingertips were still a bit red.

Ruby stared for a second, then slumped off her knees to the floor.

"Oh geez..." she sighed. "I-I'd thought you were having an asthma attack or something the way you were holding your chest like that."

Blake's ears drooped guiltily.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"No, gosh don't be sorry!" Ruby said quickly. "I'm just glad it wasn't anything serious, like with your heart or something! But do you want ice for your hand?"

Once she realized Blake wasn't seriously hurt, Ruby started to calm down a bit. She pushed herself up to her feet, ready to fetch some ice if Blake needed her to.

But Blake did her best to smile reassurance to her.

"It's alright. Please don't worry about it, Ruby."

Ruby definitely looked like she wanted to worry more, but she didn't want to put Blake under pressure and make a scene when it wasn't necessary. Blake could tell the girl wanted to do something for her, so the Faunus girl offered a solution.

"Ruby..."

Slowly, Blake got to her feet, and didn't sway for once.

The brunette looked up at her quickly.

"Yes? What is it?"

With a sigh, Blake tried out another smile, a real one this time.

"Maybe... we could try that hug now... if you'd like..."

The library worker perked up, her eyes lighting up like stars in the sky. Knowing that Blake was all right now, Ruby was more than eager to oblige her.

"Yeah!" she said softly. "I mean, if you're okay with it!"

Blake hadn't been all that sure before, but now, after what had just happened, she'd made up her mind.

"Yes. I think I could... use it right now..."

The last person she'd hugged who wasn't related to her had been Velvet, and they'd became friends shortly afterward. Ruby would be the first new person to make significant contact with her in years.

And Blake didn't care if the secretaries or some of the other patrons saw.

She just... really needed a hug right now.

From Ruby.

Readily, Ruby opened her arms and took a step up, her gaze holding Blake's. Though a bit awkwardly, the Faunus girl lifted her arms as well, welcoming her.

Taking the cue, Ruby closed the distance between them and hugged her at long last.

Soft arms wrapped around her back and torso, locking gently beneath Blake's arms. Ruby pressed herself close, straining up onto her tiptoes a bit. She rested her head against the dark-haired girl's shoulder with a sigh.

"I'm so glad you're okay..."

Blake sniffled once, then steeled herself to return the embrace. Slowly, she slipped her arms around Ruby's back and shoulders, keeping her near.

She was... so warm.

Blake had never felt this way with one of Velvet's hugs before. Whenever she or her parents hugged Blake, it was usually for congratulatory or comforting purposes.

But with Ruby... this was just...

It felt so natural.

It felt better than all the others, because with those, Blake always seemed to be the one receiving something from the contact.

But for the first time now, she felt she was giving just as much as she was getting.

The effect Ruby's embrace had on Blake was identical to the effect Blake's had on Ruby. It was mutually beneficial, and Blake didn't feel as though she were leeching off of the other person without giving back.

She didn't want to let go.

Ruby curled against her friend, wanting to make sure she was alright. She could feel Blake's pulse a little, and it was fast against her chest. Ruby really hoped she was okay.

In truth, Blake felt so much better now, just having Ruby so close. She wasn't even nervous or shy about it anymore.

Ruby wasn't just her crush anymore – she was a friend.

That worried her a little, just because she didn't know if there was a line she wasn't allowed to cross. But she'd worry about that some other time.

Their hug lasted for a moment, until Blake remembered Ruby was still technically working. She forced herself to pull away and meet the girl's eyes.

"Sorry. I shouldn't be doing this when you're at work," she said. "But... thank you, Ruby. I really needed that. Thank you."

Ruby nodded, her smile small, but genuine.

"I'm glad I could help. And that hug was also to say thanks for giving me the name of the website! I was reading those old stories all last night! It really brought back some memories."

Blake smiled as well.

"I'm glad you had fun. Can you tell me more about it at lunch?" She wanted to hear Ruby gush some more with that gleam in her eyes.

The girl gave a bounce and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, sure!" She took a step back, then looked Blake over once more. "You're sure your hand is okay?"

"Yes. It's fine. Thank you for... for worrying..."

"Of course I'll worry!" Ruby said. "If you ever need help or you get hurt, just call for me, okay? I mean it!" She was so earnest about it, her lips set in a firm line, her eyes serious.

Blake blushed and nodded.

"I-I'll try. And you can... do the same for me, okay?"

Ruby blinked at her, then nodded.

"Okay." With that she took a step back. "I'll see you in a few hours, Blake!"

And then she turned and darted back up the stairs to return to her tasks.

Blake stood there for a moment, not minding the rest of the world. Her heart wasn't beating so roughly anymore. This was nothing like the first time she'd met Ruby and her body had reacted so strongly. Her emotions had seemed to settle a bit since then.

She'd undoubtedly gotten more comfortable around Ruby, and the girl had become comfortable enough around Blake to give her her number and offer physical contact.

It hadn't been long since they'd met and started talking, but Blake felt as though things were going... exceptionally well, in her opinion, anyway. The stifling nervousness was gradually ebbing away, being replaced by a pleasant warmth.

Their bud of friendship was blossoming slowly into a flower.

But Blake was scared now that she'd hurt Ruby if she confessed her real feelings for her. She didn't want to admit her crush and then risk severing the ties of their friendship bond.

Thinking about it made her swallow, and she sat back down in her chair.

But she couldn't let her emotions run wild again, not here...

Blake reached for her tea cup, which was lukewarm by now and didn't hurt her hands. She took a few sips, and the warm liquid seemed to curl around her frantic heart and slow it down a bit.

I shouldn't worry about all of that now. I should just... just let things happen. And I'll deal with those issues when they come up. As soon as there's a good reason to, I'll tell her.

She thought as much, but thinking about something and actually doing it were two very different things.

She was still scared about all of this, but she didn't want to be. She didn't want to keep being a victim to her negative emotions. She wanted to look on the bright side and enjoy her newfound friendship with Ruby to the fullest.

That journey would start within herself.

Blake finished her tea, then put the napkins and cup aside.

She was resolved.

From this day forward, she would do her best to think calmly and clearly around Ruby, to treasure their friendship and to learn and grow from it. She wanted to better herself, and she believed Ruby could help her do that.

Blake slipped her bag off her shoulder and opened it, then took out one of her books.

She started to read and relax, more eager than ever now for the hours to pass and for the clock to strike half past noon.


A/N: Here's her turning point! The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one, right? So Blake's going to do her best to better herself, with Ruby's help and for her sake!

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