A/N: See I was gonna post this on Christmas day and be all like 'Surprise! Merry Christmas everybody!' but then real life happened and I just... well, didn't post it... 'cuz I hadn't finished it... sorry? But its here now! The next chapter, as a late gift to anyone who cares! :J Thank You to everyone who reviewed/followed/Favorited, I still can't believe how much attention this story is getting! :D
Also, Brandon isn't awake (well it is almost 4 am, so its not surprising really) and I was peer pressured into posting it before having him check it (you know who you are ;) ) so all spelling mistakes and whatever else, is my fault, and said pressurer's fault. ( I kid dude ;J )
So, I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or its characters, they belong to RoosterTeeth and Monty Oum.
The softness was a calming reminder that this whole ordeal was in fact real, the smooth touch with gentle caresses of the thumb allowing a peace of mind that she wouldn't wake up freezing on a street corner somewhere.
She did feel a little self conscious, as her own hands had become rough with over use over the years. She had done some odd jobs for whoever would hire her, which meant her hands had light scars and roughness to them. Unlike Weiss, whose hands were only slightly tough on her palm from holding her rapier.
Ruby's unease was quietened again when soft thumb ran over the back of scarred hand, smooth fingers squeezing her's and sending warmth in her chest at the sensation. An easy grin fluttered onto her face, she had missed this.
After the Headmistress had interrupted them, and they had seen the guy, now known as Cardin, being put in place by Third Year student Coco, the two were finally almost at their dorm.
Holding hands was normal for them, they had always done it, and Weiss knew it was a way to keep Ruby's wolf side calm. She was upset at the scars she could feel, she knew she could have helped the younger girl, and the fact that she didn't dropped her heart down to her stomach.
The scar on Ruby's ear didn't escape her notice either, nor did the fact that Ruby hadn't mentioned her own scar, that stood stark against her face. She was glad, she wanted to avoid bringing up such a horrible part of her childhood, and she felt that Ruby understood, as she kept quiet on the whole affair.
Warmth squeezed her cool hand, and she glanced up to silver pools. Surely enough, her eyes flickered lighting quick to the scar, darkened a little and snapped back to Weiss' blue depths, lightening again to her usual silver.
"Hey Weiss, you okay? You kinda stopped walking aaaaaand I don't know where the dorm is!" Ruby threw her hand behind her head and rubbed her hair, grinning at the heiress who laughed.
"Sure, sorry, c'mon Rubes."
Weiss tugged on her hand and pulled her along, the Faunus not taking long to fall into step with her and start swinging their hands between them, humming some song her mother had taught her long ago.
She was not aware of the few receiving stares, but Weiss did, and her cold glare silenced the minority of lookers they passed.
Eventually they came to the end of the corridor, they walked down it and passed closed doors.
"Lets see…" Weiss muttered to herself, Ruby's ear twitched and she tilted her head to look at the slightly taller girl as she scanned the doors.
"Team FYTH, Team HNTR, Team SNWE, Team JNPR… ah, Team RWBY, here we are Rubes."
Weiss turned the handle and pushed open the door, stepping into the room. Her eyes bulged at what she saw, Ruby's doing the same, but at a smaller degree.
The four beds were put together in two's, one on top of the other in some sort of crude bunk bed style.
Yang had moved the sofa so it faced the flat screen that was on the wall to the left of the door, she was sat in the middle of the four seater, leaning forwards with a determined look in her eye as she mashed the buttons on her Xbox controller.
Blake was sat on her bed, the bottom bunk, and was idly flicking through a book. Her amber eyes glanced up to her new team members, a slight grin forming at their interlocked hands.
"Heya Rubes! Where the hell have you been?" Yang laughed, and paused her game to face the white and red couple. Her smile, however, slid off her face at their hands. Her eyes narrowed, and red sparked in the purple.
Ruby gulped and let go of Weiss' hand, ignoring the look the fairer haired girl shot her, and jumped on her sister.
She took Yang off guard with the sudden assault, and so the two of them fell back onto the sofa back, pushing it over. They rolled on the floor and started to play fight, grasping each other's hands with their arms flailing about wildly.
"You tried to surprise me! You cheating mutt!" Yang yelled with a laugh, Ruby growled playfully back and rolled them over, only to be rolled over again so the blonde was once again on top.
Meanwhile Weiss and Blake watched this display with slightly wide eyes and mild amusement. Weiss looked to the dark haired girl and waited for her too meet her eyes before she gestured to the brawling duo.
"Do you think this will be a regular occurrence?"
Blake did not reply, instead she starred at the heiress, trying to figure her out. Unknown to Blake, her bow twitched at the sound of the sister's brawl, and that's all that was needed for Weiss to connect the dots.
Right, she's a Faunus, no wonder she doesn't trust me yet. Ha, two Faunus in my team, one being the Leader, Father will have a fit when he finds out.
"Aha!"
"Ack! Yang, stop that!"
Yang laughed, one arm holding the wolf to her chest with the other noggieing her head. with a pat she let her go, and the Faunus rolled away and started to panicky sort out her hair, glaring jokingly at her older sister who continued to laugh.
Thankfully it was distraction enough that the image of Ruby and Weiss holding hands was pushed from her overprotective mind, well, hopefully anyway.
"Urgh, what game are you playing anyway?" Ruby asked, standing and offering a hand to the blonde and pulling her to her feet, "And why the hell are the beds like that?!"
Yang shrugged.
"There wouldn't have been enough space with them all on the floor! Besides, it was Blakey's idea." She threw a wink at the raven haired girl, who started at the attention drawn to her.
"And it's this game called 'No Luca No!' it's about a guy tryna' eat his cereal, but this cat won't leave him alone!"
She flipped the sofa back up and vaulted over the back, landing with a bounce and picking up the controller, taking it off the settings pause to show the opening screen to the game.
Ruby tilted her head at the game menu, her ears perking up with her right ear falling with her head tilt. She narrowed her eyes a little and stared at the cat on the screen as Yang started to play.
"You see its annoying 'cuz this cat won't take the hint and leave me alone to eat this damn cereal! You don't even eat cereal! There is a pitcher of milk right behind you! You're a cat god damn it! Fine, eat it! EAT IT! Does that taste- You're not even eating the cereal! You're just licking the fucking milk!" Ruby, Weiss and Blake glanced at Yang when the room heated up from her anger, Ruby rolling her eyes as Weiss and Blake leaned a little further away from the game raging girl.
"Urgh, stupid damn cat urgh god damn it, never playing this game again…"
Blake laughed lightly into her hand, and Yang felt her anger simmer away quicker than it ever had before. She grinned and asked something that had been bugging her all day, not realising what she was about to do.
"Hey Blakey, Rubes never told me what Faunus you were-" Yang said nonchalantly, not seeing the wide eyed stares from the three occupants in the room, "- I mean was she right about the chipmunk thing? 'Cuz I can totally see you as like, a panther or a tigress type of Faunus, you know, all claws and- OW! What the hell Ruby!?"
She threw the controller on the seat and stood to face her sister, rubbing her head with a subtle wince. What she saw was quite shocking.
Ruby's eyes had not changed to yellow, but the light silver had become a steely grey, glaring at her with annoyance, her finger pointing to the left. Yang slowly followed her direction and landed on Weiss.
Oh. Weiss Schnee, Heiress of the Faunus hating Dust Company Family. Ah. Well… Shit.
She also looked to the bottom bunk and saw Blake staring at her with narrowed eyes. She gulped and slowly reached her hand behind her head to rub it.
"Urm… oops?"
Blake threw her book down and stood from her bed, she didn't look at anyone as she stepped around the sofa and heading to the door.
"Wait, Blake, I'm sorry!"
The dark haired girl snatched at the door handle and threw it open, betrayal and anger fusing through her veins, burning her deep and lighting a fuse within.
A cold hand grabbed her wrist with surprising strength, stilling her movement completely. She snapped her gaze around and tried to pull her arm away, but the grip remained firm and even managed to pull her away from the door. She glared at the Heiress, now stood between the cat and her exit.
"Move out of my way, Schnee." she demanded, voice husky. The sisters were still as they watched the exchange.
"What, so you can leave with dramatic flair and cause disruptions in the team due to awkwardness that would follow? I don't think so." Weiss crossed her arms, her stance strong as she stood in the doorway.
Blake's eye twitched and her fists tightened.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be."
"No, I am not moving because you are being silly."
"Oh, forgive me for not being so trusting of you, why wouldn't I be?" she asked sarcastically, "You're company has only helped enslave my race for hundreds of years. Forgive my unease!"
The last part was yelled, her voice deepening as it ended with a feline growl. She took a threatening step forwards.
In a flash of red Ruby was between them, her own snarl working past her gritted teeth. Yang stood and tensed, ready to intervene if Ruby lost all control, her eyes had not yet changed, so she stayed close to the sofa, waiting to jump in. The youngest Faunus in the room was crouched a little, glaring in challenge at the feline, who grimaced and took a step back.
Ruby straightened but still tensed, teeth remaining bared. She felt a hand slip into her's, and she turned her head to lock silver with blue. Her instincts were curved a little, calming her down. Weiss pulled her hand back so she was stood to the left of her, so she was no longer blocking the view of the cat Faunus, keeping their hands together.
She looked up to Blake and raised an eyebrow in challenge. Blake huffed and crossed her arms, and Weiss took that as a 'go ahead' to talk.
"For your information, I hold no prejudice against your kind, Blake. I am best friends with a wolf Faunus for Dust's sake! My family may have tainted the Schnee name, but I assure you that I myself have nothing against your kind. In fact…" she glanced to Ruby with a light grin, "I am quite fond the Faunus."
"I can vouch for her too." Ruby added, grinning back for a moment before looking to the other Faunus, "I practically grew up with her when we were younger… I trust her with my life, and more."
A light blush fluttered onto Weiss' pale cheeks, but she fought most of it away. Unfortunately, Blake did not miss the flash of colour, and her ears under her bow flattened as she sighed in acceptance.
"Fine, I believe you. I can't trust you completely, but I do believe you are not like your family Weiss… you're…" her eyes flickered over to Ruby and back to Weiss with lighting speed, "… different."
Yang relaxed her stance when she felt that the air had less tension, she sighed in relief and took tentative steps towards the trio, nervously smiling at Blake, who met her gaze with a blank one of her own.
"I, urm, I'm sorry?" she asked, Blake stared at her a little while longer before sighing and shrugging.
"Sure, I forgive you. But mention this to anyone outside this room again, then I will cut your-"
"Aha! Blake! You should, ah, stop while you're ahead, yeah? Yeah…" Ruby yelled, interrupting the threat before it could be finished, knowing how weirdly protective of her hair Yang was.
"No, its okay Rubes. Blake, if I tell someone without your permission, you can…" she swallowed and took a breath, "erm, c-cut my hair. Maybe. If I am heavily drunk before, during and several months after the cut."
Blake huffed a laugh as Weiss rolled her eyes at the blonde; meanwhile Ruby was still working on picking her jaw up from the ground.
She agreed to something with her hair at threat?! Who the hell is this woman and where is my sister?!
"Deal, I think I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat-"
"Want me to come with you?" Yang asked, brushing some hair behind her ear and shrugging from her question.
"Urm, sure? If you want to, I was just gonna grab some tuna anyways."
"Tuna, hmm? So a definite yes on the feline front… I will figure this out Blakey~"
The two stepped around the red and white couple with a wave and a goodbye to the pair. Weiss grinned, feeling quite proud of herself, and looked at her hand holding partner.
"Rubes, why is your mouth open?"
Ruby stared at the door, mumbling some incoherent words and gesturing to her own hair with weak motions. Weiss shook her head and used her pointer finger to gently shut the wolf Faunus' mouth with a fond smile.
"Well I think you should test the safety of this bed too, because I am not having the bottom bunk unless I am certain the top bunk won't crush me in my sleep."
Ruby shook her head and walked around the sofa, leaning on the back to appraise the Heiress who was looking at the bunks judgingly.
"You know, pretend that you hate them all you want, but I still remember baby Weiss begging my mother for a bunk bed so she could experience the bonding." She winked at Weiss before jumping up onto the bed that was held suspended by white ropes. She landed with a thump, and for a heart shaking moment, the bed swung from her momentum. After a few seconds it swayed to a stop and she sighed in relief.
"There, see? Completely safe!"
Weiss winced at the creaking and sighed.
"Sure it is..."
~Ax~
After they had snuck into the kitchens, well Blake sneaking while Yang watched the ninja movements in awe, and left not five minutes later with Blake carrying her tuna sandwiches with care and gentleness.
With Yang's suggestion the two headed up the stairs in calm silence. Yang felt a bit nervous, wondering if Blake was about to turn around and snap at her for accidently giving her secret away, but she hid it behind her large smile and swagger in her step.
When they reached the roof she pushed the door and held it open for the younger girl, swaying her free arm in a bow.
Blake smirked and lightly pushed the blonde's shoulder as she walked past.
"This is what I get for being a gentleman?"
"Don't you mean Gentlewoman?" Blake asked, tossing a look towards the brawler who blushed and kicked the door shut with her foot.
"Well, I guess, whatever floats your boat and all that jazz."
Blake looked around and noticed there was no where to sit apart from on the roof, she sighed, looked like she would get her skirt dirty already.
Yang noticed this and how her eyes had flickered around, she quickly stepped before the Faunus and swept off her blazer, laying it out and gesturing for the raven haired girl to sit on it.
"What? Oh no, Yang I couldn't-"
"Well either you use it as a seat, or I kept it off anyways, I'm feeling kinda warm as it is so, you know." She smirked and tilted her head towards it again, "Here you go, besides, I don't want you getting all dirty… yet." She winked and Blake scoffed again, this time flicking her on the nose.
"Hey! Will this be the rest of my years as a Huntress? Mindless abuse from my oh so dear partner?" she asked with a grin, falling down next to Blake, who was sat cross legged on the blazer, and let her legs hang over the edge of the roof.
"Thanks, for letting me use your blazer Yang."
"It's cool Blakey, I guess it's an add on to my apology for… you know… completely throwing your secret out in the open back there…"
Blake glanced out of the corner of her eye at the normally confident blonde, noticing that she had tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes narrowed in thought and her fingers gripping the gravel roof uncomfortably. She sighed and dropped her arms to her lap, holding the tuna sandwich there as she turned her head fully to the blonde.
"How did you know?" she asked, Yang looked up, locking violet with amber, and tilted her head in question.
"What do you mean?"
"How did you know I was a Faunus? Did I do some mannerisms? Or act differently? What gave me away?"
Yang looked a little shocked and she stuttered out a reply.
"Oh- urm nothing really, I just spent a lot of my childhood with Ruby, and spotting the signs of a Faunus is not difficult for me anymore. I sort of put two and two together honestly."
Blake narrowed her eyes and tilted her head also.
"What signs?"
"Urm, you know, the grace, elegance and poise that no human could really do, the delicateness to your steps, and just your general self. You have the confidence of both a human and something more… something better."
Yang grinned at her, and Blake quickly looked away, taking a bite out of her sandwich and fighting away her blush.
"I'm hardly perfect Yang."
"Well, while I doubt that's true, perfection isn't everything."
Blake swallowed and cast another glance to the blonde who was looking over the school grounds.
"What do you mean by that?"
Yang laughed and shrugged lightly.
"Exactly what it means! Perfection isn't everything, in fact if someone acts perfect then there is something big that they are not showing."
Blake tilted her head again.
"So you don't like perfection?" she asked, sounding a little disbelieving in her voice.
Yang snorted and shook her head, bringing one knee up to lean on with her elbow.
"Well no, I just don't really believe in it. Like I said, it always seems to be a lie. For example, ages ago I had this girl, she seemed perfect, and she was smart, funny, a little shy and very, very beautiful. We had been dating for a few weeks when I decided to go meet up with my friend Hailey in a café, who is straight might I add, and she saw us but didn't tell me. Then for about a month I was subjected to torment and stalker like problems from her, like I once found her in the changing room next to mine in a clothes shop, until I finally asked what was wrong and she went ballistic and tried to attack me with a foon."
"A… foon?"
"You know, a fork-spoon, or a spork I think some call them… anyway, my dad managed to literally throw her out of the door and got a restraining order on her, and after a few weeks she was gone."
Blake blinked and leant back, leaning her hand on the blazer she sat on, sighing.
"Well… that's… terrible."
Yang 'hmm'ed and leant back on one of her own hands, unintentionally mimicking Blake.
"Yeah it is, but the point is perfection always hides something, which is why I don't expect it. Besides, who am I to ask for such a thing from someone when I can't return it myself? I am defiantly not perfect!" she laughed and tilted her head back, looking at the clouds with a tiny grin, leaning on both hands now, "I don't expect anything I can't return, which is why all I want from any future partner I might have, is loyalty. Because that is something I can defiantly return, no matter what."
They fell silent, Yang looking at the sky, and Blake shamelessly looking at her profile. She felt heat flutter in her chest and glanced to the roof they sat on, noticing how close their hands were.
Yang looked away from the clouds and to the raven haired girl.
"So, how many crackers do you want with all that cheese I just sprouted?"
When Blake didn't reply, Yang followed her gaze. Her heart sped up when she noticed what Blake was looking at, and she successfully held down her blush.
She decided to test her luck, and slowly edged her hand closer to Blake's. Their pinkie fingers touched, and Yang slowly interlocked them. She looked up to Blake's eyes, and when they once again met she noticed how her pupils were larger than she had ever seen them before.
She continued to move her hand, and soon held Blake's hand completely in her own, lifting it from the gravel and lacing their fingers together, pulling them onto her lap.
She used her other hand to shuffle over, closer to the still Faunus. Her violet orbs flicked up and locked onto her target.
She leant in closer and brought up her hand, after having wiped any gravel off on her skirt, and cupped the Faunus' cheek. Blake's eyes slid shut and she leant into the heat from the blonde, feeling mortified behind her basic instincts, when a gentle purr left her mouth.
Yang smiled in adoration at the sound and cooed in her mind. She moved her hand further up Blake's face until her hand was running through raven locks. Meanwhile her thumb was gently drawing patterns of heat on the back of Blake's hand, adding to the Faunus' relaxation.
Her hand moved up further and further, stopping when she felt softness that wasn't from hair.
Blake tensed and her hand shot up, grabbing Yang by the wrist, pulling her hand away from the bow. The force of the pull caused Yang to fall forwards, making their foreheads touch.
Yang's eyes shut, and she sighed at the grip that had pulled her away from her goal.
"Please Blake, they are nothing to be ashamed of."
She felt Blake tense and she continued on.
"You can trust me Blake, I promise I won't tell a single soul. Not even Ruby if you don't want me too."
Blake sighed, and loosened her grip a little.
"… I'm not ashamed of my ears Yang. I just… I have learnt the hard way that people treat me differently because of them."
Yang opened her eyes, leaned back a few millimetres, and let go of Blake's hand to tilt her head up so she could meet her amber orbs.
"Then show me, I can vouch that me and Ruby wouldn't be different around you because of them, and I don't know about Weiss, but Ruby is a good judge of character, and if she trusts her, then I will too. Besides, her best friend is a Faunus, so she wouldn't have much of anything against you."
"I can't take my bow off in public Yang." Blake stated, eyes narrowing a little in challenge.
"I'm not saying you have to! I just… I want you to feel comfortable enough in the safety of our dorm to take off the bow."
Blake sighed and bowed her head.
"I'll think about it."
"That's what I want to hear." Yang smiled, dropping her hand back to her lap to grasp Blake's hand.
"You don't have to show me them by the way, I don't mind."
Blake looked up to Yang's violet eyes, and saw nothing but compassion and care in them. She knew she could be trusted.
Adam's words fluttered into her memory, but she pushed them down.
'Humans are all the same Blake, hateful, cruel and unjust to out kind. Never trust them.'
Obviously he hadn't met Yang.
She let go of Yang's hands, and reached up for her bow.
She pulled at the ends and felt her ears stretch in relief from their bonds.
She heard Yang gasp barely audibly, and she winced, ready for any abuse thrown her way.
"They're beautiful."
She daren't open her eyes, so when she felt a warm hand at the base of her ear she was shocked. That shock soon turned into immense relaxation when it started to scratch behind her ear and a purr worked its way from her throat. She heard Yang chuckle and smiled a little at the sound.
"I thought you'd like this, Rubes always looses it when I scratch below her ear."
Blake nodded in agreement and slowly opened her eyes, meeting with kind violet for what felt like the millionth time.
"You look amazing Blake, I was wrong earlier; it seems perfection can be found with no flaws."
This time Blake did blush and she tilted her head down, closing her eyes and purring still as Yang continued to scratch the base of her ear.
Maybe Beacon wouldn't be as bad as she had thought.
A/N: So what did you think? Like? Please let me know in a PM or a review! :)
And a few other things that I feel the need to get off my chest/ask about;
1, has anyone else seen the web series Carmilla? 'Cuz I need to freak out about it with someone and I don't know anyone who watches it ;n;
2, KORRASAMI IS CANNON I AM LOOSING MY MIND OH MY GOD I AM SO HAPPY YES!*clears throat* *acts casual again*
3, should I introduce smut into this fic? 'Cuz I might want to do it, but I don't want this to be another run in the mill smut story, so advice on this please ;J
4, more Bumblebee?
And 5, thank you all so much for the support on this story, I am incredibly happy about how many people enjoy it as it motivates me to write more, and I am thrilled with how it is coming along, so thank you all so much! :D
Lastly, I hope those of you who celebrate it had a fantastic Christmas, and that those who don't still had a great time with their celebrations :) Happy New Year as well! :D Until next time, thanks for reading :)