Yang flopped down on her bed. The rectangular large room housed eight hunters. The beds were carved into the walls. Four on one side, four on the other, a slender twin mattress and pillow were the only issued comforts. Beside them, a square nook cut out was where they placed their personal duffel bag. Their only allotted common area rested in the middle of the room. A few sofa's sat back to back, a television was mounted in the far corner, and a table stood in the center. Four chairs gathered around it. There was a singular desk against each wall, but for all of that, the space seemed cold.

"Nothing like Beacon, I'll say that much." Yang observed. She would have to be careful when sitting up so as not to smash her head on the brick above. All of her roommates faced the same problem, though, so she couldn't complain. She had claimed the top bunk to save Weiss the hassle, but upon inspection, Yang realized that almost all of the problems that came from the top bunk, also occurred down below.

The only added issue was getting up and down with the provided ladder. Not an easy task for a person as large as herself. Another drastic change, was that they'd be rooming with several men. Weiss claimed she didn't care, but Yang thought it prudent to ask again. "So, you're sure about this whole three dudes in the room, thing?"

"Fox is blind, Jaune is completely harmless, and as for Yatsuhashi?" Weiss shook her head. "He has more decorum than to be peeping at anything he shouldn't be. As I told you before, I don't mind sharing a room with men who conduct themselves properly."

"Uh-uh, and as for the suction cups you're sticking on our area?" Yang asked, but Weiss ignored her.

Instead, she finished her project, attaching two bars that stuck outward to the cups. She then tied clothesline around that, draping a dark blue sheet over her finished work. "There, see?" Weiss replied simply. "A privacy screen. Just pull this suction cup here, and put it on the side with the other one to open the area back up when it isn't in use."

"I knew ordering you that subscription to Hunter's Weekly was a bad idea." Yang said with a smirk. "No telling what cracked out ideas you got from those things."

"Any worse than Ruby's schemes?" Weiss retorted as she sat down in the open chair nearest her bed.

"Naw." Yang said as she scanned the room. "I guess not." It was still pretty lifeless in her opinion. Then again, it wasn't as if they could add too many personal touches, every other week two other teams would end up using the space. They had to keep it tidy. "It's weird, I thought that things around here would be more organized. Instead, all we get are messages on our scrolls."

"Is that some sort of a problem?" Weiss asked.

Yang just shrugged thoughtfully. "The way you described it, I thought it would be more…well, strict."

"We slay Grimm for a living." Weiss pointed out with a soft laugh. "So long as we keep the outside area clear from Grimm, our position here is more just for show than anything else. We keep the bandits away, and the crime down. Most of our work comes in the form of community services, but I think that's just to boost the morale of the people."

"Probably." Yang said, though the idea of rushing in on that kind of emergency was an unpleasant thing to ponder to say the least. "We do have police radios though, and given our field training we know basic medicine. Wouldn't be surprised if we end up as backup." She shoved it out of her mind. "I'd rather sling slop in the kitchen, or babysit a few rookies...but can't have it all, right?"

"I suppose not." Weiss agreed. "Well now that I'm settled in, I'm going to explore the facilities. Do you want to come with me?"

"Na." Yang said, grabbing her scroll. "Think I'm going to call Ruby, and check in."

Weiss paused, studying the blonde before nodding. "Suit yourself…but come down to the cafeteria later. We really should eat with our new team."

"It's that cut and dry for you, huh?"

"Don't be a blockhead. That isn't what I meant and you know it...if you don't come down for dinner, I'll drag you down."


Was there a way to somehow push a relationship forward when it very clearly had been headed in the same direction for years? Blake wasn't sure. She couldn't exactly pinpoint when she began to develop feelings for Ruby, or even if she had developed them at all. It wasn't that simple. It wasn't about love, or emotion. It wasn't the safety of routine, or the monotony of days gone by. It was that, for as long as Blake could recall, she and Ruby had a friendship. Nothing more, nothing less, that a very dear friendship.

The question was, was saying anything worth jeopardizing all of that? Was taking a risk this time worth all of the hurt it might cause, if silence was relatively painless by comparison? There wasn't an easy answer. Blake decided over a cup of coffee late that night, that none of this was ever going to be. What made things worse, was that it didn't need to be complicated either.

As Yang had accused, they were fine, living with things the way they were.

Maybe it didn't need to change. Maybe it would all be better, continuing on without saying a word. It was the way things normally went after all. Blake quietly nodding her head and getting swept up in whatever oddity came her way next…

But…

Yang was right too…some part of this…some part of the quiet night in front of her was something she wanted. As Blake observed the nocturnal child in front of her watch the newest movie that Ruby had found, she couldn't deny it. These were the sorts of moments that her life had become. In spite of a great many things she refused to give a voice to when Yang inquired about it, she could feel the palatable awkwardness now.

The perfection of what was, shattering like glass around what could be.

Yang had broken her happy little illusion. Getting lost in those thoughts were a stifling thing too, not to mention distracting, because the next time she looked over, Ace had her eyes closed.

"She's asleep." Blake murmured.

"Yeah, drifted off a little while ago."

"Ruby?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you plan on keeping her with you tonight, or should I put her in my room?"

"I was going to lay her down in Yang's bed with me. That way if she wakes up looking for someone else, you're not all the way across the hall."

"That'll work."

It was silent again between the two of them, but not for long. "Blake?"

"What?"

"After this, want to watch the sequel?"

"Yeah…sure thing."

She would be a liar if she said that this lukewarm affection was truly what she wanted. The problem was, she couldn't afford to be greedy now. It was asking too much to expect to stop and turn her whole life's perspective on a dime. It was too short notice, and it hurt. It hurt in ways Blake had no way to describe. Fears of lost time and opportunity the least of her problems. Though, understanding that didn't ease the sting any less. If such realizations were so painful to her, she feared what Ruby might feel.

As with everything in her life, it came down to circumstance and priority. They had Ace to look after, that came first. Everything else had to come second, and that included misguided romantic feelings for one of her best friends.

And that wasn't fair either…not to anyone.

"Ru…" The woman's name practically lodged itself in her throat. "Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

It didn't need to be anything more than the truth. That's all it had to be. "I think, I may be in love with you."

Ruby's gaze shifted from the television to the golden eyed Faunus by her side. "Ditto…"