Author's Note: Would you look at that, a whole 40 chapters! Never thought OLC would get this long, but here we are!

So, happy 40 chapters! (crazy)


For the first time in... years, Yang awoke to a partner cuddled up in her arms after a night of passionate lovemaking. It was easily one of the best feelings in the gods damn world.

In a sense... she could almost not believe that she was in her current situation. After all, Yang was completely nude, and in bed with an equally-naked Weiss, her still relatively-new girlfriend, and previously the woman she had crushed on for... quite a while, longer than she would probably admit. Not only that, but it was already the morning after their first time together. This was not a dream... was it?

With her eyes still closed, Yang slowly unwrapped her arms from around her still-asleep partner, took a spot of her other forearm between two fingers and firmly pinched herself, finding... she did not wake up. Which only meant... This was real. She had really slept with Weiss. Well, that confirmed it. Best fuckin' morning ever. Yang happily thought to herself, wrapping her arm back around her slumbering girlfriend and pulling her close. Of course, knowing her luck, she probably had the earlier shift at work today, but at the moment, she did not give a single shit. Sure, Yang enjoyed her job, she enjoyed it a lot most days, but having Weiss there, laying atop her, while both of them were fully nude... That was a feeling she was about to give up.

Although... the blonde was starting to get thirsty. Finally opening her eyes, and taking a moment to gaze down at her partner, who was still fast asleep on her chest, which caused her to smile, Yang slowly turned her head to look at the two partially-full glasses of water on her nightstand. Ones that she had retrieved the prior night, after... however many times they made love. Man, Weiss sure had a lot of stamina for someone her size. So much so that both of them were practically exhausted by the time they were done... and Yang loved it. Of course, that meant the couple was fairly thirsty afterward, so she offered to get them each some water. Though, when she did - after donning a robe - she found an... unexpected surprise waiting for her. Sitting on the kitchen counter... were two already-poured glasses of water... and a note, from none other than Neo.

You two lasted longer than I did ;)

Underneath, there was another.

Kidding.

Then another under that one.

Or am I?

And finally, one more.

Maybe put a sock on the door next time.

In the moment, Yang could not help but quietly chuckle as she took the two glasses, given the mute was asleep by that point, and in the current moment, she smiled. What a little shit. Although, seeing her teasing and joking like that honestly felt like a great sign, like she was truly improving from being there with them.

After a little while, Yang felt Weiss begin to stir, softly groaning as her head nuzzled against the blonde's bare chest. Glancing down, she caught her girlfriend in time to see her reach up to rub the sleep from her eyes and look up at the woman she was lying atop, before smiling.

"Mornin'." Yang greeted with a smile in return. "Sleep okay?"

Weiss leaned up a bit, in order to crawl up her girlfriend's body and be face to face. "Like a baby." She grinned, before meeting Yang in a soft, loving kiss. "Though I suppose part of that was thanks to our... late-night activities..." Weiss near-purred, trailing kisses across her cheek, then down her neck as she began to slowly slide down her body.

Yang only hummed, breathing growing a bit heavier as the smaller woman peppered her upper chest with pecks. Damn, barely awake and ready to go already. "Seems like someone's lookin' for a little morning fun." She smirked. In all honesty, Yang had been a bit nervous the prior night about removing her shirt, but of course, after being commanded to, she did not hesitate for a second. Though even so, with her... rather large areolas, she felt self-conscious, much like she had with Coco, since they tended to look less pleasing to others. But then... seeing how much her girlfriend wanted them last night, hell, how much she currently appeared to want them... It made her feel a little better about their size.

Soon enough, Weiss ceased her ministrations, much to the blonde's surprise, since the prior night, she could not get enough of them. Then she grinned up her. "I finally have you all to myself, why would I not?" She wondered. "Plus, it'll be a good way to work up an appetite." Weiss quickly added, fully sitting up and hopping on to straddle Yang, who by instinct, partially released her to run her hands down her torso's soft, pale skin. It was not until they landed on her hips that she realized something, causing her smile to fade. There were... what appeared to be old scars all along her thighs, running horizontally across the skin. Oh my gods...

Following the blonde's gaze, Weiss looked down to find her staring at her thighs, which normally would be great, if not for what her eyes were focused on. It caused her shoulders to slump, and a sigh to escape her lungs, before the pair fell to silence. "I'm... sorry you had to see those..." Weiss mumbled after a brief time, hanging her head in shame. "I know they're disturbing... I just... tend to forget that they're there..."

Yang immediately looked up at her girlfriend. "No, no! They're not disturbing at all!" She promised, sitting up to take gentle hold of her face. "They're part of you. Sure, they might've come from... y'know, bad times, but don't think for a second that they take away from how beautiful you are, because they don't. You're perfect, Weiss. Don't ever forget that."

After a few moments, Weiss managed a slight smile. "Thanks, Yang..." She murmured, not making eye contact.

"You wanna... talk about it?" Yang hesitantly wondered, not knowing if the topic was one that her girlfriend wanted to bring up. She had only really touched on it briefly in the past, but enough for the blonde to know it was a sore subject.

Weiss nodded a bit. "I've... been in some dark places, you know that, and you never pressed me about it, but... I think I'm ready now..." She informed. "While my mother was neglectful, my father... was always heavy-handed, more so when I grew up. In retrospect, I knew it was wrong, that it was cruel, but at the time, I was scared... and wanted to make him proud. I didn't want to make mistakes, I wanted to be perfect, to make him happy, make everyone happy... even if that wasn't the case for myself.. Because maybe once they were happy, I could be..." Then Weiss let out a sigh, gaze falling. "Unfortunately, it never worked that way. All I felt was sadness... and numbness... Though, the former was preferred, as... after a while, it just stopped feeling like anything. I would wake up, go through the motions of the day, then go to sleep, without feeling a thing. Until one day... I cut myself on some paper by accident, and... it was the most exciting thing I'd felt in... what seemed like years... I began to chase it."

Weiss took a deep, almost shaky breath, avoiding eye contact. "It got to the point where... I passed out one night... and I felt.. relieved, then disappointed when I woke up, when I remembered what I would have to do that day, and the next, and every day following, for the rest of my life..." Then she paused. "It didn't take long for me to decide that I was done with it, that I couldn't handle it anymore. So I begged my father to allow me to accompany Winter on a business trip to Vale, which... I would use for one last hurrah."

Yang's eyes immediately widened upon hearing that last part. She knew that her partner had been in low places before, specifically prior to originally coming to Vale, but... she never knew it was that bad...

"I knew that it would hurt her, but... at the very least I would be able to say goodbye..." Weiss continued. "When I think about it now, I... I hate myself for the cruelty I planned to commit, for those I planned to hurt, but... I know I was in a terrible place mentally back then..." Then she managed a smile, reaching up to gently caress her girlfriend's cheek. "People like Ruby, Pyrrha, Vernal, Summer, Raven, and especially you... You're the best things that ever happened to me." She praised, before her smile faded. "Sometimes... I think about how close I came to never experiencing any of it, and that... that scares me... but every day, I'm thankful I didn't, because it allowed me to meet all of you, to have a real life again..."

Yang... had no idea how to respond to any of that. She... never experienced hearing about this sort of thing before... The closest she had ever come was her mother's alcoholism. Yang was at a loss for words. So, she merely leaned forward, wrapped her arm around her partner's torso, and pulled her into a tight hug, which was quickly reciprocated, as the pair merely sat there in silence for a time, with the only sounds present were those of their breathing.

"You wanna get some breakfast?" Yang wondered after a while, leaning back a bit to look at her girlfriend.

At first, Weiss managed a smile, before glancing down, likely remembering that they were both still very much bare of clothes. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather take me up on my offer from earlier?"

Yang actually laughed, realizing how quickly the smaller woman's mood changed. Guess that happens when she's straddling me, naked. "There'll be plenty of time for that, Weiss. No rush." She promised, leaning back in to meet her in a soft kiss.

After a little while of nude cuddling, the couple finally, somewhat-reluctantly decide to get up out of bed, donning a pair of robes, each visiting the bathroom to answer nature's call, and heading into the living area, where they found Neo on the couch, watching what appeared to be an anime of some sort. Though, upon seeing the pair emerge, the mute almost-immediately grinned, reaching up to make a V with two fingers, putting it in front of her face, sticking out her tongue, and wiggling it in its opening.

Yang just furrowed her brow as she and Weiss approached. What is she- oh for fuck sake. She silently groaned, unable to stop a blush from tinting her cheeks. "Shut up."

Thankfully, Weiss came to her rescue, smirking right back, and quirking a brow. "Envious?"

Reaching back to grab her scroll, Neo typed out a message, and handed the device to the pair to look at. Maybe, but at least I have tits. She countered, grin remaining strong, before grabbing her sizable chest, and pushing it together.

Yang was wondering if or when that might come up. So, she stepped in. "Excuse me, you're an anime fan, haven't you heard of flat is justice, or whatever?" She wondered, before realizing what that would be implying, and quickly turning to her girlfriend. "Not that you're at all flat, Weiss."

The woman in question merely let out a chuckle. "Thank you, Yang. I appreciate the sentiment."

Neo however, only rolled her eyes, snatching back her scroll to type out a response. Oh please, as a woman of culture, oppai is truth.

Yang merely shrugged. "Guess I'm the kinda gal that likes 'em a little smaller." She declared, hooking an arm around Weiss' waist, and leaning over to peck her on the cheek, earning an adorable giggle. "Now come on, I'm feelin' waffles today."


As her friend pulled the motorcycle to the side of the road, in front of Ruby and Pyrrha's apartment building, and turned off the engine, Coco could not help but frown. She loved riding around on Bumblebee, as she heard it was called, and it was always a shame when those rides were over, but since the two were not dating anymore... they did not come nearly as often. Which, for lack of a better term, sucked. Of course, in the end... that was okay, because she valued any time that she got to spend with the blonde.

"Thanks for the ride, Xiao Long." Coco acknowledged with a smile, dismounting the motorcycle, before making sure the messenger bag that contained her laptop, sketchbook and other supplies was still closed and secure.

"No problem at all, C." Yang smiled back. "Was glad to help you out with the art stuff, even though I'm not much of a model."

Taking off the guest helmet, Coco shook her head. "Don't sweat it, you did great." She praised, handing it back to her friend, and thinking about how awesome she looked posed on her motorcycle earlier. "I'm just hopin' it comes out good enough, 'cause lemme tell ya, doin' your own pieces is one thing, but actually taking on commissions? That just makes the whole process hella stressful."

Yang merely accepted the helmet and putting it back into her bike's storage compartment. "Hey, judging from the other stuff you've put out, it'll be amazing when it's done. I know it."

Coco managed a smile after a moment. "Thanks, Yang. I'll see you later." She replied, waving as she began to back up from the motorcycle. "And I'll send you a link once it's uploaded."

Starting Bumblebee's engine, Yang grinned. "Can't wait!" She burst, checking her surroundings before waving in return, pulling her bike out onto the road and speeding off, leaving the brunette in alone on the sidewalk, already wishing her friend had not left.

Eventually letting out a sigh, Coco turned around and made her way into the apartment building. Even though drawing her own stuff and handling the new experience of getting commissions on her own had been going fine, it was... nice to have reference-modelling help from her best bud. Honestly, Coco was shocked that she was already starting to get commissions in the first place, even if there was a couple so far. Though her social media page had been growing fairly quickly, so she guessed it made sense. She might even have to make a proper Backermore account if everything kept going well. After all, it would be cool to keep getting paid to draw stuff like this.

Soon enough, Coco arrived at Ruby and Pyrrha's apartment, taking out the key they had given her, unlocking the front door and heading in. She slipped off her shoes, put them on the rack, and went to retrieve her drawing tablet from her room, in order to begin working on the pieces that she sketched out with Yang, but spotted something... unexpected on the living area couch. Since it was the weekend, neither of the Reds had work. Ruby was out hanging out with a few of her work friends, and Pyrrha had gone to the gym. The former was still true, but the latter... It seemed that the redhead had returned home not long ago, and was now sound asleep on the couch, appearing to have dozed off after a hard workout, still clad in a while sports bra and black short-shorts. The brunette could not help but stare at her beauty.

So... Coco took that as an opportunity, plopping down on the nearby arm chair, taking out her sketchbook and a pencil from her messenger bag, and beginning to draw her friend. As she did, sketching in the shapes and curves of her body, she found herself unintentionally thinking about how she used to do the same thing... with Velvet. Her... ex-partner was never a huge fan of modelling for her, even as a reference, always preferring to be behind a camera, snapping photos of those more qualified for the job, as she described. Which meant the only time that Coco could sketch the Faunus was while she was napping, much like how the redhead currently was.

In fact... a number of those times were after Velvet and Pyrrha had gone out on one of their hikes. The latter was the more athletic of the pair, so the former always came home exhausted, but... she loved doing it every time. Of course... Those two had always had a quiet, but consistently close relationship. They went on their hikes, talked about their lives, and kept one another company when Ruby and Coco were running amok, as they put it. Though, it made the brunette wonder something. There had been a number of times in the past when she dozed off in her office after a long night of work, and her amazing partner had carried her to bed. So... did Velvet ever find her as beautiful in that state as she currently did Pyrrha?

As Coco began to get into refining the details of the sleeping redhead's face, she noticed... something tugging at the back of her mind. Something... that just pulled harder the longer she stared at Pyrrha. It was a feeling that... she had not experienced so strongly since... Velvet. Then... that could only mean... Suddenly, an immense wave of guilt washed over Coco upon realizing how she was feeling. Damnit... She wished that she could talk to Velvet... just one more time... because that wonderful woman truly understood her, and... she was the one that ever made her feel as confused as she was right now.

Actually... there was... technically a way that Coco could talk to her... ex-partner. It was something that Glynda taught her during one of their therapy sessions. To... imagine having a mental conversation with Velvet- a figurative Velvet. After all, Coco knew the kinds of things she would say. She knew what the Faunus would want for her, it was just... It was frightening to admit what she was currently feeling to herself, because... it was shameful. So, putting her sketchpad and pencil aside, Coco closed her eyes, trying to recall the voice of her beloved, her thick accent colouring every word that she spoke...

I see there is something troubling you, Coco.

There it was. Her sweet voice. Coco was able to hear it in her head. Yeah... there is. I miss you, Velvs, so fucking much. I'm lost without you... Pyr's been saving my ass, time and time again, Ruby's been trying to help my find myself again, getting me back into art... Honestly, I'd probably be dead without them... but... I'm afraid that I'm... using them to replace you... Coco balled her fists, ashamed to be admitting such a thing, even in her own head.

The Velvet in the brunette's mind gently shushed her. You would never be replacing me, sweetheart. She assured. As much as I know it hurts, I'm gone, and you have your own life to live, new people to fall in love with.

Coco only clenched her teeth, feeling tears beginning to pool in her eyes. But... I can't... You're the love of my life, Velvs. I... I can't...

'Velvet' went quiet for a few moments. Coco, do you love Pyrrha?

Coco did not even hesitate. Yeah, 'course I do. Both her and Ruby, Yang too... They're my family...

But are you in love with her? 'Velvet' continued.

Coco was silent for a time, merely sitting in the living area of the Reds' apartment... not wanting to respond to that question, because... she knew the answer, but... she did not want to admit it. Not just to the Velvet in her head, but... to herself. Doing so would be actually accepting that she felt that way about anyone else but her ex-partner. Though at the same time... lying to herself any longer would be just as harmful...

Yeah... I am...


How in the actual fuck did Cinder manage to get herself into this situation? Well, it was a bit of a long story.

About seven years ago, when she first became the Head of Engineering at Salcorp, and moved into the large, cushy, high-floor office that came with it, Emerald... expressed an idea that she had not long after the older woman was settled in. Before then, both of them had essentially been working in cubicles on different floors, but now that Cinder had her own private office, there was a... new opportunity that her partner wanted to take advantage of, which was... eating her out from under her desk. Quite a shocking offer to say the least, given how at work, they barely even pecked each other on the cheek before then, but bringing it up during work hours... That really increased the shock factor, as well as Cinder's own desire.

Unfortunately, as incredibly hot as that would have been, it was impossible, given how even with the blinds and door closed, it was not like the office was at all sound-proof. Plus, Cinder's desk was not even the type that could hide someone underneath, since the back was open. So, that never happened. Sure, the couple had plenty of fun in their own home, but the fantasy of fooling around at work was left unsatisfied.

Until today... apparently.

The prior night, Cinder had told Raven that exact story while the pair watched TV, expressing regret over never having been able to try it. So... her girlfriend decided to offer, wanting to give the younger woman the opportunity to experience the fantasy. At the time, she did not have an answer, which... led them to today. Cinder was standing in Raven's office, in front of her desk, after being called in, wondering... Were they really going to do this?

"Won't it be... weird?" Cinder inquired.

Raven just leaned back in her chair. "Ask yourself, what would she want you to do?"

Cinder furrowed her brow. "You're asking me if my... past girlfriend would want my new girlfriend to... eat me out from under a desk?"

Raven simply nodded. "Yep."

Cinder had to think about that for a moment, wondering what Emerald would truly want for her if she were here. Well, knowing that wonderful woman's infinite kindness and understanding... "Then... yes?" Raven only grinned at the answer, lifting herself up off of her chair, stepping aside and gesturing to it, not saying a single word.

I guess we're doing this. Cinder thought to herself, making her way around the wooden desk, past her girlfriend, and hesitantly sitting down in the boss' chair. Oh gods, this already felt weird. Raven then stepped between her and the desk, leering down at the younger woman as if she was freshly-cooked meal. Well.. that was partially true... in a way... A moment later, she took hold of her face and leaned down to meet her partner in a heated, yet brief kiss, breaking away as she slowly sank to her knees, hands sliding down her body. As expected, Raven made sure to give her chest a firm squeeze on their way down, earning a gasp, and grinning all the while, before backing up under the desk, pulling the wheeled chair with her. It left the older woman kneeling under the desk, smirking up at her girlfriend, who was sitting in her office chair, somewhat nervously looking down at her.

With another grin, Raven slid her hands up her partner's dress pants-clad legs, inching them closer to her pelvis, never breaking eye contact for a single moment. Once there, she quickly undid her belt and unbuttoned her pants, but paused, glancing down to stare directly at her black, barely-visible underwear. Cinder could already feel her heart rate increasing, and a warmth quickly pooling within her, only growing more intense by the second. Meanwhile, Raven grabbed the hem of her pants, and slowly began to drag them downwards, allowing the younger woman to lift herself a bit to make it easier, until she completely pulled them off, and put them aside, fully uncovering her pale legs.

Oh my gods, this is really happening.

Upon seeing Cinder's now-exposed underwear, Raven only grinned, and... licked her lips, which prompted her girlfriend to glance down, seeing that they were the slightest bit damp, causing a blush to tint her cheeks. It was not surprise to know that she was already wet, but to see it already? That was a tad embarrassing.

Then Raven did something... rather surprising. Leaning forward, she buried her face in between the younger woman's thighs, and just... inhaled through her nose... and shuddered, before looking her straight in the eye with a smile. "I love you."

Cinder... was not expecting that, especially right after such an action. Though... hearing those three words... was a welcome surprise that she was never going to get used to. "I love you too."

Of course, Raven's smile almost immediately shifted to a grin as she glanced back down at her partner's underwear, her next target. Sliding her hands up Cinder's legs again, she took hold of the hem of her panties, and slowly pulled them down her legs. Once again, the younger woman lifted herself to make the action easier, and shivered once her wet nether region was exposed to the air. Then, after fully removing the undergarment, Raven dangled it in front of herself, a sly grin spread across her face, before tossing them aside, staring directly between her legs, and licking her lips again.

"Now, mama's hungry." Raven purred, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's thighs, and forcefully pulling her forward to the edge of the office chair, eliciting a surprised yelp. A moment later, she grinned up at Cinder, before leaning forward, where her tongue made contact with her wanting lower lips, coaxing out the first of many quiet whimpers. It started with one slow, long lick, but Raven's ministrations quickly grew more passionate, more exploratory, with each action drawing out more gasps and moans from the younger woman. Of course, Cinder tried to cover her mouth with one hand, while the other ran through her lover's wild black locks, but with every passing second, it became harder to focus on staying quiet, feeling slick heat against her folds, rough warmth brushing past her lips... Perhaps they should have brought the ball gag. Gods, even now, partway into the act, Cinder could still not believe that it was happening, and in her girlfriend's office no less! While the bar was open!

Suddenly, a few knocks rung upon the door, causing both women to freeze. Then, the door began to open, revealing... Yang. Oh, fuck. Out of all the people that could have possibly walked in... why did it have to be her?!

"Hey, mom, when was that shipment of..." Yang began, before noticing it was her friend sitting at the desk, rather than her mother. "Cin? What're you doing in here?" Then she let out a chuckle. "Did my mom leave you to guard her office while she's out or somethin'?"

Cinder's mind was completely blank. She was only able to sit there, trying her absolute hardest to keep a straight face, all while she was without pants or underwear, and Raven was still under the desk, having just been eating her out not thirty seconds ago. Hesitantly glancing down, she met her partner's gaze, and... just received a grin, as the older woman began to slowly move closer to her soaked nether region. Don't you fucking dare. Cinder silently cursed, unable to stop Raven from sticking out her tongue, and dragging it up her lower lips, causing her to tense up, while she struggled to not show any visible reaction.

Unfortunately, it did not go unnoticed, as Yang's smile quickly faded, seemingly realizing what might be currently happening. "Please don't tell me my mom is under that desk."

Cinder could not respond, only trying to stay calm, and not twitch as her partner went right back to passionately eating her own. And she likes to say that my tongue is magic.

Yang just cringed, expression almost immediately shifting to one of pure disgust. "Oh gods, I think I'm gonna puke..."

"You should learn to knock next time!" Raven called from under the desk.

"I did!" Yang burst, turning on a heel to rush out of the room, almost slamming the door behind her.

Raven looked up at the younger woman, clearly puzzled. "She did?"

Cinder nodded. "She did. She just... came in before I could respond."

Raven just smirked at the answer. "Sounds like we should lock the door next time."

Cinder quirked her brow. "Next time?"

Raven's smirk only grew. "Yeah, when you're the one under the desk." She purred, causing her girlfriend's eye widen a bit. "What, you didn't think this was a one time thing, did you?" She wondered, not even allowing answer before her tongue slipped between Cinder's lower lips, eliciting a hand-covered whine as her other hand quickly made its way back to Raven's head, fingers threading through her hair.

It was not long before the older woman's tongue explored deeper, drawing out even more muffled gasps and moans as she felt the growing ache of her impending climax. Soon enough, Cinder was practically holding on for dear life as Raven quickly brought her to her peak. Her legs instinctively wrapped around her lover's upper body, pulling her closer with all the strength that she could muster. She squeezed her eye shut, riding out the high, shuddering, and having to resist crying out, her body trembling as waves of pleasurable heat rushed through her body. It was not until Cinder was completely finished that her girlfriend finally withdrew her tongue, leaving her panting as she came down from the incredibly intense high.

"Rave, that was... fuck..." Cinder breathed, her mind beginning to clear up from one of the best orgasms of her life. "I can barely feel my legs."

Licking her lips once more, Raven crawled out from under the desk to kneel next to the office chair, and smirked. "And here I thought I was still rusty."

Cinder could not help but chuckle. "Well, so long as I'm stuck here for the time being, would you like anything in return? A desire you want satisfied, as you've just done for me?" Honestly, she had no idea how she could ever pay her girlfriend back for what she just did for her, but gods damnit, she could try. Though, Raven only hummed at the question, clearly unsure of her answer. Of course, in all likelihood, Cinder was going to end up under her girlfriend's desk, performing the same service that she just received, but she had zero issues with that.

Although, she suddenly felt a little self-conscious about sitting in her girlfriend's chair, completely bare from the waist down. So, she leaned down and picked up her damp underwear, and awkwardly re-donned them. Next came her pants, but those were considerably harder to put back on, given the current state of her legs.

Then Raven snapped her fingers, seemingly thinking of an idea. "Y'know, now that you mention it, I uh, I've kind of wanted a lap dance since we got together."

Cinder merely quirked her brow, not expecting anything like that. "Really?"

Using her desk to pull herself up, Raven stood, then stretched her legs. "I mean, you said you wanted to satisfy one of my desires."

Was... Cinder understanding that correctly? Raven... wanted her to give her a lap dance? Right there in her office? Well, technically that would not be so bad, given what just occurred a few minutes ago. But even so... Cinder had never done anything like that before... The closest thing would be the couple times that Emerald performed a striptease for her, several years ago... So... she could just... do what Emmy did... only without the stripping. "If that is what you want, then I will do it." Cinder hesitantly agreed, slowly lifting herself from the office chair. "Though I will apologize in advance for how terrible it might end up being."

Raven just laughed. "Can't be worse some of the ones I've gotten."

Cinder raised a brow at her partner's response. "How many have you received?"

Raven only shrugged, taking a seat in her chair again as the younger woman stepped aside, a bit wobbly on her feet. "I don't remember, I was usually drunk."

Cinder knew exactly what that meant: a certain type of... adult club. "And how could I compare to... professionals?"

Raven gestured to herself. "Cin, I'm already wet, you're not gonna have to try very hard."

Cinder was unable to stop herself from chuckling at the answer. "Well, I will try my best then."

"Damn right you will." Raven grinned, leaning back in her chair, spreading her legs a bit, just really relaxing. "Now... get that sweet ass over here." To which Cinder smirked, always admiring her girlfriend's confidence with this sort of thing. She really loved it when the older woman took control.

"Very well. I suppose Yang can handle things for a little while longer."


Neo... was scared.

It had been an entire week since she initially thought about talking to Weiss regarding... well, her length of stay in her and Yang's home, but... she had not done so yet. Why? Neo was terrified that she would be asked to leave, even though... it made perfect sense. After all, neither of them had any reason to want her around for this long, especially Weiss. Sure, after being... hurt... the mute's behaviour changed, but before then... how she treated Yang... it was horrible... And even just being her friend, that was enough of a reason for Weiss to despise her.

Yet... the couple had avoided addressing such past treatment, because they wanted to help her recover. Sadly, because Neo was slowly getting better, it was not something that could be avoided forever. Not when... she was aware that she was intruding on their still-new relationship. That... guilt of being an intruder, a burden... was making Neo more uncomfortable by the day. Enough that... she was finally going say something about it. Well, metaphorically speaking. And luckily, Weiss was at home, currently reading a book in her bedroom, while Yang was at work, so... the mute was going to get the chance to speak with the former alone... Even though she was still scared of what might come from the conversation.

Putting her sketchpad and pencil down, and pausing her music, Neo took a deep breath, before pulling herself up off the couch. You can do this. She told herself... over and over again. Unfortunately, it did little to quell her nerves. Making her way through the apartment, Neo quickly arrived at the open open door of the bedroom, where she could see Weiss, lying on the bed, quietly reading a book. Law and... Love? Interesting title. With one more deep breath, not exactly wanting to interrupt the occupied woman, she hesitantly knocked on the door, causing Weiss to look up from her book, and notice the mute timidly standing there in the doorway, before smiling.

"What can I do for you, Neo?" She wondered, sitting up to properly face the older woman.

Awkwardly approaching the bed, Neo typed out a message. I... wanted to ask you a question...

"Of course. What is it?" Weiss inquired.

Neo merely stood there for a time, fingers hovering over the touch screen of her scroll. She... wanted to do this. She had to do this. So... Neo slowly typed out her question, and... then showed it to her friend. Do you... want me to leave?

Weiss only blinked at the question, clearly not expecting something so... blunt. She quickly opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out, and she closed it again, gaze falling, expression... conflicted. "It's... not that simple."

Neo furrowed her brow. How could it not be that simple? She should either want the mute to leave, or be fine with her staying... and given her past, the answer probably fell closer to the former. I just want a yes or no, Weiss. She pressed, not wanting any excuses. If the younger woman wanted her out... then she wanted her out. There was no sense dancing around the issue.

Weiss was quiet for a brief time, until she let out a sigh, looked up at the older woman again, and tapped the bed next to her. "Come, sit down. Let's talk." She requested, to which Neo hesitantly approached the bed, and took a seat on the edge, a bit farther than asked. "Look, the reason why it's not simple is because... I want you to get better, I truly do, but I assumed that you would leave on your own once you were ready. I thought that you would want to leave eventually. I just... don't know what you want." Weiss explained. "I don't object to your presence here, because you've been quite pleasant to have around as a sort of roommate."

That... only partially answered Neo's question. So, she tried a different approach. Weiss, I want you to tell me honestly. How do you feel about me? Not just right now, overall.

After several moments of silence, Weiss took a deep breath. "I used to hate, even despise you for what you did to Yang, but... now that you've been staying with us, told us your story, and... we've actually kind of become friends... that's not so true anymore." She admitted, not looking the mute in the eyes until that last point. "Yet, it's still... conflicting. There's a large part of me that's stubbornly sticking to the resentment I held for you. Seeing Yang so... betrayed, and let down... It broke my heart. Yang gave her heart so freely to anyone who would take it, and you... you threw it in her face." She near-spat, before taking another breath, seemingly calming herself. "That said, I now recognize why you did it, I understand why, but even so, the wounds it caused, not only on me, but on Yang... They run deep."

Neo only hung her head in shame, having a feeling about where this conversation was going. But then... she felt a hand on her shoulder, and when she looked up... Weiss was smiling at her.

"I'm no stranger to a troubled past, Neo, and we all have our own ways of coping." Weiss soothed, before her smile faded, and she glanced down at her pyjama-shorts-clad legs. "I myself dealt with mine in... a different way." She continued, reaching down with her free hand to pull one side up, until her underwear was slightly visible. Although... that was not caused Neo's eyes to widen. No, what did that were the old scars that covered Weiss' upper thighs. Oh my gods... She had no idea...

"We all have our trauma. What's important isn't how we cope with it, but how we move on, and make amends, with anyone we might have hurt, and ourselves." Weiss encouraged, before leaning closer. "While I do forgive you for what happened, I'm not the one you need to seek forgiveness from. If you truly want to reconcile for the past, you will have to speak with Yang first."

And that... That was what Neo was afraid of.


Man, that Nora chick sure was... persistent.

Before coming back to work, Vernal had very little knowledge of her, aside from the fact that she was a friend of Cinder's, only having seen her on occasion interacting with her coworkers, but now that she was back behind the bar counter, she was seeing a lot more of the redhead. The first time after returning, Nora came in looking to flirt with Yang some more - as she had been told - but found Vernal and Cinder on shift instead. So... she decided to start talking to the former.

And what a talkative woman she turned out to be.

Honestly, it was... weird as shit, having someone that was so genuinely interested in conversing with her, trying to learn about her, because... other than Weiss, maybe Raven, no one had ever really cared enough to push. Not counting the assholes who were pretending to care, just to get in her pants. But Nora did not seem to be like that. Ever since that first visit, she had been coming in for a drink more and more, no longer concerned with flirting with Yang, but instead... just to talk to Vernal... for chit chat, as she described. At first, it was a little annoying, to have such a... bubbly woman talking her ear off, but as her visits grew more frequent over the past few weeks... she began to get used to it.

Of course, as Vernal adjusted to having the redhead around so often, a... dilemma began to form in her head. One that... she had never really experienced before in her life, and only got stronger with each visit. While part of her wanted to push Nora away, and keep her from getting any closer, the rest... actually wanted to let her in. After all, Vernal had gone from having a life that she took for granted, one where... she was happy... to losing the one person who defined that life. Now, she was lonelier than she had ever been before, pained, and just... trying to get back to normal... despite knowing that everything was different.

Maybe Vernal could just... find herself some kind of casual fling, something to make her feel a little less lonely, at least for a while. Of course, it was not like she would be able to go out to find someone in her current state. So, unless some mildly-attractive guy or gal just strolled into the bar and wanted to go back to her place to fuck, she was shit out of luck.

"Here's Nora!" Suddenly came a familiar voice from the bar's entrance, pulling Vernal from her rather depressing thoughts.

"Welcome back, regular." Cinder greeted from her place cleaning one of the empty tables. "Have you come to actually buy a drink? Or are you just here to chat up one of my coworkers?"

Nora just giggled at the accusation, happily strolling toward her friend to wrap her in a big hug. "Aw, what if I was planning to do both, Cindy?" She wondered before releasing her, to which Cinder merely rolled her eye, and returned to her task, while the redhead sauntered over to the bar, brightly smiling as she leaned on the counter, looking the woman behind it right in the eyes. "Hey there, stranger!"

Says the woman who was here yesterday, and the day before that, and the one before that. "Hey. What'll it be, Nora?" Vernal wondered, even though she knew exactly what she wanted.

Nora only hummed, as if she had to think about it. "Y'know, I was thinking or tryin' something different today, but work's been a little hectic lately, so I think I'll stick to a Strawberry Sunrise this time."

On your back, on your feet, hectic sounds about right. Vernal noted to herself as she began to gather ingredients, without even really thinking about it. Wait a second. At that moment, she realized something. On a previous visit, Nora had told her about her... unique employment situation. Not long ago, she was... well, she was a hooker, as hard as that was to believe with her vibrant personality, but thanks to Cinder, Raven, and the latter's ex, Summer, she recently got out of that line of work, and now worked in charity... Or... was going to switch to that... Or was she still in the process of doing so?

Well, Vernal had to find out somehow, in case there was a chance of... an opportunity. But she had to be subtle about it. "So uh, that 'cause you're still makin' the switch over to charity, or... you done that part?"

Nora quirked a brow in response, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. "Why do you ask?"

Vernal tried to focus on making the redhead's drink, in order to stay calm, but that did not really happen. She had the ingredients in front of her, but that was about it. "The... apartment's been feelin' pretty empty recently... Just lookin' for some company..." She admitted, not even looking the woman in the eyes.

"Oh? If that's the case, why not someone else you know better?" Nora wondered, clearly knowing what the bartender was getting at.

"Dunno anyone better. I'm not exactly the most sociable person." Vernal admitted.

Nora just nodded. "Fair enough. Okay then..." She began, leaning across the bar counter, and lowering her voice, as it became... more serious. Something that Vernal had never seen before. "I want you to tell me exactly what you want."

Damnit. This shit was already hard enough to get out, given what she was trying to ask, but now being told to actually be direct about it? That just made things a hell of a lot harder. Enough that Vernal was silent for almost a solid minute, trying to figure out the words. Eventually, she just decided to fuck it, as she leaned closer until almost face to face with the redhead. "I wanna... damnit, I wanna pay you for a session right here in the back closet, or out in the alley, I don't give a shit, I just wanna fuckin' get laid, get it over with." Vernal near-whispered, avoiding eye contact out of embarrassment, where she noticed Cinder awkwardly walking around them, under the bar latch, and into the back area, probably to avoid hearing the current conversation.

Much to her surprise, Nora let out a laugh. "Y'know, usually people aren't so open about that, 'cause they're all so ashamed of what they really want."

"So is that a yes or no? I've got a break soon." Vernal quickly pressed, completely out of anxiety.

Nora's smile faded, for the first time in the bartender's memory, staring her right in the eyes. "Well, you know I'm gettin' outta that game, thanks to Cindy and Raven, and I'm serious about movin' on, but I like your honesty." She explained, smile returning. "So how 'bout this. I'll come over to your place tonight, and we'll... see what happens. My apartment's been feelin' kinda empty too." Then she leaned a little closer, voice lowering even further. "Plus, I don't do this kinda stuff where I can get arrested."

Guess that's the best I'm getting. "Fine. Lemme give you my address." Vernal acknowledged, crouching down to grab a pen and notepad from under the counter, before standing back up to write down her address and apartment number on it, ripping the page off, and handing it to the redhead.

Brightly smiling at the paper in her hand, Nora quickly leaned over the counter and pecked the other woman on the cheek, much to her surprise. "Okie dokie! I'll see ya later then!" She beamed, leaning back to turn around.

Vernal just furrowed her brow. "Not gonna stay for that drink?" She wondered, holding up the empty glass for the beverage that she still had not begun preparing.

"I would, but I've got a hot date to get ready for." Nora grinned, waving before making her way out of the bar, leaving Vernal... confused, as she reached up to touch the spot where the redhead had kissed, still feeling the phantom sensation of her soft lips.

Well, at least I didn't start actually makin' her drink yet.


Later that evening, Vernal found herself on her living area couch, staring at the floor, nervously waiting for Nora to arrive, and telling herself to calm the hell down. It was going to be fine. The redhead was going to get there, she would pay her whatever amount was appropriate for her... services, they would fuck, and that would be the end of it. No other obligations. No attachment. Unfortunately, that did nothing to ease Vernal's nerves. Maybe she should just... watch some porn on her scroll or something... get herself in the mood... rather than merely sit there in silence...

Thankfully, a few quick knocks soon rung upon the front door, pulling Vernal from her thoughts. Alright, here we go. She told herself, pulling herself up from the couch and making her way to the apartment's front entrance. Once she was standing there, Vernal took a deep breath, unlocked the door, and opened it, revealing Nora, smiling brightly, wearing... different clothes than she was earlier that day... and holding a black bag by her side. Guess that's what she meant by gettin' ready.

Although, now that she was looking... Vernal had not really considered it before, but seeing as what they were about to do, she had to admit, the redhead was... pretty attractive. Shiny orange hair, kind teal eyes, freckles, a constant warm smile, shapely figure, now clad in a bright pink shirt and a pair of jean short-shorts, the former of which seemed a little tight with what appeared to be an impressive bust. Something that was... definitely going to be a change of pace from what Vernal was used to.

"Here I am, right on time!"

Vernal only furrowed her brow at the greeting. "What? We didn't talk about any times for you to get here."

"Well, we said tonight, and it's tonight. So I'm here!" Nora proudly grinned.

"Sure, whatever. Come on in." Vernal shrugged, stepping aside to allow the redhead to enter. Which she almost immediately did, happily stepping inside, before leaning down to untie her roughed-up sneakers as the other woman closed the door. After doing that, Vernal reached into her jeans pocket to grab the lien she stuffed in there earlier. "So what will I owe you for... y'know, this?" She asked, trying to keep some kind of buffer of professionalism, allowing her to deny it being anything more.

Standing back up, Nora merely shook her head. "We can worry about all that later." She insisted, walking past Vernal into the living area, observing the room with a curious gaze. "How 'bout we order some pizza first?"

Following the redhead, Vernal frowned. "Aren't you here so we can fuck? What's pizza gotta do with that?"

Suddenly, Nora spun around, reaching up to briefly place a finger over the other woman's lips. "Shh, I said we'd see what would happen." She reminded, grabbing Vernal by the hand, and leading her to the couch, where she pushed her down onto it, earning a slight gasp, before stepping forward, climbing onto the couch, and straddling her pelvis, as close as possible. "And right now, pizza's gonna happen."

Vernal just let out a sigh, figuring that there was no way around it, given how relentless that woman usually was. "Fine." She grumbled, reaching between the redhead's soft thigh and her own to retrieve her scroll from her pocket. Turning the device on, Vernal navigated to the app that... she and Weiss used to use to order pizza. It was... always their favourite...

"Meat-lovers for me!" Nora beamed, before wrapping an arm around Vernal's shoulders, leaning even closer as she... observed her hair? Why would she do that? It was not like it was anything special, or even half-decent, especially compared to the shoulder-length, orange mane that she herself owned. Hell, that just made Vernal's look even worse. "Pretty spunky haircut you got there." Nora complimented, reaching up to gently run a hand over one of the buzzed sides of her head. "Where do you get it done?"

While Vernal was shocked that the redhead even liked her hair, she also realized what a... kind of fucked up situation she currently found herself in. She was ordering pizza, while having her hair played with by the half-former prostitute that she had invited over for... what could be considered pity sex. "I... do it myself, with some clippers and scissors." Vernal explained, selecting a medium pepperoni pizza for herself. "Hate having long hair, so I used to buzz it, but then hated how it looks fully-buzzed, so I taught myself to do this sorta... undercut and trim, or whatever."

Nora just kept running her fingers up the side of the other woman's head, then through the slightly-longer hair on top. "Wow... You're really good... I know a hairdresser who's lookin' for an apprentice if you're interested."

Vernal only shook her head, knowing nothing like that could ever happen, even if she was properly interested. "Rae was the only one who'd hire me back when I needed a job. Doubt that's changed..."

Nora furrowed her brow. "How'd that happen?"

Vernal merely looked away, not wanting to discuss that part of her past. "Look, can't we just fuck already? I don't wanna talk about that shit, and we can order pizza later." She pressed, tossing her scroll aside to place her hands on the redhead's thighs. Maybe if she took the initiative, they could actually get somewhere.

Nora was quiet for a few moments, until her lips curled into a slight smirk. "Y'know what, how 'bout this. For every question you answer for me, I take off a piece of clothing." She offered, her smirk growing as she spoke. "Then we see where that takes us."

Vernal just let out heavy sigh. "Fine, fine, what do you wanna know?" She asked, figuring that this was going to be the only way that they get things going.

Nora just grinned at the reluctant answer. "Yay!" She beamed, before her grin became... slier, as she reached down to grab the hem of her pink shirt with both hands. "Okay, first question. Why was Raven the only one who hired you?"

Damnit, not starting off easy, huh. "'Cause I had nothin' to offer. I was a half-drunk, nearly-homeless pot addict. I tried to rob her, but instead of callin' the cops, or beating the shit out of me, she gave my desperate ass a job instead."

Nora's smile faded a bit as she listened, but it came back a little after the explanation was finished. "I know pretty well what that's like Vernal, believe me. But hey, we're both doin' better in that aspect now, don't ya think?" She comforted, before slowly lifting her shirt up over her head, and discarding it. Once the garment was gone, Vernal could not stop her eyes from widening a bit as she stared at the redhead's now-partially-bare torso, her soft, pale skin, and sizable bust, barely contained by a floral-pink bra. Fucking damn... It was all so close... She tried to reach out and touch, but her hands were quickly intercepted.

"Uh uh, no touching yet." Nora smirked at the clear enthusiasm, placing the other woman's hands on her own thighs. "Questions first, be patient." She then reached back to lift up one of her baby-blue socks-covered feet, which she wiggled, signalling that it was the next thing coming off. A little cheap, but Vernal was not complaining. At least she was removing her clothes now, even if it came with personal questions. "Next! Is Raven the only one you consider family?"

Vernal nodded, before even really thinking about it. "Yeah... but I guess Yang and Qrow too. I dunno past that... I'm not really good with the whole... family thing..."

Nora let out a small chuckle. "You and me both. I just got lucky and met the right people in my life." She acknowledged, pinching the end of her left sock, and pulling it off, wiggling her now-exposed toes for emphasis, which was followed by doing the same for her right foot. After that, Nora reached down to grab the hem of her short-shorts with one hand, and teasing Vernal by running her other's fingers up the front. "So, why were you willing to hire a lowly prostitute like me for company when you have family who can do that, or when you could've just gone bar-hopping for a better gal?"

Vernal's shoulders only slumped at the question. "Wanted more than what family could give... and... I needed a guarantee... 'cause I couldn't... Couldn't handle being rejected again..."

Nora tried to offer a reassuring smile. "Well don't worry, hot stuff, even if you hadn't... requested me, I wouldn't have rejected you." She promised, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on the other woman's cheek. Then, with another sly grin, she began to move backward, slowly sliding off of Vernal until she stood up, and stepped back. Once 'ready', Nora reached down, and equally-slowly undid and unzipped her short-shorts, and slid them down her smooth, pale legs at a damn snail's pace, before playfully tossing them aside, exposing her matching floral-pink panties. After that, she climbed back onto Vernal, shifting as close as physically possible, all without breaking eye contact for a single moment.

Fucking hell... This was... really starting to get Vernal going. Unfortunately, she could not do anything yet, as the redhead was not done with her questions. All she could do was sit there and stare at her incredible, partially-nude body. It was right there... but Vernal had been instructed to wait, which was getting harder and harder by the second.

Reaching behind herself to seemingly grab the clips of her bra, Nora continued, expression turning... neutral. "Why are you alone now, and not before?"

Fuck. Out of all the questions that could have been asked, that was the one Vernal was dreading the most. But... she knew that it was not just going be dropped if she did not want to answer. So, she took a deep breath, mentally preparing to actually answer it. "'Cause... I couldn't tell Weiss I loved her when I needed to." She hesitantly answered, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her as she was reminded of what happened, her lip even quivering a bit as she spoke. Gods, how pathetic.

Prior to doing anything with her bra, Nora reached back around to gently caress the other woman's cheek, slightly rubbing it with her thumb. "Shh... I know it hurts, and it's gonna for a while, but I promise, a great, whole-package kinda gal like you will find the right person." She soothed, leaning forward again to gently peck Vernal on the cheek, lingering there for a moment, before offering another reassuring smile. "And hey, in the meantime, feel free to call me whenever you want, 'cause even when I'm completely outta the game, I'll make an exception for you." Nora added with a wink, sitting back again to reach behind herself, and with a click, her bra loosened. Though, she held the undergarment in place for a moment with a sly smirk, before slowly removing and tossing it aside, finally freeing her ample breasts.

Now Vernal was beginning to get visibly aroused at the sight of the redhead's now-completely bare chest. They were so... different than what she had gotten used to over the past year and a half. So much larger... Vernal's eyes were glued to them the moment Nora's bra came off, and her hands were even starting to fidget, as she felt the incredibly intense desire to reach up and grab them, and... well, do a hell of a lot more.

Nora merely grinned at the other woman's very clear eagerness to get started. "You're being such a good girl, so patient..." She purred, reaching up to briefly take hold of and push her large breasts together, once again to tease Vernal, considering they was right in front of her face, barely six inches away. "Don't worry, you're almost there..." Nora assured, letting the mounds go before leaning forward to plant a couple soft, slow kisses on her cheeks. It took all of Vernal's strength to not flip them over so she was on top and just... fuck the redhead. Of course, she was told to wait, and figured that if she jumped the gun too soon, she would not get any at all. Which was... a pain in the ass to say the least.

Next, Nora reached down to slip a thumb under the hem of her underwear, lightly tugging at them, while gently teasing the front with her other middle finger. "Last one. Do you really want sex, or is it deeper than that?" She inquired, expression becoming neutral once more.

Vernal's heart sank upon hearing that, as... it was the other question she was afraid of. After all, she really... did not know what she wanted anymore... for several things. Of course, seeing Nora in front of her, or rather, on top of her, almost entirely naked, but for a pair of floral-pink panties... made her want to act on certain, very strong desires, but at the same time... it would probably leave Vernal feeling nothing but hollow once they were finished. Since... this was nothing but a business transaction, so to speak. After they fucked, Nora would leave, and Vernal would be alone again...

"I... I dunno... I just... wanna feel someone..."

Not saying a word, Nora took gentle hold of the other woman's hands, and placed them on her hips, slowly sliding them up and down her sides. "What do you really want to do tonight?" She simply asked, causing Vernal to flinch. "We can bang in whatever way or position you want, trust me, I've done it all. Or we could just chill, y'know, order pizza and watch a movie. Maybe we could even go out and do somethin' fun. Or, we can just stay here and cuddle. Whatever you wanna do, I'm game."

Staring up at the redhead in utter disbelief, not knowing what to do with those offers. Honestly, her dumb ass should have realized it sooner. Every day that Nora had visited the bar, she treated her like she truly cared, so... why did Vernal think this was any different? So, she merely slipped her hands around Nora's waist, and leaned her head into her soft chest. At the current moment, she did not give a single shit that the other woman was practically nude. She only... wanted to be held. In response, Nora wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and pulled her into a warm, loving hug, planting a kiss on top of her head as she held her tight. After a few moments, Vernal... broke down to quietly sob, not having the strength to return the embrace.

So much for a simple, casual fling.


Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think!

Because as always, your feedback fuels us!