Author's Note: Would you look at that, not even 2 weeks.


Never in her life did Cinder expect to ever have to avoid news reporters.

Ever since the outcome of Salem's lawsuit appeared on television, and the CEO voiced her intentions for after the victory, there had been several people with cameras and microphones hanging around outside the bar. It seemed that someone had blabbed about Cinder's employment at The Perch, so those reporters were probably there to get the scoop, as it were, or to find out her opinion on the whole situation, which was... just great. Part of why she moved across the city in the first place was to avoid all the attention after her own trial. Cinder would have moved out of Vale, but she would not have been able to afford it for very long. Although, considering her current situation, she was extremely thankful that she ended up where she did. Raven, Yang, and above all, Nora... they all saved her.

Even so... trying to work while having people staring through the windows from outside was pretty fucking annoying, even after Raven closed the blinds that she did not know were there. Thankfully, even if she could not fully ignore them, Cinder had been able to completely avoid actually interacting with them, mostly because she lived above the bar, so she never had to use the front door. Though, she was an employee, so she never used it anyway. Plus, the first time those reporters showed up at the bar, Raven made it abundantly clear that they were not welcome in her establishment. Of course she put it quite differently, telling them to stay the fuck outta my bar, but it was close enough.

Cinder just let out a sigh, wishing the day could be over already. The worst parts were the fact that since she and Raven opened up not long ago, Qrow would not be coming in for a while, and since there were a few customers there, she could not abandon her post behind the counter to go chat with Raven. So she was stuck there. It was just awful.

All of a sudden, the crowd of eager reporters outside got louder, as if something caught their attention. Perhaps police were finally arriving to shoo them away and give the patrons some damn peace and quiet. Unfortunately, as she expect, fortune was not on her side today. Soon enough, the bar door opened, and the figure that entered froze her in place, her heart beginning to throb painfully in her chest.

Salem.

This... This was too much. It was bad enough that Cinder had to deal with seeing her on television, as well as having those annoying reporters outside since then, but her ex-boss actually coming to the bar? She did not want to have to deal with this. There were already a lot of emotions from the past piling up in her mind just from the sight of her alone, so what the hell what Cinder supposed to do if she spoke to her? Anger and resentment... Salem put a damper on her final days with Emerald by denying their vacation, and then never reached out until now, after she had been saved by people who truly care about her... But above all that... Cinder was ashamed of how she acted in response. Her lack of control was what shifted all the blame to her, and deprived her of so much of the mourning process when she lost her soulmate. If she had not been so volatile, she could have been better to Emerald before she died...

"Cinder." Suddenly came a familiar, smooth voice from directly in front of her. Fuck. "You look well."

Hesitantly looking up, Cinder found her previous boss standing before her on the other side of the bar counter. Whatever this was, she did not want to deal with it. So, she huffed a breath, trying to keep herself calm. "What are you having... Salem?"

Rather than responding, Salem reached into the black purse that hung off of her shoulder, and pulled out an envelope, before placing it down onto the counter.

Great, she brought something. Whatever it was, Cinder did not want it. In fact, she barely glanced at the envelope before turning away to find the alcohol that she knew for a fact that her ex-boss would be drinking. After all, out of the many years that Cinder knew her, she only ever had one kind, other than red wine. "So, do you still take your scotch neat?"

Salem merely nodded. "I do."

As she prepared the older woman's drink, which barely took any time at all, Cinder remained silent, not wanting to speak anymore. Instead, she just waited to hear what her ex-boss felt that she needed to say. Of course, naturally, Salem stayed quiet as well, seemingly aware of what she was doing. Gods damnit. Eventually, after placing the filled glass on the bar counter, Cinder lost her patience. "Why are you here after so long?" She questioned, narrowing her eye. "If you wanted to help, you're just under a year too late."

Salem only pushed the envelope farther across the counter until it was directly in front of Cinder, who briefly glared at it. "Whatever that is, you could have simply sent it through the mail, or had someone else bring it here." Or just not sent it at all.

"I wanted to deliver it personally." Salem informed, before accepting the beverage and taking a sip. "If I'm being honest, I expected you would seek me out yourself, that you did not indicated you were handling things on your own terms, and you would come to me if and when you were ready."

Cinder kept her eye narrowed. "So you wanted to wait until things blew over before coming to find me."

"Yes, and no." Salem clarified, in her always-consistent, near-emotionless tone. "I wished to contact you far sooner, but I had an investigation to conduct, and the subsequent lawsuit." She took another sip of scotch. "With our victory finally settled, I can begin repaying the debts owed to my employees and their families. You should have been the first, however I wished to handle this personally."

Cinder merely glanced down at the envelope. So it's a cheque in there. Figures.

Salem let out a sigh, her expression softening from her usual for just a moment. "I understand loss, Cinder. My family is fraught with illness, mind and body both. Were it not for my husband, and my children, I would have naught but my company to my name. I have grown cold, but not heartless." Another sip from her scotch. "But all of that does not compare what you were forced to go through last year."

Cinder did not stop glaring. Not only was she severely injured, but she lost the love of her life, then suffered a witch hunt due to what had to be a poorly-executed 'investigation', and a publicized trail, all while the true culprit of that fire go away. Well, at least until now apparently.

Salem reached over and pushed the envelope closer to the younger woman once more. "The money inside is severance, plus compensation for all of your trauma. I apologize for taking so long, and for not being able to do more."

Cinder glanced down at the envelope again, not sure what to do. "I don't know if I can accept this."

Salem downed the last of her beverage, and placed it down upon the bar. "I understand, but the money belongs to you, regardless of when or if you decide to take it." She assured. "I will leave it with you for now, take some time to think it over." Then she reached over to tap the envelope with one finger. "Inside you will find my number and address, so please, call or drop by anytime, and we can further discuss this, as unfortunately, I believe I must be going."

Then, with a final nod, Salem turned around, and made her way out of the bar, once again greeted by the crown of reporters who apparently had nothing better to do than sit outside The Perch, waiting to get the scoop, and leaving Cinder standing there, confused, and conflicted.

What now?


Yang awoke to a very familiar feeling: a nude Weiss cuddling up to her equally-nude body, after yet another night of passionate lovemaking.

It had been a little over a week since her talk with Neo regarding... well, said lovemaking, and while she tried to let the situation straighten itself out, things had really not gotten any better. The couple was banging more often, and by no surprise, Weiss was as insatiable as ever, growing further dominant. There was even one instance where she got fairly handsy while Yang was trying make dinner, wanting to fool around with Neo sitting on the couch, only a half wall between them to stop her from seeing what was happening! Though of course, she was unable to stop her. That was... an awkward meal to say the least. She got the feeling that the mute knew what had gone on behind her, which was likely what those skeptical looks were for while they were eating...

Suddenly, Yang felt her girlfriend begin to stir, but instead of getting up, she merely snuggled closer, nuzzling into her bosom, warm breath tickling the sensitive skin. The blonde quirked a brow at her half-dozing partner.

"What are you doin' there, sleepy head?"

Weiss just hummed, not even opening her eyes. "Snuggling up to my pillows..."

Yang smiled at the admittedly adorable answer, almost chuckling. "Pretty sure those are my tits."

Weiss only gave one of her girlfriend's breasts a couple light squeezes, clearly aware of what they were. "No... They're my pillows..." She mumbled, snuggling even closer.

"Pillows don't have nipples, Weiss." Yang commented.

"Mine do." Weiss insisted, tiredly giggling a bit.

Yang let out a soft chuckle, figuring that her partner was not doing anything at the current moment, so it was alright. "Well careful, you know those are sensit-ive!" She gasped, interrupted by Weiss cheekily biting down on one of her nipples.

Leaning up a bit to look the blonde in the eyes, Weiss flashed a sly grin at her. "Oops. My mistake. Allow me to remedy that." She offered, leaning back down to drag her tongue across the nub, drawing out a moan from her girlfriend, before quickly latching on, and beginning to excitedly circle it in an erotic kiss.

Well, so much for not doing anything.

After the prior night, finishing several times from Weiss' various, extremely-effective techniques, Yang... honestly was not really in the mood, but given how the smaller woman was already lavishing her ample breasts with her tongue, lips and occasionally teeth, eliciting soft gasps and moans, she still did her best to enjoy it. Although... her just letting Weiss do this kind of thing every day was what got her into her current predicament in the first place. Yang wanted to do something about it, but... she could never bring herself to say no. It was legitimately difficult because she enjoyed everything Weiss did to her, because her partner knew exactly what she liked, but every morning, she was tired and sore, and she knew that they needed to talk.

Then she remembered something Neo 'said' to her last week.

Be proactive! It's a two way street! You know what you want, you tried it with me!

After that, something that Robyn told her when she and the couple were seeing Winter off.

You know, if there was one thing I've learned from being with Win, it's that you gotta be firm sometimes.

Then something else that she said.

Sometimes you need to go against your partner, 'cause that's how relationships work, and without someone to oppose her when she goes too far, Weiss will just get tunnel vision.

That was it. Yang was going to talk to Weiss. She had to. Unfortunately, given what her girlfriend was currently occupied with, thinking properly was a little difficult, especially the longer it went on. Weiss was just... really good with her tongue... No, no, she had to do this, lest she allow the smaller woman to just have her way with her yet again.

"We-iss!" Yang attempted to call, but ended up moaning instead, due to another nipple bite from her partner. Damnit. She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the growing amount of pleasure from the ministrations. "Weiss, babe... Weiss."

Finally ceasing her eager lavishing, the woman in question suddenly perked up, clearly surprised that the blonde was trying to get her attention. "What is it, sweetheart?"

This is it. You can do this. "I uh, we gotta talk, Weiss." Yang admitted after a bit of silence.

Weiss furrowed her brow, leaning up farther so that she was not just hovering over her girlfriend's bare breasts, which were already glistening from her enthusiastic attention. "About what?"

Yang was quiet initially, trying to piece together all of her various thoughts on the current issue into something coherent, as well as attempting to steady her nerves. "Look, um... before our first time, I was used to sex like, once a week with Neo, so goin' from that to bangin' every day, sometimes more... It's just... a little much..." She nervously explained, not maintaining eye contact very well, until she realized how that might be taken. "D-Don't get me wrong, I love the sex, bein' with you is like... a dream come true, but if I'm being honest... My body can't cash the cheques our libidos write."

"I... never realized we were going that hard..." Weiss admitted, expression becoming one of guilt. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Yang tried to offer a smile. "I dunno, sex has never been a huge deal for me. I love takin' care of people, and I wanna take care of you. So if you wanna fuck, we can fuck, whenever you want, and if you want more, you'll get more. You can set the pace of our relationship, I like the challenge."

Weiss was silent for a while, seemingly going over what her partner was saying, until her gaze fell. "I don't want the idea of sex to be a challenge, or... a chore, Yang. I want it to be something we both always enjoy, because we care about each other. I don't want to end up hurting you because I can't control my urges..."

"You're not hurting me!" Yang almost-immediately assured. "I promise, sex with you won't ever be a chore, I just thought we could... slow things down a little, 'cause I don't plan on goin' anywhere, so there's no rush." Then she offered a warm smile. "I care about you a whole lot, Weiss, and that's not gonna change if I don't see you naked every day."

Weiss remained quiet again, this time for longer, likely considering everything. Eventually, she nodded, smiling in return. "Okay, we can slow things down. Thank you for telling me, Yang." She agreed. "And I promise, whenever I do want to have sex, I will make sure that you're in the mood before acting on my own desires." Then she looked away, as if embarrassed about something. "Of course, if you're not, I will. t-take care of it on my own..."

Yang just blinked, confused by what her girlfriend meant for a moment, before it clicked. Oh. "Thanks, Weiss, you're the best." She smiled, almost leaning down to plant a kiss upon her head, before she stopped, remembering something else that Neo had told her, regarding another issue that the couple should talk about. The idea that Weiss could leave her tied up and gagged, much like the mute had some time ago. It seemed ridiculous, until Yang thought about how the smaller woman was becoming more dominant in the bedroom as time went on.

Seems like she'll be there sooner or later if you keep letting it slide.

Part of Yang wanted to ignore that for now, as she was a one problem at a time kind of gal, but then another thing that her friend said echoed in her mind.

Last time you ignored an issue in a relationship, you ended up ending one in the middle of fucking.

Yang let out a sigh. Damnit. "A-Actually, there's... something else we gotta talk about." She hesitantly admitted, much to her girlfriend's surprise. Honestly, Yang had no idea how she was going to bring it up, since she had never had any problem with partners being rough with her in the bedroom, quite the opposite in fact, but... she had to. She was not going to let anything get out of control. So, she took a deep breath. "Do uh... you know what you're doin' with the whole domme thing? 'Cause... I dunno if you've done it before, or if it's just something you're exploring because it's fun. I know I like it, but that's cause I've had experience with it. So if we're gonna get into it, I just wanna be sure we're being safe about it and stuff."

Surprisingly, a slight blush tinted Weiss' cheeks. "I apologize. I wanted to speak with you earlier about that, but... I've been feeling self conscious about it. I was... worried about how you would feel about how much I've started to love being the dominant one." She admitted. "I... I love having you crying out beneath me, bending to my will at every touch. It's new and... intoxicating, and it makes me feel strong."

Yeah... Yang could definitely tell that her girlfriend enjoyed it. "Well, is where we are now the farthest you wanna go? Or are you curious about exploring further?" She wondered. "'Cause I uh, I talked to Neo about this stuff, and she's kinda... concerned that you might eventually get to the point where you're... well, leavin' me tied up and gagged after we fuck..."

Weiss' eyes widened. "I would never do that!"

Yang just chuckled at the response. "I know, Weiss, I know. I trust you with all my heart, but accidents can happen sometimes, and I don't want us to screw something up that should be fun." She explained, before smirking. "And trust me, aside from accidentally bein' left like that afterwards, Neo bringin' out the handcuffs and gag was probably the hottest shit I've ever experienced. So y'know, if or when you're ready for that kinda thing, go nuts."

Another blush found its way to Weiss' cheeks. "I'm very happy where we are, Yang. I love every moment of intimacy I get to spend with you, but that said... perhaps in the future we could explore more..."

Yang only smiled. "I'd like that."

Leaning down once more, Weiss planted a soft kiss on her girlfriend's cheek. "Maybe we could even do some exploring right now..."

Yang quirked a brow at the suggestion, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Oh yeah? What exactly did you have in mind?"

A moment passed, and Weiss shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know, it just sounded sexy."

Yang could not help but laugh. "There's only room for one horny gremlin in this apartment."

Weiss furrowed her brow. "How exactly do you know she's horny?"

Yang just gave her partner a skeptical look. "Weiss, babe, she hears everything we do, of course she's horny. I'd be shocked if she wasn't." Though, Neo had joked... hopefully, about helping with Weiss' libido, so that was a pretty clear sign. Of course Yang was never going to mention that to Weiss, since she knew that her girlfriend had been interested in a threesome in the past, and she really did not want things getting even more complicated than they already were. So, she kept her mouth shut, and the two merely returned to cuddling.

At least, until they realized that they both had to visit the bathroom.

It was not until the next day, after Yang returned home from work, that she realized just how serious Weiss was about changing for her. Normally, when her shift ran later, the smaller woman was almost always waiting for her, more than half the time to drag her into the bedroom, but this time, she was merely sitting with Neo on the couch, enjoying what was on TV. It actually surprised Yang how... well, chill her partner was being.

"Wow, no sex right when I get home?"

Weiss brightly smiled, clearly proud of herself. "Nope! I thought about what we talked about yesterday, and I really... evaluated what I've become..."

"You fapped a bunch while I was at work, didn't you?" Yang wondered with a smirk.

Weiss was dead silent for several moments, until she awkwardly cleared her throat. "I... might have, yes."

Loud-mouth over here tried to be subtle about it. Suddenly came the sound of text-to-speech. The other two looked over to find Neo grinning at them, holding up her scroll with one hand, and pointing at the woman in question with the other. Weiss glared at the mute, who just cheekily stuck her tongue out.

"You're gonna be hungry then." Yang guessed, hanging up her motorcycle jacket and helmet.

"Nooo-" Weiss began, only to be interrupted by the adorable sound of her stomach growling.

Yang had to hold back a laugh. Gods that was so cute. "Pizza?"

Weiss quickly nodded. "Please." She near-begged, to which Neo also gave a thumbs up. Although, by no one's surprise, she then chimed in again with her apparently-newly discovered text-to-speech function. Yang got the slight feeling that she would be using that a lot from now on.

Don't forget cheesy bread this time.


Cinder did not really remember getting back to the apartment.

After Salem had left, she was feeling... fairly out of it, barely able to focus on her work. Raven ended up having to call Yang to come in early, and send the younger woman upstairs to clear her head. It was a bit embarrassing having to be sent home, but having some time to think about what happened would probably help. At least, she hoped.

So there Cinder was, sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of scotch and a half-empty glass, staring at the spread-out contents of what her ex-boss had given her, or more specifically, the cheque. When she initially arrived back at the apartment and sat down, she stared at the closed envelope for a solid ten minutes, heavily conflicted over whether she wanted to open it or not. Part of Cinder wanted to just get rid of it, or at least wait until she was in a better head space to do anything, but eventually, figured that she had it there, and it would likely bother the hell out of her until she did decide to see what was inside.

Thus, Cinder did, but when she finally opened it up, emptying the contents onto the kitchen table, she found a cheque, just like Salem mentioned, but when she picked it up and read it... the written value was a lot more than she thought...

It's... over two million lien...

The envelope had several other things inside, such as a letter of recommendation, and various legal documents, but Cinder disregarded them, as she also discovered a personal letter from Salem, explaining her side of the situation, which was... unexpected, to say the very least. Her ex-boss apologized for failing her, before and after the fire, that her life had been fraught with failure, and as a result, she made further mistakes that caused her company to be targeted, and her employees along with it. Salem understood well that apologies meant nothing in the face of Cinder's devastating loss, that the money contained in the envelope would do nothing to assuage that pain, but it was all she could do to repay the debt incurred. The amount on the enclosed cheque was ten years of severance, on both her and Emerald's behalf, compensation for legal feels, and an extra half million lien in damages. Then, at the very bottom, was Salem's personal number and home address, should she ever find herself in need.

Now, Cinder was merely sitting there, unable to think of anything else but what happened with her prior employer, the contents of her letter, and the absurd amount on that damn cheque.

Suddenly, the sound of the apartment front door opening drew her attention. Turning around to face the source of the noise, she found Raven walking in, offering a tired smile as she closed the door behind her.

"How uh, how're you doing?" The older woman inquired, slipping off her shoes and walking through the living area towards the kitchen.

Cinder only managed a weak shrug. "I honestly don't know, Rave. I just... don't know."

Raven was quiet for a moment, then hummed. "You wanna talk about it?"

Cinder just shrugged again. "I suppose I have nothing better to do."

Raven smiled at the answer. "Well c'mon then, let's sit somewhere a little more comfortable." She suggested, offering a hand, which the younger woman quickly accepted before being pulled to her feet. Raven then led her back into the living area, where the two sat down on the couch, and Cinder laid her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "So, what's on your mind?" Raven asked, lifting an arm to wrap around her shoulders.

Cinder took a moment in an attempt to put her thoughts together into something coherent, which sadly, was not easy. "Anger, mainly." She answered after a brief silence. "Salem... gave me a cheque, and a personal letter, and... I don't know how to feel. The cheque makes me angry, but the letter makes everything confusing, and the fact that it's reasonable pisses me off even more." Then Cinder let out a shaky breath, trying to keep herself calm. "I don't want to accept it, I don't want this resolution, I want Emerald back, I want these damn scars gone!" She hissed, before sighing. "But then I wouldn't have you, and Yang, and Nora... which makes me even more angry and confused. So now I'm stuck in this painful feedback loop and I don't know what the fuck to do!"

Cinder tilted her head to look at her girlfriend, reaching up to briefly, gently caress her cheek. "I love you with all of my heart, Rave, but I don't want my life now to be mixed with the past." She felt her lip quiver, and a lump in her throat. "Emmy's... gone, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it, but I just... I want it all to be over..." Cinder hesitantly continued. "Yet at the same time, I feel guilty for trying to move on... The idea that if I accept Salem's cheque, my life now would be funded by Emerald's death, and that... pains me to think about. It feels like I'm dishonouring her memory."

Then Cinder let out a heavy, frustrated sigh, glancing over at the kitchen table, where all the contents of her ex-boss' envelope still sat. "Perhaps I should just rip it all up and forget she even showed up..." She clenched her fists, feeling tears starting to well in her eye. "How much of that money is my suffering? How much is Emerald's life? How much was her life even worth to them? I never deserved Emmy, especially after everything I put her through, but I still love her, and I would go through all that pain again... just to tell her that I love her one last time..."

Soon enough, tears were streaming down Cinder's face as she broke down to cry. Barely a moment later, Raven wrapped another arm around her to pull her into a tight hug, gently stroking her hair, not even having to say a single word. It was not long before Cinder began to feel a little better, a little calmer. She loved this woman, so much. Taking a deep breath, she wiped tears from her face, sniffled, and continued.

"If... I were to think about from Salem's perspective, I suppose I wouldn't know what else to do either." Cinder admitted. "This isn't exactly an issue that can be solved with money, but... as someone in her position, it's all that could really be done, and... I guess it's far better than just a sorry and an explanation..." Then she sighed again, looking up at her partner. "What should I do, Rave?"

Loosening her hug, Raven leaned back to look down at the younger woman, but was quiet for a moment. Then she tiredly smiled. "I think... we should order some cheap, greasy food, and relax for a while. Y'know, watch a shitty movie, cuddle up on this couch, then we can talk later. No rush" Raven suggested, her smile actually becoming brighter. Cinder could not help but smile in return, realizing that her girlfriend always knew just what to say.

"I'd like that."


You should go on that hike with Pyr, Ruby said. It'll be fun, she said. Well, while it was definitely enjoyable in the beginning, Coco very-quickly found that it was far more difficult than the morning jogs the pair had been going on.

Unfortunately, much like how those jogs were unable to do anymore, the hike did not distract her from the predicament that she currently found herself in. It had been over a week since Coco nearly made one of the worst mistakes in her life, and because of it, things were not quite the same in the Reds' house. There was an aura of uncertainty between her and the couple, and though it was mostly on the brunette's side, it was incredibly clear that both Ruby and Pyrrha could see that too.

Honestly, Coco had just completely withdrawn socially, because... she did not trust herself to do or say the right thing around her two friends anymore. She had been spending far more time at Yang's, hanging out with her, Weiss and Neo - who was actually pretty cool now that she getting to know her - avoiding as much physical contact with the Reds as possible, and just... trying to forget that day at the mall ever happened. It would be better for everyone if they both did. Well, them and Pyrrha, because from her demeanor, she clearly knew what almost happened between her wife and friend, the former of which must have told her about it. Although, she still said nothing about it, likely wanting to encourage Coco to open up about it on her own. Of course she never did, so the redhead tried a different approach.

The prior night, while the trio were enjoying a nice dinner, Pyrrha invited Coco to join her on an evening hike the next day, in order to show her... what she used to share with Velvet. The brunette was extremely hesitant, mostly because she expected her friend to use that as an opportunity to confront her about the prior week, but eventually she agreed.

And so, the next evening came, the pair gathered their things, drove out to one of the forests on the outskirts of Vale, and began their hike. At first, it was just like one of their morning jogs, at least, until they started going uphill. Then it became far harder. So much so, that by the time the two made it to where Pyrrha apparently wanted them to go, at the top of a tall, wooded hill, Coco was absolutely exhausted, truly realizing how out of shape she still was. Gods, she was so thankful that she brought multiple bottles of water, because she downed the rest of her first one when the pair sat down on a large rock together.

"Look, over there." Suddenly came Pyrrha's voice, prompting the brunette to lift her head, then follow her pointing finger. It was currently aimed back at the city of Vale, blanketed by the amber glow of the sunset.

Coco could feel her eyes widen at the sight. Wow... It was beautiful... Although, there was something oddly familiar about it. Of course she had never been up there before, so obviously she had not seen it, yet... she felt like she had. Wait a minute. Coco knew where she had seen this... It was in a photo, hanging in her living area... This was one of Velvet's framed pictures... Was this why the redhead wanted to take her on this hike?

"I... used to come up here with Velvet." Pyrrha began, staring down at the ground. "We would sit on this exact rock together, and simply... talk. It was the only time I truly felt comfortable being vulnerable with someone that I trusted and loved. And... between a number of things that I have had to deal with over the past while, I've severely missed those talks." Then she let out a heavy sigh. "The role I fulfill has caused me great stress, enough that I find myself crumbling beneath its weight, unable to handle so much pressure, to be as strong as those around me deserve."

Coco was speechless. Pyr's... stressed? But she's so... well, perfect. She would have never known...

"Ever since Velvet passed, I have felt so... guilty for feeling as much grief as you and Ruby do, when I only spent a small amount of time with her compared to either of you." Pyrrha continued, clenching her hands together. "But without her... everything boiled over, because this here, is what I would do with Velvet. We could be weak with one another in order to be strong for our partners, for you and Ruby. Now it's just me..." Then she sniffled, taking a shaky breath. "I directed all of my hatred to someone who didn't deserve it, let my emotions get the better of me when Blake visited, but worst of all... I ignored my own wife's feelings when she tried to bring up an issue between us..."

Coco had never heard her friend be so... open about her own problems before, especially since it was usually others going to her about their issues.

"I grew up in an incredibly strict, Mistrali household, always expected to be perfect, to lead others... and never show weakness." Pyrrha admitted with another sigh. "Now I'm a young adult trying to be a wise, mature woman, like my mother, who was raised by generations of similarly-stoic traditional matrons." She shook her head. "I've tried and I've tried, but I just can't steel myself like they did. I can't be like them. I love too hard, and too fast... The guilt that I feel from all of my shortcomings never goes away, and... I have no one to turn to anymore when everything becomes too much..."

Pyrrha then looked to her friend, tears beginning to well in her eyes. "I never realized the way I lived affected those around me so deeply..." She paused for a moment, clenching her fists "I... I hurt the woman I love because I was trying to convince myself that everything was okay... but it was just me trying to bury a real issue that we have..." Pyrrha sadly explained, before taking a deep breath. "But, we've finally started the conversation, and over the next little while, Ruby and I will sit down and talk about it all openly, then... I will contact Dr. Goodwitch, and see about going to therapy myself."

Coco was silent, unsure of what she could even do. Pyrrha had always been the one that assisting everyone else with their problems, never once asking for help herself. Well, she was now, and the brunette could not just sit there at let her cry. Coco needed to show her that she did not always need to be strong for them. She could let herself be weak too. So, even though she had been trying to avoid physical contact, Coco wrapped an arm around her friend's torso, and pulled her into a side-hug, allowing Pyrrha to rest her head on her shoulder as she began to quietly sob.

"When the time comes, want me to come with you, Little Red?" Coco wondered after a bit of silence.

"It would be greatly appreciated, Coco..."


Vernal was not used to waiting.

Normally, she lived in the moment, and whatever came was what she got. Then there was Nora. She did not understand how to feel about that woman, or how to feel at all, really. Vernal was not built for this shit. Emotions were so confusing, but they were all she was left with. For several weeks, thoughts of Nora, and the many emotions that she had inspired, were biding their time until her arrival.

Gods damnit, the last time was supposed to be a fucking simple, casual fling, and now Vernal had invited the redhead over for the second time, all because... she wanted to see her again. And it was not even due to the sex itself. Sure, that was breathtaking, in more ways than one, but even so, it was what happened the next morning that not only left her shell-shocked for days, but prompted the desire to see her.

Once the pair had eventually gotten out of bed, since Nora was pretty reluctant to release Vernal from her grasp, the former quickly went to start preparing breakfast, even after protest, while the latter visited the bathroom, partially to clear her head. She just stared into the mirror, telling herself one thing, over and over. After breakfast, that will be it. They would go their separate ways, and that was okay. Winter told her not to let others decide her own worth. Vernal could function without Nora.

Unfortunately, all of that was thrown out the window when she came out, and found the redhead cooking in nothing but a light-pink apron... even though Vernal did not own an apron. Nora had brought one, which meant she planned for this. Although, the moment she laid eyes upon that woman, that concern did not matter, as her brain short-circuited.

Fucking hell.

Nora had a body much curvier than her own almost-boyish figure. Shapely rear that she playfully swung for her admirer, sizable breasts that threatened to burst out of that apron, not to mention flawless, freckled, pale skin, where it was not generously tanned of course... Now that was a sight and a half. Vernal had to take a minute to reboot, because she not stop staring. Not just at Nora's perfect, voluptuous backside, but at her in general, mostly in disbelief.

She had never been with anyone like Nora. Any other women that Vernal previously found herself with were just looking for something rough and tumble, or dangerous because of how she presented herself. They just wanted to bed themselves someone who seemed like a badass. None of them seemed like they actually cared about her, unlike Nora. In fact, Weiss was the very first person who even wanted to stick around after sex, and she started off as just another random one night stand, but of course, Vernal ended up losing her, like the pathetic moron she was.

Man, their relationship was pretty fucked as far as things went. Weiss ran away from her rich family in Atlas to live with a random punk chick that she fucked while drunk, and even after they began 'dating', the majority of their interactions were sex. Then there was Nora. Vernal had only wanted her for sex at first, but it was the talking that really made her feel better. She wished she had let herself properly talk to Weiss. It was so much easier to think about now that Nora did it first. Sadly, her previous visit did not fill that Weiss-sized hole completely, but it did not hurt as badly anymore. She could think a little more clearly now.

Suddenly, a few quick knocks rung upon the front door, pulling Vernal from her less-than-pleasant train of thought. With a sigh, she pulled herself up off of the couch, and made her way to the front entrance of her apartment. She then took a deep breath, unlocked the door, and opened it, revealing a brightly-smiling Nora, clad in a light-blue T-shirt and a frilly pink skirt, and holding the same black bag as last time, likely containing that pink apron of hers. Just thinking about it reminded Vernal of the redhead's near-nude cooking.

"Did someone order a not-a-hooker-anymore hooker?" Nora wondered, her cute smile not faltering one bit.

Vernal just rolled her eyes at the joke. "Somethin' like that, come on in." She acknowledged, stepping aside to allow Nora to enter. To which she happily stepped inside, before leaning down to untie her sneakers as Vernal closed the door. Hopefully, they would be ordering pizza first again, which would give her some extra time to work up the courage to... express what she wanted to happen this time.

Upon standing back up, Nora almost-immediately pulled the other woman into a heated kiss, which was instinctively returned, earning a muffled gasp as she backed her into the nearest wall, hands quickly beginning to explore all over her body. Of course Vernal was not exactly complaining, it was just shocking to see how excited the redhead was to get into things, a stark contrast from her last visit. Soon enough, Nora's lips were upon her neck, passionately kissing, licking, and even biting on occasion, eliciting a fair share of soft gasps and moans through heavy breathing.

"What's- hah, got you so excited this time?" Vernal managed to wonder, as a tongue trailed up her neck, ending it with another bite, resulting in a gasp.

A moment later, Nora pulled back, licking her lips. "No clients anymore means I've been a little pent up." She admitted with a smirk, before leaning in to meet Vernal in another heated, yet brief kiss. "Mind if we move right to the bedroom? Or maybe the couch if you want somethin' a little different?"

Honestly, Vernal did not give a shit where they fucked, so long as they did. "Bedroom's fine."

Nora just grinned. "Sounds like a plan, hot stuff."

And so, with the redhead leading her by the hand, the two relocated into the bedroom, before hastily stripping each other down until they were both nude, and starting with some foreplay. Although, prior to the latter, Vernal stopped things, much to Nora's surprise, and headed over to her closet, where she opened it up, and hesitantly pulled out her dark-red strap-on that until then, had been hidden in a shoe box. She then timidly held it out, avoiding eye contact.

"I want you... to fuck me with this..." Vernal eventually requested.

Clearly seeing how the other woman was nervous, Nora accepted the toy, and nodded with a smile. "I think I can do that." She agreed, bending down to begin donning it. "You ever taken it before?" She wondered, stepping into the loops and pulling the toy up her legs.

Vernal only shook her head a bit. "Usually the one wearing it."

"You comfortable with this?" Nora inquired, fastening the straps.

"Probably." Vernal simply answered, sitting down on her bed.

"You sure?" Nora pressed, looking to the other woman with a serious expression.

"Yeah, just do it." Vernal mumbled, crawling farther onto the bed in order to get on her hands and knees, facing away from the redhead out of embarrassment. "Hard as you want. I can take it."

Nora was dead silent for a moment. "Nope. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right. No rushing straight into it." She insisted, climbing onto the mattress as well, until she could be seen. "C'mon, let's get you more comfortable first." Nora instructed, grabbing the two pillows that sat at the head of the bed, and placing them down in different places. She then directed Vernal to lie down on them, with her head on one, and pelvis on the other. "These things shouldn't be rushed, 'specially if it's been a long time. Best to ease into it." She advised, lightly trailing her fingers down Vernal's back, and across her rear, giving it a squeeze before slipping her fingers between her legs to begin teasing her lower lips, causing her breathing to grow heavier.

"You're so beautiful, and strong..." Nora purred, leaning down to start planting kisses along her upper back. "I appreciate the trust you're giving me, almost as much as this bangin' body of yours... The way your skin's so different than mine, but we're both pink on the inside..." As she spoke, two fingers found their way within, coaxing a gasp from above. Planting more kisses down Vernal's back, towards her rear, she began to gently thrust, fingertips searching for her every weakness, growing more successful with every moment. "Boobs that fit perfectly in my hands..." Nora continued, sliding a hand underneath the other woman's body to squeeze one of her breasts. "Abs that I could grind myself on, and I plan on it... and you're not afraid to let yourself run a little wild downstairs..." Then she moved lower down the mattress, until she was next to Vernal's legs, her free hand trailing down her back until it took hold of her rear. "'Course I love all butts, but yours is special in its own way... 'cause it's yours..." Nora added, ministrations intensifying.

Meanwhile, Vernal had no idea what to say for all this praise, or even if she should at all. She was not used to so much talking during sex, or having to respond to anything but moans. But honestly... it was just another thing that she wished she tried with Weiss. After all, since her ex left, Vernal had gone over their relationship dozens of times, and everything that she had missed out on due to how stubborn and closed off she was. Now, with how careful and gentle Nora was being, she was starting to get emotional, because she never bothered to do half of that with Weiss... Of course, none of that mattered soon enough, as her mind was beginning to go blank from the impending orgasm. Unfortunately, it was clear that the redhead could feel it too, as she removed her fingers, eliciting a gasp.

"Are you willing to let me completely take charge?" Nora inquired, leaning over to see her face.

As Vernal caught her breath, she managed a nod, but it seemed that it would not be enough.

"I want a proper answer, Vernal." Nora requested. "Out loud. Do you want me to take charge?"

Damnit. "Y-Yeah..." Vernal eventually mumbled.

Nora smiled in return, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on Vernal's cheek. "Good girl." She praised, before slowly crawling backwards down the mattress, until she was between her legs, and her own knees were on the floor. She then wrapped her arms around her lover's thighs, moving closer as she peppered kisses along them, toward her wanting lower lips. "It can feel really good to let go sometimes, to let someone be strong for you. It's not weakness to give into this. In fact, it's brave, and you're being brave for me now... So strong and beautiful..." Nora purred, just before her tongue made contact, earning and uncharacteristic whimper.

As soon as Vernal relaxed a little, and let herself be taken care of, the redhead made quick work bringing her back to the edge. Her tongue explored every inch, expertly teased the sensitive nub, and eventually slipped inside, drawing out gasps and moans with each passing moment. She arched her back with a louder moan, keening into her pillow as a particularly sensitive spot was hit, unable to help but push herself back into her lover's mouth. Then Vernal felt Nora withdraw her tongue. She was about to complain, but two fingers quickly took its place, thrusting even faster than before.

"Every sound you make is music to my ears." Nora praised, peppering one side of Vernal's rear with kisses, and spanking the other side. "Let it all out, Vernal, I wanna hear you." She continued, downright attacking her g-spot with her fingers as she leaned back in to suck on her sensitive nub. It was not long until Vernal was grasping her sheets for dear life as Nora brought her to her peak, her whole body tensing and shaking while her eyes squeezed shut, and she let out a whine against her pillow. The redhead did not withdraw her fingers or tongue until she came down from the intense high.

After a few moments, while Vernal was recovering, Nora climbed back up onto the bed, trailing kisses up her spine. "Such a good girl..." She purred, kissing up her back. "A beautiful girl... my beautiful girl..." She continued, until she was completely over-top of Vernal, lips right next to her ear. "Who are you?"

Vernal looked away, but could not stop herself. "Y-Your beautiful girl..."

Nora only smiled. "That's right." She agreed, reaching down to tilt her lover's face enough to plant a soft kiss upon her lips.

A bit of silence followed, before Vernal was able to remember her original plan. "Can you... fuck me with that toy now?" She hesitantly asked, her nervousness clearly showing through. But she did not care as much anymore. It was what she wanted.

Nora just smirked. "Gladly." She accepted, moving over to straddle Vernal's thighs, lining up the head of the strap-on, and leaning down to begin peppering kisses up her back again. "You've been very good tonight, so don't worry about a thing... Just let me take care of you..." Nora whispered directly into her lover's ear, just as she pushed the toy between her lower lips, earning a whimpered gasp, before a firm hand landed on her backside, eliciting another. "Just leave everything to me..."

A moment later, Nora began her aggressive rhythm, pressing her entire body into Vernal's, and relentlessly thrusting against her backside, pumping the length of the strap-on deep into her core.

Her gasps and moans were muffled by the pillow as she became lost in pleasure.


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

Because as always, your feedback fuels us!