Disclaimer: All Characters belong to Rooster Teeth Productions
Co-Authored with ToxicExotic
A Date, At Last
Blake thought she looked good. The outfit wasn't anything particularly special, but the combination of a purple scarf and a black, tight-fitting combat jacket that she didn't remember having in the back of her closet, really helped her amber eyes and fair skin stand out a little more. A long purple shirt peeked out from the bottom of the jacket before tucking into a pair of black jeans and knee high boots. Despite the small splashes of colour, it was simple, but Blake liked simple. She looked good in simple. So with a small smile to herself, she fluffed her hair a little and turned around slowly to check out every angle.
While it wasn't hers and Ruby's first date, or even their second, she still wanted to make a good impression. Partly because it was a little different than the others. It was the first actual date as an actual couple. Sure there had been small outings and patrols on Patch, but something about going to the movies and then hanging out in town for the entire afternoon felt different. There was also the fact that it was their third, and though Blake certainly didn't expect that, she knew they would both likely be aware of what usually happened on third dates.
Although, she wasn't quite sure about nothing happening. Though she definitely didn't expect anything to happen, it was undeniable that their relationship had taken a few steps forward as of late. There had been a lot more cuddling, not that there wasn't a lot already, and more than a few of the cuddling sessions had been taking place on the bed; or the couch that, much to Weiss' annoyance, was still in the room. When other people were around, it simply remained cuddling, but when they weren't it often became more. Never anything too much, but definitely more intimate than anything had been done on Patch.
Even as she thought about it, she remembered them relaxing on the bed reading a book, only for it to turn into them making out. But Ruby had taken to partially climbing on top of her recently, not completely, but enough to where gravity forced their bodies together. She could still remember how that felt, how it sent her heart racing and how her hands wanted to roam a little more than they did. She was still holding back a little, as she felt Ruby wasn't ready for that, but it was getting harder and harder to…
"OI!"
The shouted interrupted her thoughts and made her jump in place. As she turned around, she wasn't sure if her heart racing was due to the jumpscare, or because of where her mind had wondered. From the blush she glimpsed as she turned to face her partner, she was guessing a little of both.
"Get out of here."
Yang was sitting on the desk with her legs crossed facing the open window, which she was throwing empty shell casing out of. She had been meditating for the past fifteen minutes, but she usually went for longer, so Blake hadn't expected to hear a word from her for a while. However, it wasn't the first time she had seen her partner do such a thing, and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"Ravens again?" She asked as Yang jumped off the desk and closed the window, though not before Blake heard a squawk.
"Fucking birds. Haven't let me alone since I was a kid." Yang said with a little annoyance. "Interrupting my damn quiet time." Yang stopped as they caught each other's eye, and gave her a quick glance up and down. "Hmm, looking good, Blakey. Ruby'll love it."
"Thanks." She felt her cheeks warm and fluffed her hair again.
"One thing though." The blonde leaned down to dig into her drawer, but emerged within seconds with something in her hand. "Turn around."
Blake wasn't sure what Yang was going to do, but she trusted her partner to not be playing a prank; though not enough to squint suspiciously at her before turning. The feeling of Yang's hands high on her thigh made her flinch at first, but she quickly relaxed and felt something tighten around her leg. When the blonde was done, Blake looked down to see a belt strapped around her upper leg, the dark leather forcing the jeans to cling just that little bit tighter.
"There we go," the girl said proudly and slung and arm around Blake's shoulder. "Show off that fantastic Bellabooty a little more."
"Thanks, I guess." Blake said with a skeptical glance at her partner, though she wasn't opposed since the extra tightness was a least a little more comforting.
"It's true. Even Velvet looks every now and again."
"Okay, well, my ass aside," Blake smiled and pushed her friend away. "How do I look?"
"Hmm." Yang crossed her arms and surveyed her for a second before a mischievous grin overtook her features. "Purr-fect."
"Why do I talk to you?"
"Because you love me?"
"You make it very difficult sometimes."
A light punch was delivered to her arm, and Blake let out a soft laugh at her friend's stupidity. Had anyone else made such a joke, Blake would have likely been rather annoyed, but Yang felt different. Sure, she was joking about her having cat features, but it never felt malicious, or like there was any judgement there. It always felt like how she made puns with Weiss' name, or how Weiss would tease her for being blonde. It always felt like it came from a friendly place, so Blake really didn't mind the occasional joke.
"Anyway, I should get going." Blake smiled and picked up her wallet. "We're cutting it close already, and I've still gotta pick up Ruby from the workshop."
"Yeah, she is super happy about whatever she is doing with that scythe."
"Tell me about it." Blake grinned.
From what Blake could tell, the only person who knew what the reaper was up to with her weapon was Weiss, but the girl had refused to tell either of them. Blake didn't mind of course, since she'd just had fun watching her girlfriend mess around.
"Well, I'm off."
"Have a good day in the dark cinema." Yang replied with a wink that made Blake blush.
With a shake of her head, Blake pulled the door open and gave her best friend a quick wave before heading out to collect Ruby.
Blake already lost interest in the movie. While it certainly wasn't bad, it was such a tonal shift from the first that she simply couldn't get into it. Instead of going with the carefully constructed plot they had in the first, they had simply opted for the sequel to take place in a fictional Huntsman academy. While it was a natural progression for the characters, the lack of danger and stakes made it rather mundane. So instead of the movie, Blake turned her attention to her beautiful girlfriend instead.
Thankfully, while the first movie had garnered somewhat of a cult following, it hadn't received too much attention. It was so little in fact that the sequel wasn't even being shown in major theaters, but smaller ones; but Blake liked that. Instead of the usual individual chairs, the theater had a few couches and tables that allowed people to sit together. It also allowed for couples to cuddle, with Ruby having taken advantage of the latter not even a second after the movie started.
It had just been simply hand holding at first, but after a couple of minutes, the girl's legs had tucked underneath her and Blake had felt a pressure on her shoulder. More than happy to oblige, she'd wrapped an arm around her warm shoulders and nestled into the embrace. As soon as her attention faltered, she decided to focus on the smaller things about Ruby.
Her breathing, the chuckles when something funny happened, the way her hand still refused to leave hers. It all felt nice; though it was still a little hard to believe she'd found something so peaceful after years of violence, but she had. So feeling a little mischievousness creep in, she pressed her lips into the girl's cheek and earned a giggle in return. As the silver eyes looked up at her, she stuck out her tongue and offered the popcorn.
Even if the movie wasn't her thing, simply spending time with Ruby definitely was.
"Ahhh, that was so much better than the first. The weapons were so much cooler. "I'm glad he kept the shotgun shovel though."
Blake blocked her eyes from the harsh light that tried to blind her as they walked out of the theater. Adjusting to light after her night vision had taken full effect was always a little annoying since it usually left her with a slight headache, but she happily threw her girlfriend a soft smile.
"It certainly had better production quality." She agreed, but earned a suspicious look from Ruby.
"You didn't like it?"
"I did, kind of." Blake said with a chuckle. "Just felt different. We didn't really need a continuation, and it felt like they forgot what made the first so good and chose to follow trends instead."
"Oh my Oum!" Ruby exclaimed, taking a step in front of her and pointing a finger accusingly. "You're a hipster."
Blake couldn't help but laugh at the stupid accusation. Growing up on the outskirts of Mistral, it was hard not to know what that word meant. With the kingdom being so full of art and music, it was practically inevitable that an entire subculture revolving around people who liked less mainstream stuff would arise. In Blake's experience though they were mostly annoying snobs; though she'd be lying if she said that wasn't most people in Mistral anyway. But though she knew many aspects of her personality aligned with that group, she had never particularly felt a kinship with them.
For her, it was all about what she liked, and she liked what felt real. But the very unfortunate thing about trends was that many of them were incredibly far removed from real. Stories of couples living in comfort, of average, everyday people saving the world from Grimm, along with stories of aliens and zombies. Those kinds of things just didn't appeal to her. Though, of course she understood why they were popular. They gave people hope, or something to distract them; anything to take away from the perpetual fear that lay beneath the surface of every single person on Remnant. So unlike said hipsters of Mistral that she'd met in her travels, she never really judged people for liking what they liked.
"Hardly," she replied happily and took her girlfriends hand as they made their way down the street. "I just preferred the first. It felt more desperate, more like they were genuinely trying to survive their village being attacked. The improved weapons and choreography felt like they just wanted to make a typical superhero movie."
"Mhm, that sounds very hipster." Ruby grinned mischievously and stuck out her tongue.
"And what would a little goth know about hipsters, huh?" She teased back and received a gasp in response.
"I'm totally not small. I'm taller than Weiss is in heels."
"That isn't hard."
Another gasp.
"Meanie. I'm gonna tell her you said that."
"Going to get her to bite my ankles?"
As much as Blake joked, she had no doubt that Weiss would win a fight between them.
"I'm not that mean." The redhead grinned and moved a little closer to avoid other people as they walked down the street. "Besides, I don't think even I could get her to bite someone."
"I can just imagine her face now if you asked her to."
The team leader let out a snort and straightened her posture as she put on her best impression of her partner's voice.
"How dare you ask me, Weiss Schnee, to put my perfectly white teeth anywhere near someone's foot."
Blake couldn't contain her laughter at the overly fancy tone in which the reaper had mocked her partner, mostly because it actually sounded rather good; though that was to be expected since they spent most of their time together. She was still a little surprised that Ruby had managed to get the heiress to spend so much time in the workshop though.
"Perfect impression." She giggled and bumped the girl with her shoulder. "Though you better not let her hear you say that."
"Heh, true." Ruby said with a happy smile on her face. "She'll probably beat me with a Beowolf. She's been a little on edge again lately."
"The test thing again?"
"Yeah, she's a little worried her father is gonna find out she isn't the top of Dust class anymore."
Blake felt a small pang of sympathy for their teammate. She knew the only reason Weiss was able to attend Beacon was because her father allowed it. She also knew that despite there being an ocean between the two, the man still exerted an extremely annoying amount of control over Weiss' life. He was constantly calling and requesting updates, but Blake didn't believe for a second that he couldn't get them anyway if Weiss lied. Nor would she put it past him to try and pull her from the school if she wasn't doing well in her classes. It was part of the reason she always gave Weiss a pass for being rather grumpy during intense study sessions.
"Mmm, I definitely don't envy her." Blake hummed. "But Flynt really does know his stuff."
"Yeah, he seems to really get under Weiss' skin."
"I can see why though." Blake reasoned as they entered a small bakery. "Flynt might put a lot of work into learning all he can, but he still seems to be very easy going. I think that bugs Weiss due to just how much effort she puts in herself and still struggles to express herself. He's kind of like a version of her that didn't have Jaques as a father."
"And she hates him for that?"
"I wouldn't say she hates him." Blake shrugged as Ruby began to check out the multitude of cookies. "More that it annoys her that she can't be like that."
"Any ten please." She said to the girl behind the counter and motioned to all the cookies before turning back. "But she is like that." The leader said confidently. "She's really fun when you know her."
"I know that. But that's only around us. Even around JNPR, even Ren, she is still pretty guarded. Kind of like me, I guess. But Flynt is easy going with everyone while doing better than her in some areas that she is supposed to be a specialist in. I can see how that stings."
"Hmm. I guess I never thought of it that way."
Ruby reached out to take the small basket that was handed to her and tucked it under one arm. As they both made their way out of the store again, Blake felt Ruby's hand slip into her own and looked down to see her girlfriend was quietly thinking to herself. She knew just how much Ruby cared for Weiss, since she felt the same way about Yang, and the fact that she may have not quite understood something seemed to bother her. So in an attempt to bring her out of it, Blake squeezed her hand.
"I'm sure you'll help her work it out." She said in a reassuring voice. "You always bring out the best in her."
"You think so?"
"I don't think Weiss would've been able to get where she is now if you weren't her friend." Blake confirmed with a nod, and earned a smile in return. "So, where are we going next?"
"Uhh, just want to drop these off," Ruby shuffled the cookies slightly. "Then we can go and get something to eat. Then I will replace your boots."
"Sounds like a plan." Blake smiled as Ruby started to walk again.
It took them fifteen minutes for them to finally reach wherever Ruby had taken them. While not completely out of the city centre, it was bordering the edge where houses and hostels seemed more frequent than shops. Most were the same dull grey brick that seemed to be exceedingly common in Vale, but there were a few that were painted red and slightly taller than the others.
Following Ruby towards down the street, they turned a corner and Blake was greeted by a house in the distance that stood out from the rest. Only one-story and painted navy blue, it looked extremely out of place. As they walked towards it, she felt a sense of unease at just how dark and different it looked, and couldn't help but inquire.
"Why is that one different?"
Ruby turned to look at her with a slight amount of surprise on her face, but it quickly faded to realisation and her face fell slightly.
"It's a grieving house." Ruby replied quietly, almost like she was trying to be respectful. "When someone is in mourning but lives close to the wall, they move into one for a while. They're spaced out all over Vale so that there isn't just one place giving off negative energy and attracting Grimm. They're marked blue so that people know to be respectful to those who stay there."
"I didn't know Vale did such a thing." Blake breathed, now knowing why the house's around it were so dull. It sucked to be mourning a loss, but to see everything around you be so happy and bright only made that loss harder.
"It helps keep people safe and stops Grimm attacking one spot for weeks." Ruby said plainly.
Blake couldn't refute that. Kingdom walls were hard enough to defend already, but letting grieving people live near them would make the Grimm attack all the more. With her question answered though, Blake remained silent for the rest of the walk to the door, of the house.
She heard voices inside before Ruby even knocked, but the conversation being held felt forced. She knew all too well the sound of someone who just wanted to be left alone, and whoever was living in the house seemed to want that more than anything. However, the voices quickly cut out as Ruby raised a hand to knock, and a woman in a purple lounge dress with silver hair answered the door. Blake recognised her immediately as the mother from the funeral who had been weeping over her daughter's coffin.
"Hello, Mrs Matte." Ruby said, a gentleness to her tone that reminded Blake why she liked Ruby so much. "I hope you don't mind, but we were in the area and wanted to see how you are."
"That's… kind of you, Ruby." Despite the small smile on the woman's face, her voice was hollow and empty. "We are doing about as well as can be expected."
Clearly Ruby understood the meaning as much as Blake did, and gave a respectful nod.
"I'm sorry we couldn't do more to help you."
"You let us bury our daughter in peace," Mrs Matte replied with a shake of her head. "You did more than enough. Pearl would be grateful. I would invite you in, but I'm afraid I'm not very good company at the moment."
"I understand." Ruby said kindly. "We have some things to take care of anyway. But we brought you these. It's not much, but I know Pearl liked cookies."
Ruby held out the basket with a soft smile, and after a couple of seconds L'vynda reached out to take it. As the woman's arm extended, Blake saw a silver glint and looked down to see the bracelet she had retrieved from the lake around the woman's wrist.
"That's very sweet." The smile on her face was half-hearted at best, but Ruby didn't seem to care.
"Well, we should leave you in peace." The reaper said and took a step backwards. "I hope you feel better soon, Mrs Matte."
After the woman gave a small nod, the two gave a small wave and turned to walk away. However, they only made it halfway down the path before a voice was heard behind them.
"Excuse me?" They both turned to see the woman had stepped out of the house. "What was your name?"
Her eyes were directly on Blake, and she felt her pulse quicken a little.
"Blake. Blake Belladonna, Ma'am."
"Blake?" She said after a moment and reached to twist the beads on her wrist. "So that is the name of the girl who returned my daughter's most prized possession to me." Tears welled in the woman's head, and she bent at the hip into a small bow. "I cannot express how much it means to have this little piece of her with me again. Thank you, Miss Belladonna."
Blake was stunned. She'd never been thanked in such a way before. Even in the White Fang when they would free captives, they were usually gone before any gratitude could be exchanged; so to be thanked in such a way left her lost for words. It felt oddly good. Like, for the first time in her life, she had done something she could be proud of. It wasn't huge, or world changing, but she had made someone's life a little better. So wanting to express how happy she was to have done such a thing, she straightened her back and gave a soft smile to the woman opposite her.
"You don't need to thank me, Mrs Matte." She kindly and gave a small bow in return. "I'm just happy I could help in some way."
Both of them raised back to their full heights and shared a look, but the woman quickly turned away and walked back into the house. For some reason though, the moment lingered in her memory, even as she felt Ruby's hand slip into her own and turned to continue back towards the town center.
Blake let out a happy sigh as she finished the green tea and threw the cup into a nearby trash can. Lunch had been delicious, though sushi usually was; and to her surprise, Ruby had actually eaten it too. Usually the girl was a little fussy and preferred to eat junk food whenever she had a day off from their usual routine meals, but the girl had actually strayed from her norm and tried the food. Even more surprisingly, she had liked it too.
Not only had the girl finished most of her first order, but had enthusiastically tried most of what Blake gave her; though she had immediately shot down the jellyfish and squid. Nevertheless, it had been a lot of fun teaching Ruby about the different types of sushi, and watching her turn a deep scarlet when she tried the wasabi had made her laugh more than she had in some time.
When they had finished though, the server had given them some green tea to go and they had aimlessly walked around town just looking for things to do. The first had been a little store that sold trinkets and supposed Grimm talismans made from real Grimm bone. It was obviously fake, since Grimm always evaporated when they died, but she guessed there was always someone willing to buy such a thing.
Numerous other windows had been looked in, from weapon shops to bookstores, which Ruby had bought a new study pad from, but they had finally arrived somewhere for them to stop for a while. A mission board.
"Still not there, huh?" Blake asked as Ruby looked it up and down.
"Nope." She said and looked closer at the completed missions. "It updates every two weeks, so will probably be there by Monday."
"I guess we'll be the talk of the school on Monday then."
"I guess so. I'm just happy it's dead." The reaper shrugged. "I would love to take up some of these though."
"Well, six more months and we can take up however many we want. Kinda of." Blake smiled and bumped her girlfriend.
"I can't wait. Shame we won't be able to take up anything higher than two stars though."
"So long as we don't have another Hellk for a while, I'm fine with two stars."
"True." Ruby laughed as they turned away from the mission board. "But next time we go up against something like that, we are definitely going to be ready. No luck needed."
Blake squeezed her girlfriend's hand to show her support as they made their way back down the street. With how much Ruby had been dedicating to her studying and training, she didn't doubt for a second the validity of that statement. Even she herself was putting in more effort, and she knew that Weiss and Yang were doing the same. And not just as a team, but individually too.
"Well," she grinned down at the girl. "So long as we have you as our leader, I'm sure we'll become the best Hunstresses to ever graduate Beacon."
"Awww yeah. Team RWBY gonna save the world."
A pleasant warmth ran through Blake and warmed her against the cold winds as a chuckle emanated from the young reaper. The sound never failed to make her smile, and she had been trying her best to hear it a little more often. Thankfully, Yang was often around to make the girl laugh too.
More idle talk passed between them, simple discussion about lessons and teachers, training and other students. As usual, Ruby found a way to bring it around to weapons, and they resumed their discussion about the movie and the weapons that had been used in it. Even she had to agree with her girlfriend that they were better and more suited for Grimm slaying, but she still countered with the fact the haphazardly constructed weapons in the first film were more suited to their situation.
The back and forth continued all the way to the mall, but when they slipped inside, they both let out a small breath of relief as warm, strawberry-scented air rushed over her. Despite it being rather busy in the shopping center, the warmth it offered was a worthy trade.
"So…" Blake said as Ruby jumped forward. "Soup? Clingers? Or Foksgluv? Or maybe you want to visit Roman's again." Ruby blushed a deep red, and Blake smirked at the memory. "I'm joking."
"I know." The girl giggled, sticking out her tongue. "We got a lot for the mission, so I'm thinking Soup. Maybe Foksgluv for a hoodie or two."
"Sounds good to me. We can look into Clingers too if you want?" Blake said and received a nod as they both set off towards the first store. "Why is a clothing store called Soup anyway?"
"No idea." Ruby shrugged. "Yang just laughs and says I wouldn't understand when I ask."
"Fair enough."
A few minutes later, they were standing in the middle of the Soup, browsing through the clothing racks with a smile on their faces. The store was one of the best in Vale, and Blake knew for a fact that it was where Coco bought a lot of her regular clothes from. There were two very distinct parts of the store; one that revolved more around expensive designer clothes, and a section that was quite a bit more eccentric. It was the later part that they were happily browsing through.
"Hmm, what about this?" Ruby said and held up a green t-shirt with a black Manticore on it. "Ignore the colour, they can change that."
"Don't products with Grimm on them feel a little… off, to you?" She chuckled as the reaper pressed the shirt against her chest.
"Pfft, nah." The girl scoffed dismissively, but put the shirt back and pulled another from a nearby rack. "What about this?"
Blake inspected the blue t-shirt covered in white roses and gave a thumbs up. After receiving a smile from the leader, Blake returned to skimming through her own rack and pulling out what looked to be a band t-shirt. A drawing of a girl with long flowing hair stood screaming into a mic, the word 'NEVERMORE' stretching out from a nearby speaker. It spoke to her for some reason, and she turned to show it to Ruby.
"That would look so good on you!" She exclaimed and reached over to touch the girl on the shirt. "She kinda looks like you."
"A little." She chuckled as she threw it into her basket and searched for more things to try on.
Forty minutes later, Blake was standing in the changing room looking at herself in the mirror. It was undeniable that her body was honed to perfection. Lean muscle covered her body, her stomach was firm enough to bounce a lien card off of, her arms were strong and a little larger than average, though not too much; but there were also scars. So many scars.
Deep gashes from where she had caught herself running out of burning buildings, cuts and scratches from fights with Grimm and humans alike. One scar stood out more prominently than the others though. A thin, white line that went from her bottom left rib to her hip. She would never forget the day she got it, never forget that she had been so scared that her semblance had presented itself. It had been the first time he raised his hand, the first time he'd been so angry. She remembered knocking the weapons rack as she fell, how their swords had fallen and the pain that had followed.
"You dressed yet?"
Ruby's voice dragged her from the thoughts. In truth, they weren't as bad as they had once been. They certainly didn't feel good, but while it took a lot of effort, she could feel herself slowly moving on from those days. And being with Ruby certainly helped with that. Even as she thought of the brunette, she saw a smile pull at her lips of her mirror self.
"Yeah, one sec." Quickly pulling a simple black shirt over her head that had ribbon weaved up the sleeves, she gave herself a quick check in the mirror and turned to walk out of the changing room. "I'm not sure about this one. The ribbons feel like too much."
"Hmm." Ruby walked over and flicked one. "Yeah, definitely too much. The rest looks nice though."
"I could get Coco to adjust it for me. But then I may as well just buy a plain black top."
"True. Guess this one is a no. Next!"
With a roll of her eyes and a smile, Blake turned away and walked back into the changing room with a slight sway to her hips. However, before she could close the curtain, she looked in the mirror and saw her girlfriend's eyes flick down for a split second for the second time that day. She was still wearing the same jeans with the belt strap around her thigh as when she'd left the house, and Ruby clearly liked the look. She made a mental note to thank Yang when they got back to the dorm.
There were only a few more tops for her to try on, but only two were accepted; the first being the band t-shirt, and the second being a blue tank top with a shuriken soaring along it and leaving a trail of white behind it. However, as she got to the last one, Blake felt a mischievous grin etch itself on her face. She had picked it up while Ruby wasn't looking, but had been undecided as to whether she was going to try it on or not.
She knew what it was based off of, but had never actually seen anyone wear them; though with what it was, that was hardly surprising. But did she dare try it on and show Ruby? The look on her girlfriend's face would definitely be a sight to behold, but was it too far? Was the teasing a little too much? As she thought on those things though, she remembered how Ruby had talked about it being okay to try and push things a little further. It wasn't like Blake was trying to coax the girl or anything, but surely a little teasing was harmless.
So with that thought in mind, she pulled off the previous top that had received a no and her bra and set about putting on the new one. It took a little adjusting, but after a minute, she finally got it into position and looked in the mirror. It was definitely risque. While everything was covered, it definitely left little to the imagination.
The black fabric only really covered her front, with her back left almost entirely exposed. The only parts that reached all the way around were the neck and the hem so that it could stay on. With such a large gap, even the sides of the fabric was a little lacking so as to purposely show off a generous amount of her breasts. It was nowhere near enough to be indecent, but it was definitely provocative enough to make Blake question revealing herself to her girlfriend.
"Are you sure you want to see this last one?" She asked nervously. "It's a little different to the others."
"Pfft, it's a top. How different could it be?"
"Alright." Blake replied and turned away from the mirror, catching a glimpse of just how much the top left exposed and feeling her cheeks warm. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
With a deep breath, Blake reached out and slowly pulled the curtain aside. Ruby was busy looking at her own t-shirt at first, so Blake clasped her hands behind her back and waited for the girl to look up with a massive blush on her face. It only took a couple of seconds.
"Alright, le… Ahhh, w-what is Th-that?"
Ruby's hand came up to cover her eyes and Blake looked at the ground and suppressed a grin at the reaction. With having actually taken the step outside and shown herself, Blake found her nerves ebb away slowly. It felt like the biggest hurdle was passed, so with a feigned innocence, she looked back up and gave the reaper a curious look.
"I found it on the rack and thought it looked nice." She said, trying to keep her voice as even as she could. "Does it look bad?"
"N-N-No. It looks…" Ruby's hand came down, but her eyes darted around the room, clearly trying not to look where Blake knew she wanted too.
"It looks good? She asked and took a step forward.
"Y-Yes," the girl stammered and Blake felt the grin finally succeed in taking over her face. "V-Very g-goo…"
"Ruby."
She bent down and reached out to place a finger on her girlfriend's chin and centred her gaze on her.
"Y-Yes?"
With a mischievous glint in her eye, Blake leaned in and pressed their lips together. Ruby was clearly surprised at first, but she caught up very quickly and responded. For a couple of seconds they simply stood there and shared the moment, but Blake could sense Ruby's arms moving and reached out to meet them. Very slowly, they trailed down her girlfriend's strong arms until she felt the back of her hands, and with care, pulled them onto her hips where the bare flesh was exposed.
The touch was like electric coursing through her. They had touched before, but it was always accidental and quickly corrected, but this time Ruby's hands lingered and made no attempt to move. From the heavy breath that the reaper expelled, she was clearly feeling something too, and Blake was happy to know she may not have done something that was too much.
However, their fun suddenly came to an end when the door opened and another woman walked into the area. Though she barely gave them a second look before disappearing into a changing room, the moment had been broken and Blake pulled back to smile down at her girlfriend, whose hands were still on her hips.
"Sorry if th…"
"I-It wasn't." Ruby breathed, her face bright red as her fingers twitched. "I…"
Ruby's voice was so quiet that even Blake couldn't quite make it out properly, but she was fairly sure she knew what had been said. "Sorry," She smirked. "Didn't quite catch that last bit?"
Ruby's silver eyes glanced into hers and Blake saw hesitancy, but it soon faded to resolve.
"I… Likethetop." She said in one short breath.
"Oh?" Blake couldn't help but be amused. "So I should buy it?"
The girl turned an even deeper shade of scarlet as she nodded, and Blake felt a rush of adrenaline pump through her. She had only intended to tease, not to buy; but if Ruby liked it that much, then she was certainly willing to spend the Lien. So after giving the girl another fleeting kiss, she pulled back and gave her girlfriend a seductive smile.
"I guess I have to find room for three tops in my drawer then." She said with a small chuckle and walked back into the changing room.
Yet again, she saw Ruby glance at her as she walked away, and purposely added some sway to her hips that caused the girl to blush wildly and turn away. By the time she finally closed the curtain, Blake could barely contain her laughter.
"Guess what I've got!"
Blake looked around at her girlfriend who had disappeared into the isles of Clingers five minutes ago. A mischievous grin was on her face as she held her hands behind her back, and Blake gave her a cautious look. Just like whenever Yang did the same thing, she knew there could be practically anything behind the reapers back, so called on past experience to take a shot in the dark.
"Uhhh, a corset?"
"Nope."
"Cookies?" It was always a possibility.
"Nope. One more try."
"Hmm."
Blake glanced around the shop, her eyes seeking the direction Ruby had come from. Unfortunately, she hadn't actually seen which aisle she'd made her way down, but as luck would have it, there was a mirror that was half pointed at the leader. Through it, she could see some frills, and what looked to be a short hem. With Clingers being a shop full of dresses, she immediately knew what it was and resisted the urge to playfully roll her eyes.
"A combat skirt?"
"Yeeep."
From behind her back, she produced a small black combat skirt with purple highlights. The fact that it was a combat skirt immediately made her a little hesitant, but she remembered somewhat agreeing to try one on at some point.
"You… want me to try it on?" She asked with a slightly squint.
"You did promise."
"I remember saying maybe," She replied teasingly. "Buuut, I suppose I'm not fighting anything, so what could it hurt?"
A happy smile stretched over Ruby's face as Blake reached out to take the skirt, and the simple action made the prospect of trying on the loose fabric worthwhile. So after reaching out to take it, they both made their way to the changing rooms.
A couple of minutes later, Blake was already regretting her decision. Never before had a piece of fabric felt so uncomfortable. The way the frills tickled her thighs, the way it shifted with every slight movement she made, the way it puffed out and made her look like a ballerina. Everything about it felt uncomfortable and she had no idea how Ruby and Weiss wore them all the time. But, Ruby was eager to see it, so as stupid as she thought she looked, she walked slowly out of the stall to where her girlfriend should have been waiting.
But she wasn't.
Blake had stalled for a good couple of minutes, and Ruby was only trying on a dress so should have been ready ages ago. But there she stood, in an empty waiting area.
"Ruby?"
"Ahh! One minute."
"You okay?"
"Uhh, ye…" Ruby's nervous voice cut off. "Kinda, maybe. I just can… Stupid laces!" Blake's eyes widened a little. She had no idea what dress Ruby was trying on, but the mention of laces sent her mind spiralling down all the possibilities. "You think you could help?"
"Wh-What?" Blake felt herself flush. The little teasing earlier had been one thing, but to go into the stall while her girlfriend was changing was another thing altogether. Sure, it sounded like she was partially dressed, but it would still be rather intimate. "Are you sure you need to do the laces?"
"It… It'll be loose and look horrible otherwise." Blake definitely heard the hint of nervousness in the reaper's voice, but she was clearly intent on making the dress look right.
Not one to like disappointing the excitable girl, Blake took a deep breath and walked towards the stall. Her hand settled on the curtain for a good couple of seconds as she weighed up whether or not she should actually go in.
On one hand, she definitely wanted to. It would be a lie to say that the fact a potentially half naked Ruby, as low as those odds were, lay behind the curtain didn't make her want to rip the curtain down; but there was also the fact that it was going to be tough to contain herself. As much as her mind liked to imagine it being more, Ruby was undeniably in some state of undress, and she knew how difficult it would be to resist the urge to change that. And not in the way Ruby was asking for.
However, Ruby wanted her help. And as difficult as it would be to resist her urges, she wasn't going to let her girlfriend's plea go unanswered. So with yet another deep breath, she prepared for whatever awaited her.
"Okay," She said and slowly slid the curtain aside. "I'm coming in."
What greeted her wasn't what she was expecting at all. Thankfully, Ruby was almost entirely covered in what the reaper would normally call a combat dress. Though she could only see it from the back, Blake could already tell she liked it. The soft red material was covered in black roses, their stems weaving together to create a complex pattern over the entire thing that kept the attention of whoever laid eyes on it. The bottom was filled with frill and ran a little long at the back to cover the girl's knees, but from the way the hem rose around the side, Blake could easily assume it only came up to mid thigh at the front.
The top was interesting though. Compared to the flowing frills and tail at the bottom, the top half looked like it should be rather tight, except the back hung open to expose the pale flesh it should be clinging to. Steeping slightly to the side, she saw that the chest had a crisscross pattern of red ribbons, which were flanked by a seam of black lace that hinted at the skin underneath and ran down to two veils that hung over the hips. The only thing actually holding the whole thing up though was the two thin straps that were visible on Ruby shoulders.
"Blake?"
Ruby's voice brought her back to the present, and she realised she'd been staring with her mouth slightly agape. The dress was wonderful, and seemed suited perfectly for both Ruby's standard dress sense and combat alike.
"S-Sorry." She stuttered and moved forward. "How do you want me to tie it?"
"Just fasten the top." Ruby breathed. "I can change the laces when we get back."
"Kay."
Very carefully, Blake reached out and took the two ends in her hands. As she did, she felt her fingertips graze Ruby's back and heard a small intake of breath from the girl. Heat began to rise to her cheeks as she fastened the laces, and she couldn't help but chastise herself. She'd been so confident earlier when she'd teased Ruby, but that had been because she knew that's all it would have been. And while she still knew nothing would be happening, the intimacy of the enclosed space was definitely making her have some thoughts.
Thankfully though, the job didn't take too long, but with the lace fastened and the dress secured, a new problem presented itself. The top half was tighter than she had originally though, and every curve was accentuated.
"S-So?" Ruby asked nervously. "How's it look?"
"It looks…" Blake couldn't help but take a step closer and leaned over the girl's shoulder, the smell of the strawberry shampoo filling her nose.. "Really, really good."
"You sure?" She felt Ruby step back until their bodies were pressed together. "It's a little more flashy than I normally wear."
That it was. As she looked over the girl's shoulder into the mirror, she could see that the lace beside the ribbon exposed a little more skin than she'd seen while it was loose. The creamy skin beneath was clearly visible, as was the slight curve of the side of Ruby's breast. Again, her body acted on its own and her hand came up to rest on the reaper's hip.
"Very sure." She breathed. "You look wonderful."
"Goo…"
Ruby's voice faded to a small hiss.
The temptation had been too much. The smell, the warmth, the contact; it had all been just a little too much for her to resist. Her lips had found their way to Ruby's neck, and a light kiss was placed just below the girl's ear. She remembered the first time she'd done it had been as a joke during training when they'd both fallen to the floor, and it had just been something they had done from then on; but it had never quite felt how it did in that moment. The kiss didn't feel like enough. Blake wanted to sink her teeth gently into the supple flesh she could feel on her lips. However, as little control as she had, she had enough to resist that.
"Sorry." Blake breathed, though she wasn't sorry in the slightest.
To her surprise, Ruby didn't respond. Instead, a hand came to cover her own, and the girl's head tilted slightly to the side. Blake wasn't stupid, and immediately recognised it as an invitation. One that she was happy to accept. In an instant, her lips resumed the pressure on the girl's neck, and her ears picked up on a soft hum that escaped from the redhead's own lips. After a couple of seconds though, the leader's head fell back, and Blake trailed her kisses up her jawline, up her cheek, until…
The moment their lips met, Ruby let out a low groan and skillfully twisted in place. An arm was slung around the back of Blake's neck and pulled her deeper into the affection, and she wrapped her hands around Ruby's waist in response. They were against the wall in seconds, their lips mashed together as deep breaths escaped them. It felt good, great even, to be giving into her desires. Even if it was only a little, it was still more than she had allowed in the past.
As Ruby's hand slipped into her hair and seized a handful, Blake let her own slip down the dress to land on her girlfriend's thigh. Though she was not going to let it go any higher, the firm muscles beneath her fingers felt good. The girl had chosen not to wear tights, and Blake couldn't help but feel thankful for that. The smooth skin, the strong muscle, the feeling of Ruby slowly starting to pant into her mouth all had her head almost spinning as her mind started to fog over.
"Bla… ke…" The girl said in the very brief moments that she had to breathe. "People might be wait…"
"Let them."
Her words came out as more of a growl than anything human, and she moved her hand to find Ruby's. It barely took a second to find, and she quickly placed it onto her hip. She wanted to give Ruby control, wanted to let the girl decide where it went, so left it there and moved her hand up to plant it on the wall. It didn't move though, simply staying on her hip, but as the redhead's other hand slowly unwound from her hair and moved down to grab her jacket, Blake felt herself pulled in as a tongue invaded her mouth.
It was then that the hand finally moved. It was slow, agonisingly slow, but it did begin to move down. Inch by inch, the fingers pulled the limb along her back with careful caution, but the moment they reached their goal, Blake let out a small gasp and felt her fingers dig into the wall. With the stall only being a flimsy plaster board and her having spent years of her life training, they went straight through. Unfortunately, it was that crunching noise that finally broke them apart.
She looked down as the parted to see the reaper was breathing so heavily that the ribbons stretched tightly across her chest looked just about ready to tear, and couldn't help but chuckle. It was good to know that Ruby had been just as into it as she had been.
"Too much?" It was the usual question Blake asked after they took each new step, but it was one that she thought was important. Thankfully, Ruby looked up with her spectacular silver eyes and bit her lip while giving a small shake of her head. "Okay." She smiled.
"I umm…" Something glinted in the girl's eyes, and it immediately sent Blake's mind back to whenever Yang pulled a prank on someone. "I thought you'd like the dress?"
Realisation hit her.
"You didn't need help, did you?"
The huntress shook her head and failed to hide a grin.
"You teased me earlier. It was mean, so I had to have a little revenge."
Blake was grinning now too. The fact that Ruby was trying to tease her too was enough to send a rush of excitement through her. Though it definitely wasn't all she was after, it would be a lie to say she wasn't excited for what that meant the future would surely hold.
"Well then." She laughed and gave the girl another short kiss then earned her a small moan. "You should tease me more often. But yes, I do really like the dress."
"Good." She smiled happily. "But, as much as I love combat skirts, I don't think they suit you."
"No. They definitely don't. I should take it off."
A wicked grin spread on her face and Ruby turned a deeper scarlet as she understood the implication.
"I-In your stall."
"Don't worry," Blake chuckled. "I don't intend for that." She kissed the girl again. "Yet."
"You're teasing again."
"You started it."
"How?"
"By being so irresistible."
The girl's eyes widened a little, but quickly softened and another kiss was shared. It was much gentler that the other, and the intent behind it was clear. It made her stomach flutter and her smile turn into a smirk as they finally pulled apart. Though only because Ruby's hand on her chest pushed her away.
"You should go get changed." Ruby said softly and peeled herself off the wall. "We still have to go to Foksgluv for a new hoodie, since my last one was melted."
"I remember." Blake laughed and made her way to the curtain. A quick peek outside showed that there was no-one out there. "We should be quick though. Last airship is in forty minutes."
"Will do."
With one last smile back at the girl who made her happier than she had any right being, Blake left the stall and returned to her own to get dressed. As she did, she thought on how good what had just happened felt, and found her heart begin to race again. She had no idea why Ruby affected her so much, but she certainly wasn't going to complain about it.
Beacon's courtyard was quiet as they walked back to their dorms. It had been almost an hour since their little tryst in Clingers, and Blake was still thinking about everything that had happened that day. Having calmed down since, she was a little worried she may have pushed things too far. She had noticed Ruby's hesitation at each step, and would have stopped had the girl even made any attempt to actually stop her, but she had definitely taken the lead and put them in those positions. She had even been the one to place the girl's hand on her hip and encouraged her to explore.
So since they had a moment to themselves and were in what she considered to be one of Beacon's more beautiful courtyards, Blake came to a small stop near a tall fountain and guided the girl to sit down next to her.
"Ruby?"
"Mmm?" The girl hummed, looking up from her Scroll where she was sending a text message to Coco. "You okay?"
"Yeah." She nodded, though Ruby scowled a little as she noticed the lie. "Sorry, I just want to make sure that what happened was really okay now that we've, you know, calmed down a little?"
"It was." Ruby said without hesitation, almost like she was prepared for the question. "I already told you I'd say if it was too much."
"I know." She said with a smile. "I just want to make sure. That was a little… different."
"Good different though." Ruby smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "I liked it. A lot."
"Okay." She said with a nod.
Before Blake could say anything else, Ruby pressed a light kiss into her lips that only lasted seconds. After she pulled back, Blake stared into the stunning silver and saw that they were trying their best to reassure her, so gave a kiss of her own in return. When they finally pulled back from each other though, Ruby spun around on the wall and laid back so that her head was on Blake's lap.
They both knew they didn't have long until they were due for a sparring match with Team SPHR, but the peace and quiet of the courtyard was too much of a rarity to just leave behind. So with a small sigh of relief that everything that had happened had in fact been okay, she let her worries go and reached down to play with her girlfriend's hair.
Raalm's Note
Hello all. Not much from me today because I'm kinda busy, but mostly just saying that we wanted to touch on a few earlier things here, and just have the girls finally enjoy a fun date. Hopefully you enjoyed the date :)
Chapter 35 will be uploaded on the 27th.
Toxic's Note
ALL THE FLUFFULS! ALL OF IT!