Ok Seconds out round two and Maples still trying will her new plan work.

Hope you enjoy.

Beurling was staring at the sky on top of the building they were bunked up in, she'd been up there for ages watching the sky go by as the steadily growing pile of cigarettes next to her proved.

It wasn't that she was angry at her friends she knew they meant well, but she just wanted some piece.

Beurling heard her scroll ping, taking it out she saw a message from Tomoko "You ok?" then a second messaged followed it "You've been by yourself for a while, is something up?"

Beurling smiled before replying she was fine and just wanted some alone time because of seeing her mother again, it wasn't a complete lie, but not the whole truth.

"If you need me, just ask." Came Tomoko's reply.

Beurling smiled "Thanks, but I'm ok, I'll see you later."

"See you later." Tomoko replied.

Beurling sighed happily as she put the scroll away only for it to start ringing "Hello?"

"Beurling." Came Sara's reply.

"Sara?"

"Yeah, it's me, how is Atlas?"

"Same as ever, racist and putting down faunus."

"You sound a little sad what's up?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Come on Beurling, I know when you're lying, tell me."

"I saw my mother today."

"Oh, happy reunion it wasn't I take it?"

"Nope, the witch is leader of some blasted gang, persecutes faunus as well."

"Do please try and not get in trouble, I would hate to tell Klara her aunty is in jail."

"I know, I know, how is she by the way?"

"Good, missing you and waiting to see your win."

Beurling let out a giggle "Tell her I miss her to and I'll do my best to win for her."

"Look Beurling I need to come clean here."

"How so?"

"Maple called me."

Before Beurling could say anything, Sara cut her off.

"Don't and listen to me, ok."

"Fine, what is it?"

"If you like Tomoko don't you think you should tell her?"

Beurling sighed 'I'm going to run out if cigarettes at this rate.' She said in her head "Sara, I can't."

"Because your worried about your past, I know Maple told me."

"If you know then why are you doing this?

"First, I was genially wanting to call you, second Maples right the two of you care for each other, I've never seen you look at someone like how you look at her and if you both like each other then you should go for it."

Beurling pulled the beret off her head and turned it so the badge was facing her "Sara you know how hard it was for me to trust and get myself back together after my mother and Char…"

"Don't, don't you dare use Charlotte as an excuse, it belittles her memory and you're the last person who I thought would do that, besides, you know what she always used to tell us."

"Never let fear stop us from doing something we want." Beurling replied touching the badge on her beret.

"Well do you want to date Tomoko?"

"You know the answer."

"Yeah, but I want to hear you say it."

"Why?"

"Just say it."

Beurling felt a lump in her throat, all her fear bubbling as she uttered the words that she feared would bring whatever curse was on her on to Tomoko as well "I do want to date her."

"Louder all I can hear is mumbling."

"I do want to date her." Beurling said louder, finding her fear decrease a little.

"Louder please, I'm getting some static on my end."

"Your evil you know that?"

"Just think of it as pay back for being a pain."

"Oh, you could hear that just fine."

"Just say it."

"I do want to date Tomoko."

"There was that so hard?"

"Your still evil, all of you."

Sara giggled over the phone "Well at least your Tomoko's problem from now on and not mine anymore."

"Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm still not sure about this." Beurling sighed.

"Beurling, you think you're the only one who's had that fear, I was terrified when I asked Alia out and then to marry me, it's perfectly natural."

"You never showed it."

"I was good at hiding it, so take it from me, you'll be fine, hey at least you know she likes you back, you just have to ask, I wish I was that lucky when I was asking."

"No pressure then." Beurling tried to joke "Thanks, sorry I've been a pain."

"I think you should be saying that to Maple and the others, besides why change the habit of a lifetime."

"Oi, I'm not as bad as your wife, I've had to drag her out of trouble more than once."

"Yeah that's true."

"Oi, I can hear you two you know?" Alia shouted in the distance.

"I better go, got to placate her, speak to you soon Beurling."

"Yeah, oh before you go tell Alia I tried the revolver."

"Oh, how is it?"

"Works a charm, that should make her happy."

"Yeah, see you soon Beurling."

"See you soon Sara and thanks."

"Don't worry about it, bye."

After the pair hung up, Beurling took out another cigarette "Are you going to keep standing there?" Beurling asked the presence behind her, as she put her beret back on her head.

"Are you mad at me?" Maple asked.

"No, I'm frustrated, but not mad."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, so what now, I go down there and ask her?"

"I was thinking something more romantic."

"Like what?"

"The dance."

"What dance?"

"The welcome dance, the team leaders got told about it when you went off to the range." Maple explained.

"They let you in a briefing room, without issue?"

"No, I had to pull my head band over my ears to hide the fact I'm a faunus." Maple sighed "And don't change the subject."

"Sorry, so how is that working, us and the Atlas students are in one big ball room?"

"Yep and don't worry the faunus and human segregation rules are void for this dance, seems Vale and Vacuo were insistent on it and the Atlas students were warned if they started anything, they would be thrown out the school, so how about it?"

"One tiny issue." Beurling sighed.

"No, don't worry we can go and get our own outfits, so that is no concern."

"No, that's not it." Beurling sighed.

"Then what?"

"I can't dance."

"What, you never learned?" Maple asked.

"No, look running around in the streets didn't really give me much chance or reason to dance."

Maple smiled, a smile that was made Beurling feel really uncomfortable "Well, lucky for you your date is an excellent dancer, so you can learn, spent time and you'll not have to adapt for someone else."

"You planed this way too much." Beurling sighed.

"Oh come, let's go ask her." Maple laughed dragging Beurling to her feet.

As Maple led the way to the room, Beurling stopped her a second "Maple?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry, for snapping before, I know you meant well."

"It's fine I get it, so do the others, now come on."

The pair walked back in silence, Beurling's nerves going off in the back of her head, a voice in her head screaming 'What are you doing your going to get her killed!'

She'd have been lying if she said she wasn't still scared this was a bad idea, even with her talk with Sara had made the voice telling her to take the chance with Tomoko stronger and the voice against weaker.

Just as they were coming to the door they saw Frenda shut it with a sigh, just as she turned and saw them she went from exasperated to relieved and ran up to the pair "Where the hell have you been?" Frenda glared at Beurling "Tomoko's been driving me crazy, she's worried about you."

"Frenda." Maple nodded for the explosive expert to come over to her while she motioned for Beurling to go on.

As Beurling stood at the door she took a breath to try and calm down 'No turning back from this.' Beurling sighed in her head as she took one last look to see Maple and Frenda ushering her to go inside the room.

As she opened the door, she saw Tomoko looking her scroll, her worry clear to see, she was so absorbed in the messages she was looking at she didn't hear Beurling walk in.

"Tomoko, you ok?" Beurling asked 'What's got her that worried?'

As Tomoko looked at Beurling the brawler saw a flash of relief, then fear flashed in Tomoko's eyes, the wolf faunus threw the scroll on to the bed and ran up and hugged Beurling.

"Hey Tomoko, what's got into you?"

"Sorry." Tomoko muffled into Beurling's jumper.

"Sorry for what?"

"For what happened…earlier about your mum."

"Huh, Tomoko I'm a little lost."

"It's why you were keeping away from me isn't it?" Tomoko asked.

"No it isn't." Beurling sighed hugging the faunus "It's something else." Beurling whispered to the girl 'Guess they didn't tell her about their attempt at the range then.' Beurling thought to herself.

"What is it?" Tomoko asked rising her head.

"Nothing you have to worry about." Beurling smiled at the faunus to try and relax her.

"Did Maple tell you about the dance?" Beurling asked, her nervous starting to heighten and her heart to beat like a drum.

"Yeah, she did, why do you ask?"

Beurling could feel the top of Tomoko's tail brush against her hand as she rubbed her top and bottom lips together 'Ok you can do this.' Beurling tied to pep talk herself "Would you…" Beurling started then stopped as she felt a lump in her throat, not helped by the look Tomoko was giving her, which she found made it really hard to focus.

"Would I?"

"…Like to go with me?" Beurling finished in a choked whisper.

Tomoko looked in shock for a minute and Beurling thought she might just say no, but then her face lit up in a smile and hugged the brawler tighter and with enough force to knock the pair over and with the faunus's tail wagging rapidly and happily.

"I take it that's a yes?" Beurling asked with a groan.

"Yes and sorry." Tomoko smiled as Beurling brushed a lose piece of hair out of the gunner's eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure she's not complaining." Frenda's voice came up behind them.

"Frenda!" the pair shouted.

"What, we heard a thump and you two left the door open, not our fault we found you two like this, if you don't want to be disturbed leave a note on the door."

"What!" was the pair's response.

"Ok, calm down, Beurling don't you need to ask Tomoko something if you're going to the dance together." Maple interrupted.

"Huh?" Tomoko looked down confused at the brawler.

"I don't know how to dance." Beurling explained turning away, feeling embarrassed.

"Oh." Tomoko stood up and then helped the brawler up "Well I can teach you."

"That was kind of the idea." Maple pointed out.

Tomoko smiled "Where are you smoking?"

"The roof." Beurling surprised at the question.

Tomoko grabbed the brawler's hand "Well that should have enough room, think you could show me?" Beurling nodded and the headed off, hearing a wolf whistle from Frenda in the distance.

Beurling led the two to the roof, once they got there Tomoko looked around before nodding and offering a hand to Beurling.

Beurling was a little confused but took the hand and let Tomoko guided her closer and then wrapping a arm around the brawler's neck as she did the same around the faunus's hips.

"So when did you learn to dance?" Beurling asked trying to keep her mind off how close the pair were to each other.

"When I was a kid, my mum didn't let me out that much so I had to entertain myself sometimes." Tomoko blushed, before a question came to her "How did Maple know you didn't dance?"

"She came and told me about the dance and it came up."

"Ok, well we got a few days so might as well get started, so follow my lead." Tomoko instructed, trying to lead the pair.

The next few hours were spent standing on each other's toes, pushing into each other's bodies to fast and tripping over a few times. Beurling was rather glad both had boots on or they would likely have a few broken toes, though thinking about they weren't the best idea for dance lessons.

The more Beurling was dancing with Tomoko the more she relaxed she was and more she forgot the voices of doubt in her head.

"Sorry." Beurling groaned as she nearly tripped the pair up again.

"It's ok, maybe I should see if we can get some better shoes tomorrow." Tomoko smiled "Come on we better head inside."

'Am I really able to do this?' Beurling thought as she walked down the stairs.

"So its true, Vacuo really does have a cross-breeder in their mist." A male voice sounded, Beurling turned to see a blonde man standing in the hallway to the Mistral rooms.

"Beurling, come on." Tomoko whispered trying to leave before Beurling got in trouble.

As the pair started to walk away the man laughed "Wow, you really are on a beast's leash, aren't you?"

Beurling start to run to the man and hit him but Tomoko stood between the two. The man pulled the faunus's tail and made Tomoko yelp. Beurling pulled the faunus away and was about to attack when a shout caught everyone's attention.

"Enough!" Tammy shouted, walking up to the man "Lay your hands on one of my students again, you'll answer to me, got it?"

The man scoffed "A land of faunus lovers is nothing for me to fear."

"I'll show you something to fear, in the arena." Beurling shouted.

Before anyone could say anything, else Tammy shouted out again "Beurling, take your partner back to your room, you with me now." Tammy ordered as the pair walked away.

Beurling held the faunus close, so her head was on her shoulder "I am going to break him in half if I see him in the fights."

"Beurling clam down, I'm fine."

Beurling took a deep breath as the pair entered the hallway with Tomoko leaning on the wall with Beurling in front of her "Sorry, it's just…"

"I know, but please don't do something rash." Tomoko whispered a she held the brawler's cheek.

"They don't make it easy."

"I know, but you don't need to fight the world ok?"

Beurling nodded and hugged the faunus 'This is why, she'll be outcast by everyone, even her own family.' said the voice in Beurling's head 'Then you'll get her killed.'

"Stop talking." she mouthed as Tomoko hugged her back 'I'll never let that happen, the gods will have to kill me first.'

(Night-time)

Beurling was sat on the bed with Maple and Frenda sitting on their beds waiting as Tomoko came out the bathroom drying her hair. After she was clear Frenda went in as Tomoko was trying to dry her tail and failing.

"Tomoko." Beurling beckoned her partner over and Tomoko sat down. Beurling went about gently drying the tail for her friend "You don't have to keep doing this you know?" Tomoko whispered.

"It's fine I don't mind."

"I know but still, I should be able to do this by now."

"Well until you do, I'm happy to do it for you."

Tomoko let out a light sigh "Is that ok?" Beurling asked worried she'd been a bit to rough with the towel.

"No, that fine, feels like a massage sometimes."

'I'm never going to let fate take you to Tomoko, never.' Beurling swore in her mined as she finished drying the faunus's tail.

So next chapter will be the dance, i wonder how that will go.