AYangThang: Okay all, it's time for the dreaded and much hated "ditto" scene. Originally the scene was in chapter 12, which I think bears a testament to just how much new content has been added in this re-write. It's been changed up a little, the general premise is still the same. On several iterations of the re-write I planned to cut it completely. Even while posting this series up, I considered cutting it yet again. That being said, it's too important of a scene not to have, considering that it isn't all "happily ever after' from that point onward.

Readers of the original story know that figuring out their relationship isn't as easy as they'd both like. Instead, it's awkward as Ruby learns to deal with the subject of romance for the first time, and Blake is both a Faunus and very sexually inclined. Originally, I had written this scene as a jumping-off point. It was intended to be taken that way instead of some big emotionally charged confession. That being said, that's what it still is. An entry into romantic waters, nothing more than that.

I said at the beginning of the fiction that some of the old bones in this story were flawed beyond repair, and this is perhaps one of those flaws.

Trying to insert anything beyond Ruby's initial statement does Ruby's personality in this story a huge injustice. Ruby is not a bigot, or someone that would let things linger. She is mostly self-assured in her everyday life. Faunus topics themselves notwithstanding, she is a fully realized, independent adult. She's been living with Blake since they've known each other. Those reasons alone, in my opinion, validate Ruby's simple one word response. It's why at the end of the day it's been left in.

Significant Changes: Slight changes to the scenes, and the placement of them, but nothing major.

Original chapter length: 4,668
Revisited chapter length: 3,889

"Regular dialogue" [Faunus speech only]

Chapter 26

It was alarming how right Yang could be while simultaneously being wrong too.

Was there a way to somehow push a relationship forward when it very clearly had been headed in the same direction for years?

Blake wasn't so sure. She couldn't exactly pinpoint when she began to develop feelings for Ruby, or even if she had developed them at all. It wasn't that simple. It wasn't about love, or emotion. It wasn't the safety of routine, or the monotony of days gone by. It was that, for as long as Blake could recall, she and Ruby had a profound friendship.

Nothing more, nothing less, that a very dear friendship.

They had their obligatory ups and downs. Some good times, and others bad. Triumphs and defeat woven between the threads of life. Old dreams died, new were born, and as time went on things stayed the same. There were occasions that Blake truly wondered where she would be after Beacon. Moments when she doubted she would even have a team after that.

Times changed, the questions didn't. There were still nights when she wondered where her life would lead a few years down the line.

The real question was, was saying anything worth jeopardizing all of that? Was taking a risk this time, worth all of the hurt it might cause? If silence was relatively painless by comparison, why take the risk at all?

There wasn't an easy answer.

Blake decided over a cup of coffee late one night, that none of this was ever going to be easy. What made things worse, was that it didn't need to be complicated either.

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

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

But…

Yang was right too.

A few key details in her life were a little lacking.

Blake knew this quiet night in front of her was something she wanted. A little something that might be called family. As she observed the nocturnal child in front of her, she couldn't deny it. Ace watched the newest movie that Ruby had found, bright crimson eyes blissfully naive to the harshness of this world. This home was her haven, built with care. Ruby's arms around her offering a simple comfort. Blake couldn't help but feel an urge to protect the image in front of her.

She'd guard it fiercely, if that's what it took.

These were the sorts of moments that her life had become now. In spite of a great many things she refused to give a voice to when Yang inquired about it, she could feel the palatable awkwardness now.

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

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

"She's asleep." Blake murmured.

"Yeah, drifted off a little while ago."

"Ruby?"

"Hmm?"

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

"I was going to lay her down in Yang's bed with me. That way if she wakes up looking for someone else, you're not all the way across the hall." Ruby stifled a yawn, a byproduct of a low aura and keeping up with a busy toddler.

"That'll work." Blake replied, letting the silence between them grow anew once more.

Ruby said nothing as Ace snuggled into her. Watching the movie and leaning comfortably against the back of the sofa. Just as the silence between them began to grow uncomfortable for Blake again, Ruby's soft voice broke it. Popping Blake's thoughts like bubbles upon an open sea. "Blake?"

"What?" She asked softly, her voice cracking more than she wanted it to.

"After this, want to watch the sequel?"

Such a simple question, but loaded with so many possible denials. All she had to do to end this torture was claim that she was tired and go to bed. Avoidance was that easy. Yet, Ruby's offer compelled her to stay. To drink in this simple moment, one that had been like so many others. Unnoticeable upon the surface, but far more precious for that reason.

"Yeah, sure thing." Blake murmured, her fate sealed to the sofa for another few hours.

She would be a liar if she said that this lukewarm affection was truly what she wanted. The problem was, she couldn't afford to be greedy now. It was asking too much to expect to stop and turn her whole life's perspective on a dime.

It was too short notice…

But, she might never have more than this if she didn't speak up.

If she never said anything, one day, someone else just might. Frankly, it was inevitable. Someone else would see Ruby as a gift, and they might be greedy enough to tell her that, fracturing any hope that Blake knew she had.

Then, Ruby would be lost to her forever. Thinking about that hurt in ways Blake had no way to describe.

Fears of lost time and opportunity were the least of her problems. Though, understanding that didn't ease the sting any less. If such realizations were so painful to her, she feared what Ruby might feel.

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

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

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

"Yeah?"

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

Blurting it out wasn't the most romantic thing. Romance the furthest thing in her mind. Having said it, there was no turning back now. The culmination of years building into something tangible. Blind trust falling heavily like a stone in the pit of her gut.

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

It was such a simple response, but the weight of it settled gently in that air between them.

Things were different, yet the same.

Sparks didn't fly, she wasn't swept off of her feet, the sun came up and they both went about their day as adulthood demanded. There were more questions than answers, and responsibilities always had to come first. It wasn't the right time to talk at length that night. They didn't want to risk waking Ace up by accident. The morning was filled with morning showers, breakfast, chores, and taking care of the troublesome toddler.

By afternoon, Ace had finally tuckered herself out for a nap, and they finally had a moment to themselves. Even then, they had things to do. Blake had bills to pay, and Ruby needed to make a run to the corner store. In the end of it all, there wasn't anything different about their lifestyle, not really. It just felt that way now. Blake could acknowledge the lingering touches, the glances to the side, the way Ruby hummed nonsense while she repaired her scythe for the countless time.

It wasn't a fairytale like the ones within the pages of books and across the screen. They weren't damsels in distress, and there was absolutely no reason for either one of them to entirely give up their independency. It made perfect sense to just accept things as they came. To take things slow and enjoy the day for what it was.

That's why it was so surprising that even while covered in dust, Ruby was the first one to start voicing the lingering and unspoken questions.

"Um, so why now?" It was the first thing to come flying out of her mouth, gentle, but confused. "We've gone this long without saying anything, right? So why so suddenly last night?"

"Well, why not?" Blake said, but in truth, it was her own slip of the tongue that caused it.

"Because I know you better than that." Ruby said, though her voice wavered with a hint of uncertainty. "And you know me. I've never done anything, not like this."

Blake knew that was most definitely true. Ruby was fifteen when they met. She never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend in the entire time Blake had known her. Prior conversation and gossip explained that while the elder sibling dated a little bit before Beacon, Ruby hadn't been interested in that. "Does it scare you?"

Ruby just shrugged. A soft hum slipping from her throat.

"You don't have to say if you don't want to." Blake backpedaled. "I've always wondered. I never asked, because I never really wanted the answer before now but-"

"You don't scare me." Ruby said quietly. "No matter what, I don't think you could ever scare me."

Blake nodded at that, curiosity edging into her mind. "But, what about the situation?"

Ruby looked up from her work with a hint of surprise. Gazing across the table to Blake didn't help to clear her thoughts either. "I'm not really sure." She returned her gaze to the dust in front of her. "That's kind of a hard question to answer."

Blake made a soft sound of understanding, absently reaching for the mug of tea steaming beside her. "It scared me a little."

"Really?"

"Last night, before I said anything. It was on my mind. I didn't want to look like a fool if you didn't return my feelings."

"Oh…" Ruby murmured. She was busy with meticulous work. Loading dust into bullets was a needed distraction from her own mind. "I'm not afraid of it, but love can hurt people. It has the ability to make good people do bad things, and that does scare me." She hated all of the measuring, all the math, but that kind of calculation grounded her. "I've seen a lot of bad things come out of something that's supposed to be so good…"

Blake understood, ear flicking mildly as she considered that. "Yeah, you're right. We have seen a lot of negativity. My past came with plenty of it." Blake said, not even trying to deny it. "You've seen a lot of good too, though."

"Totally." Ruby nodded. "It doesn't make me less scared though."

"I don't want you to be scared."

"I don't either, but I am." Silver eyes looked up from her work, hesitancy cracking through the otherwise soft blink that steadied her. "I don't want to screw up."

"We're both going to do something wrong by accident eventually. We may not want to, but it is going to happen." Blake broke the gaze first. If experience in life and romance combined told her anything, it was that occasional failings was a promised guarantee. "We just have to be ready to deal with it the best we can when it does."

"Are you really okay with that?" Ruby asked shyly, squinting down at her measurements one final time.

It was Blake's turn to waver. "I…"

Her past track record in relationships was one big mess after another. It was absolutely nothing to be proud of. Even the most stable ones that didn't include extremist organizations had ended in disappointment. Her breakup with Sun Wukong was the easiest. Mutual and quiet. She'd had a short fling with Yang too, but it was experimental and they both knew it wasn't meant to last. Even those breakups were damaging to her in their own personal ways.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ruby." Blake finally settled with saying when everything else couldn't measure up.

"But, you think you might?" Ruby asked, looking up at her with sincere gunmetal eyes.

"It's not that simple…" Was she okay with knowing she could possibly hurt Ruby? No, not in the slightest, but she couldn't let the past hold her back. "I'd never try to do anything to hurt you. Let's just say, I'm prepared to make a few mistakes...and that, you should be too."

Ruby went back to loading bullets with dust. "At least you have experience. I don't have anything like that, I've never even kissed anyone before. I never really wanted to…" Ruby trailed off.

"That's true too, I suppose, but that doesn't put me off." Blake looked around, the kitchen was hardly the place. "Although, the only way to get experience is to actually do it." It wasn't in the least bit romantic. Especially now, with the table filled with an assortment of dusts and empty rounds. Then again, perfection was always going to be overrated. "Do you want to?"

Ruby very nearly dropped the vial of dust she was holding. "Um." Her cheeks reddened at the thought. It wasn't the offer she was expecting, and truth be told, she knew it was quite visible that her brain had entirely derailed. "Like right now, while I'm covered in a flammable stuff? Or, like later, when I'm not, and won't blow up the house?"

Blake let out a soft laugh at that, shaking her head. Ruby's expression alone was entirely worth the question. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'd rather not call Weiss and tell her we've ignited the kitchen…"

"Okay…" Ruby said her mouth suddenly very dry. "Right, uh, later it is then…"

Let it not be said that Ruby Rose was a coward. She was many things, but a coward wasn't one of them. In fact, it was Ruby's bravery that stuck out the most in her youth, when her shy personality often worked against her. Blake recalled her first impression of the girl, which, at the time was exactly what Ruby was. A girl who was far too young to be attending Beacon, and far too naive for her own good. A child, Blake had called her, and Ruby had looked the part.

All of those assumptions shattered the moment that selfsame fifteen year old fearlessly beheaded a Nevermore. No child would have been able to do that. A particularly young huntress in training, yes. A child, no. Blake had always considered herself a good judge of character, but in that bone chilling moment, she had been proven terrifyingly wrong.

And, unfortunately for Blake's self-sense of pride, she was wrong about all of her teammates. Ruby was not just a naive little girl. Weiss was not just a pampered, bratty heiress. Yang was not just laughter and smiles, blind of judgement, and of hardship…no. Blake had been so entirely and completely wrong.

So, she shouldn't have been surprised to be proven wrong again as Ruby straddled her lap. An action that was both alarming, and yet so very welcome. It was late, Ace was asleep in Yang's bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets to keep her safe and warm.

"I don't have dust on me anymore." Ruby said quietly.

"No, you don't." Blake said, inhaling the lingering scents of soap, shampoo, and body butter. All of it from the same line, a very gentle and soothing floral scent that wouldn't disturb the delicate nose of the Faunus using it. Her throat suddenly very dry as she realized Ruby had used her products. "Ruby, did you…" Blake nipped on her own tongue. That was a stupid question, of course she did.

"Ace sneezes whenever I use my stuff." Ruby replied. "You've never complained, but somehow I get the feeling that my body wash and shampoo are too harsh for you two."

That…

Well…

That wasn't entirely wrong. It was overpowering and detracted from Ruby's natural scent. Blake pushed the inherent eroticism of the act away, Ruby had no idea just how intoxicating such an admission was to the primal corner of her brain.

"Mm. Right." The distracted reply was all she could offer at that moment, as the obvious fact of the matter smacked her rationality askew again.

Ruby Rose was sitting in her lap, facing her, and the intention was quite clear. She wanted attention and no book was going to get in the way of that. In case it hadn't been crystal clear though, the obvious invitation that followed left no question. "Ace is asleep, so no interruptions."

"For a short while." Blake agreed, her book all but forgotten. "Um, Ruby…this is all just a bit forward, don't you think?"

"I've sat on your lap before." Ruby said with a shrug.

"Well, yes, but..." Schooling her frazzled brain back into some clobbered and congealed form of propriety was not an easy thing to do. Not when faced with the object of her affection so close, and yet so far away. 'Head out of the gutter, Belladonna! This is not that sort of invitation!' She mentally berated herself, even as the palms of her hands fell onto unusually smooth bare legs. It took every ounce of effort not to follow that path northward just to see if Ruby was equally as smooth and enticing above the knee too. Slamming her eyes shut, she settled for brutal honesty. "Ruby, I'm going to start getting ideas…"

"Oh, you were reading one of the books from the top shelf again, weren't you?"

"Yes." Blake deadpanned awkwardly.

"Was it a good part that I interrupted?"

Blake cracked her eye open. Met with that same shy disposition that she had come to know from her friend turned…well…was lover even the right word? Probably not, not just yet, but it was entirely adorable all the same. "Very. Here, this is what I was reading."

Blake showed Ruby the page in question. There was no use hiding it, Ruby was well aware of Blake's unquestionable libido. It existed as part and parcel of who she was as a person. She wasn't as lewd and crass as Yang when asked about the subject, but she wasn't ashamed of herself. Just like Yang, Blake was known to put her articles of clothing on door handles too...keeping people out during particularly private moments of relaxation.

This wasn't one of those times, but if she had gotten far enough into her reading, it could have been.

"Steamy…" Ruby murmured having scanned the page.

"I know you weren't insinuating anything such as what goes on in that book, but, regardless…" Blake trailed off. "I don't know quite what it is that you are insinuating and I don't…" She blushed as she looked away. "I don't want to push too far."

"It's just what we talked about before...I was thinking about it…" Ruby said slowly, closing the distance, pulling Blake into a hug that pressed their bodies impossibly close as she rested her forehead on Blake's shoulder. "I'm always going to be a little nervous. If I don't start somewhere, then we're going to end up not starting at all, and I know for sure I don't want to go back to the way things were before."

Blake pulled away slightly, seeing the hopefulness at war with the worry. Innocence muddied by delusions of a woman's desires. "Then, may I kiss you?" Blake asked, watching Ruby nod ever so slightly under the careful study of golden eyes.

It was soft, tender, nothing deep or heavy. Merely a press of lips, a wisps of escaped breath that promised more. Easy to back away from, and meet eye-to-eye once more. Then Blake wordlessly posed question, Ruby answered by another nod. The second kiss was not so gentle, and the obsidian haired woman was no longer the statue she forced herself to be. Her hands lifted, cupping a blushing cheek with her left, and running through tresses of brown and red with her right.

There was nothing innocent about this kiss, an outpouring of emotion. Her teeth nipped carefully along Ruby's pouty lower lip, not enough to hurt, but enough to warn her that they were there. A soft rumble, not quite a purr, not exactly a growl, punctuated her sentiment, as those teeth dragged away.

The tip of her tongue dancing along the edge as she pulled away once more. Another examination, another question posed to the shivering Ruby Rose. "Are you okay?"

"Ace isn't the only one who has sharp teeth." Ruby laughed slightly, still entirely out of her element. Even so, she didn't mind the outcome.

"Mm." Blake nodded, she had sharp eye-teeth too. Powerful enough to bite through flesh without much effort. "All carnivore Faunus do. Was that too much? Do they scare you?"

Ruby seemed to think on it, but shook her head, her voice ever so quiet. "No…it's not too much. It's just…" She tried looking for words she couldn't seem to find as she tucked herself into Blake. She sighed contently at the feel of that, the rightness of it all. "Can we just stay like this tonight? I don't want to be anyplace else."

Blake grabbed the crumpled up blanket from the edge of the bed and flung it over the both of them. It was her only answer before turning off the bedside lamp. Then she picked up a different book from the nightstand, whispering the beloved tale of the four maidens into Ruby's ear.