I literally realized while rereading the whole fic that they went on a date on Saturday, which meant when Blake said "this Sunday", it meant the following day. I am so terrible at chronology, honestly. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter and please excuse my hairbrainedness.

"How was it?" Yang asked the instant the door opened.

Blake chuckled at her partner's enthusiasm and shut the door behind her. "It was great. She took me to a Faunus-friendly restaurant. It was nice and low-light and our booth was relatively private.

"What did you talk about?" Ruby demanded excitedly.

"Not much." Blake replied. "We mostly just ate while we were there."

Her teammates stared at her oddly. "You spent the time eating?" Weiss clarified.

"You don't need to talk to someone to feel comfortable in their presence." Blake told her, beginning to strip from her dress. "Besides, Velvet and I tend to feel… connected without words. Even though she's a rabbit-Faunus, I feel safe and protected around her."

"Maybe it's because she's a Faunus." Ruby suggested, her voice taking on a gentle tone. "You're not very comfortable around humans, but you can relate to a Faunus."

"Yeah, Ruby's right." Yang chimed in. "You feel safe around her because she's more like you and has gone through similar hardships."

Blake shot her teammates a smile, slipping into a robe. "Either way, she makes me feel good. I'm taking her to the museum tomorrow."

"Ew." Yang grimaced as the brunette turned back. "Why the museum? Can't you go somewhere… fun?"

"Museums are fun, Yang." Weiss huffed. "Intellectuals enjoy spending time at places of art and magnificence. Good choice, Blake."

"Pfft." Yang snickered. "I've got a great place you could take her. I don't go there, but some friends of mine always say it's a wonderful place. Really helps to let off some steam."

Blake rolled her eyes, figuring Yang wanted to give her the address to some club or another that the blonde might not have frequented yet. Grabbing up her supplies, the cat-Faunus waved to her friends and strode for the bathroom, thinking about her next date.

Meanwhile, with Team Vole, Velvet was being bombarded with excited questions. The rabbit-Faunus blinked as Organza gazed at her eagerly, wide green eyes ready for the details.

"How was it?" the greenette amended, realizing there were too many questions to answer at once.

"It was great." Velvet giggled, taking off her suit jacket. "Her dress was absolutely stunning and she seemed so relaxed and calm. Her mood was contagious, really. She made me feel really comfortable."

"That's always a plus in a relationship." Organza nodded. "It's good to be comfortable around each other. Did you talk about anything?"

"Not really." The rabbit-Faunus replied, slipping from her shirt as well. "Blake isn't really the talking type and I already knew quite a bit about her anyway. We enjoy each other's company enough not to really need to talk."

"That's so cute." Loden beamed, giving his leader a thumbs-up. "Do you two already have another date scheduled?"

"She's taking me to the museum tomorrow." Velvet replied, digging around for her pajamas.

"That's a wonderful choice." Eyelet murmured from her bed, gazing out the window at the stars. "Art is a good way to connect with a person and learn more about them and their interests."

"Yeah, but you could do that on a walk through Vale…" Loden's nose wrinkled at the prospect of a museum as a date. "Museums are boring."

"Not for someone who enjoys artistic intellectual pursuits." Eyelet countered, still staring at the night sky.

Velvet shook her head in amusement as her two teammates continued bantering, turning to choose a relaxed outfit to go out in the following day.

...

Velvet grinned as she and Blake met up outside the dormitory after their last class ended. Velvet had decided on a simple grey sweater and black tights, wearing a pair of sneakers for comfortable walking. Blake was wearing a black tee and a purple skirt with her usual tights underneath and a pair of black heels. Velvet shot her an odd glance at her choice of footwear, but chose not to mention it. Walking in silence, the pair climbed aboard an airship and flew into the city.

Blake took Velvet's hand to keep her from being swept away by the crowd and began leading her in the direction of Vale Museum of Art and Creation. Blood rushed to Velvet's cheeks, her heart hammering in her chest as she held tightly to Blake's hand, the smooth skin warm against her own. Coming to the museum, Blake allowed Velvet's hand to drop, much to the other woman's dismay. However, the rabbit-Faunus found her attention diverted seconds later as they walking into the large building.

Velvet stared around at all of the gorgeous artpieces, her ears standing at attention as she took in the details of some of the works. Turning, she found Blake moving off to the side a bit to examine some more paintings and hurried to catch up, Blake pausing to wait for her. The pair moved between the exhibits at a leisurely pace; occasionally, one would point out a particularly interesting piece to another and they would spend a few minutes gushing over it before moving on.

Velvet was completely at ease, grateful to finally have someone other than Eyelet who enjoyed art as much as she did. It was clear that Blake was more into literary art than visual art, but the darker brunette still managed to find something interesting about the works before them. As they moved further into the building, Blake broke off from Velvet slightly, curiously looking to some odd paintings while the mage checked out a few of the sculptures.

When she was finished examining one of a Faunus and a human engaged in gruesome battle, Velvet turned to find Blake staring up at a painting involving a battle even more vicious than the statue. Creeping closer, Velvet's ears flattened to find that it was a very recent painting of the differences between the old and new White Fang.

"It's terrible, isn't it?" Blake whispered, catching the other woman's attention. "How such a peaceful organization could change so drastically because of one change in leadership. The humans will never respect Faunus, not with the way things are going. Humans are always afraid of things more powerful than them and Faunus are just trying to live with other species in peace."

Velvet cocked her head as Blake spoke. "No peace will come if things are like this. Faunus are beings with the strength and abilities of animals, surpassing humans' lesser senses. Humans fear a Faunus overthrow, but in doing so caused a Faunus uprising. If humans continue to fear the Faunus and parade themselves as the 'higher species', not even the White Fang's more terroristic approach will do any good."

They were silent for a moment before Blake turned to Velvet with a small smile. "Sorry, I guess I got carried away for a second. Do you want to go further?"

Velvet looked to the sign for the next exhibit and noticed that it was a depiction of the Faunus Wars. "Probably shouldn't." she murmured. "It's getting close to lunchtime and I'm famished."

Blake gave a soft chuckle and nodded, taking her hand. "Come on, I know a good restaurant not far from here. We can grab something to go and head back to the school. I still have to help Yang with some homework."

Velvet smiled and cast one last look at the painting, wondering how Blake knew so much. She must have been paying very close attention to Professor Oobleck when he was teaching it. She thought, following Blake back to the museum entrance.

"What are you hungry for?" the darker brunette asked, stopping outside of on the sidewalk.

"Well, do you know any places with good salads around here?" Velvet asked, glancing around the street they were on in an effort to spot any restaurants.

"Yeah, there should be one nearby." Blake began leading the way further up the street and the two huntresses-in-training walked at a comfortable pace. "You're really into health and fitness, huh?"

"No, it's uh, not that." Velvet blushed and glanced down at the sidewalk as they continued their lazy stride. "I choose to be a vegetarian because when I was younger… kids picked on me. Far more than they do now, because teachers were a lot more lenient of the behavior when I was younger. One day… the class was having a party and everyone brought their own dish.

"One boy bought something to class, I can't remember what he called it, but he gave some to everyone. It was meat, so I thought it would be fine, you know, like chicken or pork. When the teacher saw me eating it, though, he asked me if I was feeling alright… and then proceeded to explain to me that the meaning of the dish's name… was roast rabbit or something akin to that." Velvet sighed as they made it to the restaurant. "Ever since then, the thought of meat has made me sick."

Blake stopped them and led Velvet off to the side, gazing down at her seriously. "That was a mean trick to have played." She said softly. "Are you… still okay with eating in the city? We could head back to the school if I've made you uncomfortable."

Velvet shook her head quickly, ears flopping slightly as large brown eyes looked up at the cat-Faunus. "No, I'm fine. It felt nice letting someone know why I didn't eat meat. You… didn't laugh at me."

"A story like that is nothing to laugh at." Blake told her, rubbing her arms soothingly. "It's a horrible thing to have happened. Now I know not to offer you meat."

She turned to the restaurant, making to head inside, but this time, Velvet stopped them. Swallowing thickly, the rabbit-Faunus moved forward and wrapped her arms around Blake's neck, pressing her head into the taller woman's shoulder. Blake froze, her skin tingling softly at the contact; slowly lifting her arms, she returned the hug, enveloping Velvet in a protective embrace. Velvet's stomach churned happily at the thought that Blake's scent would now be on her for the next day. They stayed like that for a few moments before Velvet pulled back, ears flattened to her head.

"Thank you." She whispered. "For understanding."

Blake smiled and slowly reached out a hand, suddenly remembering something she had forgotten to do when it snowed. "M-may I… touch your ears?"

Velvet looked up at her in confusion and nodded, heat bubbling in her chest. No one aside from her family, Eyelet and other Faunus had ever asked to touch her ears before. Humans usually didn't care to get permission first; she had even briefly assumed Blake was one of those humans when she had maneuvered the hat over her head back on their second outing together. However, she had dismissed the thought because Blake had done it out of sentiment in order to keep her warm. Now, she realized that Blake actually did care.

Blake gently stroked the long brown ears, feeling the soft fur beneath her fingers. Velvet leaned into the touch, sighing softly as the nimble fingers stroked the sensitive ears. Both had completely forgotten about food and just enjoyed this moment, happy for a moment of closeness after the tension in the museum. When Blake's stomach grumbled, however, the ninja pulled back, a slight blush painting her cheeks. Velvet giggled and took her hand, leading her into the restaurant to eat.

Grabbing lunch to go, the brunettes made their way back toward the airship, munching their meals. Waiting for the next available ship, Blake turned to Velvet, licking her lips and asking, "Would you like to go out again on Friday? Yang suggested some club that's apparently really good for relaxing and letting out stress."

"It sounds worth checking out." Velvet replied, eating the last of her lettuce as the next airship landed. "I'd love to go with you Friday."

"Great." Blake smiled as they waited for the airship to take off, making a mental note to ask Yang the name of the club.

I'm having so much fun with this fic, you guys have no idea. I love this fic and I hope you all do as well. Care to let me know what you think in a review?