Sorry for the wait with updating this fic. I've had school and commissions to handle, but now I've got a bit more time to edit chapters and update this fic!
Will Blake catch her break, finally?
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Chapter 5. Ray Of Hope
As her alarm woke her the next morning, Blake wasn't sure how she should be feeling.
All last night, she'd been upset and brooding about the loss of her time together with Ruby.
She didn't understand why she'd felt so crushed. After all, she kept reminding herself of all the good aspects of what had happened – how Ruby had specifically asked and agreed to see her again today, which meant she was genuinely interested in Blake. She'd even said it herself, how she wanted to talk to Blake more.
If Ruby hadn't cared, she wouldn't have made an effort to agree to see Blake again today.
Plus, Blake reminded herself that just one fluke like yesterday wouldn't forever ruin her chances of getting to know Ruby.
After all, the brunette worked at the library, and Blake herself went there every day. There would be plenty of chances to meet again.
Blake could never really understand her overpowering negative emotions. All her life, it seemed to her that she reacted rather violently to anything bad, no matter how trivial. Just like how she'd panicked and cried and ran out on Ruby a few days ago, and now yesterday when she'd curled up in the cafe and sobbed to herself for no good reason.
She didn't understand her emotions or how they worked, and it had always been that way. Blake just did her best with it and kept trying to control herself as normally as possible.
Still, such a way of acting was a major source of embarrassment for her. Once in high school, she'd gotten a bad grade on an exam and had sat in her seat for twenty minutes trying not to cry, but in the end, the frustrations had won. She'd bawled like a child, uncontrollably and loudly, and her classmates had teased her for it for years to come.
She just wished she could be normal...
But regretting the past never did her any good, and she knew that.
So for now, Blake merely buried her face into her pillow to clear her face of tears and took deep breaths.
Today.
Things would finally go right today.
She had to believe that.
Fueled by the promise of seeing Ruby once more, she got herself out of bed, into the bathroom to shower, and into a change of nice clothes. She completed her morning chores around the house as designated by her parents' notes, had a quick breakfast, prepared her handbag of books, and was off.
It was another bright, warm day, where the breeze brought her scents of blossoming flowers and colors filled her vision. Blake wanted to let the scenery lift her heart, let it motivate her and let her believe today would be better.
But yesterday was a nice day just like this. And look how it ended up...
Again, the negative thoughts came back to try and attack her. She bit her lip and shook her head, not wanting to think like that.
I'll see her again today and it'll be great, she told herself. Please. I hope it's the truth...
She didn't know what she'd do with herself if she ended up getting crushed again today...
Once the library was in sight, Blake quickened her pace a little. It was still hours before Ruby's lunch break, but she couldn't help but get excited, hopeful.
Blake was always cautious about that, because more often than not, she'd get her hopes up for other people, only to have them beaten down.
But she wanted to believe today would be better.
Please let it be better.
She slipped in through the doors of her second home, instantly blessed by the familiar scents of books and coffee. As always, it calmed her down, slowed her pulse, and lifted her ears.
She passed quietly by the cafe, but was surprised to hear a call of her name.
"Blake!"
It was Velvet.
As Coco and Canela tended to a line of customers, the other Faunus girl quickly scurried out from behind the counter, her face the very picture of concern.
Automatically, Blake felt her heart lurch, fearing bad news of some kind.
Velvet made it to her in no time, and Blake was about to ask.
"Velvet? What's-"
"Oh, Blake!"
Softly, Velvet wrapped her arms around her dear friend and pulled her in close.
Blake was surprised by the sudden display of affection. She'd known Velvet for years, and she was rarely this affectionate with even Coco, at least in public. The most she'd ever touched Blake before was to put a hand on hers by means of comfort if she were upset about something.
But this...
Blake stood there dumbfounded, breathing in Velvet's natural scent of coffee beans and sweet bread. She heard the older girl sigh, and gentle hands pet through Blake's hair and all down her back. Hesitantly, Blake placed her hands on Velvet's waist.
"Velvet?" She tried again, much more thinly. "Is everything okay? What's wrong? Please tell me." Her heart was pounding now. She was expecting to hear unfavorable news, something else to prove her positivity wrong.
But Velvet quickly pulled away and shook her head, her ears swaying.
"Oh, no, it's nothing bad, Blake. Please don't worry. It's just..." With another sigh, she pulled the dark-haired Faunus in again and lowered her voice so only Blake's cat ears could listen. "Yesterday... I saw you sitting there. I'm sorry for prying, but you looked so hurt. I couldn't bear it.
"I would've gone and sat down next to you, but Coco said that I wouldn't be of much help, being I was crying, too. I at least should have texted you that evening..."
Blake froze, feeling a swell of warmth rise up behind her eyes.
Velvet saw...? I mean, of course she did. How couldn't she when she works here? But she... she cried? For me?
It seemed hard to believe.
But with the way Velvet was holding her tightly like this and whispering worriedly to her right now, Blake knew it was the truth.
Now, she hugged her friend back with gusto.
"Sorry..." Blake murmured. "You didn't need to see me like that, Velvet."
"Hey, now." Velvet pulled away again, and despite the emotions and tears in her eyes, she was smiling. "Don't you apologize, Blake. You shouldn't apologize because you felt a certain way about something. I'm just sorry I couldn't help you at the time. I don't know what happened, but whatever it was, I'm sorry you got hurt. I just hope everything will get better soon."
She brought Blake in closer one last time and simply held her.
Blake couldn't fathom why, but she herself started to cry softly as well. It was almost as if Velvet's emotions were contagious and Blake was affected by them as well.
For a moment, they both held one another and cried. And though it hurt a little, it felt good in a way, too.
But Blake couldn't let her friend keep worrying so much. She mustered up her resolve and took a step back to meet Velvet's eyes.
"Thank you for worrying about me, Velvet. But it's okay now. Yesterday, I was just upset because... well, plans got ruined. It was kind of a stupid reason, really. But today, things will be better. I can feel it."
Velvet looked her over, needing to make sure she was alright.
But other than Blake's cheeks being a little puffy, she really did seem to be okay now. Her golden eyes shone with determination – to do what, Velvet couldn't be quite certain just yet – her ears were lifted tall, and her lips formed a smile.
Slowly, Velvet gave a nod.
"Alright. I'm just glad you're okay, Blake. Sorry for bringing it up."
"No, please don't be," Blake murmured. "Thank you for worrying about me, Velvet."
At last, Velvet returned the smile.
"It's my job, you know," she chuckled. "I consider you my little sister, Blake. I'll always do my best to look out for you."
With that, she leaned closer and pressed a small kiss to Blake's temple. "I'm glad you're feeling better today. Whatever you're looking forward to, I hope it works out in the best way for you."
"Thanks, Velvet. Really."
With one last hug, they finally parted and went to their respective places.
As Blake sat down in her chair beneath the staircase, she realized she was feeling much better now, much more confident in herself and the day that awaited her.
After several hours of switching between books, Blake found herself once more indulged in the fairytales collection.
But she hadn't gotten too far in before she noticed the time from the large, vintage clock on the far wall. It was close to Ruby's lunch break.
Blake soon became too antsy to read, so she just did her best to look at the words on the pages. She tried to focus, straightening her back and steeling herself for what was to come.
It came a little sooner than expected.
The quick but soft flurry of footsteps down the stairs could only belong to someone rather light in weight and in a hurry for one reason or another. From the corner of her eye, Blake saw a familiar flash of red and-
"Miss!"
That giddy voice that made her heart whirl.
She put her book down into her lap and closed it over the marker, looking up to see a bright, eager smile. Silver met gold, and Blake's lips curled up, her ears perking happily.
"Ruby."
"Oooh, I'm sosososooo glad you're here! I mean, I knew you would be – you're always here, right?" Ruby hurried forward and reached out in her excitement. She took both of Blake's hands in hers and gave a small tug to help her up.
It was a gesture of familiarity, one Blake hadn't been expecting so suddenly.
But she didn't resist as Ruby's soft hands covered her own and helped her to her feet. Blake blushed, hoping her palms weren't sweaty.
Ruby quickly seemed to notice the error in her ways and released her wrists.
"S-Sorry! I just got a little too excited and-"
"It's fine. Don't worry." Blake presented her with another shy smile. Ruby grinned in return.
"Okie-doki! I've got no surprise meetings today, I promise! So are you ready to have lunch together, miss?"
"Of course." Blake was impressed with herself that she'd managed not to stammer.
She collected her book into her bag and slung it over her shoulder, then gave Ruby a nod. The smaller girl spun enthusiastically around on her heel and headed off towards the cafe.
Blake's longer stride had her matching the girl easily, and she stayed beside her as they walked.
Despite Ruby's evident eagerness, she flashed Blake a guilty look.
"I'm sorry about yesterday. For ditching you so suddenly, I mean. I was really sad to leave you..."
Blake swallowed, but she told the girl her true feelings.
"I was a little sad, too," she admitted.
Ruby sighed, then smiled.
"But that's over now! We'll make today better! Pinkie promise!" She paused in her step to hold out her smallest finger towards her.
Blake felt her heart jump again, her ears twitching in confusion. Slowly, she reached out and curled her own pinkie around Ruby's.
The younger girl beamed up at her with shining teeth.
"Alright! It's sealed! A promise is a promise!"
They were at the cafe in seconds, and Blake followed the girl through the same process as yesterday.
Velvet and Coco both appeared pleased to see that Blake and Ruby were getting a second chance at their little 'date', but neither said anything out loud this time. Blake guessed Velvet had given her girlfriend a stern talking-to indeed yesterday.
Ruby ordered her "usual" and Blake once again added a cup of tea onto the order. But once she took out her wallet to pay, Ruby promptly stopped her.
"No, no, please, miss! Let me make it up to you for ditching you yesterday."
"But, I-"
"Please! It's only two dollars!"
With Ruby begging with her eyes wide like that, Blake had to look away and she couldn't refuse.
So Ruby happily paid for Blake's tea and then grabbed her own tray of food. Blake pulled a napkin out of the dispenser and wrapped it around her tea cup before picking it up. She followed Ruby to the same table they'd been trying to sit at yesterday, only today, they actually succeeded in doing so.
They sat across from one another, and Blake kept her palms around her tea cup to give her hands something to do. Ruby sighed happily and began digging into her chocolate-chip muffin.
"Ahhh, it's so good~" she commented after she'd swallowed. "This cafe has the best snacks! I'm so lucky to work at the library!"
Blake gave a nervous nod of her head.
"Yeah. I really like their tea," she murmured. "A-And... thank you, by the way. For buying me the tea today."
Her gaze held Ruby's, and Blake felt her tongue go dry. The younger girl gave a dismissive wave of her hand and grinned before wiping a napkin over her mouth.
"Don't mention it! It was my treat!"
Blake felt herself starting to blush, and so she quickly took a sip of her tea.
In her haste, she forgot to blow on it, and ended up swallowing a stinging mouthful. She bit her lip, but thankfully Ruby hadn't seemed to notice.
Once she'd recovered from the heat, Blake took another breath.
"And not just for the tea," she went on. "I'd wanted to thank you for the past couple of days now... for saving my book for me. The first day I met you when I n... needed to leave in a hurry. You kept my fairytale book for me. So thank you..."
At last, she'd accomplished the feat she'd been meaning to for three days now. A sense of pride washed through her, and her ears lifted a bit with confidence.
Her comment seemed to remind Ruby of something.
"Oh!" she said. "You're so welcome! Actually, that's something I'd been wanting to talk to you about, miss! That fairytale book! It's actually one of my favorites!"
Blake's eyes widened in surprise.
"R-Really? It's one of my favorites, too. I love reading all the different versions of the same story. The interpretations are really interesting."
"I know, I know!" Ruby gasped. "Oh, oh! Do you have a favorite fairytale from that book?"
"Well... I really liked Beauty and the Beast for some reason."
"Ohhhh I love that one!" Ruby squealed. "The girl was so humble! She only wanted a rose when all her sisters asked for extravagant things. And in the end, it didn't matter that the Beast was scary-looking. She loved him anyway!"
"Yes. It was a really nice story. I like it a lot."
Blake smiled. It was strange how quickly her nervousness had been dashed with the simple mention of books.
She'd thought this meal with Ruby would be painfully awkward, at least for herself.
But to find that Ruby enjoyed her books just as passionately as Blake did...
It made her heart swell with joy.
Ruby took a bite into her chocolate-chip cookie, then a sip of her milkshake before she went on rambling.
"I really like the tale of Little Red Riding Hood~"
"Oh!" Blake blurted, almost a little too loudly. She covered her mouth in embarrassment, but she'd just been so excited to hear Ruby's favorite tale. "I love that one," she said in a softer tone. "There were all different versions. I liked the one where she outsmarted the wolf and escaped."
"Yeah, she was really clever in that one!" Ruby grinned. "And there's the one where the Hunter saves her and gets her out of the wolf's belly. But I think my favorite was the version where Red and her sweet little old grandma trick the wolf and beat him! I found that so funny!"
"Me, too!" Blake chuckled. "In all the other versions, the grandma was so old and sickly, but in that one she was so devious."
"I know, right? I laughed when I first read it!"
"Me, too."
Blake didn't realize when the anxiety disappeared, but it happened.
As she continued to chat with Ruby about the fairytale book, Blake felt herself becoming more and more relaxed. Her posture softened, her legs stopped fidgeting, and her smile came easier. She found herself laughing out loud more than a few times as she got into discussing books that were familiar to Ruby as well.
Whenever she got a little too flustered, she'd take a sip of her tea, but for the most part, the conversations came with surprising ease.
There was a natural comfort she felt around Ruby once she'd gotten past the initial jitters and fear of her own feelings for the girl.
Ruby was just... a very kind, pleasant, optimistic person.
Blake hoped she could learn from her one day.
The two girls continued to discuss their favorite stories together for a time. Blake was certain she'd never felt happier in all her life. She was amazed that she was talking to the girl she had a crush on so naturally, and she wasn't tripping up over her words.
But it all seemed to come to an end too quickly as the last few minutes of Ruby's break neared.
By then, Ruby had finished her food and Blake's tea cup was empty. With a sigh, the brunette pushed back her chair and stood.
"Aw fooey. I've gotta get going soon." She picked up her tray and brought her garbage to the trash. Blake picked up her cup and followed to discard her napkin.
"I get it," she said. "I understand you have to go back to work. But... thank you for seeing me today, Ruby. I... had a really nice time." She tried to make eye contact, but the heat in her face ensured it wasn't long before she was finding great interest in the tiled floor.
Ruby gave a small chuckle.
"I had a really nice time, too, miss!"
Ruby offered out her hand to take Blake's tea cup. The Faunus girl shyly handed it to her, and their fingers brushed again.
As Ruby placed her tray and the cup on the counter and thanked Canela for taking them, Blake made sure to make one final point.
"U-Um... Ruby?"
"Yeah?" The younger girl turned to give her full attention to Blake.
"That's... It's just..." Suddenly, she was feeling overwhelmed again, but she tried to remind herself of not three minutes ago, when she'd been conversing with Ruby so effortlessly. "You um... you don't have to be so formal with me... if you don't want to. Just Blake is fine."
She blinked slowly, and when she next reopened her eyes, she found herself looking directly into Ruby's. The girl's face lit up so quickly and so brilliantly that Blake almost needed to take a step back.
"Really? Thank you, m- er, Blake! To tell you the truth, I was actually a bit jealous because Velvet and Coco and Canela always called you by your first name and I uh... I kinda wanted to also..."
This time, it was Ruby who blushed. Which consequently caused Blake to blush.
"Oh, um... yeah. I-It's fine, so you can call me by my name."
"Blake," Ruby said again, testing it out. "I like it! It's a super pretty name!"
Blake blushed harder still.
"And... I think Ruby is a pretty name, too..."
"Aww shucks~!" Ruby giggled coyly, and Blake needed to lean back against the counter to keep herself from swaying. But not a minute later, Ruby caught sight of the time again. "Oh, gotta go! Thanks again for having lunch with me, Blake!"
"You're... welcome..." she murmured. "I had a good time."
She wanted to ask her.
She only had a few seconds.
She needed to do it now-
"A-And Ruby...?"
"Yeah?"
A pause, and Blake caught her breath.
"Um... if you'd like... I mean if you're not busy and it's no trouble, I could... sit with you again tomorrow. F-For lunch, I mean..."
Ears flat, she waited nervously for a response. She was honestly proud of herself for just asking.
To her elated relief, Ruby nodded.
"Yeah! I'd love to have lunch with you again tomorrow, Blake! There's still soooo many books we need to talk about!"
Blake hoped this wasn't a dream.
"Really? O-Okay," she smiled. "Yeah. I'd love to do it again tomorrow."
"Then it's a date!" Ruby declared. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
Luckily for Blake, Ruby spun around then and headed off across the library to get back to her work, so she didn't see the Faunus girl nearly fall over at the word "date".
But clearly, someone had overheard.
"Well, well," Coco said from over the counter. "Nicely done, Belladonna."
"Coco!" Velvet tried to sound scolding, but it wasn't possible with how excited she was for her friend. "Congratulations, Blake! You did really well!"
"Th... Thanks..."
Blake gave the pair an airy smile and wished them a good afternoon. Too distracted to go back to her seat and read, Blake simply took her leave from the library and headed for home.
All the while, she felt as though she were soaring on a cloud, weightless and fuzzy inside with the memories of the successful day with Ruby behind her, and the promise of another to come before her.
A/N: Yay! Finally something good for poor Blake! Hopefully it continues going well!
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