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Chapter 9. Attempt To Confess

Ruby and Blake kept to their newfound schedule with one another.

Each day would start with Ruby going into the library at her usual early hour to get started on her tasks. Blake would come in a few hours later, visit the cafe, and start her reading during her alone time.

Some days, Ruby would find an excuse to go downstairs earlier than her lunch break for a moment so she could greet Blake earlier. Their conversations were always of whispered eagerness, voices low despite their wide smiles and excited heartbeats.

Even if Ruby couldn't get downstairs to see Blake early, she'd always be right on time for their usual lunchtime 'dates'.

The few times she had an employees' meeting during her break, she'd be sure to tell Blake in advance so as not to get her hopes up for their rendezvous that day. Whenever that was the case, Ruby would make sure to slip away downstairs for a moment and see her.

But the days of Ruby's absence were few and far between over the next few weeks. They'd spend their lunch hour gushing about new releases, or just talking about books or admirable authors as per usual.

They'd sit at their little cafe table with smiles on their faces, sometimes laughing so hard they needed to cover their mouths.

They'd always finish with a hug before parting for the day, but even after they went back to their respective homes, they would often text message one another.

After the first time of sending messages had passed, so too had the awkwardness of it.

Blake in particular was surprised when she consciously took note of how effortlessly she could speak to Ruby now, be it in person or otherwise. They'd even called a few times, mostly to talk about updates of online stories and things like that.

Blake noticed she'd become much happier in the last month or so since she'd met Ruby. Whether it was sunny or raining that morning when she got out of bed, whether she'd had a good morning or hit her head on a cabinet, whether she had a healthy appetite or none at all, she found everything always got better as soon as she walked into her beloved library where she knew Ruby to be waiting for her.

It was the same for Ruby. Her job demanded she wake up a little earlier than she might've liked to for the summer months. In the first few weeks on the job, she'd motivated herself with the promise of seeing new books and helping people; two of her favorite things. Add in the cookies and milkshake from the cafe, and it was easy to get her out the door long before her sister would follow.

But now her number one motivating factor was seeing Blake.

Even if she'd had a restless sleep or they'd ran out of strawberries to put on her morning toast, her day was always brightened when she bounded into the library, knowing Blake would be there soon.

Since they'd met, it had certainly changed them both for the better.

Their parents noticed how each girl became increasingly more talkative at suppertime, which was a great pleasure to Blake's parents in particular.

In Ruby's household, Yang knew what was making her little sister so peppy, but for the sake of Ruby's privacy didn't say anything to their parents yet. But she probably didn't have to.

Ruby talked about Blake in nearly every conversation, and the way her eyes sparkled and she always got a smile on her lips, Yang knew her parents could already guess how she felt.

For Blake's parents, it was a little different. Their daughter had never been in a relationship before, so none of them – not even Blake herself – really knew how she'd react. Blake knew that she liked Ruby, but she wasn't quite sure how obvious she was being.

Of course, to experienced people like Coco and Velvet, it had been obvious from the beginning. Sometimes, when Blake entered the cafe alone in the morning, Velvet would slip into a quick, private conversation with her, subtly asking how things were going and chiding Coco for her more blatant questions.

Blake also received a few texts from her fellow Faunus friend, which was Blake preferred form of communication since it didn't have the pressure of real-time conversation where she might to stammer.

Velvet knew better than anyone how deeply Blake's crush on Ruby ran, and she hoped from the bottom of her heart that all worked out well for them eventually.

If Velvet and Coco noticed Blake's situation, then Yang and Weiss noticed Ruby's.

Whenever she got a moment free of assisting patrons or organizing shelves, she'd sit with them at a study table and ramble away, usually about Blake.

Yang found the nice Faunus girl was almost all Ruby ever talked about anymore, be it at home or on the job. Weiss found it adorable to see her girlfriend's sister so deeply affectionate for the quiet girl below the staircase.

It hadn't taken her long to confess that she liked Blake.

"Like... really really like her," she'd said, as though it'd needed clarification.

The two older girls had both smiled and nodded, informing her that they knew.

They gave Ruby tips for her interactions with Blake, not knowing that downstairs in the cafe, Velvet and Coco were doing the same for Blake.

Presently, Velvet was coaching her friend with an eager spark in her brown eyes.

"Blake, I think you should do it!" she said, leaning over the counter a bit.

Blake tilted her head at her and looked puzzled.

"Do what?"

Velvet softened her voice so only Blake could hear.

"You should tell her how you feel about her!"

Blake's immediate reaction was to swallow and take a tiny step back.

"Velvet... I can't."

"Why not?" Coco butted in. "You've been crushin' on her for a month now and I'd wager to say she likes you too, Blake."

Although her words had Blake's ears perking up hopefully, they soon drooped again.

"I don't think she likes me... like that," she mumbled. "Ruby gets excitable about almost anyone who can talk about books."

"Maybe so," Velvet agreed. "But she's never stayed so excitable for so long with anyone other than you."

Blake had no response that time other than to look down at the floor. Velvet smiled and reached over the counter to pat her shoulder.

"It's alright, Blake. I'm not saying you need to confess today. Just... think about it, okay?"

Blake felt her chest get tight suddenly, and another surge of odd emotions pumped through her, until she felt tears welling up.

"But I... if I confess and she doesn't like me... it'll only get awkward between us and... I don't want to lose her..."

Velvet and Coco shared a troubled look. The latter spoke again, keeping her tone gentle.

"But think about how nice it'll be if she feels the same way," Coco prompted.

Blake always had difficulty considering the positives. In her experience, more often than not, things involving romances didn't work out, at least not for her.

But... perhaps that was because she'd never liked anyone quite so much as she liked Ruby now, and that affection was only growing stronger by the day.

By now, it was to the point where she was crying herself to sleep some nights because she liked her so much, but was too frightened to speak up about it.

Maybe Coco and Velvet were right.

Maybe it was time to do something nice for herself for a change.

Maybe it was time to be brave.

She took a deep breath, then let it out, and a moment later she lifted her head to her two companions.

"I'll... I'll try," she said. "Today."

Though they were both delighted, Velvet quickly reminded Blake, "You don't have to do it right away."

Blake shrugged her shoulders to straighten them up a bit.

"I know. But... I'm motivated now, and I want to do it before I can back down." She looked up at the clock on the wall. "I've got ten minutes to prepare myself."

Knowing she was resolved, the baristas put in their two cents.

"Alright," Velvet said. "But don't make it the first thing out of your mouth. Weave it into the conversation when it fits."

"And make sure she's listening," Coco added. "Don't want her spacing out over a book and not hearing you."

"And if you need anything – anything at all – especially when it's over, just come find us," Velvet finished.

Blake gulped again, but gave a firm nod.

"Okay... I'll... I'll do my best."

Velvet leaned over the counter and pulled her friend into a partial-embrace.

"Best of luck, Blake."

"Go get her."

Blake nodded and thanked them.

As soon as Velvet released her, she headed back to her seat in the library, knowing that would be where Ruby came to look for her.

Upstairs, Ruby had just been getting some advice from her own wingwomen.

"You know she likes you, too," Weiss was saying in a reserved tone only the three of them could hear. "I mean, I don't know Blake well, but from what I can tell, she doesn't interact with very many people. But with you, she jumps at the chance to see you."

"I'll say," Yang agreed. "And since you like her too, maybe you might wanna think about saying something to her. Or if you don't confess right away, just... ask her out to lunch on one of your off-days or something!"

Ruby fidgeted in her seat.

"You make it sound so easy, Yang," she muttered. "Just because you started dating Weiss by asking her to lunch doesn't mean it works for everyone."

"I'd like to add," Weiss put in. "That it only just barely even worked for her. But that's only because she took me to a fast-food place. If you do end up asking Blake out, take her somewhere nice. For lunch or dinner, not for a 7AM breakfast of carbs and starch."

Yang chuckled sheepishly and counted her lucky stars that Weiss had accepted and returned her feelings even after their fiasco of a first date.

"Yeah," the blonde agreed. "Or you could even take her to a movie. You know all the kinda genres she likes based off what kinda books she enjoys, yeah? Again, you don't have to do it right away. Just think about it! Until then, just keep smilin' at her, because she definitely loves that. Trust me."

Ruby pondered her options for a moment. She was nervous about trying to confess to Blake, but her sister and Weiss had convinced her that Blake liked her too, so Ruby was feeling positive about things.

She didn't want to rush in, either. She'd try to do it naturally whenever the opportunity presented itself.

She was alerted to the time when her wrist watch gave a little beep. Ruby quickly turned it off and stood from the table, thanking the other two girls for their brief romantic advisement session.

Today, she'd brought a plastic baggie along to work with her, and she was sure to pick that up before hurrying off.

Normally around lunchtime, Yang and Weiss would leave the library for a date of their own, and then come back to walk Ruby home in the evening.

But today, Yang opted to have them stay here, in case things didn't go well with Blake, and her little sister needed someone to confide in. But she tried to think good thoughts and send positive vibes to Ruby. Weiss did the same.

Ruby left them at their study table and bounded down the stairs, fixing her clothes and hair a little bit as she went.

She found Blake in her cushioned chair as always, though was a little surprised to see that she wasn't reading. Maybe she'd just been expecting Ruby and had already packed up?

Ruby scurried over to her, wearing as bright a smile as ever.

"Hi, Blake! How's it going?"

Blake stood up right away, opening her arms invitingly as Ruby slipped into them, making sure not to bump Blake with the contents of her plastic bag.

"Hi, Ruby. I'm fine. How about you?"

"Super! Hungry and ready for lunch!"

"Then let's go get it."

They headed to the cafe. Blake kept flashing hesitant looks at Velvet as their order was prepared. The older Faunus merely encouraged Blake by means of multiple smiles and a bit of extra cream in her tea.

Blake's fingers had healed a few weeks ago, but she still needed to wrap several napkins around her cup before she could pick it up.

Once she'd paid, Velvet whispered another "good luck" to her, and Blake nodded. She'd do her best.

Ruby kept the handles of her bag around her wrist as she picked up her tray, and together they made for their table.

As they sat down, Ruby started up the conversation about a new book release by one of Blake's favorite authors.

Blake was reminded of the fact that she did much better in conversations when she didn't have a hidden agenda nagging at the back of her mind. If all she had to to was talk and not think about anything, she was fine around Ruby.

But now the prospect of trying to confess was starting to gnaw at her stomach. She sipped at her tea so she didn't have to speak as Ruby went off about the author.

"Did you know? His new book actually already got released! But all the copies are checked out because there was such a big hype for it," she declared around a mouthful of muffin.

Blake's ears perked up a little.

"R-Really? I wish I'd been on top of things. I would've loved to get one sooner, but I guess I'll wait until someone returns their copy."

Here, Ruby smirked and wiped her hands thoroughly on her napkin. Once she was certain her fingers were void of crumbs, she bent down to the bag on the floor at her feet.

"Well~" she said. "Lucky for you that you've got someone on the inside, Blake." Ruby winked as she said this and her fingers found purchase on the object within her bag. She straightened up to reveal a copy of the book in question, and her lips spread into a huge grin as she presented it to Blake.

The Faunus girl thanked the universe that she hadn't been holding her tea cup at the minute, because if she had been, she knew she would've spilt it.

"Ruby-!" she gasped, covering her mouth. "You-You really-? Oh gosh..."

"Heehee~ I told you I could get you some librarian-privileged benefits, right? Take it! It's all yours, Blake!"

Touched, Blake accepted the book with great care, gripping it with both hands as Ruby transferred it to her. The Faunus girl looked the cover over, her eyes wide in awe. She flipped through a few of the pages and breathed in the scent of the story.

Ruby was simply beaming as she watched Blake while munching on her cookie.

"I made sure to save a copy! I'm glad you like it!"

Blake placed the book into her own bag, fitting it in neatly next to her other tomes.

"I'll check it out before I leave today. Thank you so much, Ruby. No one's... ever really gone out of their way for me so much before. Really... thank you."

"It's okay! My pleasure! So tell me your theories of what you think's gonna happen in this volume."

"Well..."

Blake got comfortable in speaking once again as she temporarily pushed all thoughts of confessing to the back of her mind. Instead, she chatted with Ruby as always, though they were each a bit more excited now.

They sipped through their milkshake and tea respectively, talking the hour away.

It was only when Ruby's wrist watch went off at it's 5-minute warning when Blake realized she'd yet to say what she needed to. She was a little surer now than ever that Ruby liked her back. Why else would she have saved this new book for Blake alone?

She was becoming very hopeful, and even a little confident.

Once they'd gone up to the counter to return the tray and tea cup, and tossed out all their garbage, Blake and Ruby returned to their table to grab their things.

Ruby squished up her now-empty plastic baggie and tucked it under her arm, declaring she could use it to empty some trash bins around the building.

Blake was struggling to get her words out before they needed to leave one another for today.

"Ruby-" she said hastily. "I just... I wanted to say thanks again for the book. It made me... really happy."

"And that makes me happy!" Ruby cheered. She cast Blake a look of innocent inquiry, one Blake recognized as the question of permission for a hug.

The Faunus girl smiled despite her nervousness and opened her arms again.

Ruby wrapped her arms around Blake's back and nuzzled into her collar, feeling as Blake laid her arms over her shoulders in return.

Blake felt it was now or never.

She took a deep breath to steel herself, trying not to think too hard about what she was about to do. When her voice tumbled out, it almost sounded too rushed, too loud.

"Ruby..."

Blake felt the girl try to step back, so she may look up and see Blake's face as she spoke. But Blake held her close, not wanting to let Ruby see her expression. She felt she was about to cry again with how stressed she was about all this.

"Blake?" Ruby could only look over the Faunus girl's shoulder and hold her a little tighter. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she murmured. "I just.. wanted to say thanks..." You already did that! she reminded herself. Just get on with the rest! "A-And also, I just wanted to... to tell you something..." She tapered off, and Ruby waited patiently.

"Sure. Anything, Blake. I'm listening."

Another moment ticked by, and Blake thanked the fact that they were tucked behind a corner of the cafe, out of sight of other patrons. She inhaled again and swallowed.

"I just... I really... really like..."

As she spoke, Ruby froze.

Was Blake... really going to say this? Was it really happening?

Ruby bit her lip and waited, her heart thrumming with excitement against Blake's heightened pulse.

But as Ruby went still from the anticipation of hearing Blake's words, Blake interpreted it as something else. To her, it felt as though Ruby got suddenly uncomfortable, as though she were dreading what Blake was going to reveal.

So she didn't do it. Blake choked back a whimper and fell back on her plan for Ruby's sake.

"I really... like the book you gave me."

And Ruby's posture went limp again.

To Blake, it was relief, interpreted as Ruby being glad the Faunus girl hadn't said what she didn't want to hear.

But for Ruby, it was crushing.

She'd thought Blake was going to confess, and-

-and she hadn't.

Maybe Blake didn't like her that way...

Ruby needed to fight the urge to cry. She bit her lip hard and took in a deep breath, squeezing Blake's back.

"I... I'm glad you like it," she mumbled. "I'll- I'm gonna go back to work now, okay? Have fun reading it."

Hastily, she pulled away, ducking her face and not letting Blake catch so much as a glimpse of her expression before Ruby had scurried away across the library and up the stairs.

Blake was left watching her in dismay. She knew she'd just made a huge mistake based on her own misinterpretation, but she was too flustered and scared to call Ruby back, let alone run after her.

Evidently, Velvet had seen what happened, for she hurried out from behind the counter and caught Blake in her arms just as she was consumed by bitter tears.

A/N: Just when things were looking up, they plummet back down ;w; That happens sometimes, doesn't it?

If you like my work and would like access to chapters earlier than anyone else, please support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!

Please review!