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Requested By : Polemoduke

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"You really don't have to do anything, Weiss…" Jaune pressed as their car weaved along Vale's streets, the neon and flourescents of the Kingdom at night glinting and flickering through the long car's dark windows as it went. She flicked him a look and pursed her lips and Jaune shrank into the nice suit she'd bought him, grimacing and scratching at his chin. "I-I mean, you know…"

"I do precisely nothing I do not wish to." She answered, catching his meaning and smiling at the genuine kindness in his words. He pursed his lips and nodded and she smiled, watching the streets pass them by before a sudden spike of… Strange anxiety caught in her throat and, worried for a moment, she asked, "Do… Do you not wish to-"

"I need new gear, Weiss." He cut her off, waving a hand as he relaxed at the far end of the limo, one ankle resting on a knee while he, too, watched the streets.

"We're not even going shopping tonight, Arc." She frowned, "We're… Just getting dinner together."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm talking more… You know, generally? About the whole situation." She rolled her eyes and he sighed. Smiling without looking her way, he added in a gently teasing tone of voice, "And you're not horrible to be around."

"Oh?" She chuckled, shaking her head, "How very kind of you to say."

"I'm an honest man." He shrugged, ducking his head and holding up his hands in a 'what can you do' sort of gesture. Turning back to watch the streets, he said, "I just… Don't want to cause anyone any more trouble. And us going to dinner…"

"Could…?"

"I know what tabloids are, Weiss." He sighed, frowning deeply in that way of his. When his mind was racing, when he was processing things faster than Weiss had, once upon a time, even thought he could. So much she'd been wrong about…

And so much to make up for, she mused as her eyes trailed over his chest like they had in the days and days since the forest.

"Weiss," she blinked and met his gaze, and his frown, "I already told you I don't want you stressing out over what happened."

"I'm not."

"Uh huh…"

"I'm not!" She rolled her eyes when he just raised an eyebrow. Sighing, she said, "I just… I'm not good. With this."

"What?"

"Debts. Friends…" She answered quietly, more weakly than she'd intended. Than she would have been able to tolerate. But being princess carried through a forest did away with a bit of your pride, it seemed… Shaking the thought off, she sighed and scratched at her seat, "I just…"

"I get it." Jaune cut in, breaking her out of her thoughts just as they'd begun to turn melancholy, like he had been ever since the forest. Quietly, he finally crossed a line he had been skirting for almost as long and asked, gently, "Was Atlas… That bad?"

"You met my father…"

"Yeah, and remind me to wear a glove next time I do." He said, smirking when she snorted a laugh and then cleared her throat quickly, heat creeping up her neck. "But I meant… Everything. Like, did you really not have any friends up there?"

"No." She sighed, "All I had were my producers and directors… And suitors."

"Suitors?" His brow furrowed, "How old were you when that started?"

"Twelve or so…"

"Okay so I have a lot of people to punch." He sighed, shaking his head ruefully, "My poor knuckles…"

"Oaf." She chuckled, shaking her head and running her fingers through her ponytail gently, tugging it straight. "You can't beat up every rich boy in Atlas…"

"Sure I can." He smiled, wide and toothy, "Heck, it's not even hard. I feel like most of them would drop with a nice right hook. Like your dad tried to do."

"You. Are. An. Oaf." She intoned meaningfully, smiling all the while and smoothing her white dress as the car turned into the driveway of the restaurant and she sighed. "We're here. I ordered ahead for you, customary at places like these-"

"What'd ya get?"

"Steak, potatoes and a small salad. Nothing overtly fancy, I assure you." She sighed, letting the valet open her door as it came to a stop. Stepping out she turned, offering Jaune a hand up and, as he rose, turning smoothing and tugging his hand around her arm. Around them were people held back by a red rope and she felt Jaune stiffen as some of them noticed them - or rather, her - and a few of the paparazzi that practically lived outside the building snapped pictures. Leaning close and up, she whispered into his ear, "Ignore them. With Pyrrha and I on your team, you'll see them all too often…"

"Yeah." He sighed, "Doesn't mean I have to like it…"

"I know." She frowned, letting her smile turn into that easy, polite one she had trained herself to wear so well as her anxiety bloomed ever brighter. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Jaune whispered, taking his turn to lean down as they got close to the door and whispering in her ear. "You're worth it. Now that you've… Warmed up a bit."

She flushed and shot him a look but, before she could do more than register his little smirk the doorman stepped forward and spoke in a deep baritone, "Miss Schnee, your table is prepared. Shall I show you in?"

"Y-Yes." She stammered, pursing her lips and flicking him a look.

When had Arc gotten good at ruffling her feathers?

…

When had she had feathers to ruffle?!

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Nora hated the part of town Blake brought her to a few days after their forest rendezvous - and didn't that sound more exciting than it had been? Down here everything was old. And it stank of garbage rotting in overstuffed, neglected cans and paper left to slowly sog and rot away on the concrete. It mixed with the smog of cars passing by and clothes hanging outside windows, strung up between apartments sharing the lines, and street vendors, homeless people cooking at fires and a few ground-level restaurants topped by apartments.

At least the little coffee shop they slipped into smelled nice…

It was tiny and quaint, with as many booths shoved into the left wall as possible and an open-air kitchen covered in pots and pans and ovens that fulfilled the air with more warm, sweet smells than Nora could really process. And it was full of Faunus, old and young, scarred and clean, who turned angry glares on her as the door shut. She flinched for it, took a step back in surprise-

And a small hand took hers, Blake leaning in against her side and murmuring, "Nora…"

"I'm okay." She lied, feeling her hairs stand on end as her instincts screamed danger. A second passed and she realised Blake was still holding her hand as she went ahead, tugging her along, and Nora felt a tiny smile tug itself to life as Blake lead her to the back. To a corner booth, where they could both sit and watch the door.

"Arm around me." Blake grunted quietly, leaning down when Nora was more than happy to oblige. She rested her head on Nora's shoulder and picked up a menu, pretending to read it while she said. "Sweet, bitter or chocolate?"

"Isn't chocolate sweet…?"

"You're adorable." Blake chuckled, her breath rushing across the front of Nora's neck and the bare part of her chest. She swallowed nervously and Blake sighed, "I'll just order you sweet, then."

"I mean do I need sweet?" She chuckled, laying her hand on Blake's waist carefully, well above the edge of the dark pants she was wearing. Blake huffed and flicked her a look , glowering from under her brow, and Nora finished, "I have you, don't I?"

"You think you're smooth, hm?"

"I mean," she smiled, "I did get the girl on my shoulder?"

"You're cute."

"See, knew you liked me."

"You're insufferable." Blake sighed, smiling as the tired Waitress came over, long cat's tail flicking irritably behind her as she met Nora's gaze. Pressing closer against Nora, whose heart raced even knowing it was at least mostly just a ploy, Blake ordered, "Two bagels, one with brown sugar. Chai for me, and some chocolate coffee for my partner."

"Alright, out in ten." The woman nodded, flicking Nora a look before turning and trotting on to take another order.

"So…" Nora started after a minute or so of quiet, if only so she could focus on literally anything that wasn't Blake's head on her shoulder, and her hand around her midsection. "Come here often?"

"Here? No." Blake sighed, drumming a finger on Nora's side gently, anxiously. Quietly, she said, "Your heart is racing… If this plan isn't comfortable for you-"

"Being uncomfortable is, like, the opposite of the problem." Nora chuckled, instinctively tightening her grip around Blake and hugging her just that tiny bit closer. When Blake didn't pull away, she smiled and sighed. "Are, uh, are you… Comfy?"

"I'm fine."

"Gee," Nora snorted, "thanks."

"I-I mean…" She sighed and turned, sitting up a bit more so their heads were level, though she didn't pull away. Quietly, Blake said, "I'm… Not uncomfortable, if that's what you mean. But even with A- With him, I was never, you know… Good at this."

"And 'this' is…?"

"Don't be coy." She sighed, thumping her hand on Nora's stomach and leaving it there while Blake watched the door out of the corner of her eye. Pursing her lips, she said, "I'm… Trying."

"Trying what?"

"I don't know…" Blake's lips turned down, "To let it happen? Whatever the 'it' that's here is."

"Okay…"

"That's all you have?"

"I'm not gonna push you, Blakey." Nora smiled, daring to lean over and peck a kiss against the side of her head. Blake stiffened and scowled, turning to glower at her, and Nora smirked. "Okay, maybe a tiny bit of pushing. But not about anything serious. Dunno how many times I'll have to say it."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just…"

"Bad ex, right?"

"You could say that, and more…" Blake sighed, flicking her gaze over and stiffening as the door opened and a massive man stepped in, a bag of something under an arm. He came to the counter and dropped some cash, talking to the waitress from earlier while one of the horned cooks packed another bag. Quietly, as he turned to leave, Blake leaned in like she was giving Nora a kiss by her ear and whispered, breath hot and tickling at her neck, "That's Banesaw, one of my Ex's right hands."

"W-Wait," Nora stammered, actually flustered by how close Blake was now, and how hot her breath was, "your ex is-"

"Complicated." Blake murmured, turning to smile as the waitress brought over their order and set it down, leaving with a little bob of her head. Pulling away and picking up her drink, Blake hid her mouth in the drink, pretending to drink while she murmured, "He has to be working with Ilia. We trail him and we'll know where she is."

"But if we go now-"

"Too obvious." Blake nodded, "Eat fast."

Nora nodded, tearing into her bagel. She was halfway through when Blake shot up and shouted dramatically, "Shit, babe! I forgot about Nico's shift! We promised to walk her home!"

"Knew we were forgetting something! Fuck!" Nora played along, standing and grabbing a fistful of Lien from the pouch on the side of her waist, slamming it down and tugging Blake along. It was more than enough, and the waitress had to be able to tell from where she was picking up another order, so no one bothered them as they left.

Outside, Blake turned and gave Nora a beautiful, victorious grin, "Step one, done…"

"Next step, we get the girl?"

"Technically." Blake shrugged, making a 'so-so' hand gesture and smirking when Nora gave her a deadpan look. Taking her hand, Blake said, "Come on 'babe'. Let's go."

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Illia slid the heavy Dust capsule into the tube and, gently, pressed the little block that would serve as its base into place and held it standing straight up. She grit her teeth and looked away, nerves fraying and Aura flaring while Banesaw slowly circled it with a fire-Dust hand-welder. When it was closed she laid it on its side and took the little battery Banesaw handed her, sliding it into the slot and slapping the tape over it. All it'd need now is another battery pressed to the cap and the electricity would arc through, and send a slug out the end of the half-foot long pipe.

"There." She sighed, leaning back against the ratty bed foot while Banesaw padded over to a low table, one leg propped up on a book, to grab their bagels and a box of nachos he brought over. She took her box of nachos and sighed, setting them in her lap and eyeing the haphazard pile of weapons. "That's thirty…"

"Plenty for our boys." Banesaw nodded, sitting with his back against the T.V. across from her and chewing at his bagel.

"Four days," she murmured, anxiety bubbling up as she chewed at the cheesey, salty nachos, "and we put a few of the bastards in the ground…"

"Mhm." He rumbled, "Eat your nachos."

"Ugh…" She sighed, picking out a pepper and popping it into her mouth with a frown. "Is this really supposed to be what Valeans think Vacuoans eat?"

"Have you even been there….?"

"No." She shrugged, "but somehow I doubt the desert nomads are making a lot of grain chips and cheese."

"Fair." Banesaw shrugged impassively, "Eat anyways. Don't whine."

"Obviously…" She sighed, picking out another pepper and adding. "I can eat and whine, you know."

"You literally can't." He argued, "Physically."

She rolled her eyes and let it go, turning her thoughts to the plan. And, right after… To Blake. Where was she, even? Somewhere in Vale, surely. Getting to Mistral would have been easy enough, but they had people looking out for her. So unless she stole a boat, beached it somewhere, and hiked down to Menagerie, they would have to see her. And Vacuo? Why would she go to Vacuo? She hated sand… It was coarse, irritating, and got everywhere.

No, Blake had to be in Vale or Atlas - and Atlas was a definite 'hell no'.

But where could she be…

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Blake stared across the empty street at the ratty old hotel, more of its windows boarded over than not, and frowned as she punched the address into her Scroll and turned to leave, "C'mon, Nora. We need to get back and get some rest."

"Tomorrow…?"

"Tomorrow," she sighed, "we make a move."

And, if all went well, they'd put the problem to bed. And Blake could move on. To wherever her life was going to lead her… A thought which pulled her attention back to Nora as the Mistralian's fingers brushed her own, asking permission that Blake granted by taking her hand and smiling as they walked away. All in all a nice night, she supposed…

If a bit of a stressful one.

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DinoGuy :

Lmao, you made me hungry now-

Lea :

Oh you have no idea.

MereC55 :

Yeah, Nora has seen a lot. Is she a super genius prodigy? No. But she's peak emotional intelligence and nurturing nature.

Geralt Rex :

I plan to get a little, ahem, INTO the Fang without Cindy in play. So keep in tune lmao.