God, it's getting hotter and hotter over here. Sweating in my office again waiting for the rain the forecasts have promised me for later.


Cover Art: Kirire

Chapter 100


The day of the festival arrived in time for Blake to realise her wardrobe had suffered since joining ARC Corp. All she owned were suits and variations of suits in slightly different shades of black and grey, and while they were expensive as blocks of solid gold, they weren't exactly teenage dating attire.

In the end she sprinted down to a store to buy some tight jeans and a loose blouse-shirt combo in a shade of pale off-white-beige that she'd not normally be caught dead in, but which the cashier said would compliment her hair. It wasn't nearly protective enough for her liking and the jeans didn't leave anywhere to hide a weapon. Even pushing her scroll into the tight pockets made it bulge out menacingly.

Dating, she reminded herself. This is a date, not a dangerous job.

When she made it to Amity, it didn't take long to find Sun, but he was – to her dismay – with three other guys. Blake plastered on a friendly smile despite the annoyance and allowed him to loop his arm around her waist and pull her close

"You made it!" He looked happy if nothing else. "Blake, this is my team. I wanted you to meet them. This is my partner, Neptune, and my teammates Scarlet and Sage." The various boys greeted her with waves, nods, and smiles. "And this is Blake, everyone."

"I guess she really does exist," Scarlet teased. "And here I thought you were making her up."

"He kept talking you up," Neptune told her, trying both to involve her in the joke but also hype up his best friend. "We were beginning to think he'd made up the perfect girlfriend in his head from how much he talked about you."

Blake's smile was thin. "Well I am real."

Neptune seemed to catch what no one else on the team did, leaning back with an awkward sound in his throat. "Right, so, I think we should get out your hair and let you two enjoy the festival."

"We don't mind you all tagging along," said Sun.

Blake didn't frown.

"No. We'll ruin the mood." Neptune grabbed his teammates by the arms and pulled them away. "Have fun, you two."

At least he was perceptive, Blake would give him credit for that. It wasn't as if she disliked his team from the brief meeting, but it would be hard enough getting into the mood of being on a romantic date without three extra guys hanging around watching her and Sun's every movement.

Sun didn't seem to get it, so she figured he hadn't been on too many dates – or maybe he was one of those painfully extrovert people who just didn't understand why others could feel awkward.

I wanted opposite from Adam and I'm certainly getting just that…

Amity was filled with stands and stalls and carnival games, all to entertain the tens of thousands coming up for the tournament. The actual matches weren't set to begin for two hours yet, so Sun took her around the various games – constantly assuring her she didn't need to pay and using his own savings for them to have turns at things.

It was cute, she supposed, and she did feel herself unwinding a little bit from the simplicity of it all. What the games lacked in challenge or fun, he made up for with over-the-top mannerisms and personality, even going so far as to give his winnings to little kids for the sake of seeing them smile.

"I'd cause a bit of a scene going into my fight with a bunch of stuffed toys," he said.

"I don't know. It'd be a power move to beat your opponent with a teddy."

He laughed. "I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's self-esteem like that. Some of the teams competing here are sick with worry. I've seen them pacing Beacon and throwing up in the restrooms."

"I guess it must be intimidating to perform in front of so many people."

"Heh. I think they're more worried of being knocked out in the first round. Like, half of the teams are going to lose but to be the first losing team at the whole tournament would be crushing."

"Are you worried?"

"I think we're on the better side," he said, without arrogance. "And I know if we get knocked out first, it'll be by a team that's going to go all the way to the end. Only about three teams we're genuinely hoping to avoid. One of them is Yang's, actually."

"Are they that strong? They're just first-years."

"So are we," he pointed out. "But it's not the whole team that's the issue – it's just her. If we get them in the 4v4 we might be okay, but her team gets stronger the less members it has. Going to doubles alone will be her and the Schnee for sure, and you know how ridiculous their Semblances are."

"Hmmm."

Winter's face flashed through her mind, but she didn't feel too upset about the memory. The woman had deserved to die. Blake would never think that about many people, but she was on the small list where it applied.

"I'd been meaning to ask," said Sun. "What's with the book?"

He tapped his hand on the cover of the thick tome attached awkwardly to her hip. Her jeans offered no real way to hold it there, so it was simply hooked into her soul and hanging from her body by what might as well have been magic. While she hadn't thought anything of it, barely noticing it, the thing was so out of touch with the rest of her outfit that just about everyone else would have.

"It's an heirloom," she lied. "Sentimental value. I don't trust leaving it at home."

The echoing giggles from the anomaly tittered away in her mind.

"I didn't want to ask…"

"It's fine." She waved it off. "I could use some food."

He took the hint. "Then to the food stalls we go!"

There was a lot that was better to say about the food than the stalls. Given the theme of "cultural cooperation" it was to be expected they'd have food from every corner of the world – except Menagerie, of course – and so there was a wide array of options from every kingdom to sample. A chance to try new things.

Sun forcefully introduced her to his Vacuan spiced chicken curry that looked awful but tasted actually incredible, and she shared a "Mistralian" fish sushi meal that was 100% stolen from Kuo Kuana and then appropriated into Mistral. Menagerie and Mistral weren't technically allied or even friendly, but they were close on a proximity basis and that meant trade occurred on a regular basis.

You usually found less racism away from the cities anyway, as out in the wilderness where space and Grimm were plentiful it was hard to feel someone was coming in and "stealing your jobs" or whatever nonsense those in the city threw around. Most outpost villages were thrilled to see new people, faunus or no. More hands meant less work.

They'd just finished up eating when Sun's scroll buzzed, not with a call but an early alarm he'd set to remind himself when he needed to head belowground for the competitor sections. A pre-tournament seminar or something on how they were to act and what to do in the case of an emergency.

"But we'll meet up after, right?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course. We're on for dinner tonight to celebrate your win."

"Great! I have—"

"Blake!"

Sun paused as a red blur approached, stopped, spotted him, and then blushed furiously. "Eep! I'm sorry! Don't let me interrupt!"

"Good timing, actually," said Blake, reaching out and grabbing her arm. "This is Ruby – Yang's sister. You remember me telling you about her and how she's going to keep me company while you fight."

"I remember." Sun smirked. "But I don't remember you telling me she was so cute."

Ruby garbled helplessly and hid behind Blake.

"Don't tease her!" Blake laughed and punched his arm. "And you, Ruby, don't make it so easy for him. She's here to cheer on Yang."

"Heh. You'll cheer on me as well. Right, Ruby?"

"Um. Yes…?"

"Try it now. Say `Sun, Sun, Sun! He's the best!` as loud as you can."

Ruby, embarrassed and frazzled, opened her mouth, only for Blake to seal a hand over it. "He's teasing you again, Ruby. Don't encourage him."

Sun burst out laughing. "Ah, but she is cute. Way cuter than her Goliath of a sister. I'd best go, though. I'll look for you in the crowd, Blake. And I'm sorry I couldn't get you seats in the competition wing."

"It's fine."

Sun smiled and turned away.

Blake rolled her eyes. "I think you're forgetting something." Her hand grabbed his elbow and pulled, and she caught his lips before he could recover. His eyes widened. "For good luck," she said, pulling away.

He smiled goofily, not quite able to manage words as he stumbled away.

"He seems nice," Ruby whispered.

"He is nice. Very sweet and gentle and romantic."

"And now you sound like that's boring."

"It's not boring," she deflected. "I'm just not used to it. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It's just something I need to get used to. Come on, let's go get our seats before some idiots think they can steal them from us."

/-/

Sun's team didn't get to be first fight and first loss, and he was probably relieved about that. Ruby and she watched the fights, and they were fun. Blake would admit that a lot of the people down there were probably stronger than her now. She had the training at first, but ARC Corp hadn't really given her much time to improve.

At least not in the way a huntress was meant to.

Give her a mysterious anomaly running wild and she'd handle it, and while her combat skills were useful to their office, they weren't prioritised. You had to be "good enough" to survive, and your deductive reasoning was more important.

"So, how has your date been going for real?" asked Ruby.

"Honestly, it's not been bad."

Ruby didn't look convinced.

"I won't lie and say he's swept me off my feet, but he hasn't disappointed me either. You need to get those ideas of heavenly choruses out your head, Ruby. We've played some games and had some food. There hasn't been time for much else."

"But did you like it?"

"I didn't like the games, but I liked it when he gave the prizes to little children. He's made me smile several times today and that counts for something. Besides, he doesn't have much control over the quality of the carnival games or us being here. He has to be here for the tournament so I'm not going to judge him for it."

"Hmmm."

"Like you apparently are. What's your problem with him?"

"I don't know, he seems nice." Ruby fidgeted. "But I think you like Jaune more."

"This again? Ruby, you like Jaune. You should be thrilled I'm dating another guy."

"I am but… did I push you away from Jaune?"

"What? No." Blake swatted the girl's head and made her yelp. "Sheesh. I like you, Ruby, but believe me when I say that hurting your feelings wouldn't stop me if I liked someone. And me not chasing Jaune has nothing to do with you and everything to do with him."

"I guess…"

"He'd reject me if I asked." He'd reject Ruby too, but she couldn't say that. "He's not looking for romance and won't entertain the idea of it thanks to his family. It'd make work awkward anyway. Someone like Sun is safer."

"But is he better?"

"In some ways, yes. I can't exactly go to Jaune to destress when he reminds me of work – the reason I'm stressed in the first place. Sun doesn't know anything about the anomalies and horrors of the world, so he takes my mind off them."

The next fight came out and the two of them cheered with the crowds as teenagers fought for their entertainment. It might not have been her thing, but it was easy getting swept up in the atmosphere.

And it beat dealing with anomalies.

When Sun's team were finally picked, it was against a team of girls from Vacuo – and Blake made sure to wave just in case he could pick her out in the crowd. Unlikely, but she'd promised. His team were on the backfoot for a portion of the fight, but the Vacuans had roiled lucky with a desert-based terrain. In the end Sun was able to lead his team to victory and she and Ruby applauded with the rest of the audience.

He'd acquitted himself well and must have been on top of the world. Blake smiled for Sun's sake. Maybe she should reward him for such a show.

/-/

As promised, she spent time with Sun after the day's fights and, as expected, he was in a fantastic mood - literally bouncing off the walls excitedly. His cheer was infectious enough that even when he took her to watch a middling rom-com and to a cheap restaurant (again refusing to let her pay despite her vastly superior pay), she still enjoyed herself.

In a way that felt good, as if she was enjoying his presence rather than the choices of date – and wasn't that better? It almost meant she'd have fun with him wherever, and when he did finally cotton on and pick places she liked, it'd be all the better for it.

When the evening crept on, Sun offered to walk her home. Jaune was likely still out at Alistair's having fun with the other anomalies, so she accepted, and they hesitated outside the apartment block.

"It's cold," she said. "Do you want to come in for a drink?"

Sun caught her meaning, his face burning red. "I… uh… I probably shouldn't. It all feels a little too soon, you know."

Blake didn't frown.

But she did feel annoyed.

Was it soon? They'd technically been on dates before, and "officially" dating for several weeks now. Sure, she'd been busy for a lot of that, but it wasn't like this was their first date or anything. Worse yet, his reaction made her feel like she was being judged for being too loose.

"But I've had a lot of fun," he said. "I'd love to hang out again tomorrow. Maybe catch another movie before the fights?"

"I'm busy in the morning," she lied. The thought of another movie had her insides dropping. "But I'll be at Amity again and I'm free to spend a little time together after."

His disappointment turned to delight. "Yeah! Yeah, that'd be great. How about we go party with my team? Neptune found this amazing club, or so he says."

Team-based activities? It was hardly a proper place for a date.

Maybe it was her who was out of touch.

"Sure. That sounds fine." Loud music and drink weren't her thing but maybe he'd surprise her, ad maybe all he needed to make a move was some liquid courage. "Let's hook up at Amity again. Same time."

"Hm. Yeah. Can I…?"

He moved his hands toward her gingerly.

Honestly, she'd have preferred if he had the guts to initiate on his own, but she could also respect him asking. Better that than forcing himself on someone who didn't want it. Blake smiled coyly to calm him down. "You may."

The kiss was soft, sweet, and didn't last long. Sun wasn't comfortable enough to deepen it and it left her wanting and cold, which apparently wasn't his experience because he was red in the face and apparently very, very warm. He smiled goofily and bid her goodnight, then practically skipped away.

At least one of them got to leave satisfied.

Blake retired to her room with Timothy and ready trashy erotic novels while the spider lounged in her lap. The urge to talk to someone was there but Jaune, for all that he would listen, wouldn't have any advice for her, and Ruby was too young to trouble with this. Her mom on the other hand would be too curious for her own good.

That left one option.

/-/

With a cooling wrap over her eyes, hot stones on her back and fingers digging into her feet while her nails were given a manicure, Blake recounted the date to her friends(?) in the expensive spa and massage parlour. It was up in the air what their relationship was exactly, but the women were more experienced than her and not at all afraid to give her their blunt assessments.

"He sounds young," said one. "And, like, I know you're young as well but there's physical maturity and then there's emotional maturity."

"Becky has the right of it. You're a working woman making big money and he's still in school – there's bound to be problems like this."

"Is it a problem, though?" Blake asked. "Or am I expecting too much?"

"Expecting too much is thinking a guy can afford to buy you a gold necklace and five-course dinners when he's a student. Wanting someone to be more serious about what they want from you isn't that."

"Hmhm," said another. "You made it clear you're looking for a relationship. It sounds to me like he just wants to date."

"Is that a thing? I thought all men want it to go further."

"Most do, but there are some who panic. Maybe they're not ready yet or self-conscious, or maybe they have weird ideas on how slow things should be before getting to that part. I went out with one guy who told me I was a prude for not putting out after three dates and then another who called me a slut for inviting him in on the second." There was a round of giggles. "Men aren't all the same. Some have different ideas about these kinds of things."

Blake hummed. "So, what do I do?"

"You need to sit him down and talk to him about it," said the oldest. "You need to explain to him what your expectations are and what you want from this, and then ask him what he wants. If those things match, great. If not, you need to end it there, girl."

"Just like that…?"

"Just like that, girl. My sister dated a man for five years hoping he'd pop the question only to find out he hadn't been planning to settle down. It might be even worse for yours. He's a huntsman, isn't he?"

"Training to be, yeah."

"Right, so, what are his plans after graduating? Where is he going to be based? Is he going to travel the world with his teammates fighting Grimm or is he going to come to Vale so you can commit to a relationship?"

Troublingly, she had no answers. Blake bit her bottom lip.

"Don't do that," one of them chastised and peeled her lip away with their fingers. "You haven't done anything wrong. All she's saying is you need to both be on the same page. And if he doesn't want to come to Vale or if he wants to travel, that's his choice. But better you find that out now than get your heart broken later."

"Yeah…"

"Because let's face it, girl, you're not in love with him right now. You like him, and it's working out, but you're still at the part where you could pull out without a broken heart. Not all guys want the same thing. He might just be looking for a holiday-girlfriend."

"A holiday girlfriend…?"

"It's where you meet and get with someone for the duration of a holiday but with the full intention of not carrying it on after."

Blake scowled. "That sounds awful."

"Eh, it's fine if you both expect that. I've had a holiday boyfriend before. But it doesn't sound like that's what you want."

It wasn't. Blake wasn't sure exactly what she wanted, but she knew it wasn't to put herself out with time and effort – and physical intimacy – for someone who would leave in a week or two and never come back. And Sun was going to go back to Mistral. In her head, she'd convinced herself she'd be fine with a long-distance relationship, but now she wasn't sure that was what she wanted at all.

"He seemed put off when I invited him in. Do you think I did that too early. Was I being slutty?"

Something tapped her head. "Don't be daft. You're a grown woman who can decide how, who, and when she wants to use her body. And you're a professional working a stressful job who – in your own words – has to deal with a lot of dangerous stuff. I think we've all assumed you have a job with a low life expectancy."

"Hmm. My boss has lost several coworkers this year alone."

"Ouch. But, yeah, given that and how dangerous work is, I don't think any of us here are going to criticise you wanting to move things along a little quicker."

"I'd have thought a huntsman would agree," added another. "I mean, they can die at any time too."

"Maybe it's because he's a baby-huntsman still in school."

"Please don't say I'm dating a baby," Blake groaned.

The women giggled. "You're good, Blake. Honestly, you come across in your early twenties by attitude alone. You dress well, you have a proper job, and you have your life together. You rent your own place and live alone, too. While him? He's living in a dorm with his best friends and having lessons and parties. They probably still play dumb pranks on one another while you're out risking your life on the corporate ladder."

The gap between them felt like it was growing larger and larger.

Sun really was still young, wasn't he? Not physically but emotionally. It wasn't his fault, either. He was in school, with all his needs provided for, and you adapted to your surroundings. He wanted to take someone out to the movies, hold their hands, cuddle for selfies, and hang out with them and his friends.

And she…

It would have been a simplification to say she wanted sex – because it was a lot more than that. She wanted emotional intimacy, someone to hold onto, a person she could cuddle into after a harrowing day of work where yet more innocent people had been killed by monsters. She wanted someone who could for a moment take that all away and make her feel safe, as if she wasn't submitting herself to yet another unknown anomaly when she fell asleep.

Put like that, it sounded a little pathetic, but she wanted someone who was as serious about her as she was prepared to be serious about them. Someone who would commit. It didn't have to be marriage – hell, she wasn't ready for that – but it needed to be someone who wouldn't run off with his friends without telling her and then laugh it all off as a joke after.

Do I need an older person? As if that helps. The only guy who fits that bill is Roman or Qrow. Double yuck. And Yang is probably the same mentally as Sun so no help there. At this rate I'm going to have to turn to dating apps.

And the last one turning into an anomaly had burned her on those.

"I'll talk with him," she said.

Her friends(?) all muttered their approval, wishing her good luck and offering advice on how she could accomplish it in a way that wouldn't send Sun running for the hills. They even demanded she roleplay it out with them, each taking on a different personality to play out different guys with different holdups that she had to discuss and sort out. It was messy, but her massage-slash-relationship-counselling was certainly worth the money she paid for it.


Next Chapter: 13th May

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