Beacon Academy: The Dormitories, Outside Team CFVY's dorm

Our lone huntsman in training nervously stands outside of the dorm of his close friends, unsure of this date idea that Coco concocted, as he should be more focused on the tournament. And more important than the tournament, he worries about the enemies hidden in plain sight, and is on his own personal investigation to find out which Atlas soldier led the attack on Garanda. Regardless, now that he is here and one knock away from picking up Velvet, take her on a fun date, and take her mind off everything that happened to her teammates earlier today, there is no turning back and bailing now

"Okay, here goes…" Link exhales calmly as he approaches the door and gently knocks

"I got it!"

The voice of Coco Adel is heard, followed by quiet footsteps. The dejected team CFVY leader slowly turns the doorknob, and peaks through the small crack of the open door

"Oh, it's you." She mumbles

"Yes, it is me." Link nods. "Remember? You set this date up."

"R-Right. Well, you look..." Coco approvingly nods. "Very nice. It might not be anything new but at least you don't look like you're going to cut a grimm's head off anytime soon."

"Thank you?" Link chuckles

"Velvet is just doing her hair… Again, even though the three of us told her it looked fine. She'll be out very soon. I would invite you in but our dorm isn't in its best state at the moment." Coco sheepishly grins. "We've been down all day, plus Velvet keeps asking Yatsuhashi and I if we need anything. So please Link, you better not bring her back even more stressed. She needs a relaxing night more than anyone."

"Whoa now you're just piling on even more pressure. Is this a date or a mission?" Link smiles

"Just for that sass? It's both." Coco sticks her tongue out at Link and retreats back into her team's dorm

(She really is taking it well, considering it was a tough loss. Good job, Coco.) Link backs away and nervously rubs his hands together, anxious over the date, but more because of his concern regarding providing Velvet with a good time. (The plan is simple: keep Velvet smiling, laughing, or anything else it takes for her to maintain a positive mindset.)

"Link?" Velvet softly whispers as she exits out from the dorm. "Y-You really showed up."

"Of course I did. Hi Velvet." Link nods

He takes a good look at the rabbit faunus from head to toe, their agreement to keep it casual is slightly broken by the second year student. Velvet wears chocolate brown boots that go all the way up to her knee, followed by her usual black leggings that lead up to her now hidden shorts

"You look nice." The blonde boy grins

"Thank you. But I must say, I am so sorry." Velvet shyly smiles as she pats down a brown coat she wears that covers her entire upper body and goes down to her thighs, with the last edition being a yellow scarf around her neck. "I was not going to wear this but, I ended up getting a bit chilly." She nervously smooths out the scarf as it hangs down to her waist

"Hmmm… You're nervous and cold, Vel. Those are not good combinations." Link sadly frowns. "Are you sure you'd like to go out toni-"

"Yes!" Velvet eagerly nods. "It has felt and actually been so long since you and I spent time together. I do not want to miss out on the opportunity, especially when it is just us two. Let's go out."

"I am happy to hear that." Link warmly smiles and extends his hand. "Shall we?"

"Gladly." Velvet reaches out and takes the blonde's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as the pair make their way out of the dormitories

Beacon Academy: The Courtyard

Moments later, after a slow walk out of the building where students sleep. Velvet and Link exit Beacon Academy and calmly stroll down the courtyard, neither of them makes a single remark about their date being at night, nor do they mention... Anything else as they simply walk in silence

"Hey Link… I just thought of something." Velvet frowns, "Unless we are only going to take a walk around the courtyard? Does that mean-!"

"I understand. How are we going to get to Vale when it is just us and at night?" Link nods. "I didn't plan everything, but I think I can pull some strings."

"If it involves violence in any way, don't even think about it." Velvet nervously shakes her head. "We can go to your dorm or spend the night walking on campus."

"Everything is going to be okay, Velvet." Link confidently smiles, "I dislike a lot about Atlas, but I will not pick fights against any Atlesian soldier or citizen for no reason." But internally, he shrugs. (I say that after I picked a fight with Weiss' sister in an attempt to get my questions answered.)

The rabbit faunus and blonde boy soon approach the landing docks at the end of the courtyard, where three Beacon bullheads are lined up next to one another, each with about ten feet of space in between

(Beacon Ships being guarded by Atlas soldiers? Alright then, that is going to complicate things.) The one person team mumbles whilst stepping forward. "Stay right here Velvet, I'm going to talk with those gentlemen and see if they can do us a favor."

"What do you mean by talk?" Velvet shakes her head. "Link please."

"I promise it won't get physical." Link turns, places a hand on Velvet's shoulder, and gives her an assuring squeeze as he steps back and away from her. (I'm not interested in fighting tonight after all.)

"Okay." Velvet mumbles, takes a step back, and watches him carefully

(Ironwood really stepped all over Ozpin's feet with his presence in Vale and Beacon. There is not a single Academy ship that usually sits here?) Link narrows his eyes. (What is the general's goal with all of this?)

"Halt!" One of three Atlesian soldiers extends his arm and signals for Link to keep his distance. "We are sorry to inform you that we cannot transport anyone else that isn't Atlas personnel. You Beacon students are past your curfew."

"Yeah, good point. Don't you kids have a curfew too?" The soldier in the middle of the three speaks up

"I have never heard of a curfew. Apart from being a bit of a rebel, I really have not heard of that before." Link shamelessly chuckles. "My friend Velvet and I need to take a... Little trip into the city."

"No can do." The third man shakes his head. "Unless this is approved by General Ironwood or Beacon's headmaster Professor Ozpin, we cannot take any students into the city past school hours. And especially this late at night."

"Is that so? General Ironwood can now lay down rules on Beacon Students? How… Inappropriate. Considering he has no actual authority over Beacon." Link rubs his chin dramatically

"Inappropriate? How so? General Ironwood should have the authority to implement rules of his own, regardless of the kingdom we are in. This is all for the safety and well being of you kids."

"After he almost killed a Beacon student?" Link shakes his head. "Why should anyone trust him or Atlas military going forward?"

"You actually believe those rumors?" The soldier scoffs. "Come on, don't just take the word of any stranger as fact, kid."

"Considering I was there when it happened… I think my words hold some value." Link raises an eyebrow. "Do you recognize me yet?"

"What do you mean-!"

"Wait a second, you're that kid." The final soldier on the right marches towards Link and attempts to size him up for intimidation purposes, "General Ironwood recently changed the status of the mission to capture this kid. It was promptly suspended after what happened in the city of Vale." He smirks. "But the mission was not closed."

"So this is the infamous kid, the one called Link?"

"That is me." Link nods

"Yes, the infamous 'twilight demon' as most of us call you?" The middle soldier chuckles

"Well, you can call me Link instead." The blonde boy frowns. "Because that is my actual name."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." The soldier on the left rolls his eyes behind his visor. "You're telling me this is the kid who we've been after this entire time? He doesn't look like a massive problem to me."

"If only that were true." The soldier who initially marched up to the student shrugs. "He's been slippery and getting away from us for a long time. Now that we have him in our sights, we can't snatch him up."

"Tragic, I'm sure." Link grins. "Now tell me. Why would such an honest and dedicated man like your General… Go ahead and lie about what happened on that day the city was attacked by Grimm?"

"You're telling me those rumors actually have some truth behind them?" The first man to speak up looks over to his colleagues. "No way, surely this kid is lying."

"ALLEGEDLY, the General hit a student with a shot using his revolver from point-blank range. The unnamed student survived, but for a moment their body was lifeless."

"Allegedly?" Link frowns. "The real story must have been covered up then. Because if the real details were publicly stated then there is no way Ironwood would have kept his job."

"What are these 'real' details?"

"If Ironwood went out of his way to bring me down on his list of high priorities for the Atlas military, then I suppose the only thing I can do to repay the guy is to not say what really happened." Link chuckles. "Let's just say that student you won't name, has a name, and she's one of my closest friends."

"H-How does he know-!"

"I knew there had to be a reason for you Atlas soldiers being so passive towards me. Considering that Winter and I fought the other day as we-!" Link stops himself, but it is too late. (Damn… I had the advantage too. I need to learn when to shut my mouth.)

"So this boy commits those crimes on his file. Constantly pesters the general, fights Special Operative Schnee, and we are not allowed to arrest him?" The soldier in the middle tightly grips his gun

"Let's take it back to allegations now that we're here, shall we?" Link growls. "Since you Atlas scum have accused me of so many crimes without any evidence."

"Oh great, this isn't the first time you have denied-!"

"Just stop it already, it's pathetic." Link shakes his head in annoyance. "I just thought of a great idea actually, why don't you three hear me out?"

"Oh no..."

"I should pay Ironwood back by not revealing what he did to everybody, yes? However, because you have this urge to bring up certain crimes that I know you Atlas snakes falsely pinned on me, you..."

Link steps forward and calmly grabs the shoulder of the soldier sizing him up, who was actually an inch shorter than him

"Are going to take Velvet and I to the city. If we're not there in about ten to fifteen minutes, maybe vivid details will make it to the press… About General Ironwood almost killing a student from Beacon, when that student was valiantly fighting Grimm off to protect her second home. A student who goes by the name Ruby Rose, someone I call a best friend."

(That's not even the real story.)

The cold voice rings throughout Link's head, but otherwise there are no further objections from anybody else present

(I know that. But I have them right where I want them.)

"You're full of it." The soldier unsuccessfully attempts to push the blonde's hand away, "Only conspiracy theorists will take your word."

"Oh really?" Link's smile fades just as quickly as it appeared, "You have no idea what I can say, do, and achieve in twenty-four hours. None of you know me in the slightest, except for a file you have on me. Which I guarantee has absolutely zero true information, with the rest being full of nonsense details regarding crimes that I did not commit." The student narrows his eyes, "Imagine the headline, 'Eyewitness who was only feet away from the alleged shooting of a Beacon student, opens up about that day in this exclusive piece'." He shakes his head and stares down the Atlas soldier, "Uproar, chaos, protests, you name it, all to get Ironwood out of his position. All because you, you, and you..." Link points at the three atlas soldiers. "Refused to simply take my friend and I into the city? Is that really worth losing your jobs over? Is it even worth causing more tension between Atlas and Vale? Or worse, Atlas and the rest of the world? Because it seems like you really want the White Fang to succeed with how crooked your kingdom's military truly is."

"Y-You-!" The same soldier backs away and glances at his comrades, who both remain silent

"All I ask is that you take us to the city and then bring us back." Link politely smiles. "I am not asking a lot and this should be easy for you guys. One quick trip into Vale for an hour or less and then a faster return. Then we can forget this conversation ever happened, unless..."

"ALRIGHT!" The loud shout from the soldier on the left is heard as he steps forward to put a stop to this once and for all. "I believe you said to the city of Vale, sir?"

"Such a polite gentleman, the City of Vale, yes please." Link smiles, turns around, and nods at Velvet to approach

"I heard shouting." Velvet whispers to Link when she catches up. "Did you do something you weren't supposed to?"

"Shouting?" Link rubs his chin. "Oh right, they could not believe I scored a date with you. Atlas militar does not like me so they could not believe a criminal such as myself has any friends, let alone a pretty girl to go on a date with."

"Oh you..." Velvet flushes as she shakes her head. "I doubt that's what happened, but I will take your word for it."

The pair of students enter the bullhead on the far left, and both of them instantly garner dirty looks from the remaining two soldiers outside of their respective ships, remaining in their position on the courtyard. With the active soldier begrudgingly leading the one person team and rabbit faunus onto the ship, despite showing complete signs of annoyance

"Now I really want to doubt you." Velvet nervously smiles at the soldier as she and her date sit down next to each other. "Those soldiers did not look happy about us boarding the ship? Is this a good idea Li-!"

"Don't worry about it, they were clearly envious." Link sarcastically nods. "Forget about them, Velvet. They are no longer our concern, having a good night is our priority."

(They definitely will be your priority in the future but instead you want to waste your time finding love in the company of a wild ani-!)

(Shut up.) Link shrugs. (Right now my focus is making Velvet happy. This is not about finding love, despite my attraction to her. It's about getting her mind off her team's loss today and a fun night could do just that.)

Velvet smiles and eases up, with Link's confidence assuring her there will be no issues with the soldiers. The rabbit faunus leans to her right and looks outside through the openings of the bullhead. She admires the view of what separates Beacon and Vale, beautiful landscape, mostly consisting of a massive body of water

"Hm..." Link smiles whilst observing Velvet happily glancing at the environment outside

Unfortunately, in the short amount of time he keeps his eyes on her, those few seconds are enough to make his smile fade. The visual innocence and beauty of Velvet slowly morphs into a smiling image of his old friend Ray, with a slow transformation ensuing. Link blinks rapidly and the next thing he sees is Velvet's eyes turning green, her rabbit ears fading, and the smile on her face growing even wider

(I n-need to stop this! Whatever this is… It isn't fair to Velvet.) The blonde boy wipes his eyes with both hands and tries to get rid of the illusion consuming his mind and vision

Minutes pass by, with Velvet and Link sitting in silence as the latter presses his hands on his temples, attempting to suppress the sight of someone, who is usually be a good part of his memories

"Link, are you okay?" Velvet instantly scoots closer to him upon realizing his shift in behavior; she gently lays her hand on his knee while leaning into him with her shoulder. "Whatever is going on, you can always tell me, yes?"

"Of course." Link sighs and massages his temples. "I know that, thank you Velvet. You've always been sweet to me so it's only right that I trust you. But, I am okay right now and I hope it stays that way."

"I hope so too, because we are almost there. But you had your hands over your head the entire time. Are you perhaps afraid of flying?" Velvet glances around the empty bullhead and bites her lips. "Do you often experience motion sickness?"

"No, no, I don't have a problem with flying. It's just... Nothing. A bad memory came back but it's gone." Link smiles and puts his hand over Velvet's. "It was Ray, I started seeing her but it's gone now."

"O-Oh! Well I am glad it's not deeply haunting you." Velvet yelps and blushes when their hands touch. "And thank you for telling me the full truth. I-It r-really m-means-!"

"Hey, relax... Coco isn't here to make it any more awkward." Link chuckles and gently squeezes on her hand. "Tonight is for us only. Remember that."

"R-right, it is just you and me." Velvet's big smile widens entirely as she rests her head on Link's shoulder and softly exhales

More silence consumes the pair, but this time with more upbeat and positive vibes. Soon enough, the short trip comes to a close when the Beacon students experience an abrupt landing

"W-whoa!" Velvet clings onto Link's arm as the ship lands awkwardly, creating a faint crashing sound when it touches down

"I suppose he's not a big fan of ours. More like me but…" Link shrugs as they ship comes to a full stop and a pair of soldiers angrily walk towards them, one of them being the same man he was face to face with at the landing docks

"Forty-five minutes." One of them mumbles. "Then we are out of here."

"How about you make it an hour?" Link grins. "Out of the kindness of your hearts, of course."

The disgruntled soldier sighs and slowly nods, his partner looks on in frustration but does not utter a word

"Fifty-five minutes."

"Is that the game we are playing?" Link sighs and leans forward to whisper, out of earshot from Velvet. "Make it an hour and a half now, or else those twenty-four hours of describing what General Ironwood did to Ruby turn into twelve."

"Grrr, fine." The soldier lips drop, eliminating his smirk and indicating a nasty frown has formed

"Thank you." Link smiles while he and Velvet stand up. The blonde boy leads her out of the bullhead, but suddenly stops. "Actually, you go on ahead, Velvet. I have to do one more thing."

"Link please." Velvet tugs on his arm. "The crash was not a big deal and nobody got hurt, let it go."

"No need to worry, Vel. This has nothing to do with that. I promise, nothing violent will occur." Link slips his hand away from the rabbit faunus' and walks back towards the soldier

"Cold feet already?" The soldier smirks

"No, I came back to thank you." Link reaches into his pouch and offers his hand to the soldier

"Okay?" The soldier shakes Link's hand, but when they pull away, he notices a generous amount of green lien cards in his hand. "I don't need your money kid. I'm working for the richest military in Remnant."

"You already brought us here and even though I don't like you Atlas people." The blonde student nods. "It's the least I can do since I blackmailed you to bring us here in the first place."

"Alright then you damn merc." The soldier shrugs and accepts the payment. "You really have no idea what to do with your money, do you?"

Link blankly stares at the soldier and thinks back to the purpose of gathering all this money working countless mercenary jobs, to find people that may not even be alive anymore

"...Not at all." Link chuckles and walks back towards his date.

"I know you didn't want me to see or listen but that was so generous. Even when you don't see eye to eye with Atlas, you're still sweet." Velvet smiles and walks with Link side by side while they enter the city

"Yes, I suppose being generous can't hurt anyone." Link smiles and bumps her with his shoulder

"Okay now I need to ask. Where are we going exactly?" Velvet quickens her pace and tightly grabs onto Link's arm

"Considering the state of your dorm, I assume you have not eaten." Link mumbles as they approach the end of a sidewalk

The pair check their surroundings and see people roam the streets with many continuously celebrate over the grand spectacle that is the Vytal festival tournament

"You would be correct. Fantastic guess." Velvet smiles. "We only had coffee in the morning."

"Good because we are our destination." Link crosses a street with Velvet by his side, they casually walk by the infamous Tukson's Book Trade, which is now boarded up and visibly shut down after the disappearance of its owner

The students soon reach the end of this street too, before taking a sharp right and within seconds of turning the corner, two buildings in particular stand out the most. One is a loud but very swanky nightclub, to the left and across the street from the students. The other building shines more, as it is a prestigious restaurant across from the previously mentioned nightclub

"No way." Velvet gasps and lets out an excited giggle. "We're going to Revél Rivál?"

"We sure are. I am very glad you said yes to being my date tonight, I would have hated to cancel this reservation." Link smiles

The pair happily approach the restaurant, with the booming music and bright lights of the nightclub adding to the atmosphere of the lively streets of Vale. The big line outside the nightclub seem to be mostly Vale natives, with some of them even recognizing the Beacon students

"Hey that's Velvet from team CFVY!"

"AWESOME!"

"What? Why is she here now? This is so cool."

"Is that Link?! Why are they out so late?"

"Who cares?! We're looking at Huntsmen up close in person!"

"No way is that really them?! THEY STUNK!"

"H-huh?" Velvet raises an eyebrow, her rabbit ears perk up, and emotions quickly build within the saddened girl

"Yatsuhashi got emasculated by a scrawny kid half his size!"

"Come on people, seriously?" Link's head snaps towards one voice that could not help but spew negativity

"S-Stop, don't do anything." Velvet desperately pulls on Link's arm. "He just wants to get a rise out of you. Though it is completely uncalled for."

"I cannot just let him get away with saying that." Link looks at the line, trying to identify the person who now conveniently has gone silent. "It's not right."

"Agreed. But it's okay. He's trying to get us to react." Velvet sighs and keeps pulling on her date's arm until he turns around. "You cannot let him rile you up."

"Yes… I suppose you're right." Link sighs and opens the door to the restaurant for Velvet, "After you."

"Thank you." Velvet enters first and promptly removes her scarf as the establishment's hostess looks at them with a puzzled look

"Welcome to Revél Rivál, how can I help you two on this fine evening?"

"Reservation for two." Link steps forward and smiles at the hostess. "The name is under-!"

"Link!" She giggles. "It's you again, you're the young man who-!"

"Please don't." Link hides his face

"What is it?" Velvet mumbles while she walks forward

"He was inquiring about reservations because he was going to bring a date and it seems like he delivered." The hostess smiles. "You look very beautiful."

"Oh..." Velvet blushes from the sudden compliment. "Thank you."

"Follow me, you Beacon students are our last reservation for the evening."

The young hostess walks gingerly around the many tables of two, four, six and more. Until eventually slowing down near a pristinely setup table meant for a couple celebrating an anniversary. It roses set up in the middle of the table in a glass vase filled halfway with water, additional rose petals are on the table, two pristine candles, and most importantly, this table is secluded from all the other tables, for privacy

(I absolutely regret mentioning that it was a date now.) Link rubs his temples and shakes his head

"Relax and make yourselves comfortable, a waiter should be here shortly." The hostess grins and promptly walks away. "Have a night evening."

"Thank you." Link smiles while he nods and pulls out a chair for the rabbit faunus

"O-Oh! Thanks." Velvet sits and takes off her coat, revealing her usual huntress outfit

"You're welcome." Link sits down and hesitantly moves the candles away from the roses, afraid that the flame will ignite the table decor

"Hello hello hello!" A waiter enthusiastically strolls up to the table with a big smile on his face and menus in his hands. "My name is Charles, I will be your server tonight. Can I get you two something to drink?"

"Water."

Both Link and Velvet chuckle as they speak at the same time

"Good coordination for a young couple." Charles chuckles and sets down the menus on the table. "I will go fetch your waters, give me one moment please."

"We are not-!" Link stops speaking when the waiter abruptly walks off

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" Velvet whispers

"Me?" Link sighs. "Not at all. I know we are not a couple, but I thought it would make you uncomfortable in all honesty."

"I see." Velvet smiles. "I can safely say that it does not make me uncomfortable. Even if we aren't a couple, it sounds..."

"Nice?" Link asks

"In many ways, yes." Velvet reaches across the table with her hand extended. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to but…"

"Vel…" Link smiles back, reaches over the table, and squeezes her hand. "I suppose I was being awkward about strangers calling us a couple. Sorry about that."

"You don't have to apologize." She giggles and gently applies pressure to the blonde's hand

After a few awkward seconds of staring into each other's eyes and squeezing hands, Velvet and Link both simultaneously let go, retract their hands, pick up the menus and hide their faces with them

"And hereeee are your waters." Charles returns to the table, sets down the glasses of water on Link and Velvet's respective right side, before taking a step back and smiling widely. "Are we ready to order or do you need a few more minutes to look through our delicious options?"

"I am ready." Velvet closes her menu, "I would like the citrus salad appetizer, followed by the vegetarian lasagna."

"Simple but VERY excellent choices." Charles grins as he turns to Link. "And you sir?"

"No appetizer for me because I did have some lunch. So why don't I go with the rabbit ste-!" Link freezes as he notices Velvet's rabbit ears. "Never mind. Forget the last ten seconds ever occurred. How about the specials for the evening? What would you recommend?"

"Ah yes, the specials! I would highly recommend the rabbit pie accompanied with creamy mashed-!" Charles rapidly quiets down as well

"Yeah… I do not think I can order that." Link turns away in embarrassment

"Ahem." Velvet clears her throat, her flushed cheeks tell the whole story. "How about I order for you, Link?"

"Sounds perfect." He nods

"Good." The rabbit faunus smiles. "For him, he will get the carrot soup to start and then the mushroom risotto for the entree?"

"Fantastic! We'll work as fast and efficiently as possible to bring your food out in no time!" Charles takes their menus and hurries off from the awkward scene

"Lucky him, I have to live with this humiliation." Link sighs. "I have no words."

"Why would you crave rabbit stew tonight? Out of every possible day, it has to be this one?" Velvet's soft smile and words make the blonde boy sitting across from her blush

"What are you implying?" Link narrows his eyes, but with a smile on his face

"Um..." Velvet chuckles nervously

Flashback: Team CFVY's dorm, forty-five minutes ago

"Velvet. Do you really like him?" Coco asks her teammate whilst sitting across each other on separate beds

"I cannot say 'really like' but I do like Link, yes." Velvet nods and lets out a soft giggle. "Though, I'm sure it was not a mystery, seeing as I've been hounded all year about getting closer to Link."

"Thought so. Even his name alone gets you all giddy. It's cute, cliche, and a bit vomit inducing." Coco smirks

"H-Hey!" Velvet frowns. "That's not very nice."

"I'm kidding." Coco sighs. "But seriously, if you wanna really let him know that you like him. You have to be more assertive, you know... Show him the cards you're playing."

"What are you getting at?" Velvet crosses her arms and tilts her head in confusion. "Are you suggesting I act differently?"

"I don't know to be exact." Coco rubs her chin, "Hmm, start flirting with him? Try not to have deep conversations about serious topics throughout the whole date and please Velvet don't leave him hanging." The team leader takes off her shades and lies back on her bed, staring at the ceiling

"What does that mean?" Velvet eyes trail towards the ground. "I am not following."

"Ah, what does it mean young child?" Coco sits up and shoots her teammate a comforting glare. "You can't avoid serious topics with Link, he's been through a lot and I really don't think he's as okay in the head as he says. So… If it does get to that point where he is down for whatever reason, don't just be that shoulder he can lean on... Be that person to get him off his ass and back on his feet."

"But what if I can't relate?" Velvet nervously fidgets with her fingernails. "What if I try to help but only make it worse?"

"What if, what if, what if." Coco sarcastically rubs her forehead. "You can't know everything at all times, all you can do is try your best."

"Are you saying to be extra while relaxed at the same time?" Velvet sighs

"Yep!" Coco smirks. "Nobody said going on a date with a complicated guy was going to be easy."

"H-Hey! Don't call him that!" The rabbit faunus frowns, while her rabbit ears drop. "Link is-!"

"I know, he's doing his best to get through every day. The poor guy doesn't know a lot about his past and what he does remember involves a lot of loss, heartbreak, and emptiness." Coco nods. "Have fun Velvet, that's what really needs to be emphasized. We cannot read minds, you'll have to decide when to take a leap and when to chill and do nothing."

"Right." Velvet smiles. 'Thanks, Coco."

"Anytime. Love you girl." Coco winks

End of Flashback: Back at Revél Rivál

"Are you in the mood for..." Velvet recoils as she pushes through her awkward flirting attempt. "More than rabbit stew?"

"Um? Well, I suppose if you are offering…." Link chuckles as Velvet's face turns completely crimson red. "Hey, relax Vel. You don't have to say something you're not comfortable saying. Just be you, not anybody else."

"Oh my goodness, thank you I really needed to hear that. Also, I am so sorry." Velvet hides her face. "Coco said I should try flirting and take initiative."

"Don't worry about any of that." Link leans forward, reaches across the table, and grabs one of Velvet's hands, uncovering her hidden face. "Just being here with you has made my day."

"Really?" Velvet's blush takes a slight tone downwards from embarrassed to infatuation

"Of course, between everything that happened in Vale with the grimm attacks, then actively distancing myself from everyone through the tournament qualifiers." Link sighs, "I have not been here for you guys. I'm thankful for that day where you guys raided my room. It's been amazing to reconnect with all of you and to bring it back to you. It's been wonderful to get any time with you, let alone an entire date without any interference from Coco or Ruby or anybody else."

"Link, I..." Velvet nods and wipes a tear away. "That's so nice of you to say."

"Fantastic! I'm glad to see things are going great again." Charles seemingly appears out of nowhere with both of their appetizers in each hand

"Yes, I have made up for my blunders." Link chuckles. "Although she broke the tension."

"I would imagine so." Charles puts down both plates with fluid motion, showcasing his years of experience in food service. "Anything you two need, call me over right away."

"Of course." Velvet nods as the interested waiter hesitantly walks off

"I appreciate that he cares but..." Link shrugs

"Shhh, be nice!" Velvet giggles and breaks the tension once again by digging into her salad. "I'm sure you have been asked this a lot… But are you excited for your match?"

"W-What?" Link chokes and almost spits out a mouthful of soup, before he wipes his chin with a napkin. "Oh the tournament? Yeah... I guess it is exciting."

"You guess?" Velvet raises an eyebrow. "Is there something I don't know about? Assuming this goes beyond the tournament."

"Probably." Link nods. "Definitely."

"Wow." Velvet smiles widely. "You really try to stay honest all the time, huh?"

"I try, yes, it kills me to lie or hold secrets but sometimes it has to be done." Link sighs. "But not this time, and I will gladly tell you what's going on. The truth is, Coco told me I should get your mind off the tournament, more or less your team's defeat, but the tournament as a whole too. She and that reason are why we are on a date right now."

"Oh Coco." Velvet puts down her salad fork and shoots a sweet look towards Link. "Nothing you try will get my mind off my team, it's just how I am. I love and care about them so much, along with the rest of my friends. Every time I see a friend hurting or in a bad situation, I want to be there in any way I can."

"That's so kind of you. Respect." Link nods while consuming another spoonful of soup. "However, I figured and had it in the back of my mind that this date could have been absolutely perfect. But the moment you return to your dorm, you will go right back to comforting your team and worrying."

"Thank you… I think?" Velvet slowly nods, but showcases confusion at the same time

"There's no need for the hesitation, Vel. That was supposed to be a compliment. Coco gave us tips and advice but we are who we are. We're both a little shy and antisocial at times. Our priorities are often set on the well being of others, and we-! Scratch that, I am stubborn."

"No, I'm right there with you." Velvet sighs. "Being flirty is clearly not my thing and distractions aren't your forte. But I still appreciate Coco's attempts at getting us out of our comfort zones."

"She has your best interests in mind." The blonde boy smiles. "That's what matters."

"You mean she has our best interests in mind?" Velvet chuckles. "She would not have given us both advice if this were just about me."

"I suppose so." Link nods as he makes quick work of his soup. "We should thank her, it's not going according to her plan, but who needs a script?"

"Agreed, we do not need anything set in stone when we are happy just being ourselves." Velvet smiles and slowly finishes her appetizer

"Just on time as well."

The experienced waiter of the fine dining establishment, Charles, makes his way over to the table with two plates on a pristine silver tray

"Vegetarian lasagna for the young lady and a creamy mushroom risotto for the gentleman. And... One time only for the special occasion. A free dessert, on the house. What do you say?"

"Oh! Well um..." Velvet scratches her head. "I did not really get a good look at-!"

"Easy, the carrot cake to go please." Link closes his eyes and smiles brightly

"But of course." Charles takes their empty plates and replaces them with their next meals before taking off once again

"Did you plan that?" Velvet glares across the table with a big grin on her face

"Lucky guess." Link nods. "The hostess and rabbit stew was enough embarrassment for me to embrace taking a chance. So why not risk it again?"

"It was a bold move but very excellent at the same time." The rabbit faunus happily nods

"Thank you." Link nods and digs into his entree, which in reality is more of a second appetizer

"How have you been as of late?" Velvet puts down her fork and stares into Link's eyes. "I know you're here making me happy, but I feel like none of us ask you enough about yourself."

"Me? I'm good, doing a lot better than before. Ever since you guys made that breakthrough, I've been more social with my friends. Or at least I have been trying to get together with all of you. It is a work in progress…" Link takes a small bite of the creamy rice dish. "I don't know, opening up about my past has made me more paranoid about everything around me, but at the same time it has also opened my eyes.

"Opened in what way?"

"There's nothing I can't say to you now that will make me question my decision later on so here goes." Link beams as the corners of his mouth lift. "I trust you, Velvet, more than ever before."

"Wow L-Link I... Thank you." Velvet smiles. "I am happy you were able to open up, whether it was a small or major. All of those bottled up emotions could have led to a catastrophe if someone ever pushed your buttons too much or you overwhelmed yourself one day."

"I still think about everything here and there at least once a day." Link sighs. "It will always linger at the back of my mind that I could have saved Ray, her family, and all of those people. She didn't deserve to go the way she did, none of them did."

"You did everything you could, Link." Velvet's hands shake nervously. "The thought of that poor girl being killed for a misunderstanding cuts deep. It hurts my heart and I never even met her. I can only imagine how you feel…"

"Oh man, you would've thought she was a lot at first." Link chuckles. "Imagine Yang, Coco, Ruby, and yourself meshed into one awesome, sweet girl."

"That sounds... Insane, in a good way." Velvet giggles

"Yeah, she sure was." Link makes quick work of his meal while doing everything in his power to hold back tears, "I also question my desire for revenge. I want to find the man or woman. Scratch that, it was definitely a man, the man who specifically shot Ray, because he was the one who got away." He narrows his eyes. "I got revenge for all of the villagers of Garanda. Except Ray that is."

"What is there to question about your need for revenge?"

"Is it worth it?" Link pushes his plate forward a couple of inches and rests his elbows on the table. "Sorry for bringing the mood down."

"No it's okay." Velvet leaves very little leftovers as she finishes her meal, "The more I get to know about you, the closer to you I feel."

"The closer..." Link shakes his head. "Well you better draw a line Velvet, people who get too close to me end up getting seriously hurt and-!"

"No." Velvet quickly grabs Link's hands. "Do not finish that sentence. I refuse to ever draw the line or put up walls to keep you away. I like you and care about you for the person you are. No matter how unfortunate your past has been, that will never scare me off."

"Why?" Link does not pull his hands back, instead he squeezes on her's

"You deserve to be happy. Being alone with only your thoughts and regrets will only eat away at you from the inside." Velvet leans forward as much as she can, practically leaning over the table and stopping inches away from her date

"You're too nice and caring for me, you know that?" Link smiles

"No way. I'm perfectly happy where I am right now, with you."

Velvet exhales, nervously gulps, and leans forward even more to kiss Link's forehead before squirming back into her seat, partially ashamed and unsure of her decision

"You're getting better at being bold." Link joyfully looks into the rabbit faunus' eyes. "The Velvet from the beginning of the year would have fainted."

"S-Shush!" Velvet blushes and turns away.

Meanwhile, Charles makes another appearance as the older gentleman returns for the last time, with a boxed up dessert in hand

"One delicious slice of carrot cake, I assume for the young lady courtesy of the young man, yes?" Charles smiles. "Here is the bill. May you two have a wonderful rest of your evening." He quickly picks up their plates, utensils, and empty glasses before strolling back into the kitchen

"Link." Velvet shakes her head. "You should not have to cover the bill all by yourself. Please, allow me to-!"

"I invited you." Link reaches into his pouch, a last second re-addition after removing all of his weapons off his back and belt. (Phew, I'm glad I did not leave this behind.) He pulls out four lien cards, sneaks three inside the checkbook, and slides the fourth under the vase of roses for their excellent waiter

"Link." Velvet raises an eyebrow in concern. "Aren't you giving too much mon-!"

"Weiss was correct about this lien I carry around, it's mercenary money." Link nods, "The least I can do for doing all of those mercenary jobs back then is give back to those who need it or could put it to better use than I ever could." He stands and walks around to help Velvet out of her chair

"O-Oh! Thank you, Link. You really don't have to do that." Velvet grabs her coat and stands with ease while Link slowly pulls the chair

"No problem, Velvet."

Link turns his head and towards the kitchen. The blonde student then sees Charles staring intently at himself and the rabbit faunus. But instead of giving him any sort of dirty glance, the blonde boy brightly smiles at the waiter. Meanwhile, both he and the shy, quiet faunus walk over to the front, ready to exit the fine dining restaurant

"Looks like everything went well." The bubbly hostess acts like a giddy student and nearly gasps when she sees Link reaching for Velvet's hand. "You two are so cute, please come back anytime."

"We might." Link nods at the hostess before opening the door, holding it open with his arm, and allowing Velvet to exit first

"I hope so too." Velvet warmly smiles at the young woman working at the front as she and her friend exit the restaurant seconds later… Only to be met with heavy rain pouring down on them

"Oh wow." Link covers his house and laughs. "Are you ready to go home? It could get even colder with all of the rain."

"Unless you have something else planned, absolutely not." Velvet embraces the rain with open arms. "I do not want this night to end just yet."

"Glad to hear that. Nothing else is planned on my part, but let's make our own plans right now." Link nods at Velvet, with the two of them happily walking in the rain, and their date to be continued…

(So I totally didn't disappear for the year or anything :P. School took up all my time but here I am with an end of year post to at least let everyone know I'm not dead lol.)