51

Later…

"Velvet said the fourth floor, right?"

Blake nodded at Weiss' question, looking around the room in bemusement. For the first time, it struck her just how… uniform Beacon's layout was. Despite being in a completely different building, the lobby of the Third Year dorms looked no different than that of their own.

As they waited for the elevator, Blake took what was meant to be a calming breath. She truly wanted to help Coco and Velvet, but still… this was so far out of her comfort zone. What they were going to do was meant only for future lovers. Biting Velvet… the thought alone unsettled her. She liked Velvet just fine, she was her closest Faunus friend in school… but there was nothing beyond that. Even knowing full well that they were doing nothing wrong… seventeen years of belief screamed otherwise.

Blake shook her head, banishing her thoughts. She was being ridiculous, making something out of nothing. She was just helping some friends with their relationship, nothing more. The heiress standing dutifully by her side, skimming through her small binder as they waited, was proof of that.

Once the elevator arrived and they stepped in, Blake turned her attention to her Mate. As the doors slid shut, it was impossible to miss Weiss' Nervousness as she held her binder and book tightly against her chest. But what drew Blake's curiosity were the quick bouts of Thrill, quickly followed by Embarrassment, that the heiress kept feeling every other minute. Blake's eyes turned towards the ceiling, hoping Yang could feel the Annoyance she was aiming towards the blonde.

"Weiss?" Blake asked quietly before she could think better of it. "What did Yang whisper to you?"

Weiss' head snapped to her, pink dusting her cheeks. "Y-you didn't hear?"

Blake shook her head, giving her a reassuring smile. "Yang spoke too low. I did hear my name come up, though. So…?"

Weiss looked at her for a moment, before turning away in embarrassment. "Just… something about you and her…" Her face went fully red. "Tag-teaming."

Feeling a bit of heat swell in her cheeks, Blake rolled her eyes. "Yang…" Giving Weiss a sympathetic smile, she asked, "She scare you off?"

Weiss' eyes went wide, her shoulders hunching slightly. "No!" she immediately refuted, a bit louder than she'd meant. Blushing under Blake's raised brow, she clarified. "No. But… she did put a rather… vivid image in my head."

Blake let out a sigh. "Nothing too bad, I hope."

"No," Weiss said quietly. "Not bad. Just…" She looked down, her blush deepening. "...distracting."

I'll bet, Blake thought to herself.

Seconds ticked by in silence as the elevator ascended. Blake could Feel an odd mix of emotions coming off of Weiss, ranging from Curiosity to Embarrassment and back again. In response, Blake sent over her own bout of curiosity, her brow raising.

Weiss blushed as they made eye contact. She looked away but sighed in resignation after only a moment. "Are you okay with us…?"

Given the last couple of hours, Blake didn't need her to clarify. Fighting a blush threatening to form, she stepped closer to Weiss, letting their shoulders rub. "Weiss… I'm looking forward to it." Her lips pulled up into a smirk as she watched the redness of Weiss' face creep up to her ears. "Why do you ask?"

Clearing her throat, Weiss suddenly found the elevator floor display very interesting, the digital numbers slowly changing from two to three. "I was just wondering. You said your memory of… last time wasn't perfect, so I wasn't sure how you felt about… the whole thing."

Blake's smile widened as Weiss stumbled over her words. The way she awkwardly tried to say it without actually saying it was, frankly, adorable in her opinion. "I'm up for it so long as you and Ruby are." She paused for a moment, thinking. Her smile slowly turned sly. "And… while my memories are kind of hazy, there are a few things I recall quite clearly."

Weiss swallowed nervously. "You… You do?"

Blake nodded, smirking. "I seem to remember that you were rather… attentive with my cat ears." Said appendages wiggled atop Blake's head tauntingly.

Weiss' face went full cherry red, her embarrassment obvious even without the Link. "I-I'm sorry! I was just curious about…"

"Weiss, Weiss…" Blake put a hand on her shoulder, smirk fading into a kind smile. "It's okay. Honestly… I kind of liked it."

Weiss' mouth fell open a bit at Blake's blunt admission but quickly snapped it shut as the elevator door opened. A small group of students were waiting, so Blake and Weiss quickly shuffled past them, both hoping no one noticed the redness of their faces.

They went down the length of a hallway in silence, before Weiss gave Blake a hesitant look. "That's something I wanted to ask you about, actually. Your ears, I mean," she clarified at Blake's head tilt. "You told us that scratching a Faunus' ears was supposed to be something done in private, but… Velvet didn't seem to mind Coco doing it in the courtyard the other day."

Blake's eyes widened a little. Then she looked down, her lips falling into a firm line. "Honestly, I was thinking of asking Velvet about that myself." Feeling Weiss' Confusion, she went on. "That's what I always believed, and what I was always told. But… when I think about it… I didn't learn that until I was in the White Fang. By then… well, I keep learning that more and more stuff they taught me… that Adam taught me… is wrong." She frowned at the thought. "Velvet was never part of the White Fang, so… maybe she was taught differently."

Weiss looked at her in concern, feeling the usual Regret and Shame that rolled off Blake whenever Adam was mentioned. Hoping to move Blake's thoughts away from her ex, she asked, "What do your parents think about it?"

Blake smiled slightly, well aware of Weiss' attempt. "I'm not sure. I never asked them before coming here. I remember Dad would scratch Mom's ears now and then when they were relaxing in the backyard."

Weiss hummed. "Maybe you could ask them about it next time."

"...you know, I just might."

A few more twists and turns found the pair just a few doors away from the Team CFVY dorm. Blake steeled herself as they neared, begging for her nerves not to get the best of her. She gave Weiss a nervous look. "Ready?"

Weiss answered with a small smile, just as nervous. "As much as I can be."

Blake nodded in return. Stopping before the right door, Blake hesitated a moment, then knocked.

Behind the door, they heard a faint shuffling around, followed by muffled footsteps. The door opened seconds later, and Coco met them with a small smile. "Right on time," she greeted quietly.

For a moment, Blake and Weiss were left stunned. Coco looked… different. Not only were her signature sunglasses and beret nowhere to be found but, rather than her usual fashionable outfit, all she wore were a pair of black designer jeans and a brown tank top. On her neck, surrounded by a small ring of teeth marks, a blotch of dark tan proudly stood out against her light skin.

Coco seemed to notice their staring if her sly grin was anything to go by. "You two want to come in, or are we doing this in the hallway?"

Shaken out of her daze, Blake and Weiss blinked. Face warming, Blake cleared her throat. "Y-yeah. Sorry."

Still smirking, Coco opened the door a bit wider, waving them in.

For some reason, Blake had thought the third-year dorms would be bigger. They were an improvement over the cramped quarters given to first-years, but it still seemed a bit small for four people. Each part of the room seemed separated into sections, various odds and ends giving an idea as to who had ownership of where. A sketchbook laying atop a stack of fashion magazines denoted Coco's desk, while a bookshelf of photo albums and plush dolls seemed more like Velvet.

She didn't know much about the personal lives of Team CFVY's other members, Yatsuhashi Daichi and Fox Alistair, but she figured the two were likely opposites, given how part of the room was a mess of scattered clothes and weapon mods, while directly across from it was a neat and orderly dresser, a small bonsai tree sitting peacefully atop it. The oddest part, to Blake at least, were the beds. On one side of the room, two of the beds had been shoved against the wall in a line, while on the other, the remaining beds had been pushed together, forming one large one.

It was on this double-sized bed that Velvet sat, wearing a simple outfit of her usual pants and white t-shirt. She smiled as they walked in, her long rabbit ears standing high on her head. "Blake. Weiss. Thank you for coming."

Blake smiled at her, a little bit of her tension bleeding away at Velvet's kindness. "You're welcome." She turned slightly as Coco closed the door behind them, walking over to be by Velvet's side. "Are you both ready?"

Coco's smile grew a little wider. "As we'll ever be. We asked Yatsu and Fox to give us the room for a few hours, so they took off to see a movie. We shouldn't have any kind of distraction for a while."

Blake nodded, but Weiss couldn't help but voice a question. "Do they know that you're doing this tonight?"

Coco gave her a calculating look, smile still in place, but Velvet answered before she could, shooting her partner a quick warning look. "They do. They wished us luck and gave us our privacy."

Weiss gave a small nod, her main question appeased. She looked to Blake, waiting for a cue as what to do next. Unfortunately, Blake was just as lost. Before an awkward silence could settle in, she asked the Mates-to-be, "How exactly do you want to go about this?"

Coco and Velvet shared a brief look before the rabbit Faunus pushed herself off the bed. "However you and Weiss think is best," Velvet answered. "But, before that…" she then turned to Coco, crossing her arms as her long ears fell down her back. "Coco…?"

As Blake and Weiss looked on in confusion, Coco met Velvet's pout with a blank stare. She held it for a few brief seconds, before huffing in defeat, rolling her eyes as she did. "Weiss."

Said girl jumped slightly at the sudden call of her name. She shrank under Coco's brown eyes, looking at her expectedly. "Y-yes?"

Coco's lips pulled up slightly, apparently finding Weiss' nervousness amusing. Her grin disappeared when Velvet's pout doubled. Sighing again, she said to Weiss, "Look… I owe you an apology."

Weiss blinked, her brow raising in surprise. "What for?"

"For being so rude to you earlier this week. It was uncalled for, and I'm sorry."

Weiss just stared at her for a moment, and Blake smiled at the Shock and Gratefulness coming off of her. Her cheeks pinking, Weiss gave a small smile back. "Coco… thank you, but you don't have to apologize. All things considered, I did kind of deserve it those first few months."

Coco just grinned, giving a small nod. "Yeah, well, that was then, this is now. And you don't deserve that now. Besides, someone," she shot an amused glare towards Velvet, which was met with a defiant pout. "...thought I was a little too tough on you." Her smirk then lessened, becoming a genuine smile. "For what it's worth, I am sorry. The fact you're even here helping us tonight proves just how wrong I was."

Face still reddening under the unexpected praise, Weiss beamed back. "Well… apology accepted then."

Coco nodded in satisfaction, looking back to Velvet. The rabbit Faunus rolled her eyes slightly, but still gave her a small smile and a thumbs up. Chuckling lightly, she turned her attention back to Weiss. "Okay, if we're through with the mushy stuff… how do we do this, Weiss?"

Weiss started in surprise, only to blink down at the binder and book still clutched against her chest. "O-oh! Yes! Right, we, um…" She cleared her throat awkwardly, trying to ignore the Amusement and Endearment she was feeling from Blake as the cat Faunus watched her stutter. Getting her bearings, she walked over to what she assumed was Coco's desk, given the golden aviators folded atop it. She put down the binder and book, opening both to the proper pages.

"I read back through the story we used when we Mated," she explained. "And I tried to find as much about Faunus Mating as I could online. Honestly," She sent an apologetic look towards Velvet and Coco. "There wasn't much new I could find. A few forums and theories, but I couldn't find anyone who said they'd actually done what we'd done."

Velvet's ears wilted as Coco frowned, crossing her arms. "That going to be a problem?"

Weiss smiled in reassurance. "I don't think so. The fact that we were able to give Blake a Mark is proof enough that it should work for you two. I was just hoping for some facts to back us up."

Velvet grinned back at her, ears perking back up. "It's fine, Weiss. We appreciate you taking the time to check anyway."

Coco nodded in agreement, then asked, "So… what do we do?"

Weiss opened her mouth to speak but stopped short. She looked to Blake, a question in her eyes that was spoken through the Link. Nervous?

Blake almost laughed, giving a slight nod. Nervous. Prepared.

Weiss let out a short breath, turning her attention back to the upperclassmen. "Well, um… it's pretty straightforward." Hoping to stave off her awkwardness, she tried to emulate her sister, acting as if she was giving a lesson. "Blake will focus her aura and try to give Velvet a Mark. Velvet's aura will reject Blake's, and you'll start giving her your aura before hers heals the bite."

Coco hummed, looking uncomfortable at the words 'Blake', 'Velvet', and 'bite'. "Seems simple," she eventually said, Velvet nodding in agreement.

Weiss rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "It is, but… there may be one issue." At the duo's questioning looks, she tried to explain. "There was something that has me a little worried. There's a major difference between what our team did, and what we're about to try here."

"And that is?" Velvet questioned.

Weiss bit her lip. "Blake's aura. When we gave her a Mark through her old one, the old Mark was long dead. The aura from Blake's last… relationship," She couldn't help but stumble over her phrasing, trying to find a word to say that wouldn't make her blood boil. "...it had burned out a long time ago. This time, the Mark will be fresh and filled with aura. Aura that Velvet's will outright reject. From what I can tell, when that happens, it could be… painful."

In an instant, Coco's expression changed from worried to defensive. Taking a step closer to Velvet, she asked, "How 'painful'?"

Weiss gulped at her intense stare. "I-it's something the original story mentioned. The Faunus receiving the Mark described the helper's aura as… burning."

Coco's eyes shot wide, shining with concern. She hesitantly looked to her partner. "Vel…"

"Hold on," Velvet stopped her, her tone gentle as she placed a hand on Coco's arm. Her expression rather blank, she asked Weiss, "But it did work… right?"

Weiss hesitated, looking to Blake for help. Blake gave her an encouraging nod, even as Weiss could feel her girlfriend's Hesitance in the motion. Meeting Velvet's brown eyes, strong and hopeful, she answered honestly. "...according to the story, yes. Before the helper's aura was completely rejected, the prospective Mate," She nodded slightly towards Coco, "moved in and started pouring their aura into the Mark. The burning feeling stopped and the Marks formed like they would have normally."

Velvet hummed to herself, thinking. Her brow scrunched in determination, and she nodded sharply. "Okay then. Let's do it."

"Velvet, just wait a second…" Coco looked Velvet right in the eyes, concern plain on her face.

"It's fine," Velvet assured her, giving her partner's arm a small squeeze. "We've been talking about this all week."

"But if it's going to hurt you.."

"Coco…" Velvet frowned at her girlfriend, ears dipping as she struggled for the proper words. After a few seconds, they popped back up, her eyes sparkling. "Blake!"

Blake and Weiss jumped at the sudden shout, Blake's cat ears shooting high. "What?"

"Tell me what being Mated is like." At Blake's startled look, Velvet went on. "Tell me what it feels like. Why it's worth it."

A stunned silence came over the room as Blake gaped at Velvet. Coco looked between the two, concern and confusion warring on her face as she put her other hand over Velvet's. Weiss, the only one privy to the numerous conflicting feelings swirling inside Blake at the moment, watched Blake's face, curious about the answer herself.

After a few awkward seconds passed, Blake slowly closed her mouth, frowning lightly as she thought. She knew exactly how being Mated felt, how much joy it had brought her, but putting it into words…

"I'm… complete."

The words slipped past her lips without her even noticing until she saw the looks of the girls around her. Coco's brow rose in surprise, while a small smile formed on Velvet's lips, growing larger by the second. Blake glanced towards Weiss, warmth rushing to her face at the surprised look the heiress had. It wasn't until Velvet gave her an encouraging nod that she went on, trying to explain.

"Looking back, it's like there was… not something missing, exactly. More like… there was less to me before. Like I was… smaller, but didn't notice it. But now…" A soft smile graced her lips. "There's really no way to explain it. There's a piece of Ruby, Yang, and Weiss inside me now, and… I'm not alone. There's always this feeling that, no matter what, I'm… wanted. Cared for. And… there's this… this well of strength inside me that wasn't there before. Like I always have someone at my back, always supporting me. Maybe completed isn't the right word. It's more like…" She laughed softly. "Well, that's just it. I'm… more."

Another silence fell. Looking back to Weiss, Blake felt her heart skip a beat. Weiss was blushing full force, but it wasn't embarrassment on her face. The only word she could use to describe the small smile on the heiress' face was tender.

Coco watched in stunned awe as a look passed between the two underclassmen, one filled with just as much feeling and passion as Blake's little speech. She only turned away when she felt Velvet's eyes on her, that gentle smile back on her lips.

"That's what I want for us," she whispered, holding tight to Coco's arm. "I can handle a little pain if it means we can be like that."

Coco looked at Velvet, her lips skewed in indecision. It wasn't much longer before she let out a deep sigh, a half-smile forming on her lips. "Okay," she murmured.

Velvet beamed back at her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you." With a steadying breath, she turned. "Blake? We're ready."

Pulled from their brief moment, Blake and Weiss jolted back to attention. Seeing the determined look on Velvet's face and the sharp nod from Coco made Blake take a calming breath. With a nervous smile, Blake nodded back. "Okay, if you're sure. Weiss, could you walk us through?"

Fighting valiantly against the warmth in her cheeks, Weiss took a step forward, addressing all in the room. "Okay. Well, it's rather straightforward, to be honest. Blake will focus her aura and make the bite. As I said, Velvet will likely feel some kind of burning sensation from Blake's aura. Once Blake pulls away, Coco, you have to take her place before Velvet's aura heals the bite. Start pouring your aura into the Mark and… that should be it."

Coco nodded slowly, hesitance clear in her eyes. "Okay… so, do I bite Velvet too, or…?"

"You could," Weiss said, skimming through her binder. "Or just place your hand over the bite. It doesn't really matter, so long as you're channeling your aura through whatever's making contact. Focus on how you feel about Velvet, why you want to be her Mate. Your aura should do the rest."

"And I do the same… right?" Velvet asked.

Weiss pursed her lips. "If you're attempting a second-stage Mate's Mark? Yes. Once Coco switches places with Blake, you should mirror her. Then you both just keep sharing aura until… well…" She gave Blake a look.

"Until Velvet says to stop," Blake continued, taking over where Weiss left off. At the duo's confused look, Blake explained. "After a certain point, you get this feeling, like a pulse through your aura, letting you know that you've given each other enough. It's a Faunus thing, I think. I felt it when we were making our Mark, but Weiss, Ruby, and Yang didn't."

Velvet nodded in understanding, Coco doing the same a moment later. Taking a deep breath, Velvet took a step towards Blake.

Blake swallowed nervously. "Where exactly…?"

Velvet pulled the collar of her t-shirt aside, tapping a spot on her neck just above her collarbone. Blake met her eyes, the two Faunus sharing a silent conversation. With only the slightest dip of her head, Blake put a steadying hand on Velvet's shoulder and leaned in.

Velvet let out a sharp hiss as Blake bit down. She took a calming breath, relaxing slightly as the seconds ticked by. Coco and Weiss looked on anxiously, waiting for a sign of something happening, good or bad. It came, unfortunately, in the form of a pained yelp.

"Velvet?" Coco was at her girlfriend's side in an instant, hovering close yet afraid to disturb the Faunus.

"I-I'm fine!" Velvet squeaked, her voice rising to a high pitch. Her shoulders tensed, eyes squeezing shut in obvious pain. "I'm okay, just… Weiss was right. It burns." She inhaled sharply, her long rabbit ears falling down her back. "I-it burns a lot."

As if responding to her distress, Blake's cat ears pinned down against her skull, a muffled mewling sound coming from the back of her throat as her eyes slammed shut as well. Weiss moved without thinking, gently pressing a hand to the small of Blake's back.

Taking that as a cue that she could safely touch her partner, Coco wrapped her hand around Velvet's. Velvet reacted instantly, grasping Coco's hand and squeezing it almost painfully tight.

Coco sent Weiss a helpless look. "How long do they have to do this?"

Weiss could only sigh, no less anxious. "Until Blake gives enough aura to keep the bite open. Otherwise, it'll heal before you can take her place."

Coco grimaced, but said no more, turning her full attention to Velvet's pained face.

Seconds felt like minutes as they ticked by, the room silent save for Velvet's ragged breathing. Weiss could Feel Blake's emotions radiating out, and it was almost scary how close they matched up with Weiss' thoughts. Dread that this whole process wouldn't work. Remorse for the pain Velvet was going through. Determination, that they would succeed in helping their friend. In the back of Weiss's mind, she could sense a trickle of warmth and electricity as their missing halves were no doubt sharing their worry across the school.

It came as a relief when Blake's ears shot up, her eyes flying open. Across the Link, Weiss felt a sudden odd mixture of Success and Panic.

"Coco!" she whisper-shouted, making the upperclassman jump. When she turned, worry in her eyes, Weiss told her, "Blake's about to pull away."

With wide eyes, Coco swallowed thickly. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead as she gave a sharp nod. An instant later, her right arm started to flicker as she focused her aura, wreathed in a glow of deep gold.

With a gasp, Blake practically leapt away from Velvet, Weiss pulling her back in the same motion. Velvet let out a shrill cry, her eyes going wide. Weiss only caught a brief glimpse of the bite, a thin trail of blood trickling from the teeth marks, violet mixing with the bright red before Coco moved.

Coco quickly covered the wound with her glowing hand, running her thumb across Velvet's cheek as she did so. "Vel?" she asked faintly. "You- whoa!"

Velvet surprised her by leaning forward, wrapping her left arm around Coco's neck until her hand landed over her fledgling Mark, already glowing with brown aura. The rabbit Faunus ducked her head, pressing her forehead into the crook of Coco's neck.

Coco stood there, stunned, before relaxing into her girlfriend's hold. She smiled softly, resting her chin on Velvet's head, right between her hanging ears. "It's okay, Vel," she murmured, leaning against the smaller girl. "Almost there."

Velvet gave a muffled hum in reply.

Off to the side, Weiss put her arm around Blake's shoulders, frightened to realize her Mate was trembling. "Blake?" she whispered. "What's wrong?"

Blake shuddered, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket. "N-nothing. I-I'm fine."

Weiss scowled, her concern shining in her eyes. "You are not fine, you're shaking."

Still wiping at her mouth, forming pink streaks on the white fabric of her sleeve, Blake took a shuddering breath. She met Weiss' eyes, and the heiress felt her heart clench at the sheen of tears threatening to spill from her golden orbs. "I… I could F-feel her for a second there." Weiss' mouth fell open in shock, and Blake swallowed thickly. "I… I was hurting her."

Guilt washed over Weiss in waves, making her chest tighten. She pulled Blake closer, a hand unconsciously reaching up to run through her black hair. "It's okay, Blake," she whispered soothingly. "We all knew that would happen."

"I know. It just…" Blake trailed off, leaning into Weiss' touch. She started purring moments later, though Weiss had a sinking feeling it wasn't because she was happy. The heiress just held her tighter.

It was a full five minutes before anybody moved, as each pair of humans and Faunus held each other. The silence was broken, once again, by Velvet sucking in a sudden breath, drawing everyone's attention.

Coco stiffened at the sound, looking down at her girlfriend with worry. "Velvet?"

Slowly, almost timidly, Velvet pulled away from Coco. Her head dipped up hesitantly, her deep brown eyes wide with shock.

"What?" Coco asked, gripping Velvet's hand tighter. "What is it?"

Velvet just stared. Her eyes narrowed for a brief moment, only to widen further than before. "I…" Her voice caught in her throat, thick with emotion. "I can Feel you."

Coco blinked at her. Then her own eyes widened. Hesitantly, their gaze moved from each other's eyes to a spot just above the other's collarbone. Coco carefully turned over her hand, feeling Velvet do the same. They gasped, and Weiss and Blake craned their necks to see.

On Velvet's neck, the bite mark had completely healed. In its place, still glowing with gold and brown aura, sat the image of a pair of five-petaled flowers, mirroring each other and sharing a stem. The petals were thick and sharp, thin filaments rising from the middle of each flower. Despite their mirrored positions and similar looks, each was distinct. The gold one was made of solid, straight lines, while the brown one was wispy, almost like an outline. On Coco's neck, the same image showed proudly against her skin.

Tears glimmered in the corner of Velvet's eyes as she looked into Coco's. Her voice came out as little more than a breath, filled with disbelief. "It… it worked."

A stunned laugh burst from Coco's lips, her voice no less shaky. "Y-yeah. It did."

"It worked." The wetness streaking down Velvet's face was completely overshadowed by the beaming smile forming on her lips, her ears shooting as high as they could go. "It worked!" With a joyful shout, she surged forward, crashing her lips against Coco's. The taller girl squeaked in surprise, only to immediately melt into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Velvet.

Weiss smiled at the sight, even as her cheeks warmed at the intimate display. She shared a look with Blake, the cat Faunus having the same wide grin and blush. "Maybe we should let them have their moment," she whispered to her after a full minute had ticked by, the newly Mated couple not looking to let each other go anytime soon.

Blake nodded in agreement, gently pulling away from Weiss' grasp. Weiss gathered up her books, her smile widening at her work having paid off in the best way possible. With one last look at the Mates, they quietly made their way to the door.

"Hey!"

Blake and Weiss jumped at the booming yell, spinning around in surprise.

Coco and Velvet, still holding each other, had broken away from their kiss to turn towards the retreating pair. Both were slightly red-faced, Velvet beaming widely at them. Coco's confident smirk was back in full force, though the way her eyes glistened somewhat ruined the effect. "Where do you two think you're going?"

Blake and Weiss glanced awkwardly at each other, unsure what to say.

Velvet let out a giggle at their confusion. She shot Coco a bright-eyed look. Coco grinned back, her arms releasing her new Mate.

With deceptive speed, Velvet shot across the room and threw each of her arms around Blake and Weiss' shoulders. The younger girls wheezed as they were pulled into a shockingly strong hug.

"Thank you!" Velvet was practically bouncing in place as her hold tightened. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Struggling for breath (and having the oddest sense of Déjà vu), Weiss rasped out, "Y-you're welcome."

"Hap… Happy to help," Blake gasped out as well.

After squeezing the life out of them for half a minute, Velvet released them, Coco chuckling behind her. Getting their bearings back, Blake and Weiss returned the beaming smile Velvet gave them until Blake let hers slip.

Cat ears dipping, Blake's shoulders slumped. Weiss could Feel her Guilt rising again. "Velvet…" Blake started. "I-I'm sorry I-"

"Don't you even," Velvet stopped her, pushing a finger at Blake's nose, making her go cross-eyed trying to look at it. Weiss found it amusing how much the rabbit Faunus' stern pout reminded her so much of a certain speedster. "I said I could take a little pain for this, and it worked! And I… you…" Her word failing her, Velvet settled for glomping Blake again in another bone-crushing hug. "Thank youuuu!"

Blake wheezed at her grip, her arms hanging out awkwardly. She glanced up timidly at Coco as if asking for permission. Coco just laughed, beaming. Taking that as an okay, Blake smiled awkwardly at her, hugging Velvet back.

Weiss just watched, letting Blake's Happiness and Pride wash over her, mixing with her own. Then, to her utter shock, she was pulled into a gentle hug from Coco.

"Seriously," the older girl muttered, giving Weiss the most honest smile she'd received from her. "You didn't have to do this. Thank you, so much."

Warmth filled Weiss' chest and could feel it start rising to her face. "I just wanted to help."

Coco chuckled. "I know. You're a great friend."

For the whole rest of the day, Weiss couldn't stop smiling.

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: I saw Black Panther. Specifically, I saw Black Panther's suit, what it could do, and was instantly reminded of a certain blonde brawler.

I gots ideas. I gots lots of ideas.

One thing I didn't have a lot of ideas for has the Crosshares Mark. I thought about trying to combine their two symbols somehow, but that just seems repetitive of the RWBY Mark (Plus, how the heck do you combine a set of crosshairs with a stitched up heart?) I think I did a decent job, though, if a little silly. The flower I chose? It's a coffee plant flower.

Yes, really.