17

Chapter 17: Sunday

"So… is there anything specific we're supposed to do now?"

Blake glance at Yang as the two made their way up the sidewalk. The streets of Vale were surprisingly empty for a weekend afternoon, but that might be because of the part of town they were in. The buildings around them were slightly older than what was usually seen in Vale, but seemed to be still in good condition. Splashes of color dotted the brown buildings, a combination of windowsill flowers and the occasional piece of street art.

"Regarding what, exactly?" Blake asked.

"Y'know, with the whole…" Yang glanced around real quick, before leaning in closer to Blake and whispering. "Mates trial run thing?"

Blake held in a snort. "'Trial run'. I've never heard it put quite like that before."

Yang gave her an unimpressed look. "Oh, hardy har har. Seriously though, are we supposed to… I don't know, act differently now?"

Blake gave her wary glance. "I'm not sure what you're asking me, Yang."

Yang let out a frustrated huff. "Look, it's just… are we girlfriends now?"

Blake blinked. "Oh! Well, yes, I suppose."

Yang raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You 'suppose'?"

Blake felt her cheeks tint in embarrassment. "Um… I mean... usually when two Faun- people," she quickly corrected herself, "...become Mates, they were in a relationship beforehand. So, since we're in the initial stages right now… yes, we're girlfriends… I mean…" She hesitated, looking nervously at Yang. "If you want to be?"

Yang held her gaze for a moment, eyebrow still raised. She laughed softly. "Well, it would be kind of awkward if we weren't." She shook her head, scratching at her ear. "Ah, jeez…"

Blake swallowed at Yang's emotions. They weren't necessarily negative, but they weren't overly positive either. Mostly confusion, exasperation, disbelief, and a good amount of excitement, all tinged with a feeling Blake was very familiar with: being overwhelmed.

"Yang?" she asked, concerned. "You okay?"

Yang glanced over at her. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. Then she opened them, giving Blake a wry smile. "Yeah, just… trying to wrap my head around all this. Okay, so…" Yang looked over her shoulder, then all around them. Seeing that the street was empty, she continued. "I'm your girlfriend, right?"

Blake nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Yes, and I'm yours."

Yang grinned at that, her always-warm chest feeling just a little bit hotter. She focused. "But, Ruby is also your girlfriend. And so is Weiss."

Blake nodded again. "And I'm theirs."

Yang nodded, her brow scrunching in thought. "But Weiss is also my girlfriend… and Ruby's."

"...this is weird, isn't it?"

Yang couldn't help but laugh at Blake's matter-of-fact tone. "Oh, extremely. I just… I've never really kept a girlfriend for very long. I liked them, but… I never felt that spark, y'know? Now I've got two girlfriends at the same time… and I'm sharing them with Ruby... " Yang shook her head in disbelief. "And I really thought my life couldn't get any weirder."

Blake frowned. "Sorry…" she said quietly.

She jumped slightly when she felt Yang's hand on her arm. The blonde gave her a crooked smile. "Hey, weird doesn't mean bad. I'm just trying to figure out how this would work."

Blake relaxed a little when Yang's hand trailed down her arm, interlacing their fingers. "What are you having trouble with?" she asked, hoping to smooth out any potential problems.

Yang squeezed Blake's hand, swinging their arms gently back and forth. "Like… how are dates supposed to work with four people? Like, if we go out to eat or something?"

After a few moments of thinking, Blake answered. "Well, we already go out and have fun as a team. It would probably be similar, just… we'd be more affectionate?"

Yang hummed. "Maybe… we'll have to figure that one out later." Yang then looked up as they reached the end of the sidewalk. They came to a stop as cars crossed the intersection, waiting for the signal that they could cross. Yang turned to Blake. "So how far is this place, again?"

Blake fidgeted under her gaze. "Just up the street… You didn't have to come with me, you know. I can do this by myself."

Yang rolled her eyes, smiling. "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to. Besides, even if we don't decide to be Mates, I'm still your partner, Blake. I want to know where I need to go if you run out again."

The light changed, and the two girls quickly crossed the street. "I know that…" Blake said hesitantly, looking down. "It's just… I never wanted you guys to see this side of me."

Yang looked back at her, concerned. "What do ya mean, Blake? I thought you were glad we know you're a Faunus?"

"I am!" Blake said quickly, meeting Yang's eyes. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you're all okay with what I am. It's just…" Her cheeks tinted as she looked away. "I didn't want you to know what all comes with being a Faunus."

Yang frowned, giving Blake's hand a squeeze. "Blake, I think we've proved by now that we don't care about that."

Blake squeezed back, her lips tugging upwards a little. "I know… I'm just so used to keeping secrets… it's hard to remember I don't have to anymore." Blake stopped in front of a storefront. "This is the place."

Yang craned her neck up to look over the building. Like most buildings in Vale, it was built to blend in, fitting seamlessly into the rest of the buildings around it. Simple glass windows lined the front wall, various ad posters plastered throughout. Above the door was a large, if plain sign that read: Grenda's Goods.

Yang snickered a little at the name. "Just a few letters off from something really funny." She turned her eyes to the door, her eyebrows raising at a sign hung proudly above the doorknob: Faunus Welcome!

Yang frowned as she followed Blake inside. They shouldn't have to advertise that. It should just go without saying. She stayed quiet as she looked around the store. It looked the same as any other drugstore she'd ever been in, maybe a little on the small side. Though, as she looked over the shelves at the various products, she saw a lot of brands she didn't recognize. And there was little, if anything with the Schnee logo on it.

"Okay," Blake said as she turned around, drawing Yang's attention. "The pharmacy is in the back of the store. I might need you to sign some things, but until then… I guess just look around."

"Okay. Let me know when you need me." Yang turned her attention to the various shelves around her, looking over the products in more detail.

Blake gave her a nod, before moving away, headed for the back of the store, where the wall was lined with various medicines. A middle-aged woman stood behind the counter, her head down as she lazily read a magazine. A pair of small goat horns stuck out through her curly brown hair.

"Excuse me?" Blake asked. The woman looked up from her reading, green eyes focusing on Blake.

"Need something, sweetie?"

Blake reached for the purse she had hanging off of her shoulder. She pulled out the empty orange bottle, placing it on the counter. "I'm here to refill my prescription. I called ahead."

The woman gave a kind smile, folding the corner of the page she was on as she closed her magazine. "Of course, dear." She picked up the bottle, her eyes skimming over the label. She paused, a puzzled look on her face. She looked back at Blake, raising an eyebrow. Her eyes flicked up at her bow.

Blake stiffened at the look, her cheeks tinting. "Um…" She glanced back toward the front of the store. The only other person in the store at the moment was Yang, still making her way up the aisles. Blake turned back, slowly reaching a hand towards her bow.

Much to her relief, the woman waved her off. "No need for that, sweetie. I understand. Just surprised me is all." The woman turned to her side, at an older-style computer terminal sitting on the counter. She typed for a few seconds. "Let's see here… Blake Belladonna, age: 17. Species: Faunus. Subspecies: Cat. Refill for… oh." The woman frowned. "That's odd. It says here that you were supposed to get your refill last month. Is that correct?"

Blake shifted uncomfortably, well aware that this issue would arise. "No, that's correct. I… missed my refill last month."

The goat Faunus looked up in surprise. Her cheeks tinted a little. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry."

Blake, sporting a much deeper blush, gave her a very awkward smile. "It's fine. I, um… it wasn't much of an issue, luckily."

The woman's eyes widened a little, her head tilting just a bit in confusion. Her gaze suddenly left Blake, staring off over her shoulder. "Ohhh…" she said in comprehension.

Now confused herself, Blake followed her gaze to see only Yang, the blonde crouching slightly to look at some bottles on the lower shelves of the cosmetics.

Blake's blush increased tenfold as her head snapped forward. The woman behind the counter gave her a knowing look. "A human Mate… how daring." the woman smirked ever so slightly.

Blake just looked at the ground, uncomfortable feelings welling up inside her.

Yang's head suddenly snapped up, her eyes landing on the two of them. She stood up straight, looking ready to walk over to them.

Blake, feeling Yang's worry, started to look back at her, when the woman chuckled slightly. She turned back to find the woman smiling gently at her. "Now, now, I didn't mean anything by it. I have no more right to judge your taste in Mates than anyone else. I just don't see that very often around here."

Blake blinked, before a smile slowly spread on her lips. "It's alright. It, um… kind of surprised me, too," she ended with a small tint in her cheeks. She turned around to Yang, giving her a reassuring smile. Yang smiled back after a moment, turning her attention back to the shelves.

"I'll bet." With a smile, the woman turned around, pulling the proper medicine from the upper shelves. "Freshly Mated, I take it?"

Blake was surprised, unprepared for small talk. "Um… yes… just a couple days ago. How did you know?"

The woman snorted as she started counting pills. "Same way any Faunus would. The second I saw her I felt that pressure."

Blake tilted her head in confusion. "Pressure?"

The woman paused mid-count. She gave Blake a curious look. "Yes, you know… that pressure you feel when you look at another Faunus' Mate? Like something is pressing on your shoulders?"

Blake stared at her in confusion, before her eyes widened. She had felt that before, several times in the White Fang! Nothing overpowering, just a slight pressure, an uncomfortable feeling, like she was about to make a bad decision.

"Yes… I've felt that before… I never knew that was what it was, though…"

The woman frowned. "Didn't your parents teach you this?"

Blake stiffened, her lips forming a tight line. She looked away from the woman, her hand grasping her other arm tightly. "It's… complicated."

The woman's eyes widened, before her features softened in sympathy. "I'm sorry," she said simply.

Blake nodded. There wasn't much else she could say.

The woman cleared her throat slightly, before explaining. "Well, to put it simply, we Faunus have an innate sense about who is a possible Mate, and who is already taken by another Faunus. When I looked at your friend over there, I felt that pressure, like being interested in her was a bad idea."

Blake nodded, stunned that something so basic about her own species had never been known to her. "And all Faunus can feel this?"

"Uh-huh." The lady hummed as she started counting again. "Good thing, too. Nothing worse than seeing two Faunus fight over a Mate, let me tell you. There are Grimm that do less damage than one of those fights." The woman screwed the lid shut on a new prescription bottle, putting a new label on it. "There you go. That'll be thirty-two Lien."

Blake nodded, still trying to process the new information. She pulled out her wallet, counting up the proper amount before giving it to the woman. "Thank you."

The woman smiled. "No problem. Remember, take one a week, and don't forget. Need anything else?"

"Um, yes actually. Would it be possible for my partner to be able to pick up my prescription, just in case there's a day when I can't do it myself?"

The woman frowned, glancing over Blake's shoulder at Yang. "Well… that right is usually only given to family, but… as your Mate, she should count. The problem is, she only has an initial Mate's Mark, right?" Blake nodded. "Well, that makes it a little iffy… Could I speak to her?"

Surprised, Blake hesitated. "Um… I guess. " Blake turned around to call Yang over… and groaned.

Yang currently stood in front of the various hair conditioners, a particular bottle in one hand and a handful of her hair in the other. The bottle she held was a particular brand intended for certain dog-type Faunus. In big, bold letters it advertised: For breeds with thick and unruly hair. Give yourself a healthy shine!

Yang looked between the bottle and her hair. Blake could practically see the gears turning in her head.

She facepalmed. "Yang!"

Yang jumped, fumbling with the bottle as she tried not to drop it. She looked to Blake, who simply gave her a withering stare. Yang let out a sheepish laugh, letting her hair fall down to her back, putting the bottle back on the shelf. "Uh… sorry?"

Blake just shook her head in exasperation, ignoring the goat-Faunus sniggering behind her. "Can you come here for a second?"

"Oh! Sure." Yang walked up, looking between Blake and the woman. "What's up?"

The woman looked her in the eyes. "This young lady asked if you could pick up her prescriptions for her. Are you aware we usually only let family members do this?"

Yang, recognizing that this was going to be a serious discussion, wiped the smile from her face, replacing it with a more neutral expression. She nodded politely. "Yes, ma'am, I figured as much. But since I'm her partner, I was hoping we could figure something out."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "By partner, I assume you mean 'Academy partners', right?" Both girls nodded. The woman hummed to herself. "Well, we have a policy that lets partners assist with each other's medical needs." She reached under the counter, searching. "Let's see here… sorry, I really meant to clean this out a while back, just a moment… ah, here we go." She pulled out a medical form, placing it on the counter. "I'll just need you both to fill this out for me." She pulled a pen out from behind her ear, handing it to Yang.

Yang grinned. "Perfect! Okay, name… address…" Yang mumbled to herself as she filled in her information, handing it to Blake when she was done.

Once it was filled, the woman looked it over, nodding. "That should do. Next time, if you have to come in, just show your school ID and we should be good."

Blake smiled at her, putting her filled prescription in her purse. "Thank you, ma'am."

The woman waved her off. "No problem, dear. Just remember, every week. Got it?"

Blake pinked a bit. "Got it. C'mon, Yang."

"Lead the way, Blake." Yang followed Blake out of the store, nodding politely to the goat-Faunus as they left. Once they were back on the street, she turned to Blake. "So, any other plans for today?"

Blake shrugged. "Not really. We could go back to Beacon and see if Weiss and Ruby have any-"

She paused mid-word as emotions not her own washed over her, faint but noticeable.

From one source, frustration, exasperation, endearment.

From the other, sheepishness, embarrassment, and an underlying sense of excitement.

Blake blinked, an action Yang mirrored. They looked at each other.

"Blake? What were Ruby and Weiss doing when we left?"

"Weiss was helping Ruby with her Dust Studies homework, if I remember correctly."

…

"...yeah, I'm not getting in the middle of that."

Blake couldn't help but agree. Interrupting Weiss during one of her and Ruby's study sessions was a perfect way to turn a frustrating experience into an outright bad one.

Still, the fact that, as annoyed as Weiss was at the moment, she was also feeling endearment… Blake smiled at the thought.

Yang let out a huff. "Well, great. Now what do we do?"

Blake thought for a moment. An idea popped into her head. "Well…" She paused when Yang's eyes met her, suddenly feeling… shy. "There's a café nearby that I like to go to. Maybe we could go have lunch… just the two of us?"

Yang blinked, and after a moment, her lips turned into a sly grin. "Why, Miss Belladonna! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just asked me out on a date!"

Blake couldn't help but grin at Yang's teasing tone. "Maybe I did."

Yang's smirk faded to a soft smile. With a sudden movement, she linked her arm with Blake's. "Well then… lead the way."

The two continued down the street, each reveling in the warm feelings coming off the other.

Neither noticed the set of red eyes watching them from the rooftops.

Back at Beacon:

Smoke billowed out of the dorm window. A scent of ozone and burnt wood filled the air.

Weiss stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed, tapping her foot on the ground. Ruby stood across from her, staring at the ground, looking to all the world like a scolded child.

"...Ruby?" Weiss' voice was surprisingly calm. Almost disturbingly so.

"...yeah…?" Ruby responded, hesitantly.

"The assignment was to create a concussive burst of air using only a combination of two types of Dust. The book even said that the best combination for that was ice and fire, correct?"

"...yeah…?"

"So why did you use earth and lightning?"

"Well, earth is more solid than ice… and lightning is hotter than fire… I just figured that if I used them instead… I'd get a bigger boom?"

Weiss leveled a glare at her. Then her eyes panned to the smoldering, twisted remains of what used to be her desk. She covered her face with her hand. "Well… I can't deny that you achieved that.."

"...so… I passed the assignment?"

"No, you did not!"

"Aww…"

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Yeah, not much happened in this one. The next few chapters should, I repeat SHOULD, come out a bit quicker. I think there are going to be small interactions across each of the days of the week (as in, each day WITHIN THE STORY, not each day this coming week. Sorry). I really want to get the ball rolling, because, with all I have planned, once I get to the Volume 2 stuff, I think I can start pumping these out with a lot more consistency. Like, a chapter every week, consistency. Fingers crossed!