20

Chapter 20: Wednesday

"Come on, Yang, stop going so slow!"

"I'm not going slow, Rubes! You keep speeding off!"

"Well… sorry!"

Ruby and Yang ran through the halls, each with a look of worry on their faces. Ruby's form blurred briefly, her Semblance blasting her forward a few feet, before she forced herself to stop, glancing impatiently back at Yang. Yang ignored the look, instead running as fast as she could, doing her best not to run into any of the other students milling about.

It had been a good day before this point. No pop-quizzes, no bad marks. The most exciting thing that had happened was during Dust Studies, when Ruby somehow managed to cause a fiery explosion using nothing but Ice Dust. All-in-all, a regular, if rather boring day.

As Team RWBY had retreated to their dorm as the sun started to lower in the sky, Ruby and Yang had volunteered to run downtown to the cafeteria and get dinner for them all. When they left, Weiss had been going over her class notes at her desk, while Blake had curled up on her bed with a new book, both already changed into their sleep clothes.

Thirty minutes later, Ruby and Yang had been walking back up to their dorm, arms loaded with takeout boxes, just chatting about whatever popped into their heads. They had just started talking about ways to get Weiss to open up a little more (Yang suggested taking her to a nightclub, making her dance with one of them), when they both felt a sharp jolt across the Link from the heiress.

Surprise. Trepidation. Worry.

Ruby and Yang had looked at each other, silently asking each other the same question. What's wrong now?

Then something burst across the Link, this time from Blake. The sisters flinched as they felt it.

Confusion. Realization. Denial. Panic. Fear.

So much fear.

Before either could really process what they'd felt, both of their scrolls sounded that they'd received a text message. A quick look revealed the same message sent to both of them:

W- Get back here, NOW!

Now Ruby and Yang were making a mad scramble to reach their dorm, Ruby having to use every ounce of restraint to not leave Yang behind in a cloud of rose petals. While Yang appreciated the thought, the fact that Blake's distressed emotions had increased in the last few minutes almost made her wish that Ruby would leave her behind, if only so that Ruby could get a head start on fixing whatever had happened.

The only comfort both sisters had was that there was no anger between their girlfriends. Blake was consumed with fear and sorrow, while Weiss was flooded with confusion and worry. Something was upsetting them both, but thankfully it didn't seem to be because of any bad blood.

Didn't make them worry any less, though.

When they finally burst into their dorm, Yang practically broke down the door by accident. Weiss had paused mid-pace to look at them, her arms crossed as she chewed on her thumbnail.

"What… happened…?" Yang gasped out, bent over as she panted from the run. From the corner of her eye she saw Ruby slide into the room behind her, not even winded. She fought down her petty frustration. Freaking speed-demon. Running never tires her out.

Weiss gave them a worried look, before her eyes shifted to a different door in the room. "Blake locked herself in the bathroom again."

Yang looked at her incredulously, as Ruby loudly voiced the thought in both of their heads. "Why?!"

Weiss hesitated, and the sisters didn't need the Link to know what she was feeling: guilt. She let out a long breath, and tried to explain. "After you left…"

Twenty Minutes Earlier

The Warrior collapsed, her will as broken as her blades. The scent of smoke and ash overtook her as she clutched at her side, deep red spilling through her fingers. The clicking of talons drew closer, the beast's deep, rumbling growl sounding almost like laughter, mocking her.

The Warrior lifted her head, her vision starting to blur. She watched helplessly as the beast reared back its head…

…

Blake's gaze flicked away from the page.

Blue eyes instantly widened, turning back to the papers in front of them.

Blake let out a sigh. That was the third time today that she'd caught Weiss staring at her, though Blake had actually lost track of how many times she'd done so in the last few days. And it was always at the same times of day, mornings and night.

The only times she took off her bow.

"Weiss?"

Weiss' shoulders stiffened, before she slowly turned her head to face Blake. "Yes?" she questioned, feigning innocence.

Blake smirked a little. "I can feel your curiosity from here, Weiss. Something wrong?"

Weiss' cheeks pinked at having been called out. "N-no, nothing's wrong. I just…" Her eyes were drawn up to Blake's fluffy cat ears, before snapping back to Blake's eyes.

Blake frowned. She took a moment to check the Link between them.

Curiosity. Trepidation. A small bit of Shame.

After a short moment, Blake smiled. I think I get it. "Do you want to ask me something, Weiss?"

Weiss held her gaze, then let out a huff. "I'm sorry."

Blake tilted her head a bit. "About what?"

Weiss turned away from her, keeping her head down. "I… I was just wondering about a few things, about… Faunus… but… I don't want to offend you by accident."

Blake was silent. She had thought that was what was concerning Weiss. And considering her previous views and words on Faunus, Blake could understand why Weiss would be hesitant to ask anything.

A soft smile crossed her lips. She set her book aside and got off her bed. She quietly made her way to Weiss' side, putting a hand on the heiress' shoulder. Weiss jumped at the contact, looking up at Blake in surprise.

Blake smiled at her. "Weiss, would you ask me anything intending to offend me?"

Weiss started in surprise. "What? No! Of course not!" she denied indignantly.

Blake's grin widened. "Then I promise I'll be okay with your questions. You can ask me anything."

Weiss' eyes widened, her mouth opening slightly. She quickly snapped it shut, swallowing. "Anything?" she asked hesitantly.

Blake nodded. "Anything."

"... isn't it weird having four ears?"

…

Blake blinked. Twice. "Ex-excuse me?"

Weiss' face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet as she realized what she'd just blurted out. "I-I… well, you see, I mean that…" She stumbled over her words in a vain attempt to salvage her dignity. "It's just, you have the two cat ears, but you also have two human ears, and I don't really get how… that… Never mind!" Weiss gave up, her head snapping back towards her desk as her cheeks burned.

Blake just stared at her for a moment. Then she snorted. She tried to hold it in, but quickly broke down giggling, holding a hand over her mouth as she did so. When she caught sight of Weiss' pout, she tried to calm down. "Sorr… Sorry, I just… I've never been asked that before," she finally managed, her shoulders shaking in pent-up laughter. "Well, um… to answer your question… isn't it odd only having two?"

Weiss turned back to her, staring dumbly. "What?"

Blake reached up and gently grasped the tips of her cat ears. "I didn't just wake up with these one day, Weiss." For emphasis, she wiggled them side to side, then let the go, allowing them to stand back up like normal. "I've had them since I was born, so I don't really have any other frame of reference to go off of."

"Oh…" Weiss said softly. Her eyes turned downward. "I'm sorry, it was a stupid question."

Soft fingers cupped her chin, lifting her head. "Hey," Blake said gently once their eyes met. "I said I'd answer any question you had. And it wasn't stupid. Do you have any more?"

Weiss paused, staring into Blake's eyes. No judgment, no anger… an unconscious sweep of the Link showed the same results.

"...a few" she answered shyly.

Blake smiled. She bobbed her head to her and Yang's side of the room. "Want to sit together while you ask?"

After a moment's hesitation, Weiss slowly nodded. She went to the Faunus' bed, taking her place on Blake's left. She sat cross-legged, while Blake let her legs hang over the edge.

"Well, Weiss," Blake started. "Ask away."

Weiss, eyes were still wary. "And I can ask anything?"

Blake nodded with a smile. "Ask away."

Weiss took a moment to relax, assured that Blake was okay with her questions. "Are there any other differences you have with a human… physically, I mean?"

Blake hummed, thinking. "Well… you know about my ears and my night-vision. Aside from that… I can do this with my nails." She lifted her arm towards Weiss. She flexed the muscles in her hand, and her nails extended a full inch.

Weiss flinched in surprise, then focused on Blake's hand with awe. "They're retractable?"

Blake nodded. "Yep, though, I don't have much reason to do so anymore," she finished, a bit of sadness tingeing her words.

Confused, Weiss took a closer look at Blake's nails. They look normal… wait… Her eyes widened in realization. "They're dull."

Blake gave a hum of confirmation. "I've been filing them down since I started here." At Weiss' questioning gaze, she gave a small half-smile. "Dead giveaway. Not much point in wearing the bow if I walk around with cat's claws." She relaxed her hand, and her nails slid back into place. "Apart from that, my spine's more flexible than a human's, which makes me more flexible overall. Also, I don't know for sure, but I think my tongue has the same texture as a cat's."

"It does."

Blake blinked. She slowly turned towards Weiss, whose blush had renewed after the words tumbled out of her mouth. "...how do you know that?"

Weiss gulped awkwardly. "I just… do," she squeaked out, not meeting Blake's eyes.

After a moment, Blake sported her own blush, the realization of how Weiss knew that suddenly coming to mind. She cleared her throat to dispel the awkwardness. "Anything else?"

As Weiss' blush slowly faded, she pointed to Blake's ears. "The hair on your ears. Is it the same as the rest of your hair, or is it…?" She trailed off, unsure how to finish phrasing.

Blake, however, understood what she was trying to ask. "It's fur." She saw the way Weiss' eyes lingered on her ears, and let out a sigh. She bent her head forward, lowering it. "Go ahead."

Weiss startled by the sudden action. Her hand started to raise, before she pulled back. "You… are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.

Blake smirked, chuckling slightly. "Yes, Weiss. I can tell you're curious." One of her ears flicked, almost tauntingly.

Weiss huffed a little at her joking attitude, but raised her hand nonetheless. Tentatively, she placed her hand on Blake's head, her fingers rubbing against her ears. "They're so soft…" she murmured in wonder, feeling the thin appendages twitch as she moved.

Blake let out a sigh, her eyes sliding closed. "That feels nice…"

Weiss' brow raised at Blake's quiet mutters. Remembering what Ruby had done that fateful night, she bent her fingers, her manicured nails running the length of Blake's ears. She felt Blake shudder under her ministrations, and within seconds, she felt, as well as heard, Blake's deep rumbling fill the room. She smiled as she saw Blake practically melt under her touch.

She kept this up for a couple minutes, before more thoughts from that night came to mind. "Blake?"

"Yes?" Weiss stifled a giggle as Blake spoke. Her purrs gave her voice a strange vibration when she talked, not helped by the slow, absent way she spoke.

Still, it seemed Blake was still listening, even while enjoying herself as she was. "When you were in heat, you said something about 'the way you wanted to act'? 'Little whims'? What did you mean by that?"

Blake stopped purring, one amber eye sliding open. "Just… certain things I've felt like doing that I know a normal human wouldn't do."

Weiss tilted her head to the side. "Such as?"

Blake opened both eyes, giving Weiss a long look. She reached up, removing Weiss' hand from her head. Then, slowly, she started to lay down.

Weiss stiffened as Blake put her head in her lap, raising her arms in surprise. Then Blake reached up, grasped Weiss' hand, and put it back on top of her head.

The heiress stared dumbly for a few seconds, before nervously resuming her scratching. In no time, Blake resumed her purring.

Blake's only response was to curl up at Weiss' side, pressing her forehead against Weiss' stomach.

A giggle escaped Weiss' lips at the sheer absurdity of her situation. She was, for all intents and purposes, petting Blake, her girlfriend, that she shared with two other girls she had similar feelings for, while said girl purred in her lap.

It was so bizarre that it almost wrapped around to seeming normal.

Almost.

Weiss felt a slight pressure in the back of her mind, almost a tickling sensation. Recognizing the feeling, Weiss closed her eyes, letting Blake's emotions wash over her.

Happiness. Calm. Contentedness.

A warm smile spread across Weiss' lips. She opened her eyes, her gaze falling on the contented look on Blake's face.

Blake shifted a bit, rolling a little more on her back. Her sleep robe fell a little with the motion, hanging off her shoulder.

Weiss blushed as more of Blake's peach-colored skin was revealed. Then… she noticed something…

Weiss blinked. Is that…? She craned her neck, careful not to jostle the purring Faunus in her lap. Blue eyes opened widened. It is! But… how…? Was that there before?

Weiss opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. She wanted to ask, but she had a feeling that the answer would be… personal. And… she was a little afraid of the answer. Still, Blake did say anything…

She steeled herself, preparing for whatever might come. "Blake?"

"Hmm?" Blake hummed, completely lost as Weiss kept up her scratching.

"Where did you get that scar?"

"What scar?" she asked airily.

"The one on your shoulder." Weiss hesitated, then whispered. "It kind of looks like… teeth marks."

Blake's eyes snapped open, her face paling. Her head snapped to Weiss' face, her eyes wide.

In a flash, Blake was on her feet, backing away from Weiss. Her hand clamped over her left shoulder. She gasped as she ran her fingers over a certain spot.

"No," she gasped out, barely more than a whisper.

Weiss slowly made her way to her feet, standing at the bed's edge. She kept her arms down and in front of her, her palms open. "Blake?" she asked worriedly.

Blake took a step back, shaking her head. "No… no, no…" she kept muttering. To Weiss' worry, her eyes started to glisten. "It… it healed, it…" She took a shuddering breath as she ran her hand over her shoulder again. "It was gone…"

Weiss took a small step forward, kicking herself for whatever she'd just set off. "Blake, it's okay. I'm sorry, I…" She stopped when she saw Blake's eyes glance toward the left. Weiss followed her gaze…

The hallway door.

Weiss' eyes widened, dread forming in her stomach. "Blake… don't." Amber eyes flicked back to Weiss, then back to the door. Weiss swallowed. "Blake… Blake, look at me." Blake took another step back, but her gaze met Weiss'. "Blake… I'm sorry…" Blake looked back at the door, and Weiss felt a twinge in her chest. "Please don't run," she pleaded, just above a whisper.

Blake flinched, her wide eyes fixed on Weiss.

A heartbeat.

Two.

Blake blurred out of existence, and the door slammed.

The bathroom door.

Weiss stared dumbly at the place Blake used to be. Then she practically dived at her scroll, typing frantically.

"She's been in there since I texted you."

Ruby and Yang stared at her, the takeout boxes left forgotten on Weiss' desk. Worry was etched on their faces, both glancing at the door.

"So… Blake has a Mark?" Ruby questioned.

"I think so, but… it looked different from ours." Weiss pulled the collar of her nightgown aside, revealing her Mark. The ring of teeth marks showed out against her pale skin, a blurry spot of black in the center. Looking at it, Weiss explained. "The teeth marks seemed… bigger than ours… and there was no aura in the center of it."

Yang crossed her arms thinking. "So… maybe it's an old Mark? From an old relationship?"

Ruby turned to her, taken aback. "Like… Blake mated someone before us?" There was a small waver in her voice, sounding a little hurt.

Yang shrugged at her. "Makes sense. I had a few girlfriends before I met her and Weiss. She had a life before she met us. Maybe she had someone special in her life when she was in the White Fang?"

Weiss frowned at the thought, like she did whenever the Fang were mentioned. "But then, why would she react the way she did?"

Yang shrugged again. "Bad breakup? Although... " She looked at the ceiling in thought. "I don't remember seeing it before. Do you?"

Weiss voiced a negative, while Ruby shook her head.

Yang hummed. "Weird…"

They quickly fell silent as the three thought over the situation.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked finally.

"Easy," Yang said, drawing their attention. "We talk to her."

Weiss started at her bluntness. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I know she's upset, but she didn't seem like she wanted to talk."

Yang frowned at her. "You might be right, but… I can't be the only one feeling this right now."

Weiss and Ruby shared a look, before looking down. Yes, they knew exactly what Yang was feeling. The entire time they'd been talking, Blake's emotions had been drifting at the back of their minds, never-ending.

Confusion. Despair. Fear. Shame. Pain.

Each of them felt a deep pressure in their chests, like something was squeezing their hearts.

Ruby lifted her head at the same time Weiss did. Their eyes met, and they held each other's gaze. Then they turned to Yang and nodded.

Yang nodded back, then turned to the bathroom door. They all moved as one, until Yang stood in front of it, Ruby and Weiss at her sides. Yang took a quick, deep breath. She knocked.

"Blake? Can you please come out?"

There was no answer, verbally, at least. A short, quick spike of surprise let them know that Blake had heard her. Yang tried again.

"C'mon, Blake, please talk to us."

Nothing.

Yang looked at Weiss, who could only return her worried expression. Yang sighed, and took a risk. "Blake, we know you have a Mark."

No missing her reaction this time. Shock, denial, and then overwhelming fear.

Yang grimaced. "Blake, it's okay. We're not mad, just… surprised. Please, talk to us."

All three of them flinched as they felt something different from their girlfriend. Denial.

"Blake, it's true!" Ruby piped up, pressing her palm against the door. "We're just curious, that's all!"

"Blake, I'm so sorry. Please, just explain it to us." Weiss was practically begging.

They received no answer, save a rather forceful feeling of denial.

Frustrated, Yang banged her head against the door. She felt the familiar tingle in her eyes, not angry at anyone in particular, just the situation they found themselves in. She closed her eyes, and took a calming breath. Once the tingling feeling went away, she spoke softly through the door. "C'mon, kitty-cat. We're an open book. You tell us: are we mad at you?"

Silence. Yang let out a sigh. Looking helplessly at Ruby and Weiss, who could only stare back in worry.

Click!

Yang jerked back at the sound of the door lock. Slowly, the door swung open.

Yang felt her heart wrench.

Blake stood in the doorway, her ears folded back in submission as she stared at the ground. She kept a hand clamped over her left shoulder, while the other gripped the doorknob. Her entire body was slumped in defeat. She slowly lifted her head, her pained yellow eyes meeting Yang's. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Oh, Blakey," Yang breathed, and quickly pulled the girl into a hug. Blake didn't move, save for tucking her head into Yang's neck and squeezing her eyes shut.

It took only a split-second before Ruby rested her hand on the small of Blake's back, pressing close to her. Weiss reached out and gripped Blake's free hand, adding her support.

They stood there for a minute as Yang let Blake cry into her chest, feeling the smaller girl's shoulders shake. From the corner of her eye, she caught Weiss' stare. The heiress bobbed her head towards the closest bunk, her own, and Yang nodded in understanding. Carefully, Yang lead Blake to the bed, easing them down to sit. Ruby took her place at the end of the bed, sitting cross-legged, while Weiss sat down on Blake's other side, still holding her hand. They sat in silence, waiting for Blake to say something.

"I'm sorry…"

Her voice was so soft they almost didn't hear it. Ruby scooted closer, coming side-by-side with Weiss. "About what?"

Blake kept her eyes closed, her face still pressed against Yang's chest. She took a shuddering breath. "I… should have told you. I was just… I tried so hard to forget."

Yang rubbed soothing circles on her back. "So… I'm gonna guess a bad break-up?"

That got a watery laugh out of Blake. She sniffed. "That's an understatement," she muttered into Yang's shirt.

Weiss rubbed her thumb along Blake's hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Blake stiffened. She pulled away from Yang's embrace. She lifted her head, her eyes meeting Yang's, before turning to do the same with Weiss and Ruby. She swallowed thickly, looking down. "I... I don't think I can," she mumbled guiltily.

Yang draped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Hey, it's okay. Take your time."

Weiss nodded. "If you're not comfortable talking about it right now, we can wait until you're ready." Ruby smiled at her side, agreeing.

Blake took a few shaky breaths. Her fingers rubbed against the teeth marks on her shoulder, the foreign feeling of scarred skin twisting her gut. Her eyes slid closed.

Then she felt it. From all sides, calm, patience, concern. She could feel her would-be Mates surrounding her, offering their support for the sheer virtue that they wanted to help her. Warmth filled her chest.

Letting out a long, shaky breath, Blake leaned her head against Yang's shoulder. Keeping her eyes closed, she steeled herself. I can tell them… a little. They deserve that much.

"There was someone… in the White Fang." Her voice was low and quiet, forcing the three girls around her to lean in slightly. "We grew up together. When we grew older, I thought… I thought I loved him."

Three pairs of eyes widened as Blake revealed a small portion of her well-guarded past. Blake swallowed before continuing, her tone soft. "He was my best friend… someone I could always talk to. But... " She took a shuddering breath. "He changed. I didn't realize it until…" A sob burst past her lips as she clenched at her shoulder. Her eyes quickly welled up again.

"Hey, hey... " Yang shushed. "It's okay. You don't have to keep going if you don't want to."

Blake forced her watery eyes open. She looked towards Yang, searching her eyes, and found nothing but concern. Turning to the right, she was met with the same from Weiss and Ruby.

"Can you tell me one thing, Blake?"

She turned back to Yang, looking up at her. "What?"

Yang couldn't help but fidget her shoulders, her worry and agitation starting to get to her. "Did… did he hurt you?"

Blake held her gaze, before lowering her eyes. "Not physically," she muttered faintly.

Yang let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She held Blake tight. "I'm sorry," she murmured. What else could she say?

Blake took a few minutes, breathing in the scent of Yang's shirt as she tried to calm herself. She was aware of Ruby's arms around her waist, the younger girl having slipped in without her noticing. She felt Weiss give her hand a squeeze. A half-smile graced her lips for a moment, before her face fell again. "I just don't understand."

"Understand what?" Ruby questioned from behind her.

"How it came back." This earned surprised looks from all around, so Blake tried to explain. "It… it happened over a year ago. His aura burnt out after a week and the bite healed. The scar faded to the point you only saw it if you were looking for it. I don't understand how it just… reappeared like this."

Her hand slipped off her shoulder, giving Ruby and Yang their first look at the former Mark. Like Weiss had said, it was a ring of teeth marks, much larger than the ones on their own shoulders, at least an inch wider. The teeth marks themselves seemed larger as well.

After a few seconds, Ruby's eyes lit up. "Maybe it's because we're all Mates now?"

Weiss and Blake looked at her in surprise, while Yang just raised an eyebrow at her. "How do you figure, Sis?"

"Well…" Ruby started. "Blake said that, if we were all Faunus, she would have gotten a Mark from us, right?" They nodded at her. "Well, even though we didn't give her a Mark, maybe her body thinks we did."

Yang scrunched her brow in confusion, not quite following. Blake tilted her head in thought, while Weiss hummed.

"Maybe…" the heiress wondered. She turned to Blake. "You said that the Mark was still there, just that it had healed and faded, right?"

Blake nodded. "Yes."

Weiss put her free hand to her chin, thinking. "Well then… what if, when you gave us our Marks and started the Mating process, your body reacted? Like Ruby said, it knew you were supposed to have a Mark, so it worked with what if had, and revitalized the old Mark?"

Blake's eyes widened. She looked to Yang, asking for her input.

Yang just shook her head. "Don't look at me. This is way over my head."

Blake frowned. "It… sounds like it makes sense," she conceded.

Yang hummed. "Is it hurting?" she asked, concerned.

Blake shook her head. "No. It just… brings back bad memories."

Yang looked thoughtful, before she smiled brightly. "Well then, let's balance it out with some good ones! And I say we start with dinner. I'm starving!"

There was a collective eye roll at Yang's blatant attempt to change the subject. Blake managed a small smile. "Thanks, but I'm not really that hungry, Yang."

"You sure?" Yang asked with a sly grin. "I got tuna-noodle casserole~"

"...well, maybe just a little."

Just like that, things went back to normal. Ruby gave Blake a quick squeeze around her waist, before scrambling off the bed to get the forgotten takeout boxes. Yang briefly scratched Blake behind the ear, earning a half-annoyed, half-endeared glare, before following her sister. Blake adjusted her sleep robe, carefully pulling it up over her shoulder, and stood up.

Weiss was right behind them as they made their way to the kitchen table, but she hesitated when she saw Blake wipe her eyes.

She let out a sigh as she thought about what she'd heard. It really troubled her how little she knew about Blake, both in her personal history and in how her species functioned. She wanted to help Blake, somehow…

She saw something from the corner of her eye. She looked, her gaze falling on the stack of books sitting beside Blake's desk. She walked over to them, recognizing the one top: Strange Fates of Faunus Mates.

Weiss stared at the book, an idea forming.

"Weiss, are you coming? We got some of that duck orange stuff you like."

Weiss rolled her eyes, looking towards the door. "It's pronounced 'a l'orange', Ruby."

"Whatever!"

Weiss shook her head in exasperation, a begrudging smile playing at her lips. She looked back at the book, considering. She made her choice.

She picked up the book, then tossed it on her bunk. She had some reading to do after dinner.

Betaed by Covert Weapon

Old A/n: Yeah, this chapter just feels all over the place. Hopefully, it's not too much of a mess. I tried, honest!