8

Chapter 8: Admission

"Seriously, Ruby? Did you really need an extra five packs of peanut butter cookies?"

Ruby and Weiss made their way down the winding hallways of Beacon Academy. Weiss held a bag of Dust, oil, and other Huntress necessities in her hand, while Ruby had numerous boxes of cookies cradled in her arms.

"Yes, I did. I was all out."

"...but five packs? Really?"

"Yang keeps eating them! I need this many so I know I'll get at least a few- whoa!"

As Ruby rounded the corner, she hit something solid. She fell down, cookie boxes flying as she threw her arms up in surprise.

"No! My cookies!"

In a red flash, Ruby jumped up and snatched the boxes out of the air. One, two, three, four, fi-!

"Cool, peanut butter!"

Just as Ruby's fingers grazed the last box, it was suddenly ripped away, now in the hands of a certain blonde.

"Yaaang! Those are mine!" Ruby whined as she stomped her foot.

Yang just smirked as she opened the box. "Call it an apology for bumping me," she said, swallowing a cookie in one bite. "Mmmh… I love these things."

Ruby's face turned red as she charged forward. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Yang, in response, merely grabbed her by the head and held her arm out, snacking away as Ruby flailed her arms, her precious cookies just out of reach.

Weiss, having watched all of this, pinched the bridge of her nose. "You two, I swear…" With a huff, she shouted, "Girls!" Yang and Ruby froze in their movements, looking at her in curiosity. "Blake is waiting on us?"

The sisters blinked, then looked at each other. Ruby groaned. "Fiiiine…"

Yang smirked again as she released her grip, munching on another cookie as she started walking down the hall. Ruby followed her, scowling at her as she clutched her remaining cookie boxes against her chest.

Weiss just shook her head at them, walking up beside the two. She gave Yang an appraising look. "Spar go well?" she asked at her torn and singed clothing.

Yang beamed. "Oh ho-yeah. I kinda feel sorry for Nora's team. That hammer packs one hell of a punch."

Ruby, cookies still in a death grip, asked, "Did you figure out which one of you can hit harder?"

Yang looked confused for a second, before blinking. "Oh, yeah. That's why we sparred in the first place, wasn't it?" She chuckled sheepishly. "Guess we were having so much fun we forgot about that."

"So who won?" Ruby asked.

Yang shrugged. "Heck if I know. Nora got a call in the middle of the fight and took off before we could finish. I think she said something about sloths-?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Of course she did. So, do either of you know what Blake wants to talk about?"

Yang shrugged at her. "I dunno. She said it was important, though."

Ruby thought for a minute. "Maybe…" She looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot. "Maybe she's in heat again?" she whispered anyway.

Weiss' cheeks tinted, Ruby's words bringing memories of the past night once again to the forefront of her mind. She shook her head slightly, both to clear her head and as a negative. "I-I doubt that, Ruby. Blake's heat was gone this morning, so she probably won't be in heat for several weeks, maybe a month."

Yang cocked an eyebrow at her. "And you know this… how?"

Weiss held her head high, looking superior. "I took the liberty of researching more about Faunus mating habits, in case something like this happened again."

A smirk spread over Yang's lips. "So you wanted to know the next chance you and Blake could knock boots?"

Weiss' eyes widened to comical proportions. Yang's words suddenly put her own statement in a completely different context than she'd intended. "Wha- no! I-I was just concerned! And wanted to make sure we had all the information available!"

If anything, Yang's smirk grew bigger. "Available for what exactly?"

Weiss felt the heat rise to her cheeks, pointedly looking away from the blonde. "I am not dignifying that with a response."

Yang gave a small snort at her dismissive tone. She turned to Ruby, nearly busting up when she saw her sister's barely restrained smile.

Weiss just huffed, ignoring the two all the way to their dorm. Yang, being her usual boisterous self, swung open the door, announcing loudly, "We're home! So what's up… Blake?"

Weiss and Ruby were similarly confused at the sight before them. Blake sat curled up in the open window, arms wrapped around her legs as she leaned against the window frame. She stared off into the distance, towards the orange tinted sky of the setting sun, clearly in thought.

Most surprising, however, was the lack of a bow, her cat ears twitching slightly in the evening breeze.

When the door opened, Blake snapped out of whatever thoughts she'd been having, turning towards them. An odd smile graced her lips for a split second, before being schooled into her usual tight line. She swung her legs back into the room but remained sitting.

"Um… hi," she greeted, her timidness sending up a red flag for her team as they came in, Weiss shutting the door behind her.

"Hey…" Yang replied slowly, feeling a little wary. "Something up, Blake?"

Blake bit her lip slightly as Weiss and Ruby found a place to set down their goods, Ruby deftly making all four boxes of cookies seemingly disappear in seconds. Once all the attention was back on her, Blake took a calming breath. "I have something to tell you guys."

"Is it a bad something?" Ruby asked, concern growing.

Blake shifted uncomfortably. "Not… really. At least… well, it mostly depends on… how you look at it…"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, giving Blake a look that dared her to try and keep another secret. Blake saw it, and swallowed. "It's, um... It's about last night."

Yang frowned. "Did we do something wrong?"

Blake's eyes widened, frantically waving her hands in front of her face. "No, no! It's nothing you did! You… you really helped me last night." A smile graced her lips, one which they returned, only to frown as Blake looked away. "It's… something I did."

At their questioning looks, Blake breathed deeply. "You… you have to understand, I… I've never really been… close… to anyone before. I mean, there was one time I thought… maybe, but… nothing came of it. I've never felt… wanted before."

"Blake…" Ruby said softly.

"But last night... " A smile spread over Blake's face. "Last night was… incredible. You all made me feel… accepted… loved."

The three were about to smile (despite the red dusting in Weiss' cheeks), but were surprised when Blake shook her head almost violently, pressing her lips into a frown.

"But that's no excuse! I shouldn't have…" She trailed off, staring down at the carpet. "I shouldn't have done it… not without your consent."

Yang quirked her head to the side. "Uh, what are you talking about, Blake? Last I checked, all three of us were on board last night… some sooner than others…"

"Hey…" Weiss droned warningly.

Blake only shook her head, much to their confusion. "No, not that… I… I did something to you." The three blinked at her rather blunt admission as Blake continued. "I don't know what I was thinking, I… I must have been so overwhelmed that…" She sighed before looking up to meet their eyes. "How much do you guys know about Faunus relationships?"

That threw them all for a loop. Yang turned to Ruby, who could only offer a shrug, while Weiss' eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Not much," Yang spoke for them. "I figured there wasn't much different from human relationships."

Blake grimaced slightly. "Yes and no. Like humans, we date, form relationships that way, but we do it for slightly different reasons. We're searching for a mate."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Mate? Isn't that just another word for life-partner, like husband and wife?"

Blake nodded in concession. "The idea is similar, but, again, different for Faunus. I guess… I guess the best way to explain it is, when two humans want to marry, they want someone to share their life with. When two Faunus mate, they want to find someone to share who they are with."

Ruby was confused. "Isn't that the same thing?"

Blake shook her head. "It's not, because… Faunus have the ability to form a much deeper connection. We're able to feel our mate's emotions."

All eyes widened. "Seriously?" Yang asked in wonder.

"Yes. When two Faunus truly care for each other… when they respect and trust each other above all else, they can create a bond that allows them to search out the other's aura, to feel what they feel at any given time. The more in tune they are to the other's aura, the stronger the feelings are."

Yang and Ruby stared at her, Ruby with stars in her eyes while Yang let out an impressed laugh. "Cool."

Weiss, however, gave her a much more critical look. "Why are you telling us this?" she asked, drawing the sisters' attention.

Blake flinched at her tone, ears pinning to her head. "Because… last night, I…" She took a shuddering breath. "In order to create that bond, two Faunus have to give a portion of their aura to their partner. They do this by…"

"By…?" Weiss prodded, though she had a sinking feeling as to the answer.

"...by biting one another."

Weiss' eyes widened. Her hand flew to her left shoulder. Seeing that, Yang and Ruby slowly put the pieces together, slowly mimicking her. "Blake?" Yang asked, her tone disbelieving.

Blake swallowed, head shooting up, her eyes pleading. "I swear, I didn't mean to! I was just as surprised when I saw them this morning as you were. I don't even remember when…" She trailed off, the looks she was receiving robbing her of her resolve.

The room was silent. It took everything Blake had not to look away from the mixed expressions on her teammate's faces. Ruby's was rather unreadable, the only thing showing through was confusion. Yang stared at her in disbelief and shock, her mouth hanging open slightly. And Weiss…

Blake felt her heart clench.

Weiss' face was completely blank. Her lips were set in a tight line. She would have seemed unnervingly calm, had it not been for her hand forming a fist over where her bite was. Weiss took a deep breath through her nose. "You… mated… to us?" she asked, voice frigid.

Blake could only nod, forcing herself to keep eye contact with the heiress.

"All three of us?"

Another nod.

"You... " Weiss clenched her jaw, breathing deeply. "So, we are your… mates, now?"

Blake shook her head. "No, not yet, not… fully. It's just an initial mark… a starting point. It's meant to give potential mates a chance to… reconsider."

Weiss' shoulders relaxed, if only slightly. "So you can remove these… marks?" she asked, relieved, only to narrow her eyes as Blake's ears pinned back at her words.

"I… can... " Blake admitted hesitantly.

No... Weiss thought. Not hesitantly… Reluctantly.

"You… don't want to."

It wasn't a question but a statement, spoken in such a cold, unfeeling tone that everyone else in the room could feel the temperature drop a few degrees.

Every instinct Blake had screamed at Blake to backtrack, to lie. The more human part of her warned her of the rising tension in the room, while her animalistic side outright ordered her to do what she always did when faced with unwanted conflict. Flee, hide, run.

Blake forced it all down. She looked into Weiss' eyes, trying to ignore the blankness in them.

"I'd like to try."

Weiss stared back at her, blank face unchanging. Off to the side, Yang kept her eyes on Blake, an odd mix of emotions on her face. Ruby, finally regaining her wits, kept glancing between Weiss and Blake, a look of concern on her features.

"Try…" Weiss breathed out in that cold, detached tone. "...try… are you seriously referring to a romantic relationship between the three of us and you? You want to… share us?"

Blake shook her head slightly. "It… it wouldn't be like that. It would be an equal bond, no one of us less important than the others. No less…" She slowed to a stop, afraid of how her words would be received.

"'No less' what, Blake?" Weiss' tone left no room for argument.

Blake stared into cold, blue eyes, her vision blurring slightly. "No less loved."

Weiss finally gave a reaction in the form of her eyes widening. There was a slight tremble in her fist, still placed over her fledgling mark. Her knuckles were turning white. She closed her eyes, her jaw clenched. Blake waited.

Eyes still closed, Weiss spoke. "Blake, you said that… mates… can feel each other's emotions?"

"Yes," Blake admitted.

Weiss swallowed. "So… you can feel our emotions?"

Blake fidgeted in her seat. "I-I can, but I'm not! I won't! Not without your permission."

Weiss took several deep breaths, short and shaky. Her eyes opened, boring into Blake's amber orbs. "Then tell me what I'm feeling right now."

Now Blake swallowed. Very hesitantly, she reached with her aura across the short distance between them. Terrified of what she'd find, her violet aura brushed lightly against the front of Weiss'.

Blake visibly flinched at the contact, Weiss' eyes following her. Unable to look her in the eye, Blake's gaze dropped to the floor.

"Anger," she said softly. "Confusion. Frustration." She swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing the final word out. "B-betrayal."

Now it was Weiss' turn to flinch, if only slightly. Her face softened, a tight frown forming on her lips. She clenched her jaw tightly. She tore her gaze away from Blake, looking at Yang, then Ruby. she looked back down at Blake, the Faunus still staring at the ground.

With a shaky breath, she spun on her heel.

"I need some air."

Before anyone could react, Weiss was gone, the dorm room door closing softly behind her.

Ruby blinked, before moving to chase after her. "Weiss, wait-!"

"No, Ruby."

Ruby froze, looking towards Blake as the Faunus lifted her head slightly to meet her eyes.

"It's okay. I just dropped a lot on her, on all of you. Let her go."

Ruby looked between her and the door. "But…" she whimpered, distressed.

"Did you mean that, Blake?"

The two of them looked towards Yang, startled by her quiet voice. The blonde was staring at Blake, her face unreadable. "You… you love us? Like that?"

Blake nodded hesitantly, "Yes, I do. I love you all."

Yang let out a huff of a laugh. "Even me?"

Blake smiled slightly. "Yes. I love you, Yang."

Red entered Yang's cheeks, her lavender eyes widening at Blake's blunt admission. She laughed nervously, stuttering. "I, uh, hehe… wow, I… um… look, Blake, I'm flattered and all, really, I am, but… you see, I, uh… it's just, um…" She petered out, running a hand through her hair. She swallowed thickly. "Y'know, I, uh… I think… I think Weiss has the right idea. I, uh… I need to think."

She took a step towards the door, before whirling around, eyes wide with panic. "But, I'll be back! I just… I'm just gonna take a walk, clear my head. That, uh… that okay?"

Blake nodded, ignoring the dull ache in her chest as Yang stepped closer to the door. She managed a smile. "Take all the time you need, Yang."

Yang nodded back. "Cool… cool… I'll, uh, I'll be back later… I promise!" She gave Ruby a long look, one which her sister returned worriedly. With one last look at her partner, Yang followed Weiss' lead, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Blake stared after, before looking at Ruby. "You can go too, Ruby." When the leader turned to her in surprise, Blake gave her a half smile. "You probably need to think, too. I understand." She mumbled the last part quietly, eyes falling back downward.

Ruby stared at her in concern. She looked towards the hallway door, then back at Blake. She nodded.

Then tackled Blake.

Blake gasped as the weight slammed into her, nearly sending her out the window. Her confusion morphed into understanding as she felt two thin arms wrap around her.

"Ruby...:" She breathed softly, her eyes tearing up.

Ruby simply tightened her grip. "You need a hug." Her tone left no room for debate.

Blake smiled, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl, burying her head in Ruby's shoulder. "Thank you."

She felt Ruby nod.

They stayed like that for about a minute, before Ruby pulled away, still keeping her arms on Blake's waist. "Can we sit on your bed?"

Blake blinked at the question, then nodded. They soon found themselves sitting across from each other on Blake's bed, Ruby sitting cross-legged while Blake wrapped her arms around her legs again.

"Sooo…" Ruby started hesitantly. "Do you really not remember biting us last night?"

Blake shook her head. "No, I don't. I don't even know how I did it without any of you noticing. Can… you remember when I might have bitten you last night?"

Ruby thought hard, her brow scrunched up in concentration. "Um… well…" She blinked, slamming her fist to her palm. "Oh! Maybe it was when you did that little neck rub!"

Blake tilted her head. "Neck rub?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, that's what it felt like, at least. After we, um…" Ruby's cheeks tinted, a bashful smile on her lips. "...we were all really tired. Yang and Weiss fell asleep pretty quick, but you and I just laid there for a little while. Then…"

Ruby felt… fuzzy.

That was the only way she could describe it. Just… fuzzy. Like her whole body was covered in cotton balls or something. Fuzzy and warm… kinda tingly.

Her eyes drooped down as she shifted her weight, getting comfortable on top of her Faunus friend, head tucked into Blake's neck as she listened to the soft purrs right next to her ear.

She forced her eyes to stay open, looking to the bodies next to her. Weiss lay atop Yang, the blonde holding the heiress in a loose embrace. A smile formed on Ruby's lips as she closed her eyes, ready to let the sweet temptation of sleep embrace her.

Just as she was about to succumb to dreamland, the room suddenly went silent. Her eyes blinked back open as she looked up, confused. "Blake?" she called sleepily.

The now silent Faunus looked down at her. She had an odd look on her face, a not-quite frown on her lips as she stared at Ruby, her eyes still slitted. She slowly panned over to Weiss and Yang, looking at each of them, then back to Ruby.

Despite her protesting muscles, Ruby made herself sit up so that her head would be level with Blake's. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Blake's eyes flickered down nervously, as if keeping eye contact was difficult. Then, closing her eyes, she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Ruby's.

Ruby, not quite knowing what to make of this, just closed her eyes, adding her own slight pressure to the contact. After a moment, Blake pulled back. They both opened their eyes, and Ruby now found Blake smiling warmly at her. Then she leaned into Ruby's shoulder.

Ruby felt a small pinch, and suddenly felt very warm. A smile spread across her lips as she saw Blake pull away again, smiling at her as she lightly licked her lips. The new fuzzy feeling seemed to multiply Ruby's exhaustion, the leader now finding it much harder to keep her eyes open. With a smile on her face, she set her head down on Blake's chest, listening to the Faunus' heartbeat as she slowly drifted off.

She was only dimly aware of Blake's hand gently holding her head in place as the girl started to lean towards the other two girls beside them.

As Ruby finished, Blake hid her face in her hands. "Are you sure that's what I did?" she asked in a near whisper.

Ruby nodded, slightly confused. "Yeah. Why?"

Blake let out a deep sigh, lowering her hands so she could meet Ruby's eye. "You're right, that's most likely when I Marked you. The others, too. That forehead bump I did?" She waited for Ruby to nod before continuing. "That's a Faunus' way of asking if you want to be their mate. And you're sure you pressed back?" Ruby nodded again, Blake wincing slightly as she did. "That's how another Faunus would accept. Damn instincts…" she muttered, mostly to herself as she scowled.

Ruby thought for a moment. "So… what does this mean? Now that I'm… Marked?"

Blake shifted as she met her eyes. "It's… kind of difficult to explain. I'd like to explain it to all of you, so you have all the information before any of you… choose."

Ruby nodded. Then, she gave a small smile. "So… you love me?"

Though her cheeks tinted, Blake did start to smile. "Yes, Ruby, I really do."

Ruby fidgeted a bit. "Could… could you show me?"

Blake blinked in surprise. "Um… how?"

"Well… you said that Mates could feel each other's emotions, right?"

A jolt went through Blake as she realized what Ruby was talking about. "Oh! Oh, um I… I don't know. Ruby. I'm not sure if you can."

Ruby seemed disappointed. "Aww… why not?"

Blake rubbed the back of her neck, a quirk she had picked up from Yang. "It's a Faunus ability. I don't know a lot about Faunus taking human mates. I can feel your emotions, but I'm not sure if it would work the other way around."

Ruby still looked hopeful. "Well, could we still try? It sounds really cool! And… I'd like to be able to feel what you feel," she ended with a blush.

Blake seemed apprehensive, but the starry-eyed look Ruby was giving her quickly made her crumble. "Okay," she relented as she moved her legs to sit cross-legged across from Ruby. "I suppose there's no harm in trying. Just… please don't get your hopes up."

Ruby nodded. "So… how do we do this?"

Blake frowned in concentration. "I'm not sure how to explain it. The first time I tried, I blocked out everything around me, and tried to 'see' with my aura."

Ruby tilted her head. "See with your aura?"

"Um…" Blake struggled to explain. "You know how you can focus your aura in one place to heal quicker?" Ruby nodded. "It's like that, only instead of moving your aura to one place on your body, try to push your aura outwards. Let it 'look' around on its own, see if it can find something for you to focus on. Close your eyes."

Ruby did as she was told. Keeping Blake's words in mind, she ignored everything around her, not too hard since there was nothing in the room to distract her. Doing as Blake said, she reached for her aura and pushed.

Seconds passed, and she felt nothing. Frustrated, she pushed harder, her brow furrowed in concentration. Just when she was about to give up, she felt something tug her forward. Focusing on that feeling, she nearly gasped.

It was right in front of her, so close she was baffled she hadn't 'seen' it sooner. A black spot in the darkness, hidden in plain view if not for the deep violet glow surrounding it. It was a little ominous, but also gave off a feeling of safety, like it was something that would hide and protect her if need be.

"Blake?" Ruby asked softly, eyes still closed. "I think… I think I… 'found' you. But… I don't really feel-" Ruby gasped.

Fear. sadness. Self-loathing. Calm. Relief. Happiness.

Love.

Ruby's eyes flew open. She took long, deep breaths, her heart hammering away in her chest. She felt two hands grip her shoulders lightly.

"Ruby? Ruby, are you alright?" Blake was right in front of her, worry in her eyes, cat-ears pinned against her head.

Ruby took a few more slow breaths. "Yeah, I'm… I'm fine." She gave a shaky laugh, smiling widely. "That was a little intense."

Blake managed a small smile of her own. "Sorry, I usually keep my emotions hidden, that's probably why you couldn't feel them right awa-" She froze, her words finally registering. "You… you felt me."

Ruby gave a nod, smiling. "Yep!"

Blake stared at Ruby, an expression of disbelieving awe on her face. Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes, and Ruby suddenly found herself in a shockingly strong hug. "It… it worked," Blake said, mostly to herself. She let out a laugh of disbelief. "You're… you're my Mate." As soon as the words left her mouth, she pulled back, eyes wide. "I mean… you can be my Mate. If you… want to…" she finished awkwardly.

Ruby looked at her, thinking hard. "I… I think I need to talk with Yang and Weiss first. But…" She gave Blake a wide smile. "I think I'd like to try to."

Blake's shocked expression melted into a watery smile. She pulled Ruby into a softer hug, the leader hugging back. Ruby was the one to break the silence this time, however. "I'm gonna go find Yang," she said, pulling away from the embrace.

Blake frowned in confusion. "Why?"

Ruby shrugged with a smile. "Call it 'sister's intuition'. I think she needs to talk to someone about all… this." She gestured to the room as a whole.

Blake's ears bent slightly. "Are you sure, Ruby? Maybe she needs to think things out herself."

Ruby seemed to mull it over for a second, giving a disquieted frown as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "If it was anyone else, probably, but… Yang can get a little… moody, I guess?... when she stews over something for too long. Trust me, it's better to let her vent now than have her bottle up what she's thinking." She cringed, as if remembering something. "It never ends well."

Blake looked uneasy, but nodded anyway. "Okay. I'll stay here and…" she sighed deeply. "Try and figure out what I'm going to say to Yang and Weiss."

Ruby nodded. She stood up and walked to the door. But just as she put her hand on the doorknob…

Blake felt a whoosh of air and saw a flash of red. Before she could react, she felt a pair of lips peck her cheek. She blinked to find a red-faced Ruby Rose in front of her, smiling awkwardly. "Uh, see ya!" she chirped as she disappeared in a whirlwind of rose petals, the door slamming behind her as she zoomed away.

Blake stared at the spot her kind-of Mate had just occupied. She looked down at her bed, at the rose petals strewn about. She picked one up, holding it gently between her fingers, before laying it on her palm. She smiled at it.

Ruby Rose… my beacon in the darkness.

The click of high-heeled boots echoed through the near-empty halls of Beacon. The few students that were still walking about looked towards the sound, but quickly found something better to do once they found the source: a certain white-haired heiress, marching with a purpose, her trademark rapier held at the ready.

To most people, that alone would be enough to put them on edge, but the scary thing was her expression, or rather the lack of it. To anyone looking at her, Weiss Schnee appeared the picture of calm.

And yet, just a single look at her eyes were all it took to tell the story.

It wasn't that Weiss wasn't mad, oh no…

She was just so furious she'd come full circle.

Inside her head, Weiss' thoughts were a jumbled, incomprehensible mess, to the point that she could barely do anything other than keep walking forward until she reached her destination.

It took only a few minutes before she arrived. Pushing the door open, nearly smacking some poor student in the face as she was about to leave, she marched across the room oblivious to the stares she was receiving as she found an empty section. With a few taps of her scroll, the floor panels slid aside, metal bodies rising from beneath.

Beacon Academy had a large supply of old AK-100s, donated in bulk from the Atlassian military once they'd been rendered obsolete by the new models that had been developed. They were bulky and slow, but powerful. They were built to take punishment, making them excellent for students to practice on when they were in need of more 'hands-on' training without the fear of harming another student.

An important thing to note was their tolerance for Dust. As Dust tended to be most enemy's ace-in-the-hole in terms of fighting, the AK-100s, and their successors, were built to withstand intense heat and electrical output. They could survive the most extreme Dust-related punishment that they could be faced with.

As three AK-100s took fighting stances, Weiss calmly raised Myrtenaster, pointing it at the center robot. With her thumb, she rotated the Lightning Dust chamber into place. She cocked the hammer.

The robot charged.

Weiss clicked the trigger.

BOOOOOOOMMMM!

The robot exploded.