Blake Belladonna
-----
Ugh, finally.
Blake sank into bed, relishing in the comfort of the sheets and letting herself drift away. However, barely a few minutes after she finally got cozy, her bliss was interrupted by a knock, and the voice of the last person she expected reverberated within the room.
"Blake, are you in there?"
Her cat ears perked at the masculine voice.
"It's Stiofan," he said. "May you let me inside? I wish to speak with you."
Uncertainty shivered through Blake.
Even though they put their differences aside and found common ground, save for the occasional greetings and farewells, words between them were rare.
What could he possibly want?
"If you're in there," he continued, "I'd prefer it if you didn't ignore me. That would be rather rude."
Blake sighed and closed her eyes. 'Just go away.'
A ring made her heart leap.
Discarded on the bookshelf next to her bed, her scroll went off louder than a siren. She facepalmed at the name displayed on the screen. No hiding it now. Anyone outside the room could've heard that.
Blake stomped over, flung open the door, and glared at the annoying smirk on the other side.
Stiofan ended the call and flourished a double stacked paper cup. "Beverage for your woes? It'd be such a shame if you didn't at least try it."
"How'd you get my number?" she said.
He shrugged. "My partner is rather generous."
Blake made a mental note to torture Roderick more during their reading sessions.
"I hope that's not coffee," she said and crossed her arms.
"Black tea, actually." The corner of his mouth stretched. "I've noticed your fondness for it."
As much as she wanted to shut the door in his face, it'd be remiss of her to refuse a freshly brewed cup of her favourite tea delivered free to her door.
Besides, curiosity got the better of her.
If Stiofan went through all that trouble to come here and commit bribery, then he must have something interesting to share.
Blake let him inside, taking the cup and setting it on top of a textbook.
"This better be good." She moved a couple chairs towards each other. "So, talk."
He obliged and took a seat, legs crossed and hands folded over his lap. "How are you feeling, Blake?"
"I'm fine." She popped the lid of the cup, and a torrent of steam rushed free. "Do I not look okay?"
"Distant gazes, failing to pay attention in class, the subtle bags underneath your eyes . ." Stiofan shrugged. "Need I say more?"
She bit her lip and cursed his perception. "You really are a First Guard."
"I do take my profession seriously." The facetious twinkle in his voice shined for a moment before fading away. "Tell me: Is there a problem?"
For a moment, Blake gathered her thoughts, and once she did, a ball of frustration and impending doom bounced around inside her skull.
"I just. . . I can feel it. Torchwick and the White Fang are planning something big, yet everyone's acting like there's nothing wrong. I have to figure out what their next move is before it happens, even if it means doing it alone."
There wasn't anyone else in this school who could. No one knew the White Fang like she did: tactics, hideouts, routine gatherings. All of them were second nature to her.
She sipped the tea and melted under the bold and toasty warmth spreading through her body.
"That's quite the endeavor," Stiofan said. "Are you really ready for the task?"
"I've already made up my mind," she straightened and held firm, "so save your breath and don't try to talk me out of it."
A hum of intrigue resonated from him as he glanced over at the window, exposing the graceful lines defining his slender neck and jawline sharp enough to slice bread.
The rumble of an airship jostled her common sense not to stare.
Stiofan rapped his fingers one by one on the desk in a fluid motion. "Do you mind if I told you a story?"
"I thought you said this was going to be brief." She took another sip. "Does that sound brief?"
"Worry not." He propped a full elbow on the desk, cheek cupped in his hand. "It won't take long."
Blake shifted in her seat and played with the rim of her cup.
It always seemed like his eyes alone were a rifle scope trained on her and ready to fire on a whim, yet this time, the rifle was gone. The teal lens glinted brighter than the delicate embrace of a candle flame, giving zero care in the world to anyone who spotted it.
To say the least, it was strange, but maybe with a little more time, she could get used to it.
Blake gave him the go ahead, and Stiofan started his story.
"Seven years ago, on the first day I began tutelage under my mentor, I was given a coat, spear, and a very important task. See, we lived not high in the sky in the city of Atlas nor did we reside in the city of Mantle beneath Atlas' shadow." Stiofan wrinkled his nose as if the mere mention of those cities gave off an unpleasant scent. "Civilization was a reach too far from our grasps, and the most effective means of survival required reaping the harsh tundras of land. 'Hunt for dinner,' I was told. 'Anyway you can with anything you have.' "
The cup nearly slipped out of Blake's grasp. "Isn't that a bit too much? You were only ten years old."
"Yes, very difficult, indeed." He chuckled and shook his head. "I failed to find anything that evening, lasting the entire night without a bite of food. Alas, the next two days after that, the opportunities eluded me once again. However, on the fourth day, I learned of something dire."
Blake shifted closer to the edge of her seat.
"For the same number of days, my mentor suffered alongside me, starving and writhing in secret. From there, I knew if I did not ask for assistance, we wouldn't survive. So, together, we hunted." A tinge of reminiscence sprinkled a hint of charm to his already striking eyes. "That night we feasted heartily. Never again did another meal pass us by."
"That's a great thing to hear, Stiofan." Blake leaned back and shoveled through his words in search for whatever deeper meaning laid at the bottom. "But I don't follow. What are you trying to say?"
Stiofan ran a hand through those wavy brown locks. "The first of many lessons I learned was understanding one's own capabilities and limitations. Hardships beyond that are not meant to be endured alone. Say the word, and those who truly do stand by your side will be there to raise those burdens from your shoulders."
Blake wanted to laugh but saved face.
So, in other words, this was his way of telling her to ask him for help. Who knew he could be this cute? Then again, how was she supposed to respond to that? Just a few weeks ago they were at each other's throats, now they were alone in a room together having a surprisingly nice chat like nothing ever happened.
None of this made sense.
"Now that I've said all that was on my mind," he tucked in his chair, "I should take my leave. It's getting rather late."
"Wait." She set aside her drink and clasped his wrist. "I thought I understood you up until this point, but after everything you said, I don't think I do anymore. Why are you doing this?"
There had to be an angle to it all. He didn't wipe the slate or turn over a new leaf because the both of them sat down and made up. Everything in her said there was a trick up his sleeve, a psychological tactic to lower her guard.
They nearly killed one another for crying out loud!
"You caught me, Blake," said Stiofan. The softness in his voice took her by surprise, and the way he kept looking at her as if she was the only thing that existed in the world wavered her beliefs. "In actuality, I came here to simply share words with a wonderful lady I can't seem to keep off my mind."
Blake flinched and found the room to be several degrees hotter than the tea.
The door banged open, rebounding against the door stop.
Yang marched inside, ready to knock someone's lights out. "Oh, we should have never let him play!"
"You're just mad cause the new guy beat you," Ruby said and poked at her sister's loss.
The second both of them noticed Stiofan, they hit the brakes, blinking several times at the male.
Weiss smacked her nose against Ruby's head. "Ow, you dunce. Why did you suddenly—"
She immediately shut up.
The six pairs of eyes looked back and forth between them and at the way Blake still gripped Stiofan's arm.
She let go.
"It was a pleasure speaking with you, Blake," Stiofan said, utterly unaffected by the possible misunderstanding. He bowed to her and then to the rest of her team. "Do sleep well tonight. Lady Weiss, Ruby, Yang, have a pleasant evening."
They nodded dumbly, watching his every move out the door, and once it shut behind him, Yang flooded Blake with unnecessary questions and jokes. However, Weiss wore a certain look that she only used when she was annoyed or to silently warn people she was having a bad day.
Blake had a feeling it was both of those.
"So, partner," Yang nudged her with an elbow, "what were you two doing alone in here?"
Blake swept aside the blonde's suggestive question and recalled the advice Stiofan offered. "Ruby, Yang, Weiss. There's something we need to talk about. . ."
-----
Ruby Rose
-----
After Blake told them about her worries, Ruby and the team put their heads together and came up with a super-awesome-takedown-a criminal organization-plan all before bed time.
However, it was impossible for Ruby to fall asleep when a million things involving a certain raccoon raced through her mind.
Sometime during the game in the library, she got a message from Cooper, inviting her to the dormitory kitchen once everyone went to sleep.
When she asked why, he replied with a single word: surprise.
That was enough to leave a ticking time bomb inside her. Because of that, she couldn't even relax, so to fix that problem, she used her sneaky ninja moves to tiptoe out of the room.
Ruby shivered thanks to the chilly air blowing on her arms and the stone cold floor licking the bottom of her feet. She didn't have a chance to change out of her PJ's. Plus, it would've been really hard to do that in the dark without running the risk of waking her team.
The flashlight of her scroll fought the pitch black halls, but her gut sank deeper every second. The whole thing just had to look like something straight out of a horror movie.
"I'm a ghost, boogaly boo."
Right before Ruby's heart shot out of her throat, a hand clamped over her mouth and muffled a scream that would've jump-started the entire building to life.
"Sorry, love." Cooper slid into the light. "Couldn't resist."
"Not funny, Cooper." She pouted and glared. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
"But your reaction was priceless. Want me to show you?" He clasped his hands together and faked a scared face.
"I, so, did not look like that."
"Whatever you say, Ruby." Cooper chuckled and pulled her waist. "Turn that off. We don't want to blow our cover, now would we?"
"B-but I can't see a thing," she said and fought the heat in her cheeks over the fact that their hips were hugging each other.
"I can." He tapped the side of his eye. "Faunus, remember?"
She relented to the truth and awkwardly put away her scroll, allowing him to take the lead.
"I bet you're wondering why I asked you out so late at night," Cooper said, low and above a whisper.
"Y-yeah." She held him tighter and tried not to think about how a monster could reach out and grab her. "I've been meaning to ask you what you wanted to do in the kitchen?"
"Like I said, it's a surprise."
She hit his chest. "Don't tease me, Cooper. I hate it when that happens."
His laughter tinkled through the hall. "And why is that?"
"Because I start imagining what's gonna happen, and it gets me excited, and impatient, and then I get nervous, and when I'm nervous I start rambling on about stuff I don't even understand. It happens a lot, and Yang makes fun of me for it, so I don't like it when that happens, you know? Wait. Oh, no. Am I doing it again? Oh, I am doing it again—"
Cooper pressed a finger against her lips.
"It's like you're not even trying to stay quiet." He turned what sounded like a doorknob and pushed it open. "Don't worry, though, we're already here."
He broke away from her.
She froze and scooted forward with her arms out like a blind girl. "Are you sure this is it?"
No response.
Her heart thumped harder. "Cooper?"
Again, nothing.
"I-I really mean it now." She spun and tried to find his tail in the dark. "Stop playing around already, and turn on the light."
The blinds covering every window snapped up and folded to the top.
"Why do that," Cooper said and gestured out the window, "when there's a full moon tonight?"
Ruby's jaw fell.
Moonlight glistened off the wooden countertops scrubbed to a coppery glimmer, and the floor sparkled from a cleaning and waxing so well done, she could slide across without worrying about crumbs sticking to the bottom of her feet.
"Cooper," she gaped at him, "did you do this?"
"The one and only." He playfully bowed. "Now, come on."
Cooper hopped over to a cooking station in the middle of the room. There were things on top of the counter, clearly prepared and hidden by a gray and orange striped cover, leaving several differently shaped lumps.
"What's under here?" she said and played with the edges of the sheet.
Cooper held on the opposite side. "Help me with this, and you'll find out."
"Okay," Ruby smiled and got ready, "on three. One. . ."
He pulled slightly. "Two. . ."
"Three!" they said at the same time and tossed the cover.
Underneath were an assortment of ingredients, metal bowls, measuring utensils, a basket full of freshly cut strawberries, and a can of whipped cream.
"Flour, eggs, sugar, chocolate chips. . ." An understanding doinked the top of Ruby's head. "You wanna bake cookies?"
"Think of it as repayment for when I ate all your biscuits that one time." He picked a strawberry and stuffed it in his mouth. "I brought these in case you wanted munchies."
She scoffed and put her hands on her hips. "You could've asked me earlier to do this, you know."
"That's the thing." Cooper gestured around. "I wanted to make sure it was just us."
"I don't get it." She perked an eyebrow. "Why just us?"
He sighed and poked her nose; she squeaked.
"I'm trying to be blunt here, but you're being rather dense." He motioned to her and then himself. "As you can see, we're on a date."
A heavy burn stained her cheeks. "W-what?! Did you say a d-d-d-date?"
This was bad. Really, really bad. She's never been on a date before in her life. What was she supposed to do in situations like this? If she'd known about this trap, she would've asked Weiss, Blake, and Yang for advice. Okay, maybe not Yang. She'd probably tag along like the overbearing sister she was or worse.
Oh, geez. Her brain's going to melt at this rate!
Fingers brushed across her bare shoulders, and she backed into the counter so fast, everything on top of it jumped.
"You left there for a moment," Cooper said, concern scribbled all over his face. "Are you alright?"
Ruby pushed down her anxiety and waved him off. "N-nothing's wrong. Everything's t-totally and c-completely fine."
He shrugged and opened the ingredients. "We should get started. It's not like we have all night."
"R-right." She swallowed air and regained control of her nerves. "I'd feel bad if we didn't do anything with these after you spend so much time getting it ready."
Sleeves rolled, he washed his hands. "Good thing I know the greatest biscuit baker in all the Kingdom of Vale."
Ruby smirked. Please.
"Not just the Kingdom of Vale, Cooper. I'm gonna use my mom's super secret, chocolate chip cookie recipe of awesomeness to blow your mind." She slung an arm over his shoulders and dramatically waved a hand in front of them. "Once you get a taste of that, you'll be calling me 'The Greatest Cookie Baker in all of Remnant.' "
"Sounds catchy." He poked her nose again. "Now let's get baking."
For the next hour or so, they whipped together mom's recipe without fail, making sure to keep their voices and laughs on the down low.
It should've taken half the time, but Cooper played a joke every step of the way. He tickled her with his tail whenever she tried measuring something, hid an ingredient when she needed it, and fought him away from the cookie dough because if not, he would've dug in and licked it all off the spoon.
At least in the end, they managed to get the dough on a baking sheet and into the oven.
"Whew." Cooper wiped an arm over his face. "That was harder than I expected."
Ruby snorted and plopped a strawberry in her mouth. "It would've been easier if you hadn't pestered me the whole way through."
"Where would the fun be in that? Admit it; you loved every second."
She huffed and turned away, hiding a traitorous smile by eating another strawberry.
"Have you tried them with whipped cream?" Air hissed behind her. "I hear they're really good."
It may be a surprise to people who didn't already know, but strawberries were her favourite food, more than cookies, actually. If there's a way to make them tastier than they already were, she was all for it.
"Okay," Ruby said, "I'll try—"
A finger swiped across her cheek, drawing a line of cream.
Cooper clutched his stomach and laughed. "Y-you're too easy."
"No fair, you tricked me!" She grabbed a handful of what was left of the cookie dough. "Take this!"
Eyes wide, he put up his hands. "Wait a moment—"
Ruby smashed it on his face and fell into a fit of giggles as the cookie dough slowly dribbled off his chin.
"That was uncalled for." He wiped his face and licked a finger. "Delicious but still uncalled for."
"And this?" She pointed at her cheek. "What is this supposed to be then?"
They stared at each until their snickers broke the silence.
Cooper sure was a weird guy. A good kind of weird, though.
The oven dinged.
A burst of heat hit her first, followed by a blast of the sweet, buttery, and freshly baked aroma leading her by the nose.
Ruby resisted the urge to eat the cookies and burn her tongue, so instead, she used tongs to delicately transfer each cookie onto a cooling rack—Oh, look at that.
Cooper swiped a cookie right off the sheet and bit it.
After several seconds of heavy breathing and juggling the cookie around in his mouth, a satisfied moan left his lips.
"You were right, love." He closed his eyes, inhaled, and looked as if he were transported to someplace awesome. "These biscuits are bloody fantastic."
Ruby beamed.
Cooper nabbed another cookie and did this cool thing where he rolled it between his fingers. "And I think I may know how to make them tastier, though."
"Really? How are—"
He stuffed the cookie in her mouth.
Huh?
Out of nowhere, Cooper leaned in, nose to nose, and bit the other end.
"I guess it's true what they say." He stepped back and pulled his hat down over his flushed cheeks. "Some things are better shared between two people."
The entire room spun, and her face spiked hotter than the oven. The cookie slipped out from between her teeth, clattering to the floor. Her knees wobbled while his voice and her rapid fire heart beat blared in and out of earshot.
Cooper gave a sheepish grin. "Whoops. Guess I went a little too far on that one."
"I. . . I. . . I. . . ugh. . ."
The cold tiles glued itself to Ruby's back and Cooper's worried filled face was the last thing she saw before the darkness completely swept her away.
Talk about a first date.