Forever Home (ch8)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL PATRONS! THANK YOU SO MUCH! ENJOY!

Me and my notorious cliffhangers. Sorry to keep you waiting! Now it's time to see how Weiss is going to react, and what Blake is going to do.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													Chapter 8. Testing Boundaries

Blake could only stare at her, her mouth slightly ajar as she finally beheld the girl she'd been searching for - the girl she'd thought she'd lost.

She thought she could see a spark of recognition in Weiss' gaze, just for a brief second as their eyes locked. Blake could feel her heart lifting hopefully as Weiss took a step towards her, and for a brief second, all the rest of the world faded away.

Weiss paused just a pace away from Blake's desk and looked her over, staring a bit longer into her eyes in particular.

But what Blake had believed to be recognition was now clearly skepticism.

Weiss' tone when she next spoke was nothing like the warm, excited voice she'd always used with Blake in the past. Now, Weiss' voice was cold, hard, and suspicious.

"Have we met before? I don't believe so."

Blake realized most of the other students were silently watching the exchange as well. She didn't know how to respond, and she wasn't calm enough to think it through, so she just blurted out whatever came to mind.

"I've just heard about you. That's all..."

"Heard about me?" Weiss growled. "What do you-"

"Ladies?" The professor interjected with a pointed grunt. "I wouldn't want to interrupt your conversation, but may I begin my class now?"

Weiss whipped around and dipped her head to him instantly.

"I'm very sorry, sir."

When she spun around again, Weiss didn't even spare a second glance at Blake as she strode past her down the aisle to take one of the remaining empty seats.

Blake's heart was still thumping a mile a minute as the thrill of it all began to die down.

Of course, she was relieved by the fact that she'd actually managed not only to find Weiss here, but to get an entire class together with her, twice a week.

But she was also miffed by the fact that she hadn't kept her cool when facing her.

/Now she definitely thinks I'm weird.../

But maybe the little incident could work in her favor. Perhaps at the end of class, Weiss would approach her again and demand more answers, which could potentially provide an opportunity for Blake to converse with her more in addition to apologizing.

Therefore, for the entire class that day, Blake planned out what she would do after class. She didn't raise her hand or participate once, for fear the professor would call on her by name. He hadn't read names off the roster either, but had simply marked people silently.

Blake didn't want to risk other people revealing her name before she could tell it to Weiss herself. She was afraid of what might happen if Weiss heard her name and Blake wasn't prepared to give a proper, believable explanation for it.

Weiss' seat was a few rows over and one behind Blake's, which made it somewhat easy for her to steal glances at her. But she didn't want to come across as any creepier than Weiss might've already believed her to be, so Blake did her best to limit her sidelong glances.

She was just so happy to see Weiss again.

She was wearing some of the clothes she'd brought with her from home, clothes Blake had seen her in many times before. Her hair was still tied into its usual odd ponytail, and her blue eyes were strictly focused on the front of the room.

It was clear Weiss was behaving as a very serious student, despite the fact that she didn't really even want to be here. But her behavior here only reinforced her hardworking nature, a trait she'd always harbored ever since her earlier years.

However, there was more to it than just that.

Blake could guess Weiss was implementing some kind of coping method. Her cheeks really were still a bit flushed, and despite the focus in her eyes, there was a great deal of fatigue as well.

Blake couldn't help but be worried about her.

As a stranger and classmate, she knew she had no right.

But as Weiss' best friend and sworn lifelong companion, she knew she had every right.

As the class dragged on, Blake couldn't wait for it to be over, to see if Weiss would come back over and talk to her or even question her. Just getting to see Weiss up close again for herself would've been enough for Blake right now.

But she couldn't help but notice how quiet the other girl was being.

Blake had always known Weiss to be one of, if not the most frequently participating student in any given class. Weiss had always talked about it at home, be it to her family or in private to Blake herself, how she'd always been the one to respond to the teachers' questions while the rest of her classmates had sat there, unresponsive.

But now, Blake was seeing just the opposite. Other people gave their disinterested replies and opinions, but Weiss never once raised her hand or spoke up. It made Blake feel a bit uneasy.

/What's happened to her? Could my running away from home really have affected her this much? Enough for her to leave her classes early, show up late, and never speak up?/

She assumed it was probably a combination of her own evident disappearance from Weiss' life, coupled with the intimidating new environment. Unlike Blake, Weiss hadn't had everything prepared in advance and handed to her by the magic of fairies. She was struggling here, all alone in this new place, her mind burdened by the fact that she was at a disadvantage and was still required to excel, in spite of all the turmoil happening behind the scenes.

No one knew about Weiss' pain.

No one except Blake.

She spent all of her time daydreaming about Weiss, stealing glances whenever she could, her mind swirling with memories and thoughts of the girl, and how she planned to interact with her next.

By the time the professor had dismissed them, Blake had formed a plan.

Weiss was the first one out of her seat, striding toward the door at a quickened pace. She cast Blake a brief glance which had more elements of a glare to it, but didn't pause for a second or address her again.

Blake felt her heart sink and her shoulders slump as the plan she'd come up with went to waste and Weiss walked out the door.

/No... I can't just let it end like this! I've got to try!/

Blake grabbed her bag and hurried out into the hallway after Weiss, spotting her amongst the mingling crowds. She dashed after her, only partially driven by cognizant thoughts. The primary thing pushing her onward now was instinct.

She weaved through the crowds, her eyes locked on Weiss' back as the girl headed for a pair of doors to a less congested area.

This was her chance.

Blake raced after her and pushed through the doors as quickly as she could.

What she hadn't realized in her desperation was what was behind these doors.

A small staircase led down to the first floor of the building. In her rush, Blake ended up slamming the door into Weiss' back, shoving the girl towards and over the edge of the first step with a shriek.

Blake's heart screeched to a halt as she was forced to watch her fall, her books and pencils dropping to the ground and scattering every which way.

Again, Blake could only react on instinct, panic forcing her to move her feet.

She lunged forward down the first few steps and grabbed Weiss by the arm, working against the pull of gravity to right her. Unfortunately, it resulted in a rather rough, yet necessary, yank of her wrist, causing her to cry out in pain once again.

But Blake held fast to her with one hand and the railing with the other to prevent either of them from budging another step.

The instant of terror ebbed away as quickly as it had come. Blake was panting lightly as she struggled to keep a hold on Weiss.

"H-Hey... are you okay?"

Weiss was still having trouble finding her footing on one of the steps. She kept making little gasps and flinching.

"Ah-!" She grabbed the railing with her free hand to right herself, but couldn't place her right foot completely onto solid ground. "My ankle is twisted..."

Blake's ears tried to flatten beneath the bow, causing it to wiggle. She bit her lip and slowly moved down a step to get closer to Weiss. She still held tightly to her hand, now realizing this was the first physical contact she'd had with Weiss as a human.

"Can you stand...?" she wondered.

Weiss' head was still hanging, and she shook it slowly.

"No. I think I need to-" As soon as she lifted her face and saw who was holding her wrist, she recoiled. "What? You again? Haven't you caused me enough trouble this morning? And now you push me down the stairs?"

"N-No!" Blake wailed. "I didn't mean to! It was an accident! Honestly! I-I was just-"

"Whatever. Save me the explanation..." Weiss grunted. "I... I really think I need to go- ah! ...To the nurse..." She looked away again, hiding her eyes.

Blake could tell she was about to cry.

/Oh no, please don't... You've done enough of that.../

"I can take you there," she said instantly, going down another step. She reached out cautiously, offering her free hand now, not wanting to touch her without permission any more than she already had.

Weiss winced as she looked up again, but seemed to calm down a little when she regarded Blake's outstretched palm. With a small sigh, Weiss first wiped her eyes, then reached out to take her hand.

"Fine."

Slowly, Blake curled her fingers around Weiss'.

Her hand that had always been so big to Blake in her previous form now felt so small. In the past, Weiss' hand could take up space on a quarter of Blake's entire body. But now, it curled into her palm with space to spare. Blake didn't want to squeeze too tightly for fear it might hurt her somehow.

Once she was certain she had a good grip on Weiss, she loosened her hold on the girl's wrist as well. Blake gave her a moment to catch her breath and get her bearings, letting her lean her weight against the railing and wall while still making sure to secure and support her hands.

Blake longed to pass her fingertips over Weiss' smooth skin, to feel her for the first time in weeks, and for the very first time in her human form.

But despite the urge to do so, Blake knew it wouldn't be acceptable, so she refrained. She just considered herself lucky that she'd managed to find and speak to Weiss at all, with still a little over half a month remaining.

But she did feel horribly guilty for what had just happened.

/I could've... knocked her down completely... She could've been injured much worse than this... all because of me.../

She had to assume the fairies had played some part in preventing the fullness of the potential disaster that had almost happened here, and Blake sent silent thoughts of appreciation to them.

At last, both girls seemed ready to move. Blake took a deep breath and looked Weiss over quickly, shyly.

"Are you ready?"

"Not so fast," she sighed. "I'd assume we should pick up our things to prevent anyone else from slipping and falling." She nodded to the slew of papers and pens now littering the staircase.

Blake seemed to take note of the carnage for the first time and swiftly nodded.

"I'll get everything." But that raised a new issue. "Do you think you can stand here on your own for a minute? I'll be quick."

She didn't like the thought of leaving Weiss stranded in the middle of a staircase with only one good foot to stand on.

But Weiss had always been stubborn and quick to deny it if she needed someone else's help. She puffed out her chest a little bit and gave a sharp nod.

"I'll be fine. I can manage this much by myself, thank you very much." She flicked Blake's hands away from her own and instead held onto the railing to steady herself.

Blake wasted no time in scurrying around the staircase to gather all of the fallen items. She haphazardly stuffed her own things into her own bag, not caring for the materials she didn't actually need.

But when it came to Weiss' belongings, she took great care in handling them and arranging them neatly within her bag. She smoothed out ruffled book pages and papers, and reconstructed broken pens. But she made sure not to spend too much time doing this, as there was still a much bigger issue at hand.

Blake finished her task quickly, then put her bag on one shoulder and Weiss' on the other. Before the girl could ask what she was doing, Blake gave an explanation.

"It's the least I can do after pushing you. Let me carry your things. And let me take you to the nurse. Please."

She understood full-well that Weiss didn't really have very many other options, considering the fact that she couldn't walk on her own.

But Blake wanted to give her the option to say no to her. She knew she'd probably frightened her a bit, and she'd definitely crossed a line by accidentally shoving her down the stairs. Blake wouldn't blame Weiss if she asked Blake to go find someone else to help her now.

Guilt swept through her in thick waves, smashing up around her heart and making her posture slouch. Blake's eyes were trained on the stairs now, and that familiar stinging was rising up behind her eyes-

"Didn't we already decide on that?" Weiss huffed, her voice snapping Blake out of her trance. "Well? Are you going to help me or not?"

Blake straightened up right away.

"Y-Yes, of course! If it's okay..."

"It's fine..."

Blake offered Weiss her arm again, making sure to wait until Weiss touched her first once she felt comfortable enough to do so.

Weiss clung to Blake's hand, understandably unsteady given her position on the staircase. Blake bent down a little and had Weiss drape her other arm across her shoulders, then Blake slipped her free hand across the girl's back to hold onto her side.

They faced the bottom of the staircase, and Blake could see they had about ten more steps to go until they reached flat ground again.

Blake braced her hand against Weiss' hip to prepare her, then stepped down. She could feel Weiss' grip tighten on her skin, her nails digging in slightly in her nervousness. Blake longed to reassure her, and that innate desire seemed to manifest itself.

Possibly in the worst way.

It seemed her cat ears hadn't been the only trait from her previous form the fairies had let her keep.

Blake could feel an instantly familiar rumble working its way up her chest. Horrified, she quickly swallowed it back down, choking in the process. Weiss stiffed at her side.

"What's the matter?"

"N-No!" Blake gasped. "It's nothing! I'm sorry..."

She couldn't afford to let her purr manifest itself. If Weiss – or anyone else, for that matter – discovered she was a human being that could purr, Blake would definitely be taken away and locked up before the month was up, and then she'd turn back into a cat and-

She shook her head, incredulous at what had almost happened. She'd only wanted to try and help Weiss feel better, but she made a mental note to be more careful in the future.

Weiss still hadn't budged from the step she was on. Blake gave her a small nod.

"Sorry about that. Are you ready?"

"Are you?" Weiss grumbled.

Blake could feel her lips curling up into a smile, but she looked away to hide it, unsure if that would put Weiss off even more.

Slowly, Weiss hopped down to stand on the same step as Blake, balancing herself on her one good shoe. She leaned most of her weight against Blake, trembling slightly as she moved.

But Blake never gave so much as a millimeter, even when Weiss pushed against her a little. She wanted her to feel as safe and secure as possible despite the fiasco.

Blake went down another step, then guided Weiss with her.

In this manner, Blake coaxed her down one step at a time. Whenever she saw or felt Weiss jolt, Blake would pause things for a moment and let her rest before continuing.

After a few minutes, they reached the bottom successfully. Weiss let out a long sigh.

"Now comes the difficult part. The nurse's office is quite far from here..."

"Do you have any more classes today?" Blake wondered. "Are you going to miss anything because of this? ...Because of me...?"

Again, she hung her head and looked away.

But Weiss replied as though she hadn't even heard the last part.

"No. This was my last class of the week. I've got nothing else until Monday at 8AM."

"Would that be your math class?" Blake guessed.

Weiss shot her a glance that was half-suspicious, half-shocked.

"How did you know that?"

Blake realized her blunder a little too late, but quickly fixed it.

"Uh, it was just that... one of the girls in our gardening class mentioned she had a math class with you on Monday mornings. Th-That's all..."

"I see... Now why would she mention something like that?"

"Well..." Blake fidgeted slightly as she continued leading Weiss to the exit doors. "The professor was wondering where you were on Tuesday. You missed the first day of class."

After that, Weiss fell silent for a moment. Blake swallowed hard as she continued to walk slowly with her.

They reached the exit doors, and Blake pushed one open with her foot, then bumped it with her shoulder to allow them both to hobble through. Once they were outside, Weiss spoke quietly.

"Right. I missed class on Tuesday. And I left early from my Monday morning class because... I wasn't feeling well..."

Blake looked straight ahead.

"Yeah. That's what she'd said."

Blake longed to ask Weiss what had really happened, but she knew the girl probably didn't want to open up about it, especially not to the person who had nearly just pushed her down the stairs.

Blake also knew for a fact that Weiss didn't like talking about herself to others. She'd always confided in her cat, alone in her room, telling her of all the secrets she'd share with Blake and never once breathed a word of to anyone else in the world.

Blake knew so many things about Weiss that no one else did. But none of that mattered now, because she needed to pretend to be a total stranger to her.

It was difficult to act as though she'd never met Weiss before, which was probably why she was so bad at doing things fluently.

At the same time, she was so happy to be with her again, but she needed to be on constant alert that her body didn't betray her and end up purring.

As they continued on their way, one step and hop at a time, Blake refrained from talking. She had a million things she wanted to ask, and a million more she wanted to say, but she didn't want to end up gabbing too much, lest she make Weiss even more uncomfortable or risk revealing something she shouldn't.

But Weiss wasn't speaking either, which left an awkward silence hanging over the both of them. It allowed Blake's mind to flash back to the scenes on the staircase, how she'd almost hurt Weiss much worse than just a twisted ankle...

She was pulled back to the present by Weiss' astonished voice.

"Wh-What's going on? Are you all right?"

There was surprise and concern in her blue eyes now as she stared up at Blake. Blake blinked and realized she'd been crying again. Tears were dripping down her cheeks and blurring her vision, and her voice was coming out between whimpers.

"I... I'm sorry..."

"What are you going on about? Stop walking, let's have a seat for a moment."

Now it was Weiss who guided Blake to a nearby bench, leading her as best she could while only having one good foot to use.

Together, they sat down side by side. Blake didn't let go of Weiss until she was sure the girl was safely seated, at which point she lifted both hands to her tearstained face and sobbed into her palms.

Blake wept bitterly, overwhelmed by many different things at once. The incident on the stairs had triggered other unpleasant memories she'd been trying to suppress, and now everything was just overflowing. She was made to feel even guiltier in knowing Weiss was hurt and needed to get to the nurse, but Blake was being selfish and wasting more time before getting help for her.

"I'm sorry... I-I'm sorry..."

She felt miserable.

Horrible.

Hopeless...

And then, she felt a small hand on her knee.

Weiss didn't do anything more than touch her and keep her hand still, but it was a gesture that demonstrated she was there and willing to support Blake if she needed it. Blake sniffled again, feeling her lips rise up into a small, thin smile.

/This is just like her... to help someone in need... even if she doesn't know them... even if they messed up and accidentally hurt her... even if she's the one who really needs help.../

"Come now..." Weiss murmured. "What's all this about? Don't tell me you hurt yourself on the stairs, too?"

Blake inhaled shakily and shook her head.

"No... I'm okay... I just... I really didn't mean to push you... I-I don't want you to think that I... that I did it on purpose... I-I would never... I'm so sorry... I would never try to hurt you..." She tapered off, her words stifled beneath chopped, heavy breaths.

/Stupid... stop crying. You need to get her to the nurse.../

"I should be the one apologizing."

Weiss' voice cut off her thoughts, and Blake lifted her face a little bit.

"Wh-What? No, you didn't-"

"It was my fault to assume you'd done it on purpose. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It was quite horrible of me. I guess I just..." She looked away, but her grip on Blake's knee remained. "I just don't trust people very easily. And you'd startled me this morning when you'd said my name. Even though we've never met..."

Blake couldn't help but sob again.

/If only you knew.../

But she couldn't tell her.

Not yet.

Weiss went on in a subdued voice.

"I should've guessed that the professor had mentioned my name during the class I'd missed. That's how you knew my name, isn't it?"

Blake bit her lip and nodded, going with whatever explanation worked best for Weiss. The white-haired girl sighed.

"I knew it. And here I was accusing you of a crime you didn't commit. This is all my fault..."

Blake quickly shook her head.

"N-No! You shouldn't blame yourself. I definitely... had a big part in all of this... I-I should've thought before speaking... I should've been more careful..." Her eyes flashed down to Weiss' ankle. "Now you're hurt because of me..." Once again, she could feel a wave of guilt rising up, preparing to crash over her and drag her down again.

But Weiss' words dispersed that wave and spared her the pain.

"This is nothing," she said dismissively. "It could've been a lot worse. But you didn't hesitate for a second. You saved me from something that could've been much more painful. So thank you."

Her clear blue eyes were honest and kind now as she met Blake's gaze once again. There were even the beginnings of a smile on her lips, the first Blake could guess Weiss had shown since arriving here. But the smile never formed fully before quickly fading as Weiss turned away.

"I'm sorry for making judgements. I just... a lot's been going on recently. Something awful recently happened and I suppose I'm just... taking it out on whatever target presents itself. And that happened to be you today. So I'm sorry." She dipped her head in an honest display of repentance.

Blake wiped her arms over her eyes and sniffled repeatedly.

"I-I'm sorry, too. I just-"

"I know," Weiss said. "You've already told me. I accept your apology, so don't worry yourself about it anymore."

Blake inhaled a few shaky breaths, blinked away some more tears, and swallowed thickly.

"Okay..."

A moment of silence passed between them. Blake was a little relieved to know that Weiss' hand was still on her knee, providing a small but constant form of contact and comfort for her. It brought Blake more solace than Weiss could ever know.

"So..." She finally wiped away the last of the tears and sought Weiss' eyes once again. "You'd said that... something horrible happened. What was it?"

Weiss visibly flinched at that, and she recoiled her hand right away, her gaze falling to the ground.

"I... I'd rather not discuss it..."

All at once, her lip started to wobble, and her expression went from one of calmness to one of great distress.

Blake would've liked to kick herself in that instance.

/Stupid! What was that for? You already know what happened! And of course she isn't going to talk about something like that to a stranger!/

She quickly tried to make her blunder right again.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "You don't have to talk about it! It's none of my business. I'm sorry..."

She was half-expecting Weiss to chase her off and demand she leave her be.

But to Blake's relief, the girl only wiped her eyes and took a few more deep breaths, though she never did lift her eyes again.

"It's all right... thank you for... for offering to hear me out about it. It's just... not something I want to talk about-"

"Of course not," Blake murmured. "I understand. I'm sorry."

She wanted to reach out and hug Weiss so so badly, but she knew she couldn't. It hurt to be so close to her, but not as close as either of them needed to be to one another.

Blake put her hands to her temples and tried to quell her frantic thoughts.

/Just end it here. Don't talk about anything else. Just get her to the nurse.../

At last, she composed herself once again and stood.

"Come on. We should go."

Weiss peered up at her past her frazzled bangs, wiped her eyes one more time, then nodded. She reached up her hand and Blake took it gingerly, slinging Weiss' arm across her shoulders once again. Gently, she helped her up, and together, they continued on their way towards the nurse's building.

It took them about ten minutes to get there thanks to their collective, limping gait. Weiss was sweating faintly by the time they got inside the building. A woman was there within seconds to inquire what had happened.

Blake was about to explain things when Weiss spared her the humiliation.

"I tripped down the stairs," she said. "That's all."

Weiss mentioned nothing about Blake's hitting her in the back with the door. Blake felt another small smile coming on as she helped lead Weiss after the nurse.

She sat Weiss on a cushioned bed and then took a step back as the nurse began doing her job. Blake watched as the woman carefully removed Weiss' shoe, examining the red, swollen skin around her ankle. She tried moving it around a bit, causing Weiss to flinch and inhale sharply. When the nurse was finished, she gave Weiss an ice pack wrapped in paper towels and had her apply it to her bad ankle.

"Just keep it elevated and put ice on it as often as you can," she advised. "If you play any sports, you'll have to sit out for a few days. The swelling should go down and you should be able to walk just fine by Monday."

Weiss dipped her head to the woman.

"Thank you."

Blake had sat on a nearby chair the entire time, just wanting to know how long it would take for Weiss to recover. Now that she knew, she didn't see any reason to linger.

Of course, she wanted to stay with Weiss for as long as possible, but she was just overridden with guilt about what had happened today. Blake just wanted to be alone now, and Weiss probably did as well.

So she got to her feet and was prepared to leave the room without another word when the nurse suddenly addressed her.

"Are you leaving?"

Blake froze.

"U-Um-"

"Because she can't walk back to the dorms by herself like this. If you're leaving, you'll need to find someone else to walk with her."

Blake's cat ears - and bow - perked up right away.

"N-No! I'll stay with her!"

With that, she hurried back to her chair and sat down again.

Weiss had leaned back against the cushioned headboard, leaving the ice pack to rest on her ankle. Blake felt a prickle of worry and nervousness shoot through her. She realized that Weiss looked much paler than she could remember.

The room was silent now with only the two of them in it. Blake spotted a small water dispenser with plastic cups on it in the corner of the room. She cleared her throat to get Weiss' attention, waiting for the girl to reopen her eyes.

"Would you... like some water?"

Weiss hesitated, and Blake knew she was debating the question. She didn't like relying on others.

But she'd already allowed Blake to help her this much, and she'd also need to rely on her later to get back to the dorms. So she must've assumed a little more reliance in between couldn't hurt.

"Please... If you could."

"Of course."

Blake hurried over to the water dispenser and quickly filled up two cups. She brought one back to Weiss and handed it to her before drinking down the other for herself. As soon as Weiss had finished drinking, Blake offered to get her some more, but the girl politely declined.

"Besides, you've already done enough for me today."

Blake fidgeted a little.

"I wouldn't mind getting you more water if you need it."

"I'm fine. But thank you."

Blake's ears wiggled in delight, but she made sure to hide their motion by turning around and tossing the empty cups into the trash can.

The two of them stayed there for about half an hour to rest for a bit. By the time Blake had helped Weiss out of bed and back onto the main campus outside, evening had begun to settle.

Blake took her time as she walked Weiss back along the cobblestone path towards the dorms. She could feel her own stomach rumbling a bit - from hunger this time, not from a purr. They'd need to pass the cafe on their way back, so she boldly decided to make another offer.

"Would you like to stop and get some food?" She kept her tone casual, even though internally she was excited about the possibility.

But Weiss only shook her head.

"No thank you. I've got food back in my room. Plus, I'd rather not walk around on this any more than I have to. I should rest it so it can heal as quickly as possible."

Blake tried not to sound too dejected.

"Oh. Right." She sighed again. "I just feel so bad. I know I'm responsible for your injury. Is there... any way I can make it up to you? Maybe I can take you out to lunch when it's better, o-or something?"

Weiss said nothing for a moment. Blake knew it was a stretch to ask her to get something to eat together after they'd only just officially met like this, and in such a disastrous way.

But Blake was becoming desperate. She needed to get closer to Weiss as soon as possible and have her recognize Blake before her time was up.

She knew better than anyone that Weiss wasn't one to trust others easily, but Blake hoped she'd at least gotten on her good side today.

They'd just reached the dormitory building when Weiss gave her reply.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I'm free for lunch any day."

Blake's hopefulness was shot down yet again.

"Oh. Okay..."

"But, if you don't mind," Weiss continued. "I didn't manage to get the notes from Tuesday's gardening class since I was absent. Perhaps I could get them from you next week before class, if it's not too much trouble? That would help me tremendously."

Blake's mood lifted up again right away.

"Sure! Of course! I-I mean, it's the least I can do." It was just like Weiss to be more concerned about missing notes rather than relaxing and getting lunch. Blake should've known better. "I'll get to class early on Tuesday so you can get the notes."

"Excellent. Thank you."

Together, they made their way into the building. Weiss instructed her on where to go, and Blake gladly led Weiss to her room, trying to remember where it was in relation to her own.

At long last, they arrived at the door. Weiss took her bag back from Blake, thanked her for carrying it all this way, and then fished out her key. Blake took a step back and let Weiss stand on her own as she pushed open the door.

But before going inside, Weiss met her gaze one last time.

"Thank you again. I'm sorry about earlier."

"I'm sorry, too. I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Blake didn't use that word lightly, and it was the first time she'd said it this way as a human. But she knew she could keep her word for this.

Weiss was quiet, her eyes lingering on Blake's for a second before she dipped her head.

"Well then, good night."

"Good night."

Weiss didn't know it, but she had said that phrase to her a million times before. But until now, Blake had never been able to say it back in a way that Weiss would understand.

With that, Weiss limped into her room and closed the door behind herself. Blake remained on the other side of that door for a few minutes, replaying the day's events in her mind.

/I did it. I found her. I spoke with her. And I even made sure I'll speak to her again next week./

Of course, that meant she would have to wait another four days, which would push her over the two-week, halfway line.

But Blake felt that if she'd gotten this far with Weiss in only a day, then she could earn her trust and get her to recognize her before the month was up.

She finally turned and began heading back to her own room, her mind still buzzing.

/I just need her to trust me. She's never trusted anyone else as much as she trusted me. I just have to make her understand who I am and how I got here./

She arrived at her door, fished out her own key, and pushed inside to collapse onto her bed.

/I can do this. No matter what it takes, I'll prove to her that she can trust me. This will work. It has to./

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A/N: Considering she's only been human for a few weeks, Blake's no too shabby at communication skills. Most of the time. Let's see if she can keep it up.