Pawprints (ch4)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!

How the heck are these two going to manage living together?

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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												Chapter 4. The First Night

Blake disrobed and crouched to let the effortless transformation occur.

When it was complete, she lowered herself so Weiss could climb atop her with ease. Weiss' fingers were cool and soothing as she curled them through Blake's fur.

When the girl gave her consent, Blake started out of the cave at a steady speed.

Her senses were on alert as she moved through the forest carefully. Knowing that she had a passenger was a sensation that was strange, but not unwelcome.

She ran in the opposite direction of where the battle had taken place, just to air on the side of caution. Eventually, she slowed to a stop, her nose raised in the air as she surveyed the area around them. Quietly, she let Weiss off of her back at the edge of a clearing.

She looked at the girl, hoping to convey the message of 'wait here' before stealthily moving away, disappearing in the darkening forest. From her hiding spot, she could see Weiss starting to fidget in the dark, though thankfully she wasn't making any noise.

Then, Blake's prey meandered into the clearing between them; a rather fat rabbit using the last of the daylight to get more food. Blake tensed all of her muscles, preparing to pounce.

. . .

The ride through the woods was swift and effortless, and Weiss wished she could simply stay like that for the rest of her life, weightless and without a care with Blake supporting her. She loved the feeling of the wind against her face and through her hair, but she had to wonder what it would feel like to have fur, to be running beside Blake instead of pressuring her back.

She was let off at the edge of a clearing, and Weiss sat down in the bushes, making sure to keep hidden. She didn't make a sound, watching the quiet stretch of grass with patience, just able to make out Blake's shape on the other side. They were both hunters in a sense, so Weiss was glad to have the knowledge that she could be on-par with Blake somehow.

But she was nothing compared to the graceful form prowling a dozen yards away, sleek black fur shining in the fading sunlight as she moved toward her prey with deadly silence. Just watching her was breathtaking, every flick of her tail or ears or whiskers somehow elegant.

The leap was the best part though, getting to watch her soar through the air like a shadow. Weiss could see how every muscle in her body moved, see the sheer power and swift, merciful kill. Weiss felt she could watch Blake forever and have almost no regrets in life.

. . .

Blake leapt through the air, only the faintest of growls rumbling through her chest to disturb the silence. She landed with her paws on either side of the unaware rabbit, blocking its escape as her jaws closed around its neck. The snap of bone reverberated in her jaw as hot blood flowed from the rabbit's neck into her mouth. It twitched once before growing still.

She trotted over to where she had left Weiss, bending down so her companion could once again retake her spot on Blake's back. After letting the white-haired girl get situated, Blake took up the same pace back to the cave, eager to get home and eat.

The return journey was uneventful, and when they reached the outcropping of rock, Blake let Weiss off again. She held her head out to the other girl, waiting for her to take the rabbit. Blake shifted back and stood up.

"Is that enough, or should I get more for us to eat...?"

. . .

She held out her hands and Blake dropped the rabbit before transforming again. Weiss wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the effortless shape-shift-

-or the stunning beauty of her human form, the form she had been born with. Her panther form was incredibly alluring, but her human form was beautiful, her hair always glowing and fine, her skin hardly even dirty, even after the run through the forest.

Weiss considered the question and looked down at the rabbit. "I'm sure this is more than enough for myself. But I'd think you'd need to eat more, right? Transforming and using so much aura must take its toll on your energy. So please by all means, if you need more, hunt. I'll stay here and get the fire going. I'll cook and give you a meal like you've never tasted before." She felt guilty that Blake had to hunt for two now, and Weiss wanted to repay her in any way she could.

. . .

Blake nodded, not even bothering to put on her clothes this time.

"All right, I'll be back soon... If anything happens, call for me." She transformed back in seconds and set off back into the forest.

The sun had set by now, and it was dark and still in the forest. Blake's fur was the same color as the shadows, and camouflaged her. She prowled through the dark, on alert for the slightest hint of movement or sign of prey. Her thoughts, though, were back with Weiss in the clearing of rocks, her body working on instinct and muscle memory.

What will we do now? How long can we live in this forest - just the two of us? How long before she changes her mind and wants to go back home...?

The thoughts raced through her mind as she stalked another rabbit, smaller than the other, but still enough. Without any warning, she jumped and snapped its neck with her powerful jaws.

She had to wonder how easy it would be to do the same to Weiss-

Blake quickly shook her head with a growl, and charged back into the undergrowth.

. . .

As Weiss watched the form of her Panther companion disappear, she had to wonder if Blake would come back. It was less fear of her being killed by another Panther or Hunter. Although that fear was still there, Weiss was more scared that Blake would simply leave her.

"No," she told herself aloud to make it more convincing. "She wouldn't do that. We're the same now..."

She went out into the twilight. The sun was setting, and a cool breeze was starting to creep into the air. She knew not of the beasts that would roam the forest at night, but she hoped the scent of panther was strong enough in this cave to stave off foxes, wolves, and bears. Panthers were, after all, at the top of the food chain of a forest ecosystem. Only other Panthers and human Hunters could best them.

Weiss gathered more branches for the fire, bringing them back to the cave and piling them together before collecting stones to circle around them. She went to her bag and pulled a lighter out of a small side pocket, making sure to be as conservative as possible as she lit a small twig and spread the flame.

She waited for it to catch on all of the sticks, and in the meantime went back outside, using the fading sunlight as a guide. She found bushels of parsley, berries, and other plants, and picked a few, making sure to leave some to grow back.

Returning to the cave, she sat down and took one of her knives, then started to skin the rabbit. She cut the meat into neat pieces before sticking them onto the ends of sharpened branches and positioning them over the flame. She sprinkled the herbs she had come across, grounding the berries into a sort of sauce for a bit of sweetness as she waited for Blake's return.

This was an absolutely ridiculous situation she was in - unheard of. But it was sort of nice, and everything was coming naturally to her as if she'd been doing it all her life.

. . .

The forest was quiet as she made her way back to the cave; no other sane animal would get in a Panther's way, after all. Even from a distance, Blake's keen eyesight could see the light the fire gave off, and her nose could pick up the scent of soft smoke.

Blake intentionally made her approach louder so she wouldn't startle Weiss who was focused on the task of cooking. When she arrived, she carefully dropped the second rabbit into Weiss' lap.

Blake stretched out her body before transforming again and standing up.

"See? Told you I wouldn't be too long." She picked up her clothes that Weiss had folded for her and started putting them on. Once dressed, Blake sat across from Weiss on the other side of the fire. "So I answered some of your questions. Would you mind answering one of mine?" she asked. "What exactly would make a Hunter want to give up their life of killing Panthers to run away and... live with one?"

The tail that remained in her human form swished, and her ears flicked curiously.

. . .

Weiss waved her hand toward the sticks that already had prepared meat and seasonings on them, inviting Blake to eat first as the Huntress began skinning the second rabbit, cutting more slowly now as the pondered the question.

"Honestly… I never wanted to be a Hunter. My father just decided one day that I needed to start paying him for living at home, and this was the only line of work he would accept. I qualified, and so they accepted me…" She finished cutting the second rabbit, dicing the meat and preparing it in the same way as the first.

But Weiss didn't eat. The memories of the cats she had killed were making her feel sick.

"I… I only killed the ones I had to... I needed to send the pelts back to my father for money. But I tried not to kill them. I only did it when I absolutely had to defend my life. Otherwise, I tried to deter them and keep them away from the fights, or just scare them enough to send them running. I never wanted to…" She shook her head and covered her mouth, drawing in a deep breath as she finally looked up to Blake.

"But… I could tell you were like me. You saved my life without question. I wanted to get away, and I knew if we could stage something like we did, this could work out… But I understand if you hate me. I've killed your kin, after all. If at any point you just want to… leave, or even kill me, I won't mind. Honestly... that might be best for the both of us."

. . .

Blake picked up one of the skewers of rabbit meat and started eating. She could hear the emotion in the other girl's voice, could hear the hurt and guilt she felt over the Panthers she had killed.

But when Weiss suggested that Blake might leave or kill her, her pulse shot up. Lunging forward, she took Weiss' hand that held the knife and gripped it tightly.

"I wouldn't-!" she gasped. "I would never leave you, or try to hurt you, Weiss. We're a team now. We... We only have each other..." Her ears went flat, but she kept sincere, unwavering eye contact with Weiss. She kept ahold of Weiss' hand and the knife, and didn't move away.

After all, Blake had already made her decision to stay with Weiss a long time ago.

. . .

She gasped when Blake dropped everything and grabbed her hand. Weiss' immediate fear was that Blake might cut herself somehow.

"B-Blake?!" she cried. "What are you doing, stop-!" Weiss longed to struggle, but feared she would cut her companion if she did. Blake's panther form would have been tough enough to sustain a cut from the knife, but her human form was just that - human. Her skin was soft and as easily cut as Weiss' was. She would bleed-

As soon as Weiss made Blake relinquished her hold on the blade, the huntress instantly tossed the knife away, back toward her bag as she clutched her hands over Blake's, inspecting it for blood.

"W-Why would you do that? You nearly made me cut you!" There were tears in her eyes, forced once again to remember how she'd cut other Panthers to death. "You… I don't want to… I'd never do such a thing…"

Weiss took a deep breath, relieved beyond words to find there was no blood on Blake's fingers.

Calming down a bit now, Weiss drew Blake's hands close to her chest and squeezed them hard. Her eyes traced up Blake's torso, to the collar of her shirt, up the line of her throat, over her lips and paused at her eyes. "You're damn right we're a team now. We're partners. And that's how we're going to stay, Blake. No matter what."

. . .

The clatter of the knife against the ground made Blake's ears flick. Blake wasn't sure if she'd done it as a test for Weiss or what, but the Huntress' reaction had spoken louder than words ever could've.

She really didn't want to hurt Blake, and Blake could tell that sentiment was coming from her heart.

Weiss was clutching Blake's hands to her chest, shaking as tears poured down her face. The Panther girl sat quietly and let her cry, let the her vent her emotions. Blake nodded strongly at Weiss' words, agreeing with everything she said.

"Exactly. We're a team and I'll protect you, Weiss. I know you'll do the same for me, too." She dipped her head shyly, ears flicking as she squeezed Weiss' hands in turn. She could feel Weiss' fingers trembling a little. Blake inched a bit closer to her.

. . .

"Me, too…" she nodded slowly. "I'll protect you, Blake. Against anything and everything. I won't leave you." Slowly, Weiss lifted Blake's left hand to her lips and kissed the healing bullet wound Weiss herself had inflicted a few days ago - both a silent apology and a vow.

Then, she quickly let go, handed her some food, and began eating slowly. The meat was cooked well, and she thought the little seasonings enhanced the taste. But she wasn't sure if this kind of thing was to Blake's liking. Was it too strong for her? Would it make her sick?

Wiping her tears, Weiss looked to her companion who had moved to sit closer beside her, rather than the other side of the fire.

"Um… How's the food? Do you… like it?"

. . .

Blake blushed slightly when Weiss kissed the wound on her left hand - unsure of how to react, she sat still. Weiss took the skewer from her and started eating. Blake resumed eating hers as well.

"It's... really good. No one really knew how to cook in our pack. This is delicious."

Silence filled the air, but it was a comfortable silence, one that didn't need to be broken. Blake tossed more fuel onto the fire when it started to get low, the sounds of crackling gradually adding some sound.

"Weiss...? Can I ask... what you saw in me that made you think we were similar?" she asked quietly. Her tail swished again and her chest felt as fuzzy on the inside as it normally was on the outside.

. . .

She finished eating the first skewer of meat and gradually, she and Blake finished off almost all of them. Weiss was undeniably happy when the girl complimented her cooking skills, as Weiss herself thought they were subpar. She was glad she could give Blake something good to eat.

Swallowing the last of her food, Weiss considered the question.

"I'm... really not sure. You just… you were only defending yourself, and so was I. Even after we went down the cliff I… I tried to get up so I could…" She didn't want to say it. "But, even if I had managed to get to you, I don't think I'd have been able to hurt you. Even though I was injured, you didn't take advantage of me. You didn't discriminate or fear for your own wellbeing; you went to help me instantly. So I think you and I are… similar. Our ideals and beliefs. When I looked into your eyes… I saw a bit of myself reflected there."

And Weiss believed it was the same now.

There was a warm feeling in her chest as her gaze was lost in gold. Was she imagining the emotion in Blake's eyes, superimposing it there herself? Or was it what Blake herself was feeling?

Weiss wasn't sure, but she wished more than anything that it was the latter.

. . .

Blake could only nod. Weiss was exactly right with everything she said.

Blake had felt the hesitation and need to help others in Weiss when they had talked first. Even now, looking into Weiss' blue eyes, she felt that they were connected on a base level, something that couldn't be faked or lied about. Weiss wasn't like the other Hunters; she truly didn't take joy in killing.

Blake wanted to connect with this girl, share her emotions and herself, but she was afraid that she might only impose her emotions on her. It was how Adam typically worked, and growing up with him, Blake had realized early on she didn't want to inherit that kind of skill from him.

Thoughts of Adam made her nails subconsciously grip into her palms. If he ever found out what she was doing-

"We should go to sleep," she said quickly. "We have some stuff to do tomorrow."

. . .

Weiss quickly looked away, avoiding Blake's eyes. She was just imagining things. There was no way Blake would feel the same warmth toward her. Weiss wasn't even sure what she herself was really feeling.

"You're right… This'll be a bit rough from now on, but we'll manage."

Weiss didn't like the thought of putting out the fire. Sleeping here in this cave wasn't like sleeping in camp where there were guards posted. She had Blake with her and that made her feel better, but she still wanted them both to be as safe as possible, so leaving a torch of flame to lead anyone or anything directly to them wouldn't be the best idea.

She first changed out of her hunting gear and into looser, baggier pants and top before scraping dirt over the fire to extinguish it. The moonlight shining in through the mouth of the cave provided a faint light, and Weiss could make out Blake's form by the position of her shining eyes.

Weiss groped for her bag to locate one last thing. Folded into a tight, compact square was a large, thin sheet. They could search for moss or feathers tomorrow to make beds, but for now this would have to do. She laid it out on the ground and went to Blake in the darkness, finding her hands.

"Come here and lie down. That is, if you don't mind sleeping next to me tonight..."

. . .

Blake dropped her gaze to the floor when Weiss looked away. Surely, she had just been projecting her own feelings onto the other girl. Blake didn't even know what exactly those emotions were, but she felt a pang at the thought that Weiss' didn't share them.

Blake avoided looking at Weiss when she changed her clothes; something about it felt like a violation, an intrusion that Blake shouldn't make, even though she herself was typically nude.

While Weiss put out the fire, Blake patrolled the edge of the cave to make sure their was nothing nearby. Satisfied, she went back to Weiss as the Huntress laid a thin blanket on the ground. She could feel her heart rate speed up by several beats when Weiss took her hands and suggested that they sleep next to each other.

"I-I don't mind. Though, that blanket doesn't look like it'll provide much protection from the cold ground," she said, carefully choosing her words. "I think I have a better idea." Gently, she separated her hands from Weiss'.

Making quick work of disrobing once again, she transformed into a panther. Quietly, she walked over to the blanket and laid down on it, curling up before looking up at Weiss. Her tail flicked back and forth as she made eye contact with the Huntress.

. . .

Weiss could hear the shifting of material as Blake removed her clothes yet again, and the Huntress feared she might take off into the night somewhere.

But Blake didn't leave her. Weiss could sense her presence had changed, become larger with her form. The outline of a panther came toward her, passed her, and laid down on the blanket, waiting expectantly.

Weiss blinked at her in the shadows, confused for a minute until she put two and two together.

Slowly, she went to Blake and sat down, cautiously leaning her back against the Panther's flank. She turned slightly to one side so she was facing her, and Weiss rested her head on the fur of her shoulder.

The heat wafting from Blake was incredible, and Weiss shivered against her for a few minutes until her lower body temperature had adjusted. A tail curled around her, and Weiss relaxed against her companion's side, loosening up as she got comfortable next to Blake. Her body moved up and down slightly as Blake's massive ribcage expanded with every breath, and Weiss could both feel and hear the reverberations of a strong, slow heartbeat beneath her ear.

It was indescribable, what she was feeling as she rested against Blake, feeling the workings of her body. Absentmindedly, Weiss rubbed a small circle on her belly, nails lightly running through her fur.

"Is this… is this really okay, Blake?"

. . .

Blake curled her tail around Weiss as a makeshift blanket when the girl started shivering. She shifted as close to her as possible until Weiss stopped shaking.

A purr started rumbling in her chest like quiet thunder when Weiss started rubbing her belly, fingernails gently running through her fur. The sensation was indescribably relaxing, Weiss' fingers were cool and careful as they continued to scratch.

In her Panther form, she didn't have any way to vocalize her answer to Weiss' question. So Blake curled more tightly around her, partly to keep Weiss warm and partly to show that Blake was more than happy with this arrangement.

. . .

Weiss felt Blake's reaction and was relieved she was all right with their positions. She aimlessly continued to rub her hands over the softer fur of Blake's belly, not even intending to do so consciously.

She froze when she thought she was hearing an earthquake, knowing that being in a cave during such an event could spell certain doom for the both of them. But Weiss quickly realized the rumbling wasn't coming from the earth.

A soft giggle escaped her lips and echoed about the cave when she realized Blake was purring. The moonlight had shifted a bit to splash over the cave floor, making Blake's face clearer to Weiss; her whiskers were twitching happily, ears tall, and the Huntress could feel the tail wrapping around her tightly in encouragement.

With the knowledge that Blake was enjoying this too, Weiss indulged the both of them. She pressed both hands to Blake's side and rubbed, gently at first, and then with a bit more vigor, using her nails to scratch deeply, traveling down further to her belly. The purring only got louder, and Weiss tried to contain her girlish laughter.

. . .

The giggling laughter that Weiss made echoed like a bell throughout the cave.

Blake continued to purr louder from Weiss' increased attention. She couldn't help her reactions, whether it was her ears standing straight or her tail unconsciously wrapping tighter around Weiss.

Without thinking, Blake leaned her head over and licked one of Weiss' hands in a sign of approval. Immediately, she regretted her decision and pulled her head away from Weiss, afraid that she had upset the other girl.

Great. Now I've ruined something that was barely even there... She wasn't even sure what she had ruined, but she did know that it was probably something she had wanted to protect and see flourish.

. . .

A few moments passed as Weiss continued to scratch Blake's stomach, overjoyed that she was reacting favorably to it. The purring only encouraged her to rub harder and faster, and she heard one of Blake's hind legs kicking up dust behind her in her excitement.

But the second after Blake turned to rasp her tongue over Weiss' hand, the purring stopped instantly, and Blake's entire body went tense, like she was about to bolt out of the cave. Weiss' smile fell from her lips.

"Blake…? Are you okay? What's wrong?" She could see those golden eyes staring back at her, ears flat and fearful. Weiss quickly understood what this was about. "Oh, please. As if I'd be bothered by a little lick."

She didn't like that the light mood had been made heavy. So Weiss pushed her shoulder against Blake's flank, continuing to rub her chest. With a grunt, she braced her legs against the ground and poured every bit of energy into her side until she had successfully rolled Blake over onto her back, exposing her stomach entirely. With better access to the softer fur, Weiss used both hands now to scratch circles all up and down her underside.

"Come on, admit you're liking this. I certainly am."

A day ago, she was shooting at Panthers. And now here she was petting one until she laughed herself silly.

. . .

Blake released a breath when Weiss said that she wasn't mad.

Without warning, Blake felt a push against her body, and the next thing she knew, she was on her back. Her natural instinct was to roll back over to protect her throat, but with Weiss' hands working wonders on her belly, Blake all but melted beneath her.

She started to purr uncontrollably, and it only deepened when Weiss said she was enjoying herself; something about the knowledge that the white-haired Huntress was happy made Blake happy too. Her back legs were twitching the air, her tail swishing back and forth.

A day ago, Weiss had tried to kill her. Now she was scratching Blake's belly until she was purring without restraint.

Honestly... what the heck are we doing...?

. . .

Blake's legs started kicking again, and Weiss' laughter returned tenfold now that she knew the other girl was really enjoying herself. The giggles that echoed throughout the cave were matched only by the purrs, but those were choppy and interrupted by Blake's fast breaths through her muzzle.

She sounded so happy, and Weiss couldn't get enough of it. It made her heart soar.

She continued rubbing Blake's belly, scratching in circles and then in long, slow lines, dragging up and down her chest. She went up to Blake's throat and the tip of her chin, then all the way back down to her belly, moving her hands in slow, soothing motions to calm down the excitement.

At last, Weiss collapsed on top of her, stretching her arms out horizontally across Blake's heaving stomach. She was a bit breathless herself after all of that, and she waited for her heart rate to slow, listening to Blake's gradually grow softer as well.

"S… Sorry…" she huffed. "I got a bit… carried away."

. . .

Without thinking much, Blake licked Weiss' face, secure this time in the knowledge that it wouldn't upset her. Her whiskers twitched and her ears flicked as if they weren't even under her control anymore.

Purring to let Weiss know that she didn't need to apologize, Blake took a moment to fully calm herself down.

After a beat of silence, Blake rolled over onto her side, careful not to squish Weiss underneath her. Resting her head on the blanket, she felt Weiss start to get comfortable against her flank.

. . .

Weiss let out one last chuckling sigh as Blake got situated properly once more. The Huntress sunk against her side again, pulling her legs up underneath herself to keep warm. She pressed close to Blake's side, stretching her arms out and hugging her broad shoulders as best she could, using her back as a pillow.

"Goodnight, Blake," she murmured. "I… I'm glad we went through with all of this. I know we'll be okay so long as we're together. Thank you… for accepting me…"

She felt an affirmative purr, and a reassuring squeeze of the tail around her waist. She listened to the sounds of Blake's steady breathing as she faded off to sleep.

And that was the first night in a while Weiss wasn't haunted by nightmares.

. . .

Blake wrapped her tail around Weiss once more, pulling her close. She purred as Weiss got comfortable, and leaned a little into the embrace.

Goodnight, Weiss. I'm happy we did this. I'm happy you chose to be with me...

Blake knew Weiss couldn't hear her, so she gave another long purr. Her tail squeezed around Weiss a little tighter, and she felt her breathing slow down as her consciousness began slipping away. Weiss' hold on her shoulders loosened as she faded off to sleep.

Blake had meant it when she'd said that she was happy Weiss had chosen her, happier than she had been for a long time. Closing her eyes, Blake slept easy.

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A/N: I had to go back and edit a lot of stuff on this one, mainly some of Blake's parts. Since now we know more about her character I made a lot of changes to her actions and dialogue.