Chapter 14 – The Date

Camea Thystel

The smell of hot dogs greeted Camea as she stepped out of the theatre into the busy street, passers-by twisting and sidestepping so as to avoid her. While night had begun to fall, the weather was still warm. A slight breeze brushed across her skin but it wasn't cold enough to make her shiver, in fact it felt nice after the stuffiness of the theatre.

The date so far had been fantastic. After Maggy had picked her up, they had engaged in small talk all the way to the elevator, granted Maggy had done most of the talking since Camea was still too nervous to talk properly but she had enjoyed it nonetheless. Once the elevator had reached their floor, Maggy had led her to the theatre where she had already bought them both tickets to see one of the newest plays by the The Wine Brothers called 'Peace at War'.

The play itself had been amazing. Set during the Great War, the play followed the story of four soldiers, each from a different side of the world. After the collapse of the building they were fighting in, the four soldiers were forced to work together to escape the rubble. While feeling rather cliché for the most part as they all seemed to set aside their differences to survive, the play was full of funny and sad moments that kept the whole audience engaged throughout.

"There you are," She heard Maggy say from behind her.

Sh e turned around to see her date giving her a smile that made the blood rush to her cheeks. The corners of her mouth pulled themselves up as the looked at Maggy. She looked breathtaking tonight. Her clothes seemed to suit her in a way that Camea had never seen clothes suit someone before. While very modest, the red blouse and black leggings helped exude an aura of sexy confidence that had drawn her eyes numerous times throughout the night.

However the thing that she found herself liking the most was Maggy's short, magenta hair. The way it was swept to one side and fell down to cover her left eye did something to Camea's mind. For some reason it added an aura of mystery to the her that Camea just couldn't resist.

Having realised that she was staring again, she cleared her throat and gave her head a subtle shake.

"Sorry," She replied with a smile. "I just needed some air."

"It's fine," Maggy smiled back and held her hand out to reveal a small bottle of water. "It is a little hot in there, ain't it?"

"Yeah," Camea agreed as she accepted the water and took a sip. "The play was incredible though."

"I'll admit, I'm more of a movie girl myself but it was more enjoyable than any play I've ever seen," The purple haired girl laughed and motioned in front of them to indicate she was ready to go. "Though that may've been due to the company."

Camea was once again unable to stop the smile that forced its way onto her face.

"We could have gone to a movie," Camea replied guiltily. "Opening week tickets to a Wine Brothers play must have cost you quite a lot."

"They were worth it," Maggy smiled and shook her head. "But if you wanna make yourself feel better, you can pay for dinner."

"I intended to," Camea admitted as she turned the corner and made her way toward the mountain elevators.

"And when did you plan on telling me that?" Maggy asked jokingly with a raised eyebrow.

"When we ordered our food," She replied.

The girl let out a small chuckle and gently bumped their shoulders together. Camea stumbled slightly and laughed at the childish behaviour she hadn't expected to see from the girl. As she caught back up, her hand bumped against Maggy's. Heat immediately rushed up her arm and she pulled it back from the shock, her mind rushing just from the simple contact.

Fortunately Maggy didn't seem to realise that Camea's heart rate had increased dramatically as thoughts of reaching out and grabbing the girls hand rushed through her mind. Not wanting to make a big deal of a such a small amount of contact, she focused on forgetting it.

"So where are we eating?" Maggy asked as they stepped into the elevator. "Camea?"

"O-Oh, sorry," Camea started. "Plateau Bazaar."

"You okay?" she asked and pressed the button.

"Yeah, just remembering the play," Camea lied and hope Maggy would buy it.

"Please don't lie Cams," Maggy replied instantly.

Camea felt guilt course through her at underestimating the girls senses.

"Sorry," She said. "Just got stuck in my head is all."

"Okay," Maggy replied.

The quiet grinding of the elevator's gears echoed off the stone walls as silence began to settle between them. Camea could tell that Maggy wanted to say something but it wasn't until the elevator came to a halt and they stepped out that she spoke up.

"I'm sorry," She said quietly. "I know it probably wasn't a big deal but I have a bad history with liars."

"I-It's fine," Camea replied. "I understand not liking lies."

"Guess I kinda ruined the good mood huh," She sighed.

"NO!" Camea blurted out, not wanting Maggy to think she wasn't enjoying herself. Embarrassed by the sudden outburst, Camea looked down at her feet. "Y-You didn't"

"Thanks for the enthusiasm but I did," Maggy chuckled before looking around. "I'm guessing we are going to the overlook?"

Camea nodded and turned right at the dust store Nick constantly dragged the team to whenever they were in the market. Apparently he used them because they were one of the few dust stores in Mistral that didn't get their supply from the Schnee Dust company.

It only took a couple of minutes to get to the overlook but in that time Maggy seemed to have regained her confidence. By the time they arrived at the food stall nearby, they were once again exchanging small talk.

"Ahh returning customers," the Elderly woman behind the counter greeted warmly her as she approached. "The usual my dears?"

"Yes for me please Dotty," Maggy smiled.

"Yes please ma'am," Camea replied before turning to her date. "Do you know everyone?"

"Pretty much," Maggy winked. "Dotty here has been feeding me since I started at Haven, ain't that right Dotty?"

"Mhmm," The woman hummed in return. "Fortunately you're much better behaved than that partner of yours."

"Nah Gardenia's fine, just quick to temper," Maggy countered.

"I remember," the woman replied darkly. "That will be 58 Lien dear."

"Keep the change," Camea said as she handed over a sixty Lien card.

"Thank you dear, please take a seat, we'll bring it over."

Camea and Maggy made their way over to a seat the was directly against the balcony and sat down. While Angels Rest had been her favourite café for many years, she had always loved this view ever since she was a child. Even though she had lived her whole life on a higher part of the mountain, something about the sounds and smells the bazaar contributed made things much more exciting.

"Dare I ask what happened with Gardenia?" Camea asked out of interest.

"Nothing too bad..." Maggy replied with a grin. "Okay fine, some guy wouldn't stop bugging her so she dangled him over the edge and threatened to drop him if he didn't go away."

"Oh my Oum!" Camea exclaimed in shock.

"She wouldn't have done it," Maggy laughed.

"Poor guy," She smiled.

"He got off lucky," Maggy continued to laugh. "She could have actually gone on a date with him."

"How is that worse?" Camea asked confused.

"Just trust me," Maggy smiled and faked a shiver. "The tales I've heard from guys she's dated still haunt me."

Camea laughed at that one. She refused to believe that the small girl she had seen during combat class was truly that terrible.

"Are any of them actually true?" She asked with a smile.

"I know of one," Maggy said thoughtfully. "She'd kill me if I say though."

"Better not then," Camea chuckled. "What about you?"

"Have I scared dates off?" Maggy said in surprise. "Not sure."

Camea couldn't help but hear the faint drop in the girls tone.

"Sorry," Camea quickly said. "Was that too personal?"

"No," She replied with a genuine smile. "Just bad memories I would rather not remember."

"I understand," She nodded and looked for a change in topic. Fortunately, one came to mind straight away and she had thought of it a lot since Maggy had asked her out. "So what are your plans after you graduate?"

"Police," Maggy replied without hesitation.

"Wow," She exclaimed at the sudden answer.

She was surprised at the answer. From what she had seen of the girls skill's, Camea figured she would go into bounty hunting or something similar.

"Yeah, I did a lot of missions with them last year and it just felt right," Maggy explained. "They do an internship for two Haven fourth years each year and if I do well there, I have a guaranteed spot on the Huntsmen Division."

"My oldest friend is part of that unit," Camea smiled. "Sarah O'Shen."

"I met her a couple of times," Maggy nodded. "People seem to respect her a lot."

Camea was about to reply but she was interrupted by the arrival of their food. At some point in the conversation she had completely forgotten that she was hungry; however, she was reminded the moment the scent of her chicken and rice casserole filled her nostril. She felt her stomach give a small groan in an attempt to urge her to eat.

Once the waiter had placed Maggy's tagliatelle on the table along with two waters and a small selection of cutlery, he bowed and returned to the small building they had ordered from.

The food was excellent as always and the two of them ate while continuing the conversations between bites. Camea told Maggy about her life growing up in upper Mistral and she told her about Vacuo in return. She learned that Maggy was an only child and that her parent ran a bar in a rather shady part of Vacuo. Camea was talking about her mothers roles in the council as they finished their meal when a loud shout sounded out from deeper in the marketplace. The two of them chose to ignore it until a second one reached their ears.

"We should probably see what that's about," Maggy said as she wiped her mouth and stood up.

Camea followed suit and the two of them made their way into the market allowing the telltale rushing of a forming crowd to guide them to the shouting. It didn't take them long to find wear everyone was gathered and they quickly began to push their way through the crowd. Once they reached the inner circle, they were greeted by the sight of two men on the floor, one sat on top of the others chest constantly raining down punches to the face of a male rabbit faunus.

"HEY!" Maggy shouted from beside her and rushed in to pull him off the beaten man. "STOP IT!"

Maggy succeeded in tearing the two apart but once she had managed to push the attacking man back, the other got to his feet and looked ready to charge. Even though she knew Maggy could handle it, she stepped forward to put her hand on the man's chest and gave him a threatening look.

"Don't be stupid," she said to him as he looked like he was about to swing at her to get her out of his way.

His gaze fell upon her Haven ID that was pinned to her top and he seemed to second guess his original intention. The other man however either didn't see Maggy's ID or didn't care as he attempted a right hook that Maggy easily grabbed and forced the man to a knee.

"FUCKING HALFBREED," The man Maggy had on his knees shouted.

"Shut up," Maggy ordered and Camea saw her apply a little more pressure to the man's arm, earning a pain yell in response.

Clearly not wanting to have his arm torn off, the man quickly shut up.

"Call the police," Maggy pointed to a nearby civilian, who pulled out their scroll, before turning to the man that ran Nick's favourite dust shop. "You run a nearby stall, what happened here?"

"I'm not quite sure, I think that faunus boy tried to purchase something and he just flip...," The man started to reply, only to be interrupted by the man on his knee.

"Filthy fucking rat tried to steal from me," He spat, his voice filled with venom. The man yelled out in pain once again as Maggy gave his arm another twist.

"I dint steal nothing," The faunus man argued back only to fall silent from the combined stares of both Camea and Maggy.

"Okay, I want you and the owners of all three of these stalls...," she pointed to the other three stall that were facing the man's. "...to remain here, the rest of you move on with your day."

A mumble ran through the crowd and a majority began to walk away and talk about the events that had transpired. By the time the police had arrived and taken both of their statements, night was fully upon them.

She checked her watch as they stepped out of the elevator onto Haven's campus and saw that it was nearly 10 o'clock. The police had kept them behind to recount what had happened three times and by the time they had finally let them go, Camea was starting to feel the tiredness settle into her bones. She heard Maggy let out a sigh as she too stepped onto the solid path and they both began to walk. Looking forward to getting back to the dorm so she could sleep, Camea aimed her direction towards the first year dorms only to be frozen in place as she felt a hand slip into her own.

Her mind immediately exploded into disarray as warmth flooded her body and her heart began to beat so fast that Maggy could surely hear it. She suddenly found herself wondering if the energy now coursing through her veins would ever allow her to sleep again. A full minute passed as she processed the feeling of Maggy's hand in her own. It hadn't moved from its position as the girl was clearly waiting for Camea to take hold it properly or pull away. Hesitantly, Camea slowly moved her hand to entwine their fingers together.

"I wish the night hadn't ended like that," Maggy sighed quietly as they once again began to walk toward the dorms.

"M-Me neither," Camea replied nervously, the warmth of their entwine finger still pulsing through her body and making her heart race. "I enjoyed the rest of the night though."

"Me too," Maggy said and threw her a smile that dragged one out of her own out.

After that the fell into a pleasant silence until, much too soon for Camea's liking, they arrived at the first year dorm building and walked through the door. Camea couldn't help but feeling a little said when they stepped into the dorm elevator and pressed the button for her floor as she knew it meant there date was about to come to an end.

"Sooo..." Maggy drew out the word as they stepped out into the hallway and made the short walk to her room. "There's this ball thing that I've been invited to in a couple weeks time and I'm really hoping I impressed you enough tonight that you might be willing to be my plus one?"

Feeling the smile threaten to overtake her face again, Camea came to a stop in front of her room and turned to face her date, suddenly aware of how close they actually were.

"Absolutely," Was all she replied.

While just a single simply word, it was enough for Maggy's face to break into a wide grin. It blinded her so much the her brain didn't register that Maggy had leant forward slightly until she felt the the girls breath tickle her skin. Worry coursed through her as she slowly mimicked the actions, now so close that she see every pour in the girls skins, Camea mind went blank for a second before she clearing. With one final breath, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Maggy's.

Fire instantly flooded her system as Maggy deepened the kiss slightly. The girls lips were extraordinarily soft and bacon assaulted her senses, threatening to overwhelm her. This is dangerous, she thought to herself as she saw herself easily growing addicted to the feeling. She pulled back slightly but quickly threw caution to the wind and pressed back against Maggy's lips.

After a couple more seconds, it was Maggy who finally broke the kiss. However, she remained close for what felt like hours before finally backing up and letting go of Camea's hand.

"Pretty good for your first kiss," The girl said breathlessly. Camea tried to reply but her voice refused to listen to her request to speak. "I guess speechlessness is a good sign."

Camea couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle at that and fortunately is was enough to break the tension.

"I should get going," Maggy said and dropped her hand. "Night Cams."

"Goodnight," Camea finally breathed. Maggy smiled once more before turning and walking back down the hall. With one last look, she moved into elevator and out of sight.

Camea took a moment in the empty hallway to compose herself for what she knew was waiting on this other side of the door. With a final smile to herself, she pushed the door open and walked in. Majorella was a blur of blue as she launched herself off the bed and immediately asked how that date had gone. Camea found her voice much easier this time and breathed out a single word.

"Perfect."

A/N

So unfortunately this story will be taking a break, I found I was writing the chapters too close together and need to take some time to decided exactly what I want to do for the story as a whole. I do have some plans for the story such as an ending and some characters who will play big roles later but for right now I just need to take some time away and reevaluate a little. My apologise to anyone who keeps up with this story.