A/N: Well, I told you this week's would be better. As far as I'm concerned, this is a vast improvement over last week's chapter. I hope you'll agree.

Massive shout out to Linira, who basically wrote the kissing scene for me. I added to it a little, but virtually all of what appears in that scene is him. Thanks man.

Also, thanks to all of you who review, fave and follow this story. The support is greatly appreciated. I write this for you guys.

I don't own RWBY, etc.

The kiss is in the chemicals

Blake was unsure exactly what to think. This situation was not one she was used to.

It had been two months since the Night of the Falling Bed, or as Blake thought of it, the Best Night Ever (So Far.) Despite a new bed for Ruby finally being put into the dorm, it mostly went unused - Blake and Ruby were often found curled up with each other in Blake's bed, their relationship becoming closer as time went on.

The 'situation' that she wasn't used to stemmed from that. This had been the longest caring relationship she'd had since...she couldn't even remember when, and at some point recently she had discovered her feelings had changed.

She was utterly in love with Ruby.

She was now in a position where she wanted to step up their relationship, but that had it's own special set of issues, the most important one being Ruby's age. With Ruby still only fifteen, there were limits as to what they could do to move their relationship forward without a) breaking several laws, b) being considered perverted and c) incurring the very fatal wrath of a certain blonde brawler, whose losses of temper tended to be somewhat explosive. The problem was that she wanted Ruby. She loved the smaller girl fiercely, and she was physically attracted to her as well as emotionally. There just didn't seem to be anything she could do about that, and she didn't even know if Ruby felt he same way.

At least this time, Blake's friends were easier to find, so she could at least talk it over somehow.

"I guess I'm just at a bit of a loss," she told Weiss, despite the white-haired girl's clear intent to continue studying. "What do you think I should do?"

The heiress sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She obviously wasn't going to get any work done while Blake was fretting.

"Blake...I really don't know," Weiss told her bluntly. "It isn't exactly my area of expertise. Maybe you should talk to Yang, or failing that, maybe...I don't know, Coco?"

Blake shook her head. Neither of those options seemed particularly appealing.

"First of all, I don't think Yang wants to hear how much I want her sister, and secondly I don't really know Coco well enough to discuss my personal life with her." She sighed and put her face in her hands. She had just been about to say something more to Weiss, when a familiar laugh nearby caused her to look up and find the source of the sound.

On a table not far behind where Weiss and Blake were sitting, team JNPR had set up to study. Or, pretend to study, in three out of four cases. Jaune was 'studying' his latest comic issue, Pyrrha was attempting to study while studying Jaune, and Nora was studying the best shape for a paper aeroplane.

Nora. Nora would be almost ideal. Sort of.

More help than Weiss, at least, and definitely not as homicidal as Yang.

"Maybe I'll go ask Nora," she said, getting up from her seat.

"That would probably be best," Weiss replied, returning to her work.

"What'cha readin', sis?"

Yang had just returned from a long stint at the gym, and she was surprised to find Ruby sat on Blake's bed, a magazine resting on her knees. It wasn't where she was sat that was surprising - since they'd started dating, Ruby often found more comfort sitting on Blake's bed, as if being there could bring her physically closer to the faunus when she wasn't actually in the room.

What was surprising was that Ruby was reading a brightly-coloured magazine, a far cry from the usual darker tones of the weapon magazines she usually favoured.

Ruby shuffled over, moving closer to the wall, trying unsuccessfully to be subtle in concealing the magazine from her sister.

"Nothin' much," she replied sheepishly, and went back to reading. Yang bent over to try and see the cover, and Ruby shifted away again, at which point Yang snatched the magazine from her knees, much to her sister's alarm and embarrassment.

Yang scanned headline of the article Ruby had been reading, and raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"'Twenty ways to make him want you'? Somethin' you wanna talk about, sis?"

"No!" Ruby cried, diving for the magazine and missing it completely. "Not with you, anyway," she added, from her new position on the floor.

"Hey, if you wanted tips or anything, you only had to ask," Yang told her, smiling affectionately at the diminutive girl. "Same as if you want to borrow my-"

She stopped, and tried to suppress a laugh. She had thought the magazine was hers, until she saw the little white label on the back that stated "property of Weiss Schnee."

"Don't. Say. A word," Ruby warned, finally getting to her feet. "Weiss let me borrow it on the condition that no-one else knows she has it."

Yang tried to act indifferent, but the hurt puppy look that Ruby had perfected over twelve years of practice made her relent.

"Okay, fine, I won't say anything." She put an affectionate arm around her sister's shoulders, pulling her close. "But seriously sis, if you wanna talk about something, you know I'm here for you."

Ruby took a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, actually..."

"-I'm just wondering where we can go from here," Blake told the short redhead, suprised that she had remained attentive throughout their conversation. "I thought you might know if there was something I hadn't thought of."

Almost immediately, Nora replied.

"Have you guys made out yet?"

"W-what?"

"Y'know, made out? Kissed passionately, like they do in the movies, or your books?"

Great, does everyone know what I read now? Blake thought bitterly, but the question Nora had asked actually made Blake think.

So far, every kiss that she and Ruby had shared had been innocent and chaste. Understandable, since this was likely Ruby's first serious relationship, but it made Blake wonder once again if Ruby truly wanted the same things she did.

Blake toyed nervously with the small silver 'B' on her necklace, one of the first gifts she'd ever received from her girlfriend, frowning in thought, until Nora interrupted her reverie.

"I'm gonna take your silence as a 'no'," she said, smirking at the taller girl. "So, that's your answer! It's not overly sexual, so you avoid any threats of death or arrest, but it's a step up from where you are already!"

Blake's eyes widened in realisation.

"Nora. You are a genius," she said, pulling out her scroll to send Ruby message. "Thanks Nora, you've been a really big help." She waved absently to the redhead as she began hurrying off. She had to find somewhere quiet, where she could talk to Ruby without being interrupted.

"Yes. Yes I am," the small redhead told the empty air, before skipping back to her team.

"-you just to be honest with her, that's all," Yang was telling her sister-, and Ruby 's cheeks reddened.

"But what if it makes her not...y'know, want to be with me anymore?" She looked so heartbroken at the thought, Yang instinctively hugged her.

"I know that won't happen, sis," she said cheerfully. "I've seen you guys together, and she really cares about you. Honestly, I don't think I've seen her smile so much!"

"I hope so, I mean she-" In typical fashion her scroll bleeped at her, cutting off her sentence to announce its message with technological impudence. She opened the device, growing nervous when she saw it was from Blake.

Meet me in locker room. It's important. Xx

The terse message worried her even more, but then...she wouldn't have added the kisses if there was anything wrong, so...

"'m going to meet Blake," she muttered to her sister, her heart leaping into her throat at the prospect of what this talk was going to involve.

"Remember what I said sis, just be honest. She'll appreciate it a lot more."

"Thanks Yang. I'll try keep that in mind."

Blake had chosen her place well. At this time of day, any sparring matches were done, so no-one was using the locker rooms for at least the next two hours. Ruby walked slowly around the large room, trying to find her girlfriend while also trying to keep her heartbeat within normal ranges.

Both tasks were proving difficult.

"Hey Ruby."

The smaller girl squeaked in alarm as she spun around, feeling a flush of both relief and fear as she saw Blake at last.

"B-Blake, you scared me...um...is-is everything ok?"

Blake could see that the younger girl was afraid, most likely of what this conversation was about, so the first thing she did was wrap her arms around her girlfriend in a tender embrace. There was only a slight hesitation before Ruby reciprocated, and Blake could feel the worry bleeding out of her as she relaxed into the hug. Just as they separated, Blake pulled her into a soft kiss, partly as additional placation and partly - mostly - because she wanted to.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," she told Ruby as they pulled away at last. "I just...I wanted to talk. About us."

Ruby swallowed nervously, then swallowed again when it was clear the first time didn't help.

"O-Okay, um...what about?"

Blake took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the question she was about to ask. It shouldn't be this hard, she thought idly, then finally asked it.

"Do you want me?" Dammit, every time, it never comes out right...

"W-what? I-I don't, um..." Ruby's voice trailed off as she blushed bright red.

"S-sorry, I just mean...Ruby, I want to be with you. I want you, in ways I probably shouldn't, given your age, but...I'm in love with you, Ruby. I want us to move our relationship forward, but I need to know you feel the same...or don't."

Ruby's jaw worked silently, as her brain tried to process a lot of surprising information in a short space of time. Not only was Blake admitting to a strong physical desire for her, but she said she was in love with her! No one outside of family had ever told Ruby they loved her, but she found it perfectly described what she herself had been feeling for Blake lately.

"Blake, I...I love you too, and I want us to move forward too," she said, not noticing Blake's sigh of relief. "But...I don't know how." Her blush darkened at that, and she stared at her shoes to try and hide her embarrassment.

"Then let me show you."

Ruby looked up at her girlfriend, meeting those captivating pools of amber and seeing the depthless love behind them.

Ruby nodded at last, looking resolutely into Blake's eyes. Blake stroked Ruby's cheek before pressing their lips together, ignoring the sudden flash of apprehension. She let her tongue poke at Ruby's lips, and the younger girl opened her mouth to allow her entry. She had time to note Ruby's taste, a strangely spicy mix of sugar and strawberry before the younger girl whimpered.

Blake drew back, eye's widening in concern, but Ruby's hands balled themselves up in her hair and pulled her back in.

Ruby was fully in control this time, clumsily pushing her tongue into Blake's mouth and putting a clear effort into showing the larger girl her affection. The awkwardness of Ruby's kiss made it slightly rough, but Blake couldn't have cared less. She pulled Ruby as close as she could, both hands on her girlfriend's cheeks, weeks of pent-up desire fuelling the passion for both of them.

After what felt like an eternity and a split second all at once, the two finally parted, Blake's hands still caressing Ruby's face, and Ruby's hand still resting at the back of Blake's head. Blake rested her forehead against Ruby's, panting from breathlessness and mild arousal.

"That...was amazing," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"R-really?" Ruby sounded surprised, and yet pleased at the same time. Blake opened her eyes, staring into Ruby's argent depths.

"Definitely," she breathed, and Ruby responded by pulling Blake closer.

"Well...practice makes perfect," she added with a grin, before their lips met again.

Blake was not about to refuse. As far as she was concerned, Ruby could do this as often as she wanted.

She wasn't aware of the fact that Ruby intended to do just that from now on.