Chapter 7.1

Ruby idly tapped her foot and looked down at her scroll, she'd been sitting on the corner of the bed in the inn watching the minutes tick by for the last half an hour. Mitsuko was supposed to come pick her up any minute now and she couldn't get her nerves to settle. She was excited but anxiety clawed at her from every corner of her mind, thoughts she'd never had before were bubbling up. 'What if she doesn't find you sexy?' 'Should you put on makeup?' 'What if you screw it up?' She was so absorbed in her thoughts she almost didn't hear the knock on the door.

"Coming!" She jumped off the bed and hurried over to the door before stopping to take a breath. She whispered to herself, "it's just a date. You can do this." After counting to three in her head she opened the door to reveal her girlfriend. She was dressed in tight jeans, a white tank top and a cropped leather jacket. Her hair was done in a ponytail draped over her shoulder.

"How's it going?"

Ruby was frozen in place for a few seconds but managed to nod, "uh good. Uh, you? How are you?"

"I'm fine. Come on, I think you'll like what I have planned." Mitsuko held out her hand to her and she took it after a second of hesitation. Despite a slight increase to the tightness in her chest, the warmth of her hand was rather pleasant.

Mitsuko was pulling her along when she asked, "I'm sure I will… so what do you have planned?"

She stopped in place and giggled, "be patient, I want it to be at least a little surprise." She then pulled on Ruby's arm so that she lurched forward and was looking up at Mitsuko from extremely close. She had to bite her lip to keep from stuttering or making any embarrassing sounds, "you look adorable by the way." Ruby's cheeks grew hot and the tightness in her chest strengthened, while part of her was hoping for a different adjective, she'd take adorable.

"And you look, uhm…" Ruby backed slightly away, "uh, hot." It was not the delivery she wanted but the best she could manage.

"Actually, I was starting to think the air was pretty chilly tonight but I guess this jacket is a little warm." Ruby frowned, thinking she was misunderstood.

Wanting to get out a compliment that would be understood, she quickly said "I meant… well, you know, you look uhm, really uh, attractive."

"This is gonna be fun." Mitsuko giggled, "we should get going." Ruby wasn't sure if her laughing was a good sign but she followed when Mitsuko started pulling her along.

They made it to the upper levels of the city right beneath the school, where they entered a garden. It was like the park they had talked in the last time she was here but smaller and gated off, though Mitsuko's scroll let them in. Ruby figured it must be tied to the school.

Beside a small pond there was a blanket laid down with a picnic basket set to the side, "this is usually the teachers garden but I'm friends with the head of the club that manages it as well." The first thing Ruby thought was that Beacon didn't have any clubs, the second was a burst of anxiousness that Mitsuko wanted to do it here.

"Uh… uhm…"

Mitsuko turned to face Ruby and cocked her head, "something wrong? I thought you'd like the privacy…."

Ruby swallowed and her cheeks flushed, "uh… I uh." She tried to get her mind past the images flooding through her brain but they overwhelmed her.

"What's- Oh, uhm…" Mitsuko blushed, "uh, I, don't worry. Uhm, I just wanted to eat, gaze at the stars. Uhm, don't worry." Once the information reached her Ruby felt relief flood through her, along with an equally confusing and embarrassing tiny bit of disappointment. At least chiding herself for being silly helped get her mind off of it.

"Ok. Uh… in that case I do like it." She shifted her gaze away and let go of Mitsuko's hand while she rearranged her thoughts for the zillionth time.

By the time she turned back she saw Mitsuko sitting on one edge of the blanket, looking up at her with an intense gaze. It made her more anxious but she couldn't turn away this time, so she stared back. "Sit down. We can, uh, just relax a bit, talk. Just think about it like hanging out with a friend or your teammates, that's kinda what we are. Just with some extra stuff involved."

Ruby nodded slowly and took a seat on the other end of the blanket hoping the distance would help her calm her heart down for now. For all Mitsuko said, Ruby certainly didn't think of her like a friend. She didn't dream about most of her friends and her heart didn't race when she was with them. Eventually Mitsuko snapped her out of her thoughts, "so uhm, Ruby, how long are you here in Haven?"

The question was so innocent Ruby couldn't help but answer, "uh, about a month. Azure wants me to do more missions, get some experience."

"I hope you didn't have to work too hard just to come out here and visit me, not that I mind." Mitsuko was digging around the picnic basket and the fact that Ruby could look at her more freely seemed to ease the tension.

"Actually, I just told him I wanted to come see you… that led to an awkward conversation but he supported it. Wants me to get experience and enjoy life." Mitsuko pulled out a white bottle and two glasses and poured a red liquid into both, Ruby could only assume it was wine.

"Don't worry, I don't want you drunk in case, well, anything comes after. It's not strong." Ruby took the glass that Mitsuko extended to her and held it up to her nose, it smelled sweet and fruity. "I'm a little surprised your teacher is ok with you doing this, he must be a pretty relaxed person."

"I don't know. He's, hmmm, different. He doesn't think like any adult or kid I know; my dad is pretty laid back but that means he can be inattentive. Azure, he notices everything." She pressed the glass to her lips and when she found she enjoyed the taste; she took a big sip.

"It sounds like you admire him." Ruby nodded and watched Mitsuko pull out all the food she had packed away, a couple of delicious looking sandwiches and a stack of cookies. They were placed just out of reach so Ruby had to scoot forward to snatch one, "hey." Mitsuko was too late, Ruby was already half way through her first one.

"Sorry." Mitsuko was laughing though, which as fun a sound as it was, suddenly made her think of Weiss and how she'd scold her. Though a few more seconds of listening to her girlfriend laugh made the loneliness melt away.

"It's ok, I made them for you after all." She chuckled some more, "did you like it?"

Ruby blushed but met her girlfriend's eyes, "it was delicious." She felt comfortable enough to inch closer, talking about her mentor and cookies had managed to calm her down. Not that she wasn't anxious anymore but it was at least manageable now.

"I'm glad. You want to eat now? Or we could just lay back and look up at the stars for a while."

She looked up at the clear sky above them, which had a surprising number of stars visible for being over a city. "I'm not that hungry yet."

Mitsuko took hold of her hand and squeezed it as they both laid back to gaze up at the sky. They laid there in quiet, relaxed silence for a few wonderful minutes. Enough time for Ruby to rearrange her thoughts once again until she started to worry, she was boring Mitsuko and spoke up. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Anything really. What do you talk to your friends about when you're alone together?" Class, other friends, Yang's girlfriends… Ruby went through the list, trying to find a topic that worked.

"Uhm… you know, stuff… how about, yeah, hobbies. What do you do for fun?" She chided herself for her delivery but at least she thought quickly. She'd get better at this small talk thing if it killed her.

"Well, besides for doing you over the phone, I like noise. You've heard me talk about how much fun dancing is for me and I like drinking with friends. If I didn't have to work so much I'd be a much more popular person I guess."

The first answer made her blush, the others worried her. Ruby liked quiet, noise was ok on occasion but she doubted she'd ever really enjoy parties or night clubs like her sister. "Oh, so… why'd you bring me out here?"

She giggled, "Ruby, just cause I like one thing doesn't mean I can't appreciate another. And a getaway is ok every now and then, it's just not my go to. Besides, this was for you." Mitsuko rolled over and kissed Ruby's cheek, "how about you? Did you find any hobbies since I first met you?"

Ruby took the hand that wasn't holding Mitsuko's and held it to her face where she'd been kissed while smiling like an idiot. She liked that her girlfriend had thought to make her comfortable first and decided she'd have to repay her. "Well, I haven't had that much time to do that. Most of my free time is spent talking to you or my sister or doing extra training. But I've been better because of it."

She turned away as she thought of all the little improvements, she'd noticed in herself. She had been happier, she smiled more, she talked with her sister and got more joy out of that too. She felt more like herself. That was good. "That's good, just, don't overwork yourself. I honestly don't know why you'd spend so much time doing extra training, it sounds like he works you pretty hard anyways."

"He does. But I want to be the best. And I enjoy it. Exercise and training are just part of who I am."

"The best sounds pretty difficult. Honestly, I'll settle for a nice job with an agency for a while, into teaching. I've never been the hero type." That surprised Ruby. Mitsuko seemed so… heroic to her. She'd helped Ruby that night by talking to her and giving her some guidance.

She thought thought it and finally said, "I guess teaching is pretty important. That's what my dad does. But I could never deal with all those people looking at me every day, besides, I've always wanted to be like my mother. Saving people, hunting things. Travelling too."

"I guess we're pretty different huh." Mitsuko whispered it out, almost like she'd thought it rather than intended to say it. But Ruby couldn't unhear it.

It felt like the silence was growing heavier and more awkward, Ruby was too busy thinking and guessed that Mitsuko was doing the same. What would they actually do together? How long would it last… the distance was fine for Ruby but for Mitsuko? It was maddening.

Mitsuko came out of it first, "Ruby, let's eat."

"Ok." That would help. Cookies would cheer her up.

Mitsuko refilled their glasses of wine and set the sandwhiches on their plates before they started to eat, mostly in silence. Save for the occasional awkward glance at the other and Mitsuko asking if the food was good, which Ruby truthfully replied with a simple 'yes' each time.

They finished and Mitsuko held out the stack of cookies, which Ruby began to devour as Mitsuko spoke. "Sorry for killing the mood. But the night's still young right? I want things to go well for you."

For perhaps the first time, Ruby stopped herself half way through eating a cookie. A thought hit her like six tons of bricks and a purple hippo, "what about for you?"

Mitsuko smiled weakly, "I want it to go good for me too. I really do hope it works out and we're girlfriends for a long time, you're cute and gentle and kind. Talking to you has been a great way to decompress. But I've loved and lost before and we're not far in, if things don't work out, I will be fine. But I want to make sure that you have a good first date, maybe a good first-time having sex and all the rest. You've earned that."

Ruby frowned. It wasn't at all like what she imagined romance would feel, even in the recent weeks where she'd actually given it some thought. She'd imagined life altering decisions and feelings, terrible breakups and beautiful confessions. Not… what she'd just been told.

"Ruby, look at me." Ruby met her gaze and saw the tender look in her eyes, "I care about you. A lot. I don't want to hurt you. Try and think about it like this. Right now, I'm your first try and love. If it doesn't work for whatever reason, at the very least, you know I'll be honest about it and still care about you after. You'll be more experienced for next time. But if it does work, nothing is lost." Mitsuko reached out and grabbed her hands, holding them gently, "I do want it to work. So, let's give that a try."

She eventually nodded and Mitsuko leaned in for a kiss, which Ruby readily accepted. She just couldn't keep overanalyzing her thoughts and decided to just go with it for tonight, which finally allowed her to melt into the kiss as they embraced. That one lead to another and another and those lead to Mitsuko pushing her back down against the blanket as they kissed. Despite the pounding in her heart and the knots running through her stomach, every move of her hands and sound that escaped her lips felt so easy.

They were like that for a few minutes before Mitsuko pulled back and Ruby whined, extending her hands to pull her girlfriend back on top of her. "I'm not done."

Mitsuko nodded, blushing down at her. "I know…" she swallowed "…but if we keep going, I might not be able to stop." Ruby blushed, she was nervous as hell but she didn't want to walk back to the inn. She didn't want to risk her nerves blowing it up. And most importantly, she just wanted to stop thinking and do it. Kissing felt sooo good and going further, Ruby new that would be better. Impulsiveness was more her style anyways.

"No one can see us right?"

Mitsuko blushed, "a-are you sure? We don't have to…"

Ruby was at her limit, "Mitsu, just, please, here." She said it with complete seriousness despite how embarrassed she was.

Mitsuko seemed hesitant for a few seconds, then nodded and leaned down to kiss Ruby. It was a long, lustful kiss that was so intense Ruby hardly noticed Mitsuko pulling her arms up above her head and pinning them there with one hand until they pulled apart to catch their breaths.

LEMON INBOUND

Ruby felt her mind slipping as the fog of lust clouded her thoughts but it was such a wonderful feeling she didn't mind in the slightest. In fact, she gave into it as Mitsuko kissed her and began to moan effeminately into their kiss. Her girlfriend began hiking up her shirt, slowly revealing the flesh beneath, which Mitsu's hands danced on, sending shockwaves up her body. "Like that?" Mitsu pressed her forehead against Ruby's and grinned down at her, "want them to keep going further?"

Ruby nodded, "uhuh." And Mitsu kept tugging the shirt upwards, until Ruby felt the cold night air on the flesh around her bra and she gave out a squeak.

"If you get cold, just press yourself against me." Mitsu kissed her playfully and pulled back so she could pull off Ruby's shirt in full.

Ruby blushed and nodded, "s-should I…" Mitsu nodded back and Ruby leaned forward just a little to reach behind her back and undo her bra. She left it loose but still covering herself as she looked up at Mitsu, with just a bit of doubt left in her mind. "Were still together after this, right?"

Mitsu nodded, "of course. And remember, this is your show. We can stop at any point." Ruby smiled and slowly began to remove the bra, though Mitsu stopped her. "I want to be the one to do that."

Mitsu leaned down and began kissing Ruby, getting her back into the mood before one of her hands grabbed Ruby's and pinned them back over the head. Then, with all the gentleness that she could muster, Mitsu slowly removed Ruby's bra and leaned back to look at her.

"You're beautiful, Ruby."

The compliment shot through her like a drug and Ruby smiled upwards, "can you… take yours off?"

Mitsu nodded and removed her own shirt and bra with much less ceremony, letting Ruby see her girlfriend's nakedness in person for the first time. She didn't know what to say and instead, she just looked up in awe.

From there, their bodies did the talking. Mitsu wasn't overly gentle but nor was she rough, though she was always in control of things. Being the first to remove Ruby's pants and begin to tease her sex, then removing hers and guiding Ruby through touching her. Then when they'd recovered a bit after lying beside one another, Mitsu got back on top of Ruby and began to kiss her greedily. Then slowly, her lips left Ruby's and began kissing her cheek, her neck, then down word, stopping at her breasts to tease Ruby for a few moments before continuing down to Ruby's pussy.

Ruby was having trouble keeping her quiet until Mitsuko reminded her and she balled up her fist, pulling at the blanket as Mitsu gave Ruby her second orgasm of the night. From there, things were a blur until they had to leave.

A/N:Huh, only a few months off schedule. Well that's not so bad right? Yeah, I'm sorry, I had a lot of difficulty with this chapter. And Covid. And other things. But I hope you appreciated it, I enjoyed everything up to the lemon. From there, I had a bit of trouble getting into the headspace and I think that's in part me trying to force the conclusion. I certainly think that's a thing that could have happened. But part of me things it might have been better to delay their first time, after that conversation. Though Ruby unthinkingly doing impulsive things is a thing and I think all in all it went ok. Next chapter is the interlude thing, that is, coming together, ish. Anyways, sorry for dying on ya'll. Hope I will update by the end of the month. Who knows, maybe I'll be done in a few days. My inspiration for writing this has struck back up, by some miracle.