The sun was setting, the last of its rays streaming into the Team CFVY dorm from the window, when Coco Adel stormed in, slamming the door behind her. She then stalked to the team's stash of bath supplies, grabbed a washcloth, and started viciously rubbing suspicious red stains from her handbag. Fox and Yatsuhashi took in her obvious rage and dropped their card game, walking out the door. They knew when to get out of her way. Velvet, on the other hand, stayed put.

When Coco was satisfied that her handbag was clean again, she threw the washcloth into the laundry basket dedicated to towels and went to her bed, dropping her handbag beside it with a loud thud before plopping down and letting out an angry huff. Velvet set aside the scrapbook she was currently inserting new photos into and went to sit on her own bed a few feet away, drawing Coco's attention by clearing her throat.

"What happened?" she asked, her eyes concerned. She always took it upon herself to pacify Coco whenever her leader's mood turned this furious.

"I sent a jackass to the infirmary after beating him up. Got blood all over my handbag, and stained my clothes too," she explained, tugging at her shirt and glaring down at the offending splotches of red marring the fabric.

"What did he do?" Velvet pressed.

"Thought he could pull a move and kiss me despite the fact that I've never even met him," she explained.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'll make some hot chocolate," the faunus said, standing. The warm drink plus one of Velvet's hugs somehow had the miraculous effect of calming even Coco's worst moods.

A few minutes later, Coco was much more relaxed with a mug in her hand and an arm around her shoulders. She sipped the drink and sighed.

"Thanks."

"Anything to keep you from ripping apart another perfectly innocent textbook," Velvet replied. Coco grimaced.

"That was not a fun conversation," she said, remembering the thirty-minute lecture from Glynda Goodwitch.

"I can imagine."

A pause as Coco sipped her hot chocolate again.

"It wasn't your first though, right?"

"Nah. I've had several before that one," Coco replied. Velvet's face turned a little red.

"You're lucky then," the faunus commented.

"Hang on a second," Coco said. "Are you saying you've never been kissed?" Velvet's blush deepened.

"Never," she admitted softly. Coco considered that for a few seconds, then decided to make an offer.

"Well if you ever want to get your first, all you have to do is ask me, you know."

"You'd...want to kiss...me?" Velvet asked.

"Why wouldn't I? You're a wonderful person and a great friend, as well as very physically attractive. And I don't want your first to be with someone who doesn't appreciate you, someone you don't like, someone who tries to move too fast, someone who doesn't know how to kiss, or anything else like that. I'm not telling you to give me your first kiss, but it's an offer that won't expire," Coco told her, smiling slightly and meeting her eyes.

"Coco..." Velvet said softly. "I..."

"It's not something I think you should decide right now. If you ask me to kiss you, that's your first kiss and there's no way to undo it if you end up regretting it. And you don't need to accept or reject it by a certain point. Just keep it in mind."

"Okay. Thank you," Velvet replied.

"No problem," Coco said before sipping her hot chocolate again, feeling her mood lighten even more. She leaned into Velvet slightly, careful to not put too much weight on her friend. She didn't want to knock the smaller girl over.

Eventually Fox and Yatsuhashi came back, prompting Velvet to quickly get up and return to her scrapbook. Coco took her mug to the box for dirty dishes and set it inside, then decided to get some sleep and changed into pajamas. She lay down in bed, setting her sunglasses on the nightstand and rolling onto her side. She closed her eyes and slowly felt herself slipping into sleep.

Life then chose to be uneventful. It wasn't until Coco was flipping through a fashion magazine on her bed during a quiet afternoon, alone in the dorm, that something interesting happened.

Velvet walked in and sat on the side of Coco's bed. Her leader looked up, setting the magazine aside and raising an eyebrow above her sunglasses.

"Coco, I...um, I have something to...I..." Velvet said, her face turning slightly red.

"Are you okay?" Coco asked with a concerned frown. Velvet's blush deepened.

"Well...that offer you made a few days ago. I want you to...to give me my first," she requested.

"You want me to kiss you?"

"I...yeah. If you want," Velvet confirmed hesitantly.

"I don't have a problem with it," Coco assured her. "Just tell me when and where."

"Today. But...not here," she replied.

"Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"Yeah. There's...a place I go to think sometimes. I'd...kind of like it to happen there," the faunus said.

"Alright," Coco agreed. "Lead the way."

Velvet gave a nervous smile and silently led Coco out of Beacon to an area far from the building and all the people in it, onto a strip of land that jutted over a small lake of beautiful blue water. The surface was a couple yards below the edge, and the grassy protrusion extended a fair way toward the center of the pool. The faunus stopped in the shade of a small tree, just a few feet from the end.

"Here," she said. "I come here when I need to get away from everything, and...I'd like it to happen here. Just tell me...um, is there anything I should do?" Velvet asked, blushing. "Sorry, but...I don't really know."

"Don't apologize," Coco replied firmly. "You'll get the feel of it pretty quickly. Just tell me when you're ready."

"I..." Velvet took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"Then relax, and let me take the lead. Don't worry about doing anything right or wrong; it's your first and I'm not going to judge you or tease you about it," Coco told her, taking off her sunglasses and slipping them into her pocket.

"Okay," Velvet agreed. Coco took a step to be closer and gently rested a hand on her friend's cheek.

"Close your eyes," she said softly. "Take a breath and don't be afraid to step back if you want it to end. I promise I won't be offended or anything."

Velvet gave a slight nod and Coco loosely wrapped her arms around her waist. The faunus slowly held her leader closer and let her eyes flutter closed. When Coco saw the tension fade from her friend's shoulders, she leaned down, closed her eyes, and gently pressed her lips to Velvet's, earning a faint sound of surprise.

Coco patiently waited the few seconds it took the uncertain faunus to respond, easing her into the slow rhythm of a chaste kiss. She felt her teammate's body relax completely, nestling comfortably against her own.

When Velvet didn't pull away, Coco was surprised but not exactly complaining. She didn't try to make it any deeper, carefully staying in her teammate's comfort zone. She was keeping her hold on Velvet's waist loose as well, making sure the faunus knew she was free to pull back anytime.

The kiss went on for at least twenty seconds before Velvet slowly began to pull away. Coco stepped back slightly to give her friend space and opened her eyes. Velvet's eyes soon met hers. The faunus seemed relaxed, calm, and content.

"How was it?" Coco asked.

"It was...warm. And soft," Velvet told her. "You taste like cinnamon and vanilla."

"Is that a good combination?"

"Yeah," Velvet said softly, smiling shyly. "It was nice. I...I really liked it."

"Good," Coco replied with a slight smile.

"Can we...stay here for a little while?" Velvet requested.

"Of course," Coco told her. Velvet sat down with her back against the tree and Coco joined her. The faunus shifted slightly until their sides were pressed together and her leader instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Velvet snuggled in a little closer and Coco couldn't hold back a smile.

"Coco?"

"Hm?"

"Can I...can I ask you something?" Velvet requested.

"Sure," Coco agreed.

"Did you like it too? The kiss?"

Coco took a few seconds to figure out exactly how she should answer that, and if it was time to admit something she had been keeping hidden for a long time.

The truth was, she had taken complete delight in that kiss because she had an undeniable crush on her faunus teammate. She honestly wanted to confess. She had been planning to tell Velvet for weeks, but she had been waiting for the right moment. Now she was holding Velvet after giving the faunus her first kiss. If this wasn't the perfect time, what was?

"I did. I think I liked it more than you did," Coco confessed, looking at the horizon.

"What do you mean?" Velvet asked. Coco turned her head and met her confused eyes.

"What I mean is...I care about you more than you think. I like you, Velvet. As much more than a friend."

Velvet's eyes widened and she stared. Coco steadily continued to meet her gaze so her sincerity was clear. After a few seconds, Velvet unexpectedly broke into a bright smile.

"I can't believe it," she said softly, her smile widening. "You feel the same way."

Coco frowned slightly, confused and refusing to entertain the hope that Velvet meant she returned the feelings.

"I like you too," the faunus admitted.

Coco decided to let that hope fill her mind after all.

"I guess we're dating now, right?" she asked. Velvet giggled and nodded. “Then I think it’s only fair to warn you that that kiss was the first of many.”

Velvet smiled and shifted so she was on Coco’s lap, one knee on either side of her girlfriend’s legs and arms around her neck, blushing with a bright smile on her face. She leaned in and gave Coco a brief kiss, then pulled back and leaned her forehead on her leader’s, eyes full of life and bliss. Coco wrapped her arms around Velvet’s waist, perfectly content. Velvet spoke, her tone rich with joy that made Coco feel warm and light.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”