Issa Bmblb oneshot!
"Hm? Did you say something, Yang?"
Blake lifted her gaze from her book, and directed her attention to the blonde sitting across the table. She could've sworn she heard the other girl say something... but she didn't quite catch it.
All Yang did was smile. For some odd reason, Blake could also feel some underlying exasperation being directed towards her too. She tilted her head to the side in curiosity. Was Yang trying to tell her something important?
"I was just asking about the book you were reading, Blakey."
"Oh."
Yang playfully rolled her eyes, propping her elbows onto the table with her chin resting in her hands. "It must be pretty good, especially if you haven't realized that the last bell rang like ten minutes ago."
Blake quirked a brow at the cheeky girl. "Are you serious?"
She then looked off to the large clock hanging across the library. When she saw that the school day had ended a while ago (and not just for ten minutes), she turned back to Yang - giving her a withering look.
"Why didn't you tell me the bell rang?!"
Yang shrugged, completely unperturbed by Blake's distress. "You seemed like you were having fun."
"Yang, you know that I can lose track of time when I read." Blake huffed. Shortly after, she stared on at the blonde in concern. "Don't you have soccer practice today? Glynda's going to have your head for skipping out on it... again."
Blake didn't know why, but Yang had a nasty habit of skipping her after school practices. It wouldn't be that bad if she was just a random member of the team. But of course, she wasn't just a random member - she was one of their star players. So as a result, the Coach would drill the blonde with some crazy punishments.
"s'no big deal~" Yang tried to play it off, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "A couple of extra laps around the field won't kill me."
Blake snorted as she shut her book with a snap!
"I find that hard to believe, considering you claimed to have 'died' the last time she made you run 'a couple of extra laps.'"
She chuckled when Yang responded by childishly sticking her tongue out.
Blake then stood up from her chair - dusting off her plaid skirt and straightening out her black blazer. "Come on, we should walk back home before it gets dark."
"M'kay." Yang agreed, following suit with Blake's actions. However, rather than putting her blazer back on, she threw it over her shoulder and carried it.
They both made their way to the front desk so Blake could return the book. As they neared the area she saw her good friend Velvet, who happened to be one of the library's attendants. But soon, she realized the Rabbit-Faunus wasn't alone. In fact, she was with no one other than Coco Adel.
Blake and Yang blushed a little at the scene they were met with.
The older girls sitting at the desk smiled sweetly at each other as they parted lips. Velvet seemed to whisper something towards the other girl, causing her to giggle. Blake couldn't help but gape at the fashionista's behaviour. Coco Adel was not the type of person who giggled like a smitten school girl. She then watched as the brunette gazed back at Velvet with unfiltered warmth. In that moment, they both appeared to be stuck in their own little world.
It was adorable.
Uh... how am I supposed to walk up to them and-
"Do you girls intend on standing there all day? Or are you going to return that book?"
Blake flinched, whereas Yang scratched the back of her head and grinned in a sheepish manner.
"C-Coco! Don't be rude." Velvet admonished the fashionista - playfully smacking her shoulder. She then turned towards Blake and smiled. "Don't mind her, Blake. Would you like me to keep that book on hold for you?"
"Y-Yes please." Blake stuttered as she tried to get rid of the embarrassment of getting caught by the older girls. She smiled apologetically as she handed Velvet the book. "I'm sorry if we, er... intruded on something i-important...?" She let her sentence awkwardly trail off, not really knowing where she was going with it.
"Oh! You don't need to apologize." Velvet exclaimed. She turned to give Coco a pointed look. "She shouldn't have been doing that in the first place."
"Don't act as if you didn't enjoy it."
Velvet's face lit up in an impressive shade of pink. "Oh my God, Coco!"
Coco chuckled at the Rabbit-Faunus' flustered reaction, but then grunted when she was smacked in the face with Blake's book.
"Go put this on hold in the back shelves!"
"mff-ohkay" Coco muffled from behind the book.
The fashionista snatched the item out of Velvet's hand, and rounded the front desk to do what she was told. From her periphery, Blake could see Yang imitate a 'whipping' motion towards the older girl. Catching the gesture, Coco narrowed her eyes at the blonde.
"Don't you have a soccer practice to go to?"
"Don't you have a volleyball practice go to... too?" Yang countered evenly.
"Touché, Xiao Long, Touché."
Yang directed a cheeky grin towards Coco as she disappeared into a different section of the library behind the desk. Velvet, on the other hand, shook her head at the brunette's antics - mumbling something incoherent under her breath. Blake simply watched the situation play out in mild amusement.
She turned towards the other Faunus girl with a smile. "Thanks, Velv. I'll probably come by tomorrow or the day after to continue reading it."
"Of course! I'll see you tomorrow, then!"
The younger girls bid Velvet their respective 'goodbyes' and exited the Academy's library.
As they walked outside, Blake finally noticed how late it had truly gotten. The sun was offering the world its last rays of the day - painting the sky in a soft, orange hue. It added a gentle tint to everything in that colour and casted shadows that appeared to whimsically dance all around them. The setting sun shone on every surface. From the quaint shops around them, to the cobblestone path they walked on, to the blossom trees that lined their little path.
But what Blake enjoyed the most was how the sun had reflected beautifully off the small city river that followed their trail home.
The scenery made her feel like she was in one of those 'slice-of-life'/'Romance' books.
"I wonder what kind of protagonist you would be, Yang." Blake thoughtlessly blurted out, intrigued at the thought of her best friend being a character in a story.
Yang gave her a side-long glance, and hummed as she contemplated her answer. "Oh I'd definitely be the type of protagonist that people gravitated towards," she slowly began. "Y'know, the kind that's liked or loved by all, probably on a sports team, and a little bit on the obnoxious side in terms of personality..." She held her hands behind her head, and gazed up at the sky - trailing off for a bit.
Blake observed the girl as she continued to answer her question.
"But... when I'm around my romantic interest, I'd turn into an awkward mess and stumble over my words; I'd most likely act a little more subdued around them. Ooh! And I'd definitely be stuck in an 'unrequited love' situation with them too."
Blake grinned at the girl's earnest answer, finding it rather entertaining. "How oddly specific." She commented, chuckling to herself. She directed her attention back to the scenery around them. "I can't deny that it suits you... but the whole 'bit' about your character having an unrequited love is kind of sad."
Her smile widened when she could feel Yang playfully roll her eyes at her statement.
"How 'bout you?"
"Hm?"
"What kind of protagonist would you be?"
"Ah." Blake hummed, thinking about her own answer. "I'd be the type of main character that silently watched over everything that went on around me. I'd definitely be the 'bookish' type..." She then gave the blonde a teasing look. "Or maybe I wouldn't be the protagonist at all and take on the character of 'Friend A' - who would cheer on and encourage my boisterous, sporty friend that everybody loved to tell her romantic interest how she felt."
There was a silence that stretched on after she said that last part.
"I feel like you're making fun of me now."
Blake giggled. "I am making fun of you now."
Yang clutched at her heart in mock-hurt, which elicited some more laughter from the Faunus girl.
Soon, the girl next to her stopped walking. Blake didn't think anything of it, chalking it up to Yang's shoelace being untied and continued her trek on the path. She took note of how the sun had completely set. Now, the streetlights were flickering on, illuminating their cobblestone walkway.
Realizing that Yang's footsteps had ceased a while ago, Blake turned around in curiosity.
Her friend was actually quite a distance away from her. Granted, it was only a couple of feet, but it was far enough to make it difficult for her to see Yang's face. Blake was about to ask her if there was something wrong, but then she beat her to it.
"As 'Friend A,' how would you encourage the protagonist to confess?"
The Faunus girl was actually thrown in for a loop at the random question. Mostly because Yang's voice came out uncharacteristically timid. Blake tried to focus on her expression too, but the lighting was too dim. She frowned in thought. Although it was a hypothetical scenario, the blonde was acting rather serious about it. So she decided to answer her question truthfully and earnestly.
"I'd tell her to get over herself and just do it." Blake stated bluntly as she stared at the other girl's silhouette. "When it comes to the whole 'unrequited love' trope, the protagonist tends to overthink their situation, right? Then things start to get lost in translation and turn into a bit of a mess. So I'd tell them to just rip the bandaid right off and do it." She continued, shrugging slightly. "The worst thing that the romantic interest could do is say 'no.'"
"And if the romantic interest was a childhood best friend?"
"I'd let the protagonist take the melancholic story route and go for the bittersweet, but hopeful, ending." Blake replied flatly, without hesitation. "You know how much I love angst."
Yang stayed quiet for a brief moment upon hearing her second answer (which honestly was supposed to be a joke). She then slowly walked towards Blake, stopping right in front of her. The Faunus girl's cheeks couldn't help but grow hot at Yang's sudden proximity. However, what truly made her flustered was the way Yang looked at her.
It kind of reminded her of the way that Coco looked at Velvet in the library... but more strained.
Yang grinned.
"What an unhelpful answer."
Another period of silence washed over them as they stood on the dimly lit path.
It was Blake who broke the silence.
Snapping out of it, Blake playfully shoved the other girl and began walking away. The heat from her face slowly wore off. "Rude. You were the one that asked."
Yang laughed loudly, and fell in step with the Faunus girl.
"Yeah... I should've known you'd give me an answer like that." She sighed melodramatically, looking up at the starry sky once more. "But, I guess your straightforwardness was something that I always loved about you, Blakey."
Blake was glad that it was dark because the heat came rushing back to her cheeks, full-force. "Jeez... well after knowing you for as long as I have, I guess someone could say that you rubbed off on me."
"Heh, I don't know about that. I'm not as straightforward as you think." Yang countered, scratching the side of her head. She sighed. "More often than not, I can't find the courage to actually say how I feel out loud... y'know?"
"Is that so?" Blake hummed. To be honest, she was surprised by the blonde's statement.
She then followed Yang's gaze.
Suddenly, a flash of white shot through the star-lit sky.
"Ah. A shooting star."
"What! Where!?" Yang exclaimed as she frantically searched the sky. "oooh! I wish for a new motorcycle!"
Blake tried to stifle a giggle. "Uh... you do know that you're supposed to say your wish in your head, right? Otherwise, it won't come true."
"Gah! No! Who's the asshole who made that rule up?"
Blake shook her head at Yang's antics, and they continued to walk back to their homes. They bantered light-heartedly with one another (like usual). However, Blake couldn't shake off what Yang had revealed about herself.
Thinking about the Yang's words, she gazed up at the galaxy-filled sky and made her wish.
I wish that Yang will find the courage to say how she feels.
"I love you."
Yang simply sat there as her words idly travelled across the table. She inaudibly sighed, knowing they were destined to be left unheard.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew into the library window - carrying those words along with the wind. She imagined that they roamed freely and found their way outside. The thought of her feelings exploring the world brought on a small sense of comfort to her. Maybe- hopefully, her words could be of use to someone else. Yang stopped her train of thought right there. It was getting rather introspective (and kinda depressing).
Instead, she waited until the Faunus girl in front of her realized she had said something. The world could've been ending all around Blake, and she still wouldn't know unless she put down that book.
A small smile graced her lips as she watched Blake's ears twitch ever so slightly.
Like always, the raven-haired girl lifted her amber gaze from her book and directed her attention towards Yang.
"Hm? Did you say something, Yang?"
Then... like always, Yang would smile and tell the same lie.
"I was just wondering about the book you were reading, Blakey."
They would continue on to playfully banter about random nonsense for a couple of minutes. It was like clockwork. Soon, they'd stand up to leave the library, and bid their friend Velvet (the Academy's impromptu student librarian) a goodbye. Sometimes she'd be accompanied by the fashionista that was Coco Adel. However this time, she was not.
The Rabbit-Faunus kindly responded while giving Yang a knowing look.
Yang could only sheepishly grin back at the older girl.
She was glad that Coco decided to go to her volleyball practice today. At least Velvet had the sense to not make vague remarks about Yang's feelings in front of Blake. She couldn't count how many times the damn fashionista almost gave her away on one hand. Coco was as tactless as they came.
"You coming, Yang?"
"O-Oh! Yeah."
She snapped out of it, and followed Blake outside.
Soon, they were on the scenic path they always took back home. It was a route that Yang had been on with Blake hundreds of times in the past. She especially loved it when the path was completely deserted, with no one but the two of them there.
It made her feel like they were the last people on earth.
Yang's eyes crinkled when Blake laughed at something she said. Honestly, she wasn't even paying attention to what she was talking about at this point. But she was glad that Blake enjoyed herself. She loved hearing the Faunus girl laugh; and seeing her smile.
God, did she love that smile.
Her thoughts drifted towards the words she uttered to Blake in the library.
Words that Yang told her everyday.
Unfortunately, they haven't quite made it to their destination yet. Most of the time, they fell onto deaf ears - which was ironic, considering the fact that Blake was a Faunus. Nevertheless, Yang still held onto hope.
Because she knew...
Someday, my words will reach her.
Probably should've specified that it was an 'unrequited love' bmblb oneshot xD