Hello, hello! How's everyone doing? The first week of the semester has passed and I got sick with a cold and missed 3 days. Isn't that fun? That's why this is a little on the later side of things. And shorter… Surprise though, cuz this is a Monochrome one-shot! I know that most of you follow me for the Freezerburn, but I think it's good to switch it up every once in a while and write for some other ships I like. Anyway, I was originally gonna post a different one-shot, but I didn't have the energy to write it, so I just picked a prompt and went with it. Hopefully y'all enjoy!
Quick note: This is a modern AU with Faunus included
Prompt: 'I went ice skating to give it a try because my friend said it was really fun but I'm making a complete fool of myself fuck I can't do this, you seem to be pretty good though can you teach me?'
Vale was rather cold during the winter, Blake realized. Not as cold as Atlas, mind you, but cold enough for ponds to freeze over and jackets to be mandatory. Well, mandatory for everyone except her friend, Yang Xiao Long, who was only wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She had wondered many times how her friend managed to stay warm no matter what, but she had given up understanding long ago.
Presently, Blake was poised at the edge of the skating rink, the blades of her skates not quite touching the ice. Her blonde boxer friend who had convinced her to come was sliding back and forth on the ice with her little sister, the two laughing merrily and completely oblivious to Blake's inner turmoil.
Blake had never gone ice skating before, and that had been from a conscious effort on her part. To her, there was little appeal in strapping bladed shoes onto your feet and slipping around on an oversized ice cube. Watching professionals who were insane enough to get good at the sport on TV was enough for her.
Pausing in her merriment with Ruby, Yang slid over to the edge of the rink, resting her elbows on the wooden barrier. "Come on, Blakey! You gonna stand here all day?"
"That sounds like a good idea," Blake muttered, sending a glare towards the ice.
"Aw, c'mon! It'll be fun, I promise," Yang pleaded, attempting her best impression of Ruby's puppy-dog eyes. She was good, Blake had to admit as she pointedly looked away, but not quite as good as her little sister.
"What's fun about circling frozen water? What's fun about any form of water, really?"
The blonde clapped a hand onto her pouting friend's shoulder. "Now that's the kitty part of you talking."
"I'm serious, Yang. Why did you insist on bringing me out here?" The exasperation was evident in Blake's tone, but she wasn't truly angry with her friend. She just really didn't want to try her luck at balancing on ice.
Yang gestured out towards the ice. "I brought you out here 'cuz skating's really fun once you get the hang of it! Look at Ruby over there; doesn't she look like she's havin' a good time?"
On the opposite side of the rink, Ruby had managed to turn herself around and was sliding backwards, giggling all the while. Seeing her sister and Blake looking her way, she gave an excited wave.
Yang and Blake waved back, although it was more on reflex for Blake than anything else. To her, Ruby's wave looked like a beckoning from the afterlife. The poor girl was trapped in an icy hell and she didn't even know it.
The blonde wave a hand in front of her friend's face. "Remnant to Blake? You in there? I dunno what you're thinkin' about, but don't be so dramatic, yeah?"
Blake's ears flicked. "I can hear you," she grunted, "and I'm not being dramatic."
Yang laughed, giving the Faunus's shoulder a playful nudge that almost ruined her tentative balance and sent her to the ground. "Riiiiiight~! Anyway, just think! One day you could be like that girl," she chirped, pointing to the middle of the ice. Blake's amber eyes followed.
In the center of the rink was a girl with long ivory hair that was pulled back into an off-center ponytail. Somewhat dressed for the weather, she wore a white pea coat with black buttons and accents. Underneath, she wore a white skirt with black lacing underneath that puffed the skirt out, and a pair of black and white leggings that slipped into her black and white skates.
It was entirely monochromatic, and Blake couldn't tell if the girl was trying to blend in with her surroundings or not. She was beautiful, Blake was unashamed to admit, but the skirt hardly seemed practical, especially considering all the tricks the girl was completing.
The ivory-haired girl glided across the ice effortlessly, twisting and turning in ways that made Blake wonder just what forces were keeping her upright. It was unnatural for anyone to be able to spin that many times in midair and not faceplant upon landing.
In a way, it was hypnotic.
Blake shook herself.
She'd seen enough. Well, if she was honest, she could watch the girl skate all day, but she wasn't about to tell Yang that; she'd never hear the end of it. Blake fixed her friend with the most withering look she could muster.
"She clearly doesn't belong here. She's like a swan amongst newborn ducklings."
Yang grinned in a way that made Blake's stomach drop. "Oho~! So you think she's hot, huh? Good choice, Blakey! I always knew you had high standards."
Blake brought a hand to her face, dragging it down slowly. "Yes… I think she's pretty," she ground out, a blush dusting her cheeks that wasn't entirely due to the chill in the air. There was no point in lying; the blonde was annoyingly good at figuring out what other people were thinking and feeling, and Blake was no exception to that rule.
"But I can't ever be like that. I don't want to be like that. I want to be at home finishing my book like I was planning to before you showed up at my door and dragged me out here."
Yang raised her hands in a placating fashion, though the grin never left her face. "Alright, look; I brought you out here because skating's a lot of fun and I thought you'd have a good time. If you really don't wanna be here, we can head home."
Blake almost took her offer. Almost. But another glance at Ruby giggling as she circled the rink and the ivory-haired girl completing another trick that looked physically impossible made her reconsider.
She released a heavy sigh, one that made Yang grin even wider; she knew the Faunus was about to give in. "Fine. I'll… give it a try."
"Awesome! Now lemme help you onto the ice," the blonde said, taking her friend's hand and slowly leading her onto the rink.
It was a foreign feeling, Blake found, as she slid onto the ice. She was upright, but there was a lingering sense of unbalance as she held onto Yang's hands for dear life.
The blonde chuckled. "Easy, Blakey. I gotcha." She led Blake slowly over to the wooden railing that had been graciously attached to the side of the rink's walls. Blake knew she would be using it a lot.
When she was close enough, she quickly latched onto the railing, forgoing Yang's hands in favor of the steadier, unmoving bar.
"Alright, good luck~!" Yang was backing away, grinning a bit.
Blake paled to a color that nearly rivaled the coat of the ivory-haired girl. "You're not going to stay and help me?"
"You've got the railing! You'll be fine," Yang laughed.
"Shout if you need anything~" she sang as she skated back over to her little sister.
Yang was so dead when this was all over. Not only had she abandoned Blake on the icy wasteland, she'd deposited her far enough away from the entrance to the ice that it would take her several minutes to crawl her way off.
She sent the worst glare she could muster from her pathetic position at Yang before she focused on her task ahead; what was she going to do? She could just stand there like a complete idiot until Yang or Ruby took pity on her. Or she could try her best to have some fun and skate.
Really, it was a no-brainer.
Slowly, Blake slid her skate along the ice, cringing at the lack of traction. With one hand firmly on the bar, she began to move forward at a pace that rivaled a snail.
It was humiliating to say the least as she watched children half her age glide around without a care in the world. Not wanting to look as pathetic as she felt, Blake let go of the bar after she had picked up some speed.
It was an alien feeling, but she tried to ignore it as she made her way around the rink. The ivory-haired girl was continuing to pull off increasingly incredible jumps in the center, skating to a tune that only she could hear and paying little attention to those around her.
With a burst of unfounded confidence, Blake leaned forward slightly and tried to hop.
That was a horrible mistake.
What precious little balance she had was snatched from her in an instant as her skate slipped out from under her upon landing. She flailed her arms in a futile attempt to steady herself, but ultimately, gravity won out.
With an unforgiving grunt, she fell backwards and onto her butt. The landing was as painful as she expected, and she knew that she would be sore later. She sighed, pushing out a cloud of air that rose into the grey sky above her and disappeared. This was not as fun as Yang had made it out to be.
She sighed again. Now for the tricky part; getting back into a standing position. Blake managed to shift until she was resting on her knees, pausing a moment to prepare herself for the inevitable struggle to get back upright.
She planted one of the blades directly onto the ice before quickly pushing herself upward. Unfortunately for Blake, the skate she had used to stand slid forward, and she ended up in something akin to the splits.
Five more times she tried to get up, each as successful as the last. Blake became convinced that the only way she was going to get back up was to crawl her way over to the wall and grab the bar.
As she prepared to make a bigger fool of herself than she already had, a soft voice broke her out of her mental pep talk.
"Excuse me? Do you need some help?"
Blake snapped her head towards the voice, surprised to find the white-haired girl standing in front of her. Her face's sharp features were marred with worry as she regarded the cat Faunus.
It took Blake a moment to process that she was being spoken to. "Uh… me?"
The girl nodded, and Blake noticed that the girl had a pink scar that traced along her left eye from her eyebrow down to her cheekbone. Some might have thought it would detract from the girl's beauty, but on the contrary; Blake was enchanted by it.
She shook herself; now wasn't the time to ogle the beautiful girl offering to help her. "Yes, I do. Thank you."
The girl offered her hand and Blake took it, enjoying the feeling of the girl's smaller hand fitting snugly within her own. She also enjoyed the feeling of standing again, though she still felt off balance. If the girl let go, Blake would probably end up exactly as she was before.
"Do you want me to help you over to the bar? Or off the ice? You looked like you were uncomfortable," the girl said, the worry changing into a look of concern. She glanced over Blake a few times, seemingly checking for injuries.
Blake's ears twitched. "Actually… you seem to be pretty good at skating. If it's not too much trouble… would you mind teaching me?" She didn't know what possessed her to ask a stranger to teach her to skate, but she wasn't about to complain if the girl said yes.
"Teach you?" The girl paused, fidgeting a bit. "Well, I suppose if you're fine with me, I can teach you. Are you sure you want my help?"
Blake nodded, a small smile gracing her lips that only betrayed a fraction of her joy. Today must be her lucky day.
The girl smiled softly, gesturing in front of the two with her free hand. "Shall we?"
With another nod, Blake began pushing forward again, with the white-haired girl guiding her every step of the way.
It was a slow process, and Blake was surprised the girl didn't just give up on her, but she seemed to regard everything with patience, gently correcting Blake's mistakes when they came up.
She had to admit, the best part of the whole thing was the fact that the girl had not let go of Blake's hand since she helped her up. It was absolutely wonderful.
As if on cue, across the rink, Yang let out a low whistle, waggling her eyebrows at her friend with a shit-eating grin.
If Blake had been any less happy with her situation, she would have pried off her skates and thrown them at Yang. Still, she took solace in the fact that Ruby seemed to chide her sister for her teasing.
She glanced down to her teacher, who was blushing with a somewhat indignant look on her face.
"Sorry about my friend," Blake said, sending a glare Yang's way. "She likes to tease people, but she's not a bad person. I hope she didn't make you uncomfortable." If Yang ruined this for her, there would be hell to pay.
The girl shook her head. "No, it's alright. It seems her friend took care of it."
"You mean, Ruby? That's Yang's little sister. She keeps Yang in-check when I'm not around." Blake let out a chuckle. "I think you'd get along with her."
The girl smiled, a sight which Blake decided she wanted to see more often. "Maybe so."
The rest of their time at the rink passed by quickly, unfortunately for Blake. She was content to spend the entire day with the ivory-haired girl, but Yang was waving her down, indicating that her ride was going to leave.
With a sigh, she made her way over to the edge of the rink, the girl not far behind.
"I had a great time skating with you," Blake said honestly, her ears flicking atop her head.
"I did too. Will you be here again?" The girl blushed a bit.
"I'll be here if you'll be here." Her face was red now. She had never been that bold with anyone before, usually content to let them make the first move. Here though, with this girl, Blake wanted to take a chance.
Her gamble was rewarded. With a bright smile, the girl pulled out her phone, prompting Blake to hurriedly do the same. "Do you… want to exchange numbers?"
"Of course," Blake said far louder than she had intended.
The two exchanged numbers, but Blake was missing one crucial detail. "What's your name? I never asked you before."
Surprise colored the girl's face. "Oh! It's Weiss. And you are?"
"Blake. Thank you for teaching me today, Weiss. I'll text you later and we can figure out a day to meet up." Blake was ecstatic, though she channeled her excitement into a smile. It wasn't every day she got a pretty girl's number.
Weiss nodded, smiling softly all the while. "Of course. Have a wonderful evening, Blake."
With a wave, the two parted and Blake made her way to Yang's waiting car. She could have purred if she had been alone, but she knew she'd have to wait until she survived Yang's teasing before she could celebrate.
As soon as she shut the door, Yang nudged her with her elbow. "Sounds like somebody's got a hot date! Aren't'cha glad you came?"
Blake grunted. "It's only because I met Weiss that I'm letting you live."
With a laugh from Yang, the car pulled away from the rink. The ride home was as bad as she expected, and it was only with Ruby's intervention that she didn't throttle Yang on the side of the road.
Blake would never admit it out loud, but she was a bit glad she came that day, especially since it landed her a girlfriend a week later.
Perhaps making a fool of herself hadn't been so bad after all.
And all done! That was dumb, I know, but I wanted to try writing a bit of Monochrome and I felt like this was a good prompt for them. I know I'm late on this, but between the flu and the start of the semester, I had a hard time writing. Hopefully this was worth the wait! Let me know what y'all thought! Until next time~!