Dark clouds hung over the dimly lit back alley, and a rainstorm lingered in the distance. The smoke of a single cigarette twisted up, the scent made cleaner by the damp air. It was definitely a better smell than the dumpster kept back here.
Yang inhaled, shut her eyes, and leaned back against the metal siding, her hands already bandaged up for her next fight, her boots laced tight, and her yellow tank smudged with some grease and some blood from her latest brawl.
The door scraped open against the concrete ramp, interrupting Yang's peace for a moment.
She opened one eye, lazily noticed it was Blake, and went back to daydreaming.
Blake sat down, legs dangling over the ramp, hands resting on the lower railing, where the black paint was peeling and rusting away.
"If anyone catches you smoking I'm gonna get fucking fired," the darker woman said, ink black hair tied back and bangs falling like fringe into her face.
Yang pulled out her pack of cigarettes, handed them to her friend without opening her eyes. "Shut up, as long as I'm winning, no one's getting fucking fired." She smirked, grateful for the gritty smoke in her lungs and between her teeth. Her bones felt like lightning, and she was high on adrenaline. Her last fight of the night would definitely be a win.
Blake grunted, pulling out a lighter. "You nearly killed Junior and you're still here. Pushing your luck, that's what you're doing."
"I fucked his twins and I'm still here," Yang grinned, a little too unashamedly. Blake flicked the lighter on and off a couple times with her thumb.
"He really should know better than to pick a fight with you," Blake murmured, breathing in some smoke to calm her nerves.
"Well until he gets his club fixed up, I found a new place we can go, right near the old church. Seems promising, and less people there know me-"
"What a relief."
The blonde rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."
"Didn't seem to bother you at Junior's."
Yang's muscles froze, and she may as well have been paralyzed. It took a moment to remember how to work her jaw. "If you're upset, you could just tell me."
"Isn't that what I'm doing?"
Yang dropped her cigarette, crushed it under her boot. Blake watched, quiet, no longer paying attention to her own. It was getting darker now, and the embers were flaring, a soothing distraction for the blonde.
"Sorry, I – won't bring it up again."
Blake smirked, brought the cigarette back to her teeth. "Like your pride could handle that."
Yang shrugged, rubbed her neck. Sure, she liked to brag, but at the cost of hurting Blake? No thanks.
"You really think it bothers me that much?"
The blonde glanced up, arching an eyebrow.
"Oh come on, you really think my skin is that soft?"
She smiled when Yang smiled, taking a deep drag, inhaling as much smoke as her lungs would allow.
"Only when it comes to your sex life," the brawler replied, lilac eyes practically glowing now, harboring a beautiful storm.
"Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Only that I can count on one hand the number of people you've had sex with. Hell, I can count on one hand the number of times you've had sex."
That was getting dangerously close to a line Blake would prefer they didn't cross. But she'd meant it; she had thick skin.
"We could always change that," she said, somehow managing it with her normal nonchalance, monotone, not even looking at Yang. Hell, she was in trouble.
Yang was just grateful she'd stomped out her cigarette, cuz she knew she'd be choking over the smoke right now. "Uh – everything okay up there? Last time I checked it was you who broke up with me. And we said it was a good thing, not being together."
Blake still wouldn't look at Yang, and she knew that was probably driving the brawler crazy, but she couldn't. Not yet.
"I'm not asking to get back together, Yang." She paused, and this time the blonde didn't interrupt.
"Just – think about it."
She pulled herself to her feet, hand on the door. "Fifteen minutes, hotshot. See you in the ring."