Welcome back. I would like to thank everyone who viewed, reviewed, followed, favorited, or any other resulting action of a click of the mouse. I would also like to thank those of you who read through the leviathan of a second chapter. I'm going to keep this author's note as brief as relatively possible, but first I would like to make two things apparent that I haven't already. These are things that I should have said earlier, but because of my aversion to potentially spoiling anything, I couldn't bring myself to do so. Thankfully, two reviews inquired about two separate subjects. What I mean to discuss are the expected length of Valence and the main relationships shown in the story. I go into a little more technical depth in a review I made to directly answer the questions if you want to find a little more supplementary information.
The first item on the list deals with how many chapters there will be and an estimate of when I want to be finished. As the skeletonized plot currently stands, I expect chapters to number between twenty and twenty-five, with the story's word count finishing somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000. The word count is an estimate, though the chapter numbers are almost concrete. I wish to have this story completed before RTX 2014 (By July 4th.). My reasons for this are twofold: 1. RWBY Volume 2 premiers at RTX and there is a distinct possibility that some part of my story will come into conflict with introduced canon. 2. I am attending the convention and do not wish to have my mind completely focused on writing for three whole days when I could be enjoying Austin. That, and if I am able to attend the RWBY panel this year (Last year, every panel for RWBY had a line that was absolutely huge by the time I had the chance to enter the queue.), I don't want to have a panic attack in the midst of a crowd of about 5,000 over a small nuance that I might feel the need to rewrite the story around.
The second item on the list pertains to which relationships are showcased; specifically, which relationships will receive the most screen time. The relationship between Blake and Yang will be the primary focus of this novel since the story is told from a third-person limited point of view based around Blake's perspective. It is not to say that the relationship between Ruby and Weiss will be downplayed into obscurity. They will receive their time in the limelight and are integral to the progression of the plot, but are secondary to Blake and Yang's relationship. Yet, I am having an amazingly fun time writing their blossoming relationship from a passive, dismissive, and somewhat subtle manner. The time spent away from Ruby and Weiss, I feel, makes the reader able to rationalize a number of possible occurrences between the two that furthers their relationship without my intervention.
If there is anything else anybody would like to know about the story like the two items I listed, feel free to send me a private message, ask in a review, or ask on my Tumblr. Though, if the questions asked in the review section either have answers that other readers would want to know or are asked by anonymous reviewers, they will be answered on my Tumblr. Otherwise, I will answer with a private message as soon as I can. This is so that I do not bog down the reviews with my own answers and in effect, increase the number of shown reviews for the story.
I believe that is all I need to say in this author's note. Ladies and gentlemen, chapter three of Valence.
Chapter 3: Bumblebee
As an aside to the reader, it is to be noted that although the point of view thus far has been focused on Blake Belladonna's thoughts and perspective, not all information pertaining to her psyche has been supplied. This is due in part to Blake's level of social prowess and aversion to conversational topics on the subject of her emotions and opinions on presented situations. It is not to say that she is socially inept by any means. What is intended to be said is that Blake, as confident as she was in her hypothetical ability to control a conversation, was but an introvert by all definitions of the word. To voice her opinion would be forced, to go out of her way to appease someone else would be a foreign concept, and to speak of her desires would be an act so blasphemous to her own doctrine of stoicism and composure that it often made her blush. Pride made her believe that she had been able to stray far away from her self-imposed isolationist personality. While it is true that she was more willing to join in on her team's activities, she was still not able to express her thoughts or emotions on the subject.
The point of this aside is not to describe how Blake Belladonna's personality truly was. Expressly, this aside is meant to show why the young Faunus could not accept her affections of Yang nor could she accept the fact that Yang held these affections as well. It is to be stated that Blake held a definite emotional attachment to Yang that was well within the bounds of being romantic. Concurrently, Yang held similar hidden sentiments—however, for the sake of perspective, the explicit details of her affection shall not be divulged at this juncture.
Blake believed that she had been investigating Yang the night prior, and while it was true that she observed and analyzed her partner, her own emotions got in the way of reaching a final verdict as to why Yang acted the way she did. It was not her own adoration that caused this discrepancy, but her indignant attitude about believing Yang could feel the same way. The conclusion she came to would eventually be correct, but until then, her investigation was proven ineffectual.
In summary, though Blake may seem to be a calm, cool, collected, and ever-calculative individual, when it came to social situations—especially those involving Yang—she was reduced to a shy, timid girl who was too afraid of rejection to even consider confessing her feelings. Blake's decision to contrast this idea was one that would both cause a great deal of stress on her ability to logically reason and would lead her to a new stage of her life—one that should begin where the story last departed.
Through the translucent white curtains did a single beam of sunlight pass through in order to land upon Blake's closed eyes. The seemingly insignificant occurrence proved able to rouse the girl from her slumber. Unfortunately, the summer's typical lethargy had finally descended upon her, causing the young Faunus to lazily sprawl her limbs about in a horizontal stretch atop the pillowy mattress and beneath the cool sheets.
Instantly, Blake was awake and confused. She had fallen asleep on a couch with no mattress and no cool sheets. Furthermore, she faintly remembered Yang being present as well. It took a moment for her to remember that not only had Yang been there, but that she had fallen asleep on the girl's shoulder and that it had been comfortable. She would have blushed at the memory if the immediate situation had not been so alarming. Her eyes darted across her surroundings before she let out a sigh of relief.
She found herself in her own bedroom. How she got here from the couch, she did not know—she could guess that Yang had something to do with it, but there was no evidence to prove this point. No matter how it happened, it did not change the fact that she was in an unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar house with an unfamiliar layout. In a word, it was a jarring awakening. Using her arms as leverage, she propped herself up to a sitting position. In the mid-morning light, the white linens of the bedding and the beige tone of the walls could be described as pure and verging on sterility. She rubbed her eyes. Despite the serenity of the situation, she was still tired and found it hard to see in the overexposed luminescence of the room.
It felt odd to her, not having to wake up before dawn or to be woken up by the antics of her teammates. This morning's silence was strangely disconcerting and foreign. Without her team present, she was able to slowly awaken rather than have to be immediately cognizant of everything around her. She thought about going back to sleep, but let this idea go. She figured it wasn't too late in the morning, but it was still well past the regular time she would have woken up at Beacon.
Reluctantly, Blake decided to begin her day instead of sleeping in. She arose, and as she walked to the closet to change into her regular attire, she remembered the night before fondly. Although her personality at the time was a far cry from her usual self, she found that she didn't mind this. With this more open persona, she was more attuned to Yang's personality. This uncharacteristic amiability was showcased during their impromptu decision to watch a movie and share a blanket, simply enjoying each other's company. She couldn't remember the plot of the film whatsoever; all she could remember was the time she had spent laughing whole-heartedly alongside Yang. The feeling of absolute comfort that she found sitting next to the blonde still lingered in her mind. She desired more of the feeling—more of Yang—and this desire was overpowering.
She was confident now, energetic due to the lack of delirium normally attributed to exhaustion. With this confidence, she made a decision—a decision that would shape her life from that point on. With this confidence and renewed vigor, Blake made the decision that on this day, she would attempt to tell Yang how she felt.
How she planned on going about this was yet to be planned, but the sentiments existed nonetheless. Blake was admittedly scared of confessing—mortified even by the possibility of ruining not just their partnership, but the entire team's dynamic as well. Still, she would find a way. This was the sort of conviction she had felt when she chose to run to the White Fang and the level of strength she felt when she chose to leave them. Unlike her joining of the organization, she felt that this decision would prove a more stable choice in that it would not cause the defamation of an entire race of people. Perhaps both parties could benefit.
By the time she was fully dressed, she was completely confident in the idea she had formed. She knew that now would be as good a time as any to speak to Yang about this. Because it was summer break, there would be minimal repercussions in regards to their combined combat abilities should Yang not reciprocate the sentiments. And although it could be reasoned that the rejection might cause a rift in their friendship, even this could not deter Blake from pursuing her goal.
What could deter Blake from pursuing her goal, however, was the lack of planning involved as to how she meant to accomplish it. This indecision found her standing awkwardly in the center of the room, her mind so preoccupied that she couldn't decide whether to sit down or head out into the hallway. All she could think about was how she planned on talking to Yang—talking rather than confessing. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything past getting her partner away from the others and outright saying what she needed to. She mentally berated herself for not being able to make any sort of plan even after reading the multitude of romance novels she had amassed over the years.
Invite her to dinner? Technically, they had already done that. Get coffee together? The idea would have worked if Blake wasn't inclined towards tea instead. Picnic by a lake? Now Blake knew that she was running out of ideas.
She sighed dejectedly. Had Blake Belladonna met her match? Had she finally found the one wall she could not scale? For the briefest of moments, she thought it so but banished the idea just as quickly as it had snaked its way into her mind. She reasoned that she could not make a plan because she was too anxious about the ramifications of Yang rejecting her. Timing, intentions, and a fitting locale were only excruciating variables which compounded and intersected to form an arresting web of indecision.
However, it was the following confidence, which so finely walked the border of overconfidence, that allowed Blake to devise a plan. Alone in her room, with no other individuals to measure what her own response would be, Blake felt that what was necessary was a simple solution. She decided that she would see where the day took her and would improvise along the way. Her confidence in her untested social ability and the conviction she felt in speaking to Yang were the only things keeping her from giving up on the idea and going back to sleep.
With confidence in both her goal and plan, Blake stepped out into the hallway. The first thing that she saw was that Yang's door was open slightly—a sign that she was not there. Blake found herself clenching and unclenching her hands, now anxiously balled into fists from the possibility of almost having contact with the blonde, as knowingly ridiculous as that was. She could only just see into the room, but chose to look away as not to invade her partner's privacy. She did, however, manage to see something that was miniscule in importance yet turned out to be relatively surprising. She saw that Yang's bedding was, like her own, white rather than the expected yellow.
She shook her head before refocusing on the end of the hallway. With a composing sigh, she exited into the living room but did not stop there. Upon her arrival, she heard voices coming from her left, from a separate room that was apparently prone to slight reverberation. Although she was unsure of where she was going specifically, the competence allowed by subconscious memories of the house's layout made it fairly simple to find the source of the sound. Following the noise, she entered a room that was manifestly a kitchen, as evidenced by the gleaming granite countertops and stainless steel fridge within immediate view. The sources of the voices could be seen sitting at an island in the kitchen's center, eating what had been the pizza Yang ordered the night prior.
It was a calming sight to see Ruby and Weiss conversing peacefully. Blake knew that the two got along as friends even before she began seeing the minutest signs of romantic tensions between the two, so to see them having a dialogue which did not involve Ruby becoming overenthusiastic or Weiss scolding the younger girl was a welcome sight. They were both still dressed in their pajamas, further contributing to the feeling of casualness, but even yet Weiss looked to be exceptionally aware of her posture and mannerisms. She seemed just about as used to the house as Blake was.
As the Faunus made her way into the kitchen, she was greeted with a cheery "Morning!" from Ruby and a rare, genial "Good morning, Blake," from Weiss. Ruby's reaction was to be expected, but Weiss'? Normally, a silent greeting of implied respect was the only form of reception Blake received from the heiress. Nevertheless, she accepted the greeting and wrote it off as Weiss now having the ability to unleash all of the excitement she had had pent up for the past few months. Perhaps "unleash" is not the correct term due to the fact that the heiress still struggled to retain her regal composure despite the futility of the action.
Blake walked over to the island and found a stack of paper plates beside the pizza box. As she did not intend to intrude and invade the sisters' refrigerator, she resigned to having last night's dinner for breakfast like everyone else was. As she took her single slice, Ruby asked, "So? How'd you sleep, Blake?"
It seemed to be an innocent enough question, yet it caused Blake to hesitate for an invisibly short moment. Some irrational part of her mind was telling her that Ruby knew how she had fallen asleep last night. This thought, however, was silenced by the logical part of her mind, which caused her to reply. Automatically, she said, "Quite well, actually. How about yourselves?"
"I slept great!" Ruby exclaimed. "It feels good to be back home." Blake noted that Weiss had not been the least bit bothered by her partner's outcry.
"I could actually sleep for once. Having a bunk bed that isn't supported by ropes made it remarkably easier to accept." Ruby rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly at Weiss' confession. "I could get used to sleeping without constantly fearing for my life." The heiress shot a rare, teasing smirk at the youngest among them. Now Blake was sure that Weiss was legitimately happy for being able to relax. The action was so uncharacteristic and thusly disconcerting; yet, overall, Blake couldn't find a reason to complain about this show of emotion.
Blake had not noticed how hungry she had apparently been until the one slice of pizza she had taken suddenly disappeared. She hadn't realized that she had eaten it while Ruby and Weiss were talking. The two had returned to their regular conversation, the topic of which Blake could not hope to guess. Her mind was preoccupied once again with the thought of having to interact with Yang soon. The pizza had only acted as a distraction so that she could prolong the inevitable. Now that her distraction was gone, however, she knew that she could no longer wait.
She adopted the same stoic look of aloofness that she strived to achieve at all times before she spoke. "Do either of you know where Yang is?" She thought she heard a hitch in her voice as she asked it, but this only occurred in her mind.
"Yeah, she should be in the garage," Ruby said before returning to her incomprehensible conversation with her partner. Blake stood in place, confused as to where that would be. Ruby had answered as though the location of the garage was common sense. After a pause lasting only a few seconds, Ruby looked back to Blake. "Sorry! It's, uh, down the hall, over there." She pointed to a hallway attached to the kitchen, separate to the one leading from the living room to the bedrooms. "You'll know the door when you see it."
Blake nodded in gratitude, avoiding speaking so to not interrupt the heated conversation already taking place any more than she had. She followed the hallway as directed but felt her willingness to continue wane as anxiety waxed. Although she couldn't see the door, she knew it was there, and the closer she got to it, the more she questioned her actions. She was unmistakably attracted to Yang, both physically and emotionally; but at the same time, she doubted Yang felt the same way about her. Why would she? Blake knew that she could be distant and even accidentally rude at times and that Yang had openly flirted with members of the opposite gender—sometimes within her view! Her confidence that Yang reciprocated her affections quickly devolved into knowledge of the potential futility of her impending admission.
The thought of rejection made her want to sprint back to her bed, duck under the covers, and wake up in September when school was set to begin again.
She knew that this fear was childish and that it shouldn't impede the plan she had already made, but the fear was unmistakably present. She walked only a few more feet before she saw the door she knew would lead to the garage. Whereas the other doors in the house were relatively light in their construction of wood, this door was visibly heavy and made from some sort of metal. Blake had to take a breath to calm herself as she looked at this imposing, final obstacle. Beyond this door was Yang and either the greatest decision she had ever made or the most soul-crushing choice she could have impulsively rationalized.
It was worth the risk. She placed her hand on the cold metal of the doorknob, turned, and pulled.
The sight she was met with was one that did not contain Yang. Instead, there was an object in the cold concrete room that was doubtlessly something of Yang's, recalling the stereotypes Blake had created for the girl. Something so brash and powerful-looking and, at the same time, so yellow could only belong to the blonde brawler. It looked to be a motorcycle and, as such, it was an unexpected—yet somehow fitting—sight in the house of the sisters.
What was even more unexpected was the mane of golden hair, led by the signature cowlick, rising from the other side of that beast of a motorcycle. Blake froze at the sight. She immediately knew who it was and suddenly became scared for her irrational reason, devolving into a jumpy mimicry of her reticent self. What Blake saw in the blonde sight was someone who could harshly reject her, forgetting that she could also accept her wholeheartedly. In the sight, she saw something now unachievable. Fortunately, the Faunus' apprehensive flight could never be, due to both her stubborn pride in her made decision and the fact that her partner began to speak.
"Hey, Blake!" Yang greeted. "How'd you sleep?"
Unlike her sister, the girl in yellow knew how her partner had fallen asleep the night before, thus making the question all the more knowing and pointed. She stood from whatever she had been doing to greet the young Faunus, having been dressed in her regular attire sans jacket, leaving her in her yellow tank top and signature orange scarf—the reason for the latter inclusion, Blake could not fathom. The jacket was present, though only in its position resting haphazardly upon a table against the back wall.
The young Faunus found herself scratching the inside of her finger with her thumb as she thought of an answer. "I slept well," she said. In this reply, she attempted to call upon all the literary knowledge she had amassed over the years in order to create an undertone of gratitude and implications of happiness. Unfortunately, while she felt as though she was successful in this endeavor, in actuality, Yang did not perceive Blake's intentions, resulting in a noncommittal hum.
The silence was grating. Blake had intended to talk to her partner, not to stand around and watch the blonde work on her motorcycle. Hesitantly, unsurely, Blake stepped forward into the garage and found the clicks of her heeled boots against the concrete deafening. She stood before the piece of machinery, admiring it absentmindedly. She didn't know what any of the parts did, but the way they were arranged and crafted looked impressive.
"You like what you see?" She was jolted from her admiration by Yang's less-than-subtle joke and found her with a warm, distracted smile. "Made her all by myself. You wouldn't believe the acceleration on her—there's nothing on the road that can match her!" Pride was practically radiating from the exuberant youth.
Blake raised an eyebrow. "You made this?"
"Yup! I took what I learned from making Ember Celica and thought, 'Weapons are nice and all, but what I really need is a super-cool Yang-mobile.' And so I made this!" She spread her arms, showcasing the product of her work. "She's pretty awesome, right?"
Indeed, the object in question was at least intriguing to Blake. Still, something about Yang's description of the bike made her ask, "She?"
"Of course it's a she! You can't make something on your own and not have a name for it!" Just like her sister, Yang was idealistic to the point where it made Blake smile slightly. It made sense, somewhat, that one would create their weapon and name it however they liked, and this could perhaps extend to motorcycles, too.
Yang let the silence following the statement linger, creating a lack of closure that Blake wished to remedy. "What's her name?"
Yang grinned. "Bumblebee."
Blake took this information in and attempted to dissect its meaning. Perhaps she meant that the bike can only figuratively fly because of its strength. Perhaps it alluded to the idea that its rider could figuratively sting. Blake even partially assumed, if only facetiously, that it was about Yang's general color scheme being yellow while her own was black. To humor the blonde and to satisfy her own curiosity, she had to ask, "Why Bumblebee?"
The response Blake received was initially anticlimactic. Yang merely shrugged, saying, "I don't know. I thought of the name while we were at Beacon and decided on calling her Bumblebee since then."
Suddenly, Blake's internal humor became a very real possibility, and it was this very real possibility that brought her confidence back to life.
She couldn't help but smirk slightly as Yang got back to work. She saw that her partner no longer seemed to be an entity associated with possible rejection but instead another person: a real entity with similar emotions who was both understanding and kind. She saw now that she could attempt her goals and possibly achieve them as well. And to think that Yang's use of her partner's likeness to name her bike could cause such a reaction in the young Faunus was thankful. She had been ready to speak and say something life-changing; however, Yang spoke first. "Hey, Blake, you wanna come with me and test her out?"
Sufficiently caught off guard with the interrupting speech, all Blake could utter was a rare and unintelligent, "Huh?" It is not to say that she had not comprehended what Yang had asked; rather, she was unsure if Yang was serious about the invitation.
The blonde stood up and wiped her hands on a cloth behind her. "Do you want to come with me to test out Bumblebee?" she asked again. "I haven't been able to ride her since the Paladin fight, so I thought it'd be a good idea to test her out and see if everything still works." She paused, seemingly gauging Blake's contemplative expression. "C'mon," she pleaded, "It'll be fun. Just the two of us!"
The last few words seemed to click in Blake's mind. It was what she wanted, wasn't it—to get Yang alone and to tell her everything? She didn't put much deliberation into the subject before she found herself replying, "Sure. Sounds like fun." Neither was able to suppress a grin.
"All right then!" Yang said this in such an enthusiastic, sunny way that Blake couldn't help but be affected. The blonde walked over to the table against the back wall and put on her jacket before heading over to what looked to be a locker at the same table's end. The next thing Blake knew, a black helmet was flying through the air towards her. On reflex, she was able to catch it just as Yang asked a question. "Let's go now. Is there anything you need to get before we leave?"
"Yeah, just a second. Let me get Gambol—"
"All right then!" Yang repeated, cutting Blake off. Before the Faunus could object, she found Yang grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her over to the bike. "You won't need your weapon where we're going." The blonde pulled her sunglasses out of her jacket and put them on before her own yellow helmet.
As Yang detached from her partner and lowered herself onto the bike, Blake found herself subconsciously moving closer at an incredibly trepid rate. "Well?" she heard Yang ask. "Put on your helmet and c'mon!" Despite the helmet and sunglasses which obscured her lilac eyes, Blake still felt a welcoming glow radiate from her smile.
The young managed to put on the helmet, having to make her ears flush against her head beneath her bow. It was a tight fit, but she knew the strain on her head was well worth the eventual end that was to be reached. Timidly, she climbed onto the back of the bike. As she had never ridden on a motorcycle—or any form of two-wheel transportation for that matter—her knowledge as to what she needed to do was limited to what she had read in her novels. She thought it would eventually become tolerable, but, as it was, she was uncomfortable with the lack of control she had sitting on the back of it. Yang looked over her shoulder. "Relax," she said. "You're all right. Just make sure you're on the seat and put your arms around me. You'll be fine." She gave a comforting smile.
Blake could not help the fact that her cheeks flushed at the words. Yang was asking her to initiate physical contact—an unprecedented and otherwise objectionable thought. Despite her flustered state of mind, however, Blake lowered herself onto the bike behind Yang as ordered. What came next was a prime example of how affections made Blake revert to a timid, young girl. She cautiously, hesitantly, so slowly that it felt like hours for the action to finally be completed, wrapped her arms around Yang's waist.
It took a moment for Blake to interpret the sensation she felt. The position her arms were in put her forearm up against Yang's exposed midriff. And although Blake would have normally recoiled at the soft warmth of her partner's skin, she could not let go due to the necessity of holding on and the enjoyable feeling of closeness that it gave her. She was glad Yang could not see her face turn a scarlet shade but nevertheless buried her face into the blonde's hair to avoid the possibility of detection. Only the new scent of lavender alerted Blake to her action, causing her to freeze, unable to blush any harder.
"Are you ready?" she heard Yang call back.
Blake couldn't bring herself to speak, so she instead nodded.
"All right." At this, Bumblebee came alive, roaring as Yang revved the engine. The bike shook as the engine awakened, causing Blake's grip on her partner to tighten slightly. Yang looked back at her—or at least attempted to, finding that the girl in black couldn't be seen with her head in the mane of blonde hair. "Hey," she called over the engine, "there's nothing to worry about. Everything's gonna be just fine."
Blake had to ask herself if Yang thought that she was afraid. This idea could have been taken from the lack of conversation and abundance of trepidation leading up to the bike being turned on. However, Blake took this comforting as more of a preemptive consolation when she heard the low metallic screeching of the garage door lifting. She was able to lift her face out of Yang's hair to look at the sight ahead of her. Daylight crept in slowly at first but flooded the room as the metal obstacle rose. The light was initially blinding due to Blake having woken up not a half an hour before, but she could eventually see the dirt beyond.
"I'll take it slow at first," Yang said. "I'll bring her up to full speed when you're ready." She looked back to Blake. "All set?"
All Blake could manage was a feeble "Yeah." Unfortunately, she had only registered the question of "All set?" The statement that the bike would be brought up to "full speed" had unfortunately not been heard.
The bike slowly eased itself out of the garage and onto the dirt road. Blake couldn't help but bury her face once again into her partner's back despite the bike not exerting any force on its own. Yang was merely walking the bike out and still Blake found herself petrified. The Faunus found her fear irrational, as she had been comfortable with high speeds and complementary balance in the past. But this, for some reason, was different and it thusly scared her.
There was a pause when the motorcycle reached the road. Blake guessed that it was for Yang to check on her again if the slight rotation of her vertebrae and shoulders proved evident. After the pause, however, she felt the bike slowly lurch forward and Yang pull her legs up. Blake did the same and held on tighter to the taller girl's midriff. She could feel her partner's back shake from a giggle as Bumblebee began to move.
As Yang had said, the motorcycle had awesome acceleration. In this cause, "awesome" can be used in both the modern and traditional senses. The bike moved slowly at first, easing its way down the dirt road, but Yang gradually brought it up to speed limit as they found asphalt. Blake had not been too keen on the idea of the two-wheeled machine at first but soon came to accept it as a technology as harmless as she had originally thought. She became comfortable with the speed as the ride progressed, due in large to the comforting figure that she could grip onto.
While she was no longer scared, she couldn't bring herself to remove her face from Yang's hair. The situation was just too perfect for her. Thanks to Bumblebee, she didn't have to feel abashed for the feelings she harbored and could blame whatever physical contact occurring between them on her "holding on for dear life." She could openly hold the object of her one-sided affections as the wind rushed past the both of them, causing their hair to be blown back and their respective scarves to whip around erratically.
As the bike began to break the speed limit, Blake felt absolutely at ease. She knew that her partner would never do anything to harm her. The speed could not hinder her focus on the girl in front of her. She was ready now—ready to speak to Yang about that potentially life-changing decision whenever an opportune moment arose. She could not speak yet, lest she interrupt the serenity of the moment in the midst of the chaotic world around them. Neither person nor Grimm could deter the unadulterated feeling of jubilation felt by the normally reserved girl. Everything was right in the world and it was all thanks to the figure she wrapped her arms around, whether she knew it or not.
Unbeknownst to the Faunus, Yang held a knowing, excited smirk as she gradually brought her motorcycle up to full speed and past the speed limit. This was not intended to be a simple "test drive" as she had previously explained. Rather, this was to be an outing—the first of many if the two were in agreement.
It felt as if only seconds had passed from Blake's perspective while it is to say that in objective reality a good fifteen minutes had gone by, blissful as they were. So entranced in her hold had the young Faunus been that she was unable to feel the bike slow and eventually come to a complete stop, her cheek too busy being pressed against her partner's back and her mind equally racing with thoughts of what could be and how she could make it so. Not even the high speeds at which the two travelled had been able to distract Blake from the one in front of her.
When she was finally distracted, however, and realized the bike had indeed come to a halt, a blush formed once again at her own overzealousness. Fortunately, she found that Yang did not say anything to this end but instead took off her helmet with a smile, shaking her hair free as she removed her sunglasses. In turn, Blake pulled herself from the blonde's tresses and took her own helmet off, causing her ears—and, consequently, her bow—to spring up after being confined for so long. She forced her expression to remain flat in an attempt to conceal any traces of embarrassment, but still her cheeks burned at how happy she had been to hold Yang.
Ahead of them was a short tree line which only just stood in the way of an expanse of grass and youthful activity. People inhabited this place, engaging in activities ranging from games of tag between children to pick-up sporting events between strangers. Those who were not up and about sat in the shade, enjoying each other's company as they conversed on subjects only known to the speakers. Where the girls were was a parking lot, moderately filled. Bumblebee had been parked adjacent to the grassy precipice of the park, separated on either side by at least two parking spaces. Despite the others in the area, the two were relatively alone.
It seemed as though it was a nice enough place, but it wasn't Yang's home. Blake reasoned that the "test ride" her partner had talked about was not meant to be just riding Bumblebee around and then returning home. By this point, it wasn't surprising to find that the girl had sly, ulterior motives. Still, she had to ask, "Yang, why are we here?" She wasn't as much annoyed as she was confused—she couldn't be annoyed at Yang, today especially. She wouldn't have asked if the rest of the team had come along; that would have led to an assumption that they were going to relax at the park for a day. However, because it was only her and Yang, Blake was confused.
She could see Yang take a deep breath before turning back around to her and grinning widely. "You'll see," she said before dismounting the bike, leaving Blake to realize her precarious position without forward motion. Immediately, Blake's feet went to the ground, preemptively trying to balance the bike which conceivably would have toppled over. "Need a hand?"
"What about the kickstand?" the young Faunus worriedly asked, only just keeping her voice level enough so she couldn't sound scared. "Don't you need to put that down or something?"
"Please," Yang scoffed. "Why would I put all that effort into making this and just slap on a kick stand? She's got a gyroscope—built that too! Now, come on!" To emphasize her point, she extended a hand.
Rolling her eyes, Blake took it and was quickly pulled to her feet. As Yang had said, there must have been a gyroscope in the bike because it stood without any visible assistance. However, Blake was unable to observe this for long as she realized the grip on her hand had not relented. She looked to her partner, finding that she held a neutral, almost contemplative look about her. This lasted for but a moment before it was masked with an exuberant grin. With a wink, the blonde pulled her partner towards the park.
Blake soon found herself having to run to keep up with Yang. She was led onto a cement path that entered and then ran the perimeter of the park, touring the ponds and picnickers which made up this merry scene. And as they ran, she saw a fork in the path ahead with one side continuing on around the perimeter and the other seeming to have faded due to disrepair. This secondary trail could be less considered a path than an opening in a denser part of the tree line, which, judging by the consistency of the wooded area, Blake could tell was a forest—a forest Yang was pulling her towards. They ran off the concrete path and onto the nearly invisible dirt trail blazed by hikers of years prior.
The two ran into the forest as partners.
The lack of information divulged by this direction left Blake with questions. "Where are we going?" she called, feeling the need to raise her voice to overcome their eager speeds.
"You'll see!" Yang called back. As such, Blake resigned from questioning any further. She knew that when her partner was in a secret-keeping mood, there was nothing she could do to sway her. She could only trust in her partner that she would eventually see.
As the two ran, sunlight streamed in from the canopy above. It fell in glimmering stripes and spots, enough to make the path they ran only just visible. Shadows fell upon the scenery behind the first row of trees on either side of the partnership, leaving Blake to only gaze ahead. What she saw was a similar shadow that veiled the path ahead, as well, consistently keeping a sizable distance away from the two as they ran. Even with her enhanced night vision, she could not penetrate this obscurity.
Knowing that looking around wouldn't do her much good, Blake took the time to admire her partner even more than she had already. She felt that she had had enough time to do this on the bike and that even the observations then had the possibility of being intrusive, yet she couldn't help herself. The touch of Yang's hand made her feel wanted—not as a tool to be used in an organization, but as her own person. The warmth that came from the girl, despite the fingerless gloves blocking complete contact, made Blake feel safe and that she didn't have to watch the shadows for any signs of danger. She felt confident that if a Nevermore swooped down from out of nowhere, the two alone could slay it without having their weapons. She felt at peace.
Blake had been patient as they ran, and this patience paid off when the shadow in the distance became a faint light that grew ever brighter as the two neared it. This light opened up into a sight which Blake knew was the secret Yang had been holding back. The two slowed to a casual stroll that eventually led to the two completely stopping.
In the middle of this unnamed, less-than-spectacular forest was a somewhat large clearing, open to the sky above yet not subject to the brutal rays of the summer sun. In it was a glittering pond, centered in the grassy opening. Small waves rippled the surface of the otherwise pristine body, affected by the smallest breeze that perennially blew across this temperate glade. Standing before the water was a bright marble bench that remained solemn and resolute. It looked untouched and pristine—as though no life whatsoever had ever existed in this place.
Yang stepped forwards slowly, pulling Blake towards the bench. "Here we are! Just as I remembered it. Man, nothing's changed." For some reason, Blake expected a response from the place—any noise; a chirping bird or insect, perhaps—but no response was given. It was oddly peaceful here. "Well, the path is pretty much gone, but it was getting that way anyways. Other than that, I don't think anything's happened here. Who would've thought that after all these years the bench would still be here?"
"Years?" Blake asked. She was surprised; Yang had acted as though it had only been months since her last time here.
It was in this moment that Blake saw a smile on her partner's countenance that she had never before seen from the radiant girl. It was reflective, almost remorseful, having fallen from its prior excitement at the mention of time's passage.
"I used to come here as a kid," Blake heard her say. Yang didn't turn to look at Blake but still pulled her slowly towards the bench. "Mom used to take Ruby and me here whenever we came to the park. She said it was because I was being too rough with the other kids, but we both knew it was because Ruby felt left out." It was confusing to the Faunus how her tone had shifted from being happy to being outright reflective and nearly remorseful. Yang turned the sad smile to look at Blake. "She never was good at meeting people."
Not knowing exactly what to do in this sort of situation, Blake tried to the best of her abilities to keep her partner's spirits high. She gave a comforting squeeze to Yang's hand, thus causing the blonde's smile to warm slightly. She then moved ahead of Yang and pulled her over to the bench quicker than they had been moving. It hurt to see her partner this way; even if it looked to be a minor decline in enthusiasm, a regretful Yang did not sit well with the Faunus. She was supposed to be the one in the group who had nothing wrong with her past—the one who was there to keep everyone's attitudes positive. She wasn't crying, but Blake could tell she hurting, and this pain was steadily increasing. That is why, once she sat her partner and herself down, she insisted, "Tell me about her."
Yang cocked her head slightly to the side. "Who? My mom?" Blake nodded. Yang looked to the ground, remorse finding its way back to her features. "She was…I don't know. She was a lot of things. Ruby looked up to her. Where do you think she got the idea of making the world a better place by being a huntress? I can tell you it wasn't me." Both shared a rueful smirk.
"And I guess I looked up to her, too. She never said 'no' when somebody asked for help and she was always there whenever you needed her. There wasn't anybody she wasn't friends with. And there wasn't anything she couldn't do."
Blake smiled softly, "I can see the resemblance."
Yang's smile returned. It was happy, but tears looked to be building up in the corners of her eyes. "Thanks, Blake. That really means a lot." She looked out over the pond. "I try to be like her for Ruby, and I think I'm doing an all right job. I mean…Ruby still misses her and I know I can't take her place, but I think it could be worse."
Hesitantly, Blake put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Well, if it means anything, I think you're doing a good job. It's obvious she looks up to you, Yang." This caused the blonde to raise an eyebrow at her. "You should have heard her calling your name on initiation day. She was scared and all she wanted was her big sister by her side."
"How'd you hear that? She landed a ways away from us."
Blake didn't feel like telling her partner that she had followed Ruby for a short while in order to gauge her combat skills—much like she had done with a great many of the initiates. Instead, she rolled her eyes upwards, directing Yang's gaze to her now twitching bow. This made Yang giggle shortly which subsequently caused Blake to smile.
"Thanks a lot, Blake." Before she knew what was happening, Blake found a mass of yellow hair draping across her vision. Yang had leaned over to rest on the Faunus' shoulder and let out a sigh. "I mean it," she said, eyes trained on the pond. "Thank you. I try to tell myself that I'm doing a good job, but every once in a while, it feels good to hear someone say it."
Though the contact was initially jarring, Blake soon felt at ease with the feeling. She couldn't think of anything to say—she didn't feel the need to say anything. In a move so extroverted that not even she would have believed it to be possible, Blake placed an arm over Yang's shoulder and pulled her closer, quietly gasping at the acquiescing touch and finding herself markedly confident once her fingers reached her partner's arm. Yang didn't recoil at the contact. On the contrary, she warmed to it and moved closer, burying the side of her head into Blake's neck as the two watched the pond glitter.
They sat in a comfortable silence for some time as they huddled together in an attempt to ward off Yang's negativity. Blake would occasionally rub her arm, making sure that whatever had been troubling her was gone. Yang, meanwhile, did not move from her position, choosing instead to remain noticeably attentive to the girl beside her. She radiated a warmth that compelled Blake to move closer, herself, and a subtle breeze wandered its way across the two forms, intermingling their hair for only a few moments. It was in this tranquility and feeling of absolute peace and perfection that Blake knew that any other moment would never suffice.
"Yang?" she asked.
"Hmm?" Blake could not only hear Yang's hummed response, but she could feel it reverberate through both of their bodies.
She hesitated. Yang was so calm, so relaxed. She did not want to ruin her serenity. However, she knew the time was perfect and took a deep breath before continuing. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. You're probably going to think it's pretty…well, dumb." She knew she was being hard on herself, but she felt that it was required to ensure that whatever happened, nothing would go wrong in the long run. Soon after, she winced at having said this, believing that it also could have skewed Yang's opinion preemptively.
However, she felt Yang shake her head. "It can't be any dumber than some of the jokes I put you guys through."
Blake took a few seconds to compose herself. She found this process of improvisation much harder than originally planned. "All right," she said quietly.
"Yang, I uh…Ever since we met, I've…No…I've had these feelings as of late and…" She was mentally berating herself. She was so flustered that she couldn't bring herself to finish a single sentence and it pained her. She prided herself on being well-read and well-spoken in times where it was necessary, and yet she could not speak now, when being well spoken was utterly crucial. However, it was the immobility of her partner that gave her confidence in the belief that Yang was there for her and that she wouldn't judge—at least, she wouldn't judge too harshly.
She felt as though a more direct approach would be easier, more efficient, and probably less painful if it resulted in failure. "Yang," she began but found as the subsequent sentence went on, her speech slowed and her volume lowered to the point of near inaudibility due to uncertainty. "I just wanted to know if—maybe—you would like to go out sometime?" Her face flushed and her heart rate rose to respective hues and paces she had never experienced before. Still, she would remain composed. She had to, lest her efforts prove futile due to the smallest of uncertainties.
She felt Yang shake once. Her heart stopped.
"I mean—it's all right if you don't want to. It was just that I—"
She was cut off by Yang lifting her head away from her. Blake was immediately horrified at the mistake that she had made. This was Yang distancing herself—potentially out of disgust. She believed she might have destroyed not only their partnership, but the entire team as well. She practically knew for a fact that she had made a mistake that cost her both her partner and a chance for a normal life.
Fortunately, these pessimistic thoughts were halted with one look at the lilac eyes that now glistened with eager hope.
"Blake Belladonna," Yang began with a smirk, "are you asking me out?" The look in her eyes was somewhat teasing, but on the whole she was shown to be more happy and full of life than she had been since Blake had set eyes on her.
The answer was a resounding "yes," but Blake didn't know how to react. What came out instead was a meek, "I-umm…Yes?" Her face was burning and her gaze was averted. She was prepared to weather any type of retaliation Yang could concoct to use against her but at the same time she was having trouble restraining her excitement. She thought that there had been no hint of negativity in Yang's voice and could not believe that she had been correct.
Although she had been prepared for most types of retaliation, she was not prepared for Yang tackling her from the bench and onto the ground with a rib-crushingly tight hug. She didn't hug back at first, too startled to do much of anything, let alone breathe. "Sure! About time you asked!" The nonchalant phrasing of the reply was cheered so giddily that it could be neither detached nor normally characteristic of Yang.
It took a moment for Blake to register the acceptance, but when she did, she drew in a thankful breath and smiled widely, reciprocating the emotions shared in the hug. Excitement, jubilation, and relief were all expressed through this contact, solidifying the covenant between the two to transcend what was mere friendship to a level of relationship previously unthinkable.
The two gladly stayed where they were, lying down in the grass with arms wrapped around each other in an almost competitive attempt of who could hug the hardest for minutes which felt like blissful hours. Blake couldn't suppress a beaming grin and could not stop her Faunus traits from perking up. She felt that what she had here—what she had now with Yang—was everything she'd ever wanted or would ever need. Within Yang's embrace, all thoughts of her time in the White Fang vanished. In her hold, all troubles regarding her home and crowds of people were forgotten. In this moment, nothing else mattered to Blake except the girl before her who held her so tightly and the warmth which now consumed her. It was a safe, strong hold—one that she knew Yang would not relent from for some time.
Ever curious and unfamiliar with even friendship outside of what she found in her team, Blake found herself asking, "Yang, what does this mean for us now?"
The girl in question pulled away just enough so that she could look into her partner's golden eyes. She smirked. "I think you know exactly what this means now," she said, adding at the end, "girlfriend."
Blake shivered at the title. Feeling herself begin to tear up, she buried her face in the crook of Yang's neck so that she wouldn't be seen crying, even if it was out of joy. The unintended side effects of this action were not at all unappealing to the Faunus, for as she buried her face in Yang's neck, she smelled the distinct scent of lavender—not that associated with synthetic scents, but that of the flower. She had smelled it before when she had clung to Yang on the way to the park, but now the scent was more prevalent and less forbidden. The second side effect was that of Yang's hand reaching up and scratching her ears through her bow. And unlike their flight to this sunny city, she did not object whatsoever. The action elicited a low purring once again and caused Blake to only further bury herself in Yang's neck. She couldn't care about holding any sort of aloof appearance at the moment because Yang was her girlfriend now and she was happy.
"You know, you've gotta take this bow off sometimes. You look better without it." Not only could she hear Yang, but she could feel her speech due to the close proximity caused by the hug.
The suggestion was sincere and constructive—something that Blake rarely heard outside of the comments she was usually given. She held Yang tighter. "I-I think I can make it a point to do that."
Another period of peaceful silence lingered between the two, further distancing them from reality. This silence persisted for a few minutes, leading to mere observations of each other's breathing patterns and heart rates, before Yang had to break it. "Hey, uh, I hate to be the bearer of bad news and all, but I told Ruby that I was only going for a test ride. I want to get up probably as much as you do, but she might be getting worried because we haven't come back yet."
"You told me the same thing," Blake chided lightly.
Yang pulled away—much to the Faunus' chagrin—to give her an incredulous look. "And you're going to complain about it? Like, right now?"
Blake laughed. "Fair point."
Even with the suggestion of leaving on the minds of both girls, neither could be bothered to move from their embrace, as shamelessly ardent as it was. However, the will to leave grew stronger over time and forced the two to their reluctant feet. Now separated and standing, all they could bring themselves to do was stare excitedly into the other's eyes. The stare never led to anything; the two were just content to admire. The impromptu staring contest ended with Yang asking, "Ready to go?"
Blake smirked. "Does it matter if I say yes or not?"
She was answered with Yang taking her hand and intertwining their fingers. It was a foreign feeling of closeness and unadulterated affection which sent tingles down Blake's spine. It was a warm sensation; not to where it was overbearing and uncomfortable, but to where it felt right. She felt wanted—she could tell from the unwavering grip that there was no possibility of letting go nor would there be logical reason to do so in the present situation. The logical part of her mind, which existed outside of the haze of emotions caused by the touch, told her that this openly excited persona was not her own. However, she went with it and accepted this as a once-in-a-lifetime demeanor which she could let herself enjoy. She knew that this extroverted state was fleeting and would not be a normal occurrence, but she could allow herself to hold onto Yang as she was guided to the forest path.
To think that her endeavors were fruitful is even still baffling to Blake. She took a chance and it paid off, and yet she still couldn't grasp the significance of this. She had an idea about the importance, but she could not wrap her mind around the fact that Yang said "Yes." She felt like hugging the blonde again—to shower her with grateful affections until they were both aware of how important this decision was. She felt like moving closer to the source of warmth beside her, but she was content to just hold onto that gloved hand and walk through the forest, unfazed by the shadows around her.
The two walked out of the forest, hand-in-hand, as a couple.
Everything in the park appeared to be more vibrant with Blake's new perspective. The leaves were greener and could be seen to shake with even the slightest of breezes. The children in the park seemed louder and full of life. The cyan sky seemed to shimmer and the sun above felt as though it had become warmer and increasingly tolerable. Blake looked to her partner-turned-girlfriend and found her to have an indomitable smile. She leaned into the blonde to get her attention.
Yang looked over and, with the same grin, asked, "You ready to go?" Blake nodded into her arm. "All right, let's do it." She paused for a moment, her grin slowly changing into a smirk. "Ruby's probably worried by now. We'll need to get back at," she paused for effect, "Blake-neck speed."
Blake groaned playfully and bumped Yang with her shoulder. "What did I get myself into?"
"A world full of puns, Blakey." Pride welled in her lavender eyes. "A world full of puns."
Blake untangled her fingers from Yang's. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood," she teased as she mounted the bike. She felt comfortable with teasing Yang back like this and found that she had left her standing and staring at her, watching the once hesitant girl sit alone on the bike. Blake simply smirked at her gawking girlfriend as she put on her helmet. "Are you coming or not?"
In an instant, Yang regained her energetic grin as she moved forward, stumbling at first but finding her footing before reaching the bike. She vaulted onto the vehicle, shaking it as she landed. As she smiled back at the girl in black, putting on her sunglasses and helmet all the while, she asked, "You wanna know why I named her Bumblebee?"
Blake smiled back. "Why?" She was answered with one of Yang's signature mischievous smirks. Realization set in and thus Blake rolled her eyes. "You really are incorrigible."
"And you asked me out. What does that say about you?"
"It shows that I made a smart decision." Blake then proceeded to wrap her arms around her new girlfriend and buried her face into the mane of golden hair. She failed to see the radiant smile on lingered on the blonde's features as she revved the engine of her motorcycle. She walked the bike backwards, out of its parking space.
Bumblebee lurched forward, instantly reaching speeds deemed unsafe for those not on the bike but pleasant for those who were. The two quickly reached the main roads, flying along outside of downtown Vale. Blake clung to her partner, finding the girl vastly more exhilarating than the high speeds at which they travelled. It was on this day that the secluded, reserved Blake of months prior was transformed into a more emotionally available, more trusting person who found solace in an another rather than the escapist fantasies of her novels. She had Yang to depend on now; she had the object of her affections in her grasp and she was ecstatic, more so than she had been within available memory. Blake held herself close to Yang, knowing that whatever path life took from this point forward, she would not be alone.
I hope that was at least somewhat admissible for the definitive beginning of their relationship. I thought it worked, but at the same time, I've seen far too many fanfictions with slow-burn relationships that culminate with the end of the story being the two "main" characters admitting their feelings. I fear that the amount of eventual relationship stories have ingrained an idea in the fanfiction community that having the actual relationship start relatively early is a bad thing. However, with the story I have planned out, the relationship is only going up from here. I should probably note that the rating of this story will remain "T" and this decision will not waver. Take that as you will with the statement that "the relationship is only going up from here."
I apologize if the initial narration in this chapter was a tad jarring or different from what is usually written in fanfiction. However, the narrator in this story has character, as shown by the number of instances where the construct has expanded upon certain words or descriptions. It is from this personality that I feel that an aside can work every once in a while. The aside also works to elaborate on aspects Blake's personality or other key motives that need expressed elaboration that would otherwise be ignored due to the perspective of the storytelling. The narrator only describes Blake's mental processes as they occur and the scene that is presented before her, so because Blake does not actively think about herself as socially awkward, the narrator would be unable to describe this in regular narration. I would not expect too many more of this sort of blatant aside. Perhaps one or two more may occur as the novel progresses, but I think any more than one or two would seem gimmicky.
I would also like to note something that could have been. In the scene in the garage before the dialogue between Blake and Yang begins, there is the phrase, "the Faunus' apprehensive flight…" In this phrase, I originally wanted to use a word that I've always desired to use but have never had the opportunity to do so. I would have liked to have used the word, "pusillanimous," but considering that the word would have caused a break in a somewhat tense scene (That word will make most look up the definition, effectively pausing the scene.), I decided against it. I'm noting this for those like me who enjoy uncommon vocabulary from time to time. The word would have fit so well and on multiple levels, yet it could not be for the sake of the story's pacing. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Once again, thank you for reading. Stay safe and stay tuned.