Chapter Nine: Seashells and Sandcastles
Blake woke to Gambol carrying out her Sunday morning ritual.
Her eyes fluttered open to see the cat sitting on top of her chest. Since Blake usually got out of bed as soon as she woke on weekday mornings, Gambol didn't get to do this most of the time. But, on Sundays, when she'd laze around in bed for an indefinite amount of time, she was always stirred by the feeling of the kitten trying to get her attention. She didn't mind it much, since she needed to wake up anyway. Smiling sleepily, she acknowledged her pet with a scratch behind her ears. In response, Gambol purred and pawed at her cheek, as if to say hello. Blake mumbled something, still trying to wake. Through the open window, rays of sunlight creeped in and illuminated the room, signaling that dawn had long passed. Turning her head to the side, Blake was surprised to see that it was nine o'clock, hours past when she'd usually get up. She glanced back to Gambol and arched a brow.
"You're later than usual."
Meow!
Slowly, Blake sat up, setting her cat over to the side gently. She stretched, slid her legs off the edge of the bed, and made her way to the bathroom. Effortlessly pulling off the sash at her waist, she slipped out of her yukata and turned the water on, waiting for it to get sufficiently warm. Somehow, showers always helped her to wake up and gave her some time to think about each day. The hot water steamed around her, hitting her back and running down her skin. Blake let out a soft sigh of relief, making quick work of washing her hair.
Her thoughts carried her back to the previous week. After Weiss had gotten the truth out of her last Monday, Blake did her best to act as normal as she could be. While the majority of the seniors at Beacon were celebrating and sharing where they would be going for the next four years, she took care to only mention that she was still in the process of deciding. Although the student body could be considered amicable and friendly, rumors still spread around like flies. She couldn't risk Ruby, Yang, or anyone else besides Weiss knowing about the results. In her heart, she knew that her friends had the right to know what was going on.
But Blake could keep little black lies for a while, so she would. And when it was time, she'd tell them.
The hardest part of last week was pretending to be normal in front of Yang. Blake knew it was wrong, but she couldn't handle the idea of telling her and having to face her. Something inhibited their relationship from growing—whether that was her dishonesty or the lack of clarity over Yang's feelings, she couldn't really be sure. They were both withholding vital information, it seemed. A few times she tried to convince herself that she was simply being melodramatic and that Yang, as her friend, as the person she loved the most, needed to know. Parting after high school was normal. If they wanted to stay friends, then they'd try, right?
And yet, even after thinking it through, Blake held to her decision of keeping her secrets. She was depending on Yang's inability to perceive the small things like that. She couldn't handle the idea of losing her sooner than she needed to.
Blake turned off the shower and squeezed the water out of her hair. Stepping out, she wrapped her black bath robe around her and finished up her morning routine. Throughout the night, she had worked up an appetite and felt hungrier than usual since she had gotten up later. Gambol followed her down the hallway and into the kitchen, where Blake started to prepare her breakfast. Noticing that the animal was pawing at her ankles, Blake refilled her food and water bowl. After breakfast, she'd work on some of her homework, read a book, and finally, finally watch that last season of The Vampire Diaries. Nothing was going to get between her and Ian Somerhalder. Nothing. That was how her Sunday was going to work out.
So, naturally, when she heard the ringing of the door bell, she groaned and almost allowed herself to leave it unanswered.
It's Sunday. And it's nine in the morning. Hardly anyone ever came to visit her, much less at such a strange hour. When she pulled the door towards her, however, blonde hair, a lopsided grin, and lilac orbs greeted her.
For once in her life, Yang was the last person she wanted to see at her doorstep.
"Yang?" Incredulous, she blinked twice. "What are you…"
"Hey Blakey!" Yang beamed. Adorned by a pair of daisy dukes and a loose-fitting, yellow tank top, she made Blake feel incredibly self-conscious. She could wear rags and still look pretty. Her purple eyes scanned her up and down. "Uh."
Suddenly, the raven-haired girl was very aware that she wasn't wearing anything under the robe, which exposed a great deal of skin as it was already. A blush crept up her neck and threatened to show on her cheeks. Why, why, why was Yang here, right now? Summoning all of her courage, she asked, "Do you want to come in? I'll get dressed." That was the polite thing to do, right?
"Nah, nah," she waved. "Actually, I'm here to pick you up!"
"What?"
Yang smirked, her arms out akimbo. "Don't you know what day it is today?"
She had to think. There was nothing going on today. "It's Sunday, April 3rd."
"It's spring break, baby!" Yang shouted, throwing her hands up before placing them on the door frame.
Blake's eyebrows drew together. "So?"
Yang dropped her hands and pushed her bangs back, a chuckle leaving her lips. "Ruby and I thought we could get all of our friends together and head out to the beach. It's supposed to be really hot today! And since you're not doing anything, we figured we'd invite you. Not that we wouldn't if you were busy, of course." Yang's radiant smile was so contagious, it made Blake smile too.
"A beach day?" Blake hummed, thinking about what she had to do. "We still have homework over the break."
"Blake, you can't stay at home all week." Yang squatted to pet Gambol, who ran up to her excitedly. "You gotta get out, see the sun! Play in the water!"
"Yang," Blake sighed, crossing her arms. "I know I live by the ocean, but I'm not really one for water."
"Oh come on. I bet I could get you wet, if y'know what I mean." Yang sent over a diabolical wink. Blake turned a deep shade of red, her blood racing through her veins furiously. Hiding her face, she looked away while the blonde bursted and enjoyed a good laugh. "I'm just kidding, Blakey. What do you say?"
She looked again at that infectious grin one more time and knew her answer before she could think of the consequences. Jesus, she hated how much she loved this girl. Her blush fading, Blake sighed and nodded, defeated. "Yeah. I'll be right back."
Sure enough, it had gotten warmer as the day wore on. By noon, it was already 87 degrees.
Blake never really enjoyed extremely hot weather, taking better to a milder climate. To shelter herself from the blazing sun, she sat underneath Ruby's large beach umbrella, a book laying in her lap. Although she didn't particularly enjoy swimming (or other water activities), she could appreciate the crashing of the powerful waves and the sense of peace it brought, washing over her completely. While Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune waded off in the distance, Pyrrha and Yang had taken to a game of beach volleyball, facing off against Nora and her boyfriend, Ren. It didn't bother Blake that she was left alone, since it gave her time and space to completely immerse herself in The Life of Pi. Somehow, she felt that she was floating away on her own small boat.
Occasionally, her eyes would travel upwards and linger on Yang. She watched the way she leapt to spike the ball, her blonde hair flowing all about her. Her ears would pick up on her joyful laughter, and without looking, she could feel that beautiful smile on her face. In more ways that one, Blake was amazed by the girl. In her mind, Yang, like the sun, was meant to be adored and revered. She devoted a few minutes to watch her, hoping that no one would catch her in her reverie.
Her mind wandered away from the tiger in the boat and to the manifestation of sunshine just a few hundred feet away. Blake put her finger on the page where she was on, knowing that she wouldn't be able to focus. How many times did she have to tell herself that she loved Yang, wholly, completely? She had never felt this way towards anyone before, not even Adam. It frightened her. It scared her because it meant sacrifice, loss, and vulnerability—all things that Blake avoided at nearly all costs. After years of losing everything that ever meant anything to her, she figured she could render herself incapable of loving anything else. But just looking at her favorite person, her closest friend, made her realize that there was no helping it. She loved her.
And if love meant having to be honest, she just wished she didn't love her at all. For as far from Blake's character as it was for her to lie, she couldn't bring herself to tell the whole truth, and that was lying by its definition.
When she tried to go back to her book, Blake felt a tap on her forehead.
To her surprise, Weiss approached her. The snow angel arched a delicate brow and stood with a hand on her hip. Beads of water clung to her skin, her white hair damp in some places and dry in others. Fittingly, she wore a light gray halter top with a matching skirted bottom. For someone so cold and aloof, she seemed to be enjoying the hot, spring day. In a scolding voice, she said, "Don't tell me you're going to sit there this whole time."
"I have been," Blake remarked dryly, closing her book. She wouldn't be able to read now. "What would you rather have me do?"
"Save me from my misery. I've been around Ruby and Jaune for ages," she groaned as she casted a look back at the two. "They're insufferable."
Blake chuckled. "Then why are you spending time around them? Weiss, you know that I don't really like water."
"I'm well aware." She rolled her eyes. Stubbornly, she persisted, asking "Will you come out there? Please?"
"You could just sit here, away from them, instead of dragging me over there."
"Blake, please?" she repeated.
Blake shook her head, although a small grin found its way on her face. She's such a princess. "Sure."
Placing her book on her chair, Blake followed the girl out to the ocean. It was a lovely day for the beach, with only a few clouds to mar the otherwise clear, blue sky. In the distance, palm trees swayed as the gentle breeze from the sea blew past, carrying the scent of sea salt. Blake dipped a toe in the water, judging that it was warm enough, and joined the three. Ruby regarded her affectionately with a hug and Jaune nodded. Blake hadn't spent enough time around the young man to truly discern his character, but she knew that he must've been something special if Pyrrha Nikos chose him to be her significant other.
"Hey, Blake!" Ruby smiled, a wave hitting all four of them and pushing them a bit back to shore. "I didn't think you'd come out to play!"
"Well…" She nodded over to Weiss, who had her arms crossed and her lips in a pout.
"I'm glad you could join us, Blake." Jaune commented, his grin lopsided. His golden hair fell over his face, water dripping off the tips and onto his chin. The blue eyes his bangs hid away contrasted greatly from the blue Blake was accustomed to seeing. In a way, his eyes seemed kinder than Weiss', although it wasn't hard to be nicer than the Ice Queen.
"Be quiet, you!" Weiss snarled, sending a splash of water over to him.
And, just like that, they started a war.
Jaune, after his initial moment of shock, sent his hand flying to hit the surface of the water, covering the heiress with the saltwater. Ruby joined him shortly after, getting a girlish squeal out of Weiss. Were they seriously having a water fight? Trying hard to avoid them, Blake made her way to shore, until she felt an ungodly amount of water fall on her head. Whipping around, she found Ruby cackling as the last drops of water escaped from her hand. "Gotcha!"
So, this was how they were going to play.
Without a shred of mercy, Blake launched herself forward and pushed Ruby. Silver eyes widened in horror when she realized she was losing her balance. Blake allowed herself a mischievous, wicked smirk, until she felt Jaune do the same to her. Crashing rather ungracefully, Blake let out a yelp as she found herself submerged. She got up quickly and caught sight of Weiss running away from Ruby. So much for her help. Blake locked eyes with the blonde boy again before taking both hands, scooping up water, and throwing it directly at his face. He shook his head after the impact and let out a hearty laugh.
After five or so minutes of this horseplay, the four formed a choir of chortling and giggles. Blake allowed herself to laugh too, shaking out her hair of the water. In the distance, she could see Yang and Pyrrha celebrating their apparent win over Nora and Ren, jumping up and sharing a high-five. Briefly, lilac orbs found Blake's gold. Yang sent a flash over to the girl, so kind and so lighthearted. Blake waved at her, feeling her cheeks warm, and not from the sun. How she could let herself be so star-struck every time Yang looked at her, she didn't know.
When lunch time had come and the group had split up, again, Blake fancied sitting next to Weiss, as the heiress usually went through her lunch without sparing a word. The two ate their food under the shade of the umbrella, Blake happily munching on her tuna sandwich while Weiss forked at her garden salad. The rest of the company had either chosen to eat later or had already finished their food and continued their activities. Jaune, Nora, and Ren were out walking along the beach, while Yang and Pyrrha had stayed behind at the local burger joint. Ruby had just finished collecting shells and made her way over to the two.
"Guys, look!" Ruby sat in front of the two and spilled the contents in her hands. Dozens of different shapes and sizes of shells lay on the golden san.
Leaning forward, Blake inspected the findings, taking up a sand dollar. Of course, the animal had died and left its shell, something beautiful and collectible.
Weiss eyed each shell carefully and continued to eat her salad. "Are these all you found in the hour you were gone?"
"No, silly," Ruby smiled, ignoring her slight. "I found a lot more, but they're over there, where I'm building my sandcastle! You've built a sandcastle before, right?"
"Of course," Blake answered. She couldn't count how many times she had with her parents in the past. They had built one on this same beach years ago.
Weiss forked a piece of lettuce and observed it before taking a bite. "No."
Blake and Ruby exchanged a quick look at each other before turning to her. "Are you serious?" Ruby asked, holding in a snicker.
"What?" Weiss arched a brow and continued to chew. "Is there something wrong with that?"
"Uh, duh!" Ruby laughed. "I can't believe you have never made one! Do you want to help me with mine?"
"Don't be ridiculous," the white-haired girl replied with a disturbing amount of indifference. "I don't care about yours."
Blake saw the way Ruby frowned and cut in. "You should build one, Weiss. You seem to have a knack for architecture anyway."
She sent her a sideways glance. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It's really satisfying," Blake testified. "You could build a gothic sandcastle, since you're so interested in it."
"That would take forever. And it sounds stupid."
"Well…"
Ruby stood and showed them that cheery smile. "Seriously, Weiss, let's go build a sandcastle!"
After letting out a huff, Weiss put down her finished salad and crossed her arms. "I don't know how to."
"I could show you, y'know. It's really not that hard."
Weiss sent Blake another pleading look, but Blake didn't buy it this time. Besides, the last time she had given in to her request, she had gotten herself into a water fight. Smiling coyly, Blake nudged her. "Go."
"Honestly, both of you are incorrigible." Gracefully, she got up from her seat and walked towards the water.
Ruby giggled and turned her head to send a wink at Blake. Weiss continued without her. "You always manage to get her to do things she hates doing."
"Melting the Ice Queen seems to be my specialty," Blake quipped.
"Hmm, I thought Neptune was supposed to do that." Ruby smiled. "Do you wanna join us?"
"No," Blake shook her head and held up her book. "I want to get through this before we run out of daylight."
"Oh, you and your many books." Ruby turned her back to her and took a few steps forward before whipping back around. "Hey Blake?"
Silver met gold. "Yeah?"
Ruby's usually confident grin turned into something more timid, something almost fragile. "Do you… Do you think you could talk to Yang sometime?"
Blake's eyebrows furrowed. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no, no." Ruby dragged her foot on the sand, tracing a small circle around her while she placed her hands behind her back. "It's just… I've noticed that you two haven't really been talking all that much. Yang's been wondering about it, actually. But I think you should probably just talk to her about it."
Blake felt her heart skip a beat and tried not to look as deflated as she felt. "Alright. Where is she?"
"Oh! Uh. She's still with Pyrrha at the burger place, I think. Just talk to her afterwards. I think they're talking about something serious."
Blake swallowed thickly before replying. "Alright."
It was time. No more running.
Damn.
That was the word that ran through Yang Xiao Long's mind the whole day.
After their date on Valentine's Day, she made it a goal to stare at Blake in a much more subtle way, as if that was possible. Little did that girl know that she served as a huge distraction to Yang when she played against Ren an Nora. If it wasn't for Pyrrha, they probably would have lost. Blake wasn't even doing anything! She was sitting there, cross-legged, a book in her lap, never looking up to meet Yang's eyes. She appeared tranquil and serene as she read. Yang never understood how she had that much patience to go through a book at such an exciting place. Beaches had sand, and sand meant volleyball. She couldn't just sit and read when there was so much to do. She wished Blake wasn't such a damn goddess for her to marvel at.
At some point during the second set, Yang noticed that Blake had made her way out into the ocean to splash around with Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune, wearing nothing but that cursed, black triangle bikini. She tried to restrict herself from looking over at her, because if she did, it meant she wasn't focusing on the game in front for her. She had to admit—volleyball was her thing. But Blake? She'd drop everything if it meant spending time with her. Thus, seeing her in something so revealing, so damn sexy, and not being able to do anything about drove her crazy, absolutely crazy.
She didn't know how many times she heard her think the word damn or how many times she muttered it under her breath.
Pyrrha put down her empty glass, and asked, "So, Yang, what is it you needed to talk to me about?"
Yang sighed and ran both hands through her hair, elbows resting on the table. In front of them sat the remains of their huge, greasy burgers. The others had left them in peace after Yang requested Pyrrha's audience, alone. "God, Pyrrha. I've got it bad."
"Got what?"
"You know what," Yang answered, peering up to see her.
The redhead was slow to decipher her encrypted message. "I'm sorry, I'm confused. Are you in love?"
"Yes!" Yang groaned and pressed her head to the table. "Yes, damn it."
A few seconds passed before Pyrrha let out a mirthful laugh. "Oh, Yang. I'm sorry. I just realized what that entailed." She smiled affectionately. "Is it Blake?"
Yang nodded, saving her breath.
"Oh my," Pyrrha stifled another giggle. "Yang, you're—"
"Gay? Bi? Something, yes, not straight, I don't know, I just, I…" She groused and hit her head on the table a few times. "Pyrrha!"
"I'm sorry," she apologized and patted her head. "How long have you liked her?"
Miserably, the girl lifted her head up and sank into the chair. "I dunno," she sighed. "Since… like, Valentine's Day. I almost kissed her."
Pyrrha's emerald eyes widened and so did her smile. "Really now? What stopped you?"
"I…" Yang bit her lip. "I couldn't be sure I could really keep myself in check, y'know?" Just thinking about it made her stomach twist. Would she have stopped her if she kissed her? Did she want Yang to kiss her, too? These questions ate at her the more she thought about them.
"That's commendable," Pyrrha remarked. "I think it takes a great deal of self-control to hold back like that."
"Yeah, well…" Yang grumbled and looked out of the window. Outside, groups of other teens passed by, enjoying the sun and all the beach had to offer for them. She wished she could be so carefree, but this had been bothering her for quite some time now. "I don't know what to do."
"Does she know how you feel?"
"No. I mean. Maybe. I don't know." Yang mustered her courage to look Pyrrha in the eye. She always had this way of getting the truth out of everyone she encountered. "I honestly don't know."
"Perhaps you should clear the air, then." The redhead stirred the ice cubes in her glass with her straw. "She may think that you're being a bit hesitant and that may worsen the situation."
"How do you even…" The blonde scratched her head. "What if she doesn't feel the same way?"
Tilting her head, Pyrrha asked, "Can you be sure that she doesn't?"
Could she? If Blake didn't, then they wouldn't have had that awkward, horribly strange moment at Christmas. She wouldn't hold Yang's hands. She wouldn't linger around all the time. She wouldn't help her with her homework. There were many things she wouldn't do.
"I…" Yang had no reply to that.
"Yang," Pyrrha started, her voice gentle and calming. "It seems to me that the best option for you is to tell her how you feel and ask her how she feels. That will put you two on the same page and avoid complications."
"I'm going to get my ass hurt again. I don't do this kind of stuff, Pyrrha…"
Reaching out, she held Yang's hands in her own and gave them a squeeze. "You can't be wrong if it's the truth, Yang Xiao Long."
Just tell the truth, Yang.
It occurred to her just then that Pyrrha Nikos would probably make the greatest mom known to mankind. She was, without question, the most maternal of all her friends. She even reminded her of Summer Rose and her own, special kind of kindness. But more than anything, she was old in the soul, and in a good way, the way moms are to their children. There were many wise people in Yang's life, but she was certainly one of the wisest. "Are you being for real, Pyrrha?"
"Yes. Truly."
Was it worth the risk? That was the question that always begged to be answered. Was Blake worth it? She had placed her bets before and had only managed to get a small winning before losing it all again and that was one person. That was him.
"Yang?"
Pyrrha's voice almost startled her. She looked up.
"Do you know how Jaune and I fell in love with each other?"
She had heard the star-athlete tell many people (mostly strangers) about how the peculiar union came to be, but she wanted to hear it again anyway. "Of course."
"Then you know, as well as I do, that things are not always so linear. He was, by all means, not really my type. I always imagined that I would be paired with someone much different, maybe someone more like me. But destiny has its interesting ways with our lives. No matter how many times Jaune tried for different girls, my goodness," she paused here to laugh, "even Weiss, he always found his way back to me. And I realized that love is not always as it seems, like many other things in life.
"So, perhaps it is your destiny, perhaps it isn't, to be with Blake. You will know in time. But for now, if this is how you feel, then you ought to do something about it. I know that you're worried and you're scared, more than anything, but that's just what love is. I know you too well. You're too courageous and fearless not to be in love."
For reasons unknown, Yang felt tears well up in her eyes. They threatened to run down her cheeks, so she quickly dabbed at them with a napkin and grinned at Pyrrha. She knew she could always talk to her. "Pyrrha, you're the best."
The invincible girl smiled, sincere, genuine, and true. "I'm glad I could help."
Yang needed to talk to her. That was that. She just needed to talk to her. It didn't matter anymore, her pride, or the fact that she could get completely rejected, or that she would probably look like a complete idiot trying to say things she didn't know how to convey. None of that mattered. Later in the day, when she noticed Blake sitting alone once again, she took her chance.
Deep breaths, Xiao Long.
Lots of those.
Play it cool. Act normal. Act completely normal.
Keep it cool.
From behind her, Yang carefully brought her hands over the brunette's eyes, obscuring her view completely. Maybe she'd be more inclined to join her if she offered a little bit of fun. Blake dropped the book into her lap and touched the fingers that randomly appeared in front of her.
"Ruby?" Blake questioned. When she heard no answer, she asked, "Yang?"
"Darn," the blonde giggled. "How'd ya know?"
Blake turned around and showed her that lovely, graceful smile. That was the first time she'd seen her smile like that in a week or more. "No one else would try that on me."
"Aww." Yang leaned over on the chair, feeling her heart start to race. She momentarily forgot what she was going to say next. Keep it cool. "You wanna go on a walk?"
Damn it. That wasn't quite what she wanted to say, but it came out anyway.
Her confusion must've shown, for Blake arched her brow. "A walk?"
"Uh. Yeah!" She answered lamely. "On the beach, of course, romantic y'know?" She willed herself to shut up right then and there. If she was going to talk, she didn't want to sound so stupid.
The girl pondered and Yang thought she'd say no. To her mild surprise, however, Blake closed her book and stood, stretching out her limbs. "I might enjoy a walk."
Yang smiled, walking over to where the sea kissed the land. In ten or so minutes, the sun would begin its descent, and the air already began to cool. She was glad that they could be left alone during her favorite time of the day. Nothing could beat these Californian sunsets. The water ran over their feet and around them, tiny shells washing up only to be swept back in by the waves. Then, Yang felt something small and warm in her hand. She realized it was Blake's own hand, smaller and much softer than hers. This connection, which seemed so simple to everyone else, felt electrifying to Yang. She didn't want to let go. Lacing their fingers without a second thought, she continued. They walked in silence for a while.
"When was the last time you were here in Cali?" Yang asked.
"Two years ago," Blake answered, looking at the small coastal ornaments by their feet. "I came here with my parents."
"Right." She knew that. She didn't know why she asked. "These sunsets are pretty incredible. You're so lucky you get to see them everyday at your house."
"Indeed," Blake nodded. "But you should see the Boston sunrises. Those are just as nice."
"Really?" Yang stopped walking and raised her eyebrows. "I've never been to Boston, y'know."
"Well, when you want to travel, I suppose you'll have your own personal tour guide." Blake's lips curved just slightly into a wan smile, sending Yang's heart to cloud nine.
Whether it was because she was rendered incapable of walking or because of something else, Yang sat down on the sand. Blake joined her, their hands remaining together. Now, the sun started to come to the ocean, its rays performing a most dazzling dance on the surface. The waves crashed a few feet in front of them, the water crawling up and just barely reaching their toes.
"Blake," Yang said just above a whisper, her eyes remaining in front of her. "Are you happy? With how your life is going?"
The girl turned her head to her. "Of course. I couldn't be happier."
"Why is that?"
A pause. "Well, I really like Beacon. It's completely different from Atlas. I have Ruby and Weiss and I've been able to enjoy school much more. And I have you."
Yang looked over at her and took in the way the reds and oranges and yellows made her skin glow. Her ebony locks fell in light waves down her shoulders and back. With the day coming to a close, the way the sky reflected in her eyes intensified her cool, collected demeanor. How she could remain so poised right now, Yang couldn't understand. She felt anxious, nervous, and everything but calm, especially with the little space between them.
"You have me?" she asked, her mind going back to the present conversation.
Blake's cheeks flushed red, or maybe that was just the sun and its funny tricks. "You've been a really good friend."
Friend. Usually, that word wouldn't hurt so bad. "Right. You have too. I'm really glad that things are… good with you. You really deserve to be happy."
"What about you?" Yang felt Blake lean her head on her shoulder, noticing how some stray strands tickled her jaw. "Are you happy?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
They sat like that as the sun came down and met with the sea. There was a burning sensation in Yang's chest, something she hadn't encountered in a while. She knew exactly what it was. It was that heavy feeling of needing to speak, mixed with the fear of not knowing how to properly say what she was thinking. She wished she had Pyrrha's gift of being well-spoken and sensitive in scenarios like this. When it came to confessing anything, Yang was as charismatic as a talking dog.
"Say, Blake," she started, "Do you like anyone?"
She felt the girl stiffen and her fingers detangle themselves from hers. "Why do you ask?"
Turning to her, she followed up. "I'm curious. I'm your friend and I just felt that I should know, y'know?"
Blake averted her eyes, looking instead to the open waters in front of them. "I…"
God, there you go again, blowing it. Yang frowned. "Look, if you're uncomfortable answering the question, then you really don't need to answer. I should've considered how felt, Blake. I'm so—"
"Do you like someone?" Blake suddenly turned the question on her.
Her breath caught in her throat and Yang thought she'd burst out into a fit of laughter because she didn't know what else to do. Steadying herself, she shifted onto her side so that she could face her directly. "What do you mean?"
"Just that," she replied. "Do you like someone?"
"Er…" She coughed. "Why does it matter?"
"Yang, I'm your friend, too."
Mustering her courage, she lifted her eyes from the small little shells to Blake, lilac meeting gold. They had looked at each other like this before, but somehow, it felt so much harder to maintain the stare. It felt as though Blake were staring into her soul. Yang swallowed dryly and parted her lips to speak, finding trouble for a few seconds. "I don't know how to answer that, Blake."
"What do you mean?"
She felt herself smile, although it was short-lived. "I might."
Blake blinked twice. "So, you do like someone."
"Maybe I do. Anyway." Pulling herself back together, Yang shook her head. "You never answered my question."
"I'm afraid we'll have a lot of unanswered questions if we don't learn how to answer each question that's been posed," Blake mused.
Cleverly, she leaned closer and winked. "So, that would mean you'd have to answer my question first! Do you like someone?"
Blake dropped her eyes. "Yes."
"Who is it?" Yang's question fell into a whisper. Blake might not have heard it, but Yang knew she did when she saw her grin.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you," she replied.
"Oh come on," Yang groaned. "You can't hide secrets like that from me."
For a split second, she thought she saw Blake hesitate, something she didn't normally do. Then, she spoke. "Yang, there's something I have to tell you. I've been meaning to but… I just haven't found the right way."
The little nuts and bolts in her brain popped all at once. "Yeah?"
"Look, Yang, I…" Blake shook her head. "It's about my future. There's… a problem."
That wasn't what she was expecting. "Like what?"
"I… Um. It's about college and our relationship. I'm not sure if I can really tell you."
"Of course you can," Yang encouraged her. "Spit it out."
Blake bit the inside of her cheek and looked away. "I don't know. I can't. Maybe if I just… I…" She normally wasn't so tongue-twisted…
Unknowingly, Yang had leaned forward more and more until there was little more than a few centimeters between their faces. All at once, she became hyper-aware of the way she was sitting. She had placed her hand by Blake's far side, the other hand on her thigh. Her skin felt soft like silk, surprising her, for she didn't know skin could feel so smooth. Was this even comfortable for the other girl? She didn't move, though. That wasn't important.
"You can tell me anything."
Can I do the same?
"Can you keep a secret?" Blake whispered, her eyes slowly finding their way back up to Yang's.
Yang nodded, her heart pumping so hard it could burst. "Yes. I promise. I won't tell anyone. You can trust me."
The next sentence took a while to leave her. "Then I'll tell you. Promise?"
The words hung in the air for a while. Yang never really did fully process them before she let her head go up then down, a simple way of showing her approval. She felt a small, nimble fingers on the back of her neck and a force beckoning her forward. Her eyelids felt heavy, so she closed them. Was it traditional to seal secrets with kisses? Whether it was or not, Yang wasn't going to stop herself, or Blake for that matter. She knew kissing Blake would complicate the already muddled situation between them. Or maybe it would solve it. Twice they'd come close and she knew, more than anything, that she wanted this to happen. With nothing to see but orange, Yang felt a small bump against her nose, and that must've been Blake. She stopped breathing and waited.
She waited.
And waited.
But a familiar, high-pitched cry ripped everything from her just before she could discover for herself whether Blake's lips were as soft as she dreamed they would be. "Yang! Are you over here?"
Immediately, Yang felt the absence of that magnet that was pulling her in and opened her eyes. Not too far away, a small figure stood. It had a head of dark hair, and it was small, and then she realized it was Ruby when her eyes came back into focus. Blushing madly, Yang bolted up.
"Ruby?" she called out, watching Blake rise as well. "What's up?"
Silver eyes still wide, Ruby blinked a few times before looking at her sister and her best friend. "Sorry guys, I didn't realize you were…"
Yang's blood ran cold in her veins. Shit. She totally got us in the middle of something. "No, it's all good," Yang waved at her. "What's up?" she asked again, trying hard to mask the slight irritation in her voice.
But, since it was Ruby, after all, she picked up on it as though it was clear as day. "It's just, we're all leaving. It's already six o'clock. Ren and Nora have packed up their car and we're waiting on you two."
Yang looked over to where the sun should have been, but it had sunk into the water and taken with it its colorful display. Now the sky was starting to turn a little purple and darker blue. Black lingered off in the distance. Time wasn't on her side today. "Right! It's time. Sorry. We'll get going."
Ruby started without them, probably feeling guilty for having intruded at such a moment. Blake and Yang stood there, tension rendering them speechless for a while.
"Yang," Blake sighed. "I'm sorry."
Her voice surprised her. "F-for what?" she stammered.
"For… For that, and everything else."
Yang felt small, firm lips against her cheek and stared stupidly at the girl when she pulled away. Was that… "What…?"
"I'll tell you later, what I meant to tell you. I promise. Just… I'm sorry."
The words jumbled all around Yang's brain for the rest of the evening. She skipped dinner that night, not because she felt ill, but because the majority of her mental energy was spent trying to comprehend Blake's apology. Ruby had half a mind to sleep with her, but when Yang remained a bit curt throughout the duration of the time, she let her be and apologized, knowing she must have done something wrong. The blonde tried to sleep, but slumber didn't come until well past a few hours.
It wasn't until, in the dark, when she laid in bed staring up at the ceiling for the umpteenth time in her life, that she finally understood. It was in the way she apologized, the tenderness of the kiss, the hesitation, the fear that showed in those precious eyes.
Blake loved her. She could be sure.
But there was something else.
A/N: Hello everyone! I'm so sorry to leave you guys waiting for a much longer than normal for this newest update. I started university this last week, so I've been a bit busy as of late. I actually had to retype the majority of this chapter as well, as I felt that it wasn't good enough the first time. Hopefully you guys enjoy this update; it's longer than previous chapters.
I've got good stuff planned ya'll. There will be two new POVs in the next chapter as well. Please leave a word of feedback and let me know how I did. You guys have been so helpful.
Thanks, as always, for the continued support and love. Ya'll make me happy!
-Lex
