I finally managed to get a decent amount of time to write in peace and quiet today! Thanks to everyone for their reviews and follows. It makes me want to write more so that you guys have more to read! I'm kind of excited to finish the story (a long way from now) and then be able to read the entire thing through at one time. But for now, one more section of the story :)
Disclaimer: don't own RWBY.
Blake spent the next half hour before dinner roaming through the library, pulling out novel after novel from the bookcases. It would take her an entire year just to read the books she'd picked out from one side of the room! Setting a stack of nearly twenty books onto a small table located by one of the reading chairs, she sat down and slowly went through the pile, book by book. She carefully narrowed down her choices until she was left with just one; this one she would begin reading first.
Satisfied with her choice, she placed the rest of the books back on their respective shelves and left the chosen one on one of the chairs to be started at a later time. She didn't have time to start it now, not if she wanted to be on time for dinner. She didn't want to risk getting on Weiss' bad side once again.
Walking towards the kitchen, she sniffed the air to see what it was they would be eating tonight. Smelled like shrimp and pasta. Not necessarily her favorite meal in the world, but she certainly wouldn't complain.
Blake entered the kitchen to see Weiss standing at the stove, stirring the pasta and shrimp together, as Ruby stood at the counter tossing together a salad.
"Anything I can help with?" she asked.
"You can set the table for us," Weiss said without turning around from her spot at the stove. She gestured over to one side, where Blake assumed the dinnerware was held. She strode over and opened the cabinet door, finding the plates that they needed. The drawer below this cabinet held all of the silverware.
Pulling out four sets of everything they would need to eat, Blake carefully carried them over to the dining table and began setting out the place settings. As she set down the last of the silverware, Ruby brought over her finished salad and Weiss finished up their main course.
"Mmmm…what smells so good?"
Blake spun around at the voice and found Yang standing behind her, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before stretching awkwardly with one good arm. She looked slightly pale and her right arm hung somewhat awkwardly by her side, but other than that, she seemed perfectly healthy. Her trademark food-induced smile was already plastered on her face. Blake felt relief wash over her at the sight of the rapidly recovering girl.
"See, I told you that Dr. Ruby would fix me up!" Yang said triumphantly as she walked past Blake to take a seat at the table, carefully pulling out her chair with her left arm.
"When did Ruby become a medic, anyway?" Blake asked as she took the remaining seat once the other three girls had sat down.
"Ah! That is a good story," Yang replied with a grin. "It all happened when Weiss caught a giant Beowulf claw in the back and needed some stitches. She complained sooo much about how much she hated going to the hospital. 'It's too far, the doctors are unqualified, the rooms are unsanitary, the beds are uncomfortable, the food is awful.'" Blake grinned at Yang's near perfect impersonation of Weiss as she continued, "Ruby decided to spend the next few months endlessly studying trauma procedures so that she would be able to help next time." Yang beamed at her little sister at the end of her story, clearly proud of the young girl's accomplishment.
Blushing, Ruby added, "I wanted to be able to help you too, Yang! I know how much you hate going to the hospital, as well."
At this, Weiss gave a very unladylike snort of laughter. "She just hates getting hit on by all the doctors!"
Feeling a little prick of jealousy as Weiss and Ruby laughed, Blake tentatively asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Weiss shot her a grin as Yang looked pointedly away in embarrassment. "She's a celebrity in the hospital to all of the doctors, male AND female! 'Oh, Miss Xiao Long, how can I help you feel more comfortable? Miss Xiao Long, are you sure you don't want me to check your stitches again? Miss Xiao Long, please marry me and have my little doctor babies.'"
"He did not ask me to have little doctor babies with him!" Yang protested loudly.
"But he did ask you to marry him!" Weiss countered.
"Yeah, Yang, I think that the babies were kind of implied…" Ruby added timidly as Yang sputtered.
"W-well he didn't explicitly say babies!" she shouted stubbornly. "Weiss is just still upset because he said she was the shortest huntress he'd ever met."
Weiss puffed out her cheeks, but Ruby butt in before she could respond. "Size isn't everything, Yang! Weiss more than makes up for her height with her fighting ability."
"I'll remember that the next time Weiss hides the cookies on top of the fridge and you need my help to get them down!" Yang remarked with a sly grin.
Blake listened for the rest of the meal as her three teammates continued on in what seemed to be a perpetual circle. Yang would make fun of Weiss; Ruby would stand up for Weiss; Yang would make fun of Ruby; Weiss would retaliate somewhat harshly at Yang; and, lastly, Ruby would step in and pacify the two girls before a bigger argument broke out.
Watching their interactions filled her with remorse. She tried to remember what her place had been in their circle, if she had even had one. Had she always sided with Yang? Or made fun of Yang? Whatever her place had been, it clearly was no longer there; that void had been glazed over in the years she had been gone.
Shaking her head slightly to clear it of these thoughts, Blake tuned back into the conversation at the table, smiling at their jokes and asking small questions when she was able to get a word in.
As their meal came to an end, Blake stood up first and said, "I'll clean up the kitchen since you guys made dinner," as she picked up her plate and utensils.
Weiss nodded at her silently as Ruby beamed at her and said, "Thanks, Blake!" The two girls stood from their seats and began to make their way out of the kitchen; Blake overheard Ruby asking Weiss if they could watch a movie together as they exited.
Turning to the last remaining person in the room, Blake realized that she still needed to apologize again to Yang. But as she opened her mouth to speak, Yang quickly held her good hand up in the air to silence her.
"I hope you're not planning on saying that you're sorry again," Yang said as she stood up slowly from the table, expression and tone uncharacteristically dull. "Because I think that it could wait until tomorrow."
Blake snapped her mouth shut, swallowing the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She was having a difficult time reading Yang's emotions right now. Was she mad or upset at her? Or maybe she was just tired.
Yang stacked the remaining three plates on the table and carefully picked them up with her left hand before carrying them over to the counter above the dishwasher. Blake tried to take the dishes away from the injured girl, but Yang brushed her off.
"Yang, you should go rest. Don't worry about these; I can finish by myself."
At these words, Yang sighed, looking physically deflated. She quietly replied, "I guess that I could use another quick nap…" and with those words, quickly walked out of the room.
Blake listened intently as she followed Yang's footsteps upstairs and towards her room, finally hearing a bedroom door closing. Satisfied that Yang had actually gone to lay down, she turned her attention back to the task at hand.
After not too long, she had finished putting dishes away and walked softly out of the kitchen. She could hear the sounds of a movie playing from the living room. Quietly creeping over, she peeked into the dark room to see a movie playing on the large screen. On one of the sofas, Ruby was curled up against Weiss' side. Seeing this, Blake silently backed away and snuck up the stairs to her own room. She didn't want to disturb their alone time.
Deciding that she was also quite tired from the day, she thought that now might be a good time to try to get some rest as well.