Chapter 12—Stupid and Dangerous
Sometimes, often times, love doesn't get to be a fairy tale, no matter how right it seems.
"Alright! The night is filled with romance and it's time to depart, Blake. Where should we wreak havoc this lovely evening? 'cause I've got an idea," Yang shouted over the engine of her bike, wonderfully named Bumblebee. She was firmly placed in her element, yellow goggles over velvet eyes and biker helmet just as sunny. The girl has an obsession with yellow, but she looks beautiful regardless, Blake thought as she swayed her way over to the bike. She dressed as always, taking care to wear a thicker, warmer bow for the evening, as a chill started moving in. Fair weather never lasts in winter.
"I'm assuming someplace quiet and peaceful is off the list?" Blake asked, perfectly aware of the answer. She took her time walking up to Bumblebee, sliding herself right behind Yang. As her partner revved up the engine a few more times, the young faunus clutched tight to the brawn's body for balance, feeling the rapid vibrations of the motor pulse through both of them.
"What's the point of an all-nighter without adventure? We got to keep ourselves busy for Ruby! Wouldn't want to ruin their little escapades, would we?" Tonight was the planned night of confession. Ruby was going to take Weiss out, prove she was a big girl, then tell her all of the feelings that were bottled up. Though Ruby was unconvinced that Weiss had any feelings for her besides a mixture of friendship and mild annoyance, Blake predicted big things in the future for those two. Yang had done Ruby's makeup and hair perfectly, surprisingly gentle with the little girl. The three of them had planned everything from their path to the club to the names of their future kids. While Blake predicted the little clubbing bit would fall apart, Weiss would be able to handle it. Everything was right for a perfect love story to unfold in front of her, just like in the books.
And just like in Blake's books it was not her story. Her story was empty, filled with the wrong kind of love for the wrong person. She wouldn't get her beloved partner. Just like the last one it would never work out. Shadows can never touch fire.
"You're not planning on spying on them, are you?" Blake asked as a distraction, voice as monotone as she could get while shouting. She locked her feelings in a black box, down deep. Yang could never know, Yang would never know. Ruby was a creature of innocence, she couldn't live any sort of lie, but lying was easy to Blake. The faunus girl had always been nothing more than a shadow full of lies and secrets.
"Yes," Yang let out, pressing down on the dust pedal. The bike launched forward, wind picking up, blowing both their hair back. Yang's golden locks streamed around Blake, a firestorm surrounding her.
"No, Yang," Blake shouted over the wind, the field of gold blocking her view of pretty much anything. The smell was sweet despite it, and Yang, as always, was a burning warmth to cling to on a frosty night. Little indulgences, little indulgences.
"But I wanna!" Yang whined, always such the protective sister. That was the golden girl's one definitive trait; nothing about her was predictable, except that she loved Ruby to death. The fact that Yang's love burned more than it helped was beside the point.
"We have to trust Ruby on this," Blake answered. Everything was set for perfection, anything they did at this point would spill paint on the picture. Instead, the two needed to focus on themselves, go out and have fun, ignore all the confusion, and relax. Let Yang swath a fiery path through the night, and Blake could sit back and enjoy watching in all her shining glory.
"I just can't believe my sister is a gold digger." Not quite a gold digger, just very bold. Ruby was going after the Ice Queen herself, heiress to all that ever mattered in this world, some would say. An empire built on dust and blood, but a very large empire by any standards.
"No, just a lesbian with poor taste." Maybe Ruby's magic could help exude some of the bitch out of the little princess. Blake let out a small sigh. Maybe she was being unfair. The girl had nothing to do with that awful company, though she acted so proud of it. If Blake were to be honest, she had never tried very hard to be friendly with Weiss. The specific memory of when she was revealed as a faunus came to mind. Maybe the little Ice Princess was trying to be friends a lot more than Blake was in her own way.
"This is so weird!" Yang let out in a bit of a whine. A small hole formed in Blake's chest as she immediately assumed the worst. The thought Yang would have a problem with that sort of stuff had never really occurred. Why help Ruby so much then? This was not something that matched Yang; she was an unchained spirit to whom social norms weren't even worth remembering. Why would this, of all things, be weird to her?
"That she's gay?" Blake asked like a fool. Why ask? The information could only harm her or keep everything the same. Nothing good could come from that sort of question. Maybe she wanted Yang to put a bullet in the feelings and ambiguity Blake was experiencing. Or maybe comfort in vain hope that something more was there for them. It was a dumb question. Purposeless.
"No, I figured that out when Ruby was, like, twelve. Just... she's all grown up!" Of course. Just like before, no finality. A small amount of comfort, however. Blake let out a sigh of her own, indulging in a slightly closer hug as the bike sped up. Yang didn't notice, so it didn't matter, she could remain near.
"She can't be a kid forever. Ruby is smart though, and tough. Sorry, but she doesn't need big sister Yang anymore." Blake could feel the bike accelerate with Yang's emotions. Perfect strike, and so the faunus smiled. Sometimes toying with Yang, like tossing wood onto a fire, was worth it to see how much it glowed.
"She will always need me!" Yang pouted, but Blake sadly couldn't see it. It would have been such a delicious expression, too. "At least until graduation," she added, trying to make her statement a little less childish.
"Another three years." Time was too short. Soon enough they would all be separated. Blake wouldn't be able to follow Yang forever. No one cages a true vagabond like her. "Soon we'll all be going our separate ways."
"It hasn't even been a year, stop acting like an old man!" Yang yelled with a giggle. Probably would have kicked Blake too if she hadn't been driving. True, how had they all grown so close over only half a year? Team RWBY was wonderful thing.
"I am an old man in a beautiful girl's body, haven't you noticed?" Blake said with a smile, self-aware of her 'world weary' attitude. Plus the smutty novels didn't really help any argument against it.
"Hey Blake, what will you do when you graduate?"
Run away and hide. She was a former terrorist. At best a thief, even by the most understanding standards. One day the Schnee family would find out about what she had done, and when they did Blake would have to disappear. If not, the White Fang would come after her. Beacon was a shield from her enemies, but when Blake left this place only anonymity would keep her safe. A huntress could make money anywhere, perhaps she could hide away in Atlas or some other foreign kingdom.
"Travel the world, maybe. I have nothing holding me down." Her mother was best left alone; unwanted attention would just trouble her. All her old friends were now her enemies as well. As sad as it was, all she had was team RWBY, her beautiful Gambol Shroud, and a very large collection of books.
"Hell yeah! That's exactly what I wanted to hear. When I graduate I'm going to rove my way through the world, breaking hearts and faces."
Of course she would. Blake was more than sure the brawler she was would break more than one heart and an unspeakable amount of faces. No one could hold her flame. Sure, she liked boys, more than once Yang had talked to Blake about which boys were cooler and which boy band she loved that particular week, but nothing was worth being chained down for her. Blake bet Yang would add many hearts to the trophy case that held hers. The faunus girl laughed at her own thoughts. She had clearly been reading too much bad poetry.
"Blake, you should come with me. Stay my partner on the road, like true companions. No grimm can stand up to us!" Yang shouted to the wind, a laugh like no one else's following it.
Don't do this. It's cruel, Blake thought, swallowing the words. That kind of question would kill her.
"Sure. Someone needs to keep you alive." So this was Blake's place, was it? A shadow cast on the wall for her gold flame. So close. So damn close, but never really there.
"Partners till the end!" Yang raised her fist up quickly, turning the wheel with her free hand, stupid and dangerous.
"Partners." Blake lifted her knuckles to meet Yang's. Wanting to cry and smile so hard, both at the same time. Blake just rested her expressionless face on Yang's shoulder, taking in her scent smothered field of golden hair. This was so stupid, yet made her so happy. They could be together, even if never really together. So close to the fire, but never to touch. There was no way it could last really, life isn't a fairy tale.
"Now off to celebrate! You know, I bet if we go to the club we'll beat them there and—"
"No, Yang!"
Stupid, wonderful girl.
*** So I figured what's the point of having over 100 favorites if I didn't hold'em hostage at least once. The main story will be back in the next chapter, but I decided to write this little bit in honor of all the love stories that never got to be told. Both in fiction and in real life, all the people that would have had something perfect, but just one thing gets in the way.
Also It's partially because I feel like a group of four girls all being gay is a mathematical stretch, two gay and one bi, the numbers are still a little rough, but not as ridiculous. Who knows in later versions of the story maybe I'll change my mind. Yang doesn't exactly act like the average predictable person either so who knows?
Also did it to make Bumblebee fans cry. I'm so sorry. XD
Writing as Blake was really liberating, I like to give each POV a different style. Ruby is loser with grammar, simpler and filled with repeating thoughts and themes, such as repeating cute. Weiss is hyper focused and judgmental, always focusing on who's around her more than what's around her as well as much more self-aware, and Blake I decided to be a bit almost poetic with her thoughts. Hope it came out well and not super angsty. I really liked writing it though it's kind of short.
Also As a side note props to the Juniper's Knot soundtrack which pretty much is the only thing that got me through writers block today. Check it out if you find the time and my next goal is a post by Sunday, Monday at the very latest. Love you all and thanks so much for the reviews! Got on to the petals community list which is crazy awesome!