It was Tuesday. Slightly over 72 hours since she had stomped all over Blake's heart, then cowardly snuck away before giving her any proper explanation. Yang picked at her fingers in frustration. She was sitting alone in her office, the door open slightly. Blake's desk was conspicuously empty.
Yang had felt guilty the minute she had gotten on the bus Saturday morning, but by then it was too late. Blake ignored her texts and calls all weekend, and Monday hadn't been any better. When Yang tried to confront Blake about the weekend, she got a mumble about being busy and a cold shoulder. And Blake was doing her very best to avoid even being in the same room as Yang. Which was difficult considering they shared an office. Yang couldn't help but be a little impressed at Blake's determination, even if said determination was keeping them from ever speaking again. Whenever Yang was out for city council stuff or meetings with Qrow, Blake would seize the opportunity to scurry to her desk and do whatever needed to be done. Then, she would scurry back out and help Ruby or Pyrrha whenever Yang got back.
But today Yang had a foolproof plan: wait her out. Okay, maybe it wasn't totally "foolproof," but it was the best she could think of. She had cancelled or rescheduled all of her meetings for the day, and there was no way Blake could go 8 hours without having to come into the room, right?
Yang picked at her nails some more, not stopping until blood started beading on her fingers. She sighed impatiently. Blake would get mad if she saw her bloody nails. But then again, Blake wasn't around. Plus Yang was starting to feel like she deserved to bleed a little. She pushed the thought out of her head before it could get too far.
She really should be working on implementation of the recycling proposal, or the Schnee factory idea she had started on over the weekend, or the canvassing maps, or anything at all. Instead, she sat in silence, staring at the silver and black pen on her desk. Yang picked it up, but put it back down almost immediately. She should probably give it back to Blake soon. Right now it was just another reminder of the kindness that she knew she didn't deserve.
A knock on her doorframe startled Yang out of her tangled web of thoughts.
"Qrow, what's up?"
He let himself in and closed the door behind him before sighing heavily. "We need to talk."
"About what?" Yang asked. He sank into the chair opposite her desk, leaning his elbows on the table.
"Blake Belladonna."
Yang's heart did a stutter step at the name, and she leaned back in her chair away from him.
"Did she do something?"
"More like you're doing something," Qrow said. "Quit it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Yang crossed her arms over her chest.
"Jesus, it's a good thing you hate lying, because you're terrible at it." Qrow stood up and started pacing back and forth in front of the desk. Yang kept her arms crossed and her mouth shut.
"Look, I know you got yourself a little "crush" or whatever, but I hope you haven't forgotten that this is a terrible time to get distracted by that crap."
"That's pretty funny coming from you," Yang stated, keeping her voice perfectly level.
Qrow sighed again and dropped back into the chair. "Hey, women are attractive, that's one thing we can agree on. There's an important difference between you and me though, you know what that is?"
"Is it that you're a straight dude?"
"Jesus, kid, can you cut back on the snark?" He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The difference is that I didn't hire someone I found attractive and have 'em work in the same room as me. I keep personal and professional very, very far apart, got it?"
Yang frowned. "Whatever. Why are you interrogating me about this now, anyway?"
Qrow crossed his right leg, resting the ankle on his left knee. "You two were looking a bit...cozy after the debate. Figured I'd step in before you did something stupid."
Yang bit the inside of her lip. It was a little too late for that.
"Great, so now you're my babysitter?"
He didn't seem to appreciate that comment. "Yang."
"Well you don't have to worry about any of that." She spoke before he could start talking again. "I stopped it before it even started. So yeah. No worries." Her tone was flat and emotionless.
For a second, something close to sympathy flickered over Qrow's face. He scratched at the whiskers on his chin thoughtfully.
"It's for the best," he said finally. Yang suddenly wanted to punch him in the face, but she just grunted and stared at the wall behind him.
"Seriously, I know you're pissed right now, but trust me."
"So this has absolutely nothing to do with my sexuality?" Yang challenged.
Qrow leaned his head back in frustration. "I never said that," he muttered. "Are you deliberately being difficult?"
"Are you deliberately being an asshole?"
He really didn't appreciate that one. Standing up and running a hand through his hair, he resumed his pacing.
"You really act like a kid sometimes, you know that?" He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again it was in a much gentler tone. "You're right though. But I'm sorry to say that it doesn't change things. Vale's making progress, but an openly gay mayor?" Qrow paused and his hand drifted over to his jacket pocket, where Yang knew he kept his flask.
"You just gotta wait before you go shocking everyone," he said eventually, lowering his hand.
"I've hidden it for 8 years..."
"Exactly, and it's gotten you this far. Come on Yang, I know how you feel about 'deceiving the public' or whatever, but this isn't lying, it's...leaving out a few things. Nobody's getting hurt." Qrow said it with such sincerity that Yang could hardly control her laugh.
"Really? Nobody?" She barked out another laugh. "What about me, Qrow? What about-" She couldn't say it. The name got stuck in her throat.
Qrow stopped pacing and regarded her. "I know you don't want to hear this, but if you were more careful-"
"CAREFUL?" Yang stood up abruptly and gripped the desk with both hands. "I haven't dated ANYONE in 8 years, do you not get that?"
"Did I make you do that?" Qrow's voice was regaining it's edge. "You asked me to help with this campaign last year, and since then I've done what I can to help you win. Because that's what YOU wanted. But hey, if you'd rather throw away your career for no valid reason, don't let me stop you!" He sarcastically raised his hands.
"You think you know everything." Yang loosened her grip on the desk and stared down at her hands. "Maybe...maybe it wouldn't ruin my career?"
"Not everything. But I know this one. I know Vale can be a homophobic shithole, and I would've figured that you'd know that by now too." He turned away from her to leave. Yang's hands clenched into fists. Part of her wanted to yell at him some more, or maybe throw something at the back of his head. But a bigger part of her knew that he was right. Despite her best efforts, Vale wasn't as nearly progressive as Yang would have liked.
Yang sighed and sat back down as Qrow opened the door.
"Oh, sorry.. I didn't realize anyone was in here." Yang's head perked up at the sound of the voice. Qrow was blocking the person from view, but she knew exactly who it was.
"I'm just leaving," Qrow said, brushing past her.
Yang audibly exhaled at the sight of Blake standing in the doorway. She was wearing a dress shirt and a purple skirt that, probably unintentionally, did an excellent job showing off her long legs. Her eyes widened when she saw Yang sitting there, and she promptly dropped the stack of papers she was holding.
Blake cursed softly and knelt down to gather them.
"Ah, let me help!" Yang said, leaping around the desk and slamming her toe against the side of it in the process. "SHIT!"
Blake's head snapped up and she hit Yang with another of those wide-eyed stares. Yang's entire body was burning with pain and embarrassment and...some other feeling that she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Are you okay?" Blake asked.
"Yep," Yang said through her gritted teeth. "Peachy." She limped over to where Blake was and gathered up some papers, valiantly forcing herself to look anywhere but at Blake's thighs, where the skirt had ridden up to a dangerous height.
"Thanks." Blake grabbed the messy stack and stood up. "Don't you have a meeting with Oobleck?" she asked as she rose.
Yang stood up too, brushing off her pants. "Nah, I rescheduled it."
"Clever," Blake mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," she said quickly. "Anyway, sorry to barge in. I only need a few files from here.." Blake walked over to her own desk and started rummaging in one of the cabinets next to it.
"You don't need to apologize. I mean, it's your office too." Yang laughed awkwardly. Blake forced a small smile and started rummaging faster.
Yang pressed her lips together. She had to think of something to say, and fast.
"So, how's your weather going?"
Blake stopped moving for a second and looked at her in utter confusion. "My what?"
"Uh, nothing." Yang wanted to scream. Why did she suddenly lose her ability to speak with any sort of coherence? While she was standing there sweating like an idiot, Blake finished retrieving her files and cautiously turned to go.
"Blake, wait!" Yang said it louder than she intended in her panic. "Can we talk?" Blake closed her eyes for a moment then turned back towards her.
"Sure," she said, forcing another smile. "What is it?"
Yang stepped closer. "I think you know.." She discreetly shut the door of the office. "I know you've been avoiding me, and I can't blame you for that. But I miss you." She eyed Blake hopefully.
"I'm sorry if you feel like I'm avoiding you," Blake said stiffly. "I clearly misread the situation the other night, and I made a mistake. I apologize for that as well. Now, can I leave?" She made a move for the door but Yang blocked her path, backing up against it.
"Blake, wait," she pleaded. "We need to talk this out."
"Talk what out? There's nothing to talk about."
"Can you just...hear me out?" Yang asked. "Let me explain why I've been acting the way that I have."
Blake exhaled through her nose. "Fine."
Yang leaned back against the door and drummed her fingers lightly against it. "I am.." she looked Blake directly in the eyes. "Extremely attracted to you." Blake's face colored slightly, but she stayed quiet.
"I hired you because there was something about you, something that made me feel like I just had to get to know you better. It's maybe not the most, uh, 'legitimate' hiring process, but you seemed so smart and organized and I - I knew you deserved a more fulfilling job than what you were doing."
Yang paused to collect her thoughts. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going with this, and the expression on Blake's face was unreadable.
"Look, what I'm trying to say is, since the moment we met, you've made me feel things I haven't felt in years. And honestly? I didn't think I'd ever feel this way again."
"Did something happen in the past?" Blake asked. Her expression was still blank, but Yang could catch the concern in her eyes.
"Not anything in particular," Yang said. "I just prioritized my career, and more importantly..." she paused again. "I'm not out yet. I mean, I am to my friends and family, but not publicly. And this really isn't a good time for me to come out, y'know?"
Blake considered that a moment, then frowned.
"Okay. I get it. That's why you need distance from me." She roughly moved Yang out of the way and grabbed the handle of the door. Yang hesitantly reached out to stop her, but Blake stopped on her own, her fingers brushing over the handle of the door.
"If you knew all that," she said quietly. "Then why'd you have to.." She trailed off and took a breath. "Why'd you lead me on, then? It was a game, wasn't it? And now you're done and going back to your career."
"Blake, no." Yang moved closer, reaching out towards her. Blake shoved her away.
"Stop." She stared at the floor, knowing the exact hurt look that Yang would have in her eyes without looking. "This isn't fair."
"I know," Yang said softly. "I'm sorry."
"You kind of broke my heart," Blake said, refusing to meet Yang's eyes. "And...I think you need to figure out what it is you want."
Maybe it was the earlier conversation with Qrow, but something inside Yang suddenly shifted. It was like whatever had gotten muddled up over years of hiding a part of herself, and over months of forcibly pulling herself away from Blake, had become clear. And before Yang knew what was happening, her body moved on it's own. She stepped closer to Blake again, close enough that she could make out tears welling up in the corners of her lovely eyes.
"I want you," Yang stated simply. Blake looked up at her cautiously, a few tears spilling over onto her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, Blake." Yang brushed the tears away with the backs of her fingers. "I didn't mean to lead you on, I swear. I kept trying to hold myself back, but I just can't help myself with you! You're so beautiful, and funny, and kind, and I..." She trailed off and dried the last of Blake's tears.
"I want you," she said again, her voice a whisper. "If you're willing to give me another chance, of course."
Blake took a somewhat shaky breath. "I'm still upset at you. But...okay."
"And now that you've decided what you want, let me ask you this," Blake continued, one side of her mouth curving up slightly. "What do you want me to do right now?" She looked directly into Yang's eyes. Yang stared back, completely losing herself in the golden eyes that were only inches away from her own.
"A kiss would be nice," she murmured without a thought.
"Alright." Blake brushed Yang's hair back with one hand, holding the side of her face while she leaned in. Yang's heart stopped for a second when she felt Blake's lips lightly brushing against her own. It was a much more cautious kiss than the last one, but Blake's soft lips managed to move in a subtle way that sent Yang's heart rate skyrocketing. Any reservations she had left melted in an instant. Her arms moved with total assurance, wrapping around Blake's waist and pulling her as close as humanly possible. Blake took the opportunity to kiss her deeper, stroking her hand down Yang's face to grasp the back of her neck.
She pulled back for a second, panting slightly. "Okay, I'm not upset anymore," Blake breathed.
Yang laughed, also out of breath. "I can't believe I made this so hard," she said, grinning for the first time in days. "I'm an idiot."
"Mm, maybe a little." Blake's eyes were sparkling. Yang held her hips and pulled her in for another kiss.
"Wait," Blake moved her head back. "What's your plan here? Does this mean you're going to come out publicly?"
Yang shrugged. "No plan yet, we can get to that later," she responded. Blake smiled at the use of the word 'we.' "Right now the only plan is to keep kissing you, how's that sound?"
"Perfect."
"No you."
Blake rolled her eyes. "So cheesy." Then she grabbed Yang's collar and kissed her again, pushing her back against the wall. Yang's hands took on a mind of their own and drifted lower, towards the edge of Blake's skirt.
Blake hummed against her mouth. Her hands were now lost somewhere in the mane of purple hair, and she was pressing her harder against the wall now. Yang had to admit she kinda liked it.
Yang's eyes flew open at the sound of a sudden knock on the door. Blake sprang two feet away from her just as the door swung open, nearly getting smacked in the process. She dodged out of the way, ending up trapped in between the door and the wall behind it.
"Qrow! What a surprise!" Yang yelled, hoping Blake would somehow read her mind and stay out of sight.
"Why are you yelling?" Qrow asked with an eyebrow raise. "Eh, never mind. I came here to..." He shifted semi-uncomfortably. "Apologize."
"Wait, really?" Yang's shock at his statement briefly pierced through the veil of "OH HOLY SHIT" that was clouding her mind at the moment.
"Yeah," he said, rubbing his neck. "I was maybe too harsh earlier, especially since I know things didn't work out how you wanted with Belladonna."
"Ah..." Yang tried very hard not to look at the door Blake was standing behind.
"Anyway, I thought about it and I think Vale might finally be ready for some progress." Qrow leaned against the doorframe. "Not during the campaign, obviously. But once we get you in office, I think we can start looking for an opportunity to...How'd I put it before? 'Shock everyone.'" He gave her a sideways sort of grin.
Yang's excitement at his words was somewhat diminished by the fact that she could still taste Blake on her lips.
"That's awesome, Qrow!" she said, hoping her smile didn't look as distracted as it felt. Qrow's eyes narrowed.
"You okay, kiddo? I expected more of a reaction here."
"I'm great, it's all great!" Yang said way too quickly. "I got a lot of work to do but yeah, good talk!" She started pushing him out of the door.
"Uh, wha-"
"Sorry, gotta go!" Yang basically shut the door in his face. Blake, who had been pressed against the wall, stepped towards her and gave her a wry smile.
"Smooth."
"Quiet, you," Yang said fondly. She reached out for Blake's hand, then pulled her into a tight embrace, rubbing up and down Blake's back slowly. Blake sighed contentedly. She wrapped her arms around Yang's waist and nestled her head against Yang's neck, where it seemed to fit perfectly. For the first time in a long while, she felt like everything was alright.
AN: How bout that new episode, amirite? :D
Anyway, Yangst averted (for now)! Sorry for the cheesy chapter name btw I literally have no idea what I'm doing at any given time. Thanks for reading and drop a review if you'd like! 3