A/N: So I realize I haven't really gone into Blake's backstory enough in this series, mostly because it took me so long to finally designate a chapter to Blake in this story. My writing partner Little-Miss-Kitt gave me an idea for an extra chapter or two to really dig into it a bit, but they will probably end up being posted under "Creative Cure" as a small side-story since they're unrelated to the main story. They will definitely be canon to this specific AU, though, so keep an eye on that little side project for any future updates, too!

Anyway, here's the next chapter! As always, thank you all for staying with this story, and please leave comments/reviews and let me know what you think! Love ya!

The last week passed smoothly, flying by without any mishaps as Yang, Weiss, and Blake seemed to fall into a comfortable rhythm of their own. Now that the three of them were finally all on good terms, the atmosphere at work had been so much nicer, so much clearer, and just so much more enjoyable than ever before. Yang had caught Blake and Weiss conversing during their breaks, Blake actually seeming to take an interest in Weiss's studies and home life without cringing at every mention of the Schnee name. And Blake had even opened up to Weiss just the tiniest bit about how she and Yang had become best friends early on in elementary school, and how they had since been inseparable.

Life was finally starting to make sense again. Yang finally felt as though she was right where she belonged, like writing Lost & Found had been her calling, that, for the first time in a long time, her stories, her characters, her job had meaning. She wasn't worried anymore about Weiss leaving her, and she wasn't worried about losing her fans as a result of the change in direction. The reviews had finally started coming in on hers and Weiss's first collaboration, and they were great. Many well-known comic book critics in Vale had praised Yang's choice to finally set Torrez free, to give him a second chance to repent for all of his past sins, and to finally set Yin on the path to finding answers leading to his mother's disappearance. Weiss's art style had been compared to Junior's, of course, but many had noted her own stylistic differences, the deeper contrasts in colors, the thicker and smoother outlines, and they had congratulated Yang for finally finding an artist who made Lost & Found feel like itself again. All was good, and Yang couldn't be happier. And that happiness translated to her home life; especially her relationship with Ruby.

Indeed, for a long time, Ruby had been an afterthought in Yang's life, her happiness, her schooling, her crush, taking a back seat to the mess that was Yang's ailing career. After Junior had left, she had thrown herself into her work, trying her damnedest to write scripts so good that the audience would forgive a dip in artistic quality. But then it turned out that Yang herself was the one who could not forgive her. Not would she sacrifice her own integrity as a creator just so some big bucks illustrator would turn her comic book into the same comic as every other paint-by-numbers author in the city. There was a reason Lost & Found was a success, and while it was true Yang would likely have gotten away with dropping the artistic direction entirely, Lost & Found as she knew it would have ceased to be, and Yang had too much pride to let that happen.

From there, everything had spiralled out of control, and Yang had steadily lost touch with everything and everyone. Neptune was the first to go, followed by Sun, and then Ruby and Tai slipped out of her mind. And she and Blake had spoken more than once about how Blake could have ended up just like everyone else if she wasn't Yang's assistant… Blake would always remind her that that wasn't the case, but not once did it ever stop Yang's guilt from growing, which in turn only further pulled her away from her friends and family, afraid that she no longer had a place by their side.

It was for that very reason that Yang had promised to dedicate as much time as she could possibly scrape together, be it free or even at the expense of Lost & Found, to repair those relationships, and find her place back beside the people she loved… Which essentially meant more zoo trips, some long gaming sessions, several movies she had completely missed during her stupor, and, of course, a girl's night, with her beloved sister and guardian angel of a best friend.

With the progress of the latest issue of Lost & Found now putting Yang and Weiss ahead of schedule, the writer now had the entire weekend to look forward to spending time with those closest to her. She, Ruby, and Blake were now laying in a circle on the living room floor of Blake's apartment, the sounds of a cheesy action comedy movie playing quietly in the background as they chatted away the night. Ruby had told her sister and friend about her decision to finally give Emerald a chance, and how she'd painted a portrait of the girl as a peace offering — something Emerald had been surprisingly ecstatic to receive. Blake reminded her that it was okay to keep her guard up, and Ruby had promised her she wasn't about to suddenly become Emerald's best friend; according to Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Sun were all the best friends she needed.

And of course, that conversation led to the inevitable teasing.

"I'm not sure Sun qualifies as being one of those people," Yang said with a smirk as she propped herself up on her elbows, grinning as Ruby's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"What do you mean? He is my best friend." She turned to Blake, looking for some sort of explanation, but the Faunus just shook her head, refusing to get involved. Ruby frowned. "What?! What does it mean?!"

Yang snickered to herself, lowering her arms and rolling over to her back. "It means you want Sun to be more than a friend, and if you try to deny it I'm making you do my dishes for a week."

Ruby groaned. "But that's not fair!"

"Is that a confession?"

"No!" Her sister buried her face in her pillow, but it didn't hide the fact that the brunette's ears were quickly turning a bright shade of pink. "Sun and I are just friends," she mumbled into her pillowcase. "And that is a fact."

"It may be a fact, but it doesn't mean you don't want it to be something else," Yang continued to press, and Blake let out another sigh. "What? It's so obvious!"

Blake just ignored her, instead turning to Ruby and resting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "You know, you don't have to take this."

Ruby glanced up at her, her silver eyes wide and desperate. "How do you do it, Blakey?"

"Years of practice," she just quipped, turning to Yang with a grin. "It also helps that I'm ace."

"Yeah, well…" Ruby finally looked over at Yang again, her lips pursed into a pout. "Can we just please talk about something else now? Anything else? Like Weiss's birthday is next week, and I think you should do something nice for her."

Yang suddenly perked up at the mention of Weiss, rolling back over to her side so she was facing her sister. Although Ruby had told her at least a couple of times that Weiss's birthday was coming up, Weiss herself had not made that fact public knowledge, and between work and relaxation, Yang never really thought to push the issue. Though now that Ruby had mentioned it, Yang was steadily coming to wish she had. She wondered if it was appropriate to get the heiress a gift, or if it would be weird — after all, she'd only known the girl for a few weeks, and it wasn't often than any of Yang's other coworkers got her gifts on her own birthday. If she got her a gift, would Weiss take it the wrong way?

"I think I distinctly remember you telling me Weiss doesn't want anything," Blake said to Ruby after Yang failed to respond.

Ruby cleared her throat, drawing both girls' attention to her as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her head leaning back against the sofa. "She may not want a present from me, but I have it on good authority that she probably wouldn't mind a gift from Yang."

Now it was Yang's turn to fall back into her pillow, heat rising to her cheeks as she narrowed her eyes at her sister. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means Weiss likes you," Blake answered for her, not even a hint of teasing in her voice as she spoke matter-of-factly. "And you clearly like her. Maybe you should… you know… do something nice."

Yang bit her lip, slowly moving her gaze from her sister to her best friend, taking a moment to process Blake's words. Weiss likes me? How could either Ruby or Blake be so certain when there were so many other factors to her relationship with Weiss than just… apparently not-so-hidden feelings? Weiss idolized Yang — or, rather, she idolized Blondie, so it was natural that she would gravitate a little more toward Yang. And she was also Ruby's best friend; of course she was going to treat Yang and those closest to Ruby with respect. Yang did like Weiss, but on what basis was there for the heiress to like her back? At what point did the admiration for her favorite author turn into adoration for Yang herself? Could she really trust Ruby's judgment at the end of the day? After all, Ruby was so clearly in love with Sun herself, and had been for years, but the brunette would much rather go to her grave with her secret than ever let her heart see the Sun — okay, she chuckled at that.

Even if it were true, what was Yang supposed to do with the information, anyway? She actually didn't know much about Weiss, now that she thought about it. What did the heiress even like besides Lost & Found? She knew Weiss's father wasn't very accepting of her comic book hobby, and there were probably some things Weiss wished she had that her father just wouldn't let slide, but what those things were remained a mystery, and Yang kind of felt a little stupid for not already knowing what they were. How do I even ask her without her getting suspicious, anyway? If she doesn't want anything, there's no way she'll tell me…

She glanced up at Ruby, hoping her sister would have some sort of solution. "What are you getting for her birthday?"

"Making her a card!" she replied enthusiastically, only for her expression to sour a moment later. "But only because she won't let me get anything else…"

Yang sighed. "That's super helpful…"

Her sister perked up again, rocking forward onto her knees. "Oooh! So you do want to do something special for her!" She grinned. "Does this mean you like her, too?"

"That's between me and Weiss," Yang said with a wink, not willing to give Ruby the satisfaction when Ruby herself still wouldn't entrust her big sister with her crush on Sun.

"You could ask her out on a date," Blake suggested.

When Yang turned to her this time, she found a small hint of a smile on the Faunus's face, her ears, exposed in the safety of her own apartment, curling affectionately before straightening back into their natural shape. "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my best friend? Since when do you make suggestions like that?"

Blake chuckled. "Since this time it actually seems to be in the best interest of both you and Weiss." She glanced at Ruby. "Besides, maybe if you finally take the first step, Ruby will find the courage to do the same."

"Hey!" Ruby grumbled, picking up her pillow and throwing it at Blake. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't tell her!"

Yang snorted. "Please, Sis, it was no secret." She plopped down against her pillow, turning her gaze up toward the high ceiling, her eyes gravitating to a small crack Ruby had made while losing control of a toy drone she'd brought over shortly after Blake first moved into the apartment. "I don't know, though… What if I ask, and she expects something more? If something happens between us—"

"Yang."

She sucked in a deep breath, fighting the urge to turn back to Blake. She already knew what she'd see, what she'd hear. What Yang needed right then was a reason not to take the leap; there was so much that could go wrong if she decided to pursue Weiss, the first and most obvious being that Yang would somehow mess it up, and Weiss wouldn't feel comfortable coming into Beacon anymore. Blake had been the one to warn Yang about pursuing her in the first place, telling her to keep her emotions in check for the sake of Lost & Found, and for the sake of Ruby. So why was her friend about to lecture her now, encourage her to go after Weiss after she had already made it clear not long ago that working relationships were only meant to end in disaster?

"I know what you're thinking," Blake continued, her voice calm and sympathetic. "But forget what I told you. Weiss has already seen the flawed sides of you, Yang, and she still likes you. She still admires you. And she's accepted not just you, but she's accepted me, and I don't think she's going to just up and leave if you both find that you don't work out." Blake made a shifting sound, and Yang felt her friend's presence move just a little bit closer, enough to provide Yang with a source of comfort if she needed it, but still distant enough to give the blonde her own space to think.

"I know… I know it's a risk," the girl started again, her words seeming to echo Yang's thoughts. That was one thing she'd always loved about Blake; no matter what Yang was feeling, her friend always seemed to know, always seemed to find a way to bring out the words Yang was too afraid to say. "I know it's scary, not knowing how she'll respond, not knowing what'll come out of it. But you've been through so much scarier before, Yang, and I believe you can get through this. I believe it's at least worth taking a day to yourselves and trying to figure it out together."

"She's right," Ruby agreed. "Weiss isn't going to leave you. I think I know her pretty well by now. And I think she'll be more than happy just to spend time alone with you outside of work. You don't even have to make it a date. Just ask her to hang out, take it from there."

Yang finally raised her head, looking to her sister. "Oh, you mean like how you and Sun have just been 'hanging out' for years?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "We're not talking about me and Sun right now. Yeah, I know I've got to stop being a chicken, but this is about you right now, and about my friend's birthday, and I think it'd be fun. You want it to be the best birthday ever, or not?"

She huffed. "You sure are putting a lot of pressure on me right now, guys."

"Well, at least think about it." Ruby stood up, picking her pillow up with her, and gave Yang a helpless shrug. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But let me know whatever you do decide. I'm going to call it a night."

Yang nodded. "Thanks, Rubes. Sleep tight."

"You, too. Good night, Blake."

"Good night." Ruby disappeared down the hall and into Blake's spare bedroom, the door closing with a tight click. Once they were finally alone, Blake turned back to Yang, and gave her a small smile. "Regardless of what you decide, I hope you do realize how much you've done for her."

The writer hummed. "Maybe. But she's done so much more for me. I don't think she'll ever truly realize it."

Blake picked up her pillow, finally moving to the sofa, and stretching out across it as she kept her gaze on Yang. "You know, you were right. Weiss is… she's a good person. I know I've been hard on her, but I think it's showed me just how determined she is to prove herself to you. She really cares, not just about Ruby, and not just about you, but about most of the people she meets. I… I think we're more similar than I gave her credit for."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"In some ways," her friend elaborated. "In most, maybe not so much, but I can understand where that determination comes from. That need to prove herself… She's trying to make her own name for herself, become the type of artist she wants to be, even if that means having to hide behind a pseudonym to make that happen. In a way, it's like how I've been hiding behind my bow. I don't want to be seen as a successful Faunus, I want to be seen as a successful person, and I think… I think Weiss gets that. Maybe not to the same extent, but it's something."

"Wow. I didn't even think of it like that before." Yang glanced down at the sleeping bag beneath her, finding the zipper and twiddling it between her index finger and thumb. "She's amazing, isn't she?"

Blake grunted. "I think I'll try to get to know her a little more before using that descriptor, but she is something… Clearly something special to you."

The blonde felt herself smile, a warm blush creeping across her cheeks as she pictured the heiress in her mind. She was small, but strong, and could be timid, but so full of life when she finally let loose. She was an exceptionally talented artist, and in all her years working at Beacon, Yang hadn't seen someone pick up and truly understand so many different styles so perfectly in her life. And she truly understood Yin and Torrez in a way that even Junior hadn't completely grasped when he was still working with Yang. Somehow, Weiss had seen through Yin's tough exterior, and found all of the locked-up emotions inside, emotions that Yang herself had been holding back her whole life… Secrets she had yet to share with Weiss, but somehow, she knew that she eventually would share them, and that Weiss would be there to accept them, to accept Yang, in all of her secrets, all of her insecurities, and still come to admire her in the same ways she always had.

She wanted to take that leap with Weiss. As much as it scared her to admit it, and to actually do it, she really did. Yang hadn't felt that way about anyone in such a long time. Something about Weiss, or everything about Weiss, just made the writer grin every time the girl's name came up, every time her face would appear in her mind. Weiss was special. And Yang wanted more than to just be her partner; to just be her friend.

"...Where do I even start?"

Blake rested her head against the arm of the sofa, her eyelids beginning to droop over her amber eyes. "Telling her the truth is a good start."

Yang released a deep breath. "If I'm going to ask her out, I'm going to need your help."

"You're asking me?"

She turned to her friend with a smile. "You're my best friend, Blake. I know romance and dating aren't exactly your thing, but you're one of the most thoughtful and observant people I know."

Her friend opened one eye, raising an eyebrow. "Well, if you're going to get mushy about it, I suppose I can't turn you down."

"Thanks, Blake." Yang pushed herself up, and crawled the few feet over to the sofa, stopping in front of Blake. She reached up and brought a hand to her friend's velvety, feline ears, giving them an affectionate stroke. "You and me tomorrow, then. We're going to make this date happen."

Blake grinned. "Good night, Yang."

"Good night, Blakey." She pecked Blake's forehead before moving back to her sleeping bag, and finally shimmying inside. She waited until her friend dimmed the lamp on the table beside her before resting her head, and closing her eyes. "I love you."

"Love you, too."