Even though she was running late, Blake stopped for her morning tea. These days, it was more of a luxury than a necessity, but she enjoyed the warm beverage whenever she had the opportunity and time to get one. Plus, as her coworkers recently pointed out, she didn't have to be the first one in the office every morning.
Because she was later than usual, however, the coffeeshop already had a line. For a split second, she considered heading straight to work instead, but ultimately decided to wait. She had an extra minute or two - she didn't have to be overzealous about getting to work, even though she was excited to start the day.
If anything, the wait gave her time to look around and soak in the familiar atmosphere. The coffeeshop had been part of her routine for a long time, and it was nice to be back. It was also nice to see that business was doing well. More than well, actually. The coffeeshop had a life and energy to it that she'd never seen before. Apparently, the lull in human customers had been temporary, as they now made up nearly half of the people in line and sitting at the tables.
Or maybe she just hadn't noticed before. Maybe she only saw what she wanted to see - it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened to her.
When she finally stepped up to the counter, a familiar smile greeted her.
"Hey, Blake!" Sam's ears perked up to match his excitement upon seeing her. "Haven't seen you around in a while. Everything going ok?"
"Things are great," she replied with a smile. "I just don't walk this way every morning anymore."
"Good changes, I hope?"
Thinking about the person behind most of her recent life changes, she smiled.
"Yes, very good."
"Good! You want a peach tea?"
"Yes, please. And an iced chai."
"You're mixing it up too?" Taking her card and swiping it through the machine, Sam chuckled and shook his head. "Hold tight, 'k?"
Without waiting for a response, he hurried away from the register and started making her order. While watching him brew the tea, she glanced to the side when another familiar face approached the counter.
"Hey Sam," the girl with red hair said, holding onto the strap of the bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm heading to class now."
"It's that time already?" Pausing what he was doing, Sam glanced at the clock before leaning across the counter and kissing the girl's cheek. Blake's brow raised at the affection, but she smiled when she noticed Sam's megawatt grin.
"Have a great class!" he added while his tail swished behind him. "I'll see you after."
After returning his smile with an enamored one of her own, the girl glanced at Blake, blushed, and hurried outside. Sam immediately returned to his tasks, and Blake smiled at how nonchalant that moment was.
"Wow, Sam," she commented while he snapped lids onto two cups of tea - one hot, one cold. "When did that happen?"
"Few weeks ago." After sliding the cups across the counter, he leaned forward and whispered, "If anyone asks, she's the one who asked me out."
When he laughed, Blake smiled and picked up the two drinks.
"Good for you," she said, meaning the words as truly as she could. "And have a good day."
Accepting his happy nod as a farewell, she left the coffeeshop with a lightness added to her step. Witnessing that small moment filled her with warmth, and she was genuinely happy for Sam and his new girlfriend. They made a cute couple.
Now that she'd acquired the drinks and some unexpected good news, her pace quickened on the way to work. She could afford to be late but...there was someone she wanted to see. Fortunately, it didn't take much longer to make it to the building and head upstairs to The Vale Voice. With both hands full, she used her elbow to push down the door handle and walked inside to find she was nearly the last one there.
Maybe it was better to come in late. When this happened, Yang sat right in front of her the moment she walked through the door…sometimes blissfully unaware of what was happening around her...
With light steps, Blake snuck up behind Yang, leaned forward, and set one of the drinks on the desk. Surprisingly, Yang didn't jump this time. She flinched a little, but she'd learned not to bolt out of her chair like she used to.
Progress was being made all around.
"Good morning," Blake whispered, releasing the drink and lingering near Yang's ear for as long as possible. From this close, she could see the details of Yang's eyes, and all she wanted was a kiss. As her willpower dwindled, she forced herself to move away, and Yang swiveled towards her with a smile.
"Good morning," she replied before her eyes shifted around the room. Sensing that no one was paying attention to them, she leaned forward and whispered, "I didn't hear you slip out this morning."
"That was intentional," Blake replied just as quietly. "I didn't want to wake you up."
Scooting forward, Yang trapped Blake between her knees and smiled, knowing that Blake couldn't move away even if she wanted to. Not that she wanted to.
"I needed to run home for a change of clothes," she explained, her gaze flitting to Lola to make sure she was still typing. "I can't keep wearing the same outfits..."
"I told you -"
"And your clothes aren't my...style."
Chuckling at the response, which went back to a lengthy and surprisingly enjoyable conversation, Yang squeezed her legs around Blake's knees and grinned.
"You could just leave some stuff at my place," she suggested, and Blake's brow rose.
"Really?"
"Yeah! I'll clear out a couple drawers for you."
From the way Yang beamed, the offer was no big deal. Maybe it wasn't. Blake spent nearly all of her free time at Yang's apartment anyway. She didn't want to admit it, and Yang hadn't caught on yet, but that was her relaxing place.
Sometimes, they made dinner together. Sometimes, they watched a movie or talked for hours. Other times, Blake needed to work, but Yang always let her work as much as she needed. If she didn't have to trek home for clean clothes all the time, they could spend even more time together.
"I'd like that," she admitted, but she meant more than just having a couple of drawers to call her own. From Yang's smile, she understood how Blake felt. They would love nothing more than to spend almost all of their day, every day, with each other.
Sensing someone nearby, Blake looked up in surprise as Velvet joined their conversation.
"Oh, good morning, Velvet."
Straightening up, Blake tried to look nonchalant while Yang released her legs and gave a cute little wave. Velvet, however, looked between them before leaning close and whispering - loudly - "You realize we all know you're dating, right?"
When the rest of the office chuckled, a blush rushed onto Blake's cheeks. Yang, meanwhile, looked briefly shocked before laughing - the sound never ceasing to put a smile on Blake's lips.
"Apparently, we work with some good journalists," Yang said.
"Or you two are just that obvious," Sun teased while Blake's incredulity grew. She hadn't thought they were being obvious but, if the entire office knew, they were.
"Well, go on," Lola prodded them with a smile. "Make it official."
Realizing what Lola meant, Blake glanced at Yang before quickly looking away. Just talking about this was enough to embarrass her. The thought of kissing Yang in front of her coworkers - her work family…
Returning her gaze to Yang, however, she paused. Yang expected a 'no.' That much was clear from her eyes, which gave Blake permission to walk away rather than entertain the request.
And Blake expected herself to say 'no,' which begged the question...why? They already knew about her and Yang's relationship, and apparently had for some time. And, from the good humor in the room, they weren't upset about it. If anything, they seemed particularly delighted that Velvet finally burst that bubble.
What was Blake so worried about? That the moment she kissed Yang, they changed their minds? Called her a traitor? Had they done anything to suggest that was even a remote possibility?
This was one of the moments she searched for - an opportunity to show Yang exactly how special she was. Reassurance that she wanted to be with Yang as much as Yang wanted to be with her, regardless of their differences.
So, instead of walking away, she leaned down and kissed Yang on the lips - a soft, slow kiss that still made her heart flutter. As soon as she heard the cheers, however, she rolled her eyes and straightened up.
"Alright, alright." Even though she motioned for everyone to quiet down, she couldn't suppress a smile. "Enough gawking - don't you have work to do?"
When Sun made a 'sort of' gesture, she gave him a look, and he laughed while spinning back to his computer. Everyone else mumbled some version of agreement, but they returned to their work with smiles and good cheer not present moments ago. Velvet looked particularly pleased at having been the one to make that company announcement, and winked at Blake before walking to her desk.
With the attention of the office drifting away from them, Blake returned hers to Yang. Yang couldn't stop grinning, probably because Blake just kissed her in front of the office - yet another public admission of their feelings.
Yang had no issue being together in public. She would, if Blake let her, shout about their relationship from the rooftops or tell every person she met. But, as she often did, she put her wishes on hold to move at a pace Blake was comfortable with.
Blake had grown more comfortable being together in public, but she'd wanted to keep it quiet at work to avoid any perception issues. Apparently, she had nothing to worry about.
"I hope that was ok," she said, even though she already knew the answer from Yang's smile.
"More than ok." Scooting forward, Yang again trapped Blake's legs between her knees. "You know I'm ok with that anytime, anywhere."
The sparkle in Yang's eyes implied she would be fine with another kiss immediately, but Blake now felt more than a little self-conscious about the idea.
"I'll...keep that in mind," she said before motioning towards her office. "I should probably get started now."
When Yang jumped up to follow, Blake smiled and headed to her desk. By now, Yang knew that Blake's computer took a few minutes to start and used the opportunity to continue their conversation.
"Anything you're craving for lunch?" she asked while sitting across from Blake. "I'll grab whatever you want."
After considering the offer, Blake shook her head.
"I'll just come with you, and we'll decide then."
"Wow. Blake Belladonna is going to take a break for me?"
Hearing the tease in Yang's tone, Blake scoffed.
"I take breaks for you all the time. If I remember correctly, the most recent one was just last night."
Blake smiled at Yang's stunned expression and felt even more self-satisfied when a blush reddened Yang's cheeks.
"Ok, but...that was, like...super intense."
"Did you not enjoy it?"
"No, I definitely did. I just..." Pausing with her mouth open, Yang thought about last night for a few seconds before shivering and shaking her head. "Uh, so, I had something to tell you, I think."
Blake laughed at the obvious topic change but let it slide - this time.
"You do?"
"Um…" Brow furrowed, Yang spent several seconds trying to remember before brightening. "Oh! Weiss and Ruby are back in town."
"Finally?"
"Yeah, and they'll probably stop by later. Weiss said she had something to talk to you about. Is that ok?"
Blake hadn't spoken to Weiss since they finalized the advertisements, which was done via email since Weiss was across the globe celebrating her engagement. And since Ruby was away with Weiss this entire time…
"Ruby's coming too?"
"Yup."
"Here? Like to the office - today?"
"Uh, yeah." Confused by the questions, Yang tilted her head and gave Blake a searching look. "Why? Is that not ok?"
From all of Yang's stories, Ruby sounded like a wonderful person. But Blake still silently worried that Ruby wouldn't be ok with her...differences.
"Blake?"
"That's...fine," she replied with a forced nod, even though she wondered if it would actually be fine. "I should have time so...that's fine."
"Wait, are you nervous?"
"No -"
"You are! Oh my god that's so cu-"
Reaching across the desk, Blake covered Yang's mouth to muffle the word and glanced into the office to make sure no one was paying attention. Satisfied that everyone was working or chatting, she dropped her hand and lowered her voice.
"It's just...she's your sister. Her opinion matters."
"Eh," Yang replied with a grin and shrug. "Not that much."
"Well it matters to me -"
"Then it matters to me." Dropping the playfulness, Yang leaned forward and set her hand over Blake's. "You don't need to worry. Ruby loves everyone."
"But I don't want her to like me only because she likes everyone."
For several seconds, Yang looked at Blake in that long, searching way she had. After finding whatever she hoped to find, she smiled and nodded.
"Do you really want me to list all the reasons she'll like you?"
"No." Knowing exactly where that conversation was headed, Blake turned towards her computer. "You have work to do, don't you?"
"You keep me busy," Yang replied with a grin. But, before leaving, she walked over, kissed Blake on the cheek, and whispered, "Don't worry, she'll adore you like I do."
When Blake gave Yang a look, she chuckled and backed towards the door.
"Ok, maybe not exactly like I do," she clarified before heading back to her desk. She didn't return to whatever she'd been doing, however, without first taking a sip of the tea Blake brought her and smiling.
Pleased that the gesture was well-received, Blake tried to focus on work and not freak out over their unexpected company. She didn't want to say she was nervous, but...she was.
Ruby didn't have to like Blake. If anything, she could be protective and suspicious of Blake's intentions. Or she could disapprove of Yang's choice of a Faunus as a partner. Or they could just not click. Any of those were legitimate possibilities, as far as Blake was concerned.
But she had Yang's assurance and, if Yang was wrong, Blake would remind her of that constantly for the next few years. Or however long they were together...which was hopefully longer than a few years.
Before following that train of thought too far, which had been quite an experience for her heart the last time, she diverted her attention to a page of unread emails. While she still had a lot of work to do, it was easier to handle now that the pressure was off. The revamp was still well-received, which meant readership was high, advertisers were happy, and she no longer worried about how they would pay their bills.
Their increased popularity came with some drawbacks, of course, such as the anti-Faunus commentators who had decided to take renewed aim at them, but she ignored the negative in favor of focusing on the positive. The Voice was stable and growing. Her coworkers were happy. And every Faunus she heard from loved the new direction. It was a lot of work, but rewarding work. Plus, Yang offered a pressure relief valve, of sorts - both in and out of the office.
Spotting motion out of the corner of her eye, Blake looked over as Sun let himself in.
"You'll never guess what happened this weekend," he began like he always did, collapsing into the chair and making himself comfortable.
"Let me try," she interrupted before he launched into a recap. "You and your friends got kicked out of another club right before the hottest girl there gave you her number. Then you snuck back inside, got her number, pissed off her boyfriend, and beat it."
For several seconds, he stared at her. "Am I close?" she asked, finally snapping him out of that daze.
"And here I thought you never listened to me," he said before chuckling to himself. "But you missed a couple parts!"
When he launched into his story regardless, Blake rolled her eyes and went back to work. She didn't point out that he was right - she hadn't paid attention in the past. These days, however, she kept his words in more focus so she could respond when necessary. At the same time, she typed responses to the easiest emails in her inbox. They took twice as long with her split focus, but that was a reasonable trade-off for being a better friend.
"Wait a second." Holding up a hand, she turned away from the computer and gave him an incredulous look. "How were you not arrested?"
"It's not illegal," he argued until she raised her brow. "Ok, maybe it is, but only if you get caught!"
"I hope you don't plan on calling me from jail..."
"Like my one call?" he asked before grinning like mad. "But I would. Because you can call Weiss Schnee and get me out."
"Like she'd get you out of jail." The image was enough for her to smile and shake her head, but he looked pretty serious about it.
"You never know. Maybe she's taken a liking to me!"
"She's engaged," Blake pointed out.
"No way. Really?"
"Yes."
"But I thought she wasn't seeing anyone!" he whined.
"What made you think that?" Blake asked, feeling somewhat vindicated that she knew a piece of information he didn't.
"Because I thought she was dating Yang, but like, obviously that's not true, so I figured she was single." Catching on that he was flat-out wrong no matter what, he shook his head and waved his hands. "Ok, so she's not, but she could still like me!"
Blake laughed at the idea of Weiss taking a keen interest in Sun after hardly any interaction, but her laughter quickly faded when Velvet stood up to answer the door.
"Speaking of Weiss…" she mumbled before sending Sun an apologetic smile. "I need to meet her now, sorry."
"No problem!" After jumping out of his seat, he backed out the door with a smile. "I'll tell you the rest later."
He returned to his desk while Weiss walked inside, and Blake was already at the door to her office when her pace faltered. Weiss was alone, which, surprisingly, was a disappointment, but Blake hid the emotion while walking over to greet her.
"Where's Ruby?" Yang asked, saving Blake the question as she joined the conversation.
"She got distracted by a bakery across the way." Waving a hand in the general direction of the bakery, Weiss smiled. "I told her I'd get the 'boring' business matters out of the way first." Meeting Blake's gaze then, Weiss ducked her chin in greeting. "Nice to see you again."
"Nice to see you too," Blake replied with a nod.
Without rampant jealousy clouding her judgment, she remembered how intimidating Weiss was. The designer clothes, the perfect hair, but also...how close she was to Yang. Yang spoke very highly of her, but what must she think of Blake after their previous meeting?
"Shall we?"
When Weiss nodded towards Blake's office, Blake glanced at Yang.
"I'll wait here while you guys talk about 'boring' business matters," Yang joked, sitting down and waving Blake away.
Although Blake wouldn't have minded Yang's company, she felt assured that Yang didn't feel left out while she and Weiss headed into the office. Also adding to her reassurance - she had told Yang what happened with Weiss last time, and Yang didn't judge her horribly for it. Still, she had yet another apology to get out of the way.
"Before we begin," she said while sitting across from Weiss. "I'm sorry for how I treated you the last time you were here. I let my emotions get the best of me and took out my mistakes on you, which was...unprofessional and unacceptable. I hope you can forgive me but, if not, I understand."
After studying Blake long enough to make her shift in her seat and wonder if she wouldn't be forgiven, Weiss smiled.
"Water under the bridge," she replied with a wave of one hand. "What I wanted to speak to you about was actually business."
Earning Weiss' forgiveness felt almost too easy, as if Blake should be forced to grovel or beg for the opportunity to prove she had changed. But Weiss looked ready to forget the incident entirely, which Blake hoped meant her sincerity was evident enough that Weiss didn't question it.
"Sure," she replied, smiling in relief before settling into a topic she was much more comfortable with. "Do you want to make a change to the advertisements?"
"No, the advertisements are fine. I have another matter to discuss." Pausing for a second and tapping one finger on the edge of her bag, Weiss looked relatively undecided about how to phrase this topic.
Eventually, she leaned forward and said a single word - "Investment."
From the way Weiss said it, Blake felt like she should immediately understand the entire conversation. Instead, she blinked and said "...what?"
"Investment," Weiss repeated, regaining her confidence in a heartbeat. "I'd like to invest in The Vale Voice."
"You...what?"
"I know you'll need time to think about it," Weiss continued in a calm tone. "But I wanted to put it out there so you can start that process. I'd like to invest in this paper - not through my family's company, but myself personally. I'd like to make sure The Vale Voice stays around for a long, long time, and grows into something even larger than it is today."
For the life of her, Blake couldn't figure out what an investment from Weiss would even look like. No one had ever approached them with a proposition like this before.
"I'm sorry...but what do you mean, exactly?"
She felt dumb for needing clarification, but Weiss didn't respond as if it was a stupid question. Rather, she looked like she'd expected it.
"Vale needs this paper," she said, meeting Blake's gaze with clear, determined eyes. "Vale needs much more than this paper, really, but this is a good start. A way to get Faunus voices in front of the general public. A way to start conversations, which hopefully leads to change."
Blake agreed with everything Weiss said, but she still didn't understand the 'what' or 'how' of it.
"I'd like to invest in The Vale Voice," Weiss reiterated before Blake asked. "I'll write a check, or multiple checks, to fund whatever improvements you deem necessary. New office space, new computers, hiring more employees - maybe someone to help you with your workload. The money would be yours to do with as you see fit."
It sounded too good to be true. With more money, they could tackle some of the improvements Blake only dreamed about. An accountant. Maybe an editor. A bigger office so they could grow and take The Vale Voice to the next level.
"What's the catch?" she asked, realizing there must be one.
"It's an investment, Blake," Weiss replied while her lips tilted with a smile. "I give you money, you give me partial ownership."
Stunned by the idea, Blake sat back in her chair and couldn't find a response. An investor - a human investor - owning part of The Voice? It sounded...unfathomable.
"We would be partners," Weiss added when Blake didn't immediately respond. "Equally invested in making sure The Vale Voice succeeds."
Not long ago, Blake would have firmly and immediately declined such an offer. The Voice was for Faunus only. The Vale Voice was their paper, their lives - their voice. Then Yang walked into her life, and everything changed.
"Let me think about it?" she asked, knowing she had to discuss the idea with her coworkers before making such an important decision.
"Of course. Take all the time you need. I only wanted to bring it up so you could mull it over."
Mull it over was an appropriate term for what Blake needed to do. Having a human investor - a human partner - in The Voice would be unprecedented. They never even had a human employee until Yang started quasi-working for them.
But...what better way to show acceptance and cooperation than by working together? What better way to show a united front than by having both Faunus and humans take part in this movement?
If her coworkers were on board, this might be an easier decision than Weiss thought.
When Blake opened her mouth to ask a question, however, the office door opened and someone new rushed inside. Realizing that the time had arrived, her heart bolted through her chest as a cute, slender brunette raced over to Yang and all but tackled her in a hug.
Sensing the distraction, Weiss glanced over her shoulder and smiled.
"Looks like Ruby brought some treats," she commented while Ruby presented two paper bags to the office. Considering she had just stopped by a bakery, they must be filled with pastries and other sweets.
With amusement growing right along with her nerves, Blake watched her coworkers congregate around Yang's desk as baked goods overtook it. From the rapid gestures Ruby made, she wanted everyone to help themselves, and they had no issue doing just that.
While everyone celebrated the unexpected treats, Yang said a few words to Ruby before motioning towards the office. As soon as Ruby turned that way, nerves raced through Blake's mind, and she reminded herself to breathe. She had Yang's reassurance...which was hopefully enough.
Ruby lit up upon seeing her - or maybe upon seeing Weiss - and hurried to the office with Yang trying to catch up.
"Ruby -" Yang said before sighing when Ruby rushed through the door first. After kissing Weiss' cheek, she turned a bright, effortless smile towards Blake and stuck out one hand.
"Hey! I'm Ruby - you must be Blake!"
Of the many things Blake expected Ruby to be, the person standing in front of her was even more effusive than Yang described. The waves of energy rolling off of her weren't overwhelming, however. Rather, they were uplifting in a way that made Blake feel energetic too. That, and Ruby's smile didn't hold a single negative emotion towards her, which went a long way in erasing some of her nerves.
"It's nice to meet you, Ruby," she replied while shaking Ruby's hand.
"Nice to meet you, too!" Dropping Blake's hand but not a hint of her smile, Ruby turned to the side and nudged Yang's elbow. "Yang's only been talking about you nonstop for forever now..."
When Blake shot Yang an amused look, she chuckled.
"Ok, Ruby…"
"No, seriously! It's always 'Blake's so funny.' 'You know who's super smart? Blake.' 'There isn't a prettier girl in the world than Blake.'"
"Ruby!" Yang yelped, her cheeks suddenly looking quite flushed. "Jeez, how big has your mouth gotten?"
"My mouth's bigger?"
"I think so. Here, lemme see -" When Yang tried to grab Ruby's cheeks, Weiss tugged Ruby closer to her.
"Don't listen to her, Ruby. Your mouth is beautiful."
Those simple words wiped away Ruby's concern and gave away something Blake hadn't expected to see - Weiss' very obvious personal weakness.
"As beautiful as Blake?" Ruby joked while reaching over to tap Yang's arm. When Ruby grinned, however, Yang sighed.
"Now I remember why I didn't want you two to meet…"
"But you've always wanted me to meet her, remember?" When Yang shrugged and faked a healthy amount of nonchalance, Ruby smiled at Blake. "She really has been talking about you forever. Or at least, ever since she started here. Didn't you invite her out so I could meet her, but she wouldn't go?"
When Ruby turned back to Yang with the question, Blake did too, wondering what this invitation was.
"The Vale Fair…" Yang mumbled before running a hand through her hair and flashing a brilliant, albeit fake smile. "She worked instead."
While Ruby giggled at the response, Blake tilted her head and gave Yang a long look. She remembered the invitation, which came at a time they hadn't known each other very well, and she hadn't been comfortable with the idea of spending time together.
"You were so bummed," Ruby teased, and Yang chuckled but looked even more embarrassed by the information Ruby was sharing.
Blake, however, found the conversation extremely enjoyable, if only for how embarrassed Yang was. Learning how Yang felt about her was a bonus, and she couldn't help wanting to know more. Like when did Yang realize she liked Blake? When she realized, what did she say? What did she do?
"We should have lunch sometime," Blake said, grinning at Yang so she knew exactly what, or who, would be talked about at that lunch.
"That sounds like fun! Then I can tell you all about how much Yang lov-"
The word cut off in a muffle when Yang clamped a hand over her sister's mouth.
"Ok, Ruby! Let's let our better halves get back to work, huh? Besides, I need to officially introduce you to everyone."
"Mmk," Ruby muttered through Yang's hand.
"It was nice to finally meet you, Ruby," Blake added while Yang marched her sister out of the office. Yang didn't release Ruby until the door closed behind them, and Blake chuckled while they walked over to Brand for an introduction.
While Brand shook Ruby's hand, Blake noticed the way Weiss' gaze lingered on Ruby, and a smile remained in place. Her entire persona had transformed after Ruby's arrival. Without saying anything, she made her affection and love for Ruby known to the world.
Blake never would have expected to see such a change from someone like Weiss, who seemed more than adept at holding her emotions - and therefore her strengths and weaknesses - close to the vest. That type of open commitment and honesty, however, was something Blake aspired to.
"She can sure change a mood," Blake commented, drawing Weiss' gaze back to her.
"I could say the same about Yang," Weiss countered with a motion towards Blake. And, with that single comment, Blake realized she might not have as far to go as she thought. Maybe her feelings for Yang were obvious. Maybe she also lit up whenever Yang walked into the room.
She liked to believe so.
"You know...it wasn't that long ago when I might've been one of those humans you fight against," Weiss confessed before shaking her head. "It's funny how one person can change the way you see the world."
With her gaze invariably drawn back to Yang, Blake smiled.
"I think I can understand that feeling," she admitted, her smile growing when Brand said something and Yang and Ruby both burst into laughter.
"They see things differently." Blake's gaze returned to Weiss at the comment, but Weiss was still watching Ruby with a smile. "They value character over appearance. All they want is a world where everyone can be happy - human or Faunus doesn't matter."
After a few seconds of silence passed, Weiss sighed and met Blake's gaze.
"They pointed out so much that was wrong, I knew I couldn't sit back any longer. I looked for any opportunity to bring humans and Faunus together - forming little league teams, changing hiring policies, responding to emails from small, traditionally Faunus papers."
Weiss nodded at Blake with the disclosure, and she realized that was how this all started - with Ruby and Yang convincing Weiss to make a change.
"If you talked to me ten years ago, I wouldn't have considered it." Turning away from Blake, Weiss again found Ruby and smiled. "But she changed me for the better, and I'll never stop trying to change the world for her."
Blake had no idea what to say to that. All this time, she thought it was luck or pity that brought Weiss into the office that day. As it turned out, it was someone's positive influence - similar to the changes Blake had felt recently.
With such an intimate and sincere look into who Weiss was and used to be, Blake realized that she wasn't that intimidating, after all. She had money, power, and beauty, but it was her love for Ruby that drove her. And Blake understood that feeling completely.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked, and continued once Weiss nodded. "Did you know? That I was too...Faunus-centric?"
Pursing her lips, Weiss thought carefully on an answer before responding.
"I had an idea, but it was more of a hunch than anything. Don't get me wrong - you were kind and hospitable, but I got this sense that…" Finally figuring it out, Weiss met Blake's gaze. "That I was in your space, and you weren't entirely happy about that."
"So your solution was to force Yang into my space and hope I'd get used to it?" Blake asked, but Weiss shook her head and smiled.
"If only I could claim to be so forward-thinking. But Yang has acted as my eyes before, and I've found her perception quite valuable in separating the good eggs from the bad. It was an unintended benefit that you two ended up...where you ended up."
When Weiss gave Blake a knowing look, Blake sighed at how transparent she apparently was.
"Yes, we're together," she replied to the unasked question, and Weiss brightened at the confirmation.
"From the messages she's sent me, I'd hope so."
"...what kind of messages?"
Weiss' expression was neutral, but there was humor in those blue eyes.
"Over the years, Yang and I have grown quite close," was Weiss' answer, which said about what Blake expected. Now, she was curious to know what Yang told Weiss. Did she gush about Blake? Did she mention how she felt about their relationship, or what kind of future they might have?
With Weiss moving towards the door, however, there wasn't time for those questions.
"I'm glad we were able to piece this all together," she added as her formality returned. "It's been lovely working with you and, if I had to guess, we'll see each other much more often from here on out."
"We will?" Blake asked, and Weiss nodded towards Ruby and Yang, who were talking with Sun. The use of hand gestures around his desk could classify as an occupational hazard at the moment. Thankfully, everyone else was steering clear of the excitement.
"They're practically glued at the hip, you know."
As that response sunk in, Blake found she wasn't nearly as resistant to the idea as she would have thought. Contrary to first or second impressions, Weiss seemed like a nice person. Plus, she and Blake might have more similarities than expected.
Following Weiss out of the office, Blake smiled when she heard Ruby talking about a thousand miles per minute with Sun, who replied at an equally fast pace.
"Ok Ruby," Weiss interrupted in a gentle voice. "We should let them go back to work."
"Oh, yeah. Probably." Ruby smiled at Sun, who looked disappointed that he couldn't keep talking forever. "But I'll come back sometime!" she promised. "And we'll finish that story."
"Deal!" Sun stuck out a hand and shook Ruby's - which earned him an intent look from Weiss - before heading back to his desk. He didn't sit down, however, without first flashing a blinding grin to Blake.
Shaking her head at his happiness at making new friends, she smiled when a warm presence appeared by her elbow. She didn't need to look to know Yang had returned to her side, but she looked over anyway. Her heart immediately swelled with joy, and she reached down to hold Yang's hand while the four of them moved into the hallway to talk privately.
"Thanks for stopping by," Blake said while Yang closed the door behind them.
"Thanks for letting us stop by!" Ruby replied with a grin. "I'm glad I finally got to meet you."
"Same to you." When Yang slid closer to Blake's side, she looked over and smiled. "And I'm serious about getting lunch sometime."
"Oh!" Turning towards Weiss, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod, Ruby smiled even brighter. "Actually, Weiss and I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight."
Blake was caught off guard by the unexpected invitation, but Ruby continued with a happy, jittery energy spilling out.
"You and Yang both," she clarified. "We have tons of stories from our trip!"
"Oh, I dunno Ruby." Yang gave Blake's hand a reassuring squeeze, silently saying that they didn't have to go. "We'll have to see how work goes…"
"But I'm not busy tonight," Blake said, smiling at the surprise in Yang's eyes. "Unless you are?"
"Free as a bird." Laughing at the abrupt change, Yang grinned at Ruby and Weiss. "Dinner sounds great."
"Awesome!"
"I'll make a reservation," Weiss replied, gently pulling Ruby towards the stairwell before giving Yang a knowing look. "I think anywhere with good fish will do?"
When Blake also looked over, Yang chuckled and ran a hand through her hair.
"Yeah, that sounds great," she said anyway, and Weiss nodded before suddenly stopping and narrowing her eyes.
"Wait...is this where you've been working in the mornings?" she asked, which Yang's grimace immediately answered. Weiss, however, glanced at Blake then sighed. "Well whatever…" she grumbled while Ruby grinned and flashed Yang a thumbs up. "I guess it's good you're here to help..."
"See you guys later!" Ruby added before following Weiss down the stairs. Once the sound of their voices faded away, Yang gave Blake a timid smile.
"So...that's my sister…"
Blake couldn't help laughing at Yang's expression and the information Ruby spilled earlier.
"She's adorable," she added with a smile. And, no matter how embarrassed Yang felt, the reply made her light up with happiness.
"You think? I think so too! But apparently she has a problem with not shutting up..."
"That only adds to her charm," Blake replied. "And I'm serious about having lunch with her, so is there anything you'd like to confess beforehand?"
Blake meant the comment as a joke, but Yang stared at her for a few seconds before nodding.
"Actually, yeah. There's something I've wanted to tell you."
When Yang reached out and held both of Blake's hands, Blake's heart started racing.
"Blake Belladonna…" Yang said slowly, her lilac eyes sparkling while Blake hung onto every word. "Will you please wash my clothes so they smell like you?"
Blake immediately groaned and pushed Yang away from her.
"That's a no," she clipped while Yang laughed. When she reached for the door handle to let herself back into the office, however, Yang gently spun her back around.
"But why not? Seriously, I'd love nothing more than to wake up next to you, then slide into clothes that smell just like you."
"I'm ordering you a book on cats," Blake grumbled before making another move towards the door, but Yang wouldn't let her leave.
"Now you have to tell me! What am I missing?"
"You're asking me to mark you!" Blake replied, her cheeks burning with embarrassment while Yang blinked in surprise.
"Mark me? But...what does that mean?"
Blowing a puff of air through her lips, Blake knew she had to explain now that she brought up the term. Even though the subject made her want to hide her face in her hands.
"It means...basically, marking you as my...possession."
For a few seconds, Yang looked shocked by the explanation. Then that shock morphed into cheerful laughter, and she nodded.
"Then yes. That's what I'm asking you to do."
"What? But why -"
"Blake, I love you."
Blake's heart jumped at the unexpected confession, but Yang continued.
"And that means I want to belong to you. Only, you know, not in a creepy way. Just in a regular, loving, normal - shit I just lost it, didn't I?" Noticing the continued silence, Yang squeezed Blake's hands. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to freak you out. Just forget I said anything."
Blake didn't want to forget it, but Yang was already moving on - scrambling for another subject before saying, "So, uh, what'd Weiss want to talk about?"
"She wants to invest in The Voice," Blake replied, not caring about the words while staring at Yang and feeling her heart grow with affection and...love.
"Invest as in…?"
"Buy partial ownership," Blake confirmed.
"Oh, wow. I had no idea…" After trailing off, Yang shook her head. "You can tell her 'no.' I mean, she doesn't take 'no' very well, but this is your thing and just because she wants to throw money around...what?"
Surprised by Blake's smile, Yang finally stopped talking and tilted her head.
"You think I won't let a human have ownership of The Voice?" Blake asked.
"Uh...yes?"
Shaking her head, Blake raised her hand and trailed her fingers through Yang's hair. She loved Yang's hair so much. She loved how soft it was, she loved how it smelled, she loved that it was hers, in a way, to touch whenever and however she wanted.
She loved Yang. For the way Yang made her feel. For how happy she was when they were together. For how Yang challenged her to be a better person each and every day. And for how, no matter what, Yang supported her through thick and thin.
Yang deserved to know how special she was.
"Yang…" Blake whispered while tucking a strand of hair behind Yang's ear. "Why wouldn't I let a human have ownership in The Voice when I'm willing to give one my heart?"
Still running her fingers through Yang's hair, she smiled while Yang stared at her with a mixture of delight and surprise in her eyes.
"Uh -" A grin appeared while Yang set her hands on Blake's hips. "In the interest of making sure we're both on the same page…"
"I love you too," Blake elaborated before pulling Yang down for a kiss.
She felt the smile on Yang's lips, which made her smile in turn, and her heart danced while their lips moved together. In moments like these, she knew - without a doubt - that this was right.
When Yang finally pulled away, she couldn't stop smiling.
"You do?"
"I do." Blake's smile widened upon hearing Yang's relieved laugh, and she caught Yang's gaze knowing they had quite a few more kisses to share before returning to work. Before that, however, she had one more thing to add.
Running her hands through Yang's hair and bringing their lips tantalizingly close, she looked deep into Yang's eyes and smiled.
"Thank you for being you," she whispered before capturing Yang's lips for the first of many kisses, hoping the actions expressed her love better than words ever could.
Because she loved Yang with all of her heart. She loved Yang for everything she was - supportive, patient, compassionate, tolerant, forgiving...and human.