The pair sat down at the corner of the dining hall, to have some semblance of privacy to themselves. Tucking into their warm bowls of stew, the girls secretly snuck glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking.

It was Blake who first broke the silence.

"Hey Yang, so how did you discover Nightshade in the first place?" Blake tried to pass it off as a casual question, but on the inside, she was anxious that she might raise Yang's suspicion by asking about Nightshade so blatantly.

"Oh!" Yang was surprised that Blake had chosen to initiate the conversation on this particular topic, since Yang was certain that Blake wasn't ready for her to know that she was Nightshade. "My sister, Ruby, introduced the song to me a couple of years ago. She said she chanced upon it from an indie music forum… I didn't even know she frequented these forums! Since that first listen, I was hooked."

"Interesting... That's so cool that you and your sister share your song recommendations with each other."

"Yeah… Ruby and I were inseparable when we were younger. Ever since I came to Beacon University, she's been whining non-stop about being stuck at home with Dad," Yang chuckled, "I do miss her though. Can't wait to see her and Dad again for the holidays!"

Blake smiled, infected by Yang's cheeriness, "That's nice. I'm an only child who wasn't very good at making friends so I don't know what it's like to grow up with someone else around my age. I guess that's why I turned to books," Blake laughed lightheartedly. "I mean, of course there's my parents, and I love them. My Dad can be kind of overprotective though…" Blake trailed off, reminiscing about her childhood which she mostly spent in the comforts of her room. "What did you and Ruby get up to when you were younger?"

"Oh Ruby and I got into lots of trouble... our favourite was sparring with each other with branches which had fallen off trees in our garden. We would take turns to pretend that we were heroes, battling a villain while saving the world from a catastrophe. Most of the time though, I had to be the bad guy because Ruby was so enamored with the idea of being a world-renowned hero, and of course I gave in to her because I'm an awesome big sister! I'd give anything to always see her smile and laugh in such a carefree manner." Yang smiled, a faraway look in her eyes, "Our Dad would always be so exasperated with us for making a mess of the garden though; we left broken twigs everywhere and sometimes accidentally stepped on his flowers… oops." Upon realising that she had been talking for the past few minutes, "Oh I'm so sorry, I was rambling huh…"

Blake chuckled, "No worries Yang, I enjoy listening to your stories," a slight blush crept up both of their cheeks. Yang smiled as they both finished the last of their stew in comfortable silence.

"Hey, since we're done and there's still some time before we need to get back, would you want to take a walk in the garden with me? I do that alone sometimes, it's very peaceful and helps me to clear my mind… Oh, but no pressure of course! I understand finals are coming up soon." Blake asked sheepishly, her ears burning hot, heart beating rapidly in her chest. Did you seriously just ask Yang Xiao Long to go on a leisurely evening stroll with you? What on earth are you thinking Belladonna?!

"Sure, I'd love that! I haven't been to the garden before, it'll be good to explore the place with you," Yang smiled bashfully. Surprised that Yang agreed, Blake smiled and nodded gently as they both got up from their seats.

The tall pair slowly made their way out of the dining hall and towards the garden, laughing and chatting along the way. They were greeted by a gentle breeze carrying the delicate fragrance of springtime flowers in full bloom, and all around them were kaleidoscopic shades of pink, purple, red and yellow. A few butterflies and bumblebees (A/N: wink wink) were flitting about the flowers and various different species of birds were chirping overhead, the melodies of nature blending harmoniously with one another. The setting sun cast a golden hue over the entire garden, bathing it in warmth.

"Wow," Yang breathed, "It's beautiful here. Thanks for introducing me to my new favourite place. And it's cool that we get to hang out in a place other than the shower for once," she chuckled.

A blush crept up Blake's cheeks as she laughed at the insinuation and replied, "I'm glad you like it, Yang. I used to come here quite often during my first term, but it's been a while since my last visit as I've been busy with work and haven't thought to invite anyone else to join me either. I'm really glad I got to share it with you."

"Anytime!" Yang replied. The pair smiled to themselves, Yang reveling in the fact that she was the first and only person that Blake had shared this place with. After a while, they decided to head back as Blake had to finish up her assignment. Yang walked Blake to her room and the pair lingered outside her door for a while, unsure of what to say.

"So uh… this was nice. We should do it again sometime!" Yang said, awkwardly putting her hand behind her head. They both blushed as they thought to themselves that this evening felt an awful lot like a date but neither had the courage to ask the other what it was.

"Definitely, I really enjoyed myself," Blake smiled, amber eyes locked onto lavender as the two girls stared at each other for a few seconds, not wanting to leave.

Eventually, Blake reluctantly broke eye contact and said, "Goodnight, Yang."

"Goodnight, Blake."