"Then I put it in here?"
Yang pointed at the large mixing bowl on the counter, and Blake glanced inside of it before nodding.
"The whole thing?" Yang clarified. "Like, all at once?"
"Yup. All at once."
Trusting Blake's baking ability, Yang dumped the contents of the bowl in her hands into a larger mixing bowl and coughed when a plume of flour billowed into her face. "Ok," she added, setting the empty bowl aside and waving a hand through the flour dust in the air. "You probably meant to do it carefully."
"I probably did." Regardless of Yang's countless mistakes, Blake's eyes still sparkled with amusement, and she smiled while handing Yang a wooden spoon. "Now stir."
"Stir carefully?"
"You should just do everything carefully," Blake replied while leaning against the counter beside Yang, ever the supervisor. Yang, meanwhile, chuckled and stirred the mixture as carefully as possible.
"How do you know when it's done?"
"I'll tell you when it's done."
Assured that Blake wouldn't let her mess up, Yang mixed until the streaks of flour began to disappear and a thicker batter began to form.
"Done," Blake said several seconds later, and Yang immediately stopped mixing. "Now pour it into the pan and put it in the oven.
"That sounds too easy."
"Baking isn't hard, Yang. It's just following directions, which you're more than capable of."
"That's what you think…" Yang muttered while dumping the batter into the baking dish Blake helped her prepare earlier that evening. When the batter sat in one giant mound in the center, she set the bowl aside and narrowed her eyes.
"I think you left something out…"
"Smooth it first." Spatula in hand, Blake stood beside Yang and gently pressed the dough until it molded into one corner of the pan. Once done, she offered the spatula to Yang. "Then throw it in the oven."
"Throw it carefully into the oven," Yang joked while following Blake's example and pressing the dough into each corner of the baking dish. When everything looked relatively flat and even, she opened the oven door and slid the pan inside. "Done!"
"Are you sure?" Blake asked, her arched brow suggesting the celebration was premature.
"Uh...yes? Until we take them out, at least."
"And how will we know when to take them out?"
"We just look at the timer -" As soon as Yang motioned to the blank timer, she realized what Blake meant. "Which I'll set right now," Yang added while doing exactly that. After keying in the appropriate amount of minutes and confirming that it was counting down, she nodded. "Now we're done."
"For now."
When Blake leaned against the island, looking as casual, sexy, and confident as ever, Yang walked over and stood in front of her. Spotting the open bag of chocolate chips nearby, Yang grabbed a handful and popped several into her mouth.
"What's left?" Noticing the way Blake's gaze followed the small morsels of chocolate from her hand to her lips, she offered the next one to Blake instead. When Blake willingly took it from her fingertips, she smiled and grabbed another handful from the bag.
"Let it finish baking, wait for it to cool, add the chocolate drizzle, and clean up."
As if that last part needed further explanation, Blake gestured at the mess spread across the countertops. Over the past hour or so, they'd managed to use practically every bowl and utensil Yang owned. Considering she rarely cooked, the resulting collection of dishes made her feel like she was in someone else's apartment.
"Sounds like you'll be here a while," she said, feeding Blake another chocolate chip and smiling when Blake's lips grazed her fingertips.
"Sounds like I will be. I hope you didn't make plans."
"Please." When Blake leaned forward for the next piece of chocolate, Yang pulled it away at the last second and grinned at Blake's miffed expression. "It's Baking with Blake Day - why would I make other plans?"
"Because you're restless like that," Blake mused before snapping the chocolate from Yang's fingers.
"I guess I am, huh."
Smiling in return, Yang popped the last one into her mouth and licked the melted chocolate off of her hand.
Blake was right, but Yang expected nothing else from the person who knew her better than almost anyone. She got bored or unsettled easily, almost as if missing something she couldn't put a name on. Restless was the best word for it, and it drove her to make plans and seek out new people to meet or hang out with.
That feeling disappeared whenever she and Blake were together. Unfortunately, she felt guilty taking up too much of Blake's time. Blake had a life of her own, after all, and she didn't need some needy friend clinging to her for entertainment. So...Yang found ways to fill in the gaps.
Her phone chose that moment to hammer the point home. Its ring disrupted the quiet apartment and made Blake's brow rise with vindication.
"Did you change your ringtone?" Blake asked while Yang turned her phone on silent and flipped it over. It was her and Blake's time right now, and only two other people in the world were allowed to interrupt.
"I did! For everyone except you, Ruby, and Dad. Now I know which calls to answer."
"Smart."
"I have my moments."
Smiling at Blake's approval of her 'genius' idea, Yang gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Blake's ear and watched gorgeous amber eyes blink before refocusing on her. To call Blake beautiful was an understatement - she was the most physically attractive person Yang had ever met. She was the only girl Yang had ever felt nervous about striking up a conversation with, and she still, to this day, had the ability to send tingles down Yang's spine.
But with Blake, emotional attraction was probably just as big, if not bigger, than physical. Especially when she looked at Yang like she was right now - a small smile on her lips, a relaxed, welcoming posture, and affection sparkling in her eyes.
Yang had spent a long time leaning away from intimacy...Blake was the only one who ever made her want to lean in. Before getting too drawn into those emotions, however, she cleared her throat and glanced around the kitchen. Deciding now was as good a time as ever to start the dishes, she finally stepped away from Blake and stacked the various pans and measuring spoons together.
"I'll do these," she added when Blake began helping. "You can sit back and relax."
"Dishes are a part of baking." After setting several bowls near the sink, Blake grabbed a towel and dried the dishes already in the dish rack. "Besides, it's the perfect intermission. By the time we finish, it'll almost be ready to come out of the oven."
Knowing that Blake would help regardless, Yang smiled and said, "Alright," before turning on the faucet and grabbing the sponge. Admittedly, she loved when they did the dishes together. It was cathartic and domestic but also emphasized their closeness. Blake knew where everything went in Yang's apartment; Yang knew where everything went in Blake's apartment. If that wasn't a mark of true friendship, she didn't know what was.
"Thanks for coming over," she added after the first few bowls made it to the clean side of the sink.
"Of course. I've had fun."
"Yeah, me too." Yang snuck a smile Blake's way with that comment, hoping Blake understood just how much she loved spending time together. "We should do this more often."
"By 'this,' do you mean hang out or bake?"
"Both! I'll be a pro baker before you know it."
"Then you can make them for your family next time?"
"Woah, woah, woah." Yang waved her hand at the idea, accidentally splashing drops of water on Blake's shirt in the process. "We shouldn't go that far," she added, laughing as Blake arched one brow at the water speckles. "That's a lot of pressure, and you know how I deal with pressure."
"You avoid it at all costs?"
"Exactly."
"Then maybe we can make them together again -"
"Deal."
"But the time after that, you're on your own."
"Are you trying to get rid of me or something?"
Caught off guard by the whine, Blake stared at Yang for a moment before a warm, beautiful smile snuck onto her lips. "Of course not," she replied so thoughtfully and genuinely that Yang couldn't help but smile in return.
"Good." An emphatic nod added punctuation to that statement. "Then we'll make them together."
With that settled, Blake grabbed another mixing bowl to dry. Yang, meanwhile, snuck another glance Blake's way before washing the last few items in the sink. "And maybe we can try out some other things, too," she added as casually as possible. "You know, to enhance my baking skills."
She thought the request was nonchalant, but Blake still arched a brow.
"You actually want to learn how to bake?"
"Maybe…" Yang hedged, briefly unsure if Blake would agree or not. "It wouldn't be a bad thing if I could use the oven without letting the fire department know in advance."
Laughing at just one of many good examples, Blake put the measuring cups back in their drawer before sending Yang another one of those looks. An inquisitive-yet-caring look that always made Yang feel like Blake was trying to figure her out while also knowing everything about her.
"I'd love to bake with you more often."
The response alone was enough to send Yang's heart soaring, but the loving smile accompanying it made her feel like the luckiest person in the world.
"Yeah?"
"Of course. Just let me know when you're free." When Yang laughed at the response, Blake gave her a curious look. "What?"
"When I'm free?" Yang repeated, shutting off the faucet and shaking loose water from her hands. "You're the busy one, Miss Writing Superstar."
"You realize I'm usually just at home struggling to write, right? I'd rather see you then struggle to write."
"Is that so?"
When Blake nodded, Yang teasingly reached out as if to dry her hands on Blake's shirt. Blake reacted lightning fast, wrapping the dish towel around Yang's hands and playfully pushing her away. Plan foiled, Yang laughed and dried her hands on the towel instead.
"Then maybe we can make it official," she said before hanging the towel up to dry. "Baking with Blake - once a month? Once a week?"
"Once a month is probably better…for our health, at least."
"Right." Though Yang would gladly accept once a week regardless of the drawbacks, she wouldn't be greedy with Blake's time. "How about the last Saturday each month? Sound good?"
"Sounds great."
"Cool," Yang concluded, though the word didn't do justice to how thrilled she was to have standing plans with Blake. She might not be the best baker - or even a good baker - but she would look forward to the date every single month. From Blake's smile, it appeared that she might look forward to it, too.
Quickly overwhelmed by that rampant joy, Yang glanced at the timer and did a double take when she found the seconds steadily ticking toward zero.
"You weren't joking about that being the perfect intermission." Before the timer buzzed, she turned it off and slipped her hands into practically brand new oven mitts. "Now this bad boy comes out of the oven?"
"Unless you want to try the charcoal version."
Laughing, Yang opened the oven door and paused when a billow of superheated air greeted her. Once the initial surprise passed, she reached inside and removed the small, square pan holding the result of an afternoon of labor.
"Woah, that smells good," she said while setting it on top of the stove.
"Looks good, too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, good job."
"You should be congratulating yourself," she pointed out while Blake patted her arm. "You did most of the heavy lifting."
"I hardly lifted a finger." As if proving that point, Blake dropped a toothpick on the counter and motioned for Yang to take it. "Stick it in the middle and see if it's done."
Yang stuck the toothpick into the center of the dough. Nothing came out with it, which she took as a good sign. "Done?" she asked regardless and waited for Blake's nod before tossing the toothpick aside. "Awesome! Now we wait for it to cool...how long does that take?"
"A couple hours."
"Jeez...these things take a while." Experiencing the process for herself, Yang realized just how much time, effort, and love had gone into every batch Blake made for them. "You're amazing, you know that?" she added as soon as the thought popped into her head. Blinking in surprise, Blake lightly laughed and shook her head.
"What're you talking about?"
"You put in all this work." Yang waved a hand around the kitchen, which looked clean now but had been a mess just moments prior. "Just because my dad loves them so much."
"It's not too bad. I'll usually do some chores while waiting for them to cool, or make dinner or something."
As usual, Blake chose the modest route around the compliment. Even if she downplayed it though, Yang knew it was true - she was amazing. But she was also humble, so Yang didn't press the subject too much...this time, at least.
"Two hours, huh…" she mused instead. "Know what that's the perfect amount of time for?" Catching Blake's curious gaze, Yang winked. "A movie or something?"
"Or something?"
"You picked 'or something?'" Yang gasped, and wrapped her arms around Blake's waist before she could get away. "You don't even know what it is!" Yang added while pulling Blake backward into her.
"A two-hour hug?" Blake guessed.
"That sounds amazing, actually."
Hugging Blake from behind, silently rejoicing in her warmth, Yang gently nuzzled her nose into Blake's hair and took a deep breath. Blake's shampoo always smelled incredible, and today was no exception. Vaguely flowery, vaguely citrusy...and definitely Blake.
When Blake set her hands over Yang's, Yang decided that she could stay like this for two hours. Probably even longer than that provided she didn't get hungry and no one interrupted. After relishing that moment for a little longer, however, she grinned and hugged Blake a little tighter.
"But I was actually thinking something more like...a tickle war."
Before Blake reacted to the words, Yang curled her fingers and started tickling Blake's stomach. The reaction was instant and glorious. Something between a squeal and laugh slipped through Blake's lips as she squirmed in Yang's arms, trying to get away. Unfortunately for her, she'd given Yang the upper hand in positioning, and it was all too easy for Yang to hang on while finding the ticklish spots she knew so well. Tickling Blake's sides, in particular, was a great way to make her giggle and squeal like a schoolgirl.
"Yang -!" she got out before clutching her hands over Yang's, trying to get them away from her while squirming at the same time. Yang couldn't help but laugh at the infectious giggles while doing her best to keep Blake in her grasp.
Only when Blake was reduced to breathless laughter did Yang let go and back away with a big smile. Fortunately, Blake was in no shape to retaliate; she took several seconds to catch her breath before playfully glaring.
"You'll pay for that."
"I'm sure I will."
Yang even nodded with the agreement, knowing all too well that Blake's retribution would be unseen, swift, and liable to take her to her knees. For now, however, Blake blew out a big breath of air and set her hands on her flushed cheeks before fixing her disheveled hair. The ruffled, slightly disgruntled look was adorable on her - even more so because Yang doubted that anyone else got to see Blake like this. Blake was calm, cool, and collected at all times...except when someone tickled her in just the right spots.
"Doing alright?" Yang asked while Blake flipped her hair over one shoulder, earning another glare in the process.
"You're lucky you're cute."
Even though Blake tried to maintain a stoic expression, she smiled as soon as Yang laughed.
"That's the only thing I've got going for me," Yang added. The comment drew a thoughtful gaze from Blake though, and she had just opened her mouth to respond when the doorbell rang. The sound surprised them both, but Blake glanced at the door before giving Yang a vaguely disappointed look.
"Expecting someone?"
"I swear I'm not." Yang nearly walked to the door but stopped when she thought of who it could be. "Uh, can you answer it and tell whoever it is that I don't live here anymore?"
"Seriously?"
Despite Blake's audible disbelief, Yang nodded and gently prodded her toward the door.
"Please? I don't want to deal with anyone right now."
"What if they recognize me?"
"Then tell them we switched apartments! Or point out that you baked something - that's a pretty clear sign that I don't live here anymore."
Even though Blake rolled her eyes, Yang knew she would do it. Not without a moderate amount of complaint though, as she sighed before walking to the door on her own, giving Yang time to retreat to the kitchen and duck behind the island. Blake opened the door several seconds later, and -
"Oh, hey Blake!"
Recognizing the chipper voice, Yang popped up from behind the island and confirmed that their unexpected guest was actually her little sister.
"Ruby?" she asked while Ruby bounced into the living room and Blake closed the door.
"Hey Yang! It smells great in here." After dropping her jacket over the back of the sofa, Ruby lifted her nose and sniffed. "What'd you make?"
Glancing at Blake, who smiled while returning to the kitchen, Yang laughed and shook her head.
"Were you just in the neighborhood or did you smell these from your place and run over?"
"Just in the neighborhood." After hugging Yang, Ruby looked around the kitchen and immediately locked onto the pan sitting on the stovetop. "You baked something?"
"We did. Your favorite, too."
Curious, Ruby went over to the stove and gasped at what was inside the pan.
"Did you and Blake switch apartments? Because this can't be your place."
"See?" Yang said while Blake smiled. "It's a reasonable explanation!"
"It's the only explanation," Ruby teased before pointing at the pan. "Can I have one?"
"They just came out of the oven -"
"Which is probably when they're the best, right?"
"They don't have the chocolate drizzle on them yet," Yang added.
"So they're the base experience! Which I've never gotten to try before…"
Laughing at Ruby's obvious desire to eat a piece as soon as possible, Yang glanced at Blake for permission. Blake, however, shrugged.
"You made them. You decide what to do with them."
Recognizing who she needed to beg for permission, Ruby clasped her hands together and gave Yang those big, silver puppy dog eyes she'd perfected ages ago. The result was so cute and persuasive that Yang couldn't even pretend like she wouldn't agree.
"Alright, fine."
While Yang shook her head at how easily she caved, Ruby clapped her hands and gave an adorable, excited, "Yes!" That excitement, and a bit of impatience, grew as Yang grabbed a knife and carefully mapped where she wanted to cut. Blake usually cut them into big squares, probably because she knew her audience ate sweets in large quantities, so Yang did the same.
"Which one do you want?"
Yang thought that was a simple question so rolled her eyes at Blake when Ruby stood in front of the pan and deliberated on a decision.
"That one has more chocolate chips…" she mused, leaning closer as if that might help her see right through the pan. "Or does that one…?"
"Ruby."
"Ok, that one."
Ruby pointed at one of the edge pieces, which might or might not have more chocolate in it, and Yang chuckled while accepting a spatula from Blake and carefully prying that piece out. It looked gooey, warm, and so delicious that even Yang started salivating at the thought of eating one.
This one was for Ruby though. But if Yang thought her sister would use a plate or something to eat it, she was wrong. Ruby grabbed the spatula and took a bite right off of it.
"What do you think?" Yang asked while she and Blake awaited Ruby's approval. After a few thoughtful chews, Ruby made a delighted sound, and Yang grinned.
"These are so good," Ruby added before taking another bite. "Tastes just like the ones Blake makes! Minus all the chocolate on top."
"Ironic, considering she helped make them."
"No kidding!"
Giggling with the response, Ruby hopped up onto the counter to finish the rest of her prized possession. Her feet swang joyfully while she took another bite, looking every bit like a grown-up version of the child who always did the same. Except she used to need help climbing up on the counters, explaining the small stool that rarely left their kitchen.
"What've you been up to?" Yang asked, leaning against the counter beside Blake and watching Ruby eat.
"I was just hanging out with Weiss!"
"Oh yeah? What kind of 'hanging out' are we talking about?"
"Yanggg..." Ruby whined, though Yang spotted the blush on her cheeks. "We were just talking and stuff."
When Ruby's attention briefly returned to the cookie, Yang mouthed 'and stuff' to Blake and waggled her brow. After smiling and shaking her head at the implication, Blake turned toward Ruby.
"Is everything still going well?"
"Yeah!" Ruby kicked her feet with the word, an adorable display of emphasis that made Yang smile. "She's so much fun! I'd spend all my time with her if I could but, like, we have work, and I don't want to bother her, you know?"
Surprisingly, Yang knew that feeling very well - that was how she felt about Blake.
"But you've been spending a lot of time together," she pointed out. "So she must like being around you, too."
"I hope so…"
Having finished the entire piece already, Ruby brushed off her hands and ruminated on that statement. Her gaze unfocused as she did so, and she probably didn't notice the adoring smile that appeared shortly after.
Yang noticed. Blake did, too. And the two of them shared a small smile of their own, silently expressing how much they enjoyed seeing Ruby so happy. For as much as Yang questioned how things would work out when Ruby and Weiss were so different, there was no arguing that Ruby was smitten.
"Anyway!" Refocusing on the present, Ruby grinned at Yang and Blake. "I tried calling you, but you didn't answer."
When she motioned at Yang's phone, still facedown on the island, Yang picked it up.
"Oh, sorry. I put it on silent."
"That's ok. Figured I'd stop by to see if you were ignoring me."
"When has that ever happened?"
"You never know!" When Ruby shrugged at the suggestion, Yang looked at Blake and shook her head. "But I have something important to ask."
"Oh yeah?" Curiosity fully piqued, Yang motioned with her hands for Ruby to spill.
"I was going to ask…" Ruby began so slowly that Yang found herself leaning forward. "If...you want to get dinner with us sometime?"
"Seriously?" Yang glanced at Blake before beaming at Ruby. "'Us' as in you and Weiss?"
"Yeah! I brought it up, and she said she wants to meet you. Maybe next week or something?"
Having expected to wait much longer for this moment, Yang grinned from ear to ear now that it had arrived. After watching Ruby fall head over heels for this girl, Yang couldn't wait to officially meet.
"Pick a day that works, and I'll make sure I'm free."
"Cool!" Ruby nodded once and turned to Blake. "Will you come, too?"
"Oh." Caught off guard by the invitation, Blake glanced at Yang before slowly shaking her head. "I don't want to impose…"
"You won't be! I'd actually prefer you there over Yang."
"Ouch!" Yang said while Ruby giggled.
"Love you, Yang." After quickly forming a heart with both hands, Ruby started swinging her feet once more. "But I want you both to meet her! Besides, she kind of expects both of you to be there since I talk about you a lot. So...will you come? Please?"
Blake had as much chance of saying 'no' as Yang did under similar circumstances. Ruby's sincerity quickly won out.
"We'll be there," Yang answered as soon as Blake nodded. "Just let us know when and where."
"Awesome! I can't wait for you guys to meet. I think you'll really like her."
Considering Ruby was nearly glowing at the thought alone, Yang chuckled and leaned over to pat Ruby's knee.
"Honestly, I'll like anyone who makes you this happy."
Ruby had a quick response in line, but she paused when her phone rang from her pocket. "Sorry," she said while pulling it out. As soon as she saw the screen, her smile brightened as if she just learned she had the next month off. The expression alone announced who the caller was, and she wasted no time answering.
"Hey Weiss!" The greeting was pure joy and, after listening for several seconds, her happiness doubled. "So you're free already?" Weiss must have said yes because Ruby beamed. "Then...maybe we can hang out? I have news!"
Ruby glanced at Yang and Blake while listening to Weiss' reply, which made her giggle - a light, infectious sound that would have anyone smiling in no time.
"Good news," she added. "And we have some planning to do!"
Weiss must have asked for more details, explaining Ruby's adorable laughter.
"Don't you want it to be a surprise?" she teased, cheesing at nobody in particular. "Alright, alright. I'll give you a hint - Yang and Blake said they'll come to dinner!"
As soon as the comment slipped out, Ruby's eyes widened. It wasn't much later before she broke into laughter. "It was just a really good hint!" she said before dissolving into more giggles.
Watching one side of the interaction, Yang leaned closer to Blake and whispered, "They're so cute."
"Pretty sure she's forgotten we're here," Blake whispered back. The increasingly true statement made Yang laugh while turning back to Ruby, who looked very much like a teenager in love.
"Then I'll see you soon!" Ruby said before listening for a half second. "No, I'll come to you! I'm not far - just hanging out at Yang's." Another short pause, and another big smile. "Ok, see you!"
No sooner had Ruby ended the call did she hop down from the counter. "That was Weiss!" she explained, as if Yang or Blake needed an explanation. "Her meeting ended early, so we're going to hang out."
"Didn't you just see her?" Yang asked.
"Well, yeah...but she's free now! Besides, we gotta pick a place for dinner."
"Sure that's your only reason?"
A sheepish grin appeared at the flimsy excuse, which had Yang chuckling in no time.
"And I just want to see her," Ruby admitted before nodding to the pan on the stove. "What're the chances I can take one to go?"
"Pretty high." Before Ruby preemptively celebrated, however, Yang held up her hand. "If you tell me who your favorite person in the world is."
"Dad."
The answer was so simple, and Ruby's expression so straight-laced, that Yang laughed.
"Close enough." Yang cut an even bigger piece this time, much to Ruby's delight, and handed it over. "Blake and I shouldn't eat all of this anyway."
"That's why I'm here! To help you eat things." Ruby gave Yang a one-armed hug before turning to Blake and doing the same. "Thanks for the cookies," she added before backing away. "I'll text you about dinner!"
With that cheerful signoff, Ruby buzzed out of the apartment with as much energy as she'd entered, headed off to spend more time with the girl who'd captured her undying attention. The door hardly closed in her wake before Yang grinned at Blake.
"We finally get to meet her."
"It sounds that way…" Blake mused, her thoughtful gaze lingering on the door before moving to Yang. "I'm curious to see what she's like."
"Besides 'cute and sweet and pretty'?" Yang mimicked in Ruby's high-pitched 'happy' voice.
"Exactly," Blake replied with a smile. "Although those are obviously important."
"Obviously."
Chuckling, Yang crossed her arms and thought about the upcoming introduction. From the amount of time Ruby and Weiss were spending together, their relationship seemed to have passed the 'casual dating' phase. Yang had expected a dinner or two before they became 'serious,' but...apparently, her sister wasn't like her in this department.
"They're getting pretty serious," she said to no one in particular, but Blake hummed from beside her.
"How does that make you feel?"
"A little weird," Yang admitted. "Didn't she just say how she wasn't interested in dating? Now she's like full-scale, off the deep end into this girl. It just seems...fast."
"But they're spending nearly all of their time together." Blake waved to the door with that statement, as Ruby's quick exit had proved just how often they were seeing each other. "It might feel fast to us, but they probably know a lot about each other already."
"Yeah...you're right."
Even if Blake was right, Yang still felt weird thinking about it. Maybe she was unsettled that she still hadn't figured this out, yet Ruby had no issues diving into a serious relationship. Rather than dwell on those potentially upsetting answers, however, Yang motioned to the stove.
"Think those are ready yet?"
"Are they cool yet?"
After holding her hand above the pan for several seconds, she laughed.
"They're practically still boiling. How the hell was Ruby eating them?"
"Your sister is a never-ending surprise," Blake replied, lightly laughing while arranging three different types of chocolate on the island. Yang soon joined her and leaned close to read the descriptions on the bags. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate - because apparently one wasn't enough.
"Three kinds of chocolate drizzle…isn't that a little excessive?"
"Yes, but your family is excessively into chocolate."
"You got that right."
While Yang laughed at the true statement, Blake shook her head and leaned back against the counter.
"What do you want to do while we wait?"
"Watch a movie or something?"
"Or something…" Blake mused, but dashed out of the way the instant Yang tried to grab her. "A movie sounds good," she said once out of reach, adding a playful smile at Yang's failed attempt to drag her into another one-sided tickle war. Fortunately for her, the thought of watching a movie together was good enough for Yang to drop her crusade.
"Let's do it," she agreed, already grinning as she followed Blake to the living room. After the two of them sat on the sofa - Yang at the edge, Blake in the middle - Yang turned on the television and handed over the remote. "Pick your poison."
While Blake scrolled through the menu, Yang put her elbow on the armrest, rested her chin in her hand, and watched Blake consider every title on the screen before moving on. Yang could only imagine the decision-making process taking place behind discerning eyes, eliminating film after film for having a boring title, too much action on the cover, a poor rating, or an actor she didn't like. If left unchecked, this deliberation could last longer than the movie itself.
"How about this one?"
Unprepared for the quick selection, Yang got caught staring when Blake turned to her. She flashed a smile though, always willing to admit getting lost in thought while staring at Blake, before looking at the screen. She nearly laughed at the highlighted film, but she glanced at Blake first to confirm it wasn't a joke. Then she laughed.
"You're kidding, right? It's literally called Happily Ever After."
"Doesn't it sound...happy?"
Yang scrunched her nose and tried to think of a diplomatic answer. On the one hand, she told Blake to pick anything. On the other hand, she worked in the film industry, and that fact alone made her feel morally obligated to only endorse vaguely decent films.
"Blake…" she began with a sigh before turning to meet Blake's gaze. "You know I love you, but you have the worst taste in movies."
"I want to watch something cute and happy with you. Is that a crime?"
"No! That's very sweet. That title is a crime though."
"Come on, it won't be that bad." When Yang scoffed, Blake gave her a mischievous look. "Definitely not as bad as the last movie you dragged me to."
"Ah crap," Yang sighed when Blake smirked, already knowing she would get her way. "I still owe you for that, don't I..."
"You do."
Now Yang was really stuck...not that she minded. She might actually, very secretly, enjoy watching these movies with Blake, especially for the witty, colorful commentary that accompanied them.
"Fine…" Yang sighed. "If anyone at work finds out I watched this…"
"I'll tell them I forced you." Blake nodded when Yang looked at her. "Bound and gagged - promise."
"Alright, I can live with that."
When Blake smiled, Yang laughed at how that conversation would sound, especially when Blake could deliver the lie with unwavering certainty. Some of Yang's coworkers might actually believe Blake physically restrained Yang and forced her to watch a movie against her will. They wouldn't understand that Blake would never have to force Yang to do anything.
As long as they were together, Yang was a willing participant - which was doubly true when Blake pressed 'play' and leaned into Yang's side. That was all the invitation Yang needed to wrap an arm around Blake's shoulders and relax.
"We're even after this, right?" she whispered in Blake's ear before the movie started, earning a soft hum but no outright agreement that her debt was paid in full. She smiled at the lack of commitment, which was such a Blake thing to do, and embraced the flutters in her chest when Blake snuggled against her.
The movie might have an awful title and would probably be horribly cheesy, but there was no better way to spend an evening. Or the day, considering their time together began hours ago when Blake showed up with a bag of baking supplies she already knew Yang didn't own.
As if Yang needed more examples of why they were the perfect friends, this was it. No one else could make her so happy and content with hardly any effort. For that, she would gladly watch whatever romance-steeped movie Blake wanted.