"Sun?" Blake called out, gathering her belongings and taking one last glance in the mirror. "Where's Kappa house?"
"It's the huge, castle-looking one in the middle of sorority row." Carrying his bowl of cereal into the living room and flopping down on the sofa, he gave her a curious look. "Why? Don't tell me you're going mainstream."
"Never." She shook her head and turned towards him. "How do I look?"
"Really nice - wait. You're going to Kappa? Are you meeting Yang?"
"How do you know that?"
"Because the Kappas are winning the war for her affection!" Sitting up on his knees, he spun around to watch Blake walk behind the sofa. "They monopolize her time and do anything they can to keep the other sororities away."
"Seriously?" The response sounded ludicrous to her, but he nodded emphatically.
"It's true. It's like a turf war or something."
Rolling her eyes, she opened the door and waved. "See you later."
"Wait!" Against her better judgment, she waited. "You have to take pictures!" he said, immediately proving her right.
"Bye Sun."
"They hardly let guys in there!" he continued while she walked into the hall. "I'll never see what it's like!"
Shutting the door on his request, she shook her head and set off for her destination. From Sun's description, Kappa house should be easy to find. There couldn't be that many castle-looking mansions around campus. At least, that was her hope as she made her way to the street where all of the sorority houses were located.
The idea of the different sororities vying for Yang's time and attention didn't sit right with her. She wouldn't say she disliked it, but...she didn't necessarily like it either. Yang was a person, not a prize. She had goals and dreams, likes and dislikes. Just because she would agree to just about any event didn't mean people should take advantage of her niceness. Because that was exactly what they were doing - taking advantage of her for personal gain.
Upon thinking about it a little more, Blake didn't like it, but it wasn't up to her to fix it. Only Yang could stop it, if she even wanted to. Blake increasingly suspected that she did, but being a people-pleaser made it difficult. Or maybe it was the feeling of people depending on her that made it difficult. Did she think she let them down when she said 'no?'
Blake would love the answer to that question but, for now, would settle for learning more about the girl full of pleasant surprises. Just knowing that they were only minutes from seeing each other again filled her with incomparable anticipation and excitement. That feeling only grew when she turned onto the street filled with towering sorority houses and found Yang waiting for her in front of one that did look much like a castle.
Yang, on the other hand, looked like she just stepped out of a magazine, with the sun making her long, blonde hair truly shine. Two girls in cute sundresses were currently talking to her - fawning over her, it looked like - but the moment she caught sight of Blake, her gaze never left.
Blake didn't speed up even though her legs wanted to. Instead, with a great deal of self-restraint, she maintained her pace and let Yang stare, feeling her skin tingle with unspeakable desire and excitement as the distance between them dwindled.
Finally, Yang said a few words to the girls and left them behind - again, with her gaze never wavering. Few things matched the consuming nature of Yang's eyes, with their warmth and liveliness hidden in plain view. Blake wanted nothing more than to stare into them forever, reading those emotions and letting hers be read in return, but modesty and politeness turned her away.
"Good morning," Yang said, her voice drawing Blake's gaze back to her own. "You look…just...wow, really pretty."
Nothing made Blake blush faster than being complimented by a literal model, but she couldn't look away when she saw the matching shade of pink on Yang's cheeks. She hadn't noticed before, but the tips of Yang's ears also turned a little red when she was embarrassed or flustered, which was the most adorable thing Blake had ever seen.
"Thank you…" Blake replied before letting her eyes sweep over Yang one more time. From head to toe, Yang was unapologetically attractive, yet that blush was probably the most alluring part about her. "I could say the same to you," Blake added before meeting Yang's gaze and smiling.
They shared that smile for quite some time, as if both of them wanted to say more but were content with the implications already made. Blake wished they could go somewhere private and spend hours talking, or flirting, and see where that led them. She wondered if Yang felt the same, and if that was why she turned towards the house with an air of regret.
"Guess we should get this over with, huh?"
"You really know how to sell a party," Blake teased, willingly following Yang towards the house. Yang's laughter cheered her up immensely and, despite her misgivings, she believed this would be fun. At the very least, it would be enjoyable as long as they were in each other's company.
"Maybe I have a second career in the making?"
"After pediatrician?"
When Yang laughed this time, she drew the attention of the second set of girls standing on either side of the front door. From their similar dresses bearing identical pins, they belonged to the sorority hosting the event.
"Welcome to Kappa House!" the one on the right said, her perfect smile reserved for Yang. "The fundraiser will start shortly."
"You can pick any seat inside," the second continued without pause. "And help yourself to any of the refreshments. But most importantly -"
"Have a Kappa Kappa Day!"
When both girls said the catchphrase in unison, Blake stared at them with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment on their behalf.
"Don't worry - we will," Yang replied before looping her arm through Blake's and pulling her inside.
"Uh...that was surreal…"
When Yang giggled at the reaction, Blake's heart soared. Not even three minutes into seeing each other, Yang made the time spent picking an outfit more than worth it.
"Does that mean you won't have a Kappa Kappa Day?" Yang teased, and Blake scrunched up her nose.
"What does that even mean?"
"No idea, but they say it all the time."
"Like an inside joke," Blake mused, only somewhat seriously.
"Something like that."
Yang turned to Blake with a grin that faded around the same time Blake noticed that Yang was still holding her by the arm. "Uh, but welcome to Kappa house," Yang added while dropping Blake's arm and stepping away. When she waved around the entryway, Blake took the opportunity to calm the blush on her cheeks and check out the interior.
"Wow…"
Few words could adequately describe the magnificent home, with its gleaming double-banisters leading upstairs, an intricate crystal chandelier hanging above, a polished marble floor, and an abundance of fresh white lilies and roses in large, ornate vases. It looked pulled from the pages of a magazine, complete with perfectly dressed, beautiful women of all ages rounding out the atmosphere.
"They know how to decorate, right?"
Blake couldn't agree with the observation more, but she had no time to say as much before a familiar face appeared in the foyer and immediately approached them.
"Yang," Melissa greeted Yang with a warm smile before regarding Blake with something closer to a scowl. "What're you doing here?"
"I invited her," Yang said before Blake could respond. "You said I could bring whoever I wanted."
"Yeah, but I thought you'd bring Ruby or her bitchy girlfriend."
"They were busy."
Yang shrugged as if that should be the end of the conversation, but Mel looked like she had an assortment of choice responses in mind. Unfortunately for her, a woman wearing far more jewelry than necessary waved her over.
"Melissa," the woman called out. Melissa immediately put on a fake smile and hurried over.
"Well, now that that's over…" Yang muttered, but Blake narrowed her eyes while thinking through the situation.
"You didn't tell her I was coming," she concluded.
"Yeah...because I knew she'd tell me not to invite you. And I really wanted to invite you."
Yang gave Blake an apologetic smile, but she had nothing to be sorry about. Especially when making heartwarming admissions like that.
"If you want to leave though -"
"Why would I leave?" Blake asked before Yang gave her permission to go. When Yang tilted her head, Blake gently tapped her elbow. "I'm here now, and not going anywhere."
She hadn't expected this to be Mel's sorority. But, even if she had known, would she have declined the opportunity to spend time with Yang, especially when Yang seemed to want her company? Honestly, no. Even if she'd known that she would walk into a hostile environment, she would still be right here.
"Then I hope you're hungry," Yang said, smiling again as she led Blake into a large dining room just as regally decorated as the entryway. A long table along one wall was covered by a white tablecloth and plates upon plates of steaming-hot food. The rest of the room featured large, round tables covered in similar white tablecloths, each seating eight people with matching white chairs.
Unlike the modeling agency event, the guests today had no issue sitting down and enjoying the food. Along with the soft clinks of silverware on porcelain plates, pleasant conversation filled the room - no one speaking above a polite level so as not to disturb the ambiance. The current sorority members were easy to pick out by their matching pins and dresses, while the invitees were all older, well-dressed women who looked at ease in such a beautiful setting.
"Get whatever you want," Yang encouraged Blake as they walked over to the food. "It should be really good."
"After last time, I have no reason to doubt you."
The heavenly smell had already convinced Blake that the food would be just as good, if not better than what they had at the hotel. Everything looked good too, convincing her to follow Yang's lead and put a little of everything on her plate.
"So...your sister has a bitchy girlfriend?" she asked while they moved down the line.
"Ruby has a protective girlfriend," Yang corrected before briefly pausing. "Who can be a bit of a bitch sometimes," she admitted before sneaking a smile Blake's way. "Never to Ruby though, and that's what matters."
Nodding at the explanation, Blake silently wondered what Ruby's girlfriend was actually like. If Mel loathed her so much, Blake had a feeling they would get along.
"Where do you want to sit?" Yang asked once they reached the end of the buffet table.
Surveying the empty tables, Blake wasn't sure if some were reserved for more esteemed guests, or if there was some sort of social order being followed by the former sorority members. "Can you pick?" she eventually asked. Yang smiled and led them over to one of the empty tables in the back corner of the room.
"I try not to sit in front," Yang explained while they sat down. "It's uncomfortable when people stare at the back of your head for too long."
"Noted," Blake replied, softly laughing before laying her napkin across her lap and picking up her silverware. "That wouldn't happen if the back of your head wasn't so pretty," she added in a teasing voice.
"You know that's actually a thing?" When Blake's brow creased, Yang nodded. "Back-of-head models - and I'm being totally serious," she added the moment Blake opened her mouth. "I met one once! She was really nice, and the back of her head did look better than anyone else's."
Blake couldn't think of a more appropriate response to that new knowledge than to chuckle and shake her head. "I learn something new every day," she added before taking a bite to eat and humming in delight. "And you're right - this is good."
When Yang brightened and began her own meal, Blake took the opportunity to observe the event as it got underway. More people had filtered into the room, raising the volume slightly but not enough to make it overly loud. The current sorority members seemed to be assigned a particular graduate to supervise, resulting in a flawlessly executed integration of old and new at the tables.
A few minutes later, Mel escorted one of the oldest guests into the room. The elderly woman was slow with age but still graced with beauty and, very obviously, money. Once Mel helped the woman into a seat near the front, she scanned the room with a watchful gaze suggesting she was in charge of this event. Which, now that Blake thought about it, maybe she was.
After spotting Blake and sending a quick glare her way, Mel turned her attention to the nearest alumni and greeted the woman with a nice smile. Blake rolled her eyes at the pettiness and returned her attention to Yang - who was the reason for Mel's jealousy, anyway.
"What's this event for?" Blake asked, realizing she hadn't asked for details when Yang invited her.
"It's a yearly thing they do. They invite some of their best alumni back to raise money for their charity."
"They have a charity?"
"One they've supported for decades," Yang explained, watching the sorority girls flit around the room, catering to their wealthy compatriots. "It helps expand literacy for intercity kids - teaches them to read, gives them books, that type of thing."
"Wow."
With that information, Blake saw the room in a different light. The beautiful women, the dressed-up college students, the fancy setting...all for the purpose of teaching kids how to read. The charitable intent made it a little harder to be disdainful of the wealth on display.
"I had no idea," she added, and Yang smiled at her.
"They actually do a lot of philanthropy. It's just at school they can be...difficult."
The explanation ruined everything Blake thought she knew about the snobby, selfish sorority girls around campus. Maybe some of them only participated in the philanthropic events because they had to, but maybe some of them were actually very community-oriented.
It had never occurred to her before, but...maybe observing only got her so far. Maybe she could only learn so much about a person by viewing their interactions from a distance. Just like Yang, these girls were more complex than Blake gave them credit for. The only way she could prove her theories one way or the other was by spending time with them, just like she was spending time with Yang.
"You know," Blake said while turning back to Yang. "For someone who's not in a sorority, you spend an awful lot of time with them."
"I never wanted to join, but once they get their hooks in you..." Yang paused and glanced at Mel, then sighed. "They're hard to get out."
The comment added to Blake's growing suspicion that Yang didn't enjoy her popularity and the 'responsibilities' that came with it. But when popularity meant less freedom, who would?
"You're helping raise money to teach kids how to read," Blake pointed out.
"That's funny - I didn't take you as a silver linings person."
"Not usually," Blake admitted. "But I can see the allure."
When Yang smiled, seeming to understand the implication in that response, Blake couldn't help but smile in return. If she could make this better for Yang in any way, she would try. Even if it meant stepping outside her comfort zone and doing or saying things she wouldn't usually.
"Excuse me, everyone," Mel spoke up from the front of the room, drawing everyone's attention her way. "If you can take your seats, we'll get started."
The interruption ended the moment Blake and Yang had been sharing, and Yang raised her brow at Blake before the empty seats at their table filled with a collection of students interspersed with alumni.
"You're Yang Xiao Long, aren't you dear?" the woman on Yang's other side immediately asked. Yang gave Blake a meaningful look before turning towards her.
"Last time I checked," she replied, to which the woman laughed.
"Oh, it's a delight to meet you. When Melissa mentioned you'd be here, I knew I had to come. You've been quite the success recently."
"I guess you could say that -"
"Now tell me," she continued without waiting for Yang's full response. "That handsome young man in the jeans ad with you - any interest in him beyond his choice in clothing?"
When the woman winked, Yang laughed and leaned a little further away.
"Sorry, but I think he's already taken."
"Really?"
The woman's eyes widened at the unexpected gossip, but Mel tapped her fork to a wine glass at that moment, the soft ringing sound drawing everyone's attention. While Yang subtly scooted away from the woman, she muttered "Yeah, by his ego..." under her breath. Blake laughed at the addition, which earned a stern look from Mel before she plastered on a smile.
"Thank you, Kappas, for joining us for our forty-sixth annual Reading Times Brunch and Auction," she began in a sweet voice. "Promoting and expanding literacy has been a Kappa goal ever since our formation, when the very first Kappas collected funds and donated an entire library to a neighborhood school."
After pausing to give the attendees a moment to applaud that accomplishment, Mel continued.
"In addition to our annual fundraisers, this year's Kappas have created a schedule of reading hours at Vale Elementary School. Working in small groups, we have members reading to students for an hour every Friday."
Again, a pause for acknowledgment. And again, the dedication impressed Blake. Raising money through fancy events like this was one thing, but going out into the community was another. She could live without the self-righteousness in Mel's smile, but the end result still seemed like a worthy endeavor.
"Your donations today help us continue our work promoting literacy through the Reading Time project, providing free books to children who can't afford them on their own. Every dollar you donate gives a less fortunate child the opportunity to read at home, and maybe even collect a small library of their own."
After another brief pause, Mel looked around the room with a warm smile.
"We have a variety of excellent auction items for you to bid on today, including something you might call the opportunity of a lifetime - a private lunch with Yang Xiao Long."
Yang stiffened when Mel gestured towards her and the entire room turned her way, but she quickly forced a smile. The rest of the room, meanwhile, twittered with excitement.
"Please enjoy the food, and good luck!" Mel quickly ended before conversation overtook the room.
"I had no idea that was an option," the woman beside Yang said in a hushed voice before hurrying over to the table holding the variety of auction items. While many of the alumni collected at the far side of the room, Blake looked at Yang. Part of her didn't want to ask because she didn't want to know the answer. But another part of her couldn't ignore what just happened.
"...did you know they were auctioning you today?"
With her gaze locked across the room, where a collection of the older women spoke excitedly while congregating around one spot in particular, Yang slowly shook her head.
"No, I didn't."
Blake nodded but wasn't at all happy with the news. In fact, she was pretty angry about it. And this time, she was the one glaring when Mel took the empty seat beside Yang.
"Mel, what the hell," Yang immediately said, speaking softly so no one overheard. "You said I only had to sit here and eat."
"And then you can sit with one of our alumni and eat," Mel pointed out. When Yang frowned, however, she sighed. "Would you have agreed to come if I told you?"
"No."
"Exactly."
From the way Mel waved a hand, that should explain why she decided to do this without Yang's permission. But it was still inexcusable. No one should have their time stolen from them this way. Especially not to be auctioned to the highest bidder.
"Come on," Mel added when Yang still looked, rightfully, unhappy. "Don't you want to know how much your time is worth?"
"I'm perfectly fine not knowing."
"Fine, then please do this for me. I just watched Mrs. Sullivan write down ten thousand dollars to have lunch with you. Ten thousand dollars, Yang. That money will do a lot of good."
Blake watched Yang work her jaw back and forth but already knew she would go along with it. She was too kind to turn down that amount of money going to help underprivileged kids. But, even though it made Blake feel like a horrible person, she wished Yang would say no. She wished Yang would tell Melissa to raise that money in another way, without stealing her time, her name, and her freedom. That Yang would stand up and storm out of here rather than be taken advantage of this way.
"Fine," Yang grumbled instead. "But you owe me."
"Of course." Mel's smile was back - because she just got exactly what she wanted, and she'd probably always known that she would. "Now can you come meet a few people with me?"
"Ok, just...let me finish eating first."
When Mel nodded and flounced away, Yang sat back and sighed. Yang's aura was so defeated, Blake wished she'd said something - but what could she say on Yang's behalf? She didn't control Yang anymore than Mel did. The difference was that one of them realized it, and one of them didn't care.
"Are you really fine with it?" Blake finally ventured, but Yang sighed again.
"Have another silver lining for me?" she asked rather than answer.
Understanding what Yang was really asking for - validation, encouragement, and a reason why going along with Mel's plan was a good thing - Blake struggled with her own feelings on the matter. In the end, however, she would do what Yang asked for. Just like Yang did what Mel asked for.
"That money really will help a lot of kids…"
Saying that excused Mel's behavior, and Blake hated herself for it, but she also knew that Yang would go along with it anyway. If Yang had already made a decision...then Blake should try to make her feel better about it.
"If you think about it, you're the one earning that money for them. Even if you hadn't planned to...you're still making a difference, and it will still impact their lives."
With her gaze still trained across the room, Yang thought about the response for a moment before finally turning to Blake.
"You like reading, right?" she asked, and Blake nodded.
"I do. It's always been one of my passions."
"Then it's worth it."
Yang's smile finally returned as she stood, but Blake looked up at her with a confused smile of her own.
"It is?"
"Yes. If it'll make you like me more, I'll auction off more of my time to help kids read." When Blake's brow immediately rose, Yang quickly cleared her throat and added, "I mean, it's good to do charity work anyway, for the warm, fuzzy feelings and stuff. Not just to, you know, impress people."
"Right," Blake replied, finding it a little hard to speak as a light, bubbly feeling filled her chest.
"Yang," Mel broke in before motioning Yang over, clearly tired of waiting.
"Alright...I'll be right back. Will you be ok?"
"Don't worry about me." Blake nodded and motioned for Yang to go. "I'll be fine," she added when Yang hesitated. With that assurance, Yang finally smiled and joined Mel on the other side of the room.
Absent-mindedly eating what was left on her plate, Blake watched Mel parade Yang around the room. Regardless of her reluctance, Yang was a good sport. She shook every woman's hand, hugged some of them, and partook in a brief but friendly conversation before moving on. Everyone she met was left with a smile on their lips, no doubt charmed by her disarming and friendly demeanor.
Even though Blake wasn't fond of the circumstances, she had to admit that using Yang's celebrity in this instance was a stroke of genius. Every alumni showed signs of extreme wealth and, with it, an appetite for style or popularity. Of all the people they would pay to have lunch with, Yang was probably near the top - young, beautiful, in the fashion industry, and connected to the type of gossip they could only dream about.
That didn't make Blake any less angry. Mel should have asked first. Yang probably would have agreed because it was for charity, but asking gave her the opportunity to decline. It gave her the illusion of choice.
Sitting at the table with two other girls who were whispering about something, Blake sighed and set her fork down. She'd lost her appetite and, without Yang's presence, also lost her desire to stay. Yang's frequent glances suggested that her presence served as some sort of comfort though, so she wouldn't leave unless Yang left with her.
Fortunately, there were only so many people Yang could be introduced to. As soon as she'd greeted each one, she hurried back to the table.
"Ok," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper and leaning close enough that Blake's heart fluttered. "Are you ready to get out of here or what?"
Worried that Yang somehow sensed her eagerness to leave, Blake shrugged and tried to act like she didn't mind sticking around. Which, now that Yang had returned, wouldn't be hard to do.
"I'm fine with staying if you are."
"But you want to leave, don't you?"
Seeing the sparkle in Yang's eye, Blake realized the question had less to do with her emotions and more to do with how Yang felt. And if Yang wanted to leave, Blake certainly wasn't going to argue.
"Maybe a little…"
"Be honest."
"Ok, yes, I want to leave." She smiled when Yang looked thrilled by the news, and her excitement grew when Yang looked around to see if anyone was watching them.
"Then let's get out of here," Yang whispered before moving forward, her knee lightly touching Blake's while her lips moved tantalizingly close to Blake's ear. "Meet me in the bathroom in two minutes."
Without further explanation, Yang walked out of the room, drawing everyone's attention while Blake watched her go with a smile. Now that she was minutes from leaving, her heart felt light and excited. Knowing that Yang would leave with her only amplified that feeling, as she couldn't wait to see what the girl had in store next.
The room settled down once Yang's exit became a thing of the past, and the conversations soon hummed along like they always had. Once two minutes had passed, Blake stood and briefly wondered if she had to announce where she was going. When no one so much as looked at her, however, she left without a word.
As soon as she made it into the hall, she realized she had no idea where the bathroom was. The foyer and front door were to her left, the staircase leading upstairs was in front of her. If she had to guess, there must be a first-floor restroom somewhere - probably further into the house.
Making an educated guess, she headed to the right and realized that the room hosting the fundraiser was only one of several large dining areas. There was also a gorgeous living room with several immaculate white sofas and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and what looked like a study room with long wooden desks and a full-sized printer.
With all these living spaces, there had to be a restroom nearby. Moving on from the study, Blake saw the kitchen up ahead. The kitchen meant she probably went too far, seeing as how it was at the back of the house, but she headed that way in hopes of asking someone for directions. She was nearly there when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and tugged her out of the hall. Her instinct was to yell, but a hand quickly covered her mouth and a familiar voice whispered in her ear.
"Shhh. It's me."
Yang lowered her hand from Blake's mouth but kept her other wrapped around Blake's waist. Blake relaxed into the touch and, without thinking about it, covered Yang's hand with her own while savoring the warmth behind her. Yang responded by pulling her closer, their bodies pressed against each other, and Blake could swear that Yang smelled her hair before finally moving away.
"This way," Yang whispered before taking Blake by the hand, peeking out of their hiding spot, and quickly pulling her into the enormous, spotless kitchen. Blake marveled at the gleaming pots and marble countertops before they reached the far side of the kitchen, turned left, and hurried down another hallway.
There, they reached a second staircase. This one was more ordinary than the one in the entryway, probably serving as quicker access to this side of the house. Yang, surprisingly, led them upstairs, then held a finger to her lips while creeping down a wide hallway covered in some of the plushest carpet Blake had ever walked upon.
Evenly spaced doors bordered each side of the hall, and a peek through the first open one confirmed these were the bedrooms. With the fundraiser still going on downstairs, hopefully no one was up here...but Yang led them quickly down the hallway before turning right into another identical hallway filled with more bedrooms.
By now, Blake had no idea where Yang was leading her or how they would escape from the second story. When they took another right turn and ended up on the balcony above the foyer, heading towards the stairs, she suddenly understood that Yang just took her on a much-abbreviated tour.
Yang grinned when she saw the look on Blake's face but again raised one finger to her lips to shush any response. Her laugh, however, implied that this 'escape' wasn't as serious as she made it appear.
"We made it," she whispered while reaching for the handle on the front door.
"Oh, wait." Before following Yang outside, Blake pulled out her phone. "I promised Sun a picture."
Rather than put up any resistance, or even question the request, Yang returned to Blake's side.
"Mind if I'm in it?"
"Not at all."
Snapping a simple photo of the entryway had been her intention, but Blake smiled and flipped her phone around when Yang moved close to her side. Very much aware of how close Yang was, Blake extended her arm, smiled, and took the picture. After a glance at the screen, she nodded and said, "Perfect."
"Great, now let's get out of here."
Again taking Blake by the hand, Yang dragged her through the front door and away from the sorority house. It wasn't until they reached the sidewalk leading back to campus that Yang let out a long sigh.
"So glad that's over..."
"I kind of expected a different escape plan," Blake teased, still amused that all the secrecy led to them walking out the front door.
"But it was fun, right? I felt like a spy for a little bit." Yang grinned at their little adventure, so Blake couldn't help but smile in return. She loved that Yang's mood had lifted - her smile returned, her steps light, and her arms swinging happily.
It was at that moment that Blake realized Yang was swinging her hand too. Because they were still holding hands. Even though the sorority house and 'thrilling' escape had fallen behind.
Yang noticed at the same time and quickly let go.
"Sorry..." she mumbled while moving slightly further away.
For the life of her, Blake didn't know why Yang apologized. Holding hands felt natural, easy, and exciting. Now that they weren't, she missed the subtle warmth and comfort that had been more than welcome while it lasted.
The next few seconds passed in silence while Blake debated what to do. Ultimately, she decided to step out on a limb, and reached over to hold Yang's hand. Butterflies fluttered everywhere when Yang looked at her in surprise, but her action was rewarded when Yang made no attempt to pull away.
"It's ok," Blake said, her smiling growing as Yang's open delight matched her internal squealing. She felt like she could fly to the moon right now, and that feeling only grew when Yang intertwined their fingers and moved closer, their arms and shoulders brushing as they returned to campus.
"You don't need to stay for the auction?" Blake asked, if only to distract her from her overwhelming giddiness.
"Nope. Mel will tell me how much I sold for later." Blake cringed at the term and felt her annoyance return, but Yang brushed past it. "But ok - since I dragged you to another lame event, let's do something you want to do. What would you normally do on a Tuesday?"
"Well...I'd normally be home or at the library studying..."
"Let's go to the library then!" When Blake's brow rose at the suggestion, Yang nodded. "I'm serious. I want to see what your life is like for a change."
"Are you sure? Aren't you busy?"
If Sun was right about Yang's social calendar, she should have about ten other appointments she had to rush off to. Instead, she shook her head.
"Nope. Nothing planned for the rest of the day." After squeezing Blake's hand, which sent a shiver of excitement down Blake's back, Yang smiled and said, "I'm all yours."
Yang's words, expression, and the feeling of their fingers woven together filled Blake with adoration for the girl walking beside her. Regardless of how their time together started, she was having a wonderful time, and she wanted to extend that time together in any way possible. So she smiled and tugged Yang after her.