Another story done! I hope you enjoyed this one. I'll always have a soft spot for awkward model Yang, who's just the sweetest person ever. New stuff coming out soon, so stay tuned!
"It's so nice out..."
While Yang sighed and tilted her head towards the sun, basking in its warm rays, Blake looked up from her notebook and stared at the beautiful blonde hair cascading over Yang's shoulders and down her back.
"Mhmm…"
Noticing the distracted response, Yang opened her eyes and smiled when she caught Blake staring. "Like what you see?" she teased, winking for good measure.
Blake could respond to the banter in plenty of ways, but she chose her favorite: leaning in and capturing Yang's lips for a slow, adoring kiss. Before it grew into something more, as it often did, she moved only an inch away. "I do," she whispered while staring into bright purple eyes that made her heart sing.
"If I didn't know any better…" Yang replied softly, a smile tugging at her lips. "I'd say you were attracted to me."
The ridiculously unnecessary comment succeeded in making Blake laugh. Because no matter what Yang wore, or didn't wear, she looked gorgeous. Today was no exception.
"Just because you're not a model anymore doesn't mean you couldn't be one if you wanted to."
"That's the issue isn't it?" Yang mused while turning back to the sun. "Desire..."
"I'm having no issue with desire at the moment..." Blake muttered as her gaze slowly slid down Yang's body. Yang laughed at the response before falling silent and closing her eyes, savoring the sun's warmth on this beautiful spring day.
After several peaceful seconds passed, Blake opened her mouth but second-guessed herself and shook her head. Now felt like the right moment to ask the question that had rattled around in her thoughts for a while now. She knew that she could always ask anything, but she didn't want to bring up bad memories or dampen Yang's upbeat mood.
"It feels like you want to say something…" Yang said then, still with her head tilted back and eyes closed. Blake had no idea how she did that. Did she feel Blake's question? Or had the silence lasted too long? Regardless, now that Yang brought it up, Blake had to ask.
"Do you miss it?"
The question drew Yang's gaze, but she didn't hesitate to laugh and shake her head.
"Miss it? I'm drinking a milkshake and don't feel guilty about the quarter pound I'll gain, while spending time with my beautiful girlfriend without a thousand emails demanding my attention. What could I possibly miss?"
"I don't know...the glamor? Celebrity?"
"The free clothes were kind of nice," Yang joked. "But even those came with strings attached. Everything came with strings attached." Pausing, Yang frowned at the memories before meeting Blake's gaze. "Are you asking if I regret it?"
"Yes," Blake admitted, and Yang gave her a thoughtful look before smiling.
"I haven't regretted it for a second. It was fun while it was fun, and I'm glad I did it, but I'm also glad I'm not doing it anymore."
The confident answer was an immeasurable relief. If Yang had doubts, she would admit them - she was that type of person. At least, she was that type of person with those closest to her.
If she didn't regret walking away from that world, then this moment - the two of them sitting at The Patio between classes - was real. Yang wasn't pining for something bigger or better. Yang was really, truly at ease.
"I'm glad you're not doing it anymore, either," Blake admitted before trying to swipe the milkshake from Yang's hand, but Yang pulled it away just in time.
"Woah there. You're trying to deprive me of my reward?"
"I just want a sip," Blake said and laughed when Yang held the milkshake out of reach.
"Why don't I get you one?"
"Because I want some of yours."
Grinning at the response, Yang moved the cup a little closer.
"I think I know what you're really saying..."
"That it's hot out and I want some of your milkshake?"
"Oh, it's hot alright."
When Yang took a pointedly long sip, Blake opened her mouth to complain. Then Yang kissed her, and she forgot any complaint she'd ever had. She savored the taste of the milkshake in Yang's mouth instead, then enjoyed the lingering coolness of Yang's tongue, which quickly disappeared as they pressed closer together.
Blake loved feeling Yang's lips on hers, even as their tongues playfully battled for dominance. She always won, or Yang always let her win, but that mattered little in the grander scheme of things. In the grander scheme of things...they were happy, and they could be together without anything coming between them.
"Do you two do anything other than kiss?"
The pointed question ended the kiss far too early, but Yang wrapped an arm around Blake's waist to keep her from scooting away. Instead, she suffered her embarrassment while leaning into Yang's warm, comforting embrace and watched Weiss and Ruby sit across from them.
"You're one to talk," Yang replied. "When you and Ruby started dating, you were basically a flavor of chapstick."
Weiss made an unamused face, but Ruby giggled and said, "It's true. Weiss is still my favorite flavor."
Yang wrinkled her nose at the comment, which was more information than she'd bargained for, while Weiss regained a smile and kissed Ruby's cheek.
"You're my favorite flavor…"
"Ok," Yang interrupted. "I'm gonna stop you before my ears start bleeding."
When Weiss smirked but obligingly leaned away from Ruby, Blake patted Yang's knee. Yang loved teasing Ruby and Weiss about their relationship but sometimes bit off more than she could chew. Either that or Ruby and Weiss were experts in flustering Yang. Either way, Blake adored the banter.
"Is that a milkshake?" Ruby suddenly asked, her eyes lighting up as soon as she noticed the cup in Yang's hand. "Can I have some?"
When Ruby clasped her hands together and added some irresistible puppy dog eyes, Yang glanced at Blake, who blushed and turned away, before looking at Ruby.
"Uh, sure..."
Yang extended the cup, but Weiss set her hand on top of Ruby's to prevent her from taking it.
"Let me get you one," Weiss said while giving Yang, then Blake, a knowing look. "You don't want that one."
"Why not?"
"Because it's probably melted by now. Don't you want a fresh one?" Ruby grinned at the idea, so Weiss stood up. "I'll be right back," she added before heading into the restaurant to order another milkshake - this one untainted by Blake and Yang's desire for each other.
Still smiling, Ruby watched Weiss walk all the way up to the counter before finally turning to Yang. "So Weiss and I had an idea," she said, her excitement sparking into high gear almost immediately. "And you'll love it."
"Uh huh…" After taking another sip of her milkshake, Yang offered it to Blake with a wink. "What is it?" she asked before laughing when Blake swiped the cup from her hands so she stopped using it as a source of embarrassment.
"The four of us should go on a spring break trip this year!" Yang's brow rose at the suggestion, but Ruby turned to Blake. "Yang's usually super busy over break so we never get to go anywhere. But now that you're not super busy, we should go somewhere fun! Celebrate our last year together before you graduate and become an adult or whatever."
"What do you think?" Yang asked while gently nudging Blake's knee. "Have time for a trip?"
"As long as I can still work on my project, then...yes, I can."
By the time Blake realized that she just agreed to go on vacation together, the sparkle had appeared in Yang's eyes. Yang was excited, which made Blake excited, so she ignored the implications of this most recent development. They were close and growing closer, but that was a good thing. That was a great thing, actually.
"Awesome!" Ruby added with a delighted clap. "And it's fine if you have some work. Weiss has two big tests and a paper due the week after, so she'll have to study too."
"Since when do you have her schedule memorized?" Yang teased.
"Since forever! I memorize her syllabuses at the beginning of every semester."
"But...why?"
"So I can support her as much as possible!" Ruby replied before her brow furrowed. "Isn't that what a good girlfriend should do?"
"Yes, Ruby," Blake cut in before Yang teasingly suggested otherwise. "That's very sweet of you. I'm sure she appreciates it."
"I think so." Thinking about Weiss, Ruby smiled. "She likes when I know that she needs to study, then she doesn't have to feel bad telling me she's busy."
The response proved that Ruby was just as sweet and considerate as her sister, who tapped on Blake's shoulder and hesitantly smiled when Blake turned towards her. "So...any chance I can see your schedule?"
Blake kissed Yang's cheek for the adorable question then said, "I'll show you later." Noticing Ruby grinning at them, she blushed and moved a little further away.
"You're so cute," Ruby said anyway. As usual, she wasn't shy about offering her opinion and, as usual, it deepened Blake's blush. Yang, however, chuckled and kept her arm wrapped around Blake's waist.
"I think we are, too."
Yang's warm smile and the adoration in her lilac eyes suggested she knew exactly what those words would do to Blake's heart, which skipped several beats in surprise and happiness. If Yang was the sweetest person Blake knew, Ruby was a close second. Their positive energy was enough to erase the worst of days. Not that Blake had many bad days now that Yang was a nearly constant part of her life.
"Here you go." After setting a freshly made milkshake in front of Ruby, Weiss sat beside her with a huff. "Sorry it took so long. They thought they were out of chocolate, so I reminded them that they weren't."
"How did you remind them?" Yang asked while Ruby took a long sip and hummed.
"Firmly," Weiss replied deadpan before focusing on Ruby.
"Thank you!" Ruby said before kissing Weiss' cheek. "Chocolate's my second favorite flavor," she added before giggling and taking another sip.
When Yang huffed at the response, Blake patted her leg and whispered "You're my favorite flavor," before winking and moving away. Whether it was the words or the wink, Yang suddenly didn't mind the displays of affection across the table. Instead, her gaze locked onto Blake and didn't waver for such a long time that Blake's skin tingled with the beginning of desire.
She often wished she could read Yang's mind, but she didn't need to right now. They were both thinking the same thing, as they did more and more often recently. "You only have one class left today, right?" Yang finally asked before laughing when Blake playfully swatted her shoulder.
"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed, effectively drawing their attention back to her. "Yang and Blake are on board for break."
"Yeah?" Finally pulling her gaze away from Ruby, Weiss looked across the table. "That's good to hear. I wasn't sure if you two were, you know, at that point yet."
Weiss' smile said that she knew exactly what conversation she just brought up and was pleased to do it. The age-old question - and the one no one wanted to pose too soon - where were they in this relationship? Where was it headed? Was it serious enough to go on a vacation together? Was it serious enough for more than that?
Unsure of how to answer, Blake looked at Yang, whose cheeks and ears were red with a flush.
"I mean, it's just a trip..." she muttered, and Blake quickly nodded.
"People go on spring break together all the time."
"Yeah! It's no big deal."
Yang smiled, but her eyes silently asked if it was actually a big deal.
It wasn't, was it? They were practically attached at the hip now, anyway. Whenever they weren't in class, they were together. They shared nearly all of their meals together, studied together, spent most of their nights together, and most of their mornings. How was going on a trip any different? Other than not having classes tear them apart, which honestly sounded heavenly.
"Any suggestions on where we should go?" Weiss asked while casually wrapping her arms around Ruby's waist and resting her head on Ruby's shoulder.
"Someplace warm," Yang said. Ruby nodded but quickly stopped when Weiss made a disgruntled noise about her headrest moving.
"That sounds awesome," Ruby said instead. "Someplace sunny and warm -"
"With a beach?" Yang added. "Or a pool, so we can...go swimming."
When Yang's gaze flitted to Blake, Blake blushed and quietly cleared her throat. If Yang wanted to see her in a bikini, she would wear a bikini. It seemed a little unnecessary considering Yang regularly saw her in far more revealing ways, but she also wouldn't mind staring at Yang in a bikini all day long.
"That sounds nice," she agreed when Yang gently prodded her for input.
"Basically, anywhere the two of you can spend the entire week ogling each other. Got it."
As usual, Weiss put it exactly how she saw it. In this case, she was spot on.
"Like you'll be doing any different," Yang pointed out, to which Weiss shrugged. Again, Yang wrinkled her nose at the lack of denial, but Blake tapped her hand.
"Maybe we can go shopping before?" she asked before lowering her voice. "I'm willing to wear anything you pick out…" she offered, and watched in delight as Yang's mouth dropped open into a perfect 'o.'
"Seriously?"
"Of course." After glancing across the table to make sure Weiss and Ruby were preoccupied with each other, Blake sent a teasing smile Yang's way. "Pretty sure I should listen when an ex-model gives me swimsuit advice."
"Less is more," Yang quickly replied. "But how about we trade - you pick mine, I pick yours? That seems fair."
"What're you picking out?" Ruby interjected at exactly the wrong time.
"New swimsuits." While Weiss' lips curled in a smirk, Yang cleared her throat and glanced at Blake. "I mean, it's our last break, so we should get some nice clothes, right?"
"Right!" Ruby agreed, but Weiss' nod was much more knowing. She was going to say something. Blake could already feel the embarrassment incoming -
"'Sup ladies?" The four of them looked over in surprise as a tall, crew-cut boy slumped into the seat beside Yang and offered her a high-five. "'Sup Yang," he added while slapping her hand.
Taken aback by his unexpected appearance, Yang glanced at Blake before turning back to him. "Uh, hi Cal. Long time no see."
"Right?" he agreed with a friendly smile and nod. "It's been like...forever. You fall off the map or what?"
"I guess you could say that..." Again, Yang shared a confused look with Blake. "You know I quit modeling, right?"
"Oh, yeah." Cal blew a puff of air through his lips and waved off the remark. "Everyone knows that. But hey, I have an important question. What're you doing this Friday night?"
"I'm not sure yet...why?"
"'Cuz me 'n the boys are throwing a huge party, and you need to be there."
"Uh…"
Still shocked by the conversation, Yang glanced around the table to confirm everyone else was witnessing the same thing she was.
"Please come," Cal added. "The other girls are so boring. It's like hanging out with dressed-up boxes or something. All they ever want to do is, like...stand around looking pretty. Which is fine 'n all but like, you're actually fun to hang out with so please come."
Amused by the sincere invitation, Yang laughed and reached over to hold Blake's hand. "Maybe," she answered. "If I feel like it."
Yang smiled when Cal did a celebratory fist-pump, and Blake smiled at the answer itself. If Yang felt like going to a party, she would go. But she now had the freedom to choose TV and sweatpants if she wanted. Not only the freedom, but the ability - and that made Blake even happier than before.
"You won't regret it," he added with a big grin before motioning around the table. "All of you should come - we need more real girls around here. No more of this 'I can't hold my drink because of my manicure' bullshit."
"Wait," Yang said, chuckling at Cal's high-pitched, sorority girl impression while holding up her hand. "Aren't you dating Mel?"
Hearing the name, he immediately sighed and slumped his shoulders.
"Ok, here's the deal," he said, leaning forward and lowering his voice like he was about to tell them a big secret. "So like, maybe I am, but also like, she's pretty hot. I mean, not you hot -" He motioned both hands towards Yang. "But she's still hot."
"And has the personality of a vengeful demon?" Weiss offered. Surprisingly, he emphatically nodded.
"Exactly like that."
"Cal…" Yang said, shaking her head. "Then why keep dating her?"
"Because you're taken," he joked but winced when Yang glanced at Blake. "Uh, and I totally get that," he said while meeting Blake's gaze. "I'm not like, trying to encroach on your turf or anything."
Again, Yang laughed, and Blake couldn't help but smile. "Just watch your step," she replied in a teasingly serious tone, and Yang grinned at her while he gave a firm nod.
"Noted." After a short pause, he regained a smile and leaned forward to talk to Blake again. "You know, I knew you were special when Yang took you to get ice cream. Cuz like, Yang never got ice cream with anyone who wasn't special."
Suddenly, Blake liked Cal much more than before. Upon first meeting he was a bit...much...but he seemed like a decent guy. And he just admitted that Yang was special regardless of her status as a model, making him more than ok in Blake's book.
"I never wasted a cheat day with bad company," Yang said, smiling at Blake while Cal nodded.
"Exactly! Oh -" After a quick pause, he chuckled at whatever he just thought of. "Remember when -"
"Cal."
The stern voice silenced his words and made his eyes widen, but he didn't turn around. The rest of them looked up and saw Melissa standing not twenty feet away, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed at the boy's back.
"One of you trade lives with me," he said in a hushed voice before looking at Weiss. "Rich girl - trade lives with me."
"Hell no."
"Calvin."
Cringing at the tone, he gave himself a silent pep talk before sighing and standing up. "Please come," he whispered to Yang before hurrying over to Mel, who glowered at Blake before giving the boy an earful, marching away with him in tow.
After watching the new couple for several seconds, Blake shook her head. Yang watched for a little longer before chuckling to herself. "Poor guy...I knew he'd get in trouble chasing the wrong girls."
"He's so nice though," Ruby said while Weiss somewhat reluctantly nodded. "He walks us home from parties to make sure we're alright."
"He still calls me 'rich girl' though…" Weiss muttered.
"That's his way of flirting with you," Ruby teased before her expression fell. After a few seconds of thought though, she shrugged and looked at Yang. "Think you'll go?"
"Dunno." Yang nudged Blake's shoulder and smiled. "I'm pretty fond of the Belladonna Special."
"What's that?"
While Ruby looked between the two of them, Blake rolled her eyes. "Staying home and going to sleep early while everyone else is out partying," she admitted, shaking her head at Yang's grin.
The 'Belladonna Special' had changed recently. What used to be a solitary evening of studying had expanded to include more options and the constant companionship of her favorite person in the world. Sometimes, they studied. Other times, they watched a movie, or television, or stayed up late talking, cuddling, or doing other things in bed.
"Unless you want to go with me?" Yang asked. Blake considered the offer for only a second before patting Yang's arm.
"If you want to go, I'll go with you."
"It'll be at Omega house," Yang added with a waggle of her brow, making Blake smile and lean into her side.
"I'm a little more willing now…"
"Then we'll think about it." Yang grinned but, when Blake gave her a look, quickly added, "I mean, I'll think about it, since I already know you'd rather stay in."
Trying not to influence Yang's decision in any way, Blake just shrugged and took a sip of Yang's milkshake. Typically, she preferred staying in. But returning to the place where this all started didn't sound so bad either, especially if Yang was with her.
"If you go, we'll go!"
"We will?" Weiss gave Ruby a surprised look but, upon receiving an enthusiastic nod, shrugged. "I guess we will."
Weiss and Ruby's inclusion might make Yang more willing to go, but it also made Blake look forward to the possible event even more. Whenever the four of them spent time together, they had a great time - why would this be any different?
"But we should probably head to class now," Weiss added after glancing at her phone. "I don't want you to be late again."
"Yes, ma'am!" Ruby grabbed her milkshake and popped to her feet before sending Weiss an amused look. "I mean, technically you're the reason I was late last time…"
Sneaking a glance to see if Yang caught the comment - Yang definitely caught the comment - Weiss quickly scoffed and took Ruby's hand to lead her away. "I don't know what you're talking about," she added, but Ruby laughed and turned back to wave.
"See you later! Dinner tonight?"
After giving Ruby a thumbs up, Yang chuckled and watched the two girls walk away. Then she checked the time on her phone and smiled at Blake.
"Can I walk you to class?"
"You don't have to ask every time," Blake pointed out while returning her belongings to her bag and standing up. "You know my answer."
"Yeah, well…" Failing to come up with a response, Yang smiled instead. "Maybe I like asking. Whenever you say 'yes,' it feels like you want me around."
Before leaving the table, Blake pressed a soft, slow kiss to Yang's lips before pulling away and watching Yang's eyes flutter open.
"I always want you around."
"Then you're stuck with me for a while."
"Just what I wanted."
No matter how often or how boldly Blake made that clear, Yang always beamed like it was the best news she'd ever heard. And, when Blake extended her hand, that smile brightened.
Holding hands with Yang was still one of the most comforting and natural feelings in the world. And, now that their relationship had become old news, fewer people stared at them than in the past. The result was an even more enjoyable stroll across campus, with Blake savoring Yang's company every step of the way.
"How do you feel about a movie tonight?" Yang asked while lightly swinging their hands.
"I feel pretty good about that."
"You want to choose?" Yang offered, as usual. And Blake shook her head, as usual.
"You should choose."
"But why?"
"Because you never choose, Yang," Blake pointed out. "I want to watch something you want to watch."
"And I want to watch what you want to watch." When Blake smiled and shook her head, Yang waved her free hand and said, "Ok, ok - rock, paper, scissors for it?"
Smiling at the proposition, Blake raised her free hand to show that she accepted the terms. Rock, paper, scissors was Yang's solution to pretty much any impasse. It might seem elementary but...it worked, and it was super cute.
"Ok," Yang said, staring at Blake's fist as if formulating a strategy. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot." The moment Yang said the word, she picked her item...and groaned at the result.
"Aha," Blake said while tapping her closed fist on top of Yang's fingers. "I knew you'd be a scissors girl."
When she winked, Yang rewarded her with a soft blush.
"Then why'd you choose rock?"
"So I would win," Blake teased before tugging Yang to the nearby building. "Looks like you're choosing a movie tonight."
"Can you at least give me a hint of what you want to watch?" Yang asked while opening the door.
"I can't give you a hint because I want to watch what you want to watch."
Briefly puffing out her cheeks, Yang eventually gave up and smiled.
"Alright, I'll pick something. But if it's bad…"
"I'll never let you live it down," Blake teased before kissing Yang's cheek. "I'm kidding, Yang," she added when Yang's eyes widened. "If it's bad, you can just...make it up to me after. Or during."
"Well now I want to pick a bad one..."
Smiling at the thought, Blake gently stopped Yang a short distance from her classroom. Class wouldn't start for another few minutes, and she wanted to spend every one of them with Yang. So, rather than say goodbye, she leaned against the wall and felt her heart faster when Yang set her forearm on the wall beside her.
"You look great today, by the way."
Butterflies fluttered through Blake's chest at the compliment. Here was Yang, a former model, telling Blake that she looked great.
"You look great every day."
Yang waved off the words before tenderly tucking a strand of hair behind Blake's ear. Sensing the incoming kiss, Blake lifted her chin as Yang leaned down to capture her lips.
The sweet, caring kiss made Blake respond with every bit of love she felt in return. Reaching up, she brushed her fingers across Yang's cheek, feeling Yang's hands gently clutch her sides in return. An undercurrent of passion lingered between their lips, same as usual. They couldn't let that passion build at this moment, but later...
"You kiss her, Blake!"
Rolling her eyes at Sun's encouragement, Blake didn't bother ending the kiss while he walked past. She did pause, however, when he and Yang slapped hands before he stopped in the doorway. "In the middle of the hall too," he teased. "Never thought I'd see the day Blake Belladonna became so daring."
Hands still on Blake's sides, Yang glanced at her and laughed at the way Sun said her name.
"It's definitely not 'jumping through a window while being chased by a bat-wielding boyfriend' type of daring," Blake retorted, but he laughed rather than be embarrassed by the response.
"Agreed, but it makes me wonder what else you've been up to. In public places, no less."
"Sun..." Blake said, using her best warning voice while he kept laughing.
"Just saying!" After raising his hands, he snapped his fingers and pointed their way. "Hey, remember that time I dared you to hook up with someone at a party?"
When Blake tried to slap his arm, he ducked out of the way and scurried into the classroom with a laugh. Even though she shook her head at his teasing, she smiled when she heard Yang's laughter.
"He's funny."
"He's dead," Blake replied, which only made Yang laugh more.
Yang's ability to laugh at how they met made Blake feel truly forgiven. If she harbored any negative feelings towards the lie, she wouldn't find it so amusing now. But, if she still had any negative feelings, she would tell Blake, and Blake would do anything to reassure her.
Honestly, their communication had never been better. Blake wasted no opportunities to make her feelings known, and Yang didn't hesitate to admit her uncertainties. Part of that could be their growing ease in being with each other, but Blake attributed a small portion to her lie. If they hadn't gone through that, they might not have learned how important it was to be honest and forthcoming with one another.
"Hey," Yang said, the soft word prodding Blake out of her thoughts. "Are you sure you're ok with the spring break thing?"
The question proved Blake's point, and she smiled in return.
"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I dunno, it's just...an entire week, you know?"
"Yes," she replied, growing more amused by Yang's hesitance. "I'm aware of how long spring break is."
"Ok, but like - we'd spend that entire time together. No breaks. It's not like you go back to your place and I go back to mine - unless we get separate rooms? We can do that if you want. I'm sure Weiss wouldn't mind..."
"Yang," Blake interrupted, setting her fingers on Yang's lips to stop the rambling. "Spending an entire week with you sounds incredible. I'm looking forward to it."
"Yeah?" Yang's smile grew as soon as Blake nodded. "I am too. Looking forward to it, I mean." When Yang glanced at the floor, Blake tilted her head at the sudden display of nerves. "And um, I know it might be too soon to bring this up, but after you graduate..."
Yang trailed off, but Blake's heart started beating loudly after just those few words. She didn't want to be presumptuous, but she hoped this was the conversation she'd wished for. The topic she'd been too afraid to bring up yet even though it worried her more with each passing day.
"I know graduation is soon," Yang continued, finally meeting Blake's gaze. "But...I don't want this to be one of those things that ends at graduation. So, uh, I just wanted to put it out there that...I don't want this to end when you graduate."
Blake couldn't have said the words any better herself. "I don't either," she admitted, her smile growing when Yang looked thrilled by the response.
"Really?"
"Really."
Now Yang was excited and nervous, but she shuffled her feet and kept her hands on Blake's sides.
"Then maybe we can...keep that in mind? And discuss it sometime?"
"I'd love to."
Blake didn't just mean that she would love to have the conversation. She meant that she would love to continue this relationship through graduation and beyond, and she would love to do exactly what Yang was hinting at - finding a place together after school was over. At least, after school ended for Blake, since Yang had several more years ahead of her.
Regardless of where their lives took them, she wanted to live with Yang. From there, it wasn't a big leap to say that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Yang. She never wanted this to end, and she would do anything in her power to make sure that happened.
"Great." Again, Yang shuffled her feet, but she couldn't stop smiling. "I'm, uh, looking forward to that."
"Me too," Blake replied before sighing when she spotted her professor racing towards the classroom - late, as usual. Sensing the mood shift, Yang glanced over and smiled when she spotted him too.
"Guess I should let you go, huh?"
The moment Yang dropped her hands, Blake seriously considered skipping class. But skipping class would only provide a brief reprieve since Yang had a class of her own starting in a little while. They could both skip, but then…
"I'll see you as soon as we're done," Yang added, somehow sensing that Blake needed encouragement heading into this temporary separation. "Then we'll have the entire afternoon before meeting up with Ruby and Weiss for dinner."
"I guess…" Blake mumbled, but her mood picked up when Yang kissed her cheek.
"It'll go fast." After squeezing Blake's hand one last time, Yang backed away. "Love you."
"Love you too," Blake replied, her heart overflowing at the simple words. Smiling now, she tucked her hair behind her ear and watched Yang walk away.
Yang didn't make it far before another student waved and struck up what looked like a friendly conversation. Yang laughed at whatever they said before they headed down the hall together, the sight warming Blake's heart.
Regardless of her popularity, Yang was still a bright, warm, beautiful sun. But, freed of the pressures forced upon her, she drew others to her through her caring and lively spirit. She didn't feel compelled to please everyone, and that made everyone happier to be around her. Plus, without the constant guard of possessive planets, people felt like they could approach her.
The best part - she was so much happier when she could be herself. And Blake really, really loved when Yang could be herself.
"Are you going to stand out there making eyes at her all day or…?" Finally tearing her gaze away from Yang, Blake lightly slapped Sun's shoulder before following him into class. "You're together all the time now," he added while they hurried to their seats. "When are you moving in together?"
Sitting down and pulling out her notebook, Blake thought about her conversation with Yang and smiled.
"Hopefully, soon."
His eyes widened, but she just kept smiling and prepared for class.
Maybe he thought she was joking. Maybe he thought she was exaggerating. But he knew she wasn't lying. She hadn't told a lie in quite some time now.