Just Tell Me To Stay
Summary: Yang and Blake have been in love with each other since the moment they met, but neither could ever reveal their feelings. But now that they're entering their senior year and all the talk is on colleges and plans for the future, their friends aren't sure they can just sit by and watch as they lose each other for good. High School AU. Bumblby, WhiteRose, Arkos
Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a longer story so please bear with me. The setting is a pretty ambiguous modern world high school. I didn't exactly intend for it to take place in America but a lot of colloquial words related to school are in there so it kind of ends up feeling pretty American. Hope you like it!
Chapter 1: Leaving
She was more than a little confused to get off work to find that Weiss had spammed her phone with text messages telling her to get home 'immediately'. Some part of Yang's mind thinks she should probably be more worried, after all it's pretty rare for Weiss to overreact about anything.
But honestly she's just a little too tired to rush home with any extra sense of urgency. Working the closing shift right after school let out was just about as draining as it could be.
Which leads her to shuffle clumsily to her old, beat up car for the short drive home. The dull emerald glow of the clock reads 9:31 and she lets out a groan as she wonders how the hell she's supposed to get all her homework done for tomorrow. If Beacon High was famous for anything it would be the intense workload, and they didn't exactly make exceptions for students who had to work extra jobs. Hopefully her next year at Vale University would be a little easier… I mean how much homework could a college freshman possibly have?
But in the meantime, she's in for a really long night and that's not even considering whatever it was that Weiss was freaking out about. If she wasn't driving she'd give in to the temptation to slam her head into the steering wheel.
But then she pulls up to her street and her weariness is almost instantly gone when she catches sight of a black sedan parked in their driveway. She quickly slides up to the curb and out of the car, trying desperately to contain the grin threatening to spread across her face.
Running across the front lawn and quickly up the steps, Yang all but rips open the door and heads inside, carelessly dumping her shoes and coat on the floor in the process.
She can hear the sound of hushed voices growing louder as she heads towards the kitchen and when she turns the corner she finds Weiss and Ruby sitting at the dining table. Weiss shoots her a look she doesn't quite understand but it's all but forgotten when Yang finally turns her attention to Blake standing off to the side and she can feel her heart start pumping faster.
She can't seem to remember the last time seeing Blake didn't completely take her breath away. Her shiny black hair, her smooth porcelain skin, or her adorably timid smile are all enough to floor her on their own, but the thing that never fails to make her mind numb is the glow from Blake's beautiful amber eyes that always seem to find her the second she enters the room.
Tonight though, she can tell immediately that something's wrong. Even just the way that Blake's eyes are glued to the floor or the way she fusses anxiously with her hair instantly set off red flags.
"What's wrong?" she asks, concern growing with every second. "Did something happen?"
"No!" Blake says quickly, "at least… nothing… bad…"
She trails off, voice getting quieter with every word until the last is louder than barely a whisper.
"Ok…" Yang responds slowly.
Blake lets out a heavy sigh. "My parents… they convinced me to send in an early college application… and I… got in."
She scrunches her eyebrows, more confused than ever. "That's… a good thing isn't it?"
"Yang I… I was accepted into U.M. in Mistral."
That brings her heart to a screeching stop and she doesn't really hear anything further. She vaguely picks out something about how her parents really want her to go and how great of a school it is. But all she can think about is how the person she cares most about in the world is leaving her.
Her mind begins to race, thinking about just how much she looks forward to seeing Blake every single day. At school, at lunch, at home, Blake would even visit her at work from time to time just because she knew how much Yang hated it there. It had gotten to the point that the thought of seeing Blake was enough to actually get her out of bed in the morning and now… now the next four years of her life at least, she would be half the world away.
"Yang?" Blake says cautiously, interrupting her internal panic. "Please say something."
The pained look in Blake's eyes breaks her heart all over again and she quickly shakes her head in a feeble attempt to snap out of her pathetic little freakout. This was an incredible opportunity for Blake and she shouldn't be letting her stupid feelings ruin it all.
So she forces as genuine of a smile onto her face as she can manage.
"I'm sorry Blake that… that's amazing." Her voice is a lot less shaky than she thought it would be, especially considering the stinging in her eyes threatening to spill over. But she decides not to push her luck and rushes forward to pull Blake in for a tight hug.
"I'm so proud of you." she whispers into her hair.
Yang feels her stiffen just a bit before she hugs her back and it has her worried that her performance might not have been as convincing as she had hoped. But she doesn't want to let go. She's overcome with this irrational need to hold on to her. Like if she hugs her tight enough all of her problems will fade away and Blake will be with her forever.
But she pulls away anyway. Partially because she's committed to selling the lie and partially because she isn't sure how much longer she can keep it up.
"Look I'm really sorry but I promised a friend that we would study for a test together and I'm already late." She says backing out of the kitchen. "But I promise we'll all celebrate this weekend okay?"
She knows exactly how unconvincing it sounds but it's the only thing she can come up with. Not waiting for a response, she heads to the door as fast as she can without being obvious and takes off running the second it shuts behind her.
She doesn't hear Weiss and Ruby calling after her or see Blake slide down to the floor, head hanging between her knees.
…..
Pyrrha is pretty sure it should be illegal to hold extra practice the night before a math test just because they have a track meet this weekend. She's just thankful that she had had the foresight to take her car to school today instead of making the usual walk. Particularly since it had started pouring rain almost as soon as she had gotten into her car.
It's a little alarming how late practice had gone but through some stroke of luck she had managed to get most of her homework done throughout the day in anticipation of her coach's ridiculous expectations.
She's just pulling up to her driveway when she recognizes the mass of blonde hair leaning up against her front door. Her eyes widen and she immediately throws her car into park with a sickening jolt.
In an instant she's out of the driver's seat and racing up the walkway.
"Yang!" she shouts over the torrential rain. "Yang are you okay?"
When she doesn't receive an answer Pyrrha takes a second to look over her best friend.
Her violet eyes are sunken and hollow, her hair is soaked through and plastered to her face, and her shoulders are shaking violently in the cold.
It's only then that Pyrrha notices that Yang's upper body is only covered by a thin yellow tank top.
"Yang! Are you insane?" She shouts, fumbling frantically to find the keys in her pocket.
She gets the door open as quickly as she can before yanking Yang to her feet and dragging her inside. It catches her off guard how ridiculously cold she is but that only fuels her sense of urgency.
As fast as they can with Yang lethargically stumbling behind, Pyrrha pulls her friend up the stairs and into the bathroom adjoining the room. She only lets go of Yang's hand for a second to crank up the shower to a reasonably warm temperature before reaching out again and pulling them both under the comforting downpour.
The water starts to soak through her clothes and she's actually thankful for the warmth as she wraps her arms around Yang's shoulders and the two of them sink down to lean against the side of the tub. After only a few seconds she starts to shiver from pressing up against Yang's ice cold body but she fights the instinct to turn up the heat of the water, afraid that any hotter would be too much of a shock for Yang.
They sit like that for a while. Yang curled up against her chest as she gently strokes the blonde's hair. When their temperature finally seems to have stabilized a bit, Pyrrha reaches over to turn off the water and the room is plunged into a deafening silence.
She wants so desperately to ask Yang what's wrong and magically fix everything for her best friend, but she knows better. It's not exactly the first time either of them had broken down in front of the other and Pyrrha's learned over the years how useless it is to press her before she's ready.
"She's leaving me." the blonde mumbles finally. Her voice is defeated and barely louder than a whisper.
"Who?" Pyrrha asks gently.
"Blake" Yang chokes out, burying her face back into Pyrrha's chest.
She lets out a deep sigh, letting her head thump back against the wall. She probably should have been able to guess that one. Yang had confided in her almost three years ago that she had fallen in love with the girl who had transferred from Menagerie midway through their freshman year.
"She… she said that she got an early acceptance letter… to Mistral!" Yang wails, breaking down into another round of sobs.
Pyrrha doesn't think she's ever felt so useless in her life. She wished more than anything that she could solve all of Yang's problems for her. The girl had suffered through so much in life with her mother leaving and Summer dying, not to mention having to work such hard hours all the time to help her dad out.
She deserves so much better than this.
"Did she say that she's decided already?"
She feels Yang shake her head.
"Then maybe there's still a chance that she'll choose Vale." she says optimistically.
Another shake of the head.
"Why not?"
"It's such a good school… and she said her parents really want her to go there." Yang answers quietly.
"Vale's a really good school too, and besides this is her decision to make, not her parents"
This time Yang doesn't give anything in response.
"You still haven't told her yet have you?" Pyrrha asks.
Another shake of the head.
"You know if you did it might…"
"No!" Yang interrupts, instantly pulling away from her and looking at her directly for the first time that night. Her lilac eyes are stretched wide in panic. "I could never do that to her! This is way too important of a decision to mess with like that."
"That may be true but…"
"And besides," Yang continues, dejectedly bringing her gaze back down to the floor, "it's not like she could ever feel the same way."
Pyrrha responds with a frustrated huff.
"Yang we've talked about this like, I don't know a thousand times? She's just as much in love with you as you love her. Please just…"
"Stop it Pyrrha," Yang interrupts gloomily, "I appreciate what you're doing but just… don't. Okay? Please?"
With that Yang stands up, reaching for the towel hanging on the wall leaving Pyrrha to watch hopelessly. Every time she had brought up the possibility that Blake could reciprocate her feelings in the past, Yang had shut down in a similar way, forever convinced that it would be impossible for Blake to love 'someone like her'.
And it's probably the most frustrating thing Pyrrha has ever experienced. To her, Yang has always been the most beautiful person she's ever known. Anyone who meets her is instantly captivated by her looks and those lucky enough to know her falls in love with her incredibly pure heart.
She just wished she could get Yang to see it for herself.
…..
With their clothes completely soaked through it takes a bit for the two of them to dry off. She lets Yang borrow a set of clothes for the night, absolutely refusing to let her walk back home in the rain.
When Pyrrha returns to the room, two steaming mugs of tea in hand, she finds Yang already fully cocooned in her bed.
"Glad to see you're making yourself comfortable in my bed." She remarks with a smile, hoping some gentle teasing will cheer Yang up a bit.
And of course, the blonde always has to respond in kind, cracking a grin not half a second later.
"Well someone has to warm your bed up for you from time to time, god knows Jaune..."
"Don't! Finish. That. Sentence." Pyrrha interrupts with a glare, painfully aware of the blood rushing to her face. "I take it back, maybe I should let you walk home and freeze to death."
With that Yang lets out a slight chuckle and gives her hair a comically dramatic flip.
"Buuuut you love me too much to do that."
Pyrrha rolls her eyes in response but inwardly she's too relieved for words that Yang is back to her usual self. Even if it means suffering a bit of embarrassment.
"Maybe I do," she says, sliding up next to Yang and handing her one of the mugs.
Pyrrha takes a sip from her tea. Humming appreciatively at the way the warmth spreads through her. Maybe she could've turned the shower up a little hotter.
"Pyrrha?" Yang says quietly. She turns to her side to see the blonde deep in thought, eyebrows furrowed anxiously and intently studying her mug.
"Yeah?"
"Um… I just… thanks." She says, violet eyes finally turned towards her, giving a shy smile in a mix of gratitude and embarrassment.
Pyrrha feels a smile spread across her own face and she pulls Yang in for a one armed hug. The girl immediately melts into her side, resting her head comfortably on Pyrrha's shoulder.
"You know I'd do anything for you. Just try not to worry me like that again ok?" She says gently.
"I promise I won't." Yang murmurs quietly.
She wants to press her further. To tell Yang exactly how stupid she's being pining so desperately for a girl that loves her back and refusing to see it. And she almost does. Almost says the words that could spur Yang into believing in herself. Maybe even enough for her to finally see that she actually deserves to be happy.
But she doesn't. Because it's a conversation that they've had so many times in the past and Pyrrha's not sure Yang has the strength to hear it again.
So she holds her tongue and tries to make peace with the fact that there's nothing more she can do to ease her friend's pain than giving hugs and drying tears after they've already been spilt.
But after a while she finds that she can't. It's too much. She's watched Yang suffer through this for too long to keep listening to her pleas to let it go.
She just has to figure out what to do about it.
Author's Note: Well that's Chapter 1! If you have any feedback whatsoever please shoot me a review, it definitely helps motivate me to actually sit down and write these.
