"Yanggg - Yanggggggg -"
Groaning as sleep tried to leave her, Yang rolled onto her back to get away from the pestering voice. Unfortunately, the feeling of someone climbing onto the bed combined with a short giggle told her that she wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon.
"Yannnnggggg wake upppppp -"
The order was nothing more than a whisper - soft but begging. It told her that she should get up, but also shouldn't. But, if she did get up, that'd be pretty great. If she went back to sleep, that'd be pretty great too.
"Yangggggg -"
Groaning again, she gave up and struggled to open her eyes. The moment she was successful, she jolted away from the face hovering inches above her head.
"Jesus Ruby!" she cried out, covering her heart with one hand while Ruby laughed and sat on the pillow beside her.
"You're gonna give me a heart attack…" Mumbling the words, Yang quickly remembered why she'd been sleeping so deeply and why her left eye would hardly open. As her head began to throb, she let out a small moan, collapsed onto her pillow, and dragged the covers over her eyes.
"I'm going back to sleep..." she muttered.
"Aww, Yang!" The words were muffled, but then the covers were tossed up and Ruby squirreled her way underneath. "How are you feeling?" she asked in a hushed voice. "Like a million bucks? Or like you got hit really, really, really hard in the face?"
Yang didn't need to open her eyes to know that Ruby's were sparkling with unconcealed humor right now.
"The second one…" she grumbled, a small smile growing when Ruby giggled. Even though Yang wished her massive headache away, it was impossible to be in a bad mood with Ruby around.
"You were so cute though! All knockered out and discombobulated. You had no idea what was going on. You asked if I was ok like three times! But then you were all adorableeee and wouldn't let go of Blake's handddd."
That comment made Yang peek one eye open in surprise.
"What're you talking about?"
The question made Ruby beam while answering.
"When she came down to the ring! Everyone was trying to talk to you, but you were so out of it - your eyes were darting around like crazy. But then Blake held your hand, and that seemed to calm you down. When they finally got you up, you wouldn't let go, so she went to the clinic with you."
Blake wasn't even around right now, but Yang felt a serious blush growing. What was worse - that she'd been so transparent with her feelings, or that she got to hold Blake's hand and didn't remember it?
Blake. She needed to talk to Blake.
"I would've gone with you," Ruby added while playfully popping the covers up in the air, "But man was Nora mad. I threw some water on her, and I think she actually steamed!"
Apparently, Yang didn't remember a lot that happened yesterday.
"I'm glad you're ok though," Ruby added. "That was a nasty shot you took."
The lingering concern was only a small lining in Ruby's tone, but Yang could tell it was there regardless.
"You know it'll take more than that to keep me down," she assured Ruby with a grin. "But if this headache doesn't go away soon, I'm knocking myself out to get rid of it."
Ruby's eyes lit up at the words.
"I brought you some medicine though! It's on your nightstand."
"Girls?"
Hearing their dad walk into the room, Ruby held one finger to her lips to silence their conversation.
"Girls..." he repeated slowly.
"No one's hereeee," Ruby called out in a high-pitched voice before giggling.
"Oh. Well in that case, maybe I'll jump on Yang's bed. It looks nice and squishy with the covers piled up like that -"
Eyes widening in surprise, Ruby threw the covers off - the abrupt sunlight blinding Yang and making her cover her eyes with both hands.
"You'd squish your daughters?" Ruby asked in dismay.
"Oh, there you are! Could've sworn a voice told me no one was here," he teased, snatching Ruby out of bed and tickling her sides, making her wiggle and laugh in delight.
"Don't listen to strange voices, Dad!" Ruby got out between giggles. "You never know what the evil spirits might tell you!"
"I'll keep that in mind," he said, setting her down and looking at her closely. "Don't you need to get ready for school?"
"What? But I'm already ready!"
When he gave Ruby's pajamas a look of disbelief, she grinned sheepishly.
"Pajamas are the new thing, Dad," Yang added in Ruby's defense while propping herself up in bed. "Everyone wears them nowadays."
When Ruby giggled, he gave Yang a knowing look.
"You mean to bed. Everyone wears them to bed."
Damn. He was too good at picking out her jokes before she even made them.
"I didn't say where they wear them…" she replied. "Just that they do!"
Shaking his head at the response, he patted Ruby's shoulder before walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"How do you feel?"
"Great!" Yang answered in a chipper voice, even though her head still pounded with a headache. "I think I'm good to go to school."
Even though she threw on a smile for good measure, her dad looked at her like she'd lost her mind.
"You're not serious, are you?"
"Dad, I'm fine!" she immediately whined, already knowing what he would say next.
"Yang, you might've suffered a concussion, and your eye is still really swollen. I don't think I'd consider either of those 'fine.' But I'm sure it will be fine if you miss one day of school."
Unconvinced by his arguments, she stuck out her lower lip.
"What's gotten into you anyway?" he added. "Normally, you'd jump at the chance to stay home."
Yes, normally she would, but there was someone she really wanted to talk and that someone would be at school. So, if she wanted to talk to that certain someone, she needed to get herself to school too.
"I'm feeling a lot better though, I swear! I mean, compared to last night, I'd say it's like...night and day."
He didn't fall for her grin and opted for a serious expression in return.
"Yang, you can hardly see out of that eye."
"I can see perfectly!" she fibbed.
"Then how many fingers am I holding up?"
She saw him raise one arm, but he placed his hand just outside her field of vision. She would be able to see it if she had vision out of both eyes, but she kind of didn't. She could, however, clearly see the three fingers Ruby flashed behind his back.
"Three," Yang answered with a confident smirk.
His brow immediately furrowed, and he glanced over his shoulder in suspicion. Catching the expression, Ruby gave an innocent smile and wave before racing out of the room without another word.
Turning back to Yang, he sighed and slumped his shoulders like he was carrying some great weight.
"Just today?" he asked quietly, his eyes imploring her to agree. "For me?"
"Awww Dad!" she whined, pushing his begging eyes away from her. He and Ruby had that same puppy dog look that was impossible to say 'no' to. It was a curse. Well, a curse for Yang because she was always the one who got suckered into agreeing.
She wanted to go to school, but her head hurt, her eye was almost swollen shut, and then her dad went and pulled the begging face on her...
"Fine. One day," she finally huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. Of course, the answer was what he wanted, so the begging was instantly replaced with a grin. As he stood up, he leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
"Thank you, sweetheart. Now you'll have the weekend to recover and can go back to school feeling better than ever."
"Yeah, I guess…"
After he walked out of the room, she sighed and threw herself back into the covers. It was the weekend too. That meant it would be three more days before she saw Blake again. Three long days...
"Don't worry, Yang! I'll let everyone know you're ok!" Ruby chirped from the doorway, now fully dressed and ready for school.
A second later, Yang listened to the sound of Ruby flying downstairs before racing out the front door. Glancing at the clock by her bed, she knew that even if she tried to get up now, she'd miss all of homeroom and, therefore, any opportunity to speak to Blake this morning. And really, Blake was the only reason she wanted to go to school at all.
Oh well...if she was stuck here all day, she could at least stay in her pajamas and get some more sleep. Her head did hurt, which would make it difficult to pay attention in class. Well, more difficult than it usually was. And she was still really tired - way more tired than she normally was in the morning.
Maybe she kind of agreed with Dad that it was best for her to stay at home...it just sucked because of how she left things with Blake - up in the air and uncertain. More than anything, she wanted to talk and make sure everything between them was ok - that nothing had drastically changed in just one afternoon. Things hadn't drastically changed, had they? Because she hoped not…
Giving up on trying to think right now, she reached over and grabbed the medicine Ruby had left for her. Chasing the pills with a big gulp of water, she drank nearly half the glass before laying down and pulling the covers over her. She was just about to fall asleep when her dad walked in before leaving for work.
"Made you some toast," he whispered, setting the plate beside her bed before leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Call me if you need anything, and I'll come right home."
"Thanks, Dad." Lifting one hand, she covered a yawn. "I'll be fine though. Got my meds, got my ice, got my toast - I'm all set."
"Good. Sleep well."
The door clicked softly on his way out, but she was drifting off to sleep before he even made it downstairs.
It wasn't until much later that she woke up with an even bigger yawn than when she'd fallen asleep. But she finally felt not so tired, and her head wasn't pounding so much anymore. Sure, it still throbbed a little, and her eye was still about as tender as a...well, as a one-day-old black eye, but at least there was some improvement.
Rolling over and checking the clock, she found that it was already past lunchtime. Talk about sleeping the day away...but the extra rest had worked wonders in making her feel better. Maybe she should sleep some more…
The grumbling in her stomach convinced her that it was time to temporarily leave her bed behind. As great as it would be to sleep more, she needed to brush her teeth and splash some water on her face.
Once in the bathroom, she took a good look at her eye - which was a fine-looking shiner if she said so herself. At least she bruised nicely, if that was a thing. But it didn't look like a bad black eye, if that made sense. And the swelling had gone down since this morning, so she could see a little bit.
Overall, not too shabby for getting decked like she had.
Hearing her stomach grumble again, she demolished the toast Dad left before briefly considering going downstairs to find more food, but that sounded like more effort than she was willing to expend at this moment. She'd woken up, but that didn't mean she wanted to do too much work today. Sitting in bed and watching daytime television sounded much easier.
Taking more medicine first, she hopped back into bed and propped up her pillows by the headboard. After switching on the TV and turning down the volume so as not to anger her head, it didn't take her long to find the most dramatic soap opera currently on - doctors, lawyers, and lots of relationship drama. Settling into her pillows, ready for some overacted dramatic goodness, she picked up the ice pack someone had left by her bed and held it gently to her eye. It was mostly just cold water by now, but still usable to combat the remaining swelling.
Signing in content, she discovered she felt better about skipping school if she got to take in some quality soap operas, which she had a secret love of. They were fun to watch because they were so over-the-top. She always wondered if real people found themselves in these situations. Evil twin brothers, love affairs followed by convenient amnesia - had these situations happened to real people before?
After multiple characters revealed crushing secrets or hidden identities in the first few minutes of the show, Yang's mind began to wander. It was actually a little difficult to focus on the drama when...well, she'd uncovered a little drama of her own yesterday, in the form of a memory she'd forgotten from a long, long time ago.
The events leading up to that fateful moment were long gone, but Yang knew that she and Ruby had been walking home from school, like usual. What she remembered clearly - today much more clearly than yesterday - was stumbling upon the interaction by chance. It wasn't like she'd been searching for trouble, but she'd spotted trouble in the distance - the four bullies circled around Blake, who could do nothing more than quietly beg them to stop.
Like all of the memories Yang had of similar situations, this one made her blood boil. It wasn't right to treat someone like that. Not when Blake hadn't done anything to hurt those boys. All she'd been was herself - how was that such a crime?
Clenching her fist, Yang felt this memory sear far hotter because it was Blake. How had Yang not remembered? It was so obvious.
...to be fair, it was a long time ago. Like a long time ago. And before that day, Yang had only noticed Blake a few times in passing. They never had classes together, and they'd never spoken to each other. Yang was pretty sure she'd never even heard younger Blake speak before then.
Now that Blake was grown up, there was an energy about her that threw Yang off. It was the intelligence, or the confidence, or the poise, or that endlessly-assured grin. It was probably all of those things combined and then some - and Yang hadn't seen through those traits to the person Blake once was.
One thing was certain - those four boys should consider themselves lucky Yang didn't remember their names. Otherwise, she would track them down and lay the beating of a lifetime into each of them. Blake. That was Blake they were picking on - the amazing, incredible girl who made Yang's heart do cartwheels and filled her chest with butterflies.
At least, Yang was pretty sure she wanted to cause them harm...until the anger faded away. There was no point in starting a fight when the Blake that Yang knew wouldn't even care if they teased her, just like she hadn't batted an eye when Cardin tried to bully her. Today, Blake was unashamed of reading or of being smart. She was unapologetically herself in every situation.
She wasn't one of the people Yang needed to watch over - she could take care of herself. That was one thing Yang really liked about her, after all. Somehow, she'd transcended the drama of school and became her own person - one who refused to be defined by cliques, popularity, or status. It was pretty incredible, and Yang liked her so, so much for that...
Hearing the doorbell ring, Yang was brought out of her thoughts and back to her bedroom. Glancing at the clock, she figured it was probably around the time the mailman stopped by. Maybe they'd gotten a package today, or maybe Dad had sent a friend to check in and see how she was doing.
Swinging her legs out of bed, she stood and raised her arms high above her head to stretch her back. Once it cracked in the most satisfying way, she trudged downstairs to the front door. Pulling it open, she suddenly found herself face-to-face with the object of her thoughts.
"Blake!"
It should probably be a crime how happy Yang was to find Blake standing on the front porch. And when Blake smiled, a fire lit in Yang's heart that probably wasn't going out anytime soon.
"Hi Yang," Blake replied, her smile suddenly turning much more bashful while her eyes flitted to the side of the door. Only then did Yang realize she was still in her pajamas, which were...well, the tank top was...a little revealing. And the shorts were...a little short.
"I...uh, sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone," she explained while her cheeks flushed.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Blake replied, although her gaze still focused anywhere but on Yang. "Can I come in?"
"Absolutely!" Throwing the door open, Yang moved out of the way and beckoned Blake inside. After stepping in, Blake took a quick look around the entryway before finally meeting Yang's eyes.
"I'm glad you're up. I was worried I'd wake you."
"Naw, I slept all morning," Yang answered, waving off Blake's worry. "I've been watching TV for a while now."
Daytime soap operas...but Blake didn't need to know that.
"I wouldn't mind if you woke me up though," Yang added. If anything, it would be a pleasant surprise to be woken up by Blake. Kind of like how it was a nice surprise to expect the mailman but find that Blake had been delivered instead.
"I'm still glad I didn't - this time," Blake replied with a grin that was a little shier than usual.
Confused by the expression, Yang tilted her head but decided not to pry into the reason right now. Instead, she smiled and asked, "So how'd you find me?"
"Ruby gave me your address. I hope it's ok to stop by like this?"
"Yeah, definitely! You can come by anytime."
Only after saying the words did Yang realize how desperate that sounded. But when she said that Blake could come over anytime, she literally meant that Blake could come over anytime.
"I'll keep that in mind." When Blake's gaze dropped from Yang's eyes for a split second, she turned away again - this time with a faint blush growing.
Feeling her own cheeks heat up in embarrassment, Yang gently tugged at the bottom of her shorts like that might make them longer. When it did no such thing, she motioned for Blake to follow her.
"Uh, come on; I'll go change."
Walking upstairs, Yang turned around at the second-story landing and blushed when Blake's eyes shot to hers a second too late. The faint red on Blake's cheeks was a dead giveaway that she'd just been caught looking somewhere she thought she shouldn't have been. Maybe Yang shouldn't have walked up first…
Or maybe she should have. Did Blake just check her out?
Deciding that her pajamas were an excellent decision, Yang walked into her room and realized that the television was still on.
"Drake, I love you!"
"I love you too, Veronica, but we can never be together."
"What? What do you -"
Lunging for the remote on the end of the bed, she turned the TV off as fast as possible, but Blake was already giving her an amused grin.
"That...the show I was watching must've ended," Yang fudged. Of course, Blake didn't fall for that obvious lie, which she made obvious by her soft "Uh huh…" in response.
While the two of them stood in the middle of the room, Yang blushed when she noticed how Blake's eyes very consciously never met hers. Tugging again at her shorts, she gave an embarrassed grin and pointed towards the bathroom door.
"I'll be right back -" she said, earning a nod from Blake that gave her permission to go. Grabbing a shirt and pair of sweats off the top of the dresser, she hurried into the bathroom and changed at the speed of light. Once that was done, she gave herself a quick once-over to make sure she looked ok. Luckily, it was a pretty typical day for her...minus the black eye.
Only when satisfied that she didn't look like a complete scrub did she walk back into the room and sit down on the edge of her bed. She was going to pat the space beside her for Blake, but Blake was already turning around the desk chair to sit in front of her.
"How are you feeling?" Blake asked, her voice soft and her gaze lingering with a bit of worry around Yang's bruised eye.
"I feel...like I got hit really hard in the head," Yang answered before letting out a short laugh. "Still have a headache and my eye needs another day for the swelling to go down, but other than that I think I'm ok."
"That's good. It already looks better than yesterday. Although the color is worse."
"Yeah, it'll get a bit worse, but as long as the swelling goes down, it's healing!"
Blake nodded at the answer before her gaze drifted around the walls of the room.
"Oh, uh...so this is my room," Yang commented after the fact, drawing Blake's eyes back to her with a hint of a smile set in place.
"It suits you."
Curious about the answer, Yang looked around and tried to figure out what Blake meant. It seemed like a pretty normal room to her. A couple AchieveMen posters hung on the walls, a bookcase stuffed with anything but books, a desk with no homework, a TV with stacks of movies on top…
"Are you saying I'm filled with junk?" she asked, the question making Blake laugh lightly and shake her head.
"I was more referring to your...all-encompassing personality and sometimes random thoughts."
"Random thoughts?" Furrowing her brow, Yang tried to figure out what Blake meant by that comment. She didn't think she was a particularly random person, at least not after growing up with Ruby, so what did -
"Oh no." A way-too-embarrassing scenario suddenly sprang into Yang's mind - one that she really, really hoped hadn't happened. "When we went to the clinic yesterday…" she began slowly, watching Blake for an answer. "I didn't say anything weird, did I?"
She nearly groaned out loud when Blake's eyes lit up and a smile appeared.
"Um, no. No, you didn't."
"Crap. What did I say?"
"Anything that came to mind, really," Blake answered cagily, but she was clearly pleased about something. That smile was back - the one that said she knew something, and Yang had no idea what it was.
But Blake knew lots that Yang didn't, so she decided to drop it for now. Her only other option was to try to pry the information out of Blake and potentially be dealt a death blow of embarrassment. Seeing as how she'd already been knocked out in front of the entire school, she was doing just fine on the humiliation front for now.
In the moments of silence that followed, Blake continued looking around the room while Yang happily observed the way intelligent amber eyes drank in every nook and cranny. If she'd known that Blake was coming over, she would have cleaned but...maybe it was better this way. Everything was on display - and with the pajamas she'd been wearing, she meant pretty much everything.
If there was anyone Yang was willing to be that open with, besides Ruby, it was Blake. While a little strange to think about considering they hadn't known each other very long, Yang already trusted Blake as much as any of her other friends. And, when she really thought about it, they'd known each other since grade school - which was longer than she'd known any of her friends.
Shifting her hands, Yang tried to think of something to say to break the silence. There were a lot of different thoughts flying through her mind right now, but there was one in particular that she wished she could have said yesterday.
"I'm sorry I had to cancel -"
"Oh, no, please don't apologize for that," Blake immediately cut in, her eyes pleading Yang not to finish that sentence. "I'd much rather you feel better and then maybe...we can reschedule or something…"
There was a momentary silence after the words while Blake looked down at her hands instead of meeting Yang's eyes. Yang wanted to ask if Blake even wanted to reschedule, but with Blake not making eye contact it felt too awkward to ask.
What if Blake didn't want to reschedule now? What if she didn't want to go on a date with someone who couldn't even remember that they'd gone to school together?
"So...what brings you over?" Yang asked instead, opting for a much safer question.
"Oh." Suddenly remembering something, Blake reached down and rummaged through her bag before pulling out a stack of papers. "I brought the schoolwork you missed today."
"Like I wasn't in enough pain?" Yang teased while taking the pages from Blake's hands and flipping through them. "How did you get all of this?"
"I went to your teachers and asked for it," Blake answered as if that was the easiest question in the world.
"But we don't even have the same schedule."
"I asked Pyrrha for your schedule."
Surprised by the thoughtful gesture, Yang found herself staring at homework assignments and feeling more special than ever. It would've been a nice thing to do if they shared all or even some of their classes, but the fact that Blake got Yang's entire schedule and made time to talk to each of her teachers made her heart flutter in her chest. And then, instead of passing the work off to Ruby, Blake made the trip to deliver it herself.
Was it an excuse to come over? That was something Yang would do, but had Blake thought to do it too?
"Well thank you for doing that," Yang replied with genuine gratitude while setting the stack of papers off to the side of the bed. "Maybe I'll feel good enough to work on it this weekend."
"I hope so."
Again, they lapsed into silence while Blake focused on one of the posters on the wall instead of making eye contact. There was an elephant in the room - Yang felt it. There was something huge from yesterday that they were both avoiding. Something she'd thought about all day. And she had a growing suspicion that it was the reason Blake sought her out today, but Blake wasn't willing to bring it up yet.
But one of them needed to bring it up.
"So…" Yang began to ask before chickening out and changing her question. "So...uh, did anything interesting happen today? You know, while I was gone?"
"Not so much interesting - all anyone talked about was you."
Yang grimaced at the news.
"I was kinda hoping that wouldn't happen."
"People talk about you every day," Blake added with a smile. "But today, it felt like everyone was angry on your behalf. Salem might have a rough year ahead whenever they visit…"
"Serves them right…" Frowning, Yang felt a thread of anger inside of her. With everything that had come up with Blake and then not feeling very well, she hadn't had the opportunity to digest what Emerald did. After trying and trying and trying to be nice, that's what happened? She hoped she never saw Emerald's stupid smile ever again.
"Even Weiss is mad," Blake added, instantly tearing Yang's thoughts away from Emerald.
"Really?"
"She is." Nodding once, Blake looked thoughtful for a second before adding, "Well, it might be more accurate to say she's indignant about the circumstances."
Chuckling at the response, Yang leaned back and shook her head. "Is that smart people talk for saying she doesn't care about me so much as the fact that Emerald cheated?"
"She cares about you," Blake stated adamantly, meeting Yang's eyes for a second before looking away. "She asked if I knew how you were doing…I said I didn't, but I'd try to find out after school was over."
Feeling a sudden downcast air, Yang nearly reached out for Blake's hand, but then Blake sighed and lifted her eyes once more.
"A lot of people asked me how you were," she added. "It's funny...I never thought about how anyone else viewed me until they started asking those questions. They expected me to know…"
When Blake trailed off, Yang reached over and lightly touched her knee.
"Probably because they see us together a lot," she said in an attempt to cheer Blake up. Thankfully, Blake smiled and nodded at the explanation.
"That's exactly it. I guess I'm just...not used to people noticing the good things."
The comment didn't seem to bother Blake in the slightest, but to Yang, it was like taking a knee to the gut. She wished that she could go back in time and change that statement. Or she wished she could say that she'd always noticed how brilliant and incredible Blake was. But she was just as blind as everyone else, and in more ways than one.
When Blake met her gaze with the smallest hint of a smile, Yang finally found the courage to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Because if it felt like an elephant to her, she could only imagine what it felt like to Blake.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked in a single breath, her voice hardly above a whisper. That was one of the questions flying through her head all day - along with wondering how she hadn't figured it out sooner and how she'd forgotten in the first place.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Blake stared down at her hands for a long time.
"I planned on it," she finally said, earnestly meeting Yang's gaze once more. "I really did. But when you came over and introduced yourself, I just...wanted you to like me."
"Well, you certainly knew how to get my attention," Yang replied with a smile that Blake only briefly returned. Standing up, she quickly sat down on the bed beside Yang - clearly ready to talk now.
"I realized that for you that day was just another fight, but for me...here I was, some nerdy bookworm, and one of the most popular girls in school had just punched a boy in the face. For me. Several boys, actually. I held onto that knowledge like a badge of honor even after I transferred."
When Blake paused for a moment, Yang tried to let that knowledge sink in - that Blake had known and had always known who Yang was and what she'd done. That Blake remembered that day far clearer than Yang ever had.
"I figured you never knew my name," Blake continued, her words spilling out faster now - as if she'd been waiting to say them for a long time. "But I knew yours. As you became more accomplished with your boxing, I only felt more honored by what you did for me. I never told anyone, but when people at my school talked about you, I knew I had a connection to you that none of them would ever have."
Hesitating for a second, Blake looked at Yang with a softness in her eyes.
"The more I heard about you, the more I wanted to know what you were like now. So...I found a way to transfer. My parents didn't want me to, but I convinced them that the stronger academics would look better for universities."
"Did you really?" Yang asked in surprise. Nodding in confirmation, Blake looked almost amused by what she'd done - a smile appearing that she held onto while continuing.
"I was actually happy you didn't recognize me," she admitted. "It gave me the chance to see if you'd like me without seeing me as that sad little girl you saved in elementary school. Because I'm not that girl anymore. At least, I hope I'm not."
"You're...definitely not," Yang said, still amazed that this was who that little girl grew up to be. "I mean, look at you." Leaning slightly away, she gestured to Blake. "You're freaking beautiful. And so...collected. You don't let anything get to you."
After briefly lowering her gaze in modesty, Blake peered up at Yang through long lashes.
"What about you, Miss Popular?" came the reply as Blake scooted closer, their legs now touching on the bed. "You were one of the most popular students at my school because of the stories we heard. Yang Xiao Long...gorgeous, friendly, compassionate, successful...whenever they talked about you, I wished I was back there. I always wanted to know if...if I might have a chance with the girl of my dreams, if only I could talk to her one more time..."
Her eyes never leaving Yang's, Blake lifted one hand and gently brushed her fingertips across Yang's unharmed temple, moving a few strands of hair behind her ear. As Blake's words drifted off and her amber eyes dipped for the briefest of moments to Yang's lips, Yang felt her heart beat wildly.
The next second, Blake leaned forward and pressed her lips to Yang's - instantly sending fireworks shooting off in her veins while her skin tingled with goosebumps.
The moment ended too soon when Blake quickly pulled away - yet she stayed close enough that their noses nearly touched, and Yang could pick out every fleck of deep brown in those beautiful amber eyes.
"I never got to say thank you...for that day…" Blake whispered before leaning forward and kissing Yang again.
This one lasted longer than the first, and Yang finally figured out that her mouth was capable of moving too. Pressing forward, she savored the softness of Blake's lips against her own and the smooth, tentative fingers crawling through her hair. Reaching her hand up, she tucked a strand of raven-colored hair behind Blake's ear right when Blake pulled away again - still staying no more than a breath's distance apart.
"So thank you…for standing up for me."
Blake's voice was slightly breathless, and their eyes locked together while Yang breathed through slightly-parted lips and struggled to get her heart under control.
"Uh…" Clearing her throat when her voice cracked, she stared into Blake's eyes while her heart pounded like a drum in her chest. "Um, you're welcome?"
She'd been a young, brash kid who didn't like bullies and wasn't afraid of a fight. She was still young, brash, and not afraid of a fight, but she never considered how her actions might have impacted anyone other than the bullies she put in place.
Smiling at the flustered response, Blake reached up and curled her fingers around Yang's ear before leaning forward again. But, before another kiss could happen, the sound of the front door opening stopped Blake's progress.
"Yang!" Ruby shouted from downstairs.
"Dammit Ruby…" Yang muttered under her breath when Blake leaned away.
Biting her lip while glancing at the door, Blake briefly looked unsure about whether she should stay or leave. Eventually, she made a decision, grabbed her bag, and stood up.
"I hope you can make it to school on Monday," she whispered while walking to the door, her eyes never leaving Yang's. "It's not the same without you."
With one last smile, Blake opened the door right as Ruby was about to throw it open.
"Oh! Hey Blake!"
"Hi Ruby," Blake responded before ducking out, but not without sending one last glance towards Yang.
Heart still pounding in her chest, Yang watched Blake disappear before focusing on Ruby, who ran over and jumped onto her bed.
"I ditched practice so I could make sure you're ok!" Ruby explained while rustling over to sit by Yang's side.
"Ah, thanks Ruby!" Reaching out, Yang gave her sister a quick hug. One day, she'd tell Ruby that the kind gesture had probably cost her quite a few kisses with her beautiful classmate, but that was a story for another day.
"You and Blake get along really well!"
"Yeah, she…" Turning towards the door, Yang cleared her throat and hoped that Ruby couldn't tell that she was blushing. "She brought over the schoolwork I missed."
"That was nice of her."
"Yeah...it was…" Yang answered while absentmindedly staring towards the bedroom door.
Blake was definitely nice. And she smelled vaguely of vanilla. And her lips were soft…
And Yang still had a massive crush on her. Maybe an even bigger crush than before.