The sun was shining brightly through Yang's window by the time she woke up the next morning, but it had lost some of the blinding painfulness of yesterday. When she opened her eyes, she was pleasantly surprised that they both fully opened - at least...they both mostly opened. Her bruised eye was still swollen, but it no longer felt like she had a golf ball taped to her eyelid.
Covering her mouth when a yawn slipped out, she listened to the birds chirping outside and savored her warm covers before leaving them behind. She felt pretty darn good this morning! Sure, there was a lingering ache behind her eye and a subtle headache, but both of those were quickly pushed aside in favor of throwing off the covers and hopping out of bed.
Stretching her hands above her head and twisting to the side until her back gave an audible crack, she repeated the process on the other side before giving her bed one last glance. She could put the covers back in place, or she could be lazy and leave them like they were - a crumpled mess. It was the weekend, after all. Two glorious days without classes or responsibilities or…
On cue, her mind drifted to Blake - and the fact that they wouldn't see each other for two more days. Which meant they wouldn't get to talk. Which meant they wouldn't get to continue that kiss…
It was the weekend, and she was bummed that it was the weekend. Apparently, she'd taken a trip to bizarro world…
Sighing at the realization, she trudged into the bathroom to get ready for the day and check her eye. The swelling had receded but left a nice, dark-purple bruise behind. It had lost its shine, so could no longer be called a 'shiner,' but it still qualified as a black eye. Or at least...a purple eye. Which matched her purple eyes! Light purple within dark purple - that was pretty cool.
Humming to herself, she brushed her teeth, gently washed her face, and brushed her hair before changing into the most comfortable clothes she could find - the coziest black sweatpants and a yellow tee. Satisfied with the reflection in the mirror, she smiled and nodded once before grabbing her phone and heading downstairs.
And when she walked into the kitchen, who did she find sitting at the table?
"Oh, hey Weiss."
Walking behind Weiss' seat to the cupboards on the other side of the kitchen, Yang pulled out a glass, filled it with water from the tap, and took a long drink. Setting down her pencil and marking her place with one finger, Weiss looked up from the notebook she'd been writing in and almost smiled.
"Good morning, Yang. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Still a bit of a headache, but nothing unmanageable." After draining her glass and then refilling it, Yang walked over and sat across from Weiss. From the notebook and textbook laying side-by-side, Weiss was working on homework but had stopped to acknowledge Yang's existence. That was actually kind of sweet, right?
"Waiting for Ruby?" Yang asked while swirling the water in her glass, trying not to let it splash over the edges.
"Yes. She said she'll be ready in a few minutes."
Nodding at the answer, Yang took a quick sip of water and looked around the kitchen.
"You know where Dad went?"
"He went to the store but said he'd be back within the hour."
Something about that reply made Yang smile. Maybe because Weiss answered the question without specifying whose dad they were referring to. Or maybe because she answered without an ounce of sarcasm in her voice, which was weird in and of itself.
Of course, Yang's smile made Weiss immediately suspicious. But when Yang lifted her glass off the table and took another drink, Weiss returned her attention to her homework.
Was Blake working on homework right now too? Did all the smart kids do their homework first thing on Saturday morning? Because Yang usually waited until the last minute and then rushed through it on Sunday night or Monday morning during homeroom. Maybe that's why she wasn't one of the smart kids…
Blake was probably adorable when she studied...wearing a serious and contemplative expression while staring at her textbooks. That was definitely an image Yang wouldn't mind seeing.
"You think Blake studies as much as you?" she asked, swirling her water again while lost in thought.
"I'd imagine so," Weiss answered calmly, her eyes never leaving her textbook while flipping the page. "We have a lot of work to do already."
"All those smart people classes."
"Yes, and Blake chose some rather difficult subjects for the reports we were assigned. I'm curious to see how those turn out."
Tilting her head in surprise, Yang momentarily struggled to absorb how non-confrontational that statement sounded.
"I thought she was your sworn enemy."
"It's actually nice to have an intelligent friend to speak with about intellectual matters," Weiss replied smoothly. "There are certain subjects that Ruby would rather not talk about, and I don't want to bore her with any more school topics than need be. But Blake is more than willing to discuss schoolwork."
Still absorbed in her work, Weiss didn't notice the look of dumbfounded shock on Yang's face. Because apparently while she was knocked out, someone stole the original Weiss Schnee and replaced her with this new and improved model. The biting, sarcastic comments were nowhere to be found - instead, she was calm and almost…
No, Yang couldn't use the word 'friendly' to describe Weiss. Right? Because if Weiss was suddenly friendly, then Yang needed to figure out if she'd accidentally teleported to another universe where everything was the same but completely opposite.
After Weiss jotted down a few more notes, Yang decided she had to say something.
"You realize we've been talking for like five minutes and you haven't insulted me?" she asked, grinning when Weiss immediately glowered across the table at her.
"I was taught to be polite to invalids."
"I might have a concussion. That doesn't make me an invalid!"
"I wasn't talking about the concussion," Weiss shot back without pause, her agitation subsiding when Yang laughed at the insult.
That felt better. Much more normal.
"Weiss! I'll be ready in five minutes!"
The two of them turned towards the voice before hearing footsteps race across the upstairs hallway and back into Ruby's room. Looking away from the sound first, Yang caught the smile tugging at Weiss' mouth. Grinning at the subtle display of affection, she watched Weiss give away her feelings without even realizing it.
The fact that Weiss was fine waiting for Ruby - when she was obviously late - was cute. The fact that Weiss had apparently expected Ruby to be late so brought homework to work on was extra cute.
"Whatcha workin' on anyway?" Leaning across the table, Yang tried to read the title of whatever worksheet Weiss had laying inside her notebook.
"A physics assignment," Weiss answered. "I'd explain it to you, but I don't want to overload your brain this early in the morning."
"I appreciate that!" Sitting back in her seat with an amused laugh, Yang suddenly had a random thought. "Hey, you're working on a project with Blake, right?"
"Yes, for the same class."
"Do you work on it after school?"
"We got together once to plan what we're going to do," Weiss answered, her attention drawn away from her assignment once again. "But not since then."
"Does that mean you know where she lives?"
The second Yang asked the question, Weiss narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Maybe…" she replied cautiously. "Why do you ask?"
"Because…"
Yang trailed off while she tried to come up with an answer. The truth was that she wanted to see Blake again, but something told her Weiss wouldn't be very understanding of that explanation.
"Because I have a book I need to return to her."
"You do?"
"Yeah! This one -" Reaching over, Yang grabbed the paperback she'd left out on the kitchen table last night. Holding it up for Weiss to read the title, Yang smiled while flipping the cover open for herself to read, suffering a short burst of butterflies when she did so.
"Didn't we read that several years ago?"
"Yeah, but...it's one of her favorites."
Running her fingers across the cover and smiling, Yang looked up and found Weiss watching her closely. It seemed like Weiss believed her - and why wouldn't she? It was mostly true!
After tapping her fingers in thought, Weiss pulled out her phone and copied something down onto a piece of paper. Tearing it out of her notebook, she handed it across the table to Yang.
An address was written in the middle of the paper - and suddenly Yang felt a burst of nerves and excitement. This was where Blake lived. This was where Blake might be at this very moment. If Yang went over there, they could see each other and talk, or -
"If she's upset that you're there, don't tell her I gave you that," Weiss said, interrupting Yang's thoughts and making her chuckle.
"Who am I supposed to say gave it to me then?"
"I don't know. Pretend like you've been stalking her or something. Shouldn't be too hard to convince her of that."
When Weiss smirked at her, Yang rolled her eyes and looked at the slip of paper again, trying to decide what to do with this new information. The address wasn't far away - a decent walk on a nice day - so theoretically she could walk over and say 'hello.' But could she just show up out of the blue on the weekend?
Technically, Blake showed up unannounced yesterday, so maybe it wasn't completely uncalled for. If anything, Blake's out-of-the-blue visit made Yang's out-of-the-blue visit a little more in the blue. But she wasn't familiar enough with social etiquette to know for sure, and no way was she running that question by Weiss.
Basically...she wanted to see Blake, and this was the only way to do so without waiting for the entire weekend to end. She wasn't good at waiting. And if she had the opportunity to see Blake now, she was going to take it.
Stowing the small but valuable piece of paper in her pocket, Yang finally made her decision and stood up. Walking around the table, she gave Weiss a quick, sideways hug that made her stiffen like she was being held by icicles.
"Thanks, Weiss!" Yang said, giving the girl an extra squeeze for good measure before letting go. "Sometimes you're the best!"
"Such a lukewarm compliment," Weiss huffed while Yang headed into the entryway to put on the first pair of shoes she laid her hands. Once that was done, she headed back to the kitchen and gave Weiss a knowing grin.
"I know you get the scalding hot ones from Ruby. Don't want to burn you, ya know?"
When Weiss pointedly avoided eye contact, Yang smiled and grabbed Blake's book off the table. Before leaving, however, she paused and turned back to Weiss.
"She loved the rose, by the way."
Satisfied with Weiss' sudden blush and lack of response, Yang said, "See you later!" before heading out the front door and racing down the sidewalk. Pulling out the slip of paper with Blake's address written on it, Yang reread it before turning left and hurrying away from her home. While keeping a brisk pace that surely wasn't related to excitement and nerves, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number she'd memorized years ago.
"Pick up, pick up…" she muttered under her breath while the phone rang and rang again. On the third ring, the call clicked over to voicemail.
"Pyrrha," she said as soon as the message tone rang out. "I'm going over to Blake's right now, and I'm going to ask her out. You have ten minutes to call and convince me out of it."
Ending the call, she stuck her phone in her pocket and crossed the next street before making a right turn. No sooner had she done that did her phone start ringing.
Pulling it out and glimpsing Pyrrha's name, she quickly answered.
"You're going to tell me that I'm stupid, right?" she said instead of 'hello.' "That I've only known her for a few days, and there's no way I can like her this much?"
"No…" Pyrrha replied calmly. "I was actually going to say that you should do it."
"What?"
"Yes, ask her! It's obvious that you like her, and she seems to adore you."
"Really?"
Yang's hopeful disbelief made Pyrrha laugh.
"Yes, Yang. When you got hurt on Thursday, she was really upset. I haven't seen that much emotion out of her all year. Hold on -"
For a few seconds, Yang listened to the distant, muffled sound of Pyrrha speaking to someone on the other end of the line.
"Sorry -" Pyrrha said after a few seconds passed.
"Who's that?" Yang asked curiously.
"Oh. It's Jaune. He says 'hello.'"
The revelation made Yang stop walking.
"You're on a date?" she asked, not believing for a second how nonchalant Pyrrha attempted to sound.
"Well, I don't know if you would call it that...but maybe."
"Pyrrha!" she exclaimed, while a huge smile lit her lips. "How could you not tell me? No, that doesn't matter - you have to tell me everything when you get home!"
"Yang -"
"No, you have to," she insisted, practically feeling Pyrrha's blush through the phone. "Especially since you didn't even tell me you asked him out!"
"Well, you were a little busy getting knocked out and missing school -"
"Excuses!" she interrupted with a grin. "How are we talking right now, Pyrrha? What's that magical device in your hand? Might it be a phone? A phone that allows you to talk to me even when I'm not around?"
"Ok!" Pyrrha finally relented with a light laugh. "I'll call you later, but first you should take some of your own advice and be honest about your feelings."
Yang sighed in pretend annoyance, but she was unable to quit smiling right now - probably ever.
"I'm so happy for you, Pyrrha! This is the best news ever."
"Oh stop. You're going to embarrass me."
"You're already embarrassed, but ok. I'll talk to you later and let you know how it goes."
"Same to you. Good luck!"
Hanging up after a quick "thanks," Yang put her phone away and doubled her pace towards her destination - still smiling.
Pyrrha and Jaune! It had only been years of listening to Pyrrha pine over that boy, and finally it happened. They were on an official date. God knows how long it would take them to move any further than that, but that was an issue for another day. Because today Pyrrha was out on a date - and Yang was going to try to secure another date of her own.
It wasn't a big deal - she just needed to see Blake and admit all of the feelings rolling around in her head. And then ask if maybe Blake would go out with her again, on a date. And maybe they could finish that kiss…
Replaying the memory over and over again in her head, Yang practically flew towards her destination. However, when she neared the address written on the paper now crushed in her hand, her strides abruptly turned from long and purposeful to small and uncertain.
What if the kiss didn't mean what she thought it did? Maybe that was Blake saying 'thank you' for what happened in elementary school - and nothing else. Maybe it wasn't any indication of her feelings but was only Yang's wishful thinking.
The potential for embarrassment - or worse, rejection - was high and only grew higher when she turned onto the correct street and read the house numbers adorning the mailboxes spaced along the road.
When she was a few houses away, she realized that if Weiss was clever - which she undoubtedly was - she would give Yang the wrong address just to mess with her. But Weiss had been in a pretty good mood this morning, so that probably hadn't happened...this time. At least, Yang hoped that hadn't happened. Otherwise, she'd be knocking on random doors for the rest of the day...
Looking at the numbers Weiss had written before double and triple checking the digits listed on the mailbox in front of her, Yang swallowed and stuck the paper in her pocket before wiping her suddenly-sweaty palm on her leg.
Was it just her, or did the sidewalk feel an awful lot like molasses in this part of town? Something about it made her feet drag in slow, laborious steps while heading up the walkway to the quaint, two-story home in the middle of the block. It looked like a friendly enough place, but her nerves rampantly expanded while she crept towards the front door with the old book clutched in her hand.
This was it. She was going to ask Blake out - technically again, but this time she would be much more upfront about it.
Or she was going to turn around and run home.
No, she wouldn't do that. She'd made it all the way here, and she'd already told Pyrrha her plan. If she wimped out, she'd never hear the end of it. Plus...she really, really wanted to see Blake again. It felt like they still had so much to talk about...
Taking a deep breath, Yang rang the doorbell with a quick jab of one finger before standing on the front step and waiting. After a few seconds of silence, a set of footsteps approached the front door. But whose footsteps were they? Would Blake answer? Or -
Yang's eyes widened when the door swung open to reveal a woman who could only be Blake's mother. She was basically a carbon copy of Blake, only older and with shorter hair. But still gorgeous. Like, wow. If this was how Blake would grow up, the world was in for some trouble. More specifically, Yang was in for some trouble.
"Hi," Yang said quickly, making sure to use her best 'good with parents' smile and praying her black eye wouldn't be too damaging of a first impression. "I was wondering if Blake is around? We go to school together, and I wanted to return this book." She held up the book as proof, which seemed to make the woman relax immeasurably.
"Yes, of course. Come in." When Blake's mom moved out of the way and gestured Yang through the door, she walked inside and immediately scoped the place out. This was where Blake lived. This was where she spent her time when not at school.
It was well taken care of and, compared to Yang's home, neat and orderly. To the right, she found a living room with a clean, white sofa, several comfy-looking white chairs, and several short bookcases. To the left, there was a dining table before a large open doorway that led into a kitchen.
"Blake?" the woman called up the staircase in front of them. "Sweetie, you have a visitor."
"Coming!"
The sound of Blake's voice made Yang's palms sweat even more. Trying to be subtle, she lowered her free hand and wiped it on the leg of her sweats while trying not to look too nervous.
"Would you like something to drink?" Blake's mom asked while they waited.
When she knew Blake would appear at any moment, Yang found it hard to tear her eyes away from the stairs. But she managed a glance away to say "Uh, no, I'm fine, thank you" before throwing in another winning smile. With a soft "mmk" of acceptance, Blake's mom walked away and left Yang waiting at the bottom of the stairs alone.
She wasn't alone for long though, because Blake appeared on the landing of the second story just a few seconds later.
Blake immediately stopped when their eyes met, and then she gave Yang a quizzical smile while slowly walking down the stairs - all while Yang's mouth quickly dried out.
Maybe she should have asked for that drink, after all…
Had Blake always been this pretty? Was she prettier today? Maybe it was seeing her outside of school, away from the bland hallways and classrooms. Or maybe it was just today. Something about today made Yang's heart pound in her chest while Blake approached. The memories from yesterday shot to the forefront of her mind and replayed the kisses they'd shared over and over again.
Finding her mouth was now exceptionally dry, Yang licked her lips once before speaking.
"Hey," she said when Blake reached the bottom of the stairs and stood in front of her.
"Hi," Blake replied, her eyes twinkling in delight. "Sorry, I didn't prepare quite the reveal like you did yesterday."
"Ah, maybe next time," Yang answered instinctively before blushing when she realized what that meant. "I, uh, I mean...sorry to bother you on the weekend."
"It's ok. I was just working on homework."
"Ah. Physics?" Yang guessed.
"Yes," Blake replied, tilting her head in confusion. "How did you know?"
"Oh, I saw Weiss this morning, and she mentioned something about it."
While Yang explained, Blake nodded in understanding.
"That explains how you knew where I lived."
"Uh…I mean, I wouldn't say -" When Blake smiled at the attempt to dodge around the truth, Yang chuckled and shook her head. "I...well, I wanted to bring this back to you," she finally stammered, holding the book out to Blake.
After looking down at it for a second, realization dawned on Blake's face. Giving Yang a glance filled with cheerful disbelief, Blake took the book from Yang's hands and ran her fingertips across the cover. Briefly flipping it open to prove that it was, in fact, the same book, she closed it and looked at Yang with that same expression of disbelief.
"You kept it?" Blake asked, her surprise evident in every bit of her expression.
"Of course. That day was important to me too, you know."
Blake opened her mouth but said nothing before shaking her head and smiling. Reading the title of the book while tracing one finger across the letters, she took a breath like she was going to say something, but then her eyes darted off to the side. When Yang's gaze followed, she found Blake's mom standing right inside the doorway to the kitchen, appearing busy while looking in a cupboard but clearly intent upon what they were saying.
When the two of them turned away, Blake gave Yang a smile that said 'can you believe she thinks we don't notice her?' before setting one foot on the staircase.
"Why don't you come upstairs?"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
Nervously following Blake up the staircase, Yang made sure to keep her eyes trained on the step directly in front of her in order to avoid accidentally staring at Blake's butt. Not that she didn't want to, but she didn't want to be caught looking. Knowing her luck, she'd definitely get caught.
Reaching the second story, Blake walked through the first door on the right with Yang trailing two steps behind. Once inside the bedroom, she looked around to get a good feeling for her new surroundings.
Blake's room was...filled with as many books as she would have imagined. Several bookshelves lined the walls, stacked with books that were neatly arranged in some type of order. Beside the bookshelves, a desk stood in front of the window with a textbook and several notebooks lying open on top.
"So this is where the magic happens," Yang joked with a nervous chuckle, glancing at Blake's neatly-made bed before blushing and swearing to never look back in case Blake caught her. But Blake was too busy studying the book Yang brought over - opening the front cover and reading the inscription inside before closing it again with a smile.
"If you consider homework and reading to be magic, then yes. A lot of magic happens here."
Yang laughed at the joke but quieted when she noticed the way Blake's eyes sparkled at her right now, filled with appreciation she couldn't claim to deserve.
"I can't believe you kept this," Blake finally said, waving the book through the air.
"Of course I did - it was a gift. I don't normally get rid of gifts." Thinking about the truth in that statement, Yang shook her head to herself. "Unless they're from Neptune."
"But you didn't even know who I was at the time."
"I didn't," Yang answered honestly, stepping forward so they were closer together. "I mean...I didn't know you as well as I should have."
When Blake tilted her head in a way that asked Yang to continue, she decided that now was as good a time as any to explain the jumble of thoughts and emotions she'd wrestled with for the past few days.
"I've always had friends at school," she began with a modest smile. "People just kinda...like me, for whatever reason. I liked having friends, and I liked being popular. My first few years of school were a breeze."
"I know," Blake said with a smile and nod. "I was there, remember?"
"Right." Shaking her head at the craziness of that statement, Yang ran one hand through her hair before continuing. "Things changed when Ruby got to school. People started picking on her almost immediately. I don't know why she was such an easy target...she was a little smaller than everyone else and more hyper, but...whatever it was, they got to her right away."
It wasn't until Blake hesitantly reached out and held one of Yang's hands that she realized she was frowning - her brow deeply furrowed while remembering Ruby's early days of school. It was a simple gesture but lifted Yang's heart enough for her to finish her side of the story.
"I figured out how to get them to back off - fight them. Give them a good hit, or a good scare, and they left her alone. For Ruby, I did it because she's my little sister. But you…" Looking up from their joined hands, Yang caught Blake's eyes and held them like a lifeline while her emotions built in her chest.
"Blake, you were the first person besides Ruby that I ever stood up for," she admitted. "It wasn't until that day that I realized Ruby wasn't the only person being picked on. Other people needed someone to stick up for them. To see them…"
Reaching out with her free hand, Yang tapped the cover of the book and gave Blake an apologetic smile.
"You're the one who made me want to stand up for everyone. Because I should have noticed sooner what they were saying to you. I should have said something sooner. I'm sorry it took me so long to help..."
"Oh Yang…"
When Yang turned her gaze towards the ground, one soft hand reached up and brushed her cheek.
"We were just kids," Blake assured her softly, gently tilting Yang's chin up so they made eye contact once more. "What matters is that you did stick up for me. And that stayed with me to this day."
Blake's smile warmed every hidden corner of Yang's heart, drawing out a smile of her own that didn't fade even when Blake shyly turned away.
"Will you forgive me..." Blake directed towards the floor before finding Yang's gaze again. "For not telling you right away?"
"Depends. Will you forgive me for being a complete idiot and not remembering who you were, even though you gave me about a billion hints?"
When Blake laughed and nodded in acceptance of their deal, Yang felt her inner sun completely restored. It was so easy to be vulnerable around Blake. And honest - and open. They'd finally gotten their shared past out in the open, so maybe it was time she found the courage to discuss their present.
"I, uh, I have a question I wanted to ask..." she began, her nerves doubling when Blake stood in front of her and waited expectantly - those intelligent amber eyes trained directly upon her. Her palms instantly sweating, she swallowed thickly and tried to lower the volume of her heart beating in her ears.
If any time felt right to ask this question, it was now - when they were putting their feelings out in the open, once and for all.
"Do you like me?" she asked in a single breath, watching a flicker of surprise register in Blake's expression before rushing forward. "And not in a 'she saved me from bullies' type of way, but in a more, you know...um…in a romantic way?"
With the question finally asked, Yang searched for anything that might clue her in to Blake's answer. She didn't need to do much searching, however, because - while never losing her gaze - Blake nodded and said, "I do."
Temporarily confused, Yang blinked once before fully processing what was just said.
"You...really?"
Nodding again, Blake took one step closer - moving so close that their toes nearly touched. Taking a breath, she briefly looked uncertain about what she wanted to say next but eventually smiled.
"I like you. And I like you more every day," she admitted softly. "But...do you like me?"
Stunned by the positive response, Yang opened her mouth but couldn't find any words to say. She'd imagined it, wished for it, and hoped for it, and now it was true. Blake liked her. This wonderful, amazing, smart and beautiful girl…
"You had me at 'can you flirt like a prince.'"
When Blake's expression lit up with happiness, Yang stepped closer and rested her hand near Blake's elbow, feeling a thrill of excitement pass through her fingertips the moment they touched. The way Blake was looking at her right now sent tingles of anticipation up and down her spine...and there was no way she'd let this moment slip away.
"I...think Ruby interrupted us yesterday," she whispered, her cheeks heating up from the memory. And for once, Blake's cheeks darkened to match.
After amber eyes flitted quickly back and forth, searching Yang's for an answer to an unspoken question, Blake smiled.
"And how does that make you feel, my liege?"
While Blake's eyes danced at the joke, Yang leaned forward and kissed her. Because what else could she do when this amazing girl continued to get the best of her?
And, unlike yesterday, she wasn't caught off guard by the kiss. She was very much prepared but still felt her heart jolt with happiness when Blake returned the kiss in earnest - their lips moving together in perfect harmony.
Feeling a delicate hand twisting soft curls around her ear, Yang exhaled in content while pulling Blake closer, close enough that there was no extra space existing between them. With their bodies pressed together, she wove one hand through Blake's hair and did her best to convey through her lips just how much she loved...spending time together.
"Blake?"
Startled by the voice, they broke apart - and Blake immediately sighed when two soft knocks landed on the bedroom door.
"Yeah?" she asked, stepping backward and leaning casually against her desk chair while Yang stood awkwardly in front of her. Wiping a hand across her furiously blushing cheeks and mouth, Yang cleared her throat as the door cracked open and Blake's mom poked her head inside.
"Sorry to bother you," the woman said, although it didn't appear that she was actually that sorry. "I was just wondering if your friend wanted to stay for breakfast."
Somehow not looking at all disheveled or embarrassed at what just happened, Blake gave Yang an inquisitive look.
"Would you like to stay for breakfast?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," Yang answered, nervously running a hand through her hair before shrugging. "I mean, I can always eat."
"Great! Then I'll whip something up for you two."
While this seemed like the moment when Blake's mom would leave, she lingered until Blake sighed again and spoke up.
"Mom, this is Yang - we're in the same homeroom. Yang, this is my mom."
"Nice to meet you, Yang," Mrs. Belladonna said with a pleased smile, extending a hand that Yang hastily shook.
"You too, Mrs. Belladonna," she replied, forcing another 'extra good with parents smile' while Blake's mom laughed.
"Oh, please call me Kali. 'Mrs. Belladonna' sounds so formal."
"Uh, ok, Kali." The name made Yang feel even more awkward, but she pushed that feeling aside in order to attempt a normal conversation. "You, uh, have a lovely house. And an even lovelier daughter."
Hearing how that sounded, Yang felt her cheeks grow warmer in embarrassment. And when Kali's eyes narrowed in thought, she was positive she'd have to explain her choice in words. 'Lovely daughter? What do you mean?'
Hopefully, Blake's mom couldn't read minds, because all Yang could think about right now was how she and Blake were kind of making out just a few seconds ago.
"You look familiar…" was all she said instead, clearly trying to place Yang in her memories.
"She should," Blake added, walking over to Yang's side and nudging her arm. "She's the one who beat up those boys who were picking on me in fourth grade."
When Kali's eyes widened in recognition, Yang chuckled nervously.
"I mean, I wouldn't say 'beat up,'" she mumbled, although her current black eye probably wasn't helping her case. Fortunately, Blake's mom gave her a warm smile - apparently thrilled to learn that was Yang's past.
"Well you grew up to be a beauty, didn't you?"
"Mom!" Blake exclaimed in disbelief.
"What? Moms are allowed to say things like that," Kali replied before giving Yang another smile. "You go to Vale High then?"
"Yup! My sister and I both go there."
"Ohhhh…" Kali shot a look at her daughter - who was suddenly too busy staring at her hands to make eye contact - before turning back to Yang with a sly grin nearly identical to the ones she'd been receiving for the past few days in homeroom. "Well that makes a lot more sense."
Staring at Blake's sudden burst of embarrassment, Yang couldn't help smiling. Because that was cute.
"But I'm glad to see you're doing well," Blake's mom continued regardless of their silence. "Although...maybe only moderately well…"
When she nodded towards Yang's eye, Yang nearly cringed at how bad of a first impression she was making.
"Oh yeah," she replied, trying to explain it in a way that would save a little face. "But this was...uh...well, I kinda signed up for it. I'm on the boxing team, so it happens sometimes..."
"You're the one who got punched?" After glancing at Blake, who still refused eye contact, Kali leaned closer to Yang and held up one hand to loudly whisper, "I've never seen her so mad."
"Mommm," Blake whined, this time blushing brilliant red while her mom laughed and finally walked towards the door, leaving Yang to stare at Blake's flushed cheeks in surprise. She had to learn how Blake's mom embarrassed her so easily.
"It's lovely seeing you again, Yang. I'll leave you two alone."
This time it was Yang's turn to blush like mad when she caught the wink sent Blake's way.
"I'll call when breakfast is ready," Kali added before disappearing into the hall.
"Thanks, Mom," Blake mumbled before walking to the door and closing it. After listening for a few seconds, she quietly spun the lock and turned around.
"So…" Yang began, at a loss for words over what just happened.
"So that's my mom…" Blake said before shaking her head. "Apparently, she talks a little too much..."
The response made Yang laugh.
Even though it was embarrassing as heck, that had been surprisingly enjoyable. And learning that Blake was angry on Yang's behalf was rather cute.
"Don't worry. My dad's gonna try to embarrass me too."
As soon as Yang said the words, Blake's eyes met hers, and that slow grin appeared once again.
"Are you saying you want me to meet your dad?"
"Yeah, of course! I mean, if you want to."
Smiling, Blake left the door behind and walked back to Yang - only stopping when she was close enough to set one of her hands on Yang's hip.
"And how would you introduce me?" Blake asked with mischievous eyes, setting her second hand on Yang's other hip in the most tantalizing way imaginable. "'That girl I saved in elementary school?'"
"That depends…" With Blake's fingertips gripping her hips and pulling her closer, Yang found it increasingly difficult to keep track of what she wanted to say.
"Depends on what?"
Rolling onto the balls of her feet, Blake wore a smirk that said she knew exactly what she was doing to Yang right now. And that was completely ok.
"Well I, uh, I know we didn't get to go on our date," Yang stammered while staring into amber eyes. "But maybe...maybe I could still call you my girlfriend?"
Laughing in delight, Blake leaned forward and kissed Yang again...quickly wrapping both arms around her neck and deepening the kiss.
She didn't like to make assumptions...but she was taking that as a 'yes.'
Hearing a bubble of laughter slip past Blake's lips, Yang couldn't help but join in - catching the happiness in Blake's eyes before they kissed again, both of them amazed at how this had turned out.
Even though one moment in their pasts had linked them together, Yang couldn't take credit for the person Blake became. She'd already been brilliant, as seen from her choice of advanced reading material. And it was her own willpower that led her to become so confident in herself. So no, Yang couldn't take credit for that, no matter how much Blake wanted to give it to her.
Maybe Blake latched onto that moment for inspiration, but it was all her the rest of the way. She'd been knocked down. She stood back up. She found a way to be herself without bending to what everyone else wanted her to be. Maybe Yang offered a hand, but the decision to take it was Blake's - and Blake's alone.
But damn was Yang glad she punched that boy in the nose.