Chapter Fourteen: Unknocking the Arrow
Written by: JayEmEl
Edited by: Cowjump
NOTE: This may be the straightest chapter in the whole story. Haha.
Happy reading!
Yang had a way with guys. She had learned that very quickly as she entered her teenage years. Whether it was the blonde hair or the bright smile or the feminine figure or the sociable personality or a combination of all that and more, men seemed to just take notice and gravitate towards her. And although the attention was flattering, it was also sometimes a little bit annoying. But she also learned there were advantages to it.
For example, it had been very easy to find and convince a guy to fabricate false IDs for her for free. And now, she didn't even need to call out to the bartender for him to see her at the counter. Nor did she need to wait very long. He finished mixing a drink for another customer, and with a charming smile crossing his lips, came over to Yang, looking dashing in his black vest over a tight, white button-up shirt, accentuating those broad shoulders.
Yang returned the grin and leaned over the glowing purple counter a little. "Hey," she greeted him once he was close enough.
"Hey. What can I do for you, beautiful?"
Part of Yang wanted to flirt back and say something like, "Oh, a lot of things, handsome," but she showed a bit more restraint. Instead, she kept her smile up and said, loud enough to be heard over the music, "Strawberry sunrise, with the cute umbrella, please. Whiskey cola and a vodka tonic. And a round of shots, too."
Amused, he made a bit of a scoffing sound. "Anything else?"
The blonde drummed her fingers. "Yeah, actually. My friend wants to know if you have any champagne?"
"Coming right up," he replied with a smirk and then turned to the wall behind himself to start making the drinks.
Yang stared at his back for a moment, eyebrows quirked mockingly, but then she turned around, too, and observed her surroundings for the fourth time since arriving, a few hours ago. It was her first time coming to this particular nightclub, and immediately upon entering, she found that she loved it. All the way from the ceiling's huge, modern spiral of violet and blue lights to the sheer aura of party every corner bathed in, Yang felt right at home. Pink, purple, red, and blue lasers flashed to the beat of the electric jam the DJ had going on the stage, piercing through the steam created by the fog machines, and a crowd of people were on the dance floor with their glowing bracelets and necklaces, moving in tandem to the throes of the music.
This was her scene, where all the fun and thrill was, and her lilac irises took everything in with wonder. She couldn't believe she hadn't heard of this place sooner. It was her friends who had brought her here for a final evening out together before Yang started her first year at Beacon Academy, which was only a week away now. The small group was here to enjoy tonight to the maximum, and Yang had every intention of doing that. In fact, she had already danced for a while and had drunk enough to get a decent buzz going, but her evening was only just getting started.
"Well, hello there, hot stuff," drawled a voice from beside her.
Yang glanced to her side, seeing another patron sitting at the bar – a man who had to be at least ten years older than she was, and he was clearly drunk.
This was one of the downsides Yang had discovered about her looks: namely, perverts and jerks. She'd learned to deal with those, too. First, she ignored them. If that didn't work, she asked them to leave her alone. And if that didn't work, Yang Xiao Long was perfectly capable of beating a grown man into a pulp. She was a huntress in training, after all, with proficiency in the martial arts.
"I heard you flirting with the bartender. You come here alone?"
Yang pretended he hadn't spoken, keeping her entertained gaze everywhere else but on him. She hadn't even flirted with the bartender - she'd controlled herself.
Fortunately, this guy seemed to have some form of intelligence because when he realized Yang wasn't going to acknowledge him, he returned to his drink with a noncommittal grunt. Yang's shoulders relaxed accordingly.
Sometime afterwards, she turned around again to face the bar and only had to wait a few more moments for all the alcoholic beverages she had ordered. The bartender served them to her on a platter, and Yang thanked him with a wink after telling him to put the cost on the tab she and her friends had opened shortly after arriving. She then took the platter, carefully balancing it as she made her way through the people dancing and then towards one of the tables at the back.
When she was near enough for her friends to spot her approaching, they immediately started whooping and expressing their joy that she'd come back with drinks. Yang grinned at them and set the platter on the table, grabbing her strawberry sunrise and taking a seat on the corner of the table. "Shots for everyone," she declared, gesturing at the glasses. "Knock yourselves out."
"Girl, we're gonna need more than just those for that," one of her friends joked, followed by a few agreements and laughing.
"Yeah, yeah," Yang gibed along with them. "You're all so grateful. I can go get more later."
"Eyyyy!"
"You know we love youuuu!"
They were a group of seven in all, a mix of her friends from Signal and her boyfriend's friends. Her eyes briefly scanned the individual faces – two girls she'd met in elementary and a boy she'd been partnered up with when they'd been building their weapons. There were less familiar faces, ones Yang only knew because they were Chase's pals and she hung out with them sometimes. But then Yang's eyes met Chase's stormy greens, and her smile became more affectionate in nature.
She hadn't met Chase at school. He'd spotted her at the park one day during her early morning run, had decided to join her, and they had been inseparable ever since.
"Thanks, Yang," he said sincerely but with amusement, taking the whiskey cola and bringing it to his lips for a sip.
"No problem, babe. It's just how you like it – four cream and five sugars."
Chase almost choked and quickly brought the glass away from his mouth. "What?"
Yang and several others at the table guffawed. "I'm kidding. It's safe."
He slowly shook his head, but he reached his hand out and Yang slipped her own into his, holding it on her lap. "I thought it tasted right…"
She grinned. They'd been together for just over a year. He was going to turn twenty soon – almost three years older than she was, but the only person who seemed to care was her dad. He didn't quite approve of the relationship because of that, but for all other intents and purposes, Chase was a good, regular, and responsible guy and Yang was happy with him – even her dad had eventually taken a liking to him, too. And Chase was kind with Ruby. That counted for a lot. A lot, a lot.
"Okay, lovebirds! You can stop with the googly-eyes. Time for the shots!"
"Then Yang can go get us some more because she's such a bro."
Yang waved him off. "And I'll keep being a bro so long as you keep paying, buddy." She rubbed her index and thumb together at him.
"Yang is bae. All of our bae."
"Well, she would be if she played for that team… So, really, she's only half of our bae."
That was one of Yang's friends, pretending to hit on her. It was a bit of a joke between them now. She finger-gunned the girl and clicked her tongue. "And don't you forget it, honey-buns." She followed this by exclaiming, "So, are we doing those shots or not?" and putting her strawberry sunrise down to grab one of the smaller glasses.
"Yesshhhh!"
"Everyone ready?"
"Three, two, one, drink!"
Yang brought the shot to her lips and downed it in one short gulp at the same time as the others – except Chase, who wasn't supposed to be getting drunk tonight – and slammed the glass back down. It burned her throat and warmed her belly, but she enjoyed the feeling.
"Whoo! Again!"
"Yang, go!"
"Yaaaaaang!"
"Okay, you bunch of babies! I'm going! I'm going!" Yang stood up, snickering, but didn't let go of Chase's hand. "But Chase is gonna come with me. Right, Chase?"
Her boyfriend stared up at her. "I am? Do you need me?"
"Absolutely! We'll get two rounds." Yang waggled her eyebrows at him, trying to convey that she had something else in mind. She knew perfectly well that he knew what she wanted, but playing hard to get was one of their favorite games. Love was something to always be worked for, after all.
And it helped keep their flame bright.
"But –"
"C'mon, you gorgeous slab of man. Move your butt!" she pulled on his hand, and he finally stood as well, chuckling.
"Alright, alright. Lead the way."
Behind them, the group erupted into whistles and exaggerated thank-yous, and Yang just waved back at them lazily. She would get their shots. Just…not right away. There was something else that interested her for the moment.
She guided Chase through the crowd of people, and once she was sure their friends couldn't see them anymore, she tugged her boyfriend closer. "Wanna dance?" she asked loudly over the sound of the bass.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Nope!"
Chase didn't reply, but he didn't fight or argue. He seemed to be chortling still, in fact, and he followed Yang easily through all the people, not letting go of her hand. They moved a little closer to the stage, and this time it was Chase's turn to pull on Yang, bringing her back against his strong chest, warm hands snaking around her waist. Yang grinned, feeling the bass reverberate through her body, raising her arms and briefly caressing Chase's cheek from behind as she did so. He tightened his hold, beginning to grind against her, and she reciprocated, rolling her hips and taking pleasure from this proximity. His hands continued to roam across her stomach, gentle but firm, and Yang slowly brought her arms back down to shamelessly grab his rear and press him tighter to her gyrating hips.
"Someone's feisty," he commented in her ear, the husk of his deep voice sending goosebumps up her spine.
Yang laughed but didn't reply. They swayed to the music together, and apparently taken by the momentum and beat, Chase suddenly pulled on her arm, turning her around to face him and putting his hands on her waist. She met his stormy green eyes, loving their color and the dark lashes that framed them, and gave him a mischievous smile before flipping her hair one way and gliding her hands down the sides of her own body, rocking her hips. Their hands joined, and he clasped them before spinning her back around to lean flush against his chest again, keeping her hands imprisoned, and their bodies seemed to melt into each other, they were so close. He kissed her neck from behind, and Yang closed her eyes as they found their rhythm, swaying and grinding, hands exploring in a fun and tantalizing way, touching and caressing over their torsos everywhere they could reach, reminiscent of all the loving nights they had spent in each other's arms.
After a while, though, the two found themselves breathless and needing to get off their feet. With little deliberation, they pushed their way out of the throng, heading back to the bar so they could sit for a minute and order those shots Yang had promised their group. After ordering, Yang informed Chase that she would be right back, giving him a happy – if not promising more for later – peck on his cheek before heading to the washrooms.
She came out a few minutes later, feeling refreshed and like she was ready to show her man off some more, dancing or otherwise, but as she made her way back to the bar, dodging servers and flirters alike, her mood momentarily paused and her eyes locked on a little problem ahead of her – sort of like a mosquito that needed to be swatted. Standing beside Yang's sitting boyfriend was a girl. And that girl was chatting with him. And she was leaning against the counter, pushing out her cleavage to where his eyes could not avoid it, and he seemed to be amused by whatever she was saying. The girl had golden-blonde hair, much like Yang's own, but unlike Yang – who was wearing a dress that was fitted around her chest and then flared out just above her knees – this girl was wearing one of the skankiest, brightest dresses in the room, and everything about her screamed 'attention-seeker.'
It was the exact type of cliché that happened in corny romance movies. And it wasn't fun to watch in real life at all.
There was a part of Yang that didn't understand why Chase was even giving that bug the time of day, and she tried to reason with herself that perhaps he was just being friendly – much like she, herself, was with the majority of people. Chase was a nice guy and she trusted him, and that was why she didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. There seemed to be too little distance between them, and the girl was playing with her hair now, and Yang could recognize flirting when she saw it.
She wasn't going to let this continue. So, keeping her temper in check, Yang approached the two at the counter, making her presence known by slipping her hand across Chase's back – low on his back – and asking, "Who's your friend, babe?"
The girl stared at her, expression first surprised but then contorting into something less than pleased.
"I actually don't know," Chase replied with mild amusement. "She didn't give me her name. Just started talking to me." His own arm came to wrap around Yang's waist and then he addressed the girl, "This is my girlfriend, Yang. You might have heard of her. She's pretty popular around here." She wasn't sure about that, though it was flattering, but the more Chase spoke, the sourer the girl's expression became. Yang wasn't exactly amused, but it did ease some of her concern. "I mean, it's no surprise. She's super awesome, super kind, super charming, super hot… I could go on." He tilted his head, checking with Yang, and then returned to the girl. "But what's your name, again?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "Never mind. I'm leaving."
And so she did. Just like that.
Yang didn't bother watching her leave. She turned back towards Chase, giving him a bit of a pouting look. "If you weren't interested, why did you let her talk to you? She was totally flirting – I saw her."
Chase smiled and pulled Yang onto his lap, encircling her waist with his strong arms and kissing her shoulder. "You, Yang Xiao Long, are the most amazing person in the world." He hugged her against him and added, "It was funny listening to her dig her own grave. And I may or may not like it when you get possessive."
"You're a bit of a jerk, you know that, right?"
He chuckled against her neck, warm breath heating her skin. "But you wouldn't have me any other way."
She enjoyed being in his arms like this, and she knew he was being sincere and that she'd initially found his flatteries reassuring, but… "You were kind of brutal."
"You're right. She didn't deserve that."
It was just as he finished saying those words that the bartender handed them their two platters of shots. They thanked him and then the young couple carefully carried the platters back to the table where their group was. They didn't address the topic of the girl again, instead focusing on having fun and chatting with their friends. Chase 'responsibly' refused to take any other alcohol except finishing his whiskey cola, as he was one of the two designated drivers for the evening. Yang took part in only one of the two next rounds of shots, choosing to sip at her strawberry sunrise from then on afterwards. She didn't want to get wasted. They went back to the dance floor as a group for a while and then walked around on the second level for a bit, partaking in a game of 'who-can-spot-the-silliest-looking-partygoer,' their almost-drunken states causing them to laugh and stumble and make fun of each other for their idiocies as they went.
Finally, it was almost three in the morning when the group separated, joining up with their designated drivers to go back home. Chase drove two of Yang's friends from Signal back to their places first, and then it was just her and him on the drive to her father's cabin. The entire ride was hazy, tonight's drinks having brought her to a fantastic level of intoxication, but she remembered making Chase laugh. That was what mattered. His laugh, his happiness. He parked the car on the side of the hidden driveway, out of sight from the house for the time being. It was dark outside, and because Yang lived on the outskirts of Patch, they could hear the crickets chirping from inside the car.
They were silent for a few moments. She thought he would bring her to his place, like he sometimes did when they wanted intimacy. Not tonight, though, it seemed. Yang wasn't entirely sure what to think. But this wasn't really the first time this kind of thing happened.
He was an ordinary guy. He wasn't training to be a huntsman. He worked out plenty, sure, but Chase was a musician. He played bass, guitar, and drums like a veritable virtuoso, and he was trying to make a name for himself. And Yang admired that about him. She especially liked that despite his goals, he always found time for her. He was always there. And he got along with Ruby, and the siblings' dad had even learned to appreciate Chase's solid presence. He was her longest lasting relationship and he brought a reassuring kind of stability to her life. And he had a killer smile and gorgeous green eyes and a great personality. He was confident, talented, generous, and affectionate, and they were inseparable.
But for the past month or so, every now and then, Yang got this inkling that Chase was growing more distant – that his heart wasn't in the same place as hers. And the closer they got to the day Yang would head out for Beacon Academy, the more…absent Chase seemed to be. They'd spoken about it, too. Chase had explained that he was trying to make the transition to the new schedule easier and wanted Yang to be ready for their inevitable lengths of separation. There was no way they would be seeing each other as often with Yang living on campus, dealing with homework, training, curfews, and being gone on missions who knew how often. Yang had wanted to ensure his behavior didn't mean they were breaking up. It wasn't. He promised it wasn't. He wouldn't leave her.
He promised.
They had kissed, made-out, said their goodbyes for the night, and that was the last Yang had seen of him. He didn't message her, didn't reply to any of her calls, never answered his door, nothing. He had either been really good at hiding or he had somehow disappeared. Yang eventually learned the truth by asking his friends – Chase had been contacted for an important music gig in Mistral, and he'd just dropped everything and left.
Torn apart and feeling betrayed, Yang inquired as to if Chase had at least made it to Mistral safely. His friends didn't know. He hadn't given them any news since leaving, either. For all Yang knew, he could have been dead.
It had been really hard hiding her heartbreak, especially from Ruby. Fortunately, she hadn't needed to do so for long. The excitement of going to Beacon came along, and with Ruby being so thrilled and hyper, and Yang keeping herself well occupied with the move and initiation, Chase became a painful memory the blonde managed to not dwell on.
Really, it all seemed to emphasize this specific pattern: Chase, like too many others, just didn't want to stay with her. Chase never gave Yang cause to doubt his fidelity, after all, but after the tension and reluctance to speak about Beacon...Yang had been left to believe that she was the problem. Every time, that was the point that was driven home. That the people she loved just abandoned her or shut down, some way or another, even if she gave her all. That was just how it seemed to work. Raven, Summer, Taiyang, Chase, her friends from Signal…
Ruby.
Yang softly moved a few strands of red-tipped bangs away from Ruby's face, sadly staring at her pale skin and the gradually healing wound on her head. The heart monitor continued its quiet beep, beep, beep, and Yang tightened her other hand's hold on Ruby's. It had almost been two weeks since the accident, and time had never seemed to drag on for so long before.
Yang's eyes gravitated to where Blake was sitting on the couch, on the other side of Ruby's bed and against the wall. Their gazes met, and Blake stared back at her with a mix of affection and concern. Sun was sitting next to Blake. He'd expressed his sympathies for Ruby to Yang, and he was acting appropriately subdued for the situation, but Yang wasn't sure she liked him being around. More particularly, being around Blake all the time. Blake had been clear with him yesterday about her relationship with Yang, but the blonde had seen his reaction and saw the way he acted since.
She was no stranger to men, having hung around plenty of them and dated a few and knowing how they were because of that. Sun hadn't quite believed Blake. He'd been a little more careful for the rest of the evening yesterday, but this morning he was right back to hitting on her and jumping around her like a puppy in love.
Yang knew why Sun hadn't accepted the truth. He was a nice, fun guy, so it had nothing to do with disrespect. It wasn't even about not wanting to accept the truth. No, Yang had no doubt about it – he just couldn't see it. And girls sometimes pretended to be gay for each other – one reason being to dissuade guys from pulling any moves on them, among other things. Heck, Yang had sometimes pretended to be gay for one of her friends at Signal because it was funny, and other times because the jerks needed to be kept away. If this was what Sun believed, then it wouldn't matter if Yang or Blake insisted they were together. Sun was too confident in his ability to approach Blake.
Yang did not want to lose her. That much she knew. And Blake had shown no interest for Sun in a long time, not in that way, but Yang feared her girlfriend might if she felt unsatisfied with how much physical affection her partner was giving her. And combined with the belief that people abandoned Yang because of her… Well, Yang may not have felt jealous, but she was certainly afraid of losing Blake, of losing the special bond and trust they shared. Almost viscerally so. And this caused her a certain level of discomfort, too, because now she fretted over having to take steps she wasn't ready to take in order to keep her girlfriend. And what if, in so doing, she would just end up tearing apart their relationship after all?
It felt like such a tricky terrain to maneuver and Yang had rarely felt such icy claws on her spine.
She didn't get the chance to say anything, though – not that there was much she could have said to begin with. There was a knock on the door, and then Nora and Ren walked in. They paused at the doorway, as if they had momentarily not expected so many people to already be in the small, quiet room.
"Hey, guys," Sun greeted them amicably.
His words seemed to break the ice, and Nora and Ren walked further into room and closed the door behind them. "You're all here together?" Ren wondered, gazing from face to face curiously. It was true that they were pretty crowded inside now.
"Yeah, we're giving Weiss, Blake, and Yang our support," Neptune replied with a shrug. "How was the hunt?"
Nora grinned. "It was great! We totally killed five Ursa Majors and a huge pack of Beowolves. Like, thirty of them!"
Ren's palm promptly collided with his face. "Two Ursai, five Beowolves. No more, no less."
Yang couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips while Neptune, Sun, and Nora laughed quietly. Her eyes found Blake again, seeing that the Faunus looked vaguely amused, too, pools of gold glimmering.
"Ren's just being modest," Nora drawled in a somewhat bragging tone, flipping her hand. "But, anyway! Where are we supposed to sit? You're taking up all the room, fatsos!"
Weiss stood up before anyone could retort, apparently slightly ruffled by the insult – her, literally the most petite in the current group. "I think we were just leaving. We'll let you and Ren take over." Icy blue met lilac, Weiss' tone gentling. "Is that okay, Yang?"
Yang knew she couldn't stay in the room. They had been here for most of the morning either way, and there was an agreement between her and Blake that it wasn't healthy to be glued to Ruby's side for the entire day. Even if she insisted, Blake wouldn't have it. So, reluctantly, Yang sighed as she said, "Yeah, we're going." She leaned over and laid a tender kiss on Ruby's forehead, giving her little sister's hand a squeeze as she did, and whispered, "See you later, Ruby." Yang then got to her feet with another, shorter sigh. Her eyes wandered to the flowers on the small table nearby, several vases that had been given as gifts, and she put her hands on her hips upon noticing everyone was looking at her. "Well?" she demanded, anxious to move on from the unwanted attention. She turned towards Neptune, Sun, and Blake, forcing a grin. "Get your lazy butts off those seats and let's go!"
Her exclamation broke whatever weird spell had been cast on the group, and Sun was the first to speak again. "Yes, ma'am!" he agreed, hopping to his feet. He followed Neptune and Weiss out after sharing a brief goodbye with Ren and Nora.
Blake was the last to stand. She came over to Yang's side and then said to Ren and Nora gratefully, "Thank you for doing this. It means a lot."
"Meh, it's no problem at all," Nora replied with a beam.
"She's our friend, too," Ren added, nodding towards Ruby. "Has there been any change in her state?"
Yang looked down in sorrow. "The wound on her head is healing, but otherwise…no change."
"She's stable, though," Blake added in a reassuring tone. Her hand found Yang's bicep. "Her aura is keeping her from slipping any further into the coma."
Nora sobered some and said softly, "I have faith in Ruby. She's going to make it."
Yang was unconvinced, but the important part for the moment was that Ruby still breathed. Her chances of ever waking up might have been next to null by now, but at least she…at least she wasn't dead. Even if it felt like she was. Yang wished so desperately to see her baby sister's silver eyes again, alive with enthusiasm…
Trying to get a grip and wanting to change the subject, Yang forced some amusement into her tone as she asked, "How did you sleep with those two bozos in your dorm room last night?" She was appreciative for what Ren and Nora were doing, of course, but it was just too hard to keep talking about without succumbing to more tears. And Yang was tired of crying. She was supposed to be the supportive and upbeat one – not the one everyone pitied. She hated being looked at that way.
Nora rolled her eyes, quickly catching Yang's drift. "Oh, my God. They won't shut up!" She snickered. "But Ren slept like a baby because, well, me. It's all good."
Yang couldn't help but chuckle at least a little with Nora. She wasn't going to ask what that even meant. "Thanks, you guys. Really." She hugged the shorter girl tightly and shared a brief hug with Ren as well. They said their goodbyes and joined their other friends in the hallway, leaving Ren and Nora to watch over Ruby for most of the afternoon. Yang's dad would replace them later when the evening came around.
Weiss, Sun, and Neptune were standing further off in the hallway, the two guys laughing about something while the heiress pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. Yang and Blake walked up to their friends.
"We need to do something," Weiss informed the young couple, opening her eyes to stare at them. "I enjoy Neptune's company on his own, but both of them together are insufferable."
Yang muffled a snicker. She had guessed as much. "Geez, Weiss. Life must be terrible. Did you even have anything in mind?"
Weiss sighed. "No. That's why I'm asking you."
Yang looked over to Blake at her side, in case her girlfriend had an idea or had planned an activity ahead of time. Blake only shook her head, though. Lilac irises saw her cat ears twitch, and Yang creased her eyebrows, trying to think.
"Let's go outside first," Blake suggested casually. Slender fingers intertwined with Yang's, followed by an encouraging smile.
"Yes, let's," Weiss agreed. She turned towards the boys and got their attention by clearing her throat. "Ahem. We're heading out, if you want to come along."
"No problem, Ice Queen!" Sun exclaimed, finger-gunning her with both hands.
She scowled and started walking.
"Dude, be calm," Neptune intervened as they fell into step behind Weiss. "You know she doesn't like being called that."
"Okay, okay."
Yang and Blake followed behind the guys and Weiss, all five choosing to take the stairwell so as not to crowd an elevator, and once they had reached the lobby, they headed outside. The blonde took in a long breath of fresh air, letting the sun remind her that today was a nice day and that she should try to make the best of it. If there was one thing to keep her mind occupied on currently, it was figuring out a way to make Sun actually realize that Blake was not an available option. And, if anything, it would force Yang to get her imagination into gear again.
"Why don't we go for coffee?" Weiss wondered, facing the group. Her exasperation from earlier was gone, and Yang knew the heiress was making an effort to be civilized, especially out in public as they were.
However, Yang was also trying to act more like herself, so getting under Weiss' skin was one of those mandatory things she wanted to do anyway. "Just coffee?" the robust young woman teased. "Boring."
The white-haired girl crossed her arms and huffed, "I don't see you suggesting any activities!"
Yang snapped her fingers. "Well, fudge. Oh, I know! How about skating? Or building snow-forts? Or ice-sculpture competitions…?" She grinned. "Whoops! That's Atlas. My bad."
Beside her, Blake stifled a chuckle. They had both read that pamphlet, after all. Weiss only raised an eyebrow while Sun and Neptune gave them confused looks.
"Is that what you did while you guys were there?" Neptune asked, quizzical.
"Like a really short vacation in the north?" Sun added, equally puzzled. "Who even does that?"
"Nah, just a lot of hot se –"
Blake tugged on Yang's hand, and the brawler met the scariest glare she'd ever seen. She swallowed hard and laughed sheepishly. That had been a real fast switch from amused to warning. "…Hot sextuplicating papers with a photocopier? It, uh…it broke. Overheated. Too many papers."
The application Yang. exe has stopped working.
"…What?"
Blake groaned, as if Yang had somehow punched her. "How do you even know that word…?"
Yang struggled with herself. Neptune and Sun's questions had reminded her of Raven, who was the real reason why she and Blake had gone to Atlas, and that was what had caused the prankster's thoughts to crash so spectacularly. She had to get herself out of the debris, and fast. "I may or may not have had to do that once. Anyway! I have an idea now!" She knew how completely idiotic and unsmooth she had just been. First almost embarrassing Blake and then painfully sticking her foot in her own mouth? Funny that her mind decided to let her down before picking her back up. She was usually a little more quick-witted than this.
"Oh, yeah? What is it?" Sun perked up, dark grey eyes brightening. He had seemed momentarily caught off-guard, but Yang might have been imagining things. She still wasn't in the best state of mind.
Damage control. Yang could do that. "You're all gonna love it, believe me. Just follow the leader! And by that, I mean the leader's girlfriend – me."
Sun's eyes widened. "Wait, are you serious?"
The golden girl immediately hoped he had realized the truth. She was trying very hard not to be subtle – which was saying something because Yang knew very well that 'subtle' wasn't a word that described her to begin with. If blatant sex jokes had apparently not been above her…
"Blake, they made you the new leader?"
…Nope. Yang sighed internally. Although, Sun had pointed out Blake as the leader right away – not Ruby. So, he did recognize that there was something going on between Yang and Blake…right?
"Um, yes. The de facto leader, that is. But I'd rather not talk about it right now. Let's follow Yang, okay?"
Sun nodded, sobering. "Okay. No worries, Blake." He looked at Yang and beamed. "We're ready to go! I trust your judgment."
"I don't," Weiss muttered, but Neptune seemed to say something that engaged the two of them into conversation, making the frown leave the heiress' face.
It didn't matter. Yang was pretty sure everyone would enjoy themselves. That was one of the things she was good at – finding a fun activity her friends would all like. She could do this. "It's actually not that far from here. We can walk. Follow me!" Putting on a bright smile, she then proceeded to make her way out of the hospital's parking lot and onto the sidewalk, Blake by her side and the others tagging along close behind.
It took them about fifteen minutes to arrive. Yang came to a stop and stood proudly in front of her destination, hands on her hips. "And here we are!"
The modern-styled building was huge and completely conspicuous. If it hadn't been surrounded by other pretty fancy and wacky-looking places, the group would have known where she was bringing them long before they got there. After all, the building was relatively unremarkable in its remarkableness, its silver, mirror-like panels and unnatural angles hiding what looked like glowing orbs of light beneath the central gap in its design. The side of the building was then attached to another segment that had a wavy roof and more mirror panels that reflected the sunlight.
The reactions Yang received from her friends were varied. Most prominently, though, was Neptune's immediate, deadpanned but chilled question of, "The aquarium?"
But Sun exclaimed, smacking Neptune's back, "Ohhh dude, yes! This is perfect!"
"Ohhh dude, no. Nuh-uh, no way. Not going."
Yang's good mood faded a little. She had utterly forgotten about Neptune's fear of water. She had meant to find something that they'd all enjoy, and she normally would have taken into account everything she knew about her friends, but… Well, Yang was still experiencing difficulties working at full-capacity, it seemed. She was disappointed with herself for it.
Meanwhile, Blake tilted her head at Yang. "This isn't because I'm part cat, right?"
Weiss was silent, so Yang shifted uncomfortably and murmured, not meeting Blake's gaze, "You can't tell me you won't enjoy this…"
But Blake gently put her hand on Yang's arm and assured, "I'm kidding. This seems like a good idea."
"It sure is!" Sun agreed, stepping closer before anything else could be said. "Neptune's being a big wimp right now, so we should just leave him and go. What do you girls think?" He grinned at them.
"Uh…" Yang knew Sun was just joking, but she was pretty sure leaving Neptune behind wouldn't please Weiss. Plus, there was a nagging feeling that was beginning to make itself known, demanding that Yang find something else to do in which they could all have fun.
However, Weiss sighed just then and grabbed Neptune's arm. "I can turn water into ice if I have to. I won't let it touch you. Now come."
It was funny watching Neptune surrender so easily and after so much bickering with Sun. It seemed the heiress' ice-cold charms even scared away phobias. Fascinating. That said, Yang was grateful. Whether Weiss knew it or not – probably the latter, though – she had just lifted a weight off Yang's shoulders.
She took hold of Blake's hand, and with Sun tagging along, jovial as usual, they followed Weiss and Neptune into the huge, fancy building. The blonde's eyes were instantly drawn to the extremely high and unnaturally-shaped ceiling – in fact, with the water-like lighting effects gliding along every wall, it even felt like they had just entered some sort of large aquatic cavern.
"Sweet," Sun commented, impressed.
"Can I go back now?" Neptune asked in a somewhat intimidated voice. "I mean, you never know when you'll need someone on the lookout outside…"
"You'll be fine," Weiss intervened matter of factly.
They continued talking as the group approached a small, rocky basin to their right. The water inside was crystal clear, allowing visitors to see the small orange and black fish swimming idly within. There was a note on the wall above the basin that warned guests not to feed the fish or drop coins in the water.
"Oh, hey! Blake, there's this teacher at Haven that has these exact kinds of fish in his classroom," Sun shared, enthused. As Blake stepped a little closer, he added, "It's kinda weird because, like, the aquarium is right on the edge of his desk, taking up most of the space like it's no big deal. He's a pretty unique old guy, too."
Yang watched as a bit of an amused smile formed on Blake's lips. She looked from Sun to the fish in the basin before glancing at Yang and replying, eyes back on Sun, "So, he's a bit fishy, then?"
The brawler was stunned only for a second. She started laughing while Sun stared at Blake a little incredulously. Through her snickers, she managed, "Blake, you're amazing..."
"Thanks. You're not bad, yourself." The cat Faunus offered Yang one of her typical half-smirks. She looked happy, though, and Yang found herself extremely grateful for Blake's presence.
"Let's get over to the reception desk so we can wander around," the golden girl suggested, loud enough so all her friends could hear. At the same time, she gently pulled on Blake's hand to prompt her to follow, intertwining their fingers affectionately.
And it was right about then that something occurred to her. It was a bit of a strange moment for this realization, but Yang took note of how she and Blake rarely went anywhere together without holding hands. More than that, it seemed like Yang had been the one initiating this frequent contact recently, often because she needed it. Just knowing that Blake was there for her, right by Yang's side, never too far or out of reach… It was always reassuring. Always grounding. Yang could anchor herself to Blake when all else failed.
Well, maybe not Blake, specifically. There were no guarantees the Faunus would stick around forever. But Blake did still give Yang a solid starting point, and that was already so incredible.
"I mean it, Blake," Yang found herself insisting as they approached the reception desk. The young couple glanced at each other, and the blonde added sincerely, "You really are amazing."
Blake's reaction was unsurprising. She had difficulties with honest compliments, so the light blush and the downwards direction of her golden gaze was expected. Yang suspected her girlfriend hadn't done this earlier because the comment could have just been a joke. But now it definitely wasn't. Yang wanted to make sure Blake knew exactly what she thought of her – regardless of if the sentiment was genuine or out of fear of losing Blake, it didn't matter. It was just important that Blake knew she was held in high esteem by someone she cared about. Yang knew that.
"Thank you," Blake murmured. She looked like she wanted to add something else (and if Yang had to take a guess, it was probably self-deprecating), but then she only sighed, slowly shook her head and stepped up to the desk where the receptionist was waiting for them.
"Hello! How may I help you?" the woman asked, smiling pleasantly.
"Hi. We want to tour the aquarium. She and I are together." Blake, doing her best to recover, motioned briefly at Yang before looking back at Weiss, Neptune, and Sun. "The others will tell you how they want to pay."
Yang's eyes widened a little. "Whoa, wait. I never asked you to pay for me."
"That's because I volunteered," came the quipped response. "It's alright, I promise." And before Yang could protest, Blake took out her lien card and swiped it through the receiver the receptionist held out to her.
"But –"
It was Blake's turn to pull Yang away, closer towards the first tunnel-like corridor, where the group would start their own tour of the exhibits. While they waited for their friends to pay, Blake explained calmly, "It's okay, Yang. Remember what I said about my parents? I'm in an alright place, financially, and two aquarium tickets aren't going to hurt me."
Yang creased her eyebrows. "Oh…" She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. "I didn't…um. Shouldn't you be saving it or something?"
"I am," Blake acquiesced with a small nod of her head. "I only spend what I can afford." She tilted her head a little. "That said…I hardly ever spend anything anyway. I'm more than happy to pay for you."
The extrovert was unwilling to give Blake reason for a few more moments, entertaining the idea of paying her back, but then their friends started walking over to them, and Yang let it go with a sigh and an appreciative smile. "Okay. Well, thank you. You're the best." Either way, Yang could rarely win against Blake in these battles of logic and reason. The bookworm was far more placid and rational than Yang was, after all, and she was usually right about things in general anyway.
And if she was honest with herself, Yang was very glad that Blake had a good head on her shoulders. This quality had protected and maybe even saved Yang several times over the course of the past two weeks. Scratch that – even from the very beginning, when the couple had been nothing more than teammates, Blake's initial aloofness had had a calming effect on the brawler.
"I am going to die," Neptune announced morosely, shoulders slumped as he walked closer, behind Sun, and interrupting the robust young woman's thoughts.
"Nah, dude. You'll live, trust me." Sun then stopped near Blake and Yang. "So, are we ready or are we ready?"
Yang simpered. "We're ready! You good, too, Weiss?"
The heiress motioned with her hand. "Let's go look around." She placed herself beside Neptune.
The group then started down the fairly dark corridor, but it wasn't too long before they reached an area that was bathed in a soft blue light. The corridor opened to another large, cavern-like chamber, the walls uneven and sand colored with the reflection of water on them. This time, though, the effect was authentic. The entire right wall was made of thick glass, allowing the group to see the aquatic life on the other side.
Yang's eyes widened a little. She jumped forward and exclaimed, "Those are the cutest fish I've ever seen!" She put her hand on the glass, staring in marvel at the hundreds of tiny fish whizzing to and fro. Their iridescent scales seemed almost rainbow-like, and they swam in perfect synchronicity, a mass of adorable, reflective bodies.
"It says here that they're a cousin of the guppies," Weiss read, mostly for Neptune's benefit as she stood by the information panel. She didn't sound particularly enthused, but it appeared as though she were making an effort to distract the poor guy. "Although, they behave differently, what with the swimming together, and are a bit bigger."
Neptune made some kind of plaintive noise that was interrupted by Sun cooing, "Aw, they're social. What do you think, Blake?"
Yang immediately glanced back, seeing that Blake was a few steps behind, arms crossed and apparently looking directly at her partner. At least, that's what it seemed. Sun was standing next to her, waiting for a response.
"I think…they're very pretty." Blake smirked, and Yang was now absolutely certain her girlfriend really was staring at her and not at the fish.
"Shame, kitten, shame," Yang called out with an amused shake of her head. Blake waxing cliché? Yang returned to admiring the fish.
"I try," Blake droned, ironically, and the golden girl grinned to herself. They both knew Blake's flirting abilities were questionable. Yang continued watching the cute fish for a moment and then turned back towards her friends.
"I wanna see some sharks," she announced.
"I'd like to see the outside now," Neptune mumbled immediately after. He then added extra quietly into the ensuing silence, "Although, sharks are cool."
"So, he's afraid of the water, but somehow he likes sharks…" Blake stared on at Neptune with narrowed eyes.
Beside her, Sun chuckled and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I don't know. He's weird like that sometimes."
"We might have to walk around for a bit before we find them," Weiss intervened, putting a hand on her hip. "I doubt they keep the exhibit near the entrance."
Neptune hung his head.
Yang, who had been observing how close Sun and Blake were standing to each other, forced a smirk and exclaimed, "Let's do it!" There had to be a way to get Sun to realize he had to back off.
She stepped away from the glass and went past him and Blake to turn the corner into the next section. She heard the rest of the group behind her, and they went slowly, looking and commenting on the various, smaller fish tanks in the walls that contained numerous exotic kinds of marine life. There were other visitors they sometimes had to walk by, and they eventually even met one of the actual tour groups with their guide. However, they didn't stay with the small crowd, instead moving along and taking a different passage when the route forked. This path ended up leading them to a circular, dome-like chamber where all the walls were made of glass.
"Jellyfish!" Yang looked around, amazed. They were everywhere, pink, yellow, purple, and blue blobs of different sizes floating serenely among the algae with beautiful tails trailing behind them. Some of them seemed to glow. Yang approached one of the glass walls and looked into the depths of the water, admiring the peaceful movements. She leaned against the railing, realizing that she was smiling despite herself.
Blake came up beside her. They were both silent for a moment, and then Yang found herself giggling briefly. She met Blake's questioning stare, and Yang provided, amusement in her voice, "I feel like it would be funny to tap them on the head." She motioned with her hand, as if she were petting a dog. "And their bodies would ripple real slow and everything. I think it would be fun to watch."
"Oh, Yang." Blake quirked an eyebrow and shook her head as the corners of her lips twitched upwards. "I think you would end up getting stung more than anything else. Glad your imagination is up and running again, though."
"Yeah… I think it would be nice to be a jellyfish."
Blake blinked. "Um, you mean you'd like to be transparent but somehow still be the bane of everyone's existence at the beach?"
"Yes. That is exactly what I mean. Blake, c'mon, humor me! I meant that they don't really do or worry about anything. They just…float and bob up and down." Yang's gaze was drawn to one particularly blue jellyfish that was swimming close to the glass.
Golden eyes followed where lilac was looking. They were both silent again, comfortable in this mutual understanding, until they were interrupted by Sun and Neptune somewhere behind them, who were making a commotion as Sun tried to pull Neptune out of the corridor they had come from. It appeared Neptune was terrified of this particular chamber and was insisting that he could find a way around. Sun, of course, disagreed. It was Weiss who finally convinced Neptune to hurry to the other side and into the next hallway. She then kept him company.
"Wow, she must really like him," Yang commented, impressed. If Weiss hadn't had a conniption yet, her feelings must have been pretty serious.
Sun came over to stand on Blake's other side. "Neptune must like her, too, because he's actually making an effort here."
"Well, let's not keep them waiting, then," Yang declared and tugged on Blake's arm to pull her along as she moved forward. It bothered her that Sun kept trying to get close to Blake, and Yang still didn't know what to do to make him stop. Normally, if he'd just been some random stranger, she could have blown him off real easily or something, but Sun was a friend. She wasn't thrilled with the possibility of having to hurt him. Plus, being straight kind of made it hard for Yang to just grab Blake and outright kiss her.
She knew Sun was following behind them, and it was as she continued racking her brain for an idea that she was finally provided with one. It was totally awkward, it wasn't great, and it wasn't guaranteed to work, and Blake would probably freak out, but it also might just have been brilliant. To help prevent her partner from overreacting, though, Yang tilted her head towards Blake's as they walked and murmured into her cat ear, "Blake, play along. I am going to put my hand in your pants."
Blake's eyes widened. "What?" she hissed quietly yet sounding completely disquieted.
Yang hadn't meant to make it seem so inappropriate, but it was too late now, and her mouth was her worst enemy today for some reason. "I'm just gonna touch your butt. Don't freak out." She immediately wanted to smack herself. That wouldn't make it any better. Nevertheless, Yang slipped her hand into one of Blake's back jean pockets as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She really hoped Sun would notice because feeling how Blake's butt muscles moved when she walked was not on the list of things Yang had wanted to find out so soon.
"I hope you know I'm going to slap you later," Blake whispered fiercely, face colored red, and Yang let out a bit of an uncomfortable laugh. She wouldn't blame Blake for wanting to do that. Yang wanted to slap herself, too, after all. Maybe several times.
They joined up with Weiss and Neptune, and Yang kept her fingers securely and awkwardly tucked into her girlfriend's back pocket, palm flat around the curve of Blake's rear. And as they continued on their way again, Blake moved closer to Yang to lean into her side, cat ear flicking against her cheek. At least they wouldn't look so unnatural now. That said, there was one thing the blonde had to admit, unwillingly as it might have been.
Blake had a really tight butt. Yang was almost jealous.
"You need to show me how you work out, because man –"
"Yang, you are already in ten feet above your head. Don't dig any deeper."
This time, Yang couldn't help the louder laugh. Her face felt like it was on fire, but speaking before thinking like she usually did, Yang found herself saying, "You mean…don't dig any deeper into your pants?"
"Yang!"
Truly, Yang was mortified with herself, too, but she could barely breathe through her hilarity now. Apparently, what little functioning part of her filter had failed completely today.
It was probably the nerves. Or something. Or maybe Blake's butt had magical electrical powers and had short-circuited everything. However, when Yang glanced back at Sun and saw the monkey Faunus looking troubled, Yang's laughter died down. Maybe, finally, he was cluing in. As embarrassing as her spontaneous plan was, it might have actually been working. And although Yang was relieved about this long-awaited revelation, Sun's expression did not make her happy. As slow as he had been to realize Blake was taken, Sun's feelings were still real. Yang had seen the way he looked at her partner. He had truly believed he had a shot with Blake.
And, maybe, if Yang hadn't been so sure Blake wanted to be with her, and not with Sun – not right now, anyway, and hopefully never – the golden girl might have felt a lot guiltier. In fact, she might not have tried so hard to keep Blake near at all. Sun was an honest, enthusiastic, and nice guy. He was their friend, and Yang knew him enough to know he would have taken care of Blake. He would have treated her right, for the most part. Yang was just a little uncertain of his discernment abilities. Blake tended to hide her feelings, and as great as Sun was, he sometimes wasn't perceptive enough to notice the subtler cues and hints of her thoughts.
Nevertheless, Yang was still a little regretful. She knew she had done the right thing, but purposely hurting another friend in any way, shape or form wasn't easy for her, no matter the justification.
The hallway they entered finally led the group to the main attraction of the aquarium – it was the area where guests walked under the water through thick glass tunnels and saw different species of sharks and stingrays swimming beside and above them, joined by hundreds of other kinds of cool and colorful fish. Yang was in awe, and it seemed her friends were, too. They stood around at first, staring up at the incredible view, but eventually moved along to not be in the way of one of the tour groups that soon arrived. By that point, Yang had taken her hand out of Blake's pocket and intertwined their fingers again instead. After getting out of the way, they continued admiring the aquatic life and the grace with which the larger marine animals swam. They also stopped to read some of the information panels this time, marveled as they were by what they saw.
The rest of their exploration of the exhibits wasn't as breathtaking, but interesting and informative nonetheless. An amusing fact about Blake that Yang discovered when they entered the amphibians exhibit was that the Faunus didn't like frogs and even less liked toads. She was even a little jumpy around them. Excuse the pun. To say the least, Yang made sure to tease her about it.
Weiss didn't like the frogs and toads, either, but Neptune was surprisingly good at keeping her calm when he wasn't threatened by the prospect of tons of water falling on him. Plus, Sun kind of retreated to hang out with them more, and he provided the joking for them.
It was around suppertime when the group emerged from the aquarium. There were jokes about Neptune making it out alive and just being a big baby, but, ultimately, Yang was glad that it seemed they had all enjoyed themselves. They even bought small souvenirs – souvenirs they had no idea what they'd do with or where they'd put them, but it was for the sake of the memory, after all. They ate at a small restaurant nearby afterwards and then walked to the airship harbor to catch a flight back to Beacon Academy. There, they joined up with Nora and Ren and played a few games in their dorm room together before the three girls from Team RWBY retired to their own room for the night.
However, Sun stopped Yang before she could go in. Blake gave her a worried look, but Yang reassured her and closed the door. She turned back towards Sun. "Let's get away from the rooms to talk," she suggested, trying to sound pleasant.
"Yeah, sure." Sun followed her down the maroon hallway, and they came to a halt when they arrived at the small lounge for their level of the building – the same place Yang and Pyrrha had spoken in what seemed like forever now. Unlike that time, though, Yang and Sun didn't sit down on any of the couches or chairs.
"So… What's up?" she wondered, turning to face Sun and biting her lower lip.
Sun massaged the back of his neck uncomfortably. He really was handsome, and if it hadn't been for the circumstances, Yang might have been interested in him, herself. He had good qualities, and he was fun to be around. There was an optimism and earnestness about him that was admirable, that might have been good for Yang or Blake, in another life. She was sure Blake could see these things in him, too, and he probably didn't carry the same kind of emotional baggage that Yang did.
But, as it was, Blake had made her choice, and so had Yang.
"I, uh… I mean, I'm gonna talk to Blake, too, but I wanted to say I'm sorry," Sun finally admitted. "I honestly didn't think there was actually something going on between you two, and, uh, I guess I've been overstepping some boundaries."
The simple fact that Sun was standing there, apologizing to Yang and saying he would do the same to Blake, spoke leagues about the kind of guy he was. It was brave of him, really. Just a few hours ago, he'd had his hopes crushed, yet here he was, expressing his regret and assigning to Yang the rightful priorities and privileges that went with her role as Blake's girlfriend. It said one of two things about him, or both: Sun cared enough about Blake to be on good terms with both her and his rival, or he was just a really great guy.
"I'll admit I was a bit surprised you didn't catch on when Blake literally said 'Yang's my girlfriend,'" the blonde said lightly and with an amused smile, removing any bite her words might have held.
Sun chuckled a bit awkwardly. "Heh, yeah. I guess I just…couldn't believe it. I really thought I had a chance." He paused, hesitating. "You'll take care of her, right?"
Yang nodded. "I will. I try my best."
"You better, 'cause I'll be right there if you don't," he replied with a laugh, and although Yang laughed with him, she had a sneaking suspicion he was telling the truth. Most likely, if an opportunity to be there for Blake presented itself, he would grab it. And if Yang slipped up and he learned about it, she had no doubts that Sun would be the first to pick up the pieces.
In a way…it actually almost kind of reassured Yang. As unsettling as the thought was, knowing Blake would have someone there for her no matter what happened was soothing.
As such, Yang gave Sun an appreciative smile, and they then started walking back to the dorms. They said goodnight to each other, and Yang retreated inside Team RWBY's room, closing the door behind her.
The first thing she noticed was that Blake was already in her pajamas and seemed to be heading for her bed. She stopped and turned when she heard the door open, though. Weiss was still in the bathroom.
"Are you okay?" the bookworm immediately asked, taking a step forward but hesitating to walk up to Yang directly.
The brawler smiled. "Yeah, I am. Just making peace between friends." She was the one to meet Blake by the bunk beds. She lowered her voice once they were standing close to each other. "What about you? Did you enjoy yourself today?"
"I did." Blake paused. "Speaking of…" She whacked Yang lightly on the shoulder, and the blonde stepped back, surprised but snickering. "You had that coming."
"I did, didn't I?" she laughed. "I'm sorry, but I had to give Sun some visual proof that we were going out. I'll let you cop a feel if it'll make us even?"
Blake scoffed. "If I'm going to touch your backside, it'll be during a much more tactful and romantic setting, thank you very much. Who do you think I am? You?"
"Shots fired," Yang chuckled, being very careful to avoid thinking about what Blake even meant by that. There had been enough awkwardness for the day as it was.
Weiss came out of the bathroom then, and it was Yang's turn to get ready for the night. After changing, washing her face, and brushing her teeth, she was out a few minutes later and saw that Blake was still waiting for her before they shut off any lights. Weiss' back was turned to them, apparently trying to sleep already. Yang walked over to Blake and sat down next to her on the edge of the bottom bunk.
They couldn't really have a private conversation, what with their other teammate being in the room, so Yang wasn't entirely sure what Blake wanted to say, but she waited patiently for the Faunus to speak nonetheless.
However, it seemed Blake didn't want to speak just yet. She merely turned and caressed Yang's shoulder – the same one she had whacked earlier – and gazed into lilac irises for a moment. Yang could see in those golden eyes that Blake had things to say, or questions to ask, but the only thing she murmured was, "I love you."
And for the first time ever since entering this relationship with Blake, Yang felt helpless with how to respond to that statement. All the other times, they had been in conversation and Yang could naturally address something else Blake had said. She hadn't even been doing it on purpose, in fact. But it wasn't the case now. Blake had said nothing else. Just a simple, heartfelt "I love you."
Before Yang's mind could start panicking, though, Blake leaned in and laid a gentle kiss on Yang's cheek. For all intents and purposes, it seemed the Faunus hadn't been expecting an answer at all. Yang was just being self-conscious unnecessarily.
…But that wasn't really right, was it? Eventually, Blake would need an answer, and Yang had to be able to provide one.
"Goodnight, Yang," Blake whispered, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she hugged the golden girl gently.
Yang readily reciprocated, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's svelte form and closing her eyes to better appreciate the embrace, lips against Blake's shoulder. "Night night, Blakey."
They still didn't part right away, though. The hug lasted a few seconds longer, and then they mutually separated. Yang smiled at Blake one more time, actually feeling somehow lighter now, as if Blake had taken a weight off Yang by taking her into her arms, before standing and going over to shut the lights off.
By the time she climbed into her own bed, Yang realized she had spent an entire half of a day without thinking about Ruby, specifically. She still worried, and her sister's condition definitely remained at the back of her mind, but Yang felt…okay. It hardly seemed possible, but it was the truth. Yang was okay, and it was all thanks to Blake and the rest of her friends.
Sleep came without too much difficulty that night.
SCENE SPOOF
"Jellyfish!" Yang looked around, amazed. They were everywhere, pink, yellow, purple, and blue blobs of different sizes floating serenely among the algae with beautiful tails trailing behind them. Some of them even glowed. Yang approached one of the glass walls and looked into the depths of the water, admiring the peaceful movements. She leaned against the railing, realizing that she was smiling despite herself.
Meanwhile, Neptune and Sun were still in the corridor, walking slowly, deep in conversation. "Dude, I gotta tell you this," Neptune was saying. "Weiss actually puts her guard down around me – it's weird, but she has this accent going on. But that's unrelated to what I wanted to tell you."
Sun creased his eyebrows. "Uh, okay. Then tell me the real thing!"
"Like, she keeps saying she's a veterinarian. I dunno, but she's really insistent about it."
"What? But she's the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company! How can she be a veterinarian?"
Neptune shrugged. "That's the thing! Well, not really. I guess since we're in an aquarium, she feels the animals' lives are super important and that her being a vet needs to be repeated often. But it was so weird. I had to come talk to you because last time she grabbed my arm and looked deep into my eyes and said she was a vet again."
Sun was confused. "What exactly did she say?"
"She just kept saying, 'I'm vet! I'm vet!'"
Sun paused. And then it dawned on him. He grinned. This was great. "Do you think she's trying to let you in on how she might be a super top secret, secret agent for the government disguised as a veterinarian?"
Neptune sighed. "I dunno, man, but this is creeping me out. She tried to pull me into the girl's bathroom earlier."
"I bet it's because she can't tell you anything in public. Dude, she's really opening up to you."
Realization dawned on Neptune, too. He grabbed Sun's arms. "Oh, man, you're right! I'm gonna go tell her I know what she means now!"
"Go get her, tiger!" And with that, Sun shoved Neptune into the jellyfish's exhibit area, causing the blue-haired young man to stumble. In his attempt to regain his balance, he grabbed hold of Sun's arm, and both guys proceeded to cause a commotion as they tried not to fall over each other onto the floor. Weiss quickly came over and helped Neptune before urgently pulling him all the way over to other side and into the next hallway.
Neptune tried to reassure her, "It's okay, Weiss! I'm fine, and I know what you mean now." He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. "I get it. You're a vet." He winked emphatically. "You're just trying to save the fish!"
Weiss sighed and murmured, "Was ein Dummkopf."
Neptune grinned, satisfied, and then walked off, hands in his pockets, saying, "I'll go scout out some intelligence!"
Behind him, Weiss huffed again and muttered to herself, "Ich denke ich werde mich an der Leiche meines Anführers entlasten.
"…mal wieder."
Cowjump has something to do with it. Just saying. I laughed my head off. If you don't get the joke, just ask me. Lol
Otherwise, I usually don't like OCs in fanfiction, and I guess I'm nervous about how the reception of Chase's character will go partly because of that, but rest assured that this is a Bumblebee story and the focus will always be on Blake and Yang.
Also, the aquarium group date was a prompt from Reeves3, and I'm still thankful for the good kind of challenge it presented! So, thanks again, Reeves!
Thank you all for reading! There are five chapters left to this story, so stay tuned!