Yang dropped the overflowing basket beside the washing machine. A curse was breathed into life as the basket tipped over, clothing littering the floor. Wiping the beaded sweat from her brow with the back of her hand she took a deep breath. All wasn't lost. The spilled clothing was picked up and thrown straight into the washer. Adding detergent and starting the correct cycle, Yang crossed one more thing off her mental to do list. Next was vacuuming the living room and dining areas. How there was a single spec of dirt around the dining table was beyond her. They never used it except to throw their keys when they came home. Dancing around the carpeted areas, taking care not to trip over the vacuum cord, she couldn't help but think there was something that she was forgetting. Running through her list for the tenth time she was still at a loss. There were half a dozen jobs she still needed to complete before calling it a night but whatever was nagging at her wasn't one of the things on her list.
It was when she passed the entrance to the kitchen, on her way to putting the vacuum back in the hall closet that she realized what was nagging her. Dropping the vacuum, eyes glanced down to the inside of her wrist where her watch was wont to rest.
"Shit, shit, shit." Rushing into the kitchen she could smell the cookies she'd put in the oven way too long ago. "Please don't be burnt. Please don't be burnt." Yang mumbled the phrase as she grabbed a towel off the counter and dropped the oven door open. Heat blasted her face and a cough escaped her throat at the sudden dryness attacking her lungs.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The tray was quickly removed from the heat and dropped with a clang onto the stovetop.
Thankfully they weren't burnt, but they were definitely very well done. The edges of each, a dark brown instead of the golden hue that she would prefer.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Gently lifting one off the baking sheet she was happily surprised when the bottoms weren't black. Ruby loved cookies but Yang didn't think she was much of a fan in eating charcoal.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Hold on!"
The response was shouted in frustration more than anything. What was yelling at a ringing phone going to get her? Quickly shoving the next tray into the oven and setting the timer this time she kicked the oven door closed and rushed to the hall phone.
Ring. Ri-
"Hello, this better be important." She huffed, half in exasperation half out of breath.
"Who?" Yang looked out the window at the end of the hall. The trees dotting the sidewalk outside thrashed in the wind. No wonder the person on the line sounded like they were in the middle of a hurricane. They nearly were. "Ruby? No, she-" Yang struggled to hear the girl on the other end. "I'm sorry, I can't hear a word… No she isn't in."
"Do you… if...home?" Came from the receiver.
"I don't know what you're saying but Ruby isn't home and she won't be home for awhile. I have your number on display here. Can I tell her who's calling?"
"...calling."
Yang growled at the connection. Why couldn't the girl just find some cover long enough to complete a phone call?
"Who?"
"... name is...Blay…"
Blay? That couldn't be right. "Blair?" Yang asked, sure she was wrong but it was the only girl's name coming to mind that sounded even remotely similar.
"Yes, Thank-"
The phone cut out and Yang stared at the receiver in disbelief. Grabbing the marker from its resting spot above the phone she wrote the girl's number on the whiteboard they kept hanging beside the cradle. Scrawling ' Ruby call Blair back' below the number. She took one last look at the number on the phone log to make sure it was copied correctly before returning to the kitchen to keep an eye on the second tray of baking. Ruby would not appreciate two trays of nearly burnt cookies.
Only when the bathroom was cleaned, laundry completed, dishes washed, including cleanup from baking; and the soup for their supper finally simmering on the stove, did Yang finally collapse on the couch to rest her aching body. How cleaning could exhaust her body more than hours at the gym never failed to amuse her. It was probably because she enjoyed the hours spent at the sports facility on campus. Not only because it was a choice on how she worked out, but she was also seldom alone. Pyrrha always being a willing accomplice.
Ten minutes of flicking through television channels brought nothing to occupy her mind. Ruby was out studying with a new group of friends so unable to entertain her. How her younger sister could so readily meet and retain friendly relationships with those around her always did amaze Yang. It hadn't been more than two days of classes before Ruby dragged a sour looking girl home for Yang to meet; introducing her as her 'best friend'. The roll of the silver-haired stranger's eyes told Yang she wasn't at all on the same page as Ruby with their supposed closeness, but who was Yang to point that out to her bubbly younger sibling? It surprised her to find the girl kept coming around. Even with vehemently denying the best friends angle again and again, she still followed Ruby home to study or watch tv. Yang could sometimes hear their quiet laughter drifting from Ruby's room.
Weiss with her posh appearance and surely attitude was not someone that Yang thought would make a good friend for Ruby, they were polar opposites; one excitable and the other disciplined, one open and friendly and the other guarded. Ruby seemed to go with the flow and was easily placated and set at ease where Weiss was stubborn in her refusal to be wrong about anything; and both incapable at times of backing down, and though Yang heard the laughter they shared, she'd also witnessed a few arguments. Everytime they made up, Yang was more at a loss as to how her sister attracted and preserved relationships with such ease.
The only friend she'd been able to make in her two years at the same university was Pyrrha. And though she would not think to trade her for another she knew that continued friendship was more Pyrrha refusing to let Yang disappear than Yang trying to hold onto it. She was forever grateful to whoever threw the tall red head into her life. It was unimaginable how lonely the past few years of her life would have been. No matter her lacking abilities to make friends, she'd always had people around. Her father and Ruby, high school classmates and sports teammates. Yang never had to try to surround herself with other people, they were just always there.
Deciding to move off her island home to attend university in the big city was a natural migration for her after highschool. She was after all an adventurer at heart. But she'd not spared a thought that leaving her family and social group behind would ever affect her as much as the first two weeks in Vale had. Lonely and lost she'd auto-piloted through her class schedule, not hearing most of what her professors were discussing with the other students.
The day Pyrrha sat in the ever-vacant desk beside her in their Intro to Biology class, hand outstretched in greeting, was the day Yang first let herself believe she could do this. She could succeed in the big city, and the large groups that were the norm on Patch were swapped for a comfortable companionship with her Knightress in shining armour.
Most of the time being idle did not bother Yang, but she'd quickly gotten used to the sounds of others again with Ruby's move to Vale. It was too quiet in the apartment. Pyrrha suggested a hobby and she'd first scoffed at the idea, but maybe it wasn't as horrid as she'd initially thought.
Taking another look around the apartment she knew there was nothing left for her to do. She was so sick of studying she couldn't bring herself to pull out her texts, instead opting to glare at her bag resting on the cushion beside her. Texts weren't the only books in her bag though. Yang opened it to pull out the novel she'd purchased a week ago. She hadn't had the chance to do more than leaf through its pages. The knowledge that the book went unread was due to her lack of interest in idleness, rather than lack of time available and it plagued her.
Thinking there was no better time than the present, Yang reread the synopsis on the back cover. Interest again piqued, she flipped to the first chapter.
Ruby's key rattling in the lock pulled her from the pages. She found the characters and world pulling her in and she was finding it hard to extricate herself from the words wrapping her in their welcome.
"Are you reading a book?" Ruby stepped carefully into the room, kicking off her shoes and throwing her keys to the table behind the couch. "Like a real book?"
"I can and do read, you know?" Yang quirked a brow, daring her to question further.
Pushing her bag to the ground Ruby took its vacant spot on the couch.
"I know you can read," she supplied carefully. Fear of some kind of older sister retribution in her eyes. "I just haven't seen you read anything but study material…Like ever."
Yang chuckled, bumping her shoulder into Ruby's
"Pyrrha says I should get a hobby."
"But reading?"
"I know," Yang sighed, already feeling her muscles protest at the forced lethargy. "It might not stick, but this one isn't so bad."
Grabbing the book from her hands, Ruby took time to flip through the pages and read the back.
"Sounds good. But what possessed you to pick this one?" Placing the book in her upturned palm a pained look crossed her expression before the arm and book fell to Yang's lap. "It's enormous!"
Yang grabbed the novel and swatted at Ruby's lingering arm taking up her personal space. "There was a girl in the library the other week reading it and," shoulders lifted as she leaned to throw the book on the coffee table beside her propped up feet. "I thought why not?"
"A girl ?" Ruby teased before falling into a fit of giggles at the hard glare directed her way. "Oh, come on!" She exclaimed. "You never read. She must have made some kind of lasting impression on you."
"I told you it was Pyrrha's idea."
"For you to get a hobby, not to take up reading."
Ruby's mouth opened to continue but her stomach spoke before she could. Yang laughed and poked at the monster inside her younger sister's gut. Ruby's head tilted back as she took in a large whiff of air.
"You make supper?"
"Yeah, it-" Yang looked to the clock on the wall and cut herself off. "Actually it should be ready now. I didn't notice how late it had gotten."
Yang made a move to stand but Ruby's firm hand pushed her to melt back into the pillows at her back. She returned with two steaming bowls of soup along with a couple rolls from the breadbox.
"This smells delicious." Ruby smiled, spooning some broth and blowing on it to cool the liquid. She hummed in appreciation as she stuck the spoon into her mouth. "So good. So.." she started, waving the spoon in the air like it was her baton and Yang her orchestra. "What's this library girl's name?"
"Don't know."
"Oh, stop it. Tell me." She gave Yang her best pout that always had her caving in short order.
"Ruby, I really don't know it. I never got to ask before she had to run off on some errand."
"Boo." Ruby pouted shoving another spoonful into her mouth. "You'll probably see her again."
"Yeah maybe." Yang's optimism didn't carry to her tone. She'd been in the library every day since that day and had yet to see the girl again.
Wanting to think of anything other than her lack of friend making skills, Yang remembered the earlier call.
"You have a message. One of your many friends called while you were out with friends." It pulled a snort from her sibling but had the desired effect of turning the conversation from her mysterious library girl. "My baby sister, so popular."
Peering over the back of the couch, Ruby was able to see the board with Yang's messy scrawl. A frown crossed her face and Yang was quick to worry.
"Is she not a friend? If you're having trouble-"
"I'm not being bullied, Yang." She acted annoyed but Yang could see the appreciation in her eyes. She'd always been Ruby's protector. "I just don't know a Blair. Oh," Ruby squeaked as she pulled her phone from her pocket. She pressed a few buttons, swiping at the screen with her one hand as she continued to spoon soup into her mouth at an alarming rate with the other.
"It was Blake."
"Blake?"
Yang was sure that wasn't a name she was familiar with. She'd spent hours listening to Ruby tell her of, well mostly Weiss, but a couple of her other classmates, but Blake was never a name she'd mentioned.
"I only met her the other day. She's really nice…though she can be really quiet at times." Her enthusiasm dipped before rising a fraction of a second later. "She's just guarded like Weiss was when we first met. I'm sure we will be best friends soon."
"I'm sure," Yang snorted. "That took all of two days with Weiss."
"That was different, Weiss and I were destined to meet."
She was used to her sister saying such fanciful things that it didn't usually phase her, but the conviction she'd said it with was new. Yang wondered how close they'd become, or how much closer her sister planned them becoming.
—
"Yang." Ruby's voice drifted from the other room.
"Yeah?"
"Are they not done yet?"
Yang didn't know why she allowed Ruby to rope her into baking for her and her friends. That was an utter lie. She guilted her into it, simple as that. 'You almost burnt the last ones and they weren't as tasty as usual,' Not wanting to give Ruby any more leverage, Yang was determined to make these ones perfectly. Already one tray was cooling on the counter and she was very proud of her work. All were evenly browned and soft and smelled absolutely delicious.
"They need to cool before you eat them." Yang replied, raising her voice to be heard from the kitchen.
"I don't want to wait!" Ruby yelled back, obstinate.
"Would you like me to bring them in and we can have Weiss stare at them with her icy glare?"
Yang chuckled at Ruby's agreement. It was swiftly followed by an indignant "hey!" from the girl in question. The next two minutes were filled with softly muttered apologies from her sister until Weiss 'graciously' accepted them. Though Ruby sounded her appreciation, Yang didn't didn't think gracious was the correct word to use after she'd made Ruby grovel for so long before bestowing it.
When the second tray of cookies was removed from the oven the first batch was cooled enough to serve. She made sure to stack them neatly on the plate, playing hostess. But never one to resist a fresh cookie -Ruby and her were similar in that regard- she stole the top one off the pile. Neither would miss it, nor even know it existed. She bit into it just as a quiet knock sounded from the hall.
"It's Blake! Yang could you get that?" Ruby called to her again.
"Am I your sister or did I somehow become your and Weiss' butler? I demand compensation from the Ice Princess."
"That is not my name, and I'm not paying you a single cent."
Yang chuckled, bringing the tray with her, she stopped at the front entrance, shoving her half eaten cookie in her mouth to swing the door open on her way to the living room where the other two were camped; apparently unable to move even though they were far closer to the door than she.
Shaking her head she looked to the third member of Ruby's core friend group. Yang sucked in a breath realizing for the first time all day, she'd never actually met Blake before. Well not formally. Ruby spoke so much of her the past few days Yang forgot they'd never been in each other's presence.
Excluding the evening in the library, where Yang hadn't even thought to ask her name.
A crumb from the cookie still hanging in her mouth rolled to the back of her throat as Yang was still trying to control her surprise of seeing the girl again. She choked, her body's reflex to clear her blocked airway. The cookie dropped from her mouth and onto the plate in her hand. Yang tried to clear her throat more inconspicuously but when that failed she was forced to turn her head and cough into the elbow of her VU sweater.
"Oh," the soft sound was accompanied by gentle hands taking the plate from her. Yang was grateful as she was sure she'd drop it the next second if she hadn't.
Yang waved her in, not trusting her voice. She needed a drink to clear the rest of the sugary barricade from her esophagus. She heard the front door close behind her as she dashed to the kitchen. Quickly filling a glass with water she took a few large gulps, forcing the piece of cookie down her throat and out of her windpipe. As she leaned heavily on the counter clearing her throat, her face burned. How embarrassing.
What a way to start a second impression; spitting dessert on people was a compliment, right? Busying her hands with plating the second batch of cookies was only to prolong the time she would have before facing her again. Hearing laughter from the other room, she prayed Blake hadn't told the other two of her ridiculous greeting.
"Are you alright?"
The plate she'd just picked up crashed to the counter with a deafening clang. Yang was sure it cracked but when she spared it a glance it was whole, cookies lopsided and one had fallen into the sink, but otherwise all was intact.
"What's going on in there?"
Eyes widened at Ruby's voice but her nerves were still too rattled to answer her. The very last thing she wanted or needed was Ruby entering and asking questions. She was acting crazy and the worst part was she knew she was. What must Blake think of her?
"I'm just helping your sister with the cookies."
"Hurry up. We are starving."
"It'll just be a minute, I dropped a plate."
Turning around, Yang scrutinized her, confused as to why Blake was covering for her clumsiness. Blake saw the question in her eyes, shrugging as she stepped closer, setting her plate on the counter beside the other. Her arm grazed Yang's as she snatched the fallen sweet from the sink. Yang shuffled out of her way and watched as she threw that and the half eaten one Yang spat back on the plate into the garbage bin under the sink. She adjusted the stacks of cookies on each before picking them off the counter, one plate was held out for Yang to take.
"I said I was helping," Blake spoke softly, glancing at the door leading to the others. "But it wouldn't look right if you let the guest bring both plates in."
Silently she took the tray held out to her. The stonelike cold of the plate opposed the soft warmth that traveled up Yang's arm's as their hand's brushed in the transaction. Embarrassed enough for one evening, she held the white ceramic in both hands tightly. There was no way she was dropping it again. Knowing if they stayed much longer Ruby was bound to get impatient and come in search of the cookies herself Yang tipped her head to the doorway. "You're right, we should get out there."
"Wait," Blake spoke before Yang took more than two steps. She turned carefully to see Blake trying to hide a smile behind her free hand.
"What is it?" Eyes dropped as she removed a non-existent mark on the linoleum floor with a sock covered toe. Their first meeting was awkward, but Yang hadn't been as flustered as she was now. She didn't want to think poorly of any of Ruby's friends, especially one that seemed to be helping her by not outing her klutz self to her sister. But the smile Blake was hiding made her feel as if the other was laughing at her expense.
She wasn't doing a good job of disproving those blonde bimbo prejudices, that was for sure.
"You've got-"
Blake closed the distance between them while Yang kept her eyes glued to her foot. She jumped when Blake's thumb rubbed gently at the side of her mouth. The action had Yang naturally pulling away but Blake's hand followed, fingers curling under her chin to hold her steady. Taking the time Blake was concentrating on her mouth to get a better look at her. The library hadn't afforded her the same light as what was falling on them now. There was a feline slant to her eyes, matching the glow of her amber irises. A light brush of mascara and eyeliner accentuated them. It was natural looking, not overdone. Feeling Blake's thumb brush so close to her mouth had her eyes dropping to the same on her. Blake's bottom lip was trapped on one side between her teeth, upper canine sharp as it pressed into her thin skin.
With the removal of her touch Yang's eyes shot up. Blake's brow furrowed, knowing exactly where Yang's gaze had been resting.
"You had a little chocolate on your face."
The words were little more than a whisper but the sound reminded Yang where she was. Weiss and Ruby's muffled conversation drifting from the other room proved they weren't alone, but for a few short moments it had felt like they had been. It felt they were the only two in existence.
"We should…" Yang trailed off as Blake took a step back, nodding. Her heat was a keen loss, even if Yang failed to notice its comfort until it was gone.
When they entered the other room Ruby and Weiss were setting up a board game on the dining table. Yang smiled, thinking it good the table was used for more than just a dumping ground for mail or keys. Setting down her plate she swiped two cookies off the pile before making her way to the couch.
"You aren't going to join us?" Ruby asked with a pout.
Yang knew better than to meet her sister's eye as she would cave then and there. What she really needed was to put some space between herself and Blake, so she waved her off with a flick of her wrist. "Nah, I wouldn't want to impose. I'm fine here."
"But it's more fun with more people."
The disappointment in Ruby's voice almost broke her resolve but Weiss' voice spoke up to save her.
"If she doesn't want to play, we can't make her."
As the trio settled down to their game Yang flipped the television on to play some music. She wasn't much into watching anything. Instead she pulled the novel she'd been reading out of her bag. It was nice, reading and hearing the conversation and enjoyment of the other three so close. It was much preferred to reading alone.
It wasn't long until Ruby's aggravation became known. Her arms crossed as she huffed, falling into the back of her chair.
"Don't be mad because I rolled a lucky number," Weiss reprimanded. "Honestly, you're acting like I have control over what the dice lands on."
Yang could feel Ruby's attention turn to her, half expecting it as it was. When Ruby didn't have a rebuttal for an argument she looked anywhere for anything to change the subject; in this case her childishness.
"I can't believe you're choosing to read rather than play games with us." Not wanting to give her any more reason to attach everyone's attention to her, she just shrugged and kept her eyes firmly on the words covering the pages in front of her.
"What's wrong with reading?" Blake spoke up, offended.
"There's nothing wrong with you reading," Ruby assured her. "But Yang never reads for fun. Like ever," she added for effect.
Yang prayed she left it at that. That they'd start another game or find something else, besides her new appreciation for novels to talk about. Not when the person responsible for the book now in her lap was sitting so close, scrutinizing her.
"Some girl in the library got under her skin and now she's trying to prove a point."
Flipping the book closed in her lap she glared at her sister. "I am not 'trying to prove a point' " she defended.
"Is that why you went out of your way to buy the exact book she was reading?" Ruby teased. Weiss looked amused but thankfully remained silent on the matter. That's all Yang needed was for her to endorse her sister's behaviour to worsen the teasing shot her way.
"What's the book about?" Blake's curious eyes bore into her, just like they had in the library those weeks ago.
"Nothing." Yang responded quickly. It pulled a laugh from the other. Weiss and Ruby glanced suspiciously at their friend. The reason for her amusement was unknown to them. Before Ruby could question Blake, Weiss pulled them both back to the game.
If Yang wasn't so embarrassed at realizing she'd given Blake the same response she herself had received from the girl she may have stopped to appreciate the soft cadence of her laughter just a little more.
So much for second chances.
/
Prompts for this chapter were Ring and Tasty