School breaks in university are far different from those she remembers in highschool. The latter usually required only an hour or two of hasty written reports the night before returning to classes. The rest of the time was able to be filled with camping trips, lounging by the pool or lake, days spent in relaxed, idle content. But university afforded very few full days of relaxation. There were always large projects, or exams booked after a week long break, professors feeling the ample time without classes or labs allowed more time for the students to be productive. The problem was all professors felt the same and it ended up piling the workload more than any other time throughout the semester.
It was something Ruby was unfortunate to find out, after she'd made all these plans for relaxation and fun. She was quick to resign herself to another rigorous study schedule from her best friend though. Yang knew it had more to do with spending alone time with Weiss, rather than wanting to actually study. It seemed they were taking Blake's absence easier than Yang. With Pyrrha going home to Argus, Yang became a little jealous of Weiss stealing so much of Ruby's time, but Weiss was good for her sister; she kept Ruby from slipping behind in class and although she'd never been a poor student, her grades were actually improving instead of the usual drop the transition to university typically caused. This also meant Ruby was at Weiss' place for most of the break. But today Ruby had marked 'sister time' in her schedule, scratching out Weiss' neat scrawl of subjects she was to study. Yang, at first, refused knowing Ruby enjoyed her and Weiss' alone time and she really didn't want to be responsible for any kind of drop in her grades. Ruby would not take no for an answer though, especially when she heard what Yang had planned for the day. The excitement on her sister's face was all she needed to give in to her demands; not that spending time with Ruby was a chore or anything.
A blare of a car horn sounded. Yang jumped on reflex and moved further from the curb. Heart racing she took in her surroundings, realizing she'd been spacing out. A bright red sports car nearly drove into oncoming traffic to avoid an older couple at the crosswalk just ahead of her. Tires screeched as smoke billowed up from the burning rubber. Other motorists honked; some going as far as yelling out their open windows to make their disapproval known. The driver ignored it all, continuing down the street at breakneck speeds.
Catching her breath, and seeing as no one was hurt, Yang picked up her pace. She only had an hour to get her package from the post and get home before Ruby so they could start their sister time. Turning the corner her mind was still occupied by the previous scene. In Yang's distraction her foot caught on something. She barely registered a high pitched whine in her ear before self preservation kicked in. Propelling herself forward she tried to bring her feet back underneath her before she crashed to the pavement. What felt like a rope entrapped her other foot. Unable to do anything Yang prepared for the worst as she was pitched forward. Instead of the hard impact she was expecting her body collided with something softer.
Another voice cried out in surprise and both toppled to the ground together. Pain laced up her arm as her elbow connected with the sidewalk. Gritting her teeth she forced her eyes open once the worst of the pain subsided.
"I am so sorry!" She apologized to the stranger below her. She failed in her first and second attempts to stand, realizing quickly that her feet were still tangled in the rope that tripped her in the first place. A groan from the body below her captured Yang's full attention. "Are you hurt?" She tried to make out the other's face but it was obscured by both of their hair.
"Probably," was Yang's answer. "Can you maybe get off me?"
She stared at the girl's covered face, not believing her ears.
It couldn't be.
"Blake?" Blake's body stiffened beneath her, surprised at being recognized. Her hands came up to brush her own hair from her face and Yang's eyes connected with her golden irises. Yang smiled. "Hey."
"Yang? What are you doing here?"
"I was-"
"Ugh," Blake groaned. "Can you get up first? This isn't as comfortable as you might think. I'm pretty sure I'm laying on a rock."
"Oh!" Yang tried again. This time using her arms to propel her up instead of her tangled legs. She knew she was strong enough to do it and she would even have been successful if it weren't for the damage she'd forgotten her right arm incurred in the fall. With a barely swallowed cry she crashed back down. Yang heard the air rush out of Blake's lungs when their bodies met once again. "I am so sorry." Her apology rushed past gritted teeth.
"Are you okay?" Blake wheezed, realizing there was a reason Yang hadn't jumped up right away.
"I knocked my elbow and my legs are tangled in some stupid rope."
"Well that's a relief."
Yang's body lifted rhythmically as Blake breathed deep to catch her breath. "I'm glad my pain brings you relief?" She tried to free her legs once more but the rope only tightened, trapping her further. Giving up she rolled to the side, her back coming to rest on the pavement. If she couldn't get up she could at least give Blake the space she needed to recover. Staring at the sky, she tried to slow her racing heart. Laughter brought her focus back to the girl beside her.
"I didn't mean I was glad you were hurt. I meant I was happy to hear the leash was wrapped around your leg." Blake sat up and was immediately attacked by a massive black and white ball of fluff. Her laughter grew as the dog licked her face, obviously glad to see she wasn't injured after being attacked so rudely by Yang. Blake pushed the dog aside and it sat obediently. "I was not looking forward to chasing after him if he'd gotten loose," she finished explaining, smiling down at Yang.
"That makes me feel a little better."
"Yeah, Rosco is usually pretty good at listening but he's smart enough to know when he can get away with something. Me being distracted normally is all he needs to take off to do his own thing." Scratching Rosco's ear had him tilting his head into Blake's touch and his tail whipped rhythmically against Yang's thigh. "Good boy."
Yang never thought she would find herself jealous of a dog, but here she was. What she wouldn't give to be on the receiving end of Blake's affection.
"Oh! How bad is the elbow?" Blake asked, gaze turning to worry.
"Not horrible. I'll live."
"You just enjoy laying on the sidewalk?"
It still surprised Yang to be on the receiving end of Blake's teasing. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy it. It just felt like there was a familiarity there that Yang was continuously trying to catch up to. She sometimes seemed to be withdrawn as if she didn't want to be bothered, but other times, like this, she appeared to be completely at ease and comfortable in Yang's presence. It was very confusing and had Yang not knowing how to act around her.
"I would love to get up, but your dog has me captive still."
Blake's smile stretched, eyes sparkling. "Let me help then."
Yang could have sworn she heard Blake whisper another 'good boy' to Rosco as she leaned over to free Yang's legs from his leash. She wondered if it was for him sitting so patiently or if it was because he tripped her in the first place.
"Can I pet him?" Yang asked once they were both standing?
"Yes. He's very friendly."
Rosco's head was at the perfect height for Yang to pet without having to bend over too far. He seemed to appreciate her pets almost as much as his owner's. When she turned her attention to Blake she felt Rosco shimmy over to lean on her leg while he nuzzled her hand for more attention.
"He likes you."
"What can I say? I'm a very likable person."
Blake rolled her eyes but the smile never left her face so Yang took that as a good sign. She seemed to appreciate Yang's confidence.
"I didn't know you had a dog."
"I don't. He's my parents. I'm just giving him the exercise he's in desperate need for. He might look fluffy but it's not all fur.
"Are you calling him fat." Yang joked, covering Rosco's ears as she said the offending word.
Blake's eyes rolled, amused. "Yes I am."
"Did you walk here from your apartment? It's quite a distance."
Blake shrugged. "I would rather have gone for a run in the park but I had errands to do and I felt bad leaving him behind."
"Lucky boy."
"Why lucky?"
Yang blushed and swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue. Because he gets to spend the day with you.
"Getting that good exercise! I've been too busy with classes to make it to the gym lately."
"Do-" Blake seemed to debate her next words. "Do you want to join us?"
"Umm," Yang was shocked at the invite.
"I'm almost done with what I have to do and then we were going to head back home." She explained. "Might stop at the park to let Rosco run a bit."
"I can't."
"Oh." Disappointment evident in her tone.
"I would love to, really." Yang was quick to clarify lest she ruin her chances at a second invite. Of all the days to run into Blake, it had to be the one Ruby set aside for them to do sisterly bonding. "I just have somewhere I need to be." She glanced at her watch, disconcerted. "Which I'm going to be late for. Maybe next time?"
"Sounds good. Rosco and I should be on our way as well." Blake brushed her off, stepping past her.
"Seriously, next time I'm all yours."
"It's okay. I know you're busy. I'll see you around."
Yang didn't know how else to salvage the situation. Blake went from playful and teasing to aloof in the matter of minutes.
"You and Weiss are still coming over next weekend, right? I'll see you then if I don't catch you sooner."
"Maybe." Blake responded, still making her escape. "Bye Yang."
She watched as Blake turned the same corner she rounded before their collision. Rosco's wagging fan of a tail, the last thing she saw before both were completely out of sight.
Yang's eyes turned to her feet, head spinning from the sudden change in conversation. A large pebble caught her eye. Her glare intensified remembering Blake mentioned she landed on one. Disappointed in herself for not being able to rectify Blake's sudden sour mood she took her frustration out on the rock. She kicked it and watched it tumble off the curb and come to rest in the middle of the street.
If it got run over, so much the better. It deserved it anyway.
She'd only been home a few minutes before Ruby rushed in. "Did you start without me?"
Yang chuckled. "No I did not. I'm still sorting out what dad sent me. I never even asked for half of this!" Pulling more tools from the box she pointed to the rest spread out on the table around her. "Look at this," she picked up the closest. A hammer. "And this," she lifted a socket off the table, "nowhere on my bike would this ever be needed."
"For the truck?" Ruby asked, shaking her head. "Dad was never all that mechanically inclined."
"Yeah, I think I've used it all of two times." Yang threw the socket back into the box along with the hammer and half of the other tools. "I'll probably never need it again."
"You never know." Ruby shrugged, picking up the tools left on the table. "These all we need?"
"Yeah. Did you get snacks?" It was the reason she'd left, that and Weiss agreed to drive her.
"I left them in the box of your truck. I didn't want to carry them up and back down."
"Smart. Let's go!"
Ruby always enjoyed helping her tune-up and change the oil on her bike, ever since Yang first purchased and rebuilt it. Tai called them his two little grease monkeys, and they both loved it. It was practiced motions, honed over years of tinkering together. Ruby would hand her the tools and Yang would work.
"Here," Yang said, tapping Ruby with the spark plug she'd just removed.
Ruby grabbed it, looking it over before putting it with the one she'd just discarded. "When's the last time you changed these?" She asked, handing Yang a clean plug. "They look like they couldn't spark a kids toy let alone a bike."
Yang chuckled. "Probably the last time we did it together. I haven't done any work on the old girl in a while." Ruby looked aghast, so Yang quickly added, "Which is why we are doing it now. And don't give me that look."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be here to help, but why didn't you do this earlier in the year? It's almost winter."
"I don't know. I just got busy. And I had the truck so… I didn't need to. But I do want to get her back on the road for a bit, at least until the snow actually falls." Yang tightened the last spark plug and made sure all wires were plugged in fully. "I saw Blake when I went to get the tools."
"Oh? Was she out with her mom?" Ruby asked, interest piqued.
"No, she was walking their dog though."
"Puppy!" Ruby's excitement grew. "I didn't even know they had a dog. I'll have to give her heck later."
"Yeah, it's a husky. Damn near killed me." Yang laughed, showing Ruby her scraped elbow. It still stung, and she was sure she would be sporting a bruise the next morning but it could have been worse.
"It attacked you?" Concern evident in her sister's voice.
"No, it tripped me. Blake and I both went tumbling to the ground."
"You are a horrible klutz, so that's not surprising. But I don't think I've seen Blake so much as drop a pen." Ruby's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you dragged her down with you."
"It was an accident!" Yang focused on draining the oil, but she could feel the heat in her cheeks.
"You are a disaster." Ruby laughed, kicking the tin they were using to catch the old oil further under the bike.
"You're one to talk! How are things with Weiss." It was Ruby's turn to blush.
"I-that's none of your business," she mumbled. "But at least I'm spending time with Weiss. Where you..."
"Are hopeless?" She supplied.
"Not hopeless," Ruby drawled. "Just… a disaster."
"Why thank you. That makes me feel so much better than hopeless." She threw an oily rag at Ruby, rolling her eyes.
"I think she likes you. Blake." Ruby's voice was quiet, careful.
"Well if I could get a few more moments of time alone with her I might be able to figure her out. She's so hot and cold with me- I just don't know where I stand." Yang tightened the new drain plug Ruby handed her in place, making sure to not cross thread it. "She invited me to tag along today though, so I guess that's a good sign?"
"What? Then why are you here and not with her?" Yang swore she heard another 'disaster' pass Ruby's exasperated lips before her sister's eyes were trained on her in a hard stare. "You told her no because…" she waved her hand between them, "this."
"Of course! My baby sister comes first." Yang smiled, shoving her playfully.
"While I appreciate that, more than you know." Ruby's expression softened. "You could benefit from being a little more selfish." Yang looked away, busying her hands with topping the oil and wiping down the excess she spilled. "I wouldn't have minded you bailing if it was to spend time with Blake. I know how much you like her."
"You bailed on Weiss for me." she spoke matter-of-fact. "Sister's before hoes, and all that."
"I think you mean bros before hoes." Ruby chuckled.
"Well we aren't brothers so that doesn't really apply."
"True."
They cleaned up the rest of the tools and Ruby grabbed the snacks they'd barely touched. Eating with dirty, oil soaked hands was not something that really appetized her.
"Hey, want to watch a movie?" Yang asked as they climbed the stairs to their apartment. "We can polish off those snacks you've been hoarding for yourself."
"I'll ignore that comment because a movie sounds great." Ruby stopped a few steps from the landing. She turned, searching Yang's eyes with her own. "But next time Blake asks you to do something, no matter what else you have going on, please just accept. I don't think any of us would mind if you had to reschedule plans."
She meant neither her or Pyrrha would mind. Yang knew she was right. She knew that maybe she did need to be a little more selfish in that department, but she was just so used to being helpful to others that sometimes she forgot helping herself was also important.
An understanding nod of her head was all Ruby needed to beam at her before running the rest of the way up the stairs to pick a movie.
For some reason, even though Pyrrha had been her best friend for two years, and probably due to her being a hermit -Pyrrha's word- Yang rarely hung out with her friend group. From what Yang had heard none of them had taken the physical education route that they had. This meant Yang never had a single class with any of them so no reason to socialize with them; other than them being her closest confidante's best friends.
Which was why when Pyrrha started begging her to come along she couldn't, in good conscience, refuse. Besides, she had promised Pyrrha she would agree to one outing with them, and was quickly reminded that the lunches and few coffee meet-ups Yang joined in the last month would not count towards the promised outing. Parties were never really Yang's chosen scene, though the last one she'd been to was in highschool. She was all for trying new things and from what she'd garnered the boy Pyrrha was crushing on would be here. After the amount of time Pyrrha spent listening to Yang's problems; well, the least she could do was show up and see if she could help her friend out.
Pyrrha met her down the street from the party as Yang refused to leave her bike anywhere near the drunken crowd.
"I'm so glad you came!" Pyrrha spoke once Yang cut the engine.
"Did you honestly think I would bail?"
"The thought did cross my mind." She admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.
It was a side of her friend Yang was unfamiliar with. To see Pyrrha anything but confident and self-assured didn't make sense. She always held the answers, always knew what to say and what to do. She must really be hung up on this guy to have lost all her poise.
"Well look at you!" Yang exclaimed, taking a step back to look her up and down. "You're hot."
Pyrrha blushed as she swatted at Yang's arm. "Alright, that's enough." She laughed but Yang was glad to see she was standing tall once more.
Making a mental note to keep an eye on her, they walked the couple blocks to the party discussing their Physiology projects. Another redhead called Pyrrha's name as they neared the apartment building designated to house this weekend's festivities. Behind the girl stood a man with a pink highlight dyed into his black hair. Yang recognized the two immediately as Pyrrha's friends; Nora and Ren.
Nora reminded Yang of a stronger, more hyperactive version of a member of the highschool gang she used to hang out with. Both were in your face with their excitement, but where one always came off as kind of superficial Yang didn't mind Nora as much. She was loud, but at least she seemed to be good for a laugh. Her boyfriend was the exact opposite. Ren rarely spoke but always seemed to be enjoying himself. Yang took the pair as a more go with the flow types.
"Are you two ready for the party of the century?" Nora asked excitedly, bouncing on the spot.
Ren placed a firm hand on her shoulder and she soon quieted to a barely noticeable vibration.
"This is the only thing she's talked about all day." Ren said with a shake of his head.
"Let's get in there then." Pyrrha suggested. "Before she breaks free and goes without us.
Yang laughed but soon realized no one else was joining her.
"She thought you were joking?" Ren asked Pyrrha.
"Well she doesn't know Nora like we-" Pyrrha turned from Ren to look at through the growing crowds. "Where did she go?"
"Oh no." Ren sighed, jogging to the apartment's front door he slipped between some students coming out.
"You were not kidding."
"Nope." Pyrrha laughed. "Ren will find her. I'm sure we'll meet up later."
"This happens often?" Yang questioned as they squeezed through the packed entrance themselves.
"More than you would think. For someone normally so loud, Nora is able to sneak away without being noticed a lot."
They grabbed some drinks from the first room they came to on their left.
"Each floor will have a room with drinks and the rec areas of each floor all have a different theme." The preppy girl behind the drinks table explained. "Have fun."
"This is a little more organized than I'd imagined." Yang mentioned as they entered the first floor rec room.
"I've been to a few. Some weekends it's a free-for-all but some buildings actually put effort into their planning. I tend to enjoy these ones. They attract less police."
For several minutes Yang followed Pyrrha in and out of several rooms and up flights of stairs. When they reached the third floor Pyrrha stopped so suddenly Yang nearly spilled her drink all down the back of her green shirt. She would have felt horrible if she had. It was obvious Pyrrha put a lot of effort into her look tonight. Her hair was down instead of up in its usual ponytail, but she'd taken the time to curl the usually straight locks to frame her face perfectly. Yang would never forgive herself if she ruined her friend's outfit tonight.
"What's up?" She asked, stepping around to stand beside Pyrrha. "Why did you stop?"
"It's him." Pyrrha breathed, motioning with her cup to a blonde guy across the room playing pool with three others. He was decent looking, Yang would give him that, but knowing Pyrrha wouldn't have it so bad just for looks he must have some other redeeming qualities. "What do I do?"
"Go talk to him?"
"Yang, that's not-" she stopped talking to down the rest of her drink. "I need another drink. Let's go."
Yang was pulled back into a crowded hall, through a crammed doorway and her still half filled glass was replaced with a full one before she could protest. "Hey, slow down." Yang pulled at Pyrrha's wrist to stop her chugging the second drink as fast as the first. "Let's just go back in there and sit down for a minute, okay?"
"I can't with him in there."
"You have spoken to this guy, haven't you?" Yang asked for clarification. She couldn't help if she was walking in blind.
"Don't be silly. Of course I have." She finally allowed Yang to guide her back to the open rec room and allowed herself to be sat in view of her crush. "But that was in classes, and we spoke almost solely regarding projects and tests."
"Then how do you know you like him if you haven't had an actual conversation with him?"
"How did you know you liked this mystery girl I've yet to meet?"
Yang's jaw went slack. "I've talked to her some!" Yang defended. Their time at the mall was a good starting point. She'd learned quite a bit about Blake that day. Yang wracked her brain for anything else she could use to prove her situation different, but to be honest, Pyrrha at least got to see her crush five hours a week whereas she could go weeks between even seeing Blake. "You made your point."
"It's just the way Jaune carries himself, and the conversations I've overheard him having with his friends." Pyrrha admitted. "It may make me a stalker but I just like him. Okay?"
"I got you!" Yang pulled her into a quick one armed hug before leaning back to observe what she had at her disposal. "We are going to get you that one-on-one tonight. Pyrrha blanched, speaking up to dissuade Yang from making any plans. "I love you, girl. This is why you wanted me to come. Isn't it?"
Pyrrha sighed, resigning to her fate. "Maybe. I don't know. But I wanted you to socialize more as well."
"You had ulterior motives?" It pulled a smile from Yang as she elbowed Pyrrha playfully. "Well thanks. I guess I have been kind of a hermit lately."
"Lately?" Pyrrha's voice was high with surprise. "Try always."
"You may want to be nicer to the girl working to get you and Prince Charming time alone."
"If you accomplish that I will forever be in your debt."
It was clear Pyrrha didn't think the odds of Yang succeeding were very high. But Yang loved a challenge. Step one was getting said guy away from his friends, but as she watched she realized that was going to be harder than she first anticipated. They were worse than a group of chicks. Jaune never seemed to be alone. Wherever he went someone else tended to follow. One thing became clear the longer Yang observed. Jaune was definitely looking their way more often than anywhere else. Perhaps this wasn't such a one-sided attraction as Pyrrha thought.
Taking a break from pool Jaune and one of his other friends broke off from the group and made their way to sit at one of the tables along the far wall. But something else caught Yang's attention as they moved. A familiar form sat alone, curled up in a chair in the corner of the room.
"Blake," the name dropped from her lips.
"Where?" Pyrrha leaned forward, eager to see this girl that had been all Yang could think or talk about for weeks.
"In the corner, but don't make it obvious you're looking."
"I don't think that's going to be a problem." Pyrrha laughed. "Is she reading a book? At a party?"
"I didn't take parties as her kind of scene." Yang couldn't believe it. This was the absolute last place she thought she would run into Blake.
"You should go talk to her." She nudged slightly out of her seat and for a split second she entertained the idea, but she was here for Pyrrha not herself. Even if she'd promised Ruby to be more selfish, she couldn't leave Pyrrha to fend for herself. Not when she was such a mess of wracked nerves. First thing's first.
"I find your advice hypocritical when you won't follow it yourself." Yang stood and stretched. She never was the type for staying in one way for too long. "Stay here, I'll be right back."
Pyrrha looked wary at being left alone but did as she was asked. Yang hurried to get two more drinks. She had hoped her leaving would give Jaune the chance to approach Pyrrha but it seemed he was being just as stubborn as her friend. Trusting her instincts she strolled past Pyrrha and came to sit at the table Jaune and his friend were occupying. Pushing both drinks below Jaune's nose she tested him by shooting him a flirtatious smile.
He reacted just as she thought, staring blankly at her, though seemingly a little confused at her abrupt entrance into his personal space. His friend on the other hand did the opposite.
"Hey, babe. Do-"
Raising a hand she cut him off.
"I'm not here for you." Yang leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. She never took her eyes off the boy across from her. "You know my friend, Pyrrha?"
"Yeah," he coughed, a blush forming across the bridge of his nose. This was perfect. "We had a few classes together. She's great! And smart. She-"
"Ugh," Yang made a face, turning towards the blond guy next to her. "Is he always like this?"
"Unfortunately, yeah." Jaune's friend shook his head in disgust. "He is hopeless, but even more so with that chick."
"Don't call her that. She has a name." Jaune defended.
"Well those drinks are for you and her." Yang nodded to the two cups she placed down. "So can you go talk to her please. I hate seeing her alone."
"I-I-I wouldn't… I mean, what would I say?" Jaune stumbled on his words.
"I would start with hello, myself." Yang looked over to Pyrrha, who was trying her hardest not to make it look like all her attention was taken up by their little interaction. "She got all dolled up tonight. You don't honestly think she's going to be able to sit there very long without another guy gaining the confidence to speak to her. Do you?"
With a new determination Jaune grabbed both cups and made his way across the room. The smile Pyrrha shot her way as Jaune sat across from her was all the payment she needed.
"The name's Sun-"
"Nope." Yang stood, leaving the other to drag himself back to his group of friends.
She made her way to the corner Blake still claimed. As she neared, Yang noticed most students were giving the area a wide berth as they maneuvered around the different game tables. It was easy to see why when anyone who got within three feet of Blake received a death glare for their intrusion.
Yang was not looking to upset Blake, especially since their last run in didn't end on a positive note, but she wanted to stick around for a bit in case Pyrrha changed her mind and needed an escape. She sat in a chair near enough to Blake that she could strike up a conversation but angled the direction of her friend.
"Were you going to say hello?" Blake voiced after several minutes.
"I thought about it." Yang answered, eyes still glued on the back of Jaune's head. He turned to catch her eye, having felt her stare. Good at least now he knew to behave.
"Decided against it?"
"You seemed preoccupied with your book." Yang explained, finally tearing her eyes from the new couple to look at Blake. "Besides I wasn't in a hurry to be on the receiving end of one of those glares I saw you giving everyone."
"If you saw that, I wonder why you decided to approach in the first place."
"Because I live on the wild side?" Yang figured faking some confidence couldn't be a bad thing. Blake had responded favourably before to that tactic. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her mouth was going dry with nerves but something drew her to keep talking. To keep Blake talking. "Why are you at a party if you aren't going to partake?"
"You forget?" Blake's incredulous tone reached her ears. "This is my apartment and my room has so graciously been volunteered up and my bed is now nothing more than a coat rack."
"Oh," Yang became flustered that she'd not recognized the building. "I didn't notice the address. I met Pyrrha down the street and we walked here. I'm sorry you're being put out like this though."
"Thank you."
"I'm sure Weiss or even Ruby and I could have let you stay over had we known your place was being confiscated."
Blake closed the book and set it in her lap. "They knew, and offered."
"Oh." Why was she so hard to talk to? It was normally easy for Yang to start up meaningless conversations with people. But maybe that was the issue. She didn't want to have a meaningless anything with the girl she was sitting next to. "How is Rosco?"
Blake smiled at the reminder of her dog. "He's good, back home in Menegerie with mom and dad."
"I'm sure he misses you." Yang returned the smile but Blake's disappeared at her words.
"Why would you say that?" She questioned.
"Because it's true."
Yang could have come out with any cheesy line about anyone missing a face as pretty as Blake's, but she didn't think Blake was the kind to appreciate that kind of forwardness; at least not from someone she barely knew. "And your classes are all going well? Decide on which major to focus on yet?"
"Yes and no."
Yang nodded, eyes finding her friend once more as her familiar laughter rang out. Yang smiled, glad the interaction seemed to be going so well. Pyrrha deserved it, and more.
"Watch any good movies lately or have any other book recommendations?"
Blake sneered. "Why are you suddenly so interested in my life."
"I've always been interested," was her honest reply.
Blake opened her book and began reading once more. It certainly looked like she wanted nothing to do with her, but something nagged at the back of her mind. There were times Blake seemed more than happy to entertain her. In the mall and the short interaction when they'd collided on the street. And she never ignored her when Yang spoke up when Ruby and Weiss were with them. There were times Blake was willing to open up, but others it seemed she was not just a closed book, but a locked one.
And Yang couldn't help but wonder why.
"You invited me running, did you not?"
"You don't give up do you?" Blake responded, throwing the book on the small table between them. "Most people would get the hint I want to be alone. Why don't you?"
Yang shrugged. "Because, sometimes what's shown to others is just a mask. And it's got to be lonely keeping people at arm's length all the time. Right?"
Blake studied her for several moments. "I would rather be alone than someone's second choice of company." Bewildered, Yang tried to figure out what the last statement meant, but before either could continue the conversation there were police sirens ringing out on the street. Blue flashing lights came in the upper windows and there was a shout for everyone to leave.
Pyrrha's frantic eyes found her and Yang nodded for her to leave with Jaune.
"I guess that's my cue to leave." Yang took a few steps towards the stairs before turning back to Blake. "It was nice seeing you again, Blake. I hope it happens more, okay? Anytime you need to escape-" Yang waved at the mess the other students were leaving behind in their haste. "-this, feel free to come over. Ruby and I would be happy to have you. And I'm pretty sure I missed something, but I don't think of you as a second choice. I was actually surprised but happy to see you here tonight."
"Thanks," was Blake's only response as she rescued her book off the table and brushed past Yang to head to her room. She paused at the entrance to the hall and looked to be struggling with something. "I invited you to walk with me and Rosco, not to come running. But I am going running tomorrow. It may not hold up to your exciting wild lifestyle, but I'll be leaving here at ten if you want to join me."
"If you ask me, risking your wrath to get a few sentences of conversation may be the most dangerous thing I do all semester." Amber eyes studied her but then a small smile broke out across her neutral expression. Something told her Blake might be enjoying Yang's pushy side. "I'll see you in the morning." Yang called through the closed door.
The smile the interaction elicited was so noticeable Pyrrha pulled her aside when she exited the building.
"Did you get a date?"
"No, but we're going running tomorrow."
"That's great!" Pyrrha exclaimed.
"What about you and boy wonder?" Yang asked, seeing Jaune still hanging back but looking their way.
"He's going to walk me home," She ducked her head in embarrassment. "But he asked me out next weekend, once our cardio test is over."
"I am so happy for you." Yang wasn't sure her smile could get any wider after leaving Blake but here she was, proving herself wrong.
"Well Nora was right about one thing I suppose." Pyrrha winked as she backed towards Jaune. "Party of the century."
"You got that right." Yang laughed. "You better take good care of her!" She yelled at Jaune and he jumped, hurrying Pyrrha along to put more space between him and Yang.
Making her way to her own ride parked down the street Yang took one last look up at the apartment's third floor. She could have sworn she saw a pair of amber eyes looking down on her. She waived just in case before hurrying to her bike. She needed to get a good night's sleep if she was going to be up and in any shape to run in the morning.
A/N - I don't think I actually explained any of this story when I first posted it (I will go repost the first chapter explaining it, but for those of you who have already made it this far I'll explain here as well). A few years back I participated in a month long writing prompt. There were daily prompts of one word and I took to the challenge. I finished most of the prompts daily, though life kind of threw me off half way through the month. My original goal was to write a scene or chapter for every prompt and put them into a full story in the end. To say I was making the prompt challenge even MORE challenging, is an understatement. These prompts were not in order so I was jumping from one scene to another. some of the early prompts in the month were actually took place in the middle of the story or some at the end. I think the second to last chapter was written pretty early on. I then had the fun of piecing them all together in one cohesive story. I did have to ad a few paragraphs here and there, but for the most part the story flowed pretty well together.
Most of the chapters will be consisting of 2 prompts per chapter. I will start putting them at the end of the chapter in case anyone is curious about that.
Thanks for reading and favouriting and all that. I really do appreciate that and I get excited at every notification I get.
I'll be updating this twice a week.
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Prompts for this one were Husky and Wild
-JJ