A/N: Hello guys! Please be sure to read the note at the end. Thanks!
Chapter Eight: Little Black Lies
When Ruby suggested the four friends gather together for an evening, Blake did not expect a board game night.
The silver-eyed girl smirked wickedly when her sister rolled a seven, landing her on Boardwalk, perhaps the most dangerous property in the game of Monopoly. Grumbling under her breath, Yang handed her a large sum of the play money, passing the dice over to Blake. She had warned the blonde that she wasn't quite sure of what she was doing to begin with, but she played along anyway, knowing that at least two of them were having fun. Surprisingly, the young heiress of the Schnee Diamond Company had hardly any idea how to play or what was going on. And though she attempted to opt-out, the others, Blake included, said no, so she sat helplessly confused the whole time.
Rolling a five, she landed on the Go To Jail spot and sighed.
Damn it.
"Haha!" Ruby moved her piece for her excitedly. "Blake Belladonna, you're back in jail!"
Damn it all.
"Alright Weiss, it's your turn," Yang announced as she passed the dice over to her.
Pursing her lips, she rolled and just narrowly escaped landing on Ruby's terrifying monopoly on Park Place and Boardwalk. "I collect two hundred dollars now, right?"
"I mean, it says it on the board," Ruby chuckled, handing her two bills.
Glaring, she swiped them away from the brunette. "I just wanted to confirm!"
Blake couldn't help but smile. Seeing something Weiss was bad at put her at ease since she wasn't any better at this kind of thing. Although she didn't like board games, she dealt with them and enjoyed her time with her friends. Their presence gave the big beach house some life, filling the room with laughter and mirth. They made it seem so much less dreary, because even if Blake enjoyed being alone, she did get lonely now and then. She didn't encounter the feeling as often now that she had Gambol, but nothing could beat the company of her three closest friends. They were as interesting as they were talkative and boisterous.
Padding happily down the hallway, Gambol found her way to her owner. As Ruby took her turn, Blake gently scratched behind the small kitten's ears, eliciting a grateful mewl. The amber-eyed cat was still small, but she grew with each passing day. Lazily, she crawled into Blake's lap and closed her eyes, her black tail flicking every so often. Blake smiled. She admired the way she could lay in comfort without a care in the world. She had nothing to worry about. She was well-fed, groomed, and cozy, even if Blake spent long days at school. She had it so easy.
Guess who didn't?
As Blake landed safely on her own property, she spared a glance over to Yang. How could she be so happy all the time? She drifted away from the game, her mind running a mile a minute. They hadn't talked about Valentine's Day. Blake was unsure if she wanted to in the first place, worried that it might be too awkward and ruin their friendship somehow. She was curious, though, now more than ever, about how the girl felt. Holding hands for close friends might have been considered normal, but a kiss on the cheek—a kiss so close to her lips she wanted to die—was not normal. If she just moved an inch, maybe it would be better. Or not.
Blake noticed Yang's hand running gently across Gambol's black coat, giving way for her to purr. Her fingertips brushed against the raven-haired girl's resting hand, sending chills. Yang didn't move. They stared at one another, expressions soft and tender.
Blake loved her, deeply. And yet, that prospect scared her, mostly because she couldn't tell where Yang was with her own feelings. There was still so much about the beauty that she didn't know about, even when she'd learn new things about her every day. Upon meeting Yang for the first time, Blake initially held the idea that she was a brute, powerful and dangerous. But as the seasons came and went, so did her first impressions and, eventually, her fear of the girl. Yang was everything Blake wasn't in so many aspects. Whereas Blake liked to stay alone within the shadows, Yang enjoyed the light of life and beamed with energy. She loved people, soaking in their company, establishing connections almost instantly. She even learned to love the difficult Weiss Schnee just because she cared so much. She was compassionate. She was generous. She was kind.
But most of all, Yang Xiao Long was incredibly warm. She had the most searing eyes Blake had ever seen, whether they were lilac or crimson. She couldn't believe her when she had mentioned that her eyes could change color—and they would every time she'd get seriously pissed off. Still, her eyes reminded Blake that no matter how fiery her personality, she would never burn her. One might expect someone so fierce to handle each relationship in a rough, scathing manner. But that wasn't the case with Yang. She might've been someone else to others, but to Blake, she was always the same. She was always gentle, always patient, always loving. Her eyes reminded her of that every time.
That was what she loved about her the most.
"Yang, what're you doing over there?" Ruby questioned her, giving her a sideways tilt of her head and a confused face.
Blake realized that Yang looked rather suspicious with her hand in her lap. The table obscured the lower half of the two from Ruby and Weiss. Picking up Gambol, she held her up for them to see. The poor animal yawned, obviously tired and woken from her peaceful slumber. "She was petting the cat."
"Did you think I was doing something naughty?" Yang quipped, trying to gross her sister out.
Weiss rolled her eyes as she passed the dice over to the girl. "I wouldn't put it past you."
"Aww c'mon, you know I only do that kinda thing behind closed doors!" Yang pleaded, moving her piece a few spaces. Horrified, Ruby groaned and shook her head, probably wishing she was deaf. Blake felt bad for her, knowing that Yang found humor out of her pain. The elder of the two laughed and added, "It's a joke, Rubes. It's a joke."
Blake wondered if…
"Say…" Yang snickered as Blake paid Weiss a few dollars in rent. "Weiss, you can speak French, right?"
She looked up slowly from the board and arched a brow. "You know I can. Why?"
"Well, they say French is the language of romance. I'm sure you're good at it because you've practiced so much, yeah? What kind of sexy things do you say? You've got ways of getting Neptune to really get that la passion on, right?" Yang wiggled her eyebrows and sent a wink over, not knowing a lick of French.
There were many things Weiss did not do, like blushing. But at that remark, she turned a deep shade of red and sent a pillow flying to Yang. It nearly missed Blake. "One more word out of you, Yang, and I'll kill you."
"In French?"
"Whoa, wait, Weiss," Ruby gasped, "You do that kinda stuff?!"
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she looked so upset she might have emitted steam. "You're all insufferable…" Blake counted down until she'd snap. One. Two. Three. "Do I look like I have the time? Do I come off as the type of person to do that?" she hissed angrily between gritted teeth.
"Okay, chill out, Ice Queen," Yang laughed, mostly at herself for her ridiculous play on words. "I'm just playing with you. We all know you keep Iceland private!"
"You guys are weird…" Ruby muttered and put down some new houses on her property.
Weiss grumbled and poked her. "You're the one who thinks I'm promiscuous!"
Blake grinned, taking pleasure in the scene before her. Months ago, Ruby and Weiss couldn't even be in the same room together. But, of course, Yang had a way of warming people up to one another. Honestly, they'd be great friends if they spent more time around each other. She was glad that they could talk to one another now, maybe even call each other friends. They really weren't so different from each other after all. In fact, they complemented each other rather well.
"Hey Blakey?" Yang turned to her. "You can speak French, yeah?"
She felt the corners of her lips twitch upwards. "A little bit."
"She's in my French class, you dolt," Weiss sighed. "Of course she can."
"Thanks, Blakey, for answering my question," the girl sniggered. "Can you say something?"
She chuckled. "What do you want me to say?"
"Anything!"
In her best French, Blake simply said, "My name is Blake. The cow goes moo."
Ruby's eyes widened in amazement, causing Blake to restrict herself from losing it completely. "Blake, that's so cool!"
"Ugh, boner," Yang groaned, putting in a new house on Indiana Avenue. "Seriously, you've gotta teach me some."
But before Blake could protest and explain that she had said the dumbest sentence she could muster, Weiss cut in. "Perhaps you could learn some French behind closed doors." She let out a ha and added, "After all, you seem so interested in speaking the language of romance so fluently."
Glancing over at Yang, Blake did her best to maintain her composure, blood rushing up her neck and face. She racked her brain to try to come up with something, but found nothing. So she gawked, stupidly, at Weiss, who sent her her most brazen smile. She was going to have to find a way to get back at her. Yang, out of her embarrassment, jolted and excused herself to go grab a glass of water. Was she blushing? Obviously Weiss was joking. All of a sudden, Blake's previous, unanswered questions ran through her head. Did she do that kind of stuff? Has she done that kind of stuff before? Would she want to if it—
No, Blake, stop it! Stop thinking about her like that! Stop!
"Since we're talking about European languages…" Ruby changed the topic, probably noticing her slight discomfort. "Did you get accepted to all those universities you applied for overseas?"
She had to think about it. "I haven't checked my mail."
"What?" Weiss glowered. "It's the middle of March! Decisions have been coming in!"
"I've been so focused on school."
"Go and check!"
Being completely honest to herself, Blake had forgotten about college. Things in high school were suddenly much more interesting than she expected, so after she had filled out the necessary applications, she put all her focus in school right now, not her form of higher-education in the future. To appease her friends, Blake got up and walked out to her mailbox. The night was cool. Some of the sunlight lingered, but off in the distance, a few clusters of stars twinkled. She opened the box to find some letters sitting and wondered how long they'd been there. She didn't check her mail as often as she should have.
Pulling the mail out, she observed six letters, surprised all of them arrived at about the same time in the past week. A smile found its way on her face. The decisions seemed to come out in her favor, judging by the size and thickness of the envelopes. For most of them, she could guess at her admission decision. She counted. There were the two decisions from the universities in France, three from the universities along the East Coast, and…
No.
No, please, no.
She felt her heart sink, looking at how small a particular one was in comparison to the others. She didn't even need to open it.
And just like that, her plans crumbled, the floor falling from beneath her.
She closed her eyes and told herself to push it out of her mind, at least for this night. For if there was one thing Blake could do nearly perfectly, it was to don a mask and play the part. She couldn't show this to the others. Not now, and especially not to Yang.
When she waltzed back in to her living room as cool and collected as she could be, Yang had returned as well. The blush had left her face and she had been chatting idly with her sister. Blake sat next to her and hid the letters underneath her leg. It wasn't her turn, so she looked up to her friends.
"So?" Ruby asked, excited and eager to know.
"They're all what we expected."
Yang peeked over at the ground where the letters lay obscured, curious as well. "Let's see them!"
Blake leaned away, albeit out of habit rather than out of spite. "We can talk about them later." Quickly formulating an excuse, she said, "Let's finish up this game."
"Okay!" Ruby agreed. "So, Yang, now that you've landed on Boardwalk, you owe me…"
As the two sisters continued playing the game, Blake caught Weiss' disbelieving look. She looked at her hands and frowned.
Blake really, really didn't want to deal with it. Not now, not ever.
Paying attention the following day had proven difficult. Normally, she would write down notes and listen to her instructors, pull out a book if she was finished, and pass time easily. But today, each minute seemed so unbearably long, like she was spending decades of her life at Beacon instead of a few hours. Promising Penny she would attend this week's book club meeting, she painfully stayed the extra two hours after school, trying to concentrate on the discussion. She was glad she had already read Treasure Island, because if she hadn't, she wouldn't have a clue what was going on. Wishing everyone a good night, she walked out of the classroom. I should've stayed home.
It wasn't that she wanted to be so morose throughout the day. She just couldn't help it. Calculus had been so silent this morning after Blake told Ruby she would rather not talk. The brunette, out of respect, gave her some space. Weiss borderline harassed her at lunch, even when she was scribbling away at her homework. Even Penny noticed her sour mood, her optimism and radiance failing to touch Blake at all. And Yang…
How could she talk to Yang today? Or tomorrow?
She did her best to avoid her. Unlike Yang, Blake was incredibly subtle with her actions, having mastered the skill of being apathetic and nonchalant. So while Yang tried to get her to open up, it just wasn't going to happen.
Blake paced down the hall, willing for the walk to go by quickly.
Of course, however, as life would have it, she couldn't have escaped so easily.
The clicking of heels rung in the empty breezeway, the pace and heavy footsteps belonging to only one person. Blake knew Weiss was coming her way as the sounds only increased. She had avoided her the whole day, knowing that she would bother her with questions. She could flee from her no longer. When the girl rounded the corner and met her eyes, she felt her breathing slow, almost stopping completely. She had her bag slung over her shoulder, meaning she had just finished wrapping up activities with the student council. God, why did she need to be here right now? The white-haired girl closed the distance between them.
"We need to talk."
"I don't really want to." Blake pushed past her as she strode forward towards home.
Did she really expect to get that far? Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned around. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Just let me go. It's none of your concern."
"Yes it is, Blake!" she exclaimed, voice thick with worry. "You're not running!" Letting out a small sigh, she softened, saying, "Not from me."
Pursing her lips, Blake dropped her gaze to the ground. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Want to or not, you need to." Weiss kept her hand where it was. "I made a promise to tell you if something was bothering me, didn't I? Why can't you do the same?"
She didn't have an answer to that. Not verbally at least.
So, in response, her feet followed the other girl towards the amphitheater close by. Blake remembered how this was the very spot where she met Weiss, gathering back then that she was cold, cynical, and almost malicious. It was her fault that the three of them were late that day and the reason why Blake had bumped into Yang. But that collision had changed her life completely, introducing her to the person she loved the most. Yet, even the thought of her failed to brighten Blake's day. If anything, it just made everything worse. They sat down on one of the steps, silent and sullen.
It took a while before Weiss said anything. "I'm not one for comfort, as you know," she started. "But you're my closest friend. I want to know what's bothering you so much. You were acting odd last night and you've been unresponsive today."
Blake found herself staring at her hands again, the very instruments behind her own chaotic dilemma. This wasn't supposed to happen. "I don't know if I can tell you."
"Of course you can." She sounded distressed. "Don't you trust me?"
People trusted Blake. She, however, could not say that she was trusting of others. Her mistrust did not stem without reason. Over the years, the people she had come to love always found a way to leave her. Adam changed, first apologizing for the accidental welts and bruises, then finding some way to turn the abuse back onto her, as if she was the one to blame. Her friends at Atlas, who promised to keep in contact, forgot about her the minute she stepped onto Beacon. Even her parents had left her, abandoning her at the age of seventeen to figure out the rest of her life as they laid, lifeless, on the cobblestone. That wasn't their fault, of course, but it didn't help to leave her alone when there was no one else she could go to.
Everyone found a way to leave. She couldn't risk losing anyone else.
"Blake?" Weiss tried to reel her back into reality.
She looked at those precious gems, wondering what would happen if she knew. Would she care? Would she tell someone? The girl had let a few secrets slip out here and there, including her parents' death. If she told someone about this, would Blake be willing to forgive her as she had before? Every fiber of her being screamed that it was none of her business to know, that she didn't need to. But if Weiss Schnee could open herself up and show that she was lonelier than the moon—if she could expose herself and ask her for her comfort and her companionship—then Blake could trust her. She couldn't run away from her. She wouldn't.
When she finally spoke, her voice tremulous and diffident, she said, "Weiss, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone."
For once, she gave a small smile, nodding. She was not happy, but the smile had served to set Blake at ease, even just a little. "I promise."
Blake took a deep breath before recounting her story. "I heard about my parents' death in July, as you already know. My parents were entrepreneurs and worked together to build their own business. They aren't as large as others, but my parents' businesses were really focused on helping the poor. That was their passion. On an international business meeting, they flew to Italy, where a man robbed them and killed them. Since then, the business has fallen into the hands of a few, but I doubt it'll last. Without the original vision, they don't have anything to go off of. I've had to change what I wanted to do because I care more about upholding this business, this work.
"When my parents passed away, the manager of our estate gave me a letter that my mother had written for me when she was in Italy. That's where they died, of course, so the letter never found its way to me. She told me that I should apply to the colleges around the world, so that I could get a better understanding of the many peoples and cultures. I hadn't been thinking about it, but my mother seemed to really want me to go out and see something new. So in the fall, I applied to multiple colleges—colleges on the East Coast, colleges in Europe… I hadn't thought about applying to a college here, but I tried for one.
"That's why I didn't want to talk about college last night. Most of the time it hurts having to discuss the reasons for why I need and desire to go to college. I'm not just going to let my parents' hard work go to waste when they were helping to change the world, helping to make it a better place by giving hope to the oppressed. That's what I want to do. But now I don't know if I can."
"What do you mean?" Weiss leaned in, listening intently.
She frowned. "I didn't think that I was going to make a lot of friends here. My friends in Atlas stopped talking to me, so I resolved to get through this year without making too many connections. If I had to, I didn't want to form any deep relationships in the case that I'd need to sever them. When I applied to the colleges in Europe, I didn't think about you or Ruby or Yang. I really do appreciate your friendship, but I thought it would be easy to cut you all off and go back to being alone. That's why I only applied to one college in California. That's why…" She paused and swallowed thickly. "That's why I didn't want to tell you, because I'm not going to be going to school here."
It took the girl a moment to understand the gravity of the situation. "Blake, I had no idea… You… That means that they…"
"Rejected me, yes." Blake blinked, checking to see if there were tears forming. There weren't, much to her relief. "I was accepted everywhere else."
"And that means you'll…" Weiss' lips dipped into a frown, appearing dejected. "You're going to have to move again. You're going to have to start over." She let out a gasp and covered her mouth quickly, realizing exactly what Blake knew she would. "Blake, your feelings for Yang…!"
She nodded without making a sound.
Weiss didn't know what to say. And for her, who hated silence more than anything, not to know what to say… "Are you going to tell Yang?"
"How could I?" Blake shook her head.
Her father had always told her maintaining friends immediately after high school would prove difficult. People moved, started their new lives, and forgot about the people they left behind. It was natural to make new friends to replace the old ones they had lost. Blake could tell Weiss was going through the same thought process, as she could read her like a book. She understood Blake and Yang were not just friends. They were not just two people who would say goodbye at graduation, never to speak again. She was sure of how they both felt, sure that they wanted to continue their friendship. But it couldn't be helped if it meant they were parting.
"I guess it's inevitable," Blake found herself saying. "I was bound to lose Yang anyway."
"What do you mean lose her? You guys can still keep in contact and maintain your friendship. You can even try a long-distance relationship. If you just tried, you could stay together," Weiss suggested. "Isn't that what you want?"
Is it?
What she wanted was for Yang to be happy, not to be tied down by obligations.
"You have time. Decision day isn't until the first of May. You can choose to stay in the East Coast. That's not as far as halfway across the world." She continued, knowing it was futile.
"It's still too far. We're not going to be able to maintain a relationship if we're far away unless we both want to. Weiss, I can't even be sure about how Yang feels. Sometimes I'm convinced she feels the same way, other times I'm not. I don't know. But what I do know is that we're going to say goodbye. I just don't know how much distance I want to put between us. I'm not willing to let my parents' dream die."
Weiss rested her head on her hand, leaning forward onto her knees. "At least you have a choice. It sounds like you have a decision to make." She steeled herself, relying on the logic of the situation. That was always her best skill, to stay rational in the face of a torrent of emotions. "As difficult as it may be, college is something necessary that we have to go through. You have to decide what you want out of your relationship with Yang. If you want it to be more than what it already is, you're going to have to work for it, whether you stay in the country or if you study abroad. It's possible, but you know it will be difficult. After all, Yang was expecting you to attend the same college, or at least be within the area."
Yeah. Unrealistically, Blake had been relying on that, too.
"Nevertheless, you should tell her."
"No." Blake closed her eyes. "I can't hurt Yang. If I tell her, she'll be upset and she won't understand."
"She will understand," Weiss countered. "You know her, Blake. Yang wouldn't ever—"
"She won't!" Blake found herself yelling, lashing out without a bit of self-control. "Because no one ever understands me or the decisions I make, Weiss! Yang won't believe me, and if she does, she won't forgive me! You don't even understand! How could you ask me to tell her?!"
With her hands balled up into fists, she struggled to stay calm. She cursed at herself as soon as she finished screaming, not realizing that she had stood up.
Sapphire orbs stared up at her, wide and unbelieving. Blake had snapped at her.
Deflated, Weiss looked away. The deafening silence lingered over them for a while before she spoke again. She whispered, "The only way Yang wouldn't forgive you is if you hide secrets and lie to her."
Blake's lips parted for her to speak, but she couldn't make a sound. She didn't know what to say.
In one fluid motion, Weiss rose and wrapped her arms around her torso. She was the shorter of the two, small enough that she could tuck her head under Blake's chin. That's where she stayed, her grip secure and tight. Blake stood stiff for a few seconds before returning the gesture and ducking her head so that she felt silk against her cheek. Weiss had never hugged her before. Not like this.
"I'm sorry," Blake apologized. "I really don't know what to do right now."
"I understand." Weiss closed her eyes. "Whatever decision you make, Blake," she mumbled against her shoulder, "just now that I'll support you, here or across the sea." She pulled away, her lips neither forming a smile nor a frown. "We'll either be separated or together, since I also have to choose between studying here or abroad. But wherever you are, wherever I am, I'll always be your friend." She drew a deep breath and said something so courageous, so unlike her, that Blake almost needed her to repeat it. "I-I… love you," Weiss stammered, the words so unfamiliar and foreign on her tongue. "I owe at least that much to you."
Blake finally let herself cry. As the flowers bloomed and the trees found new life, March seemed to be a reflection of January, only now that the roles had been reversed.
Somehow, the cold and callous Ice Queen had made her melt. And it was more than necessary.
A/N: Hello everyone! I have a bit of a long note for this chapter. I want to apologize for the wait time for this update. You might not have known, but I'm entering university this coming fall. I had my orientation this week, which definitely took time away from writing. So sorry!
A little note about this chapter and the next few: It's a little shorter than the previous chapters and much more dramatic (obviously). It only gets darker from here. As you know, this fic is rated "T." You've already seen some reasons for why, but there will be certain aspects that you have to use your own discretion before reading. I'll include some warnings in an author's note before you read. It's not so cute and fluffy anymore. But fret not! There are great things planned for this story and I'm excited for you all to see it through to the end.
Thank you guys again for being amazing readers and reviewers. Please continue to leave reviews! I've been touching this story up thanks to your feedback. I want to know how I'm doing. Please be patient with me as I start up classes soon. Thank you guys!
-Lex