Another side character making a cameo in this chapter! I also wove a little thread of something into this story...see if you can't find it. Blake is a romantic, what can I say?
When the familiar elevator doors slid shut, she let out a sigh of relief.
She was home.
After several long days of being whisked around from event to event, constantly receiving directions from strangers and having to meet thousands of new people, she was finally home. She could finally sleep in her own bed and eat at her own table.
But the best part about being back in Vale was that soon she would get to see Yang again.
They had kept in near constant communication over the course of her trip via texts, emails, and phone calls, but it just wasn't the same as being together in person. Not when Blake found herself yearning terribly for the blonde's warm presence, or to see that goofy, embarrassed smile one more time.
When the elevator stopped at her floor and the doors opened, she rolled her suitcase out into the hallway, now just steps away from the blissful confines of her home. But she stepped into the hallway only to be confused when she noticed someone sitting on the ground in front of her door, patiently waiting for her.
That millisecond of confusion was instantly replaced with happiness when she realized that that someone was a gorgeous blonde she got to call her own.
"What are you doing here?" she called out, quickly closely the distance between them.
"I said I would be waiting for you when you got back!" Yang replied as she pushed herself up from the floor, a goofy grin flashing across her lips only to be quickly replaced by a nervous smile. "I...uh...hope that's ok…"
Dropping the bag that had been slung over her shoulder, she reached up and wrapped Yang in a long hug - feeling her energy steadily recharging through the girl's warmth. Pulling back slightly while still keeping her hands on Yang's shoulders, she gave the girl a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I missed you," she said softly, feeling her cheeks warm from saying the words out loud.
Butterflies appeared in her chest when she saw that grin light up Yang's face - the girl very clearly ecstatic with her admission.
"I've missed you too!" the blonde replied, giving Blake another hug and the quickest, most unsatisfying kiss on the lips before reaching down and picking up both of Blake's bags. "I'll help you take these inside?"
Trying to prevent her pout from appearing, she focused instead on unlocking the door, realizing that Yang had never been into her home before. This fact was only underscored by the way Yang looked around intently when they stepped inside, lilac eyes drinking in every detail she could find.
"Sorry, I wasn't expecting company…" she said apologetically, noticing that the kitchen table was covered in a pile of papers she had abandoned when leaving.
"Don't be! This place is great. Very...you," Yang replied with a smile before carefully setting Blake's things next to the light blue sofa sitting in the middle of the living room.
"I thought you going to a club opening or something tonight?" she asked, suddenly remembering the conversation they had been having through text not too long ago.
"Yeah, that was tonight, but I bailed because I wanted to be here when you got back."
Yang didn't seem at all perturbed about missing her event just to be the first person Blake saw upon returning. And while Blake was beyond flattered that Yang had gone out of her way to make such an adorable gesture, she couldn't help feeling guilty that Yang was going to miss out just for her sake.
So, even though going to a club was...not really her thing…
"Why don't we go together?" she offered, knowing that it was the right decision the second she saw Yang's grin return full force.
"Really? You'd go with me?"
It might be too soon for her to say she would follow Yang's ray of sunshine to the ends of the earth, but that didn't make it less true.
"Really. I'd like to go with you."
"If it's not fun, we can totally bail. And if you get tired, I'll take you home early," Yang said in a rush, now practically bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Ok, let me just take a quick shower and change into something more appropriate?"
With Yang's nod of approval, she left the girl sitting on the sofa in favor of rushing to her bedroom to get ready as soon as possible. What took her the longest was deciding on what to wear. Settling upon a pair of her nicest jeans and an edgy black top that had been hanging in the very back of her closet for ages, she walked back into the living room.
She would probably never get used to the way Yang would stare at her whenever she wore a new outfit - as if the blonde had never seen something so exquisite in her life before. The expression always brought a heavy blush to her face and caused her to look away, setting her heart off on a series of unsteady beats. The blonde sure was poor at hiding her emotions...if she was trying to at all.
But she had a sneaky suspicion that she was getting to see the purest version of Yang there possibly could be. The thought only made her heart pound more painfully for the girl.
"You look...unbelievable…" Yang said as she stood from her seat and stepped closer to Blake, taking both of Blake's hands in her own while allowing her eyes to wander up and down.
She could feel her blush intensifying, but could see the soft blush dusting Yang's cheeks, as well.
She had missed this - this magnetic energy they seemed to share - an electric current that seemed to pass between them even when their hands weren't joined. It didn't feel like anything Blake had ever heard of before, making it nearly impossible to describe.
Somehow, they were connected - as if in another world, in another time, they had already spent an entire lifetime together. She couldn't escape the feeling that this was their reward for past hardships - a life where everything seemed to fit together perfectly, easily.
But that was probably just her over-romanticizing things again. She did have a bad habit of doing that...
"Are you ready to go?"
The question pulled her from her thoughts and back to this life - to the affectionate lilac gaze across from her.
"Just need one thing," she replied with a grin.
Quickly leaning forward, she gave Yang a kiss on the lips that lasted not more than a second before pulling away. She couldn't help smirking at the stunned expression on Yang's face, dropping the blonde's hands in order to retrieve her wallet from her bag.
"Tease," she heard called from behind her, making her let out a laugh.
"Just returning the favor," she replied, turning around to shoot Yang a playful wink - finding the blonde still standing in the same spot on the floor, shaking her head with a smile.
"Come on, let's go."
Waving Yang towards her, she knew she was in trouble when she saw the smirk on the blonde's face. She didn't know what to expect while she held the front door open for them to leave, but the girl definitely had something in mind.
She was forced to take several steps backward when Yang walked directly at her, not making any attempt to actually walk through the open doorway. Her back met the wall a second later, allowing her no escape while Yang came into her space. The blonde put both of her hands on Blake's hips, the contact setting fire in her veins while the girl moved in.
Her eyes fluttered shut as she expected Yang's lips to meet her own, only for the blonde to alter her path at the last instant and end up gently ghosting her lips over Blake's ear - sending a shiver down her spine.
"I think...I'll drive."
She blinked in confusion at the words while Yang backed away from her, giving her a wink before walking out the door. Letting out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she felt her face burst into flames in embarrassment - realizing that Yang had just handily beaten her at her own game.
Taking a deep breath in an effort to slow her rapidly beating heart, she shook her head and walked out into the hall - finding a grinning Yang Xiao Long giddily waiting for her.
"Gloating is unbecoming," she commented while pulling the door shut and making sure it had locked.
"Oh, you're the one who'll be -"
"Don't! Don't finish that sentence," she said quickly, holding both hands up as her rampant blush instantly returned.
Yang burst into more laughter as they stepped into the arriving elevator. Blake could swear that her face was literally steaming in embarrassment. But when she felt a strong arm wrap comfortably around her waist, she couldn't help but to lean into Yang's embrace.
If this was, in fact, a reward they had somehow earned...she planned to enjoy every single second of it.
"So how far away is this place?"
"Not too far - it's just on the other side of the river."
Satisfied with the answer, Blake turned her attention back out the window, watching as the city lights of Vale flashed by.
That's when another set of flashing lights captured her attention in the side mirror.
"In too much of a hurry?" she asked, shaking her head when Yang noticed the lights in the rearview mirror and cursed under her breath.
"Don't worry, we're just going to have a nice conversation with a police officer before we get there!" the blonde replied coolly as she guided them to a stop on the side of the road. Blake had expected the girl to be a little more upset, but it seemed that this situation did little to fluster the blonde.
Rolling down her window, Yang waited for the officer to walk up to speak with her.
"Good evening, miss. Do you know how fast you were...going there?"
The man's words faltered when Yang leaned closer to the door so he could see her face - clearly recognizing the actress and realizing that this was not just another routine traffic stop.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Was I going a little too fast?"
Blake raised her eyebrows at Yang's tone, which was just...off. Too high-pitched and dripping in sugar, she wondered if this was what Yang's 'flirting' voice really sounded like.
"Ah...you were going just a little over the speed limit…"
Now Blake was curious as to how much over Yang had been going. It hadn't felt that fast, but the cop was obviously lying to make Yang feel better.
"I'm sorry...we were just headed to a party, you see, and are running a little late," Yang apologized, remorse drenching her tone before she brightened up considerably. "Oh, I know! Would you like to come too? We could always use another gentleman like yourself there."
Blake might not have been able to see Yang's expression, but she was positive the blonde was now batting those irresistible lilac eyes in his direction.
"Oh well...I'm still on duty...but thank you very much for the invitation," he responded, clearly thrown off by Yang's unexpected offer. "Well...I'll tell you what. I'll give you a warning this time, but please try to drive a little slower on your way there."
"Of course!"
When the officer returned to his patrol car, Yang turned to Blake with a proud grin on her face.
"See? Told you it wasn't a problem!" the blonde remarked happily, only for Blake to roll her eyes. "I've still never gotten a speeding ticket in my life!"
"Not surprising. I probably wouldn't give you a ticket either if you threw yourself at me," she commented dryly.
"Aww...Blake, are you jealous?"
"No!" responding haughtily, she could still feel the kernel of truth in Yang's words.
"You don't have anything to jealous about. The only person I'll ever be throwing myself at is you."
Amazingly, that statement made her feel better.
Pulling up to the valet, she was surprised by how popular the place seemed to be. From the outside, it looked very posh and fancy - complete with the red velvet rope sectioning off a queue of anxiously waiting guests, a line of limousines that had already dropped off their celebrity guests, and cameramen standing along the sidewalk taking photographs.
When the valet had opened her door, she stepped out of the car to be met by the bright flashes of many cameras shooting at once, clearly directed at the girl exiting the car behind her. Quickly walking around the front of the car, Yang grabbed her hand and led her to the front door - bypassing the line of anxious partygoers. The bouncer took one look at Yang and instantly waved them through.
The inside of the club was just as lavish as the exterior. Made up of two spacious stories, the downstairs predominantly featured a packed dance floor, with a bar and seating areas occupying the perimeter. The upstairs was ringed by a railing where Blake could see more people standing and watching the dancers below. Orange and chocolate seemed to be the prominent color scheme - for everything from the plush seats to the glassware coming out of the bar. Booming music was pouring out of speakers that must have been hidden everywhere - since she couldn't find them but could practically feel the music pulsing through her.
The grand opening already seemed to be in full swing since the place was packed. Thankfully, Yang didn't drop Blake's hand as they made their way towards the bar first.
It was clear to her why Yang had been invited to such an event - everyone around them noticed the girl when she passed by. Many people waved to her, and Blake could recognize a fellow actor or two - although she couldn't remember any names. But Yang was clearly the star - made even more obvious by the path the blonde seemed to cut through the sea of bystanders.
Finally making it to the bar, Blake nearly walked into Yang's back when the girl suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"Yang, what's -" she began to ask, raising her voice to nearly a yell in order to be heard above the sound of the music. She halted her question when Yang stepped to the side, allowing Blake to see what had just paused her movement.
Sitting in front of them on one of the barstools, mindlessly stirring a drink while staring gleefully in their direction, sat someone who Blake surely recognized.
Cinder Fall.
AKA - Yang's ex. And from the stories Blake had heard so far, not the most...sane person.
"Well...look who the cat dragged in."
"Cinder...nice to see you too…" Yang answered politely, her grip tightening around Blake's hand.
"I'm surprised that you made it. You've been spending so much time recently with your new...pet…"
Cinder glanced at Blake disdainfully, eyes giving her a once over that made her bristle with indignation and feel horribly inadequate at the same time.
"I'd appreciate it if you never say anything like that again."
She looked at Yang, surprised at the tone of voice the girl had just used. Low and forceful - it was a very clear threat the blonde was issuing.
Taken aback for only a second, Cinder's expression quickly became one of amusement. She hopped off of her chair and strode purposefully up to Blake, who resisted the urge to step away from the girl.
"Hello, Blake," the girl said, voice smooth and silky. "It's very nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you, after all."
The actress extended her hand towards Blake, an amused smile still on her lips. After glancing between the offered hand and that smile several times, she finally reached forward and gave Cinder a firm handshake.
"It's nice to meet you too, Cinder. I've heard so much about you, as well. None of it good."
The comment threw Cinder off guard for a split second, the girl clearly not having suspected such a reply. But before the girl could respond, Blake felt a slight tug on her other hand. Waving politely, she allowed Yang to pull her away - happy to leave the offputting girl to ponder what stories Yang might have told her.
"Sorry about that…" Yang apologized while they made their hasty retreat from the bar. "I had no idea she would be here..."
"Yang."
She squeezed the girl's hand in order to gain her attention. Yang stopped and looked back at her, expression full of apology, but Blake didn't want to hear any of that.
"It's fine - really. What would a club be without some catty girls going after each other?"
Yang beamed at her, any anxiety completely destroyed.
"A boring one," the blonde answered with a nod of her head before giving Blake one of the most adoring smiles she had ever received. "God, you're so cool. How did you get to be so cool?"
"Years of practice," she replied immediately, earning a laugh and smile from Yang - the blonde was acting normally again, much to her relief.
"Oh! I think I see her!"
Leading the way through the crowds once more, Yang brought her towards a small, closely knit band of partiers who all seemed to be looking at the one person whose back was currently facing them. Without pausing for a second, Yang walked straight up and tapped on the girl's shoulder, surprising everyone nearby at her perceived audacity.
The girl slowly turned around, as if she, too, was curious as to who had summoned the gall to interrupt her conversation. Dressed head to toe in what must be the very latest fashions, every inch of this girl screamed privilege and authority.
Blake wasn't the most knowledgeable on current fashions, but she was willing to wager she could pick up the nearest style magazine and find each part of the girl's outfit within those pages - from the trendy boots to the expensive handbag and designer sunglasses. Although how the girl could wear sunglasses in a dark club and still see was beyond her.
"Yang."
The girl allowed a half smile to appear on her lips, which Blake was guessing might be the best they would be receiving.
"I thought you couldn't make it."
"Ah, yeah, almost didn't! But you can thank this fine lady here for getting me here...mostly on time."
Yang held up their joined hands to direct the girl's attention towards Blake, who suddenly understood what it must feel like to be an article of clothing being critiqued by a designer. Even behind the dark sunglasses, she could feel every inch of her outfit being scrutinized by the girl.
"Blake, this is Coco - this is her club. Coco, this is Blake Belladonna - author extraordinaire, most beautiful girl in the world, and, most importantly, my girlfriend."
Feeling a blush rise on her cheeks, she reached forward to shake Coco's hand.
"It's very nice to meet you, Coco…?"
She let the last syllable hang a moment too long, realizing that Yang had never mentioned the girl's last name.
"Just Coco," the girl said, shaking Blake's hand quickly. "I'm grateful you were able to convince her to show up. Having celebrities make appearances can do wonders for a club's reputation."
"Oh...it was no problem at all, really."
"Maybe for you it was no problem at all. But for everyone else, it's nearly impossible to get this girl to do anything she doesn't want to do," Coco replied with a smirk. "But I hope you enjoy yourselves, regardless. Anything you need, you let me know, ok?"
"Absolutely!" Yang replied for the both of them, tugging on Blake's hand as they prepared to take their leave.
"Oh and Blake -"
Turning back at Coco's words, she found the girl with one finger gracefully tapping down the edge of her sunglasses, revealing the girl's chocolate colored eyes gazing at her carefully.
"It was really nice to finally meet you."
At first, she thought that the girl was being sarcastic with the comment...until she noticed the smile Coco gave her before turning back towards her crowd of admirers.
"Well, that's about as ringing of an endorsement as you can get from Coco!" Yang said happily as she led Blake towards their third destination.
"Want to dance?"
Reaching the edge of the dance floor, Yang turned to look at her expectantly, lilac eyes clearly saying that the blonde wanted to dance with her.
"Uh...I haven't really danced...in a long time..."
"You'll pick it up in no time. You're a natural, I can see it!"
Grabbing ahold of both of Blake's hands, Yang dragged her towards the middle of the dance floor. The music grew steadily louder with each step they took, while the temperature around them increased exponentially. Other guests were pressed in around them, each engrossed in their own partners - although many paused to stare when they noticed Yang pass them by.
Reaching a spot Yang deemed satisfactory, she dropped Blake's hands and began moving to the beat of the music. But...she stared while she watched Yang make a whole bunch of imaginary dance moves that were far from coordinated. The people surrounding them glanced over at the blonde spectacle, chuckling at the sight.
"See? It won't matter if you're a bad dancer because they're all looking at me!" Yang yelled across to her with a goofy grin at her ingenious plan, not caring in the slightest that she was making a complete fool out of herself just for Blake's sake.
Laughing, she reached out one hand and placed it on Yang's arm - prompting the girl to temporarily pause her movements.
"I'm not that bad of a dancer!" she said, giving Yang an appreciative smile for her sacrifice.
The girl grinned and scooted closer, stepping right into her personal space so that they could talk at a more comfortable level.
"Good - because I felt like an idiot doing that."
"You kind of looked like one too," she replied with another laugh, knowing that she wouldn't forget Yang's horrible dance moves anytime soon.
Grinning, Yang picked up Blake's hands and guided them to her hips, failing to notice the blush creep onto Blake's face at the motion.
"Just follow my lead until you're comfortable, k?"
Swallowing thickly, she managed to nod her head in reply. Yang began dancing again, only this time showing off some of her true talents. Blake kept up the best she could, feeling slightly embarrassed at first - feeling hundreds of strangers staring at the two of them together.
But the longer they danced together, the more comfortable she became.
And with Yang's eyes refusing to leave hers for a single second, she could feel it again…
Their connection...the thread that bound them together…something powerful that reached out from alternate universes to affect their own…
Eventually, the rest of the dance floor faded away as she lost herself in the expanse of purple that seemed to have been made just for her.
No one else existed in this moment - no one but her and Yang.
The way it was destined to be.