I've been moderately absorbed with Rush (the white rose story I've been writing) recently, but man is this story great to come back to! You have to love these bees :)
Thank you to everyone who is following and reviewing this story!
"Are you ready?"
"Pleaseeee, Blake! Pyrrha's been tormenting me with this dress forever - just let me see it already!"
"Ok, ok - hold on just a little while longer!"
Giggling at her girlfriend's pitiful whines, she checked her reflection in the mirror one last time.
The dark purple dress Pyrrha had helped her pick out fit like a glove, clinging to her torso until it fell into a simple, elegant skirt. Paired with black heels, the model had very aptly commented that Blake's color scheme for the evening would be 'midnight.' Realizing she was missing something, she went back to her dresser to retrieve the beautiful sapphire necklace the model had been kind enough to lend her for the occasion.
"Do we even have to go? I would be completely ok with skipping!"
She shook her head in the direction of the bedroom door, smiling at the blonde's continued reluctance to attend one of the biggest celebrity events of the year - and one where her recent film was nominated for several awards and she was personally nominated for an award.
Why Yang didn't want to go made little sense - especially since the actress looked stunning in her shimmering golden dress with a plunging neckline and silver heels. There wouldn't be a single person there tonight who could hope to look half as beautiful as Yang currently did.
"You have to go - everyone is expecting you to be there, remember?" she called out to the living room.
"Fine…" Yang called back to her, "but can't we at least be late? People are late all the time! It's fashionable!"
"Yang, this is my first awards show. I don't want to be late!"
She smiled at the incoherent grumbles from the other room, knowing full well that Yang would bend to her request. As much as the blonde pretended to be difficult, she really wasn't.
At least, not for her.
Finally satisfied with her reflection, she made her way over to the bedroom door and opened it, striding into the living room where her girlfriend had been not-so-patiently waiting for her.
Lilac eyes locked onto her instantly, roving quickly up and down her body before backtracking again. She felt herself blushing from how intently Yang was examining her, before the blonde suddenly clutched at her chest in pain.
"Ugh…"
"Yang, are you ok?"
Instantly concerned, she rushed to the girl's side, resting one hand gently on Yang's bare shoulder while searching desperately for a source of the pain.
"Yeah...it's just...you're so beautiful - it hurts. Like my heart is trying to claw right out of my chest…"
Blake stared at her, flabbergasted, while a blush rose on her cheeks and her own heart beat loudly - doing somersaults in her chest. Her concern fluttered away to make room for the growing feeling of love within her.
How was it possible that Yang could still have this effect on her? They'd been dating for months now - weren't these butterflies supposed to fade over time? Or, at least, happen less often?
But there were still moments like these, which happened far more frequently than she'd care to admit, where Yang would catch her off guard with an affectionate comment like that.
And with the way Yang was beaming at her, eyes brimming with adoration, she knew the blonde hadn't said that to be cute - she said it because that's what she really felt.
Just when she thought she couldn't love this girl any more...
But she knew exactly what the girl meant. The way she cared for Yang could be painful - in a way that felt absolutely incredible at the same time.
She groaned, realizing that without even trying Yang had just gotten exactly what she'd wanted.
"What's wrong?" the blonde asked, raising an eyebrow when Blake grabbed both of her hands and began dragging her back to the bedroom.
"I hope you don't mind getting dressed a second time," she replied with a blush, grinning at the brief look of confusion on the girl's face.
"Huh? Oh. Ohhhh…"
Yang was grinning too as they stumbled back into her room - lips locked together, hands running all over one another while searching for clasps and zippers.
"You wanna know what I think you look best in?" Yang murmured against her lips, deft fingers unlatching the clasp at the top of Blake's dress and quickly pulling down the zipper.
She smirked while waiting for Yang to say the words she knew were coming, preparing herself to become a ball of putty at the blonde's disposal.
"Absolutely nothing."
"See? I told you everyone comes late!"
Staring out the tinted window at the line of limousines still waiting to drop off their well-dressed passengers, she would be forced to admit that Yang had been correct. Even though the invitation had said to arrive half an hour ago, it appeared no one had heeded that in the slightest.
Apparently 'fashionably late' was still very much in fashion for Vale's social elite.
Letting out a sigh, she leaned back against her seat, the leather making a creaking noise, while they waited for their turn to step out onto the red carpet.
Preoccupied with the scene occurring outside, she jolted in surprise when a warm hand lightly squeezed her own. Turning towards the girl, she received a reassuring smile - Yang knowing that she was nervous without her having to say anything at all.
Even though she did her best to conceal it, her nervous energy was one of the things the blonde was always able to pick up on - the hypersensitivity to her feelings never ceasing to make her feel incredibly loved.
She smiled back at Yang to let the girl know she was feeling better, lavender eyes regaining their sparkle in a heartbeat. As an additional thanks, she reached out and gently tucked a lock of golden hair behind Yang's ear, knowing just how much the blonde liked it when Blake played with her hair.
Although, as far as she'd been able to tell, she was the only one who was allowed to so much as breath on those beloved curls...
Thankfully, they'd managed to pull their outfits back together nearly perfectly, although Yang's aforementioned precious hair was a little less pristine than it had been a short while ago. But it looked as if the style had been completely planned - the blonde pulling off the 'slightly ruffled' look with tremendous ease.
She wasn't sure how her own second attempt had fared, but Yang had assured her that she still looked 'extraordinary hot and sexy - like the sun had a baby with the moon.'
That comment had led to a whole round of teasing about why the moon would be considered sexy.
Feeling the vehicle slide forward a few feet, her gaze returned outside the window as they inched closer to the chute formed by the crowds of people gathered and waiting for them.
With the ultra casual way Yang had invited her, it hadn't hit her until now that this was actually a big event, one of the biggest shows of the year - complete with reporters and photographers everywhere. There were cameras pointed in every direction, providing a steady stream of video to the millions of people at home watching this on their television sets.
It was more daunting than anything she could ever remember doing…
But this was a part of Yang's life, just as much as she was (but maybe a little less so). She wanted to be a part of these things with her, to keep the girl company and provide support. And she knew Yang would accompany her to a similar event in a heartbeat, no questions asked or complaints uttered.
Besides, it couldn't be that bad, could it?
The vehicle rolled forward a few more feet and the door was suddenly opened for them, allowing a rush of noise from outside into the vehicle. Yang gave her one last grin.
"Last chance to bail?"
She laughed - something Yang was always able to get her to do no matter the situation.
"We're already here - might as well go," she replied with a smile.
Nodding her head, Yang took a deep breath while turning towards the door herself. Since the blonde was seated closest, she slid gracefully out first. The instant Yang's foot hit the red carpet, Blake heard rapidly snapping shutters and excited questions being thrown out at the girl.
Taking a deep breath of her own, she closed her eyes for a second before steeling her nerves and following the blonde's lead.
As soon as she stepped out of the vehicle more shutters began snapping shut, nearly a dozen bright lights flashing all around her. The immediate effect was dizzying and disorienting.
But then Yang was there - the girl's smile brighter than the brightest flashes - reaching a hand back towards her. Gladly accepting the offering, their joined hands seemed to invite even more attention.
More flashes went off as hundreds of photos were taken in a matter of seconds - everyone seeming to need a dozen copies of the exact same moment in time. She tried to force a smile, but didn't exactly know where she should be looking - there were masses of people on either side of them, some holding out microphones while shouting questions, others holding cameras up to eye level while taking even more pictures.
Thankfully, Yang led them away from the line of limousines, refusing to drop her hand as they moved down the red carpet towards the entrance.
There were many people shouting Yang's name, trying to capture the blonde's attention for a quick question or interview. But the blonde ignored most of them as they walked down the plush red carpet towards the entrance to the massive theater - although she did make sure to stop and smile several times for the photographers.
Blake did her best to keep a smile on her lips, as well, borrowing strength from her girlfriend through their connected hands.
She couldn't help wondering why they used such thick red carpet...it looked fancy, but was really difficult to walk on in these heels...
It seemed like Yang was perfectly fine with walking straight into the theater without stopping to talk to anyone - which would have been completely ok with her, too. That was, until the shouts of "Yang! Talk to us for a second!" became calls of "Cinder! You look amazing!"
The name froze both of them in their tracks - Yang turning slowly around to find that Cinder had, in fact, arrived immediately after them. The brunette had just stepped onto the red carpet dressed in a flaming red dress, a smirk sealed upon her lips as photographs were taken.
Yang groaned at their horrible timing.
"Ok, next time we're getting here right on time," the actress said while more and more people were bringing Cinder's presence to Yang's attention, as if the two actresses hadn't already noticed each other.
The photographers were now requesting a picture of Yang and Cinder together - the two stars of The Dust Chronicles arriving for the Celicas - where their film was likely to win at least one award. Yang glanced at Cinder in apprehension before turning back to her.
"I don't want to…"
"Won't it look bad if you don't?" she asked, very familiar with what Yang had told her about having to 'play nice' with Cinder in public.
"Well, yeah…" the girl responded, biting her lip in obvious distress.
"Then go take the photo," she directed, nodding her head in Cinder's direction, not failing to notice the smirk on the woman's face while she waited for Yang's response.
"Are you sure?" Yang asked, eyes filled with concern. "You won't be -"
"Jealous?" she asked, cutting the girl off. "No, Yang. Just hurry up and get this over with so you can come back to me."
The blonde beamed before giving her a quick kiss and setting off to satisfy her work obligation.
Her eyes followed Yang as the blonde approached Cinder, both actresses flashing brilliant smiles to one another before giving one another a loose hug - as if they were incredibly happy to see each other. Side by side, they turned towards the line of photographers with those same blinding smiles in place as lights flashed repeatedly at them.
Blake knew that the smiles were fake - that part didn't bother her.
It was Cinder wrapping her arm around Yang's waist that made anger flare up within her.
She knew that Cinder was antagonizing her - she knew that the actress was just doing it for show - but that didn't stop a small growl of irritation from escaping her lips as the woman slid her arm progressively lower and lower down Yang's back. Very soon, that hand would cross a line that might force her to make a little bit of a fool out of herself in front of hundreds of cameras.
Fortunately, Yang broke away from the contact just in time - sending a friendly wave towards the press before heading quickly back towards her. The blonde rolled her eyes when she found Blake looking at her - the gesture undoubtedly referring to Cinder's recent antics.
As soon as Yang was near enough, she reached up and dragged the blonde down to her - pressing them into a somewhat hasty kiss before releasing her grip. She then wrapped her own arm around Yang's waist, even lower than where Cinder's had just been.
She sent the brunette a glare - which Cinder returned full force.
She had no problem starting a feud with a world famous actress. Not when it came to Yang.
Yang's laughter broke her out of her thoughts, the blonde leaning over and whispering, "Any lower and you'll really give the paparazzi something to write about."
Flushing deeply in embarrassment, she quickly moved her hand to a more respectable height.
Maybe she was a little competitive...
"Sorry…" she mumbled, her reply causing Yang to look at her with wide eyes.
"Oh my god…are you jealous?"
Her immediate response was to scoff, turning away so Yang couldn't see her blush spread further.
"As if…"
"You totally are!" the girl exclaimed, far too happy about this for Blake's taste. "Oh my god, that's just too cute!"
"I'm not -!"
She silenced her words when she realized how loudly she was speaking.
"Jealous," she finished with a whisper.
"You can admitttt it!" Yang continued to tease her. "Or, should I go take another picture with Cinder first?"
The blonde turned and pretended like she was going to walk away, only to be stopped when Blake's hand shot out to stop her.
"Maybe…" she whispered, ducking her head in shame, "Maybe I am...just a little bit jealous…"
The next second she was wrapped in a warm, strong hug - the smell of Yang's shampoo invading her nostrils when she found her nose nuzzled into long, blonde hair. The sound of rapid shutters could be heard as many pictures were taken nearby, capturing their private moment to immortalize in film.
"Yang, what are you…" she began to ask, still firmly held within the girl's embrace for what many would consider to be a hug that lasted too long.
"She doesn't hold a candle to you…"
She stilled at the whisper as Yang finally released her, pulling away with a loving smile. Blake could feel herself blushing like mad as the words sank in.
"Got it?" Yang asked.
She nodded her head with a smile, retaking Yang's hand when the girl offered it.
"Got it."
Hand-in-hand, the two of them made their way slowly across the rest of the carpeted lane outside before finally making it to the entrance to the theater. Walking through the open doors, she found that they were now in a massive common area - the ceilings stretching high above them while the room extended far in either direction. There were two large staircases visible, one on either side of them, while at least five sets of double doors could be seen directly in front of them. The doors were all open at the moment as immaculately dressed celebrities and their guests were buzzing about everywhere. Ushers donning dark, hunter green suits were posted at every corner directing people in the right direction.
She didn't much follow the celebrity scene, but she recognized at least a dozen A-list actors and actresses in under three second standing just inside the door.
"How do we know where to sit?" she asked, realizing that the invitation Yang had handed to her hadn't listed any assigned seats.
"We're in section D, row 5, seats 4 and 5."
She looked at the blonde in surprise.
"How do you know that?"
"Glynda told me and I memorized it!" the blonde announced proudly. "But the ushers would also be able to tell us. Now do you want to hang around here or -"
As Yang was speaking, the lights in the building faded in and out two times.
"Or it's time to go in already - alright!" the girl finished, directing them towards a set of doors in front of them.
All of the other guests were now filing into the theater as well, making it slow going through the aisles as they made their way towards their seats. She was more and more impressed the closer they went to the front of the theater - the stage probably not even twenty feet in front of them now, and direct center.
Yang directed her into the proper row ahead of her and she moved forward until she found a cushioned seat with the number five attached to it.
"Good evening."
Her jaw dropped at the greeting from the attractive, well-dressed man sitting in the seat next to her.
"G-good evening," she stammered back, quickly falling into her own seat and turning towards Yang.
"Is that really -" she whispered excitedly.
Yang looked over her shoulder before smiling.
"Yatsuhashi? Yeah that's him."
She risked another glance towards the boy sitting next to her. Darker complexion, black hair, rippling muscles…
There weren't many films she watched religiously, but she was quite fond of samurai and ninja films...and Yatsuhashi was the samurai.
Hearing Yang giggle, she turned her attention away from the boy and back to her girlfriend.
"What is it?"
"Oh, nothing…" Yang replied, giving her a playful wink that said the girl knew exactly what Blake had been thinking.
Now thoroughly embarrassed, she turned her gaze towards the stage - determined to ignore the teasing from her left and the ripples of muscles on her right.
A few minutes later, the lights dimmed in the theater and the crowd quieted - the show about to begin. The opening music began to play, the live orchestra in the right of the hall sending the notes drifting over the crowd.
As the last few bars faded away, a tall, skinny man with stunning green, spiky hair and glasses stumbled onto the stage. He immediately dropped the note cards in his hands onto the ground, stooping to retrieve them while the audience laughed.
Finally striding up to the microphone placed in the center of the stage, he tapped on it - releasing a loud, shrill sound of static into the room.
Unperturbed, he looked down at the first card in his hand before speaking.
"Good evening - good evening ladies and gentlemen! I am Bartholomew Oobleck and I shall be your host tonight."
She immediately wondered what drugs the man might be on - his voice disjointed and the words falling out of his mouth faster than most people could even think.
"Welcome to the 75th, I mean the 78th annual Celica Awards! Tonight we will honor the best and brightest in the industry with these amazing little statues here. Can we show the statues?"
Everyone laughed when nothing happened and the man turned back towards them.
"Ah, guess not! Anyway, let's start with a short clip, shall we?"
The man moved off to the side of the screen quickly while the lights dimmed completely - a movie about to play in front of them.
Feeling Yang leaning closer to her, she turned to find the blonde looking at her intently.
"Hey...if you get bored, the ladies restroom upstairs is the best to hook up in," the girl whispered to her.
"Yang!" she whispered back. "How do you even know that?"
"I - I heard from someone! I've never done it!" Yang replied fearfully.
She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the history of the Celicas that was playing out on the stage.
"I'm just saying, these things are longggg…" Yang muttered from beside her.
With a quiet laugh, she reached over and took Yang's hand in her own, resting both atop Yang's thigh while continuing to focus her attention forward.
It was her first Celicas - she wasn't going to go hook up in some bathroom stall.
At least, that's what she told herself right now. But Yang had a way of being able to change her mind...