Clickbait
Chapter Four
BumbleBY
Morning came far too swiftly for Blake's liking. Groaning quietly in annoyance as the incredibly comfortable bed shifted lightly beneath her, Blake forced her eyes open against her better judgement in time to see Weiss throwing back the covers and sliding out of bed.
Too early for petty emotions like guilt or contrition, Blake shamelessly stared at Weiss' toned, fit legs as the girl strode around her bedroom with nothing but an oversized shirt and immodest panties covering her body. One of the perks of being friends with Weiss, Blake thought idly as she reached up to rub at her bleary eyes, was that Weiss knew that Blake looked, and absolutely did not mind.
Inhaling deeply, Blake sighed in annoyance at the thought of being forced out of Weiss' bed.
"You know, if you weren't dead-set on being hetero, I could wake up like this every morning." Blake commented quietly. Her faunus ears twitched as Weiss gently closed a dresser drawer before looking over her shoulder at the very comfortable raven-haired girl currently ensconced beneath her blankets. There was an unreadable expression on her face, as typical for the Schnee, but Blake didn't bother trying to parse it. She'd never had any success before, and was unlikely to now. Everything she knew about her best friend was information that the girl willingly surrendered to her.
"That sounds like it's a much better deal for you, than it is for me." Weiss commented dryly, turning back to face her dresser as she gathered some clothing.
"I mean, yes." Blake conceded, reaching down to scratch the inside of her thigh. "It would certainly elevate my standard of living, and my social standing as well." Blake could practically hear the smirk that was forming on Weiss' face, but she wasn't finished.
"However, consider the following. You look absolutely delicious, and I love to eat."
Weiss couldn't hold back a short, barking laugh at that, reaching up to cover her mouth lest she wake the girls downstairs.
"Tell me, I'm dying to know," Weiss turned around and slung a towel over her shoulder, "Do you have any luck with a pickup line like that?" She put one hand on her hip and stared at the raven-haired girl, a perfect eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Eh." Blake brought her hand out from underneath the covers to shake it sideways in a 'so-so' motion. "It's hit or miss, to be honest."
"I'm surprised it has any hits at all." Weiss sounded dubious.
"Oh Weiss, you're far too classy for a dirty girl like me and the sort of pickup lines I use, that's all."
Weiss pursed her lips together, apparently on the verge of saying something, but must have thought better of it, for she stayed silent. Instead, she moved toward Blake's side of the bed, acutely aware of piercing golden orbs that followed her every move. Stopping beside the bed, icy blue warred with molten gold for a moment, before the shorter woman reached down and gently ruffled Blake's hair.
"Quite the opposite, Blake." She murmured quietly. Blake said nothing, but leaned into Weiss' touch. Trying and failing to hold back a yawn, Blake briefly thought about grabbing Weiss' wrist and pulling her back into bed, but knew that the girl would be angry for a week if she were made to be late for work.
Weiss must have been on the same train of thought, for she let her hand fall away from Blake's head, turning on her heel and moving toward the ensuite bathroom.
"If you're not up and ready by the time I'm done my shower, I'll assume you're just coming in late to work." Weiss spoke softly over her shoulder. "I'll be sure to dock your pay accordingly."
Blake huffed. "You're not the boss of me in this bedroom!" She shot back.
Weiss laughed at that, before disappearing into the bathroom. A moment later, the shower started, the hissing of running water drowning out anything Weiss might have replied with.
It was almost too much, she thought tiredly. The white noise of running water, the remnants of Weiss' body heat beneath the blanket, and whiffs of cinnamon if she concentrated, it almost lulled her back to sleep. Before she allowed herself to doze off, however, she forced herself to throw off the blankets. It wasn't cold in Weiss' room by any means, but it wasn't as warm as it was beneath the blankets, and the change in temperature was enough of a shock to send a shiver running through her. Kicking her legs over the edge of the bed, she pushed herself upright. Grabbing her shirt from where it lay discarded on the floor she pulled it over her head. Already missing Weiss' presence, she padded slowly over to the open ensuite bathroom door. Knocking on the frame and stepping inside, she stared at Weiss through the partially frosted shower door.
"Can I help you?" Weiss asked lightly. Blake shrugged, leaning against the counter. All she could see was Weiss' head and shoulders through the unfrosted portion of the shower door, the rest of her modesty protected by the frustratingly opaque remainder.
"When are you going to invite me in, Weiss?" Blake arched an eyebrow, running her tongue along her bottom lip suggestively.
Weiss rolled her eyes, reaching up to run her hands through her hair.
"What the hell has gotten into you this morning?" Weiss answered Blake's question with another of her own. "I'm used to you being a flirt, but this is something else."
Blake shrugged. "I'm lonely and broke, you're attractive and you have money. What else can I say?"
Weiss laughed at that, shoulders shaking as she reached out to steady herself with a palm pressed to the glass to keep herself from slipping. Instantly, Blake stepped forward, reaching out and placing her palm against Weiss', only the glass separating them. Meeting Weiss' gaze, she winked.
"Oh, okay, that one was smooth. Much better than your cheesy pickup line from earlier." Weiss dropped her hand from the glass, turning around and exposing her back to Blake.
"Well, you only hit on me when you're not having any luck anywhere else, so what's going on?" Weiss continued, squirting a dollop of shampoo into her hand and lathering it into her hair.
Blake sighed. "Yeah, I don't know. Nobody's really caught my eye, and you're cute when you blush. Only downside is, you're so used to me now, I can't really embarrass you anymore."
Weiss hummed at that. "I'm starting to think you're just leading me on."
Blake chuckled softly. "I think for it to qualify as 'leading you on', you'd have to actually be interested in me."
Weiss was silent at that, and Blake settled for listening to the hypnotic sound of falling water. Leaning back against the sink, she closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. The residual heat from the hot shower was warm upon her skin, and if she weren't careful, she might doze off right here, leaning against the sink.
In what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes later, the sound of the running water being shut off jolted Blake out of her light doze.
"Towel?" Weiss reached over the top of the shower partition, making a grabbing motion with her hand. Of course, this required the short-statured girl to reach up on her tip-toes, and Blake cast a side glance at Weiss as she reached for the towel that Weiss had hanging on the towel-warming rack along the wall. A bit more of Weiss' chest was visible, but nothing she hadn't already seen before, and she hummed disappointedly as she handed Weiss her fluffy warm towel.
A moment later and the partition slid open, revealing a very wet Weiss with a towel wrapped around her body. Her wet hair clung to her face, neck and back, and water droplets slid down her skin in enticing trails that begged Blake's eyes to follow.
"Jeez, you're right." Blake reached up and slapped lightly at her own cheeks, wincing as mild pain shot through her face. "I'm all worked up and I have no idea why."
Weiss smirked, grabbing another towel and wiping her face dry before scrubbing at her hair.
"Oh, I have a pretty good idea why." She said lightly. "A certain blonde, maybe?"
Blake made a face, but didn't protest. "She IS gorgeous, isn't she?"
Weiss hummed quietly. "She's very pretty." She agreed. Blake decided to leave the conversation at that, staring at the far wall and enjoying her friend's company in silence. Keeping her eyes to herself, knowing that even Weiss must have her limits to being ogled despite being her best friend, Blake merely listened to the sound of Weiss running through her morning routine. Hair dryer whirring, toothbrush scrubbing, sink tap water running, Blake took comfort in the quiet sounds of domestic busywork as her nose was invaded by a litany of pleasant scents.
It was ten minutes prior to shift start when Blake walked through the door, two hot beverages in hand. Proud of herself for not only being on time, but actually early, she sauntered into Weiss' office, flicking her hair out of her face as she set the drinks down on the table.
Weiss glanced up at her, her stern face of concentration relaxing into something akin to appreciation.
"This," Weiss gestured to the cup placed in front of her, "this is what makes putting up with the rest of your lackluster performance worth it."
Blake grinned as she lowered herself into the chair across from Weiss' desk.
"A four dollar drink once a day? And here I thought you were of a higher pedigree. That's all it takes to woo you?"
Weiss rolled her eyes, returning her gaze to her monitor. Scrolling slowly, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she searched for whatever it was she was looking for.
"Please. I cannot be 'woo'ed. I can be merely placated, and only temporarily."
Blake hummed non-committedly, raising her tea to her lips. Taking a very timid sip, she winced as the too-hot beverage burned her mouth.
"Always a million degrees... " She muttered. "How's your hazelnut cappuccino? And you say you're not gay... "
Weiss ignored the jab, pulling her drink closer before picking it up and taking a tentative sip.
"Not bad." She allowed. "It's pretty hot, still. Better than too cold, I suppose."
A comfortable silence followed as Blake flipped open her laptop. Waiting patiently as it booted up, she took the opportunity to study her friend. Weiss had opted to put her hair back in her usual high side-pony, although Blake much preferred when it was unbound. Still, her gaze lingered, appreciating the opportunity to gaze upon Weiss' slender, bare neck.
When her laptop finally chimed, declaring itself ready, Blake navigated her way to her inbox, taking a look at her workflow for the day.
"Another bladeflip?" She voiced out loud, earning a nod from Weiss. "Yeah, and actually, a hose replacement as well. There's some damage to the existing, customer wants it replaced."
"Easy."
"Easy for you to do? Or easy, because you'll delegate it to someone else?"
Blake shrugged, secretly appalled that she was so transparent.
"Well, I'll do the bladeflip, at least. Someone else can get covered in grease and hydraulic oil swapping the hoses."
"Lazy." Weiss muttered.
The raven-haired faunus grinned widely. "And don't you forget it! Oh, speaking of forgetting things, guess what Yang said this morning?"
Weiss perked up a bit at that, and Blake imagined that if the girl had faunus ears, they'd be standing straight up at full alert.
"What?"
Blake reached up and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear before finding the insulating cardboard sleeve on her cup and picking at the glued seam.
"She asked me if I was interested in doing cosplay, and invited me to do a few shoots with her." Blake said. "Or, she invited me to come see a few, and see what I thought of it before committing myself to actually participating."
Weiss regarded her friend with a contemplative expression.
"Honestly, it's not the worst idea." Weiss replied. "I mean, you should never do something just for the money, but... if you apply yourself, you could make some decent money. Which I know you're struggling with right now... "
Blake nodded slowly. "I am indeed getting my ass kicked by money. Or, lack thereof."
Weiss' expression softened. "I know I've said it before, but i-"
Blake held up a hand, interrupting her. "I'm not borrowing any money, and I don't need a loan. I appreciate you offering, again, though."
Weiss sighed, but let the topic drop.
"Just... let me know if there's anything I can do, preferably before you become homeless, or start selling pictures of your feet."
Blake tilted her head to the side, raising a brow. "Think I'd get a couple bucks for some pictures of the dogs?"
Weiss laughed at that, covering her mouth as she attempted to regain her composure.
"Don't you dare."
Blake chuckled, shaking her head. "No, I appreciate the offer, Weiss, but you're doing more than enough. Just being there for me, with me, it's... more than I could ever ask for."
Weiss' blue eyes softened as she regarded the woman across from her.
"Yeah, well, what are friends for, anyway?"
Blake opened her mouth, prepared to change the subject before it got too cheesy, but Weiss beat her to it. Making a 'shoo'ing motion with her hand, she ushered Blake out of her office.
"Get out of here and go do some work. Preferably something that I can bill a client for. Make me some money before you tie up my shop space with your junk car."
Blake gasped in false indignation as she pushed herself to her feet. Grabbing her tea, she tossed her hair over her shoulder haughtily.
"That car has a name, and her name is Lydia. Show her some respect."
Weiss double-clicked on a file on her screen, blue eyes gliding left and right as she read its contents.
"Lydia gets the same respect I show all my elders and senior citizens." Weiss replied without looking up. "Goodbyeeeee."
Smiling to herself, Blake gently closed Weiss' office door before turning and meandering down the hall to the shop. Yang's words were still on her mind, and she couldn't stop thinking about them.
Earlier...
"Morning, Blake!"
Blake nearly jumped, straightening up from where she was slumped over the counter in front of the coffee machine. Spinning around, she came face to face with the gorgeous blonde, rendering her barely functioning morning brain completely useless.
"Uh."
Yang tried to hide a smirk at that, but failed, as the corner of her mouth perked up. Rather than poke fun at the flummoxed faunus, however, the blonde merely gestured to the coffee maker behind her.
"Brew almost done?" Yang asked, moving toward Weiss' fridge. As soon as Yang broke eye contact, Blake's brain rebooted, and she nodded somewhat vigorously.
"Good morning, Yang. Yes, coffee's almost done. How'd you sleep?"
Yang peeled open the refrigerator door, casting about her gaze in search of cream. Finding what she was looking for, she straightened, closing the door and spinning on her heel.
"Sleep wasn't bad!" Yang set the bottle of cream down on the counter, then leaned against it, folding her arms under her chest. "For a guest bed, it sure is comfy."
Blake's eyes fell to Yang's bare forearms, the muscle lean and taut beneath lightly tanned skin. Realizing that it looked like she was staring at Yang's chest, her eyes shot up and away, turning to face the coffee machine instead.
"Is it?" Blake asked, feeling the back of her neck burn despite herself. Glad that her hair covered her reddening skin, she studied the slow drip, drip, drip of the coffee into the carafe.
"I've only ever slept in Weiss' bed, so I wouldn't know." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Blake was mentally kicking herself. Who would say such a thing?!
Yang snickered at that. "That seems odd, for two people who aren't dating."
Blake groaned inwardly. Why did she always seem to fall apart around the pretty ones? God, she was terrible at flirting.
"We seriously aren't dating." Blake insisted, a wry grin curving her lips. "I make fun of her all the time about it too, it's funny how flustered she gets, but, yeah... nothing's ever happened between us." Forcing her head up to make eye contact with her early morning kitchen partner, Blake lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.
"Pretty sure she's too good for me, anyway." She said, using a bit of self-deprecation to inject some humor into the subject.
Yang studied her intently for a moment, lips parting slightly as she ran her tongue along her bottom lip.
"Blake, I hope I'm not being too forward, and I don't really know how to ask this, but... " Yang unfolded her arms and rested her wrists on the counter behind her. "You've got a certain look to you that I think would work really well with my own. Want to come with me sometime to a shoot? At least, see what it's all about, and if you like it, maybe join in for a round or two? I think it would be fun!"
Blake stared at her unblinkingly, unsure of what to say. Lifting a hand to her forehead, she pushed her bangs out of her face, tucking a long strand of hair behind her left ear. Regarding the blonde studiously, Blake's thoughts were interrupted by the gentle beeping of the now-finished coffee maker.
"Just to see what it's all about?" Blake ventured cautiously, turning back to the delicious pot of scalding black liquid. Grabbing the handle of the carafe, she gently, carefully, upended it into her awaiting coffee mug, steam rising gently and carrying a dizzying array of scents to her nose.
Yang nodded, watching as Blake slid the coffee pot back into the machine's base.
"Yeah, of course. No pressure to join in, or do anything you don't want to. Just come observe, see what we're all about, and hopefully have some fun while you're at it."
It was Blake's turn to fail to suppress a giggle, even though she knew she shouldn't be laughing.
"I mean... it's not the worst sales pitch I've ever heard, but I can't decide if you're trying to sell me a car with a thirty percent interest rate, or abduct and traffic me."
Yang's soft lilac eyes widened almost imperceptibly at that, before she relaxed.
"Yeah, I guess I'm not too good with my words, eh?" The blonde chuckled lightly. "Guess that's why I let my body do the talking." Shimmying her hips for effect, which Blake caught from the corner of her eye, Yang reached out and grabbed the pot of coffee. Pouring herself a cup, she stared down at the black liquid for a moment, apparently deep in thought, as Blake stirred a single teaspoon of sugar into her own.
"I'll talk to Weiss about it, and see what she thinks." Blake offered hesitantly. Lifting her mug to her lips, she took a careful sip.
Yang nodded, a sly grin threatening to overtake her features. "Gotta clear it with the girlfriend first, eh?"
Blake rolled her eyes, but huffed a sigh into her cup. "If you keep that up, Weiss'll ban you from the house for sure."
Yang laughed outright at that, a sound that Blake decided she'd like to hear more of. Looking appreciatively at the blonde over the rim of her mug, she studied the broad build of the girl, much more revealed to her this morning now that she was devoid of her heavy leather jacket.
Yang's shoulders were impressive. Sturdy and rounded, the muscle rippled and twitched beneath the surface, free to anyone who looked courtesy of the sleeveless shirt that the blonde had decided made good sleepwear.
Blake would not disagree. Toned arms lead to the aforementioned taut forearms, the hands that gripped her mug delicate yet strong.
"Mmm. What a way to start the morning," Blake murmured.
"Hmm?" Yang looked up, tossing her blonde mane over her left shoulder as she glanced sideways at Blake.
Blake lifted her mug in indication. "I just love waking up to coffee." Blake covered sweetly, her brain beginning to function now that she'd been awake for longer than twenty minutes.
"Oh. Yeah. I can take it or leave it." The blonde said conversationally.
"Really?" Blake's tone was colored in surprise. Holding the mug to her lips, the let the warmth invade her cheeks and chin.
Yang nodded. "I'm not a big caffeine fiend."
Blake pursed her lips, mind churning. "While I do appreciate the boost, I think a lot of it has to do with routine." Blake surmised. "I love routine, and looking forward to having the same thing every morning ticks a very important box for me."
Yang raised both eyebrows at that, digesting the new information.
"Interesting."
Blake wasn't sure whether she'd call the little nugget of information she'd just shared 'interesting' or not, but she left it alone rather than argue.
"What do you have on the go today?" Blake asked, changing the subject before the silence could grow awkward.
Yang gestured over her shoulder in a meaningless direction. "Gotta stop by the office for a few hours, sort out some admin stuff, then start working out a deal with Velvet."
Recalling their conversation from last night, Blake nodded slowly.
"Weiss made that sound like a difficult task. Do you think it will be?" Blake didn't know anything about anything, and knew even less about this mystery Velvet, so she looked to Yang to provide her own perspective.
"I don't think so. Vel's super out-going, at least, once you get to know her, and I know she'd just leap at the chance to do a friend a favor. So I think it'll all sort itself out, ya know?"
Blake hummed quietly, internally admiring the 'seat of the pants' flying that Yang was describing in relation to her goals for the day.
"Well, my fingers are crossed for you, then."
Yang pushed off the counter, raising her cup to her lips. Tilting her head back, she drained the mug before placing it in the sink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Thanks, Blake! Anyway, I'm gonna head out now. Gotta go home and change, and all that. Rubes is still sleeping, and probably will be for a while. Think about what I said! I think it'll be a great time, for the both of us!"
With that, the blonde strode confidently from the kitchen, grabbing her jacket from where it laid upon the back of the couch. Blake watched as she slipped smoothly into it, not bothering to zip it up before kicking into some flat-soled high topped riding shoes. Patting her pockets to ensure she had her keys, she flipped her blonde hair out of the collar of her jacket, grinned at Blake, waved wordlessly, and disappeared through the doorway.
"Well, " Blake muttered, looking down at the coffee in her hand, "That's gonna turn into a crush if I'm not careful."
Padding softly into the living room, her gaze found the clock mounted on the wall. Noting the time, she sighed. She'd better leave, and sooner rather than later.