JourEtNuit AO3 go support them! and comment and follow them! and if you're not here for the auto reader go on Ao3!!
"You're sure your parents won't mind?"
Blake sounds detached, as she often does, but after a year of sharing a dorm room, Yang knows her too well to miss the hint of nervousness in her voice. She turns around, and finds Blake sitting on the bus stop's metal bench, seemingly absorbed in her phone. The picture of nonchalance, except Yang isn't fooled. She takes in the rigidity of Blake's spine, the thin line of her lips, the way she's carefully avoiding Yang's eyes.
Yang props her hip against the glass wall of the bus stop, and waits until Blake looks up at her.
"Blake, you gotta relax, we've been over this. They're totally chill! The only thing that mattered to them was checking in with your parents, which they did - a month ago. I told you, they're super excited to meet you!"
Blake nods, but keeps fidgeting with the handle of her suitcase. The two of them are waiting outside of Beacon University for Tai to pick them up and drive them over to Patch. It's early in the afternoon, the last day of June, and the sun is blazing hot, so they've taken refuge under the partial shade of the nearest bus stop. Around them, the city of Vale is drowsy, most people staying inside to avoid the heat. Even the cars look ready to melt.
"I can't wait for you to see the house," Yang tells Blake, trying to cheer her up. "And the backyard! You know, Dad grows his own tomatoes, and they're like, the best. And the cherry tree is super pretty and awesome for climbing. Did I ever tell you how I fell from that tree and broke my arm when I was ten? I didn't even cry, I was mostly in shock, but Ruby was sobbing so hard Dad thought she had hurt herself. Oh, and we have a hammock! Summer built it for Ruby a couple years ago. It's perfect for reading, you'll like it."
Blake smiles, softly. "That sounds lovely."
There's a silence, and it's Yang's turn to grow nervous, suddenly. "Are you sure you're happy to stay with us for the whole summer? I know it was your idea, but… Patch isn't as big of an island as Menagerie. There isn't much to do, ya know, aside from the beaches and like, the oldest movie theater in the world." She rubs the back of her neck, hot and sweaty under the weight of her hair. "I don't want you to get bored."
Blake shrugs. "Honestly, after the freshman year we've had, I wouldn't mind two months of pure boredom. I'm still trying to recover from the finals."
"That's because someone refused to sleep for the past three weeks," Yang mutters, playfully scolding. "Instead of listening to the very sound advice of the best roommate anyone could ever have, aka yours truly."
Blake rolls her eyes. "Well, don't worry, I'm going to honor the long lasting Belladonna tradition of sleeping in every morning while on vacation."
"Not on my watch," Yang counters lightly. "We have too many things to do! I'm not letting you stay in bed half the day, Belladonna tradition or not." She pauses, suddenly hesitant. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you miss them a lot. Your parents, and your friends from Menagerie. You haven't seen them in a while."
There's a glint of something in Blake's eyes - something Yang can't identify, but it leaves a sour taste in her mouth, and her chest tightens - and then it's gone, and Blake is smiling at her. "I'll be fine. I can talk to them on the phone or on Skype. And my parents promised they'd come visit for the winter holidays next year, so it won't be too long before I see them."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Yang can't imagine being far away from her family for more than a couple of months, let alone a year and a half, but she doesn't say anything. Since she met her, Blake's always been a bit reticent to talk about her people back in Menagerie, and Yang can tell she hasn't gotten the whole story yet. She isn't one to pry, though. Blake will open up when she wants to.
She's about to change the subject and complain about her dad being late, as usual, when she recognizes the dented blue car coming their way. "Finally!" she grumbles, waving her arm in greeting.
Tai pulls over in front of them, smiling wide as he gets out of the car, and Yang can't help rolling her eyes at his outfit. He's wearing baggy shorts and a hideous floral shirt, sunglasses perched on his head and a red bandana tied around his left arm.
"Oh my God, Dad, you look like an old surfer dude who still thinks he's cool. This is atrocious."
He laughs and pulls her into a tight hug, dropping a kiss on top of her hair. "Hello to you too! Is that the thanks I get for driving all day to come and get you?"
Yang hides her smile against his shoulder, hugging him back. He smells like fresh roses and wet dirt, he must have worked in the garden early this morning, and she's missed him dearly.
Tai ruffles her hair, before letting her go, and turning to Blake. "Hey, Blake, nice to finally meet you in person!"
"Hi, Mr Xiao Long. It's a pleasure to meet you too," Blake says, extending a hand. Tai chuckles and claps her on the shoulder instead, and Yang snorts as Blake's eyes widen a little.
"Please, call me Tai. Now come on, girls, let's get on the road. Summer and Ruby are waiting for us at home, and I have it from an anonymous source that they're making something special to celebrate your arrival."
Yang grins as she loads her bags in the trunk. "Is it Summer's famous cherry pie?"
"You'll have to wait and see, I'm afraid," Tai replies. Blake slides in next to Yang on the back seat, and he starts the car.
"I'll just ask your anonymous source," Yang says, sending a quick text to Ruby. She gets a reply just as they exit Vale, following the highway that leads towards the coast, north of the city. "Yep, called it! You like cherry pie, Blake?"
"Who doesn't?" Blake answers, matter-of-factly.
Tai smiles at her through the rear-view mirror. "I like you already!"
The trip from Beacon University to the bridge that connects the small island of Patch and the mainland takes almost three hours, and then it's another thirty or so minutes on a single lane road to the Xiao Long-Rose residence - which means they make it just in time for dinner. The house hasn't changed, hidden from the main road by a row of tall, bulky oak trees, with bushes of red roses lining the windows. The gravel squeaks under the wheels as Tai parks the car in the driveway, and the familiar noise makes Yang unexpectedly emotional. This is what coming home sounds like.
"Yang! You're here!"
Ruby is running towards them, their dog Zwei in tow, and Yang barely has time to get out of the car before she jumps into her arms. "Hey, sis," she says, twirling Ruby in the air like she used to do when they were kids. Ruby is definitely too big for this now, at sixteen years old, but Yang couldn't care less. "You're very excited for someone who saw me barely a week ago!"
Ruby goes to Signal High, a boarding school in Vale, so Yang is able to see her fairly regularly since she started at Beacon. Ruby's summer break started earlier than Yang though, and she's missed having her sister around.
"Well, you're not the one who's been stuck with Mom and Dad alone for a week!" Ruby whines.
Zwei barks, as if indignantly reminding them that he's here too. Ruby laughs and crouches to scratch his ears just as Summer steps out of the doorway, wearing a flour-covered apron, her short auburn hair tied in a messy ponytail.
"Oh, I see," she tells Ruby, hands on her hips. "So the dog gets some appreciation, but not your own mother?"
Ruby sticks her tongue out, and Yang rushes over to give Summer a long hug. "Hello, love, it's good to see you," Summer whispers in her ear, before pulling away and cupping Yang's face in her hands, gently.
"You look tired. Have you been pushing yourself too hard?"
"Nah, I'm fine. Just some residual stress from the exams. You should have seen Blake during finals week, she was basically the walking dead."
She turns around, in time to catch Blake trying not to grimace as Zwei enthusiastically licks her hand. "Hey, Blake! Leave that poor dog alone, and come say hi to Summer!"
Blake walks up to them, and gives Summer a shy little smile. "Hi Mrs Rose, I'm Blake, it's nice to meet you. You have a lovely home."
Summer laughs and kisses her on both cheeks. "Thanks, honey. It's nice to meet you too, Yang's told us so much about you! Are you hungry?"
Dinner is everything Yang was hoping for - delicious and noisy and completely chaotic. It's the first family meal they've had since Yang visited for spring break, so there's a lot of talking over each other and laughing at terrible puns and fighting over who gets the last piece of cornbread.
And of course, everyone is very eager to talk to Blake. Yang's been gushing about her new friend since the beginning of the school year, so obviously they're all curious about her. Yang is worried, at first, that it's going to be too much for Blake, who's never cared much for attention. But to her surprise, Blake is all smiles and poise, answering questions from Tai and Summer, chuckling at Ruby's jokes, complimenting the food. It stirs up a weird mix of emotions inside Yang's chest, relief and joy and pride, all entangled with a vague sense of yearning.
"So how come you decided not to go back to your folks in Menagerie for the break?" Tai asks, as Summer serves everyone a slice of cherry pie.
"Oh, it was just easier. You know, we don't have an airport in Menagerie, which means the only way to travel to and from the island is by boat, and that takes a long time. Since we only have two months of vacation, I figured I might as well save myself the trouble, and just stay close to Vale." Blake's tone is casual, carefree. It's the same explanation she gave to Yang a couple months ago, when she first asked about it, and Yang has no reason to doubt her. But there's something about Blake's words, something that strikes her as - not quite false, because everything she's saying is true. Rehearsed, maybe. Or incomplete.
"Makes sense," Tai says, before bringing a huge spoonful of pie to his mouth. "Well, welcome to Patch! Make yourself at home, alright?"
"Thank you," Blake says, softly. "I really appreciate it."
"This seems like a good time to talk about some house rules," Summer declares, and Yang groans, hiding her head in her hands.
"Oh my God, is that really necessary? You know we're both eighteen, right?"
"That's not the point," Summer retorts, clearly unmoved by Yang's embarrassment. "Blake's under our care for the summer, so I want to make sure we're all on the same page. And you two," she adds, narrowing her eyes at Ruby and Yang, "could definitely use a refresher course."
Ruby gives her mom an angelic smile, and Yang just rolls her eyes. She risks a glance at Blake, who doesn't look traumatized by the unexpected parental shenanigans, thankfully.
"We all want to have a good summer," Tai says, pushing his empty plate away. "Summer and I are on vacation too, you know. So we'll happily stay out of your way, as long as you agree to a few things. First, your presence at dinner is non negotiable. Secondly, we all help with the chores. Dishes, cooking, laundry, the usual."
Tai waits for them to agree, before he goes on. "Yang, you know the drill. Helmet is mandatory if you or anyone else is using your bike."
"Well, yeah," Yang says. "I don't have a death wish."
"Could have fooled me," Tai mutters. "And last but not least, if you're planning on leaving Patch, to spend the day in Vale or wherever, you need to let us know."
"And by letting us know, we mean asking permission beforehand, not when you're already halfway there," Summer clarifies, with a raised eyebrow. "Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Yang and Ruby answer together.
"Of course," Blake says.
"Alright then," Summer concludes, with a smile. "Thanks for listening. Now, who's up for a vicious game of poker before we call it a night?"
"Oh, I'm going to destroy you!" Ruby boasts, pointing a dramatic finger at her mom.
"Bring it on," Summer says with a grin.
As they all start clearing out the table, Yang leans towards Blake, bumping her shoulder.
"Hey, you okay? Was that too much for you?"
Blake shakes her head. "No, not at all. Your parents are great. Believe me, if it had been you staying at my house, my dad would have given us a two-hours lecture.This is nothing."
Yang huffs, still a little disgruntled. "Come on, let's go play poker. You have to witness Summer at her most evil. Plus, I have a feeling you might give her a run for her money. No pun intended."
"The pun is always intended with you." Blake gives her a long-suffering look.
"You love me," Yang replies, with a wink.
Tai is the first one to lose, followed almost immediately by Yang. Ruby manages to win a few rounds, but she eventually has to admit defeat, leaving Blake and Summer locked into a fairly well-matched battle.
Ruby's cheering too loudly, and Tai is shaking his head at her, but Yang is not paying attention to either of them. She's staring at Blake, fascinated by the way she holds her cards like weapons, by the quiet confidence in her eyes, by the way she smirks when she wins a round. Something twinges in Yang's chest, something sharp and startling and new, but not quite unpleasant.
In the end, Blake loses. "Great game!" Summer congratulates her. "I haven't had a worthy opponent in a while."
"Hey!" Tai protests. "I'm right here!"
"Rude," Yang grumbles.
"But accurate," Ruby snipes, like the traitor she is, and Blake lets out a small laugh as Yang's mouth hangs open in outrage. Laughing as well, Summer gives Tai a quick peck on the lips, before patting Yang's cheek.
"My poor grumpy blondes," she teases.
"Okay, okay." Yang mumbles. "Blake, I think that's our cue to leave."
"Go, save your dignity," Tai jokes. "I've put the extra bed for Blake in your bedroom, so you two should be all set up."
Yang presses a kiss to his cheek as a thank you, and leads Blake upstairs. "It's gonna be cramped, sorry," she warns as she opens the door. And it is, a little. Her bedroom is not small by any standard, but with the camp bed for Blake nestled between the desk and the chest of drawers, it does look a bit crowded.
"It's perfect," Blake says, sitting on her bed, looking around with curious eyes. "I like the flowers." She points towards the blue porcelain vase filled with bright sunflowers.
Yang sits at the foot of her own bed, facing Blake. They're close enough that she could touch her if she stretched. "They're from Dad. When I was a kid, he told me that if you put flowers near your bed they'll eat your nightmares. I totally bought it, and now I guess it's tradition."
Blake smiles. "My mom used to say the same thing about wood chimes. She'd hang one above my bed every night. I never really believed her, but I liked the sound it made when my window was open and the wind came through."
Blake looks wistful as she recounts the story, and not for the first time that evening, Yang wonders if being around her family is hard for Blake, if it makes her regret her decision not to go home.
"I haven't thanked you yet," Blake says, interrupting Yang's musings.
She frowns. "For what?"
"Letting me stay with you, this summer. You didn't have to."
Yang shrugs, and nudges Blake's knee with her foot. "What are friends for?"
Yang wakes up as the first rays of sun bathe the room in soft, pale light. She's always been an early riser, especially in the summer, when mornings are warm and bright and full of possibility.
She checks her phone first, like she's done every single day for the past month. There's only a text from Weiss complaining about her father.
Fighting the disappointment rising in her throat, she sits up and stretches - and freezes. Blake is still asleep on the other bed. Yang should be used to it ; they've shared a dorm for the past nine months after all. There's just something very different, very real, about Blake sleeping in her bedroom. It feels more intimate somehow. It feels precious.
Blake looks peaceful, all curled up on her side, hugging her pillow, dark hair hiding half her face. She's drooling a little, and it's kind of adorable. She must have pushed off the sheets during the night, because they lie all crumpled at the foot of the bed, leaving her in her short purple night dress. Her legs are exposed up to mid-thigh, and Yang's eyes are drawn to them, like a hummingbird to the sweet nectar of a flower, until they find the scar.
It's right there above Bake's left knee, a thick, jagged line that cuts across her leg like someone tried to slice it off - it looks painful, and Yang shudders involuntarily, as she does every time she sees it. She wonders if Blake will ever tell her how she got that scar. Then she realizes staring at her sleeping friend is maybe a little weird, and shakes herself out of it.
She gets out of bed and opens the window, letting the morning breeze in. It smells of roses and brine, of the ocean and the flowers of Tai's garden - it smells like home. She takes a deep breath, smiling as she makes her way barefoot to Blake, and taps her lightly on the shoulder. No reaction. She taps again, a little harder, and Blake makes a scrunchy face in her sleep, mumbling something that sounds suspiciously like "Fuck off."
Yang grins.
"Wake up, sleepyhead!" she yells, and bursts out laughing when Blake sits up abruptly, eyes unfocused, hair wild. "Oh my God, the look on your face. Priceless."
"Ugh," Blake groans, glaring, rubbing her temples. "You're the worst."
"Nah, I'm the best. Come on, let's get some breakfast and go to the beach! This is the first day of our summer vacation, and it's gonna be epic!"
Blake is still glaring at her, but there's no actual anger in her eyes - Yang can even see the shadow of a smile on Blake's lips. "Fine. But you better make me some tea."
"You got it," Yang says, still laughing.
An hour later, and everyone is in the car, on the way to the beach. Tai fiddles with the radio while Summer drives ; the girls are sharing the backseat, Zwei curled up on Ruby's lap. Yang opens the window and closes her eyes, letting the wind toy with her hair as an old song from the 50's comes up on the radio. Tai turns up the volume, throwing an arm around Summer's shoulders. Ruby sings, Zwei barks. Blake's bare thigh is pressed against Yang's, and she smells like sunscreen and jasmine tea. Yang's heart feels too big for her chest.
The beach is empty when they arrive. It's not the most popular beach of the island, too small and located on the far side of Patch, but it's Yang's favorite. There's a big rock formation overlooking the waves, perfect for jumping in the water, and sea shells littering the sand.
She takes off her shorts and tank top, and grins at Ruby. "Race ya!" They both take off towards the water, Zwei running after them. Ruby has always been faster, so she makes it before Yang, splashing into the waves with a yelp. "It's cold!" she whines, but she has a big smile on her face when Yang joins her.
A very big smile.
"Don't," Yang warns, pointing her finger at Ruby. She's up to her knees, and the ocean is chilly in the morning - the sun hasn't had time to warm the water yet.
Ruby kicks her leg in Yang's direction, splattering her, and laughs when she shrieks. "Oh, you're in trouble," Yang yells, rushing towards her. In the end, they both end up soaked and giggling, floating on their backs under the sun. A lone seagull glides above them, unperturbed by their antics.
"Have you heard from Weiss?" Yang asks after a minute of silence.
"A few texts, here and there. She said she'd try to call us soon, but her summer internship is keeping her busy." Ruby sighs. "You?"
"Same. I told her she should come visit us before school starts again," Yang says, staring at the empty blue sky. "I miss her."
"I know," Ruby says, sadly. " I wish she'd gone to Beacon with you, instead of Atlas." She pokes Yang in the shoulder. "But, hey, at least, you met Blake!"
Yang smiles. "Yeah."
"Speaking of, is she not coming in?" Ruby asks, throwing a piece of driftwood for Zwei to catch. Yang looks back towards the beach. Tai is slathering himself with sunscreen, and Summer is busy setting up the beach umbrella. Besides them, Blake sits on her towel, in her swimming suit, wearing round sunglasses and a huge straw hat. She has a book resting on her lap, and Yang rolls her eyes.
"Nerd," she says, fondly.
She swims back to the beach and runs up to Blake, crouching down in front of her. "Whatcha reading?"
Blake looks up from her book, and does that thing she does where her lips curve in a disapproving frown, but her eyes are smiling. "Yang, you're dripping everywhere!"
"That's what she said…" Yang says, waggling her eyebrows exaggeratedly.
Summer sends her a stern look from where she's still struggling with the umbrella. "Yang, not appropriate," she scolds, but the corner of Blake's mouth lifts up.
"Come in the water with me and Ruby! It's a little cold at first but once you get used to it, it's great!"
"Sure, why not." Blake removes her glasses and hat, and places them neatly next to her book on the towel, before she holds her hand out. Yang stands up and pulls her to her feet. She keeps their fingers linked together as she leads Blake to the ocean, and neither of them mention it.
It turns out Blake is a great swimmer. They race to the shore a few times, and she is much faster than Yang and Ruby.
"I grew up on an island too!" Blake explains, a little smug, when she wins for the third time in a row. It would be frustrating, if it weren't such a beautiful sight, the way she moves effortlessly in the water, long limbs gracefully following the ebb and flow of the waves. So beautiful, in fact, that Yang gets a little distracted, and Ruby cunningly sneaks up to her and, catching her off guard, manages to dunk her head under the water. It's the start of a long cycle of revenge, that only ends when Tai calls them back to the shore for lunch.
When the time comes to go home, Yang is exhausted, the kind of satisfying, bone-deep fatigue that comes from spending the day outside in the sun. She smiles contentedly, sitting in the middle of the backseat. Ruby curls up against her right side, fast asleep as soon as the car starts moving, and Blake's head falls on Yang's left shoulder not too long afterwards. Trapped in between the two of them, Yang can't move an inch. She's too hot, and everything is sticky with sand and salt, and Blake's hair keeps tickling her neck, and she wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
Time passes, and Yang settles into the routine of summer. They go to the beach every other day, and laze around in the backyard. She still checks her phone every morning, to no avail. Sometimes she goes out on a run with Ruby, or works in the garden with Tai while Blake reads in the hammock. It's peaceful, and familiar, and even though they're not used to having Blake around, she fits in surprisingly well, cooking with Tai and discussing the merits of tea with Summer and beating Ruby at every card game they play. In the evening, Yang and Blake lie on different beds, and talk, just like they used to in their dorm room, about everything and nothing, until they fall asleep.
And then, one night, Yang wakes up with a full bladder and finds Blake's bed empty. She sleepily pads out of the room, on her way to the bathroom, and there Blake is, sitting on the stairs, under the dim light of the moon coming through the window, whispering in her phone. She's speaking too low for Yang to catch any word, but she sounds upset. When she sees Yang, she hangs up, hurriedly.
"Everything okay?" Yang asks, sleepily.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just talking with Sun, you know how he gets."
Yang cocks her head, keeping her eyes on Blake. She's never seen Blake acting so agitated around anyone, let alone her friend Sun. Annoyed, sure, but the kind of annoyed Yang gets when Weiss is being ridiculous. Right now, Blake doesn't look annoyed, she looks on edge, hand gripping the staircase railing so hard her knuckles have turned white.
Yang bites her lip, hesitant. Part of her wants to call Blake out, ask her what's really going on, but she's aware that it wouldn't be fair. After all, she's not the only one keeping secrets.
Blake doesn't move, and for a full, tense minute, they stay still, facing each other in the silent hallway, until Yang shrugs and walks the rest of the way to the bathroom. It's the middle of the night, she's not in the mood for a confrontation.
They don't talk about it the next day, and if Blake is acting a little distant, a little aloof, Yang doesn't notice, because that morning, when she checks her phone, there's a text.
It just reads: "She's here. Now you owe me a drink, Blondie."
