Clickbait
Chapter Ten
BumbleBY
It was late when Blake crept into Weiss' house; the lights were off, but the door was still unlocked. A sign that either Weiss was still up, or at least she was expecting Blake to return at some point during the evening even if Weiss herself was already asleep. Blake had the option of going to her own house after hanging out with Yang, but it didn't seem right. She had told Weiss she would come back tonight, even if she had forgotten to text the silver-haired girl about dinner.
Blake's stomach growled loudly as she padded silently into the kitchen. The overhead lights were off, but the kitchen was cast in a pale white glow courtesy of the range hood light left on, dimmed down nearly as low as it would go. Enough light to see by, but not nearly enough to blind her.
Truthfully, Yang had offered to take her out for supper, and that had been the reminder she needed to text Weiss; she had pulled out her phone to do so, then was distracted by something Yang had said, and she'd forgotten all about it. With nervousness crashing through her stomach, she'd declined the invitation for food, and they'd simply hung out and chatted instead, a half-formed text message to Weiss forgotten in her phone.
By the time she'd glanced down at her phone, an hour later, it was far too late to be bothering her, so Blake had reluctantly erased the partially formed message, and chosen instead to say nothing at all.
Now, however, she faced the challenge of finding something suitable to eat that wouldn't wake Weiss, but would also sustain her through the night until breakfast the next morning.
Softly, slowly, she pried open the refrigerator, the magnetic seal giving up it's grasp on the frame with a soft suctioning sound. The interior light clicked on, bathing the interior in a soft blue-white glow, and a wave of cold air rolled over her skin, coaxing a relaxed sigh from her tired body as her eyes studied the interior.
The soft shuffling of bare feet on carpet transitioning to hardwood floor was the only sound that alerted Blake to the fact that she suddenly wasn't alone in the kitchen anymore, but even as her ears twitched and spun to face the sound behind her, Weiss' soft voice cut through the air between them.
"I made you ravioli. It's in the covered bowl on the second shelf." Weiss' voice was soft, subdued; whether she was upset with Blake, or she was trying to keep the noise down-maybe Ruby was still here?- Blake wasn't sure, but her ears pinned back flat against her skull anyway, her mind already racing with the possibility that Weiss was upset with her for not messaging her like she said she would.
Spotting the bowl- a light blue ceramic thing- she plucked it from the shelf and straightened up, closing the fridge before turning around and setting the cold bowl on the counter. Guiltily she forced herself to look at Weiss. Lifting golden orbs to frozen blue, Blake fully expected to be greeted with ire.
So it was quite the shock when Weiss' face was devoid of annoyance or scorn; instead she stared openly at Blake, eyes wide to catch the dim light from the oven, eyebrows lifted in curious concern.
"How did it go?" Weiss asked after a second of silence passed between them, "Did you eat already? Are you doing okay?"
Blake didn't know where to start with all the questions, so she did what she did best when confronted with a list of questions and no time to parse through them; she answered only one, the last question asked.
"I'm doing alright." Blake nodded as if to convince herself it was true, then placed a hand on the bowl on the counter in front of her. "Thank you for making me food. Sorry I never got to text you."
Weiss nodded, the muscles in her jaw tensing for just a moment before she relaxed.
"It's okay. As long as you're eating now, it's okay."
Blake wasn't certain of what to say to that, so she said nothing. Gaze flicking from wide blue eyes to the light blue bowl, she averted her gaze somewhat guiltily. Remorse coursed through her for not following through on her promise to Weiss, and it gnawed at her far more aggressively than her hunger ever could.
"Would you like me to heat it up for you?" Weiss' soft voice cut through her thoughts, making her ears twitch in confusion.
"Eh?" Liquid gold flowed back to cobalt, eyebrows lifting slightly and drawing Weiss' gaze down from Blake's ears.
"The food. Would you like me to heat it up for you?" Weiss gestured lightly to the chilly bowl sitting atop the counter beside Blake.
Blake blinked twice, then shook her head. "No, I-"
Weiss huffed, cutting her off both verbally and physically. "Go sit down on the couch." Weiss placed her hand on Blake's shoulder and gently pushed her away from the counter, reaching out to grab at the bowl before Blake could protest.
"Give me five minutes, I'll heat it for you." Peeling the lid off the bowl, she set it aside before ducking down to retrieve a sauce-pan from the cupboard below.
Blake opened her mouth to respond, but ultimately her protest died on her tongue. Pursing her lips together, Blake slowly retreated to the couch, looking over her shoulder to study Weiss as she moved toward the couch.
"Is Ruby still here?" Blake called out softly, not wanting to wake the girl if she was. "I didn't see her shoes by the door."
Weiss chuckled softly, a soft clank fluttering out of the kitchen. "She is, she's asleep, though. You didn't see her shoes because she's civilized, and uses the boot closet."
"I'm going to ignore that, " Blake retorted quietly.
"Like you ignore my boot closet?"
Blake snickered despite herself, the tension easing ever so slightly from her shoulders as Weiss' comfortable banter picked away at her anxiety.
"I guess I walked into that one, huh?"
"I wish you'd walk your shoes into my boot closet," Weiss replied conversationally.
Blake clamped her mouth shut, determined to not give the sharp girl any more ammunition against her. Instead, she leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as the smell of ravioli being warmed on the stove reached her nose.
"That smells good, Weiss."
Weiss was silent for a moment, before a begrudging, "Thanks," reached Blake's ears.
"Not that ravioli is hard to make, or anything." Weiss quickly added, downplaying her contribution, "I wish it was something more, but... "
Blake raised a hand and waved off Weiss' concerns, despite the girl not able to see the gesture.
"You worry too much, Weiss."
"You give me a lot to worry about, Blake." The girl replied sardonically.
Blake couldn't suppress the smile that spread across her face, and she couldn't muster the willpower to disagree. Letting a comfortable silence fall between them, Blake closed her eyes as the soft sound of a wooden spoon sliding around a metal pan tickled her ears.
"How was your night?"
Blake cracked an eye open at the sound of Weiss' voice drifting into the living room, and she hummed quietly for a moment, contemplating her response.
"It was good, I'd say."
"Yeah?"
Blake nodded, despite Weiss not being able to see it. "Yeah," She answered quietly. "We did end up taking some pictures together-"
Weiss' head popped around the corner, eyes narrowing at Blake, saucy wooden spoon held up accusingly.
"Belladonna, did you take your clothes off for Yang!?"
Blake laughed, waving Weiss off. Weiss disappeared from around the corner, and a second later, the sound of stirring resumed.
"No, of course not!" Blake answered lightly. "I was clothed, and they were very PG-rated photos."
"When do I get to see?" Weiss asked teasingly.
Blake shrugged, tilting her head back and pushing her bangs out of her face.
"I don't know. Ask Velvet, she took them."
Weiss snickered. "I'm texting her as soon as I get upstairs to my phone."
Blake stuck her tongue out, mocking disgust at herself.
"Why would you ever want to see photos of me, anyway?"
A sharp clicking was her response, as Weiss snapped off the dial that controlled the stove-top temperature. A soft clattering of dinnerware, and a moment later Weiss was rounding the corner with a steaming bowl of ravioli and what Blake guessed was a glass of red wine in her hand.
"Here, eat. Be careful, it's hot." Weiss gently placed the bowl down in Blake's lap, a fork nestled deeply in the bowl.
"Thanks, Weiss." Blake's tone was tired, yet earnest and grateful. "You know, you do too much for me sometimes."
"Shush. What are friends for, anyway?"
Blake shrugged, stabbing her fork into her bowl and piercing a soft, delicious looking square of pasta. Raising it to her mouth, she paused a moment. The heat rolled off in waves, and she lowered it back down to the bowl, opting to let it cool a moment, rather than make a fool of herself in front of Weiss.
Weiss, to her credit, said nothing. She merely smiled, sitting down sideways on the couch on Blake's right side. Resting her left elbow on the back of the couch, she ran her fingers through her hair to push it out of her face, then propped her head up as she set her glass of wine on her knee. Staring at Blake's profile, she let her gaze wander all over the raven-haired faunus, taking in her easy beauty.
"You never answered my question, by the way." Blake glanced sideways at Weiss as she tried again, raising a piece of ravioli to her lips and risking popping it into her mouth. Blue eyes flitted back and forth quickly over Blake's face, taking in the spectacle of the muscles in Blake's jaw flexing and relaxing as her sharp teeth tore the pasta to shreds, releasing the savoury meat inside.
"Hmm?" Weiss forced herself to meet Blake's questioning stare. "What question?"
"What do you want with photos of me, anyway?" Blake's voice was light and teasing, but the fact that she was pressing the question did not go unnoticed by Weiss.
"Hmm." Weiss raised the glass of wine to her lips and took a slow sip, never breaking eye contact with the faunus on the couch beside her.
"It's a secret." She finally spoke, slowly running her tongue along her bottom lip. Glimmering amber eyes dropped to teasing lips, then snapped back up to coy blue.
"I bet it is."
Blake let her gaze slip from cobalt to maroon, and the shift didn't go unrewarded.
"Want some?" Weiss lifted the glass, offering it to Blake.
"Thank you." Blake gratefully accepted the drink, raising it to her lips. Absent-mindedly she saw the smallest of smudges on the rim from Weiss' own lips, and she gave the glass a slight twist in her hand on its way to her mouth so her lips landed squarely over Weiss' own. Tilting her head back slightly, she took a mouthful of wine, enjoying the tart shock to her tastebuds.
Lowering the glass, she reached out and placed it back on Weiss' knee, holding it there until Weiss gracefully accepted it back.
"That one is delicious," Blake spoke quietly as she gently pierced another chunk of pasta in her bowl. "You have a real knack for picking wines."
Weiss swirled the red wine gently in her glass, eyes falling from Blake to the slightly wider set of lip prints covering her own.
"I wish I could take credit for it, but I get it all recommended to me by my sister."
Blake pursed her lips, chewing softly. "Well... your sister has good taste."
Weiss rolled her eyes. "She has adequate taste." Weiss allowed. Before Blake could say anything to agitate her, Weiss switched the subject.
"How was Yang?"
Blake tilted her head to the side, contemplating.
"Yang was good." Blake nodded, affirming her own statement. "Yang was great, actually. She's always so cheerful! Plus, she took great care of me while Velvet took of those pictures."
Weiss nodded slowly, once more making a mental note to message Velvet for a copy of those photos.
"When do they get posted?" Weiss asked curiously.
Blake shook her head. "They don't." Blake took a moment to chew her food, swallowing quickly before continuing. "At least, Velvet said they wouldn't. Not until I've had a chance to see them after editing and decide if I really want to put myself out there on the net like that."
Weiss raised an eyebrow, making a soft humming sound in the back of her throat.
"It's definitely something to contemplate seriously."
"I agree." Blake glanced sideways at Weiss, studying the silver-haired girl's face.
"What do you think of it all?"
Weiss shrugged. "Does it matter what I think?"
Blake nodded sharply. "Of course! Yes, it matters what my best friend thinks. I definitely trust your opinion more than I trust my own!"
Weiss snickered at that, reaching up to run her hand through Blake's hair. Tucking a few stray locks behind her human ear, she then reached up and ghosted her fingers through Blake's bangs, pushing them out of her face.
"I think you should do whatever makes you happy. If you like the pictures, but want to keep the experience as something that only you and Yang shared, then do that. If you want others to see and experience it too, then that's also great."
Blake rolled her eyes theatrically. "That's such a copout response! That's fence-sitting, you didn't say anything one way or another!"
Weiss pouted for a moment, narrowing her eyes.
"Fine! I think you should just give all copies of the photos to me, and forget they exist."
Blake laughed, reaching up to cover her mouth. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I'm the only one capable of truly appreciating your beauty, duhhh."
Blake half-shrugged, her right shoulder lifting and falling gently.
"I don't know," Blake drawled, testing the waters, "Yang seems to think I looked pretty good, too."
Weiss scoffed and rolled her eyes, reaching out to slap at Blake's shoulder.
"Yeah, of course she would." Weiss replied haughtily.
"What's that mean?"
Weiss held out her wine to Blake, who happily accepted once more.
"It means, she likes you. I think."
"You think?" Blake asked, swallowing a sip of wine. Weiss reached out for her glass, but Blake held it out of reach, taking another quick gulp before handing it back.
Weiss shrugged. "Hard to say. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all."
"Oh? Is there something you know that I don't?"
Weiss regarded Blake with a blank stare, and when Blake raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting a reply, Weiss took a big gulp, draining the last of the wine, holding it in her mouth and puffing her cheeks out childishly. The message was clear; these lips were sealed.
"We'll see about that!" Blake reached out swiftly, intending on squeezing Weiss' cheeks and making her spit out her drink, but Weiss was faster, leaning back out of Blake's reach and swallowing before her drink could be weaponized against her and her immaculately clean couch. Setting the empty glass down on the floor beside the couch, Weiss turned to Blake.
"Nice try! Not!" Weiss stuck her tongue out, grinning as Blake set her dish down on the coffee table in front of her before turning and bringing her legs underneath herself, bringing herself up onto her knees.
Black furry ears twitched this way and that, and they had the expected reaction; cobalt blue lifted up, momentarily distracted by the furry appendages, and that was when Blake struck. She lunged forward, Weiss shrieking for an instant against the onslaught before her eyes widened and she cut herself off, remembering that Ruby was still asleep.
Blake laughed as she grabbed Weiss' wrists, forcing the girl onto her back and pinning her down. Straddling Weiss' hips with her knees on either side of the girl, careful to not sit too much of her weight on Weiss' stomach, Blake held her wrists down by her head, leaning over and staring down at the petite woman.
"I win."
Weiss spat a strand of hair out of her mouth, blowing a breath up to dislodge her bangs from her eyes.
"You always win, when you distract me." Weiss grumbled.
"I always win, even when I don't." Blake said smugly.
"Don't brag, Belladonna, it's unbecoming."
"You'll becoming." Blake said without thinking. Instantly she froze, liquid gold widening as she realized what she'd said.
Weiss' body trembled beneath the faunus as the silver-haired girl tried to stifle her laughter, undignified snorts breaking the silence.
"That doesn't even make sense." Weiss forced out between bouts of choked laughter, trying to get her embarrassing snorting under control.
"No, it doesn't." Blake agreed, relaxing as Weiss snickered beneath her. "But I do enjoy hearing you laugh."
Weiss took a deep breath, willing herself to get her laughter under control as she was reminded of Ruby sleeping down the hall.
"Are you done eating?" Weiss asked, tilting her head toward the forgotten bowl on the table beside them.
Blake turned to look, briefly considering.
"Bed time?" She asked, looking to get a handle of Weiss' train of thought.
Weiss nodded slowly. "I was thinking so, but only if you're ready."
Blake leaned back, sitting up and releasing Weiss' wrists. Mindful of how much weight she was putting on the girl's hips, she pushed her hair back out of her face and over her shoulder.
"Lemme quickly wolf the rest of it down, brush my teeth, and I'll be ready for bed."
"Don't make yourself sick." Weiss cautioned, reaching out and placing her hands on Blake's hips. Blake mistook the touch for a guiding prod, and nodded, swinging herself off Weiss and standing next to the couch. Picking up the bowl, which now contained food at a much more bearable temperature, she quickly stabbed her way through the bowl with the fork, stuffing her face as her stomach rumbled warningly.
Weiss pushed herself up, bending down to pick up her empty glass. Moving toward the kitchen, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Blake trailing her, raven locks spilling over her shoulders and framing her face as her ears stood alert, cheeks rounding slightly as she hurriedly chewed through her food.
"Oh, my god." Weiss shook her head, smiling despite herself as Blake blinked at her questioningly.
"Is it good, at least?" Weiss asked, running her empty wine glass under warm water in the sink.
Mouth full, Blake chose instead to nod, giving Weiss a thumbs up with the fork.
"I'm glad." Weiss gestured toward the stairs. "I'll be in the room. Don't rush, I don't want to perform CPR on you when you choke."
Blake rolled her eyes, but nodded, piercing the last few squares in her bowl as Weiss slipped by her, the silver-haired girl reaching out and gently caressing her hip before breaking contact.
Blake stepped closer to the sink and flipped on hot water, quickly rinsing her bowl out so that the sauce wouldn't harden overnight. Satisfied with her work, she pulled open the dishwasher door, stuck the bowl in, and quietly closed it.
On soft feet she padded over to the stairs, taking them two at a time as she fought back a yawn. Reaching the top, she ducked into the bathroom, taking a good look at her reflection as she turned the tap on hot. Her toothbrush was, as always, the black-handled one next to Weiss' white one, but this time there was a red one sitting in the cup, and Blake suspected it could only belong to Ruby.
Another addition to the collection of people calling Weiss' house their home.
Blake didn't mind; Weiss obviously saw something in Ruby, otherwise her door wouldn't be open to the girl.
Blake stuck her tongue out and scrubbed at it languidly, studying her tired face in the mirror. sleepy, half-lidded eyes roved up and down her body, idly studying the wrinkles in her shirt, the smudge of dirt somehow stuck to her forearm. Only when she'd almost gagged on the toothbrush did she snap back to the present, spitting out the frothy toothpaste and running the bristles along her teeth. Scrubbing a little harder than perhaps she should have, she rushed through her routine as she imagined how nice it would be to sink down into Weiss' super soft mattress.
Once finished, she tossed her brush into the cup with the others, wiped at her face, and turned away from the mirror, shutting off the bathroom light on her way out.
Blake knocked gently on Weiss' partially closed door, but didn't bother waiting for an answer before she pushed it open. Glancing around the room, which was dimly lit by only one lamp beside Weiss' bed, Blake found Weiss laying on her side in her bed, blankets pulled up over her body.
"Ready for bed?" Weiss asked, patting the space beside her.
Blake nodded slowly, padding over as she reached down to her waist.
"I'm so tired," Blake murmured, grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulling it up over her head. Tossing it to the side, her ears twitched in a manic flurry as she attempted to free them from the loose strands of raven hair that tangled them. Unsuccessful, she reached up and brushed her hair back, ears laying flat against her skull as she untangled her hair from her fur. Once successful, she reached down and unbuttoned her jeans, sliding them down off her hips and kicking out of them one long, toned leg at a time.
Weiss flipped back the blankets and gestured once more for Blake to join, clearly impatient, and Blake snickered before climbing onto the bed. Settling in and getting comfortable, she inwardly cursed her bra. She didn't want to sleep in it tonight, but she hadn't brought an overshirt...
Weiss would probably lend her one, if she asked.
"Mind if I take my bra off?" Blake murmured, voice low in the quiet room. Weiss nodded, a soft, 'hnn' of affirmation emanating from her throat. Lifting an arm lazily, she pointed to her dresser on the opposite side of the wall.
"Sleep shirts are over there, if you want one."
Blake raised an eyebrow, curiosity getting the better of her as she sat up.
"Didn't realize they were optional."
Weiss rolled her eyes, watching as Blake temporarily struggled to reach behind herself to find the clasp to her bra.
"Whatever. I'm not going to make you wear or not wear something. I've seen boobs before. I own a pair, actually."
Blake snickered at that, Weiss' particular dry brand of humor catching her off-guard more often than she expected. Grimacing, she was about to give up, when she felt the bed shift, a moment later Weiss' fingertips ghosting against hers. Letting her hands fall to her lap, she let Weiss' delicate, skilled fingertips pop the clasp on her bra, catching it in her arms and holding it to her chest. Indecision and insecurity warred within her for a moment, until she turned to look at Weiss over her shoulder.
"Kill the lights?"
Weiss nodded wordlessly, turning over and flicking the switch on the bedside lamp.
Once the room was plunged into darkness, Blake discarded the bra over the edge of the bed, next to her jeans. Laying back and sighing in relaxation, she took a moment to revel in the freedom of sleeping without her chest uncomfortably confined.
"Mind if I cuddle a bit?" Weiss' voice was small, almost timid in the darkness. Blake's ears twitched, and she turned her head toward Weiss.
"Of course I don't mind. When have I ever?"
Weiss grunted quietly. "Normally you're slightly more clothed... "
Blake blew out a breath, contemplating.
"I'm fine if you are."
That was all the invitation Weiss needed, and Blake felt the bed shift beneath her as Weiss slid closer. Still on her back, Blake felt Weiss push up to her side, resting her cheek against Blake's shoulder. Weiss' hand slid over her stomach, clutching at her opposite hip as her fingertips brushed against the edge of her underwear. Weiss heaved a heavy sigh, sinking in against Blake's body, her warm breath caressing the faunus' bare chest. They were still for a moment, listening to the silence between them, until Blake felt her right hand going numb, as it was squeezed tightly between Weiss' thighs where the girl had pressed up against her. Blake shifted slightly, pulling her arm out from between their bodies, and wrapping it around Weiss' shoulders, clutching the girl tightly.
"How was your night with Ruby?" Blake whispered, breaking the silence. Weiss' fingertips brushed passively against her hip, fingernails digging lightly at the edge of her panties. Slowly they traced languid circles upon her skin, at once teasing and at the same time relaxing.
"It was good, actually. We got a lot done on the website, and I narrowed down a few more potential leads for merch."
"Any ideas on what you're thinking for that?" Blake asked quietly.
"I want to start a small trial run of sweaters." Weiss answered. "A small choice of colors, nothing too crazy. A small batch of black, and a small batch in... hmm, I'm not sure. Cream, or white, maybe. With our name on the front, and a logo on the back."
Blake made a questioning sound in the back of her throat. "We have a name and logo?"
Weiss shifted against her, rubbing her bare calf up against Blake's leg.
"Well, we will by the time it goes to print." She turned her head upward slightly, nuzzling her nose against Blake's cheek before settling down once more.
"I was thinking that we could try selling them at the shop. I know it's not official shop swag, or anything, but I'm sure I could convince a few people to buy a few. Hell, I convince people to drop tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars on aftermarket attachments for their equipment, I'm sure I could upsell a couple sweaters on the side."
Blake chuckled at that, her ear flicking as Weiss' hair caressed her, tickling her.
"Yeah, that's not such a bad idea."
"You think so?" Weiss tilted her head back to look up at Blake, barely seeing her outline in the darkness despite being so close.
"Mhmm." Blake murmured quietly. Weiss' lips were inches from her cheeks, and she could feel the light breaths of Weiss tickling her hair. It was kind of comforting, she thought, closing her eyes. Weiss stayed like that for a moment, before shifting lightly once more, pushing her head closer to Blake. Once her forehead was pressing up against Blake's cheek, she deemed herself satisfied, ceasing her movements and falling still.
"Will you sing to me for a bit?" Weiss asked quietly, breaking the silence with a barely uttered whisper.
Blake cracked one eye open, but it was useless in the dark, and there was nothing to see from her position on her back. She closed it once more, and focused on the feeling of Weiss' fingertips tracing lazy circles on her left hip. Every once in a while, Weiss' fingertip would brush up against the edge of her underwear, gently slipping beneath it or pushing it out of the way, but always retreating before too long to resume the idle circling.
"What sort of song?" Blake's voice was soft, sleepy.
A gentle shrug from the girl pressed into her side.
"Anything that comes to mind. I just want to hear your voice."
Blake thought for a moment, bringing her hand up to rest on Weiss' hip. A song from some time ago forced its way to front of her mind, and she began humming, as quietly as she could, so as to not wake Ruby in the room down the hall.
"Destiny's a funny girl, she took me by surprise; and fate, I hear, is back in town to revel in disguise."
Weiss softly hummed her approval, gently squeezing Blake's hip before resuming her gentle ministrations.
"Like a fool I've loved and lost and now, I've found you in this stranger town, I wonder if this meeting's by design."
Blake could feel Weiss' pelvis pressing more tightly against her right hip, the girl rocking closer as if there were any space left between them to begin with. Weiss' right leg was still thrown haphazardly over Blake's hips, her ankle hooked around Blake's calf, pulling them together as one.
"And so I succumb to cinnamon, sweat, and rum; laughing with stars in your eyes and your hair undone. And I pray one day our stars align, so I might hold you one more time and succumb, to cinnamon, sweat and rum."
"It's been a while since I've heard you sing this old love song." Weiss whispered, her head tilted down and her lips brushing against the top of Blake's chest.
Blake was stirred from her thoughts at Weiss' voice, and she stopped humming.
"It has been a while, hasn't it?" She murmured.
Weiss nodded slowly. "Carry on?" Weiss asked, knowing full well that she was the cause of the interruption in the first place.
Blake smiled, opening her eyes to stare at the blackened ceiling above her head. Gently she squeezed Weiss' shoulder.
"For you, Weiss? Absolutely."