Blake stared at her reflection, searching for anything out of place, before tugging on her sleeve. The minor adjustment straightened the hemline running from her shoulder to the cuff on her wrist but otherwise accomplished little. She loved the color - a deep purple that brought out the amber in her eyes - but she didn't love the rest of the outfit. Jeans and black flats felt so…pedestrian. After changing half a dozen times though, she had run out of time.
After glancing at her closet, the contents of which had spilled across her bed and dresser, she grabbed a black handbag and left the apartment. The chill in the air made her reconsider forgoing a jacket, but she hurried to the train station rather than waste time on another wardrobe change. Long sleeves would have to do. Besides, she planned on being inside for most of this ill-advised endeavor.
Her jaw clenched as she slipped onto the next train heading downtown. Having spent the entire afternoon scouring for news on Mercury's arrest yet finding nothing of use, she still thought this was a horrible idea. For all she knew, Mercury had already talked, Yang had already figured out who she was, and she was walking straight into a trap.
Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, she clenched her bag in her lap and watched Vale flash by outside the windows. If Adam was going to force her out with someone, at least it was someone she would have chosen for herself. She just wished that she'd had more time to prepare an alias or an exit strategy should things go sideways. Instead, she would walk into the restaurant as Blake Belladonna, the girl who hadn't been in the public eye for some time now.
It felt like stepping back into a skin that she shed long ago. But, as she exited the train in Vale Heights, an upper-class neighborhood far from her beaten path, she reminded herself of her purpose. She wanted to help people. She wanted a more equal Vale where even the 'poor' had decent or, at the very least, admirable lives.
Adam promised to get them there. To rewrite the laws of Vale and beyond so that the most vulnerable stood a fighting chance. Their work had to continue, so they had to stay out of prison. That meant needing to know what the police knew.
With that objective in mind, she turned the corner and froze when she spotted Yang on the sidewalk just ahead of her. For a split second, fear reared its head. She almost spun around and raced away. Then Yang caught sight of her and, rather than pressing her lips in seriousness or narrowing her eyes in suspicion, smiled.
Blake's legs led her to Yang like a moth to a flame. Excitement chased the fear from her veins, leaving her with nothing but lingering concern and several butterflies as she met Yang in front of the restaurant.
"Wow." Yang's lilac gaze roved over Blake's outfit, sending tingles down Blake's spine. Eventually, Yang met Blake's eyes and quickly wet her lips. "That's, uh, that's a great color on you."
"Thank you." Suddenly feeling a little too warm, Blake averted her gaze and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You, uh, look nice, too."
Only when Yang glanced down and ran a hand through her gorgeous blonde hair did Blake sneak a better look. Unlike their chance encounter at Sapphire Bank, Yang had clearly dressed to impress. Dark jeans clung to her strong legs while a sunny yellow top tastefully showed off her chest, where Blake's gaze lingered for a second too long before dashing to the metal fingers exiting the yellow shirt sleeve. Dangling purple earrings matched vibrant lilac eyes, which Blake abruptly realized were the same color as her own shirt.
No badge, no gun. Nothing implied that Yang was anything other than an attractive young woman going out for dinner. And she was just so damn pretty…Blake didn't know what she'd expected from the young detective, but the transformation left her at a loss for words.
"Ready?" Yang asked first, gesturing to the restaurant as a gentle reminder that they weren't here to stand and stare at each other. Blake nodded then prodded her feet to follow Yang to the door. Yang held it for her, a chivalrous gesture that probably shouldn't feel so foreign, and they entered the restaurant together.
Sights, sounds, and smells overloaded her senses as seemingly every experience vied for her attention at once. Wonderful aromas wafted through the warm air along with the buzz of conversation and background kitchen noise. Waiters and waitresses carrying trays of food or empty dishes wove through a maze of tables and booths. The most unusual experience though, and the one that stirred Blake's nerves into a small frenzy, was Yang's shoulder brushing hers as they stood in the entryway.
"Busy place, huh," Yang remarked, her brow furrowed as she took in the scene. Once her inspection was complete, she smiled at Blake. "Don't worry. I got a reservation."
"At least one of us thought ahead."
Blake's heart jolted when Yang laughed and went over to the host. Blake lingered near the entrance, content to check Yang out from a distance while she spoke to the young man. The conversation ended with him grabbing two menus and Yang motioning Blake over.
"Right this way," he said before leading them further into the restaurant. As they wove through several tables, Blake noted the other patrons - more specifically, their jewelry. Necklaces and earrings flashed with rubies or sapphires. Wedding rings glittered with diamonds. Expensive watches and polished cufflinks sparkled under the lights.
Surrounded by wealth and pleasant conversation, Blake took a seat at a small table near the kitchen and thanked the host as he deposited menus in front of them. "Your server will be right with you," he added before flitting back to the front of the house, leaving the two of them in silence.
As soon as Blake sensed the awkward tension, she opened her mouth but found no words. Shutting her mouth instead, she buried her attention in her menu and tried not to notice Yang lightly tapping the table.
"This place is nice," Blake forced out after scanning the menu and accompanying prices.
"It is, isn't it?" Yang laid her napkin across her lap while glancing around. "I've actually never been here, but it was highly recommended."
"Ah."
Blake's gaze flitted to Yang's hands - the sharp contrast between flesh and metal still absorbed her curiosity - before sticking to the menu. The lull returned more painful than before, and she was considering a fake family emergency when Yang suddenly let her menu fall flat onto the table.
"Am I making you nervous or something?"
Yes, Blake thought at the same time her mouth said, "No. Sorry. It's just…" She considered several lies before sighing out the truth. "It's just been a while since I've done this."
"Gone on a date or gone on a date with a cop?"
"Both. Well, the cop part is brand new."
"Glad I could be your first then." Yang's cheeky smile disappeared as she fiddled with her silverware. "And, uh, same, honestly. To the date thing."
"Really?" Blake's brow rose when Yang nodded. "I wouldn't expect that."
"Because I'm ravishingly beautiful?"
"Because you're charming," Blake corrected, though she smiled at Yang's facetious grin. The compliment didn't boost Yang's ego though - at least, not that Blake could tell by the way Yang shrugged and looked down.
"I work a lot, and I guess you could say I'm…picky."
"Then I'm flattered," Blake replied without a second thought. Yang beamed - her smile lifted Blake's spirits whenever it appeared - and opened her mouth only to be interrupted by their waiter.
"Good evening, ladies. Can I bring you something to drink?"
"Get anything you want," Yang encouraged Blake.
"I'll just have water," Blake told him. He dutifully nodded before turning to Yang.
"Same."
"I'll bring those right out."
He disappeared just as quickly as he'd appeared, leaving Yang's vibrant gaze on Blake.
"Not a big drinker?"
"Depends. But I'd like to keep my wits about me tonight."
Yang's smile brightened, and a blush was surfacing on Blake's cheeks when their waiter returned with a glass of water in each hand.
"Would you like to order now or do you need more time?"
Again, Yang motioned that it was Blake's call, so Blake opened the menu and found her typical order - although typically not at such a high price. She couldn't go wrong with salmon though, and she wouldn't judge Yang for ordering pasta when the menu featured so many seafood options. Instead, she watched their waiter flit away with their orders and was pleasantly surprised when the awkward silence didn't return.
"So," Yang said, setting both hands on the table and leaning forward. "I'm pretty much an open book, so ask me anything."
Mercury immediately jumped into Blake's mind, but she couldn't lead with that. There was something else she was dying to know though…
"What happened to your arm?"
"Wow." Yang laughed and leaned back while Blake suppressed a smile. "Straight to the good stuff, huh?" When Blake coyly shrugged, Yang chuckled a little longer before saying, "Alright, it was a motorcycle accident. Happened right after a big storm. Some guy slid through an intersection, tapped me, and my arm got pinned between the road and the bike."
Blake grimaced.
"Did it hurt?"
"In the moment, not really - I was too amped to feel much of anything. After though…yeah, it hurt."
Yang frowned as she stared at her metal fingers, loosely curled into a fist.
"I still feel it sometimes," she added. "That whole phantom pain thing. It's not as bad as it used to be though. And no, I don't drive motorcycles anymore." Yang's chuckle had lost some of its levity, but she didn't dwell on the moment for long. "I've been curious all day though - what do you do? Besides judge banks on their security."
Blake's pulse spiked at the succinct description of her actual job, but Yang's teasing grin helped her relax.
"Banks are a big part of my life, obviously," she admitted, surprising herself yet earning Yang's laugh. "But I have a boring job. It's probably not worth talking about."
"That only makes me want to know more."
Under Yang's unwavering gaze, Blake blew a breath through her lips and subtly shook her head. Fortunately, she had an alias for situations like this.
"I work at an accounting firm. We help companies do their taxes, manage payroll, stuff like that."
"So…you work with numbers."
Thinking about the number-covered pad of paper sitting beside her practice vault, she nodded and said, "Something like that."
"What's an accounting problem look like?"
"Oh, those are…" Blake froze for a second when she realized that she knew next to nothing about accounting. "It's usually just a small number put in the wrong place that wreaks havoc on everything," she fibbed.
"You have to find it and fix it?"
"Exactly."
Blake felt the ice beneath her thinning and cracking, but Yang smiled and said, "Sounds like my job. Only with clues instead of numbers."
"Detective is quite the profession for someone so…"
"Enchanting?"
"I was going to say 'young,'" Blake said, smiling despite herself.
"What can I say…I'm an overachiever." When Yang beamed, Blake was struck by how she could boast without boasting at all. Almost like she didn't believe words that held a good amount of truth. "I've wanted to be a detective since I was old enough to know what a detective is," she added, her eyes glazing with memories. "Solving crimes, searching for clues, taking down bad guys…my parents' stories pushed me into the department, I guess."
The conversation could branch in many directions from there, but Blake had to choose the one closest to her reason for being here.
"Are you working on any big cases right now?"
"Yeah, actually. Ever heard of the White Fang?"
Blake's heart threatened to jump out of her chest, but she resisted the urge to bolt out of the restaurant as if her seat had suddenly caught fire. Being here was stupid and dangerous but, somehow, she furrowed her brow and asked, "That group of thieves?"
"That's them. I'm leading the task force to take them down."
"Wow. That…that is big."
"It's huge," Yang agreed, tapping her fingers on the table while Blake reminded herself to breathe. "And a huge challenge," Yang admitted. "They're good at what they do. But if I can figure out who they are and bring them in, then…well, it's a career builder as my boss would say."
Career builder for Yang, life sentence for Blake. But, despite desperately wanting to change the subject, she willed herself to continue.
"I don't see what's the big deal with them…" she began hesitantly. "Aren't they just stealing from rich people and companies that can afford to lose the money? Doesn't seem like that'd do much harm."
"That's what they want us to think, but it's not so simple."
Blake frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
"It's like…dropping a rock in a pond. The ripples travel further than you think." Blake's frown deepened, so Yang leaned closer. "Like this one guy - they swiped ten million dollars right from his home. He's an ass, so I don't feel sorry for him, but he's an ass with employees, and some of those employees lost their jobs because he blamed them for letting the White Fang in."
"He did?" Blake asked, and Yang nodded.
"I told him it was unfair - this is a professional criminal organization we're dealing with - but he didn't care. I get he was upset, but…" Yang shook her head before meeting Blake's gaze. "Have you ever had something stolen? It's not as simple as being able to afford the loss or not. There's a whole mental thing that goes into it."
Yang motioned one hand to her head before politely smiling when their waiter appeared with two plates in hand. Blake, meanwhile, stared at her dinner as if she couldn't remember ordering it.
That had been one of their earliest jobs, and it had been almost too easy. The wealthy financier thought himself a genius by installing a safe in his bedroom, stuffing it with cash, and then boasting about it to anyone willing to listen. He was asking for it, in her opinion, but she hadn't known that some of his employees lost their jobs in the aftermath. She and Adam had already moved on to bigger, more valuable targets.
"Everything ok?"
Snapping out of those thoughts, Blake smiled and grabbed her silverware.
"This looks great." She pointed to the food before trying her first bite. She had to force it down over her nerves but, thankfully, Yang quickly joined in eating. Learning that she had unintentionally cost some people their jobs, unfortunately, wasn't the information Blake needed. She had to keep digging.
"Wasn't one of them just arrested?" she asked before the subject changed.
"A girl who follows the news - I like it." Blake blushed when Yang winked, but then Yang cleared her throat and added, "Yeah, we nabbed one. News got it wrong though - they said it was one of the leaders, but he was just a grunt. Didn't know anything useful."
Internally, Blake breathed a huge sigh of relief. Outwardly, she forced a sympathetic expression.
"That must be frustrating."
"It's part of the job. And I love a challenge."
Blake raised her glass to her lips when faced with Yang's unflinching determination, which would be attractive were it not a direct threat to her future.
"We're trying to get him to give us something though," Yang added. "Names, locations - even just a better description of what Wilt and Shroud look like without the masks. He clammed up as soon as we got him to the station though. Wouldn't say a word." Yang sighed while Blake felt the invisible chains loosen from around her wrists. While she silently celebrated, Yang shrugged and added, "We'll keep leaning on him though. Maybe we'll just release him."
"Why would you release him?"
"So we can track him." Yang waggled her brow as Blake's mouth fell open. "Most of the time they run right back."
"Oh…" Blake's mind raced at the implication. Good thing they were already moving, and none of them could communicate with Mercury ever again. "I never thought of that," she added before she was silent for too long.
"There are lots of strategies like that. The more people who are working together, the easier it is to keep picking them off."
Like Cinder's new recruits, Blake immediately thought. Who knew how trustworthy they were or if they would end up being the weakest links in an increasingly fragile chain.
She took another bite and chewed over her next question. She hated that Adam was right, but Yang was an incredible source of information. And she gave it freely. As if she had little idea how valuable it was.
"How'd you even find him?"
"Well, they just hit Vale Savings a couple weeks ago, so I figured they must be trying to move the money - no one wants to hold onto all that cash for so long. They have to be laundering it, so we found the fences. Or as many as we could. Brought them in and gave them deals if they agreed to notify us when the White Fang showed up. And what do you know…"
"He showed up?"
"He showed up."
Yang beamed with pride - rightfully so - but Blake could hardly believe it. Mercury had been right, too. If they were going to keep doing this, they needed their own fence. Relying on third parties to move the money only put them at more risk.
"Well, that's…great detective work."
"Thanks."
Yang chuckled at the flimsy compliment before taking several more bites to eat, leaving Blake sorting through more thoughts than she knew what to do with. Honestly, if she'd known that Yang would be so forthcoming with what felt like confidential information - though, realistically, was only restating what had been relayed to the public or elaborating on general police practices - she should have called Yang immediately after they met. Maybe then Mercury would never have been arrested at all.
"Does that mean you're still looking for the others?" she pressed before taking avid interest in her plate.
"Oh, yeah. Of course. I'm not stopping until I see Wilt and Shroud sitting in jail."
"But there's rampant inequality in Vale," Blake added, unable to let it go without defending herself somehow. "Someone needs to fix it."
"Absolutely."
Her next argument died at the tip of her tongue, and her brow furrowed when a firm nod accompanied Yang's affirmative response.
"I agree," Yang added for good measure. "Inequality is a huge issue and something needs to be done about it." When Blake just stared, Yang tilted her head and asked, "What? Is that surprising?"
"Um, yes."
"Why?"
"Because you work for the police…?"
"Meaning I've been called out to the mansions in north Vale and the drug dens in the inner city. I've seen firsthand how messed up the world is."
"Then…why are you so against the White Fang when they're trying to help?" Hearing the passion creeping into her tone, Blake waved a hand and nonchalantly added, "At least, that's what they say."
"Because they're breaking the law, and I'm not sure they're helping anything." Blake frowned at the suggestion, but Yang shrugged. "Believe me, if someone could prove they're helping the city, I'd be on board. I haven't seen any proof though, so I'm focusing on doing what I can do to help - protecting everyone regardless of how much money they have."
"Yet the rich get whatever they want from the police," Blake pointed out.
"Because the squeaky wheels get the grease, and they are squeaky. So squeaky that sometimes you just want to smack them a bit to shut them up." Yang paused and let a smile sneak onto her lips. "Sorry, did I say that?"
Despite any misgivings, Blake smiled, too. Yang's sincerity made it difficult not to smile. If they weren't discussing something with critical importance to her livelihood, she would even say that this was a good start to a legitimate date. Meaning…did Yang think this was a good start to a legitimate date?
"So what kind of things do you like to do?" Yang asked, answering Blake's question. "Hobbies? Pastimes?"
"I, uh, I like to read."
"What's your favorite genre? Besides crime novels, of course."
Yang winked, but Blake's brow furrowed before she remembered her comment from Sapphire Bank.
"Oh. Right. Um…besides that, I'd say…science fiction."
"And what's your actual favorite genre?" When Blake briefly froze, Yang smiled and said, "You're a romance girl, aren't you?"
"How did you…?"
"Everyone says science fiction. Pretty sure just because it sounds good." When Blake shut her mouth and sought shelter in another bite to eat, Yang chuckled. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about! I've been known to sneak a few."
Yang's eyes sparkled when Blake squinted at her, trying to decide how morbidly embarrassed she should be about making such an admission on a first date.
But it wasn't a real date for her, so she shouldn't care. She should only care about this being a good enough 'date' that Yang participated freely.
With the heavy stuff out of the way, seemingly mundane topics like hobbies or work came to life when they fell from Yang's lips. Blake tried to keep her answers broad enough that she wouldn't forget details later, but she could sense Yang making mental notes to follow up on several items. Fortunately, Yang was more than willing to lead the conversation if Blake wanted her to. And that was where Blake had a surprisingly good time.
She laughed more than expected, especially at Yang's never-ending supply of 'dumb criminal' stories and incredible impersonation of the mayor. She got caught staring more than a handful of times, but she also caught Yang's gaze lingering on her enough that, by the time their plates were cleared away, she imagined a future where their night didn't end until the early hours of the morning.
Their waiter dusted away those thoughts by setting the check on the table and bidding them a good night. Blake reached for the bill but paused when she noticed it came with a receipt. Instead of teasingly arguing over who would pay, she raised a brow as Yang grabbed the pen.
"I got here really early," Yang explained while signing the bill and pocketing the receipt. "Didn't want to leave anything up to chance."
A needle of guilt poked Blake's chest, but she still found a smile and said, "Apparently, I need to think further ahead."
"Or you can just let me keep paying."
Yang grinned, and Blake's heart fluttered.
"I don't know about that…" she mused while following Yang out of the restaurant. "Thank you for dinner though."
"Thank you for agreeing to dinner," Yang replied. "For a second there, I thought I'd never see you again. Made me seriously reconsider my whole 'respecting your privacy' rule."
"That's too bad. I'm curious if you could've found me by first name alone."
"I could have." Blake's brow rose at Yang's confidence, so Yang nodded. "If it's something I really want, I'll find it."
"And right now you really want to find the White Fang," Blake pointed out, but Yang surprised her by laughing and shaking her head.
"No, right now I really want to know if I can drive you home. So…can I?"
"Oh." The schoolgirl in Blake said yes the instant Yang's eyes took on a pleading sheen, wanting nothing more than to be driven home by the most beautiful girl in school. The rational side of her, however, prevailed in speaking next. "I'm actually heading back to the office to catch up on work."
Yang glanced at her watch, which surely read an uncommonly late hour, and arched a brow.
"This late?"
"I work better at night," Blake answered honestly. Yang grinned.
"Ah. A night owl. Can I drive you there then? I'd like to if you're willing to have company."
Blake nearly insisted on going alone - partially because Yang's magnetism seemed to grow stronger as the night progressed - but she worried how her resistance would be interpreted. A normal person would have no reason not to let Yang drive them to their office. If anything, they would want Yang to drive them if only to spend more time together. The risk was leading Yang right to the White Fang's hideout, but…they would be gone the next morning anyway.
"I'd love the company," Blake agreed. She was immediately rewarded by Yang's bright smile.
"Awesome." Again, Yang breathed out the word as if she couldn't believe her luck. "I'm parked right there."
Yang gestured to a white sedan several paces away, but Blake froze when she saw it. It might look normal at a glance, but further inspection screamed 'unmarked police car.' The antennas. The government plates. The thick wire mesh separating the front seat from the back.
"Here you go." Yang rushed ahead, opened the door for Blake, and offered a facetious bow. Blake got into the car before talking herself out of it and took a deep breath while Yang hurried around to the driver's side. Once the initial shock wore off, she looked around the vehicle. She'd never been in a police car before and had never planned on it, but there was plenty to look at.
"Sorry, I should've cleaned up a bit." Yang shoved some loose papers into the center console before starting the vehicle and immediately turning down the radio. Blake could still vaguely hear the police chatter, but the engine soon drowned it out.
"So, where're we headed?"
Blake recited the address and second-guessed herself as soon as Yang started driving. Adam said to use the truth though, and it wasn't as if she could give Yang a random address for a random business she had no access to. Not that she even knew where any other accounting firms were located.
Hands curled in her lap, she did her best to participate in the light conversation while worrying about optics and exactly how the end of their night should go. She didn't want to cut off Yang completely, but she also couldn't exactly agree to another date.
Searching for the perfect, open-ended goodnight preoccupied her thoughts as the neighborhoods became dirtier and darker in comparison to Vale Heights' polished sheen. She thought the moment had arrived when Yang parked in the empty parking lot but, as Blake prepared her goodbye, Yang opened the door and hopped out.
She was going to walk Blake to the door.
It was so painfully sweet that another needle pricked Blake's chest as she let Yang open her door and help her out of the car.
"It's just over there," she said, gesturing to the Cash Flow Consultants suite in the far corner of the building. With a decent walk ahead of them, she took slow, calming breaths and prepared for what should be their goodnight.
Her heart jumped when Yang's hand grazed hers, but she quickly wrote it off as an accident. The second time, butterflies fluttered through her chest. Just as she wondered whether she should move away or let it happen, Yang's hand wrapped around hers.
She stared at the sidewalk, glad the darkness masked the new shade of red on her cheeks, while Yang looked up at the sky and ran her free hand through her long, golden hair. Neither of them said anything as they passed several empty suites, so Blake focused on Yang's soft, warm hand.
Yang thought this was a real date, so she wanted to hold Blake's hand. If she wasn't interested in seeing Blake again, she wouldn't bother. But she bothered because she did want a traditional relationship…with Blake.
Blake couldn't remember the last time she'd felt wanted like this. She'd given up on the idea of romance when she decided to form the White Fang with Adam. She earned her fluttering feelings through books and remained alone because she had a huge secret that she couldn't trust with anyone. Now, Yang was giving her a firsthand glimpse at everything she'd given up and, for the first time in a very long time, she yearned.
That yearning abated when they passed a homeless man sleeping in the alcove for a business advertising physical fitness. He muttered something at them, sitting up as he was in a tattered sleeping bag, but Blake didn't stop so neither did Yang. He would either move on in the morning or the police would be called to remove him. That became less of Blake's concern when Ilia walked out of the door ahead of them.
Ilia had already brightened with recognition before noticing Yang. Her brow rose and her eyes were wide as saucers by the time Blake and Yang reached her.
"Hey," Blake greeted her before turning to Yang. "Yang, this is one of my coworkers…Stacy." She made a face at Ilia when Ilia's brow rose higher, but Ilia forced a big smile when Yang held out one hand and said, "Nice to meet you."
Blake cringed at the way Ilia's eyes widened when she noticed Yang's metal fingers, and how slow she was to offer her hand in return. Yang's smile faintly wavered but, fortunately, Ilia soon snapped out of it and shook her hand.
"Uh, yeah, nice to meet you, too."
"Lots of night owls here, huh?" Yang asked, chuckling lightly while Ilia shot Blake a wide-eyed look.
"Just a few," Blake answered. "It's easier to work when clients aren't bothering you all day."
"God, I get that so much. The phone rings off the hook some days."
Ilia kept staring, looking so much like a deer in headlights that Blake cleared her throat.
"Can you give us a second?" she asked so that Ilia finally returned to her senses.
"Oh. Right. Of course."
Ilia spun in a circle, briefly looking lost, before ducking back into the building. Blessed with privacy, Blake took a deep breath and turned to Yang. Yang's gaze was already on her, and a smile immediately picked up her lips.
"Sorry, I'd invite you in but…privacy rules..."
"Don't worry, I get it. You probably have a bunch of confidential stuff around."
Thinking about whiteboards covered in bank diagrams, Blake muttered, "Something like that…" and briefly glanced at the ground. Yang shuffled her feet, drawing Blake's gaze back to that too-pretty face with the too-earnest smile.
"I should let you get to work. But, uh, I had fun. Maybe we can do this again?"
In another universe, Blake coyly agreed or offered to make plans right then. In this universe, she grasped for the perfect response yet only got out an odd, disjointed, "Yeah, that…sounds good."
Yang smiled as if she heard not only the words but the silent musings flitting around Blake's mind. Yang then glanced at the door and, right as Blake realized what was going to happen, leaned in and kissed Blake's cheek. "See you then," Yang added before backing away, her eyes lingering on Blake just like her kiss lingered on Blake's skin.
Blake almost reached up to touch her cheek. Instead, she stared, a smile threatening to escape, until Yang finally turned around, stuck her hands in her pockets, and headed back to her car. Even then, Blake watched for several more seconds before finally turning around and taking a deep, deep breath. Her heart remained jittery, but she reached for the door as if the kiss hadn't rattled her.
She glanced over her shoulder immediately after telling herself not to and faltered mid-step when she saw Yang crouched in front of one of the alcoves, talking to the homeless man. Rationally, Blake knew that she should only feel relieved to have survived the evening without being put in handcuffs and carted off the prison. But she hardly felt relieved. Instead, a strange mixture of surprise, confusion, and regret swirled through her chest as she entered the building.
Ilia instantly appeared beside her, erasing any chance to fully digest those feelings.
"That's the detective?" Ilia asked as Blake headed further into the hideout.
"Yup."
"She's pretty."
"She is."
Unfairly pretty, Blake thought to herself as they entered the break room. Packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and boxes were scattered everywhere, with several boxes already taped shut and stacked by the door.
"What happened to her arm?" Ilia asked while Blake peered through the half-packed boxes by the meeting table.
"Motorcycle accident."
"Ouch." Ilia tapped her fingers together before adding, "It's kind of sexy though…"
Finally, Blake cracked a smile and shared it with Ilia.
"It is."
"Was it weird? Going on a date with a cop?"
"Surprisingly…no. It felt like a normal date with some lies about my life thrown in." Blake left out her nerves and the awkward silences at the beginning, which had fortunately disappeared as the night progressed. "She's a good person," she added, only to immediately question why that mattered. Fortunately, Ilia didn't.
"Did you learn anything? You know…about Mercury?"
Reminded of the real reason behind her evening, her jittery feelings wilted like dry grass in a hot summer. Then they disintegrated entirely when a sultry, low voice reached her ears. Adam and Cinder entered the room moments later, but their conversation stopped as soon as they spotted Blake and Ilia. Cinder immediately smirked - Blake's jaw clenched.
"How'd it go?" Adam asked, so Blake crossed her arms over her chest and focused on the matter at hand.
"Mercury didn't talk, but they might release him to see if he contacts us, so we need to cut all ties. No one speaks to him."
"I'll let Emerald know," Cinder said while a smug smile slipped onto Adam's lips.
"See. She was useful."
Blake refused to tell him that he was right. She didn't have to though - his smugness said everything. Even worse was Cinder's wicked smile.
"Are you going out again?"
"No. Why would I?"
"Because…" Cinder began in a low purr that made Blake see red. "Think about how much information you could get from her. It'll be like having a spy in the department, only better."
"And riskier," Blake reminded them. "I can't keep a secret forever."
"But you can for now."
Blake gawked at Adam for several seconds before scoffing and biting back some choice words. She stalked into the back of the hideout instead, too frustrated and annoyed to argue.
There was a lot of packing to do, but she grabbed her headphones and sat down at her practice safe. Blocking out everything around her, she took a deep breath and focused on the lock, the pins, the soft clicks of the dial, and the miniscule vibrations under her fingertips. As soon as she closed her eyes, however, Yang popped into her mind.
Yang hadn't suspected anything. She was so invested in learning about Blake that she took everything at face value. Of course she did. Blake hadn't done anything to garner suspicion…yet. That could change the more they saw each other.
One of the pins slid into place, yet irritation drifted through her veins. This was a dumb idea, and she wouldn't put it past Cinder to be trying to get her arrested. At the same time…the thought of seeing Yang again wasn't an unpleasant one.
Years ago, back when her life seemed destined for normalcy, she would have considered that to be a great date. Minus the blatant lies about her job and tiptoeing around the White Fang, she was remarkably herself. Conversation flowed as easily as the flirting and blushes rushing to her cheeks. It was fun and exciting.
She wished that the night had ended differently. She wished that she had the option of ending the night differently. She might have taken it. Then she would still be enjoying Yang's company, not irritably cracking open a safe while weighing the risks and benefits of calling Yang again.
She wanted to change the world. Chasing a pretty girl wouldn't accomplish that. But what if it could…?