Blake's second night in the safehouse yielded some sleep, though probably only because she was mentally exhausted from the day before. Regardless, she woke up modestly refreshed and anxious to start the day. So many unknowns clouded her future, a stark contrast to how meticulously she used to plan, but knowing that she would see Yang made her nerves crackle beneath her skin.
The year they spent apart had felt like an eternity to live through yet had contracted to mere days as her feelings awakened and her memories returned. She always knew that her silent suffering was for a good cause, but being here, in Vale, only made her that much more desperate to repair what she'd broken.
So, clad in another one of the outfits Yang had bought for her, she mindlessly explored the kitchen cupboards and wondered what the day would bring. Would they find any clues about what Adam planned to do next? Would they run into nothing but dead ends as they tried to outmaneuver a psychopath? Most importantly, would there be any opportunity to show Yang how serious she was about making amends?
Five minutes before eight, she peeked outside and was surprised to discover Yang chatting with a new officer, who must have relieved the other man during the night. The jovial conversation made Blake's heart yearn, but she ducked away from the window when Yang glanced at her watch and then tapped the top of the car. Blake's excitement and nerves returned as she paced near the door until she heard footsteps in the hall. Moments later, a soft knock followed by a quick, "It's Yang," reached her ears.
Who else would it be? Blake wanted to ask, but she threw open the door instead. Her heart stuttered the instant she saw Yang standing in front of her, looking as stunning as ever. Suddenly, she was fighting the urge to pull Yang into a kiss and never let go. Forget Adam. Forget the White Fang. Forget everything. She wanted to drag Yang into the mundane apartment and let the sparks fly. She knew that they still clicked in bed - that night in Vacuo proved as much - and she badly wanted to feel the emotions that Yang wouldn't put into words.
The way Yang's eyes roved over her only increased that desire and sent a blush creeping up her neck. But, after sharing an equal silence, Yang cleared her throat and said, "Ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
"That's the spirit." Blake's heart soared when Yang smiled. The smile quickly disappeared though, and Yang again cleared her throat before holding up the bag in her hand. "I hope you don't mind having the same thing. Couldn't think of anything you'd want more."
"That's perfect. Thank you."
There was much more that Blake wanted to say about the gesture, but Yang simply nodded, handed over the bag, and stuck her hands in her pockets.
"Do you want to eat here or…?" Yang trailed off when Blake shook her head.
"I don't mind eating on the way."
Too late, she realized that they could have sat inside and talked over breakfast. The flicker in Yang's eyes suggested an opportunity lost, but Yang didn't dwell.
"Let's get out of here then."
Blake nodded and quietly trailed Yang out of the building, walking close but not as close as she wanted. Her skin craved the warmth Yang used to provide by an arm wrapped around her waist, or a hand in hers, or a shoulder bumping hers. They kept a safe distance instead, never touching until they reached for the lobby door at the same time. Their fingers grazed as they reached for the door and Blake jerked away as if the touch shocked her. The unnatural reaction drew Yang's sideways glance, so she trained her gaze on the sidewalk before slipping into the delightfully warm squad car.
"No Ruby today?" she asked as Yang buckled in beside her.
"Nope. She got called in last night - some drunk guy thought it'd be a great idea to shoot out his windows and barricade himself in his home." When Blake's eyes widened, Yang nodded and started the car.
"Did it turn out ok?"
"Oh, yeah." Yang softly chuckled and waved away Blake's concern. "Apparently, the dude peed himself when SWAT broke down his door. Blamed it on drinking too much."
A smile slipped onto Blake's lips at the story's resolution, and she cast several glances at Yang as they drove through the streets of Vale.
"I figured we'd start with the closest bank," Yang explained, gesturing to the stoplight. "We'll duck in, talk to the manager, then see if there's anything that moves them higher up our list."
"Got it."
Blake snuck another look at Yang, noting her calm grip of the steering wheel as they moved along with traffic. Her right hand briefly left the wheel to turn up the radio, adding steady background chatter to the silence.
"Busy morning?" Blake asked after taking several bites to eat.
"Besides the drunk guy? Not really."
When Yang fell quiet, Blake gave up on conversation and focused on finishing her breakfast instead. She wished that Yang wasn't sending such conflicting signals by bringing her clothes and food, then freezing her out as if her presence was unwanted. They needed to talk about so many things unrelated to the White Fang, but she couldn't press the issue. Not yet, at least.
Instead, she finished eating and then sat quietly until Yang parked in front of Dust & Gold Credit Union. The mid-sized bank operated from the corner of a larger shopping center, surrounded by the likes of clothing stores, bakeries, and jewelers.
"Here we are."
Yang cut the engine and left the car, so Blake hesitantly followed. Her pulse rose with every step towards the building, but her feet stopped the moment she passed through the front doors. Panic bubbled up in her chest as her eyes flitted from the metal detector to the tellers to the customers waiting in line. She couldn't convince herself to move before Yang noticed her absence and doubled back to her.
"What's up?"
"Nothing." When Yang tilted her head, Blake took a deep breath and added, "I just…haven't been in a bank in a while. Am I even allowed to be here?"
"Sure you are." Sympathy flitted through Yang's eyes as she set a hand on Blake's elbow and gently guided her further inside. "Come on, let's find the manager," she added while Blake swallowed and tried not to let her previous experiences overwhelm her. But she couldn't help noticing the security cameras, the keypad locks, the emergency exit door, the lack of glass separating the tellers from customers, or the middle-aged man with deep brown hair observing the tellers' work.
Yang caught his attention with a wave then held up her badge and motioned him over. He hurried, as he should, and reached them in no time.
"Can I help you?" he asked while Blake read his nametag - Marcus.
"We're looking for the manager. Is that you?" Once he nodded, Yang smiled warmly. "I'm Officer Xiao Long and this is our vault consultant." She gestured to Blake, who froze when the manager's gaze flitted to her. "I'm sure you heard what happened at First National. We're making sure all of Vale's banking institutions are appropriately secured. She just needs to take a look around and let us know if there are any pressing security flaws."
Again, the man's eyes flashed to Blake, and again, she froze like a deer in headlights.
"Of course," he replied without hesitation. "Just tell me what you need."
"Can you show us the vault?"
"Absolutely. Right this way."
He motioned them to the door leading further into the bank, and Yang's hand again landed on Blake's elbow to prompt her forward. He unlocked the door with a seven-digit code that Blake tried not to yet still somehow memorized then led them down a short hallway to a large, open metal vault door.
Like letting a coyote into a henhouse, he walked her right to the vault and then looked at her expectantly. Respectfully. Without Yang's hand guiding her into the room, she might have rooted to the floor outside. Instead, her heart pounded as she looked at the walls of golden security deposit boxes and the dark gray safe storing stacks upon stacks of cash. Her lungs felt squeezed of oxygen just like they had after Adam shot her - her only saving grace being the bulletproof vest that Ruby forced her to wear.
"Alright," Yang said, her tone glaringly chipper. "What do you think?"
"Um…" Blake swallowed before turning towards Yang and lowering her voice. "What exactly do you need me to do?"
"Try to figure out if this is a potential target. If so, how do we take them off the list?"
Blake swore that she would be open and honest, but this was overwhelmingly honest. Like taking-Yang-along-for-a-heist honest. Reminding-Yang-of-her-sordid-past honest.
When Yang offered a tiny smile and motioned for her to get on with it, she took a deep breath and nodded. "Ok," she whispered before glancing at the deposit boxes. "How many boxes do you have?" she asked the manager.
"Uh…four hundred or so. I forget exactly." He stared at the boxes, lips moving as he silently counted the number in each row.
"That's good enough," Blake said before he manually counted them. Moving to the safe, she knelt and looked at the dial. Her fingers itched to touch it, so she clasped her hands in front of her to keep them still.
"How much cash do you usually keep on hand?"
"One to two million. Depends on a lot of factors."
"When's your pickup? Daily? Weekly?"
"Every two weeks." Blake cringed at the answer, so he added, "We can request one-offs if we need to, but we usually don't."
"So it usually gets over two million?" Yang asked as Blake went to the vault door.
"Usually, yes."
With the vault open, Blake surveyed the giant metal bolts retracted into twelve-inch thick metal. Steel plating masked the inner layers of the door, but she knew enough about the make and model to imagine them clearly. Reinforced rebar sandwiched between solid steel. Fire-resistant insulation. More steel. Carbon fiber.
"What're you thinking?"
Blake glanced over when Yang joined her, standing so close that a tingle ran down her spine.
"The, uh, the code and key combination are standard." She pointed at the two locks on the front of the vault. "But this model is pretty outdated. The easiest solution is buying a better vault door."
"That'll take time and cost money," Yang replied. "In my experience, most banks balk when we suggest they spend money."
"Right."
Blake's thoughts flashed back to the one bank that hadn't balked - Vale Credit Union. They followed Yang's advice and installed new motion detectors right before the White Fang broke in. Adam wouldn't abandon the job. They triggered the alarms. Yang showed up. Yuma shot her - nearly killed her - so that they could get away.
When Yang rubbed her shoulder where the scar lingered, Blake wondered if she was remembering the same thing.
"What else can they do though?" Yang eventually asked. "Vault door is obvious but difficult. What else would deter you?"
Yang didn't put any emphasis on you, but Blake still grimaced before turning around. Studying the vault, she pursed her lips while imagining the stress and adrenaline of trying to escape before the cops knew they were there. She'd been right that this bank fit the deposit profile - big but not big enough to necessitate some of the most advanced security measures - and the vault door would be simple to plan for. Based on how cavalierly Marcus displayed his keys, the White Fang might already have a copy if this was their target.
"They need to empty the vault more often. A two-week cleanout with a million average is…"
"Enticing?"
Blake glanced at Yang and folded her hands together.
"It's definitely not a deterrent…" she muttered before stepping out of the vault and glancing around the hallway. Spotting a nearby emergency exit, she walked to it and lightly set her hand on the door. She felt Yang's warm presence beside her, close yet out of reach, and swallowed the craving to be closer.
"We're…five miles from the nearest department?"
"Just about."
"Then the cops arrive in about five minutes if an alarm's tripped, but that camera's down." She pointed at the security camera mounted to the ceiling, conspicuously lacking its flashing red light. "And this -" She touched a small sensor attached to the door. "- can be disabled from outside."
"You need to get that camera fixed," Yang told Marcus, whose eyes couldn't get any wider. "What about the door?"
"I'd probably just get a motion sensor and put it further away." Blake glanced around before finding a good spot a few feet further from the door. "Like here."
Yang shot Marcus another look - he nodded - before letting those lilac eyes land on Blake.
"Assume no alarm goes off. How long would it take?"
"If you had the right team…" Blake glanced around before focusing on the path she would take. "Two minutes through the door," she said, nodding to the emergency exit. The White Fang would run, but she calmly counted her steps to the vault. "Ten seconds to the vault," she added before touching the thick metal door. They would steal a copy of the key, which shouldn't be an issue for even an average pickpocket, but the seven-digit combination would be trickier.
"Five minutes through," she determined before entering the vault room. The ghosts of her past fanned out to every corner, dropping duffle bags on the floor before prying open as many safe deposit boxes as possible. Her path led her to the safe, where she finally set her hand on the cold dial.
"Another three minutes, tops." Noticing Yang's brow rise, she stuck her hands in her pockets to quell the urge to prove that she could crack the safe in that amount of time. "If it was me, at least," she added. "Bagging everything up would only take about thirty seconds, then less than a minute to get back to the van. So…twelve minutes? Give or take."
Again, she glanced at Yang, but Yang's expression remained unreadable.
"Anything else?"
Blake deflated. She just gave Yang an entire plan and several steps to thwart it - what else could she possibly add? When she shook her head, Yang turned to Marcus.
"I'll send you a report with the findings so you can get those changes approved. Fix that camera ASAP though, and schedule a pick-up if you're carrying too much cash."
"Right away." He nodded like a bobblehead before turning to Blake, his expression filled with gratitude. "Thank you so much."
"Oh. Uh, you're welcome."
While Blake's smile must have bordered on a grimace, Yang offered Marcus a cordial smile and set a hand on Blake's arm to turn her away.
"I'll be in touch," Yang told him before leading Blake outside, her cold fingertips setting Blake's skin ablaze. While Blake dreamed of those fingers sliding down her wrist and taking her hand, however, Yang pulled away in favor of holding her keys. "See any reasons to cross them off the list?" she asked as they reached the car.
"I wouldn't be comfortable being this close to a police station." Blake paused and glanced at Yang before softly adding, "But that's just me…"
Yang huffed - or scoffed, Blake couldn't tell - as she got into the car. Blake followed and sat quietly while Yang made notes on a pad of paper. Yang's brow furrowed as the pen dashed across the page, focused elsewhere while Blake could only wonder if she had been helpful.
"There also aren't enough escape routes." Yang pointed her pen at the stoplight in front of them. "Nearest freeway is four blocks away. Big intersections, lots of traffic even late at night. Hard to make a fast getaway. Plus, there's no cover and plenty of cameras." Yang gestured this time to the front of the bank, nestled in a sheer-faced building surrounded by nothing but parking lots, and then several nearby businesses that were equally invested in security - the jewelers chief amongst them.
"You're right." Blake spotted a small camera outside the jeweler beside the bank. "I didn't notice that," she admitted as disappointment pricked her chest.
"I'm sure you would have."
"Maybe with time and research…but you already noticed. That's why you're a great detective."
"Right," Yang scoffed. "Some detective. I couldn't even figure out I was dating a bank robber."
Blake winced and nearly took the comment lying down. She didn't want to upset Yang, but she also couldn't keep silent on any matters relating to her heart.
"You would have figured it out." When Yang scoffed again, Blake reached across the cabin and touched Yang's arm. Yang's eyes flashed to hers, but she didn't withdraw - she stared right back. "You didn't figure it out right away because it was real, Yang. I fell in love with you. I loved - I still love you. That was never a lie."
Yang's jaw tensed, then she briefly closed her eyes as if the words physically tormented her. The anguish twisted like a drill in Blake's heart, causing her to withdraw her hand and stare down at her lap.
"I'm sorry."
She wasn't sure what exactly she was apologizing for. Everything, most likely, but most of all for being the cause of such heartbreak. She didn't expect a response and she didn't get one - Yang just cleared her throat and drove to their next destination.
There, they repeated the process that they'd followed at Dust & Gold Credit Union: finding the manager, walking through the building, inspecting the vault, and pointing out any flaws or suggesting improvements. Once done, Yang asked Blake for another assessment before moving on to the next bank on the list.
Yang changed Blake's job title each time. At one bank, Blake was a 'vault security expert.' At another, a 'vault specialist.' At the last bank, Yang introduced her as a 'banking security consultant,' which sounded official yet so wildly contradictory to her former profession that she had struggled to keep a straight face while the manager stared at her in awe.
No one questioned her though. Why would they when she was with Yang, whose badge carried the weight of honor and truth?
Honor might be more of a pipedream than a character trait that Blake possessed, but she chased honesty for the entire day. She laid bare every trick or bit of cunning she could remember from her time with the White Fang, feeling sluggish and rusty yet more exposed than she'd been in a long time. Her mind didn't grasp onto details like it once had, leaving her feeling like she was wearing clothes that didn't fit anymore, all while debating whether revealing this broken side of herself would help heal the past or only drive a wedge deeper between them.
As they shuffled out of Beacon Reserve Bank, her feet dragging from the long day, she glanced at Yang for at least the thousandth time. While not exactly talkative, Yang had lost her furrowed brow and frown in favor of a contemplative, pensive expression. Yang's silent presence was still better than her absence, so Blake tucked her hands into her pockets and followed her away from the bank. They only made it halfway across the sidewalk, however, before Yang paused and looked at her watch.
"Guess that's it for today. Everyone else will be closing pretty soon."
"Oh. Right."
Blake glanced around the city street, which had filled with traffic as workers trekked home for the day. Some of them might stop by their local bank first, waiting in long lines to finish their tasks before the bank closed for the evening.
"Does that mean -?" Blake froze when her stomach grumbled so loud that Yang arched a brow at her.
"Hungry?"
"I guess I haven't eaten since this morning…" Blake wrapped her arms around her stomach when it gurgled again.
"Do you want to get dinner?" When Blake tilted her head, a smile trying to slip onto her lips, Yang turned away and shrugged. "Or we could pick up something on the way back; you can eat at the safehouse if you want. I just thought - if you're hungry now - there's a little place near here that you might like."
Blake's smile grew the longer Yang rambled, and she could hardly contain her heart by the time Yang grimaced and ran a hand through her long, blonde hair.
"I'd love to get dinner with you."
A soft pink glow appeared on Yang's cheeks, but she puffed out a breath and said, "Cool. I'm starving."
Yang returned to the car as if nothing had happened, but Blake glanced over her shoulder before following. Yang's fingers drummed the steering wheel as they joined the rush hour traffic, the soft sound drowning out Blake's protesting stomach. Her heart, meanwhile, practiced every gymnastic move in its arsenal.
Their stilted, difficult dinner in Vacuo lingered at the edge of her thoughts, but she hoped that this time would be different. Even a small improvement would reassure her that her efforts weren't in vain. And, after spending the whole day together, Yang must have warmed up at least a fraction of a degree.
Blake clung to that hope as they entered a cute little diner with a bright yellow awning. 'Welcome to Sunny Side Diner!' the sign inside the front door proclaimed along with instructions to seat themselves. Having no preference, she followed Yang to the back of the restaurant, past a sparkling chrome counter and a colorful jukebox currently crooning a retro ballad.
The waitress behind the counter nodded to them before smiling at one of the patrons seated on a barstool in front of her. Yang walked further still before sliding into a bright yellow booth with a window looking out to the sidewalk. While she pulled two menus out of the menu holder, Blake sat across from her and looked around.
The high-backed booths created a cozy nook for them to share within the lively atmosphere, like being out in public yet sequestered in their own little world. It was exactly the type of restaurant she had loved going to back when she had someone special to go with.
"This place is cute," she commented as her gaze shifted to that special someone.
"Yeah, I thought you'd like it."
Yang buried her gaze in her menu, leaving Blake to wonder how long Yang had thought that this was a place she'd like.
"Do you come here often?" she asked instead of tackling that topic head-on.
"Once or twice. They just opened a few months ago."
"Ah."
Her heart suddenly felt too big for her chest, so she dropped her gaze to the laminated menu and glossed over the words.
The diner only opened a few months ago, yet Yang thought that Blake would like it, implying…Yang was still thinking about Blake as recently as a few months ago. On the worst days, Blake thought that Yang had forgotten her and moved on. That Yang might walk past somewhere they had shared a memory and not even think about her.
Now, that pesky flicker of hope burned a little brighter.
Reaching the menu's last page, she glanced over the desserts and chuckled.
"These milkshakes have Ruby's name all over them," she commented, noting several that sounded like liquid sugar.
"Oh, yeah, she'd probably love those."
Blake's brow pinched at the half-hearted response, but she couldn't bring herself to ask who Yang had come here with if not Ruby. Friends, most likely. Yang had plenty of friends in and out of work. Her gregarious and charming personality ensured that. She wouldn't have brought Blake somewhere she'd gone on dates, right?
The brunette officer from the police station flitted into Blake's thoughts, but Blake pushed her out just as quickly. Even if Yang had gone on a date here, did it matter? In all likelihood, it sounded like she had thought about Blake while here - and Blake was subtly pleased to have been on her mind during any date.
"So what's good here?" Blake asked, hoping to draw Yang out of the menu.
"Pretty much everything. You'll probably like the club sandwich though."
Blake had already mentally circled the item, so she held back a smile at Yang suggesting it. "That sounds good," she replied instead, watching Yang lightly huff once and set her menu aside. The silent action called one of the waitresses to the table.
"Sorry for the wait. I'm Becky and -" Her polite smile slipped over Blake before landing on Yang and brightening. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
Blake resisted the urge to roll her eyes, yet Yang contemplated the girl as if there was a chance they had actually met.
"I don't think so," Yang concluded. "Unless you've been arrested."
While Yang chuckled, Becky's eyes blew wide, and Blake nearly sighed out loud.
"You're a cop?" Becky half-whispered before glancing around as if the other diners might overhear. Yang smiled and set her badge on the table, prompting a delighted gasp. "Wow. I wouldn't expect that when you're so young and pretty."
Finally, Yang caught on. When she coughed and glanced at Blake as if Blake might have somehow missed the flirtatious comment, Becky caught on, too.
"But that's really cool," Becky concluded, suddenly remembering her pad of paper. "Do you know what you want to order?"
Yang looked at Blake, who nodded, before saying, "Sure. I'll have the cheeseburger and an iced tea."
"And I'll have the club sandwich. Water's fine," Blake added when Becky's attention turned to her. Despite the notepad in her hand, she wrote nothing and smiled.
"I'll put that right in."
Blake's gaze followed Becky behind the counter, where she instantly started whispering to one of the other waitresses.
"Sorry. That was…embarrassing…" Yang followed the statement with a nervous little chuckle that erased Blake's annoyance.
"Don't worry. I'm used to it." Blake was also used to shutting down those advances with a gratuitous display of affection, but that was no longer an option. She paused and tilted her head instead. "You know, for a detective, you're pretty slow to realize when people are hitting on you."
"I know." Yang chuckled again, this time while folding her napkin into little triangles. "I guess I just don't believe people would be interested in me."
"You've seen yourself, right?"
Yang's gaze fell to her right arm, but then she shrugged and said, "Yeah, I guess."
Compliments and assurances marched to the tip of Blake's tongue, but she snapped her mouth shut before they flew out. She used to consider it her responsibility to ease Yang's insecurities, but Yang might not respond positively to such verbose flattery right now. "Anyone would be lucky to have you," Blake still muttered softly.
Yang huffed quietly but didn't argue and, surprisingly, didn't let the silence deepen. "Good job today," she said, nodding when Blake's gaze snapped to hers.
"But we didn't find anything."
"Sometimes finding nothing is the best you can hope for." When Blake worried at her bottom lip, Yang leaned back and set her little triangle of a napkin on the table. "I know the Chief wants someone in handcuffs yesterday, but we can't exactly arrest anyone if we have no idea where they are." Yang paused and then glanced at Blake. "Basically, investigations take time. I hope it doesn't - I don't want you living in that shitty little apartment forever - but I guess just…prepare yourself."
Weeks, months, years. As far as Blake was concerned, the more time she had to make this right, the better.
"I'll live there for the rest of my life if I have to," she admitted, so Yang half-scoffed, half-laughed.
"It shouldn't take that long. Unless I'm really bad at this, and the whole department can't catch a break, and Adam's way smarter than I think he is."
"He's not."
A short laugh slipped through Yang's lips, and Blake smiled when a clear lilac gaze landed on her. For a brief second, everything felt…normal. Achingly so. Then Becky returned with plates in hand, destroying the fragile moment with a burst of commotion.
"Here you go." After setting plates and glasses in front of them, Becky stepped back and smiled. "Need anything else?"
The question was directed to Yang, but Yang glanced at Blake for an answer before saying, "No, thanks."
"Great. Enjoy."
Once Becky fluttered off, Blake looked at Yang, who looked right back, before picking up her silverware. They quickly settled in to eat, but the tension so prevalent over the past few days remained noticeably absent. Blake actually picked out lyrics from the new song on the jukebox and the background sounds of the diner rather than her heart pounding in her ears.
It wasn't as comfortable as things used to be, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. The change drastically improved her mood, like the sun coming out even though night had fallen or the clouds parting at the end of a thunderstorm. If Yang could sit across from her - posture relaxed, brow unfurrowed, jaw unclenched - and share a meal, then there was hope.
Plus, the food was excellent.
"Good choice," Blake said, pointing at the remnants of her sandwich once they'd eaten most of their meals.
"Yeah?" When Yang lit up, Blake's heart fluttered. "Good. Glad you liked it."
"How was yours?" Blake motioned to Yang's plate, where only a few scattered fries remained.
"It was awesome. I was so hungry I would've eaten the napkins though."
"You should have said something. We could've stopped for lunch?"
"Naw. We were on a roll." Yang waved away the suggestion before chuckling to herself. "Did you notice how clueless the manager at National Trust was?"
"Oh, thank god I wasn't the only one." When Yang's soft laughter continued, Blake added, "He didn't even know what a time lock was."
"Pretty sure he thought you wanted to know what time the bank opened and closed." When Blake scrunched her nose, Yang laughed. "He reminded me of the waiter we had at that breakfast place down by the harbor. The one with the bowtie - do you remember him?"
"Oh my god, you're right!" Blake paused as she recalled the oblivious young man and matched him with the manager they met today. "They're basically the same person," she concluded.
"'Are you sure you don't want more syrup?'" Yang mimicked in his nasally voice. Her eyes crinkled at the corners when Blake laughed.
"He was flirting with you."
"No, he was flirting with you." Blake shook her head, but Yang emphatically nodded. "He was! When you got up to go to the restroom, he stared at your ass so hard I almost arrested him."
"For what crime?"
"For perving on my girlfriend's ass."
Yang's chuckle cut off as the term shocked the words out of both of them. Blake opened her mouth, hoping something witty would come out only to end up empty-handed. Eventually, Yang cleared her throat and peered across the table.
"We had some good times, right?"
The soft question stole Blake's breath away.
"We did. Lots of them."
She smiled, hoping that this time Yang believed her a little more than the last. Yang stared at her, reading her eyes, expression, and posture for any clues. Eventually, Yang nodded and glanced at the time.
"I should probably get you back now."
Blake's heart dropped when she imagined another quiet night alone in the small apartment, but she mustered a small smile and willing nod.
"Right. You probably want to get home, too."
Yang half shook her head but then stopped herself and stood up.
"I'll pay and meet you by the door?" Yang gestured to the counter, where Becky chatted with one of the other diners, and Blake nodded before heading to the door. From there, she had a great view to watch Becky bat her eyes at Yang while settling the bill. It was an equally great view to watch Yang politely sign the receipt without flirting back.
It shouldn't make her so happy, but she held back a smile as Yang joined her at the door. By the time they were in the car, driving along quickly emptying streets, she leaned against the window and sighed. After today, and especially tonight, it mattered less that she would spend the night alone. As much as her heart wanted more, she couldn't rush Yang into anything.
So she didn't. Not even as Yang led her back to the safehouse and checked the rooms before taking her place by the door, hand on the handle.
"Tomorrow morning?" Blake asked, already looking forward to it when Yang nodded. "Thanks for tonight," she added before Yang bolted. "For getting dinner. It's nice to just…talk to you."
Yang clutched the door handle, but her gaze remained locked on Blake.
"Yeah." She paused and cleared her throat. "Yeah, it was…nice."
Blake nodded, willing to leave it at that, but Yang stared at the door before turning around.
"I just had an idea," she said, her hand leaving the handle. "A stakeout. We pick one of the banks and watch it tonight. See if anything fishy's going on."
"We rarely did nighttime reconnaissance…" Blake pointed out only to grasp her mistake when Yang's expression dimmed. "But that sounds like a great idea," she corrected. "For all I know, they have someone who prefers working at night."
"Exactly." Yang smiled again - big and bright enough to steal Blake's heart. "I'll pick you up at midnight. Try to fit in a nap or something before then."
Once Blake nodded, Yang opened the door and slipped out. Blake bit her lip and, after wrapping her arms around herself, couldn't help but smile. With her heart racing like it was, she probably couldn't sleep, but she would try…if only so that she could see Yang that much sooner.