Red Carpet Romance - Ch. 34 (Patreon)

Morning routines were easy to develop.  Wake up, follow a second mini-routine in the bathroom, pick out an outfit, and head out for whatever the day might bring.  There might be several twists and turns along the way, but that morning routine almost always stayed the same.  

Which was why waking up and knowing that the routine had already been thrown off course was discombobulating - and not in a pleasant way.  

Normally the bed beside her was warm, but today it was as cold as if she’d spent the night alone.  Blinking her eyes open, Blake confirmed that the bed was empty - the sheets throw aside when someone left them far too early.  Stifling a yawn, she covered her mouth with one hand and sat up right as Yang walked out of the bathroom.

“God.”  Stopping in her tracks, Yang playfully rubbed her eyes before shooting Blake a wide grin.  “I should get up early every day if it means seeing the most beautiful girl in the world wake up.  Like - wow.  You’re a dream come true.”

Blake’s response to the exceptionally early compliment was a blush deepening on her cheeks - which only grew deeper when Yang walked over to the bed and kissed her good morning.

“How long have you been up?” Blake asked only after Yang’s lips left hers, leaving behind a warm, tingling sensation.

“Like half an hour.  I wanted to get ready for breakfast!”

Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, Blake laughed.

“Don’t pancakes take about fifteen minutes to make?”

“Yeah, but I need to run to the store first.  We don’t have everything.”

“Flour, eggs, milk, butter,” Blake said out loud while mentally confirming that those items were currently in their kitchen.  “What else could you possibly need?”

“Clearly you’ve never seen Ruby eat pancakes,” Yang responded with a light laugh.  “We need about a gazillion toppings.  Plus, I wanna get a whole bunch of different juices that she can choose from!  I don’t know which one’s her favorite right now - it switches every couple months or so.”

When Yang spoke about Ruby’s juice preferences, her expression filled with good cheer and an ever-present smile that was different from any Blake had seen before.  This entire side of Yang was different from anything Blake had seen before - and she was greedy to learn more.

Watching Yang and Ruby interact was like watching two baby pandas roll around playing together - and Blake could probably never get tired of it….which was why she’d suggested that Ruby come over for breakfast.  Little had she known that the invitation would mean that their regular routine would be completely broken and they’d be trekking out to the grocery store first thing in the morning.

“I’ll come with you?” Blake offered, swinging her legs out of bed and resting them on the soft carpet.  Yawning again, she raised both arms above her head and stretched her back until feeling that slight tension that felt oh so good.  Dropping her arms to her sides, she blushed when she caught the way Yang’s eyes were lingering on her stomach - where her shirt must have just ridden up.

Tugging at the bottom of her shirt, she stood and pressed a quick kiss to Yang’s cheek.

“You’ll wait for me, right?” she asked before heading to the bathroom, already knowing what the answer would be.

“Absolutely!”  Following Blake to the bathroom, Yang leaned against the doorframe while watching her get ready for the day.  “I mean, you know how long it takes me to get ready - but you get ready super fast!  So I just figured, ya know, I’d get a head start on things so we can leave soon.”

Glancing at Yang in the mirror before closing her eyes to wash her face, Blake wasn’t convinced that Yang was being entirely honest.  For one thing, the way she was shifting back and forth between her feet suggested that she was more impatient than she was currently letting on.  But she must also realize that it was still several hours before Ruby would arrive, so there was no need to rush.

“Oh!  I know what’ll help.  I’ll go incognito.”

Curious, but mostly amused, Blake carried on with her routine while Yang disappeared from the doorway and rummaged around in the bedroom.

They tried to stick to a routine when at all possible, but - between both of their somewhat chaotic lives - the day was normally thrown into disarray at some point.  Today, the unexpectedness had merely begun a little earlier than usual.  By now, Blake had learned to adapt and be pleasantly surprised when the unexpected developments turned into a moment they never would’ve shared if not for the disruption.

“Ok, ok - how do I look?”

Putting her toothbrush back in the drawer and closing it, Blake grinned into the mirror and spun around to take a good look at Yang.  Dressing ‘incognito’ apparently meant wearing a hat and pair of dark sunglasses.

“You look like Yang Xiao Long in sunglasses,” Blake answered with a laugh, reaching up to remove the sunglasses so she could see the lilac eyes she adored so much.  “Honestly Yang, you’re way too beautiful to hide behind some glasses.  You’ll need to wear a full Halloween costume or something.”

Yang’s only response to the comment was to give Blake that dopey smile that made her blush and turn away.  Yang must be called beautiful a hundred times every day, but it was only when Blake said it that Yang smiled like that - and that smile always released a kaleidoscope of butterflies in Blake’s chest.

“If you’re worried about people recognizing you, how about I run out and pick up everything we need?” Blake offered, meeting Yang’s gaze once again.

“Are you kidding me??”  Smile gone, Yang waved both hands in front of her while simultaneously shaking her head.  “You’ll have all the boys swarming you in a heartbeat.  I’m not letting you go out there without me being around to beat them back!”

Blake smiled while stepping past Yang to find an outfit to wear.  Yang followed, of course - just like Blake wanted her to.

“You’re still upset about that boy from last night?” she asked, picking out a warm-purple, long-sleeved shirt and dark, dark pair of jeans that she knew Yang loved.

“Pfft…yeah right.  What guy from last night?  I don’t remember anyone other than you.  And you were amazing, as usual.  Oh, and there was this really annoying mosquito or something at one point, but I swatted him away and he didn’t come back.”

“You only remember me from last night?” Blake teased while quickly getting dressed - making sure to avoid Yang’s greedy eyes so they could sidestep any delays.  “What about Weiss?  It was her birthday.  Or Pyrrha.  Or, I don’t know, maybe your sister finally came back after being away for what sounds like was forever.”

“Okayyy so there were other people there, but definitely not any guys worth mentioning!”

“Admit it -” Blake finally said, turning around and giving Yang a small pout.  “You were jealous.”

“I was so jealous, Blake,” Yang admitted with a far more serious expression than Blake had intended to illicit.  “I don’t like the idea that anyone else could...could be with you - other than me.”

Touched by the honest sentiment, Blake stood on her tiptoes and kissed Yang on the lips.

“I don’t like that idea either,” Blake said, meeting Yang’s eyes and tucking several loose strands of blonde hair behind her ear.  “So let’s not even think about it.  Because it doesn’t matter who might be interested in me - I’m the one who gets to decide who I love.  And I’ve already chosen you.”

Blake watched the smile grow - first in Yang’s eyes before landing on her lips - and smiled in return.

“Yeah?” Yang asked, sneaking her hands onto Blake’s hips and tugging them closer together.  “So you don’t even care if it’s a bizarro male version of me?”

Laughing, Blake leaned into Yang’s embrace before playfully pulling away.  “I thought there weren’t any boys at the party last night - especially not bizarro male versions of you.”

“Right.  You’re right,” Yang replied with a pleased nod before swooping in and stealing another kiss.  “But we should get going!  Ruby’s gonna be here in like...three hours and we’re not ready!”

By now used to the rapid changes in subject, Blake accepted Yang’s hand and was pulled willingly out of their room and into the living room.  While Yang hurriedly slipped on the first pair of shoes her hands fell upon, Blake decided to have a little fun of her own.

Yang was normally a pretty patient person.  In fact, she was normally the one who was late or causing them to be late by dragging her feet.  Now that the tables were turned, wasn’t it only fair that Blake take her own sweet time?  There was no way of knowing whether or not a moment like this would ever present itself again, after all...

Walking over to the closet, Blake held the door with one hand and stared thoughtfully at the shoes paired up inside.  Being that she had little interest in fashion, she already knew exactly which pair she was going to wear...but Yang didn’t know that.

“Hmm…” Blake breathed out while studying her options.  Feeling Yang’s intent stare, she tried not to smile - that would only give away what she was doing.

Reaching into the closet, she picked up one pair and stood up...only to put them back and pick up another potential candidate.  Yang shifted her feet, but managed to remain quiet.  Impressive!  Maybe she was even more patient than Blake was giving her credit for.

Putting the second pair back in place and retrieving the shoes she actually intended on wearing, Blake calmly sat down on the sofa and slowly slipped them on.  All the while, Yang watched and fidgeted nearly nonstop.  And, as soon as Blake stood up, she bolted for the front door.  

“Ok, let’s go!” she said, practically out in the hall already.

“Oh, hold on!” Blake called out, turning around and walking towards the kitchen table.  “I forgot my bag.”

“Blakeeee!” Yang finally whined, having reached her limit of patience.  Blake couldn’t help laughing at the adorable sound while quickly grabbing her bag and meeting Yang by the door - with Yang slowly figuring out what was going on by the way Blake playfully shook her head.

“You’re just messing with me?” Yang asked, grinning when Blake nodded.  “Well could you mess with me on the way to the store instead??”

“I suppose that'll do…” Blake joked, accepting Yang’s hand and heading towards the elevator that would take them down to the lobby.  “Although it’ll be harder to do when you’re getting what you want…”

“Oh?”

Blake didn’t need to look at Yang to know exactly what expression went with that single word question.  And she probably shouldn’t look at Yang right now, because the elevator ride down to the lobby was short and other people were often waiting right outside the doors when they got there.  That wasn’t enough time to do anything that Yang might want to do…

“You know what I mean,” Blake replied, blushing regardless as her own mind considered the possibilities.  Hearing Yang laugh as they stepped out into the lobby, Blake smiled as they made their way out into the early morning sunshine.

“I wanted to thank you, by the way.”

Blake glanced over at Yang, surprised by the unexpected gratitude.

“For what?”

“For being absolutely incredible!” Yang answered with a big grin.  “But also for how much you helped with Weiss’ party.  And by helped, I mean basically set the entire thing up yourself.”

“No need to thank me.  I was happy to help.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to and did anyway.”  Yang squeezed Blake’s hand to express even more appreciation before carrying on.  “Do you think she had a good time?”

For the answer to that question, Blake thought back on the second half of the party - the part after Ruby arrived and Weiss came down from her tower.

“I think she did.”

“Good,” Yang answered with a nod.  “I hope she did.  I just get the feeling that she’s used to people...using her.”

“But that’s not you.” 

“No way!  I just want to be her friend!  And use her to get all the free concert tickets I want!”

Laughing at the joke, Blake lightly squeezed Yang’s hand as they continued their early morning stroll.  For the day having started off the way it did, it was actually a nice surprise to take a walk with Yang when there were fewer people than usual around.  Sure, the store wasn’t far, but that didn’t mean Blake wouldn’t enjoy their temporary privacy while it lasted.

“It’s nice out,” she said - commenting more on the company than on the weather.

“It is.  Although I’d walk out into a blizzard as long as I got to walk with you.”

Chuckling at the line, Blake squeezed Yang’s hand and pulled them towards the small, neighborhood store that would surely have everything they needed.  Fortunately, the store opened even earlier than either of them normally woke up.  Walking through the sliding glass doors into the fully air conditioned space beyond, Blake paused and looked to Yang for direction.

“What are we getting exactly?”

“Ok, uh...well we have flour and stuff, so we need strawberries, raspberries, vanilla and chocolate ice cream, whipped cream - the extra creamy kind, not that regular stuff - rainbow sprinkles, fudge sauce, and about five different bags of candy.”

For a few seconds, Blake merely stared at Yang in surprise at the list that had been rattled off.

“I thought we were making pancakes?” she eventually asked.

“We are!”

“But...that sounds more like an ice cream bar.”  Seeing Blake’s consternation, Yang laughed and picked up one of the hand baskets to be filled with...sugar, apparently.

“Just wait, Blake.  Just wait.”

“Don’t keep me waiting long,” she teased, sending Yang a wink and immediately blushing when Yang subconsciously licked her lips.  Clearing her throat, Blake turned back towards the aisles in front of them and tried to wipe that thought from her mind.  “What do you think - divide and conquer?”

When Yang scoffed at the suggestion, Blake looked over in surprise.

“Yeah, right!” Yang said.  “We stick together.  That guy over there is already making eyes at you.”

Finding the guy Yang was referring to, Blake laughed.

“Yang, he’s looking at you.”

“No, he’s totally staring at you!  Oh, and now he’s coming over.  Ok, try not to make him fall in love with you.”

Shaking her head while Yang tried to act nonchalant, Blake watched the young man approach them.  He was around their age, decently handsome, and most definitely far more interested in Yang than in her.

“You’re Yang Xiao Long, right?” he asked, stopping a polite distance away and lifting one hand in question.

“You know, some mornings I think I am, but others I’m not so sure,” Yang answered with an easy smile that made him laugh.  As usual, she found a simple response that put people at ease - breaking a bit of the ‘unapproachable celebrity’ vibe some of her coworkers had all but perfected.

That aloof persona was so far from who Yang was though - and it was just another trait that Blake adored.  Yang had a smile ready for anyone and everyone, but...there were certain smiles that were only for Blake.  That little caveat worked wonders in keeping the feelings of jealousy at bay.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Yang’s newest ‘favorite’ fan said, taking a step forward.  “But could I get a picture with you?  I’m a huge fan of your movies.”

“Sure, no problem!”

Grinning at his good fortune, the guy scrambled to pull out his phone - very nearly dropping it when it fumbled out of his pocket.

“Want me to take it?” Blake offered, slightly worried he would hurt himself trying to take the photo while being so close to Yang.

“Yeah, sure!  Thanks!”

When he handed the phone over, Blake stood in front while Yang gave her a bright smile before turning to their newest acquaintance.

“That’s my girlfriend, by the way,” Yang said in a loud whisper.  “Isn’t she beautiful?”

It was a trick question - with neither answer likely to make Yang happy.  Thankfully, the young man was too absorbed in Yang’s presence to fully formulate a response.

“U-uh, I mean, yeah, I guess,” he sputtered, his eyes never leaving Yang as she laughed.  Apparently he’d just passed the test.

Turning to Blake, they both smiled and she took a couple of photos in a row so he could choose the best one.  

“Thank you so much!” he said, taking his phone from Blake before giving them both a huge smile and rushing off - most likely dying to tell all of his friends about his good fortune.

“You just made his day,” Blake said, walking back to Yang as she picked up the basket again.

“Now let’s make mine!” Yang replied, taking Blake’s hand and pulling her towards the nearest aisle.  “We have pancakes to make!”

“And ice cream sundaes,” Blake added, smiling at the sound of Yang’s laughter as they whizzed through the store together.  

They ended up with six different kinds of candy to go along with the fruit, ice cream, whipped cream, and three types of juices - orange, apple, and grape.  Blake carried two of the bottles of juice up to the counter - one in each hand - since Yang had vastly underestimated how much food a small hand basket could carry.

“Ruby’s probably still sleeping,” Yang commented while the clerk rang up their items.  “She said she’ll text me when she’s up - and she gets hungry like minutes after waking up so she’ll probably come over right away.”

“Ok.”  Paying for the groceries and giving the clerk a quick ‘thank you,’ Blake grabbed one of the bags and followed Yang towards the exit.  “So what you’re saying is that once she texts you, we don’t have much time to prepare.”

“That’s why we need to get ready early.” 

“Well let’s get home then, slowpoke,” Blake teased, playfully bumping her bag into Yang’s side to get her moving faster.

“I’m the slowpoke??  Who’s the one that takes forever to find their shoes?”

Catching Yang’s grin, Blake shook her head.  “If you didn’t have so many pairs in the closet, it’d be easier for me to find what I want to wear.”

“Ok, ok.  I know better than to try to fight that battle -”

“Because you’ll lose,” Blake joked, smiling when Yang laughed and nodded.

“I’ll absolutely lose.  But I always lose to you - hard to win when you’re so freaking gorgeous!”

The two things seemed uncorrelated in Blake’s mind, but the compliment warmed her heart anyway.  And, as Yang held the door to their building open, Blake stopped and gave her a grateful kiss on the lips before heading inside.

“You realize someone probably got a picture of that.”

“I don’t care,” Blake replied, stepping into the elevator and trying not to smile at the huge grin Yang was wearing while practically skipping inside.  “If they did, hopefully I can get a copy and keep it forever.”

“If you want more pictures of us kissing, all you need to do is say the word.  And if you want more than that -”

“We’ve already had that conversation, Yang,” Blake interrupted, her cheeks heating up regardless of them being alone in the elevator as it took them back to their home.

“I just love seeing you blush,” Yang replied, far too happy with how successful she’d been yet again.

“I’m curious,” Blake added, a change of topic thankfully appearing in her mind as Yang used the keys to unlock the door to their shared home.  “Where does Ruby stay when she’s in Vale?”

“She has a little apartment nearby - nothing fancy.”

“She does?”  Surprised by the answer, Blake sent Yang a glance as they set their bags down on the island in the kitchen.  “She keeps paying for it even though she’s not here?”

“Oh, no.  Wait, I haven’t told you this before?”

“Told me what?”

“Well, uh, I pay for it,” Yang answered, giving Blake an almost apologetic smile for the reply.

“You do?”

“Yeah.  I mean, it’s not expensive.  She wasn’t going to keep it, but I wanted her to always have a place to come home to.  I hope that’s ok?”

Blake’s surprise in this moment had everything to do with the revelation that there was still more to learn about Yang, even after all this time.  Living together, she’d expected most of the mysteries and unexpected discoveries to fall by the wayside but...well, Yang found a way to keep things interesting.

“Why wouldn’t that be ok?” Blake asked, pulling the ice cream containers out of a bag and putting them in the freezer.  “That’s your decision.”

“Yeah, but…”  Pausing that thought, Yang shook her head and turned away, but not before Blake caught the soft blush that was growing.

“But what?” she pressed, leaving the groceries in favor of walking over to Yang.  It wasn’t like Yang to be bashful - at least, not since they’d first started dating.  Seeing this side of her return was a treat indeed.  The shy, slightly lowered gaze, the ever-fidgeting hands, the shuffling feet...Blake loved every bit of it.

“It just...kinda feels like it should be our decision,” Yang finally answered.  The implication nearly made Blake take a step backwards in surprise, but instead she stepped forward - into Yang’s space in order to take her hands and squeeze them reassuringly.

“If you’re asking me,” Blake said, her heart swelling in affection from that single statement alone.  “Then yes - I’m completely ok with paying for a place for your sister to stay.”

When Yang grinned, Blake leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Glad you agree,” Yang said only after Blake moved away.  “Maybe...maybe we can make more of those decisions together?  Or like, all of them?”

Up until this moment, they’d kept their finances separately - neither of them hurting for money, but neither of them feeling the need to have a major discussion about it either.  Blake felt that maybe Yang wanted to wait and see how things turned out, but...maybe Yang had been waiting for Blake instead.

“I’d love that,” Blake answered, giving Yang’s hands a little shake of happiness.  “You’re very sweet, you know that?”

“I hope you still feel that way after you see how much I spend on shoes…”

Laughing at the joke, Blake looped both arms around Yang’s neck and pulled her down for a kiss.  Blake loved kissing Yang in the morning.  Or the afternoon.  Anytime, really, but morning kisses seemed more satisfying for some reason.  Maybe it was because they weren’t able to kiss for the entire night while they were sleeping, and this was what it felt like to make up for lost time.

Either way, she enjoyed morning kisses immensely.  With nowhere to be and nothing to do for several hours, they were free to savor it in full - which Blake could feel Yang doing as their lips locked together and she slid her hands down Blake’s sides.  Gently, Yang pressed Blake up against the island, and those wandering hands started fiddling with the hem of Blake’s shirt.

Feeling a surge of passion course through her, Blake dropped one arm from Yang’s neck, but felt her elbow knock into something on the way down.  

The sound of metal hitting granite shocked them both apart, before Yang stretched to one side and caught the bottle of whipped cream before it rolled off the counter.

When Yang held up the whipped cream, Blake fought a furious blush that she’d been the one to ruin that moment so handily.  Clearing her throat, she tried to find a set of words that might save her from her current embarrassment.

“So, uh…” she said, before shaking her head and giving up.

“If you wanted to get a little more frisky, you could’ve just said so.”  When Yang grinned like a fool and shook the can, Blake playfully shoved her shoulder.

“Don’t we have breakfast to make?”

“Yeah, yeah - but after!”  Yang gave Blake a questioning look, but Blake pretended not to see it in favor of taking their myriad of fruits to the sink to be washed.

“I’m totally taking that as a ‘yes,’” Yang said, laughing while putting the can back on the island - this time further from the edge.  “Ok, how about I start the pancakes, and you wash the fruits and cut them into pancake-friendly pieces?” 

“You mean what I was already going to do?” Blake asked, raising one brow and gesturing towards the fruit in front of her.

“Ok, it’s really hard to think of things before you do!  Take it easy on the poor dumb blonde, won’t you?”

“Never.”  Turning on the faucet, Blake shot Yang a teasing smirk.  “That’s not why you’re dating me.”

“That’s the truth.  I’m dating you because you’re unbelievably smart, incredibly sexy, super fine -”

Chuckling at the list, Blake washed the strawberries and raspberries - and Yang was cut off by a buzzing sound.  Looking over her shoulder, Blake watched curiously as Yang picked up her phone and smiled at whatever she read on the screen.

“Listen to this,” Yang said before reading aloud, “‘Thank you for the wonderful party last night.  I really appreciate the effort both you and Blake put into celebrating my birthday.  I enjoyed spending time with you and your friends, plus having the chance to meet your sister.’”

Reaching the end of the message, Yang grinned.

“That was sweet of her,” Blake replied, feeling her own heart warm at the thought that Weiss had enjoyed her birthday.

“She had a good time!” Yang cheered, raising both hands in success before dropping them just as quickly.  “Oh dang, we should’ve invited her for breakfast!”

“She has plans this morning with her family, remember?”

“Oh.  That’s right.”

“But we could always invite her over another time,” Blake added, pulling out a cutting board and knife so she could cut the strawberries into smaller pieces.

“You’re right, we should do that...oh!  We should invite Pyrrha though!!”  As the idea occurred to her, Yang typed out a message and sent it off with a grin.  “Pyrrha loves Ruby.  I’m sure she’ll stop by if she’s free.”

“If she’s even awake this morning,” Blake replied with a shake of her head.  “I bet she’s still sleeping.”

“Me too.  But she can get here late!  No pancakes for her.”

“No pancakes for anyone if you don’t start making them soon,” Blake teased.

“Relax, Blake.  Pancakes take like...fifteen minutes to make,” Yang replied, flashing a grin and ducking the strawberry Blake flung her way.  “Ok, ok!  I’ll make ‘em,” Yang added, grabbing the stray fruit off the far counter and popping it in her mouth. 

While Yang was pulling supplies out of the cabinets, her phone buzzed a second time.  Leaning over, Blake checked who the message was from.

“It’s your sister.”

“What??”  Walking over with a bowl in one hand, Yang tapped the screen.  “She woke up early?  Oh crap.  I forget she’d still be on Vacuo time…”

“Well I’m almost done with my tasks…”

“Oh shush,” Yang said, laughing while quickly finding the ingredients she needed.  While Yang mixed up a batter and started frying up three pancakes at a time, Blake piled all the fruits into bowls before doing the same with the candy they’d gotten.  Those went onto the dining table before being joined by plates, silverware, and napkins - then glasses and the three bottles of juice.  Last, but certainly not least, she pulled out both cartons of ice cream and set them down with the canister of whipped cream.

Honestly, it looked far more like an ice cream bar than a breakfast table...

“Oh, syrup!” Blake exclaimed, suddenly realizing they’d forgotten the most quintessential pancake topping during their quest to get everything else.  “We don’t have any syrup, do we?”

“Naw, don’t worry about it.  She uses the ice cream instead.”

“What are we supposed to use then?” Blake asked.  Turning away from the pan for a few seconds, Yang shrugged her shoulders and laughed.

“Whipped cream, maybe?  Or do what Ruby does and put candy in between pancakes so it melts into a gooey, chocolatey mess.”

Seeing Blake’s expression of disbelief, Yang nodded and flipped a few more pancakes out of the pan.

“You’ll see…”

A fast, double knock hit the door - making Yang spin around with a huge smile in place.  

“That’s gotta be her!” 

“I’ll get it,” Blake replied while walking over to the door, unwittingly smiling at how happy Yang looked.

Admittedly, Blake was moderately nervous about seeing Ruby again.  When they’d met last night, there were plenty of other people around - many of whom knew Ruby and were excited for the chance to speak with her.  There hadn’t been much opportunity for Blake and Ruby to spend time getting to know one another.  And...Ruby was very important to Yang, so it was important that Blake earn Ruby’s blessing. 

Unlocking the door and pulling it open, Blake was immediately greeted by a wave of energy.

“You need to see -!” Ruby immediately said before her eyes widened upon seeing Blake.  “Oh, hi Blake!  You’re already here!”

The word choice made Blake tilt her head in confusion.  

“Ruby!” Yang called out from the kitchen.  “Get over here, shortstack!”

Sending Blake a blinding grin, Ruby skipped inside to say ‘hello’ to her sister with a huge hug.

“Already here?” Blake repeated while following Ruby to the kitchen, trying to figure out why the comment didn’t make sense to her.

“Yeah!  I mean, I thought I’d get here first, but I guess I woke up kinda late so…”  Words trailing off, Ruby shrugged and chuckled at wherever that thought had ended up.  Glancing around the apartment, she grinned at Yang.  “Did you redecorate?  Looks awesome!  When’d you get so many books?”

When Ruby waved towards the bookcase in the living room (which was filled with Blake’s books), Yang glanced that way before her eyes widened in shock.

“Ohhh my god,” she said, shooting Blake a look before turning back to Ruby.  “I never told you that Blake moved in!”

Ah - that’s why the phrase seemed off kilter.  

“You moved in together??” Ruby asked, the shock quickly wearing off as she hit her sister in the shoulder.  “How could you forget to tell me that??”

“I don’t know, how could you forget to tell me you’d be back in Vale last night?” Yang responded, playfully smacking Ruby’s hand away from the plate of finished pancakes.

“Guess we both have terrible memories.”  Shrugging, Ruby waited until Yang’s gaze returned to the stove before snatching a pancake and shoving the whole thing in her mouth.  “Tha-sh aw-shom tho-”

Yang shot her sister a suspicious glare before nodding towards something Ruby was holding in her hands.

“Whatcha got there?” Yang asked, flipping another set of finished pancakes onto the platter filling with them.

“This?  Oh, uh, it’s nothing.”  

“‘Nothing?’  Since when do you carry around ‘nothing?’”

“Since forever!” Ruby said, holding what appeared to be a magazine behind her back and sending Blake a worried glance.  “It’s no big deal, Yang.  I can show you later -”

“Come on, hand it over.”

Watching in curiosity, Blake could read the emotions flitting through Ruby’s eyes - an openness of emotion similar to Yang’s own expressive eyes.

“Fine,” Ruby finally agreed, handing the magazine over to Yang.  Taking it and giving Ruby a teasing slap on the shoulder, Yang flipped it around to read the front page - and let her jaw fall slightly in surprise.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Ruby replied.  “I saw it on my way over and wanted to warn you!”

Now fully curious, Blake looked between Ruby and Yang before walking over to see what was causing such a stir.

“What is it?” she asked, reading the cover over Yang’s shoulder.

As it turned out, it was one of the tabloid magazines Blake religiously stayed away from.  On the cover was a huge photo of Yang and Pyrrha - the two of them were eating lunch together, but the picture caught them at a moment when Yang was leaning across the table.  From the camera angle, it almost looked like Yang was leaning in for a kiss...and the headline certainly didn’t help.

‘Writing’s on the Wall?  Yang Xiao Long spotted being more than friendly with Pyrrha Nikos.’

To add insult to injury, they’d included a photo of Blake - only to add a graphic that made it appear as if she was being torn off of the page.

Taking the magazine from Yang’s hands, Blake shook her head while looking at it.

“You’re cheating on me again, Yang?” she said, adding a few ‘tsks’ before holding the magazine up so Yang would look at it.  “And with Pyrrha this time?  What am I going to do with you?”

First Yang read Blake’s eyes, searching for any hint that Blake was truly bothered by the photo.  Finding none, Yang laughed and shook her head.

“You know me - can’t keep me caged for too long.  Sooner or later, you’ve gotta let me fly!  Or, you know, go out to lunch with other people.”

Chuckling, Blake shared a smile with Yang before noticing the way Ruby was looking back and forth between them, completely floored by the interaction.

“You aren’t mad?” she asked.

“Of course not,” Blake replied.  “It’s not true.”

“Well yeah, I figured that.  But like...I was worried you’d be nervous or something.”

Shaking her head, Blake casually tossed the magazine facedown on the countertop.

“I’ll only be nervous when someone can make her blush like I can,” she answered.  To prove her point, she leaned over and gave Yang a quick peck on the cheek - causing her to turn bright red in the process.

Ruby stared at them, but with this goofy smile on her face.  And then she started laughing - this infectious giggle that made Yang chuckle while turning off the stove.

“You’re really cool!” Ruby added, nodding enthusiastically.  “Cinder flipped out about that stuff, remember?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Yang replied.  Picking up the plate of pancakes, she gave Blake a warm smile while nodding towards the table.  “Now come on, let’s eat!”

Following Yang and Ruby to the table, Blake took the seat across from Ruby and waited for Ruby and Yang to serve themselves first.

If someone was looking for a reason to be upset, that photograph would certainly do it.  But if Blake looked for reasons to be upset, there’d be no feasible way for the two of them to stay together.  With Yang’s visibility and popularity, photos like this were bound to happen - catching her in just the wrong position at just the wrong time.

It wouldn’t be fair to punish Yang for something she had little-to-no control over.  Plus, Blake knew - in the way Yang looked at her, spoke to her, touched her, kissed her - she knew in every ‘I love you’ that Yang would be careful with her heart.

And she knew that, if she ever felt the tiniest bit insecure, she could talk to Yang about it - and that she’d be reassured in droves.

That was one of the most wonderful parts of their relationship...that it took no effort at all to trust one another, regardless of what the world threw their way.

Reaching over, Blake gave Yang’s hand a loving squeeze before watching in fascination as Ruby spread a handful of candy between each layer of the pancake tower she’d built before piling ice cream on top and using the whipped cream to cover the sides.  Basically...Ruby added sugar until the actual food was no longer visible.

Deciding to try out a little bit of the ice cream with fruit on top, Blake created a far more subdued breakfast while Ruby began demolishing hers.

“Mmm these are so good!”  Cutting off another forkful, Ruby sent her sister a grin.  “I’ve missed your cooking so much!”

“I’ve missed you so much,” Yang replied, not at all embarrassed to admit such a thing.  “You’re sticking around for a while, right?”

“Yeah!  I mean, I don’t have any plans to leave right now.”

The response was noncommittal, but Yang still looked thrilled while she finished a bite of her own breakfast.  “Cool!” she said after.  “Want me to get you some parts?”

“Oh yeah!  Can you?  That’d be fun!”  Before Blake could even ask what they were talking about, Ruby turned towards her.  “Yang gets me parts as an extra at the studio!  It’s really awesome.”

“Ruby’s actually been in way more movies than me,” Yang added, giving her sister a proud grin for that accomplishment.

“I have!”

“That sounds like fun,” Blake said, watching Ruby devour another pancake in between breaths.  “What have they asked you to do - as an extra, I mean?”

“Lots of stuff!  I’ve gotten to run from zombies, and run from explosions, and run across a bridge that was about to fall…”

“So, you run from things, basically?”

Ruby beamed and nodded.  “Yup!  Although they didn’t actually have zombies chasing us.  That was a bummer…”

Sensing the genuine disappointment behind those words, Blake couldn’t help but to chuckle.  Ruby really was a unique, endearing soul...  

“What was your favorite part?” Blake asked, both curious and seeking to keep the conversation going.

“Oh!  Well, this one time there was an explosion in a building and everyone had to run down the street away from it.  But Yang was standing outside saying, ‘That way, that way - keep going!’ and waving people in the right direction.  When I ran past her, she rustled my hair!”

When Yang laughed at the cute memory, Blake decided that Ruby might just be the most adorable person she’d ever met.

“They kept that shot in the final cut too,” Yang said, her eyes positively sparkling as she looked at Blake.  “You can just barely see it with how the camera angles worked out.  I can show you later.”

“Please do.”

“I wanna watch too!”

“Ruby, you’ve seen that movie like a hundred times.”

“So?  It’s awesome!”  Reaching for another pancake, Ruby grinned across the table at Blake.  “Yang’s movies are my favorites.  I love watching her be the hero!  Except I always cry when she gets stabbed…”

“One time I got stabbed - and I’m completely fine!”

“Now you are!”  Shaking her head, Ruby pulled the ice cream container over to her.  “I skip that part.”

“I remember that scene,” Blake said, sending a glance Yang’s way.  “You sold it too well.”

“You guys are simultaneously complimenting me and making me feel horrible for doing my job!” Yang whined.  “At least choose one or the other!”  

Smiling, Blake reached over and patted Yang’s hand.

“You’re fantastic at what you do,” she said, watching Yang’s eyes light up in delight at the compliment.  “Sometimes it’s just a little painful for the people who love you.”

“Aww...you guys are so cute!”

Yang smiled while Blake felt the hint of a blush dust her cheeks.  Ruby seemed to say whatever popped in her mind, or was unafraid to say things others might normally hold at bay.  It was a refreshing, if not mildly embarrassing, trait.

“Yang said you’re the best writer in the whole world!” Ruby said between bites.  

“Did she?”  Blake sent Yang an appreciative smile for the exaggeration.  Even if it wasn’t true, it was nice that Yang believed in her so fully.

“Yeah!  ‘The most talented writer ever,’ was what she said.  I think.”  Ruby paused for a second and tried to remember before shaking her head.  “But I’m excited!  Have you written anything I might’ve read?  I totally wanna read your stuff!”

“You hardly read, Ruby,” Yang teased.

“I read sometimes!  Like billboards or, I dunno, menus?  Texts from Yang when I have a phone or service?”

Chuckling at the answer, Yang popped a raspberry in her mouth.

“What’s the last book you read?” Blake asked.

“Uhhh…I think it was like...something about how the number seven kills people.”

“Unlucky Seven?” 

“Yeah!  That was it.  Oh man, I was super paranoid about the number for the longest time.”

“It was a good read,” Blake agreed.  “But if that’s the type of book you’re looking for, I don’t know that I’ve written anything remotely close.”

“Oh, I don’t mind - I’ll read anything!  Besides, you’re practically family now, so I should read all your books.  Just like I watch all of Yang’s movies!”

The kind words were far more than Blake expected at this point in time, but Ruby sent a genuine smile across the table to go with her acceptance.

If Blake had been worried about winning Ruby’s approval...well, she was a little less worried now.

“I’ll get you copies of everything,” she said, smiling back to Ruby.  “But please don’t feel like you have to read any of them.”

When Ruby made a happy noise and finished off her plate of pancakes, Blake turned to find Yang looking between the two of them with a huge smile in place.

“Has Yang read all of them?” Ruby asked after her breakfast was done.

“You bet I have!” Yang answered with a proud smile.  “Just a warning though - there are a lot.”  Pausing for a second, Yang laughed when a thought occurred to her.  “When we first started dating, I stayed up basically all night for a week straight reading them.  I didn’t want to look dumb, but instead I think I came off like an exhausted, crazy stalker.”

Blake laughed at the memory.

“Just a bit,” she joked.  “I wasn’t expecting you to have read any of them, so when you started quoting passages I was...well, shocked, to say the least.”

“Shocked enough that you fell in love with me!”

“Absolutely.  I knew you were a keeper if you were willing to do that.”  

The two of them shared a smile, fondly remembering that period of their relationship before Yang turned back to Ruby.

“You’re gonna love ‘em though.  They’re so freaking good.  Love, betrayal, action, adventure, basically all the good stuff.  And did I mention love?  Because man there’s some great romance.”

A small blush heated Blake’s cheeks from the endless compliments, which Yang never seemed to run out of.  To make matters even more humbling, Ruby was nodding enthusiastically at her sister’s words.

“I can’t wait to read them - I could use some more love in my life!”

“Good thing you’re back then!” Yang replied, reaching over and lovingly tussling Ruby’s short hair.

“Yangggg!”

“What?  I haven’t gotten to do that in forever!”

“That doesn’t mean you need to do it now!”

While they playfully bickered, Blake sat back and watched.  

Pandas.  Adorable, adorable baby pandas.

When Yang finished giving her sister a hard time, she let out a happy sigh and gestured at Ruby’s empty plate.

“Are you done eating?” 

“Yup!  I’m stuffed!”  Immediately after the reply, Ruby hopped to her feet and grabbed her plate.  “I’ll clean up.”

“Naw, leave it for now - I want to hear about your trip!”

While Yang swiveled in her seat, Ruby walked into the kitchen and set her plate in the sink.

“At least let me clear off the table first!” she said, coming back to the table and grabbing the cartons of ice cream while Yang stared in surprise.

“Since when do you volunteer to clean up??”

“Since the time I didn’t and some crazy old guy told me I’d die a horrible death!”  When Yang’s jaw dropped in surprise, Ruby solemnly nodded and said, “True story,” before heading to the freezer.

Catching Yang’s stunned expression, Blake smiled and stood to help clear the rest of the table.  While dumping the bowls of candy back into their respective bags, she watched with interest as Ruby put the bottles of juice into the fridge before finding a small container to put the leftover fruit in.

It was strange to realize that Ruby had been in this apartment far before Blake was ever in the picture.  It showed in the way Ruby knew her way around the kitchen, and in how comfortable she was opening and closing cupboards that weren’t her own.  Of course, why wouldn’t she be?  This was her sister’s home - she was probably over here all the time whenever she was in Vale.  

Which meant that she’d be over all the time for the foreseeable future.  Surprisingly, the idea didn’t bother Blake in the slightest.  They’d known each other for only a little while, but Ruby was a joy to spend time with.  Her general aura was...uplifting.  

“So how’d you like the party last night?” Yang asked, gently bumping Ruby’s elbow as they put some of the dishes in the sink.  “Have fun?”

“It was awesome!  So fun!”

“Yeah?  And you got to meet Weiss!  Did you like her?”

“Oh - yeah!  I mean, she was...really, really cool.  I didn’t expect her to be so pretty.”

Blake’s attention perked up at the word, but when Yang chuckled she decided that Ruby didn’t mean anything by it.

“She is pretty, huh,” Yang replied before looking around to see if they were done.  Finding everything off the table, she clapped her hands and said, “Ok, story time!”

Ushering everyone into the living room, she motioned for Blake to sit on the sofa while Ruby paced the room.

“I really like all the changes!” Ruby remarked, her eyes scanning the shelves full of Blake’s books before moving on to the lavender window curtains Blake had picked out.  “It feels a lot more...cozy.”

While Ruby stood by the coffee table, Yang sat down next to Blake and gently squeezed her knee.

“I think so too,” Yang said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Blake’s cheek.  “But tell us - what’ve you been up to?”

“Right!  Oh man, I saw so much cool stuff - you wouldn’t believe it!”

Beaming at Ruby’s enthusiastic introduction to her trip, Yang bumped Blake’s shoulder.

“This is one of my favorite parts of Ruby coming home,” she explained.  “Well, besides having Ruby at home again.” 

“And it’s one of my favorite parts of coming back!” Ruby replied.  “Well, besides getting to see Yang again.”

“You two are so cute,” Blake finally said out loud, shaking her head in utter disbelief at their adorableness.  After they shared a smile, Ruby did a little hop for joy.

“Ok, story time!  So I went to Mistral first because...why not?” she explained, her voice speeding up in excitement.  “And I think I was only there for a couple days when I met this guy -”

“Hold the phone.”  Yang raised her hand and paused Ruby’s story.  “This guy isn’t a romantic interest, is he?”

Ruby giggled at the question - pretty much all the answer anyone needed before she said, “No, Yang - he was in his forties or something.”

After giving Blake a relieved smile, Yang leaned back and waved her hand.  “Ok, then continue.”

“Alright, so I met this guy - the non-romantic guy - and he tells me about this treasure chest buried in the middle of the city!”

“Like beneath the streets or something?” Yang asked.  “How would they do that??”

“Or maybe it was in a park?” Blake suggested, and Ruby nodded vigorously.

“In the middle of a park - he had a map and everything!  But there were a bunch of rules, like you had to dig at exactly the right spot at exactly the right time otherwise you wouldn’t find it.  He asked me to help him because he needed someone to hold the watch and make sure he started digging at the right second.”

“And I’m guessing you agreed to help him?” Yang asked.

“Of course!  It was a lot of fun, too.  We had to walk around the park, backwards as some parts, and then tap a few special trees.  When we finally got to the right spot, he dug a deep hole.  I wasn’t expecting to find anything, but we totally did!”

“Really?” Yang asked in surprise that Blake silently felt.  “What was it??”

“An old watch.  It was broken, too.”  Chuckling to herself, Ruby shook her head.  “He was kinda disappointed, but it was a fun treasure hunt while it lasted!  Anyway, while I was leaving the park, I realized I still had his map stuck in my pocket.  When I pulled it out, my phone went flying and landed in the middle of the street!  Then it got run over by a couple cars before I could get it...and that’s how my first phone died.”

Blake stared in shock at the tragic turn of events, but Yang laughed in delight.  And, before Ruby could continue her tale, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Oh, that’s probably Pyrrha,” Yang whispered, standing up to answer it.  “You stay there,” she directed Ruby.  “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Ruby watched intently as Yang walked over to the door and pulled it open.  When she stepped out of the way, Pyrrha walked inside and found Ruby with an affectionate smile.

“Ruby,” Pyrrha barely managed to get out before Ruby let out a small squeal of excitement.

“Pyrrha!” she said before running over and launching herself into Pyrrha’s arms.  Pyrrha managed to catch her - letting out an “oomph” while taking a step backward to cushion the unexpected force.

“At least you caught her this time,” Yang teased Pyrrha as she and Ruby separated.

“Oh, I’m really sorry I knocked you over last night!” Ruby quickly apologized.  

“That’s ok,” Pyrrha replied, setting one hand reassuringly on Ruby’s shoulder.  “I just wasn’t prepared then.”

“Had nothing to do with the gallon of champagne you drank...” Yang whispered loudly before yelping in surprise when Pyrrha landed an elbow in her side.

“Good morning, Blake,” Pyrrha said, nodding politely Blake’s way while Ruby looked between the two of them.

“Did you know they moved in together??”

The question made Pyrrha laugh and shake her head.

“That’s a good question seeing as how your sister hardly tells me anything.  But yes, I did know they moved in together - mostly because Yang made me help clean the day before.”

When Blake shot her a curious look, Yang chuckled and ran a hand through her hair.

“I would’ve gladly helped, you know,” Blake said.

“Yeah, I know.  But I wanted it to be perfect when you got here without you having to lift a finger.”

Flashing a modest grin, Yang only succeeded in making Blake’s heart melt a bit more.

“That’s very sweet of you,” she said, smiling and reaching over to squeeze Yang’s hand in appreciation.

“Yes, so I had to help instead,” Pyrrha added.

“But I’m sure you did a great job!” Ruby cut in.  “Cuz you’re the best at everything!”

“Hey!” Yang shouted while Pyrrha smiled widely.  “I thought I was the best at everything!”

“Oh I have missed you, Ruby,” Pyrrha said, giving Ruby a loving hug.  When she pulled away, she sent Yang a triumphant smile before turning her attention back to Ruby.  “Let’s get lunch sometime.  Just the two of us - we don’t need her anyway.”

“That sounds like fun!”

When Pyrrha sat down in an oversized chair, Yang all but collapsed onto the sofa beside Blake, grumbling under her breath all the while.  Meanwhile Ruby stood in front of them, and Blake could see why - Ruby really liked to walk and gesture while talking.

“You haven’t moved in with anyone while I was away, have you?” Ruby asked, narrowing her eyes at Pyrrha as if trying to read her mind.  Opening her mouth, Pyrrha thought about the question for a second before smiling and shaking her head. 

“No, I haven’t.”

“Wait -”

Blake grinned as soon as the word left Yang’s mouth.  People might have many assumptions about Yang based upon her appearance and profession, but she was one of the most emotionally observant people Blake had ever met...especially when it related to opportunities to tease a friend.

“Did you catch that, Blake?” Yang asked, giving Blake a look that begged confirmation.

“I did.”

“What??  What did you see?” Ruby asked excitedly.

“Pyrrha!  Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Yang asked.  For her part, Pyrrha looked down at the arm of the chair before meeting Yang’s gaze with an innocent expression.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh nonono, you’re not getting off that easy.”

“You paused, Pyrrha,” Blake added, earning Yang’s vigorous nod of approval.  

“You paused!” Yang repeated.  “You have something you’re hiding from us!”

“Ok, fine.”  Caving, Pyrrha leaned forward and motioned calmly with her hands.  “Jaune and I might have talked about potentially moving in together, but it’s no big -”

“It’s a huge deal!” Yang interrupted.  “I’m so happy for you two!”

“Nothing has been decided yet -”

“But the fact that you’re even thinking about it is awesome.”

When Pyrrha looked around the room and found nothing but cheerful smiles, she finally smiled - a bright, genuine smile that expressed a bit of her own inner happiness.

“Then you’ll help me clean if he decides to move in?” she teased.

“Woah, woah.  Dunno if I’d go that far -”

“I’ll help!” Ruby offered.  “I’ll help move furniture or paint or whatever you need me to do!”

“I’ll help too,” Blake added, giving Yang a sweet smile in response to her look of dismay.

“Ok, now you’re both just making me look bad.”

Laughing, Pyrrha leaned away and waved one hand to dismiss the topic.  “We haven’t decided anything yet, but I appreciate your offers.  But enough about me...I’m sorry that I’m a bit late.  I didn’t miss much of the story, did I?”

“Nope!  Not much!”

“We just heard the demise of phone number one,” Yang added, one of her hands now playing with Blake’s hair.

“Run over by a car after a treasure hunt,” Blake explained as Ruby bounced back to her spot standing in front of them.

“That’s a common one - the car part, at least.  It’s actually surprising that you’ve never been hit by a car, Ruby,” Pyrrha commented with a light laugh.  Her laugh slowly trickled off when Ruby scrapped one toe across the floor, scratching her head and laughing nervously.

“Uh...heh heh...that brings me to my next story…”

“What?!”  Yang sat straight forward and gestured with her hands.  “Who was it?  I need their name and address.”

Blake laughed at the reply and patted Yang’s back.  

“And what are you going to do with that information?” 

“I’m gonna pay this guy a visit, that’s what I’m gonna do!”

When Blake and Pyrrha both laughed at the response, Ruby waved her hands to get everyone’s attention once more.

“One, it wasn’t even a guy!” she said.  “Two, it was kind of completely my fault.”

Sitting back and leaning into Blake’s shoulder, Yang let out a loud sigh.

“Were you running across the street again?”

“No!  Well, maybe.  But it wasn’t my fault!  I mean, running into the street wasn’t.”

As Ruby launched into another story, Blake alternately listened while shooting glances at Yang and Pyrrha.  Each time she did so, she was greeted by a smile or a laugh bubbling to existence from Ruby’s antics.  Pyrrha’s eyes sparkled in happiness watching Ruby gesture widely while going through her stories.  And Yang...Yang’s eyes followed Ruby with such adoration that Blake felt her own heart glow with love.

It felt like her family had grown again - first to include Yang, then Pyrrha, then Weiss, and now Ruby.  Sure, Ruby seemed like the type of person who would perpetually break routines, but Blake would willingly sacrifice any routine she had if only to see Yang this happy.