Home Artists Posts Import Register

Content

Whistling a tune to herself, Yang jogged downstairs and dropped her backpack near the front door.  With all the books she’d been forced to take home last night, plus her boxing gear, the bag was officially too heavy to lug around for any longer than necessary.

Strolling into the kitchen in search of food, she found her dad reading the paper while drinking a cup of coffee - basically, what he’d done every morning for the past decade.

“What’s up, father figure?” she asked, walking behind him and tapping the top of his head while she passed.

“Was I demoted?  I swear I’ve been fulfilling my duties perfectly…” he mumbled in return, setting the paper down and watching her rummage through the cabinets for breakfast.

“Actually, you were promoted!  ‘Father’ is the default term every dad gets, but ‘father figure’ is someone with years of experience dealing with one difficult and one beautiful daughter.”

While Yang grinned at her clever response, he nodded along with the idea.

“A promotion, eh?  Go figure.”

When he winked at the joke, Yang laughed and raised one hand for a high five.

“Good one, Dad,” she said before heading out of the kitchen, tossing the apple she’d found into the air before easily catching it.  Back in the entryway, she found the pair of shoes she wanted to wear today and pulled them on before checking the contents of her backpack one more time.  

Since she had a fight this afternoon, she woke up a little earlier than usual to make sure she had everything she needed.  It wouldn’t be the end of the world if she forgot something and had to run home to get it, but it was a lot less stressful if she had everything organized up front.  

While checking items off of her mental checklist, she didn’t bother looking over when Ruby practically rolled down the stairs.

“Got everything?” Ruby asked while stomping her feet into her shoes.

“Yup!  Packed and ready to kick grass!”

The term made Ruby giggle, but Yang smiled sheepishly when their dad walked out of the kitchen shaking his head.

“The things you teach her…” he muttered to himself, kissing Ruby on the head before pulling Yang into a hug.  “Sorry I won’t be there today.”

His words were remorseful, but Yang smiled and waved off his apology.

“We both know it’s healthier for you to stay away.  Last time, I think your face almost stuck in a cringe.”

“Oh!  I remember that!” Ruby quipped, scrunching up her face in an attempt to mimic their dad before breaking into laughter.  “You looked like you were made of play-do.”

When Ruby made the face again, he chuckled and rustled her hair.

“Hey, it’s not easy to watch another kid throw punches at your child,” he said in his defense.

“But wasn’t it you who got me into boxing?” Yang teased, the rhetorical question making him sigh and rub his temple.

“Yes.  It was a good and a bad decision...you’ll understand one day, when you have kids of your own.”

“But Dad, I already have a kid!”

His eyes briefly widened in horror before relaxing when Yang pulled Ruby over to her.  

“She’s cute, right?  Just look at these puffy cheeks -”  When she pinched at Ruby’s cheeks, Ruby slapped her hand away and squirmed out of her grasp.

“Don’t scare me like that,” he said while Yang laughed.

“I know you’re not very observant, but I hope you’d notice that,” she replied with a few chuckles of her own.  Reaching down, she grabbed her bag and slung the straps around her shoulders before picking up her uniform.

“Salem today?” he asked, his brow crunching together while he looked at the uniform in her hand.  “Be careful.”

“Come on - don’t worry so much, Dad!” Yang replied, lightly swinging her boxing outfit into his arm.  “You put me in lessons so I could beat up everyone, remember?”

“Is that why I did that?” he asked himself while the moment of worry disappeared.  “But you’re right.  Good luck today, sweetie.  Knock ‘em dead.”  After a brief pause, he shook his head.  “Don’t actually do that please.”

“I’ll make sure to tell the cops that my dad told me to do it,” Yang teased before quickly kissing him on the cheek.  “See ya later!”

“Ruby, please make sure she doesn’t kill anyone.”

“No promises!” Ruby quipped before hopping out the door behind Yang.  If he said something else, it was too mumbled to hear as they jumped off the front porch and made their way to school.

“Are you excited for tonight?” Ruby asked as soon as they fell into step on the sidewalk.

“You bet!” 

Thursday was finally here, which meant dinner and a movie with Blake.  They were spending time together outside of school hours.  Hanging out. 

She needed to stop using that phrase.  She wanted it to be a date, which meant she needed to start thinking about it like a date.  And it would be really helpful if she could say the word out loud.

What would it be like though?  The most obvious answer was amazing, but more specific than that?  What would they talk about at dinner?  Could they share a popcorn at the theater?  Would Blake lean close to Yang while they watched the movie?  How would they end the night - with a friendly goodbye or maybe...a hug?

“I can’t wait,” she added as a flurry of butterflies took off in her chest.

“You’re gonna kick butt!” Ruby replied with a big grin.  The response made Yang blink in confusion before realization dumped over her like a bucket of cold water.  

“Oh.  Boxing.  Yup, I’m ready for that too.”

“Wait - what were you talking about before?”

“Boxing, of course!” Yang fudged, not wanting to get into the embarrassing details just yet.  Luckily, Ruby only gave Yang a curious glance before letting it go with a small shrug. 

“Oh, I’m going out to dinner afterward,” Yang added when she realized she hadn’t told Ruby about her afternoon plans yet.  “Will you be ok heading home without me?”

“Sure!  Weiss’ll probably walk back with me anyway.  She said we could hang out.”  Yang nearly laughed out loud at the term, but Ruby continued.  “Where are you going?”

“The usual.”

“With who?”

“Blake’s gonna come with me.  We might catch a movie after.”

Nonchalance was the best way to keep Ruby from asking more questions - and thankfully Yang was the master of nonchalance this morning.  Not that she was trying to hide this from Ruby, but Ruby had a very minimal filter when it came to keeping things secret.  If Yang mentioned how much she liked Blake, Ruby would most likely blurt it out the next time they saw each other.  If things were ever a little more...solidified...then Yang would tell Ruby right away.

“Oh!  If you go to the theater, does that mean you’re going to the mall??”  Suddenly bursting with excitement, Ruby bounced ahead of Yang and walked backwards in front of her.

“Yes...why?”  Narrowing her eyes, Yang sent up a silent prayer that Ruby wasn’t going to ask to come with them.

“Can you get me one of those huge cookies??”

This was why Ruby chose to walk backwards - so she could train those silver puppy dog eyes on Yang with maximum efficiency.

“Ugh...fine,” Yang agreed, although she really didn’t have another option.  “If we’re near there, I’ll bring one back for you.”

“Yes!  You’re the best, Yang!”

While Yang shook her head, she and Ruby headed onto school grounds and cut through the parking lot.

“I still don’t think eating all that sugar is good for you.”

“Doctor hasn’t said anything about it yet!”

Again, Yang’s only response was to shake her head and hold open one of the doors for Ruby to walk inside.  She didn’t understand how the doctor hadn’t commented on it yet.  If anything, he encouraged Ruby to eat more of everything.  Not that Yang was jealous or anything...

“See you at lunch?” she asked when they reached the point where they had to split up.

“You bet!  Have a good class!”  

With a wave, Ruby raced off to...well, most likely to meet Weiss at the library.  To each their own.

To homeroom!

After dropping her boxing stuff at her locker, Yang hurried to homeroom with growing butterflies and excitement.  And, just like the previous few days, Blake was already sitting in her seat with a book propped open in front of her - completely unconcerned with anything else going on around her.  Before her presence was noticed, Yang paused and took a good look at her classmate.  

Not a creepy look.  Just a good look!

How did Blake make something as simple as reading look so incredibly attractive?  The intense, unwavering gaze, the way strands of hair fell in front of her eyes only to be swept back behind an ear…

“Excuse me,” someone mumbled while brushing past Yang into the classroom.  The sound drew Blake’s attention to the doorway - where Yang still stood.

Busted.

“Morning!” she called out while the first blush of the day heated her cheeks.  Rushing forward, she grabbed the extra seat and pulled it over so she could turn Blake’s desk into a table for two.  “How’re you doing?”

“I’m doing well,” Blake answered with a playful grin while setting her book off to the side of her desk.  “How are you?  You seem pretty cheerful this morning.”

“Absolutely!  Today’s gonna be a big day!”

“Looking forward to your fight this afternoon?” Blake asked, to which Yang grinned and nodded.  

“Yup!  But that’s just one of the awesome things happening today.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, Blake finally asked, “Are you looking forward to...hanging out?”

Bingo.

“You know it,” Yang answered honestly.  “I mean, I haven’t gone to see a movie in forever.  The last one Pyrrha and I went to was awful - something about gods and soldiers and...something…”

“I’m surprised it was awful.  That seems like something you’d enjoy.”

“The fighting was cool, but it was broken up by insanely long monologues.  Pretty sure I fell asleep at least twice.”

“Well, I hope you won’t fall asleep tonight,” Blake said playfully.

“With you there?”  Yang shook her head.  “Pretty sure I could stay up all night.”

It was only when Blake’s brow raised that Yang blushed a furious red.

“I-I mean...you’re just...way more interesting than any movie,” she sputtered, although she couldn’t tell if her answer made it more or less embarrassing.  Thankfully, because there was a god to have mercy on her, Neptune walked into the room and strode right over to her.

“A rose for you,” he said while extending a single red rose between the two of them.  “Red for luck at your match today.”

After he swung it several times in her face, Yang caved and plucked the flower from his hand.

“Uh...thank you?”  

It was a bit...unexpected...but also kind of thoughtful.  Although Blake didn’t look very amused by the gesture.

“Yellow normally symbolizes good luck,” she commented dryly, eyeing Neptune suspiciously.

“Oh.”  Only temporarily taken aback by the information, he regained his signature grin in no time.  “Then may this red represent the blood of your thoroughly-beaten opponent!”

Not at all expecting that response, a surprised laugh slipped past Yang’s lips.  “Thanks, Neptune,” she said while he grinned and walked away.  Blake’s eyes followed him to his seat before she finally turned back to Yang with a slight frown.

“I didn’t realize we were supposed to bring you gifts…”

“Oh!  You totally weren’t.  It’s just...Neptune, you know?”  Yang waved one hand towards the boy as if that should explain everything, but Blake still looked relatively put off by the recent interaction.

“I mean, you coming to watch this afternoon is a great gift - really!” Yang added as assurance.  Thankfully, the moment passed, and Blake regained her sly grin.

“How about I give you a gift after you win?”

Nora’s comment from the other day instantly sprang into Yang’s mind, and she blushed for the third time in a matter of minutes.

“Uh, I mean, that would work too…” she stammered.  “But - but what if I lose?”

“Then I’ll give you a different gift.”

Yang’s eyes widened at the response, while her mind felt like it might explode with imagination.

“Which one’s better?” she asked, the desperate question making Blake smile in satisfaction.

“Would that really make a difference?”

“Uh, yeah!”

If one of the gifts was what Yang hoped it was, she’d willingly drop the match to earn it.  Or try extra, extra hard to win it.

“Ok,” Blake answered after some thought.  “Then it will be the same gift regardless of the results.”

“The better one?” Yang pressed, her eagerness making Blake laugh softly.

“I’d say they were both of equal quality to begin with.”

“Wait, really?”

Now Yang was confused.  What could Blake be talking about?

“Yes, really.  Would you like to venture a guess?”

Staring into Blake’s eyes and finding way too much amusement, Yang shook her head while her cheeks steamed in embarrassment.  Smoke was probably coming out of her ears right now, too.

“I’ll, uh...wait and see…”

“Do you like surprises?”

The question sounded genuine, but under the current topic of conversation, Yang had no idea how to respond.  Fortunately, in a shining example that luck was on her side today, Pyrrha walked into the room.

“Pyrrha!” Yang practically shouted in relief while leaning back in her chair.  “Hey Pyrrha, what’s up?”

Blake smirked before turning to Pyrrha, who gave Yang a suspicious glance.

“Good morning, Yang.  Not much has happened yet this morning.”

“Ah, well that’s too bad.  It’ll get better - don’t worry!”

With a small laugh, Pyrrha shook her head and walked past.

“I wasn’t worried, but thank you for the encouragement.  And good morning, Blake.”

“Good morning,” Blake replied before turning to Yang with another one of those knowing smiles.  “I suppose that if I try to ask again, Mr. Oobleck will walk in -”

When their teacher almost immediately appeared at the door, Yang burst out laughing.  Shaking her head in disbelief, Blake chuckled a few times before catching Yang’s gaze.

“Thankfully, I’ll have all evening to try to ask again,” Blake added lightheartedly.

“You know it.”  After the two of them shared a quick smile, Yang stood and put the chair she’d borrowed back in its place.  “Talk to you after class!”

Heading to her seat in the last row, she casually tossed the rose on top of the desk before sitting down.

“Where’d the rose come from?” Pyrrha whispered.  “Did she -?”

When Pyrrha nodded towards Blake, Yang shook her head and waved towards the other side of the room.

“Just Neptune.”

The answer made Pyrrha laugh while turning her attention forward, where Mr. Oobleck had just tossed a stack of papers on someone’s desk before patting his hair and shirt as if searching for something.

“Good morning, students!  I - well, I seem to have misplaced something.”

As he spun in a circle and then went to check his desk drawers, Yang tuned out in favor of daydreaming about her upcoming evening.  After the fight with Salem High was over, she’d take a quick shower in the locker room so she smelled nice and clean.  She even brought an extra change of clothes today so she’d look nice too!  

From school, they could walk over to get a fast dinner, which was great because Yang was always famished by that time.  Once they ate, they could head over to the theater and figure out what movie was the longest.  

Not knowing what they’d be watching was a little weird, but Yang wasn’t bothered by the mystery at all.  In fact, it added a little more excitement to the evening.  Would they be watching a dull documentary?  A horror flick?  Historical romance?  Action?  She honestly had no idea, but she did know that she was more than willing to watch whatever movie Blake wanted to see.  What Yang looked forward to most was sitting in the dark theater, their arms sharing an armrest, their hands maybe reaching for the popcorn at the same time...

Once the movie was over, they could...well, they could do whatever they wanted to do, but picking up a cookie for Ruby was a must.  She would be heartbroken if Yang came home without one.

Which brought Yang’s mind wandering back to the most important question - when would Blake give her this mysterious gift?  Right after the match was over?  After dinner?  After the movie?  During dinner?  During the movie?  And what was it?

Daydreaming about the options while staring at the curve running from Blake’s shoulder down her lower back, Yang abruptly jumped in her seat when someone kicked her ankle.

“Ow,” she hissed, glaring at Pyrrha.  Not at all apologetic, Pyrrha pointedly nodded up front.

“Miss Xiao Long,” Mr. Oobleck repeated while shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  “Good luck in your match tonight.  I’m sure you’ll make Vale High very proud.”

“Oh, yup!” Yang replied, blushing when Blake grinned at her and Pyrrha covered her eyes in embarrassment.  “No problem!  I mean, thanks.”  

Thoroughly flustered, Yang was fortunate he’d already moved onto another topic so she wouldn’t be forced to speak anymore.  The damage was already done though - Blake sent her one last grin before turning around, and Yang buried her head in her hands.  

That was just a little embarrassing.  From the looks and chuckles she got from the rest of her classmates, it must’ve been obvious that she hadn’t been paying an ounce of attention in class.  It happened every once in a while, but Blake just witnessed that incredible lapse in attention while Yang daydreamed about…

Yup.  Just plain embarrassing.  If someone sprayed her with water right now, she was pretty sure her cheeks would steam.

Picking up a pen and doodling in her notebook, she hardly processed the words Mr. Oobleck said.  It was hard to understand him with how fast he spoke!  But when she snuck a glance and saw that there was only a minute left until temporary freedom, she set her pen down and straightened in her seat.

“Remember to get these forms back next week -” he said as the bell rang and everyone started preparing to leave.  Flipping her notebook shut with the form stuck between the pages, Yang shoved everything into her bag before tossing her pen on top.

“What a way to start the day,” Pyrrha commented as they stood in near unison.

“Yeah, yeah,” Yang grumbled.  “That wasn’t the first time I’ve been caught not paying attention in class!”

“No, but it was the first time you were caught not paying attention while blatantly staring at one of your classmates.”

Blushing at the response, Yang turned towards the door and found that Blake was again waiting for her.  If this was the new routine, she could really get used to it.

“Good thing we don’t have more classes together…” was all Yang could mumble before giving Pyrrha a smile.

“A silver lining!” Pyrrha laughed.  “I won’t be at lunch today, by the way, but I’ll see you after.”

“Tell Boy Wonder I say ‘hello!’  And ask him out today, will ya?”  Leaving Pyrrha with a blush of her own, Yang rushed over to meet Blake.  “Sorry to make you wait!”

“No problem.  We have plenty of time to get to class.”

“You’d think, but I always seem to be slipping into my seat just in the nick of time!”

“Then maybe we should walk to your class first?” Blake suggested, but Yang instantly balked at the idea.

“No, no.  That’s ok.  I mean, I like how things are now.”  As Blake’s expression filled with understanding, Yang quickly added, “And you know, I could always use a little extra cardio.”

With a soft laugh, Blake briefly brushed closer to Yang while they passed a group of girls standing in the middle of the hallway.

“Then we’ll keep things the way they are.  For now.”

Interested in what Blake meant by that, Yang only managed a glance to the side before a rapid motion drew her gaze away.  

“Yang!  Yang!”  

Turning towards the sound of her name, she was surprised to find Trevor racing their way while waving to catch her attention.

“Hey Trevor,” she greeted him after he careened to a stop in front of her and Blake.  “What’s up?”

“I heard you have a boxing thing tonight and wanted to tell you good luck!”

While he grinned up at her, she couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Aww...thank you!”

“And Freddy says good luck too!” Trevor added.  When he shifted his backpack on his shoulders, Yang playfully narrowed her eyes.

“Did he actually say that, or are you putting words in his mouth?”

When Trevor giggled - almost exactly like Ruby - Yang’s heart warmed and her smile grew. 

“He totally said it!” he fibbed before running off with a grin and wave - quickly swallowed up in the crowd of students surrounding him.  Laughing while he raced away, Yang glanced over and noticed that Blake was watching her with a smile.

“That was just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

The casualness of the statement did nothing to prevent Yang’s cheeks from feeling a tad warmer.

“He’s a cute kid,” she answered, trying to divert the attention away from herself.  “Reminds me a lot of Ruby.”

“And he adores you like she does,” Blake added.  Grinning at the thought, Yang followed Blake to her locker and leaned against the wall while Blake found the books she needed for class.

“How do you think Freddy survives in that bag?” Yang wondered out loud.  The question made Blake laugh into her locker, and Yang grinned while waving to another familiar face walking down the hall. 

“Hey Violet,” Yang said, expecting Violet to head into the classroom.  Instead, she came over to talk.

“Good luck today,” she said while shifting her way-too-large calculus book in her arms.

“Thanks!  Did you calculate my chances of winning?”  

It was supposed to be a joke, but Violet pursed her lips and nodded.  

“I can do that.  I’ll need your win-loss record as well as your opponent’s.  Plus your measurements and statistics on your fighting style.”  Pausing, Violet weighed several different options before nodding again.  “Yes, I can do it with the right data.”

Laughing at the serious response, Yang gently tapped Violet on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs up.  

“I think I’ll leave it a mystery for now.  But next time I’ll get you that info!”

With a small smile, Violet headed into the calculus classroom with all of the other math geniuses.  Noticing that Blake had already shut her locker and was watching her again, Yang gestured towards Blake’s class - just a couple of doors over.

“They should call this ‘genius row’ or something,” Yang commented while they walked.  “Because of all the smart classes happening here.”

“Isn’t your class also in this hallway?”

“Yeah, but it’s all the way at the other end.”

“I think that still counts.”  Stopping by her classroom, Blake turned and pointed to the rose Yang was still carrying around.  “What are you going to do with that?” 

“Oh, I dunno.”  Lifting it up to look at, Yang frowned while considering her options.  “I’ll feel bad if I just throw it away, but I’m sure I’ll think of a good use for it!”

Was it her imagination, or was Blake a little bothered that Yang was carrying around a rose from another person?  It was probably just her imagination.  Blake probably just wanted to know because she wanted to know everything - that was part of the smart kid credo, after all!

“Good morning.”  The greeting drew their attention to Weiss, who’d just joined them and was already looking at Yang like her existence didn’t make any sense.  “What’s with the rose?”

“Ah, funny you’d ask!” Yang replied while trying to think of a good comeback.  Since it was Weiss talking, she thought of one pretty fast.

“I thought you’d like to give it to Ruby!” she said, offering it to Weiss.  

“What?” Weiss asked in shock, stepping away from the rose as if Yang was trying to hit her with it.

“Yeah!  I mean...her name is Ruby Rose - like a red rose, right?  I thought you could give it to her as a gift.  She’ll love it!”

While Yang smiled, she watched conflicting emotions flicker through Weiss’ eyes.  Telling Yang ‘no’ was basically hard-wired into Weiss’ DNA, but she struggled against that genetic coding fiercely right now.

“That’s a dumb reason,” she retorted while snatching the rose from Yang’s hand.  “But I’ll take it with me.  You’re mangling it with your giant bear claws.”

When Weiss stalked into the classroom without another word, Yang chuckled.  But her laughter abruptly cut off when Blake reached for Yang’s hand - interlacing their fingers and lifting their joined hands up in the air between them.

“Hmm…” Blake murmured.  After a few seconds of consideration, she met Yang’s eyes with a hint of a smile.  

“I wouldn’t say giant.  I’d say just right,” she commented before letting go of Yang’s hand - and releasing her hold on Yang’s heart.  Lightly touching Yang’s elbow, she smiled before heading into class.

“I’ll see you at lunch,” she said over her shoulder, leaving Yang frozen in the hall.

If the hallway had suddenly filled with quicksand, that might explain why Yang’s feet weren’t able to move away from the door.  But...Blake just held her hand.  Right?  And not the friendly kind of holding hands - the more than friendly kind - with their fingers intertwined.

The bell jolted her out of her stupor and sent her running down the hall to make it to class in time.  

Would it be wrong for her to think that maybe Blake already considered tonight a date?  Was she just reading into the situation too much? And was she ever going to do anything in class besides think about Blake and look forward to the next time they’d see each other?  

It didn’t seem like it, as she spent a few more classes anxiously waiting for the end of the day to arrive.  

When lunchtime finally rolled around, she bolted out of the classroom like a shot from a cannon and took her roundabout way to lunch - only to find that Blake waiting outside her classroom this time.  She smiled when Yang careened around the corner, only to put on the brakes and attempt a nonchalant pace coupled with a small, super casual wave.

“Hey there, ready for lunch?”

“Always.”

Their path to the cafeteria was uneventful other than a couple of people wishing Yang good luck this afternoon.  By the time the two of them joined the line for food, they were just another part of the massive lunch crowd.

“Good luck today, dear,” Mrs. Schafer said while Yang slid her tray down the iron rails of the lunch line.

“Thanks!  I’m gonna do my best for the wonderful ladies who keep me fed during the day!” she replied with a huge grin.

“Well, don’t want you to starve between now and then, do we?” the woman teased before scooping a huge serving of pasta onto Yang’s tray and then adding a towering stack of chocolate chip cookies.  “Make sure to share those with your sister.”

Laughing and giving an obedient nod, Yang continued over to the registers to pay.

“You have a lot of people wishing you luck,” Blake observed after catching up to Yang outside of the lunch line.

“I kind of like it!  Not because they’re paying attention to me or anything, but it’s one of those times when the whole school comes together for one purpose, ya know?”

“To watch you punch someone?” Blake teased.

“Hey, it’s not as simple as that!” Yang protested.  “There’s a lot more technique involved than just throwing punches.”

“Well, maybe you can explain some of the technique to me later.  Right now I’m pretty clueless when it comes to boxing.  It just seems a bit...violent.”

“I’ll totally change your mind!  After tonight, you’ll be begging to join!  You’ll say, ‘Yang, boxing is amazing.  And I really, really want to be a boxer too.  Please teach me your ways.’”

When Blake smiled, Yang couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of that thought.  If Yang had learned anything about Blake so far, it was that she’d basically turned reading into a sport of its own.  No way she’d join an afterschool club that didn’t have anything to do with books in some way.

Too bad though.  Yang would love to teach Blake a few moves, but that had much more to do with spending time together than actually thinking that Blake should take up the sport.  It definitely wasn’t for everyone.  Plus, the idea of sending Blake into the ring with some unknown combatant didn’t make her feel particularly good…

“Hey guys,” she said while joining Ruby and Weiss at the table.  “Hope we’re not interrupting anything special.”

“Yang!” Ruby greeted her, missing the tease entirely.  “I was telling Weiss about the time you split your knuckle open!  Remember that?  How it was gushing blood all over the place?”

“Oh yeah.  Dad had to throw out that towel I used to stop the bleeding.”

“It’s a lovely meal conversation,” Weiss added sarcastically.

“If you think that’s gross,” Yang began to say, but stopped when she noticed Blake looking at her.  “But you’re right.  Maybe after we’re done eating.”

The expression Weiss shot Yang was almost unnerved by the easy acceptance, but Ruby was already moving on to the next topic.

“I’m so excited for tonight!  I’m gonna get a popcorn.  And a box of candy.  Maybe two.”

“Don’t eat too much or you’ll ruin dinner,” Yang commented before tossing three cookies onto Ruby’s tray and beginning her own lunch.

“Are you prepared for this afternoon?” Weiss asked while she speared a piece of broccoli from her tray.  

“You know me, Weiss.  I don’t prepare for anything.”  Beaming in the face of Weiss’ scowl, Yang playfully wiggled her eyebrows for good measure.

“Wonderful.  It’s not like we have a huge rivalry with Salem or anything...”

“Rivalry?” Blake cut in curiously.

“They’re a big sports-oriented school,” Weiss explained in a much more pleasant tone that she would have used with Yang.  “They can’t compete with academics, so they do whatever they can to beat us in athletics.”

“Ah…” 

While Blake nodded, Yang stared at Weiss in surprise.

“How do you know that?” she asked, earning a scathing look in return.

“I don’t live under a rock, Yang.  I hear some of what happens around here.”

Hearing the confidence in the answer, Yang narrowed her eyes.

“Ruby told you, didn’t she?”

Weiss pursed her lips and said nothing, but Ruby giggled.

“I went through our track schedule and talked about all the schools with her!” Ruby explained, spilling the beans and then some.  “It’s so annoying when we lose to Salem in anything cuz then their track team shows up and they’re all ‘oh yeah but we beat you in football or tennis or blah blah.’”  Wrinkling her nose in annoyance, Ruby shook her head.  “Basically, you can’t lose, Yang.  No pressure.”

“Thanks, sis!”  Reaching over, Yang dragged Ruby closer and ruffled her hair - laughing when Ruby struggled away with a huff.

“It’s really that big of a deal?”  From her expression, Blake was mildly taken aback by the idea of such a big sports rivalry.

“Definitely!” Ruby replied, having lost any annoyance in a matter of seconds.  “Our coach even gave us a pass from practice so we can go watch.  The sprinters are gonna be there!”

“Well at least one sprinter should be there,” Yang teased, reaching over to tickle Ruby’s side.

“I heard the principal is even coming to watch,” Weiss joined in.

“Is he really?” Ruby asked before stuffing an entire cookie into her mouth.  “Hee’sh cooo -”

“That’s what I heard,” Weiss repeated, but now it was Yang’s turn to laugh.

“He won’t be there.  He said watching me box gives him nightmares of parent conferences.”

“Oh right.  Because you nearly got yourself suspended for breaking that boy’s nose.”

“Hey,” Yang said in her defense, catching the shocked expression Blake had just sent her way.  “He had it coming.”

Expecting more of an argument, Yang was pleasantly surprised when Weiss shrugged and turned back to her food.

“Most likely,” she muttered under her breath.  “What an ass.”

Smiling at the response, Yang briefly considered making a huge deal of the fact that Weiss just uttered a swear word on school premises.  But Weiss also just agreed with her, so she decided against it. 

“Blake, are you ready for that test we have today?” Weiss then asked, drawing Blake’s intent gaze away from Yang.

“I think so.  Although he wasn’t very specific about what topics would be covered.”

“My thoughts exactly.  I studied the first ten chapters to be safe.”

While the two talked about their hyper-advanced classes, Yang shoveled forkfuls of pasta into her mouth so she could finish her lunch.  She needed all the energy she could get before the afternoon!

It was just a few minutes later that the conversation trailed off and Weiss unexpectedly stood from the table.

“Where’re you going?” Yang asked when Weiss picked up her half-empty tray.  “Lunch isn’t over yet!”

“I want to return a few books to the library,” Weiss answered easily, glancing over when Ruby immediately popped out of her chair.

“Can I come with you??”

With any other person in the world, Weiss would’ve been annoyed by the request.  But with Ruby, she nodded and said, “Sure.  You might as well.”

And that was how the indomitable Weiss Schnee was reduced to a common softie in front of the entire cafeteria.  

Well, only Yang noticed, but boy did she notice.  She couldn’t stop noticing these things now that Blake had pointed it out.  The funny part was that Ruby and Weiss were acting the same as they had for the past year, but now Yang saw what was happening.  Sparks were flying - love was in the air.  Or...two high schoolers were awkwardly trying to figure their feelings out.  Knowing Ruby, it was definitely the latter...

Still, Yang watched the two talking while they walked out of the cafeteria together, with Ruby gesturing widely and Weiss patiently listening to every word.  When they were out of sight, Yang spun back to Blake with a smile.

“Broke his nose, huh?” Blake immediately asked with an arched brow, knocking the smile from Yang’s lips as she sighed instead.

“Yeah...I did.  To be fair though, he just ‘accidentally’ slammed some kid’s hand in a locker!  Nearly broke his fingers too.  Then he took a swing at me - that’s why I didn’t get in much trouble.”

“I’m not questioning your methods,” Blake assured her.  “If you felt the need to hit him, I’m sure it was necessary.”  

It wasn’t until Blake made that comment that Yang realized she’d gotten a little defensive about that particular ‘incident.’  She was well aware of how bad it sounded that she broke someone’s nose, but when Blake gave her a reassuring nod, she relaxed.

“Sorry,” she mumbled to her tray.  “Guess I just don’t want you to think that I’m the bully…”

“I already know you’re not,” Blake answered, drawing Yang’s gaze as she shook her head in confirmation of that statement.  “But what happened to the real bully?  After his nose was fixed?”

Leaning back in her seat, Yang sighed at the subtle joke.

“He was ‘allowed’ to transfer.  I think he ended up going to Salem, actually.  He was only here for some sports scholarship anyway.”

“And the other boy?”

“Broken fingers kid?” Yang asked, looking across the table and receiving a nod from Blake.  “He’s still here.”

“He is?”

“Yeah.  And Pyrrha has a massive crush on him,” Yang explained with a grin.  “How do you think we became friends?”

While Blake digested that story, Yang smiled at the good that had come out of that day.  She and Pyrrha might’ve crossed paths eventually, but would they be as good of friends as they were now?  It was one of those questions that was impossible to answer, but if Yang knew one thing...it was that she didn’t regret her decision in the slightest.

“That’s a really touching story…” Blake finally replied, her eyes soft and appreciative.  The expression was so grateful that Yang let out an embarrassed chuckle.

“Ah, well...it worked out for everyone.” 

Watching Yang for a few seconds longer, Blake eventually looked down at the table in between them.

“My parents removed me from that type of situation,” she admitted, her eyes drifting to the side in thought.  “They can be a little...overprotective.”

“Those bullies?” Yang asked, suddenly a little angrier than before.  “They didn’t try to hurt you, did they?”  Her heart beat furiously at the thought until Blake shook her head.

“No, they were average bullies.  Mean words, stealing my things…”

“So your parents...what?  Took you outta school?”

“They had me transferred immediately,” Blake answered, her eyes finding Yang’s with a sad smile.  “I was young.  They wanted to protect me, so they gave me a fresh start somewhere new.”

“That’s probably the best solution.”

“Logically, yes...but sometimes I wonder how things would have turned out if they let me stay.  Would I have ever been able to stand up for myself?  Would I have learned to not care what anyone else thought of me?”

Blake’s expression was so thoughtful that Yang felt like it wasn’t her place to respond to those questions.  Personally, she believed that Blake would’ve turned out to be the same person with or without her parents’ interference.  Maybe Blake wasn’t the most outspoken person in the world, but she knew who she was and who she wanted to be - that was strength that a lot of people couldn’t even fake.

With a sigh, Blake shook her head as if clearing away those thoughts.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to get all existential on you…”

“Hey, no problem!” Yang said, giving Blake a smile to soothe any concerns.  “I don’t know what ‘existential’ means, but I love hearing about little Blake!  I bet you were a cutie.  I mean, not that that’s - changed...”

Her cheeks warmed at the compliment, and then went searing hot when she noticed the soft blush on Blake’s cheeks.

“I bet you were cute too,” Blake replied with a slow grin.  “You probably had an adorable little lion backpack and everything.”

“Oh!  Ruby totally had a monkey backpack!”  Briefly pausing, Yang laughed at the memory.  “Man, she kept that thing for years.  I think we still have it in a box somewhere.  Although the tail had fallen off…”

When Blake laughed, Yang grinned.  

“If I had stayed,” Blake added.  “I like to think I could’ve become your sidekick much earlier.”

“Hey, I could’ve used the help, I’ll tell ya.  You could’ve been the brains of the operation.”  When Blake smiled, Yang smiled back before her eyes flitted to the clock across the room.

“Ah shoot - lunch is over already?” she groaned before quickly eating her last bite of cookie.  “Why can’t we have an hour lunch?”

“Just think...now you’re that much closer to this afternoon.”

The suggestion worked marvelously.  Only a few more classes and the day would be over, which meant the evening could finally begin.  Which meant they’d get to spend even more time together.

With a minute left of the lunch period, they both stood and collected their empty trays to take to the garbage cans by the exits.

“I guess I’ll see you later?” Blake asked, standing with Yang at the point where they would go their separate ways.

“Definitely - oh, but wait!”  When Yang reached out and touched Blake’s elbow to prevent her from walking away, Blake turned back with open curiosity in her eyes. 

“I was just wondering - and you can totally say no - but if you don’t mind, maybe you can meet me before?”

“Before…?”

“Before the fight starts?” Yang clarified, standing a little straighter and running a hand nervously through her hair.  “Maybe you can meet me outside the locker room?”

Blake’s slow smile sent a wave of relief sweeping through her, and the nod that followed made her feel even better.

“Of course I can.”  

“Awesome,” was the only thing she could think to say while grinning at Blake like an idiot.  

“That way I’ll be one of the last ones to wish you luck,” Blake added with a pleased smile of her own.  Reaching out, she lightly squeezed Yang’s forearm before walking away and leaving Yang practically dead in the hallway.  

How did Blake know that’s exactly what Yang was trying to do?  Was she just that obvious...or was Blake thinking the same things Yang was, because she felt the same things Yang was?

Shaking herself out of the daze, Yang smiled while rushing to class - more than a little excited for the end of the day to arrive.

Comments

🌸Mina🌸

Awww so cute I love it!