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Dinner with Ruby ran longer than expected, mostly because the blowtorch restaurant turned out to be extremely popular.  Waiting for a table was entertaining in and of itself though, especially when one of the blowtorchmen accidentally charred someone’s fish into oblivion.  The margin of error when cooking by blowtorch was miniscule, it turned out. But, thankfully, their dinners were cooked perfectly.

Making their night even longer, the movie Ruby picked was so confusing that they had no idea if the ending was happy or sad.  Not ones to be left in the dark, they scoured online for explanations to their lingering questions before finally calling it a night.

The evening was filled with jokes, laughter, and a sense of levity Yang hadn’t felt in a long time - or hadn’t allowed herself to feel in a long time.

By the time she walked into her apartment, however, she was acutely aware that it was past her regular bedtime, and Blake could already be waiting for her.  Knowing this, she dropped the box of memories in the living room and rushed through her nightly routine as fast as possible.

It wasn’t until she placed the Dream Disk on her temple and swung her legs into bed that she remembered she needed to think about the dream before closing her eyes.  At the very least, she needed a landing pad so she didn’t end up in a box like last time.

Trying to come up with something original or creative was out of the question because she was neither of those things.  She could be those things with time and effort, but tonight she decided to be boring and use the living room.  It was simple, small, and easy for her to imagine while she closed her eyes and let the dream take over.

But something wasn’t quite right about her version of the room...  

Standing near the sofa, she turned in a full circle and tried to figure out what it was.  It looked mostly like the living room, but something felt...off.  That probably meant details were missing somewhere, because it was the finer details that separated life-like dreams from amateur, obviously-dream dreams.

The finer details were also the hardest to keep in focus, which was why she struggled with it so much.  If she practiced, maybe she’d get better at it. But she never felt the need to practice when Blake was so damn good already.

“I like what you’ve done with the place.”

Turning towards the voice, Yang smiled when she found Blake standing there with a small smile on her lips.

This moment happened every night, and every time Yang smiled like it was their very first date.  It was impossible not to smile when her heart did a joyful hop in her chest and her mind fired off all sort of signals reminding her of how beautiful Blake was.

These days, there was a bit of pain and sadness mixed in with the joyful feeling of reunitement, but Yang shoved those feelings aside as best she could.  Being unable to hug, kiss, or touch in any way gnawed at her, but...there wasn’t much they could do about that.

“Blake,” she said instead, feeling the need to say Blake’s name out loud just to prove it was her.

“Yang,” Blake replied with another smile.  The smile suggested she understood why they were greeting each other only by name, and she was in agreement with Yang’s decision.

The room wavered then, flickering from view when Yang’s concentration drifted solely upon the girl in front of her.  The lapse drew Blake’s gaze, and she smiled when Yang grasped onto the environment at the last second.

“You should practice with places you’re familiar with,” Blake suggested while walking to one of the bookcases and running her hand along the edge.  And Yang suddenly realized what felt wrong about the dream - none of the books had titles. The spines were blank, probably because she didn’t remember any of the titles to begin with.

“May I?” 

When Blake motioned towards the bookcase, Yang nodded.

“Please.”

Blake seamlessly took control of the dream then - not shoving Yang aside, but gently removing the responsibility that Yang willingly gave up.  As soon as the world was under Blake’s supervision, titles appeared on the books resting on the shelves, the room widened, the furniture arranged itself in a more familiar location, and a skyline was added outside the window.

Once Blake finished, the room was a spitting image of their apartment.

“You remember it perfectly,” Yang whispered, feeling a strong tug on her heart at the thought.

“Of course I do.”  Trailing her fingers across the back of the sofa, Blake looked around the room with longing in her eyes.  “It’s home.”

The comment hurt more than Yang thought it would, and it left her biting her tongue to keep an uncalled-for remark at bay.  

Apparently, this was the only way Blake would come home - in a dream.

“Sorry I’m late,” Yang said instead, drawing Blake’s gaze and an understanding smile.

“That’s ok.  I figured you had...plans.”

“Hanging out with Ruby,” Yang explained, feeling the need to clear up any potential misunderstanding.  “We went out to dinner then watched a movie at her place.”

“Oh.  That sounds like fun.” 

“It was.  It’s nice to get out of the house sometimes.” 

The response came out a little more accusatory than Yang intended, and she immediately regretted it when hurt flickered through Blake’s eyes.  Before she could apologize, however, Blake regained a smile.

“Well, in that case...”

The next second, the apartment disappeared.  The walls lowered while the room grew larger and larger - the space becoming much more cavernous.  Clean, white tiles replaced the hardwood flooring, and the general silence of the apartment building was disrupted by a crowd of voices blending together in one constant drone.  Most noticeably, the two of them were no longer alone.  

“The mall?” Yang asked, stepping to the side when a pair of shoppers brushed past her.

Seeing as how the environment was a carbon copy of the mall they used to frequent together, right down to the positioning of the stores and placement of the benches, the question was unnecessary.  Blake, however, still nodded and motioned down the wide hall lined with stores.

“Want to window shop with me?” 

When Blake gave a hopeful expression, Yang smiled and moved to her side.  Shoulders nearly brushing, the two of them walked down the right side of the hall while following the unhurried pace Blake set for them.  In the meantime, Yang marveled at the dream Blake was creating - the stores advertising sales in their front windows, the various clothing and accessories on display, and the people.

“How do you do this?” Yang asked, posing the question for probably the thousandth time.  Blake’s response was the same as always - a modest smile and shake of her head.

“Lots of practice, lots of daydreaming.”

“And a good amount of skill,” Yang added, immediately nodding when Blake shook her head.  “Yes, you’re skilled. Don’t deny it! I could practice just as much as you and never be anywhere near as good.”

“I don’t know about that…”

“I do.  You’re naturally talented at this.”

From the way Blake’s brow furrowed, Yang knew that she wanted to deny the compliment.  And she could try to be modest, but Yang knew the truth - there were few people as talented as Blake when it came to shaping dreams.

“Ohhh my god.”  Abruptly stopping in the middle of the hall, Yang felt her jaw drop while staring at the jacket displayed on the mannequin in front of her.  “How did you remember?” she asked, shooting Blake a look of dismay before hurrying into the store to take a closer look at the rack of jackets.

The first one she picked up was her size, so she threw it over her shoulders and tugged it into place.  It fit exactly like it did when she tried it on in real life - and looked just as good, if not better.

“It looks great on you.” 

“Yeah?”  Spinning around, Yang found a nearby mirror and gave herself a good look.  The tan jacket was a perfect complement to her hair, which was why she’d liked it in the first place.  Plus, it fit her perfectly, all while finding a way to accentuate her...more positive assets.  

Finding the price tag attached to the sleeve - the dealbreaker the first time around - Yang flipped it over and laughed when she saw the price.

“Must be my lucky day,” she said, looking up at Blake.  “It’s free.”

“That’s fortunate,” Blake replied with a smile.  “And you look fantastic.”

Yang felt her heart warm at the compliment, and she smiled while looking in the mirror once more.

“You know, I think you’re right.”  Her smile grew when Blake laughed at the joke, both of them knowing that she was only being teasingly immodest.  “Can I take it with me?” she asked, earning a nod and “Of course,” in return.

Pleased with the addition to her ensemble, Yang grinned and followed Blake back into the hallway of the mall.  

“Too bad you can’t do this in real life,” she teased while they continued their stroll.

“I could, but it would be called stealing.”

Laughing at the response, Yang moved out of the way when a man hurried past.  Once the path to walk was clear again, she returned to Blake’s side and raised her arms, only to discover that the price tag on her new jacket had disappeared.  When Blake removed it, Yang would never know - it happened as seamlessly and fluidly as the rest of the environment around them.

Again, she was awestruck by how real it felt.  The people passing by had distinct faces - likely from Blake’s memories - and they carried on as if they had their own agendas and places to be.  Not only that, but they didn’t just walk in straight lines - they stepped to the side of the hall to take phone calls, sat on the benches to tie their shoes, and sometimes dropped their bags on the floor while trying to carry too much at once.

‘A perfect dream is imperfect,’ Blake would say, and she was right.  Dreams could be perfect, but that destroyed the realism.  Because life wasn’t perfect, especially not with people involved.

“Anything exciting happen today?” Blake asked - the same as she always did.

“Pretty much the usual.  More arresting, more sleuthing.”

“There’s always more to it than that,” Blake prodded, glancing at Yang while they turned the corner and continued their easy stroll through another busy section of the mall.  

While Yang always felt a little put off that she was the only one providing details of her day, she didn’t feel like bringing that topic up again.  Instead, she thought through her time at the station and picked out the moments that were most notable. One, in particular, would be of interest to Blake.

“Someone you know dropped by today.”

“Oh really?”  When two ladies pushing strollers cut in front of them, Blake briefly stopped and looked at Yang.  “Who was it?”

“I’ll give you one guess,” Yang replied with a teasing smile.  “She was your partner in dream-crimes.”

“Lyla?” Blake asked, her brow rising in surprise.

“Yup!”

Hearing a soft yelp, Yang turned around and chuckled when a teenage boy tripped over a trash can and tumbled onto the floor.  Fortunately, the fall wasn’t hard enough to cause anything but rampant embarrassment, especially when his friends laughed while he picked himself off the floor.  After dusting off his pants and righting the trash can, he took off towards the food court with the rest of the group rushing to catch up.

While it might seem pointless, little instances like that made the environment feel alive.  Random events, Blake called them - the difference between an amateur and professional-level dream.

“Lyla...” Blake repeated as they resumed their walk, heading in the direction the boys had gone.  “How’s she doing?”

“She seemed ok.  But she didn’t stay long, so I didn’t get to talk to her much.” 

“Her leg?” 

“Eh…”  Shrugging at the question, Yang tried to put Blake’s worries at ease.  “She had her cane but that’s it.” 

After ‘hmm’ing to herself at the answer, Blake glanced at Yang.

“What’d she come see you for?”

Remembering the box sitting in the living room, Yang dropped her gaze to the floor while they approached the balcony over the food court.

“She...uh, she dropped off some stuff from your office.”  Feeling Blake’s gaze, Yang hurried forward to keep the conversation from dwelling here.  “You had a lot of pictures of me.”

After forcing a smile, Yang looked to the side and caught Blake’s eyes, which searched hers for several seconds before a smile finally appeared.

“That’s why I had the most beautiful office in the building.”

Yang laughed at the response, which was the perfect combination of a joke and compliment to keep them from focusing on less-favorable topics.

That was a smooth answer.”

“You’ve taught me something, after all,” Blake teased in response, recalling their ongoing argument about Yang having nothing worthy of teaching Blake.  Blake always refuted that notion and insisted that she learned far more from Yang than the other way around. The argument would probably never have a winner or loser, but that was just fine with both of them.

“Want to sit down?” Blake asked then, motioning towards a small, empty table that sat near the railing overlooking the food court below.  It was one of only a few such tables, where people often sat to rest their legs rather than eat, but it offered an excellent view of the commotion below without descending into the madness.

“Sure.”

Sitting across from Blake, Yang sighed and allowed her eyes to wander.  While she might never understand how Blake held everything together, she’d never stop marveling at the attention to detail put into every dream.  She still remembered the very first dream Blake showed her - that was the moment she realized how exceptional Blake was. 

Blake wasn’t just intelligent - she was brilliant.  And beautiful, and playful, and caring - everything Yang could ever hope for wrapped up in one wonderful person.

While the two of them sat in comfortable silence, someone passing behind Blake caught Yang’s attention.  The slender brunette had some serious swagger, swaying her hips back and forth while a small smirk lifted her lips -

“Yang.” 

Spotting Blake’s amused expression, Yang realized she was just caught staring at another woman - another woman in a dream, no less.

“What?” she asked, feigning innocence.  It didn’t work - Blake rolled her eyes and left the table behind to continue walking.

“You had the same reaction the first time you saw her.” 

Jaw dropping at the offhand remark, Yang stood and hurried after Blake.

“One, I like brunettes.”  She added a wink with the comment - earning another eye roll - before continuing.  “And two, that’s entrapment! You walked her right where I’d see her!”

“I just wanted to see your response,” Blake replied, feigning a bit of innocence herself.  When Yang laughed, Blake smiled, her amber eyes sparkling with delight and mischief.  

In moments like this, it felt like everything was normal.  Like they were still a functioning couple hanging out at the mall together.  Unfortunately, reality was never too far behind, and often dumped over Yang’s head like a bucket of ice-cold water.  

This time, reaching for Blake’s hand reminded her that none of this was real.  The only thing real about it was their minds connecting through the Dreamscape, allowing them to communicate even though they were worlds apart.

Somehow, Blake sensed Yang’s sudden dose of reality and responded with a hopeful smile.

“Anything else happen today?”

Embracing the subject change, Yang picked another moment of interest from her day.

“A lady came in - her son died of a heart attack, but she thinks there’s some foul play involved.”

“That’s sad…”

“Yeah, but I told her I’d look into it.  He was actually an intern at Dreamscape.”

“Was he?”  When Yang nodded, Blake shook her head and sighed.  “Guess it’s not surprising he died young then. The interns run themselves ragged in hopes of getting a permanent position.”

“You didn’t have to run yourself ragged though, did you?” Yang asked, suddenly thinking that maybe that’s what Blake was trying to escape.  But the idea was dashed when Blake shook her head again.

“Thankfully, no.  But I was one of the fortunate ones.”

“Is that your way of saying you slacked off?” Yang asked.

“Not at all.  I just...found a way to keep work from consuming my life.”

“And what was your secret to success?”  

While Yang posed the question as a tease, Blake returned her gaze with a heartfelt smile.

“You,” Blake answered, holding Yang’s gaze for a long time before finally turning away.  “I used to love getting lost in dreams, but when you came into my life...I discovered I’d rather get lost in you.”

The response hit Yang’s heart like an arrow, filling her with an overwhelming amount of love and longing for the girl walking beside her.  Blake loved using her mind and imagination, so for her to admit that she’d rather spend time outside of the Dreamscape with Yang…

There was no easier way to make Yang feel special - treasured, even.  But when she reached for Blake’s hand, wanting to express only a fraction of how much she loved Blake in return, she was again confronted by the limits of their existence.

To put it bluntly, it sucked that they couldn’t touch through the Dreamscape.  Some days, it was a nuisance that failed to register. On the worst days, however, it left Yang without a way to express her feelings.

How different would their separation feel if they could hug every night?  What if they could kiss and hold hands like they once had? Would that make this any better, or just that much worse?  It still wouldn’t be real; it still wouldn’t be Blake.

At this point, Yang would accept just about anything - any form of contact would be reassurance that what they had was still there, buried somewhere.  But maybe she was the only one craving physical touch. Maybe this was acceptable to Blake, although she couldn’t understand how. How was any of this acceptable?

“What’s wrong?”

The question jolted Yang out of her thoughts, and she quickly realized she’d been staring at the floor for quite some time.

“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to play off the silence as nothing more than a lapse in attention.

“You seem...upset.”

As usual, Blake read Yang’s emotions like a book.  Being in the Dreamscape did that, somehow. That, or Blake was really good at deciphering Yang’s emotions regardless of the circumstances.  It could be either, considering how close they were before...everything.

“It’s nothing,” Yang said, looking away when Blake raised her brow at the response.

“Yang.”

The interior of the mall suddenly faded away, morphing into the park near their apartment.  The voices disappeared, the walls folded flat into green spaces and paved sidewalks, the benches transformed into the outdoor variety and were paired with lamps, and the crowds of people became nothing more than a few joggers or walkers in the distance.

Just like Blake recognized Yang’s lie, Yang recognized the change in scenery as Blake’s way of focusing more attention on the conversation at hand.  She appreciated Blake’s attentiveness - she really did - but sometimes she wished Blake would let it go.

Knowing that wouldn’t happen, Yang sighed and stuck her hands in the pockets of her new jacket.  She didn’t want to get into this right now because she knew it would make her upset and that would, in turn, upset Blake.  And she didn’t want to do that. She tried hard not to disturb the relative peace between them.

But maybe that was part of the problem.  Instead of saying what she thought, she did her best to tiptoe around the sensitive subjects, choosing to keep those thoughts buried inside.  If she was ever going to throw Blake off somehow, and possibly gain a glimpse into what was actually going on, maybe she needed to speak her mind.

“I just...don’t understand why you’re doing this,” she said, watching Blake’s brow knit together like it normally did when this subject was broached.

“I told you…”

“That you’re trying to protect me,” Yang interrupted.  “What if I told you I don’t care? That I’ll accept the danger if it means you’ll come back?”

“I can’t let you do that…”

“Why not?”

When Blake turned away, Yang stepped in front of her.

“Aren’t I allowed to decide what risks I take?” she pressed.  “Every day at work, I have to take risks - my life is in danger - why can’t I accept one more?”

“You’re trained for those risks, Yang,” Blake replied, looking like she wished she hadn’t brought up the conversation.  “You’re given the tools and support necessary to protect yourself, and you’re experienced with keeping yourself safe.”

“So this is something I’m not trained for?”

When Blake sighed and turned away again, Yang didn’t let her.  

“What type of risk am I not trained for, Blake?” she pressed, grasping onto the first ‘hint’ she’d received in months.

“It’s nothing.  Please drop it.”

“How can I ‘drop it’ when you won’t come back?” Yang asked, throwing her hands in the air.  “Am I just supposed to not care that you’re gone? Just go about my life like it doesn’t matter that you left me here?”  

When Blake met Yang’s gaze, it was with the same resoluteness as yesterday, as last week, as the week before that.  That look hurt more than Yang ever let on.

“Is this like...the world’s slowest way to break up with someone?” she asked, hearing her pain slip into her tone.

“Of course not -”

“Then what are you doing?” she demanded, anger and frustration finally bursting out.  “I thought that we -” Shaking her head and swallowing the words, she went down a different path.  “This isn’t a relationship, Blake. For all I know, you’re off sleeping with everyone you know -”

“That’s not what’s happening and you know it.”

Blake’s anger at the insinuation made Yang feel better in a way, but also worse.

“How do I know that?  I haven’t seen you in months; you never tell me what you’re doing -”

“So that means I’m sleeping with someone?” Blake asked, her voice rising in indignation.

“What am I supposed to think, Blake?”  Yang knew she was stepping close to a line, but now she was upset - and now she just wanted a reaction.  Some type of response that proved there were still feelings there.

“Everyone assumes I’m single now,” she added.  “I mean, why wouldn’t they? As far as they know, my girlfriend died almost a year ago.”

“Are you sleeping with someone then?” Blake cut in, her expression contorting in pain and rage.  “Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

“What if I was?” Yang shot back, waving her hand through the air.  “Would you even care?”

Feeling a rumble pass beneath her feet, Yang looked down in surprise before watching Blake close her eyes and clench her fingers into tight fists.

“I know what you’re doing,” she said, opening her eyes and giving Yang a sad look.  “Yang -”

Blake took a step closer as the sky lightened, signaling the start of a new day and the end of their time together.  Looking over her shoulder with a sigh, she turned back to Yang with those sad, tired eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered.  “And you know that.”

The dream ended then, and Yang opened her eyes only to close them again and let out a long sigh.  

Her heart hurt.  It was a different type of pain than what she’d felt in the days and weeks following the blast, but...it hurt all the same.

“Save dream sequence?” the automated voice asked her while she sat up and swung her legs out of bed.  Putting her head in her hand, she tried to keep the tears at bay.

“Do I?” she whispered to the empty room, wishing someone was there to answer her.

“Save dream sequence?” the voice called out again, prompting her to sigh and stand up.

“Yes.”

After re-attaching her arm, she collected the data file and shot a glance towards the other half of the room.  The quick look only amplified the pain in her chest when she found it exactly the way Blake left it. A book sat on the nightstand, a purple bookmark sticking from the top to mark Blake’s place.  A pair of reading glasses sat on the cover, folded up and ready to be used whenever called upon next. Which...who knew how long it might be before that happened.

Sighing one last time, Yang ran a hand through her hair and headed into the bathroom to get ready for another day.

There was something so unsatisfying about waking up and still having no idea where Blake was or when she was coming back, but what could Yang do besides keep trying?

“You could stop trying…” she mumbled to herself, drying off her face with the hand towel and then shaking her head at the thought.  She wasn’t the type to give up, especially not on those she cared about. Plus, deep down, she felt like she might be the unreasonable one.  Shouldn’t she be more understanding?  Something scared Blake enough that she left her life behind - shouldn’t Yang be a little more compassionate?

Ultimately, yes.  Maybe. But she worked for the police.  Literally, it was her job to track down and put bad guys behind bars.  Why wouldn’t Blake let her do her job?

After throwing on some comfortable clothes for work, she headed into the kitchen but found there were no more apples for breakfast.  Grabbing a granola bar instead, she opened the wrapper and took a bite while heading out the door. As soon as she locked the apartment behind her, she pulled out her phone and dialed Ruby.

“Hello?”

“Morning, sunshine!” Yang said, smiling at Ruby’s groggy, sleep-filled voice.  “I’m on my way over. Think you can drag yourself out of bed?”

“I can try…”

“Good!  I’ll see you soon.”

Taking a few garbled grumbles as acceptance, Yang hung up and shook her head.  Ruby’s sleep schedule was sporadic, to put it lightly. If she got on the trail of something, she’d stay up the entire night trying to find the answer.  The same could be said if she found something particularly interesting, noteworthy, or funny.  

Fortunately, Ruby operated best on little to no sleep.  At least, that’s what she always said, and Yang believed it so long as it meant she could drop by in the morning like usual.

She made it to the train station right as one pulled up, a bit of luck and perfect timing that would hopefully carry through the rest of the day.  With plenty of empty seats inside, she took one near the windows and slumped against it while the doors slid shut and the train pulled away from the station.

While the pain of last night’s sequence had faded, she still felt an ache in her chest that wouldn’t go away anytime soon.  Arguing with Blake was one of her least favorite things to do, and it was worse when they couldn’t just kiss and make up. Instead, she had to wait for the entire day to pass before they could speak again, which was a long time to dwell on what she said.

It felt like this was happening more frequently - raised voices and pointless arguments - probably the result of her frustration boiling over while Blake’s stubbornness remained.  Eventually, something had to give, but she was afraid to think about what would happen then.

If there was a silver lining in their most recent fight, Yang was more confident than ever that Blake wasn’t seeing anyone else.  She hadn’t thought so to begin with, but it still begged the question - what was Blake doing with her time? How did she fill her days?  As long as there was no one else, Yang should be happy...right?

Hopping off the train and hurrying across mostly-empty streets, she was only a block from Ruby’s apartment when a sleek, silver car pulled to the side of the road in front of her.  Seeing as how there was hardly any traffic at this time of day, the vehicle immediately got most of Yang’s attention. When the door opened and woman with dark, auburn hair stepped out, Yang grinned and hurried to catch up.  Once she was close enough, she whistled - drawing the woman’s instantly-annoyed gaze her way.

“Why hello there,” Yang said, earning an eyeroll while the two of them walked towards Ruby’s building.

“It’s too early for this,” Weiss grumbled.

“Never too early when there’s a beautiful lady involved.”  When Weiss responded with a sigh, Yang chuckled and held the door so they could head inside.  “How ‘bout you and I grab dinner tonight - and then breakfast tomorrow morning, if you know what I mean.”

Yang winked at the playful offer while Weiss pressed the button to summon an elevator.

“Your sister is probably watching, you know.”

Laughing at the response, Yang turned and waved towards a small camera hidden in the corner of the lobby.  While she did that, the elevator arrived and Weiss walked in without waiting for her, forcing her to stick her hand between the door to keep it from leaving without her.

“You got here fast,” Yang said while the elevator rushed skyward.

“I was already on the way.”

“Ah.”  After standing for a few seconds in silence, Yang glanced at Weiss and grinned.  “You know, you didn’t have to come all the way over here just for me.”

“That’s quite the assumption you’re making,” Weiss replied, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder.  “But I didn’t come over here just for you.”

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Weiss led the way to Ruby’s apartment while Yang chuckled at the prickly response.

“But you kind of came over here for me,” she teased, watching Weiss unlock the front door with an ease suggesting she’d done it many times before.

“You’re a convenient excuse.”

Enjoying the banter, Yang laughed as the two of them walked into Ruby’s apartment together.

“Ruby?” Weiss called out as soon as the door closed behind them.  On cue, Ruby bounded into the entryway - still wearing her pajamas - and rushed over.

“Good morning!” was all she said before pulling Weiss in for a kiss.

A long, long kiss.

First, Yang averted her gaze from the display of affection.  But after a few seconds of that, she cleared her throat in hopes it would separate the two.  When that didn’t work, she sighed - loudly.

“Seriously,” she said, which finally ended their good morning kiss.  Ruby held Weiss’ hand and giggled, not at all ashamed of the greeting, while Weiss removed her holomask and looked very much like she wanted to continue the kiss in private.

“I am just an excuse for you two to see each other every morning,” Yang said with a fake-hurt tone, raising a hand to touch her heart while Weiss leveled her with an impassive look.  

“You are.”

“Not!” Ruby immediately added, bumping Weiss’ arm and somehow getting the girl to smile.  “You are not. We’re here to help you.”

Yang knew Ruby’s words were true - and she knew Weiss loved to tease her otherwise, just for the fun of it.  She was secretly grateful for the teasing because it made everything feel a little less...serious.

“Good,” she replied with a smile.  “Because I need your help.”

“And I need coffee,” Weiss replied, kissing Ruby’s cheek before heading into the kitchen to make her morning coffee.

While Weiss did that, Yang dropped the dream sequence onto Ruby’s computer and stood back to watch Ruby work her magic.  Her hands flew through the air, manipulating the screens and programs in ways Yang could hardly track.  

If dreaming came easily to Blake, computers came easily to Ruby.  It had been this way ever since they were little, when Ruby started taking apart their dad’s computer ‘for fun.’  It wasn’t long before she ruled all the technology in their house, and that’s when things got interesting.  Hidden security systems they never knew about, automated check-ins for nearly every situation, and computer-driven robots designed for the craziest of tasks.

Her talent with computers made her a natural fit to work in the lab at the department.  With how technology-driven the world was, they needed her help on essentially every case crossing their desk, and she almost always delivered.

“You look like you could use this,” Weiss said as she joined them, pressing a cup of coffee into Yang’s hands.

“Thanks.”  Taking a sip and sighing at the familiar taste, Yang watched Ruby retrieve the video file while completing several other tasks at the same time.  “Just a heads up, the ending’s a little...contentious.”

Ruby and Weiss exchanged glances at the forewarning but said nothing while the video loaded on the screen.  For her part, Yang had learned long ago not to feel embarrassed about sharing her conversations with them.  In the beginning, she’d tried to figure this out on her own and gotten nowhere. She needed their help. And, more than help, she needed their support.  

How sad was that?  She needed their support.  She needed someone else to see what she was going through - to tell her that she wasn’t crazy for doing what she was doing.  Just like Mrs. Sawyer, she needed anyone to listen to her and believe her, even if it was only for a few minutes every morning.

The closer the video got to the ending, however, the more fixed her eyes grew on the screen versus anything else around her.  And when the ripple tore through the dream, she steadfastly avoided the glance Weiss sent her way.

She was fine.  

Sure, she accused her girlfriend of sleeping around when she knew that wasn’t true.  And sure, she made it sound a little bit like she might do the same in return. And yes, she didn’t mean or want to do any of those things, but...well, at least she got a reaction, and hopefully something would come of it.

“Anything?”  She hardly wanted to ask the question, but she needed to know the answer.

“Look,” Ruby said, pointing to the screen.  Whatever she wanted them to see passed too quickly, so she rewound and slowed down the speed.

“Right there,” she said, putting her finger nearly on the screen.  “See that?”

At a much slower speed, it was possible to see a small flash of something when Blake got upset.

“What is that?”  Leaning closer, Weiss squinted her eyes in an attempt to bring the object into focus.

Clicking again, Ruby zoomed in on an object hidden in the fabric of the dream.  At first, Yang was hopeful that it was a clue - then she saw what it was.

“It’s a safe,” she said, rubbing both hands over her face before shaking her head.  “It’s a freaking safe.”

“Apparently,” Ruby answered, sitting in her chair and staring at the screen.  “Whatever Blake knows, she’s scared of you finding out. She literally locked it away from you.”

“Great.”

Turning away, Yang ran a hand through her hair and sighed.  Deep down, she understood that Blake wouldn’t come back until she finished whatever she was trying to accomplish.  And within the confines of the Dreamscape, she was too talented to let anything slip. So why was Yang even trying? Why did she spend every night hoping she’d find a clue, a breadcrumb leading her to Blake?

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned and sighed again at the compassionate smile Weiss was giving her.

“We’ll figure it out.  It might take some time, but we’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t know if I believe that…” Yang admitted, fighting against the lump of emotion growing in her throat.  “I used to, but now…”

“Ruby is the most talented decoder on the force,” Weiss replied, her expression daring Yang to argue.  “If anyone can help you crack Blake’s defenses, it’s her.”

Thinking about the words for a little bit, and deciding she couldn’t dwell on this any longer without breaking down, Yang broke out a smile instead.

“If you know she’s the best decoder around, why do you spend so much time trying to discredit her on the stand?”

The question was meant to be a tease - instead, Weiss’ eyes clouded as her gaze fell to the ground.

“Because that’s my job…” she muttered before turning to Ruby, who granted immediate forgiveness with a wide grin.

“Remember that time Weiss called me a freshman in high school?”  Wrapping her arms around Weiss’ waist, Ruby pulled her close and nuzzled her ear.

Yang laughed at the memory, but Weiss scoffed.

“That’s because you looked like a freshman in high school, at the time.”

“Skipped several grades,” Yang pointed out, holding up a finger to count the ways in which Ruby was exceptional.  “Youngest head of tech in the history of the department. Certified genius at anything plugged into an outlet or connected online.  And your strategy was to call her a child.”

“It was a solid strategy,” Weiss refuted, although her argument was half-hearted, at best - the result of being held in Ruby’s arms.  “I couldn’t dispute the results without resorting to crack scientists, so I needed to diminish her status in the eyes of the jurors - hope they thought of her as too young to offer opinions.”

“Instead, you made her look like a prodigy.”

Not at all upset at the memory, Weiss swiveled around and beamed at Ruby.

“Because she is,” Weiss said, raising a hand and running it through Ruby’s hair.  The gesture was so intimate and affectionate, Yang considered turning away. But the moment passed when Weiss laughed.

“Do you remember when I tried to pay you to leave the force and serve as my firm’s expert witness?” Weiss asked, speaking to Ruby now while still playing with her hair.  

“I do,” Ruby said with a smile.  “You offered me a lot of money.”

“I still think you should’ve taken it.”

“And done what?  Got super wealthy helping bad guys skip prison?”

“I help innocent people too, you know.”

“Oh really?” Ruby asked in a teasing tone.

“Ok lovebirds,” Yang cut in before the conversation devolved into further cuteness.  “Ruby, see you at work?” When Ruby nodded, Yang reached out and patted Weiss’ shoulder.  “Weiss, see you whenever.”

Leaving the two to enjoy the rest of their morning, Yang hurried out of the apartment without giving another glance to the computer screen displaying the remnants of her dream from last night.  Disappointed was one way to describe how she felt while waiting for the elevator to arrive at the top floor. Discouraged was another. Disheartened. But not willing to give up. Not yet.

After stepping outside a few minutes later, she tilted her chin towards the sun and closed her eyes.  

She used to think she was a good detective.  She used to think that with enough effort, she could solve anything - find anyone.  But when it came down to it - when she really needed to find some clues - she came up empty-handed.  How could she call herself a good detective when she couldn’t find her own girlfriend after months of searching?

Shaking her head, she started off for the train station at a fast walk.  The image of the safe in the dream wouldn’t leave her mind...serving as a constant reminder that, despite all her efforts, Blake was still locked away from her.

It didn’t make her feel any better knowing that Blake was the one with the key.

Comments

yodaka

that safe bit reminded me of inception. Yang need to work to get a rise out of Blake, just get Blake to lose her cool, like by being super sexy Yang xD

Anonymous

Finally caught up! Another wonderful, absolutely heart-wrenching story that you know how to put out ^^ Lovely as always!