The Vale Voice - Chapter 20 (Patreon)

The rest of the workday passed in a blur, due in no small part to Blake’s determination to craft the perfect apology.  That goal turned out to be harder than expected, mostly because she didn’t fully grasp the depths of her biases yet.  She understood that she treated Yang unfairly for no reason other than being human, but she didn’t know how to make that better.  She could promise to try her hardest not to do something like this again, but what good did that do when she already hurt Yang’s feelings?

Maybe Yang would never forgive her.  Maybe things never went back to how they were, but hopefully she saw how sorry Blake was.  Hopefully, she believed that Blake could change.  

Based on how thoroughly this had slipped her notice, the journey ahead might be difficult.  But if every journey began with a single step, her first step would be apologizing to the person she hurt the most.  

Selfishly, she wanted more - not just forgiveness, but a second chance.  No matter how many times she told herself not to get her hopes up, she couldn’t help herself.  She missed Yang that much and wished that badly to prove she was capable of change.  In TV shows and movies, characters made mistakes like this all the time; they were always forgiven after an apology or grand gesture begging for forgiveness.  Reality probably wouldn’t be so kind, but…

She was an idiot.  She could already be with Yang.  They could be talking right now, or have plans for dinner tonight.  Instead, she faced a future where their relationship would never be what it once was - all because Yang didn’t fit Blake’s flawed vision of her life.

For the entire afternoon, she thought about the moment when Yang made her wants and intentions clear.  Now that Blake understood the source of her hesitation, would she go back and accept those invitations for lunch, dinner, and everything in between?  

She would love to.  

That didn’t mean she had suddenly been cured; the idea of forming a legitimate relationship with Yang still made her nervous.  A majority of those nerves, however, had more to do with her hesitancy to be that close to anyone, not Yang in particular.  

Tapping a pen against her desk, lost in thought, she only realized how late it was when her coworkers began leaving for the day.  A glance at the clock confirmed that her time was up.  Unless she wanted to wait for tomorrow, which she didn’t, whatever she had written so far was what she had to go with.

After folding the pages and sticking them in her pocket, she slowly gathered her things and gave herself a last-minute pep talk.  She had to do this.  The alternative was potentially losing Yang for good, and that thought was...unbearable.

It wasn’t until her bag was packed that she realized the problem with her plan - she had no idea where Yang lived.  She had Yang’s number so could message or call and ask to meet, but part of her worried Yang would ignore the attempt or worse - say that she had no interest in talking.

Without Yang’s address, however, Blake couldn’t present her apology.  She would have to figure out where Yang lived first, which she was sure she could do...but it would take time.

Spotting Velvet getting ready to leave, Blake hurried out of her office in hopes of finding a solution.

“Hey Velvet.  Do you have a second?”

“Sure, what do you need?”

She needed to talk to Yang today.  But if Velvet didn’t have an answer, this mission would be set back a few steps.

“Any chance you know where Yang lives?”

“Her address should be on the employee information sheet she filled out.”

“We have an employee information sheet?” Blake asked, her surprise growing as Velvet knelt by her desk and dug through some files.

“Yes.”  After finding what she was looking for, Velvet stood and handed Blake a folder with Yang’s name printed on the tab.  “I was curious, so made one and had her fill it out her first day.”

“And people say I’m the cat…” Blake mumbled, flipping open the folder and looking at the single page inside.  It was covered in Yang’s handwriting, the familiarity alone filling her chest with butterflies and longing.  She wished she had gotten to know Yang well enough that she already knew the answers to these questions, but...maybe there was still hope for that.

“Does this mean you’re going to see her?”

Faced with Velvet’s subtly-hopeful expression, Blake didn’t know how to respond.  Honestly, she hadn’t expected Velvet to have Yang’s address handy.  Now that she had that critical piece of information, she didn’t have a good reason not to go.

“I’m thinking about it,” she admitted.

“Do you need an excuse?”

Blake nearly shook her head but stopped and eyed Velvet curiously.

“Do you have one?” 

“I might.”  Velvet’s smile grew as she searched through the desk drawers and eventually pulled out an envelope with a stack of photographs inside.  “She asked for copies of these, but I forgot to give them to her before she left.  Maybe you can do me a favor and get them to her?”

When Velvet extended the envelope, her eyes said she knew she just made it impossible for Blake to back out.  She wanted to see Yang, she needed to apologize, and now one of her best friends asked her for a favor.

“You know I will,” she grumbled, swiping the envelope from Velvet’s hands and lifting the flap to see the photos inside.  Immediately greeted by the picture of her and Yang at the party - the two of them leaning close while smiling - she closed the envelope and shook her head.

“I don’t know...”

“She said she wanted them,” Velvet reiterated.  “And she’s never told me any differently.”

Glancing at the envelope, Blake thought of all the ways her life had changed since that party.  Chances were, Yang didn’t want these photos anymore.  At least, not the ones of her and Blake.  But if she asked for them, and Velvet felt obligated to deliver them…

“Ok.”  Trying to mask her nerves, Blake nodded and attended a smile.  “I’ll get them to her.”  

When Velvet’s eyes narrowed, Blake added, “I’ll personally hand them to her, ok?” 

“Good.”  Finally, Velvet smiled.  “I think that’s the best way to go about it.”

The response had nothing to do with delivering some photographs, and Blake heard the advice loud and clear.

“I know.  And I’ll make it over there - promise.”

“I believe you,” Velvet replied, gently patting Blake’s shoulder before heading towards the door.

“Any last advice?” Blake called after her.  With her hand on the door handle, Velvet paused and considered the question before responding.

“We all make mistakes, Blake.”  

With those simple words, Velvet gave one last smile before ducking through the door and heading home for the night.

Left alone in the office, Blake sighed and looked at the envelope in her hand.  She understood that everyone made mistakes, but what Weiss said yesterday was right - she wasn’t used to making mistakes.  If something like this ever happened, she always felt assured blaming the other party and moving on.  In this case, she couldn’t find a way to blame Yang at all.  

This was her fault.  She messed up.  She wasn’t as accepting as she thought herself to be, but she knew that now.  She knew it, and she could apologize for it.  Ultimately, it might not make a difference, but...at least she could try.

After one last look around the office, she decided it was time to leave.  So, with the envelope of photographs stuffed safely in her bag, she memorized Yang’s address and headed out the door without pause.  Now that she had a direction, she would see this through to the end.  

Outside the building, she stopped only long enough to look up directions to Yang’s home.  The address was unfamiliar because Yang lived in one of the ‘human’ sides of town that Blake rarely frequented, but she hardly spared a second thought on that before setting off at a quick walk.  

While the blocks passed beneath her feet, thoughts flew through her mind.  Worst case scenarios, best case scenarios, unlikely and most likely scenarios all popped into her head only to immediately give way to the next.

What if Yang wasn’t there?  Should she wait or try again another day?

What if Yang wouldn’t talk to her?  What if she opened the door only to slam it in Blake’s face?  Should she try to apologize through a closed door or take the hint and give up?

As those thoughts and more flitted through her mind, she hurried across unfamiliar streets into an unfamiliar part of town.  She earned several glances on the way but paid the onlookers no mind; there wasn’t time to be annoyed or irritated.  Besides, now that she thought about it, didn’t she do the same when a human wandered into her neighborhood?  

This episode was a giant, humbling experience, and she had a feeling the conversation to come would be even more so.  But she wouldn’t shy away from it - she would embrace it as an opportunity to get better, just like she’d wished humans would do.

Pausing at the next intersection, she read the street names before double-checking her directions and crossing.  As she grew closer to Yang’s address, her nerves doubled, then tripled, in intensity.  

She didn’t want to do this.  Quite frankly, it was horrible to realize she’d been so far off base.  In any other situation, with any other person, she might just write it off as a lesson learned and move on.  But she couldn’t have done this to a kinder person, so she couldn’t just move on.  Most importantly, she didn’t want to lose Yang.  If there was any chance of salvaging their relationship, even just a shred of it, she would do whatever it took, no matter how humbling.

So when she turned onto the street bearing the same name as the address Yang wrote down, she didn’t hesitate.  Not when she looked up at the tall, well-maintained apartment buildings.  Not when she passed a small neighborhood market and several local restaurants.  She didn’t stop until she reached Yang’s address - a ten-or-so story, beige apartment building with a lobby on the first floor.

She’d never wondered where Yang lived, but this seemed fitting.  A lively neighborhood in a nice but not too nice part of town, where the residents seemed younger in age or lifestyle, with ample public transportation nearby.

Taking a deep breath, Blake walked into the lobby and paused to look around.  Two elevators lay directly in front of her, with a staircase beside them.  Mailboxes covered the wall on her left, notices and other news covered the right.  Her eyes stuck on that side of the room, however, when she spotted a stack of papers she would know anywhere.

Someone had left copies of The Vale Voice on the table in the lobby, with a small sign offering a succinct and encouraging “Check this out!”  Even if she hadn’t recognized the handwriting, Blake only needed one guess to name who would do something like this.

Knowing that Yang left the copies here, even after what happened, gave Blake a small amount of hope as she hurried into the stairwell and headed up to the third floor.

Yang saw that stack of papers every time she passed through the lobby.  Every time she left for the day or came home for the evening, she received a stark reminder of what happened.  Yet she hadn’t moved them.  She left them there, right where she would see them along with everyone else.  

She might be angry at Blake, but she still supported them and the work they did.  That unwavering support made the last two days seem even more ridiculous.  Blake had always hoped for someone to support her dreams, then she found that person and decided they had to be Faunus too.

Why?  Why did they have to be Faunus?  Did she honestly believe a Faunus could support her more than Yang had so far?  Did she honestly think that being Faunus made someone more capable of listening to her or understanding her?  

As the stack of papers in the lobby showed, Yang supported who she was, not what she was.  Now it was time she did the same. 

Exiting the stairwell on the third floor, she glanced at the nearest door before continuing down the hall.  Her heart rate crept up as the numbers climbed higher, and she struggled to remember the words she spent all afternoon perfecting.  She had the draft with her but, now that she was here, felt too impatient to commit it to memory.

Stopping in front of Yang’s door, which she checked and double-checked first, she searched for her last shred of confidence and steeled herself for what was to come.  More important than her goals - what she wanted to accomplish, what she wanted to reclaim - was being honest and genuine.  Admitting her failures and shortcomings without hesitation.  Opening up about herself more than she’d ever done before.  Yang deserved that from her, and she was determined to give it.

After a brief hesitation, she took a deep breath and knocked twice.  She immediately hoped Yang wasn’t home, but the footsteps approaching the door dashed that foolish wish to pieces.  Another few seconds passed, the footsteps grew closer, and she took one last deep breath as the handle turned and the door swung inward.  

Just like that, she found herself face-to-face with Yang.

“Hi,” she managed to say, although she hardly heard her voice over the beating of her heart.  They hadn’t been apart for long, but she had forgotten how incredibly gorgeous Yang was.  Her eyes, her hair, her lips...everything about her made Blake regret her mistake even more.

From the expression on Yang’s face, however, Blake was the last person she’d expected to find standing in the hall.  And, as Blake watched, a rush of emotions passed through lilac eyes, none of them very positive.

But she wouldn’t be deterred.  Not until she apologized.

“Can I come in?” she asked, gently motioning into the apartment and bracing herself for the moment Yang shut the door.  

Instead, Yang glanced over her shoulder before offering a soft “sure” and leaving Blake standing in the hall.  While not exactly the warmest of invitations, it also wasn’t the worst that could have happened, which she would mark as a win.

With permission granted, she walked inside and closed the door behind her while surveying her new surroundings.  The apartment was arranged in an open living space, with the kitchen directly ahead and the living room to the left.  A hallway on the right suggested bedrooms in that direction, although it was hard to tell how many from here.  

Overall, the apartment was decently-sized but not overly large.  It was also fairly clean, although several areas suggested cleanliness wasn’t a top priority, such as the magazines strewn across the coffee table or the stack of movies beside the television.  

What Blake noticed most, however, was that everything smelled like Yang.  The familiarity made her ache for the closeness they once had, which Yang seemed content upon forgetting as she walked into the kitchen and leaned against the countertop.  With the dining table effectively acting as a barrier between them, Blake stopped on the opposite side and rested a hand on the back of a chair.

“So...what’s up?” Yang asked, crossing her arms and giving a quick shrug suggesting they were just friends catching up.

“Velvet asked me to bring these to you.”  Removing the envelope from her bag, Blake held it towards Yang for a second before realizing Yang wasn’t going to take it.  She set it on the table instead, and gently pushed it forward before leaving it be.  “She said you asked for copies…”

“You could’ve mailed them.”

“I know, but I...thought it would be best to deliver them in person.”  Blake paused and searched for any softening in Yang’s eyes, but continued when she found nothing.  “And I just wanted to check and see...how you’ve been?”

“Pretty good, I guess.”  Again, Yang shrugged as if this conversation was no big deal.  “Weiss proposed to Ruby last night.”

“Really?  That’s good, I’m guessing?”

“Of course.  And Ruby said yes, so Weiss whisked her off to Vacuo to celebrate.”

The news made Blake feel even more foolish.  Weiss and Yang weren’t an item - Weiss was going to be Yang’s sister-in-law.  All of that jealousy and resentment had been pointless.

“That’s great,” she replied with a small smile.  “I’m happy for them.”

“Yeah, me too.”

When they lapsed into silence, Blake realized that she had taken for granted how easy Yang was to talk to.  Now, strained small talk replaced their comfortable banter, and Yang looked disinterested in even that much.  If anything, it looked like she preferred for Blake to leave sooner rather than later, which only made the magnitude of her mistake shine brighter.

“Everyone at the office misses you,” she added, searching for something to spark a real conversation.  “About every hour, Sun says how much he wishes you still worked with us.”

“That’s nice of him.  I enjoyed my time there too.”

Blake hesitantly met Yang’s eyes before glancing away, unwilling to stare into the unnervingly steeled gaze for too long.  

“Victor is complaining that no one appreciates his intelligence anymore,” she continued.  “And even Brand -”

“Blake.”

Her rambling stopped, and she turned back to Yang, who shrugged without uncrossing her arms.

“Why are you here?”

The direct question implied Blake had worn out her welcome, and she needed to get to the point sooner rather than later.  

“I...wanted to apologize.”

“Oh.  Well, apology accepted.”

From the way Yang’s demeanor remained unchanged, she wasn’t moved or accepting of the idea.  But she didn’t have to be - Blake hadn’t even apologized yet.  If she said what she wanted to say and Yang still didn’t want to forgive her, then...at least she tried.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember much of the outline she had prepared at work, but she remembered the pain in her chest quite clearly, especially with Yang’s unrelenting gaze boring into her and the distance between them feeling much further than just one dining table.  She remembered the heartbreak, and now she understood why she felt this way - she just had to explain it.

“You have every right to be mad at me,” she finally said, her hands gripping the back of the chair while forcing herself not to look away from Yang’s eyes.  “I haven’t given you a fair chance since the day you walked into the office.”

When Yang merely stared back at her, still offering no response, Blake sighed and hung her head.

“It’s not easy to admit...that you’re as guilty as the people you fight against...” she whispered towards the lines of wood in the table.  

The moment Yang uncrossed her arms, relief rushed through Blake’s veins.  That gesture, no matter how small, spurred her forward.  Suddenly, words rushed from her mouth almost as fast as she thought them.

“I’m an idiot.  I judged you the minute you stepped through the door.  I thought you were nothing more than a pretty face who would do more harm than good.”

“Wow.  That’s...brutally honest, but ok.”

Encouraged by the response - by any response - Blake released her hold on the chair and took one step towards Yang before stopping.

“I thought you’d stick around for a couple days then leave.  I never thought we could be friends.  I never thought that I’d enjoy spending time with you.  That I could talk to you about my life and my feelings.  But then, after the party, I...”

As she trailed off, she felt like burying her face in her hands from the regret associated with that moment.  Now, she understood that she didn’t regret what happened - not at all.  She regretted her response to it.

“I never thought that was possible,” she admitted.  “And that scared me.  It scared me so much, I ignored how much I liked you.  All I could think about was that you weren’t Faunus, and how could I - someone who always fought for Faunus - be with someone who wasn’t?  What would everyone think?”

As remorse and sadness seeped into her tone, she sighed and shook her head.  But Yang straightened away from the counter and took a small step forward.  It wasn’t enough to close the distance between them, but it was progress.

“I’ve never thought that those -” Yang waved towards Blake’s ears.  “Should decide whether or not I like someone.  What about personality?  Morals?  Those are more important.”

Blake wholeheartedly agreed with the statement, which further hammered home how misguided she had been.  Yang needed to know that.  Even though Blake shied away from pointing out her flaws, Yang needed to know that she was aware of them now.

“Every day I preach acceptance, but you’re more accepting than I am.”  With another sigh, she looked down and motioned towards her ears.  “These things...they’ve defined me since the day I was born.  They told me who I could be friends with.  Where I could go to school.  How successful I could be.  How much money I’d make.”  

Saying the words aloud felt like pressing a weight on top of her lungs, making her struggle for air as the first tears stung at her eyes.

“Then they told me who I could be with,” she said, meeting Yang’s gaze while her apology finally appeared.  “And I’m sorry.  I’m so, so sorry that I listened.”

Sucking in a deep breath, she tried to hold the tears at bay while emotions crowded her heart.  She had so much more to say - so much frustration to vent at herself - but held her tongue when Yang took another half-step forward.

“Well...what are they saying now?”

“Screw what they’re saying,” Blake spit out, wiping away a tear while holding Yang’s gaze.  “I’m so tired of listening to them.  I’m tired of being trapped because they say I am.  And I won’t let them stand in the way of someone who makes me feel so special, and cared for, and...happy.”

The words had an impact, and Yang gave a small smile before taking another step closer.

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying…”  Thinking about the question, Blake knew that this was her moment to ask.  Most importantly, she knew she wanted to ask, and she knew what she wanted the answer to be.  “I have no right to ask this, but...is there any way we can try again?”

“Start over?” Yang asked while scooting a few inches closer, but then she laughed and shook her head.  “I don’t want to do that.”

The single sentence crushed Blake’s heart.

“You...don’t?”  

The tears began their resurgence, but Yang took the last step forward and gently touched Blake’s hand.

“I don’t want to go back to thinking, ‘wow, I don’t think this girl likes me,’” Yang said, her eyes regaining a sparkle that lifted Blake’s spirit in turn.  

“Then what now...?” Blake asked in a hushed whisper, turning her hand over so Yang could trace a finger across her palm.  The small touch was electrifying and entrancing, holding her in place while her hopes returned.

“I don’t want to start over,” Yang repeated, letting a small smile pull at her lips before she intertwined their fingers.  “I want to start right here.”

Just when Blake thought the response couldn’t make her happier, Yang leaned forward and kissed her.  With that simple gesture, she knew she was forgiven.  Not only forgiven, but still had the chance to be with Yang like this.  Even after what she did, how stupid and stubborn she was, Yang was willing to give her a second chance - and she was going to make the most of it.

Yang might have ended the kiss sooner, but the moment their lips parted Blake pressed closer.  Fortunately, Yang understood the silent request and voiced her approval with a soft hum.

Relief swelled like a bubble in Blake’s chest before popping with a burst of passion.  She let go of her fears and focused on what mattered - the tingles on her skin as Yang’s hand crawled over her.  How, as soon as one kiss ended, they started another.  How she loved the way Yang smelled, and tasted, and made her feel more special than anyone else ever had.

While lost in a friendly battle with Yang’s lips, Blake felt Yang’s hand sliding through her hair, moving towards her ears.  Her chest filled with anticipation as Yang drew closer, waiting for the connection to happen.  When Yang paused, however, a soft noise of discontent slipped through Blake’s lips.  Taking the sound as permission to continue, Yang slid her hand up to Blake’s feline ears and gently - so very gently - ran her hand across one.

In this moment, when Blake was already over-the-moon happy from their kisses alone, the sensation sent sparks of pleasure down her spine while a low moan slipped out.  She felt Yang’s lips curl into a smile before her hand moved again, more assuredly this time but with the same effect.  

While Yang’s fingers lightly stroked her ears, she nearly lost herself to the bliss.  But, sensing the rapid trajectory this make-up kiss was headed, she found the wherewithal to pull away and pressed a hand against Yang’s chest to prevent pursuit.  Her breaths were heavy and her mind still a fog, but she clearly saw the delight in Yang’s eyes.

“You’re, uh -”  Clearing her throat and brushing a hand across her lips, Blake tried to say something witty.  “Really good at that,” was all she came up with, which only increased Yang’s delight.

“You become like...putty in my hands,” Yang replied with a huge grin.  “I can’t even explain it, but it’s so hot.”

That response only fanned the flames of embarrassment in Blake’s cheeks.  She didn’t know if she enjoyed being ‘putty’ in someone’s hands, but she had to admit that’s what it felt like.  And if anyone was going to have this effect on her...she was glad it was Yang.

Still, she had some pride.  So, after clearing her throat once more, she changed the subject.

“Thank you,” she said, running her fingers through Yang’s hair and rejoicing in their proximity.  She had missed this so much...more than she could ever describe.  “For forgiving me.”

When Yang laughed, however, Blake lifted a brow in confusion.

“I don’t think I said I forgave you yet,” Yang said, though her eyes gave away the tease.  “But I will...if you go on a date with me tonight.”

That was music to Blake’s ears, but she tried to play it off as something she had to think about before nodding and giving a succinct “Done.”

“And if you let me kiss you like that again,” Yang added, clearly realizing she had Blake in a position where ‘no’ wasn’t an option.  “Sometime soon.”

“I’m amenable to that…”  

‘Amendable’ hardly captured how much Blake wanted another kiss like that.  More than one - she could use a lifetime of kisses like that.

“And if you wash all my clothes so they smell like you.”

“Yang…”  

Blake’s blush doubled in a heartbeat, but Yang squeezed her hands and smiled.

“Too far?” Yang asked before answering her own question with a nod.  “But we can still go on a date, right?”

“Absolutely.  Oh -”  

Of course work popped into Blake’s head now, of all times, after she’d struggled to concentrate for the last couple of days.

“What?”  Resting her hands on Blake’s hips, Yang smiled for a few seconds before her expression fell.  “Oh, you’re not like, actually dating Sun now, are you?”

“What?  Of course not!  We only went to dinner and -”  Trailing off before launching into a full defense, Blake tilted her head when Yang started laughing. 

“I know,” she explained with a smile.  “I’m just messing with you.”

“Oh.”  While relieved that it wasn’t an issue, Blake gave Yang an inquisitive look.  “How do you know?”

“He messaged me.”  When Blake’s eyes widened, Yang shrugged and dropped her gaze to her hands.  With fondness and affection in her eyes, she watched her hands slide up Blake’s sides, sending rounds of shivers down Blake’s spine before she finally looked up and smiled.  “Said he didn’t want me to get the wrong idea.”

For the life of her, Blake didn’t know how to respond to that.  Why would Sun do that?  Unless he knew they had feelings for each other...but then why ask Blake out in the first place?  Except he never called it a date...she assumed it was.  Maybe he only wanted to help take her mind off of things.  In which case...she owed him another apology.

“It’s not like that with him,” she said, needing to get that off of her chest as much as she needed Yang to hear it.  “He’s always been nothing more than a friend - nothing more than a close coworker.  I’ve never felt for him a fraction of what I feel for you.”

Blake knew that the response worked when Yang pressed a quick kiss to her lips before backing away with a smile.  

“You know...I wasn’t worried, but now I feel really special.”

“Good.”  

Knowing that she made Yang feel special filled her chest with a warm, happy sensation.  Equal parts fulfillment and compelling desire to do it again, she smiled and decided that she would - she would go out of her way to make Yang feel special time and time again.

“Sorry,” Yang said, sliding her arms around Blake’s back and pulling them together in a way that scrambled Blake’s thoughts.  “I distracted you.  What were you going to say?”

Remembering anything was difficult in this position, as all Blake could think about was Yang’s body heat merging with her own.  Her thoughts went much further than just standing here enjoying each other’s company, but she shook her head and tried to recall her prior thought.  Yang mentioned going on a date tonight, and -

“Oh.  Before we go to dinner, I need to write a draft for this week.”

As soon as the words sunk in, Yang’s smile grew bigger.

“Yeah?” she asked, her excitement making Blake feel even more modest.  “You’re writing something this week?”

“I wasn’t planning on it, but...I think I might.”  

She told Velvet she didn’t feel like it, but that was before patching up things with Yang.  Now, thousands of words begged to come out, all of them revolving around the lesson she just learned about herself.  

“It won’t take long,” she added when she realized this would delay their date.  “It’s just an opinion piece, and I have an idea.”

“You need to go back to the office then?”  

“Maybe I can write here?”  Looking around the unfamiliar apartment, Blake didn’t feel at all opposed to the idea.  If anything, she was more opposed to the thought of leaving Yang anytime soon.  “I think you’ll be good...inspiration.”

“Are you asking to spend the night?” Yang joked, her smile widening when Blake shook her head.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she teased.  “But maybe I can borrow a computer?  And maybe you can stay nearby?”

“Definitely.”

Blake silently protested the moment Yang stepped away, but she wasn’t gone long.  After grabbing a laptop from a table in the living room, she returned and set it on the dining table.

“Will this work?” she asked, powering on the device and entering her password.  Once it started up, she stepped out of the way and motioned to the chair.

“You sure there’s nothing on here you don’t want me to see?” Blake joked while sitting down.  

“Maybe there’s stuff on there I want you to find.”  

When Yang winked, Blake let out an amused huff before opening the word processor.  Honestly, she wished she hadn’t decided to write an article at all because she would rather stand there with Yang all night.  But it wouldn’t take long, and she wanted to get these words out of her head before forgetting them.

“Will you judge me if I read a magazine?” Yang asked, grabbing one from the coffee table and holding it up for Blake to see.

“Of course not.  I’m sure you’ve already read the daily papers front-to-back.”  

“Y-yeah, totally.”  

Blake laughed at the obvious lie, and Yang joined in while sitting down at the dining table.  That’s when she noticed the envelope of pictures and pulled them over in lieu of the magazine.  

While Yang flipped through those with a little smile never leaving her lips, Blake wrote down her thoughts as fast as possible.  An opinion piece didn’t need to be long, but she wouldn’t have many words to present a thorough argument.  Conciseness made or broke articles like this, but she couldn’t be concise right now.  Instead, she dumped every thought she had onto the screen with the intent of parsing through it later.  

Whenever the stream of words trailed off, she looked at Yang.  And, somehow, Yang always caught her gaze and smiled.

“We can start our date after, right?” Yang asked after the third or fourth time. 

“Absolutely,” Blake agreed while words flew from her mind to the screen.  It felt so good to be writing again.  Not just writing for the sake of writing, but writing about something important to her.  Fitting The Vale Voice’s new theme was only a bonus.

“And if it’s too late by then, our date can involve a bed, right?”

Blake’s fingers stopped, and she flushed when the words sunk in.

“Um -”

“As in, I’ll walk you home?” Yang clarified, but her grin gave away that she just baited Blake into a blush.  “Unless you had other ideas…”

While Blake hadn’t had other ideas before, she certainly had them now.  And she couldn’t stop having them as she turned back to the screen and tried to pick up where she left off.  Tried being the operative word, as Yang had, with a single question, derailed any train of thought.  With a nearly complete outline, however, she had time to be derailed for now.  And the rest of the night.

“Ok, I’m done,” she said, quickly sending the draft to herself before shutting the computer and giving Yang her full attention.  “What do you want to do for our...date?”

The idea of going on a date with Yang filled her with happiness and disbelief - and that was before leaving the apartment.  She could only imagine what it would feel like to be on that date, sharing those moments, openly admitting their feelings, being together…

“This will sound selfish,” Yang replied, scooting closer and hesitantly picking up one of Blake’s hands.  “But can we stay here and kiss?”

The request filled Blake’s chest with butterflies, but she tried not to let on as much.  The last thing she needed was to give Yang the complete upperhand so early in the night.  

“If that’s what you want…” she hedged, and silently rejoiced when Yang set a hand on her thigh.  “Are you really going to pass up dinner for that?”

“I’d pass up multiple dinners.  But we can order takeout if we get hungry.”

It sounded too good to be true.  And it sounded exactly like something Blake wanted to do.  Save going out in public for another day - they would have many of them.  Tonight was just about the two of them.

“That sounds like a nice night,” she agreed.  Yang’s smile only made her more assured in the answer, and her heart sped up when Yang took her by the hand, gently pulled her to her feet, and led them into the living room.

They sat side-by-side on the sofa, and Blake knew Yang would sit closer if she thought it was allowed.  Considering Blake still had a lot of atoning to do, it was allowed.  Pretty much anything was allowed right now, although she would never tell Yang that in as many words.  Instead, she scooted closer, and Yang responded by moving over until their legs touched.

“You realize this is the first time we’ve been alone together?”

Laughing at that statement, Blake reached over and brushed her hand through Yang’s hair.  The casually intimate gestures felt strange to her but also...right.  And the more Yang let her do them, the more encouraged she felt to continue. 

“You realize that’s not at all correct?”

“We’ve been alone in the office before, but...this is the first time we’ve been alone somewhere...private.”

When Blake caught Yang’s drift, her cheeks heated up yet again.  Even though the statement still wasn’t entirely true, this was the first time they’d been alone somewhere they wouldn’t be interrupted.  That knowledge did nothing to slow the beating of her heart.

“I suppose you’re right,” she agreed.  She also didn’t feel like arguing details right now.  Really, she just wanted to enjoy and embrace every bit of familiarity, and rejoice in the fact that Yang decided she was worthy of forgiveness.  After the things she said…

“Oh...” she sighed when she remembered yet another unfortunate recent memory.  “I need to apologize to Weiss now...”

“Why?  Did you say you wouldn’t date her either?” 

“No, but I didn’t treat her very nicely the other day...”

“Why not?” Yang leaned her cheek into Blake’s palm with the question, and Blake felt her adoration and affection grow.

“Because I thought you were dating her,” she admitted.

“What??  Why would you think that?”

“Why wouldn’t I think that?” Blake replied, giving Yang a look that made her brow momentarily furrow.

“Oh.”  Finally figuring it out, Yang chuckled and tapped her fingers on Blake’s thigh.  “I guess she was a little possessive last night.  I told her what happened, and she’s not above meddling in people’s affairs...”

“Then you’re not dating,” Blake replied, searching Yang’s eyes for an answer.  “Although that might be awkward since she’s engaged to your sister…”

She couldn’t hold a straight face for long, and smiled as soon as Yang laughed.

“That would be,” she said with several nods before reaching out for Blake’s hand.  “And no.  Weiss and I are just friends, but we spend a lot of time together because of Ruby.”

“And she sends you on trips,” Blake pointed out when she remembered the story from the night of the party.  Yang, however, laughed again.  

“She did that because she wanted my permission to ask Ruby to marry her.  Then last night, we had dinner so she could tell me her plan for popping the question.”

That knowledge made Blake’s jealousy even more embarrassing.  Everything had an explanation, and none of those explanations were close to the ones she came up with.

“God, I’m so sorry…”  

When she hung her head, Yang chuckled and pulled her close.  She turned her cheek and settled into the hug, which was more assuring that anything Yang had said or done so far.  Through that feeling of closeness, intimacy, and affection, Blake sighed and snuggled closer. 

“You keep saying that,” Yang whispered to her.  “But you don’t need to.  I’ve already forgiven you.”

“Really?”  

“Absolutely,” Yang replied with a soft laugh.  “Definitely helps when you rush over all frazzled and distressed and apologetic.”

Blake huffed and playfully pulled away from the embrace, only to regret it and move right back.

“I was not frazzled,” she still insisted, which only made Yang laugh.  “But I was apologetic.  And a little distressed…I thought you would never forgive me.”

“What can I say…”  Gently backing away, Yang brushed a strand of hair behind Blake’s ear and smiled.  “I’m a sucker for a pretty face and a good apology.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Blake replied without thinking about it.  “I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect from here on out, but...I know I want to be with you, even if it might be strange or uncomfortable for me sometimes.  But I’m going to work on that, I promise.”

Rubbing her thumb across Blake’s shoulder, with her eyes shining with warmth and happiness, Yang nodded.

“You know, with anyone else I might be worried but...I’ve seen how hard you work.”  Sliding her hand down Blake’s arm to take her hand, Yang smiled and intertwined their fingers.  “And I know this will be new to you, and probably uncomfortable, and maybe you won’t even want to be with me in public in that way, but as long as you want to be with me at all -”

“I do,” Blake interrupted, sensing her moment to add to her reassurance.  “I really do.  The other stuff might take some time to get used to, but...I like you, and I want to be with you.  I’ll tell you that anytime you need to hear it.”

When Yang smiled, Blake realized that she wouldn’t say it only when Yang needed to hear it.  Even though it wasn’t what she was used to, she would find ways to assure Yang of her feelings every single day, be it through words or actions.

“So I was wondering…” Yang replied, another smile growing while she ran her free hand through Blake’s hair.  “If I wanted to come back and help you guys...” 

“Absolutely,” Blake said without hesitation.  When Yang’s brow rose at the quick response, she smiled and nodded.  “You’re more than welcome.” 

Yang’s smile only made Blake more assured in that decision, which was one of the easiest she’d ever made.  “Everyone will be happy to see you again,” she added. 

“I’ll be happy to see them too.  But mostly I just want to spend more time with you.”

When Yang leaned closer, another blush heated Blake’s cheeks.

“Starting now?” she asked, feeling breathless even though Yang hadn’t kissed her yet.

“Yes, I think we should start our date now.”  

Yang winked before pressing a quick kiss to Blake’s lips.  The sensation was fleeting, as she pulled away and tapped a finger to her chin before smiling.  

“You know...I think I forget more and more with every kiss.”

This time, Blake kissed Yang, pulling her forward by the front of her shirt and capturing her lips in a much more satisfying kiss.

“Then let’s see if I can make you forget…” she mumbled against Yang’s lips while Yang hummed with pleasure and pressed forward.

In the back of Blake’s mind, however, she knew she wouldn’t forget.  The lesson she learned, and the way she learned it, ensured she wouldn’t.  She would always fight for Faunus rights.  She would always try to make life better for those like her, but she wouldn’t assume that only Faunus could help her.  Faunus weren’t her only allies.  Faunus weren’t her only friends.

After spending her entire life focused on only one segment of the population, the lesson Yang taught her was remarkable, freeing, and encouraging like nothing else.  She wasn’t alone.  She had support.  And, if she was willing to accept it, she had far more support than she had ever imagined.

All she had to be was more accepting, more tolerant, and blind to the ears and tails - or lack of them.