The Lie - Chapter 10 (Patreon)

The first thing Blake noticed when she woke up was that the air smelled different and felt different, warmer than she was used to.  The sheets also felt warmer, and softer, and ran against her skin in an unfamiliar way.

It wasn’t until she opened her eyes that reality jolted her awake.  Everything felt different because everything was different.  This wasn’t her room - this was Yang’s room.  This was Yang’s bed.

Before she freaked out, the bed shifted beside her, drawing her attention to the person sharing the bed with her.  As soon as she spotted Yang’s bare shoulders, she turned away, stared at the ceiling, and tried to stifle the torrent of thoughts racing through her mind.

The covers brushed across her skin in an unfamiliar way because she was just as...lacking in clothing...as Yang was.

While Yang slowly stirred from her sleep, Blake stayed as quiet and motionless as possible while running through her memories from last night.  The party, dancing, kissing - so much kissing, interspersed with soft murmurs and louder cries of passion.  Feeling Yang’s skin pressed against hers, in this bed, with absolutely nothing between them.

Blake would think it was just a dream if she couldn’t remember everything so clearly.  But she remembered everything clearly.  Even if she didn’t, the first few minutes of this new day were enough to convince her.

When Yang sighed and rolled onto her side, dragging some of the covers with her, Blake held onto her end of them to avoid feeling even more self-conscious.  Where were her clothes…?

Glancing to the side, she saw nothing besides a desk covered in schoolwork and several pairs of shoes stacked neatly by the closet door.

Since she’d never done anything like this before, she didn’t know what she was supposed to do.  Should she get dressed and leave?  That would be easier if she knew where her clothes were.  Was she supposed to stay?  If she stayed, what happened then?  They were both...naked...and eventually had to get up.

“Morning.”

Yang’s quiet voice sent butterflies through Blake’s chest.  When she turned around, she found Yang watching her with a small smile.

“Good morning,” she whispered in return.  When Yang beckoned her closer with one slender finger, her questions disappeared.  She was supposed to stay.  Of course she was supposed to stay.

Holding the covers in place beneath her arms, she rolled onto her side and blushed now that she faced Yang.  Yang had the covers pulled up over her chest, but her bare shoulders inspired Blake’s imagination, which had been immeasurably bolstered by last night.

She knew what was under the covers.  She’d kissed, touched, and tasted what was under the covers.  And, when Yang leaned in and kissed her, a jolt of electricity encouraged her to do it all again.  But Yang’s kiss was soft and sweet, and she pulled away with a gentle, adoring smile that settled those consuming thoughts.

“Did you sleep ok?”

Yang’s voice was just above a whisper, as if anything louder would disturb the peace between them.  If Blake was tired, she didn’t feel it.  Not with Yang lying so close, gently playing with her hair.

“I think so.  Did you?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well,” Yang answered with a light laugh that made Blake’s heart somersault.  If she had any worries about last night being too much, or too fast, that laugh erased them.  Of course, that didn’t stop Yang from giving her a hesitant look.  “Last night was ok, right?  You didn’t feel like...rushed or anything?”

“It was more than ok,” Blake said as convincingly as possible.

“Ok.  I just hope you didn’t feel like you had to or anything...”

“Yang.”  Blake shook her head and set a hand on Yang’s arm to soothe the concern.  “I wanted it.  Believe me, I did.”

Yang’s smile was a healthy reminder of exactly how much Blake had wanted last night to happen, especially with Yang’s bare shoulders serving as additional enticement.  Knowing that those shoulders and smile would easily convince her into an encore, she turned away and took a deep breath before slowly letting it out through her lips.

“I did too.”

The comment drew her gaze back to Yang.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Yang replied with a light chuckle.  “Honestly, I’ve wanted to do that basically ever since we met, but...that’d be inappropriate...”

Blake couldn’t help but laugh at the admission, which made her feel desired in a way she’d never experienced before.  It was flattering, to say the least, especially coming from someone she was unequivocally attracted to in return.

“I’ve just always felt like you were...different,” Yang added while weaving her fingers through Blake’s hair, making Blake’s eyes flutter at the sensation.

“Hopefully in a good way?” she asked when Yang’s hand came to a rest on her side.

“In a great way.”  Yang smiled as soon as Blake met her gaze, looking happier than Blake could ever remember seeing her.  “You’re not like anyone else in my life...and I really like that.”

Even though Blake smiled, her heart twinged.  Being different made her feel special but also highlighted the reason why she was different - because she wasn’t supposed to be in Yang’s life at all.  Would last night have happened if they hadn’t ‘already’ hooked up?  Would Yang have been comfortable moving so fast if she didn’t believe they’d already made it part of the way there?

Now wasn’t the time to bring up that conversation.  Not when Blake wanted to bask in this blissful feeling and soak up every bit of Yang that she could.

When she opened her mouth, however, she paused and tilted her head.  Now that she was more alert, she heard voices from elsewhere in the apartment.  Sensing Blake’s confusion, Yang glanced at the door before turning back and lowering her voice.

“Ruby and Weiss must be up,” Yang explained before settling back into the covers.  “They’ll probably eat then head out.”

From Yang’s relaxed posture, she expected Blake to hide out in here until that happened, which was exactly what Blake wanted to do.

“Your room is very...neat,” Blake commented while scanning her surroundings.  She hadn’t noticed last night - having been too distracted by...other things… - but Yang’s room was well-organized and tidy.  Not obsessively so, but surprisingly so.

“Do I seem like a messy person?”

“No...well, maybe.”  When Yang’s brow rose, Blake laughed, earning a quiet “shh” in the process.  “You just seem busy,” she explained in a whisper.  “And if you’re busy, you might be messy.”

“But then I’d waste time looking for things,” Yang pointed out.

“That’s true.”  Giving Yang another thoughtful look, Blake felt her heart warm with affection.  “You’re a wonderful surprise,” she admitted.

The moment Yang smiled, Blake knew Yang was going to kiss her.  And she wanted Yang to kiss her, so she tilted her chin up and let her eyes flutter shut while Yang leaned closer -

“Yang!”

They jerked apart at the three rapid knocks following Yang’s name.

“Crap.”

Yang quickly rolled out of bed, instantly bringing a furious blush to Blake’s cheeks.  She turned away as fast as possible, but she still caught a glimpse of...pretty much everything...and a familiar fire sprang to life within her.

“Be right there!” Yang called out while throwing on a tee and a pair of sweats.

“Weiss made pancakes!” the voice continued as Yang hurried to the door.  She got there right as it opened and slammed a hand on the other side to keep it mostly closed.

“Ruby!” Yang said while Blake squirreled further beneath the covers, hoping not to be discovered in such a compromising position.  “Good morning!”

“Good morning, Yang!”  If Yang’s greeting was strange in any way, Ruby failed to notice.  “Weiss made pancakes.  Come have breakfast with us!”

“Ah, thanks, but I’m not hungry.”

“You don’t have to be hungry to eat pancakes.”

“You don’t have to be hungry to eat pancakes,” Yang replied with a chuckle.  “I’m just not feeling it right now - later though!”

“But they’re better when they’re fresh!”

Yang’s eyes flitted to the bed before she flashed a big smile.  “How about if you bring me some, I’ll eat them in here?” she suggested.  “I kind of just want to lie in bed a little longer.”

“Oh...ok!  I’ll get you some.”

When footsteps raced away from the door, Yang mouthed ‘sorry,’ but Blake shook her head at the unnecessary apology.  She was the one hiding in Yang’s bedroom, after all.

“Here you go!”

When Ruby passed a plate through the doorway, Yang took it and smiled.

“Thanks, Ruby!  Have a great day if I don’t see you before you leave!”

Blake barely heard the “You too!” before Yang shut the door and carefully locked it.  Only then did she sigh and return to the bed.  “Just realized I should’ve made you breakfast,” she said while sitting beside Blake, who was suddenly very aware of their inequality in clothing.

“That’s alright.”

“Do you want breakfast though?  We have pancakes.”  Yang held up the plate and smiled.  “I didn’t make them, but they’re still pretty good.”

Now that Blake could smell and see the pancakes, her stomach grumbled.

“They smell good,” she admitted, so Yang smiled and offered her the plate.  Before accepting, Blake pulled the covers tightly around her and sat up to look for her clothes.  Her...undergarments...were near the chest of drawers, but…

“Do you know where…?” she began to ask while leaning towards the other side of the bed.  She looked over the edge to see if they’d fallen over there, but still no luck.

“What’re you looking for?  Your - oh.”

“What?”

When Blake looked over, Yang blushed and shyly smiled.

“Um...I’m pretty sure we left them out there.”

When Yang pointed at the door leading to the living room, Blake’s cheeks warmed.  Now that Yang mentioned it, she vaguely recalled their mad dash into the apartment last night, which might have corresponded with quickly shedding everything she wore on the way to Yang’s room.

“But you can borrow some of my clothes!” Yang offered.  Before Blake could respond, Yang went to the closet and started looking through the abundance of clothing there.  After several minutes of searching, she returned with a sweater and a pair of sweats - a fashionable yet lounge-y outfit.

“You realize I wasn’t drunk last night, right?”  When Blake gave Yang a confused look, she grinned and motioned at the covers.  “I remember everything very clearly this time.”

While Yang found the comment amusing, a knife twisted in Blake’s heart.

“But I’ll give you some privacy,” Yang quickly added before turning away and loosely covering her eyes with one hand.  “Just do what you normally do.”

Seeing as how Yang was noticeably peeking, Blake smiled and pushed Yang’s hand away from her eyes.  Laughing at her foiled plot, Yang grasped Blake’s hand for a half-second before letting go.  “That didn’t work?”

“Not even close,” Blake replied with a shake of her head.  Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but that wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

“Alright, alright.  I’ll hide out in the bathroom, and I won’t come out until you say I can.”

“Thank you,” Blake said and watched with a smile while Yang grabbed some undergarments of her own and headed to the bathroom.  She didn’t close the door behind her, however, without winking first.

“Try not to take too long.  I miss you already.”

The words lodged like an arrow in Blake’s heart - the perfect hit from the perfect girl.

“I’ll hurry,” she promised.

Yang nodded before shutting the door behind her.  Blake heard the water turn on a few seconds later and, now that the room was empty, hurried to retrieve her underwear and change into the outfit Yang had loaned her.

Once fully dressed, she lifted the sweatshirt’s sleeve to her nose and took a deep breath of the vaguely floral, vaguely citrusy smell she adored.  Not wanting to draw out their temporary separation any longer, she walked over to the bathroom door and lowered her voice so she wasn’t overheard by the two girls still talking in the living room.

“You can come out now.”

The door immediately opened, and Blake quickly found herself face-to-face with Yang.  Yang’s warm smile and bright eyes suggested she’d been waiting for this moment for far longer than a few minutes.

Caught up in those eyes, Blake leaned in for a kiss without even thinking.  The moment their lips connected, she realized what a brazen act it was and nearly pulled away, but Yang stepped into the kiss and wrapped one arm around Blake’s waist to pull her closer.

Just like that, Blake was swept up in the same emotions as last night - the same desire to be closer, to share everything with Yang and take everything in return.  Someone laughing in the living room, however, reminded them that they had less privacy now.  And, after last night, Blake doubted their ability to stay that quiet, which Yang confirmed by ending the kiss and backing away with a regretful smile.

“Let’s get you some breakfast,” she whispered before leading Blake to the bed and offering the plate of pancakes.

Now that Blake was fully dressed, she sat cross-legged on the comforter and rested the plate in her lap.  Yang sat right beside her, leaning close enough to nuzzle into her hair.  Eating was a little difficult when Yang’s presence was such a distraction, but Blake managed a few bites before humming.

“They’re good,” she concluded before taking another bite.

“Yeah?  Good!  But I have to say...I make ‘em better.  So next time...”

Realizing the implication, Yang trailed off and left the offer there.  Sparing them from more embarrassment, Blake stuck another piece of pancake in her mouth before offering the next to Yang.

“Want some?”

“No thanks.  I’m a little tired of pancakes.”

“Who gets tired of pancakes?”

While Blake cut off another bite to eat, Yang laughed and wrapped her arms around Blake’s waist.

“Weiss makes them every morning after she and Ruby...‘have fun’ together.”  Blake stopped chewing and looked at Yang, who wrinkled her nose and nodded.  “I’m so sick of pancakes...” she admitted while Blake laughed.

“No wonder they’re so good.”  Spearing another piece with her fork, Blake teasingly held it towards Yang’s lips.  Yang smiled while swatting the offending food away.

“I know they are.  I hear Ruby rave about them almost every day.”

Sticking the fork in her mouth instead, Blake chuckled at Yang’s plight.  Her reaction was adorable - the protective big sister coming to terms with her younger sister’s nightly activities.  Which, if Blake remembered correctly, happened last night due to Yang’s prodding.

“Finished?” Yang asked once Blake set down her fork.

“Yes, thank you.”

“No problem.  Courtesy of Weiss anyway.”

Laughing softly, Yang took the plate from Blake’s hands and set it on the bedside table.  Once that was out of the way, she brushed Blake’s hair behind her ear, leaned close, and inhaled deeply.  Blake’s skin tingled in response, doing nothing to lessen the longing building within her.  The casual affection played with her heart in a big way, but she loved every second of it and would do everything to encourage Yang to continue.

“You smell good,” Yang whispered in Blake’s ear before kissing her temple.

The soft, sweet action made Blake’s heart swell with happiness while butterflies fluttered through her chest, and she couldn’t believe that this was actually happening.  The wonderful, beautiful, amazing girl beside her made her feel things she’d never thought possible.  She never wanted it to stop and, hopefully, Yang felt the same.

“So, I just want to say...last night was awesome.”

Blake’s cheeks warmed at the compliment, but she couldn’t escape the delight and excitement she felt at the same time.

“I thought so too,” she admitted.

“Yeah?”  Once Blake nodded, Yang’s smile grew impossibly happier, and she shifted on the bed to look at Blake that much closer.  “But apparently I kind of suck at this.  I should’ve asked last night - you know, before -”  Yang gestured at the bed, making Blake’s blush deepen.  “But maybe...if someone asked me who you were, I could say...like...that you’re, uh, you’re -”

“I’m Blake,” Blake offered.

“No, I mean yeah, you are, but like, if one of my friends asked who you were...to me...”  Yang wanted to use a specific word.  Blake’s heart sped up in anticipation of hearing it, but Yang motioned with her hand and struggled to say it aloud.  “Ok, this is why I was so surprised about the party!” Yang eventually said before running her hands through her hair.  “I suck at this.”

“You don’t suck at this.  You’re very cute.”

“At least I have one thing going for me…” Yang mumbled before taking a deep breath and smiling.  “Ok, would you, maybe, want to...be my girlfriend?  Or something like that, kind of - officially?”

Blake wanted to say so many things to that - mostly about how adorable it was - but there was only one answer in her mind.

“Yes.”  Worrying Yang might not have heard the soft response, Blake cleared her throat and tried again.  “Of course.  I’d love to.”

“Are you - serious?”

“Yes,” Blake repeated, her smiling growing at how genuinely surprised Yang sounded.

“Really?  Even though I’m horrible at all this dating stuff, dragged you to so many boring parties, and can’t even remember the first time we met?”

Blake’s smile faltered at that reminder, but even that couldn’t erase her happiness right now.

“Even with all of those things...I want to be your girlfriend.”

Saying the words out loud felt incredible.  Based on Yang’s growing smile, hearing them felt the same.  After last night, their desires were obvious and undeniable.  Blake wanted to be with Yang in every sense of the word.  Knowing that Yang felt the same was the best news she’d ever received.

“Pretty sure my heart’s about to explode,” Yang said, clutching at her chest.

“It can’t do that.”

Blake pulled Yang’s hand away and held it instead.  She quickly recognized the look in Yang’s eyes - the same look from last night - before Yang leaned in and kissed her.  The touch sent a surge of passion through her veins, passion that Yang mirrored by deepening the kiss and smoothly positioning herself above Blake’s lap.  The wonderfully overwhelming feeling quickly overrode all of Blake’s thoughts that didn’t revolve around the girl pinning her to the bed.

“Yang!”

Their kiss abruptly ended when Yang sighed and turned towards the door.  “Yeah?” she called out, her tone breathless and impatient.

“We’re heading out!  See you later!”

Yang shook her head but said “See you!” before listening for the sound of the front door.  Only then did she scoot off of Blake’s hips and sigh.

“She’s got great timing, huh?”

“Kind of…”

If they hadn’t just been interrupted, they would have repeated last night.  Not that Blake would have minded...

“Oh,” she said when she remembered that she had other responsibilities.  “Actually, I have class this morning.”

“You have class on Friday?”

“It’s never been an issue before...” Blake mumbled while regretfully getting out of bed.  She’d never been a big partier, so she never had a problem waking up on Friday morning for class.  She actually preferred those classes, which were typically smaller with more studious classmates.

“Can I walk you home?”

As soon as Yang popped to her feet, Blake smiled at her.

“I’d love the company.”

Blake couldn’t have felt any happier than when their hands laced together and they left Yang’s room behind.  In the living room, however, she blushed upon finding her pants in a haphazard pile outside the door and her shirt strewn across the arm of the sofa.  Apparently, she’d been a little...enthusiastic...last night, but she tried not to let her embarrassment show while collecting her clothes and neatly folding them into a stack in her arms.

“I’ll carry them for you.”

When Blake looked over, Yang smiled and motioned for them.  Under ordinary circumstances, Blake would insist on carrying them herself - they weren’t a huge burden, after all - but these weren’t ordinary circumstances.

“Thank you,” she said while handing them over, much to Yang’s delight.  After settling them in the crook of one arm, Yang held Blake’s hand and led them outside.

From everything Blake knew about the fabled ‘walk of shame,’ this wasn’t it.  She wasn’t ashamed at all, actually.  It was impossible to feel anything but overjoyed with Yang holding her hand, even though they earned quite a few glances from the handful of students up on a Friday morning.

“How important is this class?” Yang asked while they headed towards Blake’s apartment at a relaxed pace.

Hidden in the question was that Yang wanted to spend more time together.  Blake wanted that too, but her sense of responsibility was finally winning out.  That, and her heart felt so full at the moment, she needed some time to decompress.

“It’s...moderately important.  Attendance is part of the grade.”

“Gotcha.  So I shouldn’t keep you up too late on Thursday nights.”

Blake’s heart flipped at the implication behind that statement.  Yang said Thursday nights, plural.  As in, she expected them to be together on multiple Thursday nights, equating to multiple weeks...

“My grade will appreciate it,” Blake said, and Yang laughed.

“And we’ve got to keep your grades up so you nab that internship.”

Overjoyed by the response, Blake leaned into Yang’s side as they crossed the street and passed another block of student housing.  With such a simple statement, Yang proved that she cared about Blake’s life and goals.  Not only that, but she listened - which was one of the most important traits Blake searched for in...a partner.

When they reached her apartment building, she still didn’t want their morning to end.  So, before Yang even thought about letting go, Blake tightened her grip and pulled Yang into the lobby with her.  She didn’t need to look over to know Yang’s smile was even brighter now, but she did anyway, and smiled in return while leading Yang to her apartment.

“I’m sorry if it’s messy,” she said while searching for her keys.  “I wasn’t expecting company.”

“Didn’t you see how messy my place is?”

“I don’t think you’re as distracted as I was last night,” Blake pointed out before opening the door and walking inside.  They hardly made it into the living room before Sun looked up from his breakfast and grinned when he saw their joined hands.

“You bailed early,” he commented before sticking another spoonful of cereal in his mouth and gesturing at her.  “Nice outf-”

As soon as his eyes widened, Blake pulled Yang faster to her room.  “Good morning, Sun,” she called over her shoulder before closing the door.  Saved from that near-embarrassment, she sighed and accepted the clothes Yang had carried all the way here.  After setting them on her dresser, she collected the supplies she needed for class and put everything in her bag.

Once she was prepared to leave, she turned around and found Yang studying the room with a small smile.  Rather than interrupt, Blake waited for Yang’s gaze to return to her, which happened only a few seconds later.

“I like your room.  It...suits you.”

The response was oddly flattering, especially when Yang’s gaze flitted to the books filling the bookcase.  Blake had never considered what her room said about her, but it probably suggested that she read and studied a lot.  She was a bookworm.  She was ‘boring,’ as Mel so kindly put it.  She wasn’t supposed to end up with the most popular girl on campus, yet somehow...that was exactly what happened.

“When does your class start?” Yang asked while taking a tiny step closer.  “Pretty soon?  Or like...in a little while?”

One of those answers left room for them to spend time here, in Blake’s room, which Yang clearly preferred.  Blake preferred that answer, too.  Unfortunately…

“Pretty soon,” she replied regretfully.  “Sorry…” she added, but Yang shook her head.

“Don’t worry.  I’m just being greedy.”  That response didn’t make Blake want to go to class in the slightest, but Yang waved towards the door.  “Can I walk you to class?”

Honestly, Blake couldn’t imagine a better way to extend the morning.  Well, she could think of one better way, but that option wasn’t available at the moment.

“Absolutely.”  Determined to make it as far away from her bed and temptation as possible, Blake headed towards the door.  She paused, however, when she caught her reflection in the closet mirror.  “I should probably change.”

“Why don’t you wear that?”

“Because it’s not really my...style?”

“It’s actually very fashionable.”  When Blake’s brow rose, Yang nodded.  “It is.  At least, for a Friday.  I’ve worn that exact thing to some of my evening classes.  And I’m, you know, kind of in that industry so...I think I know what I’m talking about.”

Yang’s grin said she knew it was a good argument.  Plus, the outfit was comfortable.  And it would remind Blake of Yang all day...

“Besides…”  Stepping closer, Yang set her hands on Blake’s hips and slowly looked her up and down.  “You look pretty sexy.”

Just like that, Blake gave up any idea of changing.

“Guess I should listen when a literal model gives me fashion advice,” she joked before grabbing her bag and retaking Yang’s hand.  “Oh, let me check my email real quick.”

Surprisingly, she hadn’t thought about her capstone all night.  Before they left, however, she should check for a response from Dean Caldwell.  Mostly, she wanted to know if he liked her topic as much as she did.

“Am I allowed to email you?” Yang asked while following Blake to the computer.  Seeing as how they were still holding hands, and neither of them wanted to let go, Blake logged in with her right hand before smiling at Yang.

“If you want.  But you can also just text me.”

“Or maybe...call you?”

“Pretty sure you’ve earned the right to call me whenever you want,” Blake replied with a laugh.

While Yang’s expression lit up, Blake scanned the list of unread emails.  Heart speeding up the moment she spotted Dean Caldwell’s name, she wasted no time clicking on the message.  What she read, however, made her frown.

“What’s up?”

After reading the message a second time, she turned towards Yang and tried to figure out how to explain.

“The dean wants to meet with me tomorrow.”

“On a Saturday?”

“He’s here pretty much every day,” Blake explained before biting her lip and glancing at the screen.  No explanation, no reason, no feedback on her outline - just a request to meet him tomorrow.  The brevity was disconcerting, if not alarming.

“Maybe he’s got good news for you!”

Turning back to Yang, Blake smiled and tried to brush her concern away.  He hadn’t said anything bad, and she hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary, so...maybe Yang was right.

“Guess we’ll see,” she replied with a small smile that grew when Yang kissed her cheek.

“You’re cute when you’re nervous, but I bet you have nothing to be worried about.”

“I’m not nervous,” she refuted but sighed when Yang raised a brow.  “Ok, maybe I am.”

“And I have just the cure for nerves…”

When Yang’s voice lowered to a sultry whisper, desire flared in Blake’s chest.  The only thing that kept her from giving in was that email, and not knowing exactly what the meeting was about.

“Making it to class on time?” Blake replied even though she knew that was the opposite of what Yang was suggesting.  Yang didn’t take the denial poorly though - she grinned and pulled Blake out of her room.

“Of course.  I always feel super calm when I make it to class fifteen minutes early - don’t you?”

If the past few days were any indication, Blake felt calm whenever she was with Yang.  So, determined not to fret about tomorrow’s unexpected meeting, she pushed the email from her thoughts and walked with Yang to the door.

“See you, Sun,” she called out while they left, making sure not to dawdle and risk any embarrassing questions.  She didn’t want to answer any of those questions right now.  She didn’t want to think about what it meant or where they stood or what their ‘future’ looked like.  All she wanted to do was hold Yang’s hand and enjoy her company while walking to class.

Walking to class usually wasn’t such a novelty, but it felt like one today.  Not only did she have fantastic company, but she was in a fantastic mood.  She was in such a good mood, in fact, that she hardly felt the glances and stares.  Their joined hands confirmed the rumors, but one of those rumors was true - they were together now.

“So...when can I see you again?”

“When are you free?” Blake asked in return, and Yang beamed.

“I’m having dinner with Ruby and Weiss tonight - want to come?  You can totally say no if you’d rather it just be me and you, but I know Ruby wants to meet you.”

“Does she?”

“Yeah!  She keeps calling you ‘that girl from the party’ though, so I’d like her to meet you and...just meet you.”

Even though Blake paused to consider the invitation, she knew she would say ‘yes.’  At this point, she would agree to just about anything to spend more time together.  While it was sweet that Yang offered to cancel her plans so they could be alone, Blake didn’t want to be that person.  Besides, maybe it was time for her to meet Ruby, too.

“Sure.  Sounds fun.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course,” Blake replied with a smile.  “I’d love to meet them.”

When Yang smiled and lightly swung their joined hands, Blake’s heart hummed blissfully.

“I’m excited.”

“I can tell,” Blake replied with a laugh.  Seeing Yang like this made her indescribably happy, and was something she wanted to see far more often.

“Weiss keeps saying how ‘dumb’ it is that I like the person I randomly hooked up with,” Yang added, unknowingly sending a stab of guilt through Blake’s heart.  “I can’t wait for her to see how amazing you are.”

“I hope she’s not disappointed…”

“No way she is.  You’re incredible.”

At the moment, Yang’s compliments made Blake feel worse.  She hoped Weiss liked her, but she understood that point-of-view.  She would also think it was dumb to develop a crush on some stranger from a party.

Making matters worse, they passed The Patio then, and she spotted the one person she didn’t want to run into this morning.  Of course, Melissa immediately spotted Yang and walked over to them.

“Let me handle this,” Yang whispered before throwing on a smile.  “Hey Mel,” Yang greeted her in a friendly tone.  “Have you met -”

“Blake, I know,” Mel interrupted with an eyeroll.  “Can’t seem to avoid her these days.”

“Actually...I was going to ask if you’ve met my girlfriend.”

When Yang beamed at Blake, Mel’s brow rose.

“Girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I asked her to be my girlfriend, and she said yes.”

Blake’s heart swooned at the delight in Yang’s eyes, which made her forget her guilt and remember how much she adored the girl smiling down at her right now.  Mel, of course, looked between them before glaring at Blake.

“Congratulations,” she snapped before turning on one heel and stalking away.

“l don’t think she’s happy…”

“l don’t think I care,” Yang replied before pausing.  “Wait a second...yeah, I don’t care.”

When Yang laughed, Blake smiled and leaned into her side as they continued towards one of the buildings beside The Patio.  Talking to Mel was like eating a slice of lemon, but Blake had to admit she’d enjoyed that brief conversation.  It would probably make their future interactions even more confrontational, but she could handle whatever Mel threw her way.

“Did I tell you how much Mel sold my time for?” Yang asked after several comfortable seconds of silence.

“No,” Blake replied, scowling at the irritating memory.

“Thirty-five grand.”

“Really?” Blake asked, her eyes widening at the amount.

“Yup.  I guess the lady’s married to some super rich CEO or something.”  Yang waved a hand as if those details didn’t matter.  “That’s a lot of books for the kids though, right?  At least that’s something.”

“That’s incredible, Yang.  Really.  It’s...a really great contribution to the community.”

While Yang smiled, Blake trained her eyes forward and tried to keep a lid on her simmering anger.  Mel might take all of the credit, but she would be nowhere without Yang’s hard work and reputation.  Yang might be compassionate to go along with it this time, but if Blake heard about something like this happening again...she would have a bone to pick with a certain snobby sorority girl.

But that was an issue for later.  Right now, she only had class to worry about.  “In here,” she said, leading Yang into one of the buildings and up the stairs.  Once they reached the second story, she brought them to a stop outside one of the classrooms.

“This is it?” Yang asked when Blake stood beside the door.

“Yup.”

“When does it start?”  Before Blake answered, Yang glanced at the clock in the hallway.  “Soon, huh?”

After checking the time for herself, Blake sighed and nodded.  Again, she didn’t want to lose Yang’s company so soon, but now that they’d made the effort to come all the way over here...she should go to class.  She really should.

“That’s ok.  But before you go, I just want to say…”  After biting her lip, Yang continued.  “I’m sorry if I’m bad at this.  I haven’t had an official girlfriend in like...years.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I know...I’ve been busy with the whole modeling thing, and obviously I can be a bit awkward.  But mostly it’s just been hard to...trust people.”

The admission felt like a kick to the stomach - so much so that Blake couldn’t even attempt a response.  Yang, however, shook off the words and smiled.

“Sorry, I don’t want to make you late.”  After glancing left and right down the hall, which had emptied in the time they stood there, Yang leaned forward and whispered, “PDA - yay or nay?”

“Um...yay?”

Yang kissed her almost immediately after she answered, releasing butterflies in her chest as she closed her eyes and savored Yang’s lips on her own.  She didn’t deserve it - she knew she didn’t - but she was still disappointed when Yang pulled away far too soon.

“Good,” Yang replied.  “Because I want everyone to know you’re taken.”  After sneaking another kiss that Blake was wholly unprepared for, Yang backed away with a grin.  “Have a good class, ok?  And I’ll see you tonight - I’ll pick you up!”

Still smiling, Yang pointed at the clock before hurrying away.  Blake knew that meant her class would start soon, but she still watched Yang for as long as possible before sighing and heading inside.

Blake understood why Yang had a hard time believing the lie.  She wasn’t the type of person who hooked up with a stranger at a party.  She wasn’t the type to forge a bond like that with the intent of it being temporary.  She wanted a real romance, a real relationship, and her propensity to stick her foot in her mouth only made it more apparent that drunkenly wooing someone was unlikely.

But, now that they were an official couple, Blake had to figure out a way to tell Yang the truth, and as delicately as possible.  She wanted this to continue, so she needed Yang to be fine with learning that their ‘first’ meeting was a farce.

Everything after that though...everything after that was true.  The way she felt about Yang was real.  The way her heart fluttered when Yang kissed her, the way she wanted to melt into Yang’s arms, the way she couldn’t help but smile whenever Yang laughed...all of that was real.

Hopefully, that was enough.