Dirty Little Secret - Chapter 2 (Patreon)
Content
“Let me know how you like it,” Yang said while pushing a glass across the counter to an energetic young woman with bright green eyes. “I can make it stronger if you want.”
“Thanks! I’ll definitely let you know.”
After raising the glass and smiling, the young woman rejoined her friends on the other side of the bar. Yang, meanwhile, put away the bottles and ingredients used to make the drink before glancing at the clock and sighing.
“Is it time to go home yet…?” she mumbled while slouching against the counter and closing her eyes. If she stayed like this for long enough and no one interrupted her, maybe she could sleep standing up. That probably wasn’t the best idea when surrounded by hard edges and glass bottles, but the extra rest might be worth the risk.
“Why’re you so tired?”
Forcing her eyes open, she offered Jaune a muted smile while he dried some glasses and stored them under the bartop.
“Hardly slept last night,” she explained while grabbing another towel to help.
“Studying?”
“...sure.”
The only studying she did was memorizing new ways of making Blake feel good, for which she expected her master’s degree any day now. Unfortunately, cramming for that so hard left little time to sleep before a full day of classes followed by several hours of bartending. The bar’s energy usually helped wake her up, but tonight her eyelids felt too heavy to care about the upbeat music and lively conversations.
“You’re almost done!” Jaune encouraged her with a pat on the back. “Actually, want to split early? I’ll cover.”
Knowing he would gladly cover the rest of her shift - as one of the nicest guys she knew, he was always willing to help - she smiled but shook her head.
“Thanks, but I’ll hang out a little longer - waiting on someone.”
“Alright. Offer stands though. Last thing we need is you falling asleep while pouring drinks.”
“Hey. I can pour while sleeping.”
When he chuckled at the idea, Yang held a straight face for only a second before joining him. Years ago, she never would have pictured herself working at a bar, but it wasn’t all bad. She actually had a lot of fun here. Plus, she had met some great people - also some not-so-great people, but at least those interactions made for great stories.
Noticing a new group of customers walking through the door, she glanced their way before gasping and nudging Jaune’s side.
“Jaune! Look who’s here!”
Yang didn’t have to nod toward the door for Jaune to figure it out. His gaze immediately locked onto the gorgeous redhead accompanied by a couple of her friends, and he blushed just seeing her.
“You have to talk to her,” Yang prodded him as the redhead separated from the group and approached the bar.
“Uhh…” His time to make a decision quickly dwindled, and he shook his head at the last possible second. “Can’t,” he said while grabbing a bucket of cleaning supplies and hurrying away.
“Jaune!” Yang hissed after him, but he kept his eyes straight ahead and motioned to the bathrooms. “Coward!” she eventually called out before turning around and throwing on a smile.
“Hey!” she began, hoping that interaction hadn’t been too obvious. “It’s Pyrrha, right?”
“It is.” Emerald green eyes flitted after Jaune, and a friendly smile appeared not long after. “Yang, right?”
“Good memory,” Yang replied before nodding after Jaune. If he was too much of a wuss to do this himself, she would help him. “That’s Jaune, by the way. He’ll be here all night.”
“Jaune’s a nice name.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Suspecting that this girl was probably just as interested in Jaune as he was interested in her, Yang couldn’t stop grinning. “He’s a great guy, too,” she added for Jaune’s benefit. “Probably one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.”
“He seems like a nice guy…” Pyrrha mused, her gaze again flitting after him. Realizing how that comment could be interpreted, she started and refocused on Yang. “I mean, from what I’ve seen the few times I’ve been here, he seems...nice.”
Saving Pyrrha from further embarrassment, Yang smiled and nodded.
“Your intuition’s right about that,” she said before setting her hands on the counter. “But can I get you something to drink?”
Reminded of the secondary reason she had walked over here, Pyrrha glanced at the menus above the bar before subtly shaking her head.
“I think I’ll see what my friends want to order, then come back.” While obviously an attempt to speak to the ‘hotter’ blonde bartender, Pyrrha still gave Yang a sincere, apologetic smile. “Sorry for taking your time.”
“No problem! Come back whenever you’re ready.”
While Pyrrha nodded and rejoined her friends at a booth on the far side of the bar, Yang watched the should-be model go before chuckling to herself. Jaune was still nowhere to be seen - the wimp doing anything he could to avoid making a fool of himself in front of Pyrrha while Pyrrha did everything she could just to talk to him. One of these days, the two of them would connect - Yang would make sure of it. Until then, she nodded to the tall, crew-cut boy walking up to order another drink.
“Back for another round?” she asked as he leaned against the counter.
“Absolutely.”
His ‘s’ slurred while he slapped another large bill in front of her, making her shake her head and chuckle while pulling out three more shot glasses for him and his buddies.
“You guys like the hard stuff, don’t you?” she asked, grabbing the bottle of tequila and glancing at him while filling each glass to the brim.
“Why don’t you come home with me and find out?”
Immediately making a face, she set the bottle down and shook her head.
“You’re new here, aren’t you.”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Read that sign.” Without looking, Yang pointed above her head to a sign that said ‘Absolutely NO hitting on the bartenders.’ She then watched him squint up at it, his rapidly deteriorating motor skills not helping his probably substandard ability to read.
“Got it?” she asked once his gaze returned to her. “And, unlike baseball, you only get two strikes before you’re out of here.”
“So you can flirt with me but I can’t flirt back?”
“Excuse me?” Finding that he was serious, she laughed. “How was I flirting?”
“You asked if I liked the hard stuff.”
Yang would have asked on what planet that counted as flirting, but the way he grabbed the front of his pants made her shake her head and resist the urge to knock some sense into him. Fortunately, she didn’t have to respond at all, as Jaune walked over and stood beside her.
“Can I help?” he asked the boy, who leaned away from the counter and threw on a smile.
“Naw, man. We’re just talking.”
When he winked at Yang, she crossed her arms and scowled.
“And the chat’s over.” Unamused, Jaune pushed the shot glasses forward and said, “Enjoy.”
Crew-cut boy scoffed at the dismissal but didn’t argue. He picked up the shots and walked away, grumbling under his breath as he went. Fortunately, Yang couldn’t hear what it was. If she had, she probably would have escorted him out by the collar. Instead, she wiped the bartop with just a hint of irritation before tossing the rag under the counter and shaking her head.
“Thanks, Jaune.”
“No problem. I still don’t get why they’re scared of me when you’re the one who’ll knock them out.”
“Because they recognize you as a dude threat.” Glancing at Jaune, who was tall and muscular on the outside but soft as a marshmallow inside, Yang grinned and playfully nudged his side. “They don’t realize you’re practically a girl.”
“Seven sisters will do that to you…” he sighed, always willing to accept that particular tease. “But that’s how I have a radar for when guys are being jerks.”
“Is that radar going off now?” When Jaune tilted his head, she made a face and nodded across the bar. “Looks like he’s not done.”
Crew-cut boy had discovered Pyrrha and, in his inebriated state, decided that she would be his next ‘conquest.’ Even from a distance, it was clear that Pyrrha was uncomfortable with his proximity, and her friends were growing more agitated by the second. One had already risen to his feet, and the other looked quick to follow if no one else stepped in.
“Seriously, dude?” Jaune sighed.
“Looks like you’ll be knocking him out after all,” Yang said while Jaune shook his head and went to break up the argument before it started.
Even though he had been too nervous to talk to Pyrrha moments earlier, he thought nothing of interrupting the conversation now. Of course, that was Jaune in a nutshell - a little shy, a little insecure, but always willing to throw himself in harm’s way to help.
Crew-cut boy didn’t appreciate whatever Jaune was telling him and raised his voice to express as much, but Jaune didn’t back down or flinch. Yang tensed in anticipation of what could become a fistfight, but Jaune calmly reiterated his position and, fortunately, the crew-cut boy decided better than to cause a scene. Instead, he made a couple of last-second comments before grabbing his buddies and leaving. Yang made sure to send them a fake smile as they passed the bar, still grumbling to themselves while throwing their jackets over their shoulders. Once they left, the atmosphere settled back to normal.
At least, to mostly normal - though Yang quickly noticed Jaune hadn’t returned. He was too busy nervously running a hand through his short, spiky hair, already blushing while shyly talking to Pyrrha, who looked just as shy as he did.
Apparently, crew-cut boy wasn’t all bad - he helped Yang with her goal of getting Jaune and Pyrrha to talk.
Smiling at the adorable conversation, she made sure not to stare too much lest she scare them apart. She noticed that Pyrrha’s friends seemed to be using a similar tactic, as they were already racking up a game of pool instead of lingering near the booth.
When the door opened a short time later, Yang first worried that the troublemakers had returned. Instead, she beamed as one of her favorite people in the world hopped inside.
“Ruby!”
“Hey, Yang!”
Always full of energy, Ruby practically skipped over to the bar and leaned across to give Yang a one-armed hug. Her short, brown hair was its typical mess, but her bright smile and sparkling silver eyes always lifted Yang’s spirits.
The girl following Ruby couldn’t have been more different. With long, perfect white hair, a slow, refined pace, and an expensive, well-coordinated outfit, she didn’t look like the type who frequented bars much at all. Of course, she would frequent anywhere Ruby did.
“Brought you something!” Ruby announced while setting a cup of coffee on the counter.
“You’re a lifesaver.” Yang immediately took a long sip and sighed. It was a little late for coffee, but she would never make it to the end of the night without it. “Hey Weiss,” she greeted the more stoic girl as she took her permanent position by Ruby’s side. “What’re you up to?”
“We just got dinner,” Weiss explained, her icy-blue eyes glancing at Ruby before a small smile finally appeared. “Now, we’re heading home to watch a movie.”
“I convinced Weiss to watch a scary movie with me,” Ruby playfully whispered behind one hand.
“You convinced Weiss Schnee to do something?” Yang joked before giving Weiss a disbelieving look. “How’d that happen?”
“She said please, I said yes.” When Yang’s brow rose at the simple explanation, Weiss laughed and shook her head. “I don’t get it either.”
Even though Ruby and Weiss had been together for years now, Yang was still taken aback by how much Weiss could change in the blink of an eye. One second, she was Weiss Schnee - the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the city. The next second, Ruby reduced her to just...Weiss. A surprisingly nice, considerate, generous girl who loved nothing more than being around Ruby. Seeing as how Yang also loved spending time with her little sister, they had more in common than expected.
“Why’d you send a ‘coffee SOS’ so late?” Ruby asked while settling on one of the barstools. “Blake?”
Weiss’ interest piqued at the name, but Yang shrugged in an attempt to downplay her exhaustion.
“We hung out last night after this party at her house. Stayed up kind of late though.”
“‘Hung out?’” Weiss asked. “And what ‘party thing?’”
“Her dad was having some sort of fundraiser. And we...hung out...after.”
Yang shot Weiss a pointed look, silently saying that she didn’t need to get into those details in front of her little sister. Weiss, however, reached for Ruby’s hand and smirked.
“You mean you were there for work, helping the Governor raise money for his campaign, then slept with his daughter.”
When Ruby giggled at the blunt retelling of Yang’s evening, earning a pleased smile from Weiss, Yang managed a neutral expression for only a second before giving in and chuckling at how that sounded.
“Just doing my part to support him,” she joked before breaking down and laughing some more. “And his family.”
As Ruby kept giggling and Weiss finally laughed - either at Ruby’s giggles, Yang’s joke, or both - a weight briefly lifted from Yang’s shoulders. Even though Yang loved seeing Blake and being with her whenever possible, keeping that secret and wondering what it meant got a little stressful at times.
“I can’t believe you’re still doing this,” Weiss added once their laughter quieted down. The instant her eyes shifted from humor to concern, however, the weight returned to Yang’s shoulders. “How long has it been now?”
Thinking about the whirlwind that had been the past few months - and the reasons why Weiss, and now Ruby, looked vaguely worried - Yang forced a small smile rather than let a sigh escape.
“It’ll be four months next week.”
They all knew that it was a long time to be seeing one person so consistently, but no one said it out loud.
“Are you going to celebrate?” Weiss asked instead.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” Yang admitted. “Should I? I mean...wouldn’t that be weird? We’re not officially dating or anything.”
“What are you doing then?”
If Weiss had asked that question, Yang would have responded with a joke. Faced with Ruby’s sincere and innocent curiosity, however, she struggled to find an answer.
“We’re...just...hanging out,” she sputtered before glancing around to make sure no one else was within earshot. “And sleeping together sometimes…”
Weiss and Ruby exchanged glances at the lackluster response, but neither of them pointed out how uncertain Yang sounded. Instead, Weiss smirked.
“You’re her booty call.”
While Yang scoffed at that summation, Ruby burst into giggles.
“Did you just say ‘booty call?’” she asked, drawing a slight frown onto Weiss’ lips.
“Is that not the right term?”
“It is. You’re just adorable.”
When Ruby leaned over and kissed Weiss’ cheek, Yang scoffed and shook her head.
“I’m not her ‘booty call,’” she said quietly, again glancing around to make sure no one could overhear. “We don’t have sex every time we see each other -”
“Just most of the time,” Weiss concluded, her eyes glinting with humor when Yang sighed.
“Does her sex life matter to you that much? Or are you just jealous that her family’s better than yours?”
“Excuse me?” Weiss huffed, immediately taking Yang’s bait. “The Belladonnas can’t even speak about the resources my family’s accumulated over generations.”
“Maybe your family’s richer, but hers is more powerful.”
“Money is power, Yang. You know that.”
Running out of arguments, Yang shook her head rather than poke the bear any more than she already had.
“Anyway...” Weiss continued, cooling off the instant Ruby patted her leg. “I’m not jealous and her sex life doesn’t concern me. I’m just surprised she’s involved in this type of relationship. She always struck me as more…serious.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t automatically think the worst of her,” Yang admitted, this time earning a nonchalant wave.
“I have nothing against her personally. She seems like a fine person, but...her father enrages mine and...things are harder that way. It’s difficult to separate those feelings sometimes.”
When Weiss’ gaze dropped to the counter and Ruby rubbed her back, Yang let it go. Her family was small and simple - just her, her dad, and Ruby - so she didn’t understand the complexity of being tied up in business and political matters with such heated ‘rivals.’ A blessing of coming from a regular, not-privileged family, perhaps. Or more proof that Weiss and Blake were from different worlds that Yang just couldn’t understand.
“I know something that’ll cheer you up...” Ruby told Weiss, her smile already brightening at whatever she was about to say. “A super scary zombie movie!”
Yang laughed, but Weiss rolled her eyes - affectionately so, if that was possible. As if she not-so-secretly loved the goofy ways Ruby found to make her smile about things that usually annoyed her.
“I suppose that doesn’t sound too bad…” Weiss mused, her acceptance only making Ruby happier.
“Perfect! Let’s go home then? Just let me use the bathroom first!”
Weiss could hardly stand up and nod before Ruby kissed her cheek and skipped off to the bathroom. The sweet gesture was second nature to Ruby by now but, based on the way Weiss stared after her with a lovestruck smile, still melted Weiss’ heart every time. In a more private setting, Weiss probably would have waited like that until Ruby returned. Noticing Yang’s attention, however, she cleared her throat and straightened her posture.
“I really don’t have an issue with Blake,” she said, her earnest tone willing Yang to believe her. “I just...don’t quite understand your relationship, so I don’t know what to make of it.”
When the two of them first met, Weiss never would have admitted as much - just like she wouldn’t have let her all-consuming love for Ruby show so often. A lot had changed in the last few years. Now, Yang appreciated Weiss’ friendship just as much as her candor.
“Don’t worry, Weiss. I don’t really understand either.”
Reassured by the admission, Weiss nodded and responded with an encouraging smile of her own. As if she somehow sensed the internal turmoil Yang dealt with these days. That moment passed once Ruby returned, her presence alone enough to brighten Weiss’ smile.
“Bye Yang!” After letting herself behind the bar - a privilege only she had - Ruby hugged Yang before pulling away and patting her shoulders. “Let’s get dinner soon?” she asked, her silver eyes sparkling with hope. “If you come over, we’ll cook for you!”
“Another Ruby Rose special?” Yang asked while Ruby returned to Weiss’ side. “Sounds fun. I’ll let you know when I’m free once next week’s schedule is out.”
“Awesome! We’ll see you soon!”
Faced with Ruby’s enthusiasm, Yang and Weiss both smiled. Weiss then picked up Ruby’s hand and gently tugged her toward the door, realizing that Ruby might stand and talk forever if given the chance.
“Let’s watch that movie,” Weiss prodded before meeting Yang’s gaze one last time. “Have a good night, Yang.”
“You too. And thanks for the coffee.”
Yang picked up the cup and took another drink as they left the bar together. Ruby was already talking about something - what they would make for dinner, probably - while Weiss listened with an intentness that showed how much she cared.
Once the door fell shut behind them, Yang set the coffee cup down and smiled to herself. In the midst of everything going on, she was grateful that she didn’t have to worry about Ruby. Between Ruby’s job and having a wealthy, doting girlfriend, she was completely taken care of. Most importantly, she was happy.
When someone else hurried behind the counter, Yang looked over and grinned while Jaune grabbed several empty glasses and set them in the sink.
“How’d it go?” she asked, noticing his gaze instantly flit across the room.
“She asked me out.”
“No way.” Glancing across the bar, where Pyrrha was now locked in conversation with her friends - likely explaining the same situation - Yang laughed and slapped Jaune’s shoulder. “That’s awesome! You said yes, right?”
“Of course I did! Now I just...I need to clean something.”
Watching Jaune pull out a spray bottle to clean the dispensers - one of the worst jobs that they avoided at all costs - Yang laughed. Jittery, ecstatic energy rolled off of him in waves, silently expressing just how excited he was about his future plans.
Yang would tease him about that later. For now, she let him dwell on what just happened while glancing at the person who just walked through the door. Immediately recognizing stunning, raven-colored hair, she did a double-take before an unstoppable smile crept onto her lips.
Even in a baseball cap and sunglasses, Blake was instantly recognizable. If anything, the ‘disguise’ only made her stand out more. Still, she walked over to the bar and slipped onto one of the stools as if no one would notice her.
That would be physically impossible for Yang to do. Just seeing Blake made her heart flutter with excitement, longing, and anticipation - she could do nothing to stop her feet from leading her over. Resting one hand on the countertop, she took in Blake’s ponytail and casual-yet-stylish outfit with a growing grin.
“You look familiar…haven’t I seen you on TV or in the paper or maybe in your bed last night?”
“One of those places, most likely…” Blake mused, giving Yang a flirty smile while tracing one finger across the counter. “But I know I’ve seen you in my dreams.”
Blake’s wink sent an arrow through Yang’s heart, and she playfully clutched her chest while staggering a step backward.
“Another critical hit from Team Belladonna…” she groaned before quickly returning to the bar, wanting to be as close to Blake as possible. “No one will recognize you like this,” she teased while lightly tapping the bill of Blake’s hat.
“Exactly. I’m perfectly incognito.”
“More like perfectly adorable.”
The compliment slipped out so easily that Yang didn’t realize how affectionate it sounded until hearing it aloud. She immediately worried that it was too ‘lovey-dovey,’ but blushed when Blake smiled. That smile always melted her heart, and today was no exception. Rather than dwell on all those feelings, however, she cleared her throat and nodded to the door.
“You just missed Ruby and Weiss.”
“Oh...that’s too bad. I would’ve liked to see Ruby again.”
After giving Blake a second to add anything else, or acknowledge Weiss in any way, Yang laughed.
“You can’t even pretend to be disappointed.”
“I could, but that would be disingenuous so...I won’t.”
The honest reply made Yang laugh more, especially when Blake’s eyes gleamed in response. Part of her found it hilarious that someone could be so dismissive of Weiss - Weiss Schnee, of all people. But a bigger part of her knew that Blake and Weiss could get along if they set the gloves down. That was the same part that dreamed of a future where they could all spend time together without worrying about who might see or what they might say.
“She’s actually really nice once you get to know her. But I know you’ve got that whole blood feud going on...”
“It’s not a blood feud,” Blake corrected. “Just...a sworn hatred between my family and hers.”
“That sounds the same...”
“Her dad’s funding a smear campaign against my dad, Yang.”
“I know, I know.” Before Blake got riled up about it, Yang held up her hands to show that she was still firmly on Blake’s side. It was a touchy subject, but rightfully so - no one wanted to have lies spread about someone they loved. Then again, Yang couldn’t let Blake keep believing Weiss was awful when she wasn’t.
“If it makes you feel any better, she’s not a fan of her dad either.”
“Then we have something in common, after all.”
When Yang smiled but didn’t respond, knowing she had already pushed too far, Blake sighed.
“I don’t know,” she added, taking off her sunglasses so Yang could finally see her warm, conflicted eyes. “Things are just a little...strained...right now, and it’s not easy to unlearn a lifetime of hearing how awful the Schnees are. I’m sure she feels the same about me.”
“She’s never said anything bad about you though,” Yang offered, hoping that served as consolation.
“It’s still unnerving she knows about us at all…”
“Sorry…”
“It’s ok, I’m not upset. It’s just...unnerving.”
Unable to find a better way to describe how she felt about that unfortunate situation, Blake just shook her head. Yang, on the other hand, stayed quiet rather than voice the thoughts going through her head.
She knew that Ruby accidentally spilling the beans to Weiss was a bad thing, but she was secretly grateful it happened. When she and Blake first started...getting together...she thought it would only be a couple of weeks before it ended. Then a month passed, then two, then three. She couldn’t imagine not having Ruby and Weiss to talk to about it, especially as the initial excitement turned into very real feelings. She didn’t know how Blake handled it. Of course, she and Blake might be on different wavelengths about that…
“Don’t worry,” Yang said, hoping to put Blake at ease. “She won’t dare say anything because then Ruby would be disappointed in her. And disappointing Ruby is...” Just thinking about letting her little sister down, Yang shuddered. “No one wants that.”
When a small smile finally flickered onto Blake’s lips, Yang leaned forward and drew little circles on the back of Blake’s hand.
“But you know what might help…?” Yang began, knowing Blake could fill in the rest from there. She could, but she sighed upon doing so.
“I’d love to spend time with Ruby, and maybe get to know Weiss, but right now I hardly get enough time with you.”
There was no faster way to melt Yang’s heart, especially when Blake turned her hand over and briefly grasped Yang’s. Blake was right, too. Between her job, her family commitments, Yang’s several jobs, school, and final projects, finding time to see each other was already a challenge.
“Well, let’s fix that, shall we?” Smiling, Yang straightened up and motioned to the bottles of alcohol lining the wall behind her. “Want a drink before we go?”
“Maybe…” Blake mused before nodding to Yang’s coffee cup. “Is that your coffee?”
“Yours now,” Yang replied, chuckling as she grabbed the cup and passed it to Blake. While Blake took a sip, Yang waved for Jaune’s attention. “I’m getting out of here,” she told him while nodding to the door.
“Sure thing. Have a good night!”
“Congrats on your date,” she teasingly added before walking out from behind the bar. He immediately glanced across the room, making her laugh while Blake joined her so they could leave together.
Greeted by the chilly night air outside, Yang sighed and glanced at Blake but resisted the urge to put an arm around Blake’s shoulders. She always wanted to hug Blake close when it was cold like this, especially knowing how much Blake hated being cold, but that wasn’t exactly a ‘friend’ thing to do.
“What do you want to do?” she asked, sticking her hands in her pockets as they left the bar behind. “With your incredible disguise, I bet we can go anywhere and no one would notice.”
“I’m sure we could,” Blake replied with a light laugh. “How about grabbing ice cream and going back to your place? We can watch a movie or something.”
“Really? The world’s our oyster and you want to hang out at my place?”
When Blake nodded, Yang nearly asked why that was preferable to grabbing a late dinner or going to an actual theater to watch a movie. Understanding dawned before the question did though - those were all legitimate dates, and Blake probably didn’t want to be spotted on what could easily be considered a date.
“You’re allowed to have friends who are girls, right?” Yang asked. “Like, without people freaking out?”
“Of course. But...if I spend too much time with one person, there could be...speculation.”
“Ah…”
“It happens to Ilia and me all the time,” Blake added, almost in a hurry to explain herself. “But my parents already know that we’re only friends, so they write it off. I just don’t want it to become an…issue.”
“I get it. Besides, who am I to protest when you look so cute?”
After playfully running a hand through Blake’s ponytail, Yang trained her gaze on the path to the ice cream place. She also wouldn’t protest keeping things friendly in public because she understood their relationship at least that much.
If they didn’t want Blake’s parents finding out, which Blake obviously didn’t and Yang wasn’t super keen on either, they couldn’t attract attention by holding hands, kissing, or any public displays of affection. Yang knew that - she signed up for it. She just wished her heart hadn’t gotten involved…and she wished that, in the back of her mind, she didn’t hear Weiss’ voice saying ‘booty call’ again...
But she kept a polite distance from Blake as they headed to the ice cream parlor. They walked close enough that their hands grazed every few steps, but it was a far cry from how close Yang wanted to be.
“How was work?” she asked while they crossed another intersection, hoping for a distraction from that longing.
“Same as usual. Organizing events, sorting correspondence, listening to another ‘rah-rah’ pep talk about all the great things we’ve accomplished.”
“Just another day at the office for Vale’s most popular governor?”
“Something like that…”
“You don’t sound very excited about it,” Yang replied, glancing over as Blake’s brow furrowed.
“It can be exciting...but sometimes it doesn’t feel like me, you know? They’re his goals, his vision, not mine.”
“Well, you’ll have your own vision when you’re governor, right?”
When Blake laughed and shook her head, Yang smiled at her.
“God, no. I don’t want to be a politician ever. I don’t even know if I want to work in politics much longer.”
The admission seemed simple to Yang, but for someone like Blake...breaking away from the pull of her family’s legacy wasn’t something easily admitted to. The fact that Blake felt comfortable confiding the secret desire made Yang feel incredibly special.
“You’ll be great at whatever you do,” she said, briefly touching Blake’s shoulder before turning the gesture into a point to the little ice cream parlor just ahead. “Even if what you decide to do is eat ice cream all day.”
“Ice cream taste tester...never considered that.”
Laughing at the joke, Yang made sure she got to the door first so that she could open it. While she reached for the handle, however, Blake abruptly stopped.
“Oh, figures,” she muttered to herself before spinning away from the door.
“What’s wrong?”
Immediately moving toward Blake, Yang looked around for the cause of such a rapid mood change but spotted nothing of interest.
“That’s Mrs. Rosenthal,” Blake explained with a quick nod into the ice cream parlor. “She’s one of my dad’s biggest donors.”
Understanding the reaction better now, Yang subtly glanced into the building and saw a middle-aged woman sitting with two children at one of the tables.
“I really don’t want to talk to her…” Blake sighed, keeping her back to the store so that she wasn’t recognized. Knowing a potential conflict where she saw one, Yang set a hand on Blake’s shoulder and smiled.
“Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you wait out here while I go in?”
Besides forgoing ice cream altogether, that was the only solution Yang saw. Blake still seemed surprised by the suggestion though.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Proving just how sure she was - because leaving without the ice cream Blake wanted wasn’t an option - she led Blake over to a bench outside the door and prompted her to sit down.
“You keep that fantastic disguise on, and I’ll be back in a minute.”
Blake’s grateful smile felt undeserved considering the amount of effort, but Yang still accepted it before going inside. While she headed to the line to order, her gaze flitted to the source of the commotion. Up close, the signs of wealth were obvious. Expensive bag, expensive earrings, giant ring on one finger...of course, no amount of money could stop two toddlers from spilling ice cream all over themselves. And, like all parents, the responsibility of cleaning up the mess fell to the adult.
Ice cream and kids - the great equalizer.
“Good evening,” the man behind the counter greeted her once she reached the front of the line. “What can I get you?”
“A pint of the dark chocolate cordial to go, please.”
“All for yourself, I hope,” he joked while pulling out an empty pint container and packing it with ice cream.
“You know...I’m feeling generous, so maybe I’ll share.”
Chuckling at her response, he quickly filled the container before pressing a lid on top. “Anything else?” he asked while sticking the pint into a paper bag and folding down the top.
“No, thank you.”
After passing him her card, she picked up the bag and waited only a few seconds for him to ring up the transaction. “Have a good night,” he said, returning her card with a receipt before rushing off to help the next customer.
Ice cream in hand, she pocketed the receipt and headed back outside. One last glance was saved for Mrs. Rosenthal, who had quite a mess on her hands now that her kids’ ice cream was mostly melted. Chocolate, too. It was everywhere.
Chuckling at the sight, Yang walked outside but didn’t immediately return to Blake. Instead, she looked around, pretending to be lost, until Blake finally stood up.
“Oh, there you are!” Yang teased, lighting up just seeing Blake again. “I totally didn’t recognize you. Thought you were just a random, extremely beautiful girl in a ball cap.”
“Good thing it is me then...because I wouldn’t want you talking to her.”
Smiling at the vaguely possessive remark, Yang tried to read Blake’s eyes to see if there were actual feelings behind it. Even though they hadn’t officially defined their relationship, she didn’t mind Blake being possessive. She actually loved it, even though Blake had nothing to worry about - she hadn’t flirted with another girl since the day they met.
“Let’s get going before this melts?” she asked while nodding in the direction of her apartment. After nodding as well, Blake fell into step by Yang’s side as they left the ice cream parlor behind.
They weren’t far from Yang’s apartment - just a few blocks of small storefronts and apartment buildings away. This part of town couldn’t be more different from where Blake lived - where all the rich people lived, with gated mansions and sprawling yards. Everything was smaller here, and dirtier, and...not as posh or nice as what Blake was used to.
But they would be alone and have the privacy to do...whatever Blake wanted to do. Yang had already accepted that she would give in to anything Blake wanted. Her heart confirmed as much by nearly leaping out of her chest when they walked into the lobby of her building and Blake reached over to hold her hand.
In moments like these, it was almost impossible for Yang to see this as just sex. If they were just fooling around, why hold hands? Why go through the pretense of getting ice cream and watching a movie? Why not just slip over, have their way with each other, and leave?
“Anything exciting happen today?” Yang asked, trying to distract her heart while they headed into the stairwell together - the elevators were perpetually broken these days.
“Well...this morning, I snuck an incredibly hot girl out of my room without my parents catching her.”
Laughing at the memory, Yang held the stairwell door for Blake before searching for her keys.
“Did ‘sneaking her out’ also involve stealing her underwear?”
“If you could’ve found your underwear, you could have taken it.”
“You’re the one who threw them somewhere,” Yang pointed out. Shrugging off the culpability, Blake leaned against the wall and watched Yang unlock the door to her apartment.
“They’ll show up eventually.”
Still smiling at the thought - and at how little help Blake had been in searching - Yang pushed the door open and motioned Blake in first. Yang then followed, shut the door, and locked it from the inside. As soon as she turned around, Blake pulled her into a long, slow, incredible kiss. Not a fiery kiss. Not a hungry kiss. One of those kisses that filled Yang with longing while simultaneously melting her into a puddle ready to do Blake’s bidding.
“I’ve been waiting all day for that...” Blake whispered after pulling away, her lips lightly brushing Yang’s with every word. After another quick kiss, she dropped back to her heels and smiled when Yang’s free hand settled on her hip.
Now that they were alone, the mood between them shifted. Free to do what they wanted without prying eyes looking on, Blake’s warm gaze filled with relief...followed closely by concern.
“You look tired…” she mused, tenderly touching Yang’s cheek just below the dark circles under her eyes.
“I wonder why,” Yang teased.
“I know I didn’t help, but you’ve been working so much recently...”
“Kind of have to if I want to finish in time,” Yang pointed out, but Blake pursed her lips while gently brushing her fingers through Yang’s hair.
“Can’t you take fewer shifts? At least until your project’s done?”
“Then how do I afford to eat and stuff? And don’t even suggest what you’re thinking.”
“That you save money by eating at work and taking home leftovers?” Blake said before shaking her head. “I know you won’t take my money, just like you know I’d offer if you’d let me.”
“Which I won’t.”
“Exactly.” Blake’s smile assured Yang that there were no ill intentions here - just an honest conversation about an honest issue. “So...let work feed you.”
Considering the suggestion more seriously, Yang eventually smiled.
“I could do that. Chicken tenders and fries might get boring, but I could probably jazz it up a bit. Plus, not cooking will save a bunch of time.”
“There you go,” Blake said, resting her hand on Yang’s shoulder and smiling at the small solution. The fact that she cared at all meant the world to Yang, who was used to taking care of everyone else rather than having someone take care of her.
“Thanks.”
She meant for more than just the suggestion. Hopefully, Blake understood that.
“It’s just been a little rough since Ruby moved out.” Yang would never admit that to anyone else - least of all Ruby, who had no reason to feel guilty for moving in with Weiss. “But I’ll get a handle on it soon. I only have a couple more months of work plus school, then it’ll just be work, work, and more work.”
“You’re making the rest of us look bad.”
“Oh please, Miss Helps-the-Governor-Write-New-Laws.”
“That’s not even comparable to what you’ve been doing the last few months, and you know it.”
Running herself ragged trying to make ends meet didn’t seem as important as what Blake did daily, but Yang knew better than to argue. Blake always won those arguments - mostly because she had several trump cards that worked every time. She knew it, too. Rather than point out the obvious though, she kissed Yang one more time before taking the bag of ice cream.
“You’re too hot to hold this much longer,” she teased before heading to the kitchen.
Smiling now, Yang followed. Her heart had woken with a vengeance, overriding her desire to calmly and rationally approach Blake’s presence in her humble home. Instead, all she could think about was how much she loved the way Blake acted so at ease here.
Even though the entire apartment was smaller than Blake’s bedroom, she never seemed to mind. She moved around as if this was her space, too. Like right now, as she set the ice cream on the counter and pulled a spoon from one of the drawers.
After removing the lid, Blake willingly turned into Yang’s embrace and accepted Yang’s hands resting on her hips, gently holding her close as she dug out the first spoonful. She offered it to Yang, who leaned forward and ate the ice cream off the spoon, before getting a second spoonful for herself.
“How’s your project going anyway?” she asked before sticking the spoon in her mouth and humming at the taste. Yang had no idea how Blake made eating ice cream look so sexy, but it was hard not to stare at the way she used her tongue to clean off the spoon before pulling it out and sticking it back into the container.
“Um, pretty good,” Yang said when Blake looked at her for an answer. “Still have a lot of finishing touches to add, but it’s mostly done.”
“Does that mean I can see it?”
“Not quite yet.”
“You’re such a tease,” Blake said, pulling the spoon away from Yang at the last second and sticking it in her mouth instead. Her eyes said she knew that action just proved she was the tease, but she didn’t mind. “I’ve listened to you talk about it all semester and still don’t get to see it?” she asked instead.
“I’ll show you when it’s done! It’ll be better then.”
“I have ways of making you talk, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” Yang said, laughing at the thought of Blake compelling the information out of her. “But it’ll be way better when everything’s finished. Right now, it’s...not impressive.”
“I don’t see how designing a house from scratch wouldn’t be impressive...”
Blake was pouting now, which was adorable and quickly wore down Yang’s resolve. Somehow, she had held out this long, but if Blake really wanted to see it...
“Alright, how about just one room?”
The way Blake brightened at the offer was more than enough of an answer. Briefly leaving Blake in the kitchen, Yang grabbed her computer from the desk and brought it over. After turning it on and loading the project that had absorbed the last few months of her life, she moved aside so Blake had a better view of the screen.
“This is one of the guest bedrooms.”
It didn’t look like much. It definitely didn’t reflect the hours Yang spent making sure every detail aligned perfectly. “I know it looks lame -” she began, but Blake waved off the comment and wrapped an arm around Yang’s waist while leaning closer.
“This is so cool…”
That response, and the smile Blake sent her way, made Yang feel better in no time.
“You even have the outlets,” Blake added, pointing at the tiny outlets lining the walls.
“Have to add outlets if people want lights,” Yang joked before clicking a button to make the walls transparent. “We have to add the wiring, too,” she explained as the program highlighted a maze of wires running between the walls. “All according to code.”
It was only a guest bedroom - one of the most boring parts of a house, really - but Blake stared as if memorizing every detail. Yang’s heart warmed at the intentness given to her final project, which she had spent a ton of time on, but even more when Blake set a hand on her arm and smiled at her.
“Yang, this is incredible. I already knew you were talented, but this is…”
Unable to think of the right word, Blake motioned to the screen as if that said it all. Yang, meanwhile, shuffled her feet at the compliments.
“Oh, get this,” she said when a diversion popped into her mind. Clicking back to the main view, she rotated the camera and highlighted a picture frame on the wall. “I know a girl working in the art department, and she made these for me. So all of the paintings are actually original artworks.”
Yang thought that was one of the coolest parts about her project, but Blake pursed her lips.
“Who is this ‘girl in the art department?’”
“Oh, I haven’t told you about her? I’m sleeping with her too, obviously.” When Blake immediately frowned, Yang squeezed her sides and smiled. “I’m kidding. She comes into work to buy art supplies, that’s all.”
“Ah.” It took several more seconds for Blake’s feathers to unruffle but, eventually, she smiled. “Good. Because if you have the energy to sleep with someone else, I’m not doing my job.”
“Even if I had the energy to sleep with someone else, I’m not interested.”
That was the closest Yang had ever come to telling Blake that, even if they were nothing more than friends-with-benefits or fuck buddies or whatever the term ended up being, she wasn’t sleeping with or even looking for anyone else. Thankfully, the answer pacified Blake enough that her smile grew as her gaze returned to the screen.
“Then the art is really cute. It brings a nice, warm touch to the room.”
“Was your answer going to be different if we were more than friends?”
“Absolutely.”
Yang laughed at the honest reply until Blake pulled her into a kiss. This one was a little hungrier, a little greedier, with a possessive edge that made Yang’s heart swoon.
“Now I want to see the rest of it…” Blake whispered, using her heart-stoppingly beautiful eyes and unfairly sexy voice to melt Yang’s resistance.
“It’s not finished though…”
If Blake really wanted to see it, Yang would let her...even though it was supposed to be a surprise. Blake must know she had the power to choose but, rather than get what she wanted right now, sighed instead.
“Alright…I think I can wait.”
“It won’t be much longer - promise.”
“I’m holding you to that,” Blake said, her gaze flitting to the computer before finally returning to the ice cream. The next spoonful went to Yang, who must have done enough to prove she deserved to be fed some more.
“Where do your parents think you are this time?” she asked after finishing that bite.
“Watching a movie with Ilia.” After sticking the spoon in her mouth, Blake added, “I told them not to wait up.”
“They have to think you and Ilia are secretly dating by now, right?”
That seemed like a sticky situation to Yang, but Blake just shrugged and tapped the spoon against the ice cream.
“That reminds me...Ilia and I were talking the other day about maybe getting our own place.”
“Leaving Chateau Belladonna?” Yang asked, her brow lifting in surprise.
“Maybe.” Again, Blake shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal even though it seemed like one. “It was a great place to land after school and get on my feet, but lately it feels like...it’s time for me to start being truly independent.”
“You already seem pretty independent to me.”
“But there are limits. Like spending the night, or several nights, at an incredibly sexy girl’s apartment...”
“Now you’re flattering me,” Yang said, chuckling before accepting the next spoonful of ice cream.
“Wouldn’t it be nice though?” Blake stuck the spoon in her mouth to clean off what Yang left behind before dipping it back into the container. “Then we wouldn’t have to worry as much. They won’t ask where I am at night, or who I’m with, or almost walk in on us while we’re - you know - busy.”
That was true. If Blake had her own apartment, they could spend time together more often and with fewer worries. It would make hiding their relationship easier, too.
“Unless you like sneaking around,” Blake added when Yang didn’t immediately respond. “I just thought it’d be a relief...”
“Oh, definitely!” Anything that was a relief to Blake was something Yang would endorse. She didn’t want to make Blake’s life any harder than she already did. “Plus, you and Ilia can probably afford a way nicer place.”
When Yang motioned to her apartment, Blake frowned.
“We don’t make that much money, you know.”
“But your parents will chip in, right?”
“Why would they? They like having me at home. Besides, if I need their money to afford a place to live, I’m not very independent, am I?”
Caught between a truth and a lie, Yang opened her mouth but decided not to attempt an answer. Another question flitted into her thoughts instead.
“If you and Ilia live together, won’t it be harder to hide...this...from her?”
“That’s fine.” Again, Blake shrugged. “She already knows I’m seeing someone. She just doesn’t know who. And I’m sure she’d keep it quiet...she just doesn’t need to know now, I guess.”
“Yeah, right. Of course.”
No one needed to know now, as far as Blake was concerned. And Yang was fine with that, mostly. She wished it could be different, or that her circumstances were different, but she had accepted things the way they were now.
“So,” she began, eager to move on to a happier subject. “Before we finish all that ice cream...any idea what you want to watch?”
“I saw a movie that looked cute - called ‘Happily Ever After.’”
After giving Blake a second to say it was a joke, Yang laughed.
“God, Blake, you have the worst taste in movies.”
“You love it.”
Chuckling some more, Yang gave Blake a long look but didn’t immediately respond. Her heart said that she loved more than just Blake’s horrible taste in movies, but she couldn’t admit that right now. Possibly not ever.
“Alright, fine,” she agreed instead. “We’ll watch the movie with a spoiler as a title.”
“I like knowing what to expect before committing my time to something,” Blake explained while following Yang to the sofa. “Besides, it has that actress you like.”
“The one that looks like you?”
“Is that why you like her so much?”
“Uh…” Having let that cat out of the bag, Yang chuckled and grabbed the remote. “Let’s get that movie started, shall we?”
When she sat down and Blake sat beside her, already curling into her side, her heart responded with several loud, happy thumps. As much as she loved the physical side of their relationship, and how insatiable Blake could be sometimes, she secretly adored these moments just as much. Just the two of them, clothes on, cuddling on the sofa watching a cheesy movie.
Blake’s hand resting on her thigh made her question how long this cute, domestic scene would last, but she would enjoy it while it did.