Chapter Text
In the month since she’s known the other two, Blake learns a lot through their group chat messages. Interspersed between jokes, memes, and good natured teasing, there’s a surprisingly guarded honesty from Yang and Weiss. Blake gets it though; she has her own secrets that they have yet to unravel. She wonders if they will--or more accurately, she wonders if she will stay long enough to give them a chance to find out.
Months can easily turn into years after all, and Blake knows just how fast time feels like it's passing in company that she thinks is good. She's waiting for something to go wrong, a realization she makes one day as her friends--it surprisingly didn't take long to refer to them as such--are bickering over what movie to watch after a long day at her place, which has somehow become their unspoken agreed upon hangout spot. This is too good to be true, Blake thinks, even as she occasionally provides the occasional quip while sneakily selecting a movie neither of the others have even looked at. She smirks as the romantic medieval drama begins playing, effectively silencing the others as they look at her in disbelief.
Once the movie starts, there’s no more bickering, but there is plenty of commentary as the practicality of the different armors, fight scenes, political movements, and developing romance are judged by the trio. Blake tries very hard not to overthink why she’s incredibly invested in the last point. Her romantic history has been an emotional roller coaster, and her heart has been closed off for a few years ever since she left her ex boyfriend despite multiple people confessing their attraction to her over the years. She’s gone on a few dates if not outright rejecting them, but those didn’t last longer than a few times.
Being the unabashed bisexual that she is, attraction to others comes easily to her. It’s finding something beyond the initial attraction that makes her hesitate and hold herself back from making any moves as mistakes from the past cloud her mind. She won’t let those same mistakes cloud her judgment again. Blake sometimes feels bad that she’s kept people who have had crushes on her at arm’s length because of her own fears, but she believes that two of her now close friends can and will find someone else. Sun has his charisma, and if that was almost enough for her to give him a chance, then Blake knows he can find someone else. On the other hand, Ilia seemed to have better luck with a tall redhead ever since Blake managed to convince her to join Weiss’s gym.
“So your biggest issue with the romance was the arranged marriage?” Yang asks, and Blake is immediately brought back to the conversation. Weiss hums in thought, shifting a bit to get more comfortable, and Blake is suddenly reminded of how warm she is inside and out while she’s nestled in between them.
“It just feels stifling. There’s a powerlessness present, even if the arranged marriage does work out. To have that choice taken away shouldn’t be seen as romantic.” The way that Weiss speaks is almost always assured, never faltering even under pressure, Blake has noticed. Just now though, there’s a subtleness and vulnerability not normally present. Yang, almost always confident, voices her thoughts for her, but Blake wonders if keeping quiet just this once would be better.
“Sounds like you’re speaking from personal experience.”
“I’m not...exactly--” Weiss’s phone rings then, and she answers it immediately. Blake isn’t sure if that call is a good or bad interruption, but she is sure that Weiss regrets answering by the sudden scowl on her face and how she immediately gets up to continue the conversation where she can’t be heard. When the bathroom door closes, Blake turns to the woman beside her with a raised brow.
“What? Come on. I was saying what we were both thinking.” Yang was right, annoyingly so, but Blake wasn’t about to admit that. “You heard the way she talked about that. It sounded too...personal, like she’s lived through it herself or at least understands how it feels.”
“I agree, but you could have worded it differently…”
“You mean be tactful about things like Weiss keeps suggesting?” Yang rolls her eyes, but it’s a fond one accompanied by a small smile. That smile shifts into a smirk, and Blake knows whatever Yang is about to say next is anything but tactful. “We both know the princess just needs to get laid and her stress will disappear just like that.” She emphasizes her words with a snap, and Blake rolls her eyes.
“That’s not how it works. Even if it did, are you volunteering?” Yang’s smile is always dazzling, but her smirk is downright dangerously enticing, especially when it widens at the question. Then she licks her lips, and Blake’s mind is suddenly filled with mental images of Weiss and Yang doing exactly what the latter mentioned. Blake blinks quickly, running a hand through her hair and somehow managing to find it in herself to tear her gaze away from Yang as she tries to get that thought out of her head. It wasn’t okay to imagine her friends like that...was it? She didn’t know, and she certainly wasn’t about to ask.
“Maybe I am.” And just like that, Yang manages to recapture her attention while simultaneously shattering her thoughts. Blake smirks then, not hesitating in retaliating.
“I’ll be sure to let Weiss know.”
“Wait no--”
“What nonsense is Yang spouting now?” Weiss asks, effortlessly inserting herself into the conversation and between them as she returns to the room. The motion is easy, as if the two have always welcomed her into their company. Her true mood is carefully hidden away behind a practiced smile and careful motions, but Blake is far too familiar with hiding to let that fool her. She makes a mental note to check in with her sometime.
Before Blake can answer the question, Yang blurts out what seems to be the first thing on her mind. “We were just talking about how awesome Ruby’s after-party is gonna be!” Yang exclaims with a beguiling grin, one that simultaneously dispels suspicion and raises questions.
“After-party...for what?” Weiss asks for the two of them, Blake looking over her shoulders to stare at Yang quizzically as she tries to gauge whether or not the blonde is making something up on the spot. Apparently not, if Yang’s next words are anything to go by.
“Ruby is graduating tomorrow--”
“What?!”
“And you’re both invited! Isn’t that great? Now you have plans for tomorrow! You’re both welcome…!” Yang exclaims excitedly, quickly getting up and sprinting away from a now exasperated Weiss. She immediately gets up to chase their fleeing friend while berating Yang for not telling them earlier. Blake settles in her seat, finishing the snacks they’ve graciously left behind for her and lets the sounds of their bickering carry throughout her home.
With a piece of popcorn halfway to her mouth, Blake pauses as the thought echoes in her mind. It had been a while since she had associated a person to the concept of home. Now there are two people who, in the span of a month, make her comfortable enough that she would willingly allow them to return multiple times and occupy her space. This isn't a new concept for her--though she doesn't like to think about him or how stifling the space they shared seemed--but it feels like a new beginning. The realization scares her, but behind the fear and quickly overtaking it is an excitement that she hasn't felt in years.
When Yang returns and attempts to hide behind Blake, she flicks the piece of popcorn at her and is rewarded with a pout. Weiss catches up, and they somehow end up rolling around each other on the couch. In the commotion, Blake learns that Weiss is extremely flexible, enough to move and pin Yang to the floor. It happens so fast that Blake is blinking from one moment when she can feel their body heat to the next where a different kind of heat builds within her at the sight of Weiss straddling someone so much bigger than her who chooses to concede with a shining smile on her face. Blake keeps both of these observations to herself, though she can't take her eyes away from how breathless and breathtaking they are.
“Still mad?” Yang asks, that shining smile still on her face. It’s contagious, Blake thinks as her own lips turn up and she spots Weiss’s doing the same. In response, Weiss slaps her shoulder.
“Just tell us about important events earlier next time so that we’ll have time to prepare.”
“Like you haven’t already thought of the outfit you’ll be wearing for the party.” Blake says much to Weiss’s dismay. She raises an empty soda can in a mock toast before lazily tossing it in the trash bag they have set up near the table, prompting a cheer from Yang and an eye roll from Weiss. They’d have to fit a few more hours into the gym to work off the junk food they’ve had, but Blake is looking forward to it. Blake yawns and closes her eyes then, letting their voices fade away as their current position reminds her of how this is actually the second time she’s seen them like that.
The people at the gym are welcoming, and it didn’t take her long to feel mostly comfortable around them. What Blake remembers most though is that first morning when she came in and changed into her workout clothes, the staff and her new friends had various reactions to the tattoo on her abdomen.
Nora had immediately started asking well intentioned but probing questions that were enough to almost cause Blake to make up an excuse and run. The exuberant woman only seemed to calm down when Ren quietly placed his hand on her shoulder, which made Blake’s eyebrows rise. She’d read enough romance novels to recognize mutual pining when it was right in front of her but apparently not enough to recognize it in her own life.
By now, Blake has convinced herself that she knows the signs, having been seriously confessed to twice already. Even that amount seemed like luck to her though, and she thinks she’s run out on that front. She doesn’t think she deserves a third chance, and the tattoo--specifically the scar that it covers--is a reminder to herself and a warning to those around her that being involved with her only brings bad luck.
After Ren had successfully distracted and led his best friend away, Blake had smiled politely at the rest of the staff, though it was strained. Thankfully, no one else questions her, and amid the compliments from the others, two people stay back to stare at it, then at her, as if trying to place the pieces of a puzzle together. When her eyes meet burning blue and purple, she sees questions arise that don’t get voiced, and it’s only then that she first feels the need to be known by not one but two souls.
When everyone, including Weiss for a short while, split up to work out, Blake is distracted. She remembers how purple and blue scrutinized not just the tattoo, but her as well. She remembers Weiss and the way her brows furrow as she stared before looking away, and Blake can practically see the gears turning in her head. She remembers Yang and the intensity of her gaze, one that refused to look away, that felt overwhelming enough to be a blaze, and Blake had to look away first. Even when she does, the knowledge of their attention spurs her on to do more than she usually would in her workout routine, and by the time she’s done, they’re looking at her sweaty body with a different fire in their eyes. Blake tries not to think about how she does the same before finishing her bottle of water, closing her eyes to try and rid her mind of how her friends look post workout.
It doesn’t help when her mind flashes to earlier, when she had looked over and Weiss had somehow pinned someone much larger than her with ease. Blake thinks it’s normal to admire their muscles and the way they looked in that position though; it certainly helped motivate her to finish her set at least, but not without distracting thoughts. Briefly, she wonders what it’d be like to mark their unblemished--aside from small scars, each with a story to tell--skin.
Her job, like part of her past, has been hidden from them for now. It’s not because she necessarily wants to hide what she does for a living, though she’s sure that she’ll be teased for trying to maintain an air of mystery once they do find out. Rather, she’s not sure how they’d feel about having a tattoo artist as a friend. Maybe it’ll come up someday or maybe she’ll continue to be mysterious, but she doesn’t want to take a chance and be judged for this.
Knowing her job was the first step to getting to know her, and Blake doesn't know if she is willing to open herself up to anyone else...yet. Her new friends are challenging her past resilience, and her instinctive reaction is to slam all her walls up and block them out and yet…
Taking a chance with herself, Blake welcomes them warily at first, then warmly when they visit more often and commiserate. Messages gradually get accompanied by calls, and quick visits turn into hours long hangouts, which lead to--
"She's sleeping."
"I can see that, Yang. The least you can do is whisper." A much more quieter voice chides lightly, though there’s an undercurrent of fondness that almost prompts a smile from Blake. She manages to rein it in though, and eventually her breathing evens out enough for her to make the sleeping front she's putting on into a reality.
Graduation, Blake reminds herself as she sits on the left side of a proud Yang, is a celebratory ceremony. That fact should be obvious, but it’s harder for Blake to remember these occasions since she doesn’t think there’s much worth celebrating in her life. It doesn’t help that she doesn’t have siblings of her own to congratulate either. Sure, she owns a successful tattoo parlor with a reliable staff and her personal life has been relatively peaceful ever since she left the unpleasant parts of her past behind...Blake suddenly realizes that she’s never actually celebrated doing that and subtly glances at her friends, who are both currently trying to take the best picture of Ruby in her gown despite the fact that she’s not on stage yet, bringing a smile to Blake’s face.
Settling in her seat, Blake watches the ceremony with muted fascination. At one point when Yang is cheering along with the assembled audience, Blake realizes that neither she nor Weiss don’t actually know what their friend does for a living. She knows that Yang has a job at least, since there are hours in the day when she isn’t available. Blake considers asking but quickly dismisses the thought because she gets it.
If Yang wants to hide her job from them, who is she to judge? Besides, the less she asks, the less she’d be questioned in turn. Blake reminds herself of this every time she sees Yang’s wistful look toward the stage in the quiet moments between the cheering. Curiosity would not be her undoing now.
Blake’s gaze moves to Weiss, who also seems to be reflecting on something as she calmly observes Yang and the ceremony. She can tell that Weiss is genuinely happy for Ruby, but there’s an undercurrent of another emotion that has Blake opening her mouth after the younger woman walks the stage and Yang leads them back to the sisters’ apartment for what she referred to as a proper celebration.
“Enjoying the party?” Blake asks, her and Weiss standing in a secluded spot in the corner thirty minutes into the party. By this time, Blake knows that they all have varying levels of enjoyment with parties, Weiss attending more for the social aspect and Yang for the enjoyment with Blake being a blend somewhere in the middle. Weiss narrows her eyes then, snapping Blake out of her thoughts, sharply reminding her of how perceptive her friend is.
“What do you really want to ask?” Weiss retorts, and Blake sighs. She would’ve preferred to ease into the topic, but that was not how Weiss Schnee lived her life. Blake couldn’t blame her though; just thinking about the amount of infuriating small talk Weiss has had to stand before she broke away from her father is exhausting.
“I’m guessing graduation is a hard time for you.”
“Yes…” Weiss says, a bit of uncertainty entering her voice, her eyes flicking away, as if looking for an excuse to change the topic.
“It was mainly an observation. If there’s anything you want to get off your chest…” Blake isn’t the best at comforting people, but that doesn’t mean she won’t try.
“And you want me to open up...at a party.” Weiss states teasingly, that small infuriating smirk on her face that has Blake sighing. Sometimes she wonders why she even tries, but there’s a similar smirk on her face. Before Blake can really start questioning her, Ruby somehow manages to speedily slide herself in between them, grinning giddily.
“Weiss! Blake! I hope you’re enjoying the party, even if it was planned by my sister!” Ruby says unabashedly, her joy infectious enough to brighten their moods. Weiss even lets out a little laugh at that, the smirk staying.
“Should you be saying that about your sister?”
Her grin only widening, Ruby shrugs. “She’ll probably say the same thing about the party I have planned for her next month, so it evens out.”
“Must you two have parties every month?” If they weren’t currently at Ruby’s celebration party, Weiss might have rolled her eyes after asking the question.
“Not every month, but I think Yang’s birthday deserves one--”
“Her what?!”
“--But that’s just my opinion.” At her friends’ flabbergasted expressions, Ruby blinks then groans in realization. The younger woman mutters under her breath, and Blake has to strain to hear how she’s chastising Yang. Silver eyes look between them, and Blake can see an apology shining in them, which worries her. “Of course Yang wouldn’t tell you about her birthday. That’s…” A small laugh, sadness and fondness combined, spills out, and it’s the first time all day that Blake has seen that smile dim. “That’s such a Yang thing to do…”
“Does she not like celebrating it?” Weiss asks carefully, having also noticed how Ruby reacted.
“It’s not that! We always have fun!” Ruby retorts, fiercely defending her sister despite her own feelings on the matter.
“Does she…” Their gazes turn to her, but Blake is focused on Ruby while choosing her words carefully. Still, she has to know. “Does Yang feel like her birthday isn’t something worth celebrating?”
Not even the background sounds of the party can shatter through the sudden silence.
After too many moments awkwardly shuffling her feet, Ruby sighs, the sound like a dam breaking. Blake recognizes it; it’s how she sounds every time she chooses to open up about her past with the most recent occasion being during the previous month.
“I just...want Yang to be taken care of for once instead of…” Ruby gesticulates wildly, but Blake gets it. She glances over and sees Weiss staring at Yang, who of course is in the middle of an arm wrestling match with Nora, with furrowed brows. Her blue eyes are shining in the same way she scrutinizes spreadsheets, and Blake knows that she’s seeing in a newer, different light. A light that’s always been there, but one that won’t be ignored any longer. If nothing else, Blake knows that Weiss will ensure it won’t be, if her tone is anything to go by.
“What’s your plan for next month?”
“Plan?” Weiss’s sharp gaze is focused on Ruby now, and her annoyed huff makes the younger girl squeak.
“Your birthday party plan for your sister, Ruby!” If this was happening at any other time, Blake thinks she’d find the scene playing out before her amusing, but right now she feels just as determined as Weiss.
“Oh! Yeah uh...I haven’t thought of anything specific yet.”
“What?!” Weiss rounds on her then, hands on her hips and all. The sight brings a smile to Blake’s face before she can stop it.
“Yeah, I mean it’s not for over another month, so--”
“Ruby Rose, that is unacceptable. These events require timing and careful planning.”
Slowly, Ruby blinks at that and narrows her eyes. “Wasn’t your birthday party planned on the same day?”
“That was different! Now we have enough time to plan something spectacular.” There’s a gleam in her eyes now, and Blake hides her widening smile behind her can of cheap beer. Ruby, on the other hand, starts laughing a bit nervously.
“It doesn’t have to be big. It’s just a birthday party.”
“It’s never just a birthday party,” Weiss says softly, a note of finality in her tone. Ruby looks over her carefully before nodding.
“You’re right, but can we at least wait until July? Her birthday is at the end of the month, so…” Ruby is already pouting at Weiss’s disapproving look. The younger girl sighs in defeat, grumbling about how she can’t even enjoy her own party. Weiss pauses at this, pursing her lips in thought. Blake blames the alcohol she’s had on why her gaze immediately focuses on the action.
Sighing, Weiss makes a show of rolling her eyes before nodding back at the party. When Blake glances over, she sees that Yang has started doing body shots, and she half wishes that she could join. Once again, she blames the alcohol for her thoughts. “You may enjoy your party, but Blake and I will start planning.”
That snapped Blake’s attention back to the conversation at hand. She barely looks back at Weiss when Ruby is already sprinting away. Sometimes Blake thinks that the younger woman would have super speed as some sort of power in another world.
Then, Weiss takes out sticky notes and a pen, which Blake can only assume she carries around everywhere with her. As she tests out the pen, Blake can only look at her fondly. When she’s satisfied with how the pen is working, Weiss meets her gaze, and Blake can see the determination blazing within blue eyes.
“What’s that look for?” Weiss asks, a little breathless. Blake once again blames the alcohol.
“Your confidence is contagious. It makes me feel like we can plan this party and maybe take over the world afterwards.” Weiss’s light laugh is a sound Blake thinks she’ll never get tired of hearing.
“World domination isn’t exactly on my agenda, which is already quite full, I’ll add. Having to deal with you and Yang is enough for one lifetime.”
"One lifetime?" Blake is just tipsy enough to keep talking, even leaning into Weiss's space a bit. Weiss hastily shoves the sticky notes into a pants pocket. For some reason, that break into personal space makes the other woman flush, and Blake concludes that they have had too much to drink. Still, her intoxicated mind propels her to finish what she wants to say. How else would the intoxicating woman in front of her ever talk to her if she isn't honest? "Do you plan to keep us around?"
"Yes. I do…" Weiss says slowly, as if acknowledging the answer for herself for the first time too. She tries to cover up her slowness but ends up speaking too fast now. "You two won't end up leaving me unless you want to, of course. But I don't think you want to. You'll never find anyone else like me." Blake is already nodding by the time Weiss finishes before leaning in because it's the logical thing to do, of course. Her addled mind concludes that there is one surefire way to keep her around. She just needs to seal it with a--
"Yang!"
The name of their mutual friend snaps their attention to the other side of the room where, even surrounded by a multitude of people and a plethora of lights, Yang stands out as a beacon. She stares at them and they stare at her and somehow, they all end up meeting each other halfway to each other. Blake isn’t exactly sure what happens next, the smell and influence of alcohol clouding her vision and judgment, but she does know that she sleeps very soundly that night.
When Blake wakes the next day, her first thought that manages to bore past the pounding headache she now has is that the sun is too bright. She groans and tries to roll over, making a few discoveries as she does. The previous night comes back to her in bits and pieces, but she’s drawn out of her feeble attempts to remember the rest by the bodies beside her.
Oh, Blake thinks. This is the second time that they had ended up in the same bed together cuddling and still clothed, she notes. This time, she’s the one in the middle, and Weiss is clinging to her like she did last time. When she does eventually wake up, Blake already has a teasing question on the tip of her tongue and feels a mischievous excitement bubble within her at the possibility of goading Weiss.
“What are you smiling about?” Even though the question is whispered, Blake’s attention snaps to the blonde bedmate in front of her. Blake’s breath catches at how the sun’s slanting rays pale in comparison to Yang’s small smile and the intensity of being the sole focus of her attention. Realizing that she needs to respond, Blake whispers the first thing that comes to mind.
“Weiss.” If possible, Yang’s smile broadens, and she glances over Blake’s shoulder with the same fond look. Then, she leans forward--Blake freezes--and presses the softest kiss Blake thinks she’s ever received to her forehead.
“Thank you both for celebrating Ruby’s graduation with me. She means the world to me, and you two do too.” As Yang leans over to press a kiss to Weiss’s hair, Blake’s mind and heart are racing. There’s a sudden fire within her, and she seriously considers returning the kiss. It’s the least she can do for her friend. But then Yang has moved away, stretching her arms above her head with that sunny smile on her face. “I’m gonna make breakfast. I don’t want to face a Weiss without coffee.”
Then she’s gone, and the fire settles into a steady undercurrent of warmth as Blake feels Weiss shifting against her with a small groan of her own. Blake stays still as Weiss gathers her bearings and smiles when hearing the exasperated sigh behind her. “This is getting repetitive...I’m surprised that we’ve all managed to fit in Yang’s bed unless she’s fallen off.”
“No, she’s making breakfast.” Blake says, amused at the mental image.
“Good. Speaking of Yang,” Weiss starts in that tone she uses when she’s made a decision, prompting Blake to turn in her arms, unable to look away. “We still need to plan what we’re going to do for her birthday.” She’s saying this as seriously as she’d speak about a business deal, and Blake just smiles fondly at her then nods when Weiss raises a brow, expecting a response.
“Whenever you two are done cuddling, breakfast is ready!” Yang yells from the kitchen, and Weiss rolls her eyes before getting up. Blake stays a bit longer, her senses tingling from the lack of their presences. Yet it’s as if they’re still in the bed with her, faint scents of motor oil, papers, sweat, and alcohol lingering. Blake’s headache is too strong for her to make sense of what belongs to who, so she gets up and trudges to the kitchen.
The remnants of the party remain, but Yang beams when she sees her, as if she doesn’t care about how much she’ll have to clean up later, and that settles Blake more than the cup of tea placed in front of her. Weiss merely raises a skeptical brow, but when Ruby walks in, she pouts before making her way to the coffee maker and taking out an excessive amount of sugar. The white-haired woman gives them both a look once Yang’s back is turned, but Ruby doesn’t let that deter her. She grins and gives a thumbs up.
“I know you’re probably already thinking about work, but let’s eat before we deal with anything else.” Ruby says, looking at Weiss meaningfully. Weiss purses her lips but gives a decisive nod, eliciting sighs of relief from Yang and Blake. Blue eyes roll skyward, but Weiss hides her smile behind a sip of coffee.
Blake knows that Weiss will likely have them plan out multiple scenarios later, but she finds herself not minding it. After breakfast is finished, she watches as Weiss bickers with Yang over who will do the dishes, herself having been successfully sent away earlier. She learns then that they have similarly aligned goals and stubborn heads.
When Penny walks out of Ruby's room a little bit later, Blake learns something else and smiles. It reminds her of when she first came out to friends, and seeing how Yang and Weiss take Penny's asexuality in stride gives her hope of them accepting other identities, even if they are rare, and especially even if they are hers.
But that'll come up another day, after they learn of her occupation. If they take that in stride, maybe Blake will lower her walls even more. For now though, she watches and waits. As her friends move around her, Blake's mind races.
She's not usually one to make the first move in any aspect of her life, but Blake might be willing to make a move in the future, forwards instead of backwards, running towards something, someone--no, someones--within reach. Infatuation is a fleeting feeling, a lesson ingrained into her and something she's let dictate how she lives and carries herself. But something stronger and more permanent is calling to her now, and the chains around her heart have been slowly burning away every time she sees a vague mirror of her own journey in Weiss' eyes and feels the hope for a better future in Yang's.
Blake doesn't outwardly express her musings in one way or another though. There are still fears and the shadow of a man holding her back. Every time she thinks she's broken free, he's there as a reminder of why she shouldn't take another chance again.
And of course, for them, she listens to his spiteful vitriol. It's better this way, Blake justifies to herself. In the back of her mind, Blake knows that's the spineless excuse.
But Blake has always considered herself a coward, so it's fitting that she refuses to share her baggage with people who make the load a little bit lighter. After all, everyone has a limit, and she doesn't want them to go, so she keeps this all in just so they can stay.