#she’d change her mind pretty quick. stop pestering her little sis >:( | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

forgetspecifics · 7 years ago

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Such Sights are Bright - Chapter 4: I Believe in Night, I Believe in Day

Yang's plan to have Blake join her for Christmas gifts her more than she anticipated.

Other links: Ao3 FF.net

Notes:

I feel bad that almost half of this chapter had been written for a long time. Got my ass into gear and it turned out better than I hoped. But hey, it's the longest one yet, if that makes up for my absence?

December (Winter)

Blake had never particularly liked when Winter rolled around. There was the incessant cold weather; waking up and dreading stepping onto any tiled surface with bare feet, going outside and feeling the chill of the air – or worse, the dreaded snowflakes had invaded the land.

Then there were the holidays. Being alone got old very fast.

While Thanksgiving wasn’t technically a Winter holiday, it was still cold and it was still lonely. That had changed when Yang Xiao Long walked into social studies class late, and into her life (thanks to Ms. Peach). Because Yang was a wonderful person despite her easily judged outward appearance, and had made quick work of walking her way right into Blake’s heart. Which was why she had accepted her new best friend’s invitation to join her and her uncle for Thanksgiving.

And thanks she gave, because it had been the greatest Thanksgiving Blake had in five years.

It should have come as no surprise that Yang had approached her the next day of school and handed her a formal invitation (she claimed that, but it was just a piece of notepad paper) to Christmas day celebrations – this time with pre-approval from the whole family, she’d said.

Yet, Blake was surprised. Especially learning that her Thanksgiving invitation had been impromptu and not quite as thought at as she had assumed it was. Now Qrow was again opening his door to her, and Yang’s father and sister were just fine with sharing their family time with a complete stranger.

Yang definitely had a way of charming people.

Looking back on the past three months, Blake included herself as someone under Yang’s charm – the amount of things she’d never dreamed of doing, let alone voluntarily, she’d done. All because the girl had been enthusiastic enough to do a school project on discrimination. She hadn’t known at the time, but hearing Yang openly support Faunus made Blake like her all the more; there was no benefit for Yang to have said that back then. But along the way she’d shown her support time and time again. When they were deciding on what way to present their information, Yang had immediately gone for an essay – because a serious issue needs a serious platform, was her reasoning.

Now they were on the home stretch of finishing their serious essay, and to say that Blake was proud of her partner for her efforts was an understatement. They’d come a long way.

There was no way Blake could refuse Yang; she’d been talking for weeks about how she was looking forward to Christmas, and if Blake had gotten an invitation, then there was no reason for her to not go.

Despite that, the closer the twenty-fifth got, the more anxious she became. Blake was suspicious that it was some internal need to impress her best friend’s closest family members, but she couldn’t fathom why. It wasn’t like she was marrying Yang. Not to mention that Qrow seemed to like the affect she’d had on the rambunctious youth.

Yang had made sure to mention every couple of days to her that there was nothing to worry about. It was now the twentieth of December, they were discussing finalising their social studies project to be submitted in two days, and pretending to listen to one of Nora’s recounts of a crazy dream she’d had. Which was another indication of Yang’s dedication, since she was usually enthralled by those stories.

Like some infernal alarm clock, Yang had slipped into reassure-Blake-so-she’ll-come-to-Christmas mode while Sun had the whole table distracted with how great the festive celebrations were in Texas. “So Blake, my dad and my lil’ sis’ are getting here Christmas Eve morning. They can’t wait to meet ya.”

“Are you sure you want me there on the Eve? I don’t want to impose,” Blake chewed her lip to distract herself from the nervous flutter in her stomach which arose every time Yang brought this topic up.

“Don’t be silly! You being there for Christmas Eve is imperative to the Christmas experience!” Yang said a little too loudly. Though her use of vocabulary was a pro, she’d brought attention to their conversation, and everybody knowing that Blake was going to someone else’s family Christmas was a con.

“Excuse me,” piped up Nora, looking awfully intimidating for someone that was incredibly short. “Why am I not invited to your Christmas, Yang?”

Ren looked defeated as he chastised his best friend’s behaviour from behind his facepalm.

Chuckling nervously, Yang tried to diffuse the situation as best she could with all her friends eyeing her. “It’s not that I don’t want you there Nora,” a lie, “it’s just that Blake’s special! Uh, I want her to meet my family!” Not a lie. The whole thing equalled a half-truth.

“Isn’t that the kind of thing couples do?” Sun asked as he tore off a mouthful of his banana, looking pointedly at the black and yellow duo as he chewed.

Yang gaped at how quickly she’d gotten herself backed into a corner, left helpless as Blake had hid her face on the table muttering, “Why has God forsaken me.”

“Uh. She’s not that kind of special…” Trailing off, Yang made a mental note that Sun needed some sort of punishment for being such an ass.

Recovering, Blake added with a neutral face, “I’d prefer to keep the reason private, if you all don’t mind. And it’s not a couple-thing. We’re friends. Which, by the way, is a descriptor that no longer applies to ourselves and Sun.”

Yang felt a pang of satisfaction as the monkey Faunus choked on his fruit snack, Neptune coming to his aid and whacking his back as everybody snickered at Blake’s sass. The bell rang, and the group separated, Sun struggling to compose himself as he complained. “Dude, that was harsh. It’s not like I’m wrong,” Neptune dragged him away, having chosen not to infer the girls’ wrath, and Yang almost felt like going back to tell Sun to knock it off. She chose to ignore it and get to class, but it seemed that Sun liked pain, as he popped up after school in the parking lot bugging her about it.

“Come on, you don’t have to pretend! I’m your friend, even if Blake said I’m not. You can tell me anything,” he insisted, placing his hand on Bumblebee to prevent Yang from getting on and leaving.

“I’m not pretending. Blake and I are just friends. And get your hand off my bike,” she said irritably. The guy meant well, but he was wrong.

“Just friends?” He repeated. “Sounds like you wish it was more than that,” his hand casually left the chassis of the motorcycle to rub at his chin.

Letting Sun get to her was the last thing she was aiming to do, but he somehow had a knack for it. “It does not,” Yang crossed her arms defiantly. That’s not what she meant by just friends.

“You like her, don’t you!” He accused. It wasn’t even a question in his mind.

“You need to pipe down, Sun,” she shut him down with a glare. “Blake has crazy good hearing, what if she heard you!” The prospect made her mind panic, and for so many reasons. One of those reasons was totally not that Sun was right, though.

“What does it matter if she hears, if you’re so sure you don’t like her?” He sure was persistent. Persistently annoying.

Yang rolled her eyes at such empty logic. “It just does! It’s not some secret Christmas couple rendezvous, I just invited her for friendly company,” she explained.

Sun looked at her like she was speaking gibberish. “Ron-day-what-now?”

“Rendezvous,” she repeated, “it means Blake and I aren’t a couple and you should stop insisting that I’m hiding anything,” she ended in a growl. He could search for the real definition on the Internet, but Yang had a feeling he couldn’t spell it anyway. Stepping past the now sceptical blonde Faunus, she swung a leg over the seat of her motorcycle and sat, fishing the key out of her pocket to start the engine.

“I’m not buying that, Yang,” Sun spoke with confidence then, but Yang went right back to ignoring him and started Bumblebee, revving it loudly.

“Didn’t hear you! Too loud! Bye!” She yelled over the noise, both of them knowing full-well that she had.

Yang had been nervous for weeks about handing her and Blake’s social studies assignment. When they’d given Ms. Peach their essay, the teacher had congratulated them on their teamwork. She’d said that if the quality of their writing was as strong as their friendship had become, they’d do well – to their embarrassment.

Now that the school semester was over with, their project submitted and Yang no longer worrying over the academic obligation she had to Blake, she found herself worrying over something else. Sun’s pestering had made her edgy about Christmas eve, because even though he was totally not right about liking Blake.

He’d made it awkward, when it shouldn’t have been. And Blake shut him down so hard in the cafeteria that Yang was now overthinking everything. Even though Blake had said the flirting didn’t bother her, and had made it pretty clear that sexuality didn’t either…Yang couldn’t help but wonder about all the what ifs. What if Blake got the wrong impression? What if Sun told her something that mislead her? What if Sun saw something that they couldn’t? What if-

“Somethin’ on your mind, Firecracker?”

Yang blinked as the road signs flew by on the other side of the window, her head turning to face her uncle.

“I thought you’d be excited, kid,” he said, eyes briefly flicking towards hers before returning to watch the road.

She was excited. They were on their way to the airport, the same one she’d landed at five months ago, to pick up Taiyang and Ruby. Qrow didn’t know about her internal battle she’d just been having, and felt it best to avoid a shitshow where she spilled the beans about something as trivial as non-existent schoolyard crushes.

“Ah, well, you know dad. Just don’t want him embarrassing me in front of Blake,” she lied. She wasn’t technically thinking about that, but it still was a possibility.

An amused smile found its way onto Qrow’s face. “You know damn well that he’s gonna do exactly that, intentional or not.”

“Ugh,” Yang said, realising that he spoke the truth. Although, maybe Blake would feel more comfortable if the attention wasn’t on her. It might be a good idea to set down a few ground rules to avoid any awkwardness. She’d have to remember that for later.

It wasn’t long before they were standing at the gate, eyes flitting from face to face as the small crowd exited the plane. Yang heard Ruby before she saw her, the teenager’s high-pitched voice talking a mile a minute; a squeal of her name was the only warning she had before her younger sister nearly bowled her over in a hug. And before she could gather her bearings, Ruby had moved to latch onto Qrow’s arm, happily chanting his name.

“There’s my girl!” Taiyang greeted, his arms opening as he emerged, at a more reserved pace.

“There’s my old man,” Yang teased light-heartedly as she accepted his embrace. “I missed you guys so much!”

It was incredibly nice to finally have them here after many months of waiting. As much as she was enjoying her time away from home, she still loved her family dearly. She briefly wondered if everything would have been different if Raven had never left. The thought immediately was shoved out of her brain as Ruby began telling her about everything she’d missed, as they all walked towards baggage claim, Yang feeling like everything was at a good medium between her normal life and her new one.

On the ride back to Canton, they were entertained with stories from Ruby about her German friend, who was a mixture of friendly snobbery and hilarious indifference. To Yang, this Weiss Schnee seemed like the kind of person she’d love to not get along with. The girl also had a soft spot for their dog, Zwei, which was a plus in her books.

Then they arrived at the Branwen family home, Taiyang even commenting that he got a weird feeling being in his ex’s home. Yang told him that you get used to it. They gave a tour, and got around to eating lunch, then Tai and Yang got to work on preparing dinner. The early evening crept up on them as they caught up and told of funny memories from ages ago.

Qrow glanced at the kitchen clock, addressing his nieces, “It’s getting late, are you two planning on dressing up for our guest of honour tonight?” Placing a sarcastic emphasis on what he referred to Blake as, only to get on Yang’s nerves.

Ruby gasped comically, seemingly having forgotten about that part of the occasion. “Oooh, yes! I’m so excited!”

Yang, luckily, recalled that she’d wanted to prepare her dad and her sister for their guest.

“I wanna establish something here. Blake’s really important to me and I hope that me trusting her is good enough for everyone,” she said, getting nods from all three of them. “Cool. Can you please not ask any personal questions of her? I invited Blake because I don’t want her to be alone, and not because we’re dating. Just to be clear about that.”

“Why would you have to clear that up?” Qrow asked, yet he sounded like he was being sarcastic again.

Yang grumbled in frustration. “Sun got wind of what was happening and tried to convince our friends, and even me, that we’re secretly in love or something. I just don’t want everyone getting the wrong idea,” she glared at her uncle.

“Don’t worry! We’ll all behave, won’t we!” Taiyang tried to settle any animosity between the two, not even bothering to phrase it as a request, rather just hoping everyone would play nice.

Qrow raised his hands in surrender. Two Xiao Longs was a little too much for him to go up against. “Sure, sure.”

Yang made sure to keep her eyes locked on her uncle as Ruby dragged her out of the room. They ascended the stairs, both entering Yang’s bedroom to no doubt give each other sisterly advice on what to wear. As her little sister unzipped her suitcase, immediately destroying any semblance of order in it, Yang tried to think of her options.

It wasn’t long before Ruby spoke up, but it wasn’t what Yang was expecting. “Soooo,” the brunette began, “you don’t have a crush on Blake?” The kid almost sounded guilty for asking.

“Not you too, Rubes,” Yang spoke regretfully. She wasn’t going to go off at her little sister, she was only fifteen after all. “I almost had to knock it into Sun’s head that I don’t,” she added with a laugh, though in retrospect, it wasn’t really that funny.

“But you always talk about her like…” the younger girl didn’t finish her sentence.

“Like what?”

Ruby scratched her head, a nervous tick she’d had as long as Yang could remember. “Like she’s the smartest, coolest, prettiest person you’ve ever met?”

“That doesn’t mean I want to go out with her,” Yang said dismissively, but all she got in return was a face that said it doesn’t? “Look,” she thought of how she could explain it. Ruby was innocent enough to still think that romance was as simple as checking a few boxes. At least the kid wasn’t caught up on the fact that they were talking about a gay relationship. “Blake’s great. But I don’t think I’m what she’s looking for. And even if I liked her that way, it isn’t gonna happen.”

“How do you know that?” Ruby asked, obviously in disbelief.

“When Sun asked if we were a couple, she acted like that was the craziest idea in the world,” though she may have been exaggerating it, Blake definitely hadn’t seemed open to the idea at all. Surely that was proof.

“What if she just didn’t want you to know that she likes you?”

Now that was farfetched. “Trust me. She doesn’t. And I’m okay with that, alright?” Yang signalled the end of their conversation by leaving the room, Ruby hearing something along the lines of her going to take a shower.

Still, the younger sibling was not persuaded to give up her wingwomanly duties. “We’ll see about that,” she said to herself, returning to rummaging around for appropriate clothing.

A short time later, Yang was having a crisis. What the hell was she going to wear? Why now of all times was she being indecisive. Why did it even matter? Ruby was of no help; the hyperactive girl having disappeared before Yang returned from the bathroom. Was it better to go with something casual or something a little classier? Maybe she should save the classier outfit for Christmas dinner.

When the doorbell rang, she might as well have imploded, because now she had no choice but to settle for the clothes she was wearing. Black jeans and a modest tank top – not the pinnacle of fashion, but it’d have to do. “I’ll get it!” She yelled down the stairs, “none of you even go near that front door!” There was no way she was letting any first impressions go unsupervised. Blake probably heard her shouting, but that was still better than any other prospect.

Almost rolling her ankle speeding down the steps at a speed Ruby would be proud of, she took in a deep breath as her hand turned the doorknob. It was time to kick off a great Christmas celebration!

“You made it!” Yang grinned a thousand watt smile as she greeted Blake, the Faunus clad in what appeared to be many layers of black clothing, and even sporting a beanie too. It was dusted with snow until she carefully removed it and shook it off.

“And you made it to the door first,” Blake commented, having heard Yang’s commotion.

“What kind of person would I be if I invited you, but didn’t bother to greet you? I was worried Rubes would beat me to it. She wasn’t upstairs with me.” The blonde ushered her in and took several coats off her hands; it almost looked like a comedy skit.

As if on cue, Ruby appeared in the hall and bounced towards them. “I’m here!”

The older girl ruffled her younger sister’s hair affectionately. “Blake, meet the most hyperactive person that exists next to Nora,” Yang said without a shred of insincerity. Those two would get along like Thor and lightning.

“It’s great to meet you Blake!” Ruby waved, resisting her inner urge to hug a stranger. “Yang’s said a lot about you!”

“Good things I hope?” Blake raised a brow towards the blonde; familiar with her reputation preceding her when meeting a relative of Yang’s. “It’s nice to finally meet you as well, Ruby.”

“The best things! Oh, would you look at that,” Ruby gestured with grandeur at the ceiling, putting her clichéd and corny plan into action, “mistletoe. Strange.” She shoved Yang back in front of Blake, racing off to avoid any retribution. She made sure to stay nearby to assess the success of her genius.

Her emotions ranging from shocked to angry, Yang’s face eventually settled for mortified as she realised she’d been set up. She’d told Ruby not an hour ago that this was not going to happen!

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that Ruby had been talking to Sun,” Blake said good naturedly, not offended by the younger girl’s prank. It was harmless, really. Well, harmless to her. Yang looked like she was on the verge of dishing out some punishment – and not the bad joke type.

Yang let out a huge sigh in exasperation; first Sun, then Qrow, then Ruby! “Sorry about her, she’s a little crazy sometimes. I don’t even know where she found mistletoe, let alone how she got it up there. Explains where she disappeared to, though,” she tried to land all the blame on Ruby – because it wasn’t like she had asked for this.

“It’d be a shame if all her effort went to waste,” Blake partially meant her words, but wanted to see Yang lose her composure once again. The girl had no problem mercilessly flirting, until she became the victim.

And composure she lost, but this time Yang turned a brilliant shade of red. “Uh, what?”

Blake smirked, finding herself to be enjoying herself already. “Oh, relax, I have no intentions of trading saliva with you.”

Yang visibly relaxed. “You had me going there for a second,” she chuckled, assuming it was just a joke as Blake continued to smile.

Ruby poked her head into the hall, frowning. “Yang! You can’t break the sacred tradition of kissletoe!” she reprimanded. Yang turned to her and stuck out her tongue, maturity thrown to the wind, looking back at Blake smugly as her sister sulked.

Only to be almost floored when Blake easily landed a small peck on her cheek as she brushed past.

“Merry Christmas eve,” Blake winked at Yang, returning the smug look as she walked towards Ruby who was now delighted that somebody was at least smart enough to go along with it. “That was for you, Ruby,” she claimed.

“Don’t encourage her!” Yang whined, thoroughly defeated. Ruby was going to take this and run with it. If the Earth was flat, she’d run right off the edge – but it wasn’t, so she’d never stop. No matter what she said, her little sister would stop at nothing to get her to admit to a crush she didn’t have. She would die right then and there on the spot if it weren’t for Ruby suggesting Blake go and meet their dad. She had to soldier on, and so she hurried after the two. Flicking Ruby on the back of her head, she exacted revenge. Two could play this game. “Ruby Rose, I swear to God, I’d ground you, but that wouldn’t teach you anything. I think I’ll just forget about making those cookies I promised.”

Before Ruby could protest, Blake butted in, “Will you make them for me?” knowing that the answer could only be one thing.

“Ugh, fine. I hate you both,” Yang gave up, opting to just try and get through the last introduction without a disaster. “Dad,” she called as they approached, the eldest Xiao Long turning to face them with a friendly smile. “This is my friend Blake. Blake, this is Taiyang.”

“Tai is fine!” he offered his hand, Blake extending her own as he continued. “I hear that you’re responsible for setting my sunny little dragon straight?” He asked, referring to Yang’s change in behaviour, but the innuendo was not lost on the rest of them.

“I wouldn’t use the word straight,” Qrow whispered to Ruby, the two snickering as Blake supressed a laugh herself.

Yang mainly groaned because she knew Blake was going to tease her about the nickname. “I wish I’d vetoed that name from being used in front of people,” she buried her face in her hands, effectively letting her uncle and sister get away with their mocking.

“I’d argue that we’ve been good influences on each other…but I’ll take the credit if you’re giving it,” Blake replied.

Yang’s father beamed at her. “I’m grateful Yang’s got good friends looking out for her. I’m sure we’ll talk more over dinner, but I’ve got a bit more catching up to do with Qrow.”

The three girls took that as their cue to run off and be teenagers, since dinner was already cooking. Tai and Yang had prepared dish of roast pork, which was their family tradition for Christmas eve. They migrated to the lounge, Yang plonking quite literally onto the couch and switching the television on.

“Yang, what could you be possibly looking for on TV? It’s Christmas eve,” Blake said as she took a seat next to the blonde, that looked at her incredulously.

“Uh, Die Hard?” Yang answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The Faunus was momentarily shocked. “Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.”

Yang faux-gasped, “How dare you!”

Blake looked to Ruby for support, who sat on her older sister’s other side. “It takes place on Christmas eve,” the small brunette shrugged.

As the TV landed on channel after channel, Yang let out a noise of happiness as the film she was searching for appeared. She let out another noise when she realised what scene she’d come upon. As the main character spoke over walkie-talkie with the villain, and despite the tense tone of the scene, Yang exuberantly quoted, “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfu-”

“LANGUAGE, YANG!” Her father yelled from the other room, cutting her off, knowing exactly what she was doing. She did the same thing every year.

“Aw, man.” She slumped in her seat, Taiyang’s reign of humiliation never-ending.

Yang was just about ready to die when Blake hit her with a humdinger, “Remember, you’re on the straight and narrow now, sunny little dragon.”

Ruby burst into laughter, obviously enjoying herself. It was rare to see anybody tease her sister and get away with it, and it looked like Blake had mastered the art in a few short months.

“You are so not allowed to use that name!”

“Only dad calls her that. He takes a lot of pride in their similarities,” Ruby explained, and Blake could see, at the very least, that Yang was certainly a chip off her father’s shoulder in her appearance.

“Too much pride if you ask me,” the blonde muttered, “he might as well have named me Taiyang junior.”

“Technically, he did. Just in another language,” Ruby said, taking her opportunity to tease some more. An embarrassed Yang was easier to manipulate, and she intended to manipulate her into confession.

Yang whacked Ruby in the arm with an annoyed grunt. “Ruby, you’re not helping me here.”

“Yang, I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” Blake nudged her friend with her shoulder, “you allude to something marvellously bright, warm and powerful, and you have the ability to light up a room without even trying. My name translates, literally, to black. I know which one I’d rather.”

Lilac eyes glanced her way, taking in the Faunus’ choice of clothing…it was incredibly un-festive; more akin to funeral attire. “You can’t say that your name isn’t accurate, Blakey. Besides, even if you aren’t bright like you say I am, light shines brightest in the dark, right?”

Just like that, Blake found herself stunned. That sounded like something out of a movie; how did she think of that on the spot? “Uh, well, when you put it that way,” she said, not quite sure how she felt about how utterly sweet the sentiment was. They shared an awkward look as the pause turned pregnant, before Ruby came to the rescue.

“Jeez, when did you become such hopeless romantic, sis?”

So much for rescue…

“I’m not- ugh, Rubes, please…just watch the movie.”

And so, they sat in awkward silence, dinner-time drawing closer at a snail’s pace. Blake was mildly concerned that Yang had been pushed to her limit until she noticed that the younger sibling had cuddled closer with little resistance. The two seemed engrossed in the action onscreen, leaving the Faunus with little choice but to attend to her wandering thoughts.

It was true that Yang was quite possibly the brightest thing she’d ever come across in her life – next to the sun itself. Every time she wondered how exactly she’d made friends with someone so opposite to herself in every way, it always came back to one reason: her happiness was contagious. Over time Blake had come to believe that she would cast a shadow over anybody she got close to. How could she not, when it was all she got told? You’re a black cat, Blake, they’re bad luck to anybody that comes across one. Not only was she the darkness that her name suggested, she was the deadly nightshade, the poisonous belladonna. At least, that was what he had said.

If Blake was the night, then Yang was the day. Bright and sunny, warm and comforting. Day and night couldn’t coexist…

...but maybe she could learn to believe that light shines brightest in the dark.

As the three sat through Die Hard – Blake still didn’t think it was a Christmas movie – eventually Tai called in Yang to finish off dinner preparations, so she left the other two to better acquaint themselves. Not without warning to Ruby to behave, of course.

“So, Ruby…it seems like you’ve missed Yang more than she anticipated,” the ravenette spoke up. She remembered the first day of school when Yang had mentioned she had a little sister back at home.

“Yeah, I missed her! But what do you mean?” The girl wore a confused look.

“I know mischief when I see it. Yang’s an expert at it, and all things considered, you’re likely even better,” Blake said, “I’ve had my fair share of poking fun too, but maybe you should go a little easier on her. Yang missed you more than you realise. She even talked about you the first day we met.”

Ruby smiled. Her big sis had apologised a million times for leaving her to pursue other things, and she understood, she did. “Oh, I know, I’m not trying to make her feel bad about that,” it was undeniably adorable that Blake was that concerned and looking out for her friend. She hadn’t realised what exactly this was all about! “I just think sometimes Yang can’t see what’s right in front of her. She’s used to taking care of other people, and not always thinking about what’s best for herself. And from what I can tell, you make her really happy.”

“Oh,” Blake tried not to blush at the implication. Ruby was actually trying to push them together, not just use romance as a source of embarrassment. At that moment, she tried to remember that the girl was only fifteen and that she would need to diffuse the situation carefully.

“I can tell you just want to help, but unfortunately not everything is as simple as that.”

“It could be simple! Yang thinks you’re the bee’s knees,” the younger girl waited, hoping that she was being convincing.

Blake’s reaction appeared to be disbelief. “The bee’s knees?” What an odd thing to say, for a kid. Did this family like bees in particular for any reason?

Ruby nodded, finding that she was running out of persuasive things to say. “…technically she didn’t say she wouldn’t date you,” she finally added, as if that was proof in itself.

So, in whatever conversation the sisters had, Ruby had asked if Yang wanted to go out with her? And she didn’t say yes, but she hadn’t said no, either. Why they were talking about it, Blake didn’t know. Perhaps there was more she needed to find out before jumping to any conclusions, but, there was one important thing they hadn’t factored in.

“It’s sweet you’re trying to look out for her, but by no fault of her own, I’ve never even contemplated Yang that way. I don’t think it would work,” Blake said in honesty. Because there was no way.

The girl opposite her looked disappointed, “You don’t mean because you’re girls, right?”

Such an innocent question was at least reassuring. But it was hardly the problem. “No, no, not that.”

“You guys balance each other, you know,” Ruby tried again, not ready to give up.

But it was no use. Blake was adamant, “I know. We just…” Aren’t the same, was what she wanted to say, but that would only raise more questions.

“We don’t match,” Blake waited for a disagreement, but none came.

It took a moment, but Ruby made no further objections. “Huh. Okay, then,” she said with a little shrug.

Had the sisters planned to get an answer from her? “Okay, then?” Blake repeated warily; she felt like this was some sort of test.

“Yup! Forget about it,” Yang’s sister flashed her a happy smile and returned to watching the television screen, dropping the subject like it was hot.

Why did Blake feel that if it were a test…

…she had failed it?

Throughout dinner, Blake tried to quell her unease from her conversation with Ruby. Mostly, she had gone back to thinking that she’d been reading too much into what they’d discussed, and that Yang was oblivious to her sister’s antics – it really did seem like the kid hadn’t been that serious if she gave up like she did.

Besides, it was hard to stay worried when she was presented with such a happy situation. Finding herself sitting at the dinner table surrounded by a family was something she had been deprived of for many years. It may not have been her own family, but it was a loving one nonetheless. They certainly had made her feel right at home, Tai asking questions about school; wanting stories of the things they got up to; how on Earth she had managed to reign in the rascal that is his daughter; and all of them chatting amicably to her. Even Qrow seemed to be in a good mood – well, a better mood than usual.

They’d all finished their meals, Blake feeling particularly sated; Yang was without a doubt, talented in the kitchen – it hadn’t been just the tuna talking last time.

Ruby let out a hefty sigh. “I’ve missed your cooking, sis,” Yang giving her a subtle wink when their father made a noise of indignation, “uh, no offense, dad!”

“I take much offense! Don’t forget I also cooked.”

“You were helpful,” Yang chimed in, “as in, you helped me cook.”

Before their harmless teasing went too far, Blake felt it was only fair of her to offer her thanks, “Well, it was delicious. So, compliments to both the chefs.”

“Ah, see, my children? You’d fare well to be politer, like Blake,” she saw the sisters shrug their shoulders in unison as they giggled. “Since you’ve experienced a little of our family traditions, Blake, I think it’d be only fair if you got to choose our evening activity!”

As a child, her family had always been into all the typical family bonding things. There was one thing in particular she felt would be appropriate. “If all parties are willing, I’m up for playing a few festive tunes,” she returned the sincere smile the Xiao Long elder sent her way.

“Oh, no, no. I don’t do carolling,” Qrow spoke up, finally deeming the conversation worthy of his input.

Yang abruptly stood, her chair almost toppling over in her enthusiasm. “You’re gonna sing Silent Night, and you’re gonna like it, old man! Blake’s fingers are like a Christmas miracle- I mean, Blake’s piano playing, not her-”

“Alright, alright,” Qrow rolled his scarlet eyes at how bad Yang’s recovery was, “don’t hurt yourself, kid,” he rose and lightly shoved her while she was still stuttering out what sounded like an apology.

“Christmas songs, yeah!” Ruby sped off after Qrow, out the kitchen and down the hall, Taiyang chuckling at the sheer difference between their attitudes.

“If you can get Qrow to sing, I think you might be my hero,” he said to Blake as he also exited the room.

“How many songs do you have memorised?” Yang asked quietly, while nobody could overhear them.

“Only the ones I had to,” Blake casually replied. That could mean anything, to Yang. “Come on, I want to hear you sing,” the Faunus tugged the blonde along with a cheeky smirk, “maybe your mouth can be a Christmas miracle too.”

Yang instantly felt ten degrees warmer all over at the insinuation. Blake had been feisty all night; at this pace, Yang would be dead by midnight of embarrassment.

The mismatched family had danced and sung for hours to Blake’s piano notes. Well, she had taken a break an hour ago, and been replaced with a crappy CD – Qrow had fished it out from the depths of his music collection – when Yang had complained she hadn’t gotten to dance with her. Blake had finally lost all her composure when Yang had had one too many sips of her uncle’s drink and busted out what she called the slutty Jingle Bell Rock dance. “It’s from the most popular teenage girl movie everrrrrrrr,” she’d claimed. How she remembered the moves was beyond anybody at that point, but it had become too much to contain their laughter when Qrow and Tai even tried to follow her lead.

Ruby had cried, “I’m traumatised!” and covered her face with a pillow when the men curtseyed at the end while Yang just tripped on her own feet and fell down.

Tai tutted at his little dragon who was cackling on the floor at her own clumsiness, “Yang you’ve had too much to drink! No presents from Santa for you!”

Still laughing, Yang mock whispered to Blake behind her hand. “Should we tell him Qrow let us in at the bar?”

“Young lady!” Tai looked at her, then at Blake. “Ladies!” He corrected, “what happened to behaving!”

Yang guessed he wasn’t really that mad. She’d done worse at home. “It was only one time. Besides, we’re almost eighteen!”

Ruby poked her head out from behind the pillow. “But the legal drinking age is twent-”

“Actually, I think we’re gonna go to bed before Santa comes!” Yang quickly gained her footing and dragged Blake with her on her retreat. “Goodnight!”

Blake watched with amusement as Ruby followed after them, Yang stumbling as they ascended the stairs. “I swear to drunk I’m not God,” she laughed, deliberately messing up the phrase, “but damn, Qrow drinks some hard liquor.”

Blake gave her a slight knock upside the head. “For some reason I think you were probably aware of that,” she sounded mad, but just like her dad, Yang knew she wasn’t either.

The three crowded into the bathroom to try and brush their teeth. Ruby and Yang shoved at each other, thankfully leaving Blake out of their squabble. She had taken her toothbrush she kept here, that Yang insisted she have. If you’re always here, might as well have a toothbrush, she had said. It only occurred to her then that it was kind of a weird thing to do; and it only was due to how often she seemed to stay over.

“You have your own toothbrush here?” Ruby asked, almost spitting mint froth all over the place.

“Manners, Rubes,” Yang tapped her sister on the head with her own brush that she was yet to use. Ruby sped up her brushing under Yang’s stare, finishing up in record speed. “Uh, sorry,” she murmured. Looks like Yang had caught on to her. “I’ll see you in the morning! Bye!” She tried to squeeze her way out the door, but strong arms caught her.

“Hold up there, squirt,” Yang wrapped her sister in a bear hug that rivalled every other she had given before. She was giving equal parts love and punishment, after all. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite. Seriously,” she winked, “love you.”

Ruby returned the sentiment and left for the spare room she would be sleeping in with their dad. There was only one spare room, after all; with Blake joining them there was no choice but to have sleeping arrangements that way.

The older girls remained, tending to their dental hygiene, Yang making silly faces in the mirror every time their eyes met. Blake attributed it to tipsiness, but was proved wrong when they finally retreated to the privacy of Yang’s room and heard Yang apologise.

“I’m sorry if Ruby’s said anything…weird to you tonight.”

“If being greeted under mistletoe didn’t scare me off, you have nothing to worry about,” Blake let herself laugh a bit, because it was kind of funny seeing Yang grimace at the mention of the incident.

“You so shouldn’t have kissed me. I think my little sister is going to ship us together like TV characters,” Yang wore a pensive expression, and Blake wasn’t sure how Yang really felt about it. It was the best time to find out, though.

“I’m not entirely sure what Ruby wanted to accomplish, but she did bring that…topic up. While you were gone.”

That prompted Yang to groan for the umpteenth time that night. “I told her we weren’t a thing and we aren’t going to be. For the record.”

The blonde began stripping herself of her clothes haphazardly. Her statement had sounded a bit forced. The sisters hadn’t agreed, that much was obvious. She still didn’t know why Yang was annoyed, and frankly, if they had both denied it then there was no reason to keep talking about it.

“She stopped when I said the same thing, basically. Really, Yang, it’s fine.”

Yang looked at her then, and Blake made sure her face said it’s okay. Because it was. Everything was okay.

“I’m actually surprised that you’re still single,” Blake decided to steer the conversation away from them, “there should be guys lining up at the mere sight of you, but they’re not.”

“Are you patronizing me?” Yang mocked offense, scoffing snootily. It would have been a great act if she had any shred of dignity left; it was hard to take anybody standing in their underwear and socks seriously. At least they’d gotten off the awkward topic.

Yang put on her usual sleeping ensemble while Blake busied herself finding something to wear in Yang’s dresser. She’d been given permission for unlimited access after Yang had found it too bothersome to give the okay every time her friend asked. I’m not hiding anything in there you wouldn’t want to see, was her reasoning. It was both comforting and unsettling that Yang knew exactly why she was apprehensive, because that meant she now knew that Blake wondered about certain things she shouldn’t be thinking about.

She opted to slip into sarcastic indifference to mask her slight embarrassment at the memory. “No, not at all.”

They lapsed into momentary silence and Yang climbed into bed. “Maybe it’s because everyone saw me hit Cardin. They probably think I’m a savage or something,” Blake could tell that she’d actually hit a sensitive topic just by Yang’s words. Though she was genuinely curious if Yang had prospective partners; whether the bombshell blonde had neglected to inform her altogether, or rejected anybody, really wasn’t any of her business.

But, her business was to be a supportive friend. “They’re probably just afraid,” she dismissed the preposterous self-notion. All teenagers had second-thoughts about asking someone out. She was pretty sure of that, at least.

Yang looked up with her brows furrowed. “Oh.”

The Faunus felt her cat ears droop instinctively at Yang’s dejected tone. She elaborated, “afraid that they’re not good enough for you.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“I mean it.” God help her if she felt this bad about an insecure Yang Xiao Long. The confident girl was disarming, but this was worse. It made her say things she didn’t know she thought. “In my opinion, nobody is good enough for you.”

Not even me.

Blake undid the bow atop her head, incredibly conscious of what had just run through her mind. It was true, but it didn’t mean she understood why it made her feel worse. She had perked up her friend, and that was what really mattered. She started to undress as Yang said nothing more. Usually, she’d prefer to change without an audience, but, Yang wasn’t looking anyway…and Blake had come to learn that she really didn’t care if she was. Flaunt what you’ve got, right? Even the voice in her head had started to talk like Yang, and it was growing stronger every day.

When she lay down and switched off the lamp, she could see Yang next to her; eyes searching fruitlessly for her own in the dark.

“Can I tell you something?” Blake asked, feeling that this was another opportunity to let her guard down.

“Anything.”

“My father started a Faunus rights activist group before I was born. He used to tell me that it was different, back then. The others members eventually worked against him to change it to…something akin to a religion.

“He let them take over. He didn’t want to fight with humans, let alone his own kind. So my parents practiced with them, and I was raised with their beliefs. But, once they were gone, things began to change,” Blake trailed off, unsure of how to describe what her Church had become. The White Fang had gone from activist protesters to organised preachers, holding sermons of how one day they’d save every Faunus and eradicate humans.

As she listened, Yang’s hand presented itself in a kind gesture. Blake was glad for the reassurance and held on to it with her own. Her friend said nothing, but remembering Blake’s night vision allowed her to give her plenty of physical signals.

Yang’s hand squeezed hers, encouraging, go on.

“I think I grew up in a cult.”

“But you left, right? That’s why you moved here?”

“Somebody I trusted changed. It wasn’t in an instant, it was gradual. Little choices began to pile up, and they became too much to bear. Eventually I realised I wasn’t doing the right thing, so, yes. I left.”

“You are not defined by your past, Blake. I hope you know that.”

“If you keep telling me that, I might start to believe you.”

“Then I’ll tell you every day. And I’m really glad you’re here,” Yang said quietly.

Blake knew that those were grateful words. “So am I,” she replied, and hopefully, that conveyed her thanks too.

But, just in case, she got a little closer to her own personal sun. Yang was quick on the uptake and pulled Blake to her chest, but when she released the hug, the Faunus did not move away; content to share the comfort of another. Like the rumbling of thunder, Yang’s strong heartbeat almost echoed in her head, the rhythm of a rolling drum lulling her to sleep.

Blake felt like she woke in an instant, but it seemed that it was now early morning, and neither of them had moved in their sleep. Her ears picked up no voices in the house. She wondered if this family rose early for Christmas, like hers once did. She was not against lying in wait, for it was oh so very warm with Yang. Eventually, she did feel the blonde shift and sensed the change in her breathing.

There was a slight grumble. “Blake?”

“Hey,” she acknowledged the sleepy call. “Merry Christmas.”

“Huh? Oh, right,” Yang moved again, but away this time. When Blake whined just slightly at the loss of heat, Yang chuckled. “I’ll be right back, you leech,” she rolled over once Blake relented, and opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a nondescript envelope.

On her return, she looked slightly sheepish. “I know I told you not to get me anything, but I still wanted to give you something. Merry Christmas.”

Blake took the gift with a little huff. “That’s entirely unfair.”

“I don’t need you to reciprocate everything I do,” Yang dismissed, “just let me have this one.”

And she did, if only because of the sincerity. Flipping open the unsealed covering, she took out its contents, and the simplicity of it came as a shock somehow. Inside was a gift card to one of the local bookstores, and it wasn’t exactly a small amount of money. Her face must have betrayed her head, because Yang didn’t let her protest.

“I know you love reading, and now you can buy whatever you want. Maybe you won’t forget about me when you’re having the time of your life buried in a book.”

“This is very thoughtful,” Blake said, not quite sure what that was supposed to mean, but she smiled nonetheless.

Yang looked very pleased with herself. “I know.”

“Wow, humble,” Blake teased. It was a wonderful present. “Got anything else for me in that drawer?” She joked.

With a smirk, Yang murmured, “Nothing you’d wanna see.”

“Yang Xiao Long, you are an idiot,” Blake swatted her pest of friend for such a despicable joke, but was forced into a bone-crushing hug as Yang giggled.

If her crushed bones didn’t kill her, then the heart attack she had when the door was almost blown off its hinges as Ruby barged in yelling, “WAKEUPIT’SCHRISTMAS!” would have. Blake squealed adorably – in Yang’s opinion – when Ruby jumped onto the bed and landed on the both of them.

Great, Yang thought, they were caught in such a compromising position. Ruby had the worst timing. “Holy crapoly, little sister! Have you ever heard of knocking?”

For some reason Blake had pulled the covers up over her like she was naked. It made them look less-than-innocent, that was for sure. It was kinda funny too, though.

Ruby looked confused. “What, you guys aren’t being gay are yoooohhh my gosh Blake you have four ears,” her face lit up as her words transitioned from her sheer joy.

In an instant, Blake had disappeared under the bedspread. “That is why you knock,” Yang said, exasperated.

“Don’t worry Blake, I can keep a secret!” When the Faunus did not emerge from hiding, Ruby added in earnest, “I promise.”

Yang couldn’t help herself. “You could say you paw-mise.”

Blake rose up then just to assault Yang with punches for such a crappy pun.

It turned out that the twenty fifth day of December was every bit as good as the twenty-fourth. They all gathered around a small plastic pine tree – that Qrow had deemed festive in air quotes – for a brief trading of presents. Most were for the youngest attendee, but Yang did receive a particularly well-fitting motorcycle jacket that Blake couldn’t help but admire.

Then, they’d eaten a delicious breakfast whipped up by the chefs Xiao Long. Yang also made the batch of cookies that she’d promised, and while they were baking, Ruby announced that she had a special video call to share. Apparently, her friend Weiss was dog-sitting Zwei back in Maine – and one of the care instructions had been to call on Christmas day so they could say hello.

It was oddly fitting how much Tai, Yang and Ruby babbled at a dog on a tiny screen. Blake and Qrow shared a glance of amusement behind their backs.

Once the cookies were out of the oven, Ruby was lost to the world. Blake would admit that she’d eat more of the treats than she normally would, they were that tasty. Yang was well equipped to tame the hyper girl, but her younger sister then wanted her father and uncle’s help tinkering with a new project that they’d given her, so the two friends took a few cookies back upstairs and let them go wild.

Yang noticed that Blake was beaming with happiness. Most of the time, Blake hid her emotions well, so it was a rare sight. “That smile looks good on you.”

“Yeah? Well, credit goes to you for that one,” Blake said, nudging her.

She was actually being open about it, to Yang’s surprise. She expected an eye roll or something. “What did I do?” She asked, thoroughly intrigued.

Blake became bashful at Yang’s insistence. “You, and your family too, are restoring my faith.”

“Like, in humanity?”

Blake hummed in agreement. “And my literal faith. Kind of. See, when I left the White Fang, I also left my beliefs behind. But now that I’ve changed, I think that whatever God is up there is rewarding me. Everything has been so much brighter since I met you. You’re like a blessing. I guess I didn’t realise it until now.”

Well, shit, Yang thought. She knew that Blake wasn’t trying to be, or implying anything romantic…but her heart suddenly jumped into her throat and she almost choked. She was a goner. This was it. This is what it felt like to fall for someone you shouldn’t.

“Blake-”

Yang found herself wrapped in a hug. Blake hardly ever initiated hugs.

“Thank you, Yang.”

“Yeah,” what was happening to her! Say something better! “I love you too, Blake,” she said it like a joke, and the irony was lost on the oblivious Faunus.

This is bad.

That evening, Blake left. Spend some time with them alone, Blake told her, you’ve done enough for me as it is.

So Yang let her go.

It was almost a relief, after the revelation of her true feelings. It was weird, knowing that she’d vehemently denied it – because how wrong could you be about yourself? Closing the front door, she was confronted with her sister.

“Blake’s nice,” Ruby said matter-of-factly.

Duh. “I know.”

“And she has cute little kitty ears,” a whisper.

“I know, Ruby.”

“Are you sure you don’t like her?”

Not anymore. “I am such an idiot.”

Song: God

Just hear those sleigh bells jing-a-ling, ring-ting-tingaling-telling-you 'you totally like her'. But the bells are actually Ruby.

I hope this didn't come off as preachy. I'm not religious at all. I am able to accept and live alongside any religion, because any reason to be a good person is okay in my books, and that's how I listen to such a song like that. Some worship-songs bother me because I can't relate, but I do like this one quite a bit. Unfortunately, when I planned the story, I had underestimated how I was going to write this chapter. I don't want religion to be a major contributor to Blake's character, but sometimes things pan out weirdly. It shouldn't be that intrusive from here on out.

Anyway, I apologise for taking so long. I've struggled a bit lately with concentration. I made vector art of team RWBY sometime on my break - if I took time to make it instead of writing, you deserve to download it if you want.

Let's hope that I don't take forever to write the next chapter lel :'( I've got two promt-fills I have to do, so you might see one or both of those first, idk. Shit's hard, dude.

#rwby #rwby fanfiction #rwby fanfic #bumbleby #rwby bumblebee #rwby bumblebee fanfiction #rwby bumblebee fanfic #bumbleby fanfic #bumbleby fanfiction #bees #the bees #slow burn bees #otp #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #ssab #such sights are bright

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