Chapter Text
Blake Belladonna triple checked her airship ticket for the correct seat number before sliding onto it and immediately fastening the seatbelt. Her breath was short, and she leaned her head back in an effort to calm herself down. Her cat ears were flat against her head as a sign of her discomfort.
She hated flying. Given the choice, she’d rather spend three days on a train or even five days on a boat but there weren’t any boats heading to Menagerie around the time she was expected back on the island.
She reflexively clenched her fist as a not-so-errant thought flew through her mind.
Your parents don’t care when you visit. Only he does.
The last thing Blake wanted was to start her trip back home on the wrong foot. Her boyfriend, Adam Taurus, was very…precise about how things were done. He liked to get his way. And when things didn’t go his way, he tended to get annoyed.
An annoyed Adam was not an Adam that Blake enjoyed being around. She bit her lip as the last conversation with her roommate and friend in Vale, Ilia, played in her mind.
“Blake, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that you’re petrified of him. He treats you like shit. You know that he does. After these weekly calls of his you become a shell of the person I’ve gotten to know.”
“Ilia, please. I know you mean well but you don’t understand our relationship.”
“No, I really don’t. And you can’t explain to me why you’re still with him when he’s an asshole that doesn’t see how incredible you are. He should count his lucky stars, not belittle you.”
Blake hadn’t responded and Ilia had left the room in exasperation. She knew that Ilia had a point, that her parents had a point, that everyone had a point. Adam made her feel worthless. So why was she still with him?
Will I do it this time? Will I have the courage to finally leave him?
Going to college in Vale had been the best thing for Blake. Her parents had insisted, even going so far as to tell Blake that they felt she needed to discover who she was outside of Adam. He hadn’t been happy initially but when he’d found out her major, he’d changed his mind pretty quickly.
Blake was studying law, specifically Faunus rights. She planned to follow in her father’s footsteps and help her people achieve a better way of living. There were still too many places in Remnant where Faunus were treated as second class citizens. Blake had every intention of helping as many Faunus as she possibly could.
Adam considered himself a fighter of the cause, only his methods were…extreme. To say the least. The White Fang had once been a peaceful protest group, leading the fight for equal rights. Adam and Blake had both joined as youngsters. While Blake had balanced her time in the White Fang with school and extra-curriculars, Adam had completely immersed himself. He ascended quickly through the ranks, his passion and drive masking his true intentions. Once he was in a position of substantial control, he started to make the changes he believed were necessary. No matter how many times Blake had told him that change takes time, Adam wanted to see results immediately.
“And if humans won’t listen, I’ll make them listen.”
Blake almost shuddered at the memory. The darkness of his voice had truly scared her. A week later, a select group of White Fang members attacked a small passenger ship and robbed everyone on board. The message was simple – we are not laying down for you anymore.
Unfortunately, a large number of the younger White Fang membership liked this new direction and hailed Adam as a forward thinker and the future of the White Fang. The group had only escalated from there and Blake didn’t want to know just how dirty Adam’s hands were.
Plausible deniability and all that. She didn’t want him to have anything over her. It wasn’t like the police were going to do anything to him. Adam had a very loyal security team.
“Hey there,” a cheerful voice said next to her, shaking Blake out of her head. She blinked rapidly and glanced to her right.
“Oh, sorry, did I interrupt some quiet headspace time? My bad. I’m Yang, by the way. Just so you know. In case you need to tell me to move if you need the bathroom or something.”
Blake was struggling to find her voice. The woman getting comfortable next to her was breathtaking. Her hair shone gold and her lilac eyes held such lightness that it almost made Blake’s anxiety about flying disappear.
“B-Blake,” she eventually stammered. “Uh, sorry.”
“Nice to meet you, Blake.” Yang held out a hand with a grin that made Blake’s knees wobble a little. Just as well she was sitting down.
“Nice to meet you, Yang.” Blake surreptitiously held her breath as Yang’s warm palm met hers for a firm handshake. The pads of her fingers all seemed to touch some part of Blake’s hand. It was the most intimate handshake Blake had ever experienced in her life.
What are you doing?
Blake shook out of her trance and Yang immediately released her hand, settling back into her seat. Blake slowly followed suit, staring at the back of the seat in front of her.
She tried not to think about the brief exchange with Yang but found that it was all she could think about. Was it attraction? Was it something more? Was it nothing at all? Was Blake’s mind just playing tricks on her?
How could one handshake unsettle her so much and yet feel so incredibly calming at the same time?
“So what awaits you in Menagerie?” Yang asked, turning to look at Blake.
When Blake met her eyes, Yang smiled. Blake tried not to reciprocate but she found she couldn’t, that she didn’t actually want to stop the smile.
“Um, I’m from Menagerie. I’m on summer break so I’m going to visit my parents and my b-boyfriend.”
If Yang noticed the slip on the last word, she didn’t show it.
“Oh wow! You’re from there? That’s so cool. I may have to hit you up for some of the tourist hot spots.”
“How long are you going for?” Blake found herself asking. It was very unlike her to initiate conversation with a total stranger. She wasn’t sure what it was about Yang that made her feel so at ease.
Adam made you feel at ease in the beginning too.
Blake swallowed the memories but clearly her face showed the effort because Yang’s easy smile dropped ever so slightly and her brow furrowed.
“Only a week,” Yang replied, keeping her tone the same. “Unfortunately, I can’t be away from Vale for too long but if I’m being honest, I really need this break.”
“Oh, is everything okay?” Blake asked. Immediately, she backtracked. “I’m sorry, you don’t know me. That was a ridiculous thing to ask. I’m sorry.”
Yang just smiled. “You apologise for a lot, don’t you?”
“I…”
“That’s okay. Maybe you can teach me some tricks. I’m told that I don’t apologise enough, even when I’m wrong.” Yang leaned a little closer. “My pride doesn’t like me admitting when I’m wrong so it’s definitely a battle.”
Blake stifled a laugh, surprising herself. “Uh, not sure I’ll be able to help with that unless I just apologise for you.”
“Now that is an excellent idea, Blake. I may have to take you up on that.” Yang winked and Blake’s stomach flipped. “To answer your question, my job takes a lot out of me and recently I endured a really difficult case. My boss basically ordered me to take time off because I was not dealing with it very well.”
“Oh. That sounds dreadful. I’m sorry you’re going through that, Yang. Do you have someone to talk to?”
“Oh, like a partner? My sister and I work together and she’s kinda dealing with it too. My best friend is also my most recent ex so that’s kind of messy at the moment but I’m sure we’ll figure it out eventually.”
“That’s…”
“A lot?” Yang chuckled. “Yeah. I’d say sorry but you did ask.” She winked again.
Blake didn’t stifle the chuckle that bubbled out of her throat this time. “Yes, I suppose I did. I’ll just have to learn my lesson next time.”
Yang held her hand to her chest in clear mock aghast. “Wow. And here I thought I was making a stellar first impression.”
“You’ve clearly worked hard on it, that much is clear, but there are definite areas of improvement,” Blake replied, allowing herself to play Yang’s harmless game.
“You must be a lawyer,” Yang said.
Blake’s ears flicked in surprise. “How…?”
“Just a feeling. I’m very, very good at reading people.” Yang glanced past Blake out the window and smiled.
Blake turned and saw blue skies with some clouds. Her mouth fell open. They were already in the air. She hadn’t even felt the take-off, which was the worst part for her.
She turned back to Yang and smiled gratefully. “Thank you. I don’t know how you knew that I hate flying and I appreciate the distraction more than I can say.”
“No problem, Blake. Happy to be of service.” Yang saluted.
Blake settled more comfortably into her seat, far more at ease knowing that the worst part of flying was over. “So your aim for this trip is to relax?” she asked Yang.
Yang nodded. “Yeah, get some sun, chill by the beach, experience some of the local cuisine and-“
“Oooh.” Blake covered her mouth as she unintentionally started to interrupt. Adam hated when she interrupted him.
But Yang chuckled. “Do tell. Is there some super secret place that only locals know about?”
Blake dropped her hand and smiled. “Well, if you’re going to try the local cuisine, you may as well try the best the island has to offer.”
“For sure. I’m so ready.” Yang pulled her scroll out of her pocket, ready to note the name down.
“Fisch Her Man,” Blake said, spelling out the first word.
“Oh man, that’s so great. You’ve found my weakness already, Blake. I’ll try anything with a punny name.”
Blake chuckled. “Well, their seafood platter is the best you will ever have.”
“I kinda wanna go there immediately after landing,” Yang said, grinning. “Are they easy to find?”
“Where are you staying?” Blake asked before realising her words. “Wait, no. Sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”
Yang just smiled again. “I’m pretty much an open book, Blake. I don’t really play things close to the chest. Life’s too short.”
Briefly, a pained expression crossed Yang’s face. It was gone so quickly that Blake was unsure if she’d even seen it.
Yang cleared her throat quietly. “I’m staying at the Ocean Front hotel. Seemed closest to the beach.”
Blake nodded. “Yeah, it definitely is one of the better hotels on the island. They also have a bar that does happy hour half-price cocktails.”
Yang’s smile widened. “I’ll definitely be making use of that.”
“Fisch Her Man is not even a five-minute walk down the main street from that hotel.”
“Awesome. I’m excited to check it out tonight. Is it super busy? Do I need to make a reservation?”
Blake smiled. “It can be busy, but it’s mid-week so you’ll be fine without a reservation. It just so happens that my boyfriend and I are going there tonight as well. Maybe we’ll run into each other.”
“Sweet! I’d love to meet him.”
Blake’s smile fell at the immediate response in her head.
He would not be happy to meet you, Yang.
“Unless you prefer I didn’t meet him?” Yang offered. “It’ll be your first night back so I’m sure you’d rather spend it together.” She smiled easily. “That’s totally cool, Blake.”
A sense of relief washed over Blake. She didn’t know why but she wanted to keep Yang and Adam far away from one another.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen him,” Blake admitted quietly. “He’ll probably just want some one-on-one time.”
“Sure. How long have you guys been together?”
“It feels like forever, honestly. We’ve known each other since we were kids. We started dating when I was…fifteen?”
“Oh wow.” Yang leaned forward on the arm rest. “I have so much respect for couples that go the distance.”
“Yeah, it’s a lot of work. When you’re with someone for so long, you know everything about them. The good and the bad.” Blake wasn’t sure why she was talking to Yang about Adam. There was just something about Yang that put her at ease.
Yang nodded. “I mean, that’s why relationships end. People change and that’s okay. People at fifteen can be very different to people at twenty-five. If they find that the relationship isn’t working with who they are at twenty-five, then you step away and move on.” Yang picked at the sleeve of her jacket. “I wish my parents had realised that.” She let out a soft chuckle.
“Are they not together anymore?” Blake asked quietly, momentarily bypassing the very obvious application of Yang’s words to her relationship with Adam.
“It’s kind of a whole mess,” Yang said with a wave of her hand.
“Well, we have,” Blake glanced at her watch, “an hour and a half before we land in Menagerie.”
The smile that crossed Yang’s face just then had Blake’s stomach doing somersaults.
“So my family is kind of progressive,” Yang started. “My parents were in a throuple.”
Blake’s ears shot up in surprise, as did her eyebrows. Yang glanced up at her ears and smiled wider. She didn’t ask to touch them which Blake was eternally grateful for.
“From what I’ve been told, they were really happy while they were at college together and even afterwards, once they were out in the world and working. Raven fell pregnant with me and I guess she realised that she didn’t want the whole family and white picket fence thing. Only she didn’t say anything and kind of went with it until I was about a year old. Then she left. It really hurt my dad and Summer – my other mom. If she’d only been honest with them, it would have saved them all so much heartache. I don’t think my dad will ever get over that.”
“Yang.” Blake placed a hand on Yang’s arm. “If your mom had been honest, you may never have been born.”
“Me not existing is a worthy trade for two of my favourite people not getting their hearts broken.”
Wow.
“That is…so incredibly selfless. I’m sure that there are people who are very glad you are around. You mentioned a sister? And what about your best friend? Even if things are awkward because you’re also exes.”
Yang snorted. “I guess you’re right. Ruby is everything to me. My sister,” she added when she saw the uncertainty on Blake’s face. “And I know Nora and I will figure our shit out. It’s just…weird not having her as my person when I need to vent about my ex because she is my ex, you know?”
Blake lifted a shoulder. “I’ve only ever been with Adam so I don’t really know what having an ex is like. Or being an ex. I do hope that you two are able to patch things up.”
“Thanks, Blake. You know, you’re pretty good at this whole advice thing. I may have to call you up in the future.”
“Was that your very not subtle way of asking me for my number?” Blake raised an eyebrow and delighted in seeing Yang’s cool façade falter for a brief second. Her throat bobbed as her eyes flickered up to Blake’s eyebrow.
“Trust me, Blake. If I was trying to be suave, you’d know. You are very taken and I respect that. I’m not in the habit of going after someone in a relationship. I do think we’ve hit it off so, if anything, I feel like I’ve maybe gained a friend?”
Blake smiled, even though she felt the teeniest disappointment that Yang wasn’t into her. Not that she was into Yang, of course. That would be ridiculous. They’d just met and she was in a committed relationship.
Immediately, the trepidation of seeing Adam made its way into Blake’s chest and she leaned back in her chair, looking out the window. In the distance, she could see the coast of Menagerie.
Can I do it? It’s like Yang said, we’re totally different people than who we were at fifteen.
But he’s all I’ve ever known. I haven’t been with anyone else. I haven’t even kissed anyone else. He’s been my first for everything.
“Blake?”
She blinked and turned back to Yang, who was also sitting back in her seat.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped by asking for your number.”
Blake couldn’t help but smile. “You said sorry.”
Yang blinked. “Well, shit. I guess miracles do happen.”
Maybe they do, Blake thought, turning back to the view out the window. But I don’t know that they happen to me.