Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As another long workday drew to a close, the sidewalks grew flush with businessmen and women leaving their offices, issuing a collective sigh of relief to be free for the evening.  Some were heading out to have dinner or drinks with friends and coworkers, some were setting off to run errands, while most were on their way home to their families for the night.

But they all had one thing in common: they were in a hurry.

Blake walked amongst them with calculated slowness, being jostled every so often by someone in more of a rush than the others.  Sometimes, they apologized.  Most of the time, they did not.

The rudeness, the constant hustle and bustle, the crowds...none of it bothered her in the slightest.  After all, she wasn’t in a hurry.  She had nowhere else to be but right here.

This was her office - the evening streets of downtown Vale, teaming with the well-off men and women who staffed the towering buildings in the heart of the city.

Veering inconspicuously to her right, she bumped elbows with an older gentleman speaking rapidly into his scroll.  She quickly raised her hand in apology, a gesture he returned as a hasty wave while continuing away from her.

Several paces away, once she was certain she had disappeared within the crowd again, she opened the wallet in her hands, pulled out the Lien in the main fold, and tossed the rest into a trashcan as she walked by.  The entire action took less than ten seconds and didn’t even break her stride.  She could feel that she had collected four bills from the wallet and would guess it was around forty Lien, but she would count it later.

People might think that with so many witnesses swimming nearby it would be difficult for her to do what she did, but the opposite was true.  Nothing provided a veil of anonymity better than a mass of people intent on getting to their own destinations and reaching their own goals.

This was a pickpocket’s heaven.  A great lake where the fish practically begged to be caught.  And, while she wasn’t the only ‘fisherman’ in the vicinity, she was one of the privileged few.

It wasn’t exactly noble work, but finding a legitimate job was challenging for someone with her...background.  

Well, finding a job wasn’t as challenging as keeping it.  Her bow would work for a while, but, eventually, people became curious as to what was under the bow.  There had been several close calls already, and the last thing she needed was for people to find out who she was and spread the information.  If that happened, she could be blacklisted from ever getting a job again.

She didn’t want to go back to the White Fang, and she couldn’t hold a ‘regular’ job, so she did this.

While not ideal, it let her keep living and surviving another day.  Maybe things would change some day...at least, that was what she kept telling herself.  There could be a day when she didn’t think about what made her ‘different,’ what made her less valuable, less ‘normal.’

Despite her unscrupulous ‘job,’ she still operated under her own code of conduct.  She only took from those who had something to spare - businessmen, rich housewives, those who wouldn’t miss a few Lien in their pockets.  And she only stole enough to keep herself fed, pay her dues, and maintain a warm, dry place to sleep.

That, at least, helped her sleep at night.

Plus...and she hated to admit this...but she was good at what she did.  Her semblance helped her disappear whenever she got into trouble, and her natural ability to blend into the shadows had gotten her out of more than a few jams.  But it was her quickness and slight of hand that gave her an enormous advantage over any other petty thief.  

Unfortunately, this month she was running a little behind.  The family living a few blocks from her, who were far less fortunate than she was, had suffered a medical emergency just last week.  Their daughter, a friendly little girl who always waved to Blake in the morning, had needed an unexpected operation.  When Blake learned that the family didn’t have enough money to pay for the surgery (up front, as the hospitals always demanded of ‘their kind’)...well, an anonymous donation was slipped under their door in the middle of the night.

But there were consequences to every action, and this one was no different.  It left Blake trying to scrounge up enough money to pay for her monthly…‘thief license.’  And Cinder did not take kindly to being paid late or less than their agreed upon amount.

In the best case scenario, Blake would lose her location - being knocked down to one of the lower neighborhoods or further away from the city center.  But she had a feeling that she wouldn’t be so fortunate.  

Cinder gave Blake the downtown district because she was one of the most consistent thieves around.  Cinder knew that she could count on Blake to provide a steady stream of cash while also not alerting the authorities to their presence in the area.  If the woman ever found out that Blake was holding back for her own morals...well...thankfully, Cinder would never find out.

“Excuse me, sir.”

Blake ducked her head in apology for bumping into the businessman, but he didn’t even bother to glance her way.  Shaking her head, she repeated the process from earlier - grab the cash, dump the wallet, carry on.

The impersonal nature of these people never ceased to amaze her.  She walked through this crowd daily, she made eye contact, said ‘hello’ even, and yet...not once had anyone ever stopped to talk to her.

It was a lonely life, sometimes...

“Sorry ‘bout that,” a gruff voice said after a tall man bumped into her side.

“No problem,” she replied casually, accepting his apology even though she was the one who veered into his side at the last second.  He ended up only having one note in his wallet - a wasted effort on her part.

The evening was fully upon her now, with the sun dropping behind the tall skyscrapers and the sidewalks thinning out as the masses reached their destinations or settled in for the night.  This was normally when Blake called it quits and headed home herself.  Lifting wallets was exponentially more difficult and risky when the crowds dispersed since casually bumping into strangers would now be seen as out of the ordinary and suspicious.

Stepping into the entryway of an apartment building, she nonchalantly pulled out her collection of Lien.  After quickly counting it, she sighed and stuck it back into her pocket.

She would be short this month unless she found someone who had just made a substantial withdrawal from the bank.  And since that was highly unlikely...well, she still had a little time to lessen the shortfall before turning herself in to Cinder.

But in this type of environment, where the marks were fewer and further in between, she would have to take a bigger risk if she wanted to make it look like she gave it her best effort this month.  So she scanned the streets around her, using her quasi night vision to see clearly in the weakening light.  Her stellar vision was useful in times like these, but also a hindrance - nothing drew curiosity and suspicion faster than her glowing eyes at night.

A potential mark appeared then - rushing down the sidewalk, passing her without noticing her presence.  The girl was about her age, with long, wavy blonde hair and nice looking clothes.  There was definitely potential for some money there - either from an unfulfilled shopping trip or an expensive night out on the town.

Blake stepped out of the shadows behind the blonde, silently trailing her while sizing up this new opportunity.  The blonde was distracted, currently speaking on the phone and gesturing with her free hand.  Best of all, her wallet was visible in her back pocket.

Blake picked up her pace until she matched the girl’s stride step-for-step from twenty yards behind.  Like prey being stalked by a predator, the blonde still had no idea she was even being followed.

“No, Ruby, I’m not going to do that!” she was saying.  “Well, I don’t care what Weiss says - I’m not some charity case for her to set up with strangers.”

At that instant, Blake decided to go for it.  Her feet broke into a run as she quickly approached the girl from behind.  A run-by, that was what she called it.  If she executed it perfectly, the blonde would never even feel the wallet leave her pocket.

Blake reached the girl within seconds and seamlessly lifted the wallet from her back pocket - one of the cleanest and quickest lifts Blake could remember.  Smiling to herself, she continued at a run without so much as a glance backward.

“Hey!”

Blake immediately broke into a sprint, shocked that the girl had even realized what happened.  The lift had been completely clean - Blake hadn’t even touched her.  

But that wasn’t the worst part.  Footsteps rapidly hitting the pavement behind her told her that not only had the girl felt Blake steal her wallet, but she was now pursuing her.

Flying around the next corner, Blake hoped that her familiarity with the area would work to her advantage.  She knew the best alleyways...best hiding spots...all she needed to do was duck out of view for a second and she could lose the girl entirely.  

But she quickly realized that something was wrong.

This wasn’t some typical, run-of-the-mill glamor girl who was afraid of breaking a nail or stubbing a toe.  No, this girl was fearless...and fast.  

Adrenaline coursing through her veins now, Blake stretched her legs out to their full stride, trying to put distance between her and her pursuer.  But it was no use - she could still hear the pounding footsteps behind her, maintaining distance or even closing in.

Reaching an alleyway, she released one of her shadow clones - sending it straight ahead while she ducked to the right.  But the girl didn’t fall for the fake - she didn’t even pause for a split second.  How did she know…?

Blake didn’t have time to figure out the answer.  They were flying through a deserted alley now, the buildings hedging them in on both sides while their feet crunched against loose pebbles on the pavement.  There was another small alleyway cutting across up ahead - as soon as Blake reached it, she released another shadow clone in an effort to cause confusion.

No success - the girl was still right on her heels.  Chiding herself for pickpocketing someone in superb shape, Blake felt her stamina beginning to wear out, fueled now only by the adrenaline of not wanting to get caught.

That was when she noticed the newly installed chain link fence at the end of the alley, blocking their path back to the main street beyond.

It was just what she needed.  This girl might be fast, but there was no way she could scale a ten foot fence as quickly as Blake could.

Pushing her legs harder, Blake squeezed the last few drops of energy from her screaming muscles and prepared to pull herself over the fence.  It would have to be fluid...flawless...or the girl would be close enough to grab ahold of her.

FWOOSH

A ball of flame suddenly lit up the fence - the abrupt wave of heat sending Blake screeching to a halt.  The footsteps also came to a stop behind her, the girl correctly realizing that with her lost momentum, Blake was now trapped.

Staring at the wire until the flames flickered out, Blake hesitantly turned to face her victim.

The girl was huffing nearly as much as Blake after their sprint through the streets, and for just a brief moment, Blake could have sworn that the blonde’s eyes were blood red.  But she blinked and revealed a beautiful shade of lilac.

‘Gorgeous’ was just one of many similar adjectives that could be used to describe the girl - although even that word seemed inadequate in capturing her true beauty.  

As soon as their eyes connected, a current of energy cut through the air between them.  Blake quickly stepped backwards and the energy extended further, clearly emanating from the figure standing in front of her.  Her skin tingled at the sensation, but she didn’t say anything.  She waited for the girl to speak first.

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The apology immediately threw Blake into confusion, wondering why someone she just stole from was being so considerate of her feelings.

“I just...you can keep the wallet and the money, just…can I please have the picture inside?”

The girl wasn’t angry or upset...she was pleading with Blake as if it was her life, not her wallet, in Blake’s hands.

Blinking at the unexpected situation, Blake flipped the wallet open - her eyes flicking back to the blonde to make sure this wasn’t just some trick to divert her attention.  Finding the aged, wrinkled photograph in the front, she carefully pulled it out and looked at it.

It was a photograph of two little girls - one clearly the blonde standing in front of her, along with a smaller brunette.  They were wrapped in the arms of a pretty older woman with similar brunette hair and a wide smile.  Her eyes shimmered a rare silver unlike any Blake had ever seen before, reflected in the eyes of one of her daughters.  All three grinned into the camera as if it was the best day of their lives.  Scrawled in black ink on the bottom corner of the photo were the words: “Me, Ruby, and Mom” in a child’s sloppy handwriting.

“It’s the only picture I have of the three of us…”

The words cut through Blake like a knife.  Now, she understood why the girl had chased her so far.  Why she looked so afraid of letting Blake out of her sight.  It had nothing to do with losing money, and everything to do with losing this memory of her mom.

Sympathy and guilt overwhelmed Blake.  She might not know who this  girl was - a few seconds ago, the blonde was merely another stranger in a city filled with them - but now...with this photograph in her hands...and the blonde’s aura pulsing between them...she could feel herself being drawn in.

She knew what it was like to lose a parent.  And she too had a treasured possession...the most important thing to her in the world: Gambol Shroud.  It had been her mother’s...and Blake had trained herself with the weapon until she could consider herself to be a master - the sword and sheath singing to her when in her hands.  If someone stole Gambol from her...she would chase anyone to the end of the world to get it back.

So she slid the photo back into the wallet and tossed it at the girl.  While the blonde focused on catching it, Blake sprinted past, rounded the corner, and used her last burst of energy to throw clones in every direction while she scaled the nearest fire escape.

“Hey wait!”

Hiding in the shadows on the second story of an apartment building, she held her breath as the blonde ran back into view.  The girl paused at the intersection of the two alleyways, searching in all directions for any sight of her.  Heart pounding, Blake forced her breathing to an almost unbearably slow pace and waited for the blonde to give up.

And, eventually, the girl did give up.  With a loud exhale and one last glance at the chain link fence, she hung her head slowly and walked out of the alley, headed back the way they came from.  Blake watched as the girl passed almost directly underneath her feet, not noticing Blake’s amber eyes peering out from the shadows.

Blake hid there long after the girl disappeared, her mind reeling from recent events.  The chase, the fire, the lilac eyes and photo of a stranger’s family.  Somehow, those things made her react on feeling rather than logic.  Rational thinking under pressure was one of her strong suits...or so she thought.  But, for some reason, that girl flustered her.  Made her emotional in an inexplicable and unnerving way.

Only once her heart slowed down did she glance at the time, sigh, and jump down from the fire escape.  If she didn’t hurry, she would miss her deadline to meet Cinder and hand over what money she scraped together.  This was the first time she had ever missed a minimum cut, so hopefully the consequences would be reasonable.

She should be focused on what to say to Cinder as she hurried back to the main road, but her thoughts kept drifting to the blonde she just ‘met’ and the energy that flowed between them like a strange connection she had never felt before.  

Or she only imagined the connection - a likely side effect of all the worn out romance novels she rented from the libraries to pass the time.  The girl with lilac eyes was meant for the world of Vale - she would walk amongst the throngs of people and receive stares of admiration for her beauty.  And Blake...well, she could receive stares too, but not the kind people wanted to receive.

It might be nice to dream about, but she couldn’t give in to those romantic notions.  People like that didn’t exist for people like her.

Chapter Text

Another beautiful day in Vale was coming to a close.  Another lucrative day at the ‘office’ for Blake, as well.

She enjoyed the warm weather, and not just because it made it nicer to be outside.  The pleasant, soft rays of sun convinced people to walk home from work rather than take the buses, trains, or their own vehicles.  The increase in foot traffic gave her a cloak of invisibility that made her feel nearly invincible while passing through throngs of workers.

The additional cover helped since she had operated with a slight handicap over the past few weeks.  The swelling in her hand had gone down considerably though...and she had almost regained full movement in the two fingers that recently found themselves the unfortunate subjects of a vicious foot stomp.

Fortunately, Cinder had been insightful enough to choose Blake’s nondominant left hand.  The woman was awfully efficient when trying to wring as much money out of her criminals as possible…

But Blake was thankful to have escaped without any broken bones or other serious injuries.  And, even though it was moderately annoying to always use her right hand to snatch wallets, it was more of a minor inconvenience than a hindrance.

“Excuse me.”

As soon as her fingertips touched soft, worn leather, she swung her hand fluidly behind her while turning to give the man a friendly smile and wave.  He hardly grunted in response, already carrying on his way home.

Sometimes, she wished that someone would notice her.  Maybe strike up a conversation or...something.  Life as a thief could be lonely, especially when struggling to maintain a certain level of moral compass.  She could always bend her morals and swap stories with the other thieves she knew - the ones who laughed, joked, and bragged about their hauls - but…listening to them made her stomach churn.

Some days, she felt more alone than others, with today being one of those days.  It left her craving a feeling that she hadn’t stopped dreaming about for weeks - that current of energy that had charged through her veins, the rapid fluttering of her heart when the two of them locked eyes, the unexpected link between thief and mark.  

That experience had been unlike anything she ever felt before...and it left a void in her chest that hadn’t existed prior to that moment.

Pining after a girl who she only met for a fraction of a moment was pointless though.  At least, that was what she kept telling herself to no avail.  Her eyes subconsciously double-checked every blonde she passed, and her heart somersaulted whenever she spotted blonde hair with a gentle wave.

Considering the chances of them meeting again lay somewhere between slim and impossible, Blake wished her heart would stop overreacting.  Besides, even if Blake found her, what would happen?  The girl would probably call the police, only remembering Blake as the thief who tried to rob her.

If she remembered Blake at all...

“Oh, sorry,” she told the shorter gentleman in a suit who she just bumped into.  She gave him a friendly smile while gently straightening his sleeve with one hand and sliding his wallet into her back pocket with the other.

“That’s alright,” he responded with a quick smile of his own before hurrying away, in a rush to get somewhere.  After watching him leave, she casually made her way to a less crowded section of the neighborhood and swiped the cash from the two wallets she just collected.  The wallets themselves were ditched into some neatly trimmed hedges outside of an upscale office building.

She didn’t throw the wallets into trash cans anymore.  Instead, she tossed them into hedges, under benches, under parked cars...anywhere that someone else might find them and return them to the owner.  After all, she never knew when there might be a treasured possession inside.  Something worth more than the money she pocketed.

Upon returning to the busier streets packed with shoppers and workers alike, she glanced around and noticed two uniformed police officers standing outside of a busy restaurant.  In their navy blue uniforms, they were easy to spot amongst the sea of black and charcoal gray.

Their presence granted her the perfect excuse to take a break until they vacated the area.  So, rather than rejoin the crowd, she slipped around the corner and climbed up the fire escape of a nearby office building.  

Like most of the offices at this time of day, it appeared to be abandoned already.  The sign on the side of the building read ‘Schnee Dust’ - a name she recognized from the gigantic tower at the center of Vale, and the sprawling manufacturing center at the edge of the city, and from billboards and bus stops and television and newspaper ads.  

Despite the ubiquitous name, they left the bottom of their fire escape way too close to the ground like almost every other office building in Vale.  Blake could easily make the jump to pull herself up onto the platform and climb to the second story.  From there, she made her way up to the roof, where no one could see her and she could take a quick cat nap.

She had just made it to the third floor, her feet padding softly on the metal steps, when muffled voices caught her attention.  Immediately flattening herself against the wall of the building, she held her breath until she was positive no one had spotted her.  Only then did she carefully peek through the window, searching for the source.

It was a large office with a wooden desk on the left, several bookcases, and the exit on the right.  Two girls around Blake’s age slowly backed toward the desk, and away from the two other inhabitants in the room.

Blake frowned when she recognized Emerald and Mercury - two of Cinder’s closest lackies and most devoted followers.  The two always operated as a pair and were particularly notorious as Cinder’s right hand men - the executioners to Cinder’s gavel.  That status alone meant they operated more freely amongst Vale, getting away with crimes that were more heinous than most.  And, unfortunately for these particular girls, Emerald had an insatiable appetite for violence.

“We don’t have what you’re looking for, so leave us alone!”

One of the girls - the one with short brunette hair - stood in front of the other, her arm held out to the side as she protected the white haired girl behind her.  Blake bit her lip at the sight, knowing that when Emerald was in the right mood, even doing what she asked might not be good enough.  In fact, doing what she asked might actually make things worse.  Especially once she pulled out her dual scythes...like she did now.

Emerald wielded the sinister, curved blades with deadly precision.  Their greenish metal always glistened in the light, as if the weapons were still slick with blood.

Blake detested Emerald and Mercury - and the people like them.  Wanton violence...causing harm just because they could...she hated it with every fiber of her being.  But what could she do in this situation?  Emerald and Mercury were protected by the same code that protected Blake from them - they all fell under Cinder’s ‘rule’ and were not to attack each other or meddle in the others’ affairs.  Why the two had broken into an office building was none of Blake’s business, nor did she even want to know.

“Oh...I love it when they lie…”

Emerald’s voice, dripping with malice, convinced Blake to leave.  She would call the cops as soon as she got away.  And hopefully Emerald didn’t go too overboard in the meantime…

“Ruby, don’t!”

Blake froze at the name, her gaze shooting back to the scene unfolding near her.  She focused her attention more intently upon the brunette.  She was older now...and had grown into her features quite a bit, but still had that brunette hair and...those silver eyes.

It was the same girl.  The little girl from the photograph.

The information hardly settled into Blake’s mind before she reacted.  While Emerald advanced on the two girls, with Mercury watching smugly from behind, Blake backed up and threw herself through the window shoulder first.

The sound of glass shattering filled her ears as she crashed to the floor with what felt like hundreds of needles jabbing into her skin.  But she quickly rolled to her feet, capitalizing on Emerald’s brief moment of shock.  That fraction of a second was all Blake needed to throw herself into Emerald’s legs, tackling her to the floor.

The blades hit the ground and Blake prayed that the two girls would pick them up, run, or something - preferably something that got all three of them out of this alive.  Because Emerald’s surprise had evaporated, replaced by pure rage and anger.  

Blake clasped a hand around each of Emerald’s wrists while Emerald thrashed beneath her, and it might have been a fair fight if her hand wasn’t still healing.  And if a boot hadn’t landed in her side, crushing the wind from her lungs and forcibly separating her from the enraged girl.  She hit the floor and clutched at her ribs while Mercury advanced on her, cracking his knuckles while preparing to deal some true pain.

He only made it halfway to her when a white glyph suddenly appeared beneath his feet.  His eyes widened, but he had no time to react before being thrown backwards into the wall beside the door and crashing to the floor.

Emerald had scrambled back to her feet and scowled at Blake before her gaze flitted to the side.  She and Blake spotted her weapons at the same time but, as soon as Emerald lunged for them, a burst of powerful wind blew past them and the weapons disappeared.

“Leave.  Now!”

The brunette held the blades in front of her now, leveling them at Emerald.  The girl with white hair also had a weapon now  - a long, silver rapier that she wielded with tremendous confidence.

Taking one look at the new situation, Emerald wisely retreated to her partner, who had slowly regained his feet.  The two of them disappeared through the doorway an instant later, but not before Emerald sneered at Blake, her red eyes making it clear that this wouldn't be the end of their confrontation.  It had been her heel that smashed Blake’s fingers, after all, and now she had reason to do it again.

Silence descended on the room, but Blake’s heart still pounded in her ears and adrenaline pumped through her veins.  Holding one hand to her side, she crouched over to ease the pain in her ribs and took small, shallow breaths while willing her pulse back to normal.  That was when she noticed the cuts covering her arms from her trip through the window, some of them mere pinpricks but some deep enough for the blood to be dripping down her arm.

Unfortunately, her wounds were the least of her concerns right now.  Emerald would tell Cinder what she just did, and attacking a fellow crook earned harsh punishments on a regular day.  Attacking Emerald and Mercury...well, apparently Blake had a death wish.  Even if Cinder showed her mercy, those two wouldn’t.

But first, she turned back to the two girls, who were watching her somewhat warily.

“Are you ok?” she asked, her voice strained under the weight of her emotions.

Once they both nodded, she did too.  Then she took another breath, winced when her ribs complained, and hobbled away.  The police would probably arrive any minute now, so she had to put as much distance between herself and this place as possible.

“Wait!” 

Blake stopped at the door and turned back to the brunette.

“Are you ok?”

The girl gestured to Blake’s injuries, but Blake mustered a small, hopefully reassuring smile.

“I’ll be fine.”  Even though the girl with white hair was still eyeing her skeptically, she nodded to them before heading back to the window.  

“Why did you help us?” the brunette asked just as Blake set her hand on the frame and prepared to push herself through.  She paused though, wondering what the answer was just as much as they were.

Why did she help them?  Because it did her no good to be on Cinder’s bad side.  It did her even less good to be on Emerald and Mercury’s hit list.

“I know your sister,” was all she said as she carefully pulled herself through the broken window and high tailed it down the fire escape.

“Yang?” came the puzzled question as she took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the pain in her side.

But, even in her adrenaline fueled panic, the name reverberated in her mind.

The blonde - the one Blake still felt some strange connection to - the one who Blake just threw herself through a window for - the one Blake just upset the delicate balance of her life for…

Her name was Yang.

Chapter Text

So much could change as the years passed by, yet so much stayed the same.

After grabbing her few possessions on that fateful day, Blake had jumped on the next bus headed to the opposite side of town.  She knew the reaches of Cinder’s territory and knew how far away she needed to be in order to sleep at night.  Two years later, she had reestablished a meager home for herself and grown more comfortable in her new surroundings.

A glimpse of emerald green or silver hair still sent her ducking into the nearest alcove but, for the most part, she had settled into her new life on this side of town.  She still lifted wallets to survive, but these were much more difficult neighborhoods.

Without Cinder’s dictatorial rule, little protection was offered from other petty criminals like herself.  She had already experienced several run-ins with other thieves telling her to stay off of their turf.  The best pickpocket grounds were ferociously fought over, both to protect or to steal away from someone else.

There was also less prosperity away from the tall office buildings downtown, making the pickings slim and her targets more...victims rather than unfortunate bystanders.  A businessman could recoup what she stole over a course of a few days, but she might unwittingly swipe someone’s monthly income here.  

The pedestrians were also more street savvy to the crimes occurring around them, increasing the risk of every lift.  They weren’t oblivious to criminals hiding in plain view, and some of them were prepared to fight for what was theirs.

But this was Blake’s life now, and she lived it the best she could, straddling the line between good and evil like a tightrope walker.  Her thoughts drifted to Yang more often than she cared to admit, but at least she had a name to attach to her obsession.  

Yang had long since forgotten about her but, for some reason, she couldn’t get the blonde out of her mind.  Those lilac eyes…the ball of fire…the lack of anger…the electric connection that Blake wanted nothing more than to feel again.

But she couldn’t think about that right now.  She had a job to do.

She had been tailing her current mark for the past few minutes, trying to decide if the man was actually as clueless as he appeared.  He looked rather lost, which basically highlighted him as someone who wouldn't make it out of the area with all of his possessions.

Deciding to go for it, she broke into a sprint and closed the gap between them in seconds.  She then slammed into his side, nearly knocking him over while her hand latched onto the wallet in his coat pocket.  Without even stopping, she continued down the sidewalk at full speed.

“Hey, stop!  Officer!  She stole my wallet!”

His shout sent a jolt of adrenaline through her veins.  She hadn’t seen a police officer anywhere - where had they been hiding?

“Stop!” someone shouted, and her instincts took over.

Before she had time to chastise herself for being sloppy, she bolted.  She didn’t flinch at the sound of footsteps behind her as she sprinted around the corner and toward the nearest side street to lose her pursuer.

The narrow roads worked to her advantage, unlike downtown’s wider streets and avenues.  The passageways were all built like alleys with dirty buildings tucked close together, and dumpsters and street stands cluttered everywhere.  With her agility, she could easily slip away from pursuers in this environment.

As she raced between the buildings, heading into more sparsely populated areas, she was surprised when the footsteps behind her didn’t fade.  They kept pace with her and refused to fall behind no matter how many obstacles she flawlessly hurdled to create separation.

Altering her route to loop toward a busier area where she might be able to disappear into a crowd, she started throwing out her shadow clones to cause confusion - being careful not to use them too often and burn out her energy.

Skidding around the next corner and making an immediate hairpin turn into an alley, she was already halfway to the end when she noticed the mammoth garbage truck blocking the exit.  When the footsteps entered the alley behind her, she narrowed her eyes and charged forward.  With enough momentum, she could easily scale a garbage truck.

“Stop!”

The order only spurred her on.  Her legs screamed from exertion as she propelled herself toward the truck, her eyes scanning the vehicle and picking out the best place to plant her foot.  An overwhelming sense of deja vu came over her at that instant, and she was already sliding to a stop when the wave of heat rushed past her head and smashed into the metal wall in front of her.

Spinning around, she suddenly found herself face-to-face with the girl she had dreamed about for years.

Yang hadn’t changed much.  She had the same long, blonde hair, expressive lilac eyes, and friendly aura...yet now she wore a navy blue and gold police uniform with a shiny golden shield pinned over her chest.  

She was… very attractive.

“You.”

The word was nothing more than a whisper, Yang looking just as stunned as Blake felt.  They both stared at each other for several long moments, breathing heavily while recovering from their race through the streets.

A cop though?  Of all the ways Blake imagined them meeting again, she never once considered this scenario.

“Are you going to arrest me?” she finally asked, her voice nearly failing in Yang’s presence while confused thoughts raced through her head.

“Arrest you?”  Yang chuckled as if that was an absurd question before her expression turned serious.  “You saved my sister’s life...and then you just disappeared.  I’ve been looking for you...for two years I’ve been looking for you.  I became a cop just so I would have a better chance of finding you.  And now -”  Yang motioned her hands to Blake as if that said everything.

The words registered in Blake’s mind, but they failed to make sense.  All this time...she had known that Yang forgot about her, yet...

“Why didn’t you stick around…?” Yang asked.  “Why did you run?  Weiss is loaded - she would’ve given you a huge reward -”

“I didn’t help for a reward,” Blake interrupted, finally finding her voice.  “I helped because -”

I helped because she’s your sister.

“Because Emerald can get out of control sometimes…” she finished in a mumble, her cheeks warming at what she almost admitted.  There was no reason to confess her hopeless obsession to a stranger.

Yang stared at her, lilac eyes thoughtful as she weighed Blake’s words.  She didn’t believe them - Blake could see that - but she shook her head anyway.

“Well, no, I’m not going to arrest you.  I want to -”

“Officer Xiao Long!”

The shout ended Yang’s sentence as two men in bulky army uniforms rushed into the alleyway.  

“Do you need assistance?” one asked after halting beside Yang, his posture aggressive and ready for trouble.  Blake instinctively stepped backwards but paused when Yang held up a hand to stop her.

“I’m fine,” she told them in an authoritative tone.  “Just catching up with an old friend.  Carry on to the next checkpoint without me.”

The two men looked at each other before nodding and turning back the way they had come.  One of them glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at Blake, but they had clearly been dismissed and didn’t argue with the order.

Once they left the alleyway, Yang sighed and shook her head.

“Sorry about that…they’re a little protective sometimes.”

“Like guard dogs,” Blake commented.

“Exactly like guard dogs,” Yang replied with a small laugh, her features lighting up in amusement.  “But they can be useful, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.”

A small silence followed, which was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.  She wanted to know what Yang had been about to say before they were interrupted but didn’t have the nerve to ask.  Thankfully, Yang hadn’t forgotten where they’d been in their conversation.

“Anyway, I was going to ask if you’ll get dinner with me.”

“Dinner?” Blake sputtered, but Yang just smiled at her, completely certain about her request.

“Well, I’d ask you to marry me, but I figure that might be a reach.  So, dinner?”

“But...I stole your wallet.”

“Technically , you didn’t.  You gave it back to me, remember?”

“I steal other people’s money,” Blake admitted, but Yang just laughed. 

“Well, there is that, isn’t there?  But...I have a feeling you wouldn’t be if you didn’t have to.”

Something in Yang’s gaze reignited the energy between them, sparking through the air like fireworks that Blake could almost see and touch.  She had quickly run out of excuses - except for one.  A secret that was certainly a deal breaker.

“You don’t know who I really am.”

“That’s the point of dinner,” Yang replied.  “To get to know you.”

“No.  I mean, you don’t know…”

Unsure of how to break the news, Blake sighed.  Deciding to rip the bandaid off and get it over with, she reached up and untied her bow.  As the ribbon fell away, she let her arms drop to her sides in defeat.

“ - who I am…” she whispered as the feline ears atop her head drooped to match her mood.

Yang’s brow furrowed as she looked from Blake’s eyes to the top of her head and back again.  But there was no shock or disgust in her lilac eyes.  There was only...confusion.

“Who…” Yang began as if speaking out loud would solve the puzzle.  Suddenly, her eyes widened and a smile returned to her lips.  “Oh, those?   I already knew about that.”

“You…did?”

“You’re talking about being an…‘undesirable’, right?”  Yang wrinkled her nose at the offensive term most commonly applied to Blake’s race.  “That’s silly - because you’re plenty desirable to me.”

Yang beamed at her play on words while Blake stared at her.

“Are you...flirting with me?” Blake asked, her voice a little higher than usual.

“Well, I was trying to,” Yang replied, chuckling as she ran a hand through her golden hair.  “Obviously, not very successfully…”

Blake’s cheeks quickly set a record high temperature as her blush spread all the way to the tips of her ears.  It wasn’t that she had never been hit on before - she had.  Mostly by creepy men who would catcall at her while she was working.  But she had never been hit on by someone who she actually found attractive, and certainly not by anyone who had seen her without her bow.

“I’ve known since the day we met,” Yang explained.  “Your bow slipped off a bit while I was chasing you.”

“Then why…?”

Why try to find her?  Why go through all the trouble of joining the police force?  Why not just forget about her like the rest of the world preferred to do?

“Because I don’t care about that.  I never have.”

Blake could see the honestly shining from Yang’s eyes, and her heart clenched in her chest.  Yang had known exactly who Blake was all along - knew all of Blake’s ‘flaws’ - yet still searched for her.  And here Blake had spent years dreaming about the girl yet never once thought to try to find her.

“So...dinner?” Yang asked again, but Blake was still struggling to process the information and turbulent emotions fighting for her attention.

How had Yang turned out like this?  After all the time Blake spent pining for her, imagining what it would be like to hold a conversation, she imagined Yang storming off when learning about Blake’s heritage.  In those daydreams, Yang would return later and apologize, saying that she loved Blake too much to let this stand between them.  But this…

“Maybe.”  She shook her head and stepped backward.  “I just...need time to think about it.”

It was as honest of an answer as she could give.  Going to dinner with a police officer...spending any time with a police officer...wasn’t exactly something she had considered before.  She hadn’t really been expecting to go to dinner with the girl of her dreams, either.

But, even though Yang’s hopeful expression fell, she refused to give up. 

“Will you at least tell me your name?”

Her name...her name was her most closely guarded possession.  If someone knew her true identity...then they knew too much about her.  But, determined to leave Yang with something, she stepped forward, fighting against the magnetic attraction she felt as the distance between them dwindled.  She could see the flecks of gold in Yang’s eyes now, and the faint freckles strewn across her nose and cheeks, and the small tuft of downy blonde hair that seemed to resist falling in the same direction as its friends.

Yang’s eyes never left her, watching as she swallowed and dared to lean in closer.  Watching as she raised one trembling hand and lightly rested it on a sturdy shoulder.

“It’s Blake,” she whispered before quickly withdrawing and hurrying away.  Her heart beat wildly in her ears as she made a hasty retreat, needing to put distance between herself and Yang before her heart melted entirely.

Only when she made it several blocks away did she toss Yang’s badge up in the air, enjoying the weight of it as it landed back in her hand.  The shiny metal shield had ‘Officer Xiao Long’ engraved across the bottom, which she traced her fingers across while a smile slipped onto her lips.

Yang Xiao Long...it had a nice ring to it.

Just as she was about to slip the badge into her pocket, she noticed a small piece of paper poking out from behind the shield.  Curious, she pulled it out and discovered a short note written in sloping handwriting.

“To the girl who refused to steal my wallet and consequently stole my heart - I don’t know who you are, but I’ll find you again one day.  And I figure that when I do, you’ll take this from me one more time.”

Blake’s heart stopped when she noticed the small photograph behind the note - Yang, Ruby, and their mother beaming up at her again, just like they had one the day she and Yang met.  With the treasured possession once again in her grasp, she sighed and found the nearest call station, where she jammed some money into the machine and dialed the number scrawled at the end of the note.

“Hello?”

The sound of Yang’s voice was enough to send Blake’s pulse skyrocketing again.

“Hi.  I think I…found…something that belongs to you.”

She briefly worried that Yang might be upset, but then Yang laughed - and the sound instantly brought a smile to Blake’s lips.

“Might you have found it in my back pocket?”

“...maybe.  You know, you really shouldn’t keep things in your back pockets.  It’s like a magnet for thieves.”

“I know.”

Blake’s smile inexplicably widened at the implication behind Yang’s words, and several seconds of silence passed before she heard a soft cough on the other end of the line.

“So…maybe you can give it back to me at dinner tonight?”

Blake bit her lip at the offer.  How many times had she dreamed about this girl?  How many times had her heart leapt whenever she saw someone with similar blonde hair?  How many times had she wished for another chance to make a good impression?

And now Yang was there...within her grasp.  All she had to do was reach out and take the opportunity.  Let go of the excuses that usually held her back.

She took a deep breath first, unsure of where this path might lead her.

“Where should I meet you?”

Chapter Text

Blake spent the entire evening searching her limited wardrobe for something appropriate to wear to dinner.  She didn’t exactly own much in terms of clothing, and what she did own was designed to help her blend into her environments, not stand out on a date.  But she couldn’t go wrong with a pair of blue jeans and a button-up top, right?

Today still felt like something out of a fairy tale.  All the time she spent daydreaming about Yang…only to learn that Yang had been thinking about her, too.  Not only thinking about her, but had joined the police department just to track her down.

It almost made her feel guilty that she hadn’t put more effort into finding Yang first, but at least she had an opportunity to make it up to Yang now.  Even though the idea of going on a date with a police officer seemed wrong in so many ways.  Blake spent her day avoiding the uniforms, not eating dinner with them.

But this was different.  This was Yang.  And Yang had made it very clear that she wanted to take Blake on a date.  The word alone made Blake inexplicably nervous.  She hadn’t been on a date in...well, ever.

After checking her reflection in the small mirror above the bathroom sink, she took a deep breath, smoothed her hands down the front of her shirt, and decided that she looked presentable enough to venture outside.

The restaurant was a little far but, after a combination of buses and walking, she arrived right on time.  And, if her heart hadn’t already been racing, seeing Yang standing in front of the doors would have accomplished that feat.

Blake didn’t know why she had expected Yang to still be in uniform.  Yang was clearly off duty though, dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a flattering black top.  Even more beautiful than her outfit was the way she lit up when she saw Blake - a huge smile reaching all the way up to her eyes.

“Hey, stranger,” she said as Blake joined her.

“Hello again,” Blake replied, suddenly feeling a little shy.  “I have something for you.”

Blake handed the police badge to Yang, who winked and stuck it in her back pocket.  “Did you have any fun with it?” she asked.  “Like fake arrest people?  Threaten to throw them in jail?”

Blake blinked at the jovial suggestion to abuse Yang’s badge.

“N-no, I just...held onto it…”

“Ah.  Well, there’s always next time!  Ready to eat?”

Yang offered her elbow while nodding to the restaurant doors, and Blake blushed while awkwardly looping her arm through Yang’s.  Yang beamed at her before leading her inside, where Blake immediately realized they were underdressed.  Blake knew why she was underdressed...but Yang suggested this restaurant.  She must have known the dress code, so why had she worn something so casual?

“Officer Xiao Long!” the host greeted them with a smile.  “Miss Schnee told me you’d be on time - I have your table ready.  Right this way.”

With hardly a pause in the entryway, they were whisked into the crowded main room and seated at a small square table.  The host pulled out Blake’s chair, which she quietly thanked him for while sitting down.  The restaurant wasn’t too loud, thankfully, but being around so many other people made Blake fidget in her seat.  Her eyes dashed to the left and right, spotting other diners in the midst of their meals and conversations just like she was supposed to be.  All she could think was that they could see her though - she wasn’t passing between them with an air of invisibility.

Doing her best to ignore the instinct to escape, she focused on Yang instead.

“Honestly, I’m surprised you showed up.”  Yang leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, her eyes clear and true.  “I thought I’d be stood up and have to eat at Weiss’ fancy restaurant by myself.”

“I thought about it,” Blake admitted.  “But…I know how much that picture means to you.”

Blake blushed thinking about the other reasons why she showed up, but Yang just smiled, clenched one fist, and directed, “Thanks, Mom!” to the ceiling.  When Blake chuckled at the response, Yang smiled fondly at her.

“You’re really pretty when you laugh.”

Blake’s laughter immediately stopped, and she blushed scarlet red instead.  She had no idea how she could even begin to respond to the compliment, especially as her ears twitched under her bow.  Yang noticed the movement but, rather than comment, lightly cleared her throat.

“So, let’s get the really awkward part out of the way first.  I’m supposed to give this to you - actually, I was ordered to give this to you.”

Yang pulled a small, folded piece of paper out of her pocket and slid it across the table.  Blake frowned at it but, when curiosity got the better of her, picked it up to see what it was.

As soon as she unfolded it and saw the numbers, she slammed it back down on the table and shoved it toward Yang.

“There’s no way I’m accepting that,” she said firmly, shaking her head for emphasis.  Yang smiled at the response but made no motion to reclaim the item.

“I told her you’d say that…” Yang sighed before pulling out an identical slip of paper and setting it beside the first.  Blake didn’t move until Yang nodded for her to look at it.  Then, only because she was curious, did she lean forward and confirm that it was another check, identical to the first.

Two million Lien lying on the table...made payable to ‘Blake.’  No last name, no memo, no explanation.

“I can’t -” Blake began, shaking her head while Yang softly chuckled.

“Believe me…accepting these will be the easiest way out of this.  Weiss doesn’t take kindly to being turned down.  She’ll resort to more creative means of getting you this amount and then some.”

“But that’s way too much money.”

It was more money than Blake had ever imagined.  It was ‘buy a beach house and retire’ money.  It was ‘never steal again’ money.

“Well, you see…” Yang began, casually nudging the checks across the table.  “Weiss highly values Ruby’s life - more than her own, even.  I’m not saying they can’t protect themselves - they’re usually pretty good at that - but, from what I heard, you saved them when they were caught unprepared.”

“I didn’t do anything that significant…”

“Didn’t you jump through a window?”

“Well, sure -”

“And tackled a crazy girl holding some wicked blades?”

“Kind of, but -”

“Then got pummeled in the ribs?”

Blake flinched at the memory.  Sometimes, she could still feel Mercury’s boot in her chest as if the blow permanently bruised her ribs.

“I helped, but not that much,” she concluded, nodding to the discarded checks on the table.

Yang studied Blake’s eyes, steadily warming the air between them, before nodding, scooping up the checks, and placing them back in her pocket.

“Ok, we’ll revisit these later,” she said, her grin suggesting that she expected to win this argument at that time.  “But why don’t we order now?  I’m starving.”

Still somewhat stunned from the amount of money that had been nonchalantly offered, Blake followed Yang’s lead and opened the menu that the host left in front of her.  While she read through the appetizers, however, a young man tripped while walking past their table and caught himself by placing a hand on Blake’s leg.

“Sorry!” he exclaimed, pushing himself back to his feet in a hurry.  “Really sorry about that!”

Blake just stared while he rushed back to his table, alarms ringing in her head while her heart rate went berserk.  Had he really just tried to pickpocket her even though she wore tight jeans and nothing of obvious value?  What type of thief had the audacity to try that?  

He chose the wrong pocket, too…convincing her that he was likely an amateur.  But he was sitting with someone else - another potential thief - and they were making an awful lot of eye contact with a table of two across the room.

“Blake?”

Yang’s voice brought her attention back to the table, realizing that she had been staring a little too intently for the past few moments.

“Sorry, could you repeat that?” she said, though her gaze drifted to the other table when one of the diners made their way to the restroom.  Just as Blake suspected, the young girl grabbed an item out of an old man’s coat that was hanging on the back of his chair before leaving the room.

They were clearly amateurs using the restaurant as a practice ground.  It was the perfect place - high class, so the diners would never expect a thief to be eating amongst them.  When they went to pay for their meal, they would probably think that they left their wallet at home and rush home to check.  There was nothing better than a victim who would literally hasten away from the scene of the crime.  By the time they returned, the thief would be long gone.

Should she tell Yang?  Would Yang arrest them?  But why would she arrest them if she wasn’t arresting Blake?  They did the same thing, after all - they were just dumb enough to get caught.  Although...Yang had caught her twice now, too.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah - I’m fine.  It’s just…I’m not used to being in nice places, I guess.”  

Blake mustered a wavering smile and fidgeted under Yang’s gaze, which was filling with an increasing amount of concern.  Yang’s brow furrowed for a second, then she nodded and stood up.

“You’re right.  This place is too stuffy.”  Before Blake had even processed the response, Yang grabbed her hand, helped her up from her chair, and led her outside.  “Last time I take Weiss’ suggestion…” Yang muttered as the door shut behind them.

Despite the unexpected change of events, Blake had to admit that the cool nighttime air felt welcome against her skin.  And, free from the proximity of the other thieves, her pulse returned to a normal pace.

“Why don’t you pick someplace?” Yang suggested, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet.  “Where would you go if you were spoiling yourself?”

Blake only had to ponder the question for a half second before the perfect place popped into her mind.  It wasn’t anywhere near as ritzy as the restaurant they were just at, but the food was great.  Still holding Yang’s hand - savoring the foreign yet exhilarating contact - she led Yang through familiar streets to her old neighborhood.  Several blocks later, their destination came into view - parked on the side of the street.

“A...taco truck?”

Blake couldn’t help but laugh at Yang’s confusion as they neared the light blue and green vehicle.

“Not just any tacos,” she explained before pointing out the sign on top of the truck.  “Fish tacos.” 

Catching Yang’s bemused smile, Blake took a large inhale of fishified air and sighed.  She hadn’t been here in years, but it used to be one of her favorite places to eat.  And, when Yang squeezed her hand, she knew that she would never enjoy it more than she would tonight.

“Alright,” Yang said as Blake eagerly dragged them to the line.  “Order whatever you usually get but double it for me.  And don’t even think about paying - dinner’s on me.  You can pay next time, after you’ve cash in your millions.”

While Yang waggled her brow about the checks still tucked in her pocket, Blake blushed at the thought of a second date.  This date had only just begun - they had hardly even spoken to each other - yet Yang was already thinking about next time?

Rather than dwell on that thought, Blake smiled at the young man in the truck and placed the order she knew by heart.  Several minutes later, the two of them were sitting at one of the nearby plastic benches with a tray weighed down by fish tacos.  Eating without a table was a bit of a mess, but Blake hardly noticed anything besides the delicious taco in her hands.

Well, the taco and the noises Yang made while eating them.

“Oh, wow.  God…Blake, these are amazing.”

Blake took another bite to escape a response, but her cheeks must be permanently flushed by this point.

“Best idea ever,” Yang added before diving into her second taco.

“Glad you like them.  But you should probably breathe between bites.”

Yang swallowed the huge bite in her mouth and chuckled.  “Don’t worry.  I can hold my breath for a long time,” she boasted before happily taking another monster bite.  Blake playfully shook her head and focused on her own food, which was more amazing than she had remembered.

Surprisingly, it was easy to forget that Yang worked for the police.  It was easy to forget how they had met at all, actually.  They knew hardly anything about one another, yet it felt like they had known each other forever.  An odd, wonderful familiarity despite lack of details.

They filled in some of those details through small talk while sitting on the vaguely uncomfortable plastic bench.  They also ate far more than they should have, leaving Yang groaning and holding her stomach.

“I shouldn’t have eaten that last one…” she bemoaned.  “But it was just too good…”

Blake cut her laughter short when her own stomach protested the use of her abdominal muscles.  “Maybe we should walk it off?” she suggested, gesturing at the giant skyscrapers framing the sky above Vale.  

Once Yang nodded, Blake stood up and helped pull Yang to her feet.  Yang let out another groan on the way up before exhaling and sending Blake another one of those sweet smiles.  She then casually slipped her hand back into Blake’s, and they started their walk in peaceful silence.

Blake had never noticed before, but this part of Vale was beautiful when the sun had set.  The streetlamps provided a warm yellow glow to see by, while the restaurants and clubs were filled with people making the most of the end of their day.  The vibrant, lively energy promised that good things were in store.  This used to be nothing more than a good place to lift a few wallets.  While walking with Yang, however, it transformed into a different world.

A content sigh escaped her lips, drawing Yang’s gaze her way.

“I haven’t been here in forever…” she admitted before Yang asked the question.

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask - why did you leave?  I’m not exactly an expert, but this seems like a better place than where you’re at.”

“It is.”

When Blake’s feet stopped, Yang paused and turned toward her.  Trapped in those earnest lilac eyes, she tried to find the right words to say.  Should she tell Yang exactly why she left or just brush over the subject?

“After what happened with your sister…I had to leave.”  Before Yang asked why, Blake turned away and continued their slow walk.  Again, however, her trust in Yang won against all odds.  “It wasn’t safe for me to be here anymore,” she admitted.  “Those two thieves were probably looking for me for a long time.”

When Yang’s grip around her hand tightened, a wave of relief washed over her.

“Is it ok - for you to be back now?”

“I think so...it’s been a while.  Hopefully, they’ve forgotten I exist.”  

A half truth.  Emerald would never forget what Blake did.  But Blake was only here for the night - it wasn’t as if she frequented this area anymore.

“That explains why it took me so long to find you,” Yang replied with a short chuckle.  “I was scouring these neighborhoods for months before I moved on.”

“Sorry…”

Yang waved her free hand and gave Blake a warm smile.

“Don’t be sorry.  I’ve found you now, haven’t I?”

“Yes, you have…” Blake whispered toward the street, her cheeks warming yet again.

“So...what’s it like?  Picking pockets, I mean?” Yang asked, her tone curious - with no shred of distaste or disdain.

“Uh...well...it’s really all I know, so I don’t know how to compare it with anything else…”

“How many wallets do you get a day?” Yang asked, obviously not bothered by Blake’s inability to answer the first question.

“Depends...I usually set a Lien amount I need and keep working until I reach that.  Five or six, maybe.”

“Do you keep the wallets?”

“What?” Blake asked before smiling and shaking her head.  “No, I don’t keep them.  What would I do with that many wallets?”

“I don’t know...build some creepy shrine?”

Imagining a monument constructed out of discarded wallets, Blake laughed.

“Sorry, but no.  I just drop them in the bushes or something.  I used to put them in the trash, but that was before I met you.”

She had never talked to anyone about this, but it was strangely liberating - even if she was speaking to a cop.  But something about Yang was unthreatening...Blake felt safe with her, and Blake hadn’t felt ‘safe’ in a long, long time.

“If you can take something out of someone’s pocket, can you put it back without them noticing?”

She blinked at the random question, which she had never considered before.

“I...guess I probably could…” she answered slowly, thinking through the logistics.  “Honestly, I’ve never tried it.”

Dropping Blake’s hand, Yang ruffled in her pocket before pulling out a twenty Lien note and pressing it into Blake’s hands.

“Try giving this to that guy up there.  Looks like he’s having a rough night.”

Yang nodded to the man walking ahead of them - or stumbling might be a more accurate way to describe him.  He wore a nice suit but appeared to be in a rough state, emotionally.  The bouquet of crushed roses hanging lifelessly by his side served as a clue as to what he might have gone through that evening.

Smiling at the challenge, Blake folded the bill up into a smaller rectangle before retaking Yang’s hand, her confidence in the casual affection building each time.  With Yang coming along for the ride, she picked up their pace so that they could close the distance between them and the distraught man.  As they neared, she picked out his most accessible pocket and flipped the folded bill over and over in her hand.

Just as they were walking past, she ‘tripped’ and bumped into his shoulder.  He dropped the bouquet of flowers, so she immediately released Yang’s hand and knelt down to help scoop them up.

“I’m so sorry,” she softly apologized.

“It’s alright…” he muttered while gathering the flowers into his hands and sparing her one glance, which was more than enough for Blake to see the pain in his eyes.  She reached out and touched his shoulder, feeling sympathetic for his broken heart.  At the same moment, she slipped the bill into the pocket on the chest of his coat - not where she had originally planned, but it worked out better than expected.

After standing up, she reclaimed Yang’s hand and carried on as if nothing had happened.  When the man was no longer near them, however, Yang gave her an expectant look.  Only then did she hold up her empty hand, prompting Yang’s laugh.

“Man, we’d make the best anti-thieving team ever,” Yang proclaimed, grinning at ‘their’ success.

“‘We?’” Blake replied, arching a brow.

“Well, yeah, you as the magic, me as support.  Cheering you on and stuff.”

When Yang beamed at the idea, then started chuckling, Blake smiled and shook her head.

“He was really sad,” she commented, still feeling pity for the poor man. 

“Yeah, I could see that…on the bright side, he’s twenty Lien richer and got to ogle a pretty girl for a few seconds.”

“Ogle?”

“Oh yeah, he totally checked you out.  I got really jealous for a little bit - thought about arresting him for some made-up reason.”

Flattered, and flustered by Yang’s attention, Blake tucked her hair behind her ear and said, “You don’t need to worry about him…” 

“Then what about the host at the restaurant?  Should I be worried about him?”

Blake tilted her head, but Yang motioned with her free hand and added, “Or the guy who ordered tacos after us?  He’s not competition either, right?”

“What’re you talking about?” Blake finally asked.  Yang stopped and looked at her, her lilac eyes reflecting a sparkle from the nearest streetlight.

“You really have no idea, do you?” Yang replied, still grinning at having this knowledge that Blake lacked.  When Blake shook her head, Yang brightened as if granted permission to reveal an enormous secret.  She then leaned in so close that Blake’s heart stopped, and whispered, “You’re absolutely gorgeous,” in Blake’s ear.  “And everyone sees it,” Yang added as she pulled away with a radiant smile.

“I don’t think you’ve taken a good look at yourself recently…” Blake managed to respond through her furious blush.  Yang’s eyes briefly widened, and then she raised her hands to her cheeks and turned away.

“Ok, I was not expecting you to say that…”

Blake smiled at the adorable response, delighted to learn that Yang was more humble than she needed to be.  As Blake set her hand on Yang’s shoulder, however, she realized that they were near one of her favorite places in the city.

“I want to show you something,” she said, grabbing Yang’s hand and tugging her in the right direction.  Yang followed without complaint or question, willingly letting Blake lead her across several intersections before they made it to a tall, relatively nondescript office building.

The fire escape was exactly how Blake remembered it.  The ladder went missing years ago, making it impossible to reach the second story platform without jumping up.  

Releasing Yang’s hand, she took a running start before planning her foot on a narrow ledge just a foot off the ground.  Using that as a springboard, she coiled her legs and propelled herself up to the first landing, grabbed the cold metal, and pulled herself up.  Smiling, she turned around and found Yang’s jaw dropped while staring up at her.

“Think you can make it or should I help you up?” she teased.

“Oh, hell no,” Yang replied.  Taking a few steps backward, she lined herself up and took off at a sprint.  She followed the same path as Blake, jumping onto the narrow ledge before leaping up to the fire escape.  She didn’t stick the landing as gracefully as Blake and didn’t find her handholds as fast.  Before she slipped backwards, however, Blake grabbed her wrists and pulled her up onto the metal platform.

Huffing modestly from the effort - Yang was sturdier than initially thought - Blake hauled herself back to her feet and dusted off her jeans.  

“Hard part done.  Now just a few hundred steps to go.”  She smiled and pointed at the staircases leading upwards.

“I can probably eat more tacos after this…” Yang joked as they began on the first set of stairs.

Many staircases and taco jokes later, they reached the top of the building.  After stepping onto the flat rooftop, Blake went over to the ledge opposite of stairs and took a deep breath of the chilled evening air.

“I used to come up here all the time…” she said, soaking in the view as Yang stood beside her.  “I promised myself that one day I would steal my last wallet, and then I’d come up here and throw it from this rooftop.”

She turned to Yang then, finding the blonde watching her intently, listening to her dream with an open heart and mind.

“Well, you’re lucky I brought my wallet then.”

Reaching into her pocket, Yang pulled out the same wallet Blake had nearly stolen from her years ago.  After quickly removing the contents, she waved the empty wallet in front of Blake and smiled.

“Ready to give it the ol’ heave ho?”

Yang offered the wallet freely, but Blake accepted it hesitantly.  Once it was in her hands, she fondly traced her fingers fondly over its worn exterior.

Was this it?  Was she done?  Was that chapter of her life now over?

She didn’t know if she could go back to picking pockets after tonight.  Not only because Yang wouldn't want her to, but because she didn’t know if she could stomach it after such an incredible evening.  Knowing that such an incredible person wanted to be with her…and she wanted to be incredible for Yang in return.

First, she smiled at Yang, who smiled right back.  Then she clutched the wallet in her right hand and turned towards the ledge.  She had just drawn her arm back and Yang held up a hand and said, “But as an officer of the law...I need to at least suggest that you try not to hit anyone.”

Laughing now, Blake aimed towards the empty park across the street and let the wallet fly.  She lost sight of it somewhere between the building and the shrubs along the street, but that mattered little when Yang’s arm slipped around her waist. 

Butterflies filled her chest, but she still leaned into Yang’s warm embrace.  For the first time in her life, she had forgotten who she was... what she was.  She was free to be herself, whoever that may be.

“Why did you look for me, Yang?” she whispered - the only question that still hung on the outskirts of her mind.

Yang pulled her closer, their combined body heat removing the chill from the cool night breeze.

“Because I knew if I could find you, I would fall in love with you.”

The answer brought tears to Blake’s eyes, which she tried to blink away before Yang noticed.

“Then I’m lucky you found me…” she whispered back, her heart threatening to break free as emotions overwhelmed her.

They stayed like that until the chill became a little too unbearable.  Yang then rubbed her hands quickly up and down Blake’s arms before pulling her back to the fire escape.

“Let’s go put these bad boys in the bank!” she suggested as they began their descent, pointing at the pocket where the checks were still hidden.

“Oh.  I actually don’t have a bank account,” Blake answered, suddenly realizing the small flaw in that plan.

“Then let’s open an account for you,” Yang replied easily.

“I’m pretty sure they’re closed this late.”

“Tomorrow then!  I can go with you if you want.”

Blake had done everything by herself for so long...always depending solely upon her own abilities.  But tonight…tonight marked the beginning of something new.  Something incredible.

“I’d really like that,” she said instead.

Chapter Text

True to her word, Yang went with Blake to the bank the next morning.  And when Blake’s last name was flagged for her...heritage...Yang convinced the teller to open an account in both of their names instead.  Yang then swore not to touch or even look at the account for the rest of her life, not that Blake minded.  She had no secrets left to hide, after all.

Due to Weiss’ extreme generosity, she could now afford a more comfortable place to live - something with a working heater and maybe a closet would be nice.  Yang went house-hunting with her and was eventually the one who found the perfect little cottage that she instantly fell in love with.  While she was initially wary of moving closer to the center of the city, enough time had passed that she was less concerned about what had happened in the past.

It was only when Blake was poised to sign the rental agreement that Yang disclosed that she lived across the street - an arrangement she seemed particularly tickled to have engineered.  With that information, Blake couldn't sign fast enough.

She had the chance to meet Ruby and Weiss again, this time under less perilous circumstances.  The pair proved to be just as accepting as Yang.  Weiss went even further in her kindness by taking one of the research positions at her family’s company, making it a remote job, and offering it to Blake - meaning she never had to show her face in an office and risk discrimination for who she was.  

Having a real job for the first time in her life, she poured her full effort into it, doing her best work and never wasted the trust Weiss had placed in her.  As it turned out, she was good at the job, too.  Spending her days reading and scouring reports for bits of information fit her perfectly.

She and Yang began officially dating in the midst of all this change.  Although, ‘dating’ might have been too loose of a term.  By that point, Blake was already wholeheartedly committed to Yang, and knew she would be for the rest of her life.

Eventually, they realized that Blake spent much more time at Yang’s place than at her own, and Yang made the rational suggestion that Blake should just move in with her.  Then they could split the rent each month and save money.

The proposal had been far too sensical to turn down.

Everyday, Blake thanked whatever made her decide to steal Yang’s wallet.  That small decision had changed her life.  She now had friends in Ruby and Weiss and the love of her life in Yang - and all three of them accepted her for who she truly was...and who she had been.

Everything was perfect.  Beyond perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment something changed, but it was nearly a year and a half since she and Yang reconnected.  It had nothing to do with Yang or their life together.  It had nothing to do with Ruby or Weiss.  It had everything to do with her.

Someone was stalking her.  

At least, that was how it felt.  It got to the point where she couldn’t leave the house without feeling a set of eyes upon her, trailing her everywhere she went.  When she was with Yang, the feeling still followed her.  But, try as she might to find the source, she came up empty handed.

She couldn’t decide if she was just paranoid or if it was actually happening.  Was she really seeing flashes of green and silver hair everywhere or just imagining things?  And why now, after all this time?

Those answers were revealed one evening while she and Yang were out on their usual walk.  While they strolled past the small park near their home, she caught sight of a lone figure standing near one of the benches.  Shrouded in darkness, the woman’s aura screamed danger.  Blake’s instincts told her to run before she was spotted, but it was already too late - the figure raised one hand and motioned her over.

“Hey Yang?  Hang out here for a second, ok?”

She managed to keep her voice calm even though her chest swam with turmoil.  Yang looked at her curiously but nodded and stayed on the sidewalk while Blake made her way into the park.  She didn’t need to go far to recognize Cinder Fall...standing out in the open, alone.  

The woman hardly showed her face in public.  She preferred to have her minions do all her dirty work, after all.  If she had personally come to find Blake...well, this wasn’t going to be a friendly ‘how have you been?’ conversation.

“What do you want?” Blake asked after stopping several paces away, not daring to get within arm’s reach.

“My, what a nice way to say ‘hello’ to an old friend.”

She gritted her teeth but waited for Cinder to continue.

“I’m here because you’re going to do something for me.”

Blake clenched her jaw but again said nothing, knowing that Cinder wouldn’t appreciate an interruption.  Her pulse, however, ratcheted higher at the words.

“You see...when you pulled your ‘save the day’ stunt, you weren’t stopping one of Emerald’s little whims...you actually foiled a mission I personally sent them on.”

“What do you -”

“Weiss Schnee,” Cinder growled, her eyes flashing as she gave up the appearance of being polite.   “Her family owns a building down by the harbor.  There’s something in it that I very much want to get my hands on, but it’s in a vault.  The girl carries the codes with her at all times - I sent Emerald to fetch those for me, but you got in the way.”

Cinder took a deep breath then, as if she needed to calm herself just thinking about the memory.

“But that’s fine, because it appears that you have an even better chance of stealing them - without anyone knowing.”

“Why would I ever do that?"

Blake wanted to walk away.  Go back to Yang, back to their life together.  This wasn’t her life anymore - she owed Cinder nothing.  She refused to be dragged back into that world.  But Cinder smiled again, a deadly smile, before her eyes flitted over Blake’s shoulder to where Yang was still standing.

“Pretty girl,” Cinder said slowly, menacingly.  “And a cop, too.  Very noble of her.  It is a shame though...how often Vale’s finest get caught in the crossfire of a battle they never had anything to do with…”

The blood drained from Blake’s face while Cinder smirked at her, the threat on Yang’s life still hanging palpably in the air between them.

“You’ll get those codes for me - then you’ll be free to do whatever you like with the rest of your pathetic life,” Cinder sneered at her before walking away, waving one hand as if she and Blake were actually friends.  “I’ll be in touch.”

Blake stared at Cinder until the woman seemed to disappear amongst the trees, evaporating as if she had never been there at all.  Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, her palms drenched with sweat while she was overcome with rage, anger…

Fear.

Taking a deep, shaky breath and letting it out in one quick exhale, she spun around and trudged back to Yang, feeling as if her feet had just been dipped in cement.

“Who was that?” Yang asked as soon as Blake made it back to the sidewalk.

“Just an old friend…” she replied quietly, staring at the ground.

She wanted to hold Yang’s hand - the gesture always comforted her in an inexplicable way - but knew that Yang would instantly notice how clammy her hands had become.  Crossing her arms across her chest instead, she continued walking home with Yang falling into place beside her.

“Didn’t look too friendly,” Yang commented quietly.  Her voice was filled with concern, but she still refrained from prying.

Confusion emanated from her while they made their way silently back to the home they shared.  Blake understood why Yang was confused - Yang had never needed to pry before because Blake had never had an issue with sharing information before.  But could she really tell Yang about this?

It would be different if Cinder asked Blake to steal from someone, anyone , else.  But from someone who had been supportive of her when few others had?  From Yang’s sister-in-law and closest friend?

Cinder was still a mystery to anyone who knew her.  No one understood how she had risen to power so quickly or how she ruled with an iron fist despite never personally getting her hands dirty.  But there were rumors...rumors of vicious retaliations against those who dared cross her.  Cold-blooded executions of friends and family...the whispers alone were enough to keep anyone from wanting to learn if the stories were true.

Blake didn’t know what Cinder wanted to steal, but it would probably be dangerous for the rest of the city if she was successful.  On the other hand...Blake didn’t believe for a second that the threat was a bluff.  And Cinder had more than enough criminals at her disposal where a simple order would put Yang’s life in constant danger.

That couldn’t happen...she couldn’t put Yang in harm’s way.  If something happened to her...Blake would never be able to live with herself.

Plodding up the sidewalk to their front door, she sighed.  As much as she wanted to fight it, she had no choice but to be dragged back into that world.  She had to do it…for Yang.

***

A week later, a package arrived in the mail for her.  

Upon opening it, she found a small device no bigger than her pinky finger.  On the front of it were numbers that seemed to randomly change every few minutes.  The small note that fell out of the envelope only said, ‘make sure to leave this behind - you have until 9 tonight.’

After looking over the device several times, she finally figured out what it was - a replica of the keycodes.  She had to take the real one and replace it with the fake one, otherwise Weiss would know it was missing and alert the police.

But tonight...how was she supposed to do this by tonight?  She didn’t even see Weiss everyday.

“Yang?” she called out to the other room, sliding the device into her front pocket while folding up the note to be disposed of later.  “How do you feel about having dinner with Weiss and Ruby tonight?”

When Yang walked into the office, she was already smiling.

“That sounds like a great idea!  I’ll call them right now.”  Before leaving, Yang leaned in and gave Blake a kiss.  “Love you.”

“Love you too,” she replied with a smile that fell the instant Yang turned away.  Guilt flowed from her in waves while watching Yang go, her heart threatening to crack under the pressure.

Yang had immediately picked up on Blake’s odd behavior this week.  Of course, she didn’t try to pry the answer out of Blake.  Instead, she had been even more loving and attentive than usual - something Blake hadn’t even thought to be possible. 

It only made her deception feel that much worse.  But she was doing this for Yang’s own good…she had to protect her.  Just this one more thing, and then she would finally be done - and wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder any longer.

“They said they can meet us in a half hour - is that ok?”

“Sure,” she said, smiling when Yang stuck her head back through the doorway to grin at her.

“Weiss wouldn’t go for street tacos, but I convinced her to pick that fancy place with the tuna you really like.”

“Thank you…” she replied, wrapping her arms around Yang’s waist when the blonde stood in front of her, clearly desiring some physical affection.  “You’re always looking out for me, you know that?”

“Of course!  That’s kind of my job.  Well, that and supplying you with mad lovin.’”

Blake rolled her eyes but gave Yang a quick kiss regardless.  She then tightened her grip around Yang’s waist and rested her cheek against Yang’s chest, breathing in the comforting scent of her lotion and shampoo.

“You know I’d look out for you too, right?” she whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes when Yang stroked her hair.

“Because we’re partners,” Yang replied, leaning away and flashing a cheeky smile.  “And there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other.”

The response gave Blake enough courage to attempt a weak smile.

“That’s right - nothing.  I would do absolutely anything for you.”

She just hoped Yang would forgive her for it.

***

Dinner was a little stiff and uncomfortable - a sharp contrast to the laughs and good conversations they usually had.  Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice how stressed she felt while trying to figure out where Weiss kept the codes.

She spent the entire dinner eyeing Weiss closely but, try as she might to find any hint of the device, she found none.  As far as she could tell, Weiss hadn’t even brought any money with her to dinner, which made sense because her family owned the restaurant.

As their meal rapidly neared its end and Blake still didn’t know where the codes were, her inner panic deepened.  She could try a random pocket, but she would only have one chance at that…

It wasn’t until they stood up to leave that Blake realized Cinder was wrong.  

Weiss didn’t carry the codes - Ruby did.

It made sense because they were always together.  And, when Ruby swung her red jacket over her shoulders, Blake noticed a small pocket nuzzled in the interior lining.  That pocket would be the perfect place to store the device - she was sure of it.

But how to get to that pocket inconspicuously?  Outer pockets were easier...but gaining access to the inside of someone’s jacket was a far more...intimate matter.

“Yang, I wonder if you could pull off a coat like that,” she commented while they walked out of the restaurant.

“What??  Of course I could!” Yang sputtered in disbelief.

“I don’t know...it looks like it was custom made for Ruby…” she replied, emphasizing her disbelief to get Yang’s competitive nature going.

“It was custom made for her,” Weiss cut in proudly before beaming at Ruby.  “And she looks incredible in it.”

“I could still totally own that coat,” Yang pressed, refusing to let this subject get away from her.  “Here, Ruby, let me try it on for a second.”

Blake nearly grimaced when Ruby willingly shed the coat and handed it to her sister.  Her repulsion with herself only grew when Yang slipped the jacket on.  She just manipulated them...manipulated Yang…

“So, how do I look?”

Blake looked Yang up and down before stepping closer and trailing her fingers down the sleeve.

“Not bad...I think I’ll have to take back my comment - and can we have one of these made for you?”

When Yang beamed, Blake quickly leaned forward and captured Yang’s lips in a long, loving kiss.  She slipped her hands inside the jacket at the same time, and ran one hand up Yang’s side while the other found the hidden pocket, found the real codes, and seamlessly made the switch.

“Heyyy no kissing in my jacket!”

Blake pulled away and blushed at Ruby’s whine.  Sliding both hands up to Yang’s shoulders, she helped Yang out of the jacket before returning it to its rightful owner.

“We’ll see you two later?” Yang directed to Weiss and Ruby, who nodded in unison.

“It was...great seeing you,” Blake said, suddenly choking up as guilt overwhelmed her.  She wrapped Ruby in a firm hug before doing the same to Weiss.  Both girls stared at her when she finally released them, curious as to what just happened.

“Apparently, dinner made Blake a little emotional,” Yang joked, wrapping one arm around Blake’s shoulders and drawing her near.  “Thanks for dinner, Weiss.  We’ll see you later.”

As Yang led them away from the restaurant, Blake’s resolve began to crumble.  Tears threatened to slip from her eyes, and shame enveloped her.

She felt horrible.  Beyond horrible.

They trusted her...all three of them.  They were the first people to accept her, to treat her as family, and she deceived them - betrayed them.  But...she couldn’t let anything happen to Yang, no matter what.

Hopefully, they would understand...

The two of them walked home in silence while Blake tried to regain control of her emotions.  It wasn’t until they walked through the front door and removed their jackets that Yang finally spoke.

“Hey Blake...are you ok?”

“Yeah...just tired…” she replied, giving Yang what was most certainly a wavering smile.

“Ah…”

Yang sounded disappointed by the answer, and when that lilac gaze landed on her, Blake suddenly understood why.

“I can tell when you’re lying, you know…”

Blake’s heart crumbled to pieces when she saw the hurt and pain seeping through Yang’s gaze.  All she wanted at that moment was to make Yang’s hurt go away - hurt that Blake had caused.

Of course Yang could tell when she was lying...why had Blake been so stupid as to think that she could actually lie to her?  In all the time they had known each other, Yang had continually proven herself to be more perceptive than anyone else Blake knew.  And yet, Blake still tried to lie right to her face.

“Just...can you tell me if I did something wrong?” Yang asked.  “You’ve been acting kind of weird around me lately...and I just, I don’t understand why.”

When Blake saw unshed tears fill Yang’s eyes, she did the only thing she could at that moment - something she should have done a week ago when Cinder first stepped back into her life.

She burst into tears.

“Oh god.  I did do something, didn’t I?” Yang said, rushing forward and wrapping Blake in an enormous hug.  “I’m sorry…please don’t cry.  Whatever it is, I never meant to hurt you…”

The apologies only made Blake’s sobs increase while her guilt grew exponentially.

“I’m sorry...please don’t cry…”

Yang was sniffling now, becoming more upset the more inconsolable Blake became.

Blake didn’t deserve this - any of this.  She didn’t deserve Yang’s love, but she accepted it anyway.  And look where it had gotten her.

The warmth Yang lent her was comforting though.  It felt as if nothing could harm her when she was enveloped in these strong arms.  If only that were true...if only Cinder couldn’t reach them here…

Completely unraveling from the stress of the week, Blake let herself cry and cry and cry until she couldn't cry anymore.  Maybe she had calmed down, or maybe she had no more tears left to cry - she couldn’t be sure.

Only when her breathing returned to a steady level did she push away from Yang, wipe her eyes, and take several more shaky breaths to collect herself.  With Yang still holding onto her as if she needed the support, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the codes she just stole, and held them up for Yang to see.

Yang’s eyes instantly widened in recognition.

“What...Blake, how did you get that?”

She looked away, unable to look Yang in the eyes.

“How did you get that??” Yang asked again, her voice strained but demanding an answer.

“How do you think…” she whispered as self-loathing consumed her again.

As she had expected, and feared, Yang’s jaw fell open in dismay.

“Blake, you can’t...what the hell were you thinking?!  Do you have any idea what those are for?”

Yang reached for the device, but Blake pulled her hand away and put the codes back into her pocket.

“I can’t - I have to give them to her.”

“Who?”

“Cinder.”

Blake had left out some names when telling Yang tales from her time as a thief, but there was one name she made sure to mention.  And Yang had already known who Cinder was - or at least, had heard the name.  Cinder’s criminal kingdom hadn’t escaped notice of the Vale P.D., after all, and there was an entire team dedicated to tracking her down.

“Is that...is that who you met at the park last week?” Yang asked.

Blake nodded but, when Yang frowned, tried to explain before Yang could become too upset at her.

“When Emerald and Mercury broke into Weiss’ building…they were after these.  Somehow, Cinder found me and realized that I know Weiss now - and could get close to her without suspicion.”

Blake kept her voice as calm as she could, but Yang rapidly shook her head.

“Those are for Schnee Dust’s weapons research locker - do you understand?  Whenever they develop a new weapon, it goes into the locker until it can be presented to the military.” 

So that was what Cinder wanted to get her hands on - cutting edge weapons.  

“You can’t give her those codes, Blake.”

“If I don’t, your life will be in danger.” 

The two of them stared at each other for several seconds, each contemplating the situation.

“I can take care of myself…” Yang said softly.

“You don’t understand how many people work for her,” Blake said, pleading for Yang to understand.  “Not just thieves either - hit men, too.”

Yang had to understand...this wasn’t just one or two people.  This could be hundreds of people gunning for her, all in an effort to gain a tiny bit of favor in Cinder’s eyes.

“Take me out of it, Blake,” Yang said, stepping closer and reaching for Blake but not touching her.  “If Cinder hadn’t threatened me, would you do this?  Would you put innocent lives at risk like this?”

God, Blake wished she could say yes.  She wished she could say that she didn’t care about the outcomes as long as Yang was safe.

“Yang…you’re…”

Everything.

“Let me spare a moment to be flattered by how much I mean to you,” Yang replied with a miniscule grin, always able to make light of even the worst situations.  “But you can’t do this.”

“I have to,” she said, feeling tears fill her eyes once again.  

Yang sighed and shook her head, disappointed and...defeated.

“Fine...if we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way.”

“‘We?’”

“Yes, ‘we.’  We’re partners, remember?”

Yang was upset about the situation - Blake could see that in her clenched jaw and tight posture - yet Blake had never loved her more.  She had, time and time again, been Blake’s rock.  Blake’s support.  Reminding Blake that she wasn’t alone, that she didn’t have to do everything on her own.  She would do well to remember that next time.

Only once Blake nodded and dried her unshed tears did Yang look satisfied.

“Good,” she said with a determined nod.  “Then you’re going to give Cinder the codes and come right back here.   You got it?  I’m going to assemble the entire precinct and we’ll be waiting for them.”

“A trap?” Blake asked.

“Yes, a trap.  And with Cinder behind bars, she won’t be able to blackmail you again.”

“Yang -”

Yang held up a hand to stop her.

“Don’t thank me.  We’re not out of this yet.”  Yang dropped her hand and sighed as her eyes softened.  “I just...wish you’d told me about this right away.”

Blake looked away, ashamed at her decision to hide this from the one person who had done nothing but support her all this time.

“I know I should have.  I was just...afraid…and I didn’t know how you would respond.”

“When have I ever not been on your side, Blake?  I’ll always be on your side.”

Relief poured through her like warm water, melting the ice in her veins.  And when Yang pulled her into another hug, she buried her lingering tears in Yang’s shirt and felt her fear of Yang hating her slowly fade away.

“When are you supposed to meet her?” Yang eventually asked, forcing Blake to finally acknowledge the time.

“Half an hour.”

Yang nodded and chewed her bottom lip with worry, refusing to let go of Blake’s hands.  It looked like she had much to say, but she eventually clenched her jaw and nodded once.  

“You give that to her and come right back here.  Don’t do anything else, you understand?”

“I understand,” Blake said, mustering a small, real smile for the first time in what felt like ages.

When Yang exhaled and finally released her hands, Blake reached up and pulled Yang into a hasty kiss.  She wished she could say more, do more, but she quickly pulled away and backed toward the front door.  For the first time, she felt hope that this could be resolved - that everyone would make it out alive, and Cinder would be out of her life for good.

Yang’s lilac eyes were the last thing she saw before she rushed outside, fueled by determination, fear, and hope all mixed into one.

Chapter Text

While Blake hurried to the designated meeting location, conflicting emotions swarmed through her mind.  Even if she had agreed with Yang's plan to arrest Cinder, she didn’t like the thought of betraying the woman when Yang was anywhere in the vicinity.  Cinder was clever and vindictive.  Once she figured out what was happening, she would single Yang out.  She would go after Yang to hurt Blake.

Yang would have the police force as backup.  Blake had to trust that they could all do their jobs and get everyone out safely.  Her only other option was to tip Cinder off and let Cinder get away with the codes, but with Yang already knowing that Blake stole them…that was as good as destroying their already-teetering relationship.

Caught between two terrible choices, she threw her trust behind Yang.  Yang, who had always been there for her.  Yang, who saw the good in her when she wasn’t sure she saw it in herself.  Yang, who had changed her life and only ever asked for love and honesty in return.

So Blake walked into the narrow alleyway right on time, only to find it deserted.  Even empty, the claustrophobic space frayed her already tingling nerves.  The alley was hemmed in by buildings on three sides, leaving the only viable exit behind her.  It was the perfect spot for an ambush, so she crept forward, her eyes sweeping from left to right as she made it to the exact spot described in the note.

There, she waited.

And waited.

Just when she was beginning to think that Cinder wouldn't show up at all, shoes crunched on the gravel behind her.  Spinning around, she found Cinder leisurely approaching her.

“I see my faith in you wasn’t misplaced,” the woman purred, coming to a stop directly in front of her.

She resisted the urge to step back in fear.  Instead, she pulled the small device from her pocket and tossed it to Cinder.  The woman snatched it out of the air as if she saw Blake throw it before Blake had even decided to.

“They don’t even know it’s missing,” Blake said, her voice short and crisp, before she moved toward the exit.

One raised hand froze her in place.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I got you what you wanted.  Now, I’m leaving.”

Blake’s voice trembled and her hands shook while Cinder regarded her with a calculated smile. 

“I can’t let you do that, can I?” the woman remarked, malice shining in her bright eyes.  

“What -?”

Before the full question even made it out of her mouth, Blake’s world was plunged into blackness.

***

“Ughhh…”

Blake groaned and tried to touch her throbbing head only to find that her wrists had been tightly bound in front of her.  She was on her side, her shoulder digging into the cold, unforgiving asphalt.  Even with her eyes closed, she could see stars from the blow to the back of her head and feel pain radiating through her jaw all the way down her spine.   

Hearing hushed voices nearby, she cracked her eyes open and found another street by an unassuming building.  The smell of fish and sound of water lapping against a border suggested they were down by the harbor.

This must be the building that Cinder wanted to break into.  They dragged her along with them...for what purpose, she couldn’t figure out over the pounding of her head.

“Good - she’s awake.  Now, she can walk herself.”

“Quit being a baby.”

“I’d like to see you shut up when you’re designated pack mule.”

“That’s the number 3’s duty.  Accept it, asshole.”

“What makes me number 3?”

“Because I’m second in command, obviously.”

“Shut up, both of you.”

A rough hand suddenly grabbed Blake’s arm and unceremoniously dragged to her feet.  The rapid return to standing sent her head swimming and turned her stomach, threatening to send her crashing right back to the floor.  Then Mercury gave her a little shove toward a door where Emerald was busy working.  Cinder stood calmly beside Emerald, watching the work proceed with a satisfied smile.

“I called your girlfriend,” Cinder told Blake while the other two continued their assault on the door.  “She was less than thrilled about our new arrangement.”

Blake’s heart stopped at the remark, but Cinder continued with casual indifference.

“You’ve turned out to be far more useful than expected.  First, you bring me the codes, and now the police won’t show up because she’s too worried about me killing you.”

That was why Blake was here - she was their hostage.  Their insurance policy that would keep Yang from trying to stop them.

“She won’t risk innocent lives just for me,” Blake shot back, unsure if that was a truth or a lie.

“Really...would that make you feel better - if she sacrificed your life for the lives of strangers?  Or would you prefer that she loves you so much that she’ll save you at someone else’s expense?”

When Blake couldn’t come up with an immediate retort, Cinder smirked and turned to her companions.

“What about you, Emerald?  Would you sacrifice Mercury?”

“Willingly,” Emerald scoffed, not even turning away from the explosives she was wiring to the door.  “Is that an option?  I’d do it now if it is.”

Cinder laughed, tickled by the answer, while Mercury glared down at his partner.

“I would hand feed Emerald to a baby beowolf without batting an eye,” he replied dryly, for which Emerald roughly punched him in the thigh.

“Rest assured that if either of you ever fail me, I’ll let the other do whatever they wish.”

The promise somehow encouraged the pair, who finally removed their devices from the door and took several steps backward.

“Might wanna plug your ears,” Emerald told Blake, smirking as she held up the detonator.  “Oh, that’s right, you can’t.”

Emerald pressed down the button and the entire block suddenly exploded with noise.  The sound was even more jarring to Blake’s sensitive ears and throbbing head, leaving her ears ringing, her balance unsteady, and her stomach queasy once again.

“Well, that wasn’t quiet…” Cinder mused, looking at the door-sized hole that had just been blasted into the side of the building.

“Don’t worry,” Emerald said, glancing quickly at her scroll before grinning.  “Torchwick just set fire to an entire block and Neo is tormenting motorists on the bridge - Vale P.D. will be a little too preoccupied to check on some loud boom.”

A smug smile turned up the corners of Cinder’s lips as she strode purposefully into the building, stepping carefully over the pile of rubble on the ground.  Sharp knuckles in the small of her back shoved Blake through the cloud of still-settling debris that had once been the sturdy outer wall of the building.  Her vision took several seconds to adjust to the darkness inside.  Once it did, she discovered rows of unpretentious cubicles and lab tables.

Cinder waited just inside the doorway for the rest of them to join her.

“Be quiet,” she warned Blake.  “Try anything and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

As Cinder set off at a brisk pace, another set of hands shoved Blake forward.

“I hope you try something,” Emerald whispered, her proximity raising fearful goosebumps along Blake’s arms.  “She promised I could kill you.”

The small hiss that passed Blake’s lips only made Emerald laugh and head after Cinder.  Blake obediently followed - after another rough shove forward - while Mercury brought up the rear.  As her head began to clear and the ringing in her ears faded, she started fidgeting with her restraints.

The cording looped around her wrists had been pulled cruelly tight - the plastic cutting into her skin the more she tried to wiggle it loose.  It would be painful, but the plastic bindings would eventually stretch if she worked them long enough.  Holding her hands down in front of her, she inconspicuously twisted them back and forth while looking around.

It wasn’t long before she noticed something conspicuously absent from such an important facility.  As if reading Blake’s mind, Emerald turned around and grinned at her.

“Wondering where all the guards are?”

Once Blake tilted her chin, Emerald spun happily back around with a bounce in her step.

“Mercury and I found out who was scheduled to work tonight and paid them a little visit.”

Emerald glanced over her shoulder to make sure the information had its intended effect - which was an appalled realization.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she added reassuringly.  “We didn’t kill all of them.”

While Blake stared, Emerald laughed and flounced back to Cinder’s side.  She had always thought Emerald was cruel, but now…

Mercury shoved Blake’s shoulder again, so she picked up the pace, following the two leaders through the dimly lit hallways.

“I heard there’s a weapon that can melt someone in three seconds,” Mercury commented lightly from behind her.

“I heard they’re experimenting with something that could turn people into walking Grimm,” Emerald added, turning around and sticking her tongue out at the boy.

“You both can pick a new toy once we get there - until then, shut up,” Cinder snapped.

Neither Mercury nor Emerald seemed negatively affected by the reprimand.  Emerald even hummed a happy tune while continuing their march.  The ease and eagerness with which they discussed death worried Blake, and she had a bad feeling that even if Cinder’s plan worked, they wouldn’t let her walk out of here alive.  She would probably become the first unfortunate target of Emerald’s new ‘toy.’

The thought filled her with deep regret, mostly from what Yang might do when she found out.  She might go on a reckless crusade trying to bring Cinder to justice, most likely getting herself killed in the process.

This was all Blake’s fault.  If only she told Yang about Cinder’s demand earlier...or never got involved with Yang to begin with.  Maybe if she hadn’t moved back into Cinder’s territory, they wouldn't have found her again.

There was nothing she could do about that now.  The best thing she could do was make it out of here alive, for Yang’s sake and her own.

The desks became fewer and farther between before disappearing entirely.  The hallways widened.  The windows and doors thickened.  And, when they approached a massive wall made entirely of brushed steel, with a remarkable security system installed by the doors, she knew they had reached their destination.

“They called it Nova,” Cinder said, holding the codes between her fingers while touching one hand lightly to the reinforced door.  “They created it to rid the planet of Grimm once and for all.”

The name sounded vaguely familiar, and Blake could fuzzily remember seeing the name in the newspapers years and years ago, typed in large bold font.  When she realized what weapon Cinder was referring to, her eyes widened in horror.

“The gun that shattered the moon??”

Cinder smirked and lightly tapped the door.

“The government decided that the weapon should be destroyed - but it wasn’t.  The Schnees stepped in at the last second and said they would be responsible for its safekeeping.  It was moved here so that the public would forget its existence - unfortunately for them, the security team seems to have forgotten as well.”

Finished with her story, Cinder turned to the security panel and typed in the numbers from the code generator.  When the last digit was entered, the screen beeped and turned green.  Then the steel doors began sliding open, and Emerald almost squealed with happiness.  

The room beyond was dark, with not a single drop of light hitting it save for what reached through the front doors.  Without fear, Cinder stalked inside followed instantly by Emerald.  When Blake hesitated, she received another rough shove from behind - Mercury clearly not wanting to miss out on seeing what was in store for them.

After stepping through the opening, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but they never did.  She wouldn’t have been able to see her hand in front of her face if she was able to move her hands at all.

“Is there a light anywhere?” Emerald asked from somewhere up ahead.

“Hold on, I’ve got the torch somewhere…” Mercury mumbled before searching through his bag.

The pitch black was disorienting, but she used her ears to pinpoint her captors.  Mercury was now several paces to her right, far enough away that he couldn’t reach out and grab her.  Grunting in momentary agony, she wrenched one of her hands through the plastic cording, finally freeing herself.  But what now?  She couldn’t let Cinder walk out of here with that weapon, but she couldn't exactly take on all three of them.

That was when she smelled it - an out-of-place scent subtly wafting to her as if brought by a slight breeze.  She turned toward it and nearly yelped in surprise when someone grabbed her arm, though this time nowhere near as harshly as Mercury had done.

“Blake…” a familiar voice whispered in her ear while tugging her backward.  “We have to get out of here.”

Blake was turning to run right when Mercury tossed the torch light onto the floor.  The loud clack was immediately followed by light flooding the room.

The empty room.

“What…?” 

That was the only word Blake picked up before sprinting toward the door.  Ruby whizzed in front of her before turning around and hastily motioning her through.  The doors were closing already, giving Blake just enough space to slip through before they shut with an audible thud.

A loud pounding rocked the wall, which shook momentarily before settling into silence.  She and Ruby backed away as another large force hit the wall - then another, and another.

“Uh...so what now?” Blake whispered, wondering what they were waiting for.

Ruby cursed under her breath before pulling out her scroll and shouting into it.

“Yang, where the hell are you?”

“Give me - second -” 

Blake’s heart beat wildly while the assault on the inside of the wall continued.  With each subsequent blow, the steel door seemed to be warping outward, threatening to burst at any second.  If only she had Gambol with her right now...then she would stand a fighting chance against the three criminals trapped inside.  At least Ruby had Crescent Rose…the abnormally large scythe grasped firmly in her capable hands.

Another huge blast and the vault door flew off its hinges, barely missing Blake and Ruby as it flew past.  Billows of smoke rolled through the doorway as Cinder stalked out, steaming with rage.

“I think we need to have a little chat,” the woman growled at Blake, the seams sewn into her dress glowing while her eyes caught fire.

Blake swallowed and faced Cinder head on, prepared to lose a fight to the death.  She had no weapon other than her semblance, after all, and her shadow clones were little use for anything other than escaping.

But another sound reached her sensitive ears before anyone else took notice - footsteps headed quickly toward them.

As Cinder raised her hands, preparing to send whatever evil she could at Blake, a massive fireball hurtled down the hall and was mere inches from enveloping the woman before she quickly threw up a shield to protect herself.  Emerald wasn’t so lucky to avoid a stream of ice wrapping itself around her leg, freezing her to the floor.

Ruby didn’t waste a second in shooting forward, lowering her shoulder, and barreling right into Mercury’s ribcage.  The boy hit the wall with a sickening crack before flopping unconsciously to the ground in a heap.

Emerald screamed in anger while trying to claw her way out of the ice, which grew thicker by the second.  With a flick of her wrist, Weiss landed a smaller patch of ice across the girl’s lips, preventing any further outbursts.

With Emerald and Mercury incapacitated, Ruby and Weiss turned their weapons on Cinder, who had watched everything happen with an amused smile.  Glancing from Crescent Rose, to Myrtenaster, to the red eyed blonde stomping toward her, she raised both hands above her head.

“I give up.”

The submission didn’t prevent Yang from connecting a right hook squarely on Cinder’s jaw, knocking the unsuspecting woman to the ground in one blow.  Yang then twisted Cinder’s arms behind her back and slapped her into a pair of handcuffs.  

“Cinder Fall, you’re under arrest for breaking and entering, conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity, and royally pissing me off.”   Once Cinder’s hands were secured, Yang yanked the woman to her feet.  “Now, you’re going to a nice, dark place where I never have to see you again.”

Cinder smirked at Yang despite the side of her face already red and swelling from where Yang’s fist connected.  Her menacing gaze then landed on Blake and didn’t leave - the woman unnervingly unaffected by the sudden change in her fortunes.

Hearing more hurried footsteps approaching, Blake found four more uniformed officers rushing into the room.  They listened intently to Yang’s instructions before grabbing the secured prisoners - one semi-conscious Mercury, one still ice-encapsulated Emerald, and one smug Cinder - and dragging them away from the vault.

Only when Cinder was gone did Yang rush over to Blake.

“Yang…” Blake got out first, her voice strained with emotions.  But Yang apparently couldn’t find words either, opting instead to wrap Blake up in a warm, welcome hug and nuzzle into Blake’s hair.

“God, I was so worried…”  Yang held Blake a short distance away, keeping a firm grip on Blake’s shoulders while looking her over.  “Are you ok?  Are you hurt?” 

Worry creased Yang’s beautiful face while she searched Blake for signs of injury.

“I took a nasty hit to the head…”  Blake hesitantly touched the sore area and immediately winced.  “But how did you…?  Why is the room empty?”

“I cleared it out!” Ruby answered proudly, appearing by Yang’s side with Weiss trailing behind her.  “Yang called us right after she heard from Cinder and -”

“You moved everything? ”

“I’m really fast.” 

Ruby giggled, her usual carefree attitude shining through.  Weiss, however, leveled Blake with an icy gaze.

“I’m so sorry…” Blake said, directing her apology more towards the frosty girl than anyone else.  “I just...I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt and -”

Weiss raised a hand to silence her.

“You know, I’ll forgive you this time since you haven’t had a real family in a while - but this is what we’re here for.  Next time, you come to us first.”

Tears welled in Blake’s eyes at the words, which were some of the nicest she’d ever heard Weiss say.  With Ruby and Yang nodding in agreement, she finally smiled.

“I promise to come to you first,” she agreed, meaning the words with every bit of her heart.  Their small, accepting smiles assured her that they believed her, though she still had plenty of apologizing to do and trust to rebuild.

That started now, and would continue every day for the rest of her life.  They were her family.  She loved them.  And she would show them how much she loved them by never doing something like this again.

Before she launched into a long apology right then, however, Yang took her by the hand and led her away from the wreckage.  “Come on,” Yang said softly.  “Let’s get your head checked out.”

“It’s fine…” Blake said, though she knew that Yang would insist regardless.  And, with Weiss and Ruby following them, she didn’t bother arguing.

“Are the weapons safe in their new location?” she tentatively asked instead.

“They’re just as secure, if not more so,” Weiss responded calmly, her lack of worry settling Blake’s nerves.

“But what about...Nova?”

When Blake turned around the judge Weiss’ reaction, Weiss leveled her with an impassive glare.

“What are you talking about?  Nova was destroyed long ago.”

After glancing at Ruby, who had an equally unemotional mask on her face, Blake turned to Yang.  

“Once your head’s all checked out, let’s get fish tacos to celebrate!”  

Yang beamed at Blake when Weiss groaned and Ruby celebrated, so Blake dropped the subject and squeezed Yang’s hand.

“Fish tacos sound amazing,” she sighed, leaning against Yang’s arm as they left the building behind.

Just like that moment with Yang on the rooftop, on their first date, Blake felt like a chapter of her life had ended - for good, this time.  Or, at least, for now.  Cinder might find a way to reappear in her life sooner or later, but she would never face the woman alone again. 

Chapter Text

“Hey Blake, can I borrow five Lien?  Forgot my wallet.”

Heaving a pretend sigh of exasperation, Blake glanced over and tried not to smile at Yang’s sheepish smile.

“You know, one of these days you won’t be able to get by on pretty looks alone,” she teased while reaching for her own wallet.  Her brow soon creased in worry though, and she patted her empty pocket several times before checking her others.  She could have sworn…

As soon as she realized what happened, she spun around and found Yang wiggling the lost wallet in front of her, beaming all the while.  Blake snatched her wallet, attempting to feign annoyance with Yang’s ballsy feat.  The attempt was short lived - her scowl turned into a proud smile almost immediately.

“How long have you had it for?” she asked, and Yang’s smile brightened.

“About an hour...I took it when you kissed me back by that restaurant.”

Blake blushed at the memory.  Her obvious reaction to kissing Yang was losing all connection with her rational senses. Having such a large blind spot was a little unnerving, but, then again, the blind spot only occurred with Yang, so she felt completely secure.

“You’ll be better than me before you know it.”

“Please,” Yang scoffed, taking Blake’s hand to continue their walk home from the store.  “You can get in and out of my pants without distracting me with a kiss.”

Another blush rushed onto Blake’s cheeks as she interpreted the comment exactly how Yang intended.

“So...do you want to practice more tonight?” Blake asked, attempting to change the subject.  “I think my wrist is finally better.”

She raised her right arm and twisted her hand back and forth as proof.

“And how did you hurt your wrist again?” Yang asked, throwing in a suggestive wink for good measure.

“You twisted my arm behind my back and refused to let go until I stomped on your foot,” Blake answered dryly.

“If you’re going to get better at hand-to-hand combat, you’ve got to be willing to resort to dirty tactics sometimes!”

“I don’t see why I can’t just use Gambol…” Blake lamented in return.

“Because…like I told you, and I’ve told Ruby and Weiss a thousand times, sometimes you’re caught without your weapon, then what do you do?”  Preaching moment over, Yang smiled apologetically at Blake.  “I’m sorry I hurt you though…”

“You don’t need to apologize.  I’m the one who told you to be a ruthless teacher.”

Chuckling as they walked up to their front door, Yang only released Blake’s hand to fish her keys out of her pocket.  When she couldn't find them, Blake bit back a grin and held them up.  Yang’s eyes widened before she smiled, snatched them out of Blake’s hand, and unlocked the door.

“You’re still the master,” she remarked while opening the door and motioning Blake through first.  “After we put the groceries away, we can practice?”

Blake hummed as she made her way to the kitchen.  There, she set the bag on the counter and started removing items.  Yang entered the room with her own bag, and opened and closed the refrigerator while putting things away.

Blake’s gaze drifted to Yang when Yang returned to the fridge with a carton of eggs.  After storing them safely inside, she stared at something else in the fridge, her brow creased adorably in concentration.  Blake smiled at the random observation while turning back to the cabinets to put away more boxes.

If she described her evening to someone, they might think it sounded incredibly...mundane...but simply being with Yang was the exact opposite of mundane.  Every second they spent in the same room was another moment of pure joy.  It was exhilarating, exciting, and comforting in a way that most people would never understand.

Right on cue, she felt Yang’s presence approach her.  Then Yang’s arms wrapped around her waist and Yang’s chin rested comfortably on her shoulder.

“Thinking about me?” Yang whispered, a smile evident in her tone.

“Potentially…” Blake responded shyly, a warm blush rushing onto her cheeks.

Yang chuckled and kissed Blake’s cheek before pulling away, but not without Blake feeling something slide into her back pocket.  Grinning, she spun around after the girl, pulling the item out of her pocket to prove that Yang wasn’t as sneaky as she thought she was.

Blake opened her mouth to say something witty but froze when she saw what she was holding in her hand - a diamond ring.

“Blake...are you proposing to me?” Yang asked, her eyes wide in surprise while staring at the object Blake was still holding out in front of her.

“Wh - I...b-but you just…

“Oh, right.”  Yang chuckled nervously before taking the ring from Blake’s fingers and kneeling down on one knee.  “That’s what I’m doing.”

Blake’s eyes widened when Yang held up the ring, her fingers trembling almost imperceptibly.

“Blake Belladonna - pickpocket extraordinaire - who, for obvious reasons, can’t seem to keep her hands out of my pants...will you make me the happiest girl who’s ever been mugged and marry me?”

Blake stared, unsure if she should laugh or cry or both at the same time.  She didn’t have much choice in the matter, as it turned out, since tears of joy welled in her eyes as Yang grinned up at her.

“If I say yes, will you finally stop saying that I can’t stay out of your pants?”

“Absolutely not,” Yang replied with a laugh.  “But nice try!”

Blake playfully rolled her eyes before bursting into the best, most unexpected laughter.

“Then yes.  Of course I’ll marry y -”

Before Blake even finished the sentence, Yang stood up and pulled her into a deep kiss.  She only broke away to slide the ring onto Blake’s finger.

“I knew you would say yes,” Yang whispered, still holding Blake close.

How could Blake not say yes?  They might have been brought together by chance, but they were woven together by love.  The thread that bound them was inseverable - stronger than anything in existence.  There was no way she would ever leave Yang’s side.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said, hardly able to contain her happiness while tugging Yang closer.  “Because you’re stuck with me now.”

“So you’d say I’m in for a lifetime of...pants thievery?” Yang joked, suggestively wagging her eyebrows.

Pursing her lips, Blake tried to hide a smile with little success.  Eventually, she gave up and smiled like her heart wanted her to.

“That’s exactly what I meant,” she agreed, nodding solemnly.  “Starting now.”  When Yang’s brow rose, Blake looped her fingers through Yang’s belt loops and said, “This is a stick-up - give me your pants.”

Yang’s eyes lit up first.  Then she smiled.  Then she wiggled out of Blake’s grasp and made a mad dash toward their bedroom.

“You’ll have to catch me first!”

Blake smiled and spared a moment to admire the new piece of jewelry adorning her hand before pursuing her girlfriend.

Sometimes, being caught wasn’t such a bad thing.  In her case, it had been the best thing that ever happened to her.