#i hope i won’t have to work till 5am again over the next 2 days… that had been a horrible experience.

[deus-ex-mona]

series i’m gatekeeping from my family vs series i’m ✨ok✨ with my family knowing i’m into:

[lockdownuk]

Lockdown Diary Part 8

A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.

Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.

Day 211: I stayed up till 5am last night. The last thing I watched was Ronny Chieng, a Malaysian comic in the states. It was a Netflix comedy special and bloody funny. Other than that, a quiet night, nowhere near as fucked as Friday night. As I type, I am about to finish off spicy af sausage cassserole for tea and watch a film - all quite sedate. I’ve work tomorrow, after all!

Day 212: Every time I try and watch something on Amazon Prime, it errors or doesn’t load so I have to uninstall and reinstall, which is a pain the fucking arse. Glad I don’t pay for it. I watched half of the Tom Hanks film last night, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, based on a real life children’s TV actor. It’s good but weird. I’ll finish it tonight. Jo Broom called and told me (well, reminded me of, actually) some good info, especially about insulin lasting 4 hours and the liver producing sugar for when you wake up). Day 213: I didn’t watch the rest of that Tom Hanks film last night, doing so right now. I got a call @5.30pm from Tall Tom asking to pop round which he did (social-distancing at the front door). He dropped of a canvas print he’d ordered of on eof my pictures from FB. Fucking gobsmacked! That’s how much he likes them. I am still in shock. What a brilliant thing to do! Day 214: Finished  A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood last night, I enjoyed it. Today has been standard. Half way through the third week back from furlough and, while I am still very glad to be working, I now also relish pasrt of being paid 80% for fuck all! My walks have been tentative today, I have done something to my right ankle, it feels sore but OK when walking at pace. My phone and Google Fit are playing up - I am suddenly walking 8km/h! Day 215: Phoned Dad - Rita sent an email a couple of days ago telling of a lump in his ear which he had removed and they are going to check for cancer. When I spoke with him it was usual dad - nothing to worry about. He spoke very highly of the staff at Stamford Hospital where he had it done. They took skin from his nesxk to put on his ear lobe where they performed the op.  I had pie and veg tonight. It’s a real change and I am stuffed as I type this. SB pee-ed me off at work big time late this afternoon. Diary updated! Day 216: Dan’s in court today for his drink driving escapade. I think he’s pleading not guilty - I’m not sure, neither has he been each time I have talked to him about it. It was scheduled at 4pm and he’s meant to let me know how it went. As I type, it’s just gone 9pm. Fuck knows what’s happening. I guess he’ll let me know in his own time. Meanwhile, work was OK, nothing hectic, I am on my first Friday beer, just about to eat meatballs and pasta and watch Taxi, a film written by Luc Besson. End of my 3rd week back and it’s a bit like I wasn’t furloughed for 6 months!

Day 217: I switched off that Taxi film after 30 minutes. It was bollocks. Dan got a 20 month ban (reduced to 15, if he does a course, which he says he will) and £1100 fine. At least it’s over and done with now. I got up at gone 2pm today. I have to cut this late sleeping habit out at the weekends. That being said, it’s 8.40pm, just about to dive in the shower, eat and then get on it. Clocks go back later so I’ve an extra hour to play with!

Day 218: Still managed to stay up stupidly late last night, up at before 1pm (but in real terms, that’s just before 2pm!)  Had a video chat with Fog - I was meant to go up to his yesterday to listen to the footy but, ‘cos I was up so late, I didn’t. Anyway, during our chat, we’ve decidied to go to Honolulu when it’s safe, specifically to go to McDs. It was a bizarre conversation - I can’t actually remember the details!

Day 219: The lady (I think it’s a lady) from the Oundle Chronicle emailed to say she didn’t think William (the student) has contacted me (he has but is fucking useless), so she’s found some questions for me to answer and wants me to pick my favourite 4 (hi-res) photos. I’ve written a couple of paragraphs that answer her questions and I was to pick photos that have had the most likes on FB - finding that info out, without trawling back over my posts, is easier said than done! Got the car tyres sorted today - an advisory from the MOT that Julian did last week.. I do like Oundle Tyre and Exhaust centre. Work was fine. Marke had to deal with Eileen Baxter and chatted to me about it. I had it all the week before last. She’s delightful but the least IT savvy person I have ever known in a workplace whereby a computer is integral to the role!

Day 220: I’ve been doing press-ups and toe tocuhes after each exercise for a little while now. 7 press-ups, doesn’t sound much but when I did it before and rapidly increased the numbers (up to 22), it played havoc with my shoulder which I thought was becoming frozen. So, I will icrease the amount slowly. I can just about touch my toes now. When I started, I barely got past my fucking knees! Work was standard today and I had an interesting chat with a recruiter about a job at Jagex, a computer game firm responsible for Runescape which is, apparently, a big deal. Posh playing tonight. At one point, when leading at home to Burton we were top. Now it’s 2-2 with minutes to go and we’re third with fucking Lincoln top. Day 221: I sent an email to Shirley from HR (re) asking about the salary discrepancy between mine and Mark’s. She’s going to talk to me tomorrow about it. I had a lomng chat with Barrzy tonight, always good to catch up and reminisce. I’ve just had two sausage rolls (on the cheap shelf from Co-Op, Dauphinoise dotatoes (ditto), mixed green veg and onion gravy for tea and I am fucking stuffed.

Day 222: Typing at gone 4pm on day 223! Had a meet with Shirley. No dice on the pay until it can be reviewed next year. All pay reviews are on hold. She explained that the salary offer was based on available budget rather than a pay grade or bench mark. Day 223: Typing this very late on day 224. Usual Friday. Work, beers, bed at 5am. went up Fog’s for a couple and watched Train to Busan. Day 224: I swore blind, when I woke and got up (2.24pm) I would have a day off from exercise. Stair climb and 10km walk done! Leigh from Oundle Chronicle messaged chasing my answers for the article. Last night, someone posted such great pics on the Oundle Chatter group that it makes me think twice about posting my photos. I tell everyone I just point and snap with my phone camera and, while it is the phone camera, I do so much pissing about with Google photos I feel like a con, it doesn’t sit well with me. Made lasagne for tea. Fucking lush - lardons, scothc bonnet and an Oxo cube really helped, I think. It’s 11:44pm as I type, 15 mins and I’ll deliver K’s birthday card. Not sure what I am hoping to come out of that, really. Just can’t let go! Day 225: Stupidly late one again last night. Up at 2pm. I’ve responded to Leigh at the Oundle Chronicle - why I make it so hard, I do not know, I really overthink some things.  Eye appointment tomorrow, 9.50am, which Sam, Mr. Minos’s secretary offered me when she called on friday. Sueanne was very cool about it when I checked it was OK. So, now I am fretful of what will happen! More lasering, I reckon.

Day 226: Eye clinic was not great. I need lasering in my right eye, so that will be both eyes. Mr. Hussain, the consultant that ive seen loads including today, explained that the field of vision is affected that it can mean I am not allowed to drive. In one eye it doesn’t matter, in both the DVLA will order a test and, if the field isn’t wide enough, means I won’t get a license to drive. Shit! K WhatsApp to thank me for the card plus some ‘chat’ which ended uninvitingly (i.e., end of conversation!). I just replied that I was glad she liked it (the card),

Something is up with my left thumb, it’s sore by the nail, as if it’s ingrowing, but it isn’t. Fuck knows what it is and it’s really bothering me, very painful. Pretty shit day, all in all. Day 227: Called the surgery about my thumb and Dr. leijsen called me back, asked some questions about the photo (I had to take a pic and send it in), including whether there’s any pus, and then said she’ll prescribed anti-biotics. Later today, it started to leak pus, and feel better! But, it’s still not right so I’‘l take the course. Looks like I have got an interview for the IT support job at Jagex, got a call from the recruiter today, just need confirmation. Spoke with Shirley from HR about the fact I might not be able to drive in the future. She was pretty cool about it in a kind of cross-that-bridge way and suggested I run it past Sueanne.

Day 228: Spoke with Sueanne about my impending eye lasering which is on Friday ay 3.30pm, the hospital called to let me know, she was very cool about it and even suggested I take Monday off! More importantly, she spoke of the non-driving as no factor to worry about job wise, especially as we are all WfH nowadays. I have an interview at Jagex, well, Zoom, but it is on Friday, 1pm.

Day 229: Told Mark at work about the lasering adn potential non-driving. I think it shocked him a little. I am worried about tomorrow, big time, although it’s just lasering - I’ve had it done before. I cannot wait for this time tomorrow (9.40pm). I have been trying to concentrate on preparing for the interview but it’s all too easy to get distracted. Day 230: Interview went OK. Eye appointment was horrible but bearable. The doc wants me to book in for more laser but, only so it can be reviewed and ‘topped up’ if need be. Better than a going for a check up and having to book another laser appointment thereafter. It’s near enough 9.00pm and I am going to enjoy a bear or two.

Day 231: No after affects to speak of from the eye appointment but I know lasering has occurred. It’s like I haven’t got the full set of cells recieve information from yje pupil. It’s intangible but still perceptible. Great walk today, took some cracking photos - very pleasing. More booze and draw tonight and, hopefully, up tomorrow before the 2.20pm wake up time of today. Posh beat Oxford away (1-2) in the FA Cup 1st round.

Day 232: 2pm by the time I got out of bed. I’ve got to curb this habit. Missed calls from Dad but answered one from Rita just before going for a walk when I promised to phone tomorrow. Day 233: I think SB wa surprised was at work today. I ordered two rugs (from irugs.co.uk). They are 8x5″ and were 75% off, £58 ea. One for under the table (desk) and I put one in the spare room. Hopefully keep the house a tad warmer. Getting into Barry on Sky Comedy. Barry’s a hit man. It’s darkly intriguing. I took a couple of pics of a solitary poppy today, icuding a couple of macros. They turned out OK so will post one on Wednesday (11/11).  Talking of photos, two people (one is Alison Brighty) asked for a jpeg of one of the photos I posted on Saturday so they can get it printed. 

Day 234: Spoke with dad today, let him know the situation with my eyes which, I think worries him, so I hate to do it but, also, he needs to know, just in case.

Day 235: The poppy pic I posted was very well received, over 160 likes on the Oundle chatter page and Jo Langford wants the original (why she can’t take it of FB?) to print off, which is nice. I am working on Saturday - gotta attend a meeting at 8am. FFS! SB also agreed for me to back on call, cool!

Day 236: Average sort of day. I really wish I wasn’t working on Saturday! OH, Dan messaged...first I’ve heard from him for over two weeks...he’s got two days of so he can watch all the US Masters which started today, and was good watching. So, not that average a day afterall, now that I think back on it. Day 237: Woke up at 9.14am today, yikes! Messaged with Dan a lot as he is home watching the US Masters...told him abbout my eye issues and the fact there’s a chance of losing my driving license. Also, in a silly facebook post and comments, about me not being able to drink tonight ‘cos of work tomorrow, Scottish Ricky asked if I was OK. I replied, not really, meaning that I’m pissed off I can’t get pissed. He messaged to say if I ever need to chat. Fucking great bloke. I rang him to let him know I was not being serious on FB and we chatted for 30 mins or so. Top man. still, it does remian that I am missing a beer this Friday - roll on tomorrow night!

Day 238: Work thsi morning was OK, finished at midday. Watchung golf, having abeer or two right now (just gone 8pm). Posh lost away to Crewe 0-2. Day 239: Up at 2pm after a good few drinks last night (and some silly video posting on FB of me  trying shit lager - Corrs Light - with hot sauce). Just settling down to watch Dustin Johnson win the Masters - he’s -20 with 2 to play, no one near him.

Day 240: I ordered some slippers from Amazon that arrived today. They were also returned today. I’m destined to never find a decent, non-expensive pair.

DJ did win the golf.

I watched Jojo Rabbit this evening. A first class film.

[smolfelton]

Love, France - Part 9

1  ♡  2  ♡ 3  ♡  4  ♡  5  ♡  6  ♡ 7  ♡ 8  ♡ 9  ♡  10 ♡ 11 ♡ 12 ♡ 13 ♡ 14 ♡ 15 ♡ 16 ♡ 17 ♡ 18 ♡ 19 ♡ 20 ♡ 21 ♡ 22 ♡ 23 ♡ 24 (coming soon)

The first thing Harry did when he woke up the next morning was check Draco’s profile. When no new pictures or messages showed up, Harry flopped back down onto his bed and groaned. His eyes were heavy from lack of sleep after staying up all night messaging back and forth with Draco. Most of which was just friendly banter and the occasional smart remark from the blond.

The more they messaged each other, the more giddy Harry became. He couldn’t remember a time where he had smiled so much, and didn’t think he had ever felt his cheeks hurt that badly in his entire life.

Right as Harry began to fall back asleep his phone rang. He jolted back awake and grabbed his phone off the table, wincing at the light and feeling his stomach churn when he saw the ID. He sighed and answered it.

“Captain Robards.”

“Good morning, Harry. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“No, no,” Harry said, trying to sound convincing. “I just woke up, actually.”

“I’m glad I caught you then,” Robards said through the phone. “I was just wondering if you had thought on the offer I gave you last week.”

Harry stilled for a moment. He actually hadn’t, and had even avoided thinking about it on purpose. Work was the last thing he wanted to be reminded of.

“Oh, well, yes,” Harry lied. “I’ve been thinking about it. It’s a good offer. I just don’t want to rush into things, though. You know?”

“I understand,” Robards said. “But Harry, you should know that you are one of the best officers in the country. I’m sure you would take over my position with ease once I retire. Captain Potter has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“I, yes, it does,” Harry answered and suddenly felt very sour.

“Well take your time thinking about it and enjoy your holiday. Hell, take a few extra weeks off if you need to. I’m sure once you come back you won’t have much time for traveling and such.”

“Thank you, Captain. I’ll let you know.”

“Have a nice day, Harry.”

“To you as well.”

Harry hung up the phone and tossed it to the side, rolling over and shoving his face into the pillow. He had almost completely forgotten about his job offer for the past few days after being so preoccupied with Draco. Perhaps that was a mistake, he thought. After all, he couldn’t stay in France forever. Eventually he would have to go back home and face the music.

He heard his phone buzz and immediately grabbed it again, sitting up before opening his Instagram notification. He smiled when he read the message.

iceprince: Good morning, mophead.

goldenboy: good morning, smart arse

iceprince: Am I finally beginning to rub off on you? 😉

goldenboy: maybe

goldenboy: just a little

iceprince: Good

iceprince: Are you ready for your next task?

goldenboy: didn’t you mention something about desert?

iceprince: dessert**

iceprince: And yes, I did.

goldenboy: jokes on you because I really like sweets

iceprince: Then you should enjoy today’s mission 🍰

-

Harry stood in front of a fancy pink-themed bakery with a white and pink polka dotted bag in his hand. After being instructed to go all the way across town and order a small strawberry cake, he found himself unsure of what to do.

He looked down at his phone and typed with one hand to Draco. A strong breeze blew past him and he shivered a bit into his coat, but he paid no mind to the cold weather, too focused on his messages.

goldenboy: ok, I got the cake. what now?

iceprince: Eat it.

iceprince: Duh 🙄

goldenboy: wait. that’s it?

iceprince: What else are you going to do with cake?

goldenboy: so I just went all the way across town for some bloody expensive cake?

iceprince: Yep

Harry huffed, unsure of whether he should be cross or amused.

goldenboy: your a git, you know

iceprince: you’re**

goldenboy: this cake better be good

iceprince: 😋

Harry smiled to himself and tucked his phone into his coat pocket. Right as he began to walk in the direction of the nearest tube station, he felt a funny feeling and stopped. Something made the back of his neck prickle, and an odd sense of paranoia washed over him. He looked around, but shook it off when he noticed nobody around was even sparing him a second glance.

"Weird,” he muttered to himself and continued on his way.

-

Harry took a bite of his cake, half of it already gone after sharing it with Ron and Hermione. Despite having to travel to the other side of town and spending a small fortune on the cake, Harry thought it was actually worth it. Of course Draco liked it- it was delicious and fancy-looking and terribly expensive.

He was slouched down in a desk chair, browsing through the internet while eating his cake. He had settled for watching some Netflix right as his phone buzzed on the table. He picked it up, noticing it was an Instagram notification, and he instantly grinned.

The grin faded when he saw it.

It was a picture of him in front of the bakery, standing in his brown coat and holding his cake bag in hand as he looked down at his phone. The picture had been taken from somewhere to his left from a second or third story floor.

When he scrolled down his eyes widened, and he could feel his heart thudding in his chest. His cheeks burned and he tried his best not to smile.

iceprince @goldenboy A snack shopping for snacks 😉

-

Tag list: @sweetlialia @bloodydragxn @reading-till-5am @meandminniemcg@draco-feltonx @cubedcoffeecakes-reblogs @183175 @littleafrodita @trans-nik-sion @rheya1864 @love-bookswillbetheendofme @yosoylaborinquena@theysaidsmileisaidno @ljetno-sivilo @biconpotter @welliguesss @andakillerqueen @lonelyyvirus @purelydrarry @call-me-hopelesss @lunaticael @abstractundefined @lovelalala @cportera @third-winchester-second-potter @gens-venturia @heka-chan @irwinxbmth @commander-malfoy-potter

I’m so sorry for the wait! Thank you everyone for all of your sweet comments! Y’all are so amazing <333

[trashboiiz]

First Day Flirtations (Aleks x Reader)

(A/N: I am back from the dead!! By dead I mean school. So this is a very late secret santa gift for @einhd !! Sorry it took so long! I had the flu for a week and I haven’t been on tumblr much. Hope you like this long ass fic because I can’t write anything short.)

Today’s the day. The big ol’ day. The day I’ve been waiting for the whole summer and it’s finally here.

I feel like I’m going to vomit.

The night before I packed my backpack and made a lunch so I didn’t have to worry about getting anything ready today, because of course I’d pick out a CowChop shirt for my first day interning if I was rushing. And I don’t want to be that person.

So, I packed the usual phone chargers and lunch that I probably won’t eat since I’ll be too nervous. I also packed some extra clothes because I have no idea what’s going to happen when I get there, and a notebook in case I wanted to seem like an overachiever and take notes.  I have no idea what I’m supposed to bring but I’ll bring everything just in case. I’m ready for the disaster that is CowChop and myself.

“You excited, Y/N?” My roommate asks, walking out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

“Hm?” I shove a granola bar in my mouth as I google directions to the warehouse.

“For your internship, your first day dude”

“Oh” my roommate notices my nervousness and comes over to pat my back.

“You’ll do great man, I know you’ve been looking forward to this forever” I nod, “maybe you could show them the fanfic you’ve wr-“

“TAYLOR!” I throw on my backpack and spin around, “I’ll die before they find out about that”

She giggles and throws me my jackets that was on the bed.

“Y/N you have 30 minutes to get to the warehouse”

I check my phone and begin to panic as 9:30AM lights up on the screen.

“Have fun! Don’t worry too much!” Taylor yells as I run out the room.

“If I timed this right I would be 5 minutes early not 2” I mumble to myself, “maybe I’ll skip breakfast to save time”

It’s almost 10am, the time Brett told me to show up. If I hadn’t run I would’ve missed the bus and would’ve been late. I can’t be late on my first day, I’d have to quit immediately and never return.

After walking a few minutes from the bus stop I arrive at the feeble gate protecting the Cow Chop warehouse. Through the gaps I can see the familiar parking lot, filled with cars and set pieces that were destroyed; I wonder if I should’ve brought some bandaids.

“Y/N?” To my left I hear a crackle and see a small intercom.

“Y/N? Is that you?” I walk over and look into the tiny camera, awkwardly.

“Y-yeah! It’s Y/N, the new intern!” I stutter, trying my best to sound enthusiastic.

“Welcome to hell, kiddo”

The gate jolts open and I slowly walk inside, excited but terrified at the same time. Brett stands in the doorway, looking more muscular than in the videos but also less scary.

“Nice to meet you Y/N” He shakes my shaky hand with more force than I was expecting, “Thanks for being on time, fucking no one else takes this job seriously enough”.

I chuckle, unsure of what to say.

“Well we might as well get started” Brett holds the door as I walk inside, “I guess I can give you a tour and then we’ll talk about the other crap like rules and what not. Basically, point the camera at someone when they’re speaking and don’t burn the place down”

For the next 20 minutes or so, Brett gives me a tour of the warehouse; only 5 minutes involved showing me the office and the rest of the tour was sidetracked by Lindsey who wanted to meet me and wouldn’t stop talking.

“Here’s your desk” Brett walks over to one of the many plain black desks, “if you need anything, don’t ask me, I don’t edit shit”

He laughs to himself, “no, but really, ask Lindsey or Anna, they’re the most helpful here, obviously’

I set my stuff down and take a seat, getting ready for whatever they throw at me.

“Someone will come over and teach you about editing stuff, maybe Asher. I don’t know. Anyways, welcome again, you’ll do fine.”

As Brett walks away I glance around the office and see a handful of the Cow Chop crew: Anna, Lindsey, and James; I wasn’t surprised that Asher and Aleks were late. I spend the next hour watching the other trickle in and introduce themselves, although I already know who each of them are. Anna teaches me the Cow Chop style of editing and shares her expertise on what works for each video. Asher gives me some tips too but mainly jokes around, which helps alleviate some of my stress and take my mind off of my anxiety.

“Well look who finally decided to show up”

I look up from my desk and see Brett berating a tired Aleks.

“Maybe if you didn’t stream till 5am you’d show up on time and we could make videos for our fucking channel!” Aleks shrugs him off and goes to sit at his desk, but stops when he sees me.

“Who’s this?” Aleks looks at me confused, “Brett who’s this?”

“It’s Y/N, the new intern” Brett yells back, “Don’t you ever fucking pay attention?”

“I have ADHD Brett, don’t bully me”

Brett huffs and slams his office door behind him; I definitely won’t be asking him any questions anytime soon.

Aleks walks over to me and put his hand on my desk.

“So you’re the new intern,” he smirks, “I’m Aleks, but I assume you’re a fan because who would actually want to work here”

I smile back, feeling like I look like an idiot.

“If you need anything just let me know. I sit over there” He points to a desk a little in front of me, “I can’t really help with editing or anything but whatever”

Before he walks to his desk he squeezes me shoulder. I don’t know if that’s a softball coach squeeze or a guy having a crush on me squeeze. I try not to think about Aleks in a softball uniform and get to editing my first video.

I finally have time to eat my lunch after filming some content and editing the one video I was given. I still feel like a nervous wreck but now a more competent wreck. As I go through the video, cutting clips and adding effects, I eat my sad sandwich, which was a bit soggy because I made it the night before. Nevertheless, I continued eating it because I was too afraid to order anything to the warehouse; maybe in a few weeks I’ll have that confidence, or maybe never and I’ll just suffer.

“Y/N, what the fuck are you eating?”

I look up to see Aleks standing by his desk, a microwavable meal in one hand.

“Uh, it’s just a sandwich”

“That looks pretty shit,” Aleks says as I chuckle, “Do you want me to order you anything?”

“What? N-No, I’m fine, really”

“Well can I at least sit next to you while you edit so you don’t look so sad”

I look around to see if anyone else was here, but I guess everyone went out to lunch; I don’t know if I should be happy or nervous, maybe both.

“Yeah, sure”

Aleks pulls up a chair next to me and begins eating what seems to be leftover Chinese food.

“Oh I remember this” he says with his mouth full, “I was really bad at this game”

“Yeah” I giggle, “I can’t really see a way to edit it to make you look better”

“That’s my aesthetic though, terrible at games that aren’t FPSs”

I don’t say anything even though I know he’s lying; I’ve watched enough of his videos to know he’s not very good at any game.

As we eat we go through the video; I mark down parts to edit as Aleks suggests them. But after awhile we get distracted from the video and just…talk. It’s nice. For the first time in awhile I’m happy having a conversation with someone and I’m actually interested. I don’t know if it’s our mutual dislike of LA or that Aleks has pretty blonde hair and brown eyes that sparkle when he grins, but it’s nice.

“Y/N wait”

I stop laughing and freeze, worried I did something wrong, but Aleks leans over and brushes a strand of hair out of my face.

“Oh, thanks” I blush.

“No it’s, I-” Aleks stutters, “It was distracting. It’s just my ADHD, ya know.”

We sit in silence for a couple seconds, unsure of what to do.

“I, uh, I got to go do some work and stuff” Aleks mutters.

“Yeah, I should keep working on this video” I turn back to the monitor as Aleks stands up.

“We should do this again sometime, Y/N” Aleks puts his hand on my shoulder, “Welcome to Cow Chop, happy you’re here.”

Aleks eyes look soft, like his bleach blonde hair and his tired face. There’s a warmth to him, something that’s inviting and calming. I feel safe.

“Thanks Aleks. I’m happy I’m here too.”

[palmettofoxesthings]

I’m worried about your coffee dependency...

Um this is unedited and I wrote it a while ago I’m not 100% sure what happens anymore. Opps? Sorry for inactivity, I’ve been having feelings and yeah led to a life off social media for a while. Anyway, happier things.

So Matt is super nice and takes shifts from coworkers who have essays etc due if they have a night shift so they can do them

And it just works out that a lot of people wanna switch their shifts with him cos they all have assignments due

And Matt really regrets his choice

Like he wants to sleep. And see his girlfriend. And the morning.

He’d really fucking love to see morning again

(It’s for the greater good, he tells himself, but what greater good? Certainly not his grades)

But alas he has about ten nights shifts over the next two weeks and an abundance of assignments due that he’s just not gonna get done

He already vaguely recognises Neil from other shifts as he does a lot of the students cos you learn what people look like working at the 24 hours campus coffee shop

There are a few other regulars he sort of knows but there are honestly so many people he doesn’t really keep that many of them in his mind

But then Neil comes in and it’s 1 am and it’s pretty standard for students pulling all nighters to come for coffee at that time or sum long home after a night out

And he looks a bit off. He’s slightly pale and shaking a little and in a huge ass hoodie but it’s cold out so Matt puts it down to that

And Neil orders a double espresso. And then he hesitates when Matt asks him if he wants anything else and goes ‘actually make that two’ and Matt just nods like uh huh fine probably had an assignment due and needs to get it done

And Neil takes his coffee over to one of the corner tables and pulls out a laptop

And it’s ten minutes later Neil orders another two and matts just like okay must be a super important assignment

After an hour or so Neil gets a phone call and packs up and leaves without ordering another coffee

Matt sees a short blond waiting outside the entrance to the shop who seems to be really annoyed at the kid in the ginormous hoodie and they leave together

And Matt just shrugs cos it’s not the strangest thing he’s ever seen a student do

But what is strange is when Neil comes back at 3am seemingly looking over his shoulder all the time. Matt vaguely wonders if he’s looking for the blond who came by earlier but actually just asks neil what he wants. Which this time is a triple shot latte cos why not coffee is coffee and Andrew only said no more espressos

Neil stays sat there till long after the athletes have stared rolling in and the early lectures have begun

(Cos Andrew knows his boy and also Kevin is a night owl and told him)

(They’re all minorly concerned about him)

Matt had finished his shift around 5am and gone back to see Dan before classes started

When they go to get coffee together at lunch time Matt gets concerned when he sees Neil still hunched in his corner surrounded by scraps of paper and screwed up balls and Matt really wants to know what the hell this kid is working on

But he also needs his time with dan so they order and go sit down

Neil gets a text and looks really super alarmed by it and packs up super quickly with fleeting glances to the door every few seconds

And when everything has been hastily shoved into the bag and almost sprints out of the door

Boy forgot his class was about to start. Also Nicky was warning him Andrew was looking for him

Matt’s not on a shift again that night so he doesn’t know if Neil turned up again or not. He’s curious but he brushes it off cos he really needs to get this assignment done

(Neil is there again. In the same hoodie. Looking slightly paler than last night)

And drinking double espressos till Andrew comes to drag him home to sleep

Neil does not, in fact, sleep

The next two shifts Matt has Neil isn’t there. He hopes this is a good thing because last time he saw the kid walking around campus he was looking a little like a zombie to be honest

Matt also hopes this doesn’t mean he’s just been going at more normal hours of the day cos that would also be bad

It’s Friday night that Matt next sees neil

It’s 2:53 and Matt has had nothing to do for the past hour or so save for one English student who was getting really tired of Shakespeare and needed caffeine to finish Othello for the millionth time

He ordered a double espresso. Then a double latte. Matt felt bad for the girl

So Neil turns up. And this time he’s in a new hoodie. But it’s black and again it’s too big for him. He accidentally picked up Kevin’s on his way out so this time to like wayyyyy too big for him

And Neil looks like absolute death. 💀 like this

The other one is actually andrew’s tho

He has huge dark bags under his eyes

And Matt is like ok this is not good

But Neil only orders one double espresso this time and actually gets a cup of water to drink as well

So Matt feels slightly less bad about giving this small child (cos he is v small) coffee when he’s also having water

What he does not realise is that the water is to clean a cut on his knucles

So Neil squirrels himself away in a corner out of sight with a wad of tissue and cleans the cut

And then drinks the coffee

Matt doesn’t see Neil again for another half hour. Which is definitely an improvement on the last time he was in the shop

He gets a latte this time and gets us to go

And then another espresso and downs that before leaving

Hush child all in good time

Matt is beginning to get concerned

Especially when he goes to clear the table and sees the water not drunk and a bloody tissue on the floor

Neil thought he’d cleared it all

Ok it was an accident

So when Neil comes in the next night and Matt is working he finally says something more than what can I get you

‘Y'know, man cannot live on coffee alone’

'Man can damn well live on coffee’ is Neil’s response

And Matt can’t decide if that grey hoodie he wears is getting baggier or if it’s his imagination

'You look like death, man, what’s your name?’ Matt

'Thanks. I definitely come to the coffee shop for beauty tips’ neil replies monotonously

Matt is not perturbed tho cos it’s Matt and he’s amazing

Seriously though what’s your name. You’re in here so much I feel like I ought to be able to call you something

'Ok, something it is’

Matt frowns at this ball of grumpy in front of him

And thus I sleep

Sorry kid

So Matt is frowning at the smile ball of grumpy in front of him

And wondering what on earth he has done to piss the kid off so much

But he makes the coffee and watches Neil squirrel away in the same corner he always does. Just out of sight but not quite fully this time

And he can just see a bandage poking out of Neil’s left sleeve

And he frowns even more cos his ball of grumpy (no he is not going to call this kid something when he has his own much more accurate description of his own)

His ball of grumpy is hurt and he doesn’t know why and he wasn’t hurt when he came in yesterday so what on earth happened

Except he was and Matt just didn’t see as we know

The next time Neil comes in Matt opens with 'I’m worried about your coffee dependency’

And Neil just stares at him levelly.

'My name is neil’ orders his espresso and walks away

Matt if dumbfounded. Where did that come from. He is so confused

Matt isn’t sure what to say to Neil for the rest of the time he’s there. The kid is too many contradictions (well, he thinks so anyway, not that they’ve really had enough conversations for it to really be something he can say) but he just seems like the walking conundrum type to Matt

The short blond appears again that night to Matt’s surprise. He’d almost forgotten the kid existed since he hadn’t seem him since the first time, but now he’s kind of cowering behind his counter with the glare the kid is wearing and wondering what on earth Neil might have done to piss him off so much. He was now also worried for Neil’s continued life, not just his coffee dependency.

So he moves to intervene when Neil looks up like a deer caught in headlights at the other kid but then as matt approaches he sees that the glare in Andrew’s eyes has softened, only a little, and that Neil doesn’t seem to be scared of him so he kind of just lets it be but stands back close enough to be able to intervene in case something happens

So Matt is lingering behind them and he watches as Andrew reaches out his hand toward Neil’s hurt one but pause before he touches it

He doesn’t hear what he says but we all know that he’s asking for permission

and Andrew slowly unwraps the bandage and Neil’s knuckles are all bloody and Andrew just closes his eyes and leads Neil out of the shop

Matt doesn’t see Neil for a while after that

he’s spotted him around campus a couple of times but never in the right place for him to call him and say hi, they’re both always been rushing somewhere

so when he hears a story from a coworker about the kid with the weird caffeine addiction at 3am he decides it’s time to take more night shifts again

and so Neil comes in as he always does. but this time he has come in with the blond whose name Matt still doesn’t know (he learns it’s Andrew) and a tall dark haired boy who towers over them both

Honestly Matt finds it a little funny how they look together but he does not comment because he is scared of Andrew if he’s being honest with himself

Andrew orders his coffee, and Kevin gets some healthy thing that honestly Matt doesn’t really know how to make but whatever he’ll go with it, And Neil orders his two double espressos (by this point Matt knows to just put them in the same damn cup cos it won’t change how quickly the damn kid drinks them)

'I’m still concerned about your caffeine addiction’

'I thought it was a dependency’ Neil responds and Matt is kind of just like uh what how does the kid remember that I don’t understand what what how

'I think it’s both’ Matt shrugs as he makes the drinks. Neil sends Kevin and Andrew over to his usual table and leans on the counter to talk to Matt

Well, he leans on the counter to hum in response to Matt, same thing right>

Matt slides the drinks over a tray with a glass of water as well. Neil picks up the glass of water between two fingers and stares at it quizzically. Matt just sighs and says 'drink the water or I refuse to serve you’ and Neil is like the fuck man what why are you doing this what did I ever do to you ugh you’re worse than Andrew and I don’t even know you

But Neil takes the drinks and stares Matt down as he drinks the water first and then moves onto the coffee

when matt sees that neil has finished the water he is satisfied and walks back over tot he counter

he positions himself so he can still see the group but not so that it’s obvious

he watches and neil pulls out his laptop and starts typing away furiously

he is actually doing an essay this time

so are andrew and kevin

I say essay, he’s working on some super complex math revision for his exam, Andrew and Kevin are writing the essays

but they would have been happy to write them in the dorms

they just came out to make sure neil didn’t kill himself on the amount of caffeine he’s been consuming

Matt slowly worms his way into neil’s life bit by bit

andrew doesn’t glare at him any less

but he appreciates that while matt is serving the caffeine, he is at least trying to make neil drink water at the same time

then neil comes in and he looks really scared and now matt isn’t worried about his caffeine dependency as he tells neil every time he comes into the shop

he’s worried about actual neil

which to be fair he always has been but  now

neil is so much thinner than he used to be and he looks like he wants to run

and matt sees blood

everywhere

but there’s too much of it to all be neil’s and him still be standing so some of it must be someone else’s

but matt can’t put the pieces together properly in his head so instead he follows neil to his usual tables

and he follows the instructions from neil to turn off the lights

and to duck down behind the table

and then he sees someone with a flashlight walking by

ad they’re shining the light into the coffee shop

and he ca . hear neil’s breathing start to get weaker

and matt is now concerned on immeasurable levels

and there’s a concentration of blood coming from his abdomen and matt is like oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck

so he fumbles and grabs some napkins from the stand nearby while trying not to be seen by anyone outside

but when he pulls his phone out to call 911 neil knocks it out of matt’s hand

and matt is just like ok ok no phones great wonderful what the fuck

but neil pulls his own phone out

and he calls 911 himself

and he just stares matt dead in the eyes and says 'my phone is secure’

and now matt is confused beyond epic proportions

because um ok? Who the hell knows about secure lines anyway

and why does this caffeine addicted/dependent ball of grumpy need or have one

but he takes the phone anyway and talks to the person on the end of the line

but then he realises that neil didn’t actually call 911

he called andrew

who is now preparing to storm down to the coffee shop armed with someone named Abby? Matt thinks and he’s making it sound like he knows what he’s doing but honestly matt is just like

ummmmm

what is happening

so Abby gets there with Andrew but she can’t do anything properly to help

so she has to take him to the hospital

matt and andrew are there when neil wakes up

andrew doesn’t say anything

but matt does. He’s concerned

'how are you?’

but neil doesn’t answer that question

instead he just looks at the boht, and the bandage around his chest

and says

'see, my caffeine addiction saved my life

and matt is spluttering indignantly

and Andrew just says 'junkie’

and matt is in a state of disbelief

and he is still confused as to what is actually going on

but it doesn’t seem like either andrew or neil are going to be very forthcoming with answers

so for now he just settle with the idea from neil that maybe they should hang out some time

when matt isn’t serving him coffee

and from his little ball of grumpy, matt considers that a win

[forgetspecifics]

Such Sights are Bright - Chapter 2: I’m Barely Awake

Blake finds out that there really is more to Yang than meets the eye.

Other links: Ao3 FF.net

Notes:

Okay, first of all, sorry about the wait! It was hard to get all this the way I wanted. There's a good chunk of talking somewhere in here. Then, some things didn't go as I barely planned, I originally was gonna do a Halloween thing but that got cut in favour for something else. I think what I did served a better purpose in developing the friendship.

It's almost 5am and I wanted to get this out because I won't be with my work to post it for a few days, so, sorry but there's gonna be an extra two days wait on me starting the next chapter.

Hope you like it!

October (Fall)

/

“How’s your Yang-less life treatin’ ya? I’d say how’s it Yangin’ but…”

Her younger sister let out a small whine, sending a scowl even Yang could fear through the video call. “I don’t like it.”

Yang felt bad, she truly did. But Ruby had relied on her for so long, she had to get out into her own world, no matter how much she thought she didn’t like it. It’s not like Yang was the best role model these days.

“You just started your sophomore year! Aren’t you excited?” she asked, hoping to learn how her kid-sister had been coping without her.

“A new girl did transfer in from Germany. I bumped into her on the first day and she lost her mind!”

Yang tried to picture a foreign girl ranting and raving in a native language over something so minor. “Was it funny?”

“Not at the time. Turns out she was angry because she isn’t a senior, even if she’s your age. Because of the differences between here and her country, or something…” she trailed off, becoming distracted.

That sounded shit, if she was honest. But, Ruby was such a nice girl, she assumed that even an annoyed person would appreciate her kindness – if it was offered.

“And?”

Ruby chuckled like she always used to when she was caught stealing cookies. “She pretends to not like me, but I think we’re friends now.”

She was relieved to hear that the girl hadn’t been a bully to her baby sis. Otherwise she’d have to consider going back just to teach her a lesson. But Ruby could handle people better than she could, no matter how much people thought the opposite. Sure, she had a certain charm, but good looks only get you so far when you’re prone to punching people

“Way to go! See, you don’t even need me!” she encouraged. She was trying to hammer home the fact, because Ruby needed to hear it from her if she was going to even begin believe it.

“That’s not the point, Yang,” her sister deflected, still not happy. She had her famous pout going, arms crossed, just like Yang herself had done many times before. Little copycat.

The older girl did her best to resist that kind of manipulation. She’d raised Ruby for years and wasn’t about to forget it. “I know it’s not, but my point is you’re managing fine. And, it’s not that long ‘till you guys are comin’ to visit! I’ll make cookies!”

That seemed to cheer her sibling up. Ruby couldn’t resist an offer of cookies. Just like Summer used to bake.

“Fine, only if you make cookies,” the brunette pointed at the screen for added effect, changing the subject herself. “What about you? Made a million friends?”

Yang counted all the people she had met and befriended. There was Blake, Sun and Neptune – Ruby already knew of them. She described to Ruby the other people that she’d met – there was Nora, a hyperactive cheerleader that was a hoot to hang around. There was Ren, Nora’s not-boyfriend; Jaune, the football team’s waterboy; and Pyrrha, who was way too cool to hang out with Jaune but did anyway. She was suspicious that Pyrrha had a huge crush on him, but whatever. Those four had been friends for years. The best part was, they were all like Blake. Friendly and appreciative of the good people, and unappreciative of people like Cardin Winchester.

He was still ruining their hopes at winning matches, which reminded her that their game later was going to be another loss. Since her first match, she and Sun and Neptune hadn’t been able to make any great plays to make up for it.

A concerned voice broke her out of her thoughts. “Yang? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t worry, just football stuff. QB’s still not playing ball with Sun,” she frowned, “pun not intended.”

Optimistic as ever, Ruby suggested she try and be nice and convince him to do the right thing. The only thing she could do was try.

“I’ll let you know how I go. Maybe we won’t lose…I should go.”

She was given a thumbs up. “Good luck Yang! Love you,” Ruby said.

“Love you too, sis.”

The window on the screen went black as the video call was ended. Yang caught her face in the reflection of the screen. As much as she was enjoying herself, it hadn’t been all smooth-sailing. Blake had been wanting her to work on her part of the project, but, if football games weren’t getting in the way, she just wasn’t doing it. And Blake wasn’t pleased with her avoiding the subject, not one bit. Yang just wasn’t that good at concentrating on school stuff, and when she’d admitted that, her friend had offered to help her improve. She was coming over after the game that evening so they could work together – work better.

Or so Yang hoped.

By the time she and Qrow arrived at the field, the matter of the social studies assignment had been put on her mental backburner. As much as she had a commitment to that, she also had a commitment to the team – mostly Sun. He was her friend, and he was being treated unfairly, and she wouldn’t stand for that.

The coach had noticed their crappy performances, but not the cause. He was making their pre-game discussions and preparations more intense, demanding everybody show up earlier to make up for it. Either he was insanely stupid to miss what was happening, or insanely racist, just like Cardin.

Yang was beginning to think it was the latter.

By half time, Beacon was losing yet again. Cardin wasn’t changing, not even in the face of defeat. Yang’s anger decided that he would change, even if she had to bear a conversation with someone she loathed. Walking off the field, she looked up at the stands, a sea of disappointed supporters amidst elated faces of the cheering opposition crowd. Even the cheering squad; with powerhouse in pep Nora Valkyrie, couldn’t perk them up. The girls in skirts were trying to mask their pessimism, but they couldn’t fool somebody who was really looking. Removing her helmet, she gratefully took the proffered water from a concerned Jaune. “Thanks, Jaune. Pretty miserable out here tonight, ain’t it?”

The boy, with a mop of blonde hair that reminded her of her dad, nodded. He handed more water out to passing players. “I wish I could do something,” he muttered, not out of earshot.

“It’s not your responsibility.”

Maybe it wasn’t hers either. But she had to talk to Cardin right now. It had gone on long enough.

Up in the bleachers, Qrow was not unaware of his niece approaching the elitist Quarterback. Yang had informed him many times of the dumb-asshole-rich-kid that didn’t like Sun just because he had a tail. He had some idea of how this situation could end up, and if he was being honest, he wasn’t going to do anything to stop it happening. Kid deserved to be knocked down a peg, he bitterly thought.

“What’s she doing?” He heard Blake say. The girl beside him stood up, trying to get a better view.

In his head, Qrow was debating whether or not he could bet with himself as to how long it would take for the talking to turn into fighting. He’d sat through multiple disappointing football games, and convinced himself it was one hundred percent not his fault if the snobby prick got his ass handed to him.

Apparently, down on the grass, most of the people had noticed Yang stomp over to Cardin. The cheer squad was being as nonchalant as they could, watching the only female on the team confront the guy…that nobody truly liked.

Sun and Neptune observed hopefully.

Blake surveyed the scene.

Qrow silently wagered it’d be a minute before shit hit the proverbial fan.

“Cardin, I need to talk to you,” Yang attempted to hold the bite in her tone. Getting what she wanted peacefully wasn’t out of the question yet.

She was much smaller in stature compared to him, as he glanced down at her, a slimy smile on his ugly face. “Have you quit playing hard to get?”

Yang completely ignored his question, resisting the urge to shudder. “If you don’t start passing the damn ball to Sun, our team will be a laughing stock,” she reasoned, even though he was likely too egotistical to care about what cost his bigotry came at.

“Oh, you’re standing up for that animal, I see,” he sneered, “you’re only doing this because you like him.”

Growing exasperated as he dribbled on, she did a double take. “Excuse me?”

“Listen. You’re too perfect to be wasted on a dirty beast like that. Tell you what. Ditch him, we could be a great couple. If I’ve got you, I might contemplate passing to the monkey.”

Yang couldn’t believe he was trying to ask her out. If that even counted as asking somebody out. She didn’t even like Sun that way! This guy is seriously braindead, a voice in her head shouted. “Are you serious?”

Cardin laughed. It was a horrible sound – pompous and haughty. He entered her personal space, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. “You know you want me,” he said, as she felt a hand grope her butt. Behind her, she was sure she heard Nora make a gagging noise, and recognised a faint gasp that could only be Jaune.

As much as she wanted to deck her assaulter right then, she kept her calm and pushed his arm away. Turning to Nora and the squad, she pointed at them, “You guys saw that, right?” Receiving only nods, Yang couldn’t help but smirk. If she had witnesses, she’d be fine. Mostly.

Blake was in disbelief. Cardin had felt Yang up! Her stomach dropped as she wondered if her friend had let him, as a means of persuasion.

Qrow sighed as he stood to join her. “What an idiot.”

“What do you m-”

Yang had twisted back from the cheerleaders and slugged Cardin right in the face, the crowd’s gasps answering Blake’s unfinished question.

The boy stumbled backwards and tripped over a bench, crying out in pain. Not deterred by his fall, he recovered and pushed past the coach, who was attempting to calm his star player.

Yang, having her back to him, hadn’t seen him get up. She hadn’t expected him to, but partly was backing off to avoid making things any worse than they were.

“You bitch!”

Too late did her reaction come, because before she could defend herself, she was treated to a knuckle sandwich of her own. Catching a distinct crunch over the murmuring patrons, her head whipped to the side, and then came the sensation of blood starting to pour out her nose.

He had gotten her good, but it became clear that he wasn’t averse to hitting girls, especially those that had embarrassed him. As soon as she had gathered her bearings, he’d clocked her left eye not unlike she had done to him moments before. The coach and several players scrambled to pull Cardin back. Yang wiped her mouth with her forearm, smearing sticky, hot blood along it, as Sun and Neptune arrived to pull her back.

“I will RUIN you!” the QB roared from behind a wall of bodies, as Qrow arrived with Blake in tow. The older man cut through, grabbing a fistful of shirt as the beefy teenager tried to shove him.

Scarlet eyes narrowed. “You better pipe down you snot-nosed punk!”

“She hit me first!”

“No,” Qrow retorted lowly, “you lay your hand on her first, and I’m willing to bet there’s at least ten eyewitnesses that’ll say Yang was acting in self-defence.”

Cardin was not to be easily swayed. “Says who, you?”

“Yeah, me. I think an ex-cop would know, don’t you?”

His complexion fading only the slightest at the revelation, Cardin knew he was cornered. His only option was to give up, but he wanted the last word. “I’m not playing with that she-beast and her mangy boyfriend!” He yelled, and stalked away as soon as he was released.

Qrow shrugged at the coach that shot him a look that said this is your fault. “Get someone else to play. He was why your team sucks.”

Meanwhile, Yang’s friends had been fussing over her leaking face. Well, mostly Blake. Sun was saying how awesome the fight was, Neptune was trying not to faint because there was so much blood.

“Guys! Here,” Jaune once again produced water, Blake taking the bottle, only to have her hand halted by Yang’s scuffed knuckles.

She tried to voice her protests, but the hand held steady. “No point. Still bleeding,” she sputtered through the stream.

Nora had hurried over and was bouncing around Sun, the two repeatedly exclaiming how hilarious it was that Cardin had hit the deck like a sack of bricks, and Yang had taken two hits and hadn’t even faltered.

The crowd had grown restless, calling for the game to continue. The fight was over, and now they needed entertainment once again. The whistle blew, the referee calling to their coach to play on or forfeit.

Having successfully removed Cardin, they had a shot. Yang couldn’t play right now, but the rest of them could. “Go! You don’t need me!”

The boys left her with a pat on the back and a fistbump, running out with their reserve Quarterback.

Her uncle stood watching silently, but Yang knew he wasn’t mad at her. He’d defended her, after all. Then there was Blake. She, however, was wearing a look that could only be described as calmly freaked out. Oxymoronic, yes, but Yang could tell just by the look in those amber eyes.

Yang tried to lift the tense mood that had blanketed them. “And that’s why Qrow calls me firecracker,” she joked. Blake did not find it funny.

“I can’t believe you. Getting assaulted and then cracking jokes.”

“Please, it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ve had worse,” she said as slender fingers cupped her jaw. Inspecting Yang’s nose, Blake carefully tipped the water over it, the bleeding having ceased over the last minute.

“Your crooked nose says otherwise, firecracker.”

Lifting her jersey, she used the hem to wipe at her face, clearing the metallic taste off her lips and chin. Smiling to herself as Blake’s eyes focused on her uncovered stomach for a second before quickly looking away, she gave her a wink when her gaze was finally met. “It was crooked before. But you probably noticed that with how much you stare.”

With a huff, her friend crossed her arms defiantly, not engaging with the taunt. Which to Yang, meant she was the victor of their banter.

Resisting the chastising look she was getting, she played innocent. “I’m gonna get the medic to fix this,” Yang thumbed over her shoulder towards the direction of the guy that should have already attended to her, but had been busy coddling Cardin until he stormed off once again.

Blake tracked the retreating figure keenly, but couldn’t watch as the man set Yang’s nose back into place, a curse reaching her ears instead. Only now she noticed that there was quietly enraged adult bickering with Qrow – likely Cardin’s father. If what Yang’s uncle had said was true, everybody would just move on and sweep the short brawl under the rug. She wasn’t pleased that there was a boy that was essentially getting away with sexual assault, even if it was minor.

She also hadn’t noticed that the Bulldogs were scoring – now that there weren’t any racist interferences, until Yang returned looking sore but proud, telling her to look at how Sun was whooping and hugging Neptune. Which reminded Blake of something.

“Is what Cardin said true? You and Sun?”

Taking the small icepack – she must have gotten it from the medic – away from her eye, Yang didn’t falter in her response, as surprised as she was that Blake even had to ask. “Hell no. Apparently, you have to be fuc-”

Stopping mid-sentence, she made a noise of regret, deciding against her choice of words. “Like a guy to stand up for him. Or not want to go on a date with somebody.”

Blake contemplated. Yang hadn’t done it because she and Sun were dating, nor had she done it because she had a crush on him. Why had she let guard down, even though she was fully capable in self-defence? “Then why’d you do it? You got hurt, Yang.”

Beneath her shoulder pads, the girl heaved a sigh, eyes wistfully following her Faunus friends’ tail as he ran downfield. “Somebody had to. If Sun had brought it up, it wouldn’t have ended well, you and I both know that.”

There was regret in her tone. Sun’s bully would have only twisted the situation to place the blame on the person he despised.

“Neptune was going to, but I knew if anybody had a chance of persuading a jock only interested in his ego, it’d be the girl everybody notices for her physical appearance,” Yang said, clearly referring to herself, a sad smile gracing her beaten face. “But, mostly I did it because Sun deserves to be treated better than that. I’d gladly take a punch or two for him to escape prejudice.”

If there was a word to described how she was feeling, Blake didn’t have it in her vocabulary. That was one of the most honest, selfless and kind-hearted things she’d ever heard a human say about a Faunus. If Yang wasn’t covered in blood and sweat, she’d have hugged her. “Then you’re a good person,” was all she managed to get out, but she couldn’t help but feel that it didn’t quite cover what she thought.

“That depends on who you ask,” Yang replied cryptically. “Before you say I’m a good person, there’s probably some things you should know about me.”

The car ride back to Qrow’s house was quiet, save for the low static of evening radio that had been called upon to fill the silence. With their best efforts, the Bulldogs had not been able to secure a win, but, they had almost closed the gap in scores. For that, everyone was happy.

But, Blake honestly didn’t know how to take what Yang had said to her. It was the first time since the blonde walked in late and been assigned as her partner that she was doubtful. She didn’t know what to think. What kind of things should she know? What was she going to be told?

She tried to keep her imagination in check. Surely, it wasn’t going to be anything bad…the last thing she wanted was to have made friends with another person that broke her trust.

As the three of them followed Qrow into the house, the man headed straight for the kitchen. The clinking of a glass and the distinct sound of a lid being unscrewed was all that filled the silence that seemed to have trailed them from the car. Deciding that that was best left unmentioned for now, Yang tugged Blake upstairs and into her bedroom.

“Do you mind if I take a shower first?” Yang queried, finally seeing her appearance in a mirror. Taking in her bruised nose and eye, she moaned. Quite dramatically, if you asked Blake. “Shit, look at my face! Tell me I’m still beautiful!”

Not letting her doubts show, Blake begrudgingly reassured her complaining friend. “You’re the most beautiful.”

Tilting her head in review of the answer, Yang sighed. “You’re lying. But okay, fine. Make yourself at home,” she said as she removed the loose sweatshirt she’d put on after her removing the bloody uniform back at the field, taking effort to avoid her injuries. That girl had no shame.

Picking up a few things, Yang went to the bathroom, again scrutinizing her face. So maybe she had lied when she said she’d had worse. Cardin was a pretty huge dude, and it hadn’t helped that she’d been completely unprepared. Gingerly touching her nose, she knew it’d just cause more pain to try and clean her face without the utmost care. Ruby was the one that had always helped her out when it came to things she couldn’t mend herself…

A guilty face popped back into the room not a minute after Blake had been left alone. “Blake? I kinda need your help cleaning this blood off properly.”

Face unreadable, the girl spoke apprehensively, trying to find an excuse not to. “Can’t your uncle do it?”

“This requires…a delicate touch. He couldn’t manage it even if he wasn’t perpetually drunk.”

A dark eyebrow raised at her reasoning. “Are you saying he’s an alcoholic?”

“Eh, semantics. Please, though. I’ll do anything you want!” Yang offered, hoping she could at least bribe Blake to assist. Having not thought of the implications, she grew worried as Blake stood up and sashayed towards her, a predatory glint in appraising eyes.

“Anything?”

Yang was not sure what exactly had come over her, but she was thinking it was: one, probably not appropriate; two, very gay; and three, totally and completely inappropriate. And all because her friend, her best friend, had said a simple word.

And she could only respond with a simple word of her own. “Yes?” Though it wasn’t very convincing, coming out more as a question than an answer. This was fine. It was just a passing moment. She’d have to be blind to not think that Blake was very attractive – that didn’t mean she was attracted to her. There was a difference, people!

In a flash, Blake was back to…normal. “I want you to promise you’ll work diligently on our social studies assignment.”

Visibly relieved, Yang nodded instantly. “I promise!”

“That’s a much saner and not-gay request than I was thinking,” she mumbled to herself, when Blake had already gone into the bathroom. She had only promised to work on their project like she should have already been doing. She was lucky that Blake was willing to help her and not leave her to suffer the wrath of Ms. Peach – that lady did not like Yang.

Catching up to her now waiting helper, Yang prepared a warm and wet washcloth and handed it to Blake, who set to work. Leaning against the counter, she let her eyes close, finding it increasingly hard to look Blake in the face without feeling shame about what had come over her before. Especially when she was trapped between Blake and the sink, knowing that if this was a scene from a romance book or TV show, things wouldn’t be so platonic – because this was platonic, and nothing else.

Internally shaking all her current thoughts from her head, Yang took a deep breath and let her senses concentrate on the soft cloth being gently pressed against her face. Though the process wasn’t fast, it was done without any agitation, which she could be thankful for.

A voice cut through her peace, Blake being satisfied she’d done a good job. “There. All clean.”

“I didn’t feel a thing, you’re the best! Don’t tell Ruby I said that,” Yang said, taking back the grimy material from Blake’s outstretched hand. “I’ll wash the rest of me myself. Unless you wanna help with that too?”

Facepalming, Blake huffed. “For the love of...just hurry up, Yang.”

Shaking her head, Blake quickly slipped out the room.

“It was just a question!” A question she had just let slip out, the words forming before she’d had a chance to tell herself to stop hitting on Blake when she didn’t mean it.

After a thorough scolding from Blake when Yang had walked back into the room in just a towel, she finally re-entered after having opted to leave the room lest the towel miraculously fall away before Yang got dressed. The dark-haired girl’s nervousness returned with a vengeance when she joined Yang, settling down on the bed.

Still wary of what she might hear, she got the conversation started just so they could get it over with. “So, what things should I know about you?”

“First, I want you to know that I haven’t been in any fights as bad as tonight’s. I lied.” Clearly, Blake’s voice had lacked confidence, if Yang was already defending herself – albeit in a roundabout way.

“I never went into that conversation with the intention of using violence to get what I wanted, and I also never intended to use myself or my body as an incentive. It just so happened that Cardin provoked me to hit him by trying to get himself a date and a handful of ass.”

Blake had never seen her friend this serious. Granted, she’d only known her for just over a month, but still. She was also relieved that her earlier apprehension had been misplaced.

“But when you told me that I was good…I just can’t let you say that unless you know the real me, or at least who I’ve been. I left home because my life was a mess, and I hated the image I spent years creating. Thing about this place is, I’m looking for something. Well, someone.”

Seeing no major reaction from Blake, Yang continued. “You see, my mom vanished on the job when I was six. Her name was Summer Rose, and she and dad used to be cops. They never found out what happened to her. I don’t think Ruby even realised what was really going on, but dad, he was overwhelmed with grief. He shut down, leaving me with a four-year-old to care for,” this did garner a reaction in Blake, her mouth opening in slight shock. “I always resented the fact, until I learned why he couldn’t handle it.

“Everything started in Montreal. Dad and Summer did investigative type stuff, and took on a case there. They got teamed up with Qrow and his twin sister Raven, who lived there at the time. After it was all said and done, dad had fallen for my mother, not long after they had little baby me on the way. But it wasn’t Summer dad fell in love with, it was Raven. And she left us right after I was born.”

Yang sounded so bitter. She spat her birthmother’s name with venom, such disdain, that it didn’t even sound like the Yang Blake knew.

“Dad was devastated, and Qrow came back here after it all fell apart. Summer brought my father back home, which eventuated into our happy ever after when they rebuilt together and had Ruby two years after me,” the girl visibly slumped, sighing sadly. “But as you know, that happiness didn’t last.”

Trying to consolidate Yang’s story, Blake put together the pieces. “You came here to look for Raven.”

Yang nodded. “I wanted to get away. It seemed like the perfect place.”

So she wanted to leave, and had the perfect place to escape to, but also had an ulterior motive…

Blake could see how difficult Yang’s childhood would have been, but failed to see what exactly her story had to do with everything. Taking Yang’s hand in her own, she squeezed it supportively, trying to convey her sympathy. “Yang, I’m sorry that happened to you…but wanting to leave doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Yang squeezed back, but her hand retreated soon after. “I agree. But it’s everything else that I did that might, Blake.”

“I gave up my childhood to raise Ruby, because our dad couldn’t. Even though the people in our town tried to help, they couldn’t be Summer. I couldn’t either, but I sure as hell tried. While he was moping around and drinking until he couldn’t stand? I cooked and read Ruby bedtime stories. When I couldn’t rouse him from a hangover or stop him thinking about taking his own life? There was nobody caring for me. It took five years for dad to finally pick himself up, and I tried to make up for the time I’d lost.

“I am everything that I bet you thought I was the second I walked into your life. A party girl that only cared about being popular and looking good,” Blake winced, and Yang knew that she was right, that that’s what Blake had assumed she was. “And you had every right to think that! I hated the pity party everybody threw for our family every day of my life, so I became obnoxiously confident and disobedient to prove to them that I was better than the sad little girl they thought I was. I had every kid in town jealous of my cool rebellious personality,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“The last couple years all I did was drink and do things I regret with people I don’t like. In a way, I gave them my life, let them mould me.  That’s just another way of saying peer pressure gets to us all, though. What did it matter if we were all having fun, our hearts beating fast, and doing dumb shit once night fell? How many times I passed out on somebody else’s lawn and didn’t wake ‘till the sun came up, just trying to cover up how sad I really was,” Yang confessed, voice cracking and wavering.

Blake couldn’t imagine being their age, younger even, and partying until you were inhibited enough to just fall asleep outside. In that area; freezing cold in winter, it would have been dangerous, right? Not having any regard for her health or her safety, Yang slept like a homeless person when she had a bed that was a luxury homeless people could only dream of. It did seem like Yang knew she had made an error in acting like an ungrateful bum, though, otherwise she wouldn’t have been pouring her heart out like it was about to break from the guilt weighing it down. As much as Yang had embodied the type of person Blake loathed to be associated with, underneath it all was just as much of a girl that had a less than preferable upbringing. Only until too late had Yang realised that…and it was that similarity to herself that Blake found hardest to accept. She hadn’t lost two moms like Yang, but she knew that the way she grew up had ended up being bad for her future, and so she too had left it behind.

“But last year, I came to a crossroads,” Yang’s voice tore her away from her thoughts, not having finished her story. “I realised, fuck, I’m supposed to be graduating and I’ve only got passing grades and fake popularity to my name! I started to finally hear everything my friends had been saying behind my back, and for the first time in years I cried myself to sleep. And it’s pathetic, because I’m saying this like it’s a sob story that I didn’t write myself.”

“Yang, please,” she spoke, lilac eyes catching her own in a fixed gaze. “I understand, and I don’t blame you. Maybe you made some mistakes, maybe you didn’t do all the right things. But everyone makes mistakes. It’s what you do to try and fix them that matters to me, and you did a wonderful thing for Sun.” She knew Yang shouldn’t blame herself for the things she had done; her behaviour was warranted; she had hardly been raised to act any better. People with better childhoods had done worse.

Yang couldn’t stop the liberation she felt from revealing her feelings, nor the happiness from Blake’s kind words. But it still wasn’t enough to be convinced. “I feel like even though I’m tryin’ really hard, I still can’t do things right…maybe if I had spoken to Cardin differently, it wouldn’t have ended like it did.”

Society these days was always victim-blaming, and Blake couldn’t stand it. “It was Cardin who was doing the wrong thing. Don’t you dare feel guilty about him trying to take advantage of you, so help me, Yang,” she said hotly, her frustration beginning to show.

“Alright, alright,” Yang acquiesced at her insistence. “Sometimes I think you’re too nice to me. I haven’t known you for long, and I kinda barely know anything about you. Yet you’re still the best friend I’ve ever had.”

Blake could easily say the same about Yang – well, she knew a lot more about her now. The girl was barely the person she’d described herself to be anymore. She had a feeling that Yang was a good person all along, but hadn’t been able to see it after all her hardship. Blake just wasn’t ready, or prepared, to reveal her own issues to someone she’d known for such a short time.

“I don’t like to talk about my past, but there’s things I should tell you. Just…not yet.” Detecting it was a sensitive topic for her, Yang nodded easily. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll listen.”

Blake felt lucky that Yang was patient enough; it didn’t seem fair that she’d gotten so much personal information for nothing in return. “You’re too nice too,” she said, shuffling over to Yang to embrace her. “I wanted to do this earlier, after you said you helped Sun because he deserved better. You just had too much blood on you.”

Returning the hug, Yang chuckled. “Fair enough.”

Pulling away, Blake kept her arms around Yang’s neck. “This one’s for everything else.”

As she was hugged again, this time, it felt more like a cozy, comforting, cuddle to Yang. She trusted Blake like she trusted her own sister, and it was almost like if she closed her eyes, she was back home.

“Aw, Blakey,” she uttered, instinctively going into bear-hug mode – the bear-hug Ruby always claimed was bad for her health with how much force was applied. A small squeak was her cue to let go.

Taking in a breath, Blake coughed from the sheer affection – whether it was the physical squeezing or the emotion, she wasn’t sure. But she was sure of something else. “I’m not accepting ‘Blakey’ as a nickname.”

“I’d like to see you stop me from using it,” Yang stuck her tongue out childishly.

Before she could even register the words coming out of her mouth, Blake retorted, “Put that tongue back in your mouth unless you plan on using it,” unable to stop herself from finishing her sentence, she blushed furiously. “Oh my God! I’ve spent too much time around you!” She pointed at Yang, who was barely containing herself in hilarity.

“I’m forgetting that ever happened! Let’s get to work on that assignment right now.”

Recovering from her giggles, Yang sheepishly looked away. “You mean start the assignment…”

“You haven’t even started?”

Blake sounded pissed off now. Yang knew that she had dropped the ball with this, but hadn’t been able to admit it to her yet, not when the girl hadn’t learned about her past. “This is what I was worried about! I haven’t tried with my schoolwork in years, and now, I’m letting you down! I always get so distracted with the football, and the fun things!”

Blake addressed her sternly, formulating an idea that could help whip her friend into academic ship-shape. All she had to do was get Yang to agree. “If we’re gonna get it done, you need to commit to it, Yang.”

“I can’t commit when I don’t know if I can,” she said, “that’s unfair to you.”

“Then I’ll help you break out of your bad habits. What you have to do is say a definitive goodbye to your old life.”

The blonde seemed unsure, a pensive expression on her features. “That sounds great, but how?”

Taking her own moment to ponder the how, Blake came out swinging with everything that she could think of, hoping Yang would take something and run with it. “Anything we can do for you to feel some sort of closure. One last time, you act like a rebel. We can take the bus, go anywhere in town, do something stupid. We could fall asleep on the ground with the sounds of nature, if you wanted,” she paused, as Yang began to slyly grin, a tiny spark in her eyes.

“I want it. I want all of that, and I wanna remember doing all that dumb shit with you. A moment good enough I could frame it. But I think it needs one final touch.” Blake gestured for her to go on, and Yang waggled her finger in denial. “Nuh uh, this one’s a surprise!”

“I’m starting to think you’re liking this a bit too much,” Blake replied sarcastically, giving Yang her moment. By the end of the month, she’d have a fully committed partner – it was a bonus that she could also help Yang start a new chapter.

Yang enthusiastically jumped up, the whole bed moving in her wake. “You have no idea!”

A week before Halloween, Yang was taking Blake somewhere in town. Though it had been her suggestion to go out and do something, Yang had taken the reins and told her she had the perfect place in mind, despite Blake’s assumption that the girl new to town wouldn’t have a clue about where to go. They had also taken the bus – at Blake’s insistence – as she knew Yang wasn’t allowed to take passengers on her motorbike. Not that Blake wanted to be on that beast of a machine anyway.

Blake felt out of place, sitting on public transport in a ‘hot’ outfit – that was at Yang’s insistence – in the evening. When she’d shown up on Qrow’s doorstep, the door had swung open to reveal Yang dressed as what only could be described as quite literally the definition of hot young woman. Blake almost envied the way Yang’s skin hugging black pants only served to emphasise her long and well-toned legs. Underneath a brown leather jacket that was stylishly asymmetrical looked to be something orange, and she had tall leather boots to match.

Blake always felt she looked plain, and Qrow had said she dressed in a lot of black…yet there Yang was, making the same kind of pants Blake wore look amazing. Though her own pants were a dark purple hue, they were also trendily tight, and her black boots were also tall, enough to bring her eye to eye with Yang. She decided that since it was still cold, she wouldn’t need to take off her white vinyl jacket that hid a cropped black top.  Blake had always wanted to wear this somewhat revealing item, but never had the guts to – either she was inspired by Yang, or knew that the possibility that it was going to be shown was small. Or both. It’s not that she didn’t own clothes that were complimentary to her body, it’s just that she preferred to not bring attention to it.

But it only served to boost her self-esteem when Yang had taken in her white, purple and black ensemble, finally telling her, damn, you’re drop dead gorgeous. And Blake believed her.

Beside her, the blonde was almost wiggling in her seat, all her energy directed into her knees that couldn’t stop bouncing. It was funny how a simple thing had made Yang this happy. All Blake had done was agree to do some ‘stupid’ things, that she’d probably never done before herself.

It’d be an experience to say the least.

She felt an elbow nudge into her arm repeatedly, Yang leaning over and speaking in an excited whisper, “Almost there Blakey!” To her dismay, the nickname had stuck. It was painfully obvious that she could indeed do nothing to stop Yang using it.

“Can you please refrain from calling me that in public?”

Grinning like a madwoman, Yang threw an arm around her shoulders. “Fine, fine. Tonight, you get to be grownup, hot yet mysterious, Blake Belladonna!”

That sounded awfully suggestive. “What do you mean by that?”

Springing up from the seats, Yang prepared to disembark as the bus came to a stop. “You’ll find out a minute!”

Joining Yang before she lost the very spirited girl, they stepped down to the sidewalk. Hauled across the pavement, Blake finally got what had made Yang so…crazy. Taking in the signage, in all its glory before them was Ozpin’s Bar.

“No. No way.”

“We’re doing something stupid Blake, gotta break a few rules,” Yang gleefully said.

As Yang continued to drag her, they passed the short waiting line of people, and Blake could only focus on not tripping over. “This isn’t breaking rules, this is breaking the law! We won’t get in there anyway.”

The doorman looked up from checking a patrons’ ID to the two underage girls, Blake instantly recognising his face. “Welcome to Ozpin’s, ladies. Don’t cause any trouble now, ya hear?” He greeted, ushering them both in the door without a fuss. As they walked further into the halls, the music grew louder. It wasn’t obnoxious, bass-heavy beats, but rather more tame and alternative.

Yang spoke in Blake’s ear to combat the ambiance. “Don’t worry, Qrow is good friends with the owner. He won’t get in trouble and neither will we!”

Yang’s uncle was an ex-cop and had no issue letting them in. But maybe letting her choose their activity hadn’t been the best idea.

Finding that Ozpin’s wasn’t a nightclub, Blake felt slightly less worried about enjoying herself here. Apart from the crippling anxiety from being a kid in a bar, of course. It had dim lighting, but it created a warm atmosphere, and wood mixed with steel gave the walls a modern look. There was a bar situated at the back, away from the floor where many people swayed to the music.

“This is so my scene! You gotta dance with me, Blake!”

Dance? No way. “You can drag me here but you cannot make me dance.”

Not able to get Blake to change her mind with a pout, Yang opted for a more…conventional method. “Let’s see what a few drinks can do to you then!”

“Only if you’re paying for them!” Blake shouted as they passed the dancefloor, willing to accept a free drink if that meant she could avoid busting a move with Yang, who probably had great dancing skills.

Laughing, Yang unzipped her jacket. Underneath, not unlike Blake’s own, was a tank top that showed off a reasonable amount of stomach. And cleavage. “Who said I’ll have to pay to get ‘em?”

Seeing where she was going with her display, Blake, feeling particularly daring, also unzipped her jacket. “We can double our efforts.” Her crop top was much more liberal in displaying all that she had to offer, only completely covering her breasts, leaving a lot more skin on show than Yang.

Although Yang had clearly distinct abdominal muscles and a larger bust size, Blake had stunned her. She hadn’t even imagined what Blake had been wearing, but now, again, she was convinced she might be just a little gay. Picking her jaw up off the floor, Yang tried not to stare. “Wow, um, wow,” she babbled, not coming up with anything remotely complimentary. “You…I think you tripled our efforts.”

Taking in flustered Yang, Blake started to understand why her friend enjoyed teasing so much. It was fun, and there was certain feeling of triumph. “Stare any more and I’m gonna have to start charging you.”

Yang however, took her words in stride, fist pumping. “Yes!” Pointing at Blake, she seemed rather approving of Blake’s attitude. “I love it when you’re feisty!”

Following Yang’s lead, they both sauntered over to the bar, hovering around, pretending to be contemplative for a few minutes. Apparently, fortune favoured the brave, because it wasn’t long before the bartender was waving them over, informing them that a multitude of people wanted to pay for whatever they wanted to drink.

Yang listed off a very fruity sounding cocktail and gave an order for Blake, starting her off with something she promised tasted better than it sounded. As she was handed hers, Blake wondered what exactly it was, but liked the way the orange and red liquid resembled a majestic sunset.

“One Sex on the Beach for you, one Strawberry Sunrise for me!”

Blake deadpanned. “Really?”

“Yeah, like I said, don’t knock it till ya try it!”

Taking a sip, she found that Yang was telling the truth. “Sex on the beach sounds good until you get sand in places it shouldn’t be. Good thing that has the nice taste without the sand,” Yang explained, having already downed her whole glass.

Agreeing with the statement, Blake scrunched her face up at the mere thought of sand down there. It sounded painful. “I hope you’re not talking from experience, Yang.”

“Thankfully I’m not,” Yang replied, turning back to get a refill. The glass came back with something new in it, Yang mentioning that her favourite sweet drink was barely alcoholic at all.

After a few generous customers at Ozpin’s had satisfied their thirst, they began to feel the buzz of the alcohol. Blake had said that was enough for them, and Yang was inclined to agree. She got a bit out of hand when she got drunk, and Qrow had only allowed them entry on the condition that they stay out of trouble. It just so happened that Blake’s first drinking experience hit her just a bit more than it did Yang after the last drink was gone, with the girl donning a drunk smile Yang knew she’d worn too many times herself.

Unperturbed in her state of mind, Blake had lost her usual reserved demeanour, her eyes wondering down Yang’s body several times. Shrugging coyly every time she was caught didn’t prevent her from doing it every few minutes, like she had amnesia, or maybe she just didn’t care. Yang snorted to herself as she did recall that when they met, Blake stared at her chest. Perhaps her friend did swing for the other team, or both – not that it mattered. She could respect that Blake wasn’t afraid to let her guard down, acting without subtlety. She figured that Blake probably just thought her abs looked good – because they did – and felt some friendly jealousy. Yang was in no way unhappy with herself, but she could admit Blake had an ass that she just couldn’t compare to.

Feeling that it would be beneficial and totally not selfish to see Blake flaunt her stuff, she guided her over to the dancefloor. As she made to weave through the people, Blake tugged, refusing to venture further. Her lips mouthed too loud, drunkenly missing her ears and gesturing way above her head.

Fine with staying on the edge of the fray, Yang took Blake’s hands and started to swing along to the beat of the music, to coax her into the rhythm. “Show me your moves, Blake!” She laughed.

As the bodies around them bumped into Blake, she clung to Yang’s open jacket, trying not to fall. She clearly had lost her footing as Yang was pulled down a bit, using her strength to bring Blake to her body and haul her to her feet. “I got you, don’t worry,” she steadied her friend as she regained her balance.

Eventually, Blake found a rhythm – it wasn’t the one of the music, but her own, and Yang went with that. Every time Blake’s eyes found hers, she made a stupid face, each time eliciting more and more snickers. It surprised her that nobody had approached them tonight, looking for something more than just a pretty face and body to give drinks to. In the end, it was probably better that way. It wasn’t her fault if the reason might have been that people assumed they were there together.

Yeah, it was better that way.

Finally, at midnight, Qrow’s shift ended and he found them still rocking along inside. Having sobered up slightly, the girls felt tiredness creep up on them and were happy to follow him as he finished up and they exited into the alley. The black-haired girl was nodding off in the backseat as soon as they got into the car, and Yang was unable to keep her happiness off her face.

“Looks like you had a good time then,” her uncle noted quietly, “I didn’t think you’d be able to get a girl like her to have fun your way.”

“I think she enjoyed letting loose for one night. She caught on quick too.”

He chuckled. “You’re welcome. But don’t ever tell anybody that I helped.”

“Don’t get all good cop, bad cop on me,” she joked, “but seriously, thanks. Again.”

As they rolled down the street, Yang saw the moon, big and bright. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. A perfect way to end the night, she thought.

Once they were home, a sleepy Blake leant on her as they walked through the house and out the back door. Her uncle gave her a few blankets bidding them goodnight and mumbling about how kids were weird as they walked out into the grass.

Laying a picnic blanket down, Yang then settled on it, and Blake processed what was happening. “We’re actually doing the ground thing?” She yawned, just accepting it for what it was and laying down too. There was a blanket and Yang was warm – it’d suffice. Yang tucked them under the fleece and tossed the edge over their heads as Blake cosied up to her, no doubt trying to steal her body heat. “Tonight was fun. I can see why you like to do that stuff, it’s kind of liberating.”

“Exactly. Feeling free is one of my vices. I’m glad you liked it too,” Yang said, sensing herself starting to drift off. An owl hooted nearby, and she felt Blake jolt, the reaction scaring her more than the owl had.

Blake pressed a bit closer. “If that bird tries to eat us it’s your fault. And if it gets too cold, you’re carrying me inside.”

Yang took that as a fair request, relaxing into the soft cushion that thick grass provided. “I’ll protect you from the scary bird, Blake. Goodnight.”

Blake’s soft reply came as she fell into her slumber. “G’night.”

Notes: 

Song: 'Bummin''

This song was hard to write a story to, especially when my original plan for the chapter was about 4 words long. Basically, it's just Yang deciding to change her ways.

I'd love for y'all to join me on here, I definitely will post how the latest chapter's going, I have an open ask box if you wanna use/abuse that, I would even give sneak peeks if that's what was requested. You can also find my main blog from my page, where I post a lot about the bees and make shitposts that are actually too real ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[fairyqueennerd]

Gratitude Day-95

A/N- This is a fanfiction on BTS i wrote in Amino, if you are reading this i hope you enjoy.

“Today is the day?”

“Yes, it is. Didn’t we discuss it already now get up.”

Taehyung was still sleepy, though they had already decided among themselves and even this was his very own idea, he didn’t want to get up just yet.

“Okay, you sleep a bit more, I will start.” Saying so Jimin ruffled his hair and went out of the room, all of Tae’s mind was filled with the idea of lying down and going back to his dreams but suddenly he remembered what all they did yesterday to prepare for today and he was not going to let poor Jimin do it all.

He made the bed just like they had decided and looked at the clock 5am so they had two hours in their hands.

Today they were going to celebrate ‘Gratitude day-95’, it was decided between Jimin and himself ,a week before. They were sitting together and watching their old concert videos and were reminiscing all those happy memories and sad memories they have faced along the way.

That started the discussion of how grateful they were to be where they are today. They remember the time they became trainee and the people who helped them to join the group, their parents, their fans and most importantly the members.

That day they first called their Mentors to thank them, they were kind off caught off guard by their sudden call and at the same time were very happy, discussing the old days always filled them with so many emotions that is difficult to express all together.

The next day they called their parents and had a very long and heartfelt talk with them, which made them miss their family a lot but still it also made them realise the happiness they felt with the present family they were living with, who always stood with them and meant the world to them, so today they were going to do everything that would make them happy.

Yesterday they declared that they were having a duo party in their room and would be sleeping together so requested the other members to not disturb them, they complained a bit like how they take advantage of the fact that they are born in the same year and had schooling together, but they also know how deep bond the 95 liners share and they cherish that, so nobody even knocked, once they started their party.

They firstly had a nice and healthy dinner, then they had a karaoke party after that watching movie and lastly; when they were quite sure that others won’t barge in or must be already sleeping, discussed their plan for tomorrow.

Jimin was already in the kitchen for preparing breakfast, it was Tae’s duty to select clothes for the members and make the bathroom ready. Everything was done till 6 am and the next hour for decoration as they had already decided.

The decorated the hall, with balloons and flowers and in between their calligraphed ‘Gratitude Day’ till 7 everything was done neatly and the duo were quite satisfied with the results, now it was time to wake the members, Jimin was in charge of waking Jin, Suga and RM while Tae was supposed to wake J-Hope and Jungkook.

“Jin Hyung wake up” Jimin said pulling the covers off the elder maknae.

“Ah Jiminah! You want to sleep with Hyung?” Jin answered with sleepy eyes.

Though Jimin was tempted to have a nap, he resisted but he could bet that his eyes were more puffy than normal cuz of lack of sleep.

“No Hyung, this is for you.”

Saying so he handed a card to Jin and left the room.

The front of the card was cut in a wave pattern and a beautiful red rose was drawn over it, opening he had to open again to the right inside there was a message or rather a letter.

“To Jin Hyung,

Hyung you have been there for us in every difficult situation and have been taking care of us like your little brothers from the very beginning, you cook for us and its always delicious, you joke with us and make us laugh a lot, (Jimin is right now laughing remembering one of your jokes) , play with us like a friend and you have a huge heart. Though we make things hard for you, you don’t get angry and never take it to your heart. You are playful but serious at the right moment, with you in the room it’s always a happy environment. We have learnt a lot from you Hyung and we hope that you would keep on caring for us, pampering us and we would keep on learning from you.

Thank you Hyung, we love you.”

The back of the card had a huge red heart with a cute picture of Jimin and Taehyung in the centre.

 X------------------X----------------X

 “Ah Jiminah, you are here to wake me up? I am up already”

Suga was sitting on the bed, blinking to the outside world.

“Oh, Here it is for you.”

The card was of the same pattern but with a white rose in the front.

“To Yoongi Hyung,

We really appreciate your personality Hyung, you made us respect our music or music in general a lot. You are so dedicated while composing that makes us want to work harder to do a better job. Though you appear to be cold you have the warmest heart that think and care about all of us, though it appears that you like to relax we know how hard working you are and how less you react, though you act like you don’t care we know that you care a lot.

All we want to say is thank you Hyung, you are doing a great job and stay awesome. Love you a lot.”

 X------------------X-----------------X

“Hyung wake up”

“hmmm…………….”

After a series of calling and slight amount of tickling Namjoon was up.

“This is for you.”

This time the rose was of pink colour.

“To Namjoon Hyung,

Hyung you are the perfect leader we could ask for, the way you handle things between us, on the stage and during interviews is already praise worthy. We are so proud of you and wish that you would be proud of us as well. You are a great inspiration to us as well as have an impact on us. Though we sometimes do irritate you, you still love us and don’t mind it a bit. You support us in all our decisions and are the key to all our problems.

Thank you Hyung, we love you a lot.”

 X--------------------X------------------X

Meanwhile Tae,

“Hyung you are up?”

“Yes just woke, aren’t you up a bit early?”

“Ah!, That! …We made this for you, have a look.”

Hoseok was confused by the card that was in his hands right now, it had a yellow rose drawn on it.

“To Hoseok Hyung,

First of all we would like to thank you for letting us to have a sleepover yesterday. Hyung you are the literal meaning of your stage name, all names are beautiful but a few are who come make the meaning of the names to life. You are the hope and optimistic energy of our group and we really appreciate it a lot. Thank you for always showering us with love and caring so much. Your dance is as amazing as it can be and so are you when you work so hard. We both try our level best to get your acknowledgement, (when we are learning new choreography, both of us bet who gets first acknowledged by you) We promise to keep working hard and give our best with you as our energy.

Thank you Hyung love you a lot.”

 X------------------X------------------X

 “Jungkook wake up.”

……

“Wake up!”

…..

For a moment he felt like leaving the maknae alone for a bit longer sleep, he was sleeping cutely but then he remembered his mission and shook him up and made him sit.

“Huh Hyung, Morning!” Jungkook said in a drowsy state.

“This is for you.” Tae left after ruffling Jk’s hairs.

The card this time had a blue rose design.

“To Jungkook,

Our cute little baby, we have watched you grow over the years, from a shy little boy to one who can easily bully us. You have worked so hard for your own growth as well as for us all and we are thankful to you for that. You play with us and understand us and our moods well. You can act like a spoiled child but at times you are a full-grown adult, we appreciate it a lot. We have tons to learn from you and grow further.

And it remains a fact that you are always our golden maknae and we love you a lot.

Thank you.”

X----------------X--------------X

After some time all the members gathered in the hall in the clothes that we put up in their room by Tae, they had a confused look on their faces which turned into surprised one seeing the decoration of the hall, a projector was on showing their group pictures and in the very middle the table was filled with breakfast and the two boys in question were standing with a smile on their face like excited children.

“Good morning everyone have a seat and enjoy your breakfast.”

They said in one tune, others just followed what they were told still a bit surprised but at the same time happy.

“Hope you liked the card we gave you. Today we are celebrating Gratitude day from us.” Jimin Said pointing towards him and Taehyung.

“We are always thankful to you for supporting and encouraging us.” Taehyung said.

“Guiding us, loving us and accepting us.” Jimin said.

Taehyung started the presentation they had prepared, showing small clips from their previous concerts and a lots of group pictures along with ones with individual members, their song 2!3! playing in the background.

“Lastly we want to share a short poem we made for this occasion.” Tae said once the presentation was over.

“We all started being unknown,

But all the love and care you all have shown,

Can’t be expressed by words alone.

 For the time you all have supported us,

To all the Knowledge you all have imported in us,

Is something that can’t be afforded by us.

 All we can do is constantly be thankful,

Express our love and be joyful,

Cheers to our members who are wonderful.

 Thank you now and always.”

All members clapped hard for the beautiful poem along with all the wonderful things they had done for them today, everyone shared a moment they were most grateful towards each other, soon they emotional and nostalgic mood was changed into joyous and happy one as they started singing and dancing together.

After all the celebrations were nearly over the ones to fall into deep slumber were the 95 liners but that was okay after all they made every one’s day a lot better and more memorable.