Monochrome Week!

…Except Blake hadn’t invited anyone else to hang out today. Which wouldn’t normally mean anything, but when Blake had invited her over the phone, she had sounded more nervous than usual. Her normally cool tone was replaced by a slight nervous stuttering that those less perceptive than Weiss might not have caught onto. But Weiss had noticed. She had noticed and shoved down the hope that briefly rose in her—the hope that Blake had invited her on a date. Or on a romantic-ish outing rather than a friend-hang-out thing.

Stop getting your hopes up, Weiss chided herself. It was all in your head. This isn’t a date.

There. She could think logically for two seconds, couldn’t she?

But then Blake’s hand brushed against hers. And then Blake curled her fingers around Weiss’s. And they were holding hands.

And Weiss’s brain short-circuited.

“You’re…uh, hands…warm. Nice, I mean,” Weiss rambled.

Blake blinked at her and Weiss mentally wrote herself a checklist for later:

Laugh it off with Blake so she doesn’t think you’re a complete dolt

Punch yourself in the face, and finally:

Never speak again ever. Ever. Just don’t do it.

“Um, what?” Blake giggled softly and oh, Weiss you’re in trouble. She’s going to be the end of you.

“I was, um, just saying the weather is warm and nice,” Weiss rushed the words out, a bright blush crawling up her cheeks.

“Oh,” Blake said, strangely casual. Then Blake smirked. “See, I thought what you said was that my hands are warm and nice. But I guess I misheard.”

“I—you—” Weiss sputtered, then grunted, folding her arms. “I didn’t say anything of the sort.”

“Is that so?”

“Nope.”

“Ah, okay. So you wouldn’t mind if I—” Blake started to pull away. “—let go of your hand, would you?”

Weiss’s face was a tomato now, she swore it.

“…I didn’t say that,” Weiss mumbled.

She tugged at Blake’s hand, and Blake obliged, interlocking their fingers together.

“Come on. The spot’s just up ahead.”

—

The spot in question was a secluded area with only a few scrawny trees. Though it didn’t look like much, the area had such an overwhelming feeling of peace that swept over the two of them. It might have only been Weiss’s imagination, but she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this happy.

“Wow,” Weiss whispered. In the corner of her eye, she saw Blake smile.

“Yeah,” Blake said softly, “I know.”

“How’d you find this place?”

Blake’s smile disappeared. “I, um. I used to go here before. With my ex.”

She said the last part bitterly, and Weiss instantly regretted asking.

Weiss, you dolt. That’s why she sounded so nervous on the phone.

“I’m sorry—”

“It’s okay,” Blake said quickly. “I didn’t—I guess, this place used to have nothing but bad memories, but now…it doesn’t hurt as bad anymore to be here, you know?”

Weiss nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

The areas near Weiss’s childhood home had once seemed like terrifying reminders of her past. Some of them still were, if she was being honest. But she had recently begun to meet and reconnect with her siblings near her old home, and she could now remember the beauty she’d seen once there.

“It’s been a long time since…everything happened. I like bringing my friends here now,” Blake continued. She hesitated, then squeezed Weiss’s hand gently. “I like bringing you here. Making better memories with you.”

Weiss’s heart fluttered in her chest.

Something passed over Blake’s face, and then—it wasn’t real, of course Weiss knew it wasn’t—but it was like everything started moving in slow motion. The falling leaves seemed to take ages to reach the ground and Weiss was keenly aware of her own heart pounding drumbeat-loud in her chest.

Crack!

Weiss blinked and looked down.

She’d stepped on a twig. Of course.

Blake leaned back, and Weiss wondered if she saw her face heat up, or if it was just the afternoon light.

—

“Is this your place?”

Weiss asked the question as quiet as a mouse—she didn’t want the afternoon to end, but she was pretty sure she’d reached Blake’s apartment building. Blake lived on the second floor, in a room Weiss had never seen in person because she lived too far away to visit often. The sun had set by now, and stars glittered in the sky above them.

“Yeah, this is it.”

Blake slowed to a stop and Weiss stopped too, feeling like her feet were glued to the ground. She wished she could stay longer. At the same time, she didn’t want to keep Blake standing outside forever.

“So.” Weiss tugged at the corner of her sweater. “I guess I should go.”

Blake stuffed her hands in her pockets, then removed them again, looking everywhere except for Weiss’s eyes. “You can, um. You can stay if you want.”

Weiss tried to ignore her heart rate increasing again.

“You don’t have to,” Blake said quickly.

“No!” Weiss flushed. “Er, I mean I’d like that. To stay.”

“Cool,” said Blake, shooting her a grin. Just as Blake was about to turn to the door again, a light bulb went off in Weiss’s head.

“Wait, Blake?”

Blake paused and turned around, a puzzled look on her face. “Yeah?”

“I, um. I wanted to say…that is, I…I really…” Weiss made a noise that sounded like a frustrated grunt and Blake smiled, not in a teasing way like she often did, but another soft smile that was not helping Weiss’s nerves.

“It’s okay, take your time—“

“Can I kiss you?” Weiss blurted. As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back, but then:

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Blake said, and it wasn’t for the fact that she seemed to be standing solidly on the ground, Weiss definitely thought that she died for a second there.

“You—oh,” Weiss squeaked. Blake leaned forward and Weiss wondered what the last thing she ate was, and did her breath smell weird? What if her her lips were chapped? She’d kissed people before but not like this and not here and not with Blake, beautiful and amazing and confident Blake, and what if Weiss screwed up the kiss or their friendship or everything—

But then their lips met.

And Blake’s arms wrapped around her.

And Weiss cupped her hand around Blake’s cheek.