beeessl:

Also on AO3 here.

Blake and Yang walked together through the streets of Vale. Yang’s heavy brown boots scuffed lazily against the sidewalk in a soft rhythm and their arms brushed at their sides. Butterflies flew in circles in their bellies; neither of them were quite brave enough to hold the other’s hand, but they didn’t want to walk any further away from each other.

“So where are we going?” Blake asked, a rosy blush dusting her cheeks as Yang turned to face her.

“Sorry, not gonna spoil it!” Yang replied, her feet skipping with excitement as they rounded a corner. She lifted a hand and pressed it into the small of Blake’s back, guiding her into a narrow alley and then through a dark wooden door. The scent of roasting coffee flooded Blake’s nose and she turned to Yang as the blonde followed her into the tiny store.

“A coffee date? This is very cliché.” She said, surprised at Yang’s choice.

“Well, look.” She turned Blake around by the shoulders and eyes widened to properly take in what was all around her. The room was filled with shelves stacked deep with old books; hardbacks, leather bound, and old dusty paperbacks. A few tables were dotted between the shelves and the small counter, where one barista worked pulling levers and cleaning hoses on a copper espresso machine. “So it’s a coffee shop, but it’s also a bookstore, and according to my sources it has the best selection of tea on the continent.”

Blake’s mouth dropped open and her eyes wandered around the room; she was enamoured. The place was beautiful, paintings were hung on the wall framed in swirls of brass and dark wood. The shelves sat thick and heavy around the room, smaller ones backed up against each other in between irregularly shaped tables, with each table surrounded by comfortable looking chairs mismatched in pattern and fabric.

“Oh my gosh.”

“So, good?” A flutter of nerves made themselves apparent in the back of Yang’s throat, but she did her best to hide them.

“Yang, I love it.” A content smile spread across Blake’s face and she turned to look at Yang. A matching beam cropped up across Yang’s lips and she huffed out a small breath of relief.

“Why don’t you find somewhere to sit down, and I’ll get us some drinks?” Yang asked and Blake nodded, turning back to look around the packed room. She walked towards the corner of the room, drawing her fingers along shelves as she moved, desperate to gather up as many books as she could possibly carry and take them home. Yang just smiled at Blake’s obvious longing and moved over to the counter to get their drinks.

When Yang walked back to the table with drinks in hand, Blake was nose-deep in a book that she’d picked up in passing. As the the cups clinked onto the table, amber eyes shot up and locked onto the sweetest smile she had ever seen. Blake snapped the book closed and put it down, blushing as she looked at the surface of the table.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, “it was interesting.”

“Hey, no need to say sorry. I’ll buy it for you if you like?” Yang picked up the book and her eye grazed over the title,

“You don’t have to do that, I can-”

“I want to, Blake.” Yang smiled sweetly and placed the book back onto the mahogany table before sitting down in one of the empty chairs. “I asked the barista what I should get you, she said this was good.”

Blake blinked as Yang pushed the teacup towards her, and she took it up in her hands, sniffing carefully before sipping at the contents. “This is delicious, what is it?”

“Salted caramel green tea.” Yang looked back over her shoulder and threw a thumbs up to the barista, who smiled and threw one back. Blake watched, confusion written on her features. “She said that if you liked it, you were a keeper. Impeccable taste and all.”

“Well maybe I should get her to take me out on a date instead?”

Yang’s face fell slightly and she took a sip of her coffee.

“Maybe, but I have a feeling that we were meant to bean, Blake.” She grinned and took another sip. “And I mean, I chose this place espresso-ly for you.”

Blake shook her head and smiled.

“You’re such a nerd.”

“Yeah, but you love me.” Yang winked and shot a finger-gun at her partner, chuckling into her latte.

“I…” Blake paused and looked straight into Yang’s eyes. “I definitely could.”

Now it was the blonde’s turn to blush, and she crept her free hand across the table to link her fingers with Blake’s.

Their cups drained, Yang looked between Blake and the book sat discarded on the table. She took the book in her hand and pushed her chair out a little. “I’d ask if you want another cup of tea, but I think it’d be a case of déjà brew, so I’m just gonna pay for this and then we can go?”

Blake laughed and in a split second decision she leaned forward over the table and pressed a soft kiss to Yang’s lips. Yang’s eyes fluttered closed and for the first time that afternoon her smile was subtle and gentle. Her eyelids peeled themselves open slowly as she realised Blake’s lips weren’t on hers any more, and she watched Blake’s bow twitch almost imperceptibly. “I definitely could, too.”