The rest of the time between then and the following evening was fairly uneventful, and at last it was time for the dance. While the dance didn't actually begin until seven o'clock, Yang and Weiss were both there about an hour beforehand to make sure everything was set up properly. Blake arrived on time, accompanied by Sun, and for the first time in a while she actually felt like herself. The thought of telling Weiss about her feelings still terrified her, but somehow it also brought an odd feeling of comfort that the whole ordeal seemed to be nearing an end.
The dance went very smoothly from the beginning, and apart from Jaune being in a dress, everything was going just as Weiss and Yang had hoped. Everyone was having a good time, including Blake, which brought the morale of team RWBY up dramatically. She and Sun were practically inseparable for the first half of the dance, but eventually Sun was pulled away to be with his team for a while, which gave her and Yang the chance to chat for a bit.
"See? I told you that you'd have fun," Yang said with a smug grin. "So, are you and Sun a thing now? Get over Weiss that quickly?"
Blake blushed and shook her head, "No, we're not, Weiss is still the one I'm after. Although when things don't work out, knowing Sun will take me in a heartbeat is kind of comforting. I feel bad saying he's my second choice though."
"If you say so. Have you thought about what you're gonna say to Weiss yet?"
"Not really. I'm probably just going to be upfront and say it. Like you said, what's the worst that could happen?" Blake replied, actually feeling confident about what she was saying.
Yang smiled, "That's the spirit. I'm glad to see you acting like yourself again. Moping around like that doesn't suit you too well."
"Yeah. Thank you for the talk the other day, it really helped."
"Any time! I've gotta say, I hope things work out between you and Weiss, I think you'd be pretty cute together."
"You really think so?" Blake asked in surprise. While all of her dreams about them as a couple had portrayed it that way, she couldn't imagine Weiss actually acting cute and playful toward her.
"Well, you'd be an... interesting couple to at the least, that's for sure."
Blake grinned, "Yeah, that's one way to put it. I guess all that's left now to figure out the best time to tell her. I know we're signing up for missions tomorrow afternoon, so it needs to be before or after that. I don't want things to be weird if we're going to be fighting together. What do you think?"
"I think you shouldn't wait too long," Yang replied. "I don't know if you'll ever get a perfect moment, so if you see one you think would work, take it. Maybe even here at the dance could be a good time."
"Whoa, whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves. This is definitely not the place for that, there's so many people!"
Yang smiled, "Exactly, she's not about to make a scene in front of so many people, I can't imagine her doing that. It's up to you, but I think—"
"Hey guys, what's up?" Nora interrupted as she merrily walked over to join the conversation. "Man, this dance is awesome! You two doing anything fun?"
"Well, Blake's planning on asking Weiss out," Yang happily replied without a moment of hesitation. Blake's eyes shot open at the comment, and she stared Yang down with a look that said she was going to kill her.
Nora looked at Blake for a moment before making a face and turning back to Yang. She burst out laughing, needing to brace herself on a nearby table to keep from falling over. "No, really, got anything going on tonight?" she asked again, wiping a tear from her eye.
Yang grinned, "No, not really. Although, I've got some ideas in mind. Wanna be my wingman tonight?" Nora instantly agreed, and Yang winked at Blake as she and Nora walked away while Blake was still frozen in shock from what the blonde had just said.
I'm really glad Nora didn't take her seriously, I think I might've actually died if she had. Either that or Yang would've died. Now, about telling Weiss... Would it really be a good idea to tell her here? I guess Yang's right that she wouldn't make a scene, but... I don't know if I'm ready yet. Come on, what am I saying? I fight monsters, why am I so afraid of this? That settles it, I'm telling her here, tonight. This should be fun...
She sighed and looked around the room for Weiss. Eventually she found her over the other side of the room, sitting and talking to Neptune. Shit, that's not good. I mean, it's good for her, but not for talking to her about this. I guess I'll wait till— She cut herself off when she saw Neptune leave to join Scarlett and Sage, and she felt butterflies starting to well up in her stomach. Oh wow, alright, I'm actually doing this now. Stay calm, Blake. Deep breaths, you can do this. Here we go.
"Hey Weiss," Blake cheerfully greeted the heiress after walking over and taking a seat beside her. "Enjoying the dance?"
Weiss nodded, "I think it turned out quite spectacularly. I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself as well."
Blake smiled, "Yeah, it's going great." Her face fell slightly after she finished. Not by much, but it was enough for Weiss to pick up on. Of course, she didn't know the cause of it, and decided to lead with a joke for once since the dance had put her in a rather good mood.
"What's wrong? Sun not quite feminine enough for you?" Weiss teased. Normally, Blake would've laughed and had a comeback ready in an instant, but not right now.
"Look, Weiss, I need to tell you something," she said shakily.
"Is everything alright? I'm not being insensitive about the whole girls thing again, am I?"
Blake smiled and shook her head, "No, that's not it. Well, I guess that actually is part of it. Look, just promise me you won't freak out, okay?"
"Okay..." Weiss hesitantly replied, not sure of exactly what to expect. "I promise, now what's the matter?"
Alright, this is it. You can do this, you can do this.
Blake took a deep breath, let it out, and looked down at the ground. "Weiss, there's a reason I asked you if you liked girls..." she said, her gaze not shifting. "It's also the reason I started acting so depressed after our conversation in the library, and at the end of that afternoon together." It wasn't exactly how she'd planned it to come out, but it was the best she could muster with her head continuing to scream at her not to say anything.
"Why would..." Weiss trailed off as she slowly made the connections in her head. Her eyes widened at the realisation, and her hands shot up to cover her mouth to muffle a loud gasp. "Y-You... I... W-What...? Are you saying that... that you... m-me?"
Blake couldn't help a small giggle from escaping at Weiss' incoherent response. She nodded, "Yeah..."
The two sat in complete silence for over a minute, neither one knowing what to say next. I guess that's better than the reaction I expected... Or maybe this isn't the full reaction yet...
Blake turned back to Weiss, who looked almost too stunned to speak. The heiress' eyes drifted toward the floor and darted from side to side while she thought over what she'd just been told, letting it fully sink in. "Okay..." Weiss began, looking up to meet Blake's gaze. "So... y-you like me? Like, in that way?"
"Yes, I do," Blake replied. The feeling of relief was incredible to have finally said it out loud, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling ear to ear. That feeling didn't last long after seeing a look that resembled something close to horror from Weiss, and she sighed before continuing. "I didn't want to say anything because I was afraid of making things awkward between us, especially after the way you reacted in the library, but I just... I couldn't stop thinking about you. I've started getting better about it, but... I don't know, I just needed to tell you. I promise I won't act on it though, I promise."
"I um... I need to go," Weiss said hurriedly as she stood up and rushed away before Blake had the chance to protest.
"Weiss, wait! I..." she called out, but Weiss was already gone. She sat there for a moment before putting her head in her hands.
Fuck! She hates me! Why did I have to say anything? I was getting over her just fine without saying anything... Fuck!
"Blake?" Pyrrha asked as she came over, making the Faunus girl jump. "Is everything okay?"
She nodded and wiped away a tear, "Yeah, never better."
Pyrrha gave her a sympathetic look and sat down, "I saw Weiss run off... You told her?" Blake nodded, and Pyrrha's sad expression only deepened. "I'm sorry..."
Blake shook her head, "It's not your fault... I knew that's how she'd react, I should've just kept it to myself."
"No, it's good you got it out there. What'd she say after you told her?"
"Nothing really, she just ran off," Blake sadly replied. In her mind, everything was ruined, but Pyrrha had other ideas. She wasn't about to let her friend give up so easily.
"And you just let her?" Pyrrha asked. Blake gave her a confused look in return, so she continued. "You can't just leave it like that, of course things will be awkward then! You need to actually talk through it."
Blake took a moment to think before smiling and giving a nod, "You're right. Thanks, Pyrrha." She stood up and looked over at the door to the balcony Weiss had exited through. She took another deep breath and made her way over, bracing herself for what she assumed would be the most awkward conversation of her life. She slowly walked outside and found Weiss leaning on the railing, looking out over the city. "Hey, are you okay?"
Weiss spun around in surprise, "Oh, Blake... Yeah, I'm fine, I just... I need to be alone right now."
Not happening.
Blake sighed and joined the heiress at the railing, "I'm sorry I was so blunt, but I didn't know what else to do. It's just so different with you being on my team, and me being a Faunus, and... Please don't hate me, I'm sorry I—"
"Hate you?" Weiss interrupted, almost sounding shocked. "I don't hate you. I just... I don't know, I don't know how to react to this."
"Please don't make a big deal about it. It's over now, I've said what I needed to say, and I'm ready to move on. I know you're straight, that's pretty clear, it shouldn't have even been a thought from the start. I know I've made you uncomfortable, and I'm sorry."
"No, that's not what's bothering me," Weiss replied with a conflicted expression.
"Really?" Blake asked in surprise. "Well... what is it then?"
Weiss sighed, "Blake, up until the other day, I had never even considered whether or not I could like another girl. With the way I was raised, it just never occurred to me as a possibility... But when you asked me that, I had to actually stop and think about it. I have so many questions for myself that've come up, and each one seems to lead to more, and I'm just trying to figure things out."
Blake's stomach was practically in her throat as she spoke, "Oh... Have you come up with any answers yet?"
"As a matter of fact, I have," Weiss replied with a little more confidence in her voice than before. "I think it's about time that I accept that I'm not entirely straight. I don't know if I'm somewhere in the middle or not, but I intend to figure it out."
Holy shit holy shit holy shit. Is she really saying what I think she's saying? This can't be real, there's no way.
"O-Okay," Blake stuttered. "So... what are you going to do to find out?"
Weiss gave her an exasperated look, "Really? If you can't figure that out then I can go to someone else and—"
"No!" Blake said quickly. "I mean, I think I know what you're saying, but I want to be sure."
"You said you like me in that way... I don't know if I feel the same way with how new this is to me, but I can say a few things for certain. First, I think you're an incredibly beautiful woman, and I'll admit that sometimes I'm jealous of that. Second, I think that despite your flaws, you're a wonderful person, and I'm glad to call you my friend. You'll make someone very happy, although I'd always thought that person would be Sun. And third... I think that if I want to see how I really feel, toward you or any girl for that matter, then... I need to give it a try."
"What're you saying exactly?" Blake asked with a slight shortness of breath, more as confirmation than as an actual question.
"I'm saying... I want you to take me on a date. We'll see how things work out, how I feel, and go from there... Does that sound alright?"
Blake's face lit up, and the widest smile she'd ever had spread across her cheeks. Never had she thought Weiss would say anything close to this, and it took her a few moments to recover from the overload of joy that was coursing through her mind. She nodded vigorously, "That sounds great! I promise I'll make it the best date you've ever had! I... wow! I can't believe it! I have to tell—"
"Hang on," Weiss interrupted, grabbing Blake's arm before the girl had a chance to run back inside. "I want this to stay between us, alright? At least for now. If it ever got back to my parents that I agreed to go on a date with another girl... Let's just say there'd be problems. Big problems. Not to mention what would happen when they find out you're a Faunus."
"Don't worry, I won't go around telling everyone. Pyrrha and Yang already know about me liking you though, they're the only reason I had the courage to actually tell you in the first place. Do you mind if I tell them? They're already going to ask."
Weiss sighed, "Well, Yang already knows. She was the one who suggested that I go on a date with another girl in the first place. And I guess if Pyrrha already knows then it's fine, but no one else, okay?"
"Got it," Blake happily replied. The two were quiet for a moment, and Blake was the next to speak after a thought crossed her mind. "So... what about you and Neptune?" It wasn't exactly a subject she wanted to talk about, but she knew it had to be brought up.
Weiss shrugged, "Well, he's a really attractive guy, but I can't say I'd ever want to date him. He's not exactly my type."
"And I am?" Blake laughed, and Weiss rolled her eyes.
"I don't know what you are, but perhaps. Speaking of Neptune though, I should probably go find him. He said he wouldn't be long, and he might be looking for me now. He said he wanted us to have a moment alone later."
Blake grinned, "Ooo, I know what that means! You kids have fun! Be safe, use protection!" Weiss glared back at her for a minute before heading back inside, leaving Blake by herself on the balcony. Making a joke like that wasn't usually Blake's thing, but she was too giddy right now to act any better. While everything was still and quiet around her, apart from the echo of the music coming from inside the building, the inside of Blake's head it was anything but.
AHHHH! SHE WANTS TO GO ON A DATE WITH ME! Holy shit, I think I'm going to pass out, this is unbelievable! I actually have a chance to make her like me. Well, I guess that part is still up in the air, but I can make a good impression if she does. Where should I take her? Hmm... Maybe dinner? Probably not, I can't afford to take her anywhere nice. There has to be something good...
"Blake?" Yang asked from the doorway as she cautiously walked outside.
"Oh, hey Yang!" Blake bubbly greeted her.
The brawler gave her a weird look, "You seem awfully... happy. I just saw Weiss come inside looking really mad, did something happen?"
"Oh, I made a stupid joke when she left," Blake replied with a slight giggle. "But yes, I'm very happy. You'll never guess what just happened."
Blake's tone led Yang immediately to one conclusion, and after her conversation with Weiss the other night it seemed like the only possibility. "Whoa, did she—?"
"Everything alright out here?" Pyrrha interrupted as she came out onto the balcony. "I saw Weiss looking rather angry, did you tell her—Oh, hello Yang! Didn't see you at first."
Blake smiled, "Don't worry, she already knows. And Weiss isn't really mad, I was just acting stupid when she left."
"You seem awfully cheerful," Pyrrha replied, returning the smile. She was led to the same conclusion as Yang was, but unlike the blonde she doubted whether or not her hunch could be correct.
Yang grinned, "I think she may have gotten a better reaction from Weiss than she expected."
"That's for sure," Blake said a little louder than she wanted to. She took a second to try to compose herself, but she was still too excited. "I told her how I felt, and she said there's a chance she might actually feel the same way! She wants me to take her on a date and try it out."
Both Yang and Pyrrha's jaws hit the ground at Blake's last sentence. After they recovered from the initial shock, Pyrrha was the first to respond. "Okay, hold on a minute. Are you telling us that Weiss asked you out?" she asked incredulously, and Blake nodded in response. "I don't understand, I thought you said she was straight? And what about the way she's been acting towards Neptune?"
Blake just continued to smile, "She said needs to think about it, apparently she'd never thought it was possible for her to like girls until now. If all goes well on our date, then I might have a girlfriend. If she says she's still into guys, then I guess things will just go back to normal."
"Are you sure?" Yang asked with a concerned look.
"I think so. I've gotten everything out that I need to say, and she's giving me the chance to take her out. If we try and she can't feel the same way toward me now, then I can accept that. We'll just have to wait and see."
"I'm glad to hear that. So does this mean we finally have the Blake we all know and love back?" Pyrrha asked with a growing smile.
The Faunus girl grinned, "Yeah, I think so. Come on, let's go back inside. I've still got a dance or two left in me. And hey, if this can happen, maybe that means there's a chance we can finally get you and Jaune together."
Pyrrha rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I don't think he'd get the idea if I went up to him and kissed him right here and now."
An evil grin spread over Yang's face as they turned to head back in, "Twenty Lien if you do."
"Seriously?" Pyrrha replied with a laugh, raising her eyebrows in amusement. "Hmm... Okay. But just so you know, I would've done it for free."
The three went back inside, and both Pyrrha and Yang held up their end of the deal. To everyone's surprise, Jaune wasn't quite as clueless as they had let on. All in all, it was an interesting evening to say the least. Blake was back to acting like her normal self for the rest of the dance, and there was no awkwardness that she could detect between her and Weiss. Her head was swimming with ideas of how to have the perfect date for them, but she couldn't seem to peg one thing to settle on. Maybe it was the noise and crowd that were distracting her, or perhaps that she was simply still too happy to think clearly, but she didn't mind, because tonight had gone better than she ever would've imagined.