AN: Here's a one-shot I did that somehow ended up over 5000 words. Just a bit of Bumbleby fluff, nothing too serious. I've never done a one-shot before so feedback would be greatly appreciated. I claim no ownership of RWBY or its characters. 'Bean and Gone' is a name a friend suggested, I have no idea whether it actually exists as a café in the real world.

The city of Vale was well known throughout Remnant as a welcoming kind of city. The citizens were friendly and courteous, the shopkeepers pleasant beyond the norm and the general atmosphere was a peaceful one. That's not to say that it was perfect, but compared to most places, Vale had a deserved reputation as a great place to live.

Blake Belladonna certainly seemed to agree as she sat on a well-worn wooden chair outside her favourite shop, 'Bean and Gone' a fairly quiet coffee shop situated just off the main road. When she could find the time, Blake would spend entire afternoons sat there with a drink and a book. On occasion she would forgo the book and watch the people milling about the streets, listening to the bustle of men and women rushing about their busy lives. By now she had worked out a routine. She would finish an evening shift, sneak in the bare minimum amount of sleep to remain vaguely coherent the next day and set off for Bean and Gone, stopping on the way to grab a bite to eat. Whilst there were many cakes and such on offer here, none of them were particularly nice and if she was honest, Blake would admit that the main draw of Bean and Gone was somewhere to sit down and relax.

Had she the aptitude for it and a good deal more patience than she was blessed with, Blake could have counted and named the fancy cars and immaculate suits of the people roaring by. There was something so therapeutic about seeing other people in a rush to get somewhere when you have nothing to do.

The corner of her lip curled upwards at that thought, rare for her but she certainly found this amusing. She worked harder than most of these people but her hours were kind and she often got her relaxation like this, slouching back in the chair, her chair, and enjoying the warmth on her pale face as the sun lazily made its way across the sky.

Eyes barely open as she basked, Blake reached around blindly for her steaming coffee only to discover that her mug was empty. Mildly disappointed, she heaved herself out of her personal throne and headed inside for a refill.

The inside of Bean and Gone was far from aesthetically appealing; the bulky counter and coffee machine too large for their place opposite a slightly raised section of the shop. Walls that had been tiled in a deep red and a pale green were visually jarring and the old fashioned bell that rang when the door opened had been replaced by a screeching metallic buzzer, always too loud and unpleasant. There was a reason why Blake sat outside after all. Still, a lot of this made the place more endearing. It was just something about the atmosphere that was a calming influence on people and she would often witness complete strangers talking like lifelong friends inside. The colour palette was still nauseating though.

Fortunately for Blake, the colours were much lighter and blurred into one another as a result of looking at the sun, even if it was through closed eyes. Signalling the current barista she quietly ordered a refill, paid and turned around to walk outside again. Her book she had brought this afternoon came highly recommended from a friend, but Blake was having a hard time getting into it. She just couldn't empathise with the protagonist, though from what she had heard it got a lot better in the second half of the novel.

Knowing that she would have a good while before she had to head back home, she sat back in her chair and prepared to get a good chunk read. A light breeze had started whilst she was getting her drink and it was beginning to pick up. Casting her head skyward, Blake frowned at the ominous grey clouds lurking overhead; she had absolutely no intentions of getting soaked and would head home early if need be.

"Well that won't do. Can't have a pretty face like yours ruined by a frown now, can we?"

Jerking her head back down in surprise, Blake looked at the figure stood before her. A wild mane of golden hair framed a face sporting a confident smirk. Beads of sweat hung on her forehead and several loose strands of hair her stuck to her face. The gym bag slung over her shoulder was an indication that this girl took care of herself, and her well-muscled figure was further proof. A bright yellow tank top that Blake would have sworn was several sizes too small clung to her torso, broad shoulders and slender yet muscular arms being well defined by the tightness of the clothing. Blake was fully prepared to continue her visual inspection of this mysterious woman but was interrupted by a hand thrust towards her invitingly.

"Yang Xiao Long. It's good to make your acquaintance!"

Gingerly, Blake took the proffered hand with her own and gently shook it, not used to such forward behaviour.

"B-blake Belladonna." She struggled out; seemingly nervous around this woman she had just met. This wasn't like her! Normally Blake would have come up with some witty and snarky put-down and left it at that, but this blonde bombshell had reduced her to a stuttering wreck.

"Are you any good with directions? I'm just visiting Vale and all I know is the address I'm staying at, could you perhaps help me out?" Blake could have sworn that Yang had batted her eyelids as she said that but she pushed it to the back of her mind as a slight blush dusted her cheeks. She caught herself staring at the subtle curves of Yang's torso, the way her top accentuated her… assets.

"Hello? Earth to… Blake was it? Can you help me or not?"

Shaking her head Blake realised she'd been staring at Yang, and that knowledge was doing nothing to help her unwanted blush disappear. Still, she knew she could help Yang out and was perfectly prepared to do so, if only out of curiosity. It wasn't often she found herself on the back foot talking to anyone, and she wanted to know more about this girl who could seemingly do it at will.

"Sure. What's the address?" Blake asked with a greater degree of confidence than earlier, able to ignore the awkwardness of the situation in favour of helping Yang. After all, giving directions was something she ended up doing on an almost daily basis, so she was able to settle into the familiarity of that and use that as a means of support. She secretly hoped that the address would be somewhere hard to find, somewhere that was beyond a simple map. Somewhere where it would be far more convenient to have someone show you.

"Erm, give me a second, I just need to find it," Yang started, rummaging around in her gym bag. As she did so, her eyebrows scrunched together slightly and the end of her tongue poked out from between her lips in what Blake assumed was a 'concentration' face. Chuckling slightly at the sight, Blake was brought back round by Yang's victorious cry as she retrieved a slip of paper from her bag and held it above her head triumphantly.

"Aha! Found the little bugger! Anyway, it's at… 21 Beacon View. Huh, is that Beacon like the college?"

Blake smirked at this; it seemed like Yang hadn't looked at the address before now. How on earth she would have found it without help, Blake didn't know because the streets around Beacon College were a maze that seemed designed to trap the unwary. The names of the streets weren't particularly helpful either; there was Beacon View, Beacon Road, Beacon Common which connected most of the streets but was unhelpfully one-way, Beacon Avenue, Beacon Crescent, Beacon Terrace, Beacon Terrace South and Beacon Street. It seemed Blake would have to help her after all.

Resisting the temptation to down her coffee in one gulp, if only to avoid burning her tongue, Blake took as large a sip as she dared and nodded at Yang with a warm smile, "You're lucky you found someone with knowledge of the area. If it's alright with you, I'll just finish my drink and we can be on our way."

Yang quickly consented and dragged an unused chair over from an adjacent table, sitting down opposite Blake as she finished her coffee. Whilst such scrutiny made Blake slightly uncomfortable, especially from Yang for some reason, a question at the forefront of her mind took precedence and she quizzically looked at the blonde.

"Yang, why did you talk to me?"

"Huh?" Was all the reply she got back, Yang seemingly confused by the question so she tried again.

"You know, why did you come up to me specifically? There are many people in Vale who could have helped you, why ask me?"

Yang pondered this for a good while, and Blake started to wish she hadn't said anything at all. Trying to ignore the cute look of Yang with her 'concentration' face yet again, Blake busied herself finishing the still hot coffee. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was too warm for consumption, and Blake was reduced to hanging her tongue out of her mouth like a madwoman in a vain attempt to cool it down. She was so glad Yang was preoccupied thinking, as she really, really didn't want to be caught looking quite this ridiculous.

"Well I guess it's because you looked like you knew your way around town. Also, I didn't want to interrupt someone who might have been really busy for something not really that important. I guess those are the main reasons." Yang mused, and Blake was faintly disappointed, though she couldn't quite figure out why.

Feeling a sudden desire to get moving, Blake moved to stand up before stopping, remembering the reason the two girls were still sat in the first place. Against her better judgement, Blake downed the rest of her coffee and scalded not only her tongue but her entire throat. Braving the pain as best she could, a few tears started building but Blake forced them down; she didn't want Yang thinking she was some form of idiot.

"C-come on Yang, it's this way," she managed out, still pained from her near-coffee experience, "It's a bit of a trek but I'm sure you're up to it."

Yang smiled a genuine, honest smile, and Blake felt her heart flutter momentarily before regaining control, annoyed that her composure had slipped momentarily. Still, she had certainly enjoyed the blonde's smile and was hoping to see a good deal more of it on their walk through town. Taking the lead, she wandered along the street with Yang in tow, book casually clutched in her hand and completely forgotten.

Beacon College was situated on the main route into Vale, and Blake was pretty certain Yang would have walked past it on the way into town without knowing. Whilst the actual distance to Beacon View was only about a mile and a half as the nevermore flies, the winding and unhelpful road structure would roughly double that distance and hopefully give the two girls enough time to talk.

"So Yang. Why are you in Vale? You said something about visiting?" Blake deliberately led with her question, hoping to spark a conversation.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I'm staying with my sister. She goes to Beacon and chose to live here, and it's been ages since I saw her. I guess I'm just being a good sister. What about you? I mean, how long have you lived here?"

"I-I've lived here for most of my life. Before that there was…" Blake trailed off as she abruptly realised just what she was saying. There were things she would rather not reveal to anyone, even if they happened to be a frustratingly intriguing blonde who was currently regarding her with a raised eyebrow.

"Go on." Was all she said but it was all she needed to say. Blake knew she'd slipped up and now had an incredibly awkward conversation ahead of her, one she'd really rather not have. Sighing, she began to explain but was stopped by a cool drop on her cheek.

Looking up, Blake could only grimace as she saw that those clouds gathering earlier had become fully formed rain clouds, and by the looks of it they were beginning to open significantly. Yang evidently saw this too, and turned to her companion, a bemused expression on her face.

"So… run?"

"Run!" Blake agreed, quickly accelerating from the gradual amble they had been at. She quickly reached a full sprint, the heavy book in her hand disrupting her balance somewhat but she kept on running regardless. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Yang was about a pace behind, a scowl on her face as her golden hair started to get damp.

Blake knew that by the time they reached Beacon View they would both be soaked to the bone. Already she was feeling the drop in temperature and the unpleasant sensation of her clothes sticking to her, and it wasn't going to get better any time soon. Debating with herself briefly she decided to take a chance and took a right at the next junction.

By now the rain was coming down thick and fast, a haze before them reducing visibility to barely twenty feet. The constant splashing in the gutter echoed around the street and drowned out all attempts at conversation. Miniature rivers were flowing along the tarmac, across the paving slabs and down the sewer grates to join a swiftly swelling torrent thundering along beneath them. By the time the two had reached their destination, both were literally dripping with water and shivers uncontrollably wracked their bodied. Blake heard Yang saying something but she couldn't quite make out the words. Fumbling with her keys, she hurriedly opened the door and they rushed into the house, slamming the door behind them.

"Wel-welcome to m-my home." Blake struggled out between breaths, still exhausted from the sprinting they had done earlier. Placing her now soaked book on a radiator, she led Yang out of the porch and into the front room. Not bothering with the usual tour of her house, Blake simply flopped down on a nearby armchair and let out a large sigh. She knew the fabric would be ruined but at the moment she didn't really care, content to sit here and sink into the relative comfort of the chair.

"There's a shower through the hall, first left. If you want any clean clothes then take some from my room, it's just across from the shower. Oh, and whilst you're up, could you please turn the radiator in here up? I'm freezing here."

Blake wasn't trying to be rude but she was sure it came out that way. A slight grimace adorned her face as she realised this and was about to say something, but Yang had already walked passed, her damp clothes clinging to her body even more than usual and causing Blake to do a double take.

It wasn't often she stared at people like this, but for Yang she was more than willing to make an exception. The thigh-high boots Yang wore had been left in the porch to drip dry, and Blake could see the full extent of the blonde's long, curvy legs that led up to sashaying hips. Blake was sure Yang wasn't doing it deliberately but damn if that wasn't sexy! The almost criminally short pants Yang was wearing were stuck to her form and Blake had to force herself not to stare lest she be caught looking. That yellow tank top that before looked revealing was now even more so, and was complimented by the soaked hair splayed over the back of it, the water droplets falling down and soaking her carpet but she didn't really care. She was busy enjoying the view.

Yang had taken her time in the shower, and by the time she came out dressed in a grey pair of slacks and a black vest of Blake's, the living room had reached sub-tropical levels of warmth. The radiator had been on full blast for a while now and Blake had spent her time watching the storm developing outside. Rivulets of rain meandered down the windows and pooled on the sill, the fierce gusts of wind then taking the water and flinging it out across her small garden. Due to the poor fitting of the windows, whenever the wind picked up a sharp whistling could be heard throughout the room and every time it did, Blake flinched instinctively.

"Are you sure you don't mind me wearing these? You didn't have much in my size so I took what would fit." Yang mumbled as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She wasn't exactly comfortable wearing a stranger's clothes, even a stranger as nice as Blake.

"Huh? Oh yeah, it's fine." Blake snapped out of her daze and unconsciously gave Yang a quick once-over, noting that she had expertly wrapped her hair in a thick towel to prevent more dripping down her back. Yep, this girl certainly knew how to take care of herself. By now, Blake had warmed up enough that her clothes were merely damp, but she knew she would benefit from a shower. Her skin felt clammy from the remnants of the rain and her clothes would be harder to iron if she left them.

"Hey Yang, I'm just going to have a shower so feel free to look around if you want, there should be a bit of food in the kitchen. You might want to give your sister a ring as well, let her know that you're ok."

Not bothering to wait for a reply, Blake heaved herself up out of her now-ruined armchair and staggered towards the door, her legs having fallen asleep a while ago. As soon as she entered the hall, the drop in temperature caused her to involuntarily gasp in surprise. Hugging her arms close to her chest, Blake hurried into the bathroom and felt the warm steam envelop her, the heat penetrating her aching limbs and having an almost soporific effect.

Quickly shedding her damp clothes, Blake stepped into the shower and turned it on, marvelling at the veritable Niagara of warm water washing over her body. It wasn't often she had long, hot showers, but today she felt like she needed it. After a good long while the tips of her ears started to tingle due to the change in temperature, and Blake figured she'd been in long enough. Begrudgingly shutting off the water she reached for a clean towel and dried herself, trying her best not to imagine Yang doing the very same a few minutes ago.

Blake reappeared fully dressed a short while later, a thin black leather jacket was zipped up over yet another white vest, and a pair of skinny black jeans were contrasted by fluffy, white socks. Yang was not in the living room, so she turned the radiator down to reduce next month's heating bill and went looking for her blonde companion.

"Yang? Yang, are you still here?" Blake wondered why she'd asked that, knowing that Yang would have no real way of getting to Beacon View without her help but she still felt the need to ask, if only for peace of mind.

"Yep, still here Blakey. You've got yourself a nice place here, you really have. I mean, the whole 'cat' thing going on in the kitchen is a bit intense, but it's kinda cute as well." Yang called from an adjacent room and immediately Blake buried her face in her hands; she'd forgotten to warn Yang about her almost obsessive relationship with cats, be they her own or a neighbours or a stray from the street, Blake would make a fuss over them and take a picture with them. These then ended up being blu-tacked to all available surfaces in the kitchen. This left very little room for cooking, but Blake preferred it this way.

Just as Blake thought she would actually die from embarrassment, Yang came in from the kitchen carrying a bowl in each hand, steam rising from them in great volumes. She'd also grabbed a pair of slippers from Blake's room at some point and was purposely shuffling around the floor. Blake couldn't blame her; the slippers were very comfy.

"I hope you don't mind, I made lunch. You didn't have a huge amount in so I had to improvise, but it should be edible at the very least." The corner of Blake's mouth turned up in a smile; compared to some of the things she had made over the years it would likely be divine. Plus, it was always nice having someone make food for you, especially someone such as Yang.

The two girls sat cross-legged on the floor as they ate in silence. Yang had fried some noodles with some pasta sauce, a tin of tuna and a handful of veg; not a typical meal by anyone's admission, but perfectly edible nonetheless. At some point during the meal Blake happened to catch Yang's eye and they stared at each other for a good few seconds before Yang sighed and set her fork down. When she looked back at Blake her eyes were full of pity.

"Look, I can tell you're interested but at the moment I'm really not looking for something like that. I've just ended a relationship that got really bad and I don't want this to become an extension of that. You're a great person, even if we only just met, but I don't want to drag you down."

Blake nodded numbly; she hadn't fully realised until Yang had said it but it was painfully obvious now. She'd been looking at Yang all day, and at some point those feelings had gone far beyond platonic. Sure, being with Yang would be great, but knowing that she'd just ended a relationship on bad terms made Blake feel like she was taking advantage of the blonde.

The delicate hand on her chin dragged her back to reality, and she looked up at Yang's smiling face, a few tears in her eyes.

"Hey, that doesn't mean we can't hang out. I don't want to Friend Zone you but at the very least we should be friends. You've helped me out a lot today, and I certainly aim to repay that. Who knows, maybe a few months down the line I might consider it, but at the moment it's still too raw."

Blake forced a smile and nodded before finishing her meal. She didn't like the fact that Yang had read her like a book, and the rejection stung hard. Still, there was no point dwelling on it, and if Yang was willing to reconsider then the least she could do was to be civil about it. Standing up, Blake gathered their dishes and carried them into the kitchen, filling each with a good squirt of washing up liquid and some warm water. She could deal with those later but for now she had to be at least a sociable host.

During their meal the rain had slackened off significantly and the sun now shone through. A light haze of rain was still coming down, but all this really did was create a rainbow arcing across the sky. By now, the evening was fast approaching and Blake thought it best to get Yang on her way lest she be forced to stay the night. Whilst she was willing to put her up for the night, Blake wasn't sure it would set the best impression, especially after the conversation they had just had.

Slipping her still soggy shoes on, Blake led Yang out of her house and towards Beacon View, the silence between the two now far more uncomfortable than earlier.

"So Yang. I'll drop your clothes off at some point, how long are you in Vale for?" Blake asked curtly, a slightly bitter tone to her voice that did not go unnoticed by Yang.

"Blake, can we not do this?"

"I'm sorry Yang but I'm not exactly in the best of moods right now. I know you mean well and all that, but I'm sure you can understand."

Yang let out a long sigh that was best described as mournful and hung her head in defeat. Blake almost felt sorry for the blonde but she forced herself to look resolutely ahead. It wouldn't do to show weakness, not now.

"I'm here for three weeks, maybe longer. I have the option to stay for a while but my boss would chew me up if I missed too much work."

Blake gave a quick nod, unsure whether Yang had seen it or not. It pained her to see someone normally so cheerful in this state, but Yang's let down earlier had hurt. She didn't often have these sorts of feelings for people, and having them revealed and crushed within the same sentence was harsh at the best of times. By now, the sting from the words themselves had faded but a general emptiness was left, and it was easiest for Blake to take it out on Yang, even though she didn't deserve it.

They had been walking for about half an hour, and the sun was beginning its slow descent beyond the horizon, casting elongated shadows over the earth and brilliant pinks and oranges through the sky. They had spent the rest of the journey in silence, neither of them willing to risk worsening their already damaged relationship any further. Indicating for Yang to take a left, Blake realised there might be a slight problem and hesitantly voiced her concerns.

"Do you know what the house looks like? Most of the houses round here aren't numbered so if you don't know what to look for, you could be stuck out here for a while."

"Erm… no. I never asked for a description, I just assumed it would be easy to find."

The unusual inflections in Yang's voice were picked up on by Blake, and she turned to look at her companion, confusion etched across her face.

Yang was… crying? That didn't seem right, but the reddening of her eyes and the quivering of her jaw said otherwise. She jerked her head away from Blake, not wishing to been seen in her moment of weakness. As she did so, a late beam of sun caught her face and illuminated the blonde. It briefly crossed Blake's mind at how cliché this was, but she quickly pushed that thought away, knowing that it was more important she comfort Yang.

As Blake pulled her into a hug, Yang's body suddenly tensed. Fearing she had made a poor decision, Blake was about to let go when she felt the hug being generously reciprocated. Yang clung to her for a few seconds before pushing away, looking Blake straight in the eyes. Blake hadn't noticed until then just how beautiful those lilac orbs were, and she felt she could get lost in them forever if she chose to.

"I'm sorry Blake; I just don't want to screw this up. Can we at least part on good terms?" Yang pleaded, a hint of desperation about her voice.

"Fine. I was sick of being mad at you anyway." Blake replied with a smirk, the grin that appeared on Yang's face almost making it all worth it.

The remaining few hundred yards were much more comfortable, both parties at ease in the other's presence once again. When they reached number 21, Blake stopped and motioned with a nod of her head. As she did so, the door was opened and a blur of red shot through it and hit Yang in the side, almost knocking her over. With a chuckle, the blonde detached the excitable brunette from her side and ruffled her hair playfully, earning a scowl and a childish pout from the other girl.

"Yaa-aang! You know I hate it when you do that!"

"Heh, sorry Rubes, it's just so damn funny! Anyway, how do you deal with living out here? It's a maze!"

The younger girl looked quizzically at Yang, eyebrows furrowed.

"Wait, how did you find here? Most people really struggle!"

Yang exaggeratedly stepped to the side to reveal a bemused Blake, "Ruby Rose, I'd like you to meet my as-of-today companion and guide to the city of Vale, Blake Belladonna."

Blake gave a small wave, uncertain of exactly what she was expected to do in this situation; Ruby seemed so full of energy and optimism she was a bit put off. Still, it wasn't hard to tell that she was related to Yang; beyond a few physical differences the two were practically the same. Ruby had rushed over and was now staring at Blake in what looked like awe.

"Wow, you're really pretty! Did you know Yang's into girls? You two should totally hook up sometime, it'd be great!"

Both Blake and Yang winced at this, the awkward conversation from earlier still fresh in their minds.

"Thank you Ruby, I'm well aware of that," Blake forced out, her demeanour once again dropping slightly, "It's getting late, I should probably get going now."

The two sisters waved goodbye and Blake watched as Ruby tried to sucker punch Yang with a tackle, only to end up pinned herself. Chuckling at the childish antics, Blake headed homewards, the sun now fully set and darkness creeping across the sky.

Despite the let down earlier, Blake was in a much better mood. She could tell Yang was going to be great fun to be around, and hopefully the two could move beyond the awkwardness and uncertainty that had plagued them today and become friends, maybe even more. Blake smiled at that thought; Yang had felt some kind of connection between the two of them, surely? She couldn't tell, but something told her that the blonde was far more open to a relationship than she had let on. All she could do would be to find out why.

Yep, the next few weeks should be great.

A buzzing sound caught her attention and she retrieved her phone from her pocket.

Hey Blake

Yang here, I got your number whilst you were having a shower.

Sorry about Ruby btw, she gets a bit intense at times.

I'm free most of tomorrow, call me. I'll be waiting…

Scratch that, the next few weeks were definitely going to be great.