Crushed

Yang

3:55 on a Friday. I've always hated this time of the week, because it's the point where you know you only have to wait five more minutes for freedom, but those five minutes feel almost as long as the week itself. Ugh. Professor Port is rambling on and on and on about his "heroic exploits" from his "glory days". Honestly, I thought this class was Grimm Studies, not "The Personal and Probably Exaggerated History of an Old Moustached Huntsman". I hope there isn't a test, because I'm pretty sure Weiss is the only person who can stay awake in this class and there's no way she'll lend me her notes. I asked her once, and she told me "no. Pay attention in class, Xiao Long". My reply? "Weiss so serious?". I got a really cold stare. Like, colder than the normal ones our resident Ice Queen is notorious for. She wonders why people call her that. Whatever. She wants to be cold and arrogant so no one likes her, that's her problem, not mine. As long as it doesn't rub off on Ruby, who clings to Weiss like a puppy to its owner. Sometimes I wonder if our fearless leader has a crush... No, probably not. There's no way anyone could fall for Weiss, right? Well, except for Jaune, but he's an idiot. How he doesn't notice Pyrrha's obvious feelings for him is beyond me.

A harsh ringing startles me out of my thoughts. There's the bell. Finally, I'm free. Across the room, Jaune looks defeated. He probably got rejected by Weiss. Again. Not my problem. Instead of occupying my mind with the troubles of an adolescent boy on another team, I head back to Team RWBY's dorm. Upon arrival, I really want to collapse on my bed and lie there for a while, but I'm on the top bunk. Blake's bed looks much more inviting than climbing right now, so I collapse on there. Hopefully she won't mind. I would never find out, however, as Ruby and the Ice Queen choose that moment to enter, and Ruby apparently has a plan for a wholesome team activity.

"Yang! Get up!" She commands, then frowns. "Why are you on Blake's bed?"

"Didn't wanna climb. Blake's bed looked comfortable," I reply.

"Well, we're going downtown. We just have to find Blake," Ruby tells me. I can tell I have no choice in the matter. Whatever. My secret alcohol stash has run out anyway.

"Library," states Weiss.

Ruby looks at her, confused.

"That's probably where Blake is," Weiss explains. Ruby nods, then exclaims "to the library!" before bolting in that direction.

How she can have that much energy after Port's class, I'll never understand. Weiss and I follow the rose-coloured streak to the library, where we find Ruby looking pleased, and Blake, looking slightly miffed, probably because she had been reading and Ruby disturbed her. One of the first things we learned as a team was that you never disturb Blake when she's reading, unless you want a tongue lashing that would impress Weiss. Unless she was the one receiving it, in which case it would make her angry. Ruby never quite seemed to get that though, but Blake was used to being disturbed by her at this point, so she didn't lash out. That disappoints me a little, because Blake is hot when she's mad. Wait, what? Where did that thought come from? Blake's just... A friend. I don't LIKE her, do I? Oh god. I'm confused now. Confusion is for school time, when I'm thinking about things that are SUPPOSED to be confusing. Blake is not one of those things. She's my partner, and she's probably closer to me than anyone else on the team, but nothing more than that, surely. I need to clear my head, by which I mean I need alcohol to help me forget this train of thought.

"Yang? We're going now," says Blake, bringing me back to reality.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, sorry. Just distracted by my thoughts," I reply, trying to play it cool. Blake gives me a questioning look, but says nothing. Ruby's already left, along with Weiss, who was presumably dragged along.

On the airship ride to Vale, I catch myself staring at Blake. Well, I say staring. Others would probably say I was checking her out. She's definitely very attractive. Great body. Why are you thinking like this, Yang? She's your partner. You're supposed to be like sisters. You wouldn't look at Ruby that way, would you? That's a good point, brain. Shit. I'm now talking to my brain as if it's a different person who happens to live inside my head. It also appears to be replying, but that may just be the small part of me that hasn't gone crazy. I shake my head to clear it.

"Yang? Is something wrong? You keep zoning out." Blake says from beside me.

I sigh. "Have you ever had a crush on someone you know you probably shouldn't, but you can't help it?" I ask her.

A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. "Is that what's bugging you? You're worried about a CRUSH? You're training for a profession where dying is an occupational hazard, and liking someone is what you're most worried about?!" Blake answers, before bursting into laughter. I don't think I've ever seen her show that much emotion, except when we found out she's a Faunus. She still wears the bow, but I think she's even prettier without it. Not that I'd ever say that to her, of course.

"Shut up. It's not funny," I say, in slight annoyance, but I did find my situation kinda funny when I looked at it how Blake put it. It wouldn't be so funny if she knew who I was referring to. Well, that's it. I guess I really DO like her. I don't know what to do about it though.

"Sorry," the Faunus tells me, apparently thinking she'd hurt my feelings.

"What? No, it's fine. You're right, actually. It is kinda funny," I assure her. She looks relieved. At that moment, the airship lands. All of Team RWBY disembark, and I realise Ruby and Weiss had been with us. I imagine Weiss promised Ruby cookies to make her be quiet if I hadn't noticed them. I had been preoccupied though.

"Okay, Ruby, why are we here?" The Ice Queen asks impatiently.

"We're going shopping! I'm buying accessories for Crescent Rose, and you guys can probably find something you need," the red-clad girl tells us excitedly. "Meet back here at 6:30 so we can be back to Beacon before 7 and not get in trouble."

Great. I'll be able to find a liquor store, and hopefully something will distract the clerk enough to make him not realise I'm not 21. Well, a pair of somethings. The "girls" get in the way sometimes, but they're great for exploiting members of the male species. "Okay, see you guys later," I say, before heading off. I see Weiss follow Ruby, probably to make sure she doesn't go overboard. Knowing Blake, she'll probably find a bookstore. While I want to spend more time with her, I feel like I need to be alone right now. I wander in the general direction of a reputable liquor store that I know is staffed by horny older men, very easy to distract without being too revealing. Taking a shortcut through an alley, I find myself surrounded by a group of guys, probably in their mid-twenties, dressed like stereotypical muggers. I sigh, and try to walk past.

"Eh, where you going, Blondie?" One of them asks, grabbing my arm. He pulls me back to the middle of their group, and one of the others pulls a knife from his jacket and asks for my money and valuables. His mistake.

I smile, and, not even bothering to activate Ember Celica, punch him in the face faster than he can react. There's a sickening crunch, and blood pours from his nose, which I know I've just broken. Based on the look on the guy's face, he hasn't quite registered it.

"The fuck?" Says a mugger on my left, before taking a swing. I easily duck, grab his arm and twist. He gives a cry of pain, which I silence with a punch to the throat. Two down. I turn around, and see the remaining three of them looking at me warily. They're not sure whether to attack or run, but after a threatening look from me, they turn tail. Probably better for their health. I smirk, and head on my way.

I arrive at my destination, and, after pulling the front of my shirt down slightly, enter the store. The old man at the cash register doesn't even look up. Some careful consideration later (hey, a girl's gotta be careful choosing her alcohol when she hasn't got much money for it), I select some vodka and approach the cash. The cashier doesn't even ask for ID, which I don't complain about. Makes things easier. Leaving the store with my purchase, I realise I haven't eaten since lunch, and use my remaining Lien to buy a hot dog. At this point, I'm faced with a decision. I save the vodka for later, and get a scolding from Weiss when I'm inevitably unable to hide it in time, or I drink it now, arrive at the airship terminal drunk, and get a scolding from Weiss, which I'll be too wasted to care about. Getting drunk seems like a great plan, so I open my bottle and take a hearty swig. The vodka burns my throat, but I don't care. I decide to head back, seeing as it's 6:15, and finish my drink on the way. Ruby and Weiss are already at the terminal when I arrive, and my alcohol-muddled brain tries to come up with an excuse for why I'm unstable on my feet.

"Yang Xiao Long! Are you drunk!?" Demands Weiss when she sees how wobbly I am.

"Uhhh, no? There was a nitrous oxide leak, and I'm still woozy," I tell her. Nice one, Yang, I tell myself, feeling pretty proud of myself for that excuse.

"Bullshit. Sometimes I'm ashamed to be on the same team as you," Weiss says coldly.

"Weiss! Don't swear in front of kids!" I drunkenly exclaim, gesturing in Ruby's general direction.

She seems about to reply, when Blake shows up, probably saving my life. Instead of saying anything, Weiss glares at me and boards the airship in a huff. Blake looks suspicious, but Ruby comes to my aid and tells the cat girl not to worry. The three of us board together, and return to Beacon.

In the dorm, Weiss immediately goes to bed, even though it's not even 8. Blake, Ruby and I have a game of poker, which goes about as well as you'd expect when one player is an innocent fifteen-year-old, one is wasted and there are no chips. After a couple of hours, Ruby goes to bed, and Blake and I decide to do the same. I attempt to climb to my bunk, but in a drunken stupor I fall. Blake tells me to sleep on her bed, and is about to climb to mine when I say "but Blaaaaaake. I'm cooooold. Keep me warm?" She looks flustered, but reluctantly crawls under her covers with me. I immediately wrap my arms around her and fall asleep in seconds.