Always by Your Side - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

After months of listening to Yang’s insistence that she was getting better at this whole ‘princess’ thing, Blake finally started believing it.  She wasn’t the best public speaker.  She often forgot small details, fumbled her words, or accidentally broke customs.  Nothing came as naturally to her as it did to her parents, but she was getting better.

With each passing day, the expectations placed upon her became easier to bear.  Less stressful.  Less exhausting.  And, at this moment, more rewarding.

“Thank you for coming out today,” she spoke into the microphone before dipping her head to the largest crowd she’d ever spoken to.

As soon as she stepped away from the podium, they broke into applause.  The entire field packed with people...clapping and cheering for her, her words, or something else entirely.  She didn’t care what made them happy at this moment; all she cared about was that they were.  They were happy and excited.  They weren’t disappointed or put off that she showed up instead of her parents.

Their enthusiasm filled her with an impossible-to-describe emotion.  She’d created those cheers and that overwhelming happiness.  They’d listened to her speech raptly, hanging onto her words and nodding exactly when she expected them to.  Now that her time before them was done...maybe, just maybe, they’d come to accept her.  If not yet acceptance, maybe she’d earned a shred of their respect today.

While the event adjourned and the crowd dispersed towards their homes, the reception, or wherever they needed to be next, Blake hurried off the stage and immediately sought out Yang.  As usual, it wasn’t difficult to find her.  Even though her outfits blended into any locale, her vibrant hair and striking beauty drew more than a few eyes her way.  Her gaze, however, was saved for Blake - and their eyes locked the moment Blake stepped off the stage.

Something as simple as watching Yang approach made Blake’s skin tingle with anticipation.  The crowd’s response suggested Blake had done a good job, but she wanted Yang’s opinion.  It seemed like she always wanted Yang’s opinion these days...on everything from the outcomes of these speeches, to her outfit, to what they should eat for dinner or what movie they should watch to end their evening.

Blake didn’t question it much.  Considering the two of them spent nearly all of their time together, she could safely say that they were...close.  Yang’s inherent magnetism and sincerity made it all too easy to open up to her, trust her, and embrace every emotion that came along with that growing closeness.  Blake’s heart had long since gotten involved in the matter, fluttering and jumping whenever Yang turned her way.

“That was amazing.”

Yang’s bright smile and sparkling eyes said the same.  And, as soon as she was near enough, she set a hand on Blake’s side in a gesture that Blake interpreted as congratulations but felt as comfort.

“You were amazing,” Yang added.  “Your parents will be so proud of you - you’re winning everyone over, bit by bit.”

Blake smiled at the compliment, which she actually partially believed.  Even if she wasn’t winning the people over, she was proving herself capable of handling the responsibilities of being a princess.  And, based on the messages she’d received from her parents, that fact alone made them overjoyed.

They must have been worried that they threw her out on her own too soon or gave her more than she could handle.  Months ago, she would have agreed with them.  But she’d persevered and, over time, accomplished more than she ever could have imagined.  She didn’t know how she survived this long -

Actually, she did.

“Thanks to you,” she said, nodding when Yang immediately shook her head.  “Yes, thanks to you,” she insisted.  “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you the last few months.”

“You would’ve done just as good,” Yang argued.  “Maybe even better since I wouldn’t be distracting you.”

When Yang winked with the response, Blake laughed and playfully shoved her shoulder.  Yang took a step back before immediately returning to her place near Blake’s side, never staying away for too long.

Honestly, Yang was a distraction, but a good one.  She kept Blake from losing herself to the pressure of being perfect.  She reminded Blake that mistakes happened.  She encouraged Blake to take one small step at a time.  And, most importantly, she provided a safe harbor for Blake to admit her worries and insecurities without fear of judgment.

Without that steady source of support, Blake wouldn’t have made it through the public appearances her parents had lined up for her.  After the incident several weeks ago, she would have rushed home rather than insisting on carrying on.  It could have broken her.  Instead, she felt stronger and more confident than ever.

“Well, maybe you are a distraction,” she teased Yang anyway.  “But still...thank you.”

Blake wanted to express her gratitude in a better, far clearer way - a specific gesture she’d been thinking about more and more often recently - but she didn’t have to.  Yang understood the feeling, as her lilac eyes filled with that open, gentle warmth Blake had come to adore.

“You’re more than welcome.”  After holding Blake’s gaze for several long seconds, Yang finally nodded towards the large hotel across the street from the park.  “I’ll walk you to the reception now?”

Sensing that Yang was too humble to dwell on the appreciation for too long, Blake smiled and nodded that she was ready.  She didn’t know why Yang phrased everything so casually, but she loved it.  It made it feel like Yang walked beside her not because she was told to, but because she wanted to.  And that they stuck close together not because they had to, but because they liked to.

“You ready to go home?” Yang asked while they headed towards the hotel, where their last event of the day would take place.  Thinking about home, Blake leaned against Yang’s shoulder and sighed.

“You have no idea.”

“Just a couple more stops,” Yang pointed out.  “Then you’re home free.”

When Blake laughed at the phrase, Yang looked over and tilted her head.

“What?”

“Even if I’m home, I’m never ‘free.’”  When Yang’s brow furrowed, Blake added, “Something’s always expected of me, no matter where I am or who I’m with.”

“In that case...soon you’ll be home.”

Humming at the corrected response, Blake paused and obediently waited while Yang opened the hotel’s front door.  She’d already complained about Yang opening doors for her, feeling more than capable of doing it for herself, but Yang argued there was a protection aspect to it.  By opening the door first, she was first to see inside and the first to react to any perceived threat.  Also, probably the biggest reason, it was ‘proper.’

“Ready for your last speech?” Yang asked while they headed towards the large ballroom on the far side of the lobby.

“There’s always one more…” Blake grumbled, but she smiled the moment Yang laughed.

“Only one more today, then you can go back to the room and crash.”

Yang knew Blake well, because that was exactly what she planned to do once this was over.

“Maybe we can watch more of that show?” she asked while following Yang into a corridor leading to the back of the ballroom.  Even though Yang laughed and shook her head at the request, her eyes sparkled with delight.

“Never took you for a drama TV girl.”

“I never did either,” Blake admitted, but there was something particularly enjoyable about curling up on the sofa and watching over-dramatized TV shows with Yang.  After the long, hard days they’d been putting in, laughing at the ridiculous plot twists and hypothesizing what would happen next was a wonderful way to recharge.

“Your wish, as always, is my command.”

When Yang stopped in front of an unmarked door and gave a grandiose bow, Blake swatted her arm to make her stop.

“I’m taking that as a yes, so let’s get this over with.”

That wasn’t exactly the most princess-like thing to say, but Yang chuckled while pulling the door open and peeking inside.  After exchanging a few hand gestures with the man standing several paces away, she closed the door and turned back to Blake.

“Another few minutes,” she explained.  “Want to practice again?”

When Yang’s eyes subtly flitted to the side, Blake glanced that way and watched a pair of employees walk past the hallway.  Once they disappeared, she turned back to Yang and smiled.

“I think I’ve got it, but thank you.”

“What happened to the girl who needed encouragement before every speech?” Yang immediately joked, but Blake took the question seriously.

She remembered how nervous she used to get, and how she forgot everything she was supposed to say.  She remembered her sweating palms and pounding heart.  And she remembered Yang, always right there beside her, telling her that she could do anything.

As Blake’s heart swelled with affection, she decided that enough was enough.  She needed to properly thank Yang for always being there for her, and she knew exactly how she wanted to do it.

After glancing both directions, confirming no one else was in the hallway, she set one hand on Yang’s shoulder and paused when Yang’s curious gaze locked onto hers.  Her sweating palms and pounding heart were back, but she’d already taken the first step.  She could back out now - this wouldn’t be the first time she’d touched Yang so casually - but...she didn’t want to.

So, with one hand still resting on Yang’s shoulder, she rolled onto the balls of her feet, leaned forward, and kissed Yang right on the lips.

The instant they touched, electricity shot through Blake’s veins like a bolt of lightning.  Her heart quickly raced out of control.  The feeling was so overwhelming, she only managed to savor the softness and fullness of Yang’s lips for a second before pulling away.

As soon as she opened her eyes and found stunned lilac orbs staring back at her, she wanted to kiss Yang again.  Because that...had been more amazing than she’d imagined...and she knew it would be even better the second time.  Understanding that now wasn’t the time nor place, however, she tenderly curled her fingers through Yang’s soft hair and cleared her throat.

“She doesn’t need encouragement anymore…” she whispered while holding Yang’s gaze.  “Because she has you.”

Yang’s presence was the only support she needed.  Yang’s presence was enough to convince her that she could do anything.

Yang looked like she wanted to respond, but she opened her mouth and no words came out.  Her eyes said it all though - surprise, disbelief, and delight at Blake’s words and actions.

Nearby voices reminded Blake that they were in public, and standing in a very intimate manner at that.  Quickly dropping her hand to her side, she stepped back to a respectable distance and tucked her hair behind her ear.  Her body protested the loss of Yang’s warmth, but she worried what would happen if she let her body have what it wanted right now.

When she opened her mouth to explain that the kiss was thanks for Yang’s constant support, the door beside them burst open and a man wearing an earpiece poked his head into the hall.

“Princess,” he greeted her as she held a hand over her suddenly-hammering heart.  “We’re ready now.”

Grateful for the interruption, she smiled and nodded for him to lead the way.  Yang fell into step beside her as she walked into the ballroom, but she could swear she felt Yang’s presence more than usual right now.  Her lips tingled where they’d touched Yang’s, and butterflies fluttered through her chest, and she couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like if that kiss continued from there…

As the crowd applauded her arrival and she put on her princess demeanor - complete with a fake smile and calm demeanor - she realized that kiss, no matter how wonderful, shouldn’t have a continuation.  Even if she wanted it...even if she really, really wanted it...

She was the Princess of Menagerie; Yang was her bodyguard.  There was probably nothing more improper than that.