Always by Your Side - Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Of all the royal events Blake had ever attended, she hated this one the most.  She hadn’t even shown her face yet, and she already loathed everything about today.  She didn’t mind the fancy dress, the jewelry, or the lavish hairstyle; she was used to those by now.  She hated its purpose.  She hated who it was for.  Honestly, the only thing that got her to this point was imagining it was all for Yang, who stood just outside the door waiting to be called in.

Over the past few days, Blake had come up with a list of excuses that might get her out of attending the ball.  When its sole purpose revolved around her, however, she didn’t have the courage to use any of them.  If she broke her leg, the party might be rescheduled.  Short of that...tonight was a required event.

Turning her attention back to the mirror in front of her, she looked over her appearance and tried to decide whether or not she was ready.  Guests had started arriving half an hour ago, making her ‘fashionably late’ entrance closer to ‘just late.’  If she didn’t show up soon, her mother would come looking for her.  And if her mother found her hiding in her room, still fussing over her appearance, she risked a scolding for making everyone wait.

She wished she could disappear.  Instead, she smoothed her hands down her dress and straightened the jeweled pendant on the end of the necklace she wore.  Once everything looked perfect, she took a deep breath and let it out in a long, regretful sigh.

“Yang?”

Her bedroom door opened a second later, and Yang walked into the room only to freeze the moment she caught sight of Blake.  Without moving any closer, she let her eyes blatantly rove up and down Blake’s body, making Blake’s skin tingle with desire.  Only after every inch of her had been cataloged did Yang meet her gaze.

“You look...gorgeous.”

The compliment warmed Blake’s heart, as did the look in Yang’s eyes as she erased the distance between them.  Once close enough, Yang looked over Blake’s outfit again - her eyes both affectionate and greedy while drinking it all in.  Only after that second inspection ended did she meet Blake’s eyes and set her hands on Blake’s hips.  Yang’s hands didn’t remain there for long, however.  While her gaze lowered, she ran her fingers over the fabric of the dress, moving up Blake’s sides before across her stomach and back again.

“God…” Yang breathed out before tenderly brushing her fingers through Blake’s hair.  As the gentle curls fell right back into place, their gazes locked, and Blake’s heart swelled with a happiness she’d only ever felt with Yang.

“You’re...the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen…”

“Funny…”  Extremely conscious of Yang’s hands returning to her waist, Blake fought off a growing blush.  “I was just thinking the same thing.”

As if that response needed any explanation, Blake nodded to Yang’s sharp black suit.  The form-fitting attire showed off her toned arms and enviable physique while casting a stark contrast to her golden hair and vibrant lilac eyes.  She looked drop-dead gorgeous - anyone would agree - but she chuckled rather than accept the praise.

“Ah, yeah, I thought about wearing a dress too, but heels are a bit of a handicap.  And with all these ‘bachelors’ around…”  After trailing off for a second of thought, Yang shook her head and met Blake’s gaze.  “No way I’m putting you at risk just so I can wear a fancy dress.”

“I doubt I’ll be ‘at risk’ in the palace…”

“You never know.  These guys are from all over the place.  Their backgrounds checked out, but they could harbor grudges we don’t know about.”

Curious about the response, Blake tilted her head and felt a hint of a smile lift her lips.

“You looked into their backgrounds?”

“Every single one of them,” Yang answered, her expression growing stern before dropping into something more downcast.  “It’s my job…”

With the change in mood, Blake’s desire to leave the room dwindled to nothing.  After a glance at the time, however, she sighed and hung her head.  This felt like the ultimate betrayal - both of her feelings and of Yang.  And with Yang watching...

Before Blake dove too deeply into that line of thought, which had plagued her ever since she learned about this ball, Yang snuck a finger underneath her chin and gently lifted her head so their gazes locked once more.

“I know you don’t want to do this...” Yang whispered.  “If it’s easier, I can leave…”

“No,” Blake interrupted, shaking her head before Yang seriously considered the offer.  “I want you there.  Unless...you don’t want to be?”

Even someone who didn’t know Yang very well would see the conflict in her eyes.  To Blake, who felt like she knew Yang very well, there was much more than just conflict.  The pain was clear as day.  As was the heartbreak, yet determination not to let it show.

“I’ll always be there for you…” Yang whispered, even though being there for Blake must be tearing her apart.

Their lips met in a kiss seconds later - both of them with far more to say than they could express in words.  Blake wanted Yang to know how much she didn’t want to do this.  And as she deepened the kiss - her tongue moving together with Yang’s - she wanted to show Yang how much she loved this.  And how no one else would make her feel this way.

From the way Yang’s hands roved over Blake’s body, never staying in one place for long, Blake imagined Yang had a claim she wanted to stake but couldn’t.  If only.  If only she could.  In these moments, Blake would willingly surrender everything, which was why she hummed with pleasure when Yang pulled their hips together.  And why she arched into Yang’s touch when strong-yet-gentle hands ran over her breasts before tangling in her hair.

Breaking away from Blake’s lips, Yang moved to her ear and pressed a warm, breathy kiss there before murmuring a quiet “Blake…” that sent shivers down her spine.

“I know...” she answered, feeling Yang’s emotions with every kiss and grasp of her fingers.  Distress, desire, and every emotion in between...all wrapped up and released through their lips and hands as they struggled to come to terms with what would happen tonight.

When Yang slipped one hand underneath the strap of Blake’s dress, Blake made a sound begging her to continue.  And she did - in one fluid motion, pulling it off Blake’s shoulder.

Blake’s excitement spiked as her dress slipped partially down her side, and a gasp left her lips when Yang bent forward and kissed her bare shoulder.  Feeling Yang’s lips on her always made her heart pound, but knowing she was one dress strap away from being almost completely naked underneath Yang’s fingertips nearly made her come unhinged.  That quiet desperation only grew when Yang kissed across her collarbone, then up her neck, making her tilt her head to give Yang all the room she wanted.

Blake didn’t know where Yang would go next, or what she would do, and that left her breathlessly hoping for more.  That desire only grew when the trail of kisses moved lower, and another gasp slipped through her lips when Yang planted an open-mouthed kiss on the soft, sensitive skin just above her breast.

As that kiss grew more fervent, she started squirming with desire.  Her fingers curled in Yang’s hair while Yang remained at that spot - sucking, licking, and kissing Blake’s skin with passion that only made Blake want more.  She felt the tension building beneath Yang’s lips, reaching the point of near pain before releasing.  A warm, wet tongue licked the feeling away before it started all over again, making Blake’s head spin while simultaneously taking her breath away.

She wanted that pleasure everywhere.  She wanted to ditch the dress entirely and lose herself in Yang. She wanted to forget about everything and focus on the person who made her heart sing...and who made her mind race with incredible, unimaginable feelings.

Unfortunately, her wish wasn’t granted tonight, as Yang’s kisses eventually slowed to a stop.  After one last sweep of her tongue, Yang pulled away and gently rubbed her thumb over the spot where her lips had just been.

Without looking down, Blake knew a mark had been left just above her heart.  She felt it from the way heat pooled at that spot as blood rushed to the surface of her skin, and saw it in the way Yang looked there with an unreadable expression in her eyes.

Once the moment passed, however, she calmly slid Blake’s dress back into place, dragging her fingers along Blake’s skin in the process.  When the strap returned to her shoulder, Blake looked down and found that it perfectly concealed the mark she still felt as clear as day.

“If anyone makes it this far...” Yang whispered while smoothing her hand across the spot.  “They’ll know they weren’t the first.”

Yang’s strained tone sounded playful, but Blake saw the worry and sadness in her eyes.

“No one’s making it close,” Blake said before pulling Yang into one last deep kiss.  Knowing their time was running out, she tried to provide as much reassurance to Yang as possible.  She needed Yang to know that this wasn’t her choice, and that she didn’t intend on giving anyone more than a polite conversation.

When their lips parted, Blake looked into Yang’s eyes but couldn’t tell if it worked.  Regardless, Yang smiled and extended an arm to her.

“Let’s get this party started?”

With a weak smile of her own, Blake accepted Yang’s arm and allowed herself to be led away from the safety of her room.  The spot on her chest would probably burn all night, but for that she was grateful.  It would serve as a reminder that, no matter what her parents expected or hoped of her, her heart already belonged to another.