Ruby had been going on all week about a cute little bookshop and café that she had found, and Blake had finally agreed to check it out with her on Sunday. Sure it would mean missing out on time Blake usually reserved for herself, but Blake found that she was looking forward to it. Ruby had very good tastes in books and bookshops and despite her high energy levels Ruby's presence never seemed to tire Blake out as much as people usually did. Yes… Sunday was going to be a good day.

"So who's the lucky guy?"

Suddenly aware that she had been daydreaming, Blake jerked back into reality, the crowded hum of the Beacon cafeteria at lunchtime fading back in. However, she still wasn't quite sure why Yang had asked that, or if there was any context she was missing, so she just raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Taking this gesture as some sort of judgement rather than questioning, Yang raised her hands off the table defensively. "Sorry, sorry," she said. "Shouldn't have assumed that. Lucky girl then?"

This still wasn't making any sense. Yang was one of her dearest friends and Blake felt that she had gotten pretty used to her… eccentricities in the few years that they had been partners, but apparently she could still throw Blake for a loop every now and again. "Yang, I still have no idea what you're talking about."

Relaxing a bit, Yang rolled her eyes. "Aww come on. Far-away look in your eyes, slight smile while daydreaming, playing with your food, somebody's in love."

Blake just sighed. Not this again. "Yang, I've told you a hundred times I'm not interested in anyone. I'm not even looking for a relationship." She paused, then added "And if you must know, I was thinking about this coming weekend. Ruby and I are going into town on Sunday. She wants to show me a book shop she likes."

Thinking the matter settled, Blake went back to her lunch and resumed eating. Sure Yang would have some "witty" comeback or pun but this wasn't the first time the two of them had this particular conversation, and this was the point where the conversation tended to be pretty much over. However, the only thing that came out of Yang's mouth was a choked gurgle.

Blake looked back up to make sure Yang hadn't choked on her food. However, Yang showed no sign of physical distress. Instead, her face was screwed up into a frozen expression of mixed shock and horror - it would have been comical if it weren't so concerning. "Wow, what's up with you Yang?" asked Blake. "I mean, all I said was that Ruby and I were going to town this…" she trailed off.

Wait- Yang couldn't be thinking that she...

Blake's eyes widened and she shot forward in her seat. "Yang, I know what you're thinking and I swear I don't have a crush on Ruby! I-I mean I'm not saying that she- we're just friends I swear!"

Yang just dropped her head into her hands and groaned. "Ugghhhh that's just it though you've totally got a thing for my sister. I mean you spend all your time with her, you're never too busy to help her with homework even with Weiss' standing offer to help her study, shit you've even started spending your 'you' time with her! You never spend your 'you' time with anyone!"

Before Blake could muster a response, Yang held up a hand and gave a resigned sigh. "No, no it's totally fine. I get it. I mean objectively speaking Ruby's pretty hot stuff. It had to happen some time. I'm just glad it's you. Really of all the people who could have crushed on Ruby you're pretty much the best case scenario, y'know?"

Almost at a loss for words, Blake could only weakly try to address Yang's last point. "I mean... I'm sure I've spent some of my 'me' time with you, right? We've known each other for years it has to have happened."

Yang just looked at her for a second before shaking her head. "Yeah, no. Aside from missions and times when we've dragged you out as a team you've always spent Sunday Blake Time alone."

"Okay Yang, I'll give you that. But this conversation is getting sort of uncomfortable. Ruby's awesome and I love spending time with her, but I promise I don't have a crush on your sister. That's that. Let's just eat our lunches now." said Blake.

Yang just rolled her eyes and gave a neutral grunt before turning back to her lunch. After a few seconds of silence, she piped back up. "Say, that's a lot of strawberries. I know that you've started eating more of them lately, but two bowls? With the rest of your food that's a lot for one person."

"Oh the second bowl's not for me. I got it for Ru-" Blake cut herself off. "Oh come on, Yang you know that the fruit here always runs out really fast. Ruby and Weiss are running late and by now there's probably nothing left."

"Riiiiiiight," Yang said. She paused for a second then sighed. "Fine, you've made your point, you don't totally want to make out with Ruby. I'm just sayin', if you change your mind I'd be pretty okay with it. As long as you don't do it around me of course. As much as I trust you to date her that's not something I need to see."

Blake sighed. "Yang, it's clear there's nothing I can say that will sway you from thinking I have a crush on Ruby, so I'm not even going to try anymore. Again, can we just eat our lunches?" Out of the corner of her eye Blake caught sight of Ruby and Weiss, finally finished with whatever errand had delayed them and arriving with their food. "Look, Ruby's here now and I think we can both agree we don't want to be having this conversation anywhere near her."

Yang just rolled her eyes. As Ruby and Weiss walked over, Blake and Yang heard the tail end of whatever conversation that they had been having.

"Weeiiiiss the pasta's gone all soggy, the chicken's cold, and there was no fruit left! Why'd you make me stay late with you? You didn't need me there to suck up to the teacher I could have been here getting food!"

"Well if someone had actually done her part of the project on time like she said she would she wouldn't have needed me to talk the professor into giving us an extension! Anyways let's leave off there I'm sure our teammates don't need to hear us argue."

After they sat down Ruby immediately turned to Blake and Yang and started complaining. Blake smiled; as bad as this would have appeared to anyone else the whole scene was pretty much par for the course for their team. Since she'd heard it all before dozens of times and she knew Ruby wasn't serious, just complaining for the sake of complaining and to keep up tradition, Blake tuned her complaints out and turned to regard her a bit more carefully.

Really though - as cute and fun to be around as Ruby was the idea that she had a crush on her was just absurd. She had more than enough on her plate to even think about her love life, and dating within a team was just a recipe for disaster. No, there was no way she had a crush on Ruby.

At this point Ruby started waving her arms around and making wild gestures - no doubt inventing some fanciful story as to why she couldn't do her part of whatever project was the problem this time. In truth, Blake knew that the two of them had spent most of the weekend hanging out together.

Yes, she and Ruby had been spending a lot of their free time together these days, and she looked forward to her time with Ruby like nothing else. Still, to say that she had a crush on her was just… she didn't have a crush on Ruby and that was that.

Blake cleared the thought from her head. She sensed Ruby was getting to the end of her rant and she didn't want to miss her opportunity.

"And to top it all off, now I've got an awful lunch! It's all soggy and cold and weird, and I didn't even get to the fruit in time!"

Ah. There it was.

"Actually, Ruby, once I figured out that you and Weiss were going to be late, I got an extra bowl of strawberries for you if you would like it."

Ruby's reaction was just as gratifying as Blake was hoping it would be. There was the gleam in her eyes that Blake loved, and there was the smile that always made her feel so warm, and there was that happy little wiggle that Ruby did sometimes that always made Blake smile, and… and… maybe she did ha-?

No. Best to cut that line of thought off before it got going. She didn't have a crush on Ruby.

Ruby grabbed her first strawberry and closed her eyes, savoring the first bite.

Yes, she was extremely attractive and being near her always made Blake feel amazing, but she definitely didn't have a crush on her.

Finishing the strawberry, Ruby sat back and gave a happy little hum. Turning to Blake, Ruby's face lit up anew as she smiled. "Thanks Blake! You're the best!"

Blake felt an unmistakable flutter in her stomach. Shit. Yang was right.

She did have a crush on Ruby.