"Yang, where are we going," Blake asked me for what must've been the hundredth time. I could tell she really wasn't used to getting all dressed up, but I'd be the worst girlfriend ever if I didn't take her out on a fancy date every once in a while.

"I already told you. We're going on a date," I reminded her. There was this fancy restaurant Weiss had told me about that I couldn't wait to bring her to. Apparently they had great food for a price that even I couldn't be too mad at.

"Yang, you don't have to do this," Blake groaned, letting me drag her the rest of the way from Bumblebee to the restaurant.

"Blakey, come on. I saved up for this place! You deserve the most extravagant dates and best tasting food Remnant has to offer. I can't get you all that yet, but at least I can start with this," I said, stopping just as we reached the restaurant and bringing her into a tight hug. I kissed her forehead and hoped I wasn't being too pushy. I just wanted the best for her.

"Yang… You're sweet, really, but… I'm fine with not-so-fancy dates. There're other restaurants-"

"We can hit those up any time. But I saved up for this place. I even got us a reservation," I gently squeezed her hand, hoping she'd understand. I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong. Why would anyone not want to be treated to a nice, fancy restaurant. I could see there was something in Blake's amber eyes that made her hesitate, but she finally looked up into mine and smiled.

"Okay… Sure thing." Blake leaned forward and kissed me on the lips and I felt like I could take on the whole world. I took her hand again and walked into the restaurant with pride, heading right up to the front desk.

"Xiao Long and Belladonna. We have a 7pm reservation," I said confidently. The woman sitting at the desk had icy blue hair and pale white eyes. She looked at me for a moment before looking over my shoulder. Something about her eyes changed, her cool, aloof face hardening for a moment before she looked down at a chart in her gloved hands.

"Someone will be with you in just a moment," she said before turning over her shoulder and ringing a bell. I took the time to look around the restaurant. There were people dressed in their Sunday-bests, all sitting down and happily eating their dinner. Some of the crowd were even Hunters! I recognized a Vacuo-based team, loudly enjoying their dinner as they shared war stories with a group of civilians who had nothing but heart eyes for the group. The walls were painted a shimmering gold, with fancy stained glass windows and chandeliers that looked more expensive than any she'd ever seen before. Even the silverware seemed extraordinary, crystal glasses filled with hundreds of dollars worth of wine and champagne, forks and knives that looked to be made out of Dust. Flooring that looked so thoroughly polished it reflected the chandeliers above like stars over a nighttime lake. The table centerpieces were gorgeous flowers that I was positive I'd read in a book could only be harvested from a couple places in the world.

"Isn't this so cool," I asked, turning back to Blake. But Blake wasn't taking in the scenery. She looked small, an arm wrapped around her body as she waited. I could tell by the angle of her bow that even her ears were drooping slightly. Like she really didn't want to be there.

"Uh, yeah… cool," she said softly, with a small smile that I knew was fake.

"Blake-"

"Sorry to keep you young women waiting! Come with me and I'll escort you to your table." There was a tall man with wavy green hair in front of us, who'd walked so silently I hadn't even heard him approach.

"Oh, sure! Come on, Blake," I gently squeezed her hand again as he led us through the restaurant. I could hardly believe the place was so big, it seemed to take forever as he led us down a pathway and through a set of double doors into a different part of the restaurant.

"Here you go," he said, sitting us down and handing us our menus.

"Thanks!" I happily took mine. Blake gave a little less enthusiastic thanks before taking her own. The man quickly walked back out of the doors and left us behind. I took a moment toget settled before looking back to Blake. She hadn't even looked at her menu. She just looked so uncomfortable. Like she really didn't want to be here.

"Blake… is something wrong," I asked worriedly. I didn't know if maybe it was something I'd done… Maybe I'd pushed this date too quickly? Maybe she still wasn't ready for-

"I'm fine, Yang," she said with another fake smile. She looked into my eyes for a moment before looking away, finally rifling through the menu.

"No… No you're not. I can tell something's wrong, Blake… Am I moving too fast-"

"Yang… please. Don't ever think it's you," she said softly, placing her hand on top of mine as it rested on the table.

"But Blake you have to tell me what's wrong. I don't… I don't know how else to show you how much I love you. If fancy dates aren't your thing that's okay but… Blake?" She was looking down at the table again. Like she couldn't even meet my eyes. Like she looked guilty.

"Yang, I… I'm sorry," she mumbled, wiping her eyes and messing up the mascara I know she'd worked so hard on.

"Blake, please! Tell me what's wrong," I begged. It felt like my heart was in free-fall. Like she was seconds from telling me that this wouldn't work. Like we wouldn't work.

"Yang… Look where we are," she hissed. I looked around the restaurant, trying to see whatever it could be that was making her so upset. There were a few lights out in the expensive chandeliers- that'd seemed pretty silly considering it looked like not a single light was out in the other part of the restaurant. The people here seemed a lot quieter, not as happy or loud or excited as the other section had been. There were less servers here too. Maybe only two or three for the two dozen people seated here, and all the servers were…

"Faunus?" But not just the servers. Some of the patrons, too. As a matter of fact…

"Is… is everyone here a Faunus," I asked confusedly. It was only then that I'd noticed I'd been getting some odd stares from some of our neighbors. Like they knew I didn't belong here. Like they knew I wasn't one of them.

"Everyone except you, Yang," Blake said softly.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" I was angry. I'd never been so angry in my life. I stood up and I didn't have to look into any of the dirty stained glass windows or cracked crystal glasses to tell my eyes were red. I didn't need the stained carpeting or bent silverware to tell me just how stupid I'd been.

"Yang, please-"

"NO! This isn't okay! They can't just do this to us! Just because you-"

"YANG!" Blake had never shouted at me before. I didn't even think she'd known how to shout. But it was enough to bring me back down. The flames died down and my eyes changed back from ruby red to lilac. She looked around at everyone and nodded a quick apology to the servers, before taking some Lien out of her purse and dragging me out of the restaurant.

I was seeing red. I was angrier than I'd ever been and Blake's casual acceptance of what'd just happened was pissing me off even more. I felt so stupid. So careless. So humiliated. And everyone else in the restaurant was just allowing this to happen just a few dozen feet away from them.

I didn't take my first deep breath until I was sitting on a park bench with Blake's soft hands running through my hair. She was trying to calm me down. To get me to relax. But everything about this was just so wrong. I tried to get my words in order, but it took me an embarrassingly long time before I could finally swallow the lump in my throat and speak.

"Why didn't you tell me before we sat down?" I don't know why that was the first thing on my mind.

"Because you looked so happy to be taking me out… I hoped you wouldn't notice," she said softly.

"Why would you let me be so stupid!"

"You're not stupid, Yang," she sighed, resting a hand on my lap.

"I should've known what was happening! I should've defended you! I should've fought to sit in the other section so that-"

"That wouldn't have changed anything, Yang. If you'd fought, they would've kicked us out." There was just something so wrong about the way she was talking. Like she was used to it. Like it didn't bother her.

"How many times?"

"Yang," Blake sighed again.

"How many times has this happened to you," I asked again. My hands were clenched and shaking. I could feel my heart beating in my ears. Everything about this was just so wrong...

"Yang, you don't-"

"How. Many. Times?" I could see my eyes were red again, reflecting out of Blake's amber. I didn't mean to be angry but… It was the only emotion I knew how to feel.

"More than I could count. Yang… this is just how it is. This is how it's always been. The ice cream shop was different because it's not a restaurant. But places like these? Fancy places like these? There're always sections for Faunus," she explained, a sad smile on her face as she spoke.

"Blake… I am so sorry-"

"Yang, it's not your fault-"

"That doesn't make it okay! I should've… I should've done something, I should've… I don't know." Now I was crying. And I hated myself for it. I felt so weak. So powerless. Blake should be the one crying- all that racism had been aimed at her after all. But here she was comforting me like I was the one who'd just had their dignity shredded.

"You're right… It doesn't make it okay. But this isn't a problem you could've punched your way out of. This isn't a problem that can be solved in one night… I just wanted to spend this night with you. Without needing to fight this same fight I've been involved with since I could remember," she said tiredly.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you. You were just trying to help. But… well, in places like that, any loud disturbances and everyone gets escorted out. I knew if you'd realized you could ruin everyone else's night you'd be even more upset with yourself." Somehow Blake had been looking out for me even while I'd failed at looking out for her.

"That's so messed up, Blake." It was all I could think to say. Everything about this entire situation felt like swallowing acid. I finally tried to swallow my anger and just listen. There were things I had to learn and now was as good a time as any.

"I know…"

"Why did you still tip the servers," I asked softly.

"They have to make a certain amount of tips per night to keep their jobs. Losing us after we'd already been seated would've forced them to give up whatever percentage the owner thinks we would've tipped out of their own income."

"... they don't get to keep their own tips?" The thought was completely foreign to me, and I felt even dumber not having known it.

"No, Yang, usually not… They keep a small percentage of their tips, plus whatever the owner decides to pay them. Usually next to nothing," Blake sighed, looking up at the darkening sky. Suddenly I just really understood why the Faunus in the White Fang were as angry as they were. And I couldn't believe Blake had put up with everything she had in her life. It made my heart burn. I'd tear the whole world down if it meant Blake didn't have to worry about stuff like this ever again… But Blake didn't want all that. She just wanted peace. To enjoy a night out with me… I'd deal with my emotions later.

"I… I ruined our night, didn't I," I said softly, hanging my head as I tried to think of a way to fix this date.

"No, Yang… You didn't ruin anything. You were doing your best and… honestly, it was a nice restaurant. It was sweet of you to bring me to a place like that," she said comfortingly.

"What can we do now? I can't… I'm not stepping into another restaurant that doesn't respect you again. I'm not-"

"H-hey! Sorry for interrupting! You two are just… really pretty and I just… heard you two talking about restaurants," a young boy had walked up to us, nervously trying to catch our attention.

"I'm Sorrel. My parents own a restaurant a few minutes' walk from here. They make an amazing tuna salad," he said with a smile at Blake. I noticed his fangs and realized he was a Faunus too.

"Thanks, Sorrel. I think we might have found a great place to eat after all," Blake said happily.

The way Blake smiled at the kid… I fell in love with her all over again.