Shuffling papers and jotting down notes, Blake was winding down her work day at the law firm. There wasn't too much left to do, but she often liked to get started on the schedule for the next day, just so she wouldn't have to worry about it later on. Leaning back in her chair, she quickly traced her pen along the lines of text to aid in her reading. After what seemed to be the last line, Blake tossed the pen and paper back onto the desk and stretched her arms above her head. Finally, she was finished for today.

A demure knock resounded at her door, to which Blake answered, "What is it?"

"A.. "Neo" is here to see you. Should I tell her to leave?" The secretary asked, her voice unsure. She wasn't Blake's secretary, but it was no secret that this secretary did have a penchant for Miss Belladonna nonetheless.

"… No, it's fine. Let her in."

"A-Are you sure? I can—"

"Velvet, I said it's fine."

Nothing more was said, her office door opened unceremoniously. Neo slipped through nimbly, shutting the door steadfast behind her. She locked it, unashamed. Blake watched her make her way toward her desk.

She sighed at the girl, reshuffling her papers in an orderly fashion. "Neo, what are you doing here? I told you I—"

Neo's lips crashed into Blake's, the smaller girl's fingers running through Blake's hair, down her cheeks, neck, and eventually to her chest. She was forceful, as she usually was, using her thumb to pry open Blake's mouth a little to attempt to slip her tongue in. Neo brought one knee onto Blake's chair to steady herself, but all contact was suddenly lost as she felt Blake shove her away.

"Don't ever do that again. I explicitly made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with you from now on," she spat, wiping her mouth.

As expected, Neo said nothing. She only looked at Blake condescendingly, like she couldn't believe she was rejected by the girl. Nobody rejects Neo.

"Don't give me that look, either! I can't.. What we were doing was nothing. It was stupid, so stupid of me, and I can't regret it enough. I can't ever live this down. I haven't even told my girlfriend yet! I need you to leave. Now."

Neo leaned her hip on Blake's desk, unwilling to leave. She didn't want to back down from Blake. It was true, a few weeks ago, Blake wanted to end their short tryst, but Neo can't take no for an answer. Nevertheless, Neo already knew that Blake was seeing Weiss. And she also had her claws in Weiss at the moment. When would she ever get the chance to mess with a couple like this again? It was unthinkable, and the girl simply stared at Blake harder, crossing her arms.

"Stop doing that. Just stop it, okay? I told you, we're done. I'm not messing up what I have for a mistake like you." Blake was suddenly taken aback by her own words. It's true, the animosity she felt toward the object of her betrayal was strong, but she didn't have the right to call her that. A pang of regret shot through Blake like a bullet and she found herself reaching out to apologize to the girl, but was met with angry eyes. Angrier than Blake had ever seen Neo.

Neo reached into her pocket, slipping out a small, silver object and snatched Blake's hand from the air. She slapped the object into her hand hard, shoving her arm back at her and turning around post-haste. She looked back at Blake, nothing short of menacing. She had the gall to call her a mistake? Fine. She paused at the doorway, but turned the knob and exited soon enough.

Blake could never understand that girl. She could never understand her even when somehow, she and Neo began to seek.. solace, in one another. The extent of the relationship was purely physical, always short-lived and never sought-after. It was a darker time in Blake's life, and she wished with all her heart that she could take that time back and give it all to Weiss. She wanted to give everything to Weiss.

And when Blake had finally bought an engagement ring in hopes of proposing to Weiss in the near future, she knew she had to cut ties and tell her girlfriend about the relationship. She was just never quite ready. Was anyone ever ready to confess that they've cheated?

Blake finally took the time to check her palm for whatever it was Neo left her, and the sight caused her breath to hitch. She felt like time stopped around her, dread filling her chest to the brim. The weight of emotion bore down heavily on her shoulders, and she stared at the item she held in her hand.

It was Weiss' spare key. A key she'd already owned.

Cold, metal and unforgiving, she could only trace the item's outline with her eyes for so long until she had to pocket it, wanting to ask a million questions and yet at the very same time, wanting to sit in her chair and think until dawn.

Unfortunately, she was finished with work, and she had to go home. She had wanted to go home. Instead, she prepared herself for a visit to Weiss.

She dragged her feet up the steps to Weiss' apartment. She had a key, but she couldn't bring herself to use it. Right now, Blake was running on auto-pilot, and she felt like she was about to crash. A wary finger rang the doorbell and waited for the answer.

Footsteps could be heard inside, and they halted momentarily before the door swung open. "Blake! You remember you do have a key, don't you?" She chimed.

There was silence at the doorway. Weiss cued in on her girlfriend's discomfort, furrowing her brow in concern. "Hey, what's wrong? Why do you look like you've been crying…?"

Blake finally shifted her eyes up to Weiss, but gently pushed past her into the house. Weiss closed the door, never taking her gaze off Blake.

Blake reached into her pocket to retrieve two identical keys. She played with them in her palm before turning around and presenting them to Weiss. "Three is a little bit too many, don't you think?" … Where did she come off needing to say that? She wished she hadn't.

Weiss picked the keys up and turned them around, "Blake, where did you get another…" She stopped her sentence, almost afraid to look up at amber eyes.

"Neo stopped by my office today. Gave me the other one." Her voice was solid, but her eyes were bloodshot.

Weiss was visibly stunned upon hearing the name. She didn't have to wait for Blake to tell her. "… Listen, it's not.. I-It…"

But what can you say to the one you love when you confess? Everything will sound like a lie.

Weiss watched Blake cross her arms and became increasingly distressed in her pursuit to wrangle the situation. "It's nothing meaningful. I don't care for her that way, Blake, I'm just, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Holy shit, I can't believe this.." It was like hearing herself say the words pained Weiss more than it did telling them to the love of her life. Tears welled up, and she tried to choke them back, pacing back and forth, gesticulating her feelings, "It should have ended, I should have stopped it, I.. Fuck, Blake, I don't have any excuse. I don't deserve you, it was a horrible mistake!"

Blake's silence was noted, and Weiss could understand fully why she wasn't talking. She stepped forward in hopes of touching her, trying to communicate feelings, but her advances were halted by a simple question: "How long?"

Weiss retracted her hand, cheeks dampened by anguish, ".. Two months, maybe. We—"

"I don't need to hear anything else, Weiss."

The pair stood like that for several moments, neither daring to make a move or sound.

But someone always has to break the silence.

"I have to tell you something, or else I'm afraid I'll never be able to move forward with you."

Weiss' heart raced at the mention of more. Looking to Blake expectantly, she awaited the news, which came in soft, broken up whispers at her ear. The longer she listened in, the more she couldn't hold back the crying any longer. Drop after drop, they streamed down her face, dripping off her chin and staining her shirt. She briefly thought of how only minutes ago, she was ecstatic because Blake came home. Because the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with came back home to see her. Briefly.

She thought she might look upon this moment in the future and think about how funny it ought to have been that emotions could switch like night and day at the drop of a hat.

Blake finished her confession, stepping away from Weiss out of guilt; and out of contempt for herself.

That was it, Blake believed. They had both done irreparable damage to their relationship, and she could only believe that Weiss wouldn't have her back. She was a Schnee, after all. Proud and relentless are two of the many ways to describe them. Of course, Blake was not happy about the news of Weiss and Neo, of all fucking people, but she was used to running away at the sense that she shouldn't be there anymore.

Blake stepped back further, not knowing if she should leave, certainly not knowing if she should stay. But leave she did, turning to head for the door. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to stick around right now. There were too many things she was feeling, and she just wanted away from it all—

She was stopped by a hand tugging at her blouse.

"I don't want you to go. Please, just stay."

. . .

Blake reluctantly reached up to grasp the hand that stopped her.

And so she stayed.

a/n: I don't even know what happened, why it spiraled so out of control, and why it ended up the way it did, but I have effectively turned a story originally centered around one pairing and fluff and just completely made it about something else and just a boat load of angst.

I can't escape the Monochrome no matter what. Black and white cursed