Blake slept like a child. When yang found out after the first time they slept in the same bed it was probably that moment when she fell hopelessly in love with her partner.
It was after a long mission away from beacon, they had just cleared an area of Grimm and the academy paid for a hotel room for the night. Exhausted the four girls dragged themselves into the room and stopped dead when they saw only two beds. There were a few moments of silence before Ruby's tired but decisive voice laid down the law.
"I'm with Weiss, Yang, with Blake." There was no arguing, only a small grumble from Weiss about messing up the accommodations. The four girls stripped and changed without a word. Yang took the left side and tiredly held up the sheets for Blake to slide in. The Faunus smiled her thanks and slipped under the covers, eyes sliding shut as soon as her head hit the pillow. Yang was about to do the same when she noticed the bow still on her head. After a brief moment of hesitation, she reached out and gently undid the silky fabric. Setting it on the nightstand she finally let herself drift off.
Yang awoke in the middle of the night, bleary eyes blinking open. Casting her gaze about she tried to find what had awoken her. A soft squeeze on her index finger drew her attention downwards. Blake had a firm but gentle grip on her finger, her whole hand being used to hold the single digit. Yang's heart twisted and tightened in her chest until it was painful. She had never seen Blake like this, her face relaxed and soft like it never was in the day, and the guarded expression she always wore was gone, replaced with a ghost of a smile and her gentle breaths. Heart thundering, yang lay back down, facing Blake and openly staring.
She was beautiful. Her onyx tresses silvery in the moonlight, eyes flicking about under her eyelids every so often as she dreamed, breaths slow and even. Another squeeze on her finger drew Yang's attention to their hands. Blake had curled slightly closer as her fingers flexed, almost like she was afraid of losing her grip. Drawing a shaky breath, yang slowly closed her eyes and tried desperately to fall back asleep.
The next morning found yang sleep deprived and more than a little scared. She had been up all night thinking about Blake and how much she wanted to cuddle closer, hold her hand back, thinking about how much she wanted to kiss her soft pink lips. Her lack of sleep showed when Ruby had confusedly asked why yang was staring at the blank TV and almost twitching. Yang laughed it off and ruffled her sister's hair.
"Just thinking Rubes, just thinking."
"Did it hurt?" Weiss asked with a smirk. Yang, too tired to fight her decided to steer into the skid.
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna need a doctor." Ruby laughed and Weiss rolled her eyes but had the barest hints of a smile tugging at her lips. When yang caught Blake's gaze who was muffling her giggles behind her hand, Amber eyes crinkled in laughter, her heart gave another twist and yang had to look away.
~x~
It was a week later when Yang fell even harder. Blake had been acting weird all day, she was more skittish and quiet than usual, shying away from all contact and going as far to even ignore her Teammates for the better part of the day. After the last class had finished Blake was up and moving, weaving through the crowd of students easily. Yang chased after her, bumping into every single student at beacon along the way. Finally she caught up and found Blake sitting along on the desk at the front of an unused classroom. She sat with her knees to her chest, chin propped up and blank eyes staring. Shutting the door behind her quietly, yang made her way down to the front.
"Are you okay?" It was a stupid question, she obviously was not, but she didn't have any other words.
"….no." The honest answer surprised yang, she had expected Blake to lie, say she was fine and say she wanted to be left to the quiet.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Blake hesitated and for the first time that day Amber eyes met violet. Yang was startled and hurt to see the anguish in them. " it's my birthday." She mumbled, eyes flicking away. Yang tilted her head, confused. " it's my birthday." Blake repeated dully.
"I didn't know. Happy birthday Blake." Blake shook her head and bit her lip.
"No it's not." Yang sat on the desk next to her partner and opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Blake sniffled and yang jerked her head sideways in time to see her wipe away a single tear. "I've… Never really had a birthday. I only remember my sixth. My dad got me this little doll. She had blonde hair and button eyes. She was the greatest thing I'd ever gotten." Blake had to stop, her voice thick with tears. Yang bit her lip and slid closer, slowly putting her arm around her shoulders. Leaning into the contact she rested her head on her shoulder. "That doll was my greatest treasure. I took her everywhere. I loved her more than I loved myself." Yang heart kicked violently in protest to her words but she kept her mouth shut and gave her partner a squeeze. "And when my parents died a year and a half later she was all I had left. Then there was Adam. He… He took care of me and he was like my big brother. The only thing was, he had a temper. One night he… I don't even remember what I did wrong." Blake choked on a sob and yang couldn't hold back any longer. Turning she embraced Blake fully, squeezing her and bringing her head to her chest. Running her hands through dark hair she pressed a reassuring kiss to her forehead and held her tightly. Blake curled one hand tightly in Yang's shirt the other curled protectively over her heart. "One night he came home and less than ten minutes later he was screaming at me, he was throwing things and I was so scared I started to cry. I clutched her to my chest and tried to hide, it only made him angrier. I don't even remember what he was yelling about. The next thing I know he's yanking her from me, and before I could even cry out… He's tossed her into the fire." Blake couldn't keep talking, the tears coming to thick and her chest heaving and shuddering as she gasped for breath. Shushing her gently, yang held her tightly and pressed kiss after kiss to her forehead, rocking them both slowly and murmuring comforting nothing's softly into her ears.
Eventually Blake calmed down, her breathing slower and more steady. She wiped her eyes despite them being dry from yang wiping them tenderly with her scarf. Scared golden eyes met violet and yang smiled and kissed Blake's nose. "Thank you for telling me. That had to be hard to do. Thank you for trusting me."
Blake hesitated and bit her lip before slowly replying, like she was testing the words, probing them with her tongue, carefully selecting each word. "Thank you for listening and understanding, and being someone I can trust." Speechless, Yang could only smile and nuzzle her cheeks against the darker girls.
Eventually they stood and yang carefully made sure Blake's eyes were no longer red or puffy. She held the door for her and as she passed by Blake timidly grabbed her hand. She smiled nervously and yang grinned back and gave a soft squeeze while her heart flipped and danced inside her rib cage. Together they headed back to the dorm.
~x~
It was an entire month after that yang had finally had enough and decided to do something about her ever increasing affection for her partner. Blake sat reading on her bed while above her yang fidgeted and twisted her hands nervously in the sheets of her bed. Psyching herself up, she took a deep breath and then flung her upper half over the side of the bed. Hanging upside down she put her hand in front of Blake's book to gain her attention. Irritated Blake glared at the blonde who could barely speak around her suddenly cotton tongue.
"I need to talk to you. Right now." She blurted. Her voice sounded panicky and strained even to her. Blake's expression shifted almost instantly to subtle concern.
"Ok." She carefully marked her page then set the book down. Turning and giving yang her undivided attention.
"Uhm… Not-not here… Come with me?" She dropped from her bunk and stumbled her way to the door. Blake looked apprehensive but nodded and stood. Shaking with nerves yang let them out and led them up to the rooftop above their dorm. She paced nervously and fidgeted. Blake stood silent and gave yang the time she needed to find what she wanted to say. After five minutes of silence though Blake had become a bundle of nerves herself.
"Yang? What's wrong you're scaring me." Her words jolted the brawler who immediately focused all her attention on Blake who stood nervously, concern now evident on her face. Taking a few steps forward Yang took a shaky breath and grabbed both her hands.
"Blake…I… I like you. Like… I mean… I want to be with you. And I know I'm a big mess and I'm really bad with words and I know I can't talk right most of the time but… I really like you and if you'll let me, I'd really like to take you out sometime." Blake looked startled and dread started to fill her chest. She was going to say no, she was sure of it, this was the end of Yang Xiao Long.
"I thought you'd never ask." Blake breathed.
"What?"
"I like you too, and I don't know where or when it happened, but I don't think It matters because you like me too." A wide grin nearly split Yang's face in half and she laughed, sweeping her up and twirling her around in a tight and joyous hug. Blake laughed too and when yang set her back down the blonde was all too aware of Blake staring at her mouth.
"I'd like to kiss you." She blurted, flushing a dark red immediately after the words fell from her lips.
Blake seemed unfazed and a soft smile crossed her lips. "I'd like you to kiss me too." Swallowing hard yang brought one hand up to cup her cheek and the other rested on her hip, holding her in place. Angling her head yang slowly pressed closer, she was close enough to feel Blake's breath puffing excitedly across her lips and she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips tenderly to Blake's. Kissing back just as tenderly Blake wrapped her arms around Yang's neck and pulled her closer. They broke apart for a brief moment before kissing again. This kiss was hungrier but no less gentle. They stood together, pressing kiss after kiss to each other mouths all the while their hearts danced a victory dance to the others pulse.
When they eventually slowed to a stop, they stood staring into each other's eyes and grinning like love sick fools. "You know when I knew?" Yang asked breathlessly.
"Tell me."
"When I found out you sleep like. Child. After that mission and the hotel? The first time we shared a bed? I woke up in the middle of the night because you had grabbed my finger. I fell for you so hard and so fast right then and there."
"I realized on my birthday. When you found me in that classroom and held me and I finally trusted someone completely for the first time since my parents died." Yang grinned and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.
"I'm so lucky I got you as my partner."
"I don't think lucky is the right word, I needed you and for once in my life everything lined up and I got exactly who I needed." Yang couldn't contain her grin and pressed another enthusiastic kiss to her lips.
"You're the best partner in the world, you're the best I could ever ask for but I'm going to ask for more, will you be my girlfriend?" Blake nodded and hugged herself to yang tightly. Holding her just as tight yang grinned and slowly started to dance to a beat only she could hear.
They danced to the beat of their heart out on the rooftop under the stars until it was too late to stay out any longer, then they crept back to their room and yang quietly slid into Blake's bed with her. Without protest they cuddles up together and after a brief moment of hesitation, Blake curled her fingers around yang index and offered a timid smile. Smiling back yang pressed a soft kiss to her lips and murmured a goodnight. Settling in they both drifted off to sleep, curled up against each other and smiles clinging to their lips even in sleep.