Author's Note: This story is part two of The Missing Pieces Series. If you haven't read Missing Pieces, you're probably going to have no idea what's going on, so I strongly suggest you read that story first.
This story was written just before the release of Volume 4. It's compliant with canon through Volume 3.
This is the Teen and Up version of the story. The Mature version has been posted to Archive of Our Own.
Chapter 1: An Important Date
"This is a complete disaster!" Yang wailed. "Why didn't I bring anything nice to wear?"
Yang was frantically pulling every single article of clothing she had out of her duffle bag at a manic pace. Having only one hand wasn't slowing her down a bit. Her clothes were already scattered everywhere across the floor of her guest room in the Schnee mansion.
"I'm sure Blake will understand," Ruby said absently from behind Yang's back. She was preoccupied tugging Yang's unruly mane of hair into a thick braid.
"This is going to be our first date! I don't want her to have to understand! I want everything to be perfect!" Yang said. She started pacing back and forth.
Ruby did an impressive job of staying glued to Yang's back as she worked. "I'm pretty sure as long as you're there, Blake will be happy," Ruby said. She finally made the last turn of the braid and slipped a hair tie onto the end. "What are you guys going to do anyway?"
"I'm going to take Blake on a motorcycle ride," Yang said.
"Uh…a motorcycle ride?" Ruby asked as she came around to Yang's front.
"Yeah," Yang said. "It's a great thing to do on a first date. Let's me be spontaneous."
"Are you going to…you know…drive?" Ruby asked as she scratched her arm uncomfortably.
"Well of course I…oh. Oooh. Oh," Yang said as she realized what Ruby was getting at. Driving a motorcycle with one hand wasn't really feasible, and Yang's cybernetic arm was still out for repairs after the fight with Adam.
With a heavy sigh, Yang slumped to the floor and sprawled out flat on her back. "Figures," she said. "I go on dozens of first dates, but everything is going horribly wrong on the one I really care about."
Yang had been expecting sympathy from Ruby, but what she got instead was the ding of a message being received by Ruby's new scroll. Yang turned her head and saw Ruby typing in a reply. Ruby had been getting a lot of messages in the last few hours, although Yang hadn't really been paying attention to them.
Yang said, "Ah come on, Sis. Don't I even get an 'everything'll be alright'?"
"Everything will be alright," Ruby said as she slid her scroll back into her pocket. "Because you're getting backup!"
"Backup?" Yang asked.
"You're on Team RWBY again!" Ruby said. "That means we're here to help each other out."
"Pretty sure dating isn't a team activity," Yang said.
Just then there was a knock on the door. Ruby went and opened it. Weiss was on the other side. She walked into the room, followed by one of the mansion's ubiquitous staff who was pushing a large trolley that looked like the kind a porter at a hotel would use. The trolley was loaded down with numerous articles of clothing, several pairs of footwear, and other fashion accessories.
"Thank you, Sven," Weiss said to the staff member. She nodded to dismiss him.
Sven politely bowed and left the room.
Ruby cheered, "Ah yeah! Backup is here!"
Weiss took one look at Yang and said, "Ruby, your sister is lying on the floor in a pile of clothing."
"Yeah, Yang does stuff like that," Ruby said. She walked over to Yang and offered her a hand. "Come on, Sis. Get up."
Yang took Ruby's hand and let herself be pulled to her feet. "What's this?" she asked, motioning to the trolley.
Weiss said, "When I heard you were having difficulty finding something to wear, I knew something needed to be done. There are a few members of the live-in staff that are about your size. They've been kind enough to lend you some of their clothing for the evening."
"Is this what you've been messaging about?" Yang asked Ruby.
"Maaaybe," Ruby said.
"Oooh, you guys are the best!" Yang said. She snagged Ruby by the shoulders and motioned for Weiss to join them. "Come on! Group hug!"
Weiss crossed her arms. "I'll pass. Thank you."
"Ruby! Go hug Weiss!" Yang said.
"That's really…" Weiss got out before Ruby sped over to her in a billow of rose petals and latched on.
Weiss glared at Yang while simultaneously blushing bright red. Yang gave Weiss a far too innocent smile back. It was painfully obvious, especially as of late, how Weiss felt about Ruby, but so far she'd kept her feelings to herself. Yang wasn't really sure what she thought about the prospect of Weiss and Ruby actually hooking up. She respected Weiss, but Ruby was her baby sister. She wasn't sure if Weiss, or anyone else for that matter, was good enough for her. It didn't look like Yang was going to have to worry about that anytime soon, however. And in the meantime, it was an endless source of entertainment for her at Weiss's expense.
"Alright, that's quite enough, Ruby!" Weiss said in a flustered tone. "We have to help your sister."
"Yeah!" Ruby said, letting go. "Operation: Get Yang Ready for Her Date, commence!"
"Let's do it!" Yang agreed, pumping her fist in the air.
Several minutes, lots of bickering, and many articles of clothing later, Yang was dressed to kill. She had on a light brown, leather jacket, slacks, her own orange tank top, and a small woolen scarf. The jacket's right sleeve was rolled up on itself over Yang's stump and secured with the snap on its cuff.
Ruby said, "Now you just need some boots."
Weiss plucked a heeled pair off the bottom of the trolley. "I think these would work quite well," she said.
"Nope. Not badass enough," Yang said. "These'll do, though." She grabbed a pair of knee-high riding boots that matched the color of her jacket. They also had buckles that she could get closed one-handed.
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Of course," she said sarcastically.
"Do you need help?" Ruby asked.
"Nope. I got it," Yang said. She sat down in the closest chair and tugged the boots on. "Yeah! Perfect!"
"I guess they do suit you," Weiss said. She turned toward the door. "Now if you'll excuse me."
"Where are you going?" Yang asked.
"To attend to another matter," Weiss said mysteriously. "Ruby, I trust you know what to do."
"Yep!" Ruby said.
"Good," Weiss said and left the room.
Yang eyed Ruby suspiciously. "What else are the two of you up to, baby sister?"
"Nothing!" Ruby said in a tone that made it very obvious that she was up to something. She grabbed Yang's arm. "Come on! Let's go find Blake!"
"Hold on," Yang said, slipping out of Ruby's grasp. She walked over to the nightstand where her bracelets were sitting. She picked up the left one and held it out to Ruby. "This you can help me put on."
"Yang!" Ruby said exasperatedly. "You're going on a date! What do you need Ember Celica for?"
"I always need it," Yang said. "What if we end up at a bar?"
"Just because you go to a bar doesn't mean you have to get into a fight," Ruby said.
"Why else would I go to a bar?" Yang asked. She waggled her bracelet in front of Ruby insistently.
"Ugh. Fine," Ruby said. She took Ember Celica out of Yang's hand and hooked it around her sister's wrist.
"Thanks!" Yang said. She had figured out a way to get her bracelet on by herself, but it was a complicated maneuver that involved holding it in place with her mouth and bending her wrist like a contortionist.
Yang eyed the other half of Ember Celica. She hesitated for a moment, then she nodded to herself, grabbed the bracelet, and slipped it into her jacket pocket.
"Alright!" Yang said. "I'm ready."
Ruby didn't lead Yang to Blake's room like Yang had expected, but rather to the mansion's garage. Yang knew the unusual destination must have something to do with whatever grand plans Ruby and Weiss still had for her and Blake. The other matter Weiss had left to attend to must have been Blake herself.
Yang's gut reaction was to tell Ruby that she didn't need her or Weiss's help to take Blake out on a date, but that certainly hadn't been the case today. More importantly, believing that she could do everything on her own had led her to nothing but trouble. She was done with that kind of thinking. Ruby and Weiss were her teammates. They were there for her, just like she was there for them.
The garage was filled with Mr. Schnee's huge collection of luxury cars. Yang still didn't understand the need for all of them, but what did she know about being rich? Maybe there was a good reason Weiss's dad had more cars than he could ever use, although Yang suspected the collection existed just so that Papa Schnee could dazzle lesser beings with his wealth. If that was the case, Yang was not impressed.
Weiss was waiting for Yang and Ruby about halfway down the line of cars. When Yang and Ruby reached her, she said, "There you finally are. What took you so long?"
Yang shrugged. "Sometimes it's good to make your date wait a little. It builds the anticipation. Looks like Blake's got me beat though. Where is she?"
"She'll be along in a moment," Weiss said.
"So are you going to let me borrow a car?" Yang asked, eyeing the vehicle in front of her. It was no motorcycle, but it might be fun to drive. At the very least it looked like it was fast.
"I had planned to," Weiss said. "But I was told another form of transportation would be more suitable."
As if on cue, an engine roared to life. A rider emerged from the far corner of the garage on the very same motorcycle Yang had borrowed not so long ago and pulled up to where Yang, Weiss, and Ruby were standing. The rider turned off the bike, tilted it onto its kickstand, and pulled off their helmet.
Yang grinned when she saw it was Blake underneath the helmet. Blake was wearing a white turtleneck sweater over black slacks. She had swapped out her typical ankle boots for ones without heels, but her ever-present bow was still perched atop her head. The ensemble was completed by Blake's tailored greatcoat which hung open. It was a simple outfit, but it suited Blake immensely.
"Hiya, girlfriend!" Yang said as Blake got off the bike. "I didn't know you could ride a motorcycle."
"It's nice to know I still have some secrets," Blake said.
"You look fantastic!" Yang said.
"Thanks," Blake said. She took a moment to look Yang over and then said with a smile, "So do you. I like your hair like that."
Yang was having trouble remembering why she'd been so worried about this date. She'd be happy to just stand there and look at Blake until the sun came up the next morning. Judging by Blake's expression, she felt the same way.
"Ahem!" Weiss said very deliberately.
Yang shook herself out of her trance. "So you ready to get going?" she asked Blake.
"I'm ready if you are," Blake said.
Yang offered Blake her arm. "Lead on then!"
Blake hooked her arm in Yang's and led her the very short distance to the motorcycle. Their eyes never left each other.
Ruby bounced up and down while squealing softly. "Isn't it so romantic?" she asked Weiss.
"Yes, sickeningly so," Weiss said. Had anyone been paying attention to her, they would have heard the jealousy in her voice.
Blake redonned her helmet. Yang took the extra one hanging off the back of the bike and put it on. They both took their seats. Blake hit the starter, and Yang hooked her arm around Blake's waist. Blake opened up the throttle and the motorcycle took off.
A light dusting of snow was falling as Blake and Yang rode down the streets of Atlas. The sun was low in the sky, giving out its last rays of light before it touched the horizon.
Yang had never been on the back of a motorcycle before. She had to admit, it was a lot more fun than she'd expected. Blake wasn't going as fast as she would've liked, but it did afford her the opportunity to press tightly into Blake's back.
Yang felt Blake shiver slightly. Even with a coat and a sweater on, riding a motorcycle in winter was a chilly experience. Yang was already using her semblance to keep herself warm. She cranked up the intensity a few degrees and let the excess heat seep into Blake. She was gratified a few minutes later when she felt Blake's muscles unclench a little.
Blake called out over her shoulder, "I hope you're not hungry yet!"
"I can wait!" Yang shouted back.
"Good! There's something I want to show you!" Blake said. She took a turn that put them on course for the outskirts of town. Yang had no idea where Blake was taking them, but to her surprise, she found that she was content to just let things happen.
The orderly grid of downtown streets soon gave way to smaller, winding roads at the edge of the city. Blake navigated them with ease. She'd clearly been this way before. Eventually, she turned off the road and onto a narrow lane that led to a city park. The park's entrance was blocked off, and there was a prominent sign that read, "CLOSED".
Blake didn't slow down. She skillfully maneuvered the bike in between a gap in the roadblock that was too narrow for a car to fit through. She drove the motorcycle down the roughly paved park roads and up a hill that was wooded with evergreen trees. When the bike crested the top, Blake finally slowed to a stop.
Yang said, "A whole park all to ourselves, huh? Nice."
"I thought you might like it," Blake said as she turned off the engine.
"So is this what you wanted to show me?" Yang asked.
"Not quite," Blake said. She took off her helmet and Yang did the same.
"Over here," Blake said. She tilted the motorcycle onto its stand and got off.
Yang followed Blake down a footpath through the trees. It was only a short distance until they came to a clearing.
"Oh wow!" Yang said.
The clearing was on the edge of a small overlook. The great city of Atlas was laid out before Yang and Blake, backlit by a brilliant sunset. It was a beautiful scene, and it was all for them alone.
Blake walked over to a bench near the overlook and sat down. Yang sat down as well on Blake's right. Their hands naturally found one another as they snuggled close. Yang kept her semblance going. There was no need for Blake to be cold.
Blake reached up with her free hand and undid her bow. Yang was surprised. Despite everything, Blake still didn't feel comfortable showing her ears to anyone, not even her teammates. It was an incredible gesture of trust on Blake's part, and Yang knew it.
Blake sat there quietly for a moment before she said, "I found this place a few weeks after I arrived in Atlas. I came here to watch the sunsets a lot. They…they reminded me of you."
"Blake, I…" Yang said.
Blake silenced Yang with a kiss. Yang's eyes closed as she savored it. She understood what Blake was trying to tell her. Blake didn't need Yang to say anything; she just needed her to be there. Yang squeezed Blake's hand reassuringly. If her physical presence was enough to sooth Blake, then Yang was content with that.
Blake's lips gently left Yang's. She tucked her head into Yang's shoulder, and a wistful sigh escaped her lips. The sun slowly sank below the horizon, and the lights of the city winked on one by one. Yang never imagined she would ever be happy just sitting around not doing anything, but she really was. She'd never appreciated the peaceful stillness of a moment like this. It was a gift Blake had given her without even knowing it.
When the sun vanished completely, Yang felt Blake shift her position slightly. It was the smallest of changes, but it was enough to alert Yang that something was wrong. She didn't even have to turn her head to know that Blake was staring at her stump. Blake probably thought she could get away with it in the dark due to her superior faunus eyesight, but unfortunately for her, Yang knew her too well.
"It's not your fault," Yang said.
"What do you mean?" Blake asked.
"You know what I mean," Yang said.
"I…" Blake stammered. "We shouldn't talk about this. Not on our first date."
"No. We should," Yang said. "I'm not going to have what happened to my arm hanging out there between us."
Blake pulled away from Yang. She stood and walked a few steps away.
If Yang could have, she would have crossed her arms. She settled for scowling instead. She'd meant what she'd said. It was time to put this behind them. She wasn't about to let Blake brood about it any longer, no matter how much she wanted to.
Yang waited almost a full minute before she said, "It's a lot warmer over here by me."
Blake slowly turned around. Yang could see her shivering. With the sun gone, the winter air had become frigid.
Yang patted the space next to her invitingly. "Come on, Blake," she said.
A single tear rolled down Blake's cheek. She walked back over to Yang and threw her arms around her. "I'm so sorry," Blake whispered.
Yang rocked Blake back and forth. She turned up her semblance just another notch to make sure Blake felt safe and warm.
"Listen to me," Yang said soothingly. "I love you. I've loved you a long time. I want to keep loving you for a lot longer."
"Even if I was the coward who ran away when you needed me most?" Blake asked.
"You're not a coward," Yang said. "You're the bravest person I know. You left the only life you'd ever known because you wanted to do what's right. You've saved my life, and I've saved yours. You're my partner and my best friend and nothing's ever going to change that. You got it?"
"I got it," Blake said.
"So are we ready to move on?" Yang asked.
"We're ready," Blake said.
"Well…good," Yang said not sure what else to add.
A soft chuckle cut through Blake's sniffling. "And you think you're not very good with words," she said.
"I do have my moments," Yang said proudly.
Blake and Yang sat there entwined together. Yang could feel the steady rise and fall of Blake's chest. She wasn't sure if what she'd said had been enough, but if it hadn't been she'd simply keep on trying until she was sure Blake didn't blame herself anymore.
Suddenly, Blake started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Yang asked.
"Nothing," Blake said, untangling herself from Yang. "I was just remembering the time you were fighting Dove in sparring class, and you accidentally punched a crater in the arena floor. Professor Goodwitch walked up to you looking very upset. And you looked at her and said, 'Well you did tell us to put forth a crater effort this week!'"
Yang laughed. "Yeah. That was pretty funny. I think Goodwitch actually started quaking with rage."
"I'm surprised she didn't kill you," Blake said.
"I bet she wanted to, but then she'd have to explain herself to Ozpin," Yang said.
"Lucky you," Blake said.
"Well I don't know about you, but I'm ready for dinner," Yang said.
"That sound good," Blake said.
"Where do you want to eat?" Yang asked. "It's your choice. Tonight's all about you."
"Well…there is a seafood place downtown that I've always wanted to try," Blake said.
"I should've guessed," Yang teased.
Author's Note: There. We got all of the angst out of the way in Chapter 1. I'm sure there won't be any more. Right?
I didn't really intend to write this story at first. I actually sat down to write something entirely different, but I couldn't get anywhere on it. And then suddenly this vague collection of ideas for a Missing Pieces follow-up crystallized into something more concrete. So here we are. Think of this as an extended epilogue to Missing Pieces. A very extended epilogue.
Constructive criticism is always welcome so please feel free to review or comment. If you want to be notified of updates or send me a message, you can find me on tumblr under the name electronicyarn.