Stupid, stupid, stupid! Blake cursed herself and those tailing her. She should've seen this coming, should have prepared for such a day. She'd been naive, and now she paid the price.
Her steps stopped echoing around her, as the route she'd taken dumped her into an open lot, with a few cars parked between faded yellow lines. And a few people grinning toothily at her from familiar robots.
Shit.
A glance back showed she hadn't managed to lose all of the ones who'd followed her, mocking grins on their faces. "Looks like we found ourselves a traitor, fellas. Let's treat her properly, mm?" They moved in, circling, and Blake turned about in place, doing her best to watch them all.
"How about…" someone started.
Blake's ears perked up unconsciously at the sound of that well-known voice, just as two of her tails found their heads slammed together, and slumped to the ground. One was unfortunate enough to get his hand crushed by an uncaring boot.
"How about," Yang said again, her voice even, but her hair bright, and eyes blazing, "You leave Blake fucking alone, and you all get to walk back to wherever you came from?"
The apparent ringleader was taken aback at first, but he soon regained his composure, giving Yang the same look he'd given Blake. "You think two of you can take all of us?" he scoffed, motioning to his men on the ground and those up in the robots.
"Yang," cautioned Blake, having sensed her partner's intent from the grin growing on her face. Unconsciously she moved to stand at her back, at the ready for anything aimed there.
And just as expected, Yang ignored Blake's warning, tossing her chin at the leader. "I bet we can." She stretched, seemingly without a care for her situation. Left arm, then the right, before she added, "You and me, we're gonna have a little talk about going off on your own."
Blake winced, feeling the edge sheathed in flippant tones. She'd only wanted to draw them away. They'd been looking for traitors, their message'd said. It didn't take a genius to figure out the logical move, the one that just might keep a few more people safe.
But then, she should've known Yang wouldn't have stood for her fighting alone, once she'd found out Blake had gone.
The leader only heard Yang's apparent apathy to the situation, though. He snarled, baring his teeth before looking to his fellows and shouting, "What are you waiting for? Get them!"
There was a moment of hesitation, uncertainty, where them running seemed as equally likely as a fight ensuing. Yang, of course, piped up then. "Ruby 'n Weiss will be coming soon." Bringing her hands up, she settled into a ready position, Ember Celica expanding into its full form as she did. "But let's take care of these guys first. Then we can trash the robots, and get back before Goodwitch yells at us for breaking curfew."
That did the trick. They surged forward, an angry mass of black and white. Blake only had time, with a suddenly lighter heart, to glance at Yang and ask, "Since when did you care about curfew?"
A flash of a grin was her only reply, before the fight began in earnest.
By the time the last robot fell-a clever use of hot and cold courtesy of Weiss-Blake was running a little low on Aura. So she practically dropped where she stood, gulping air down before trying to stand up again, and begin the long walk home.
A gloved hand entered her vision, palm up. Blake didn't realise it was so in invitation until after a few moments. Then she took it, and Yang pulled her up, brows coming together as she looked her up and down.
"You're low."
"I-" Blake's voice rasped the back of her throat; swallowing to work up enough spit, she said, "I'm fine."
Yang's eyes flashed. Ruby and Weiss, standing a little ways away, shifted uneasily, but didn't step in. "No, you aren't!" Yang's finger came up and poked Blake in the chest, her adamant spear. "When we get back, you're gonna wash, I'm gonna get some food in you, and you're gonna go straight to bed. No arguments!" She added the last bit when she saw Blake open her mouth to protest, irises reddening again. "And when you're back to normal, then we'll talk. A nice, long talk."
Seeing no way to avoid it, Blake could only shut her mouth and nod. That, and she was fractionally to tired and achy to argue. Yang noticed. Her expression softened slightly, and she murmured, "Here-" before draping one of Blake's arms over her shoulders, letting Blake rest most of her weight on Yang, and worry a little a less about falling flat on her face.
"Thank you, Yang," Blake said, once they'd reached the mouth of the alley they'd first come through, Ruby and Weiss already ahead of them.
"Anytime." There was a little pause. Her head dropped slightly to knock against Blake's, since hip-checking her would send them both down. Probably. "Though preferably not too soon, if you can manage that, mm?"
"…You know I can't promise that." In no mood for the light banter route, Blake dropped her gaze to the ground before her, seemingly focused on the placement of her feet. If they were going to have a talk, she figured, best get it over with. "None of us can guarantee that. It's what we *do*, Yang. We fight, we get hurt-"
"I know that," Yang cut her off, voice harsh again. Blake winced. "I know. All I want," she said, still a bit terse, but clearly trying her best to keep a hold on her temper and tone, "Is that you bring me along, whenever you go diving into trouble. I know you don't want to be a burden on anyone, but I'm your partner." A firm squeeze with the arm around Blake emphasised her words. "We fight together, we get hurt together. That's what *we* do. So please… promise me?"
Blake remained silent after this, and remained so long enough that Yang started wondering if she should let go. But eventually she spoke. "I'm used to relying on myself."
"I know. It's not a bad thing."
"I'm working on it."
"I know. You have gotten a little bit better about it 'nd other things."
"…Do you have some thing about 'I know' now?" Blake eyed her partner sidelong.
Yang grinned cheekily. "I dunno." She got a shove for that. But Blake laughed, and Yang laughed, and it was with light hearts they went back to Beacon.
Not once did they let each other go.
-0-
Acknowledging all the ways one can be motherly, and how Yang is such, is very important to me. As you could probably tell.