Blake sat quietly next to her partner, attempting to contain the shivers that tried to wrack her body. She had been sitting in the cold for hours and the blackness of the night seemed to pull the heat right off of her body. Grimm had been attacking the villages on the outskirts of the kingdom of Vale. With most hunters occupied with dealing with the more serious threats, Beacon had stepped in to volunteer the services of students for the protection of these vulnerable places. In turn, the young students readily accepted the duty.
Blake looked over at her teammate and friend. They had been sitting on a mossy patch at the base of a large pine tree since dusk. It was not ideal and definitely not comfortable. The blonde had a grimace painted on her face and her eyes stared off blankly into the darkness in front of her. Blake knew that it was unfair of her to be able to watch her partner like this when Yang could hardly see three inches in front of her face. Her Faunus eyes bestowed the gift of night vision and she could make out her beautiful partner's features in all but the blackest of nights. Tonight was particularly dark with clouds strangling the moonlight before it could reach the ground around them.
The proximity to her partner's fiery semblance certainly took the edge off of the icy chill from the winter air. She felt badly for all those students whose partners did not emanate warmth like a heater - forced to spend all night out in the frigid nighttime air. But even though Yang was able to passively provide Blake with a small amount of warmth, it was nothing like what it would be like with the blonde's arms wrapped around her...Blake shook her head lightly to dislodge that thought. She had gotten into the bad habit of daydreaming about Yang pulling her close and keeping her warm all night - feeling the strong arms holding her tightly to the blonde's body as Yang's breathing gently blew through her hair Her face flushed as her mind became momentarily consumed with the fantasy.
The boredom that usually accompanied these assignments often left Blake trying to manage an influx of thoughts about her partner - most of them entirely inappropriate. If Yang only knew the kinds of things that were running through her head right now…well, she imagined that her partner would be pretty disturbed by them. At least, she was comforted by the fact that Yang seemed completely oblivious to what was always running through her mind.
The silence and stillness of these assignments only added to the lack of distraction. It would be a reasonable assertion that say that Blake had memorized her partner's face by now. She only lamented the fact that Yang's violet eyes were colorless in her night vision for they were by far her favorite feature. In the daylight, those eyes conveyed an intensity and depth of emotion that dragged Blake in. At first, she had fought against the feeling - not wanting to be so connected...no, so dependent...upon another person. But now Blake found herself seeking out those lilac eyes often - in class, in the library, out on missions...She desperately hoped that she never came across as smitten as she really was.
They rarely slept during these long shifts. Although most nights crept by slowly without incident, the duo had encountered enough very threatening and challenging Grimm to solidify their hyper vigilance. Blake had faith that the two of them could defeat any foe they faced, provided that it didn't get the drop on them. She had become more dependent on Yang for comfort and security during the last year of their partnership, more than she thought was even possible. Her partner's mere presence in her life brought with it stability and Blake couldn't remember the last time she wanted to run. It made her distinctly uneasy, but it was much too late to pull back on her investment or on her vulnerability.
A small sigh escaped her lips and Yang startled at the sound.
"Blake?" Yang asked quietly and turned to stare in her direction, eyes searching for Blake's face.
The Faunus cleared her throat and smiled despite knowing that Yang couldn't see her. "Sorry... I'm just getting tired, I guess."
Yang grinned at her and whispered, "You know, we did agree to sleep in shifts. We never do, but I'll keep an ear out if you want?"
Blake shook her head, "No, I'm fine, and besides you are almost blind in this light."
Yang laughed and shrugged, "Your choice, Blakey."
She couldn't help but smile in response. Blake loved any and all nicknames that her partner had affectionately given her.
They sat in silence and Blake tried to maintain better focus on the task at hand. A sense of relief flooded into her as the sun began to poke out from the horizon, signaling an end to their long night. It also meant that the best part of these assignments was coming up.
As she had done every morning since they had been given these assignments, Yang wrapped her arm around Blake's shoulders and pulled her close.
"Ready?" Yang's voice took on a playful tone.
"Of course," Blake relaxed as best she could in Yang's embrace, feeling her heart begin to beat rapidly.
Yang activated her semblance and Blake felt heat emanating from her partner and the cold in her aching bones began to dissipate as the brawler tried to warm them both. She turned to sneak a glance at her Yang. Yang's face and skin had taken on a new brightness and radiance which always made Blake feel like her partner was a celestial body placed here to burn her up.
As the pair held each other tightly and watched the sunrise color the landscape with shades of pink and yellow, Blake decided that she wouldn't mind going blind if that was the price of staring into the sun.