Yatsuhashi and Velvet sat around their makeshift camp. The fire was dying down, Coco had already gone to bed and Fox was out on night watch. Velvet knew she should be sleeping to but her lack of a fully functioning weapon had lost her many hours of sleep. The fear that they would be attacked and she would be left unarmed had gripped her for the last few nights. Yatsuhashi pilled more wood onto the fire and blew into it, attempting to make the tiny embers light. Unfortunately the giant's breath did the exact opposite, blowing out what little light there was. He struggled for the matches in the dark and when he finally did find them he attempted to strike a match and broke it in half.
Velvet rose from here seat and approached Yatsuhashi, her faunus night vision helping here find him with easily.
"Yatsu, do you need some help?" she asked.
He nodded his response, aware of her eyes, and held out the box to her. She lit the match with a single strike and her much smaller breaths relit the fire with ease, despite her continuous yawning as she attempted to gather enough breath.
They sat beside each other, Velvet still working on her box while Yatsuhashi was deep in thought. The stoic man had been in this state all day and his partner had taken notice. As close as she was to Yatsuhashi what the man thought was continuously a mystery to her, a mystery that despite her tired state always intrigued (and occasionally worried) her.
"What's on your mind?" she asked looking up from her work.
"It's doesn't matter" he replied, smiling down at her.
"Yatsu, you're my partner, I want to help you please tell me" she pleaded with him, the bags under her eyes obvious in the fire light.
He thought for a moment, he knew his partner cared and he didn't want to scare her. Honestly he did want to hear her opinion on this but he also knew she had been up for nights on end, working away at her weapon, and he could tell she needed her sleep.
"If you promise you'll sleep afterword then I will."
"Deal," she smiled, setting the box down.
"Sometimes I envy you" he admitted.
"Envy me?" she was surprised.
"You can be so gentle" he told her, "I struggle to be."
"What do you mean?" the faunus girl asked, "You've never hurt anyone or anything who didn't deserve it."
"I'm rather" he thought for the right word, "Big."
She rested her much smaller hand atop his, "You're the kindest person I've ever met, faunus or human, your size can't change that. You're my best friend."
"I break things easily" he reminded her, "Both good and bad."
"You're big and strong it just means you can look after people easier" she smiled, "Like how you stopped those bullies."
"They should know better than to pick on you" he told her, his hand beneath hers clenching the log they were sitting on.
"They do now" she almost laughed, "You put Cardin through a wall last time he did."
"I should've broken his legs" he regretted.
Velvet yawned, "I anything I should envy you, if I were as strong as you I could deal with them by myself."
"You shouldn't have to" he reminded her.
"I know, but you're big and strong no matter what, without my weapon I'm just extra baggage" she sighed, looking down at the box.
"No" he told her.
"No?"
"You are too important to be baggage" he replied, turning his hand from holding the log to clasping her hand as gently as he could.
They looked each other in the eyes, they both were what the other lacked be it gentle or strong. They fit each other perfectly, acting to give the other something to work toward at least partially for the other's benefit. Their heads drew closer as the fire crackled, centimetres apart.
"Bags are important" Coco called from her sleeping mat.
"How long have you been awake?" Velvet asked, clearly embarrassed.
"Long enough" their leader told them, "Do you really like him that much more than Fox and I? I'm almost jealous."
"Coco I-
"I'm only kidding bun" Coco teased, "But I can't wait to plan the wedding."
The bunny girl was incredibly flustered, she knew Coco was like this but she'd never got this embarrassed when it happened she usually just laughed it off.
"You and your big teddy bear together forever" Coco almost cheered.
"Teddy?" Yatsuhashi questioned.
"I take it Velvet enjoys eating some Yatsuhashi doesn't she? Or does Yatsuhashi like eating some Velvet cake?"
Silence encompassed the camp.
"Alright I'm done for the night" Coco rolled over so she was no longer facing the duo.
Silence remained.
"Well that was… awkward" Velvet mumbled scratching her ears.
"Yes" Yatsuhashi replied.
"Are you okay Yatsuhashi?" she asked.
"Yes" he told her, "I'm glad."
"Glad about what?" she asked.
"Glad someone thinks I can do more than just hurt people and break things" he smiled.
"I'm glad someone thinks I'm useful even without a weapon" she smiled.
He squeezed her hand firmly, a blush spread to her cheeks. Remembering her promise she rested her head on his shoulder and quickly fell to sleep, her left ear coming to rest on his shoulder. Yatsuhashi was glad, at least he was a comfortable pillow for the gentle bunny. He gently lifted her, carrying her to her sleeping mat. He set her down before setting her box down beside her. He tucked the bunny in as gently as he could, still managing to lightly push the bunny. She groaned in her sleep, coiling her arms around his. She was smiling, he quickly realised he was at the moment acting as her big teddy bear. He couldn't just pull away, that would wake her for sure. For once in his life he was glad he wasn't gentle, if he was he'd have an excuse to pull away.
Fox couldn't help but smirk at the scene, he guessed that he could stay on patrol just a little longer.