Yang had always considered herself to be a confident person. Even though she had to admit that some of it was faked – all to bring herself into the mother role she was thrust into at a young age – most of it was real. She was always a social person, especially since she often had to take the lead to get Ruby out of the house when they were children, and never had issues voicing her thoughts to others.

She was quick to have compassion for others, and although her emotions often ran rampant – whether it be anger or happiness – she always knew what she was feeling.

But right now, standing alone by the port near the ocean with Blake Belladonna, she had never felt less confident or in-tune with her own emotions.

The two hadn't said more than a simple 'hello' since they reunited. Weiss and Ruby had been with them, helping ease some of the awkward feelings, but by the time they arrived at the port, the two had taken off, having their own business to take care of.

As beautiful as the ocean-view where they were situated was, Yang couldn't take her eyes off the faunus staring out into the distance. She was more beautiful than Yang remembered.

Blake's outfit was stunning, and Yang could tell she had been training hard, with how her muscles had grown, making her form even better than before. And although the bow was cute, Yang loved seeing Blake feel free enough to ditch it.

'She's made progress…' Yang noted to herself, letting that realization sink in as a feeling of hope, remembering that months had passed since the Fall, and therefore, things would get better. She was determined to make things better.

She was proud – of all her teammates. But after having gone through so many nights and flashbacks of the Fall, and Blake's final moments with her, she couldn't help but feel a surge of pride to see how her partner never let things stop her.

It was one of the things Yang loved about her.

Her inner monologue continued, as she took note of her surroundings, when Blake finally turned around, making eye contact with the blonde huntress.

"You know…" the faunus began, biting her lip for a moment before continuing. "You're supposed to hate me."

Oh.

Yang blinked. That was not what she was expecting, not after all this time. Not the first thing the pair was going to say.

Then again, this was Blake Belladonna, and if Yang knew anything about her, it was that she would get straight to the point when she was determined. It had caused problems with the White Fang back at Beacon, but right now, Yang couldn't be more grateful to her.

She bit back a snarky remark to respond with, remembering Weiss' warning to take things seriously – especially if Blake was leading the conversation, which is where it seemed things were headed.

"Blake…" she sighed instead, shaking her head, one hand on her hip, the other on her temple, before taking a cautious step forward. "I could never hate you."

Blake's ear were still down. She clearly didn't believe Yang.

"I mean," she quickly added, trying to not sound desperate as she fumbled for the right words, "It's been a few months. To say it hasn't been an emotional battle would be lying, and I know how much you value honesty. We both do. What can I say? Since…the Fall…I've gone through so many emotions. Anger, at everyone, myself mostly. Depression…fear…panic…we could talk all day about my emotions," she chuckled before pausing once more.

"Sorry. Um, what I mean is, I've spent months thinking about things. About you, me, the team, Beacon…I've had questions. I still do. I've moped around, cried, dealt with flashbacks and panic like I never could imagine. I won't lie. You've been one of the largest points I've thought about. Why things happened the way they did…what I did wrong…what you were thinking…and so many emotions followed."

Yang took a deep breath, cautiously walking closer to her partner, keeping an eye on her body movements to see if she was pushing too hard. Blake was definitely on edge, but wasn't pushing Yang away yet. Taking a leap of faith, she gently wrapped her arms around Blake, pulling her into a tight hug.

"But I would never hate you," she whispered, barely noticing when tears finally began to escape, falling down her cheek, onto Blake's shoulder. "You are so important to me, Blake Belladonna, and I am so happy that you are here and that you are safe."

Blake was so confused.

Yang was by far, the most important person in her life. She chose to be her partner back in Initiation. She chose to let Yang, as well as the rest of her team into her past, even if only for a moment. She let herself be consoled and grow closer to Yang. She even let herself fall in love with the last person she ever expected to.

However, Blake was very aware that she also chose to leave when she did.

She knew her partner. Yang Xiao Long was smart, both in battle, conversation and school. She knew that Blake left on her own terms, even if there was no way she would know the exact reasons.

Due to that, Blake expected anger. In the worst case scenario, she fully expected to be slapped, told off, and driven away, never to be spoken to again. In a best case, she would be yelled at, and space would be made.

And yet here she was, being hugged by the exact same person she only deserved hatred from.

To say that Blake was confused, was an understatement.

"But…" she whispered, shaking slightly as she cautiously hugged Yang back, fearful that this was all just a dream. "I don't understand."

Yang pulled away, keeping her hands on Blake's shoulders. Her eyes were red, but not full of anger. They were full of controlled passion and emotion, something Blake had only seen one other time – when Yang had first opened up to her about Raven.

She smiled.

"Don't worry…I'm confused too," she chuckled softly, making some of Blake's anxieties ease. That was a pure laugh, not a fake one used to avoid conflict. "Today has gone by so differently than I was expecting, and this is something we definitely need to talk about. We can't let things simmer between us, but right now, I'm going to take the time to be happy. I'm okay, you're okay. I just…after so many questions, I finally have the surety that we will make it out of this, and be better for what has happened…so, I think…I'm going to enjoy this moment, while we still have it."

With that, Blake smiled, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.

"I-I'd like that…" she smiled back, laying her head on her partner's shoulders.

With Yang, things were always simple. She was extremely mature, with all that she had gone through, and even though she liked to joke around, Blake always knew that Yang was always aware of the gravity of situations. She was perceptive, and knew how far to push. It started out as a useful quality, but became one of the reasons Blake appreciated Yang so much.

With Yang, things were always simple, and it provided Blake with a grounding to reality that she needed. It brought her happiness, and just like Yang, Blake knew that they both had work to do. They couldn't ignore their emotions, let alone the events of Adam and the White Fang, for long. But Blake always made her own choices.

And at that moment, Blake chose to be happy. To be tranquil. To be with Yang.

It was an unexpected reunion, but one she would forever cherish.