We've hit double digits everyone (Discounting the prologue)! We have finally made it to the Christmas chapter of my story and I lied about it being shorter. While I was writing, I just kept going and it ended up being about the length of a normal chapter. I am going to say that this chapter is going to make many of you VERY happy (Hopefully all of you). So I'm not going to keep you any longer, let's get to it…
I sat on the front porch in the early dawn with a cup of steaming hot-chocolate in my hand as I stared blankly into the still dark woods, keeping an eye out for any movement while I mechanically sipped at my beverage without even tasting it. I hadn't slept for more than an hour last night, the nightmares were more…vivid than usual. Out of my multitude of hellish experiences with the Fang, this one was at the top of my list as the most scarring. It's the one that finally broke me. Making me cold, detached, and merciless. As my thoughts began to darken, remembering what they did to me, the cup slipped out of my hands and fell into the soft snow at my feet. I stared at my shaking hand before I felt something warm cover me. Turning my head, I found Yang sitting next me looking sad or concerned.
I nodded my head in thanks and turned back to find the sky turning gold. We stayed like this for a few minutes before Yang spoke up, "How much sleep did you get?"
"Enough" I say, not wanting her to discover that I couldn't sleep.
She shook her head, "Don't lie to me, you know how well that went for you last time. How much sleep did you get?"
I remained silent for a few seconds before reaching down to pick up my cup, "An hour, at most."
She processed that for a second, "How common is that?"
I shake my head, "Not very, but my regular schedule isn't much better. I normally only get about two or three hours, but they're restless." I lean back onto my arms, "It's been like that since I got back. I get my normal couple hours most nights, but every once in awhile a particularly bad memory comes around not allowing me to sleep at all."
We sat there watching the sun rise for ten minutes before she asked another question, "What happens in the dream that doesn't let you sleep?"
I shook my head, "That's something I won't be able to talk about for a long time Yang, it's the worst memory I have." She nodded her head in understanding before yawning and leaning her head on my shoulder, not used to waking this early. Not wanting to disturb her, I enjoyed the beautiful morning for the next couple hours until I heard the sounds of everyone waking. Looking to my right, I saw Yang sleeping peacefully. I looked up at the rising sun and tried to forget the previous night's torment but was unable to drive it from my mind.
Sighing, I gently lay Yang down on some cushions and made sure she was well covered by the heavy blanket before sending Tai a message telling him to come get her. With that done, I stood up and strapped on my weapons and armor before starting to walk off towards the woods to let out some frustration. Right before I reached then, I heard someone yell at me to slow down, but I just ignored them and disappears in a cloud of mist, wanting to be alone for the time being.
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(POV Yang)
Drifting back into consciousness, the first thing I realized is that I wasn't leaning against Davian. Instead I was back inside laying on my bed. Before I could sit up, I heard voices coming from the hallway outside my room, "Why would Davian just run like that, it's not like him?"
I immediately sat up, a bit too quick and fell to the floor with a yelp of surprise. I scrambled to my feet and swung the door open to find dad and John standing there. I quickly looked past them into the living room to find Davian not sitting there reading. I turned back to dad and Tai, "What do you mean 'Davian just ran off?!"
Dad shrugged, "I don't know what's wrong with him. All I know is that he sent me a message to come get you, but when I stepped outside, I saw him walking into the forest in his combat gear."
My eyes widened, "Why didn't you stop him, there can be some dangerous Grimm out there?!"
Dad put his hands up in defense, "I tried, but as soon as I started running after him and yelled for him to slow down, he used his semblance to disappear into the trees." He then put his hands on my shoulders, "John and I were about to get our gear and go out to find him."
I shook my head, "If he didn't even respond to you, then he wants to be alone right now."
John looked upset and surprised, "Don't you want to find him."
"Of course I do," I snapped at him, eyes red, "but if he doesn't want to be found then we won't find him. He'd of left no tracks for us to follow and he's so quiet that even Blake can't hear him, and that's scary considering how good her hearing is."
Dad sighed, "What made him so upset that he thought going for a walk alone in a forest inhabited by Grimm was a good option?" I thought back to this morning and the reason he was so upset became clear. Dad saw the light-bulb go off, "What is it, do you know?"
I looked down at the ground, "He said he had a really bad dream last night."
Dad looked sad, "That could be it, but sadly I don't think that's uncommon for him right now."
I shook my head, "He told me they weren't the normal nightmares he usually gets. It was bad enough that he didn't notice me until I draped a blanket over his shoulders. Since he got back he's always acting like he's preparing for the worst to happen, so the fact that I was able to get that close to him with him noticing, he must of been in deep thought." I felt my eyes begin to mist, "I don't know what scared him so much, but it hurt him the worst out of everything they did do him."
Tears started to fall down my face, causing my father to wrap me in a hug, "It's ok Yang, it's okay, you're doing whatever you can to help him, I can tell. Look on the bright side, there aren't any S class Grimm in this forest. He's a strong boy, a couple of Grimm won't be able to scratch him."
I nodded my head and wiped my eyes, feeling better. I turned back to John as he bowed his head, "I apologize for anything I said Yang. I'm just worried about him. He's not telling Sianna or I anything, and that scares us."
Dad put a hand on our backs and led us downstairs to get breakfast, "He knows that we're celebrating Christmas once Ms. Schnee returns from Atlas tonight. So he should be back by then."
I nodded my head as we sat down at the dining room table to eat breakfast while Ruby kept going on and on about how excited she was for Weiss to get back and for Christmas. I looked up as Ruby directed a question about Davian at me, "I wonder what he's doing right now?"
I swallowed my bite before replying, "He's probably cleared the area of Grimm before bunkering down to think, he's done it before back at Beacon in the Emerald Forest."
Sianna stood up to clear some dishes while speaking over her shoulder, "How often does he do something like this?"
Blake shrugged, "He'll vanish for the entire day about every month or two, and since it's not very often it took us a while to figure it out. Though once we did we left him be. If he discovered us following him into the forest he would probably just find another spot to go think."
Everyone stayed silent, trying to figure out what the Fang had done to Davian. Deciding to change the subject, Ruby spoke up, "What time will Weiss get here?"
Dad looked at his watch, "Well it's ten-thirty-four right now and she'll land at about four forty-five. So she'll be here at about six o'clock" Ruby smiled and was about to ask something else before dad beat her to it, "Which means we'll open gifts at about seven thirty or eight o'clock."
Ruby blushed a bit, embarrassed that she was so easily read when it came to stuff like this. We talked for another forty minutes before we all cleared the table and went about our day. After taking a shower and getting dressed I sat down on the front porch by a comforting fire and waited for Davian to return home.
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The Beowulf silently crept the the snow, trying to avoid whatever had been hunting down it's fellow pack mates. The Grimm wasn't able to think anymore complex than its basic instincts of hunt and kill. But right now they were screaming at it to turn tail and run as a far away from whatever was hunting him down. Suddenly, the Beowulf lept forward and ran as something tried to grab it. Looking over its shoulder, it didn't see anything causing him to slow down. It lifted its snout into the tried to catch the scent of its predator. It couldn't find anything for several seconds before it was suddenly right on top of it. Before it could escape, something pulled the Grimm into the shadows with several yelps before everything went silent with the sound of slicing flesh. The forest was quiet once again.
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I sat dozing by the fire when I felt the bench shift under added weight. I looked up through blurry eyes, only just able to make out the armored form of Davian. I quickly sat up rubbing my eyes and furiously whispered to him, "Davian, why did you run off like that?"
He sighed, sounding very tired, "Just needed to think Yang, that's all."
I punched his shoulder, "Just think! Why couldn't you of done that here?"
He groaned as he rubbed his shoulder, "I just needed to be alone, is it wrong to want that?"
My eyes went red, "WHEN YOU RUN OF INTO A GRIMM INFESTED FOREST FOR SEVERAL HOURS IT IS!"
He leaned his head against the back of the bench, "The Grimm in this forest can't hurt me Yang, you know how careful I am."
I threw my hand in the direction we had ran off several days ago, "What about that Grimm that cut you not so long ago? Hm!"
He shrugged, "My aura healed that almost instantly, plus you were there at the time."
I stared open mouthed at him, "Are you saying that I'm nothing more than something that needs to be babysat in a fight?"
He shook his head, "That's not what I me-"
"What did you mean then?" I half yelled at him.
Before he could answer, a white limousine pulled up to the house. A man in a suit stepped out and opened the backdoor to allow Weiss out, "Thank-you Fred, please go enjoy Christmas with your family."
He smiled and gave Weiss a small bow, "Thank-you Ms. Schnee, and please enjoy yours as well." With that he stepped back into the limo and drove off.
I stood up and walked over to welcome Weiss, still very upset at Davian. "Welcome back Weiss, how was the flight?"
Weiss turned to me and looked confused, "Helloooo, I think. It was fine, but what's wrong?"
I smiled, "What do you mean?"
She put a hand on her hip and motioned to me with the other, "You haven't made one joke yet, asked how my flight was, and didn't call me Ice Queen. So something is up, what is it?"
I glanced behind me to find Davian gone. I sighed, "Nothing, just...don't worry about it."
-][-
By the time six o'clock had rolled around I had calmed down enough to feel horrible about what I said. Everyone could tell that something was wrong between Davian and I. Standing up, I head outside to try to find him before we did Christmas because I'll be damned before I ruin Blake's, Davian's, and Weiss' first actual Christmas in several years over a small argument. I go around the wraparound porch but couldn't find him. I grumbled as I looked out into the forest only to catch sight of a column of smoke rising above the trees, originating from the clearing where Davian and I used to train.
I jogged down the narrow trail that had been overgrown due to disuse. It was now that I realized this would be my first time back here since Davian was taken all those years ago. This thought alone caused me to stop, not wanting to go back there again. I closed my eyes for a few seconds before willing my feet to push forward. I arrived at the edge of the clearing to find Davian laying on a blanket staring at the darkening sky. He looked up as I stepped out of the trees and we stared at each-other for a few seconds before he beckoned me forward.
I sat down as I reached him and stared into the flames of the roaring fire he'd built in his time out here. We stayed like this for a few minutes before I spoke, "I'm sorry."
He shook his head, "I'm sorry to, we both said things we didn't mean. When I said 'you were there', I meant I kept accidentally looking at-." He started to look kinda nervous for some reason, "I meant that you were distracting me, n-not in a bad way- AUGH dust dammit."
I stared at him wide-eyed, "Did…did you just call me pretty?" He glued his gaze to the ground and nodded his head. "A-As in pretty, or as in I was wondering if you wanted-"
He bit the bullet, "Do you want to go out som-"
"YES!" I tackled him to the ground and planted a small kiss on his lips. I pulled away a bit and we stared at each-others eyes for several second before he pulled into a deep kiss that made me feel like a fire had been set ablaze in my chest. 'BEST…CHRISTMAS…EVER' I squealed in my head.
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(POV Ruby)
Mr. and Mrs. Kadar, Dad, Blake, Weiss and I all stood wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the sight of Yang laying on top of Davian, locked in a deep kiss in the middle of the clearing. When we discovered Yang missing we frantically looked around, eventually spotting the smoke coming from the clearing. Thinking something may of been wrong, we called for the adults and we all took off running, expecting to find Yang and Davian locking together in combat. But imagine our surprise the find them "locked" together.
I looked at the others to find Mr. and Mrs. Kadar looking very happy, tears in their eyes. Dad had a huge smile on his face. Weiss just looked surprised while Blake was blushing a bit. Dad huffed out a small laugh, "Well…would you look at that, I owe Qrow a hundred lien."
Sianna sniffed and wiped some tears from her eyes before pulling us away from the clearing, "Let's leave them be before the two lovebirds see us." We all started walking back to the house to get everything ready for tonight. Before we got out of sight, I looked behind me to find Davian and Yang just looking at each-other. I turned back around and walked away smiling, overjoyed that my big sister had found someone that loved her just as much as she loves him.
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(POV Davian)
Yang and lay on the blanket I had brought out while being kept warm by the fire and the second blanket I had originally been using as a pillow. I stared at the clear night sky that was alight with millions upon millions of start. The fire crackled and snapped next to us and caused a soft glow to envelope the surrounding area. I enjoyed the hour we lay there, finally in complete peace since I got back. Nothing else existed right then. No White Fang, no school, nobody to worry about my health. Just Yang and I. Tilting my head back a bit, I spotted the position of the moon to finding it was somewhere between seven and eight o'clock.
I nudged Yang who was resting her head on my chest, "We need to be getting back, Ruby would never forgive us if they had to postpone Christmas due to us being late."
Yang looked up at me and huffed, "But I'm comfortable," she then pouted adorably, "will you at least carry me?" I smiled softly and kissed her on the nose before picking her up. As I walked back to the house, Yang snuggled into my arms and rested her head in the crook of my neck.
As we reached the back door (Which had the curtains drawn for some reason) I set Yang down. As I was about to step inside, Yang pulled me back hugged me before pulling away, "Thank you for coming back." She blushed as she started to shuffle her feet and looked away, "I...I lo...I love you." She pulled me into a deep kiss that lasted until our lungs screamed for air.
*FLASH* Yang and I pulled away to find that the curtain had been pulled away, allowing mom to take a picture of us. Ruby was squealing as she bounced up and down while Weiss and Blake just smiled, happy for us. Yang went beat red and stared at her shoes while I just stared incredulously. Tai slid the door open, "Do you two need some more time alone or finally let go of Ruby?"
Yang just glanced at me before Ruby pulled both of us inside, excited to get Christmas going, 'COMEONCOMEONWE'VEBEENWAITINGFORYOU!" Ruby plopped Yang and I down on the couch as everyone took their seats around the room. Using her semblance, Ruby dashed about, distributing the presents to their owners. Before we could even figure out what she was doing, Ruby was sitting at her spot by the fireplace looking at us with wide, excited eyes.
Tai shook his head grinning before nodding his head at her, "Start with the once's from the Kadar's and I". Ruby smiled widely before tearing into a super heavy package that was from my parents and Tai. Her eyes went all sparkly as she held up specialized tools used in forging. She turned to my parents and Tia before rushing over to them with her semblance and hugging them tightly, "THANKYOUILOVEIT!"
Tai and my parents said your welcome (Once they got their breath back) as Weiss held up an expensive designers bag as she looked shocked at my parents and Tai, "How did you get this, it hasn't been released to the public yet?"
My mother shrugged, "I'm friends with people that know important people." Blake pulled out a book series she'd been wanting to read but hadn't been able to afford. She turned to the adults and nodded thank-you from them.
Yang pulled out a certificate redeemable for a motorcycle makeover. She grinned widely before leaping up to thank the adults, "Bumblebee is going to be SOOOOO sweet after I use this!"
I opened up a fairly heavy box to find a set of dark clothing. The torso was made of black leather with crisscross brown leather straps crossing the chest. It also had black leather gloves and boots along with a black tri-fold hat that had attached shoulder guards and a face-mask (Just imagine the Yharnam Hunter Garb from Bloodborne). I looked up at my parents smiling as they shrugged, "We know you like your armor, but having a different set wouldn't hurt. Even if it doesn't look as good as your original set."
I nodded my head in thanks, "It looks very durable and will blend in with any urban environment, thank-you."
The parents then opened the gifts they received from us before Ruby and Weiss opened the gift they got for each-other. Ruby pulled out a long-sleeve, light gray shirt with black belted cuffs near the ends of the sleeves. Over top of the gray shirt is a black piece of clothing with two vertical lines of red stitching that resembles a cross between a corset and overalls (Her Slayer outfit). Weiss pulled out a pure white dress with black edging and two columns of four black buttons on the abdomen. Much like on the bolero of her original outfit, there is a print of her snowflake emblem on her back, in pale blue this time, rather than white (Her SnowPea outfit).
Ruby gasped, "Weiss, this looks awesome, thank-you!"
Weiss looked surprised, "I'm impressed Ruby, this is a very nice outfit, thank-you."
Blake and Yang then opened the gift they gave each other. Blake pulled out a white v-neck zip-up shirt that is black along the bottom and has mid-length sleeves. Her belladonna flower emblem is printed in off-white on the left side of the shirt. She wears black pants that have a vertical gray stripe on the outer side of each leg, and she wears a black belt with them (Her Intruder outfit). Yang grinned as she pulled out a collared cream top over a black shirt, and over top of the former is a black article of clothing that consists of a raised collar, a strap across her collarbone, and mid-length sleeves that are gold at the end. Around her neck is a pendant that has a smooth, round, purple gem set in a round piece of metal that has a point coming off the left and right sides and a small oval shape coming from the bottom (Her Hunter outfit).
Blake smiled, "It looks very practically and comfy Yang, thanks."
Yang whistled, "I gonna look good in this!" She then held it up to herself and turned to me, "What do you think Davin?"
I nodded my head, "Enemies beware, the best dressed Hunter team is coming their way." They laughed before Ruby pulled out a package that was about two feet by a foot and a half big and gave it to me. I tore back the paper and opened the box to find something I hadn't thought of, but in hindsight, I realized I was an idiot. I reached in and pulled out a black bow that was in its standby mode that folded it up into a length of about two feet. I held it in my right hand and hit the button on the side, causing it to extend to a length of about four and a half feet (Garrett's bow from Thief).
I smiled as Ruby explained to me, "We all realized you don't have any means of ranged attacks, so we thought it be a good idea to get you something. Weiss, Blake and Yang chipped in while I made you it. We just kinda figured you for the more silent attacks, so we thought a bow would be better than a gun."
I tested the string of the bow, finding it to be very taught, forcing me to pull on it hard. I nodded my head, very satisfied, "I never thought about ranged attacks when I was making my armor and weapons. Now I feel kinda dumb I didn't." I then turned to look at my team, "Thank-you, I'll be sure to put it to good use." I then reached behind me for something before tossing each of them a package. Blake opened hers to find a long dark purple ribbon. She looked at it curiously as I explained, "That's a special type of cloth that won't break unless it's holding more than four-hundred pounds of force." I motioned towards Yang, "Trust me, I had Yang try to break it but she couldn't."
I then looked at Ruby who was looking at odd ingot of metal, "It's dust infused metal. So if you want to upgrade Crescent Rose with it you can."
Ruby's eyes sparkled at the opportunity I had given her to better her baby, "OH MY GOSH THANK YOU!"
I chuckled as I turned to Weiss who was looking critically over a special white dust crystal. "Found that in a cave on during one of my ventures into the Emerald Forest. Let me tell you, that thing was not easy getting out of the wall without damaging it. I have a deep respect for dust miners now, it's not easy."
Weiss looked shocked, "This is a white dust crystal! It doesn't just form anywhere." She turned it over in her hand, "Even my father couldn't just give me one while I was making Myrtenaster, that's how rare they are."
I shrugged, "I don't have a use for it, I don't use dust." Weiss just stared at me, amazed that I just gave her one of the rarest types of dust like it was nothing.
She eventually smiled and thanked me before I turned to Yang who looked shocked at what she saw in her box. Weiss, Blake, and Ruby peeked over Yang's shoulder and gasped at what they found. Yang pulled out a chained necklace of fiery gold. At the center was an orange sapphire with her symbol engraved into the stone that shifted to a deep red, then a bright yellow, and back to its original vibrant orange depending on the light. Yang smiled softly, "It's beautiful…" Yang leaned over and kissed me softly on the cheek, "thank-you." With that, we all talked the rest of the night away, happy to be in the company of family and friends.
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When the night grew old, many of us went to bed bidding goodnight to everyone. After everyone had gone to bed, Yang snuck out of her room to come sit in front of the fire in the living room with me. She was sitting in front of me, leaning into my chest while I had my arms wrapped around her stomach and rested my chin on the top of her head while we stared into the dancing flames. We stayed like this until midnight when Yang yawned and lay down on the pillow she had brought with her. I started to shift away a bit to give her some room, but she grabbed me and pulled me in so she was spooning me. She turned her head and winked at me before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.
I kissed the crown of her head before closing my own eyes, "I love you to."
I have no idea if I'm any good at this romance stuff, so any feedback is welcome to help me improve. Well, this concludes the Christmas Arc and we'll be starting season two sometime in early January. Let me know how I'm doing in the review section along with any chapter/scene ideas (Or PM me) and don't forget about the poll (You can vote in the review section in you're a guest). Just to let you guys and gals know, I'm going going to be gone from the twenty-fourth through the fourth, so I won't be uploading anything during then. I WILL be writing during that time though. So as soon as I get back, I should have something out for you guys within a few days. See you guys next time…
-Archangel Writings
