A/N Let's feel good, you want to?
Graduation day. After all the hard work over the last four years, they finally graduated as a team. Ruby was the youngest, Weiss was the smartest, Blake was the stealthiest, and Yang was the strongest.
Blake could hardly believe it. Even the leathery roll of parchment in her hand didn't seem real, her name written in dark gold on her huntress certificate with top honours.
They threw their caps into the night air after the ceremony ended, Yang stealing a kiss when the fireworks started.
The next day would be their last at Beacon, most of it occupied with packing, cleaning, and goodbyes to friends with promises to see each other again one day. The airship that would be taking them away from Beacon for the foreseeable future was arriving in a couple of hours. Blake and Yang would be heading to Patch to stay with her father for a couple of weeks until they found a place of their own.
With their luggage packed up and already at the docks, the pair decided to take one last walk around the school grounds before they left.
They walked by the great hall where they had all slept for the first night, Yang remembering the informal slumber party with the boys, and that moment where she had dragged her sister to talk to a mysterious dark haired girl reading a book.
"'Almost as lovely as this book. That I will continue to read— as soon as you leave'" Yang reminisced out loud. "Wow you were so grouchy when we first met."
"Did you hear yourself back then? 'Duhh…I like your bow. It goes great with your pajamas.'" Blake said in a mocking caveman-like tone.
Yang laughed. "Haha, I guess you're right, not exactly the smoothest pick up line." She picked up a blade of grass. "Was it the best thing that happened in your life too?" Yang asked timidly, not looking at her.
"Of course," Blake replied without hesitation. She sighed dreamily. "And following you in that forest was the best decision I ever made…"
Yang's eyes widened at the admission. Oops. Blake had forgotten that she hadn't shared that tidbit of information with her before.
"I knew it! I knew you followed me! So what was it? My good looks, my charming personality, my beautiful hair?" Yang asked waggling her eyebrows.
Blake scoffed. "Hardly. I was just impressed by your landing strategy. I figured you would make an adequate partner."
"Adequate? Gee thanks Blake," Yang said sarcastically.
Blake smirked and kissed Yang on the cheek, effectively freezing her on the spot while she walked ahead. Yang touched her cheek with her fingers, and quickly ran to catch up with her. It was embarrassing that Blake still had the power to fluster her at will.
They passed by the dining hall.
"Oh man that food fight, I had lemon meringue stuck in my ear for a week!"
"Ew," Blake quipped.
They stopped at the Beacon Academy statue of the two hunters standing over a Beowolf. The place Blake ran to when she had inadvertently revealed her faunus heritage amid barbs of venom exchanged with her teammate that awful night. Yang squeezed her hand silently.
They walked by the ball room where they had their first dance.
"I think that's when I started falling in love you," Yang said softly. "You should have came to the dance with me…"
"I know," Blake whispered.
The sun was starting to set. They would have to get back to the docks soon, but Yang wanted to make one last stop at the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest. This was where the initiation began, young, hot-blooded would-be huntsmen and huntresses flung into the air and into the unknown. This was where they watched the sunset together for the first time, holding each other close and feeling like everything was right in the world.
They came here often for their dates. Blake was still amazed that the scene could still take her breath away after all this time. She didn't really pay attention when Yang bent down to one knee adjust her boot, too caught up in the interweaving colours of the sky as the sun set. But after a while, she noticed from her peripheral that Yang still hadn't gotten back up.
Blake looked down and saw an open black velvet box containing a white gold ring with a brilliant canary yellow diamond set between two smaller black diamonds. She froze.
Yang cleared her throat. Her face was red and her hands were trembling, a thousand flecks of light dancing across her skin reflected from each facet of the diamond. It was dazzling, the only word for it.
"Blake, the past few years since we've been together have been the best of my life. You're my anchor in this crazy world, you still my heart, you balance me, and make me better in every way possible." Yang sucked in a shaky breath as tears began streaming down her face, and Blake wanted nothing more than to kiss those tears away.
Don't cry. You're going to make me cry. Blake couldn't help it, tears started flowing and she didn't bother to wipe them away.
"I want to spend my life with you and love you with every ounce of my being for the rest of my days." Yang struggled to keep her emotions in check, her voice cracking and wavering after each word. "Blake Belladonna, will you marry me?"
Blake wrapped her hands around Yang's and brought her up so they were staring deeply into each other's eyes.
"Yes. Yes! A thousand times, yes!"
Yang's face lit up with the widest grin possible. She slipped the ring on her finger and whirled Blake around by the waist, beautiful melodic giggles echoing from her throat. They exchanged a sweet kiss, Yang still holding Blake in her arms.
Then another sound filled the air, a rousing applause as Ruby, Weiss, team JNPR and CFVY came forward from the tree line, clapping their hands together.
"Congratulations!" they all yelled in unison.
The newly engaged couple beamed at their friends.
"I'm so glad you said yes," Yang whispered in her ear. "It would have been really awkward if you didn't."
Blake kissed her, deep and soft. "You dummy, did you think there could be any other answer?"
Yang shook her head and kissed her again.
A/N Hey everyone, thanks for reading my story! If you have a sec, could you leave a comment or review? I would love to hear what people think about the story so far. I'm still a little new to this writing thing (it's been over ten years since I've written anything), so any feedback would be extremely helpful!