"Hey Blake? Let's go for a walk."
The raven haired girl blinked in silence at her book, thinking over her partner's words in her mind. Slowly Blake lowered her book from her face, revealing her amber eyes to the world, eyes currently expressing a sense of disbelief and slight irritation.
"You're joking right?" Blake deadpanned.
"No not this time." Yang replied with a grin, hand pressed against the not-so-stable leg of her bunk.
"Seriously Yang it's like zero degrees outside." Blake explained, huddling into a tighter ball as if the very thought of the temperature chilled her.
"Actually it's minus two." Weiss chipped in, her eyes never looking away from her scroll.
The heiress was currently engaged in battle with a certain redhead, a battle of speed and intellect. A battle that could only be won by the greatest of huntresses.
A battle within the realm of 'Battle of the Maidens-Mobile Edition'.
"What?!" Weiss suddenly exclaimed, holding her scroll out in front of her in shock.
"Ha! I win again!" Ruby jumped down from her bed, hand on hip, fist balled before her. "I've defeated you again Ice Queen!"
"That's ridiculous I blocked that attack and you know it!" Weiss folded her arms with a huff and looked to the side.
"Nwah c'mon Weiss don't be such a saw loser." The head snickered as her partner exhibited the reaction she was hoping for, the heiress' eye twitching in irritation.
"I am a Schnee, we are not saw lose-Ruby! Don't mouth my words!" The heiress only became more irritated as she noticed her partner mouthing her words as she was saying them, as if she had heard them a hundred times before, which she had.
"Then don't be so predictable Weiss." Ruby replied, her tongue shooting out at the snow haired fencer.
But before Ruby could return the muscle back safely to its home, she suddenly felt a chilly grasp on her cheeks, her partners face now suddenly a lot closer to hers than it had been a few seconds ago. Weiss' hand had clasped around Ruby's rosy cheeks so tight that the offended tongue couldn't retreat back to safety, forced to remain out in the now chilling air. An audible gulp could be heard coming from the younger girl's throat as her partner's icy glare bore into her.
"Seeing as you like sticking your tongue out at me so much, wouldn't it be fantastic if it stayed there?" Weiss pulled Ruby closer, her touch becoming colder. "Permanently."
Ruby immediately began shaking her head until her, opponent turned capturer, let her go.
"As expected." Weiss stated with a satisfied nod of her head, picking her scroll back up. "Now, get back up there I have a point to prove."
Despite the slight chilly sting in her cheeks, Ruby couldn't help but let a small grin stretch out her lips as she heard her partner's words. Despite however many times she said it, Ruby knew Weiss would always have a hard time accepting defeat. The red head wasn't complaining, it made it extremely easy to fluster the usually, organised and proper lady and Ruby very much liked flustered Weiss more than proper Weiss.
"Anyway." Yang turned her attention back to her partner. "How about it?"
"Did you not hear Weiss? It's even less than zero degrees, it's minus two."
"I heard her Blake. I don't understand what the big deal is? Just put on that big floofy jacket you look so cute in and stick close to me and you'll be fine."
"But-"
"And as I recall, don't you owe me a date?" Yang cut in, her signature grin showing knowing that she had won.
"But… Yaaang." Blake whinged, giving up on reasoning and relying on plain and simple whinging instead.
"No buts." Yang pulled Blake to her feet. "Although your butt I can deal with." The brawler grinned, Blake groaned and rolled her eyes.
"You're the worst." Blake deadpanned, amber glaring daggers at Yang, but the brawlers grin never faltered.
"Nwah I know you love me."
"It's getting harder to keep it that way." Blake muttered, pulling the 'floofy' jacket out of the closet.
"See you look adorable." Yang stated
Blake paused, her zipper mid-way up her jacket. She looked up at the brawler, her hood pulled over her head, protecting her ears, although they were already protected by what had to be hand knitted cat ear muffs. Seeing them gave Yang a sneaking suspicion that Blake was hiding a knitting talent.
Blake's ear twitched, one of the two lumps poking through the hood moving suddenly. The faunas' eyes narrowed as she glared at her partner once more, those calming amber orbs becoming small slits of piercing gold. Blake huffed as she gave up, zipping her jacket all the way up and moving towards the door, however she was stopped as Yang spun her around.
"Doesn't she look adorable guys?" Yang spun her partner to face the rest of the team, however the White Rose pair was heavily preoccupied.
"Ha! Ha!" Weiss exclaimed, shooting onto her feet. "I did it! I have defeated you Ruby Rose!"
The Rose in question was staring silently at her scroll, eyes wide, mouth hung open a little.
"B-Bu-b-But. But." Ruby stuttered. "I blocked that." She finished quietly, however not quietly enough.
"Exactly." Weiss replied, hands on hips. "Now you know how I feel."
"Rematch."
"Excuse me?"
"Rematch!" Ruby demanded suddenly, Weiss jumping in surprise.
It was then that Weiss noticed two sets of eyes on her and Ruby, turning to find Blake and Yang watching them. The heiress made to say something, then noticed Blake and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Going to the arctic are we?" Weiss asked with a grin.
"No Weiss we're going for a walk actually." Yang explained folding her arms.
"Are you sure?" Weiss asked, hiding her smile as she noticed Blake's ear twitch in irritation.
"Woah is Blake joining the eskimoes?" Ruby quipped, finally noticing her teammate and sister.
"Ruby!" Yang warned.
"Sorry!"
Weiss couldn't hold her amusement any longer, her sweet laugh dancing through the air freely.
"I'm sorry Blake but, you really do look adorably furious in that jacket."
"See!" Yang exclaimed.
Blake's eyes widened and she looked away as quick as she could, trying to hide the blush flaring in her cheeks. The faunas didn't know whether it was because someone other than Yang called her adorable, or that it was because she was called 'adorably furious'. Either way, she had enough.
"Let's get this over with already." Blake stated, pulling Yang out the door and into the hall.
"That was certainly something." Weiss stated.
"Rematch!"
"No."
"But Blake, c'mon you have to."
"I don't have to anything Yang." Blake folded her arms sternly.
"But Blakeyyyy." Yang unfolded Blake's arms and held her hands. "Pleeeease?"
"Don't, don't do that." The faunas watched her partner pout and widen her eyes softly, her lip trembling slightly.
"Please Blakey?" Yang continued to exaggerate her act, blinking her eyes rapidly.
Blake groaned, the first sign of defeat. "Yang!"
"Is that a yes?" Yang suddenly perked up.
"I don't even know how to." Blake muttered.
"It's easy. I'll teach you, hold your hands the whole way through." Yang reassured. "You should get it quick anyways, you have great balance. Plus those ab muscles…"
"Yang!" Blake berated her partner as the brawler winked at her slyly. "I'm already you're girlfriend you don't have to keep hitting on me."
"I know. But it's still fun seeing your reaction." Yang admitted.
Blake rolled her eyes with a sigh, "You are actually the worst."
"Love ya too Blakey." Yang leant forward and placed a quick peck on Blake's unsuspecting lips. "Now hurry and put yours skates on."
"Huh. Looks like Ruby and Weiss have been here before us." Yang stated.
"What gave you that idea?"
"That." Yang pointed towards something out on the frozen lake.
Blake followed her partner's finger, looking out onto the ice, finding something carved into the ice.
'Ruby and Weiss were here' were the words encapsulated within a heart, carved into the ice.
"Yep that would give it away." Blake agreed.
"How much you wanna bet Weiss doesn't know about this?" Yang asked, pulling her scroll out and taking a photo.
"Can't you just once ignore an opportunity to torture those two?" Blake asked, honestly concerned about the two partners.
"Nope." Yang replied popping the 'p'. "Now, let's get you on the ice."
The brawler stepped onto the ice with ease, her skates gliding effortlessly along the surface. Yang skated out a little, spinning around before returning towards her partner.
"Show off." Blake scoffed, albeit with a smile.
Yang shrugged, "can't help it. Now c'mon, take my hands." The brawler held out her hands for the faunas to take hold of.
Gingerly, carefully, Blake raised her hands up to take hold. Half expecting Yang to yank her onto the ice without hesitation, as was her personality. Blake braced herself as she felt Yang's warm fingers intertwine with hers. But there was no sudden jerking, there was nothing at all.
"What wrong?" Yang asked with a short laugh.
"What? N-nothing." Blake replied.
Yang decided to let it go. "You holding on?" She shook their hands as a test.
Blake nodded, looking between the ice and her partner.
"When you're ready." Yang stated, relaxing her arms as she waited.
Admittedly, Blake was surprised. Yang was a woman of action, not one to wait around and instead get right into whatever it was she was doing and get it over and done with. She wasn't expecting this patience.
"Uhm." Blake sheepishly moved her feet up and down in the snow.
The only experience she had had with skating was when she was running away from authorities back when she was a part of the White Fang. Even then, she wouldn't call running onto the ice in heeled boots, slipping, sliding along the lake and being thrown onto the other side by a comrade, 'experience'.
"C'mon Kitten." Yang urged gently, the nickname catching Blake's attention. "If you slip I'll catch you."
Blake looked up at Yang. "Promise?"
"Of course!"
Blake sighed, eyeing the ice one more time before taking one very careful step onto the ice. Her skate hit the ice with a soft clink, so far so good. Blake testing her footing, seemed stable enough.
"And now the other foot." Yang stated, failing to hide the amusement in her tone.
There weren't many occasions where Yang got to see Blake looking so unsure of herself. The faunas was always very head strong and sure of what her next move would be. Admittedly the faunas did have her times of unsureness, but those weren't exactly normal conditions.
"Don't laugh at me Yang!" Blake demanded, struggling to get her left foot onto the ice.
"I'm not I'm not." She was clearly lying.
"Yang!"
"I'm sorry, it's just really-"
"Cute?" Blake cut in, now looking at Yang.
"No. I was going to say sweet actually." Yang replied.
"Sweet?" Blake asked.
"Mhmm. It's nice to see you so cautious in this sort of way."
Blake shot her a look, eye brow raised in question.
Yang sighed, "How do I explain it. I mean I've seen you be cautious, but those were all in serious and dangerous situations. That cautiousness was," Yang searched for the word. "Reassuring. Let me know I could trust you, that you knew what exactly we had gotten ourselves into. This cautiousness you're showing now it's, a breath of fresh air I guess."
Yang looked at her partner, the faunas' ears twitching. "I'm not making sense am I?"
Blake shook her head.
Yang sighed again, a little frustrated. "I don't know Blake. I guess I'm trying to say that it's nice to see one of your weaknesses and not worry about someone using it against you to, you know."
"Kill me?" Blake added.
"Yeah that." Yang sighed and looked at her partner. "If you get what I mean."
Blake nodded. "Well it's nice being able to feel a little vulnerable with you with me and not worrying about getting killed."
A silence fell over the pair as they looked at each other, the events of the past playing through their minds once again, they had been through a lot, they might even say too much. But they made it through and they made it through because they had each other and even when one wanted to let go, the other held on tighter than ever before.
It had been quite a while since the last time the pair were able to share a moment in which one of them felt afraid, even if just a little, and it not be accompanied by the dreadful thought of losing each other. It brought about an odd sense of relief, one that was difficult to put into words, which Yang demonstrated perfectly.
"You should never feel vulnerable when you're with me." Yang stated after some time.
Blake blinked back to reality, she smiled up at her partner. "You know, I never do Yang."
A warmth reached Yang and a smile grew on her lips, it meant a lot to her to hear that. Despite the past being in the past and Blake's background with the White Fang, Yang wanted nothing more than to make sure Blake felt safe. When she had first learnt about Blake's past, Yang couldn't help but want to scoop Blake up into her arms and protect her from all the hurt the world had brought her up to that point. The events that fell upon them those following months only strengthened that feeling within Yang, leading them to this point in their relationship.
Yang let go of Blake's hands only to pull her closer and kiss her, one of her hands threading through raven hair and holding the faunas' head in place softly. All thoughts of the past, their struggles, the pain they shared, felt and dealt, thoughts of the present, the cold, the snow, the ice, left Blake's mind the instant their lips touched as she was flooded with that warmth Yang always brought to her.
If Blake had been any colder she would have melted right then and there. She felt her ears flicking atop her head, she wrapped her arms around Yang's waist and held her closer, letting more of that golden warmth flow through her. Before she could stop herself a soft purr rumbled through her throat as she felt nothing but calm.
Yang broke the kiss and Blake barely managed to stop a whimper from leaving her lips in protest. Slowly bringing her eyes open as she savoured as much of the moment as she could, she met her partner gaze, gentle lilacs looking down at her, framed by waves of gold cascading down beside her face.
"I love you Kitten." Yang smiled.
Blake couldn't help but blush, but at least this time she didn't berate her partner for it. "I love you too Yang."
"Guess what?"
Blake hummed in response, "Hmm?"
"We're standing on the ice." Yang answered.
"Hmm?" Blake hummed again, losing herself in the memory of the kiss. "What?!"
It seemed as if Blake's feet had suddenly realised they were no longer on the snow but instead were on the ice and began searching for the ground frantically.
"Woah! Easy there." Yang easily steadied her partner. "See, caught you."
Blake held onto Yang tightly, holding onto her arms.
"Yang!"
"What?"
"You cheated!"
"What? Do you seriously think I said all that just to get you onto the ice?"
Blake's gaze said it all.
Yang sucked in a breath in mock offense. "I'm hurt." The brawler lifted a hand to her chest to complete her act.
"Don't!" Blake grabbed her hand back. "Don't let go."
"Never." Yang replied with a smile. "Just take it easy. One step at a time."
Yang waited for her partner to regain her footing and get comfortable with it.
"I can't believe I let you do this to me." Blake muttered, her legs shaking a little.
"You're starting to remind me of Weiss, please stop it."
"If I were Weiss you'd be under this ice not on top of it."
"Well you're not wrong there." Yang agreed. "Ok. Ready?"
"No." Blake deadpanned.
"Sure you are. I'll step back and you follow. Just slide along."
"Don't-"
"Let go. I told you I won't. Ok. Let's go."
Yang took one slow step back, her skates sliding along with ease. Gently she pulled Blake along with her, the faunas gingerly sliding after the brawler, her legs shaking a little.
"Just relax a little Blakey. Stand straight and bring your legs together. Don't stand like you're doing a poop." Yang chuckled as Blake shot her a look before attempting to follow her advice.
The pair continued for a while longer, Yang skating backwards whilst Blake followed her, their hands never leaving each other. It didn't take Blake too long to get the hang of it but despite that she remained attached to her partner's hands.
When asked if she wanted to let go the faunas simply held on tighter and shook her head, to which Yang could only smile at.
The pair ended up in the centre of the lake, tracing small circles into the ice as they spun around each other. Of course it resulting in the pair looking at each other and laughing for no specific reason what so ever besides maybe the fact that they were living a cliché, albeit a lovely cliché.
"Should we leave our own little mark in the ice?" Yang asked as they continued to spin slowly.
"You mean like Ruby's?"
Yang nodded.
"If you can without letting go."
"Challenge accepted." Yang replied.
Speaking of which, the Bumblebee pair were drawing closer to the 'drawing' Ruby had so kindly left behind after Weiss had brought her here the week before. Unfortunately for Blake and Yang they didn't realise they were coming towards it, and as it so happened the groove Ruby left behind was the same size as their skates.
One moment Blake was spinning in front of Yang peacefully and then the next, she wasn't.
Her skate got caught in the groove of the heart, causing Blake's feet to collide with each other and sent her falling to the ice. With a sudden yelp Blake made her journey to the ice, only she didn't feel her body hit the hard ice, but instead she felt herself being held up by a pair of strong arms.
"Once again, told you I'd catch you."
Blake opened her eyes to see her partner looking down at her with a warm smile.
"Yeah you did." Blake replied, sitting up, now in her Yang's lap. "Did you land on your butt to catch me?"
"Yeah why?"
"Guess it's not just useful for looking good." Blake replied with a grin.
Yang's eyes widened a little in shock before she laughed. "Wow. Not bad Blakey."
"I have my moments." The faunas replied with a grin. "Aren't you worried?"
Yang regarded her partners grin before hesitantly replying. "Worried about what?"
"That you'll start melting the ice."
"Why would I melt the ice?" Yang asked now admittedly curious.
"Because your ass is so hot." Blake answered, before bursting out into laughter.
"Oh my gosh Blake!" Yang began laughing along with her partner. "What's gotten into you?"
"I dunno. Just seeing how the other half lives."
"By hitting on me?"
"How else?" Blake replied with a grin.
"Fair enough."
"I never get used to how comfy you are." Blake said after a short silence.
"Maybe it's just your feline ability to make any spot comfy."
"Maybe." Blake hummed, nestling into her partners lap further.
"Shouldn't we get off the ice before you get comfortable?" Yang asked.
"But we're already here." Blake replied, her voice becoming lazy.
"But I thought you hated being in the cold Kitten."
"I do. But I can't feel it right now." Blake confessed, wrapping her arms around Yang's waist, planting a discrete kiss on her tummy.
"You're not gonna fall asleep are you?" Yang began running her hands through Blake's hair gently, brushing her ears softly as they passed.
"Maybe." Blake yawned.
"Hey Yang?" Blake mumbled into Yang's jacket.
"Yes Kitten?"
"Don't let go."
Yang smiled, lifting her partner up and holding her close, resting Blake's head on her shoulder.
"Never."