Yang laughed as Wilma narrowly slipped away from her grasp.
"You missed me!" Wilma giggled while trying to put as much distance between herself and her mommy as possible.
"I guess you're too fast for me, huh," Yang smirked as she turned her attention to Wendy who was crouched behind a chair on the patio.
Wendy's eyes shot open as Yang locked eyes with her. She screamed and ran the other way.
Yang grinned and chased after the little girl. It was not hard to catch her, but she made sure to make it look like it was difficult. She tagged her and held her hands up.
"You're it! No tag backs!"
"Darn it!" Wendy pouted until a massive grin found her face. She spotted Wilma standing on the other side of the yard and broke into a sprint towards her.
Yang chuckled to herself with a fond shake of her head as she watched her daughters chase each other around. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked to the sky. It was a little cold for a summer day, and the wind was blowing rather harshly. She shifted her gaze to the window where Weiss' office was, disappointed that the blinds were still drawn shut.
Yang sighed and rested her hands on her hips. She could hardly believe how quickly the last couple of months flew by. Being busy with missions, Raven's arrival, and Weiss' taking over of the Schnee Dust Company were surely to blame for this discrepancy. She only wished she could have spent more quality time with her wife and children before Weiss left for Mistral in just two weeks.
Then again, Weiss was always busy, and there was not much Yang—or anyone for that matter—could do about it.
Yang yelped as two little girls smashed into her and tackled her onto the grass.
"You're it, Mommy!" Wendy declared as Wilma giggled sweetly while sitting on Yang's stomach.
"Oh, wow," Yang groaned as she attempted to sit up, "You girls really pack a punch!"
"I want to play a different game," said Wilma.
"Let's play hide and seek next!" Wendy offered.
"Okay," Yang chuckled, "Let me go check on your mother first."
Wendy and Wilma clambered off of Yang and ran off.
Yang stood up and brushed herself down. She hardly scoffed at the small grass stains on her pants and walked inside the house and up the stairs. As she neared Weiss' office, the telltale sound of keys clacking on a keyboard grew steadily louder. She noticed the office door was closed and listened before knocking on it.
"Come in," Weiss' muffled voice called.
Yang turned the door handle and timidly pushed it open; smiling as Weiss rubbed at her eye, "Hey, Babe. Sorry to bother you."
"It's alright," Weiss smiled back, "What is it?"
"I was just thinking… We've hardly spent any time together this summer, just a handful of days. I know you're really busy, but I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner one last time before you leave. Tonight."
Weiss opened her mouth and played with her fingers as she checked her computer screen, "Yang, I… I don't know… I still have a few things to finish up, and I'm expecting a call from someone important."
"Do you have an idea of when they'll call?" Yang asked.
"He said he would call before noon, but—" Weiss was cut off by a ring from her scroll on the desk, "Oh! Yang, I have to take this."
Yang nodded and grabbed the door handle, "Tell me if you can do this after your call. I'll be downstairs."
Weiss nodded and answered her scroll as Yang pulled the door shut.
Yang took a deep breath and combed her hair back with her fingers. With one last glance at the door, she walked to the stairs and shuffled down them.
"Mommy."
Yang flinched and clasped her chest as she gripped the railing for support, "Jeez! You scared the crap out of me," she breathed as she looked down on Wendy and Wilma, "I thought you guys were playing hide and seek."
"We got bored!" Wendy declared.
"When are we going to see Grandma again?" Wilma did not miss a beat.
"Uh…" Yang scratched her head, "I'm not sure, Sweetie. But now that you mention it, I think I should visit her soon. It's been a hot minute."
"Can we come?" Wendy asked with twinkling, bluebell eyes.
"We'll see, Hun," Yang smiled as she ruffled Wendy's hair, "Hey, are you two alright with possibly staying at Grandpa's house for the night?"
"Grandpa!" the two girls cheered in unison.
"I'll take that as a yes," Yang smiled, "Now to tell Dad…"
"Yang!"
Yang raised an eyebrow and watched as Weiss came running down the stairs with a smile on her face.
"What happened?"
"I just got word that Lisa Lavender from the Vale News Network will be covering the whole mission in Mistral and it'll air, live, worldwide!" Weiss grinned.
"What? That's insane!" Yang laughed and squeezed Weiss in a crushing hug.
"I k-know!" Weiss strained as she gently pushed against Yang so she could breathe, "We should celebrate!"
"Yes! Celebrate! How about dinner in town tonight?" Yang offered again.
"I was just about to bring that up, yes," Weiss rolled her eyes, "And I've been thinking, maybe we can invite Cinder and Raven to come out with us? I haven't caught up with Cinder in a while now."
"Oh, that's a great idea. That sounds really fun!"
Weiss chuckled and tilted her head curiously, "For some reason, I thought you wouldn't have approved."
"Why wouldn't I?" Yang asked.
"It's just… You know what? It doesn't matter! I'll call them and ask if they want to join us."
"Sounds like a plan."
With the sun now much lower in the sky, Weiss and Yang were on their way to one of their favorite places to eat on Patch.
Yang was excited to spend some more quality time with Weiss, and she noticed she was very much looking forward to seeing Raven again. The night already seemed like it would be a great one, were it not for one small whisper that lingered in the back of Yang's head.
Ever since Weiss brought up the fact that her whole mission in Mistral would be televised and have full coverage for the public, the nagging feeling that something terrible would happen resurfaced within Yang. She could not help herself. She loved Weiss with all her heart, and she would never forgive herself if she got hurt.
Yang promised herself she would not let these thoughts hinder her night out, and she had been successful so far, but as she and Weiss sat down at their table while waiting for Cinder and Raven, it became unbearable.
"Hey, Babe?" Yang spoke up.
"Mhm?" Weiss hummed as she looked through the selection of beverages the restaurant had in stock.
"I don't mean to bring up old things, but could you please let me come with you on this mission?" Yang asked.
Weiss put down the menu and grasped Yang's hand with a soft smile, "Yang. You really don't have to worry about this mission. After all the preparations I've made, I would be shocked if anyone gets hurt, let alone me. I'll be fine. I'm a big girl, and I graduated from Beacon, same as you. I know what I'm doing. And, if it makes you feel any better, Qrow—one of Beacon's top graduates of all time, mind you—will be right there with me."
Yang had to admit, that did make her feel a little better. She still had to ask:
"Then why not let me come with you? If everything's going to be alright, just let me be there."
"I understand you just want to keep me safe, Yang. I really do, and I love you for it. But you also have to trust me and respect my decisions."
"I do respect your decisions," Yang hastily replied, "Look, just be safe out there, okay?"
"I will," Weiss smiled and squeezed Yang's hand before letting it go, "Now, where is Cinder? They're late."
After a few more minutes of waiting, Cinder and Raven walked through the front door. Cinder spotted Weiss almost immediately and waved as she approached the table.
"Hello, girls! It's good to see you," Cinder smiled as she and Raven sat down across from Weiss and Yang.
"Thanks for the invite, Weiss," Raven added with a crisp nod towards the platinum-hair woman.
"Of course," Weiss smiled sweetly, "It's about time we all did something together: just the four of us."
"Yeah, I was just thinking that," Yang chuckled.
The waitress was soon at their table with a notepad in her hand, "Hey, you guys! What can I start y'all off with?"
After the four women ordered their food, Cinder clasped her hands together with a grin.
"Weiss! Congratulations!" she said, gleefully.
"Thank you! Now, all this hard work is going to pay off," said Weiss.
"Wait. What's going on?" Raven asked.
Cinder narrowed her eyes at Raven with a chuckle, "Raven. Weiss just found out that her mission in Mistral is going to be aired all over the world, remember?"
"Oh, right! Congrats, Weiss." Raven half-smiled as Weiss nodded in thanks.
"How are your plans going for that, by the way? Not too stressful anymore, I hope," said Cinder.
"It's going well," Weiss answered, "Right now I just have a few loose ends to tie up. Then, I'll be all set to leave in two weeks for Atlas."
"Woah, woah, woah… Atlas?" Yang interrupted, "I thought this giant cavern was in Mistral?"
"It is," Weiss confirmed, "But I have to go to Atlas first because my father hasn't announced his retirement to the public yet. He wants me to be there to pass me the torch in front of the press. It'll only take a few hours, so right after that, I'll fly straight to Mistral."
"That's going to be a very busy day for you," said Cinder.
"You have no idea," Weiss chuckled.
The food arrived at the table shortly afterward. The women spoke and the atmosphere only grew friendlier as their plates became emptier.
"So, how did you two meet?" Weiss asked as she set her fork down.
"Now, that is a long story," Raven sighed as she briefly made eye contact with Yang.
Weiss looked between Yang and Raven, "We have time, right? I'm curious."
Cinder chuckled and placed a hand on Raven's arm, "Well, it was a very long time ago. Before I met you, Weiss. We met in my home town, and, let me tell you, Raven was certainly a tough one."
"Oh, this is interesting," Yang laughed as she leaned forward, "Please tell me what Raven was like in her twenties."
"It was more like her early thirties, right Rae?" Cinder asked as Raven nodded, "Yeah. When we first met, Raven was always so brooding and mysterious. Trying to make conversation with her was almost like talking to a bear with a headache."
"Haha! No kidding!" Yang laughed, "Weiss was just like that when I first met her."
"What?" Weiss interjected, "Oh, please. I wasn't that bad."
"To be honest, I don't remember being that bad, either," said Raven as she raised an eyebrow.
"What about the time we stayed a week in Shion when that rude huntsman tried to—"
"Okay! Maybe you're right. Let's not bring that up, though," said Raven.
"I am so going to find out what happened with that rude huntsman in Shion," Yang laughed.
"Not tonight you're not," Raven challenged as Weiss and Yang laughed.
"What else did Raven do back then?" Yang asked, excitedly.
"Well… After a few weeks—maybe a month or two—of knowing Raven, I realized she has this adorable sweet side. She would do all kinds of cute things for me. She gave me flowers, took me on walks in the woods, things like that," Cinder explained.
"Aw! That's adorable!" Weiss smiled as she placed her hand over her chest.
"I would never have guessed," Yang chuckled.
"I was just being nice," Raven rolled her eyes as she folded her arms and slouched in her seat.
"That's not what it sounded like in the songs you played for me with that guitar you used to have," Cinder hummed.
"You play the guitar?" Weiss asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"I used to pluck a few strings from time to time. Whenever I had a moment to spare," Raven admitted.
"Oh, boy. Here we go," Yang chuckled to herself.
"I had no idea you were into music!" Weiss cheered.
"She isn't so much anymore, sadly," Cinder cut in, "I've missed it dearly, to be honest."
Raven furrowed her brows and looked at Cinder, "What? Really? I thought you didn't like it."
"I never said that," said Cinder.
"Then why didn't you talk to me whenever I played?"
"I can't listen to your music if I'm talking over it, Dummy," Cinder chuckled.
"Thank you!" Yang nearly shouted as she gestured at Cinder, "Weiss, isn't that what I always say when you used to sing around the house?"
"I always thought that was an excuse," Weiss pouted.
"Are you kidding?" Raven chuckled as she folded her hands on the table, "I've heard you sing before. You've got talent."
"You have heard me sing?" Weiss asked.
"I may or may not have asked her to come with me to a few of your concerts when you were younger," Cinder answered for Raven with a shrug.
Weiss and Yang looked at each other briefly.
"Wow, I have definitely learned something about your relationship today," Yang laughed as she glanced out the window, "I guess I meant to say tonight."
Weiss followed Yang's gaze and was mildly surprised to find it was dark outside, "I had no idea we've been here so long.
"Well, you know what they say: time flies when you're having fun!" Cinder smiled.
"No kidding," Yang chuckled, "I hate to see the night end so quickly."
"The night is young," Raven began, "There ought to be something we can do for an hour or two more."
"Oh! Weiss, I almost forgot. Raven brought home a few bottles of this really nice wine from Mistral. I want you to try some. I think you'll really like it."
Weiss hummed and smiled at Yang, "I think I could really go for some wine right now. It's been a while since I've had a drink."
"As long as you don't go overboard," Yang smiled as she reached around Weiss' shoulders and pulled her close, "I'm game."
"Excellent! Let's go to my house," Cinder smiled as she clasped her hands together.
"We'll meet you there," said Yang as she nodded at Raven.
The two couples stood up and each left a tip on the table before heading out the door. They waved as they climbed into their respective cars and were soon on their way to Cinder's house.
"I think that was really fun," said Weiss.
"I think so too," Yang nodded her head as she turned the wheel, "I didn't realize we had so much in common with them."
"You are related to Raven."
"Yeah, except she's so much more like you somehow," Yang chuckled.
"Well, you did take more after your father. Perhaps you both have the same taste in women?"
Yang laughed heartily and shook her head, "You know, that actually makes a lot of sense."
"I wouldn't have said it if it didn't," Weiss shrugged.
"Fair enough," Yang smirked, "So, how long do we want to stay there?"
Weiss raised an eyebrow and turned in her seat, "Why? Do you not want to go?"
"Yeah, of course I want to go. I just couldn't help but notice the look in your eye when Cinder mentioned alcohol," Yang explained.
"What's that supposed to mean? Do you think I'm an irresponsible drinker?" Weiss asked.
"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just worried you might be a little too… eager," said Yang.
Weiss sighed and slumped back in her seat, "Yang, I have been working my ass off all summer so far. I hardly got to drink anything at the twins' birthday party because I knew I had to catch up the next morning. Now that my workload is getting a little lighter, I just want to have a nice glass of wine and relax for a night."
Yang sighed and scratched at her scalp, "Alright, I get it. I'll still have my eye on you, though."
Weiss huffed and smirked, "You haven't been this protective of me in years… It brings back old memories."
Yang bit her cheek and forced a smile as she kept her eyes trained on the road, "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Weiss' safety was all Yang wanted, especially now. With the thought of Weiss leaving for her big mission lingering in her mind, how could she not be protective?
The rest of the drive to Cinder's house was mostly quiet. When they arrived, Cinder and Raven were already there and let them into the house.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable," said Cinder as she gestured to the couch in the living room, "I'll be right there with the wine."
Raven rolled her eyes with a fond smile and beckoned Weiss and Yang to follow her. She sat down in an armchair adjacent to the couch and leaned back.
Weiss and Yang followed suit and sat down on the couch.
"It feels like I haven't been in here in ages," Weiss said to herself as she took in the room, looking for any differences from her last visit.
"So, how have you both been?" Raven asked, "Wendy and Wilma doing alright? I um… heard about those nasty nightmares they've been having."
"Not Wilma, just Wendy," Yang corrected, "And they've been getting better. She still wakes up in the middle of the night sometimes, but it happens way less often than it did at first."
"That's good news," Raven sighed, almost sounding relieved.
"Yes, and in other news, they have entered a new phase as of late," Weiss rolled her eyes with a chuckle.
"Oh, yeah! You should've seen them the other day, Raven," Yang laughed, "They were playing with markers and instead of drawing pictures with them like normal kids, they thought it would be cool to draw on their faces."
Raven laughed, "Sounds like fun."
"For them, I'm sure it was," Weiss smiled, "They have taken a liking to drawing a single line over their eyes and pretending to be me."
"They still don't understand the concept of scars yet," Yang explained.
"I'd be flattered if I were you," Raven hummed in understanding and leaned forward; resting her elbows on her knees, "I've actually been wondering: how did you get that scar, Weiss? If you don't mind me asking, of course."
"Oh, it's alright. I don't mind," Weiss answered immediately, "Long story short, I got it in a fight with a Geist. I was pretty young at the time and mostly inexperienced, so it was doomed to happen, really."
"Right on your face, too. I bet it took a while to get used to it," said Raven.
Weiss laughed and shared a look with Yang, "It certainly did. Yang can tell you all about that later."
Raven chuckled and leaned back in her chair, "I've got a few of them too. I would show you, but I don't think that would be entirely appropriate right now."
Weiss and Yang laughed, causing Raven to smile.
"What about you, Yang? Got any scars yet?" Raven followed up.
"Yeah, I've got one on my left rib, but… that was from when I was a little kid," Yang's face briefly fell, but not long enough for Raven or Weiss to notice, "Other than that, I haven't gotten one on the job, unlike you two."
Weiss rolled her eyes and slapped Yang's shoulder as the latter laughed away at her own teasing.
"Okay, I've got a glass for everyone," said Cinder as she entered the living room, nimbly holding four wine glasses in one hand and a bottle in the other, "Would you like some wine too, Yang?"
"Sure, I wouldn't mind a taste," said Yang as she accepted a glass from Cinder.
"Hold on a second," said Raven as she and Weiss were handed glasses as well, "Aren't you going to be driving tonight?"
"I can handle one glass of wine," Yang chuckled.
Raven opened her mouth to say something, but Cinder spoke too soon.
"Nobody drink yet!" she commanded as she poured a portion of wine into everyone's glass.
Weiss swirled the drink in her glass and hummed, "It's a little lighter than most red wines I've seen… This ought to be good."
"Okay, girls. In celebration of Weiss' achievement and all the hard work it took for her to accomplish one of her biggest dreams, I want to propose a toast," said Cinder as she raised her glass, "To Weiss. May her mission in Mistral go without a hitch!"
Raven smirked and raised her glass, clinking it with Cinder's, "To Weiss."
Yang followed suit and clicked her glass with the others, "To Weiss! Love you, Babe."
"Oh, thank you, guys," Weiss blushed as she hugged Cinder, "Especially you, Cinder. I really wasn't expecting this."
"You're welcome, Hun," Cinder smiled warmly as she placed her hand on Weiss' arm, "Now drink up! I want to know what you think."
Weiss looked into the red liquid and swirled it around as she brought the glass to her lips. She took one sip and narrowed her eyes.
Cinder tilted her head, "You don't like it?"
"No, I like it… It's just a little sweeter than I expected," said Weiss as she took another sip and allowed the liquid to sit on her tongue, "Yes… Much mellower of a taste than usual Atleasian wines… Could I have some more?"
"Absolutely," said Cinder as she poured more of the red liquid into Weiss' glass.
"Weiss…" Yang warned.
"Relax, Yang. It's a celebration!" said Weiss as she sipped from her glass again.
Yang rolled her eyes and turned to Raven as Weiss and Cinder continued to talk about the wine, "What do you think?"
"I'm more of a whiskey person," Raven admitted as she set her glass down on the coffee table, "I only brought the wine because Cinder's somewhat of a connoisseur of that type of thing."
"Yeah, I've never really cared much for wine either," Yang concurred, "There's something we have in common."
Raven chuckled as Yang took one last sip from her glass and set it down.
Yang smiled briefly too, but then she had to wonder what was so funny. She folded her hands on her lap and stared at the glass.
"Something bothering you?" Raven asked as she leaned closer from her seat on the armchair.
Yang shook herself out of her short trance, "I'm just thinking about this mission. I can't help but be a little on edge about the whole thing. It feels like I'm not doing the most that I can…"
"No, I get it," said Raven, "One of the things I've learned during my time here is that its painfully difficult to let go of the things you care about."
"You can say that again," Yang huffed.
"I'd want to keep her close too," Raven added, "Just be persistent and always bring your best. That way, you can never beat yourself up by saying you never tried."
Yang furrowed her brows and momentarily watched Weiss, "Yeah… I think I'll do that."
"Do you know how much I looove you?" Weiss giggled as she sluggishly rubbed her cheek against Yang's shoulder.
"You may have mentioned it a few times," Yang smiled as Raven and Cinder laughed.
"Well, let me tell you: I love you—hic!—sooo much. I just want to hug you and kiss you and fu—"
"Okay! I think it's about time I take Weiss home," Yang looked at Cinder apologetically, "Thanks again for the drinks."
"Aw… Come on, Yaaang! We've barely been here an hour!" Weiss drawled and yawned.
"Actually, it's been over two hours," Raven chimed in.
"Yeah, and you're drunk," said Yang as she stood up.
"No… I'm not drunk—hic! You are drunk! I only had, like, two glasses."
"Try four, Babe," Yang rolled her eyes with an amused smirk as she reached around Weiss' torso and attempted to lift her to her feet, "Up you go."
Weiss giggled and clung to Yang's arms, "Stop it—hic! You're tickling me…"
When Weiss was on her feet, she wrapped her arms around Yang's torso and looked into her eyes, "I love you," she yawned and buried her face in Yang's ample chest.
Yang sighed and smiled down on Weiss' head, fondly, "I love you too, Weiss."
"I can help her to your car," Cinder offered as Yang nodded and handed Weiss off to her.
"Oh, hello, Cinder… I love Yang a lot," Weiss giggled.
"I know you do, and it's so sweet," Cinder laughed as she supported Weiss through the front door.
Yang sighed with a goofy grin on her face.
"I can see why you married her, now," Raven chuckled as she leaned against the back of the couch.
Yang turned and smiled at Raven, "Thanks for letting us stay for a while. Weiss really needed this break."
"Yeah, of course," Raven half-smiled and scratched the back of her head, "Hey, um… Listen. If you ever want to talk about stuff. I'll always be here to listen."
Yang's mouth fell ajar. She had not expected something to sound so genuine coming from Raven. Before she knew it, Yang slowly closed the distance between herself and Raven and pulled her into a warm hug. She rested her head on Raven's shoulder and felt her go frozen stiff.
"Thank you…"
Yang did not know how long it took for Raven to relax and wrap her arms around her, but she did know that it felt strange. Strange in a good way. Like a breath of something new entered her lungs and left her feeling refreshed.
Like things could only change for the better.
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! I didn't upload last weekend because it was freezerburn week, and I totally forgot to write stuff for it. If you want to see what I came up with last week, go ahead and check out my submissions on my profile! I also might skip another week soon because Monochrome week is coming up this month, and I want to participate in that. You can check all that out on my Tumblr: Snipersphere900! Thanks for reading and please leave a review!
