Streetlamps hummed to life across the campus signaling the day's end. Alone, the Schnee heiress watched from the rooftops as students walked together, happily conversing with one another. Among them, she recognized members of other teams she'd had the pleasure of meeting during her time at Beacon. Laughter permeated the cool night air as Team CFVY enjoyed themselves. Weiss smiled and continued her survey of the courtyard's nightly ministrations, ultimately locking eyes with the campus' other well-known amber-eyed beauty. Cinder, the leader of a team that transferred from Haven, carried herself with an authority only matched by her confidence. Challenging eyes returned the heiress' curiosity with a smug look as she mouthed something to her companion, Emerald.
I'm just tired of not being good enough. She recalled a faceless form from years ago – someone she'd been unable to save. It was only going to happen again and this time it would be her partner. Just like the boy, she would get so used to Ruby being around and then she would fail her and forget her name and face. How many times would she fail? She was just so utterly useless and the fact that Ruby didn't trust her was proof enough.
The roof exit creaked loudly – a clear sign it needed a good oiling - and Weiss forfeit her staring contest, deciding it was more important to identify the presence that had joined her. A pit opened in her stomach when she recognized the source of the sound was the very reason she had made the trip up to the roof. The redhead paused at the door, awaiting the 'okay' to come closer. Realizing Weiss wasn't going to; Ruby resorted to her most drastic of measures – a ploy that only the coldest of hearts could refute.
As Yang would say, "She hit Weiss with The Combo" – watery puppy dog eyes… and the lip tremble… That damn lip tremble had ended many an argument between the heiress and her vibrant counterpart. It was also a decidedly major factor behind Weiss' accusations of Ruby being childish… but why did that pouting have to look so adorable on her?... Wait... Adorable?!
Rather than letting that thought carry on any further, she shook it away and redirected her sights to Beacon's forestscape, neither asking for Ruby's company nor dismissing her. Cautious footsteps approached Weiss and she felt Ruby lean her arms against the ledge. A few moments of silence passed as a gentle breeze danced through their hair before Ruby broke the silence.
"Hey," Ruby's voice was soft with guilt and Weiss hummed back in response. "I looked all over for you."
"I see," Weiss remained distant. With neither knowing where to begin, the air between them grew tense.
"Er, about earlier –"
"It's nothing like Atlas here."
"Huh?" Ruby turned to Weiss.
"Even when it's cold here, the people are warm… caring…" The heiress paused again. "In Atlas, it's always cold… It's a cold city, with cold people – hi-tech, machine-driven, and ruthless expectations. The city is built on lies… but it's not like that here." Her eyes met Ruby's with a pained look that made the team leader falter. "At least, I thought that was the difference. I met you and you were different. You're childish – not automated. You're such an absolute dolt sometimes and I'm never sure what you're thinking, but what I like about you…" Weiss froze up as something clenched around her heart.
"Weiss?" Ruby's concerned eyes searched over her and she felt a small flutter.
"That…" Ruby was confused by the ivory girl's answer. What was that? "You barely know me, but it feels like you can read how I feel so easily. Even when you're not sure you have the answer, you try to get me to voice it. It goes against everything I ever knew in Atlas and you've somehow found a way through all the walls I so careful built according to my father's teachings… and all I can wonder is: how can you make this look so easy?" Weiss steeled herself for the next part and glared at her as she hardened her tone. "But then I find out that the Ruby Rose I've grown accustomed to and the real you aren't the same at all… What are you trying to get from me? Was it something Winter couldn't get you?... So you need the Schnee heiress?"
"Uh," Ruby actually looked caught off-guard. "I didn't expect you to know about that…"
"Which part?!" Weiss' vision turned red. She'd hoped that Ruby would deny it – that Weiss' last name wasn't the only thing that made her important. "That you're a complete sham… or that you need something from me?!"
"…Weiss, this is going to sound really crappy," Ruby inhaled a sharp breath. "But there's nothing you can get me as a Schnee that your sister can't also get…"
Wow, that was really direct… and it hurt… a lot! Tears stung at her eyes. She'd always known Winter was infinitely many times better that her. Hell, Weiss was only the heiress because Winter had spontaneously decided that she wasn't interested in the Schnee legacy. She'd thrown it all away and decided that there were things more important than the family… but the one thing that had remained constant was her love for her little sister. Weiss didn't hate her though. Winter meant everything to her and she only wanted her to see her as worthy, but it didn't hurt any less have that reaffirmed by someone younger than her.
"At least, not as you are now," Ruby fidgeted. "I'm surprised that Winter told you. She said she wanted me to be a secret." Hold on a second… a secret?!
"Did she hire you to protect me?!" Weiss shrieked, driving an accusing finger into Ruby's collarbone. "Am I who you're tracking?! The job Yang is angry about?!"
"What? No," Ruby actually laughed and waved her off. "Pffft, Yang's just mad because Winter hired me. She doesn't like me working for Winter, but she has me do a lot of crap for her. There's someone here she wants to keep tabs on. My job is just to watch and report anything suspicious. My being here was just perfect timing. I did genuinely want to go to Beacon, but I'm also an opportunist. I have enough confidence to do this and be a student at the same time. Besides… I have a personal stake in it, so…"
"And what's that?"
"…This person works for the one responsible for how I lost my mom…" Ruby said darkly. "And that's why I really don't want Yang involved. She's emotional and she'll get carried away."
"So you don't trust her."
"I trust how well I understand my sister," Ruby looked at her firmly. "You saw how she was earlier. I don't just want this person, Weiss. I want to take the whole thing down. I want to make sure what happened to us never happens to anyone else again. We deserve that and when Winter found out we were still alive, she wanted to help. We just didn't trust her because everything was all so fresh… but we needed the money… and then she started to earn my trust. It's not 100%, but she's not as bad as I thought. I'd only seen her pass by me before that, so I wasn't sure."
"She hired you to build Myrtenaster for me," the Schnee heiress stated, rather than asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Would you have believed me?" Ruby flashed a grin and Weiss gave her a flat look.
"Point taken," she sighed and leaned against the parapet. "Still, I did wonder why you were so familiar with her."
"Heeeerrrr?" Ruby bent over to get a good look at Weiss and grinned obnoxiously.
"Dust, you're going to make me regret this," Weiss hissed. "You decided that Myrtenaster is female right?"
"Haha, but Myrtenaster belongs to you," Ruby smiled warmly. "That's your decision."
"…It… suits her just fine," Weiss looked away with a blush. "She is… elegant…"
"You're right, Weiss," Ruby's smiled grew warmer and she took her hand. "She really is."
Something struck Weiss inside, but she couldn't place a name to it. Her heartbeat quickened and somehow the way Ruby was looking at her had triggered it. It felt almost like something was swirling around in her belly and her breath was lost to her. The heiress' eyes were drawn to their hands, where Ruby's fingers felt like they were searing into her own. Whether that was because she was the infamous Ice Queen or because Ruby somehow shared her sister's propensity to expel flames, she didn't know, but this was so… pleasant?
A faint clack interrupted her thoughts as Ruby placed her free arm on the ledge and Weiss started to wonder more about it. The metal didn't seem to be incredibly thick, but it was enough to have some weight to it. Certainly, it would have sparked if Ruby dragged it along the cement she was leaning against.
"Ruby…" Weiss took her hand and pulled it away from the ledge, turning Ruby to face her. The crimson-coal girl watched her with a worry that only grew when Weiss' focus shifted to her arm. She flinched as Weiss slowly reached toward it with her own free hand.
The heiress' eyes lifted to meet Ruby's, silently asking for permission to touch and the younger girl swallowed before she nodded. It was a scary feeling to let someone other than Yang touch it. Ruby already knew she'd get looks because of it, and if anything, Weiss was the one person she didn't want to look at her with pity… so it was strange watching as her fingers trailed along the metal grooves.
Weiss followed her fingers as they glossed over every part of the metal casing - every groove that her fingers dipped into, every smooth part, every ridge that briefly impeded her path. It was strange to think that she'd had this on the entire time she'd been here. The metal was unusually thin for the military-grade that Nora seemed to think it was and it felt hollow, which gave less credibility to Nora's opinion that it assisted Ruby in normal function. However, she felt no vibrations from the whirring of the electronics it should have house, which worked against Ren's statement.
"You didn't paint it?"
"N-not yet," Ruby stammered like an insecure child. When Weiss looked at her again, her partner looked like she'd been stripped of whatever face she'd been putting up and was bare for all the world to see… but they wouldn't. This was just for Weiss and the heiress selfishly savored it as she continued to trace a path. "I-it's… just a p-prototype…"
"It would suit you," Weiss watched her eyes as they tried to focus anywhere else. It was unusual that she was reacting to Weiss' touch, despite the metal that separated her from whatever was or wasn't inside. An idea popped into Weiss' head and she dragged her nails lightly across the metal, watching as the hairs stood on her other arm and goosebumps formed. "Ruby, can you feel this?"
"Um…" Ruby's lips curved in a bashful smile and Weiss began to truly see just why it was that everyone was so impressed with her skill.
"Ruby this is incredible," Weiss gawked at her. "We've been able to synchronize prosthetics with brain waves, but we haven't been able to recreate synapses, let alone program the type of sensitivity you would need to correctly gauge or react appropriately. This is revolutionary! You could give amputees a chance to regain normalcy!"
"I… I know…" Ruby blushed and scratched at her cheek. "But it only works for people like me… It's dangerous."
"People… like you?" Ruby was quiet and Weiss frowned. "Ruby, I need you to be a little more open with me… If you want this partnership to work out."
"…Are you really interested in me?" Ruby's voice was small. "Or just how it works?..." Weiss' eyes flitted back to her fingers, where they rest on the metal and she hesitated to answer.
"I admit that I do want to know how it works," Weiss answered her truthfully as she brushed her thumb across it. "But I do want to know the why. What happened that you need this?..." Weiss blushed. "I… heard you two talking in the shower earlier… I'd like it if you could start to rely on me too… You know, for when Yang isn't around…"
"… I don't have a Semblence…"
ooOOoo
The awkward silence was killing her. It was amazing how quiet her partner could remain for long periods of time considering that Yang could barely contain herself. Adding Ruby to the mix just made things worse and it required a large effort on Weiss and Blake's part to maintain them. In that respect, Yang supposed it was good to have them around. They reached a secluded part of Beacon – one that Blake recognized as a spot she often hid when her team became just a tad overwhelming.
"How do you know about this place?!" Blake's voice hitched with genuine surprise.
"Other than this being another of your spots you sneak off to when you're feeling overwhelmed?" Yang looked up in thought. "I was concerned, so one day I followed you." The blonde turned to meet the highly unamused expression of her darker counterpart and she panicked. "I mean, I knew you wanted to be alone, so I didn't say anything to you! I just wanted to make sure nothing happened!" Yang scratched her head. "Look, I thought about what you said earlier about the partner stuff." She looked back to Blake with determination. "I want to make this right! We're supposed to have four years together, right? Soooo, maybe we could talk about ourselves?"
"…"
"Look! I wanted you to know that I do pay attention to you!" She averted her eyes. "I'm not having issues working with you because I don't like you… I just… Ugh! How do I explain it!" Blake took a small bit of pleasure in watching the blonde's perplexed behaviors and mercifully decided to end her struggle.
"So, does that mean you know where I sit?" Blake's eyes tone was inquisitive.
"Yeah!" The brawler's determination returned. She pointed up to a tree branch that was mostly hidden by leaves. "You sit there and read until you calm down… Sometimes for hours." Yang's gaze became fixated on the ground and her arm slowly settled at her side. "Heh, you wear this small smile when something meaningful happens and your eyes brighten up when something exciting happens. It almost makes me want to read it, too. That's why I asked you to…" She trailed off.
"Read to you?" Yang blushed at the question and Blake smirked at the unspoken answer. "Why do you pay so much attention?" Blake felt a bit uncertain of the fondness expressed in Yang's voice.
"Even if it's just for a little while, seeing you like that reminds me of the days before the accident… when Ruby wasn't pretending to be happy all the time." This revelation caught Blake's attention. "She hides things from me now… I can never tell what's going on with her, anymore." Yang became silent.
"Accident? Pretending?" Losing herself in her own thoughts, Yang leaned her back against the tree with her arms crossed behind her and ignored Blake's question. Blake's memory recalled a different Ruby – one that made her nervous. Just how much of Ruby was a lie?
I don't know about you, but our most precious secrets are often hidden in plain sight.
She should have realized Ruby was telling her from experience, but what did that mean Ruby had to hide? Ruby didn't seem like the type to lie, so maybe she left the truth hidden in plain sight. Maybe, it was something Yang didn't see?
"We used to laugh and play together all the time – me, Ruby… Summer." Yang became revitalized and she looked back at Blake as she told her story. "Summer would jump up in the tree and hide but we'd never be able to get her! She was such a cheater! She would tell us that we had to figure out a way to get her to come down! We'd get so mad, but then Dad would come out with cookies! Summer would get so mad because he always burned them and she'd go back and make cookies that actually tasted good! We'd try to help her out and totally forget about the game, then we'd go back out and she'd put us on the branches and she would read to us… When Ruby got old enough to climb trees, she'd sit on that branch and read for hours. I'd practice my boxing with Dad but I'd get frustrated sometimes." The brawler's expression turned thoughtful. "But when I looked at Ruby and all those happy expressions she made while she was reading, I could focus again."
"Who's Summer?" The warmth Yang exuded every time she said this woman's name piqued Blake's curiosity. If she were to know more about Yang, let alone Ruby, this was probably a name to remember.
"Summer's our mo-" Yang stopped herself. "Ruby's mom." Blake kicked herself mentally. She never really gave much thought to it before, but the sisters didn't even share the same last name. They only ever spoke of their father and uncle, along with a mangy, drooling mutt she hoped to never have the displeasure of meeting. Yang caught a hint of regret in Blake's eyes. "I don't remember my mom. I only ever knew of Summer, but I don't think I could have asked for a better mom! She was amazing and she gave me so much! I don't think I ever really realized that she wasn't my real mom – not 'til then anyways."
"'Til when?" Blake waited patiently, but Yang's eyes reflected confusion.
"I'm not sure what happened. One day, we went to Atlas. I can't remember much about it. I remember Ruby was excited to be getting a cape like the one Mom has." Yang pressed her palm to her forehead, as if to clear the fog from her memories. "It's a blur after that. Some things are clear as day, other things blend together - faces I should know but can't make out, voices I should remember… Sometimes, things come back to me… But they're usually in the form of nightmares. I remember a lot of fire and being scared and unable to move… the Schnee logo… Ruby and some people in lab coats were panicking trying to find a way out. Ruby came towards me and then everything went black. I woke up back home and everything was different. I just knew things that I shouldn't know and…" She slammed a fist into the tree and leaned her head against it in defeat.
"I don't have any proof, but I know a lot of what happened out there is my fault. I can't remember, Blake, but I know it is!... And Ruby won't tell me a damn thing! She just gives me this sad smile and says she doesn't remember either! She doesn't trust me, Blake." Yang looked at Blake with tears streaming from her eyes. "What did I do?" Blake lost herself in thought for a moment as a pit in her stomach opened up. "What did I do to my baby sister?"
"Yang," Blake swallowed hard. "What if it wasn't your fault? What if you were at a Schnee Center during a White Fang attack?" She looked down and silently prayed to herself that Yang hadn't found out about her past association with them. Her partner could very well harbor a vendetta against Faunus because of the past, even if she hid her lineage well. How would Yang have known though? Had Ruby said something? If Yang knew about her past and something she may or may not have been part of, would she try to harm her? She heard Yang move towards her and Blake's eyes opened in a horrible realization – Yang, the queen of puns, frightened her.
"Relax, kitty." A finger touched Blake's chin and lifted her face so that their eyes met. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'd never do something like that to you. Even if it had anything to do with the White Fang, how would I know? I can't remember, remember?" Yang tapped her temple and gave a goofy wink. "Rubes trusts you, so I trust you."
"You keep calling me 'Kitty'…" She eyed Yang suspiciously. "Why?" The blonde suddenly looked up to the sky and appeared to be focused on something. Curious, Blake turned around to see what she was so caught up with. "What are you looking at?" A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and she began to struggle. "Oh, what the hell, Yang! Let go!" Blake felt herself falling backwards, into Yang. She continued to struggle until she tired herself out and huffed as Yang chuckled. "Happy now? You win."
"No." Blake fell limp and felt herself being pulled in closer to Yang. Yang rested her head on top of Blake's. More aware of Yang than ever, Blake's senses took in everything about her partner from her well-endowed features, to her flowery scent, to the pleasant heat that emanated from Yang's core, likely due to her Semblance. It was comforting – a welcome change from earlier. Enough so that she closed eyes and relaxed into the embrace… She'd make the brute pay for it later but for now... A low rumble came from deep within Blake and her eyes shot open. Oh no, please tell me I didn't.
"You purr." The voice was warm in her ears. I did! Blake felt a little like dying right now. "You were nervous earlier. Cats purr when they're nervous… but you're happy right now, so you also purr." Blood rushed to Blake's face as Yang's lips brushed across the back of her bow. "Now, I'm happy."
"Y- Yang… st-stop…" She curled into a ball as she tried to resist the urge, but her feline ears were sensitive and flicked at Yang's touch. Pleased with herself, Yang snuggled into the crook of Blake's neck and molded herself around Blake, effectively spooning her. God dammit, why did she have to be so overwhelming in a one-on-one situation?
"They're cute." Her voice was shy and muffled. For a moment, Blake froze. Part of her was excited and wanted to welcome the acceptance her partner gave her, but a large part of her was skeptical and wanted to run. She swallowed and hoped she hadn't just been hearing what she wanted to.
"What?" Her body was rife with anticipation. She craved more of this attention – to become closer to this heat, but at what price? Yang's head rose closer to her more human ears.
"You're ears… They twitch when something is close to them. I noticed during Initiation." Blake could feel a playful smile work its way across Yang's lips. "They're cute," she said more clearly. Her arms briefly tightened to convey support. "I kinda' hope one day you'll trust me enough to let me see them."
Go on. A strange voice rang through Blake's mind and she closed her eyes to mentally shake it away. You can trust her. Ugh, this voice.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" Blake's ears fell flat and her voice came out small and shy, reflecting her insecurity. She genuinely wondered why Yang's curiosity hadn't gotten the better of her sooner. Yang's arms loosened around her, replacing the warmth Blake had grown used to with a sense of hollowness. The blonde felt a small hand quickly latch on to her own, pressing firmly enough to suggest that her embrace was welcome to remain.
Yang gave a small laugh and obeyed her friend's wishes. She supposed it wouldn't hurt – after all, she'd already messed up earlier in the day. She could afford to remain the kitty's personal heater for a little longer. A moment of blissful silence passed between the two before Blake began to roll over. As Yang readjusted herself, her eyes caught sight of their hands. At some point, they had intertwined with one another without her noticing… or had she just been too comfortable to care?
"Yang…" The Faunus' sultry voice snapped Yang out of her thoughts and she focused her attention on the cat girl. Desire, longing – these were some of the words one would use to describe the intentions reflected in the Faunus' golden eyes. Yang's heart sank as she realized what this was – what Blake expected from her… The one thing she couldn't give her, out of her own fear.
As Blake closed in, Yang broke eye contact with her. Tilting her head down, Yang told herself this was just a spur of the moment thing on Blake's end. She shivered as Blake's lips brushed across the tip of her nose and Yang's embrace loosened. Sensing something was wrong, Blake pulled back and tried to get a look at Yang's face, but it remained hidden. Panic overwhelmed the feline at the realization that she had sorely misread the situation and she felt sick.
"I can't…" Yang continued to look down, unable to decide whether it was out of fear or shame. She couldn't bring herself to look at the sadness she knew would saturate Blake's eyes, so she chose a lock of hair that draped over the Faunus' shoulder. "I can't hurt you like that." Deciding the level of closeness between them was far too intoxicating, Yang stood up to put some distance between them.
"What do you mean?" Blake sat up to look at her. Part of her was upset with Yang because she felt lead on, another part concerned for Yang's sudden change in demeanor, and another part at herself for jumping to conclusions. How the hell did she go from being pissed at Yang earlier to being in this situation? "You just said you would never hurt me."
"Yeah, I know!" Yang's sudden outburst surprised the Faunus. Her eyes widened when she realized she had startled Blake and she clenched her fists. "I know… It's… complicated, but I'm… removing the possibility that would come with that."
The blonde hunched over from weariness. This was the first time Yang's true exhaustion had become evident to Blake. Blake had seen her break down, but everyone had moments of weakness. How had she not noticed this tiredness or stress before? In general, anyone from their team should have been able to and it was very likely that Ruby had, but this was Blake's partner… how she been so unaware?
A wave of self-resentment hit her as she realized her true reason for being upset earlier: Blake Belladonna was jealous… of Ruby… Yang's sister… and their team leader. Somewhere along the line, Blake had developed a sense of attachment to Yang. She was the perfect partner for Blake – easily catching others in her momentum, yet never the type to pry and always there when needed - and Blake had become accustomed to it. But to think that Yang elected to go to someone else, even if they were sisters; that didn't sit well with her. It seemed her feline half had become territorial when it came to Yang and she had somehow been blind to it – or had chosen to ignore it.
Sure, she had her moments when the sisters did something suggestive that caught her off guard, but she felt uneasy about it afterward. Hearing about the shower incident hadn't made her feel any better, but after seeing and hearing about Ruby's condition, it was more understandable… and just another thing that had been kept hidden. She bit her lip before deciding to push Yang a little further.
"You're hiding things. We all are, but I trust you enough to not hurt m- "At that moment, an epiphany hit Blake. "Is that why you can't work well with me?!" She jumped up and marched over to Yang, spinning her around to look her in the eyes. Blake's straightforwardness had caught the girl off-guard, but Blake didn't care – her pride was wounded. "Because you're afraid to hurt me?! Do you not trust me enough to be able to handle myself?!" Chewing her lip, the blonde's eyes drifted away from her. "Seriously?!"
"It's not you that I don't trust."
"Yang Xiao Long, if you think you're just going to leave it there, you're sadly mistaken," Blake scolded, ending with a shove. "Explain."
"Whoa, whoa, kitty cat!" Yang raised her hands up in defense and Blake pushed her again.
"No! You don't get to call me that, right now!" The feline's eyes were a mixture of anger and hurt. "Explain!"
"Alright, jeez," Yang rubbed her chest and decided that this probably wasn't a good time to point that Blake had just unknowingly admitted she was okay with Yang's pet name for her. Maybe she'd save it for later, after she fixed this. "That hurt," she pouted to herself.
"You'll live." The raveness' golden eyes narrowed in on her, awaiting an answer, and Yang sighed. This was going to take a while, and she wasn't really ready to put most of it out in the open yet… but she felt bad. Yang honestly enjoyed Blake's presence and she deserved some kind of answer.
"Originally, I was going to explain why Ruby and I were here, but… er." They both blushed before Yang moved on. "Anyway, Ruby wanted to be a huntress as kid, so she could help people. I just wanted the adventure – I didn't really care how."
"That sounds like you," Blake muttered under her breath.
"Yeah," the blonde gave a nervous laugh and cleared her throat. "Well, after the fire, Ruby said that while she still wanted to help people. The only difference was that she understood that everyone has some kind of darkness in them and her faith in people waivered a little. We started thinking that we were the only ones we could rely on – that understood each other."
"But that's not how it is."
"I-I know that, Blakey… At least, I know that, but I can't accept it." Blake frowned at her partner as she she studied her and she felt like she had to explain further. "It's not that I don't want to. I just feel like I can't."
"I… understand what you mean." On a similar level, Blake had her own skeletons in her proverbial closet. The reminder made her feel guilty for pushing Yang, but she wanted to be closer and to understand… and if Ruby was, indeed, after her, then…
"The local Hunter's Hall helps people out, so we started assisting them, but we always refused back up. They'd only get in our way. Eventually, the Hall expressed interest in having us work with them full-time, but the bosses brought up that we had an issue…" Yang looked away and scratched her head. It was funny the two sisters shared this habit. "Working with others… The head honcho has always been really supportive of us… like a second family with members whose faces we've never seen. They said that working with others would teach us a valuable lesson we would understand later. They wanted us to have the same experiences they did, so they suggested we shoot for Beacon. It was really inspiring!" She hesitated. "But you see, Ruby and I are so used to working with each other, we don't even need to talk. We can just feel each other's aura and know what to do."
"Feel each other's aura?"
"Yeah! It's awesome! Our Semblances work really well together too!" Her excitement died down and she kicked at the ground. "But that's part of the problem… We don't really take into account the presence of others around us. If we partner up, other people get caught up in the crossfire and if we separate, we fight like we're separate from the group… Not exactly 'team players', if you catch my drift…" She sighed. "Ruby's the only one who's been able to work around my Semblance with minimal damages."
"So, I am holding you back." It was Blake's turn to look away, but Yang turned her head back.
"Don't say that, kitty cat." Her smile was warm and Blake's doubts melted away. "I'm just hard to work with, haha." Yang gave her signature grin. "Seriously though, if Ruby thought you'd hold us back, I wouldn't have wound up with you. She's really particular about things like that."
"Does that apply to Weiss, too? And what does that have to do with Ruby?" Yang winced at the mention of the Schnee girl.
"Yes… Weiss too." She hissed the heiress' name. "And honestly? You want to know about Rubes?" Blake took a moment to think. The girl in red intrigued her. She didn't hate her, but her motives were suspicious and could possibly threaten the freedom Blake had finally earned.
"Ruby… concerns me." The blonde quirked her eyebrow. "I don't dislike her! Ruby just… Does Ruby have a split personality?" The blonde busted into laughter.
"Oh, God, no! Hahahah!" She hunched over and waved Blake off.
"It isn't that funny!" Blake's hair puffed out and the blonde's laughter died out.
"I know what you mean, though!" She wiped away the tears in her eyes. "No, Ruby doesn't, but she can be a bit… unnerving sometimes. You mean the whole 'adorable one minute, intimidating the next' thing, right?" Blake nodded. "Don't worry about that. If she was like that to you, Ruby doesn't like when people lie to themselves. She adores you, just not that you hide your ears." Blake reached up toward her bow. "Rubes was ranting to me the other day that it bothers her that you feel like you have to hide." Yang smiled warmly. "We don't hate Faunus, Blake. We never have. We dislike the actions of the White Fang, but there are probably plenty that genuinely wanted to do something good, just like you."
"Wait, how did you-" Yang silenced her with a finger to her lips.
"I said I wouldn't have wound up with you if Rubes didn't want me to," the brawler winked. "Rubes has a knack for gathering information and finding people. She told me she already knew about you before we got here. She said you looked surprised when she brought up your bow the first day. Like I said though, I didn't actually know until Initiation, so you don't have to worry about us blabbing your secret." Yang looked up in thought. "She did say you and Jaune did a really good job on your transcripts - almost as good as ours - but Jaune can't actually back up his talent."
"Wait, you saw my transcripts?!"
"No, I said Ruby saw them. She just mentioned them to me."
"You said that it was almost as good as yours. Why would you two need them?" Blake eyed her partner suspiciously.
"Did I say that?" The blonde's nerves visibly jarred.
"Yang!"
"Alright, alright!" Yang urged Blake to chill out. "I mentioned my Semblance is dangerous earlier."
"Yeah, but you seemed to have it in check," the Faunus pointed out. "You haven't lost control of it here, even earlier."
"Well, I've made some... changes…" She paused in thought before her voice took on a sense of urgency. "Look, I trust you, I do! But it's myself that I can't trust. If I go all out, it might do something I can't take back! It's happened in the past… I really only use it with Ruby because she's the only one who can minimize the damages."
"Was that what happened with the Aura Meters during the match before? The damages to yourselves?"
"Sort of. It's complicated to explain, but that's part of it." She turned away and bashfully kicked at the ground. "You've become really important to me and I'd never be able to forgive myself if I hurt you… and Ruby would never forgive me if I hurt Weiss." During the latter half of her statement, her voice became irritated and she turned her head to face away from her darker companion.
"Go on." Blake's voice was much softer than a few moments ago, encouraging the blonde to attempt to put together something that would make sense. It was the sort of tone that let Yang know that she would wait as long as Yang needed, though she felt she owed it to her not to keep her waiting all night. With a smile, the blonde's lilac eyes met Blake's golden orbs. Her hands settled on her the feline's hips and she decided on a place to start.
"Alright, so I'm about to go all Weissy on you for a second and sound like I actually know what I'm talking about," Yang grinned devilishly. "But trust me, I don't. I'm just repeating how Rubes broke it down for me." Blake cocked an eyebrow and rewarded her partner with a brief that made the blonde pump her fist internally. She cleared her throat and put on her best impression of one of Weiss' long explanations. "Sometimes people have a signature to their Aura, but its nature is more illusory than purposeful. We're used to seeing them, but we can't touch them. However, there are rare occasions where a person's Aura is so strong that their signatures can manifest on the physical plane. Are you following me, Blakey?"
"…I'm still stuck on you using illusory appropriately," Blake spoke in a teasing manner. "But yeah, I get it."
"Phew, I thought I was gonna' do bad at this," Yang let out a sigh of relieve. Seriously, Rubes was way better at giving explanations than she was and the words felt so foreign passing through her own lips. "Wait… where was I?"
"Signatures and physical manifestations," a warped smile worked across the feline's face in a devlish smirk as a thought formed in her mind. "As opposed to the illusory ones."
"Har har," Yang laugh dryly and rolled her eyes.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did!" Yep, they were hanging out to much if Blake was giving her back her own crap. She cleared her throat and tried to continue.
"Yeah, well, um, as I was saying, mine and Ruby's compliment very nicely…" Yang looked at their surroundings as she explained. "When I take damage, I store energy, but the longer it takes to use it, my signature burns through it by taking on physical qualities and because Ruby's signature operates similarly, we can do unique things… That's how we did all that stuff earlier."
"I see, so you need to work on controlling your Aura?"
"It's not that simple," Yang shook her head slow and spoke seriously. "My emotional state causes it to run out of control sometimes, which makes me panic, which make it worse and it becomes a never ending cycle of bad. Because of it I-I…" A stinging sensation started to plague her eyes and her vision went blurry. A lump formed in her throat and she tried to force herself to swallow and finish this.
"Yang?" Worried eyes searched her own, but she was filled with an overwhelming sense of shame. She didn't deserve it. Not when she-
"I hurt Ruby very badly…" The words made her sins much more real now that she heard them in her own voice. "While we were in Atlas… I remember that much."
"The… fire?" Concern riddled Blake's voice, but Yang was silent. "I thought Nora said you two escaped before the fire…but then how would she have… Was this different?"
"I can't remember much," Yang was distant. "Just flames, cold, darkness, a ton of Schnee emblems everywhere… Atlas is a huge blur for me and Ruby won't tell me anything about it."
"Oh…" The Faunus was disappointed, but if Yang was missing large portions of her memory, it couldn't be helped. She figured that whatever was altered on Ruby's transcript had something to do with the arm injury Ren and Nora had mentioned, but it struck her as strange that Yang's signature was odd enough for them to alter her transcripts. Instead, Blake settled for another question – one Yang shouldfeel more comfortable answering. "Yang, you said you remember Schnee logos everywhere, but you trust Ruby's judgment. How do you feel about Weiss?" Yang made an irritated expression and looked to her side.
"I don't hate Weiss, but she irritates the hell out of me. Rubes trusts her, so I want to, but Weiss is a Schnee and acts just as self-entitled as the rest. I hate Schnees, and I refuse to be all bestie-like until I see what she Rubes sees, and so far, I don't!… That and Ruby stopped keeping me in the loop shortly before we left for Beacon, but she's damn sure been all about Weiss. It's like she's hiding things from me and using Weiss as a shield."
"Oh? Heh heh." Blake's voice turned teasing. "Sounds to me like you're jealous of our resident Ice Queen."
"What?! Like hell! I'd never be jealous of someone like her! At least, I have a chance to be happy!" Yang pouted. "I'm hurt that you would even say that!"
"Oh, whatever! You don't even care!" The Faunus laughed before returning to the subject. "I have mixed feelings on Ruby." The older sister wore an offended look and Blake rolled her eyes. "Ruby definitely has potential as a leader, but someone who can manipulate things to such an extent is suspicious. Her personality is very confusing and she honestly terrifies me, but then she's suddenly very sweet and fun to be around. I wonder how much she actually trusts any of us."
"Blake," Yang smiled warmly. "Try to get to know Ruby a little bit. I think you'll find she can be really pleasant to be around once she gets comfortable. Who knows? Maybe she'll open up to you." Hope saturated the blonde's voice. "Then again, maybe it's just me being selfish and kinda' hoping that if you become friends, Ruby will stop avoiding me." Sadness reflected in the older sister's eyes and Blake felt for her. Maybe Yang was right. Maybe Ruby was just a little difficult to understand because Blake hadn't tried.
Then again, she did that with the whole team, so it stood to be said that her relationship with the entire team could improve. Blake stood and silently made it her goal to try to crack the enigma that Ruby presented, and maybe even help the older sister with her problem. It was probably just some sort of misunderstanding on the dense blonde's side. She focused on the overflowing chalice of sadness that stood before her and longed to see her smile again - funny how contagious her normal demeanor could be.
Still off in her own world, Yang's head hung helplessly until a pair of familiar hands gently cupped her face. A light-hearted feeling radiated between the partners as gentle hands lifted the blonde's head so that amber and lilac hues connected. Taking the hint to cheer up, Yang gave a soft smile to reassure the kitty that she was alright – just simply frustrated that nothing ever went right.
The feline stepped in closer, wrapping her arms around the brawler and nuzzling into her neck. Her scent was intoxicating, casting a gentle haze over the blonde. A buzzing sensation resounded in her head and she felt lost. Yang reciprocated the embrace, blanketing Blake in the warmth she had earlier been robbed of. The golden girl felt a tickle against her neck as Blake smiled against her warm skin and the brawler relaxed in her arms.
A calm fell over them and they remained in this moment – neither willing to disturb the comfort they shared with one another. Blake nuzzled against her semi-conscious partner's neck once more, reminding Yang of her presence. She gently traced the arch of Blake's back with her thumb and Blake leaned back enough to meet her with half-lidded eyes. Blake smiled gently and loosely hung her arms around Yang's neck, slowly drawing her nearer.
"We should…" Yang found herself lost in those amber orbs. "Get back…" Their noses grazed each other. "Soon…" Their lips barely touching, Blake hesitated, leaving the decision up to Yang. She'd already been rejected once this evening and she wasn't about to get her hopes up again. Both girls hovered in place for a moment before Blake acknowledged Yang's words.
"Mmhmm." Yang's lips softly brushed against Blake's and she returned gesture. The blonde's grip became more assertive and she pulled Blake in more closely. Not to be outdone, Blake pulled at the blonde's neck line, encouraging her to continue. Blake began to feel a little adventurous and nipped at the blonde's bottom lip, catching it in her teeth and pulling lightly. The blonde laughed into the kiss and teased Blake back in the same fashion, playfully flicking the feline's top lip with her tongue. Hazily, she pulled back, still drunk on the feeling, but her eyes widened in the realization of what she had just done.
"No!" Frustrated with her own actions, Yang backed away. "I'm sorry… Why did I…" Yang cursed under her breath with every step she took farther away and Blake smiled to herself. The blonde wasn't untouchable – she'd come around. She was stubborn, but Blake was patient. All Blake needed was confirmation that there was something there and that was what she had gotten. For now, Blake decided maybe she could indulge in her own whimsical nature. After all, she was the cat and Yang was her mouse... Her really warm mouse… Oh Dust, she was sappy. It may have been time to lay off those books…nah. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched the blonde's almost comedic pacing as she vented out loud.
VRRRRR VRRRRR VRRRRRRRR
"Sup Ru-... WHAT?!"
ooOOoo
AN: Uh oh, wonder what happened on Ruby's end! So you guys got a little more incite on the Ruby and Yang's background. It's definitely not the whole story for them, but you'll start finding out a lot more with each chapter. Let me know what you guys think or where you this is headed! I like hearing speculations! Makes it fun!