A nice, hot shower was exactly what Weiss needed after such a... heavy conversation.
She needed some time to calm down and... center herself, as well as... evaluate what her previous relationship really was. Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the more depressing it became. It did not take long for her to realize that living with Vernal... never actually felt like a relationship at all, even after over a year and a half... In reality, they were just roommates who had sex. Honestly, Weiss probably could have brought another woman or a man home with her, and... Vernal might not have even minded or cared. So... the fact that she suddenly cared so deeply as to finally admit that she loved her... It was too late. The damage had already been done.
After getting out of the shower, drying off, and re-donning the pyjama shirt and pants that she had been wearing before, Weiss exited the bathroom, and... stopped in front of her friend's bedroom door. She then took a deep breath, raised her hand, and confidently knocked. She had made her choice.
"Come on in." Came Yang's voice from within.
One more deep breath, and Weiss opened the door, finding the blonde lying down on her bed, idly swiping down what she guessed was some kind of social media on her scroll. Upon seeing her, Yang pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the bed and turned off her scroll, offering a slight smile.
"Hey, so... how'd it go? You two gonna... give it another shot?"
Approaching and sitting down on the mattress next to her friend, Weiss shook her head. "Vernal offered a genuine apology for everything, and... she said that she loves me, but... I couldn't do it. That love... wasn't there when it needed to be, when it should've been." Then she swallowed, trying to keep herself composed, turning her head to look forward. "So... I'm closing that chapter of my life... As much as... it hurts to do so."
Yang was quiet for several moments, gaze also wandering to stare straight ahead. "That mean... you're gonna look for a... new place?"
While Weiss understood that she herself had said that before, she remained still for a brief time, until she reached out to place her hand atop her friend's, still gazing forward. "I... I loved Vernal, but... I don't think I could have been truly happy with her..." Then she turned to look at Yang, who soon did the same. "But I am happy... here... Far more than I ever have..."
Yang immediately opened her mouth to respond, but stopped, seemingly catching herself, eyes darting around in what appeared to be slight panic, before finally looking away, gaze falling. "But... I-I couldn't... take... I'm not..." Then her gaze fell further. "You could do better..."
Weiss merely shook her head, hoping that it was seen, and squeezed the blonde's hand. "Please don't think so little of yourself. You are a strong, beautiful, caring, confident woman. Someone who I'm thankful to have met, and am proud be friends with. I want... to stay here... if you'll let me."
Yang was quiet again, still not looking back at her friend. "I wouldn't be able to treat your properly... like you deserve..." Then she let out a sigh. "More than I can give you..."
Rather than responding, Weiss just let go of her friend's hand, before turning her own to slip underneath, in order to properly hold her hand. After a couple moments, she felt the action be reciprocated, causing her to smile. "Yang, you know that before I came here, I was miserable. I had no identity, and was just... a product of the Schnee dynasty... My life wasn't my own. So, I came to Vale, to grasp one last bit of it before... accepting my fate." Then her gaze fell. "I have only had a few... real experiences with love... Neon, Violet, Vernal... but every time I got close to getting it... it was torn away from me... in one way or another..."
Weiss looked to her friend, reaching up with her free hand to take hold of her cheek, and turn her face to look at her. "But all of them still treated me like a normal person... just like you." She smiled. "Even while I was with Vernal, you never danced around me, you cared... always talked openly with me, trusted me... and took me seriously... even when I was at my worst."
Once again, Yang opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. So, Weiss decided to do one more thing. Standing from the bed and letting go of her hand, she moved in front of Yang, faced her, and took a step forward to end up between her legs, looking slightly down at her. She then reached up to wrap her arms around the woman's neck, causing her to furrow her brow.
"What are... you doing?"
Weiss offered a warm smile. "I want to prove that what I had with Vernal... is over." She informed, her heart rate beginning to increase. "So... if you so desire... you can kiss me."
Yang was silent, eyes widening as she was only able to stare at her friend in disbelief, mouth hanging open a bit. Weiss knew that it might take some time for her to decide, but she knew her own feelings, and wanted to put the decision in the blonde's hands. She would be there whenever Yang was ready... with whatever she chose to do.
And soon enough, that choice came.
Slowly reaching forward, Yang placed her hands on Weiss' hips, and hesitantly leaned in, as if she was scared to do so, and just enough to barely catch her cheek in a nervous, almost shaky kiss. Upon pulling back, the pair proceeded to merely stare at one another for several moments, blushes quickly tinting their cheeks as they remained there, stunned at what happened.
Weiss could no stop herself from smiling, even though her heart was racing. "You call that a kiss?"
Yang let out a shuddering laugh, just before tears began to pool in her eyes a few moments later, like she was overwhelmed by the action.
Releasing her friend's neck, Weiss gently took hold of her face, wiping away the tears with her thumbs as they streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I took so long." She murmured.
Yang shook her head, reaching up to taking hold of her friend's hand and nuzzle into the contact. "I'm just... I'm..." She heaved a shaky breath, smiling through her tears. "Happy."
Weiss felt her own eyes sting with emotion, joy welling within as she gently chuckled. "As am I... very much so."
After several moments spent in silence, Yang briefly closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, seemingly attempting to calm herself down. "So uh... where... are we? Y'know... after that..." Yang hesitantly asked, to which Weiss only smiled.
"Right where we are, and wherever the future takes us."
As enjoyable as work normally was when on shift with Yang, Cinder was excited to get back home to Raven, leaving the bar to her friend and Qrow.
Now that they were dating, things between them had grown much more... open than they were before. Neither of them felt any more... guilt or shame in the way they acted or thought about one another... They were finally free to truly be how they wanted around each other. No more secrets... No more restraining themselves... No more... hiding their feelings... It was like a dream come true- Actually, no, it was a dream come true.
Upon ascending the stairs behind the bar, Cinder took out the key that her friend had given her when she first moved in, unlocked the front door, and stepped into their apartment, finding... an empty living area. No television playing... nor lounging Raven on the main couch, or even in the kitchen... How odd... Perhaps she's napping...
Quietly making her way to the guest bedroom, which she still could not believe was not hers anymore, Cinder figured that she would get changed before doing anything else. Her work attire was not uncomfortable at all, but they were just not nearly as comfortable as a nice set of lounge-wear. Entering the bedroom, switching on the light and closing the door behind her, Cinder opened up the drawers and searched for something to change into. Unfortunately, since there was no room in the drawers in Raven's room, all of her clothes would be staying in the guest room for now, at least until a second drawer unit was purchased and they could be moved. Oh how she awaited that day.
After changing out of her work uniform, into a pair of black sweat pants and a crimson long-sleeved shirt, Cinder decided to, as quietly as she could manage, check Raven's room to ensure that she was actually sleeping, just in case it turned out that she had gone out for whatever reason, even though that was fairly unlikely. Still, she would rather not have her friend suddenly walk through the front door and scare the shit out of her, when she thought that she was asleep in her room the whole time.
Upon arriving at the apartment's master bedroom, Cinder furrowed her brow, finding that the door was open a bit, which allowed her to hear... heavy, shaky breathing coming from within... Wait a minute... Thinking that her friend was having a nightmare, as Nora had described similar a similar sign when Cinder herself had nightmares, she quietly cracked open the door a little more and peeked inside, discovering the older woman was not in fact having a nightmare... or even sleeping for that matter.
Raven was sitting back against the bed's headboard- Oh my gods... and she was not wearing any pants... nor underwear... and her legs were spread... Which meant... Cinder could see everything down there... including a lush thicket of hair... Fuck me... She had not even taken notice of her yet, as she was currently... occupied... eyes closed, teeth clenched, cheeks heavily flushed... Raven had one hand... underneath her unkept black T-shirt, clearly... fondling and squeezing one of her ample breasts as she shuddered and gasped... and the other... quickly and rhythmically inserting a white, cylindrical object into her... Oh shit.
Raven was masturbating.
Cheeks quickly heating at the sight, Cinder's eye widened. She could not help but swallow as warmth flowed through her entire being, pooling in her abdomen... Never before in her life had she envied an inanimate object, but to the Maidens above, she wished to be that vibrator. Cinder could feel herself becoming weak in the knees as she watched... Breath heavy in her lungs, her nethers aching, hand twitching to satiate a certain urge... as hard as she tried to resist...
Then she lost her balance.
Thankfully, Cinder was able to catch herself on the door, but sadly, that door was not exactly quiet. So it squeaked, which caused Raven's previously lidded gaze to widen and immediately snap towards the younger woman. She then instinctively threw the toy across the room in sheer panic, scrambling to grab the underwear that sat at the edge of the mattress, but she only ended up falling off the bed onto the floor with a thump.
What followed was an agonizingly awkward few moments of silence, as Cinder merely stared at the edge of the bed, body frozen from shock, with no idea how to proceed. Should she ask if her friend was alright? Or go over to help her? Or perhaps she should just leave now and pretend this never happened... and attempt to erase what she witnessed from her memory... Even though that was sure to be impossible...
"Hey, you mind uh... givin' me a sec?" Raven wondered from behind her bed, reaching up to grab the pair of black panties from the mattress.
Oh gods, she wants me to leave. "I'm sorry!" Cinder burst, backing up and practically slamming the door behind her, breathing heavily as she stood with her back against the wooden surface. She wondered if she should just head back to the living area, or even the spare bedroom, and wait for the older woman to come out by herself, rather than just... waiting outside her bedroom...
"'Kay, you can... come in now... if you want..." Came Raven's voice from inside.
Shit. Slowly turning around, Cinder grabbed the doorknob, took a deep breath, and hesitantly opened the door, revealing a much more... PG sight compared to what she had the pleasure of seeing before. Raven was sitting on the edge of her bed, now clad in a pair of navy blue shorts, her black T-shirt was no longer unkept at all, the vibrator was nowhere to be found, and overall, her friend just appeared much more... calm... aside from the deep blush that still tinted her cheeks.
"You wanna sit?" Raven wondered, awkwardly glancing over at Cinder, who nodded a bit before approaching the bed and taking a seat next to her. "So uh, thought you were still at work, and... was feelin' kinda horny, so... y'know, broke out the vibe and... you saw the rest..."
Gods, this is so weird. "Do you always use... help when you're... taking care of business?" Cinder inquired. Why did I just ask that?!
Raven merely shrugged. "Got a dildo too, but I wasn't in the mood for it today."
Cinder was not ready for this type of conversation yet, but... it was too late to back out now. "Well, you certainly looked like you were focusing, given how... I went unnoticed until I made the door squeak." In a way, she was actually thankful that happened, since if it had not... she might not have been able to resist her urges for much longer.
"Yeah... I was uh... tryin' to think of Sum and Tai, like... I do most other times, but... it wasn't working." Raven explained, gaze falling. "I was gettin' frustrated, so... I stopped, tried imagining... s-something else..."
Cinder could not help but furrow her brow. Something... else? "What... was it?"
Raven was quiet for a few moments, not looking up all. "I... tried thinkin' about you..." She mumbled, immediately causing Cinder's cheeks to heat up at the realization of what she just said. Oh my gods... She... me...? Raven let out a sigh. "Been alone for so long that the fire's goin' out... Can't even use Summer for fuel anymore... What a pain in the ass..." Then, surprisingly, she chuckled. "Either I'm losin' my passion, and... my libido, or I'm just gettin' old and dramatic."
Cinder was unable to stop herself from chuckling as well. "Better than young and crispy."
Turning to her friend, Raven smirked, looking up and down her body. "Well, I do like some crunch to my partners."
A memory suddenly popped into Cinder's head at the mention. "You did say that my ass was a bag of sticks on your birthday."
Raven only continued to smirk. "Lets me know you're around."
Cinder managed a smirk to match. "And given how much you stare at it, I somehow doubt you're losing your libido."
Raven shrugged. "Maybe I've become a cougar. Maybe I only want nubile, young flesh in my mind."
Cinder actually laughed at the ridiculous claim. "Are you trying to call me young? You must be getting old." Either that or she's blind, which would make sense, considering she also called me beautiful.
"You're a spry whipper snapper if ever I've seen one." Raven commented.
Cinder just groaned. "Gods, now you sound like a grandmother."
Raven then squinted her eyes, leaning back to take a peek at her friend's rear, though pretending that she was having a hard time. "Fetch my glasses, dear, I can't see your bony ass from here."
Even though you're right next to me. Cinder rolled her eye, but still smirked. "Would you care for a cup of tea as well? Or perhaps a bowl of oatmeal?"
"With a large dash of honey." Raven added. "The old taste buds need a kick-startin'."
Cinder let out a chuckle. "You know, there are much better things to kick-start your taste buds with than honey."
Raven quirked a brow. "Well, dear, I'm open to suggestions." She mentioned, before the two burst into laughter. They were quite the pair... And now that they were actually, finally a couple... They were quite the couple as well... A couple of dorks is more like it...
After a brief stretch of silence, with the two merely sitting on the bed, awkwardly glancing around, not looking at one another. "I realize we haven't exactly become intimate yet, but... I don't mind if you think of me, while... you know..."
Raven's eyes widened a bit at the offer, but a sly smirk soon spread across her face as she chuckled. "Well okay, thanks for the permission, Cin." Then she leaned over toward Cinder. "You can use me for your dirty fantasies too, then." Raven whispered in her ear, causing the younger woman's face to almost instantly flush. Raven laughed as she sat back up straight, looking down at her friend for a few moments. "Y'know, I ever tell you how fuckin' great it feels to be in an actual relationship again?"
Cinder could not help but giggle, knowing that certain phrase had been said before. "Perhaps once or twice." But I suppose it doesn't hurt to hear it again.
"'Cause you know Sum and Tai were over twenty fuckin' years ago, but after them... wasn't too great." Raven continued, expression and gaze falling as she spoke. "Spent so many years in a depressive, self-destructive spiral... Sex and alcohol were the only things I could really count on, and the bar was the only thing keepin' me afloat... I went on dates every once in a while, but... I dunno, none of 'em really had that spark I was lookin' for... Even Glyn..." Then she sighed. "So I mostly just stuck to hookups every few weeks, usually with someone younger, 'cause people my age who were doin' the same thing... kinda depressed me. Plus, seein' how responsive they were when I took charge was... a good feeling... and honestly, kinda made me feel like I actually had my shit together..." Raven looked over at her friend, and smiled. "'Course that all pretty much stopped after I met you, since... well, I felt a spark."
Unable to stop another blush from tinting her cheeks, Cinder managed a smile in return. Though, it did not last long, as the realization set in that she herself did not stop seeing Nora until not long before they were living together... Plus, she nearly slept with her daughter... Which only did not happen because Yang said no to her offer. "Did you regret any of it?" Cinder eventually wondered.
Raven shook her head. "Nah, they were fun, and actually gave me a bunch of random ideas for the bedroom over the years, but after a while, I realized I didn't really care for all that play bullshit. I just wanna hold someone I love 'cause I love 'em, and make 'em feel good 'cause they make me feel good..."
Someone... she loves... Cinder almost-instinctively moved a little closer to her friend. "Well... we may not be there quite yet, but until then... you're welcome to hold me."
Looking over at the younger woman, Raven smiled, but soon glanced own at her body... of course. "Alright, get over here." She requested, motioning toward herself with her head. Cinder was tad confused on what exactly was wanted, but she had a fairly good guess. So, moving even closer, she adjusted her position to straddle Raven, wrapping her arms around her neck, and feeling a pair take hold of her waist. The two shared a warm smile, before closing their eyes, leaning in, and meeting in a slow, tender kiss, pulling each other close as they savoured the embrace.
Suddenly, Cinder felt the desire to catch Raven with her pants down more often.
It was amazing how such an incredibly awkward afternoon of being caught with her vibrator mid... business... could turn into such a pleasant evening of ordering takeout, cuddling, and laughing at shitty rom-coms. Unfortunately... it did not last nearly as long as Raven would have liked it to.
As she and Cinder both chucked upon hearing another terrible, groan-inducing joke from the cardboard cutouts that those writers called characters, the former's scroll rang from the coffee table in front of them. The younger woman reached forward from her position against Raven, picked up the device, and glanced at the screen.
"It's Vernal." Cinder informed, holding out the scroll, to which the other woman furrowed her brow before taking it. Of course it was not that late at night, but still... Why would she be calling so out of the blue?
Planting a kiss atop her friend's head, Raven tapped the accept button and held her scroll up to her ear. "Hey, what's up?"
There was a brief silence that followed, then a shaky breath. "Raven... I... I-I... tried to off myself..." Came Vernal's quiet voice, causing Raven's blood to immediately run cold. She sounded so... devoid of feeling... "Used some broken glass... didn't get far, but... it's bleeding."
Raven's eyes widened, and she quickly sat up straight and stood up, barely registering that her friend was still leaning against her, resulting in a slight yelp, and a thump. "Vernal, I'll be right there."
Picking herself up from couch, Cinder furrowed her brow. "Is everything alright?"
Raven merely rushed over to the front entrance of the apartment to begin putting on her shoes. "Vernal's hurt, I'm going over."
Cinder's own eye widened a bit at the answer. "Do you need any help?"
Raven shook her head, holding her scroll between her cheek and shoulder, allowing her to properly tie her shoes. "Not this time, I'll be back... when I can."
Quickly standing up and approaching her friend, who also just stood up, Cinder placed a hand on her shoulder. "Call me when you get a chance." She instructed, managing a smile, before leaning forward to peck the older woman on the lips.
"I will." Raven promised with a nod, repeating her friend's action to get herself another kiss. She then pulled open the front door and headed down the stairs, but soon remembered that she needed her keys, and doubled back up, where she found Cinder already holding them, along with her wallet, out for her. "You're the best." Raven smiled, taking the keys and resuming her trip down the stairs.
"I know." Cinder grinned, retreating into the apartment and closing the front door behind her.
Meanwhile, as Raven walked across the parking lot toward her car, there was only shaky breathing from Vernal on the other side of the call. "I-I was being stupid... I knew I was being stupid... Got halfway through and... realized it's down the street, not... across the road... Then it started hurting... I-I don't... I'm sorry..."
"Vernal, it's okay. You're going to be okay." Raven placated. "Have you bandaged yourself?"
There was a pause. "Uh... no... no..." Vernal barely admitted. "I'm not really thinkin' straight here..."
"Use your shirt, or a cloth, anything. Just put pressure on it, do you have any disinfectant?" Raven questioned, finally reaching her car.
"Yeah, I uh... I-I have a kit... W-Weiss... p-put it together..." Vernal's voice trailed into a whimper, her breath hitching audibly over the call as the older woman unlocked the door, in her haste to enter, her head clipped the edge of the roof, and she hissed. "Mh- Raven?"
Raven rubbed her head as she settled in her seat and closed the door. "I'm here, I'm fine, hit my head. Can you get to the kit?"
"I-I think so, just..." Vernal grunted, the sound of movement playing as Raven started the car, buckled her seat belt, set the scroll on speaker and sat it in the cup holder. "I'm sorry."
Raven merely shook her head, even though it went unseen. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Vernal." She promised, pulling the car out of the parking lot and onto the road. "I'm here for you, no matter what, 'kay?"
What followed was nothing but another shaky breath. "'Kay..."
"You got the kit?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, I... m-my hands are covered in blood, so I... I-I'm shaking too much, can't get a grip..." Vernal stammered. A metallic crash suddenly blew out the scroll speaker. "Fuck."
Raven's eyes widened, hoping to the Maidens that everything was okay. "Vernal, hon?"
Vernal was silent for several moments, before she let out a heavy sigh. "I... I-I can't do it."
"Vernal, I'm coming to help, you hear me? Just hang in there. Cover the wound, and put pressure on it." Raven stressed, trying her best not to speed too much. "I'm here for you all the way, okay?"
Vernal only sighed again. "I-I'm so fucking useless..."
Raven clenched the steering wheel. "You're not useless. You're... you're young, and hurting, and it fucking sucks... and it makes us do stupid shit, but we've got each other to help, you hear me? You have me, Vernal, 'cause I love you."
Another brief silence. "I love you, too, Rae..." Vernal croaked. "I'll... sit tight."
Raven could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. "That's all you need to do, hon, I'm coming."
Upon finally arriving at her employee's apartment, Raven barely even remembered to lock her car door before making her way up the metal stairs to the second floor, and making her way down the outdoor hallway to the door labelled 35. Then, she did not even bother to knock, instead immediately taking out the spare key and entering the apartment, as she knew that her help was needed.
Soon enough, Raven found Vernal sitting on the kitchen floor in only a T-shirt and underwear, her shaking, blood-covered arms clutching an towel against her forearm. She did not even give the younger woman time to notice her before she was grabbing the first-aid kit off of the counter and getting to work on her wound. Thankfully, it was not as bad as she thought, Vernal had just left it uncovered for long enough for things to get messy, and... the reason she did it certainly did not help.
While the process of actually cleaning and bandaging the wound went quite smoothly, it was only because Vernal was barely responsive, staring a hole into the wall ahead, barely wincing as the antiseptic burned. Once that was done, and Raven had washed their hands and arms, she moved her employee into the living area and onto the couch, not letting go. Surprisingly, after only a brief stretch of silence, Vernal spoke.
"I... tried to get her back yesterday..." She mumbled, voice barely above a whisper, while tears polled in her eyes. "Went to Yang's, told... told her that I loved her... b-but it wasn't enough... So... came home... got drunk and high as shit... Then angry... threw a bottle at the wall... and... t-tried to use one of the bigger shards to off myself..."
Raven opened her mouth to offer some comforting words, but she quickly realized that nothing she could say would do anything to help Vernal. So, she did the only thing that she could think of: wrapping her arms around the younger woman's shoulders and pulling her in to hold tight, doing her best to soothe her as she buried her face in her neck to muffle quiet sobs. It tore Raven's heart asunder to know it had gotten this bad, but... she was going to be there for her as long as she was needed... and be someone that Vernal could depend on... Someone that... she herself would have greatly benefited from having when she was her age. Unfortunately, Summer and Tai were the only ones she had, so after leaving them... she was alone, with nothing but alcohol to numb the pain of heartbreak.
"They're probably already together... W-Weiss and Yang... Maybe even fucking... knowing my luck..." Vernal murmured, partially muffled by the older woman's shirt. "She'll be better for her anyway... Can talk about her damn feelings... a-and... actually show people she loves 'em..." Then she let out a heavy, shaky sigh. "But that's okay... She'll try harder than I did, 'cause she had a good family to teach her better and shit... Hell, I didn't have any good influences in my life 'til I pointed a gun at one..."
Raven only hugged the younger woman tighter. "Y'know, I felt the same way about Summer when I was your age, and a lotta ways she was, but really, part of it was just 'cause I was, and still kinda am shit at life... But I'm learning to be better... just like you can." She assured, gently grasping Vernal's cheek to guide her to meet her gaze. "You're hurting 'cause you made mistakes, but you're learning from them. The fact that you recognized that and are trying to make things right is progress. It's something... I didn't have the courage to do back in the day..."
Vernal just scoffed, looking away. "Yeah... tried to slit my wrists 'cause I got rejected... Sounds like I'm really makin' progress..."
Raven's gaze fell at the mention of what happened earlier, as it began to sink in for her once more. Her employee had just tried to kill herself, and that... that was terrifying. She herself had gone quite low several times in her life, but... never that low... So, Raven pulled Vernal into a tight hug again. "Well... I know it's not the best solution, but... you could always find a fling. Course it's... only a temp fix, yeah, but it numbs things a little. Helped me when I was low, for a while..." She explained, unable to think of any other ideas. "Cin's actually got a friend who can uh... y'know, help you out with that, if you want..."
Unfortunately, the moment those words left her mouth, Raven realized that Nora was in the process of getting out of that line of work, thanks to Summer. "Ah shit, forget I said that. She's gettin' away from that stuff... Uh... Maybe you could try askin' her if she knows anyone else." Then she sighed. "I just... I love you, and... I'd rather you try anything else that isn't... tryin' to take your own life..."
Vernal took a shaky breath against the older woman's shirt. "But... nothin' feels right anymore with... W-Weiss gone... She did so much that I didn't even notice until now... She cleaned, did the laundry, fuckin' shopped properly for us both... I dunno how the fuck I functioned before... I don't... I don't remember... I'm just such a fuckin' mess without her..." She mumbled, fresh tears pooling in her already-red eyes.
"Oh come the fuck on, don't be like me." Raven shot. "You let one cute short chick under your skin and it'll be years before you get her out. Hell, it's been over twenty fuckin' years for me and she's still under there."
Surprisingly, Vernal let out a muffled, sad chuckle. "Like mother like daughter I guess."
Raven could not help but chuckle as well. "Oh fuck you, don't make me do the paperwork."
"You're willing to do paperwork for me?" Vernal wondered. "You're such a mom."
Raven went to respond with some witty comment, but stopped herself, as there was something much more important to mention instead. "Yeah... A mom that needs you to come back to work.' She added, causing the younger woman to flinch in her arms. "Look, I know you needed the time off, and that's fine, I completely get it, but... bein' alone with your thoughts for so long after a breakup isn't good for you. You'll just end up hurting yourself more and more until... it's too much to stop yourself..."
Vernal was silent for a time, not moving from the older woman's shoulder, until she sniffled. "I... dunno if I'm ready yet..."
Loosening her hug, Raven reached up again to gently grasp her employee's cheek, tilting her head up until their gazes met. "I know, hon, but you can't mope around here forever. I'm not gonna force you to return or anything, I just... want you to at least start thinkin' about it, okay?"
Another stretch of silence, with Vernal unable to make eye contact. "Okay..." She barely managed, before hesitantly looking up. "But... can you stay here... tonight? I don't... wanna be alone..." Vernal admitted, sounding almost ashamed that she even said it out loud. Raven merely nodded in response, pulling her into a tight hug once more.
"Of course, sweetheart. I'm not goin' anywhere."
For the second time in a single week, Yang was terrified.
The first came due to the unplanned visit to Doctor Glynda Goodwitch's office a few days ago, but this one... was because she was headed to Alcoholics Anonymous... It was safe to say that the latter scared her far more than the former.
When Yang first arrived at Glynda's office for what she thought was a regular therapy session, she found Coco there as well, who had apparently been told to also come at the same time. Thankfully, when the therapist came out to meet them, they were soon given an explanation. It turned out that because the two had both mentioned the other in their respective appointments, Glynda thought of another idea for the pair. Unfortunately... it was not one that either of them were hoping for... or even liked the sound of. She explained to them that for this session, she would like them both to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that would be happening soon. Of course, neither Yang nor Coco would be expected to go, since they were not actually alcoholics, but Glynda thought that it would be a good experience to see what could happen if they continued on their troubling paths.
So, off they went, with Yang giving Coco a ride on Bumblebee, and promising to Pyrrha that she would bring her home after they were done.
Upon arriving at the Vale Community Center and dismounting the blonde's motorcycle, the pair made their way across the parking lot toward the building, but before getting to the front door, they stopped, and Yang reached out to take her friend's uninjured hand.
Looking down, Coco quirked a brow at the unexpected action, then at the other woman. "Didn't we break up weeks ago?"
Yang nodded a bit, managing a nervous smile. "Yup, I just... need some reassurance."
Coco merely smiled back, stepping closer to properly intertwine their fingers. "Well you know I'm always here for you, girl. Take as much time as you need."
Gods, Yang was so happy that they were able to stay friends. "You're the best." She complimented, receiving an I know before looking forward to take a few deep breaths, attempting to calm her nerves. Glynda assured that neither of them were truly alcoholics, and this was just a warning for what might end up happening if they kept drinking as much as they did before their respective therapy sessions... So why was her heart beating so fast? Yang had only drank a single beer in the last three days since her own session, which... had to mean that she was not addicted to it... right? Though... Glynda did make it clear that the issue was not exactly the amount she consumed, rather... why she did...Maybe she was closer to alcoholism than she thought...
Eventually, with a final deep breath, Yang mustered the courage to enter the building, but still holding the brunette's hand, as... she did not want to let go just yet. They then located a scheduling board that pointed them toward the room where the AA meeting was currently taking place, but... once they knocked, were let in and sat down with the others... things only got worse. In fact, the mere sight of the person who was running the meeting made Yang's heart sink.
It was... Junior...
Oh gods... Him too...
It turned out that Junior was surprisingly a former boxing champion, who's alcoholism lost him his career, and his marriage... which... Yang had no idea about... even after years of going to his bar, hanging out, talking to him... and she never knew... Some friend I am...
Then... were the attendees... and they did not exactly instill much confidence.
First, a similarly-aged woman by the name of May, who used to be a model... which was certainly obvious, but her career was ruined after a near-fatal car accident, that resulted in the loss of her left eye, and severe damaging of her scalp... Which was all covered by a large beanie, and a mask that was similar to Cinder's. Next, a man seemingly in his thirties named Dudley, who went through the not only heartbreaking, but... traumatizing experience of seeing his best friend die while deployed in the military. After that, an admittedly extremely attractive woman, who was actually a former gang member from Mistral, which... Yeah, Yang could see that. Finally... sitting between Junior and May... was someone that unfortunately, she knew quite well.
Roman...
He... had a daughter... who noticed his worsening drinking habits after his divorce with her mother... None of which Yang even had a clue about... Just another friend that she did not really know...
All in all, the blonde was just... profoundly uncomfortable the entire time. So... after the meeting was finally over, and she and Coco left... she did not want to go back. In fact, Yang was terrified of going back... so much so that she was going to quit drinking, cold turkey. At least... she was going to try... because now that she saw what it did to the people of this AA group, who were... so nice, even after everything they had been through... Yang was scared of it happening to her as well. Coco on the other hand... thought that she herself should continue attending those meetings, which... as sad as it was to admit, made sense, given... the kinds of things that she talked about during the one they just left. The blonde never knew just how much pain she had experienced since Velvet died... They were going to need comfort food to get through this.
Burgers were on Yang tonight.
And she knew just where to take them. Though... neither of them really wanted to stay in a public place, so once they had their food, the pair chose to head to the nearby park, soon finding an empty bench, where they took their seats and unpacked their dinner. A brief, admittedly very silence followed as the two began to eat, but thankfully, it did not last long.
"Y'know, I think I liked therapy better." Yang commented, partially muffled by the mouthful of burger she had just taken.
"Speakin' of, how'd your first one go?" Coco wondered, munching on some of her fries.
Yang only shrugged. "Well, I wasn't super thrilled about all my issues and trauma and shit bein' brought up in one day, but honestly, I feel a little better 'cause of it... How 'bout you?"
Surprisingly, Coco just chuckled. "It uh, it went." She answered, much to the confusion of her friend. "But the Reds have been helpin' me deal with it." Then she took a bite of her own burger. "So, how're you and Weiss doin'?"
Now that... was a question. One that Yang was not sure how to answer. She had kissed her friend on the cheek a couple days ago, after being asked for it, which... she could not stop thinking about, and... the pair had continued to sleep in the blonde's bed together, partially because she did not think it would be fair to force Weiss to return to the couch after the first time... but aside from that, things had been rather... normal. Not as if nothing happened, rather... because it happened. "We uh... we're close."
What followed was another stretch of fairly awkward silence, with the two merely staring forward at the empty park, eating their respective burgers and fries, until Coco decided to speak up. "Hey... Yang?"
Turning to her friend, the blonde swallowed a bite of burger. "'Sup?"
Coco remained quiet for a moment, gaze wandering around, as if she was nervous. "How... How would you feel if... I changed? Like, if I was suddenly so different that I was like a different person... How... would you react?"
Yang could not help but furrow her brow at the admittedly odd question. "Well... I guess I'd be worried if it was a good change... or a bad change..." She hesitantly answered, putting her burger aside onto her open bag. "Weiss apparently changed a ton when she first met all of us, and ever since leaving Vernal... she's been a lot more... gentle... and open... Which were things she usually only became while drunk, or I guess more recently... alone with me." Then she paused. "Do you know... how you're changing?"
Coco shrugged. "Honestly, I dunno, Yang... I just know that... I am... and it's 'cause of the therapy..." She put her own burger aside, onto the bag next to her. "I've been... tryin' to feel it out, but... it's been like... this for so long, that I'm havin' trouble knowing what feels right. I'm... afraid of changing for the worse, and... losing what I've got with the people I care about 'cause suddenly I'm not the same person anymore..." Coco then reached over to gently grab her friend's hand, gripping it tight, but without looking. "I just... I love you, y'know? And Ruby, and Pyrrha... and I don't wanna lose our friendship..."
Yang turned her hand to properly take hold of the brunette's, smiling as she met her lilac gaze. "Coco, I promise you'll never lose me. Not in a million years." She assured, brightening smile to her friend, who, after a few moments of silence, actually teared up, her lip quivering as those tears began to stream down her cheeks. Yang did not even waste a single second before shifting closer to wrap her arms around Coco's shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug as she cried. Soon feeling the embrace be reciprocated, she soothingly rubbed the back of her head. "Shh... You're not gonna lose me... We're best buds, remember?"
Sniffling, Coco let out a chuckle against Yang's shirt, leaning back to look at her friend with a slight smile. "Yeah, I know. Wouldn't have it any other way, girl." Then her eyes wandered away for a moment. "And I uh..." She began, but trailing off, instead reaching up to grasp the blonde's face, and quickly leaning in to lightly peck her on the cheek. "I'm really glad I had you there with me tonight, and... I wanna hang out again soon, and not just 'cause we didn't get to finish our project in Dick Land yesterday... I need some more time with my best bud." To which Yang only pulled her into another hug, holding her close.
"I'd like that."
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!
Because as always, your feedback fuels us!