Big Issues
AN: Here we go with a celebration of Yang's birthday today! I can't believe I actually managed to get this done so fast but then again, I enlisted some help for a part near the end. Mature content warning ahead! It does have its own warning so if you want to skip until the ending bit, you are free to do so. Credit to DudeManAuthor for writing that section for this chapter.
While this is a longer chapter, I'm actually kind of surprised that it didn't break my record. Sure felt like it did when writing. Or maybe because I spent so much time getting this ready since I started writing after I posted the last chapter. ^_^! But for the next few, expect each chapter to be focused on one or two people rather than jumping from one to the other. Thus, why there will be a lot more time covered in each of them as needed.
Anyway, enough rambling from me. Enjoy the chapter.
Firestorm
The sky was clear and the air warm for the season, a soft breeze blowing a few leaves on the ground and rustling the branches above. In response to the weather, the ocean around Patch was calm.
Taiyang took all of this in as he stood near the edge of the cliff where an old gravestone sat. Slightly worn from the dozen years that it has been at this picturesque location, the granite was simple yet it was what was carved on it that was important to him.
Summer Rose
Thus kindly I scatter
Those words written underneath the rose flower symbol that his wife had used since she had become a Huntress. The same symbol that their daughter used in her memory along with carrying her name. Sometimes it was hard on him to see that she had inherited more than her name, but her looks and her will. The lessons that Summer had taught their daughter had stuck with the young girl and pushed her to become a young Huntress of exceptional skill for her age. But he also took pride in that fact.
And he found some amusement thinking about what his wife would have been saying about The Issue and how big their girls had become.
His gaze turned to the left slightly to see the new addition to the scene; another block of granite. This one was so clean that it shone from the polishing from being made only a few days prior, the symbol and words carved on it unblemished by dust.
The burning heart that was so familiar to him.
Yang Xiao Long
The passionate heart
Burns to love and protect
It hurt him to see this stone added so soon. In all honesty, he wished that he never had to see the gravestones of either of his children, preferring that his would join his wifes long before his children would join them. Maybe long enough for him to have plenty of time with any grandchildren they may give him.
The freshly turned dirt was another indication of how fresh the grave is, the hole still not filled yet and waiting for the coffin.
Denko walked up next to him and stopped nearby to look at everything. "Hard to believe this happened, isn't it?"
"Yeah… makes me want to have traded places with her."
"You know Ruby still needs you."
"Not as much anymore. She's been raised well and she's going on missions at sixteen that most don't even attempt until twenty one after graduation."
"Maybe, but you know how much family means to her. She doesn't want any of you to go."
"I-I know."
"It's going to be hard to break the news to her when she gets back."
"I know, I hope she'll be able to take the news well."
"Me too." Both men stood by the graves and hung their heads in thought and reverence.
Footsteps from behind them a few minutes later indicated that the coffin had arrived and both of them felt their stomachs drop and blood run cold at the sight. The gleaming black box with the same burning heart symbol as the gravestone in yellow on it, that was sealed to keep decomposition to an absolute minimum before burial.
"Are you ready for this?" Denko asks Tai.
The father visibly and audibly gulped, only able to nod his consent at the moment.
"Are you ready?" Denko asks the one who carried the coffin.
Dressed in black as the two men are as a sign of mourning the young woman wasn't much better than Taiyang as the coffin was set next to the open grave.
"Should… should we take one last look?" Denko was the only one there to remain emotionally detached enough to speak clearly now, if barely.
There were no words spoken at the suggestion, only a few seconds of silence from the three. Then the woman bent down and unlatched the coffin, pausing before steeling her nerves to open the ornate box.
Inside among the cushioning to keep it from moving, a single arm rested inside. Skin pale aside from darker spots from bruising that were already going into early stages of decomposition.
Yang looked upon the flesh that was hers for one last time, tears running down her soft cheeks now that she had finished what her attacker had begun with the limb. It was only for less than a minute that the three blondes could see the dead appendage, glad that the doctors had pulled the skin to cover the end that once was attached to the rest of her body, before it was closed and clasped for the final time.
"Let's… do this." She finally spoke, her voice low and raspy from dryness; too many tears had been shed already.
Together, Taiyang and Denko used a pair of straps to lift the coffin into the hole and lower it down. It was Yang who put the first shovel of soil over it before passing it off to Denko to finish.
"No matter what happens, you're always my daughter and I'm proud of you." Tai gave his daughter a hug and kiss on her forehead once he finished filling the grave. Yang could only nod into his shoulder.
After the embrace ended, Tai moved to the headstone of his wife to pull out a small bottle. "I probably should have done this sooner but now is a better time than any." He says loud enough for the youths to hear. Opening the bottle, he carefully poured the contents on the stone, keeping the thick liquid within the carvings.
When he stood up and stepped back, they could now see that the etchings were now filled with white, making everything stand out brightly from the contrast.
"I'll come back and clean her stone properly soon. Gotta let that dry." He told them as he took a few steps away to give them some space for themselves.
Denko stepped up to Yang's stone and withdrew a similar bottle and used its contents to fill in the words and a single flicker of the flame on the side, the gold shining bright against the grey granite.
He stepped back to Yang's side to look at the graves, seeing how much better they looked and knowing that this was only the first step for the family. And he took a deep breath to steady his own nerves.
"Summer Rose, I doubt that you'd be able to hear me in any way but I feel that it should be said. I hope you can look after this part of your daughter until the rest of her joins her arm by your side. I-I'll do my best to make sure that it won't be for a long time." He paused for another breath, caught up in expressing his own thoughts and missing the wide eyes of the others staring at him in surprise.
"Not to sound greedy, but I'll aim for sixty years. By then, I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to be shared once you're together again."
Not a word was spoken at the graves after that, instead they all returned home. But it was there that they finally began speaking.
"I'll… make us some lunch." Taiyang offered as he walked into the kitchen, the others going upstairs to change their clothes for something more comfortable.
"Denko?" Yang stopped at her door, the word making him pause at his to look at her.
"Yeah?"
"Did… did you really mean that? Back there, I mean."
"Yeah, I did." He admits without hesitation.
It was almost surprising how fast and quiet Yang moved to slam him against the wall with her body, her left arm wrapped around him as her head rested on his shoulder. In response- after he got over the shock- his arms wrapped around her back to pat her once he noticed that she was crying again.
"Thank you." Was all she could mutter out for some time before separating to their rooms.
—-
Life in the Xiao Long- Rose home settled into a steady pattern over the coming weeks. Taiyang would continue to go to Signal and teach his students and occasionally take a class into Vale or up to Beacon to assist with further cleanup efforts. Denko would spend most days going on patrols for Grimm and the rare troublemakers on the island.
For Yang, many of the days simply blurred together, much like how they did before the surgical amputation of her arm. She simply had a marker for before and after that life changing day.
Weeks since her dying arm had been removed, the remaining bone given extra support in the way of titanium lattice and a few bars and pins. That support also served as an attachment point for the real marvel of technology, the socket for whatever new arm that she'd get.
The plate was directly locked onto the bone and titanium and held its own lock for the new arm. That lock also houses all of the nerve connections between her flesh and artificial parts. Around that lock plate sat a ring with support struts that protected the rest of her stump from direct hits as well as served as the outer lock for the new limb.
The doctors had provided Yang with a cap to protect the inner workings of the lock, a simple brass piece with some decorative studs around it. She had been instructed on how to keep everything cleaned, including her arm within the socket and she kept to the schedule.
But there were the phantom pains. At time s she felt her nerves light up as if something was hurting her arm, touch, heat, cold… much like when her arm was still attached.
The squeezing of her fist, a feeling that she had long gotten used to during her training, the way her knuckles had crushed Grimm, wood, and stone, her hand consoling her sister and friends when needed. She wished that those weren't mere memories of days gone by.
At least Denko would be taking her to Hestia's later today.
—-
Once the weather warmed up and the snow melted, that allowed Yang to wear less restrictive clothes. To be more accurate, it allowed her to have a better reason to expose more skin. And she has plenty to show.
Often opting to wear an orange tank top, her shoulders, and cleavage were open to the air. Broad shoulders that sloped up to a thick neck over massive melons with a small canyon separating them, her fair skin was able to get some sun when she didn't wear a brown jacket with her fathers symbol on the shoulder and the right arm tied up.
But the shirt revealed her more than generous belly., often riding up and over the soft mound. At least the belt holding up her pants offered that load some support. Not having much behind her, compared to her front, allowed for the jiggling mass to sit in its own carrier of sorts. Her brown pants having her own symbol on the left leg and three Ursa heads on a red patch on the right, both knees having been made with pleating to grant freedom of movement. Finishing off her usual outfit are a pair of white sneakers that she kept tied whenever possible, simply slipping her sheet in and out rather than trying to reach over her belly and tie the laces with one hand.
Denko wasn't around to help with that part often but had already put his foot down on tying her shoes for her. And warned her that he'd get a pair with velcro if she asked again without good reason.
The only real upside to losing her arm was that it was no longer a dead weight hanging in a sling. She certainly didn't miss the strap going over her shoulders and her neck getting rubbed raw on the occasions she did a lot of activity.
At the same time, as the weather warmed so too did Denko feel like pushing Yang a bit to get more active. It wasn't much at a time but it was certainly a lot more than she had done all winter.
And she did enjoy having him help her shower after working up a sweat. He still would give her the privacy that the curtain provided but he wasn't nervous anymore about scrubbing her body… and she wasn't above letting him clean more than just her right side.
Yet as the weeks went on, there was no sign of a new arm coming in for her. She had done some research and looked at the options available but so many of them were just… off putting to her for one reason or another. Then again, there weren't all of that many options to begin with. The customizable prosthetic manufacturing market was certainly better for her tastes but the wait time was months due to how much they were assisting with those injured in the attacks on the Kingdoms when Beacon fell.
Understandable but frustrating to be near the end of a list that would likely take until September for her time.
And more time passed…
—-
Yang lay in her bed hating herself, seemingly cursing at nothing as she cried and pounded her fist into her mattress.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid. What were you thinking?"
If there was one thing that should be noted about being a teenager, it was that they are hormonal. Those hormones combined with the stresses and expanding freedoms that the age grants to them can make things very emotional. Add in a bit of tragedy and that can lead one down a turbulent path.
And Yang was upset about having done just that. She flopped over onto her back, her chest and belly jiggling like gelatin from doing so as she thought back to what happened.
It was after a long day of going back and forth to town twice today and things were a bit warmer than normal for the late spring day. Making dinner would have gone much more smoothly if she hadn't forgotten a key ingredient because she had been distracted by eating some ice cream to beat the heat.
Then there were the trip and falls that she would have caught herself if she had her right arm intact. In town, she didn't mind the attention that she was getting from a few young men. But when she turned and they saw her stump of an arm, they immediately recoiled and left. That reaction obviously left her in a sour mood.
And the looks of pity from people she recognized and from strangers made her mood worsen. She was used to attention, usually positive for her looks and bright attitude, the awe that she was usually the strongest physical force in a given location. Her grades were good and the fights fun. When she still had her arm in a sling, there was pity but hope that she'd recover. Now, there was nothing but pity. Pity that she didn't want.
She rushed home as fast as she could walk to escape those judging eyes and to the safety of her home where she knew they didn't look at her like that.
Then being hot and sweaty, parts of her rubbing together and occasional random thoughts of going on dates or a club to blow off steam and frustrations, she really wished that she had a good way to deal with her feelings besides eating.
Then she ran into Denko right after he came out of the bathroom, towel over his face as he dried his hair after a shower. The sight of him in nothing but his shorts and a bit damp yet set something primal within her off.
She had practically jumped him in his room, wrapping her arm over his shoulder and began kissing him. Besides the initial surprise, he responded favorably and returned the affection. Then Yang tried to up the stakes and really rubbed against him to get him excited… then reaching down to his waistband.
That was where he stopped everything and grabbed her hand. "What's wrong?" He had asked after a few seconds. The pause was enough time for her mind to start catching up and tears streamed from her eyes.
"Please. Just help me take the pain away for a short time." Her hand twitched but so did his to keep it from moving anywhere. But she could feel his whole body tense up from her suggestions.
"Yang… not like this." He pulled her hand away from his pants and pulled it up to his shoulder.
"What do you mean?" She asks, already starting to guess at what he was going to say.
"I-I don't want to be used as a crutch."
"You don't want me?"
His hold on her body tightened. "I do want you. But… I'd like if we're ever going to go tht far, it would be for good reasons, not because you're hurt."
The tears ran as she wept silently on his chest while they lay across his bed. "Please. Please don't leave me." She nearly begged him.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you. Let's… let's just take our time with that stuff."
"Oh… okay." His words were a small comfort as a new emotion rose up within her.
"Can I at least finish getting dressed?" Yang was reluctant to get off of him, the slight joy of feeling dominant over him for those few minutes as she kept him from fleeing with her bulk. Yet at the same time, shame filled her and the moment that he walked over to his drawers to find a shirt, she ran from the room. Thus leading to her current predicament of crying on her bed.
She lay there for a couple of minutes… maybe. It was hard to tell the time that passed when she wasn't sure of what time it was to begin with. But the knock on the door was a distraction from her misery that she needed.
"What?"
"Are you okay? Can I come in?"
"..."
"Yang?"
"Come in."
Denko was hesitant as he entered but seeing her laying there looking so defeated and ashamed, his heart sank. It did surprise her that he lay next to her though.
"Yang, I don't think either of us are really ready to go that far. And I'd much rather be it for better reasons. It should be for when we're happy." He told her quietly, having used the time alone to compose his thoughts.
"You really want a fat cripple like me?"
"You're not a cripple. You're taking life on a higher difficulty level than most." He laughed, prompting her to do the same at the joke. "But it is hard not to say that you're fat. But I've noticed how good that feels when we're close." His arms wrapped around what they could and pulled her closer… or at least part way as he slid over the bed himself.
"But you're fine with snuggles?"
"You're like a giant plushy. Why not?" She could almost see the wide grin he had at the joke about her size.
And that became the start of them sharing a bed regularly so it wasn't all bad.
—-
When Yang woke up, she wasn't expecting anything special. It may have been her birthday today, if the calendar and her scroll notifications were to be believed, but she only had a small amount of excitement well up about that.
After all, it was shortly after her last birthday that she had been hit hard by The Issue and blew up like a balloon.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up to stretch her back and arms, not really feeling like getting out of bed on her day. But a deep breath of the morning air made her nose latch onto something that really got her moving. And not just because the scent made her stomach roar to be filled by the source.
With her stomach leading the way, more than usual, she rolled out of bed and walked downstairs, ignoring the creaking of the steps under her. Her nose led her to the kitchen where she found her father and Denko cooking breakfast, though it was the latter who noticed her walk in.
"Knew we should have covered the food." He joked as he scrambled some eggs with pieces of ham and bacon mixed in.
"Hoping to bring me breakfast in bed?" Yang smiled as she sat in her usual chair.
"Maybe." He smirked back at her, adding some mixed shredded cheese to the eggs to finish the meal.
"Don't mind me. I'm just slaving over a hot stove for my daughter." Taiyang adds to the conversation as he moved some sliced potatoes in a pan as they fried.
"Good morning to you Dad!" Her grin was infectious.
The meal was finished and served in a few minutes and it didn't take long for the dozen eggs used to vanish or the pan of potatoes.
"Got any plans for today?" Tai asks as he takes care of the dishes.
"I dunno. What am I gonna do since I've practically been on forced vacation for most of the year." The birthday girl shrugs.
"How about going for a swim?"
"Yeah, and how am I going to find something in my size today?" Yang grumbles in response.
"How about from a friend who knows your size and style?"
"Really?"
Two blondes looked at each other at the exchange, the men smiling as they waited for the shoe to drop.
"Wait? Iris?" Yang whipped her head around to see her friend standing by the door with a smile.
"Yep! Happy birthday!"
"I thought you had to work today?" Yang asks her friend after they hugged.
"Ugh, I do. I just managed to push my shift back so I can bring you your present." The purple haired girl held out a pair of boxes. Both were wrapped in orange paper with Yang written on them. "C'mon! Go ahead and open them!"
"Fine! Fine!" Yang laughed as she dropped back into her seat and tore off the paper. The first contained a weapons maintenance kit meant for the field, the sight making Yang pause for a moment before moving on. The other box contained a swimsuit just as Iris had joked about when she arrived, Yang being rather quick to close it before the men could see it.
"Thanks Iris." The blonde stacks the gifts on the table and gives her friend another hug.
"No problem! And I still have a few minutes before I gotta go to Hestia's."
"Now that you mention it, maybe we should stop there for lunch."
"Hey, just because anyone can eat free on their birthday, that doesn't mean that you get a pass at cleaning out the kitchen."
"Hey! I don't eat that much!" The girls laughed at that, Denko shaking his head at their banter while Tai kept himself busy with the dishes to hide his smile.
"What about you Denko? Where's your present?" Iris asks.
"I'll get it out for her later. It's a big surprise." He teased as he leaned against the counter.
"Oh? A big surprise for your big girl?" Iris was grinning cheekily and getting exactly what she wanted; the pair's faces flushing bright red.
"I guess I'll get mine then." Tai was already finished and drying his hands as he left the kitchen, only to return quickly with a box of his own. He sat it on the table with a small thud in front of his daughter and stood back with a smile. "Go ahead, open it."
With the paper removed, it was revealed to be a few parts and tools for Bumblebee that she'd been trying to get to tune it up right. One of the parts was a new Dust injection component for a burst of speed if she needed/wanted it. She was already imagining spending the weekend with Denko to do a full and thorough cleaning and upgrade.
"Is there anything else?" Yang asks as she looks around. The only response she received was Denko covering her eyes with his hands, Iris could be heard moving around for something and sliding it across the table.
"Oh come on! Really?" Yang laughed as she wriggled to try to see what was happening around her, enough that her belly wound up resting on the edge of the table before Denko let her free. Instead, he moved his right hand under her hair to rest on her right shoulder as his left hand was raised with his fingers in a V.
And she found her dad on the other side of the table with his scroll up and ready to take a picture. Yet between them on the table, a chocolate cake with icing and a ring of chocolate whipped cream along the upper edge and a single candle lit in the middle. Her hand lifted to grab onto Denko's arm, just in time for Taiyang to take a picture of them and the cake.
"Happy birthday!" The three shout to her as Iris gets out a knife and plates, expertly cutting out four slices. The largest went to the birthday girl.
"How does it feel to be nineteen now?" Iris asks her friend as they ate the moist cake.
"Hm… not really different than eighteen." Yang shrugs as she scoops another forkful into her mouth.
"That's good cake. Save me a slice for later? We can hang out tomorrow." Iris says as she had to go to make it in time for her shift at the restaurant.
"Sounds good! See you then!" Yang waved goodbye before her friend disappeared out the door.
Then Tai's scroll rang, the man walking to the next room to answer it.
"What do you want to do now?" Denko asks.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Tai could be heard yelling from the living room, making the younger blondes jump and look to the door. They got their answer when the man walked back in. "Sorry sweetie, I gotta go to Signal. They was a big accident there and I've been called in to help clean up. A few kids from my classes got hurt too so I'll probably be back late."
"Damn. Are things that bad? Need more help?" Denko offers.
"Nah, you two have your day to have fun and do whatever. I'll get this mess wrapped up as best I can." The father promised before running up to his room to get properly dressed in his Huntsman gear and he was out the door with a large emergency bag a few minutes later.
It turned out that Yang wanted to go out to the shed and spend some time organizing her tools and equipment for Bumblebee so they would be ready for use when they upgraded the bike. Between Yang's insistence on getting everything just right and planning things out, they had lost track of time. At least until their stomachs told them it was time for lunch, though they had only had breakfast around nine.
"Grab your trunks, we're hitting the beach after we eat." Yang rushed into the house as fast as her chubby legs would carry her and up the stairs. While Denko heard her panting from the exertion while he was in his room to grab his supplies, he noticed that she recovered quickly enough to beat him downstairs.
The walk to town was peaceful and uneventful, Denko carrying the backpack filled with their stuff for the beach alongside Raijin. The exercise did ensure that they were both extra hungry by the time the made it to Hestia's, not that they needed help with that.
"Almost expected you to be here earlier." Iris told them as she escorted the pair to their table where Denko was able set down the bag and his weapon.
"We were getting ready to upgrade Bumblebee and lost track of time." Yang shrugged as she began to walk towards the food.
"What happened to your dad? Shouldn't he be here with you?"
"Accident at Signal and he got called in to help." Denko explained.
"Ah, I heard something about that but they never called me to help with it." Iris comments before moving on with her job.
For Yang and Denko, there wasn't too much to be said between them, having already told each other pretty much everything. They had good food and good company, and that was enough for them.
Salads, meats, pasta, veggies, and fruits filled their bellies to the brim by the time they left. While the amount they ate actually wasn't all that different, Yang was looking rounder than she came in- which was saying something.
"Don't forget your cake!" Iris chirped from behind when they got to the door.
"Wha-? Oh." Yang's eyes went wide.
"You're kidding." Denko couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Just a little appreciation for our biggest customers." Iris grinned as she gestured to the cake on a cart. Two thick layers covered in white frosting decorated with some squiggles down the sides in pink with 19 on the top sat a cake. And it was large enough that it would normally be used for a dozen people, at least.
"Umm… why don't you take to the house for us when you're done here. We're going to the beach now." Denko suggests.
"Good point. I'll make sure it's where you can find it." Iris takes the cake back into the kitchen for storage.
—-
They took their time to get to the beach on the southern side of the island. Aside from the port, this small section was the only part of Patch that didn't end with a cliff over the sea. Add in that it was still fairly shallow water but lacking the deeper channels for large boats, the area rarely had more traffic than fishermen and those on the water for fun.
The location was almost made to be a vacation destination with the white sand, clear water, and the few bits of semi-tropical flora that could withstand the winters and grew nowhere else on the island. The cliffs nearby added extra protection to the plants as well as gave a sense of privacy to the beach goers.
It wasn't very busy on the sands of Patch, mostly due to the low population of the island and the number of people who were devoting their time and efforts to rebuilding Vale. Most of those here were those taking a break from life, just letting the atmosphere wash away their worries for a few hours.
There were obviously a few families having a good time in the surf, others were the workers who kept the beach clean. And nobody had to fight for a good spot to rest from the water and there was space to run if needed.
"Ahhh! This feels good!" Yang moaned as she stretched out on the beach chair. They had stopped at the restrooms that included changing and shower areas to switch from casual to beachwear.
For Denko, that consisted of a pair of green trunks and sandals. To make things more surprising, he even left the scars on his wrists and ankles exposed.
For Yang, she was now in a burnt orange bikini with her symbol in black on her left breast, the strings tied tight around her waist and back, a pair of matching sandals on her feet. Her metal cap on her stump was covered by some white bandages wrapped around it with a swim cap to hold everything together. She even left her hair up in its ponytail.
"Yeah, it does." Denko agrees from his own chair, enjoying the breeze from the ocean and the shade from the trees over them. Then he began to notice another big reason why he kept his scars covered.
"What's up?" Yang asks when she saw him digging into the bag. He simply responded by raising a fist, the marks on his wrist already looking red. "Okay, you do me and I'll do you."
Whether it was the heat, sun, or hormones making their faces burn red from that comment, or any combination of them, the pair still followed through with it. Now they may have taken longer to finish than one would have expected, either due to Yang's size and Denko taking the opportunity to give her a belly rub or Yang only having one hand to work with and making sure that she got everywhere, especially on his scars, but they enjoyed their time.
An hour of splashing around in the water, followed by building a sandcastle, more time in the ocean, led to them dropping back in their chairs with a big bowl of ice cream for them to share.
"I really could get used to this." Yang says as she looks to Denko.
"Maybe for a little bit but I need to move." Denko responds with his hands behind his head.
"You know what I mean!" She laughs, prompting him to do so too.
"Yeah. You know, I think I see why your family settled down here."
"C'mon, you don't need to talk about work or go all philosophical on me now."
"Hehe, all right birthday girl."
"Yep! I'm the birthday girl and it's my day! Now help me finish this ice cream before it melts."
—-
The sun was nearing the horizon by the time they called it quits at the beach. A quick rinse at the showers to get the worst of the sand and salt off and they began the walk back home in their normal clothes. It may be getting dark but they knew the roads well enough they didn't need much light to travel, even if the full moon lit the ground well enough through the trees.
An hour later they arrived at home and walked in, hearing the howl of a Beowolf in the distance. "I'm sure someone on the Watch will get that one eventually." Denko shrugs off the responsibility because it wasn't anywhere close to them. If he'd try hunting it now, it would have plenty of time to wander off.
"Think Iris might be on duty?"
"I don't think so. But that does remind me that I have a present to get you." Denko runs up the stairs, leaving Yang to plop down on the couch to wait for him. She didn't have to wait long for him to return with a box in his hands that he sat on her lap.
"This thing has some weight to it."
That only made him smile. "What are you waiting for? A written invitation?"
"Smartass." She scoffs as she unwraps and opens the box. In the light of the living room, metal painted yellow and polished clean and bright, she almost mistook the contents for Ember Celica. "What are they?"
Denko sat down next to her. "I call them Hiryu Shoten, or Dragon's Ascension. I made them for you based on your gauntlets but these would be on your arms instead." He explains.
Yang lifted one out of the box to examine the weapon. The gleaming metal, the inner lining for along the skin, the short barrel and the ring to hold the belt of shells, the plates that extended for protection…
"How?"
"You're dad got me the plans you made for Ember Celica in Signal and I tweaked them a bit for the change of location on you." Denko admits.
Yang looked back at the new weapons that were made just for her. Something inside her stirred and it wasn't her stomach demanding food. It was the longing to fight, to destroy Grimm, to protect others… and Denko had constructed these in a way to allow her to fight like she used to, even without a new arm. She was being tempted to try them out and her resolve not to was failing fast.
AAARRRROOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWOOOOOO!
"Shit!" Denko jumped to his feet and ran to the front door, grabbling Raijin on the way. Outside, he could see a full pack of Beowolves, several Ursai, and what really caught his attention, a Silverback Beringal. "This ain't good."
Yang saw through the window the number of Grimm and how they were waiting to attack. "Get somewhere to call your dad, he better be on his way back." Denko ordered as he readied himself to fight. There was some hesitation but Yang left for her room, taking her gift with her.
"Here we go." Denko mutters to himself as he opens the door and steps outside to face the fight head on. For a minute, both sides stared the other down before the first Beowolf moved to attack. A flash of steel and it was starting to dissolve into black mist starting from the stump of its neck. Then more came at him.
Two dozen Beowolves died in three minutes after the first. But there were nearly double that left, not including the other Grimm. A murder of small Nevermore had perched themselves in the trees to watch the fight and take any advantage they could.
Denko kept his calm as he let the Grimm come to him a short distance from the house. "Come on Tai. Where are you?" He mutters, the next couple of Grimm taking that as their signal to attack.
Denko had just beheaded a Beowolf when he heard a gunshot, followed by an explosion that sent a trio tumbling past him. His eyes darted around, looking for the elder Huntsman but found nothing, though he did notice that some of the Grimm were now focusing on the house. He followed their gazes…
Yang stood in front of the house, the left half of Ember Celica with its barrel still trailing a bit of smoke on her wrist and Hiryu Shoten on her upper arms over her jacket. She took one step towards the Grimm and the battle renewed.
The blondes fought their way to each other, though it was Denko who covered the most ground as Yang punched a Beowolf in the face with Fire Dust laced buckshot. It was finished off when she stomped on it's chest.
"What are you doing out here?" Denko yells as he gets close and spun around to slash the Grimm following him.
Yang grit her teeth as she readied herself for the next to come near. "I couldn't just sit back and watch! You made these to help me get back into the fight!"
Despite himself, Denko couldn't help but laugh at that. "You really love jumping into things feet first, don't ya?" He cut down an Ursa.
"Right now- UGH! I'd say I'm getting a-" she paused to ram her now armored shoulder into a Beowolf. "Crash course!" With the Grimm on its back, she took the opportunity to give it an elbow drop to the chest, complete with a shot from the left Hiryu Shoten. Between her weight and the point blank shotgun blast, it was dead and gone by the time she rolled to her feet.
Between the two of them, they whittled the Grimm down until there was only the Beringal left. And it was fuming.
Denko had to take a few deep breaths to center himself again, having to watch Yang's back and either killing the Grimm that tried to go after her or softening them up for her to finish.
Yang panted as she wiped the sweat from her face. She had nearly forgotten the thrill of the fight, the love of the challenge, and her muscles were nearly screaming at her for diving in after so many months of not keeping up with her training.
Honestly, she felt like she may have lost a few pounds from the action and sweat during this fight alone but she was proud of her last combo: three last Beowolves charged at her from different directions and she had met them with a shell to the face from each gun… at the same time.
"Friend of yours?" She huffed as she watched the gorilla-like Grimm pace irritably along the edge of the battlefield made in the front yard. She had caught it watching them from the back during the fight but had the ones actually attacking her to worry about.
"I think that may be the one that was leading the Grimm attacking the watchtowers around Vale last year."
"Wait, that thing has a grudge against you?"
"It does seem pretty focused on me. So… probably. It may be the reason I felt like I was being watched as I did patrols around the island."
"Damn… talk about creepy, murderous stalker shit." Yang sighs, keeping an eye on the lone Grimm while watching for more. "Must be pretty close to being like Blake and Adam."
Denko quirked an eyebrow at the comparison but with how she spat out the last word, he expected that with that particular name. "Yeah. How about we get rid of that problem?"
"Works for me. I could use a shower after this." The smirk on her face clued him in that she wasn't just asking for help again, especially with the way her eyes were bright from the excitement rather than being dulled since coming home from Beacon.
"Y-yeah. We will need one."
Hearing him get all nervous at being that close, despite sharing a bed for weeks, riled Yang up even more and wanted to get this Grimm destroyed faster.
"Let's do this!" The blondes yelled together as they charged the Beringal. The Grimm roared as it beat its chest before running at them.
Denko reached the Grimm first and dropped to his knees to slide on the grass under its massive fist, Raijin slicing into its hide along its ribs in the process. It turned to look at the one who had cut it, it's frustration blinding it to the pounding footsteps behind it until Yang let out a battle cry as she punched its spine just above the hip and discharged a shell for good measure.
It swung its right arm behind it, catching Hiryu Shoten on her right arm, and sent the rotund girl rolling on the grass from the force.
However, that also left it wide open for Denko to slice across its stomach and chest, causing deep furrows that leaked black mist. When Denko swung for a third cut, the Beringal caught the shaft of Raijin with one hand and punched him in the gut with the other.
"Denko!" Yang shouts as she watched him get flung into a the nearest tree trunk… thirty feet away.
The Grimm gave a victory roar and looked at the weapon in its hand, a plan coming together in its head. Then it started walking towards the stunned Huntsman.
"No! Argh!" Yang yells as she fires shells into its broad back from all three barrels. That garnered the beast's attention long enough for it to start running at the boy, with Yang giving chase.
The Beringal made it to Denko and lifted the blade high, ready to stab him with it and Yang was too far away to stop it yet.
In a flash, Raijin erupted into a shower of electrical sparks and shocking the Grimm. It was forced to drop the weapon as it reeled back its smoking hand and twitching arm, only for Denko to catch it before it hit the ground.
"Thanks for bringing Raijin back to me big guy but it's time to put you down!" Denko warns as he draws Sprite from within Raijin and the smaller blade created a gash just above the Grimm's knee.
The Beringal roared in pain and slammed its fists down in response to the attack but Denko had already rolled out of the way and back onto his feet. It lurched to go after him but nearly fell to the ground when Yang jumped on its back and wrapped her arm around its neck.
"Get it now!" She yells as she pulls back with everything she had. The Grimm rose onto its feet, which proved to be a mistake as the blondes weight choked it even more. It tried reaching back for her to pluck the girl off but she aimed her stump and fired at its right hand, reducing it to a smokey mess. The other arm didn't fare much better, another shell taking a chunk of its bicep.
It's growls weakened from her grip on its neck like a nuise and the injuries and Denko took that as his moment to use both blades to cut into its limbs and torso until it collapsed onto its face.
"Oof!" Yang grunted from the impact but sat up as the beast began struggling more, if weakly. "Ah, shut up already." She groused as she aimed her stump once more and fired into the back of its skull, finally killing it.
Yang dropped to the ground once the body dissipated into mist and rolled onto her back to look up at Denko sheathing the short sword within the guandao. "Woohoo! That was a blast!" She cheered and waved her arms.
"And it looks like you got your spark back." He pulled her to her feet with some effort. "I was really missing that part of you." He adds with an arm around her back.
"Sorry it took so long but…" she lifted her stump to look at the brand new weapon and saw the grass stains on it. "Looks like I'll be getting used to these, kinda getting attached to them."
Denko didn't comment as he looked at her arm and how the pillowy flesh molded around the ring holding it onto her. He simply began leading her back inside and they could take care of the mess in the yard in the morning.
—-
The return to the house got a little harder when Yang's legs began to give out on her; walking to town and back at her weight only strengthened them so much compared to the training she used to do. The stairs even harder despite the adrenaline in their systems.
Once in her room, that she technically still shared with Ruby, they found that the cake had been set on the desk, prompting them to wonder what Iris was thinking when she put it there and ideas floated through their minds.
"Birthday girl has a big surprise for you too." Yang chirped as she pushed Denko against the door and closing it fully.
He didn't get any further than "Wha" before she claimed his lips in a kiss that took their breath's away. Then instinct and hormones began to take control as hands roamed over bodies, eventually leading to clothes being removed for closer contact and the idea of a shower being pushed to the back of their minds.
—-SPICEY!-SPICEY!-SPICEY!-
"Well, you've got the birthday girl in her birthday suit. What now?" Yang teased, pressing up against Denko's toned body and feeling his hot, hard member and his chiseled abs sink into her blubbery body.
"I've got some ideas," Denko said with a cool, confident smirk as he took her by her broad, padded shoulders and gently guided her back down onto the bed. Yang went along with it, making it much easier for the two of them to move the quarter-ton girl to the head of the bed. Yang lay on her back, with all of her immense body on full display. Her long, bright blonde hair splayed out beside and beneath her while her belly spilled across the bed. Her bountiful bosom rose and fell quickly as her heart raced, excited to finally be doing this. "You ready?" he asked as he slowly spread Yang's legs.
"I've wanted this for weeks, I'm more than ready," Yang said excitedly.
"Okay, here we go," Denko confirmed as he pushed Yang's legs back. Yang wrapped her pillowy legs around his chiseled torso as he moved in, slowly slipping his cock into her eager core, which adjusted to him with ease.
As Denko began thrusting into her, Yang began moaning away without restraint. Tempted as Denko was to fill Yang's moaning mouth with cake, he decided against it, wanting to hear Yang enjoy the sex for just a bit longer. However, that lasted longer than he realized as the couple kept rolling their hips into each other. He was just too engrossed with the big beauty he was sleeping with. There was the look on her face as she let her pleasure be heard loud and clear, there was the occasional grazing of blubber against abs when the gap between him on his hands and knees and her on her back got too small, and there was the sight of Yang's bountiful bouncing bosom and belly folds. He could probably look away if he really tried to, but he didn't really want to, not even for the brief moment it would take to get some cake to stuff Yang with.
Before Denko knew it, he could feel his orgasm fast approaching. It only felt like a minute at most, but with the way that Yang was huffing and puffing it must have been longer, as even at Yang's size she was fit enough to go longer than a minute exercising normally without ending up out of breath. Yang threw her arm up around Denko pulling her pillowy body up against his as her moans grew louder and louder.
"Yes, Denko! I'm so close! Don't stop!" Yang cried out, sounding clearly as close to her orgasm as she said she was. Compared to Yang, Denko was coming much more quietly, merely huffing and puffing and grunting as he came closer and closer to his orgasm. They kept going for a little bit longer, Yang's blubbery belly jiggling and slapping and rubbing against Denko's abs and her breasts bouncing hypnotically as Denko thrust up into her and she bounced her hips against his cock. Then, suddenly, Yang froze up. She threw her head back and moaned, echoing through the room as she came. Up so close to her, Denko could see Yang's pudgy jowls and her double chin wobble as she made her pleasure impossible to ignore. Also impossible to ignore was the way Yang's inner walls massaged his cock, pushing him over the edge and into his own wave of pleasure emanating up from his cock. His orgasm was more subtle than Yang's, not that that was difficult, as her hips bucked into her and he held her soft, heavy body a little tighter and closer, sinking into her softness.
After a moment, Yang's moans died down, though her pleasure had not. The couple held each other closely, bathing in each other's warmth and presence as they wound down from their orgasmic highs.
"H-how was that?" Yang asked, her massive breasts heaving as she caught her breath.
"Even better than I hoped," Denko said sincerely, before leaning up to give Yang a quick kiss on the lips.
"Can't disagree with that," Yang said as she let go of Denko and leaned back, propping herself up with her hand. "Hey, could you cut a slice of cake for me?" With soft and heavy Yang still on top of him, Denko leaned over and cut a big slice of the top layer of the cake. "Oh, Denko, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to fatten me up," Yang teased as she sat back up and took the slice of cake.
"What makes you think that?" Denko teased back while he grabbed Yang's belly roll with both hands.
"Eh, call it a hunch," Yang said with a shrug. "Hey, wanna watch me stuff this whole slice in my mouth?"
"Sounds hot, do it," Denko said, smirking as he watched intently. Yang gave him a smug smile before opening her mouth as wide as she could. Despite her best efforts the whole slice was not going to fit in her mouth without some work, not that Yang minded. She was happy to munch away and stuff some of it in her cheeks, even if some of it just ended up part of the ring of icing and crumbs around her mouth, eventually working her way to cramming the whole thing in her mouth, even if she had to puff her cheeks out as far as possible.
"Do you think I'm sexy?" Yang said through a mouth full of cake, her words coming out muffled and immediately turning into a giggle as some of the crumbs fell from her mouth and onto her bountiful chest.
"You've never looked sexier," Denko replied, fighting off laughter himself. Yang swallowed the cake, something that took a few goes to get all of it, before giving Denko a sly smile.
"I think that was enough of a break. You ready for more, tiger?" Denko reached and took a firm grip on Yang's hips.
"Ready when you are," he confirmed. To his surprise, Yang leaned back and tightened the grip of her legs around his waist. Then, she pushed her hand off of the bed and twisted her hips. Before he knew it, he was on his back, his head on the pillow at the head of the bed and Yang on top of him, looking down at him with heavy-lidded eyes.
"I wanted to try something a little different this round. Hope this isn't too much woman for you," Yang said, her hand drifting to the top of her belly. Denko reached up to Yang's belly fold and slipped his hands in between the rolls.
"No such thing as too much of you," Denko said smoothly.
"Damn straight," Yang agreed before her hips began to move. Slowly at first, she began to pump up and down on Denko's cock, doing her best not to drop all of her considerable weight onto him. As she found her rhythm, Denko moved his hands back to her wide hips and started to thrust up into her, driving his cock deeper into her as their movements synced up. It wasn't long before Yang was moaning in pleasure again, although both of them were fully aware of how time seemed to fly by them while they were doing this.
After a bit, Yang found her gaze drifting over to the alluring cake. That was when a thought popped into her head. She gave Denko a sly grin and looked down at him with heavy-lidded eyes, even though he likely could only see her eyes, as her belly and breasts pushed out so far that his view of her rounded, fattened face was very limited. Then, while still riding him, she slowed down and reached over to the cake and cut the last of the top layer in two. She then took a piece in her hand, and began to lift it like a dumbbell, taking a bite out of the slice as her blubbery arm lifted it up to her face. After just a few bites she felt herself fill with rapturous pleasure.
"Oh gods, eating while having sex feels so good!" she cried out.
"It's, unf, I'm loving it too," Denko responded, his voice faltering as his body closed in on another orgasm.
"We gotta remember this for, ah, for next time," Yang suggested, her voice picking up speed towards the end. "Oh gods, I think I'm gonna come again!" With that, Yang quickly stuffed the last of the cake in her hand into her mouth, filling her mouth so much that she could barely close it, and tried to eat it all up as quickly as she could. However, she was not fast enough to beat her orgasm, as a jolt of pleasure raced up her spine and she threw her head back and moaned. With the mouthful of cake in the way, though, her moans were seriously muffled, even though she was just as passionate as she was with her last orgasm. As Yang's legs turned to jelly as her nerves lit up with pleasure, she dropped down onto Denko, making him drive his throbbing cock deep into her pulsing core and making him let out a grunt, both from his orgasm and from having his quarter-ton lover put all of her considerable weight onto him. As he pumped his cum into her, and as the waves of pleasure filled Yang's body, they both basked in each other's presence, unable to do much else.
As things died down, Yang leant back, propping herself up with her hand as she caught her breath.
"Phew, this is more of a workout than I expected," Yang said as she panted for air. Denko had an idea as he fondled Yang's blubbery belly from below, and sat up.
"Alright, let's move you," Denko said as he reached up. Yang went with it, still a little winded, and leaned even further back to her first position, laying on her back with Denko on top. She was caught a little bit off guard when Denko kept moving her, rolling her onto her front, but she caught on quick enough and got onto her hand and knees.
"Want some of my big, fat ass, Denko?" Yang teased as she wiggled her hips and made her pillowy butt cheeks wobble like jelly.
"Who wouldn't?" Denko teased back as he reached for the cake. This time, however, instead of cutting off a slice for Yang, he cut one last slice for himself and moved the rest of the cake, which was down to just the bottom layer, in front of Yang. "Dig in, babe," he said in a husky voice that sent a shiver up Yang's spine. Right as Yang leant forward, ready to take a bite out of the cake, Denko gripped her love handles with one hand, dug into his own slice with another, and slipped into her core, making her moan as he did. That didn't stop Yang from going at the cake with fervor, biting big mouthfuls out of the massive cake and moaning as she did.
"Sho good!" Yang cried out through a mouthful of cake.
"Almost sounds like you like the cake more than me," Denko joked as she patted Yang on the butt. Yang swallowed the cake in her mouth before responding.
"Well, if you ever dump me, I'll definitely be rebounding with plenty of cake," Yang said before digging back into the cake.
From his position, Denko could see Yang's fat reverberating from each thrust he made into her. That, along with the undeniably erotic sight and sound of Yang eating her cake with just her mouth, made Denko just so incredibly horny. He needed more of this. He finished off his slice of cake, got a nice, firm grip on Yang's wide hips, and began thrusting harder, faster, into her. This seemed to spur Yang on, making her eat faster and more greedily, stuffing more cake into her mouth with each bite as she moaned louder and more often. Denko could feel Yang's inner walls pulsing around his cock, and knew that he was doing something right. He kept up the pace, not holding back while being very glad that he had more than enough stamina for this. Meanwhile, Yang just kept stuffing her face, her mouth never being empty, not even to catch her breath as she breathed through her nose for all of this.
Yang was a quick eater when she wanted to, so by the time she felt herself reaching her limit once again, she was down to licking the icing from the plate. Her arm gave out on her as she came, leaving her propped up by her cake-filled belly as she let out her orgasmic moans. Denko slowly rolled his head back as he came, humming with pleasure. He could tell that Yang was just about exhausted, so he made sure to keep on thrusting, making sure both of them could eke out as much pleasure from this orgasm as possible. The two of them were already sensitive from the last two orgasms, so it was not difficult for them to fill their bodies with pleasure.
As Yang came down from her orgasmic high, she rolled over and lay on her side, her smile beaming and her hand gently rubbing her belly as Denko moved the cake tray down to the floor. Denko looked at his bloated lover with pride, proud that she could clear all of that cake on her own, leaving only a few crumbs and some traces of icing. There was probably more around her mouth and cleavage than on the tray, with how thorough she was. He foresaw a very snug shower in their near future, but for now, Yang was as exhausted as he expected her to be. Her eyes were shut and her breaths were slow, but he could tell that she was still awake, as she reacted to him throwing the covers over her and slipping in under them by shifting her side of the sheets down to expose her belly.
"Wanna let it hang out?" Denko asked, grabbing a handful of fat belly and giving it a quick jiggle. Yang nodded and gave an affirmative noise. "I think we're gonna need a bigger cake next year."
"Mmm, yeah, much bigger," Yang agreed, practically moaning at the potential gluttony.
"Next year can't come soon enough," Denko whispered before giving Yang a quick kiss on her pudgy cheek. He ran his hand up Yang's belly and pulled her in close, his body sinking in slightly into her back fat while his hand sunk into her plump breast. As the pair cuddled, sleep soon took them, as did sweet dreams of a plump Yang and the hopes of making that dream a reality.
—-END OF SPICE!-END OF SPICE!-END OF SPICE!-
Taiyang didn't get home until the early hours of the morning and went straight to his own bed. He never noticed the grass churned up outside or the shotgun shells littering the yard, nor bothering with checking in on the young couple. Otherwise he would have seen the cake tray on the floor, crumbs and icing on the bed, floor, and couple. Especially would have noticed that all of their clothes were scattered around the room.
He did wake up to the sound of the vacuum cleaner being run in his daughters room and the laundry being done by the younger blondes. The brunch he shared with them, he saw that Yang was moving stiffly but extremely happy, something he sorely missed since she came home.
"Hey dad?"
"Hmm?"
"We're dating." Yang draped her arm over Denko's shoulders.
"Really? Could have sworn you were already dating." That got them blushing and stammering. "Relax, I'm fine with it. So, are you two up for some cake from yesterday?"
"Um… you know, um…" Denko managed to say, his thoughts kept going to last night.
"We're actually about to go outside and do some training. C'mon, let's go." Yang grabbed her boyfriend's wrist and dragged him to the door.
Tai simply shrugged at the sight, glad that his 'little' girl got her spark back that she had been missing and to have someone who she could trust so much to stay by her side. "Mmm… This is good cake."
AN: I hope you all enjoyed Yang's birthday in your own ways and that this could help in that regard. As always, reviews are always welcome, even if you didn't like or skiped the spicy part.
See you next time!