Author's Note: Well, very *very* late, but here!
Eight years ago
Raven watched from behind the two way mirror of her office, as the blonde in one of the booths downed her fourth scotch. Dead eyes staring blankly down at the surface, shadowed with fatigue. She had been watching the woman for almost two hours now, as she slowly descended further and further into drunkenness - And it was not looking good. She sighed, knowing exactly what this would eventually turn into. That woman was going to continue to drink until she was shitfaced enough to cause a problem, then Raven would have to get involved. Which she was not in the mood for. Not after the weekend she just had.
Another awkward weekend of trying and failing to connect with my teenage spawn. Raven thought bitterly to herself. Who up until a few months ago, barely had any idea of my existence. She would like to believe that they made some progress this time, but they both knew that was not true. It was practically no different from the other few weekends Yang had stayed with her. It pained Raven. She wanted to be good to her daughter, to be a real mother, like Summer... but every time she just ended up feeling too awkward and out of touch, not knowing how to engage her... she feared angering or scaring her away.
Yang was almost an adult, and they barely knew each other... and that fact hung over the two of them like a cloud. Tainting every moment with tension. A dozen unanswered questions followed their every interaction.
It was maddening.
Raven wished she could just... make that leap to fix things... So that-
Ah shit.
Raven regretted not paying proper attention as she watched from behind the glass as the blonde woman picked up her drink from the counter... and immediately bumped into another customer when she turned around, causing the drink to spill all over him.
"Oh! I'm sorry..." The blonde mumbled. Then she grinned. "Look at how wet I made you!" She giggled before leaning closer to the man. "I bet you could make me pretty wet if you play your cards right..." Wrapping her arms around him, she attempted to press her lips against his. Unfortunately she did not get very far.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, lightly pushing the blonde away. Seeing as how drunk she was, she was unable to catch herself before falling to the ground. "Oh shit, I'm so sorry about that." Quickly dropping down to one knee, he offered a hand. "Do you need help getting up?"
The blonde offered no response, curling into the fetal position, her form shaking as she began to sob.
The bar soon fell dead silent.
Fuck. Raven knew she should have intervened sooner. Swiftly exiting her office, she entered the main area and approached the crying blonde. "Hey, you uh, mind getting up off the floor?" She received no answer, the woman just continued to sob. "Look, I'm not gonna kick you out, but I need you to get up. If you want you can take sit down in the back room, calm down a little." Thankfully that got a response.
The blonde slowly began picking herself back up, but kept her body angled away from Raven. "No, no it's fine, I-I'll go."
"Let me at least call you a cab then." Raven offered. "'Cause there's no way in hell I'm letting you go home in your current state."
The blonde did not answer immediately, which worried Raven - She thought the woman would try to leave. Eventually she turned around, shifting her teary-eyed gaze to the manager. "O-Okay..."
Raven breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well come on, let's get you to the back room. I'm pretty sure everyone's been staring at you for the past couple minutes." Offering an arm, she pulled the blonde to her feet before leading her into the back room. Helping her into one of the chairs, Raven pulled out her scroll. "Alright, what's your name?"
"Glynda..." The blonde mumbled, not even shifting her thousand-yard stare from the table in front of her. "Glynda Goodwitch..."
"Raven." Raven introduced with a nod. "And where do you live?" She asked.
"I..." Glynda started, before her gaze turned further away from the other woman. "I can't remember..."
Raven sighed. She was afraid that would be her answer. It was not very common for drunks to forget where they lived, but that did not mean it did not happen at all. "Do you have your address in your scroll or something?" Glynda shook her head. Shit. "Well, if you really have no way you can get home, I suppose... you could stay at my place."
Glynda suddenly perked up, eyes full of genuine surprise. "Really?"
"I've got a spare bedroom you could use." Raven answered.
Using the table to help herself up, Glynda staggered over to Raven before throwing her arms around her, wrapping her in a tighter-than-expected hug. "Thank you..."
Wow. Raven hesitantly returned the hug. Either this woman truly did not remember where she lived, or she really did not want to go home.
After Raven was released, she wrapped an arm around the inebriated woman's waist and lead her outside and up the back stairs to her apartment. As they approached the entrance, Raven reached into her pocket and pulled out her key. Since she was doing it with one hand, she fumbled a bit with the lock, but eventually she was able to unlock the door and show the other woman in.
"Wooww..." Glynda marveled as they traversed through the apartment. "This is nice... but... messy..."
Raven let out a small chuckle. "Yeah well, it's a luxury of living alone."
"You... live alone too?" Glynda wondered.
"Pretty much since I left high school." Raven explained as the pair approached the guest bedroom. "I had a couple... roommates before, but it didn't really work out" Turning the knob, she pushed open the door before leading Glynda in. Walking over to the bed, Raven carefully helped the other woman sit down. "Alright, the bathroom is across from this room, and my bedroom is at the end of the hall." She informed, pointing in the general directions as she spoke, Glynda's lidded gaze following her movements."So uh, call me if you need anything." Raven turned to leave before she felt a hand grasp her wrist.
"Waaiitt!" Glynda whined.
Raven turned back towards the drunk. "What's up?"
"Aren't you gonna help me get into bed?" Glynda asked, a dazed smile on her face.
Raven quirked a brow. "Do you need help getting into bed?" She then watched as Glynda reached down to the buttons on her shirt, attempting to pull them free, but unfortunately for her, not getting very far. After a solid minute of struggling with no progress, she got fed up and moved onto her pants. Once again she struggled and struggled, trying to undo her belt, with no luck. Soon enough she gave up, looking up to pout at Raven. It was honestly kind of cute.
"I can't get out of my clothes."
"Well I ain't helping you strip." Raven declared.
"But I need heeellp!" Glynda insisted, attempting to reach out to the other woman, who backed up out of her drunk reach.
Raven rolled her eyes. "The world's not gonna end if you sleep in your clothes."
"But I don't wanna sleep in them!" Glynda complained.
"Well you're gonna half to, 'cause I'm not taken 'em off." Raven refused.
"But what if I have to go to the bathroom!" Glynda defended.
"I'm sure you'll figure somethin' out. Now come on, get in bed." Raven insisted, gesturing to the mattress the other woman was currently sitting on.
"I don't wanna!"
"You're making this a lot harder than it's gotta be." Raven noted.
Glynda snickered. "Hehe, hard, like a dick!"
Raven just sighed, yet a smile still found its way onto her face. This intoxicated woman evoked memories of when Summer would get drunk. Though unfortunately that was not entirely a good thing. Drunk Summer was quite the entertaining sight to behold - as Glynda was right now - but it was also a reminder of why Raven fell in love with her in the first place. Normally Summer was the loving and affectionate type, but being inebriated multiplied those aspects by a huge factor. Sure, it was a great feeling to get that amount of affection from the woman she loved, but it also almost felt... unnatural. She remembered the first time they kissed, the first time they made out, was when they were drunk. Feeling Summer's lips against her own, being able to explore her body with her hands, it was... amazing... but sadly short-lived. The next morning it was like it never happened.
"Raaaaaveeennnnn..." Came Glynda's voice, pulling Raven from her less-than-pleasant thoughts. She turned her head to face the other woman, where her cheek met an outstretched finger, causing her to back up in surprise.
Glynda proceeded to fall backwards onto the bed and giggle. "Got you!"
Raven sighed, shaking her head. This woman was being adorable and she hated it. If she did not get her to sleep soon, she would never get back to work. "Alright, come on and get up" She requested, offering a hand. "I'll help you into bed."
"Yay!" Glynda cheered, throwing her hands up for emphasis. Reaching out, she accepted the other woman's hand before being pulled up off the mattress.
Once Raven had Glynda on her feet, she noticed the intoxicated woman was idly staring at her through a lidded gaze. "You okay?" She wondered, but received no response. Suddenly Glynda threw her arms around Raven before pushing them both onto the bed, ending in the blonde atop her with her leg between her own. Raven opened her mouth to react but was silenced by the other woman's lips attacking her own. Taken by surprise, she was unable to contain the slight moan that escaped her. It had been a long time since someone had kissed her like this, it felt incredible... and it tasted like scotch.
As if on autopilot, Raven's arms slowly made their way around the other woman's torso to settle on her hips as their lips eagerly kneaded against one another, not wanting to stop. Feeling hands dive into her hair, she let out a soft groan as they ran through the messy black locks. Then one of those hands moved, sliding down until it reached Raven's left breast. The enthusiastic fondling sent a wave of heat through her being, pooling in her abdomen. It had been so long since anyone had touched her, let alone a woman as objectively attractive as Glynda. She wanted more, and that was exactly what she got.
Feeling a tongue press against her lips, Raven gladly accepted it, noting the even stronger taste of scotch as their tongues danced between their mouths. The warmth against her own radiated outward, so starved of the sensation she shuddered in relief. Soon enough Raven felt Glynda begin to grind against her leg, and fuck was it hot - and not just in the arousing sense. The heat of the other woman's core that rubbed back and forth along her thigh was driving her insane. She wanted Glynda to be closer, to go faster, but just before she could reach down to grasp her rear, the blonde broke the kiss and leaned back, leaving both of them panting.
Unfortunately being given a break allowed Raven to realize the situation she was in. An exceptionally drunk woman was currently sitting atop her legs, ready to have sex with her. She could not exactly deny that she did not want to do it too, but she also knew it was wrong. In truth she was thankful Glynda decided to break the kiss, because if she had not, they likely would have continued on to fuck each other's brains out.
Glynda grinned down at the other woman. "There's too much fabric between us." She purred, reaching down to attempt to unbutton Raven's shirt - Though she did not get far.
Raven quickly grabbed both of the intoxicated woman's hands. "Wait."
Glynda tilted her head in confusion. "What is it? Do you wanna do it yourself?"
Raven shook her head. "I can't do this, we can't do this. We shouldn't."
"Don't... Don't you want me?" Glynda asked, her form slumping.
"It's not that." Raven assured. "You're drunk."
"Why does that matter?" Glynda questioned.
"It's not right." Raven stressed.
"But I want it." Glynda insisted.
"Why?"
Glynda lowered her head before taking a shaky breath. "It hurts, I want to feel good again."
"You don't need sex to feel good." Raven defended
"Nothing else is working." Glynda mumbled, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Why don't you try to sleep?" Raven suggested.
Glynda sniffled. "I don't wanna sleep alone again."
"Then I'll stay with you." Raven promised, giving the other woman's hands a reassuring squeeze.
Glynda's breath hitched. "That's what he said..."
Present day
It was funny how difficult it could be to do something as simple as text an old friend. Especially when that friend was a professional therapist. She should be the easiest person to talk to!
After Yang had left and Raven finished her work for the day, she pulled out her scroll, navigating to and selecting a contact she had not even thought about in quite a long time.
Glynda Goodwitch
Then Raven hesitated, her finger hovering an inch above the Message button. It was not as if she was scared to contact her... just nervous... and guilty. It had been years since the last time the two had spoken, and the reason for contacting her now certainly did not help. Hey Glynda, I know we haven't talked in a while, but I need you to give my employee free therapy! Yeah, like that would go well.
It was true that Raven had helped Glynda during a difficult time in her life, but that was nothing compared to what that woman did for her. If it was not for the blonde, she might not - scratch that, probably never would - have properly connected with Yang, and never been able to call herself a proper mom to her own daughter.
Raven sighed. She definitely should have contacted Glynda much sooner than now, but she knew how busy that woman was even before they lost contact, so she just... never got around to it. Unfortunately now she needed help, Cinder needed help, so she tapped the button and typed out a message.
Raven: Hey, I know it's been a while, and I know I probably should've contacted you a lot sooner, but I need your help.
Once again Raven hesitated, this time her finger hovered over the Send button. She knew she had to contact Glynda, she just... dreaded the initial response, knowing exactly what she would say. Why didn't you contact me sooner? Why did you never come to see me about your issues? And so on and so forth. Taking a final deep breath, she tapped the Send button.
What Raven expected was for Glynda to respond sometime later, what she did not expect was for her scroll to start ringing not even a minute after she sent the text.
"Gah!" Raven exclaimed as she banged her knee on the underside of her desk, nearly dropping her scroll as she did so. "Ah, fucking shit..." Then she realized the device was still ringing. Taking a quick breath, she answered. "Uh, hey... Glynda... Long time no see..."
"Hello Raven." Came Glynda's stern voice from the other side.
Fuck fuck fuck. That was the tone Raven was afraid of. "So uh, how have you been?" She hesitantly asked. It was funny really, that woman was probably the only person on Remnant that was able to make her nervous - Well, her and Summer when she was angry. Now that was scary.
"Quite well." Glynda answered. "I just finished up with my last client for the day, so you caught me at a good time. I assume you have also been doing well, seeing as you never called me."
"I mean... you didn't call me either." Raven noted
There was a pause, and Raven felt her heart clench. "Touché." Came the response, tinted with amusement. Raven opened her mouth to speak, but Glynda continued. "How's Yang? The last I heard you were just starting to connect with her."
Raven managed a smile, even though the other woman was unable to see it. "She's... she's good... We're good."
"Good? The weather is good, be specific Raven." Glynda requested.
"I uh, can actually say I'm a mother now... so that's nice... And she works here too, so I get to see her most days..." Raven explained.
"And as for your nights?"
Raven dreaded Glynda asking about that. "I... they're fine, but that's not why I'm calling. I have an employee that could use your help."
"Ah, so this is a business call then?" Glynda wondered.
"Yeah..." Raven admitted. "She collapsed at work today Glynda, and there's only so much I can do for her..."
"Is she working multiple jobs?" Glynda asked.
"Not that I know of." Raven answered. "She had an... incident a while back, and no one else would hire her."
"Is she physically disabled?"
Raven thought for a moment. Were burns be part of that category? "Not exactly... She has a considerable amount of burns on her body, but she's not actually disabled."
"I see... has she not sought out counseling before?" Glynda inquired.
"I don't think so." Raven responded. At least she highly doubted it.
"Is she aware you are calling me?" Glynda questioned, a hint of criticism in her voice.
"Not yet, I'm gonna talk to her about it in the morning, so long as she comes to work." Raven informed. "I told her to take the day off if she needed it."
"And you assume she will be okay with this?"
Raven sighed. "I hope so, 'cause I don't know what I'm gonna do it she isn't."
"Well, why don't you give me a call tomorrow after you've talked to her?" Glynda suggested. "Then we can discuss when she would like to schedule an appointment."
Scheduling an appointment... That reminded Raven. "Oh speaking of an appointment, how much will one of those cost?"
"A standard session is priced at one hundred and twenty five lien." Glynda informed.
Raven thought for a moment. Cinder would be able to afford it, but... making her pay for something like that did not quite sit right with Raven. "Alright, how can I pay you?" She asked.
"How can you pay me?" Glynda echoed. "I thought this was for your employee? Or are you trying to say you would like to schedule your own session?"
"I, no..." Raven felt almost guilty admitting that. "It's just for my employee."
"Very well." Glynda accepted, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "But payment will not be necessary." Then her tone changed to one more... amused. "I believe I still owe you a favour."
Raven could not believe it. Eight years pass and that women remembered that joke. Though to be fair, Raven remembered it too. "Look, I know I said that back then, but you don't owe me anything."
A small chuckle could be heard from the other side. "I know you would like to think so, but I'm choosing to ignore that."
"Of course you are." Raven sighed. "Just let me pay you Glynda, I don't wanna feel like I'm using you for a favour."
"You're not." Glynda assured. "Let's just call it... helping a friend."
"Giving therapy to my employee is enough." Raven defended. "You don't have to-"
"Raven." Glynda sternly interrupted, actually causing her to flinch. "I am fully aware that this is not something I have to do, but it's something I want to do."
Raven sighed again. This woman was very likely not going to yield. "Fine. But if she goes in for more than one session, I'm paying for it."
That seemed to be acceptable. "Very well." Glynda acknowledged. "I will allow you to pay for any future sessions, on one condition."
Raven did not like the sound of that. "What... kind of condition?" She hesitantly wondered.
"You schedule your own session."
My... own session? Those words echoed through Raven's head. It was true that the thought of going in for therapy had crossed her mind several times before, but she had never seriously considered it. The only time she had ever brought up her own problems around someone else was Glynda herself, though that was only so that she could connect with the other woman during the low point in her life.
"Now just to be clear." Glynda continued. "You don't have to schedule it today, or tomorrow, or even next week, just... I want you to make an appointment with me at some point. For your own sake."
"Do I have to?" Raven wondered, hoping the other woman would say no.
"Yes." Glynda quickly answered.
Damnit. "I'll... think about it." Raven attempted to assure.
"Raven."
"Alright alright fine." Raven conceded. "Just, let's just deal with my employee first, okay?"
"Of course." Glynda replied.
A few moments went by in silence. "So uh, I guess I'll just text you tomorrow about when she can come in." Raven informed before beginning to lower her scroll to hang up.
"Oh, before you go..." Glynda started, causing her to raise the device back to her ear. "How... how are you?" She inquired, in a far softer tone.
Raven sighed. "Oh you know, I'm surviving."
As Ruby approached the front door to her apartment, one thought ran through her mind.
Thank the Maidens it's Friday.
Over the past few days, Ruby had been struggling with a particular part of a project at work, meaning she had been staying later, and even now she had not solved her problem. She sighed. At least the day was over, it was Monday-Ruby's problem now. All she wanted was to flop down onto her bed and take a nice long nap - and that was exactly what she was planning on doing. Pulling her key chain free from her pocket and locating her house key, she unlocked the door and entered the apartment. Once inside, she was greeted by a fairly... unexpected sight.
Every light in the apartment that Ruby could see was either dimmed or completely off, and Pyrrha was nowhere to be found... Which was odd, since she was usually home by now. Checking her scroll, Ruby could see it was past 7 PM...
"Pyrrha?" Ruby called out into the darkened apartment, unfortunately receiving no answer. Slipping off her flats, she noticed her wife's shoes were in their normal spot, so... where was she? Perhaps she was taking a nap of her own - sometimes she had pretty busy days at work too.
As Ruby walked into the main room of the apartment, she began to feel small bits of softness under her feet - and it was definitely not the carpet. Looking down, she noticed there were... rose petals on the floor... there were rose petals in their apartment - Which begged the question, why? Ruby was about to get the broom, until she realized the petals were not just in a pile, they were creating... a path. A smile found its way onto Ruby's face. Looks like that nap is off the table. She thought to herself.
Tip-toeing down the line of petals, Ruby made her way through the apartment until she found herself at an ornate door. It was not for a bedroom or a bathroom, but for a special kind of room. Their worship room as her wife so fittingly named it. Essentially it was a combination of a shrine and a... playroom of sorts. The Spring Maiden embodied love, sex and fertility - and Pyrrha was a very devout Spring worshiper - so they used that room when they wanted to... experience her.
Slowly twisting the doorknob and opening the door, Ruby's eyes widened at the sight before her as she was met with the strong scent of lavender. Not only were the lights dimmed to their near-lowest setting, but every candle that adorned the various shelves around the room was lit, casting a gentle glow onto the tapestry-covered walls and rich mahogany furniture. The covers of the four poster bed had been pulled back, yet... her wife was not present. Taking a few steps into the room, Ruby took a quick look around. The room appeared to be ready - with even their closet full of toys open - but then... where was Pyrrha?
Suddenly Ruby heard the door softly close behind her, so she quickly spun around, and her jaw nearly dropped. Or... maybe it actually did drop, she was too flabbergasted to tell. Standing before her was her wife, and... oh momma. Accompanied by thigh-highs and a garter belt - black and crimson respectively - Pyrrha was clad in probably the sexiest lingerie Ruby had ever seen in her entire life. Just the mere sight of it sent a wave of heat through her body. It was clearly high-end, crimson thread traced complex patterns on black silk, with frilly lace borders completing the look. Not to mention the seamless bra she was wearing barely contained her considerable bust, and the thong... wow. To say has stopped working was an understatement. Was she drooling? Because she would not be surprised if she was.
Pyrrha smirked. "Do you like what you see my love?"
Ruby was at a loss for words. All she could manage was... "Guh."
Letting out a soft chuckle, Pyrrha slowly approached Ruby. "Well, since you had quite the busy few days at work, I was thinking..." Then she trailed off as she stopped in front of her wife.
Ruby watched as Pyrrha placed her hands upon her hips, and suddenly she was spun around to face the bed, eliciting a slight gasp. Feeling her lover's arms wrap around her stomach, a shiver was sent down her spine as Pyrrha began trailing kisses along her neck.
"Maybe we could..." Pyrrha continued, pausing to drag her tongue up Ruby's neck, causing her to shudder. "Relieve some of your stress..." She purred directly into her ear.
"I'd like that..." Ruby breathed, leaning back into Pyrrha's embrace.
"Very well." Pyrrha grinned, moving her hands to slowly begin unbuttoning Ruby's top. "How shall we conduct worship tonight?" She inquired. "Shall we test your faith? Or are we feeling particularly... devout this evening?" Finishing with the last button, she lightly pulled the shirt from Ruby's shoulders before tossing it aside, revealing the plain white bra underneath.
Ruby thought for a moment, or more accurately attempted to think, shifting her gaze to the open toy closet as Pyrrha's hands slowly made their way across her stomach to the hem of her pants. Lining the shelves of the closet were strapons, rope, blindfolds, gags, dildos, whips, handcuffs, vibrators... there was always so much to choose from... Her mind ran wild with possibilities. "Maybe we just... see where the night takes us..." Ruby managed.
"I like the sound of that." Pyrrha agreed. Retracting her arms, lightly dragging her nails over Ruby's stomach as she did so, she took hold of her hips before spinning her back around, earning another slight gasp. With her hands settling on Ruby's hips, who wrapped her arms around her neck, the two actually stood there for a time, simply gazing into each other's eyes.
"I love you Pyrrha Nikos." Ruby declared.
Pyrrha smiled. "I love you too, Ruby Nikos." Her wife just grinned, slowly pulling her neck down until their lips met in a soft kiss. Though it was not long before it grew more heated, more hungry. Soon enough their lips were locked, tongues dancing as the kiss became sloppier. Wanting to move to the bed, Pyrrha bent down, reaching around to firmly grasp Ruby's rear, who squeaked in excitement as she was lifted into the air, settling with her legs wrapped around her. Pyrrha then carried Ruby across the room before gently laying her down on the mattress, all the while never breaking the kiss. As their lips eagerly kneaded against one another, Pyrrha's hands moved to the hem of Ruby's pants. Unfortunately before she was able to undo the button, she felt the vibration of her wife's scroll from her pocket. They tried to ignore it and continue, but the device buzzed again.
Breaking the kiss and leaving them both panting, Pyrrha leaned up as Ruby reached into her pocket to retrieve her scroll. Switching the device on, she searched through what the redhead guessed were the notifications. Then Ruby's brow furrowed. "What is it?" Pyrrha asked. Her wife simply turned the device toward her.
Yang: Heg rubes imorderinf pizza u wan in,
Sadly, Pyrrha knew exactly what that meant.
"Think I can give you a rain check on this?" Ruby wondered, giving Pyrrha her signature puppy dog eyes.
Pyrrha let out a soft chuckle. "You'd better."
Receiving a drunk text from Yang was never a good sign, as it always meant one of two things. The first was that she struck out at a club, which in truth was not that bad, so long as she was not already feeling particularly lonely beforehand. The second was... more troubling. If Yang was that drunk without having gone to a club... then something else had happened.
While Ruby blew out all the candles in the worship room, Pyrrha retreated back to their bedroom to dress herself. She also decided to change into a normal set of underwear, as wearing a rather expensive set of lingerie would be inappropriate for what they were going to do - that being dealing with very intoxicated Yang. Once all the candles were extinguished, Ruby sighed. She loved her sister with all her heart, but she had the tendency to be a bit... high maintenance sometimes. Thankfully it was mostly when drunk... but unfortunately she was drunk more often than Ruby would prefer. It was funny in high school, but now... she just wished Yang would use something other than alcohol to numb her pains.
Once Pyrrha had returned - clad in a beige knit sweater and a pair of navy-blue jeans - and Ruby had put her work shirt back on, they headed out. Luckily the drive to Yang's apartment was a fairly short one, thanks to both the lack of traffic and fairly short distance. Once Pyrrha pulled the car - which she had adorably nicknamed Miló when she bought it back before they got together - into the guest parking area and secured a spot, they quickly exited the vehicle and made their way into the building. Ascending the stairs and approaching Yang's apartment door, Ruby firmly knocked. A minute passed and there was no response, so she knocked harder.
"Yang?" Ruby called out, hoping there would be some kind of answer.
Thankfully the door soon swung open, revealing exactly what the pair had expected. Clad in the same black-cat pajamas Ruby bought her years ago- Well, clad was probably a generous term. Yang's pants were pulled down far enough for her pink panties to be showing, and her top was completely unbuttoned, exposing her entire midsection and partially exposing her sizable breasts. Which, as her sister, was not a sight Ruby exactly wanted to see.
Upon seeing the pair, Yang's eyes immediately lit up, a dazed grin on her face. "Heeeyyyy you guys!"
Ruby could already smell the alcohol on her breath. Combine that with how red her eyes were, this did not look good. Unfortunately she knew from experience that prying immediately would get her nowhere. "Hey Yan-oomf!" She started before before being nearly knocked over by the force of Yang's hug. "How... How are you doing?"
"Oh I've been just dandy!" Yang beamed, releasing Ruby from the tight hug. "How've you been?" Her sister opened her mouth to answer, but she continued, looking between the two. "You know what? You two'd make a cute couple!"
That was not a good sign. "Yang, we're married." Ruby reminded.
Yang tilted her head. "We are? But I'm your sister!"
Ruby sighed. "No, Pyrrha and I."
"What?" Yang gasped. "Did I miss the wedding?"
"You were my maid of honour." Ruby informed. Looking past her sister, she could see there were an alarming number of beer cans scattered throughout the main room of the apartment. Quickly exchanging worried looks with Pyrrha, she turned back to Yang. "Are you... sure you're okay?"
"Never better!" Yang attempted to assure, but both Ruby and Pyrrha knew that was not true. They knew for a fact she had been crying, and she would not be drunk, alone, if everything was truly alright.
"May we... come in?" Pyrrha inquired after a few moments of silence.
"Oh yeah, of course!" Yang answered, stepping aside and gesturing them in.
As the pair walked past the blonde, they were met by the strong smell of alcohol, which was even more concerning. If the apartment itself already smelled, they could only wonder how long Yang had been drinking. Taking a look around, they could see nothing was broken or overly messy, which was a good sign, and her laptop was even out on the coffee table in front of the couch, a paused cartoon visible on the screen. Maybe this was not really as bad as they initially thought... Hopefully.
"You wanna drink?" Yang offered after closing the door, making her way over to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she began to search through it. "I dunno how much alcohol I have left, but I've got other stuff!"
"Yang... how many of these are from today?" Ruby asked, looking to the various beer cans strewn about the floor.
"Uh..." Yang turned unsteadily on her feet, holding up a finger to begin counting, bobbing as she mouthed the numbers silently, until she paused and shrugged. "A couple, I dunno."
"Yang, how many are from today?" Pyrrha pressed.
Yang chuckled. "You can't expect a gal like me to keep numbers of all the track Pyr, math was my weakest subject."
Ruby sighed. Entering the kitchen and approaching Yang - while Pyrrha took a seat on the couch - she gently placed her hand atop her sister's. "What happened?"
"I stubbed my toe, a few times, a few toes, I think my pinky is gonna fall off." Yang joked.
"You're saying you got this intoxicated because you stubbed your toe?" Pyrrha questioned.
"I'm outta aspirin."
"Yang... please tell us what really happened." Ruby pleaded. She was not aiming to use her puppy dog eyes, but she was fairly certain they came out anyway.
"You're awful pushy for a short chick ya'know..." Yang's gaze grew unsteady, her bottom lip quivering. "Always punchin' above your weight, huh?"
Ruby gave her sister's hands a reassuring squeeze. "We just want to help you..."
"I just don't wanna be everyone's problem again." Yang mumbled, her gaze not leaving the inside of the fridge.
"You're my sister Yang, you'll never be my problem." Ruby promised.
Yang sighed. "Older sister... I'm supposed to take care of you."
Ruby tried to offer a smile, though Yang likely did not see it. "Doesn't mean I can't still take care of you sometimes."
Yang sniffled. "I think it's a bit more than sometimes Rubes." Leaning against the fridge, she still did not meet Ruby's eye. "It's just more girl trouble, don't worry about me."
Ruby chuckled. "And you helped me with my girl trouble for years. Remember Penny?"
Yang nodded. "Yeah... you thought your love life was over after you two broke up..."
"And who was there for me every night when I cried?" Ruby continued. "Who made it her mission to make sure I moved on? Hell, who helped me gain the courage to ask Pyrrha out for our first date years later?"
"I did..." Yang murmured.
"Exactly!" Ruby exclaimed. "Yang... I wouldn't be where I am today without you... and yeah mom and dad were huge parts of that too, but that's not the point. You were there for me, over and over and over again... So please, let me be there for you too."
Yang did not respond immediately, simply continuing to stare into the fridge. Her grip on the door soon tightened, as tears began welling in her eyes. Taking a shaky breath, she slowly closed the fridge and finally met her sister's gaze. "I..." She began, tears beginning to stream down her face. "Neo dumped me..."
Rather than attempting to reassure her sister, Ruby simply took a step forward, wrapping her arms around Yang's neck to pull her into a gentle hug. The blonde hesitated for a moment before reciprocating, burying her face in Ruby's shoulder as she began to break down.
"What's wrong with me?" Yang sobbed, tightening her grip around her sister to pull her closer.
Hearing those words sent a pang through Ruby's heart. She hated when Yang got like this, and hated even more that she was seemingly unable to help unless she was intoxicated enough to open up. "Nothing's wrong with you Yang... You just... haven't found the right person yet." She attempted to assure, while fighting back her own tears.
"I already did Rubes..." Yang sighed. "She didn't want me either."
Another pang shot through Ruby's heart. It pained her to hear just how much Blake had affected her sister. They had been best friends in high school, then when Yang had gotten into a relationship, Blake revealed she had feelings for her... and she was turned down. Then a while later, once she was out of that relationship and Blake was in one of her own, Yang fell for her, and fell hard. She stayed silent for months, then graduation happened... and one drunken confession and kiss later... their friendship was over. Blake left for Menagerie, and they had not spoken since. In all honesty Ruby wanted to help them reconnect, she just... did not know how. She sighed. That was an issue for another day. For now, Yang needed her. "Why don't we sit down..." Ruby suggested.
Yang did not offer a vocal response, she just sniffled and nodded. Moving her arms to leave one draped around her sister's shoulder, Ruby guided her into the living room before they took their seats on the couch next to Pyrrha. The moment they sat down, Yang melted into Ruby's arms, burying her face back in her shoulder.
"I understand you're in pain Yang." Pyrrha began, placing a hand on her sister-in-law's back. "Breakups, and especially pining after someone who doesn't love you back, I know very well how difficult it can be, but drinking away your problems never solves anything."
Teary lilac met emerald as Yang looked up at the redhead. "You... you do?"
Pyrrha nodded. "Believe it or not, during my time in school, I had quite the crush on Jaune's older sister, Saphron."
"Y-You did?" Yang wondered between sniffles.
"I did." Pyrrha confirmed. "Back in elementary school it was only that, a simple child's crush on a mature and confident woman. But as time progressed and I grew older, I really believed I was in love with her. From all the time I already spent at their home with Jaune, to now nice she was to me... I mean, she treated me like family, so I couldn't help but fall for her. She was, and remains to be someone I strive to be. Unfortunately all that time I was around her only made it worse for when I eventually found out she already had a serious girlfriend." She let out a chuckle. "I suppose it was rather silly. Why would a woman nearly ten years older than myself see me as anything more than her younger brother's friend?" She sighed. "I didn't really have anyone that understood what I was going through, but you do Yang. You have us, your family."
Running a hand through Yang's hair - prompting the blonde to look up at her - Ruby offered a reassuring smile. "I know things seem tough, but we're here to help you through it. And it might take a while, but everything will be okay, I promise." Unfortunately she received a sigh in response as her sister turned her face back towards Ruby's shoulder.
"Nothing's okay Rubes." Yang spoke softly, without bite nor edge. "I used to be happy with myself, but I'm not anymore. I look at myself in the mirror, and I don't like what I see. I try to love, and no one wants me. I try to smile, and it feels like I'm lying... I don't know what I'm doing, or why... I'm tired, my heart hurts, and my brain is always fuzzy... Nothing I do helps... I just wanna crawl into a ball and..." She hiccoughed. "I... just need to sleep better... maybe I should take some time off... No, no mom needs me..."
Ruby opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. There was no response she could think of that would help. She looked to her wife, hoping for any sort of assistance, but the look on her face was just as shocked as her own. It was known that sometimes Yang did not hold the highest opinion of herself, but this... this was something else entirely. They had already planned on staying until she was feeling at least a little bit better, but now... neither of them wanted to leave her alone, afraid of what she might do. Simply put, Ruby had no idea what to do, luckily her wife did - and she was so thankful for that.
"Yang... Would you like to come stay with us for a little while?" Pyrrha asked.
After a moment Yang shook her head against her sister's shoulder. "I don't wanna be more of a burden than I already am..."
"You're not a burden Yang." Ruby assured. "Like Pyrrha said, we're family."
"Plus, you're always complaining how we don't invite you over enough." Pyrrha added with a soft chuckle.
Yang did not respond immediately, but when she did it was a near whisper. "Will I... really not be a burden?"
"Of course not." Ruby promised. "Please, come stay with us Yang."
Thankfully after a brief silence, Yang raised herself up off her sister, wiping the tears from her face as she did. Hesitantly meeting Ruby's gaze, she slowly nodded.
"Okay..."
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed!
Let me know what you thought in the comments!
