He Has to Come
(Alternative Title: In Mourning)
Mom: I'm serious, Blake. She needs to come live with us. You can't put it on hold forever.
Blake winced at the text, and let her fingers hovered over the letters of her phone screen. She knew not what to say, but she had to say something.
Me: You don't know her as well as I do. Yang's too proud to admit she needs help with her sister, let alone with her
Her what? Financial situation? The fact that she was still in high school and had nobody?
Blake couldn't say that, even if it were the truth.
She deleted the message, and started over.
Me: She has an uncle she's been trying to get in contact with. He can help. Yang and I won't be alone.
There. Sent.
Blake sighed and thumped her head against the wall, hunching. She looked to the edge of the guest room where Ruby lied, content in her sleep.
For a moment, Blake feared the quietness. With how small Ruby was, a sense of fragileness washed over her.
Ruby was only 6 days old. And Yang was only a teenager.
There was only so much anyone could handle.
Blake walked towards Ruby, paying attention to every little twitch. She gulped. Though this was Yang's sister, it was Blake's obligation as Yang's best friend and as a decent human being that she helped take care of Ruby. It was the least she could do.
Ruby woke up, and began to fuss. Blake's hands trembled at the thought of holding her, afraid that she'd break her. She pushed through those fears, and hushed at Ruby soothingly, cradling her.
Just as Ruby started to fall asleep, Blake heard the sound of a fist slamming against the wood counter. Thankfully, Ruby didn't cry, but her bewildered, wide eyes staring back at Blake was enough for a swell of fury to wash over her.
Blake cradled her again, and she fell back into slumber in seconds.
Thank goodness Ruby was such a calm baby.
Blake settled her back to the bed. They'd yet bought those mini-beds for babies, and they didn't think there was any need. The doctors had reassured them so. So long as Ruby was watched 24/7, and they report back to the hospital in case something weird were to happen to her, they should be all good. Hopefully. Maybe.
Yeah, no. Nothing would be 'all good', but Blake suspected the doctor's definition of the word was on a different realm than her own version.
She took one last glance at Ruby, confirmed that she was sleeping soundly, before she walked to find Yang, hair a mess, face red, pacing around the living room with her phone on the floor.
Blake wordlessly watched her, noted the light tears in her eyes, likely out of frustration rather than genuine sadness, and picked up her phone. She held it out towards Yang, and waited until Yang comprehended her existence.
When she did, Blake said, "You woke Ruby up."
Yang blinked, blinked again, eyes wide, red, and puffy from lack of sleep. She grabbed her phone wordlessly, seemingly unaware of her own action. Then, it registered. "Oh. Oh, shit, is she okay? Do I need to-"
Blake putting an arm on her shoulder calmed her down. Though, only slightly. Yang was never calm these days. Not that that wasn't reasonable.
"I put her back to bed. She's okay, Yang. She's fine." Yang didn't seem convinced, even with Blake running soothing circles on her collarbone. It was in the way she bit her lip, and kept stealing glances at the door of the guest room. Blake gained her attention by clearing her throat. "Let's sit down."
Yang didn't answer, so Blake guided her down to the couch, where she sat rigidly, foot bouncing up and down, hands linked together.
"He didn't answer."
"Maybe he's busy-"
"Busy enough to not call his own niece after her parents died?!" snapped Yang, glaring at Blake with a hint of red in her eyes, and not just out of frustration. Blake blinked, gulped, but wasn't surprised. This wasn't the first time it happened. And Blake didn't blame Yang or hold it against her. It was more than understandable, considering…
Yang's face paled, all of a sudden, and it crumbled soon after. "Oh, oh no, Blake, I'm- I didn't- I don't know-"
And so Blake hugged her, because Yang needed it, along with hundreds of more hugs. Yang needed so many things. Things Blake alone couldn't give. That didn't mean she wouldn't try.
"Yang, I know what you've said to me before, but I have to ask, just one last time, will you please move back with me and my parents? Just until you're out of college and can provide for your own?"
"... I won't go to college."
Blake froze, and her heart shattered yet again. Many universities had had their eyes on Yang for her wide varieties of talents in sports. Yang was a true phoenix in the field. Even Blake herself had rightfully assumed she went off to the most adventurous-looking university, one which focused less on the 'boring' academics and more on the 'wicked, awesome' sports competition.
So, to see her this downtrodden…
To hear her say what she'd said…
Blake couldn't imagine it; Yang not going to college, Yang not spending her years in wild parties and wilder one-night-stands, and Yang not living her life to the fullest. It wasn't what she stood for. It wasn't who she was.
Yang wasn't just giving up a simple opportunity for education.
"Yang…"
"Someone has to take care of her, Blake."
"But your uncle-"
"He will come," said Yang forcibly, making Blake wonder if she'd done it to convince Blake or herself. "Just- in the meantime…"
"Okay." Blake swallowed, and let Yang break their hug and sink back into the couch, hugging her knees, half-heartedly rocking herself back and forth. Nothing about this was okay. "Okay, Yang."
A pause. "When will you be going home?"
"I won't be."
Yang stopped rocking herself. She gave Blake an incredulous look. "What?"
"I'll stay here, with you." Blake faltered. "I mean, if you want me to…"
"Of course I want you to," said Yang, shaking her head. "I just- you miss them. You miss your home. I know you do."
She did. She missed the tropic of Menagerie. The lack of snow and red leaves. Where the temperature was always just right, never too warm nor too cold.
More than that, she missed Mom and Dad. Being an only child meant that she was closer to her parents than ever. And she'd told Yang this as well. She'd confessed about missing being spoiled, all the attention, all the bear hugs from Dad and the cheek kisses from Mom.
But that had been before, well… this.
Besides… "I kind of already asked them to come here and visit us instead."
Yang's face blanked. Then, relief washed over it. But the relief was fragile, and soon something akin to anger but softer and quieter replaced it.
"I told you already, I don't want to mooch off of your parents like a clingy hobo."
It wouldn't be mooching off, Blake wanted to argue. It would be doing the reasonable thing, admitting that she was in need of help, and accepting that she was still in mourning.
But knowing Yang, all Blake could say was, "I've wanted to show them around Vale. It's been months since they last saw it." Blake grabbed Yang's hand and squeezed. Yang didn't squeeze back. "Please Yang, they're worried about you. I am too. They love you, Yang." I love you too. "They won't try to make you do something you don't want to do."
Yang stared at their linked hands with disinterest and bewilderment. She blinked lazily up at Blake and slowly retracted her hands. "Uncle Qrow will come."
"I know, Yang."
"He won't abandon me like everyone else. He'll come."
"I know, Yang."
So this took me less than an hour to make, and it was kind of a spontaneous decision. I wanted to show Yang at her lowest state and have her be sort of manic and reckless. Her withdrawing from Blake at the end proves of how unwell she is.
Just like in canon (or semi-canon, I guess?), Yang sort of gave up everything to raise Ruby when Tai was too depressed to do anything.
I hope this doesn't make Yang look like a jerk. She did just lose her family, like, a week or so ago at the time. Her being standoffish and maybe downright cruel at times is perfectly reasonable. Not acceptable, but reasonable.