Blake paced in the kitchen, glancing nervously out the window that faced the front parking lot of the plaza she and her family lived in. Her parents were out for the night, enjoying their monthly date night. Shroud sat on the kitchen counter, watching Blake curiously.
What's going on?
The question had plagued Blake's mind since she had gotten the first message from Yang. Yang was supposed to be working, but now she was heading for Blake's apartment instead.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
The knot in Blake's stomach felt heavier with each glance out the window.
She turned, continuing pacing, her mind racing at a million miles a minute.
"Mrrp?"
Blake turned and looked at Shroud, who seemed annoyed that Blake had turned without petting her.
"I'm sorry," Blake told the cat, stepping forward to pet the top of her head. "I'm just stressed."
"Mrrrrr…" Shroud pushed her head into Blake's hand, before letting out a long purr.
Blake glanced over her shoulder at the window.
Yellow.
Blake quickly turned away from Shroud, causing the cat to stop purring instantly and leap off the counter. Blake didn't really seem to notice though. Her eyes were stuck on the bright yellow bike that had just pulled into the parking lot.
She spun on her heel, sprinting for the front door, snatching her keys on the way out.
Something was wrong.
Very, very wrong.
By the time Blake had made it down the stairs, Yang had just entered the main lobby for the apartments that rested on top of the shops in Kuana Plaza. The moment Blake saw her, she noticed one thing immediately.
Her eyes.
Lavender irises were hidden among bright red cracking throughout the white, extremely puffy and stained with tears.
Yang had been crying.
Blake ran forward and gave her a huge hug, holding her close. They stayed that way for several minutes, embracing in silence.
Finally, Yang slowly pulled away, fiddling with the helmet in her hand. "Can we go upstairs?"
Blake nodded, grabbing Yang's free hand and leading her back up the stairs and down the hall to her apartment. She opened the door, leading her inside and sitting her down on the couch. Yang dropped her helmet and her backpack next to the couch.
"Are you okay?" Blake asked softly, trying to look Yang in the face.
Yang's eyes were staring down, at the ground, avoiding eye contact. "No."
Blake placed her hand gently on top of Yang's right hand, which was resting on her knee. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Yang nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath. "My uncle came back. He… he-"
Blake nodded, giving Yang's hand a squeeze. "Take your time. Go easy on yourself."
Yang looked up at Blake, her eyes filled with tears. She took another deep breath, wiping away her tears with her left hand. "He's like, a secret agent for the government. I don't know the specifics. He can't ever tell us. He goes on missions where we can't communicate with him at all. This time, he was gone for just over two years." She closed her eyes again, taking in another deep breath.
Two years.
Blake knew where this was going. She squeezed again, letting Yang know she still had her support.
"I'm- I'm sorry for dumping all of this on you right now," Yang said suddenly, trembling as she spoke, closing her eyes.
"Yang-"
"No, it isn't fair to you. We've only been on one date and I'm suddenly dumping my entire life story on you-"
"Yang." Blake grabbed Yang's chin with her free hand and pointed it towards her face.
Yang's eyes shot open, lilac meeting amber.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"But I-"
"No buts. Listen to me, okay?"
Yang nodded.
"Is it conventional? No. But what part of our relationship has been conventional?"
There was a beat of silence.
"Exactly," Blake continued. "Life doesn't play by the made-up rules of dating. You need support right now, and I'm here to give whatever I can. I don't care that we've only been on one date. We've been talking for nearly a month, and regardless of how long we've been dating, I've been your friend long enough to want to help you in any way I can. So that's what I'm going to do, okay?"
Yang nodded again.
Blake finally dropped her hand from Yang's face. "Go on. However slow you need. But you aren't allowed to apologize for it."
Yang took another deep breath before she spoke again. "He didn't know about the accident. He didn't know Dad is dead and I lost my arm. I don't even know how he figured out where our apartment is. But there he was, sitting on our futon, tonight. Crying while we told him. And I… While we were telling him… I… I just kept having… flashbacks… And I… I can't… I can't handle them anymore-"
Blake pulled in the stammering Yang close for a hug, cutting her off. Her voice turned into sobs as she pressed her face into Blake's neck. Blake rubbed her back gently, holding her close.
"It's okay," Blake said over and over. "It's okay. I'm right here, right now. This is real. You're here, right now. Nowhere else. It's okay. You're okay."
Some time later, Yang was ready to talk again. The pair had readjusted on the couch so that they were sitting completely up against each other. Blake wrapped an arm around Yang's shoulders, holding her close. Yang was snuggled up into Blake's side, her legs beside her on the couch.
"All this time, and I only ever thought about what I'd have to say to him when he came back. I thought about what he would say back. I thought he would blame me in the same way I blamed myself. I never expected him to blame himself."
"He blames himself?" Blake asked, trying to full the focus away from Yang blaming herself.
Yang nodded. "I don't get it. I really don't. Maybe Ruby could understand it better, but… it was my fault."
Well, that didn't work.
"No." Blake cut her off. "No, Yang. No it wasn't."
"I'm so tired," was Yang's only reply, burying her head into Blake's side. "So so tired."
"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Blake asked, running her fingers through Yang's hair.
"I don't know. I don't know what I want to do. I don't know anything."
"Okay," Blake replied, continuing to try to soothe her. "That's okay. We can figure it out together, okay? You aren't alone. I can help you."
"Okay."
Yang was laying on the couch, her head in Blake's lap. Her hands were pressed against her face, covering her eyes.
"I don't know what to do," she said at last, pulling her hands away from her eyes. They were still extremely puffy, but didn't have any tears in them at the moment.
"That's okay," Blake replied with a nod. "What are your options?"
"I don't know."
"Okay." Blake took a deep breath, thinking. "What if we go through one problem at a time, okay?"
"Okay."
"Tonight, do you want to stay here?"
"I think so."
"Okay. I'll text my parents and let them know."
"Thank you."
"Of course, Yang," Blake said softly, pulling out her scroll. She selected the group message she had with her parents before beginning to type.
Yang is here. She's staying the night. She's having a breakdown and needed to get out of her apartment. Helping her right now, might not respond right away.
She sent the message and put her scroll back down. "Okay, I told them. You should text your sister and let her know, so she doesn't get worried."
Yang nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She pulled her scroll out of her pocket. She had an unopened message from Ruby.
When you see this, please just text me and let me know where you went. Neither me or Uncle Qrow will go after you, I just want to make sure you're okay.
Yang began typing a reply.
I'm at Blake's. I'm staying the night. I need time to figure everything out. I'm sorry. I'll be back tomorrow morning.
Okay. I love you.
Ruby had replied instantly, as if she were still waiting for the response by her scroll.
I love you too Rubes.
Yang locked her scroll and tossed it aside. She looked back up at Blake. "Okay, now what?"
"Are you working tomorrow morning?" Blake asked.
"At the diner, yeah."
"Do you have the option of calling in sick?"
Yang was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. I have some sick days. I never use them though."
"You should," Blake said gently, running her fingers through Yang's hair again. "You should take the time to reset yourself and talk with your family tomorrow."
"Okay." Yang reached for her scroll again, sending a message to her manager at the diner.
Hey Paul, I'm having a bit of a family emergency and need to call in sick for tomorrow. I'll be back on Monday for my regular shift. Sorry for the short notice.
There were a few moments before a reply popped up on Yang's screen.
Okay, I hope everything is okay. See you Monday.
"Done," Yang said, locking her scroll again.
"Good." Blake continued playing with Yang's hair. "I'm going to try to talk you through some other issues, but if it gets to be too much or the flashbacks start coming back, tell me and we'll stop right away, okay?"
Yang nodded, looking up at her. "Okay."
"Was your uncle blaming himself the only thing he did?"
Yang shook her head. "No. He came up with this whole plan. He wants to quit his job so he can stay in Vale with us instead and help us."
Blake nodded as Yang spoke. She wasn't exactly sure how that was a bad thing, but she knew better than to ask that right now. "Do you want him to do that?"
"I don't know. I feel guilty. I don't want him to throw away his whole career because I'm working three jobs now, but I also don't want to work all the time anymore. I'm so tired."
"I know," Blake replied. "I know." She thought for a few moments, trying to choose her next words carefully. "I don't think that was his only reasoning for wanting to quit though."
"What do you mean?"
"He left on a mission and lost his… brother?" Blake asked.
Yang shook her head. "Best friend, but not brother."
"Best friend," Blake corrected herself as she continued. "He left on a mission and lost his best friend and found out his nieces were hurting. He's probably afraid that if he leaves again, when he comes back, one or both of you two will be gone too."
Yang was quiet for a few moments. Blake squeezed her hand, prompting Yang to say, "I'm okay. Just thinking."
"Okay. Just making sure."
The silence lasted a few minutes.
"You're probably right," Yang said at last.
"I can't say for sure," Blake replied, "but that's how I'd feel if I were in his shoes."
Yang nodded. "Me too."
"I have another question for you, okay?"
"Okay."
"Do either your sister or your uncle know about your flashbacks?"
"Ruby knows I've had them before," she admitted, "but I don't know if she knows they were happening just then."
"Do you think it'd be a good idea to tell them about it tomorrow?"
"I don't know."
"Okay. Is there something that scares you about it?"
"Yeah."
"Do you want to tell me?"
"Yes. It's just hard."
"It's okay," Blake said with a gentle smile, continuing to gently play with Yang's hair. "Take your time."
Yang and Blake had moved themselves to Blake's bedroom. Her parents had come home, and they'd opted to go talk on Blake's bed instead to keep some privacy. Yang had finally gotten to meet Gambol and Shroud, who were now curled up in each of the girls' laps. Yang was stroking the fur of a purring Gambol, while Blake was busy giving Shroud attention.
"I think I know why it scares me."
Blake looked up, nodding at Yang. "Go on."
"I'm afraid that if I talk about my flashbacks, even subjectively, they'll come back again."
"You're talking to me about them right now, yes?"
Yang nodded.
"And are you having them right now?"
"It's different. You don't know the details, so they're fully subjective with you. But when I talk to them about it, they know, and I know, and then suddenly I'm just… there…" Her eyes were getting glossy, her lip quivering slightly.
"You're one to talk."
Yellow. Red.
BAM.
Blake pushed the cat off her lap, moving to sit right next to Yang. "Hey," she said, grabbing Yang's hand. "I'm right here. You're right here." She squeezed her hand. "Look at me, okay? Right here."
Yang blinked, looking into Blake's eyes. Amber. She was here, on Blake's bed, not in the intersection.
Blake.
"I'm sorry," Yang whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.
Blake pulled her into a hug. "It's okay. You don't have anything to be sorry for. It's not your fault. It's okay."
Yang gripped Blake tightly, letting herself melt into her arms as the tears began to flow again. "I… I just… want it to stop."
"I know," Blake whispered back. "I know."
"I'm so tired."
"Hey," Blake said softly, pulling back slightly and pushing Yang's chin up. "Do you want to try and get some sleep and talk more about it tomorrow?"
Yang nodded. "I think so."
"Okay," Blake glanced around her room. "I have some clothes that might fit you, if you want something different to wear to bed."
"That'd be nice."
Blake planted a gentle kiss on Yang's forehead before releasing her entirely and standing up from the bed. She walked over to her dresser, digging around for a few moments. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that was just a little too big for her to wear normally.
"These should fit," she said, handing them to Yang. "The bathroom's across the hall. Is there anything else you need?"
Yang shook her head. "I think this is good."
"Okay," Blake replied with a nod. "I'll be waiting."
Yang returned to Blake's bedroom to find her sitting on the bed, two cats in her lap. She was petting them both, one with each hand. Yang couldn't help but smile at the sight, standing in the doorway for a few extra moments.
"You can come in, you know," Blake said, not looking up from the cats.
"How'd you know I was there?"
Blake looked up, raising her eyebrows. Her ears twitched, causing Yang to let out a long, "Ohhhhh."
Blake let out a small laugh. "Come here, Yang."
"Honestly? I completely forgot you had those for a second," Yang admitted.
"Really? You forgot about my ears, even though you were looking straight at me?"
"I never said I was an observant person," Yang replied with a sheepish smile, earning another laugh from Blake.
Yang climbed into the bed as Blake moved the cats, situating themselves under the blankets. Yang curled up next to Blake, resting her head on Blake's chest while Blake wrapped her arms around her.
"Yang?" Blake asked.
"Yeah?"
"I need to ask… do you have nightmares about your flashbacks?"
There was a beat of silence. "Sometimes. They might happen tonight, after everything. I don't know."
"Is there anything I should do if it happens?"
Yang thought for a moment. "The same things you were doing earlier. Bringing me to the moment."
Blake nodded, planting another kiss on the top of Yang's head.
Yang melted into Blake. "I really like when you do that. It makes me feel safe," she said with a yawn.
"Good," Blake replied. "That's the goal."
Blake released one arm, twisting her body so she could turn off the light on her nightstand. She brought it back around Yang's body, holding her close.
"Goodnight," she whispered, giving her one more kiss on the top of her head.
"Goodnight Blakey," Yang murmured, nuzzling closer.
Blake looked down. Yang was already fast asleep.
It was still rather early. Blake wasn't even remotely close to tired yet. She'd known that as soon as she'd suggested that they try to get some sleep. Yang hadn't had enough time for a full night's sleep since their first date. There was no way Blake was going to take that possibility away from her, especially after the events of today.
She didn't mind laying there and watching Yang sleep. She wanted to help her, to protect her, to make her feel safe.
Yang looked peaceful as she slept. No problems, no worry, no stress. A look that Blake had not even come close to seeing on Yang's face once while she was awake.
It was a look and a realization that absolutely broke Blake's heart.