Forlorn Chapter 13: Bring to Surface, a rwby fanfic

Chapter Thirteen: Bring to Surface

Written by: JayEmEl

Edited by: Cowjump

Enjoy!

It was dark in the room when Blake opened her eyes. Not pitch black like when she had fallen asleep, but dark. The curtains were thick enough to block out most of the light, but a thin crack between them revealed that it wasn't very bright outside to begin with. Part of Blake knew without having to look at the time that it was still early in the morning – maybe, even, earlier than what was considered sensible. But she was awake now, and Blake blamed the almost absolute silence in the hotel. No birds chirping outside, no one making noise in the hall or in any of the neighboring rooms, and the heating system was off at the moment…

That said, Blake was far from uncomfortable. The blankets might have been thin and the mattress might have been a bit hard, but she was in Yang's arms – and that compensated for both the cool air and the unyielding bed. The blonde's auric warmth naturally spread through the sheets, and Yang must have been sleeping peacefully because the temperature and flow of her aura never fluctuated. One of her hands was still near Blake's cat ears, fingers barely touching the fur. Blake could feel the golden girl's soft breath on them every time she exhaled, since the Faunus' head was tucked under Yang's chin. It was nice, in a comforting sort of way, and breathing in her fading vanilla scent only added to that. The calm, strong thud of Yang's heart was especially appeasing.

Their legs were still entangled, and the intimate proximity Blake was experiencing with her partner made her happy – she couldn't help it, no matter how hard she tried. Waking up to Yang like this made Blake's heart swell with affection and joy, and she closed her eyes again for a moment as she hugged the blonde just a little closer, never wanting the embrace to end and cherishing every second. A smile tugged at her lips, and Blake realized that it was too wonderful of a morning – she couldn't suppress the smile and she could even less stop the rumble that started in her chest. First low and hesitant – since Blake did actively try to silence her body's natural reaction to such happy coziness out of mild self-conscious embarrassment – the purring eventually picked up and Blake was forced to just let the vibrations of her larynx and vocal cords happen. She had no control over it. And, if Blake was honest with herself, she was relieved to express her happiness – for the first time ever – like this because it was Yang she was being held by, and Yang's arms were the safest, most reassuring, and caring place in the world. There was nowhere else Blake wanted to be.

Tenderly, she kissed Yang's shoulder, lingering on the softness of her girlfriend's skin, and then rested her forehead there for a while, purring away like a locomotive despite herself. Blake missed Yang, there was no doubt about that. She missed the social butterfly's laugh and her contagious good mood. She especially missed the mischievous sparkle in those beautiful lilac irises, and even the awful puns and pranks it inevitably preluded. And Blake would be lying if she said it was easy being the kind of immovable pillar Yang could be. But this moment, this intimacy, this love – it gave Blake a renewed determination to not give up, and she could barely even feel the exhaustion she had felt for the past week or so.

Her fingers caressed Yang's back gently, and Yang's arms seemed to embrace Blake a little bit tighter. Truthfully, Blake didn't want to hope too much – but the fact that Yang hugged the Faunus so possessively in her sleep seemed to be telling of the golden girl's growing affection. But Blake couldn't be sure – for all she knew, maybe Yang just hugged anything she slept with – the stuffed panther was an example of this. It wouldn't have been surprising, if it was her insecurity manifesting itself through her unconscious mind and grasping for things that would not leave her. In any case, Blake wasn't going anywhere, and she had absolutely no complaints about being held so closely.

She nuzzled the hollow of Yang's neck, basking in warmth and everything Yang, and little by little, Blake's purring quieted. The reason quickly made itself known, and Blake internally sighed about the stupidity of having a bladder. Momentarily, she debated with herself, wanting to delay the inevitable for as long as possible to treasure her partner's presence, but she only managed to win another five minutes or so. She sighed quietly, and began to very carefully disentangle her legs from Yang's. When she tried to pull away from the embrace, though, Yang's grip tightened and the blonde buried her nose in raven locks before exhaling comfortably.

Although she was pleased by this, Blake was also forced to capitulate. Softly, she placed her hand on Yang's bicep and pushed away enough to move her lips to her girlfriend's ear. "It's okay, Yang," she whispered. "Let go. It's okay."

At first, the tactic seemed ineffective. But Blake tried to move away again, and Yang's arms relaxed this time, allowing the bookworm to slide out of the bed without waking the still sleeping beauty. Immediately, Blake was assaulted by cool air and she clenched her teeth, crossing her arms. She spared another glance at Yang, verifying that the brawler was alright, and then quickly went to her luggage to grab the warm pair of clothes she had packed for herself. She then went to the bathroom to freshen up and proceed with her regular morning routine.

When she came out of the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day, Blake's gaze happened to look at the time. She had assumed correctly – it was still quite early in the morning. They had about four hours left before it became ten, when it would be time for them to meet Frederick outside. Blake slowly shook her head, but she didn't regret being awake. Through the dim lighting in the room, her golden irises once again found Yang's curvaceous form in the bed, and Blake briefly entertained the thought of being able to wake up every morning like she had, live with the knowledge that she could return to that warm embrace at the end of the day and spend every night in Yang's arms.

But Blake was fast to blink and chase the desire away. They were far from being there yet – if they would ever. Right now, there were other priorities, other concerns that dwarfed the importance of whatever stage their relationship was at currently. Still, the Faunus allowed herself to silently sit on the edge of the bed next to Yang, in quiet admiration of her partner. She was so beautiful, and Blake was glad that her sleep finally seemed restful. She both needed and deserved it.

Blake lightly tucked a few strands of golden-blonde hair behind Yang's ear. Her fingers lingered, slowly tracing the shape of Yang's jaw, continuing to marvel at the softness of her skin. Her thumb grazed Yang's plump, almost pouting bottom lip, and Blake sighed a little. Resisting the urge to do something else, she leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Yang's forehead, briefly inhaling the fading vanilla scent again, before pulling away and standing up once more.

She could let Yang sleep for another hour or two. They had plenty of time.

Blake went back to her suitcase and quietly rummaged for her journal. A few moments later, she took a seat on one of the chairs – for enjoyable scent reasons, the one that had Yang's armor-enforced jacket slung over it – at the small table in the corner of the room and stared at the blank sheet of paper before her, collecting her thoughts. After another glance at Yang, Blake began to write.

Raven Branwen. I have familiarized myself with the identity of that name over the course of this past week. Trying to remain neutral and see the situation from a strictly unbiased point of view has proven impossible, though, despite how hard I've tried.

My conflict with Raven begins with Yang and ends with anything related to Yang. Beyond that – I suppose I'm unsure as to where I stand. That she abandoned Yang at birth and hurt Ruby angers me, definitely, but Raven follows a path I am ill-placed to condemn. Was I not an active member of the White Fang, after all? Did I not commit crimes of my own, taking the fate of others into my own hands and believing I was doing it for the greater good?

…But I was misguided, young, and driven by emotion. And, I guess in some ways, I still am.

Raven is different. She already has experience on her side, and she is smart and calculating. There is no doubt about that. Possibly, it is what makes her choices so unsettling to consider. The woman I met in that interrogation room was far from being out of her mind or motivated by a need for vindication. There is a dangerous kind of iron in her character, certainly, but I fear Raven Branwen knows exactly what she is doing and has a firm grasp on reality. There was no feverish or mad glint in her eyes; she chose her words very carefully, avoiding anything remotely incriminating while being honest enough to seem believable.

I do not know what she and those other huntsmen were doing, exactly, at that secret facility. Yang and I were unable to pry that information from her, as she side-stepped the question with sarcasm and we ran out of time. The facility was also destroyed and, with it, any clues as to what those experiments on the Grimm were. Raven had planned for every contingency, it seems.

The authorities must have found something, though, or else I cannot imagine on what grounds they would keep her locked up in Atlas' highest security compound. Either way, her case is being dealt with, and I doubt we will manage to retrieve any other data related to the incident. I am hoping that Yang will be appeased with having met her mother, but should she decide to launch her own investigation into Raven's history, I'll do my best to support and aid her in such a course of action – so long as we are not breaking any rules. First and foremost, my concern is with ensuring Yang's happiness – and if I can't keep her safe, then I can't guarantee that she will be happy.

But that is merely a hypothetical situation. For the moment, Yang is still upset. She's become unmoored from every constant in her life and is drifting now – and with Ruby gone and Raven not being the person Yang had hoped for, I have to step up. I'm not qualified to do so, and my record of reassuring Yang is spotty at best...but I have to help her. She doesn't have anyone else. I will never take Ruby's place, neither do I want to, but if I can at least get Yang to pull through...then maybe

Blake paused, cat ears twitching towards the nearby bed as she was alerted to Yang's heartbeat accelerating. Just as Blake's gaze switched from her journal to focusing on Yang, the blonde – whose back was to Blake – propped herself up on one arm all of a sudden.

"Blake?" Yang then sat up fully, hands patting the mattress at her sides in a bit of a panic, looking around urgently. "Blake, where are you?"

Immediately reacting to the distress in her girlfriend's voice, Blake was fast to stand straight up from her chair, but made sure to appear calm in her movement towards the bed. "I'm right here, Yang," she said quietly as she approached.

Yang's head snapped to her general direction, and the moment the Faunus sat down, she pulled Blake into a constraining, frightened hug. "Blake, oh, my God, I thought you left…" she breathed, voice shaking.

The usually so confident girl's heart was beating frantically – Blake could feel it against her own chest, Yang was holding her so tightly. She had legitimately been terrified that Blake had gone. Worried, Blake wrapped her own arms around Yang's back securely. "I'm right here," she repeated in a whisper. "It's okay, I promise." One of her hands rubbed slow, reassuring circles on Yang's back while the other gently embraced the blonde's head, hoping it would help her calm down.

It took a moment before Yang responded. She buried her face in Blake's shoulder, grip not relenting. "Thank you for being there," she murmured, and let out long, pained sigh. She was silent after that, but she continued to hug Blake, as if she was still scared that the Faunus would go somewhere if she let go.

Blake stared at the wall, concern making her crease her eyebrows. She didn't stop the motions on Yang's back, saddened by her partner's struggle against this fear of abandonment and knowing there was nothing else that could be done except being there. But Blake had stopped running a long time ago, and this she would do for Yang as long as Yang needed her. It seemed to work, to a certain extent, too – little by little, the brawler's heart found its regular, strong thud as she grew reassured that Blake was present and not going anywhere.

The silence stretched on, but then Yang spoke again, softly, "You left in the middle of the night…" And before Blake could deny that or reply that it was morning now, Yang added, woeful, "Does this count as a three-night stand? Or is it two? I…forget how many times we've slept together."

It took all of two seconds for Blake to realize that her prankster of a partner was finally making a joke. It was just that Yang had sounded so serious… And then when Blake understood what the joke entailed, she became mortified. "Yang," she hissed, face heating up at the implications and embrace starting to loosen. But Yang refused to let go, and a low rumble of laughter started in her chest. She pushed against Blake to stop the Faunus from escaping, and the two girls ended up rolling at the bottom end of the bed, Blake struggling to get away from her incorrigible girlfriend while Yang just continued to chuckle.

"Yang Xiao Long! We did not have s – I-I mean, don't make jokes like that."

They came to a stop, Yang on top of Blake and still snickering into the raven-haired girl's shoulder. Blake just laid there, feeling the sturdy weight of Yang's body on hers, face on fire and heart pounding. The blonde's laughter died down soon enough, and they were quiet again for a few seconds. "I'm just…I'm happy that you're here," Yang eventually admitted. She slipped part-way off Blake, cuddling against her partner's side and keeping her head on Blake's shoulder.

Still trying to calm her breathing, Blake closed her eyes for a moment, refocusing on conversation. Yang made it incredibly difficult to behave sometimes. "And I'm happy to be here for you," she finally responded, hoping she sounded gentle. She opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling, and then glanced down at the mane of golden hair before her affectionately.

"Was I dreaming, or were you purring earlier?" Yang mumbled.

Feeling mildly self-conscious again, Blake hesitated. Why was Yang an expert at discovering dirty little secrets? "I…um, yes. I was. I was…purring."

There was a pause. "…That happy, huh?"

Blake didn't answer. She didn't know what to say. Or maybe she just didn't trust her tongue to spout anything intelligent. Or maybe Yang just struck her speechless sometimes, for no actual valid reason.

Yang separated from Blake a little, propping herself up on one arm to see the reserved girl's expression. Blake found herself staring into gorgeous pools of lilac speckled with dark violet, messy blonde locks tumbling over Yang's shoulder and curtaining one side of their faces, and Blake's breath caught when she realized how close they were - and how much closer she wished they were. "If you woke up in the arms of the person you love most…" she started in a whisper, careful but hopelessly enamored. Tentatively, her hand reached up and cupped Yang's jaw, wondering how much she could permit herself without creating a rift between them - without burning, this near to the flame. Her eyes glanced down at the beautiful young woman's lips, those curvy, mischievous lips that spelled trouble all around, but Blake was fast to meet Yang's gaze again, barely allowing herself to breathe. And then she realized she had forgotten what she had even been saying.

But Yang, much like some holy creature impervious to magic, broke the spell by lowering her regard and creasing her eyebrows, deliberating. "I know," she murmured. Gentle fingers wrapped around Blake's wrist, and Yang brought their hands back down. "I'm sorry, Blake. We'll get there." She hesitated, and then added, "I'm…gonna go shower. Then we can have breakfast." With that, she moved away from Blake and went to grab her suitcase, putting an official end to the moment. She may as well have brought the warmth in the whole world with her, too.

Blake was left to lie there, suddenly cold and numb, but she propped herself up on her elbows in time to regretfully watch Yang disappear into the bathroom. When she heard the door lock, Blake just let herself fall back onto the mattress, heart beating in her ears. Her fault. She'd gone too far. This desire to kiss Yang was unacceptable in their current predicament. She had to show more restraint – Yang wasn't ready to try taking that step yet.

The Faunus sighed, cat ears leaning backwards as she passed her hand through her hair. It wouldn't happen again. Blake refused to pressure Yang. There would be no more thinking about it, no more hoping for it. Blake had already voiced her want – now it was all up to Yang. End of story.

About an hour later, once Yang was showered and dressed and ready for the day, the young couple made their way out of their room and down to the lobby level of the hotel. It was there that they found the breakfast area, a somewhat small but comfortable looking café. There were only a few other patrons present, quiet conversations carrying with the smell of toast and coffee – which Yang immediately went for once she spotted the counter. Blake followed, but instead of coffee and toast, poured herself some green tea and grabbed a fruit muffin. The two girls then found a table for two near one of the walls and took their seats.

Yang took a bite out of her toast while Blake blew softly on her tea, and the blonde seemed to chew slowly, thinking. Once she swallowed, she said, "I don't think I properly thanked you for yesterday."

"What about?" Blake prompted, patient and arching one of her eyebrows. She wanted to say that Yang had already professed a few thank-yous as it was and that no others were necessary, but Yang apparently had this on her mind, and Blake gladly obliged.

Yang looked down. "Well…holding me back. Keeping my anger in check. I, um… Nobody except Ruby was ever really able to do that." She cleared her throat. "I still don't know how I feel about everything, but I think I'm happy that I listened to you. Especially if…well, especially if you're happy that I did."

Blake put her tea down, hands wrapped around the cup for warmth as she considered this. She eventually met Yang's uncertain stare. "I didn't want you to do it for me," she replied honestly. "I'm proud that you controlled yourself, yes, but I also wanted you to do it for you. On the spur of the moment, making Raven suffer seemed like the right thing to do – and I'll admit that, at the time, there was a certain satisfaction in hitting her. But I wish I hadn't done it. In five, ten or twenty years from now, would you be able to look back on that violence and not regret it, too, no matter your reasons?"

"I don't know," Yang muttered. Her expression darkened. "I just...don't know. You saw her, too, Blake. She didn't care. And she's done so much wrong… If I'm being truthful, I don't share the regret you have for your actions."

Blake hesitated. She agreed with her partner to a certain extent, of course, but… The raven-haired girl gathered her courage and sighed deeply. "Yang, I need you to understand something. Raven isn't being kept in there because of Ruby. I know it's difficult to accept, but Ruby attacked first and Raven legitimately wasn't the one who hurt her. According to the law, your mother is innocent in that regards, especially with it being all too easy for her to plead self-defense. And they wouldn't lock her up for abandoning her family. That's…the harsh reality."

Yang was silent, but the Faunus noticed the tension in the brawler's shoulders and how tightly she gripped her cup of coffee. "I think I knew that, deep down," she finally let out, glaring at her plate. "Maybe it's part of the reason why I'm so angry. It just… It's not fair."

"No, it's not," Blake conceded. "And I will stand by you on that. But whatever Raven was doing, whatever reason she had for leaving you… We haven't heard the full side of her story. We don't actually know what the experiments were. Yang…what I'm trying to say is that Raven is a huntress like you and I are training to be, and no matter how ethically wrong her means may be, she's still not an enemy. And I don't think you could have lived with yourself had you just…beaten her or, worse, killed her."

Yang's glower met golden furiously. "Are you defending her?"

Blake's eyes widened a little. This seemed oddly familiar, and not in a necessarily good way. Blake was arguing like Qrow had, of all people. But this was important. She couldn't let Yang focus on just a single side of the events. "Yang…have you ever weighed the fact that Raven didn't get rid of you? That she…still brought you full-term? And that she didn't mean to hurt Ruby? What do you think that says about her?"

"I…" Yang seemed to struggle with herself, but whatever won the internal battle made her lose her glare. She swallowed hard. "I guess…her priorities are…elsewhere."

"And that doesn't make her actions okay. Believe me, Yang, Raven's behavior has every cause for reproach. But that doesn't make her a bad person. If it did…well, I wouldn't be much better, and you should hate me, too."

"But, Blake, you left the White Fang!" Yang countered in a hushed voice. "You realized you were wrong, and you did something about it. You care. My mother – she doesn't deserve that kind of forgiveness!"

It was about then that Blake knew she had to level with Yang to diffuse the conversation. And she was fine with doing that because, ultimately, they were in agreement. She wasn't against Yang and she wanted the blonde to know that. They were on the same team, they were partners, and Blake was willing to go through the worst and back for Yang - heartache, heartbreak included. That was what mattered at the moment. So, Blake made her voice calm and hopefully appeasing as she said, "You're right, Yang. As of yet, Raven has done nothing deserving of leniency. And I'm not asking you to forgive her. All I'm saying is that because we don't have all the facts or the full story, you could maybe try…reigning in some of your anger."

"Blake, we may never know all the facts or the full story!"

"I understand that. But that's why you should keep control over your emotions – just enough to give her the benefit of the doubt. Nothing else. And I promise I'll be the first to make her pay if she ever tries to hurt you again." Tentatively, Blake reached out and placed her hand on top of Yang's clenched fist. "I'm with you, Yang, for as long as you'll have me. I just want to ensure your happiness, and holding grudges only poisons that."

It was clear that Yang loathed to compromise at the moment, but Blake knew she would give it some thought. And, really, that was all Blake could hope to achieve right now, and it was alright. Yang might have been brash and often guided by the whims of her emotions, but she was smart and kind, too, and these were among the reasons why Blake had faith in her companion. She just had to keep being patient.

They finished their breakfast without saying much else, lost in their own musings, and after a while, returned to their hotel room. After verifying the time, they saw that there was still about an hour left before they had to meet up with Frederick. Yang sat on the edge of her bed and whipped out her scroll to call Weiss. Their conversation was short, as the heiress had no news about Ruby to provide, and the brawler didn't seem to be in a good enough mood to attempt any other lighter topics.

"There's something else I should tell you before you hang up."

Blake's cat ears twitched curiously, able to hear Weiss' voice fairly easily in the silence of the room. She'd reclined on the other bed, leafing through a pamphlet that advertised activities to do in Atlas as she tried not to listen in on the call, but Weiss' interruption had been too obvious.

Blake glanced at Yang, and the blonde raised her eyebrows before prompting, "Yeah, what's up?"

"Sun and Neptune just got here. They heard about what happened and came to offer their support." Weiss paused. "Come back as soon as possible. I don't want to keep them entertained for longer than necessary."

This actually elicited an upwards quirk of Yang's lips. "Whatever you say, princess. The flight is still gonna be eight hours. How long are they staying?"

"I don't know. They aren't leaving right now, anyway – not Vale, not Ruby, and especially not me. I can't hold them off for much longer. I'm hoping they'll leave once they see you two. In any case –"

Weiss was interrupted by Sun's voice in the background shouting, "Hey, Yang! We're waiting for you and Blake! Say hi to her for me!"

Followed by, "Dude, shouldn't you just call her?"

Weiss quickly spoke again, ignoring the guys. "Do not miss your flight. Bye."

"Alright, bye." Weiss having probably already ended the call, Yang just had to slip her scroll back into her pocket. She then regarded Blake, still looking vaguely amused. "I guess you heard all that?"

Blake responded with a movement of her head. Although unexpected, it was kind of Sun and Neptune to take time out of their vacation days to travel all the way from Haven to offer their support. However, Blake wasn't entirely duped – Neptune liked Weiss, and Sun had made his interest in Blake, herself, quite clear. The bookworm highly doubted their sole purpose for visiting was out of the kindness of their hearts or for Yang and Ruby. If anything, they were visiting to 'console' the 'woebegone' Blake and Weiss. Nevertheless, some kind of effort was there. It had to be appreciated.

Suddenly, Blake's scroll started beeping, alerting her to an incoming call. She didn't need to check the screen to know who it was. With a sigh, she took it out and stared at it without answering. She didn't have any issues with Sun, per se, and he was friendly to talk to, but she was alone in a hotel room with Yang, and it hardly seemed fair to give her attention to someone else in the present circumstances.

But then Yang said, "You should answer that. He hasn't seen you in a while."

Blake stared at her girlfriend, searching for any signs of her being bothered, but there were none. She was being genuine. So, Blake sat up and swiped the screen before bringing the scroll to her ear and saying, "Hello, Sun."

"Hey, Blake! How's it going?"

Wanting to return to Yang, Blake hoped to keep this conversation short. Details could be given at a later date, if necessary. "Good." She paused. "…What about you?"

"I'm great! I mean, sorta. I heard what happened. Did Yang tell you Neptune and I are in Vale?"

Yang extended her hand towards Blake, beckoning for something, and Blake creased her eyebrows at her, confused about what she wanted. "Yeah, I overheard her conversation with Weiss," she replied to Sun, and added, "What happened to Sage and Scarlet?"

Yang pointed at the pamphlet on the edge of Blake's bed, and the Faunus clued in.

"Oh, you know," Sun tried to brush off the question. "Sage has his girlfriend, and Scarlet, like, just wanted to get back home for the summer break. That kinda stuff. I mean, I sent them a message, but they couldn't make it."

He said a few other things, of which Blake only paid half attention to as she gave Yang the pamphlet with her free hand. The blonde then smiled dashingly before giving a quick wink as a thanks before settling down, reclining against the pillows placed between the headboard and her back.

"Blake?"

Golden eyes blinked as the raven-haired girl refocused on Sun. "Sorry," she mumbled, wondering why Yang was flirting with her now. "Yang was just… Anyway. What about you and Neptune? Aren't you on vacation, too?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not like we were doing anything. Plus, we figured we hadn't seen you guys in a while." It was Sun's turn to pause, seemingly realizing this topic required him to show more compassion. "How are you holding up?"

Blake glanced at Yang again, who, instead of watching something on the holoscreen or playing a game on her scroll or doing anything that would make interrupting noises, was quietly reading the pamphlet with interest like an angel. "We're…slowly feeling better. It's going to take time."

"You, too?" Sun wondered.

Blake realized she'd spoken for both Yang and herself. Their relationship with Ruby wasn't the same, and it was only normal for them to be affected differently, but it seemed Sun wanted to know how Blake, specifically, was feeling. "Yes. We can talk more when Yang and I return to Vale." She inwardly sighed. "Thank you for calling, Sun." She did mean this.

He hesitated. "Yeah, sure… No problem! See you soon, Blake!"

"Yes. See you." Blake was quick to put an end to the call. She sighed outwardly this time and put her scroll back into her pocket. A short silence followed.

"You know…" Yang eventually drawled, and Blake looked at her. "At some point, we're gonna have to tell him you're wearing sunscreen."

This sounded familiar, but the Faunus couldn't really put her finger on it. "What?" she asked, once again puzzled.

Yang's lips twitched upwards. "We're gonna have to tell him you're taken. All those UV rays hitting on you can't be healthy."

Ah. That joke. That's what it was. Blake remembered now. Although, it also prompted her to ask, "Does it bother you?"

Lilac eyes blinked, not expecting the question. Yang lowered the pamphlet, turning her attention to Blake. "I, um…" Her eyebrows furrowed, looking unsure. There was a part of Blake that was, frankly, hoping Yang would say yes. And it wasn't because Blake rejoiced in or wanted Yang to feel jealousy – a trait that was usually unbecoming of a person, anyway – but if Sun hitting on Blake bothered her, then it meant Yang did feel some form of deeper possessiveness. That said, it could have just been her insecurity manifesting itself again – and that needed to be worked on.

But Yang didn't even answer the question, much to Blake's disappointment. Instead, she slowly sat up and crossed her legs, putting the pamphlet on the bed beside her before clasping her hands in her lap. She didn't say anything else for a moment, and Blake waited, patient but concerned. Finally, though, Yang asked in a murmur, "Do you ever think about what you would have done if I hadn't agreed to date you?"

It was tempting to remind Yang that she was the one who had suggested dating in the first place, but Blake knew now wasn't the time for a game of technicalities. This was definitely sounding like Yang's insecurity speaking, and although it could have been curiosity, too, the golden girl appeared too dismal for the question to merely be out of general interest. Blake lowered her eyes. "It never crossed my mind, no." She gazed at her hands, recalling how Yang had held them in that life-altering instant on the beach, a little less than three months ago. So much had happened since then. "I'm grateful to be with you, Yang, and I don't dare imagine a life in which you would have rejected me."

"That's not…" Yang sighed and mumbled, "I mean, I appreciate that, but what I meant is…you could have dated Sun or something. You could've…not had to deal with –" Yang gestured with her hand, trying to encompass the metaphorical everything, "– all of this."

And so, what went around came around. But despite the topic having returned to Sun, what Yang was expressing wasn't jealousy. It was melancholy and mild wonder. Therefore, although it was a bit of a shot in the dark, Blake guessed, "You think I could have been happier without you. That Sun could have been a better choice."

Yang shrugged, despondent. "Look at me, Blake. I'm a mess. I'm hardly the person you need me to be."

There was a sort of irony in how inverted their situations suddenly seemed. But they were two different people with two different backgrounds, and what had helped Blake would probably not be as helpful for Yang. It was part of the process, though, wasn't it? Adapting to each other? Learning to deal with these things together? Blake's confidence had been boosted by Yang's near-constant reassurances and her own growing confidence in their relationship, and, with these, Blake had slowly come to accept that being a Faunus – feline instincts, physical resemblances, and all – did not make her a monster or anything less than human, and that she was worthy of affection. In fact, she felt somewhat at peace with these facts, going so far as initiating affection and returning the reassurances, herself.

But these actions would not help Yang, not in the same way they had helped Blake. Blake may have experienced betrayal, loneliness, anger, loss, and trust issues – and might still have had to deal with these feelings every now and then – just like Yang had, but Yang's hurt all stemmed from abandonment. Yang needed time and stability above all.

"Yang, you know I felt the exact same way. I still do, sometimes," Blake finally responded. She stood from her bed and tentatively sat next to her companion on the other. "But who is to say what I need except me? No matter what, you are still the woman I fell in love with. I want you to be happy and feel like yourself, but I don't need you to be anything except you. I'm just here to help."

Yang stared at Blake for a moment, but then she turned her head away. Her expression shifted from reluctant to pensive, and then she wondered absent-mindedly, "A woman, huh?" Pensive became slightly amused as Yang looked at the Faunus from the corner of her eyes.

Blake would have probably given a hefty sum to know her girlfriend's thoughts, but if the glint in those lilac irises was telling of anything, it seemed Blake had said something right. Testing the waters, Blake decided to add – gently, though, and sincerely, "And not just physically."

Yang's eyebrows rose comically, but her lips twitched into a smirk as she turned to face her partner entirely again. "Blake Belladonna, are you checking me out?"

Blake's eyes widened, heat rising to her cheeks. Clearly, flirting was not her forte. "U-um, what? No, I-I was just –"

Yang's smirk became a full, mischievous grin, emphasizing just how deep Blake had dug her own grave. "Well, since you seem to have difficulty collecting your thoughts right now, maybe we can start with what you do know. So…what exactly makes me a woman physically, Blake?"

"I…" Probably, Blake's entire face was red, and Yang had become the very last thing she wanted to look at all of a sudden, taking a mighty interest in the pamphlet on the bed between them. Side note: A fun activity to do in Atlas was ice-sculpture competitions.

"It's the boobs, right? I knew it was the boobs."

Blake, now hiding her face with her hands and wishing death would take her now that she was ten feet under, muttered under her breath, "And those hips certainly don't lie…"

Yang actually laughed. It wasn't one of her hearty, infectious laughs, but it was amazing to hear after so long nonetheless. "Oh, Blake. And you call me incorrigible."

Blake lowered her hands, face on fire. "But you are, and this is exactly why."

"What? Because I flirt with you?" Yang snickered.

Blake struggled to keep calm. "No, of course not. You're just so…so…"

The blonde leaned in closer to her partner, inches away from Blake's face, a teasing smile on those lascivious lips. "I'm just so…?" Yang batted her eyelashes.

Blake's heart hammered in her chest. She knew Yang wasn't going to kiss her. This was just Yang teasing, flirting harmlessly, and Blake only gave her fuel when she reacted with so much embarrassment. So, convincing herself that Yang was just playing games – and understanding that this was what Yang always did – Blake managed to gain a semblance of composure. She met the mocking lilac stare that was so close to her own and murmured, unimpressed but still putting an effort into holding herself together, "You're very crass, Xiao Long. I'm glad you're feeling better."

Yang leaned away, proving Blake correct. The prankster chuckled, amused as she slowly shook her head. "I see how it is now. I can only get those adorable reactions for the first few seconds, then you become a bummer again."

"I'm a bummer, am I? You're all bark, Yang. It's disconcerting at first, but then it's easy to brush off." It actually wasn't, but Blake had given Yang enough fuel as it was.

Yang faked offense. "How even dare you? I can bite if I want."

Blake narrowed her eyes before arching her eyebrows in skepticism. She wasn't really in the teasing mood, not after the serious conversation they had been having intermittently, and certainly not after having to deal with her own awkwardness, but if Yang really was going to insist on this game in particular, then Blake could play, too. It seemed only fair. "No, Yang. I can bite if you want."

Yang blinked, realization dawning on her. But then she chortled again. "Well, that turned on me real quick. I take it back. You aren't a bummer. Don't bite me."

"Thanks, I won't." Blake paused, regarding her partner, and then asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

Yang looked around, as if the hotel room would miraculously grant her the answer. Apparently, it did. "We could just watch something for a bit. Wanna?" She motioned towards the holoscreen.

Taking this offer of truce, Blake nodded. "Sure. It'll pass the time."

Yang hopped into motion, finding the remote on the table in the corner of the room and then returning to the bed. She got comfortable against the headboard again and then looked at Blake expectantly, raising her arm a little. "C'mere."

The Faunus didn't argue. She moved towards her girlfriend and settled down against Yang, partially on her side, resting her head on her companion's upper chest and her hand naturally going to Yang's abdomen. The blonde wrapped her arm around Blake's shoulders and then turned the holoscreen on.

While Yang flipped through the channels, Blake was able to regain the rest of her composure, chasing the remaining awkwardness away. And then she remembered that their conversation had initially been serious and that Yang had side-stepped and altogether evaded the question of jealousy. It seemed insidiousness ran in the family. But it was too late to return to the discussion now, and the fact that Yang hadn't answered the matter directly hinted that she either didn't know or didn't want to answer. They could come back to it later, probably.

So, Blake relaxed against her warm partner. First, the two watched the local news for a bit before Yang decided to search for something else, eventually finding a daytime talk show that neither really cared for but were familiar with from Vale. But it didn't seem to matter – not to Blake, anyway. She was satisfied with snuggling up against Yang, holoscreen or not, for the next twenty minutes or so. After all this stress – in Vale and in Atlas – and after Raven and Winter and Yang's increasingly infrequent breakdowns, Blake felt glad to be able to lie here for a bit. There was nothing more important in her life right now than Yang, and although the blonde still might have had a bit to go in terms of recovery, Blake wasn't going to shy away from this opportunity to love and be loved – maybe not that quite yet, if ever, but she was happy to be in Yang's arms nevertheless.

Blake jolted awake. Immediately, she realized there was something very urgent for her to check and bolted upright to turn and stare at the time. The numbers took a brief moment to register in her brain, but then she relaxed a little. They weren't late. There were still a few minutes left before it was time for them to go outside.

Blake turned back towards Yang and saw that the brawler was looking at her in amusement, eyebrows quirked. "A little on our toes, are we?"

Cat ears leaned backwards. "Sorry. We should… We should probably start getting ready." Saving face was another thing Blake wasn't very good at, it seemed.

Yang's lips curved into a smile. "Blakey, it's okay. There's no rush." But then she added, teasing, "You can sleep on my lap on the airship, since you're so tired. I'll protect you from the time monsters."

Blake rubbed her face. "I'm not…" She sighed. There was no point in arguing that one. And Yang being facetious was a relief, if anything.

Also, time monsters? Blake wasn't awake enough to deal with that nonsense. "Were you watching me sleep?"

"Maybe."

Blake rolled her eyes. How funny that Yang should feel creeped out if Blake did that to her but the reverse was untrue. The Faunus let it slide. "We should get going – for real. We have to check out first."

"Alright, alright." Yang shut the holoscreen off and then stood up. She stretched, arms high above her head and shirt riding up her lower abdomen. Apparently knowing that Blake was watching – enthralled, really – the blonde commented, "Yup, all woman here…"

Blake immediately turned away and went to the bathroom to check if they were missing anything while Yang burst into quiet laughter behind her. Fortunately, the prankster stopped with the flirting after that last joke and helped pack everything up. Once they were certain they had all their belongings and that the room was tidy, the young couple, weapons equipped, headed down to the lobby level to check out at the reception desk.

Afterwards, Blake and Yang made their way outside. Unlike the night previous, the weather wasn't as cold thanks to the sun shining brightly in the sky. Even Blake, who generally disliked the cold, managed to find the temperature somewhat tolerable. That said, Yang had lent her heavy jacket to Blake, not really needing it, herself, so that did have an impact on Blake's perspective. The snow crunched under their boots, and the girls saw that Frederick's sedan was parked not too far away on the side of the road.

"How long do you think he's been waiting there?" Yang asked discreetly.

"Probably a while."

"Do you think we should stand around here and make him wait a little longer?"

Blake was about to respond negatively, but then the driver's door swung open and Frederick stepped out, just as slick as he was yesterday in professional suit attire.

"I think he needs shades," Yang confessed, not bothering to be discreet now that she could be heard by the butt of her jokes – more Yang-logic. "He'd look pretty cool in shades. I'm gonna go tell him that." Yang walked forward to meet up with Frederick.

Blake stared after her in disbelief. That poor man. Her gaze turned into a squint. If Yang wanted to keep making jokes… There was no love lost between Blake and the Schnees – or their employees, really – but Frederick had been courteous with them and Yang was making his life difficult for no reason, and Blake decided to save him just this once. She let go of her suitcase and bent down towards the snow, gathering some into her hands and quickly packing it into a ball.

Yang had almost reached Frederick. The snowball hit her square in the back with an audible thump.

The brawler froze, and Blake calmly grabbed her suitcase's handle again before walking towards her. Yang turned around. Wide lilac met unperturbed golden. "Did you just –"

"Yes."

Yang started to respond, hands on her hips and pout on her face. "Great, now I'm w–"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by Frederick when he called out, "Miss Belladonna and Miss Xiao Long, your flight departs in less than an hour. I suggest you hurry."

Blake knew what Yang had been about to say. She also knew it would have been another attempt at making her blush. Therefore, Blake was obliged to swiftly take a handful of snow from a nearby bush and proceed to let it fall into the back of Yang's shirt as she passed by.

"Gah!" Yang wriggled, trying to (unsuccessfully) grasp the snow, and Blake almost laughed at the spectacle. It didn't last long, though, Yang's patent body heat rapidly melting the cool intruder. "You fiend!"

Blake grinned and handed her suitcase to Frederick. "Come on, Yang! Stop wasting so much time."

"So funny!" Yang exclaimed, pulling her luggage again. "Dying of laughter! I can't contain myself!"

Blake got into the car, pretending to ignore her companion's voice, although the smile never left her face. She knew Yang wasn't upset with her. If Yang dished it out, she should have been able to take it, too, and Blake knew she did.

A few moments later, Yang settled into the backseat on the other side of the car and gave Blake a look. "You're not my friend anymore," she said, childlike as she put on her seatbelt.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Blake commented with her typical half-smirk. "I was just thinking I could share my lunch with you. But since we're no longer friends…"

The trunk closed, and Frederick headed for the driver's side.

"Fine. Doesn't matter to me – my lunch is gonna be first-class airship delicacies anyway. So, there."

Blake gave her a fake impressed look. "Not bad. It's like you're one of those snobby rich kids."

Yang chuckled then, breaking character as Frederick got into the car. Undisturbed by his presence, they continued to banter back and forth like that on the drive back to the airport, enjoying this much-needed downtime and stress-free conversation.

They relaxed on the airship, too, this time sitting next to each other right away. And as the airship began its flight away from Atlas, the girls watched the city slowly fade from view together. They wouldn't miss the weather or the omnipresent feeling of cold, and their experience with Atlas was mostly summarized by an unpleasant encounter with Raven and all her secrets. But at least Blake and Yang had spent some time together, just the two of them, and that counted as a good thing.

And now they were heading back to Vale, and Blake could only hope Yang's mood wouldn't falter and keep sliding. By heading back to Vale, they were heading back to Ruby and Weiss, who had abandoned them, and the visitors Sun and Neptune, who would cause problems in their own ways. Yang seemed to be alright at the moment, but Blake feared that today's banter and the positive vibes would fail them both as soon as they were forced back into a broken routine. But Blake would do anything for Yang, and she'd do her best to stop the worst from happening.

"Hey, Blake!"

The Faunus barely had time to exit the terminal before a certain blond-haired, monkey-tailed individual was embracing her tightly. Bewildered, she managed to return the hug a little, but she definitely felt awkward. "How'd the flight go? How was Atlas? Do you need help with anything?"

Bombarded by questions and still caught in the lasting embrace in public, Blake was a little at a loss for replies. She did manage, though, "Uh, Sun, hi – you can let me go."

"Oh, right! Sorry." Sun backed away, grinning broadly. "But for real. Can I help you with that? Your suitcase, maybe?"

"Uh," Blake looked around for Yang and saw that she was occupied, talking with Neptune and – lo and behold – Weiss not too far away. The bookworm returned her attention to Sun. "Yeah, sure. Thanks." She handed him the luggage, keeping Yang's jacket draped over her forearm and Gambol Shroud on her back.

"No problem! So, was it cold in Atlas?"

"It… Yes. It was." It was also difficult for Blake to concentrate with so many people around, and what she really wanted was get to some place quieter. But Sun didn't seem to know that, and he appeared to be waiting for a bit of a longer explanation. "There was snow, if that helps," Blake elaborated.

"Oh, wow. That's, like…way colder than here. Did you like it?" His dark grey eyes were excited, apparently showing just how happy he was to see Blake.

"Not really. And I lost my coat. Yang had to lend me hers." Blake glanced around nervously again, and her eyes caught sight of Yang's gaze momentarily. But that was all she needed. Yang seemed to quickly excuse herself from Weiss and Neptune, motioning for them to follow, and the three walked over to Blake and Sun.

"Oh. Well…"

"Hey, Blake," Neptune greeted in his smooth voice, interrupting Sun, and she nodded at him in response. Sun welcomed Yang casually.

"We should go somewhere less crowded to keep talking," Yang then suggested, and her hand slipped into Blake's, much to the reserved girl's relief. Nobody seemed to question Yang's words, and the group made their way outside. Vale's weather was indeed a lot warmer than Atlas'. It was the end of the day here, but it was nowhere near cool, and they would probably be going out to eat supper together eventually. Maybe. First, though, Yang and Blake would have to get their suitcases back to the academy.

There were definitely fewer people outside than inside, and the group of five stood in the warm air together, lingering beside the road of the airport's international arrivals terminal. Blake let go of Yang's hand once they had stopped, but the young couple shared an affectionate glance.

"So, Neptune and I have been bugging Weiss about this, but we don't actually know where we could sleep…" Sun turned towards them, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"For the record, they never asked about sleeping arrangements until now," Weiss huffed, glaring at Sun. "I'm sure Nora and Ren won't mind letting you two stay in their room. Pyrrha and Jaune are absent."

"I'm cool with that," Neptune agreed easily.

"Sounds good to me, too. Where do we want to eat? I'm starved. Anywhere's great."

"Slow down, there, buddy," Yang motioned with her hand at the same time. "Blake and I have to get our luggage back to Beacon first. Then we can eat."

Blake didn't really like imposing herself here, but she was tired. "Preferably in the cafeteria," she added. "If that's alright? These past few days and the flying have been exhausting."

They all looked at each other, checking to see if anyone objected to this. Since no one spoke up, their plans for the first part of the evening were therefore decided. The group headed off, walking to the harbor area of the airport and waiting in the terminal for the next departure to Beacon Academy. About an hour later, they were making their way down Beacon's auburn dormitory hallways until they reached Team RWBY's room.

Yang tossed her suitcase onto her bunk before heading straight for the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Sun looked questioningly at Blake. "Do I put this on your bed?" He still had her luggage.

Blake had started detaching Gambol Shroud from her back. She nodded. "Yes, please."

He immediately went over to Blake's bunk and set the suitcase down on the mattress.

"How long are you going to be?" Weiss wondered in the bookworm's direction. She was standing by the doorway with Neptune.

Blake raised her eyebrows. "I don't know. Probably not too long. Why?"

Neptune was the one that answered. "Weiss and I could go down to the cafeteria right now. Maybe start a food fight again."

Weiss seemed to want to protest against that, but then Sun laughed. "I still remember that. It was so awesome."

Blake smiled a little. It was indeed a good memory. She turned back to Weiss. "Sure. Go ahead."

"Great. See you guys down there," Neptune winked, suave as usual, and then he and Weiss exited the room, leaving Sun and Blake to stand by themselves.

Blake returned her attention to her weapon, verifying that it was still clean and in working order, and then walked over to her bunk, where she crouched down to get Gambol Shroud's case from under the bedframe.

Sun stood beside her, not saying anything for a moment. It was only once Blake had pulled the case out and put it on her bed that he spoke up. "Hey, Blake?"

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "Hm?"

After briefly testing that it would hold his weight, he leaned his shoulder against the precariously-made bunk supports. "Since it's just you and me right now… How are you holding up about Ruby? Like, for real?"

Blake had unclasped the case's locks and opened it. She recalled not telling Sun how she, specifically, felt about Ruby's situation, so it didn't come as a surprise that he was asking her about it now – and he was apparently under the belief that she hadn't told him because Yang had been with her. "I'm fine, Sun." She wasn't, not really – there had been no time or opportunity for her to deal with how she felt concerning Ruby – but she wasn't about to get into that now. "I'm not saying it's easy, but I'm managing."

It was right about then that Yang came out of the bathroom. Sun looked back briefly, but his focus returned to Blake. Understanding that the conversation was over, he nevertheless said seriously, "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. You can totally give me a call or something." He grinned. "And I'll, like, stow away on the next boat and come see you ASAP."

It was sweet of Sun that he was willing to do that much for Blake. Truly. But as she put her weapon into the case, she caught sight of Yang pretending to check over her gauntlets in the background, and lilac irises sent a meaningful glance her way.

Blake closed the case, finding that she actually wasn't a fan of turning down this sincere offer. Still, it needed to be done. "Thank you, Sun. But, um…there's already someone I can confide in." Golden met dark grey. "Yang's my girlfriend."

Sun blinked and then looked at Yang again. His expression went from surprised to slightly confused. "Wait, what?" He looked between the two girls again and chuckled a bit awkwardly. "Okay then. If you say so." Amused dark grey met golden again.

Blake narrowed her eyes a bit. He sounded like he didn't actually believe her. Or was at least uncertain about the whole thing. But Sun couldn't have been that dense. Maybe he was just trying to take the news lightly. So, Blake repeated, hoping it would emphasize her rejection, "Thank you, though." She then put the case back where it belonged beneath her bed.

Yang motioned for the door with her head. "Let's go. I'm guessing Weiss and Neptune went ahead of us? Wouldn't want to keep them waiting for too long. Who knows what they'll get up to." She kept her tone joking, but Blake heard the strain behind her words.

The positive vibes had begun to fade.

"Nah, Neptune's too much of a nerd to pull any moves," Sun replied, matching Yang's façade of jocosity but completely oblivious to the underlying stress. He went towards the door. "We might catch them playing chess if we're quiet enough."

Yang's lips curved upwards, but the smile never reached her eyes. "Right. C'mon, Blake."

And so it was with a familiar feeling of anxiousness trickling coldly down her spine that Blake followed them out.

SCENE SPOOF

Sun stood beside her, not saying anything for a moment, uncharacteristically lost in thought. It was only once Blake had pulled the case out and put it on her bed that he spoke up, real serious. "Hey, Blake?"

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. "Hm?"

After briefly testing that it would hold his weight, he leaned his shoulder against the precariously-made bunk supports. "Since it's just you and me right now… I was just wondering…" He leaned in closer, a tall build of muscle and attractive masculinity, and Blake's cat ears leaned backwards as he unexpectedly made puppy-dog eyes and asked, as if afraid, "Do you think Glynda-sensei will notice me if I wear lime green spandex undies for her? To match her pretty eyes?"

Blake stared back in horror.

I thought I'd keep the scene spoofs from the original version of Forlorn. They're not always that funny, but for old times' sake... Heh.

Thank you all for reading, and see you guys in the next chapter!