Chapter Sixteen: Fall Apart
Written by: JayEmEl
Edited by: Cowjump
NOTE: I changed a couple things in this chapter from its previous version to make it generally more solid/logical.
Enjoy!
Yang had barely brought Bumblebee to a complete stop when she removed the key from the ignition and took off her helmet. She didn't even wait for Blake, placing the helmet on the steering bars and dismounting the bike in a hurry before running towards the hospital's entrance, a few yards ahead. Heart pounding, Yang pushed through the glass doors and went straight for the stairwell at the other end of the lobby, dodging other visitors and a few support columns. Forget the elevators. Forget the critical stares sent her way from the greeting desk. Nothing seemed fast enough.
She nearly slammed into a man in the stairwell as she took the steps three at a time, but she was too panicked to excuse herself. Instead, Yang just went around him and kept going. She needed to see Ruby. Ruby had to be okay. She had to be.
Yang's legs were beginning to protest against this mad sprint up the stairs by the time she reached the fifth level, but she didn't care. That didn't matter. Breathing harshly through her nose, Yang shoved past the heavy, creaking door and, continuing to ignore the disturbed glances from the people nearby, raced around the corner and followed the hallway path she had memorized to reach Ruby's room.
She saw her father halfway there in one of the wide corridors but had no intention of stopping for him. Unfortunately, he had every intention of stopping her. Taiyang put himself in her way, and she tried to circumvent him, but he grabbed hold of her arms and forced her to face him, bringing her running to an abrupt halt.
"You can't go see her right now!" he urged, trying to pull her closer to the wall and nearly tripping her balance.
She struggled to get free, both brawlers battling to overcome each other's physical strength. "Let me go, Dad!" she seethed, momentarily managing to get loose and taking a few steps away before Taiyang gripped her clothes and pulled her right back towards him.
"They won't let us!" he growled, shaking her once so she'd listen.
Yang realized he was upset, too. It was enough to weaken her fighting, and lilac glared into cobalt for a brief second before Yang shoved against her father with a resigned but frustrated, "Ugh!"
Taiyang finally let her go, knowing he had convinced her to stay put, and they stood there, tense and breathing hard.
"Why can't we see her?" she fulminated. "What happened?" Yang knew very well that her anger was coming from intense worry and that she had no reason to be dishing it out at her dad, but Ruby's state had changed and there was no way of finding out if she was alright except by seeing her or asking a nurse. But it seemed the nurses weren't helping. And that didn't reassure Yang whatsoever.
Blake, having caught up by then, came to a halt next to Yang, concern etched in her regard. She looked from father to daughter, slightly out of breath from running, and waited for the explanations as well. She had probably heard Yang from down the hallway.
Taiyang sighed and passed his hand through his hair. "I don't know," he admitted gruffly, and then he rubbed his face. "I went for a walk, and when I came back, I wasn't allowed into the room. They –"
"Why did you leave her?!" Yang shouted, unable to believe what she was hearing. She had trusted her dad to do one thing – just one – and he hadn't even done it right. She gripped the collar of his shirt, glowering. "Explain yourself!"
He stared at her, pain evident in his eyes, but before he could say anything, Yang felt Blake gently take hold of her arm. "Please, calm down, Yang. This isn't going to help Ruby."
The blonde glanced at her, saw the deep worry and fear reflecting in golden irises, mirroring Yang's own feelings, and then returned her glare at her dad. She was incredibly disappointed with him, and part of her wanted to punch him for being so incompetent as a father yet again, but Blake was right. Taiyang had no power in this situation – not anymore than she or Yang did – and fighting in the hallway like this would only get them in trouble, ultimately taking them further away from Ruby.
So, Yang let go of her dad and took a step back, putting forth the effort to remain at least reasonably calm, even if her heart was still pounding and even if worry and annoyance made her want to put a hole in the wall. Did they not have any input on Ruby's condition? She could have been dying in there. "Why did you leave her, Dad?" Yang reiterated, clenching her fists. "And did the nurses say anything at all?"
Taiyang looked down, crossing his arms. "I…I just needed some air. I'm sorry, okay? It's hard…watching her like this. She looks so much like Summer, and –"
"Dad. Fine, I get it. What about the nurses?" Yang knew she was being impatient. But, again, she'd lost her patience with her father a long time ago. This was nothing new. And it wasn't that Yang didn't understand or empathize with the effects of Summer's death – because God only knew how hard it had been on her, too – but Taiyang had shut down. He had forced Yang into a role she hadn't been ready to fill by failing to uphold his responsibilities as a caring parent. Sure, he had ensured there was always income for the family, and Yang was grateful that she hadn't had to shoulder their financial security on top of everything else, but money meant very little when a six-year-old was falling apart inside, could barely stitch the pieces back together by herself, and was left with no other choice but to become a mother figure for her younger sibling.
Yang did not regret raising and devoting so much of her time and energy to Ruby. She shouldn't have had to, of course, but it wasn't the most significant problem. No, the fact of the matter was that Yang would have gladly lived on the streets if it had meant finding stable ground and reassurance in her father's presence – for her own sake as a frightened child and for Ruby's. She didn't care about money. Money didn't buy family, didn't buy love.
But Taiyang had thrown himself into his work at Signal, often coming home late, waking up early to work out and then leave again. And that was when he wasn't sitting in the house somewhere, lost to the outside world, making himself a stranger to his daughters. Over the years, he had recovered, somewhat – if burying the memories and refusing to move on could be called recovering. By the time he was ready to start being a proper father again, it had been too late – too late for Yang, at the very least.
Ruby had been a little more forgiving than her sister, being the sweet and adorable girl that she was and not having lacked a parental figure to care for her, but Yang had grown up on her own, and too quickly. Taiyang had missed his chance to be her dad. She had eventually accepted his friendship and combat training, and they learned to get along and cooperate with each other, but this was done without ever really addressing the past. Raven and Summer were not spoken about. And Yang had pretended to be fine with that, but the truth was that she resented how her father still refused to give her the closure she needed. Because he couldn't let go. He couldn't think about it.
And now that Ruby's life was in jeopardy, Taiyang seemed to be shutting down again. Yang did not hate her dad – no, she loved him – but the feelings they had ignored were simmering beneath the surface, and this was the cause of Yang's impatience and anger. If he had just stayed with Ruby, they could have at least known what caused the nurses to rush in and stop visitors from seeing her.
"They just told me the doctor would come see us later," Taiyang muttered, and a spark of his earlier upset flashed in his eyes. "They didn't say when, but they did say something about trying to stabilize Ruby's condition. When I started insisting to know more, they threatened to have me escorted out."
Yang stared at him in silence, heart in her throat, wishing this was just some awful, twisted nightmare. Ruby had gotten worse. The doctors were trying to save her. And here Yang and her dad were – forced to wait, to marinate in uncertainty and fear. She felt like she could hardly breathe.
And as if that weren't enough, Taiyang hung his head, his voice breaking a little in his defeat. He seemed to shrink in on himself. "I'm sorry, Yang. I'm so sorry."
This reanimated the blonde's fury, hot and violent. "Don't say that," she snarled and shoved his shoulder, making his back hit the wall. Raging lilac met agonized cobalt. "Don't you dare give up on her. You don't get to say 'I'm sorry' after all this!"
"Yang!" Blake pulled on her arm again, alarm in her voice, but Yang didn't step away immediately. She glowered at her father, the tingling, heated energy of her semblance burning within her and quickly turning her eyes crimson. He was a coward, a failure, and she could deal with that when his mistakes concerned her, but she would not let him give up on Ruby – Ruby, who had forgiven him so easily and let him be a father to her, who had never given up on him despite his previous flagrant ineptitude. He had to pull himself together now – enough was enough.
But Blake pulled on Yang's arm once more, harder this time, when she saw that the brawler wasn't backing down. Firmness made its way into the Faunus' tone. "Yang, I know you're angry – and you have every right to be – but step away. Leave him, just for now. Please."
Of course, Yang was hurt by all this. But being furious was so much easier than letting herself break down again, was so much easier than showing how vulnerable and alone she felt facing the situation. It was also the same old pattern – she would not show weakness in front of her dad, would not give him the chance to own up to his failure while she only risked being disappointed and hurt more. At the very least, Yang could reason with herself enough to realize that a fight with him was currently pointless and maybe even counterproductive.
Blake's grounding grip on Yang's arm helped the blonde stabilize herself, finally letting her companion pull her away from Taiyang. He stayed there, miserable against the wall while the young couple found a small waiting room nearby – thankfully unoccupied and quiet except for a news report playing on the lone holoscreen in one of the corners. It felt stuffy in the room and did not help the couple's unrest, but it would have to do for the sake of a little more privacy.
Yang's heart was still pounding. She didn't want to sit right away, so Blake stood with her by the row of chairs against the wall, holding a clenched fist in her hands, occasionally massaging it as the bookworm tried to get her partner to relax. Yang appreciated this, and although her mood wasn't much improved, the heat of her semblance did recede and the tingling in her fingertips gradually faded.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in before slowly letting it out. It was so hard to stay calm. And now the new problem was that, with no one to direct her upset at, Yang found herself assaulted with panic again, constricting her throat and threatening to make her knees buckle. Her bottom lip quivered. "Blake?" she murmured unsteadily, opening her eyes to find her girlfriend's concerned regard.
"Yes?" Blake creased her eyebrows.
Yang took in a few shallow breaths. Her eyes burned so badly. "I just..." She swallowed with difficulty, and now her hands were shaking, too. Voice becoming just a broken whisper, she tried again, "I don't know what I'm going to do if I lose her, Blake. I… I –" her voice hitched, and Yang covered her mouth with her free hand as she lowered her head and took a step back, restraining an awful sob that blurred her vision with tears.
But Blake pulled her closer almost immediately and wrapped her arms around Yang, holding her in a tight embrace. "Whatever happens, Yang, you won't be alone." Blake rubbed gentle circles on the blonde's back while her other hand hugged Yang's head. "I promise. I promise."
Yang buried her face in Blake's shoulder, trembling and sobbing quietly. Her fingers clutched the svelte young woman's clothes in her pain, trying so hard not to fall apart. Hot tears escaped her eyes, dampening Blake's shirt, but neither girl seemed to care. Blake kept murmuring reassurances, and Yang held on to those, held on to her companion's presence because it was the only thing she could firmly ground herself to. And Blake, despite her more graceful build, did feel strong, supporting the weight that Yang leaned on her without needing to bring a foot back. She was soft and calming, solid and real in Yang's arms.
"Let's sit down, okay?" the Faunus whispered in her ear, and Yang nodded, sniffling. She didn't want to let go of her girlfriend, but if they were going to have to wait for news of Ruby's fate from the doctor, it would be best for them to sit. Nevertheless, Blake didn't break contact with Yang entirely, keeping one arm around the brawler's waist to help her take her seat. Blake then eased herself down next to Yang, intertwining their fingers against her thigh.
Yang wiped her eyes and let out a long, pained sigh. She passed her hand through her hair, trying to gain her composure. "I'm sorry, Blake," she somewhat rasped, and swallowed with difficulty again. It wasn't any easier maintaining a level head faced with Ruby's possible death.
"There's nothing to apologize for," came Blake's gentle, forgiving reply. The golden girl felt the need to huddle against her partner's soothing form once more. She sniffed and leaned her head on Blake's collarbone, and the Faunus reciprocated by carefully resting her chin on Yang's head after giving it a comforting kiss. It was only then that Yang began to think more clearly, and she closed her eyes, doing her best to only focus on the stable thudding of Blake's heart.
Yang wasn't sure how long they stayed like that. All she knew was that, more and more now, Blake seemed to hold the key to her calm. And she was still here, still giving Yang the whole of her support. Yang was just too tired, too worried to think much past that, though. She was happy she hadn't pushed her companion away this time, that much was certain, but any positive thoughts were unfortunately muted. Blake made it just a little bit easier, though, by slowly tracing small patterns on the blonde's palm and wrist, and it gave a reassuring something else Yang's mind could distract itself with. Still, memories continued to haunt her.
Promise me you won't be reckless, Rubes.
Right back at you, Yang! You're crazier than I am.
Yang, take care of your sister.
And then mommy will come home.
She's not here anymore.
Yang must have zoned out for a while, staring at the blank wall ahead, because she didn't realize Weiss had arrived in the waiting room until the heiress actually sat down on one of the chairs facing the young couple. Yang blinked, her mind slow to pull itself out of its self-destructive trance and return to the present moment. She creased her eyebrows, and Blake seemed to notice Yang had tuned back in, hugging the golden girl's shoulders a little.
Weiss appeared mostly undisturbed – albeit frowning slightly more than usual – and she didn't say anything, either, which began to bother Yang. She waited, but the silence persisted and Weiss continued to look unperturbed, so Yang asked, somewhat aggravated, "Don't you want to know what happened?"
Icy blue met frustrated lilac. "I spoke with one of the nurses. I already know what happened. Thank you, though."
Yang's eyebrows rose and she immediately sat up, pushing away from Blake and leaning forward to stare at her other teammate intensely. "What did they tell you?"
Now it was Weiss' turn to look mildly bewildered, and Blake was the one who provided helpfully with, "They haven't given us much information."
"Even threatened to escort my dad out when he got angry and insisted," Yang added in a mutter.
Weiss seemed to have a realization dawn on her as she put two and two together. "I see. They wouldn't tell me much at first, either." She paused, frowning, and said more quietly, looking down at her hands, "...They don't know what's happening. Ruby's aura experienced a spike in activity before just...breaking."
Yang's heart began to pound again. Without any aura, there was nothing keeping Ruby's injuries at bay from draining her physical health.
At that meant only one sickening thing.
Desperate for reassurance – anything that would hint at a better outcome than this – Yang looked at Blake, and the Faunus seemed momentarily frozen before she managed to say, albeit tightly, "She'll make it. She's strong." Blake followed this by squeezing Yang's hand.
But the blonde only hung her head and rubbed her face with her other hand, clenching her teeth. She was anxious, terrified that this was the end, that a doctor would walk through that doorway within the next few minutes and announce the one thing Yang didn't think she could live with. And for the first time in her life, Yang felt cold. Frighteningly, suffocatingly cold.
"…How are you feeling, Weiss?" Blake eventually asked after a long moment of baited silence, hesitant.
Yang glanced up at the heiress, her expression caught somewhere between distress and a glare. But Blake was right in asking – this, Yang had to admit. Ruby meant something to all three of them – Yang ran the risk of losing her sister, Blake her friend, and Weiss her partner. Ruby had been their leader for two years, a confidante and source of encouragement and fun for all three girls. She'd made Team RWBY a cohesive unit, had brought them together and even made them a bit of their own small family. But she had worked even closer with Weiss. And despite all the ice queen's complaining, arguing, and biting remarks, Yang knew Weiss cared. Her actions had always spoken louder than her words.
Either way, if that hadn't been the case, Yang would not have accepted her or treated her like a friend, for the most part. They had their differences and they didn't always get along, but Yang did respect Weiss and did understand how valuable of a teammate she was. And as Ruby's partner, she had been incredibly supportive when it mattered most. Weiss deserved to express herself about Ruby's condition, and she deserved to have Blake and Yang's listening ears.
But Weiss' regard only became harder, ice turning to steel. "What do you want me to say, Blake?" she asked, her tone strangely calm, contrasting with her gaze. "I could lose my leader, my partner. I promised Ruby I'd be the best she'd ever get. Now look where we are. Look at how thoroughly I've failed and broken that promise." And then Weiss looked away, the only visible sign of how affected she was. She crossed her arms, too, but instead of making her look angry, she only appeared a little more fragile, as if trying to hold herself together.
Yang stared at her. She didn't know what to say. It was shocking to learn how similar their feelings were right now. Sure, the stakes were higher for Yang because Ruby was her family and she loved her enormously – but the sense of failure, the impression of having broken an incredibly important promise…
"I'm sorry, Weiss," Yang murmured, and she swallowed back the ball of emotions constricting her throat.
"Sorry?" The heiress raised her eyebrows, meeting Yang's gaze once more with a skeptical look that verged on disapproval. "Don't be sorry, especially not for me. Pity leads nowhere. This is something I have to live with, whether Ruby makes it or not. All I can do is try making amends and continue keeping my promise in whatever way I can. I don't go back on my word, and I won't sit by and do nothing because of a mistake."
They glared at each other, Weiss daring Yang to argue and the brawler wanting to because it gave her an outlet for her anger, but there was nothing she could say. Weiss was right. And even since the beginning, Ruby's partner hadn't stopped working. Weiss had immediately gone to Atlas under the sole pretense of needing to carry out business with the Schnee Dust Company but had, in actuality, also gotten the means for Yang and Blake to visit Raven in prison. Further, she had refused to take Ruby's position as their leader and fully supported Blake's decision concerning border patrol. At every occasion, she made herself available to keep an eye on Ruby, sometimes staying longer than she had been asked to. And even now, she had gotten information about Ruby's state that nobody else had been able to pull from the nurses.
Weiss had continued to be the best teammate she could be, despite everything. Even Yang couldn't say that much about herself – she had fought with Blake, fought with Weiss, and generally made life difficult for everyone by being uncooperative, flighty, and aggressive.
Yang lowered her gaze in shame.
"We all have different ways of dealing with pain," Blake eventually spoke up, sounding a little uncertain. She appeared to be trying to defend Yang without negating the validity of Weiss' perspective, except awkwardness made it seem out of place, almost. Still, Yang appreciated the effort. "I'm doing what I can. You're doing what you can, too, Weiss. And I can guarantee you that Yang has been doing her best as well. We just…" Blake sighed, long and tired, before finishing with, "It's not easy. We need to be there for each other."
Yang tightened her hold around Blake's hand, words failing to express what she wanted, what she felt. It had always been this way. Yang was just better with the physical marks of affection than she was with her words. And Weiss didn't say anything in reply to Blake, either, but the white-haired girl's expression softened and she did give the young couple an almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't much, but it spoke volumes about Weiss' willingness to be supportive. And Yang could be satisfied with that. Maybe, even, she should have been learning from the heiress' example.
The small group of three lapsed back into silence, but this did not last long. Not long at all, in fact. Only a few moments later, Blake's cat ears twitched and she looked towards the doorway. Yang immediately noticed the shift in tension and raised her eyes as well, heartbeat accelerating nervously. Ten seconds later, a doctor walked into the room. He stopped at the entrance and regarded the three girls gravely, clipboard in hand. "Are you the rest of Team RWBY?" he asked.
"We are," Weiss replied, terse and clearly on the edge of her seat.
Yang couldn't stay sitting. She could not patiently wait for the doctor to get to the news. It was beyond her – her worry and fear were too great. But just when she started standing with every intention of walking up to him and demanding that he tell her if Ruby was alright, a firm, restraining hand appeared in front of her and stopped her from getting up any further. Yang glanced to her side and opened her mouth to protest, but Blake was the first to speak.
Her tone left no room for jokes or beating around the bush. "Doctor, is Ruby alive?"
Yang's heart was hammering frantically by now. She gazed at the doctor, desperate for the answer.
He glanced at his clipboard and hesitated. Rage ignited within the brawler. "Aura…is a complex phenomenon we haven't fully grasped the full functionalities of yet. We did everything we could to stabilize her system, but –"
No. Yang couldn't stand it. She pushed Blake's hand away, tears burning behind her eyes as she got up and brutally shoved past the doctor to get out into the hallway.
"Yang!" Blake called out hoarsely, but the blonde was already running. She tried to dodge the other visitors and nurses as she went, but she cared a lot more about reaching Ruby as fast as she could. Yang didn't apologize to those she accidentally bumped into, and she began to panic because she didn't seem to be moving nearly fast enough. She didn't even know why she thought sprinting would change anything. The doctor had said… The doctor had said that…
Please, no. No, no, no, no... Tears blurred Yang's vision. Ruby's room was right around the next corner. Fear assaulted the golden girl, and her heart was pounding in her head now. How was she going to bear the sight of her younger sister lying motionless in that hospital bed? How was she ever going to live with herself?
It wasn't true. No. After turning the corner, Yang opened the door and came to a stop, shaking and barely managing to keep from crying. Her eyes rested on the lone figure in the room. There was Ruby. Her chest rose and fell slowly. The heart monitor was still letting out its regular, quiet beeps. Ruby was...not... She was alive. She was still breathing.
The relief was such that the tears finally did escape Yang's eyes, and she rushed forward to carefully pull her little sister's body into a hug, burying her face against Ruby's shoulder. "Oh, my God, Ruby…" she whispered brokenly. She had been convinced that this was the end. That all hope would have been lost – that there would have been no more Ruby to hug at all.
"…Y-Yang?"
The blonde went silent – even the quiet sounds in the room seemed to fade out of focus. Yang slowly pulled away to look at Ruby's face. Haggard, bleary, and squinting – but very much alive – silver irises met misty lilac. "Ruby?" Yang murmured, not quite believing it. Her fingers touched the sides of Ruby's face. "Are you…awake?"
Silence.
Then, "…Can I brush my teeth?"
"Ruby! Oh, my God, Ruby!" Now Yang was definitely crying. She embraced her sister again, much tighter, feeding her tears to Ruby's shoulder and never wanting to let go. Laughter mixed itself in with her sobbing. Ruby was alive. She was awake! There were no words to describe Yang's joy. Her heart was still beating frantically and she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if this actually was reality, but Yang would hold on to her baby sibling for as long as it took to reassure herself that Ruby really was going to be alright. She was already trembling as she cried and laughed, feeling like her heart would burst, she was just so happy.
"Yang… Can't…breathe…"
It required a physical effort for Yang to loosen her hug. Ruby inhaled deeply, and then Yang felt her sister's still weak arms around her back, attempting to return the embrace. It made Yang want to cry even more. "Ruby, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I missed you so much. I'm so happy you're okay."
It was then that Yang heard the door swing open, and Blake's worried voice beginning to say, "Yang, please, the doctor –" but then she must have seen what was happening because Blake went silent.
Yang heard Weiss' heels and another pair of shoes stepping on the floor, alerting her to the presence of the heiress and also the doctor entering the room. But Yang didn't care to look at them just yet.
Ruby hadn't replied, and although Yang knew, deep down, that it was just because she was tired, the blonde still felt a pang of concern and pulled away just enough to look at Ruby's face again. Exhausted silver eyes met her gaze once more, and Yang again experienced a surge of relief. She kissed Ruby's forehead several times, and the redhead weakly tried to bat her away, but Yang only laughed more and smothered her in a hug again. "I'm never letting you go! I missed you so much!"
"Yaaang...get offff…"
"You are terrible at delivering good news," came Weiss' accusing voice from behind them, evidently addressing the doctor. "I should find a way to get you fired."
"I didn't mean to… It's just that we aren't sure if –"
Weiss interrupted him with, "Please, go. You can give us the details later."
Still grinning and with tears of joy still escaping her eyes, Yang turned to look back and saw the doctor leave. Weiss was standing nearby, a rare expression of relief and affection on her face as she gazed at the siblings. Blake was there, too, smiling. The Faunus approached the sisters, and she seemed to ask Yang for permission with a look, so the sociable girl scooted a bit to give Blake some room. Hesitant at first, Blake then came a bit closer to stand by the bed, and touched Ruby's forearm.
Ruby, who was still squinting and acting disoriented, managed to look up at Yang's partner. Recognition came into her haggard regard. "Hi, Blake," she whispered.
The look in Blake's eyes became tender, her smile warming. "Hi, Ruby. How are you feeling?"
"Tired…"
The blonde grinned again, too happy to see Ruby awake and hear her sister's voice after so long, despite her clearly fatigued state. She was alright. It had felt like an eternity. A never ending nightmare. But she was alright. Of course, Yang was nevertheless worried that if Ruby closed her eyes to sleep, she may not open them again. Yang was scared of that possibility – even though she knew, deep down as well, that it actually wasn't one. Being asleep and being comatose were not the same. Ruby was still weak – she needed that rest.
Weiss came around on the other side of the bed, but kept a bit of distance, arms crossed. "You are a reckless dolt, Ruby Rose. We almost lost you."
Ruby creased her eyebrows, and Yang could practically see the hamster sprinting in her head as she tried to remember what happened. She was just so pale. "…How long was I…out?"
"Just over two weeks. Your aura was keeping you in a coma," Blake provided calmly. She then took one of the chairs nearby and brought it closer to the bed so she could sit without crowding Ruby's space.
Yang took Ruby's hand into her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We missed you so much, Rubes. We… I…" She swallowed hard. "There was no guarantee you would wake up."
"But you are awake now," Weiss added before the mood shifted. "And we're glad to have you back."
Ruby seemed to struggle with the information she'd been given and processing everyone's emotions at the same time. "I'm…just really tired…" she muttered. Her eyes fluttered, showing that she was indeed fighting sleep.
Despite Yang's maybe-not-but-probably irrational fear that Ruby wouldn't wake up again if she slept, the blonde cared about her little sister's wellbeing a lot more. It was quite a bit to take in, Yang supposed, and now that Ruby's aura had finished – hopefully, although they would need confirmation from the doctor – healing her head injury, it was only normal that the younger girl needed to recover all the energy it had surely used doing so. Therefore, Yang leaned over and gently kissed Ruby's forehead again before murmuring, "We'll let you rest, little sis. Just make sure you come back to us. I love you." She gave Ruby another small hug before pulling away.
RWBY's leader was already drifting off. She made a quiet sound that could have been an acknowledgement, but she was clearly too out of it to say anything else. Soon, it became obvious she had fallen asleep. The heart monitor continued its peaceful, regular beeps, and Ruby's breathing was even and soft. She looked exactly like how she had in her comatose state, and Yang's heart seemed to tighten in her chest out of worry. She had to mentally convince herself over again that Ruby was just sleeping. She would wake up later, once her body recovered more.
Weiss' heels clicking on the floor in the ensuing silence seemed abnormally loud as she went to sit on the armchair in the corner of the room. The heiress crossed her legs, and she looked lost in thought, maybe even showing signs of tiredness, too. She didn't say anything, though, so Yang returned to watching Ruby, briefly glancing at Blake first.
The Faunus was looking at Ruby as well, appearing equally distant, maybe even almost…sad? But then Blake lowered her head after a moment. Her eyebrows creased, and then she said quietly, "Excuse me. I'll be back." She then got up, avoiding Yang's gaze, and walked out of the room.
Yang stared after her, unsure what to think. But Blake had said she'd be back. That was what counted, and Yang didn't want to leave Ruby's side yet. Lilac irises watched the door close behind Blake before gazing at RWBY's young leader, who was sleeping soundly again. The doctors had removed the bandages around Ruby's head – Yang finally noticed, now that the excitement was receding somewhat – and the wound seemed to be healing well. There had never been any mention of infection, and it certainly did not look like there was or had been any, either. Blake's intervention and first aid had been swift and adequate despite the chaos. She had done what she could, and it seemed to have been enough.
And Yang…well, Yang had tried to reach Ruby, too, but she had been too far away, Grimm forbidding her from getting there fast enough to help. The brawler lowered her eyes. She'd been so furious. Raven had done all of this – had caused all this pain, purposefully or not.
"We better not let this go to waste," Weiss suddenly said into the relative silence.
Yang turned her head to look at the heiress. She furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
Weiss glanced at Ruby and was quiet for a moment. Finally, she explained, "One of us almost got killed. And it wasn't because we worked as a team." Her gaze returned to Yang, harder. "You let your personal feelings cloud your judgment. Ruby did, too. Both of you were reckless. We got separated. Blake and I couldn't even cover you properly. That can't happen again. Next time, there might not be a second chance."
Yang glared at Weiss. There were several things she wanted to retort that with, but Weiss was, once again, correct. Yang had seen Raven, and then she'd forgotten all about her team and the Grimm. All that had mattered was reaching her mother before that woman disappeared again. And Ruby had naturally reacted just as brashly, knowing what Raven meant to Yang. They hadn't coordinated, hadn't allowed their respective partners to intervene.
And partly because of that, Ruby almost lost her life. If the same mistake was made next time, and one of them got hurt, the injuries could very well end up being fatal. And the girls would partially have themselves to blame for it. "It was my mother. What did you expect us to do?" Yang nevertheless muttered, annoyed that Weiss had to be right again. She knew she as being petulant, but…
"We need to strengthen our teamwork," Weiss replied. "And you need to work on your self-control…just as I need to keep working on my attitude."
Well, at least she was admitting it. Yang refrained from commenting out loud.
Weiss sighed. "In the meantime, though… Ruby is going to be okay. I can see that you're worried. But she'll wake up later. And we'll…figure things out together when she does."
It was a truce. Weiss was offering reassurance. This wasn't the time to start an argument, and if the ice princess was willing to make the effort, then Yang knew she should abstain from getting angry, too. It was the least she could do – that they could both do, in fact. They might not always get along, but fighting now was senseless – especially after everything that had happened. "Yeah… Okay."
And it was right about then that the door opened. Yang and Weiss both looked to see Taiyang come into the room. He didn't seem to be in any kind of panic, but he did walk over to Ruby's side immediately. He looked at her for a moment, half worried, half relieved, and then met Yang's stare. "Is she sleeping? The doctor told me she was out of the coma."
Yang nodded. That explained the calmness. Taiyang returned to gazing at Ruby, and then he reached his hand to her forehead and gently caressed her temple. He then let out a long sigh and hung his head. "I'm sorry, Yang. I meant to be there."
Whether he was referring to Ruby's awakening or being there for Yang when she was younger, the blonde wasn't sure. Their earlier argument felt like it was still hanging over their heads, after all. Maybe he was talking about both instances. Probably he was talking about Ruby, though. Yang was tempted to make further reproaches, but, again, with Weiss – of all people – setting an example of peace and also knowing that Blake wouldn't approve, Yang withheld any scathing remarks.
If the brawler was being honest, this perpetual tension between herself and her father – which had only accumulated since the accident – did not make Yang feel good. She loved her dad, despite his flaws, because she knew he did mean well and that he had tried to atone for his mistakes over the past few years. He had done a good job of resuming his role properly as Ruby's father, and he had been particularly careful with Yang, approaching her more as a friend than as her parental figure, knowing that it was too late for him to be the latter. And they had gotten along. Yang had started to let him back in. Although this whole ordeal had caused old wounds to reopen, Yang did not want or need their relationship to degrade to the point it had been after Summer's death. And the more she gave it some thought, the more she regretted her behavior towards her dad recently. She still wasn't happy with him for leaving Ruby at the worst possible moment, but she did regret her earlier actions.
"I know, Dad," Yang finally replied, conciliatory. "And…I'm sorry, too." She didn't really know what else to say, and she also didn't feel it was appropriate to address their issues in front of Weiss, so she said nothing else.
It seemed to be enough, though. Taiyang looked at his older daughter and gave her a thankful – albeit tired – smile, understanding what she meant to convey. He then quickly glanced around the room, his expression becoming a little more concerned. "Where's Blake?"
Yang paused, only then realizing that Blake hadn't returned yet. "Uh…bathroom? I dunno. She said she would be back." Nevertheless, doubt began to creep its way into Yang's mind. Blake leaving so suddenly in the middle of a super happy moment – especially with that sad look on her face – was a bit strange in hindsight, now that Yang gave it more attentive consideration.
Taiyang paused, too. He hesitated and then said, "Maybe you should go check up on her, just in case?"
In case of what? Yang glanced at Ruby. She still didn't want to leave her baby sister's side just yet, but the urge to know if Blake was alright was making itself increasingly persistent. The Faunus had said she would come back, and Yang believed that, but something just…didn't seem right. Both Taiyang and Yang had people important to them leave without warning, and…well…this was too familiar for comfort.
Apparently sensing part of Yang's dilemma, Weiss spoke up. "We'll both stay here to watch over Ruby, Yang."
While Yang couldn't trust her dad to stay, she knew it was a different story with Weiss. Weiss would not only remain where she was, but she would probably also keep Taiyang from going anywhere as well if he suddenly needed to leave the room for some reason or another. "Thank you," Yang conceded, and then she laid a kiss on Ruby's forehead. Yang then stood, a little bit unwillingly, but finally walked out of the room.
The corridor greeted her with a few visitors walking by, but the blonde ignored them. With a bit of a bounce to her gait, Yang wandered towards the direction of the nearest bathroom, even if she wasn't entirely sure where Blake had actually gone – she really could have needed a bathroom break, or she was…well, Yang couldn't think of any other reason why Blake would leave at the time she had. Except, of course, if Blake had lied and had no intention of coming back. She could have left the hospital altogether.
The thought caused Yang to accelerate down the hallway, and she stopped a nurse halfway to ask if they'd seen a black-haired huntress anywhere. The nurse pointed Yang to continue in the same direction – that is to say, towards the waiting room the girls had just been in not too long ago. Blake may not have returned to it, but Yang at least had somewhere to start looking. She quickly strode across the remaining distance, being more careful to not bump into anyone, and came to a stop at the entryway of the waiting room to look in.
Blake was not there.
Yang paused and made sure to keep calm. Where were the bathrooms? Right – they were further down the very same hallway. Blake had better be in one of them. If not…well, Yang didn't know what she was going to do to the minute detail, but it definitely involved using her scroll and fetching Weiss.
The robust young woman walked out of the waiting room and hurried to where the bathrooms were located, the bounce to her step now gone, and stopped in front of the four doors. They were single bathrooms – two for the men and two more for the women. Hesitantly, Yang knocked on one of the women's doors, listened for any sound, and then tried the knob. The door opened and revealed a small, dark and completely unoccupied stall.
Yang didn't give up, though. There was one more to go. She highly doubted Blake would have gone into the men's washrooms, after all, if she was here to begin with. Yang knocked on the other door and listened, and she thought she heard a sniff, but she couldn't be sure and then it was quiet. She turned the knob, but found this one locked.
Yang stepped back. Blake could be in there. Or it could be someone else. Either way, Yang had to make sure, as kinda weird as it was. She grabbed her scroll from her vest's pocket and brought up Blake's messaging screen. Rapidly, she typed:
R u in the bthrm i just nockd
The answer didn't come right away. Nevertheless, Yang was relieved when Blake's response came as a one-word affirmative about ten seconds later. Yang put her scroll back into her pocket and stepped closer to the door again. Although glad that Blake hadn't left the hospital, Yang wasn't satisfied with just that. She was pretty sure she had heard a sniff, and then someone trying to be quiet. Something just didn't seem right, and her gut-instinct about Blake was usually spot on. Yang spoke normally, knowing Blake could hear her. "Are you okay in there?"
That answer didn't come immediately, either. Finally, though, Blake said, "I'm fine." This was followed by another sniff.
Yang narrowed her eyes. Blake didn't exactly sound fine. Her voice hadn't been smooth, and if Yang didn't know any better, she might have thought Blake was crying. Except Blake hardly ever cried and the situation did not constitute a reason to be sad. To say the least, Yang wasn't going to let this one slide so easily.
She opted for a more humorous approach, though, just in case she was wrong. "Blake, you know I can kick this door down. And I swear I'll do it if you're not okay and not letting me in."
There was another pause. Yang was already preparing to step back, fully willing to put both of them in awkward positions if it meant ensuring Blake was alright. But then Yang heard the latch unlock, and the door opened a crack. The blonde took this as her cue to move forward, and she carefully pushed the door open enough to slip inside and shut it behind her, in case Blake needed the privacy. She then laid eyes on her companion and went still.
Blake was a mess. Not a makeup-stained, ugly kind of mess, but her face was red, her lips were redder, her eyes were bleary and there were tears still rolling down her cheeks. She looked like she had been crying pretty hard.
Yang's eyes widened. Some people were beautiful when they cried – something about sheer emotion coming to life on normally guarded facial features. Yang knew she wasn't one of those people...but Blake was. It gripped the blonde to her core to see this girl in such a state of pure anguish. "Blake?"
The Faunus lowered her gaze in shame and sniffed again, quickly wiping the tears off her face with her hand. "I didn't want you to see me like this," she muttered, voice clearly hoarse.
Heart aching for Blake, Yang took a step closer. She really had never seen Blake cry to such an extent. It hurt – a lot – and Yang was happy she had listened to her dad's advice about checking up on her partner. Letting Blake deal with this alone, whatever it was, was not okay. "What happened? What's going on?" Yang didn't understand, of course. Ruby had woken up and they had all been overjoyed to see that she was alright – Blake had even been smiling. So, what had caused the shift in mood?
Blake let out a long, unsteady sigh, and Yang wondered if she was about to cry again. The raven-haired girl certainly looked like she was barely holding herself together. She swallowed with difficulty and rubbed her arm. "We…we almost lost her, Yang," she finally managed in a croak, and took a shuddering breath in before exhaling again.
That's it. Yang couldn't stand seeing Blake in so much pain. She crossed the two steps separating them and pulled Blake into a reassuring hug, arms surrounding the svelte form as much as possible. Blake didn't move right away, but she finally leaned her forehead on Yang's shoulder and encircled the brawler's waist carefully, accepting the embrace.
Yang sympathized with what Blake was feeling – Weiss had said something similar directly to Ruby, too, after all – but the bookworm's current predicament obliged Yang to give the statement some more thorough consideration. They had almost lost Ruby. And it had caused Yang and their father a lot of pain, and Weiss and Team JNPR had been deeply affected as well. Even Sun and Neptune, to some extent, had deemed it necessary to visit. But while it was true Ruby came close to dying, she hadn't. She was alive, she was awake, and she seemed to be on the road to recovery now. Everyone was happy – or, at least, Yang had no doubt they would be when everyone learned the news. Yang wanted to bounce up and down, she was so relieved and so thankful to whatever gods existed. Ruby being alright was next to miraculous.
So, the real reason behind Blake's taking this so hard was still a mystery to Yang. She knew she was missing something important because Blake wouldn't cry without grave cause, and Yang feared being accidentally insensitive because of that, but still she tried softly, speaking into velvety raven locks, "But…we didn't, Blake."
Blake only shook her head against Yang's shoulder, fingers beginning to grip the folds of the golden girl's vest from behind, and her hair tickled Yang's face. "No, we didn't." She stopped, apparently once again trying to keep her composure. Blake took another shuddering breath in. "But we came too close, and I – and I…" Her voice broke and wavered before she managed to admit with a sigh, "I don't think I could have dealt with it." She sounded like she was definitely on the verge of sobbing now. The words came rushing out, hoarse and desperate. "I did everything in my power to be there for you, to be strong and hang on to that one small hope, but I'm not like you, Yang." Blake sniffed and her hold around Yang tightened, their bodies pressing closer together. "I could barely handle this."
And Yang finally realized what piece of the puzzle she was missing. It crashed down on her like a rockslide, so much that Yang opened her mouth to reply right away, staggered as she was, but nothing came out. She pulled away from Blake to stare at her in shock, hands on the Faunus' biceps. This was not okay.
During all this time, of all the people who were affected by Ruby's coma, Blake was the one person whose feelings had not been addressed, the one person who had been forced to take on the team's position as leader one moment to the next, the one person who acted as an immovable pillar of strength and logic, the same person who simultaneously kept Yang grounded while also taking every emotional hit the brawler could possibly throw at her without so much as a single complaint.
It was the same person who was standing before Yang, crying because she had almost lost her friend and had been terrified of being unable to continue supporting her partner if the worst happened. It was inconceivable.
"Blake, I…" Yang didn't know what to say. There was nothing she could say to justify the situation. Yang, herself, had made Blake's life a living nightmare by almost every single one of her actions. She couldn't even imagine what must have been going through the Faunus' head – probably, at every other instance, she must have intensely feared losing Yang altogether, whether it was through a break-up or through Yang irrationally going after her mother. It blew Yang's mind that Blake had, time and again, taken chances on such frail odds and risked it all by stepping up and putting herself in the blonde's way.
Yang's heartbeat accelerated. Blake had, without fail, chosen the lilac-eyed girl's wellbeing and safety over love. Unconditionally, unselfishly. Because, in the end, what guaranteed her that Ruby would survive, and what guaranteed her that Yang would ever reciprocate her love when all was said and done?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
And now that it was over, Blake was breaking because the uncertainties and fears were finally taking their toll. That's why she locked herself up in this cramped, dimly lit, stuffy bathroom, away from her team. While Yang and Weiss had been happy to have Ruby back, Blake removed herself to unload the heavy burden from her shoulders without ruining the moment for the others.
It was strange, seeing Blake under this new light. Not the dim yellow one they were standing under, but something just seemed different, and Yang couldn't figure out if she was dumb or if Blake had always been this attractive of a person. Maybe it was a lot of both.
Blake cleared her throat a little, and Yang realized she was staring. The reserved girl's cat ears were leaned backwards, and she was looking away now, seemingly beginning to regain some of her composure. "It's alright, Yang," she said, sounding just a little uncomfortable. "It's not your fault."
Yang's expression softened. She could see Blake was vulnerable, that despite not crying anymore, her heart was left unguarded. It made Yang want to hold her close and protect her. But no matter how hard she tried, there appeared to be no words to express what she meant to convey. Well, maybe there were a few. Sadly, they weren't much and hardly relevant. "I'm glad you're not like me," Yang murmured. It didn't even begin to explain what she felt, though. She was glad Blake was strong where Yang was weak, and that, in itself, deserved a hug, at the very least. But it was more than that. Blake had been there through the thick and thin, the fun and the difficult, and that deserved a long hug and profuse thanking, if not reciprocated concern.
But even friendship didn't cover the whole of Blake's support and care, and saying thank you or hugging the Faunus just wasn't enough. At this point, gratitude wasn't the only thing Yang was feeling – there was something that ran deeper, that justified the sometimes-non-platonic intimacy between them. She liked Blake. She liked Blake a lot, and this quiet, amazing girl in front Yang seemed more precious than ever before. And Blake was raising her eyes to look at Yang again, most likely wondering why the blonde had even said that single sentence without explaining, and all Yang could do was stare into those two pools of molten gold like they held the answers to the universe – and maybe they did because Yang realized what she wanted. It really was the only thing that could express just how happy she was.
"What do you mean?" Blake asked, creasing her eyebrows in confusion.
Yang held her girlfriend's gaze for a moment longer, glanced at the cat ears that were still leaning backwards, and then moved her hands from Blake's biceps to instead cup her face and remove the space between each other. Blake's cheeks were warm from crying, and her lips seemed even warmer. Yang closed her eyes and kissed her, uncertain at first, but Blake didn't respond, instead breathing in sharply through her nose out of surprise. She leaned backwards, lowering her head and somewhat breaking the contact, and Yang immediately snapped her eyes back open, worried that she had made a mistake. But Blake's eyebrows were still furrowed and her lids were half-closed, and she wasn't putting anymore distance between her face and Yang's. Their gazes met, so close to one another, hovering but for an instant before Yang touched her lips to Blake's again, even more lightly than before. She saw Blake close her eyes, and Yang did, too, when the raven-haired girl reciprocated tentatively, equally hesitant.
She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but the kiss was gentle and, more than knowing Blake wanted this, Yang wanted it above all, too. Blake's being another girl wasn't exactly a real problem at the moment, either – instead, Yang worried about Blake, her partner. Therefore, Yang pulled her companion a little closer, caressing warm skin with her thumb and finding a kind of relief in this proximity. Blake's lips were soft – it definitely felt different from kissing a guy – and Yang had to appreciate that, but she realized it was also disconcerting, enough that her initial confidence wavered. She attempted to sense cues from Blake instead, the svelte girl's lips lightly gripping Yang's upper one, and the blonde tilted her head just a bit for – hopefully – both their comfort's sake. Blake's hands returned to Yang's waist and one of them pushed the blonde's hips against hers while the other wandered up Yang's back, and the Faunus exhaled the breath she had taken earlier out through her nose, her lips releasing Yang's only to kiss them again with more fervency.
Yang didn't have to be a mind reader to know that Blake was already getting carried away. And Yang tried to reciprocate, allowing her fingers to wander through raven locks and following the slow, steady motion of Blake's lips on hers, but while kissing Blake wasn't totally unpleasant, Yang did need to breathe, and it was starting to feel kind of awkward. Blake, despite being soft, was also...very amorous. Surprisingly, though, just when Yang was about to pull away as gently as she could, Blake was the one who separated. She didn't put much distance between them, though, and when Yang opened her eyes and let herself breathe, she met a pair of mildly dazed golden irises. In fact, it dawned on Yang that Blake hadn't even been looking at anything until those amber eyes actually focused on her. Then Blake's expression became a bit stunned, and she opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but then closed it again.
The almost lack of space between their faces – and, really, the entire lack of space between their bodies – was beginning to make Yang sweat, but she made an effort to power through and ask just a little uncomfortably, "Uh…was that okay?"
Blake creased her eyebrows, and Yang clearly saw her glance down at her lips – an obvious sign of what she wanted, Yang noted with regret – but then the Faunus released her hold around Yang's back and allowed her to move away to a more manageable distance, much to the sociable girl's relief. "I… That was…"
Unfortunately, Blake seemed to be at a loss for words – just as Yang had been earlier, actually. The blonde did worry that she might have made a mistake, especially at first, but she wasn't confident enough to make any assumptions.
They had just kissed. On the lips. Because Yang had acted completely on the whim of immense gratitude and deep affection. And while extending the embrace for too long had made her feel awkward, it had otherwise been enjoyable, all things considered. Maybe? Disconcerting, but enjoyable. Yang had only ever kissed guys before, and her experience with the men she had dated had her used to forwardness and a bit of a rougher feel. Blake was gentle, felt soft, and instead of being forward…well, Yang couldn't quite put her finger on it. But it was different, whatever it was, and Yang had yet to figure out if she liked it or not. She also didn't know how to respond to it, which caused the uncertainty to begin with.
She was using that word a lot. Different.
But they had actually kissed. Yang had kissed Blake, another girl, for real.
Blake let out a sigh that verged on wistful. Their eyes met again, and she finally managed to say, "It was okay, yes. More than okay." There was a twinkle that had appeared in Blake's gaze, something that Yang was not used to seeing. Her tears were entirely gone and her face wasn't so red anymore. Even her cat ears stood more at attention on top of her head. "What about you? That was rather…sudden."
Yang looked down. She didn't know how to react to the tenderness in Blake's voice and the unadulterated adoration in her regard. They spoke novels about the sincerity and depth of the raven-haired girl's love. And all Yang had done was kiss her. It was as if the tiniest marks of affection made up for everything and gave Blake reason to be happy, and Yang was almost overwhelmed by that.
There was only one other time in her life when she had felt so cherished and important. And it hadn't been with Chase or any of her three other past exes.
"You did a lot for me, for the team, and even for Ruby," she murmured. But then Yang paused for a moment. With the series of events that had taken place in such a short period of time, Yang's heart had barely taken a break. She was kind of surprised she wasn't having a mini heart attack by now, her heart was beating so hard. Nevertheless, she raised her head to look at Blake again with more determination. "It never really hit me just how difficult it must have been for you, though. I took you for granted, Blake. And I'm sorry about that. But the kiss – that was the only way I could think to show you how happy I am for…well, for you. You mean a lot to me." Yang touched Blake's cheek again. "I wasn't there for you like I should have been, kitten, but seeing you cry hurts more than I can describe. Don't be afraid to talk to me when things are tough. I promise I can take it."
A small smile graced Blake's lips. "You mean a lot to me as well. And if anything, I'm sorry I left. It was…just a lot to deal with all in one moment. I didn't mean to worry you. How's Ruby?"
With the topic of the conversation returning to her baby sister, Yang experienced a rush of giddiness again, albeit a little more muted than the first time. "She's still sleeping. But she's okay. Weiss says we have to work on our teamwork."
Blake nodded. "We do. We'll get there." She hesitated, thinking. "But for now it might be smart to get out of the bathroom."
Yang's eyes widened and she glanced around, remembering that they were, indeed, still in the women's bathroom. Crying and kissing and generally doing exactly what couples did when left unsupervised. Yang let out an awkward chuckle. "I mean, you're not wrong." She followed this by opening the door and motioning for Blake to go out first. Once they were both out into the hallway, they took a moment to get their brains into a different mindset.
Yang passed her hand through her hair, but it was Blake who spoke first. "We should probably go find that doctor and ask him for those details we didn't let him give us earlier."
This caused Yang to frown. She knew they had to, of course, but… "If he wasn't the reason Ruby's condition got stabilized, I'd punch him. He made me think Ruby had died."
Mild amusement crossed Blake's regard. "I know. He didn't handle that announcement very well. I can do the talking, if you'd prefer."
Yang slowly shook her head and sighed, shoulders drooping a bit. "No, you've done a lot already. I'll behave."
Blake was silent for a heartbeat, and then she unexpectedly said, "I love you, Yang."
The blonde met Blake's sincere golden gaze, slightly caught by surprise, but then felt herself genuinely smiling in response. Ruby was out of the coma, Blake seemed to be feeling better, and Yang was still riding the high of recent positive emotions. Her family was going to be okay, her team was reunited, she hadn't been abandoned, and Yang was bathing in relief. She felt energized and ready to take on the world, and although she knew she'd probably crash pretty hard when the evening came around, at least she could enjoy the feeling for the time it lasted.
And maybe it would last for a few days, if she remained optimistic. With Blake by her side, it could turn out to be a piece of cake.
[INSERT SCENE SPOOF ABOUT BLAKE HAVING MESSY, GRUESOME PERIOD ISSUES IN THE BATHROOM HERE. I'M A GIRL SO I'M ALLOWED TO MAKE THAT JOKE. HAHA.]
Hey. Hi. Yo. It happened, guys. They kissed. Did you like it? YOU'RE A PERV IF YOU DID. I'm kidding – you're all great and I'd love to know what you thought. XD
The reason I spared Ruby is because her actual death would have caused unnecessary, unsupported angst and drama. I've already established that Yang was learning to live without Ruby and allowing herself to lean on Blake when things get tough – which means that if Ruby had died, there would have been a lot of grieving for a bit, but both Yang and Blake would have pulled through. All Ruby's death would have done is force even more time to pass before our young couple could focus on each other romantically – and this story really doesn't need that, especially since it has already put the characters through their required paces. By all means, though, I'm open to discussion. ^-^
Stay tuned for the next chapter!