Chapter Eighteen: Every Moment
Written by: JayEmEl
Edited by: Cowjump
Beta reader: Warwolf
NOTE: The last scene was originally not planned and I just added it over the course of the two days before posting – a whole extra 3,000 words. Thanks goes to RobinxRaven writer and writer of things here for the inspiration.
Enjoy!
"Here you go, darling."
"Thanks!" Yang beamed at the cashier as he handed her a cup holder with three cups of ice cream on it. She took the holder and then quickly inspected the cups, ensuring they contained the correct flavors, and once satisfied, Yang pivoted to search her surroundings.
The sun was really bright in the sky today, and the air was hot. Even the slight breeze was warm, too, and this temperature definitely warranted cold treats. There were several wooden tables in the park next to the ice cream shop, some under the shade of tall, deciduous trees further off and others right there on the sun-beaten pavement. The grass was verdant and recently mowed, sometimes interrupted by patches of wild flowers as well as a dirt path that curved around towards the children's playground. There were a few seagulls hanging out in close proximity to the shop, one of them seemingly staring right at Yang, all of the birds clearly hoping to get treats, too.
Yang's smile persisted, and it widened a bit when she found what – or rather, who – she was looking for. She started walking towards one of the tables under the shade of the trees, where three individuals were bickering together – well, two of them were bickering. The third was gazing on and shaking her head. But it was the picture of normalcy, and, if anything, it made Yang want to smile even more.
"But it's my symbol, Weiss! It would have looked so cool!"
"It would have looked like unnecessary and frequent maintenance! You don't even like going to the hairdresser."
"Yeah, but… Well, it could have been a simplified version of it, then!"
"You're missing the point. I think what you got does just fine and suits you well."
Ruby and Weiss were still discussing the younger girl's new haircut, it seemed. Along with Blake and Yang, they had just come from the salon and, as predicted, almost had to drag Ruby to her appointment. She had been pouting for the entire duration of it, too, and it had only been with the promise of going out for ice cream afterwards that Ruby had cheered up. If it hadn't been for the scar and reminder of why Ruby was getting her hair cut in the first place, Yang might have laughed the whole time – Ruby acting like she was being mistreated, when she absolutely was not, was one of the funniest and cutest shows ever. But, as it was, Yang could do no more than smile.
She hadn't quite forgotten what it had felt like to lose Ruby – and she probably never would. As happy as Yang was to have her baby sister back, she knew the experience had scarred her, too. Grief lingered, buried somewhere in the darkest recesses of her heart, right along with her other insecurities about being abandoned. These fears may not rise to the surface often, but they were there, waiting at the back of her mind.
But Ruby was back on her feet now, and she looked good and healthy again. And Yang would do her very best to focus on that. Further, as much as Weiss had fussed over and rejected any hair styles the rest of the team had suggested, Yang had to give the heiress credit – the final decision did indeed suit Ruby very well. It was a variation on her original haircut – the longer side remained approximately the same length, reaching past her jaw, while the other side was mostly shaved close to her skull. It looked like not much had changed, but the new style gave Ruby a bit more of a mature edge.
She looked…well, she looked seventeen now. She wasn't that cute kid Yang could read bedtime stories to every night anymore. Things had changed so fast – and they could have ended far too prematurely.
It was weird for Yang, being in a position where she recognized she had to start treating Ruby like an adult, yet knowing Ruby was just still so young and vulnerable. It was even harder to quell Yang's protective nature after the recent trauma.
Fortunately, Yang wasn't left to fend for herself – she knew that now.
For the moment, she was surprised that Ruby was trying to discuss having her symbol on the side of her head. Yang thought about saying something as she got closer to the table –something that probably would have been a pun – but then she caught Blake watching her, and any witty comments seemed to dissolve in a wisp of smoke. Instead, the blonde felt her amused smile relax into something more tender, mirroring the affection now glowing in pools of shimmering gold. As she came to a slow stop, Yang watched the shadows and light dance across Blake's olive skin, little tiger stripes and leopard spots that moved with the wind and the leaves above, tendrils of raven hair gently fluttering across a simultaneously soft and sharp face.
"Hey," Blake greeted her quietly, and it was only then that Yang realized Weiss and Ruby had stopped talking, being that she heard her partner's voice without distraction.
But the sight of Blake was like a balm on tightly-strung nerves, a safe haven from which Yang could draw strength and comfort. Suddenly, the weight on Yang's shoulders was less heavy, and the world seemed just a little brighter and more colorful. Indeed, she didn't have to bear her feelings alone anymore. Blake was there.
Her friends were there, too, obviously, but Blake was...just the most prevalent presence – the safer one.
Yang recovered rapidly from her daze, though, before the silence became awkward, and said, "Hey!" She beamed and handed one of the cups to Ruby, adding, "Cookie dough and triple chocolate for you," and handed a second cup to Blake accompanied by, "gourmet vanilla for you," before taking the third cup and ending with, "and butterscotch and strawberry for me." Yang paused for effect, knowing that they were all wondering why the fourth member of their party had not received any ice cream. When all eyes started turning to Weiss, Yang then joked, "Oh, sorry, Weiss. I forgot your cup of sand back there. Lemme just go get that…"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Very funny. You don't know what flavor I like, do you?"
Yang opened her mouth to retort, but it was Blake who murmured with an amused smile, "That implies she knew my own favorite flavor, but I never told her…"
"You like the way I smell, and I smell like vanilla, so I sure hope that means you like vanilla ice cream."
"TMI, Yang! Ewww," Ruby wrinkled her nose.
Yang plopped down next to Blake, their shoulders brushing, putting on an offended expression. "First of all, that's not what I meant and that's not how you make inappropriate insinuations. Second of all," she narrowed her eyes at her sister, "Ruby Rose, don't even get near the gutter. That's my place."
Before anyone could protest or agree, Weiss grumbled, "Here's an idea: let's all stop talking about the gutter and move on to more productive conversations." She gave Yang a pointed stare. "And just so you know for next time, I like cappuccino."
Lilac eyes glanced towards Blake, who merely shrugged with an entertained golden twinkle. Yang's lips twitched upwards in response. She returned to Weiss. "I can go back to get you some if you'd like. For real."
Weiss slowly shook her head. "No, thank you. Ice cream isn't even healthy."
"It's not like we have it all the time," Ruby pointed out. "I mean, once every week or two won't kill us."
"No, but your recklessness will."
Both Ruby and Yang stared at Weiss, who stared levelly back. That was certainly one way of addressing the giant elephant in the room – or park, or whatever – an incorrect way, but a way nevertheless. Yang's leg started to jitter under the table.
"We're all working on that." Blake intervened before the situation escalated, gently placing a discreet and calming hand on Yang's thigh. "It's not going to happen again. Let's just enjoy ourselves for now."
"Blake's right," Ruby agreed, determined but peppy as she put a finger up. "Let's enjoy ourselves. What should we do after this?"
Yang sighed shortly, letting go of the tension and giving Blake another appreciative look. The Faunus beamed proudly with her eyes and then presented Yang with a spoonful of her own ice cream. Amused now, and deciding to take advantage of the too-easy opportunity, Yang opened her mouth and approached to close her lips around the spoon slowly, keeping direct and piercing eye-contact with Blake, who quickly started coloring red. "Mmm," Yang purposely moaned, continuing in a husk, "Blake, it's so good..."
The hand on Yang's thigh suddenly tightened – a lot – and Yang almost spluttered the ice cream out, she tried so hard not to laugh. That actually tickled, and crimson was a really funny shade on Blake, especially with her eyes wide and her expression so flustered like that.
"Why do you do this?" Blake mumbled, letting Yang get the ice cream off the spoon before turning away in embarrassment, loosening her grip on the blonde's thigh again.
Yang swallowed and grinned hugely. "Because you're adorable and I'm a sadist." She winked and then returned her attention to Ruby and Weiss, smirking at their respective obliviousness and exasperation. Without missing a beat, she asked, "You know what I've always wanted to try?"
"It better have nothing to do with what you just did," Weiss muttered. "You're depraved."
"Nope to both of those things!"
"Whatever."
There was a pause. Yang glanced between the three girls, who were now waiting for her to continue. Her smile widened. The silence persisted.
"Well, are you going to say it?" Weiss puffed, eyes wide.
Ruby giggled.
Yang took a spoonful of her ice-cream, amused gaze traveling to the sky as if searching for the answer to Weiss' question. She took the time to swallow before speaking. "You know that thing where you try to escape a room and it's like a puzzle? What's it called?"
"An escape room?" Blake volunteered, still trying to recover from her previous embarrassment.
Yang looked at her, seeing the questioning expression on her partner's face, devoid of any hesitance or lingering darkness, and the blonde grinned. "Yeah! That! You're the best, Blake."
"I didn't do anything."
"Yeah, you did."
"You said the words yourself, Yang."
Yang had already opened her mouth, ready to retort, but she realized that Blake had a point. The brawler closed her mouth and narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend. "Fine. But you're still the best."
"Oh, spare us," Weiss suddenly groaned, pulling everyone's attention. "You need to stop with all the flirting. What's Blake's hand even doing under there?"
"You're just jealous," Yang rebutted, but she shared a happy glance with Blake, who mysteriously reddened yet again and took her hand off Yang's thigh. The social girl tried – also, yet again – not to laugh. "Maybe one day, Weiss, you'll have a special someone, too, who will get you through the tough spots and lift you even higher in the good spots. Unfortunately, you might be old and wrinkly by that time. And, you know, your hips might break."
Ruby snorted.
Weiss gave her partner and Yang a weird look, somewhere between confusion and a scowl. "While your comment was completely uncalled for, it was also oddly poetic."
Yang caught Ruby giving her a funny look, too. The younger girl sniggered. "Blake makes Yang's heart sing."
"What does that mean?" Yang shook her head. "Anyway, so how about we try an escape room?"
"I'd be up for it!" Ruby immediately agreed, her comment forgotten in a heartbeat. "Sounds like fun!"
Weiss seemed to give the suggestion some thought, eyebrows creased, but then she said, "For once, I think your idea isn't completely demented. Figuring out an escape room together would help our teamwork. I think we should do it."
Yang snickered. "Ohh, high-praise from the Schnee heiress. Why do you gotta make it sound like work? We're on vacation!"
"I'm not saying it's work," Weiss argued, but her tone was much less confrontational. In fact, she made her voice a little softer when she added, "But after what happened, I think we should be more aware of our cohesiveness as a unit and build on actively helping each other."
She was right. Of course she was. But Yang didn't enjoy thinking back on that terrible night. Nevertheless, Weiss had a point.
Ruby seemed to nod sagely to this in support of her partner. "We'll do it. Someone wanna look up where it's located?"
"I have the address here already," Blake suddenly provided. She had her scroll in her hands, and her golden eyes looked to Ruby as if searching for further instructions.
"Great! Thanks, Blake. Is it very far from here?"
Blake scanned Vale's map for a moment, and then she said, "It's walkable – should only take us twenty minutes or so."
"Should we go now? And eat our ice cream on the way there?" Yang wondered, taking another spoonful of her own ice cream.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Ruby chirped, and Blake nodded.
This seemed to settle the decision. With the discreet sound of their wooden benches creaking, all four girls began to get up from the picnic table, cold treats in hand – except Weiss – and, together, they left the shade of the trees.
Yang immediately fell into step next to Blake behind Weiss and Ruby, and if it hadn't been for the snacks they were both holding, she would have reached for the Faunus' hand. But, as it was, they only shared a tender glance and bumped shoulders. Yang grinned.
Team RWBY was in jail. With the rusted bars and the cracked, stained concrete and the stale air and the dim lighting. The metal entry door had been closed heavily and locked behind them, and Team RWBY now only had about eight feet of walking space each way within the cell. There was even water dripping annoyingly into a puddle somewhere, and a pair of chains and shackles hung from the wall.
Honestly, it looked a lot more like a medieval dungeon than a real-life prison. And it was just as creepy.
"This is lovely," Blake commented as her golden eyes took in her surroundings attentively, voice resonating a bit, but her tone made it hard to guess if she was being sincere or sarcastic.
Weiss had stayed by the wall, and she touched her finger to it with a grimace. It looked damp. "They even made this place dirty." She rubbed her fingers together, trying to get rid of the grime that had stuck there.
Ruby had wandered to the bars, and she was holding two of them, head sticking out to look around. There was an old wooden table and chair in the far corner on the other side. "I think this is really cool," she chirped.
A thought suddenly occurred to Yang between these various opinions and observations – a completely dumb and inaccurate thought, but she had to say it anyway. With a bit of a smirk, she said, "Heh. I'm my mom."
Surprisingly, Blake actually clamped her hand over her mouth, trying to suppress a snort. "Yang, that's terrible. "
This made Yang start laughing. "Sorry, couldn't help it."
"Ohhh, I get it." Ruby turned away from the bars. "'Cause Yang's mom is a criminal!" She snickered.
"Is this how you would act if you were really in jail?" Weiss suddenly asked, disbelieving. "We're supposed to get out of here. I'm already feeling claustrophobic."
"Chill out, Weiss. This is also supposed to be fun. Do you really want us to role-play?" Yang motioned towards the shackles on the wall and then gave Blake a mischievous side-eye, "Because Blake and I could get right down to business with those, if you'd prefer."
Blake covered her face and choked.
Weiss crossed her arms. Her scowl, however, moved away from Yang and relaxed on Blake when the Faunus, apparently desperate to change the subject, walked towards the far-left wall with an intense look on her face, gaze refusing to meet Yang's. Yang watched in amusement as she stopped in front of the hazy, distorted mirror that hung there.
"Did you find something, Blake?" Ruby wondered curiously, walking over as well.
"Um, I think so," the reserved girl mumbled. "There's something carved into this."
Yang and Weiss approached, too, intrigue replacing hilarity. Blake was right. The mirror had something written into it, but it was faint and hard to make out. It would probably have taken the girls longer to find if it hadn't been for Blake's sharp vision – and her extremely keen attempt at finding something – anything – else to talk about. Still, Yang was impressed.
"'If quick escape is what you seek,'" Blake murmured, reading the inscription, "'then look within, and looketh deep, for courage, strength, and self-deceit are nothing to one's self-receipt.'"
Immediately, Yang suggested, "Maybe there's something behind the mirror?" It seemed kind of obvious, but it was still a possibility.
Blake, who was the one standing directly in front of the mirror, reached out and tentatively tried to remove it from the wall. It didn't budge. She tried sliding it from side to side, but that didn't work, either.
"...Maybe we have to smash it?"
"We're not smashing the mirror, Yang," Weiss retorted.
"One day."
The girls all backed away for a moment. Yang glanced outside the cell, and suggested again, "Maybe there are keys we're supposed to try and get from the table out there somewhere?"
"Maybe. But how do we even get out there?" Ruby creased her eyebrows.
Implacably logical as ever, Blake pointed out, "We wouldn't need the keys anyway if we got out there."
"Oh." Both Ruby and Yang deflated. "Right."
"It says we have to look deep if we want to escape quickly. Maybe it means look deep within ourselves?" Weiss didn't sound so sure of herself, though.
"You mean like coming up with a reason why we were supposedly put in jail?"
This made Blake and Weiss start discussing options together. Yang and Ruby distanced themselves a little, beginning to survey the walls inside the cell in search of some kind of clue. They looked pretty barren and generally just gross and old and, well, clueless. And kind of smelly, too, if Yang was being honest. She wrinkled her nose as an intrusive joke about elderly people trotted across her mind.
"What if we're in here to contemplate the fleetingness of life?" Yang murmured, mostly to herself and with a small smile on her lips.
Weiss interrupted her conversation with Blake to snipe, "Deep. Never wax philosophical again."
If she only knew where that comment had even come from. Yang glanced over at them and immediately found Blake's laughing gaze, which made the blonde's smile broaden in affection. She winked.
"Hey, I think there's something here," Ruby suddenly announced from one of the corners of the cell.
Everyone's attention switched to the younger girl. She was crouched kind of low, and moved to the side to let the others see what she had found. It was a hole in the cracked wall, fake cobwebs in front of it, and it looked large enough to fit a hand into.
Team RWBY stared at it for a moment, until the silence was interrupted by Yang with, "So...who wants to stick their fingers in the dirty hole?"
"For God's sake, Yang!" Weiss exclaimed. "Blake, do something about your girlfriend."
But Blake was too busy covering her face again and shaking her head. "I have no control over her," she mumbled. And then she added even more quietly, "...She only has control over me."
"Um?" Ruby blinked at them, blissfully ignorant of the joke being addressed. "I'm just gonna..." She tentatively reached into the hole, parting the cobwebs, and only a second later, quickly retracted her hand, "Ew! Ewww!"
"What? What's wrong?"
"There's like...worms in there or something!"
Yang opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, it was covered over by Blake's hand. Amused lilac met mortified golden.
"Don't."
Yang raised her eyebrows and, like last time this happened, gave Blake's palm a fast lick.
The Faunus was quick to pull away and wipe her hand on her clothes, embarrassment and disbelief written all over her face. "Would you stop doing that?"
"You love me."
Blake sighed deeply, giving up.
Yang grinned and pecked her partner on the cheek before sidling up to Ruby. "Here, I'll try." The brawler stuck her hand into the hole and started carefully feeling around. Her fingers rapidly came in contact with these small, long, wet...things, but they didn't seem to be writhing. If they were indeed worms, they must have been dead. Yang frowned but powered through her own mild disgust and kept patting around the hole, searching for something useful. Only a moment later, her fingers curled around a lever of sorts. She tried pulling it, and it gave, but nothing seemed to happen.
The girls stared at each other for another moment, waiting, but when nothing continued to happen, Yang retracted her hand. There was a pale yellow, wriggly thing hanging off her index, and she suddenly started laughing. "Ruby, these aren't worms! They're spaghetti noodles."
"That's still gross. Did you actually find anything?" Weiss asked, cynical.
"Yeah. There's a lever at the back. I pulled it, but..." Yang motioned at their surroundings, shaking the noodle off her finger at the same time. "As you can see, it did diddly squat."
Ruby squinted. "Do you think the room is broken? I mean, one of the bars over there is even loose."
Weiss threw her hands up. "One of the bars is loose? Ruby, why didn't you say so?"
"I mean, I just did..."
Weiss marched over to the two bars Ruby had been previously holding and looking through, and gripped them to see which one it was. The left one made a bit of a clanking noise when jolted, so Weiss focused on it. However, no matter how much she appeared to pull or push or haul, the bar remained in place.
"Wait, lemme try," Ruby offered, walking over. Weiss stepped back, and Ruby examined the bar more closely. She took it with one hand and shook it a bit, and then stared up at the top for second before looking down at the bottom. "Oh. I see." Ruby crouched and then pulled at the bottom of the bar with both hands before pushing it towards the left, and pulling once more. This time, it actually worked and Ruby was able to start lifting it up.
But it only went so far. Just as the group began believing they had found a way out of the cell, the bar was once again stuck just a few inches upwards. Ruby tried yanking and twisting it, but it didn't budge.
"Guys, it doesn't go any further than that. And we still can't fit through." Ruby looked back at the girls with disappointment, letting the bar go.
"This can't be that hard," Weiss muttered, disgruntled as she crossed her arms. "We are four intelligent huntresses in training. This should be easy."
Yang put her hands on her hips, trying to think, and watched curiously as Blake made her way back over to the mirror. The bookworm's eyes scanned over the script, her lips soundlessly forming the words. She creased her eyebrows.
"Hey...Blake? Remember when I said we should smash the mirror?"
Blake raised an interrogating eyebrow at Yang, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards. "Yes?"
"Try pushing it like a button instead?"
Blake's other eyebrow joined the second in realization, and she placed her palm on the mirror's surface before pushing. It worked seamlessly. The mirror nudged into the wall, and there was a metallic scratching noise by the bars of the cell.
The girls turned and watched as one of the bricks moved to the side, revealing a panel with a numeric dial pad on it.
"Good job, Yang," Blake sent over, sounding impressed.
Yang beamed.
"I don't understand," Weiss eventually commented. "Why give us this but also give us a lever and a loose bar? I don't see the connection. How are we supposed to get the code?"
There was another silence. Weiss had a point. It was all very nice to feel like they were finally getting somewhere, but without a code, they were still exactly where they had first started.
Ruby raised a finger. "Um..." Her shoulders drooped. "I have nothing."
But Blake's cat ears suddenly perked up. She returned to the mirror once more and read, "'Courage, strength, and self-deceit are nothing to one's self-receipt.' Weiss, I think you're onto something. I don't think we need the lever or the loose bar at all!" Animated with a charming kind of glee at believing she had solved the mystery, Blake fumbled as she searched her pockets for something.
"Blake, what are you saying?" Ruby wondered, beginning to be excited, too, even if she didn't quite know why Blake was.
"I'm saying that 'self-receipt' is not a thing, but receipts by themselves definitely are."
"Wait, you mean you think the answer has been on the receipt all this time?" Ruby rushed over to the quieter girl just as Blake managed to pull the receipt out of her pocket and carefully unfurl it.
"That...actually makes a lot of sense," Weiss admitted, sounding somewhat relieved.
Yang snickered. "What, you're surprised that Blake figured out a riddle? Which of us does the most reading again?"
Weiss wasn't given the chance to reply. "It's here," Blake said, a triumphant smile on her face. "There's a random number at the bottom."
"Yay! We're free!" Ruby hopped and punched the air.
"Not so fast, speedy. We're not out yet." Yang affectionately ruffled her sister's hair. Always so optimistic.
Weiss huffed impatiently. "Just give me the code, Blake. I'm ready to put it in."
Blake recited the numbers to the heiress – there were just five of them – and when the final digit was punched in...nothing happened. Again. Team RWBY exchanged looks ranging from exasperated to confused.
"Is there another number on the receipt?" Yang wondered.
"Or maybe Blake didn't solve the riddle, after all?" Weiss suggested.
"No, hang on," Blake interrupted any further input, a frustrated crease between her eyebrows. "I know what's wrong. Yang, go push the lever back. Ruby, put the bar back how it was." Her tone was serious, like she needed this to be right for some reason.
Yang found that she didn't like seeing that desperation on Blake, something in her chest tightening, and was prompt to try and be reassuring. "Hey, don't sweat it, kitten. I'll go put all my fingers in the hole again."
"I swear to God, Yang." Blake's face reddened with a flustered blush. The tension in her posture seemed to vanish, though, and this was what made Yang grin. "What has gotten into you, anyway? You're even more inappropriate than usual."
While Yang reached into the wet noodle-infested hole to push the lever back, she replied lightly, "I'm in a good mood, in good company, and my girlfriend is adorable. Why wouldn't I be super inappropriate?"
"Here's a reason," Weiss glared at the prankster. "Maybe your so-called 'good company' doesn't mind disowning you for your behavior."
Yang smirked and shot back, "Not everything is about your company, Weiss."
"Ugh, whatever."
Yang wiped her hands on her jeans, satisfied, and called out to Ruby, "You good over there, kiddo?"
Ruby bounced up to her feet. "Yup! We're good. Weiss, try the code again."
The heiress didn't even need Blake to repeat the combination. Weiss' fingers flew across the dial pad, and – lo and behold – there was a heavy click and the door to Team RWBY's cell swung open with a long creaking noise.
"Blake, you're a genius!" Ruby exclaimed joyfully, making her way out right away, followed by Weiss.
Overcome with pride and affection for her girlfriend, Yang wrapped an arm around Blake's waist, using her other hand to gently turn the Faunus' head closer and lay a soft kiss on her cheek, near her lips. And then Yang grinned at Blake's growing blush and murmured, "I think that deserves a reward later."
Blake narrowed her eyes, searching Yang's gaze, and challenged in a low voice, "Don't make promises you aren't prepared to keep."
Yang pulled away, chuckling in surprise. "Okay, okay. You got me." It was funny because Blake was learning to retaliate, and like her combat style, her strikes were precise and merciless. But the discreet, mischievous smile curving the bookworm's mouth made Yang's heart suddenly feel like it had blown up three times its size in her chest. Her grin became stupidly large, but she didn't care. She followed Blake out, a bit of a bounce to her gait, and wondered why that made her so giddy.
There wasn't much time to really think on it, though. Team RWBY walked in the only direction they could – that is to say, down the short corridor that led into a fairly vast, dome-like room where the ceiling was supported by three large columns in the center. They paused as they took in the rest of the chamber.
Placed horizontally in the middle of the three columns was a five-spoked wheel that reminded Yang of an old pirate ship's rudder control. Three of the spokes were tied by chains that extended to the columns, where they were tied and secured by padlocks. The chamber had four other arches along the walls that looked like they led to similar cells Team RWBY had just escaped, but one of these – the one across the dome room from them – had a darkly dressed warden standing guard with a spear in one hand.
Yang stared at him, but he was very still. And then he suddenly nodded his head three times. And then he was very still again.
"I don't think that's a real person," Weiss informed the group. "Animatronic, probably."
"Creepy," Ruby commented. "So...what do we do?"
The girls looked around, trying to find a clue, and Blake spotted it first on the wall beside them. It was a piece of parchment hanging there, and Blake approached to read the words inscribed on it. "'Thrice and thrice and thrice again, the weary warden nods his head. Unbound, no chains to impede your gain, be swift, be silent. Pull out thine lead!'"
"Uhhhhhh sounds like Blake's gonna have to do something," Yang snickered. "Swift and silent is her thing."
Blake rolled her eyes.
"You might not be wrong, Yang," Ruby suddenly said thoughtfully, rubbing her beardless chin. "The warden has a set of keys. I bet we need those."
All eyes turned to Blake.
She squinted back. "Really?" But when smiles were all she got in response, Blake sighed. "Fine... I'll go steal the keys from the fake, only-nodding person."
"Careful," Weiss warned. "I doubt the nodding would be important if there weren't consequences for not being swift and silent."
Blake acknowledged this with a movement of her head, and was about to make her way over to the warden, but Yang grabbed her hand. She gave her girlfriend a wide, innocent look. "Blake, whatever happens, I just want you to know that..." Struggling to keep a straight face, Yang took a long, pained breath in. She began to speak, then stopped, regaining whatever composure she had falsely lost, and Blake, now looking almost concerned, made it so hard for Yang to keep up the act.
"Yang?"
The blonde barely managed, "I just want you to know that I will sing songs of the bravery you've shown today."
Any tension that had formed in Blake's expression dissolved, and she shook Yang's hand away while the prankster started laughing. "Cry me a river. Anyway, here I go."
Yang wiped her eyes and affectionately watched her partner leap into action. The Faunus took a few quick steps and hopped onto one of the pillars, easily bouncing off it to land on the other side of the chain on her hands, and then propelling herself over the next chain, back arching in the air, and noiselessly finding the floor again in a low crouch.
It was always super cool to watch Blake execute aerobatics like that. She was so graceful and light on her feet, and Yang had to definitely admire that kind of agility.
And she's allll mine, too. Without a doubt, Yang was filled with joy and pride to have this girl in her life.
The blonde continued to watch as Blake approached the warden carefully, pausing and staying as still as a statue every time he started nodding. There were probably sensors that activated when that happened. Probably. Or maybe it was just part of the game. Either way, Blake was doing amazing. The warden stopped nodding one final time, and Blake grabbed the keys from his hip before quickly making her way back to her team, much faster this time.
She wasn't even out of breath when she reached the girls.
"Whoo! You go, Blake. That was awesome," Ruby cheered.
"What took you so long getting to the warden?" Weiss asked, confused.
Blake glanced back towards the animatronic. "Sensors. And a locking mechanism on the keys every time it nods. I had to be more careful."
Yang had been right. It was a pretty impressive system, though, and made the escape room experience much more interesting. "So, we got the keys. Let's hope they unlock those padlocks."
Ruby put a finger up. "Team RWBY, to your stations! Blake, take one padlock. Weiss, the second one, and I'll take the third. Yang, you get ready to turn the wheel."
The girls didn't ask any questions. It was the next most logical step to make, after all. Yang positioned herself near the wheel while Blake used the keys to break one of the chains free. She then tossed the keys to Weiss, who did the same with the second padlock, and threw the keys to Ruby, who did the same with the third. After all the chains were undone, Yang grabbed one of the spokes and tried pushing the wheel.
It didn't budge.
She frowned and tried pushing in the other direction. There was a bit of give, but no matter how hard she tried, it was barely turning. "Uh, a bit of help here, guys."
"I thought you were supposed to be as strong as a horse, Yang," Weiss gibed, coming over with Ruby and Blake.
"Um, I'd like to see you try moving this at all on your own."
"...Fine, you're right."
All four girls grabbed a spoke, and then on the count of three, they began pushing together. The wheel turned much more easily this time, the loose chains dragging on the floor, but after making three complete circles, the wheel stopped having any give and the girls were forced to back away.
They looked around, trying to see if anything in the chamber had changed, but like in the previous room, their efforts seemed to have yielded no results.
"I don't get it. The steps were pretty straightforward. Steal the keys, use them to unlock the chains, and then turn the wheel. Why isn't it working?" Ruby creased her eyebrows, confused.
"Let's hear what the clue has to say again, then," Weiss suggested.
Blake began walking over to the wall where the parchment was located. She was halfway there when there was a groaning noise. Team RWBY pivoted towards the source, and watched as the wheel slowly rotated back into its original place.
"Huh." Yang squinted at it. "Rude."
Ruby giggled.
Blake came back to them with the piece of parchment in her hands. "'Thrice and thrice and thrice again, the weary warden nods his head. Unbound, no chains to impede your gain, be swift, be silent. Pull out thine lead!'. We've done every part of this. I don't understand it, either."
Yang was as stumped as the others were. She frowned, trying to think, wondering how they were supposed to solve this if even Blake, the master of riddles, herself, couldn't come up with a solution.
"The expression," Weiss suddenly said. The girls switched their gazes to her expectantly. "That's not how the expression goes. It's not 'pull out thine lead.' It's 'get the lead out.'"
"She's right," Blake affirmed, but the Faunus still appeared conflicted, trying to figure something else out.
"Okay, cool stuff, but how does that help?" Ruby wondered, following the same train of thought as Blake.
Realization dawned on Yang. "The spokes," she said. "I bet they come out. We didn't do every part of the riddle yet. We gotta turn the wheel again and then take the spokes out."
"Yang, you're also a genius!"
"Hey, couldn't have done it without the ice queen over there."
Weiss sighed. "Don't call me that. Let's see if this even works."
The girls once again got into position, using their combined strength to rotate the wheel in three full circles. Ruby then said, "Okay, quick, before it turns back."
Yang tried tugging on the spoke she was holding. It wriggled, and with a bit more coaxing, she was able to pull it out of its hole. "Gee, what is it with this place and things in holes?"
"Dear God, Yang," Blake muttered, successfully yanking her own spoke from the wheel. She shook her head, and Yang grinned.
The brawler took hold of the fifth spoke while Ruby and Weiss finished with theirs, and declared, "Alright, are we ready for this?"
"Yang, just do it. Fast," Weiss grumbled.
Yang stuck her tongue out at the heiress and then jerked the spoke out of the hole.
This time, something happened. They saw the animatronic warden step to the side, revealing a door that swung open and, surprise-surprise, revealed the arcade the escape room was linked to.
They had done it. They were out. They had escaped.
"Woohoo!" Ruby raced towards the exit, calling out, "I'm so getting T-shirts!"
Yang proudly looked towards Blake and Weiss. "Go, team. Ammirite?"
Weiss actually smiled. "We did a good job, yes." She nodded towards the exit. "I'm going to go make sure she doesn't do anything foolish." Weiss then strode out of the chamber.
Left alone, Yang and Blake paused, not quite ready to leave the room just yet. "Did you like this?" Yang asked, taking a step closer to her girlfriend. She knew she definitely had. It was an activity worth repeating, once the room developers came up with a different theme later on.
Blake's eyes twinkled. "I did. It really felt like we had stepped out of present-day Remnant for a while there."
Yang beamed. "Except for that dial pad in the first room, though. Maybe it was like a sci-fi fantasy thing. But yeah, it was pretty great." She paused. "You were pretty great."
Blake ducked her head a little. "It wasn't anything special."
"Aw, Blakey. Sure it was." Yang outstretched her hand, and Blake took it without hesitation. "We should go before they kick us out."
Blake looked up at the blonde, and Yang gave her a conspiring wink. She pulled on her partner's hand a bit, and both girls started heading towards the exit. Before they reached it, though, Blake tentatively asked, "Yang? May I...kiss you?"
Oh. Nerves made tension form in Yang's stomach, but, ultimately, it was just because Yang wasn't used to it yet. Also, they were in public. This mark of affection wasn't something that came naturally to Yang with Blake, so of course it would be awkward for while, having to ask for permission when the desire arose. But Yang turned towards Blake, trying to give her partner an encouraging smile. "Okay, but just a little kiss."
This seemed to give Blake a moment of uncertainty. "If you would rather not right now..."
It was Yang's turn to slowly shake her head, but she kept her gaze open and sincere. She did want to. Maybe not out of desire or longing, not in the same way Blake did, but Yang was finding that kissing Blake was actually maybe enjoyable. And Yang wanted to learn to really like it. More than any of that, though, Yang wanted Blake to be happy. That was the most important thing to her. "I do, kitten. But I'm not ready to make out in public just yet."
Blake's face reddened. "That's not..." she sighed, "...what I meant. Okay, just a little kiss." Despite being obviously flustered, the raven-haired girl stepped closer to her girlfriend and tilted her head up to lay her lips gently on Yang's, fingers on the brawler's shoulder. The blonde's hands found Blake's hips immediately, but the kiss was over before any awkwardness could be felt. It had just been a warm touch, a soft token of love, and even though it hadn't lasted long enough to be amorous, Yang still felt strangely out of sorts. Like...really happy, like Blake managed to make her feel incredibly cared about with that one small action.
"That was a very little kiss," Yang stated, unable to keep the corners of her mouth from curving upwards while still holding Blake by the hips.
"You told me a little kiss. So, I gave you a little kiss."
"But it was so little."
"Are you complaining?"
Yang laughed and took both of Blake's hands, guiding her out of the escape room chamber and towards Weiss and Ruby at the counter where they were purchasing T-shirts. "It was a very nice little kiss."
Blake blushed, but the glint in her golden irises spoke novels about how glad she was about that. And Yang was equally affected. Almost giddily so. They were progressing. They were working.
And their day wasn't over just yet, either. Team RWBY would finish buying the T-shirts, have fun trying them on in the girl's bathroom, and then spend the rest of the afternoon playing games at the arcade. Weiss had to go back to Beacon after that to take care of some work, but Yang, Ruby, and Blake would visit Taiyang on Patch for supper, spend the evening there, and then join Weiss at Beacon for the night.
Yang had a difficult time remembering a happier moment in her life.
"Alright, fam. Whose turn is it to help with the dishes?"
Both Ruby and Yang groaned, but then Ruby giggled and said, "Dad, it's been, like, months since we last did the dishes together."
Taiyang, from his position near the sink, motioned as if to object, but then he seemed to have an even better idea because he declared, "Well, that just means everyone needs to do them together! You, too, Blake!"
They had finished eating not too long ago – Taiyang had grilled up steak and potatoes on the barbeque and Blake had offered to help Yang make a quick salad when they had arrived with Ruby, who had taken it upon herself to set the table outside. It had been a group effort, music playing on the stereo meanwhile, and since the sun had still been nice and bright, they had eaten on the porch.
Yang had to admit to being in a really great mood. The music, the chatter with her family, having Blake around, spending time outside... This all reminded her of when Summer had still been alive and the happy memories Yang associated with that time of her life. It was nostalgic, but Yang felt optimistic and generally...content. That was right word.
She liked being out in the sun, especially this late in the day. It wasn't hot – just warm, and the birds were still out, warbling away in the trees with no care in world. She was actually home for the first time since winter break, and she had missed the cabin, missed how much closer to nature Patch was compared to Vale – an island too small to have any major towns and too small for Grimm to wreak any havoc. It was its own little paradise not too far away from everything else.
And Yang was here with Ruby and her dad – and Blake. Things felt exactly the same and yet completely different, and Yang loved that.
These were the basic things Yang attached the most importance to in life, after all – family, friends, and adventure. And today had provided all of that for her.
"It's okay, Dad," she said with a smile. "I'll help."
Her volunteering apparently made Ruby's day because the younger girl jumped up and grabbed Blake's wrist, saying excitedly, "Thanks, Yang! Blake, come on! I wanna show you something." And then the Faunus was unceremoniously dragged into the living room, giving Yang a helpless look right before she disappeared.
Yang chuckled a bit and then turned towards her dad. "C'mon, old man. You wash, I'll dry."
"Sounds good!"
They got to work, father and daughter cooperating like they used to before Yang had gone off to Beacon. And, at first, they said nothing as they listened to the music playing on the stereo and to Blake and Ruby talking about one of Ruby's favorite childhood books in the living room.
Taiyang eventually spoke up, though, hands in the soapy water and saying with a bit of a smile, "You certainly know how to choose them."
Yang opened her mouth to retort, but then she closed it and creased her eyebrows as she re-realized something. After taking one of the plates to dry it, she finally murmured, "Blake...chose me, actually."
"She did?"
Yang could only think back on a crooked, wry smirk revealing itself from behind a falling Ursa just over two years ago. Blake had come out of hiding just for her. "...Yeah."
There must have been something in Yang's tone as she said that one word affirmative because Taiyang gave her this weird, knowing side-eye. "She treats Ruby well," he commented after a moment.
Yang almost snorted at the immediate joke that came to her mind – how Blake had literally treated Ruby well during their end-of-year mission, what with her expert first-aid dressing. But that wasn't what her dad was talking about, obviously. Still, it was definitely part of it. "She always has."
"That's good." Taiyang paused. Eventually, he admitted, "I think she's really good for you." He gave the dripping salad bowl to Yang, adding seriously, "Like, if I were you, she'd be the one."
Yang kind of laughed, taking the bowl. "Dad, that's creepy."
Her father joined in on the awkward chortling. "You know what I mean, sunshine. But for real, how do you feel around her?"
Taiyang had never really said such things about Yang's past boyfriends – not even Chase. He seemed to approve of Blake entirely and without any reservations. For whatever reason, this both made Yang feel incredibly proud about Blake and also kind of troubled. "Um, I'm not sure what you're asking."
"I've seen her keep you from doing things you might regret. I guess I'm wondering if you feel like she's controlling you." Taiyang placed some more plates in the drying basket while Yang put the bowl away in one of the cupboards. "I can only comment on what I see, and what I see makes me think you two trust each other a lot. But none of that matters if you're not happy, Yang."
Yang's expression briefly opened as it dawned on her what her dad was concerned about. But then she smiled, and it even felt tender to her. "Nah, Dad. No worries. Everything's great behind the scenes, too. I feel good around her."
"Have you told her that?"
"What do you mean?"
Taiyang didn't immediately reply. There was clearly something on his mind as he frowned a little, and sensing that what he wanted to say was important, Yang stopped what she was doing, too, and leaned herself on the counter to wait.
Cobalt met lilac. He looked at her, this strange, mixed expression of regret and pride shining in his eyes, and he said, "You've grown into a wonderful young woman, Yang, and you did that by yourself. I wasn't there like I should have been, I didn't give you a reason to think I cared or even admired what you accomplished." He smiled at her sadly, affectionately. "I can't take that back. But if you'll let me give you this one piece of advice, impart you with the little wisdom this old guy's learned the hard way..." His gaze became firmer, barricading tears behind the point he meant to make, and Yang felt the chink in her armor. "If you love someone, Yang Xiao Long, you cherish every moment and make sure they know." And then he pointed towards the living room, a bit of a smile returning to his lips. "So, get outta here and go spend time with your girl. I'll finish this up."
Yang stared at him, struck speechless. She tried to come up with something to say, struggled, even, and all she managed was, in a small voice, "...Okay." And then she used the hand towel to dry her hands, not really seeing what she was doing, stuck in a weird kind of trance.
Taiyang returned to washing the dishes, apparently satisfied with that response, so Yang started heading for the living room, but then she stopped in her tracks. She had to say something more. Her dad was right about all of it – he knew just as much as Yang did about the consequences of abandonment and apathy. And this was no longer just about him, no longer just about Ruby, and no longer just about Yang. Blake was in the picture now, too.
Yang turned a bit and said, "Hey, Dad?"
"Yeah?" He glanced at her.
She took a calming breath in. Then, "Thanks. I love you."
This made him beam. "I love you, too, kiddo." He then waved his hand at her. "Now quit wasting time like I did."
"Yeah, alright." She smiled, and feeling more at peace, she left her father in the kitchen to walk into the living room, where she found Ruby and Blake sitting on the sofa with a pile of books beside them. They actually seemed pretty engrossed in a conversation about one of the books in particular, and Yang watched them for a moment, enjoying the sight of her two favorite people getting along. With the conversation she'd just had with her dad lingering in her thoughts, the scene seemed to mean more to her, too, her heart once again feeling like it had become far too big for her chest. Eventually, though, Yang managed another smile and moved forward while saying jokingly, "Okay, nerds, break it up. Too many worms in here will damage the cabin."
"Yaaaaaaang," Ruby complained. "You read these to me when I was young!"
"Uh-huh. So? What's your point?"
Ruby squinted at her older sister. "You're a worm, too!"
Yang sighed dramatically and brought a hand to her chest. "Ouch. Fine, then. Can I steal your company?"
Ruby harrumphed but then started gathering her books. "Yeah, yeah. Take your girlfriend. I was gonna play some games anyway. But we gotta leave in about an hour, so get back down here soon, okay?"
Yang took Blake's hand and helped her off the sofa, giving Ruby a quick wink. "As you say, fearless leader. And thank you." She then grinned at Blake. "C'mon, I'll show you my room."
Blake arched her eyebrows but said nothing, instead calmly following Yang upstairs, where the blonde guided her to the closest bedroom near the top of the staircase. She opened the door and let her girlfriend walk in first. As Blake took in her surroundings with interest, Yang came in and quietly shut the door behind them.
She didn't have a necessarily nice or lavish room. It was fairly basic, in fact – just a single bed under the window, a desk with a chair, and a dresser with framed pictures of Yang with Ruby, Summer, and Taiyang on it. There was an Achieve Men poster on the wall in front of the desk, and a closet across from the foot of the bed, plus a plain carpet on the floor. And that was it. Yang's family had never been rich – they had made due with the basics and personalized what they could, but it had never really been an issue.
It was cozy, it was home, and that was what mattered.
Having Blake in here was a unique experience, though, Yang had to admit. There was a time when the blonde would have never guessed her partner would be interested in visiting. But here they were, girlfriends now, and there was something heartwarming and intimate about letting Blake see where Yang had grown up.
Blake stopped in front of the dresser, taking a moment to observe the pictures on its mantle. She smiled a little at what she saw. "You were cute," she said, quiet.
Yang looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling a bit shy – that was new. She decided to go over and take a seat on the edge of her bed, where she attempted to gain her composure. "Thanks. I was also a bit of a brat." She snickered as she made herself comfortable.
This earned the goofball a knowing glance from amber eyes. "I can believe that. You still like getting up to mischief even now."
Yang, unable to stop herself from teasing, looked up and gave Blake her best smolder. As hotly as she could, she said, "But you wouldn't have me any other way."
Blake's expression became partly affectionate, partly amused, partly unimpressed, and she tentatively pulled out the chair from the desk to sit facing Yang. Their eyes met. "You're right. I wouldn't."
It was admitted so bluntly, without embarrassment or shame, and Yang was once again returned to her initial bashfulness. She considered Blake for a moment – in silence, as there was something she wasn't certain about, something she wondered how she could address naturally. No more jokes, no more walls.
This resulted in the two girls just staring at each other without saying a word – one on the bed, the other on the chair. It wasn't awkward, though, strangely, as if they understood what was going on and there was no need to interrupt such admiration.
But the longer Yang took in Blake's topaz and gold irises framed by long lashes, her soft nose and heart-shaped lips, and cat ears standing calmly at attention, the more a clear question began to form in Yang's mind. She creased her eyebrows. "Blake?"
"Hm?"
They were still drinking in the sight of each other, relaxed and content with the space between them for conversation. Yang slowly passed her hand through her hair and then rested both on her lap. "Why…do you love me?"
At first, Blake blinked and shifted in her seat, taken by surprise. She appeared conflicted, but then crossed one leg over the other and set a twinkling, soft regard on Yang. "That depends," she murmured, cocking her head to the side a bit. The shadow of that crooked smile appeared on her lips. "Are you asking to be showered with compliments, or do you want the naked truth?"
Yang wasn't sure why she thought this question had been a good idea anymore. Blake evidently felt very strongly for Yang – obviously, duh – and the love looking back at her was both proof of that and also suddenly seemed to make a game out of Yang's heartbeat.
But that was alright. Who needed a normal heartbeat, anyway?
"The naked truth, please," Yang finally decided. The compliments wouldn't mean much to her, anyway – at least, not right now.
Blake was quiet, this time taking her turn to observe Yang. There was crystal intelligence reflecting in pools of amber, as if holding all the answers Yang could ever want, but then Blake stood and came to crouch in front of the blonde, causing her to lean over a bit with interest. Gentle fingers caressed and cupped Yang's face, even brushing stray strands behind her ear with the utmost care. "I've learned to accept who I am and stand up for us both because of you. You taught me bravery and strength, taught me to always strive to be the best version of myself, no matter what happens next – even if it might hurt." There was something honest and warm in her expression, putting Yang in a position of feeling completely adored. She swallowed hard, and Blake concluded in a gentle murmur, "I love you because for the first time in my life, I believe I'm worthy of being loved in return."
Yang could only gaze back in quiet awe. She couldn't possibly understand how she had such a powerful influence on Blake's life, but unlike any compliments the Faunus may have professed, not one of her declarations was anything Yang could refute. It was like a sucker punch to the gut – Blake had essentially just set in stone that Yang mattered, after all, and had done something invaluable.
And with Blake's admitted truth came a realization for Yang, something that finally put in words the extent of unknown emotions swirling within her heart. Yang could have said the exact same things about Blake, after all. It was overwhelming, to a certain extent – kind of like it had been in that tiny bathroom at the hospital. But it was different, too – maybe even stronger. Yang felt the need to deflect, and before she knew it, her mouth was spewing things, anything.
"Of course you're worthy of love, Blake. Do you even know how amazing you are? You're super cool and collected, a totally awesome fighter, the best, most patient person in the entire world, and you're really caring and supportive, way smarter than me, and you seem to just notice and know things sometimes that seem impossible, and you're responsible and mature and –" Yang interrupted herself when she realized that Blake was grinning, showing off her sharp canines and affirming that she really did have a beautiful smile. "What?"
"I was just thinking I should ask, who's showering the other with compliments, after all?"
Yang blinked as reality dawned on her, and then heat rose to her face. "Uh, well, it's just, I, um..."
"And you were so eloquent three seconds ago."
Yang stared at Blake's face, any and all words jammed in her throat, taken by how openly teasing and happy her girlfriend looked. That was not fair. Nobody was allowed to be so breathtaking.
Speaking of. Yang had actually stopped breathing, and when she came to terms with this, she blinked again and raised her head towards the ceiling to break whatever spell she had been under so that she could gasp loudly and get the air back into lungs. Why did the back of her neck feel so hot?
And as if the situation couldn't get worse, they both heard Taiyang on the other side of the door suddenly say jokingly, "Hope you girls are being safe in there!"
"Dad!" Yang choked, and then she groaned and buried her face in her hands, mumbling – mostly to herself, "That's not how sex works between girls..."
Blake laughed – she laughed – and called back, "It's alright, Mr. Xiao Long. Nothing to be worried about."
"Okay. And call me Tai, Blake."
They then heard his footsteps disappear down the hallway.
Yang dropped her hands from her face, once again seeing Blake's greatly entertained regard. Her heart was beating really fast and there was no reasonable way to do anything about it. But then she blinked as it dawned on her that Blake was still crouching, looking up at Yang, and the blonde sighed and softly clasped her girlfriend's hands. "Hey, get up here. I can't imagine that's very comfortable."
It might have been true that even Yang hadn't exactly known what she'd meant when she said 'get up here,' but when she helped Blake stand and pulled her near, and Blake hesitantly sat on Yang's lap, facing her, Yang found herself thinking this might have been a tad too far. Blake was really close, her face just a tiny bit higher than Yang's, and the energetic girl's heart was definitely pounding now. But that was apparently okay – Blake looked equally nervous, albeit still rendering Yang breathless with how tender the emotion in her golden eyes was.
Yang wasn't used to this and it was making her awkward, and they were just admiring each other again, but then she asked, murmuring because she wanted to, "Can I give you a small kiss?"
And the tenderness in Blake's eyes seemed to triple in strength, her expression becoming warm and inviting. "Yes, please."
So, anxious and uncertain, but also happy and giddy, Yang leaned forward, closing her eyes and gently placing her lips on Blake's. And like every single three other times they had kissed, Yang was still struck with how soft Blake was, how there was no hint of roughness anywhere. Her hands rested on the bookworm's waist, and Blake draped her arms on Yang's shoulders. Yang leaned into her companion a bit more, gripping Blake's bottom lip before turning her head slightly. It wasn't not enjoyable. Blake was reciprocating, but she was being more careful, letting Yang lead. There may not have been any desire or overpowering emotions for Yang, but the longer they kissed, the more she felt comfortable enough to determine that she did like it.
She liked the proximity. She liked how this made Blake happy, how they could share in something pleasant and both get something out of it.
Her arms came to hold Blake closer, and Yang pulled away just long enough to exhale through her nose before she embraced her girlfriend again, hands tracing the lines of Blake's back. And she felt the shift in Blake's intensity, how the Faunus wrapped her arms around Yang's neck, her kiss becoming more amorous, more insistent. Yang tried to follow, but she eventually broke the contact and sighed. They rested their foreheads together, and Blake was breathing a bit more heavily than Yang.
"That was not a small kiss," the raven-haired girl whispered, and Yang heard her swallow.
Yang opened her eyes, lilac finding amber right in front of her. "Maybe not," she replied in the same tone. "I'm sorry if it gets too much for you, kitten."
Blake slowly shook her head, the tips of their noses just barely brushing. "It's alright. I'm happy. One step at a time." And Blake purposely rubbed their noses together this time, which made Yang smile in amusement but she returned the little mark of care, too, because it was cute.
They both ended up laughing quietly when they realized what they were doing, though.
Yang's hand caressed and cupped Blake's cheek, looking at her joyful expression and suddenly thinking it was the most beautiful thing in the world, and overcome with affection, the blonde leaned in and kissed her again. And then she pulled away and hugged Blake tightly, and it was Blake's turn to sigh as she hugged Yang back.
Yang closed her eyes again, resting her face on her girlfriend's shoulder, and a bit of a smile crept to her lips.
She was happy, too.
New stuff for everyone! New stuff for everyone! Weeeeeee! Nope, I'm not nervous at all. Nuh-uh. No way.
See you in chapter nineteen. :)
In reply to:
Guest (nogarDnevaR) on chapter 17: RavenDragon, I KNOW IT'S YOU. XD But thank you so much for your kind, heartfelt words. I was sad to go, too, but I'll explain a little more in a final A/N. And I'm glad to be back now and bring some smiles to people's faces and feels to people's hearts. It means so much to me. You were the one who wondered if I was going to RTX one time, right? I'm still hoping to go one day! In any case, thank you again for your review, and I promise I'm sticking around for a long while still. ^-^
Wolf eyes on chapter 17: I guess you'll find out soon! I'm excited, too! :D