Chapter One: Apiary
Written by: JayEmEl
Edited by: Cowjump
Beta reader: Warwolf
AUTHOR'S PREFACE: Contrecoeur is Forlorn's sequel. You do not need to read Forlorn to understand the events of Contrecoeur, but in case you haven't, I highly recommend that you do in order to better feel the extent of the emotions being put into play in this continuation of Blake and Yang's story.
Contrecoeur is a French word that literally translates as "against heart." It refers to the French expression "faire quelque chose à contrecoeur," which means acting out against the will of the heart. In English, this would translate to "unwillingly," "painstaking," or something to that purpose. With this knowledge in mind, buckle in, remember to breathe, and I hope you'll enjoy the ride!
The neighborhood was pretty peaceful. It wasn't located right in downtown Vale, so there wasn't much traffic and the homes even had a bit of space between them. But the area was still close enough to the city attractions, port, and harbor that commuting there wasn't too much of a hassle. The apartment, itself, though, was an old grey-brick duplex with small garages on each side. Being so close to the road, the building only offered one short driveway for each of its tenants, but that was alright. The cracked sidewalks were lined with maples that had grown so large their thick branches almost formed an interweaving canopy over the streets, and the rest of the neighborhood was just as last-century-ish with its outdated homes, vines creeping everywhere, and ornate wrought-iron fences separating each property. This quaintness seemed to make up for the tiny conveniences, though.
Honestly, as much as Yang had to admit the area was beautiful, she was mostly ecstatic about the garage. She could safely store her motorcycle, Bumblebee, inside and even have a small space to do some repair work and tinkering should the need or want arise. The rest mattered little to her.
…Which was probably one of the reasons why she hadn't had much say in the choice of apartment to begin with. Because Yang didn't currently have a stable source of income, it was her partner and girlfriend, Blake, who was shouldering most of the expenses at the moment. And it wasn't that Blake had a stable source of income, either, but due to circumstances, she had extra lien she figured she should put to good use. The cat Faunus had been diligent in her search for an appropriate place to live, too. Despite being older and looking like it could use some outside love, the interior of the apartment was clean, mold-and-parasite-free, well-maintained, and the insulation had recently been redone. For all intents and purposes, it would make quite a decent home for two newly-graduated huntresses.
Indeed, Yang and Blake were moving in together. And Yang considered herself incredibly lucky to be with someone who had their priorities straight. Because, well, clearly, Yang didn't, what with her only concern being her motorcycle. It was only a little bit funny.
At the very least, there had been next to no arguments about it, and both girls were happy with the final choice.
Today was moving day. The weather was perfect for it, too. Clouds intermittently blocked the heat of the sun, the air was dry and even a bit cool for a summer morning, and everything smelled like leaves and grass. It was just super refreshing to be outdoors. It made Yang feel ready to take on any challenge.
However, she and Blake were not taking care of the move on their own. They hadn't requested help after coming to their decision, but when Team JNPR and the rest of Team RWBY heard about the news, moving day became a bonding opportunity. Really, though, they were there to help Yang move her things because Blake's sum of belongings fit into two large suitcases. Yang, on the hand, had a couple pieces of furniture and lots of boxes that needed to be brought in. The group was therefore waiting for Taiyang to arrive from Patch with the moving truck.
And, to say the least, Yang was thoroughly impatient with her father.
"Oh, my Gooooood. Where is he?" she voiced her frustration to the sky, hands on her hips. The ferry was a half-hour voyage. It took another twenty minutes to drive from the port to the new home. There was no reason for Taiyang to be forty minutes late after informing his daughter that he had arrived in town.
"Relax, Yang," came an amused voice from the apartment's front door. Yang, from her position on the sidewalk, turned from staring daggers at the intersection down the road to see Pyrrha walking out and closing the screen-door behind her with a bit of a rattle. Emerald green caught the blonde's lilac gaze. "Maybe it's just traffic." She casually sat down on the front steps, holding a styrofoam cup of tea in her hands. Beside her, from where he had already been sitting for the last few minutes, Jaune leaned back and rested his hand behind his girlfriend.
The wind blew softly, and Yang heard the most rambunctious member of their party, Nora, inside yelling something about deserts. Ren, Weiss, and Blake were also inside, probably getting things organized, double-checking cleanliness, and making sure Nora didn't eat all the said deserts because they were snacks meant for the group, not just her. Their quiet chatter also carried outside, but everything just felt so pleasant and relaxed.
Except the lack of a moving truck. That was less pleasant and not so relaxing. Yang arched her eyebrows at Pyrrha. "Traffic on a Saturday? Are you kidding me?"
There were two reasons why Yang was so impatient. For one, she was just really excited to start moving her items into the new place and make it feel more like home. For another, she and Blake had groceries to do, and they wanted to get to the stores before they closed. Yang did not want to go hungry today – and Blake probably didn't, either. And Yang liked keeping Blake happy. That was the most important thing of all.
Some might have teased Yang about being kitty-whipped, but the truth was that...yeah, she was kitty-whipped. But that was totally fine because Blake was smokin'-bombshell-whipped in return. It was a win-win situation.
Yang gave her friends and her younger sister, Ruby – who was using the railing on the steps to sway back and forth – a more pointed look when all of them failed to come up with any other plausible explanation for Taiyang's tardiness. And when Pyrrha avoided Yang's gaze and Jaune looked up at the sky innocently and Ruby stopped swaying to fiddle with her hands, Yang knew something else was going on. "Are you hiding something?" she asked, drawing herself up to her full height. "You better not be."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Pyrrha replied, too smooth and gracious for her own good.
The brawler crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Somebody better speak up or I'm gonna disown you all." She narrowed her stare at Pyrrha's boyfriend, the weakest willed of them all. "Jaune?"
His dark blue eyes widened. "H-hey! Don't look at me! I have nothing to do with this." He ducked his head. "At least, not very much..."
"Uh-huh. Fess up."
Fortunately for Jaune, the extreme pressure of Yang's insistence did not last long enough for him to cave. Something in the corner of her vision caught her attention, and Yang pivoted to face the intersection at the end of the road again. There was a vehicle turning onto their street, and when 'moving truck' registered in her brain, the tension dissolved from her posture and she threw her hands up to the heavens. "Finally!"
As the rest of the group looked towards the source of Yang's relief, Ruby jumped and lit up with enthusiasm. "He's here! I'm gonna go get Blake!" And no sooner were the words out of her mouth, Ruby hopped up the steps, circumventing Pyrrha and Jaune, and disappeared into the apartment with an excited gleam in her silver eyes.
Yang was certainly happy that her dad was here, but her friends' and Ruby's suspicious behavior had not been forgotten. There was no emergency to get Blake out here – in fact, for all intents and purposes, she would probably be more useful staying inside and directing where things should go.
So, unless her friends were secretly plotting something – which seemed to be the case because they were all such terrible liars – pulling Blake from organizing made little sense.
Yang didn't dwell on it too much longer, though. Either way, she was bound to find out what was going on sooner or later. The sound of the moving truck's rumbling engine got quite a bit louder as Taiyang drove it into the driveway. It was just a cube, but the back end still stuck out into the road some, testament to how tiny the driveway was. The smell of diesel had time to mix with the natural fragrances before the engine was cut and returned the neighborhood to its bird-chirping silence.
Yang walked around the truck to greet her father as he stepped out of the vehicle.
"Morning, sunshine!" he exclaimed with a grin, shutting the door with a bit of a slam. "Ready for the big day?"
She almost groaned. It wasn't that big of a deal. She and Blake had already lived together with Weiss and Ruby for four years – in close quarters, too! – and had survived just fine. In fact, they had even thrived, to a certain extent. They were good for each other. Yang supposed it was true that living alone with Blake was bound to be different, but if anything it just meant less drama and more time in the bathroom. This hadn't been a whimsical decision, either. Yang and Blake had been discussing the possibility for the past year, giving it some thorough thought and ultimately coming to the conclusion that it was the most sensible and advantageous option – financially, at the very least – after graduating Beacon.
And after two years of close friendship and two more years of dating and being happy with each other, it also seemed like the natural next step.
So, Taiyang calling this "the big day" was making it sound like Yang and Blake were getting married. Which was not the case. Still, Yang smiled and chose to ignore the question. "Hi, Dad. Safe trip on the ferry? What took you so long?"
Still grinning, Taiyang patted her shoulder as he walked by but remained utterly silent.
Yang turned around to stare at his broad back incomprehensibly. "What does that even mean?"
But her dad only went out of sight around the back of the truck, and Yang was forced to follow. She found him fiddling with the padlock at the bottom of the wide pull-up door and put her hands on her hips again, frowning. Whatever it was her friends were being weird about, Yang was beginning to suspect Taiyang was in on the secret. And now her curiosity was definitely piqued.
It was while she watched Taiyang twist the small key in the padlock that Yang's sister came back, practically dragging a certain someone with silken raven hair and cute cat ears along with her. Blake didn't seem upset, though – just kind of confused. But when striking golden met lilac, her expression eased and a soft smile played on heart-shaped lips. Yang found herself mirroring the affectionate regard.
"Well, now that I'm here..." Blake tried, sidling next to Yang and loosely hugging her side, and the blonde automatically slipped an arm around the Faunus' slim waist. "Someone mind telling me what I'm here for?"
"I'd love to tell you, babe, but they're being totally hush-hush."
"Just wait. You'll see!" Ruby chirped. She looked like she could barely keep still.
Taiyang finally got the lock open, and then he gripped the bottom of the door, giving the girls a warm beam. He then lifted it up with no trouble at all and pushed it into the ceiling of the cube with a loud creaking noise, revealing nothing out of the ordinary except for a very big box smack in the middle of Yang's belongings, in plain sight to see.
Both Yang and Blake squinted at the box, taking in the image and label on it. "Is that a..."
"Bedframe?"
"You bet!" Taiyang laughed. "Where did you girls plan on sleeping? The floor?"
Um, maybe. Yang started chuckling sheepishly. One of the things she and Blake had planned on purchasing today was a cheap blow-up mattress... They couldn't use Yang's current single bed, after all – and, in any case, it was staying in Patch at her dad's cabin – and Blake didn't own any furniture.
But this was fantastic. Based on the image on the box, the bedframe was made of dark wood and had a vertically curved headboard. It was simple but still stylish, and Yang could not have been more pleased with the gift.
Blake partly left Yang's side to take a closer look at the box, hand lingering on the sociable girl's waist. "Mr. Xiao Long... This looks really expensive. You didn't have –"
"Once again, Blake, you can call me Tai," he reminded her kindly – because, yeah, Blake had been calling Yang's dad "Mr. Xiao Long" since day one and it was always adorable how she couldn't drop the formality. "And I didn't get this all on my own."
"We all chipped in," came Weiss' voice.
Yang gazed over Ruby – not that that was very difficult – and saw the others approaching, various expressions of elation and hilarity on their faces. Well, except for Ren and Weiss. Their moods were more subdued. Because they were Ren and Weiss. But that was okay. This was what everyone had been hiding! They deserved credit, though – Yang had not seen this coming at all.
"And that's not the only thiiiing!" Nora sing-songed, clasping her hands.
Blake arched one of her eyebrows, looking at all of their friends questioningly while Yang began to feel the immense gratitude bubbling up inside of her. "You got us something else, too?"
Taiyang motioned at the truck. "See for yourself."
Yang jumped into the cube, carefully going around the box, and then spotted another item behind it, something that absolutely was not hers before this moment. Her eyes widened. "Blake! Blake, you gotta see this! They got us a sectional! Oh, my God! Come check it out!" It was brand new. And it was fancy. It was all white with soft but firm-looking cushions, comfortable in its sleekness, and the right side of it was almost big enough to be a single bed of its own. Yang felt rich just looking at it.
Blake joined Yang in the truck, and much like her girlfriend, her eyes widened when she saw the beauty. Not Yang, though – the other beauty. Blake reached out and touched it hesitantly. "Yang..." she whispered, and now she caressed one of the sectional's arms almost amorously. Her gaze roamed over those curves, almost devouring them by sight alone. "I think you finally have a rival."
At this, the goofball burst out laughing. Maybe this really was a big day. Yang pecked Blake on the cheek and murmured suggestively, "What do you think of threesomes?" She waggled her eyebrows.
But to the prankster's wild amazement, Blake didn't even blush or get flustered. She just gave Yang a very deadpan look and said, "If you think I'm sharing any part of this with you, you can leave."
Yang's jaw dropped.
"Does she like it?" Pyrrha called out in amusement.
Yang could barely recover her composure. She managed to pick her jaw off the floor by struggling through her awe and proceeded to try speaking through bouts of uncontrollable giggles. "I th-think she...haha!...just dumped me for it!" Wow, that had been quite something.
"Ohhhhhh, guys, did you hear that?" Nora snickered. "They're gonna fight over it."
"I told you to trust my judgement," Weiss quipped, clearly sounding proud of herself.
As the group began tossing jokes at the couple and teasing each other, Yang shared a happy, conspiring glance with Blake, and the two girls got out of the truck, holding hands. Yang couldn't stop smiling. "Guys, this is literally the most awesome gift." Her chest tightened with emotion. "Thank you. All of you."
"Aw, Yang!" Ruby tackled her sister into a hug, and Yang returned the embrace tightly, even spinning with her sibling once and laughing.
"She's right," Blake agreed, sincere. "It's hard to accept. Thank you."
Ruby let go to give the bookworm a small hug, too, and also so Taiyang could pull his older daughter into his arms next. It was briefer, and after giving her back a hearty pat, he stepped away and said, "There's also a mattress that goes with the bedframe, but it got shipped late. You'll have to pick it up later."
Yang slowly shook her head, filled with wonder. That would definitely not be a problem.
Pyrrha walked up to her soon after, grinning from ear to ear. "Make sure Blake knows she doesn't have to repay this."
They both glanced at the raven-haired girl in question, who was smiling widely and sharing a few words with Weiss and Ruby. "Yeah, I won't let her make herself feel responsible. But I'm sure the sectional is going to be her favorite piece of furniture." Yang sighed contentedly. "And mine, too, honestly. Weiss paid for most of it, didn't she?"
Pyrrha nodded. "We all donated what our funds would allow. Your dad, uncle, Weiss, and I took care of the rest."
Yang raised her eyebrows, giving her friend a half amused, half mocking look. "You?"
The redhead pretended to be offended and put her hands on her hips before chortling. "Yes, me. How ungrateful of you."
"Oh, riiiight," Yang fake-realized, unable to refrain from teasing the warrior. Some things never changed that way. "You're Pyrrha Nikos. Fame and fortune are your game."
"Unfortunately," she sighed, but an amused twinkle quickly reappeared in her emerald irises. "Might as well let my friends benefit from it, don't you think?"
Yang snickered and then hugged Pyrrha affectionately. She was the brawler's next best friend, right alongside Blake, and Yang wouldn't give that up for the world. "Thanks, Pyrr. I mean it."
"You're welcome, Yang."
After a few more hugs and thank-yous were given, the group began dispersing and organizing themselves to start carrying the larger items into the apartment. The box with the bedframe was moved to the bedroom and placed in one of the corners to keep it out of the way. Taiyang, Ren, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Yang helped each other in pairs of two to bring the various pieces of the sectional into the living room, carefully and neatly stacking them against the wall for the moment.
As Yang headed back outside with her dad, she let out a puff of air and asked, "So, that's what took you so long? You had to make a stop to pick up the gifts?"
"Not so upset now, are you?" he chuckled.
An easy smile graced her lips. "I guess not. It was a great surprise."
Their moment was cut short, however, when father and daughter were suddenly forced to duck when a curtain rod nearly smacked right into them as they came around the back of the truck.
"Whoa!" Yang stared at the rod swinging dangerously close again, staying low to the ground. She had just barely avoided it and had felt the rush of air over her cowlick. Talk about unexpected.
"Nora, be more careful," Ren intervened, stepping up and wrapping a steadying hand around the pole while he gave his partner an unimpressed look.
In the cube, Nora's expression became very much like a kicked-puppy's. "It's not my fault it slipped out!" But as soon as the words were out of her mouth, any guilt disappeared from her face and she let out a cackle. "That's what she said."
Ren brought his other hand to his forehead and sighed. "Yang, where do you want the rod?"
Yang was trying not to laugh at Nora's joke as she straightened her stance again. With a smirk that she attempted to physically wipe off her face with her hand, she replied, "Just bring it in. Blake will tell you."
Nora snorted in an effort to keep her composure, but then she just cracked and laughed even louder. "Heh, Ren, Blake's gonna tell you where Yang wants the rod."
"Nora!"
But Yang was already joining Nora in a fit of giggles, no longer able to contain the hilarity. "Oh, God. If Blake heard this..."
"She just might have," Taiyang intervened with a bit of a strained smile – clearly disapproving of the subject. He slowly shook his head. "C'mon, you two. Keep it moving. You're blocking the rest of us."
"Yes, sir." Ren sent his partner a meaningful glance, and with a nod and another snicker, he and Nora got out of the truck with a few boxes, making sure the rod wasn't damaged or did any damage along the way. Yang and her father were then able to get inside and pick up Yang's dresser together. They hobbled towards the apartment, being extra careful on the steps, and struggled a little to get through the doorway, but eventually they made it inside, where Blake directed them to the bedroom upstairs.
Ruby came by to give them cups of water, and there was a pause in the moving as everyone took a short break to eat a bit and refresh themselves. But fifteen minutes later, everyone was back to their posts and resuming their activities.
The move took most of the morning, and the rest of the morning was used to help unpack and place furniture and objects more appropriately in the apartment. The group took a few more short breaks between all this, but by the time lunch came around, Yang and Blake had the majority of their home organized – for the moment, at least. Things would most likely get switched around again later. There weren't any decorations or a whole lot of appliances yet, and the second room and dining room were pretty much still empty, but the goal was to slowly but surely work towards making the place comfortable and look nice once the young couple had a steady source of income. They wanted to turn the second room into a study, somewhere Blake could store her books and set up a desk for her laptop, and the living room would probably eventually be graced with a coffee table and a gaming console for Yang. These were only a couple of things the two young women had planned for their new place.
But all in due time. They didn't have the means for these ideas just yet, and Yang and Blake needed to focus on their necessities at the moment – like a coffee machine and cooking utilities and food (and toilet paper) – but after several months of regular missions and hard work, there was no doubt that the girls would be able to turn their apartment into a place they could both properly call home. Fortunately for them, the fridge and stove were included, and the previous tenants had left their washing and drying machines behind, so Blake and Yang wouldn't have to make any major purchases right away. The sectional and bedframe from their friends were absolute blessings, too. All in all, for Yang's first apartment, she found that she had nothing to complain about, and she had Blake, her friends, and her family to thank for that. Things were truly looking up!
Sometime after the group had lunch together, Taiyang announced that he was going to bring the moving truck back to its company, now that it was empty. He asked if anyone needed a ride home, which led to Nora, Ren, and Ruby leaving with him – and Nora made sure to bring back a good portion of the leftovers with her, much to Yang's amusement.
"See ya tomorrow! Don't do anything Ren and I wouldn't do!" she had exclaimed on her way down the front steps. Never mind that the things she and Ren wouldn't do were an extremely short list.
Their departure left Yang and Blake with Weiss, Jaune, and Pyrrha. The three friends wouldn't be staying much longer, either, as Weiss had called for one of her drivers just moments before. It would give Yang and Blake enough time to get some much-needed groceries before the stores closed.
Nora's goodbye reminded Yang of something, though. But not the dubious list of activities – the other thing, the harmless one.
"Weiss, you'll be coming to the party tomorrow, right?" Yang asked, hopeful as the smaller group congregated near the entrance. It was essentially their graduation party that they were celebrating at a fancy club tomorrow evening, and there were supposed to be a lot of other Beacon graduates coming, too. And although Weiss wasn't her most favorite person to hang out with, Yang wanted to have fun with everyone there and fully enjoy some of her last moments with people she may not see so much anymore afterwards.
Not that Yang wouldn't be seeing much more of Weiss. They were still working as Team RWBY, after all. But still. Yang wanted Weiss to be there. It just wouldn't be the same if she wasn't.
Weiss slowly shook her head. "Of course I will. I can't guarantee I'll stay for too long, but I'll be there for the first little while. Someone has to keep you from acting on your demented ideas."
"Rude," Yang chuckled.
Blake crossed her arms, smirking as she leaned closer to her partner. "I think that's my job now, anyway."
Yang sighed dramatically. When Weiss and Blake sided with each other..."Great, even my girlfriend is against me. Pyrrha, help!"
But Pyrrha only raised her hands, the perfect picture of innocence. "Now, now, Yang… You know I have to side with the voice of reason…"
Mock offended, this caused Yang to gasp. Now Pyrrha was betraying her? "Are you saying Blake is the voice of reason between the two of us? Also, rude."
Pyrrha shared a knowing glance with Blake, who then gave Yang a pointed look. This made Pyrrha start laughing softly, and Yang finally caved, too, pulling her partner into a brief but affectionate hug and laying a quick kiss between her cat ears. There were no hard feelings here – this teasing was part of their dynamic, and it was home. Indeed, Yang was already beginning to feel like she had never been better grounded than now.
"I just can't believe it's already been four years," Jaune reflected, and he took Pyrrha's hand to give it a small squeeze.
"Time certainly flies," Weiss agreed, glancing towards the still curtain-less living room window, which looked out towards the street. "And on that relevant note, we should go. My driver is here."
This announcement cued the group into giving each other a few more hugs and thank-yous. Afterwards, they shuffled out the front door, and before Yang and Blake knew it, the young couple was left all by themselves in their new apartment.
There was a pause as this reality settled on them in silence. Yang moved from Blake's side and turned towards the rest of the apartment, overcome with the urge to admire it. She put her hands on her hips and let out a contented sigh. The entrance was in one corner of the large living room and there was another door on the farthest wall away from where Yang was standing that led to the garage. Sunlight poured in from the window that took up most of the main wall, the one facing the street, making the sectional look kind of lonely in the middle of the living room like that.
It was still the fanciest, coolest piece of furniture, though, and Yang decided that she needed to sit on it now. She trotted over and plopped herself down on the longest part of the sectional and immediately relaxed as a smile graced her lips. Yes, this was definitely amazing. Her back and butt sank into the cushion just enough to both provide support and be absolutely comfortable. Maybe she would sit here forever.
This was the life. This and their small apartment that had everything Yang and Blake needed were plenty sufficient.
Yang's eyes caught Blake walking closer to the bare window. The Faunus stopped, never uncrossing her arms, apparently appraising the view. "So, Yang..." she drawled, starting to say something.
The blonde perked up in interest. "Yeah?"
Blake turned, meeting lilac with an arched eyebrow and amusement glinting in bright golden irises. "What are we going to do about the rod?"
Yang's eyes widened, and then she devolved into a fit of giggles. "I dunno! Where did you tell Ren to put it?"
Her comment earned a shake of Blake's head, whose lips curved into a smirk. "You're incorrigible. We need to a get a curtain for it." She motioned towards the window. "I don't want people looking in at night."
Still grinning, Yang replied, "No worries. Is that where you want to start? Curtain shopping?"
Blake creased her eyebrows, cat ears twitching adorably. Finally, she sighed and said, "No. We still need to get a blow-up mattress while we wait for the real one to arrive. I'm glad we already got cleaning supplies, but there are still so many items we're missing."
It occurred to Yang that her girlfriend was taking on a lot of this responsibility unequally. While it was true that Blake was taking care of most of their expenses right now, that didn't mean that Yang couldn't be helpful and at least take on some of the burden making choices entailed. She hopped up from the sectional and stepped in front of Blake, clasping the Faunus' hands in her own, and smiled at her reassuringly. "One thing at a time, kitten. If it takes us a few weeks to get everything, then so be it. Doesn't have to be all done today."
"But –"
"No buts! I know you want to prioritize a lot of things right now, but we're not in a rush and I'm sure we can figure out how to live without some of the stuff we need for a few days." When Blake visibly wanted to dispute this, the conflict clear on her face, Yang continued teasingly, "C'mon, Blakey. Who's supposed to be the voice of reason, again? We only have so many hands, and we only have my bike's small trunk. One thing at a time, hm?"
Blake's stance eventually relaxed and she gave Yang another pointed look. "Fine. Okay, you're right." She slowly shook her head, a bit of a relieved smile on her lips. "Don't make this a habit."
Yang snickered and let go of Blake's hands to place hers on the svelte young woman's hips, bringing her just a little closer. "No promises. But we should definitely –"
She was interrupted by the sound of her scroll, and then the sound of Blake's somewhere down the short hall, alerting them both to a message. They sobered and gave each other a questioning look as Yang pulled her scroll out of her pocket while Blake fetched her own from where it must have been on the kitchen counter. If it had only been one of the girls receiving a notification, they wouldn't have thought much of it, but simultaneous notifications usually meant there was an alert for the whole team – and those were better to check as soon as possible.
Yang put in her password and opened the message. She immediately recognized the crest at the top right – three shields with a broken circle in the background speared by a sword with a handle made of feathered wings. "It's the guild, Blake!" she exclaimed, eagerness rising in her.
Shortly before graduating, Team RWBY had decided that they wanted to keep working together and continue protecting humanity from the Grimm. New huntsmen and huntresses had several options available to them when they wished to do this – they could start freelancing as a team or work solo missions, traveling Remnant and earning a reputation for themselves as they went. They could also get hired by private companies or individuals for timed contracts. Others chose to move to the front lines where Grimm caused the most devastation. Some also decided that fighting Grimm wasn't for them and moved on to do something else with their lives.
But then there was also the option of enrolling in a guild. There were only a few across Remnant, and they were difficult to enter. The reason was simple – guilds only accepted the best of the best. This was because they devoted fantastic care and sums of lien into keeping their members healthy, organized, sharp, supported, and properly recompensed for their hard work. They were recognized as being the elite class of huntsmen and huntresses. The guilds kept track of all possible missions around the world and assigned them to the teams or individuals most suited for the jobs, effectively ensuring their members' financial stability.
Team RWBY had applied to Shields of Vytal about two months ago with a recommendation from Headmaster Ozpin. But this had obviously not been enough. They had been forced to go through a rigorous pre-screening and complete all kinds of combat and survival evaluations, both as a team and as individuals. It had not been easy, and it was a process that had taken several days. And, God, the amount of paperwork...
So, it didn't come as much of a surprise that Yang was anxious to know if Team RWBY had been accepted into Shields. Because, if they hadn't...well, she and Blake risked not actually ever being home again for a long time. Freelancing was hard when one didn't have a reputation to precede them. People were hesitant to set young huntsmen and huntresses on their Grimm problems, fearing that they would only end up with a death on their hands. And private companies tended to want experienced hunters as well. It was why a lot of huntsmen and huntresses had to take up part time jobs that had nothing to do with the line of work they had trained for. Still, when push came to shove, being successful wasn't impossible. It just wasn't the path Yang wanted to walk.
Her eyes quickly skimmed the document, searching for any sign of positive news, but Blake still beat her to the answer.
"We're in," she breathed.
The brawler found the acceptance then, too. Relief and joy swept through her. They were in. They were now a part of Shields. Their financial situation would be taken care of. Yang and Blake would have a stable job, they had somewhere to live together, and they had each other and their friends and family.
Yang found herself sinking back onto the sectional, staring at the acceptance as if she couldn't believe it was real. It might not have seemed like that big of a deal to others, but it was a big deal for Yang. She had needed this – this solid starting point for the beginning of the rest of her life.
Once upon a time, she had admitted wanting to be a huntress for the adventure, for not knowing what the next day would bring. And maybe that still rang true, but it wasn't the whole truth. Because after the adventure, after all was said and done, where would Yang's constant ever be? Until only two years ago, Yang's entire life had revolved around and hooked itself to caring for Ruby. But Ruby was an adult now and she didn't need Yang anymore – not like she used to, anyway. It had been a hard pill to swallow, and still kind of was sometimes, if Yang stopped to think about it. The nurturing side of her felt aimless and no longer required, and that was depressing for someone who was so family-oriented. Fortunately, like she had done so well in the past, Blake had stepped in and helped Yang find other things to hold on to and care about – helped the separation from Ruby be less painful. Nevertheless, this didn't erase the fact that Yang still dealt with insecurity and wobbly foundations because of her structurally unsound childhood, no matter how much better she was doing these days.
But this was her opportunity to truly be her own person now, to start fresh, to anchor herself to steady, safe things, and have a home base to return to after all the fun, excitement, and danger were over – and have loving arms to hold her close every night.
Yang's eyes found Blake in a bit of awe, and upon seeing this openly emotional expression, the Faunus lowered herself down next to her girlfriend and touched her arm. "Are you alright?"
The blonde stared at the acceptance another time, and her scroll suddenly buzzed in her hands again, a message from Ruby popping up that said,
OMG YANG WE DID ITTTTTT! WOOHOOOO!
And as she read this more than enthusiastic exclamation, it finally dawned on Yang that this positive development was part of her reality now. A bright grin spread across her face, and she turned to tackle her partner into a huge hug. "We did it, Blake!" She breathed in the subtle smell of oatmeal skin cream and held on tighter. "You rock! I rock! We all rock!"
Blake hummed in agreement and wrapped her arms around Yang in kind. Yang knew she was probably squeezing strong enough that Blake had difficulty inhaling, but the bookworm only nuzzled closer and murmured, "We're going to be okay."
Oh, yes, they were. Giddy now, Yang let go and jumped to her feet with renewed vigor and determination. "C'mon, Blake! We have a lot of things to get!"
Blake's eyes widened at Yang. "Um, I'm sure your bike's trunk didn't get any bigger in the last five minutes."
"Oh, right." Yang deflated. But only a little. She grabbed Blake's hands and pulled her up from the sectional, walking backwards towards the door that led to the garage. "But this is gonna be our home, Blake! We gotta get some stuff today!"
Blake allowed this manhandling without too much resistance, but she did roll her eyes and say, "Yes, why didn't I think of that sooner? Silly me."
Yang stopped in front of the door, beaming at her girlfriend. She was just…she was just really happy – with everything, Blake included. Yang leaned over and pecked her gently on the lips, automatically closing her eyes for the short moment the kiss lasted. Blake reciprocated, and when Yang pulled away, the blonde decided to continue to goofily grin at the Faunus – because she felt like it.
There was a short pause, both girls staring at each other without a word, and then Blake snapped out of it and gave Yang a slight push towards the door. "Well, let's go, then. We're wasting time."
Yang laughed and cooperated, eager to please and get the shopping started. But there was one more thing Yang wanted to do before she got on her bike. As Blake walked out ahead of her, the energetic girl looked at her scroll again and typed a quick response to Ruby (So excite!) before checking the message from Shields one more time. Smiling, Yang pressed the star button and saved the s-mail forever. There. She was going to preserve the memory of this momentous day, and now she was absolutely ready to go.
Soon afterwards, Yang and Blake were riding downtown on Bumblebee.
Yang finished brushing her teeth and then wiped her mouth with the facecloth hanging on the sink-side rack. After rinsing the sink with a few splashes of water, she turned the tap off, glanced at her pajama-wearing reflection for a second, and then switched the light off. Once she was out of the master bathroom, her eyes swept over the spare room ahead of her – the one that was still empty. It was tempting to go look inside, even if there was nothing to look at, but Yang decided not to. She passed her hand through her hair as she wandered leftwards and walked into the bedroom she shared with Blake.
...and found Blake standing with her hands on her hips, back to Yang, apparently staring at the blow-up mattress on the floor in front of her. The lamp on the dresser was the only current source of light, casting a dim orange glow in the mostly bare room. It was quiet at this time of night, almost peaceful, even.
The blow-up mattress hadn't been a very expensive purchase – sixty or so lien. Yang had helped Blake pump air into it earlier after putting the rest of their groceries away – mostly food and bathroom items. And, after preparing and eating a simple but late dinner, and while Yang had gone to get ready for bed, Blake had set about laying some blankets on the inflatable thing. She had finished this task, it seemed, and had even changed into her own pajamas, but for whatever reason, she was just standing there, glaring at it.
Yang walked up beside her. "Does it offend you?"
"It doesn't offend me. But it's not comfortable. I tried."
This gave the brawler a moment of pause. Instead of saying anything in reply right away, she decided to flop down on the mattress, which made the PVC groan as she bounced a few times. Face in the blankets, she said, voice muffled, "Aw, Flakey, ish nof sho fad." There was no response, and Yang turned onto her back to grin dashingly at the Faunus, who was arching her eyebrows, arms now crossed. Sweetly, batting her eyelashes, Yang added, "Thanks for the blankets."
"Maybe I should sleep on the sectional until we get that actual mattress."
Yang's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
Blake started to shrug, gazing back out of the room as if truly contemplating leaving. "I don't know, Yang... It's calling my name. And I'm really tired after today..."
It was funny because Yang couldn't quite figure out if Blake was being serious or not – which probably meant she might have been a little serious. They hadn't often shared a bed together since they started dating two years ago. It had a happened a handful of times during their school semesters or on cold nights when they were out on team assignments in the wilderness, but for the grand majority of the time, out of respect for Weiss' rules and Ruby's innocence, Yang and Blake had slept in separate beds – even when Blake visited Yang's family on Patch during their third summer vacation.
But now they lived together – there was no Ruby or Weiss – and, for all intents and purposes, because they were a couple, sleeping together every night just seemed like the natural thing to do. If anything, Yang assumed that Blake would want to, right? The air-mattress being uncomfortable couldn't be the only reason why Blake was hesitant, could it?
A bit more tentative now, and trying to remain open and encouraging, Yang slid further up the mattress, got underneath the covers, and lifted them up in an inviting way beside her. "C'mon, kitten. You get to snuggle up to me – nothing beats that, not even the sectional. You wouldn't even have any blankets down there."
If it hadn't been for Blake's cat ears leaning backwards, Yang would not have guessed that anything was actually wrong. With an "Alright then," Blake went to first switch the lamp off, plunging the room in darkness. Yang then heard her walk over, soft steps coming closer, and soon the raven-haired girl was slipping in under the covers next her girlfriend. And although Yang had suggested snuggling, Blake did not try to initiate this, even if the blonde was mostly facing her. It seemed that something was indeed amiss, and Yang congratulated herself for picking up on Blake's unspoken tells.
She propped her head up on her hand, gazing down in Blake's general direction. Yang couldn't quite see the Faunus yet, her eyes still adjusting, but she didn't say anything for a while, either, as she pondered on what she could say.
Blake ended up speaking first, though, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "Is something wrong?"
Yang's lips quirked upwards. "I don't know. I was going to ask you that question."
"No, nothing," came her quiet, obvious lie.
A certain kind of tension formed in Yang's gut, apprehension at what the problem exactly was. She was pretty sure she knew. It was the only possibility at this point, after all, a line they hadn't been able to cross. They had tried a couple of times during that third summer in Patch, when Ruby and Taiyang weren't around or were asleep, but these occasions had led nowhere.
Yang was okay with kissing, with making out, with snuggling, with being right up in Blake's personal space and Blake being in hers. She had gotten used to these marks of affection and had even learned to enjoy them. It was why she often initiated them in the first place. But it wasn't in the same way Blake did. Yang liked these actions because they made her feel cared for, happy, and she knew they caused Blake similar sentiments, which was rewarding. And Yang was a naturally tactile person, so being able to engage in such physical tokens of love with the girl who made her feel so special and whole meant a lot to her.
But where Blake felt a deeper tug, a carnal attraction, a desire to go further, a longing for more – Yang did not.
It wasn't that Yang didn't want to. She was definitely all for trying. They had gotten this far, after all, in a relationship that had seemed practically doomed because of Yang's sexual orientation – and she and Blake were both satisfied despite that. They had found a way to make it work, and they loved each other very much. This current predicament was just another obstacle they needed to keep being patient about. At least, that was Yang's take on it.
But the caution – and in fact the excess caution – had become a problem. Every time they had tried being intimate, Yang found herself lost in thoughts of uncertainty and what was required to make Blake feel good. And Blake, in kind, caught on to this trepidation. She even admitted that all the visible hesitations took the fuel away from her fire. It defeated the purpose if both girls had to force the moment.
Still, Yang knew this was important, and not just for Blake's sake. Her previous relationship, the one she had been sexually active in, made the blonde fully aware of how much value she placed in physical intimacy. It was a large part of how she expressed and received affection. If the two young women couldn't overcome this issue, then Yang knew this feeling of satisfaction wasn't going to last. And that was bound to be detrimental to them both.
So, fighting the tension in her gut, Yang murmured carefully, "Do you...want to try doing...it?"
But this was already such a bad start. If forcing the moment was part of the problem, then awkwardly forcing the moment definitely wasn't the solution. Blake could probably tell Yang was being awkward, so that meant she probably wouldn't be in the mood – and, likewise, Yang would be weirded out by Blake's being weirded out, so the entire attempt fizzled before anything could even be done. Kind of embarrassing, really, and definitely unfortunate.
It was a much longer while before Blake answered. And when she did, the only thing she said was, "Not tonight. Like I said – I'm too tired."
"Oh, okay." Yang found that she was genuinely a bit disappointed, even though she had seen this coming. But she was also immensely relieved. The tension in her gut dissolved, and Yang was left with a conflicting pair of emotions. Should she have been trying to insist? Didn't giving up so easily give the impression that she didn't actually want to try? What kind of message did that send Blake? And on a related note, what kind of message did it send Yang that Blake didn't want to?
Yang laid down properly next to her girlfriend with a sigh, internally shaking her head at herself. Blake had a valid reason. Being too tired was a real thing, and Yang didn't think Blake would outright lie to her. They were fine – tonight just wasn't good for it. That was all.
Yet, as much as Yang tried to convince herself of this, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of insecurity with regards to the latter question. Sure, she was relieved to not have to force herself tonight – and, by proxy, have Blake force herself, too – but being shot down so fast made her worry. She wanted to be enough for Blake.
But the blonde's uncertainties were somewhat appeased when Blake scooted closer and rested her head on Yang's shoulder, one arm draping over her waist. Yang immediately welcomed the embrace, her smile returning. Maybe Blake really was just tired, and that was okay. Yang laid a quick kiss on Blake's forehead and held her into a brief side-hug, whispering, "I love you, Blake. Night night."
"I love you, too, Yang. Sleep well." Blake nuzzled her face into the crook of Yang's neck, and the sigh that Yang let out this time was contented.
They would be alright – she was sure of that. They just needed to be patient. In the meantime, the young couple had everything they would require to start their life together – a modest home, a stable job, friends, and each other. It was with these assurances in mind that Yang closed her eyes and slowly drifted off.
SCENE SPOOF
Fighting the tension in her gut, Yang murmured carefully, "Do you...want to try doing...it?"
Through the very dim light in the room, Blake stared at her with creased eyebrows. "What do you mean by…it?"
Yang huffed. Blake was supposed to know this. It was already awkward enough as it was. "You know… It! C'mon, Blakey, level with me."
And Blake did pause to give this some more thought, although her expression remained greatly confused. Finally, she relented with, quiet and uncertain, "You mean…it it? That it?"
Yang nodded vigorously. "Yeah! That it! Think we should try?"
Now Blake just seemed suspicious. At this rate, they really wouldn't get anywhere. "Are you sure we're talking about the same thing?"
"I hope we are. Are you talking about what I'm talking about?"
"That depends. Is the it I'm thinking about the same it you're thinking about? Is it really worth it?"
Yang waggled her eyebrows. "It is definitely worth it."
Blake groaned at the joke. "I'm glad we're on the same page. But don't you think it's a little late for this?"
"Kitten, it's never too late for this."
Amazingly, Yang's statement seemed to finish convincing the Faunus. Blake gave up with a sigh. "Alright, let's give it a try. I'll start." She then slipped out from under the covers and stood up.
Giddiness replacing awkwardness, Yang closed her eyes as Blake sauntered out of the room. A grin plastered on the blonde's face, she shimmied and began counting the seconds.
They were going to do it.
IF YOU CAN'T GUESS WHAT IT IS…
On a more serious note, I have to admit I'm anxious about how this story will be received. Forlorn focused on developing love and innocent marks of affection, prodding at controversial boundaries – Contrecoeur is…going somewhere else, and pretty much leaving the floodgates of trouble wide open. Yet I still imperatively want to continue showing love, no matter how shaky the ride gets. So, keep me on my toes, dear readers! Tell me what you think because you never know what kind of impact your words can have.
P.S - Other chapter titles were Restructure, In Paradise, A New Page, Supreme Pizza, White Rose, but Cowjump banned them. :(
See you in chapter two!