Contrecoeur

by JayEmEl

Promises. Leaps of faith. Blake and Yang have graduated Beacon Academy and now face a life they must build together. In the end, their two years of hard work are burned to ashes – Blake has doomed her heart to breaking and Yang has no one but herself to blame. But when all is said and done, when the stakes seem higher than they've ever been, can love truly conquer all?

2. Buzzing

Chapter Two: Buzzing

Written by: JayEmEl

Edited by: Cowjump

Beta reader: Warwolf

WARNING: Parts of this chapter contain elements of racism and suggestive/sexual material. Reader discretion is advised.

Enjoy!

---

Blake, on her knees, squinted at the paper in her hands and then at the mess of wooden pieces in front of her. She liked to think she was fairly smart about a lot of things – or at least had enough common sense to put two and two together so they equaled four. Truly, Blake had even prided herself in rivaling Weiss' exam scores back at Beacon.

But for the life of her, Blake could not comprehend what this set of instructions was trying to describe. It was stupid because it even had little drawings to help get the idea across – but the little drawings were doing the exact opposite of their intended purpose. Really, it was anyone's guess what all these cartoon people were doing in these images – and whatever it was, it certainly wasn't assembling a bed. More like…breaking things and talking about it? Maybe?

"Need help over there?"

Blake lowered the instructions to look at Yang, who was sitting on the floor as well but already had some of the major pieces screwed together. Blake observed this with a frown. "How are you doing this?"

Yang merely grinned and cocked her head to the side, tapping her temple with her index. "I like building stuff. And, I mean, this is a bedframe. How hard can it be?"

This caused Blake to narrow her eyes further. I like building stuff didn't answer the question – if anything it just made that proud grin more infuriating. Not that Blake was actually infuriated. Well, she was, just not at Yang. Still, she passed the paper to her girlfriend. "You tell me. This is utter gibberish."

The Faunus watched as Yang's lilac irises skimmed the page with interest, her eyebrows gradually rising higher and higher in a mix of amusement and disbelief. She eventually put the paper down. "Yeah, let's not look at that. I'm pretty sure putting a bedframe together has nothing to do with counseling sessions." She paused. "I mean, at least those instructions seem to understand which things are supposed to go in what holes. No counseling needed for that. Heh."

"Hilarious." Blake chucked one of the wooden pins at Yang, who caught it in surprise and started laughing.

"That's right – I am hilarious." Still snickering, Yang said, "Babe, do me a favor and hold that in place while I put in some screws." She motioned at a long, rectangular piece of wood that was most likely one side of the bedframe.

It was a good thing she didn't motion at Blake.

Ignoring the possible innuendo, Blake moved and lifted the piece so one end came up perpendicularly against the end of the other piece that was already supporting itself upright thanks to Yang's I-like-building-stuff skills. She then held it there while the apparent ingenuity expert came over with the tools she needed.

As Yang set to work, Blake found her thoughts wandering. They had started unpacking the bedframe from its box shortly after breakfast, not quite out of their Beacon-student schedule yet. They didn't need to be up this early anymore – although they had managed to sleep in a little, but not much. Based on previous transitions from school to summer vacations, it usually took about a week before the pair relaxed into an easier-going routine. This time felt a bit different, though – they weren't going back to Beacon in two months, after all. They had graduated. They were fully-fledged huntresses now – fully-fledged huntresses who had been accepted into one of the best guilds in Remnant, so they had a stable job for life, too, if they so wished it.

Blake glanced at Yang working beside her. She was glad that Yang was so happy about all of this, and to be frank, the extravert's enthusiasm was definitely contagious. Blake just wasn't so outwardly expressive about it. But she was happy, too, and this secured future eased the weight from her shoulders. While Blake could have dealt with not being home often and possibly struggling to make ends meet (she was used to being uprooted from specific locations and had never lived above her means), she was aware that such a life might have been more difficult for Yang, and Blake would have worried about that. Really, it wasn't so much the unstable income that would have been the problem – Blake was pretty sure Yang didn't care about not having a lot of money, anyway – it was just the insecurity in general.

So, being a part of Shields meant Blake didn't have to concern herself so much over Yang's emotional wellbeing. They could focus on other things – like not dying while on a mission, and protecting each other. As crude as it was, that was much simpler to tackle than emotional baggage. There was also the issue of not being able to get intimate, but that was a whole different thing – one Blake didn't want to think about right now, despite all of Yang's innuendos.

For the moment, Blake was doing her best to focus on the positive aspects of her new life with Yang because, as far as the Faunus was concerned, they outweighed the few negative aspects by far. And that was why Blake was happy. They had come a long way, and their future was looking up, so she had nothing to complain about.

"You know I can see you staring at me, right?" Yang stopped what she was doing for a second, giving Blake an amused side-eye.

There was a time when Blake might have blushed out of embarrassment from this simple comment, but as their relationship had progressed and as Yang's jokes had become increasingly inappropriate, Blake found that she had begun developing a tolerance to the flirts, even finding it easier to retaliate. "It's not my fault you're beautiful." Imaginative comebacks were not her forte, though, unfortunately.

Yang chuckled. "It's not my fault, either! Maybe you should call up my dad and thank him for his good-looking child."

"Maybe I will."

This made Yang pause in her work again, but this time she turned to look at Blake more fully. There was affection shining in her eyes, and Blake felt butterflies rise in her stomach. They were still there, even after two years. "Thanks, Blake," came Yang's quiet but genuine gratitude. There was so much about her that was more than beautiful – downright amazing, really – and somehow Blake still got the impression that Yang didn't truly think so. Her hesitation and the depth of her appreciation for these sincere compliments told an entirely different tale about her self-esteem than her confident, boastful jokes did. "Probably don't actually call my dad, though."

The comment was sweet and it was so Yang, and maybe it was the situation or the twinkling look in gorgeous seas of mauve or a combination of all these factors, but Blake could no longer help the urge – she found herself leaning forward and closing the distance between them, fingers grazing Yang's cheek as she kissed her partner gently. There was a clatter as something Blake wasn't holding anymore tipped over, but the reserved girl paid it no mind, pushing closer to Yang. The blonde accepted this embrace, reciprocating with equal fervor, welcoming Blake's proximity into her warmth.

Yang's lips were as soft as they always were, and Blake sighed into the kiss, gripping the bottom one and moving down just slightly before raising her mouth back to Yang's upper lip. It was so easy to get lost in these moments, and Blake was already craving more. She leaned further into Yang, slowly getting up on her knees so that Yang had to tilt her head back, and when Blake felt those strong hands on her waist, their heat seemed to spread into her and light a fire deep in the pit of her nether regions.

It wasn't the first time she had felt this. And no matter how hard she tried, she could not quell that flame on her own. Blake moved again, getting onto Yang's lap, knees on each side of the golden girl's hips, hand cupping her jaw to keep her near as Blake's kiss became more amorous, more insistent. Feeling Yang between her legs made her heart begin to pump harder, her thoughts clouding in her passion, and before Blake knew it, she had pushed Yang so far back that they were laying down on the floor now, Yang having supported both their weights so the fall wasn't abrupt. The sensation of Yang's body beneath her, sturdy and hot, electrified Blake, and she almost shuddered at the powerful wave of desire that washed over her and made her want to grind against her girlfriend's pelvis so badly.

"Blake," Yang muttered, breaking the kiss. Her grip tightened on Blake's waist, and the Faunus' lips glided to Yang's throat, nipping at her pulse. "Blake, please. Stop. I'm sorry." Her hands gave a gentle but firm push.

A bit of clarity returned to Blake's senses, and for a brief moment all she could do was stay there, breathing heavily through her nose, fighting her need. She rested her forehead against Yang's shoulder, the knowledge of her partner's discomfort acting as a splash of water on the rest of the embers smoldering inside of her. That was definitely one way of ruining the moment.

This was how it always happened.

"I'm sorry, Blake," Yang repeated in a whisper.

Blake had to take a deep breath in and carefully exhale. She then forced herself to get off of Yang, saying, "No, I'm sorry. I got carried away." Amber eyes returned to meet lilac as Yang sat back up, but Blake couldn't hold her love's regard for long. She shook her head and started heading for the door.

"Blake...wait."

And Blake stopped, letting out another sigh. She looked at Yang over her shoulder. The warm girl appeared sorrowful and apologetic, and it tore Blake apart. She didn't want Yang to feel bad about this. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't anyone's fault, really. And, by all means, Yang was allowed to set boundaries, and Blake argued that it was even imperative for her to do so – and imperative for Blake to respect them. They hadn't gotten this far by being thoughtless of each other.

"Where are you going?"

It wasn't right for Yang to sound fearful – no matter how well-concealed. Blake tried to smile a bit reassuringly, tried to let Yang know everything was okay. "Just going downstairs to get some water. I'll be back up to finish helping with this. Do you want a glass?"

Yang massaged the back of her neck, but then she finally tried a smile, too, and said, "Yes, please."

This cued Blake into leaving the room, and as soon as her back was turned to Yang, the smile began to fade from her lips. She made her way down the stairs kind of morosely, trudging into the kitchen, and then just stood in front of the fridge, staring at its handle. The situation was discouraging. And it wasn't even that Blake was constantly thinking about sex and constantly feeling frustrated – not at all! For the most part, Blake was entirely satisfied with her and Yang's daily interactions and did not feel like anything was missing from their relationship. It was just that…sometimes, if Blake let her guard down, if Blake allowed herself to truly get lost in a moment of affection, she would feel something she had never felt with anyone, something so all-consuming that it resounded in every pounding beat of her heart and all the way down to her core.

It had been scary at first, and it was why Blake had immediately set up barriers in her mind – she didn't want to think about Yang like that. Well, she did, else there would be no need for barriers, but not in these circumstances. Not right now. She couldn't allow herself to fantasize about something Yang wasn't ready for, couldn't fan a flame that might end up turning all the hard work they had so painstakingly put into their relationship to ash. That was too valuable to just be thrown to waste over something that could, in the end, be kept on a leash. And the truth was that Blake would just make herself miserable if she kept desiring something she couldn't have. So, it was better to not think about – a possibility better left unentertained, a thought to be stored into the mind attic and forgotten there.

Until, of course, it suddenly sprang right back out to the forefront of Blake's priorities the moment a kiss got a bit too heated. And then it was frustrating to pull and shove back in its dark corner because of how powerful an impulse it was – like a petulant child screaming for attention and refusing to go to their room. Except the child was a giant, starved, fire-breathing dragon.

Whatever, Blake decided. She opened the fridge to grab a bottle of water, which she separated into two glasses that she fetched from one of the cupboards. Yang wasn't against trying – that much she had told Blake – so it was just a matter of patience and good faith. The romantic in Blake would have liked to make their first time extra special and slow and thoughtful and loving, but by how awkward and emotionally painful their current efforts had been, it probably wasn't going to turn out that way. Blake didn't know how to guide Yang, and Yang had to force most of it, which then made Blake have to force it, so maybe they both weren't ready. So, Blake was willing to wait, even if it had already been two years. Yang was worth it. Every day.

Once Blake was sure she was calm and in control, she carefully went back upstairs with the two filled glasses in her hands. Her reappearance into the bedroom was met with Yang's searching, uncertain but hopeful stare, and Blake was overcome with a need to reassure her more fully. She gave Yang her glass of water, and then Blake sat next to her, setting her own glass down for a moment.

"Hey," she said, and then laid a quick kiss on Yang's cheek. "No hard feelings, promise." She took her girlfriend's hand, intertwining their fingers, and they gazed at each other in silence. Blake gave a gentle squeeze. "I love you."

This finally made a true smile spread across Yang's features, and the blonde pulled Blake into a warm hug, the kind that enveloped the Faunus in scents of vanilla and gunpowder and in the brawler's heartening strength. "Thank you, Blake," she murmured into raven hair. "I love you, too. A lot. We'll get there."

They would. Blake believed this. It might take more time, and there would probably be more uncomfortable, unsuccessful attempts, but they would find a way to make it work, just as they had managed to make their couple work in general.

The girls pulled away from each other, and then Blake said, "We should finish getting this frame together."

Yang nodded. "Yeah, and then we can head out to buy a couple more things." Like the curtain for their living room. And a nightstand. They were about to get back to work on that note, but Yang's scroll suddenly made a sound. Both golden and lilac gazes looked at it on the floor nearby, and Yang reached over to check the message. Her eyebrows rose up.

"What is it?"

Yang typed a quick response and then put her scroll back down. "I guess Pyrrha and Jaune are inviting us for lunch. You okay with that?"

Blake allowed herself a small smirk and took a sip of her water. "That's fine. It doesn't give us a lot of time for more shopping, though." She wasn't a fan of shopping either way – the only reason Blake went to any stores for anything was because she had items she needed to purchase in mind and did not care to look for extra things. She was practical that way.

Yang, on the other hand, was perfectly content with the whole concept of walking through the entire mall and looking at everything without ever buying all that much anyway. The pair usually had to compromise and spend more time perusing in the stores they needed to go to, and maybe visit an extra store for Yang's enjoyment. Blake was fine with that, but on this occasion...

"Okay, I'll be good," the blonde chuckled, and then motioned at the piece of wood Blake had let go of earlier in her unplanned élan de passion. "I still need help with that, though."

"...Right."

And it was on that note that the girls finally got to work on putting the rest of the bedframe together.

---

Pyrrha and Jaune bought sushi for lunch. Blake and Yang were actually grateful for the invite – it meant less money spent in the immediate moment and less work for the day. Also, spending time with friends was always welcome. Blake and Yang had dropped off their décor purchases at their place before driving to Pyrrha and Jaune's. Lunch was simple, light, and pleasant, mostly guided by Yang and Pyrrha's amical banter with occasional input from Jaune and Blake, and when the group finished eating, they moved to the living room, where Pyrrha offered everyone tea or coffee.

"I'll have coffee," Yang said from beside Blake on the sofa and then brought her hand over her chest, "As black as my heart, please."

This earned a steady, unimpressed regard from both Pyrrha and Blake. "So…should I serve you a glass of milk?"

"I was trying to be funny! I want my coffee black, for real," Yang snickered.

"That's implying Yang's heart is pure," Jaune butted in. "Which, I mean, let's be honest…"

Yang's snickering turned to laughter, which made Blake smirk.

"You have a point." Pyrrha shook her head with a smile and then looked at the Faunus. "Blake? Earl grey, black, or jasmine?"

"Jasmine, please. Thank you." Blake gave Pyrrha an appreciative nod, and then allowed herself to sink more comfortably into the sofa next to her partner as the redhead left the living room. Pyrrha and Jaune had a nice home – and despite Pyrrha's money, the couple had remained modest in their choice of a place to live. Although, they definitely had a nice view over the lake. The living room was practically a solarium, nothing too fancy, but beautiful by how it looked out on sparkling water and big, leafy green trees.

There was a comfortable silence that settled on the three, but Jaune eventually said, "Yeah, we're going to apply to Shields next week, too, with Nora and Ren. Got any pointers for us?"

Yang chuckled. "Whatever happens, don't get confused with the paperwork."

Blake gave Yang a bit of disapproving but amused glance. "Yes, make sure you read everything carefully. Get all your medical history and academic transcripts prepared, too. Always have your hunter's license on you."

"But it's not just documents that need filling out, is it?"

"Definitely not. They'll test each of you on your combat and survival skills over the course of a few days."

Yang nodded along to this and added, "It's really tough. Pace yourself, 'cause if you try to go all out from the start, it's not gonna go well."

Admittedly, this was all information that Team RWBY had been able to look up online. There were forums that offered advice, and even Shields' website had a section about what to expect from the testing. However, for Jaune, being the leader of JNPR, it was probably only natural that he wanted to get first-hand support from people who had gone through the pre-screening, themselves.

Pyrrha returned soon after, a platter in her hands with everyone's hot drinks balancing on it. Yang seemed like she was about to comment on this, but Pyrrha beat her to it and said with a smile, "Yes, I used to be a waitress in another life. Don't judge."

"What, for real?" Yang laughed.

Pyrrha handed the blonde her black coffee, saying, "No, not for real. But if I have guests over, I want to avoid making them wait for their drinks."

This made Yang snort, and Blake shook her head at her girlfriend, giving Pyrrha a grateful smile when the redhead carefully gave her the cup of tea. "Thank you, Pyrrha. Ignore Yang. This is very kind of you."

"The real reason," Yang started cheekily, ignoring Blake, "is that she's just too lazy to make several trips."

"Hey!" Jaune sent an amused but warning look at Yang as he wrapped a possessive arm around Pyrrha's waist once she sat next to him on the other sofa.

With a satisfied smile, Pyrrha gave Jaune his drink and said, "Careful, Yang. You're in the presence of my man."

"I'm terrified. What's he gonna do? Beat me?"

"He could kick us out…" Blake murmured, distracted, more focused on not burning herself as she took a very careful sip of her tea.

Jaune stared at her and then said sheepishly, "Well, uh, I mean, I wouldn't, like, go that far." He gave Yang a nervous glance. "But, you know, I could maybe –"

Yang squinted at him. "Are you sure you want to finish that sentence?"

In the ensuing silence, Jaune gulped and Pyrrha immediately intervened with, "So, maybe I shouldn't invite you as my maid of honor?"

Yang choked on her coffee and launched herself into a coughing fit. "What?" she rasped before hacking more.

Blake patted Yang's back amusedly and sent Jaune a look. "Please tell me you were the one who asked."

This seemingly innocent comment caused Yang to start laughing amidst her apparent dying. Her face was turning red and her eyes were watering. Blake wondered if she should be concerned for her. She continued to pat her back.

Jaune puffed up his chest proudly. "As a matter of fact, I did!"

"How?" Yang gagged, and then managed in a wheeze, "Traitor!"

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and sent Blake a questioning look.

Blake slowly shook her head with a sigh. "Don't ask. Just…a conversation we had a long time ago. I shouldn't be surprised she remembers." She paused. "In any case, congratulations. I'm sure Yang will be happy for you the moment she can breathe again."

"No!" Yang exclaimed, gasping. There were a couple tears streaming down her face. She seemed to finally be calming down. "Jaune, you betrayed me. You were supposed to make Pyrrha ask you!"

Pyrrha chuckled. "You have such a low opinion of us."

"You don't even want to see the ring?" Jaune asked, eyebrows raised.

Yang wiped her face and coughed a few more times before giggling. "Yeah, okay, whatever. Let's see it."

Pyrrha grinned, and Blake suddenly became wary. There was a twinkle in the warrior's eyes that reminded her of Yang when the prankster had mischief on her mind. And, indeed, Pyrrha stood and walked over before calmly presenting her hand to Yang, who peered down at it and…immediately swatted it away in outrage. "There's no ring there! You lied to me! I almost died because of you!"

Pyrrha laughed and sauntered back to her boyfriend, who was laughing, too. "Oh, Yang. And now I guess we know what not to do when we decide the time is right."

"Both of you are traitors. You're meant for each other, and it's disgusting."

Blake found herself smirking. She tried taking another careful sip of her tea, holding the cup with both hands, all the while being more or less surprised that Jaune had fooled them just as easily. The young man couldn't lie to save his life, but it was as if this whole scene had been orchestrated beforehand. Blake wasn't as close to him and Pyrrha as Yang was, but she was sufficiently informed to assume this was all Pyrrha's doing. She and Yang had a comical dynamic like that – but Blake was convinced Yang, the eternal goofball, just had a bad influence on the redhead. Still, she was happy her girlfriend had other people she had fun interacting with. Blake knew it was important to Yang, and the introvert would gladly share in these moments or encourage Yang to spend alone time with her friends, if only to show her support and help Yang build strong interpersonal relationships – even if social situations weren't Blake's areas of expertise or comfort.

Blake tuned back in to the present moment, realizing that Yang and Pyrrha had gone off on their own conversation. It left her absent-minded gaze to wander to Jaune, who was initially paying attention to their respective partners, but then he saw Blake looking and he tried a smile. "So…how are you liking the apartment?"

Oh, no. Speaking of things that weren't her areas of expertise or comfort… Blake forced some lightness into her usual monotone and immediately felt like she sounded fake. "It's nice." Apprehension rose in her as she kicked herself mentally to come up with something more to say other than It's nice – literally anything. She hadn't planned on discussing with Jaune one on one. This was horrifying.

Fortunately, Jaune seemed to have gained some sort of social aptitude from being with Pyrrha because he followed up with another question instead of waiting for Blake to elaborate – much to her relief. "Have you made the sectional yours yet?"

Or not. What? Blake's eyes became round as coconuts. Was he asking what she thought he was asking? "I… Excuse me?"

Jaune had the decency to flush pink. "Haha… I mean, you know…give it a name?"

Blake narrowed her eyes to thin slits, squinting at him in disbelief. Sure. That was what he meant. Nevertheless, it was far less awkward and Blake jumped on the opportunity to change the…well, not really the subject, but change something. "Um, no. We didn't…give it a name. Why would we do that?"

"I don't know! It's a cool piece of furniture. You could call it, like, Betty or Sasha or something. And then it would be…even cooler? Or maybe you think of it more as a guy, so I guess maybe Tom or Ryan would be better."

It would be an understatement to say that whatever had just come out of Jaune's mouth was hurting Blake's brain. At the same time, though, something about it reminded Blake of her first conversations with Ruby, so it was also strangely nostalgic. She had absolutely no idea how to respond.

And Jaune, intent on digging his grave deeper, apparently, continued, "Yeah, like, Yang named her motorcycle Bumblebee! Why not the sectional?"

That…was almost a good point. Almost. Blake took a sip of her tea as she was forced to reflect on the question – and on the meaning of life, while she was at it.

And then suddenly, Yang's hand smacked heartily on Blake's back while the blonde exclaimed in glee, "Did you hear that, Blake? Pyrrha's gonna bring you shopping for an outfit tonight!"

It was Blake's turn to choke on her drink, coughing until she could barely breathe. Between hacking and gasping for air, she wheezed, "What?"

"Oh, my God, Blake! I'm so sorry!" Yang put her cup down on the coffee table and took Blake's tea from her, gently rubbing her back while the Faunus brought a hand to her own chest and coughed a few more times. Fortunately, because she wasn't also trying to struggle through a fit of laughter, she managed to regain her composure fairly fast.

"I'm okay," she assured Yang with a tight smile, letting out a puff of air to further calm herself. "What is this about an outfit tonight?"

Yang gave Blake her cup back and said, "Well, we're going to a fancy club, so we're dressing up for the occasion. Pyrrha wants to bring you shopping for an outfit while I go with Ruby."

Blake sighed internally. She didn't mind spending time with Pyrrha, but going shopping for an outfit that would be used for a social event were two things Blake kind of dreaded.

"Think of it as a little surprise gift for each other," Pyrrha added with a kind smile. "Treat yourselves."

In regular circumstances, this argument might have held a lot more weight. By all means, Blake would have immediately caved to the opportunity of being able to give Yang literally anything. The problem here was that Blake could show off her body as much as she wanted but Yang would never appreciate the gesture to the extent Blake would appreciate it from Yang.

But as if she knew what Blake had been thinking, Yang insisted, "C'mon, Blakey. It would mean a lot to me."

So, Blake said, "Alright. I'll go with Pyrrha and dress up for you."

Yang grinned. "Yes! Thanks, babe." She winked.

Blake smiled, too, even if she knew very well this excitement was stemming from genuine pleasure that Blake was going out of her way to do something she didn't like just for Yang's sake – not excitement at seeing Blake in more…probably revealing clothing. In the end, though, did the reasons really matter that much? If it made Yang happy one way or another, then shouldn't that have been the most important part?

Blake decided that it was. So, not only would she go with Pyrrha willingly, but she would also put in a special effort to look her best – because she knew Yang would do the same for her. And they were both going to be satisfied about it, there was no doubt about that. Now that her mind was made, Blake was actually looking forward to seeing Yang in a fancy outfit.

She might even be able to enjoy herself tonight, too.

---

Blake stared at her reflection in the tall mirror hanging on the closet door. She had just finished applying a bit of makeup, amber irises rimmed with black, eyelashes looking longer thanks to mascara, and purple eyeshadow over her lids. Her dark hair was curled a little more than usual, most of it fixed up in a messy bun at the back of her head, loose strands hanging by her face, bangs kept as they normally were. She stared at her cat ears for a moment, experiencing vague concern about leaving them out for the public to see, but with a sigh decided she was past that part of her life, anyway. It would be fine.

She wasn't wearing a dress, but her outfit was definitely not something she'd wear every day. Her little, black suede boots caused tightness in her calves, the heels were so high and small. Black jeans fit her thighs and hips, snug and transitioning into the boots so smoothly they may as well have been one item. They left little to the imagination concerning the shapes of her lower body.

Blake didn't really know how Pyrrha had convinced her to wear this, honestly. While Blake didn't have too many qualms with being in tight-fitting clothes – feeling that the maneuverability they offered was necessary for her fighting style – this was on a whole different level. Yang wouldn't even care that much. She'd notice – that, Blake was fairly certain of – but it wouldn't go any further than a comment or two, however genuine. So, why was Blake even making herself unnecessarily uncomfortable?

Maybe it was the thought that counted. Blake had to remind herself of that. Plus, if she was being really honest, Blake actually did feel a tad attractive in the getup. That had to be worth a little something, too, for her own personal satisfaction.

She did kind of like the top part of her outfit, though. A thick belt with an intricate gold buckle wrapped around her waist over a black sleeveless blouse, and her shoulders were covered over by a white bomber hanging over them, bringing the whole together to create a suggestive but classy image.

It might have been more than what Blake was used to, but it was still Blake, so she did have to give Pyrrha some credit. That was the Faunus' final verdict.

Blake turned away from her reflection to go sit on the foot of the air mattress – it was placed on the bedframe now, since the young couple had finished putting it together today. It added a nice touch to the bedroom, and the newly purchased nightstand by Yang's side of the bed also helped make the room look much more lived in.

They were getting there, slowly but surely.

Yang was still in the master bathroom, getting ready. Blake wasn't surprised it was taking her longer. She had already been in there for an hour, and Blake supposed the reason had everything to do with taming the blonde's wild mane of hair. She had to admit she was anticipating her partner's appearance now. But they didn't have much time left – checking her scroll revealed to Blake that Weiss' driver would be here soon to pick them up. She glanced out the window. It was starting to get dark out.

Patiently, Blake waited for her girlfriend, and a few minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Golden eyes curiously glanced out of the room, but Blake couldn't see anything yet.

"Close your eyes, Blakey!" Yang called out, amused.

Blake rolled said eyes but did as she was told anyway. That girl. "Alright, I'm waiting."

There was a giggle and Blake soon heard Yang saunter into the room. "Oohhh, look at you," Yang cooed from somewhere in front of the bookworm. "You're beautiful."

Blake appreciated the compliment, and it did make her heart swell, but this seemed kind of unfair at the moment. Dryly, she asked, "Can I open my eyes now?" She was much more interested in focusing on Yang.

There was another light laugh, and Yang said, "Yup, you're good."

Blake immediately blinked her eyes open, and her stare took in the full sight of her girlfriend. Yang was wearing a form-fitting, light grey-blue dress. Loose frills extended from her upper thighs to the middle of her thighs, leaving the rest of her long, powerful legs bare. The frills ascended the right side of her torso, a little same-colored string tied around the dip of her waist, and the top had a gentle slope across her chest, tastefully revealing, held up by spaghetti straps. Despite the relative shortness of the dress, it was actually a pretty cute piece – nothing excessively scandalous.

It was a summery party dress that complimented Yang's curvaceous figure, both fun and charming – much like Yang, herself – and the long gold necklaces added the finishing touch, drawing the eye to her midriff.

Yang made a slight twirl, the frills fanning out, and she grinned. "Like it?"

Blake admired the movement, but she was caught on Yang's face. The blonde had let her bangs grow out over the past year, so now her hair separated slightly to the left of her forehead, adorning her smooth cheeks and jaw in gentle, voluptuous curls. It helped her cowlick stand out less, and it definitely accentuated her big, laughing lilac eyes. She had managed to braid only the bottom of her long blonde locks, and her grin was equally salacious as it was playful. She both somehow looked like an innocent little girl and a sensual young woman, and Blake's heart thudded harder in her chest. Only Yang could pull this off so perfectly.

"Yang… I love it," Blake breathed, realizing then that she hadn't been doing that for the past few moments. She forced the air back into her lungs, slightly dazed.

Still grinning, Yang extended her hand, and Blake slipped hers into it so that her partner could pull her up. It was then that Blake noticed Yang was wearing heels, too – the brawler's already tall five-foot-eight was not dwarfed by Blake in the slightest. And then amber caught lilac skirting over her body, and Yang suddenly whistled. "Girl, those curves are dangerous."

There was clear marvel in Yang's gaze, but Blake failed to see a hint of desire or possessiveness. Dangerous or not, Yang must have meant it from…other people's perspectives, not her own. Blake was therefore surprised when Yang's hands came to rest on her ribcage, pulling the introvert a bit closer, and then deliberately gliding them down Blake's waist and hips, thumbs following the lines of her abdomen. Blake shuddered, but Yang was already leaning in, laying her lips very lightly on the side of the Faunus' neck before murmuring, "I am so lucky that my girlfriend is this hot."

Goosebumps ran up Blake's spine. She felt Yang's patent body heat and smelled her vanilla and gunpowder scent, and with the husk of her voice so near, quite literally wanted to melt. How did Yang do that? Blake legitimately had the impression Yang was physically attracted to her at the moment, and the feeling was amazing and it made Blake want to put it to the test this instant, but then her cat ears picked up on the sound of vehicle horn outside blaring.

Weiss had arrived.

Regretfully, Blake stepped away from her girlfriend and said, "Our ride is here. Let's try continuing this later?"

Yang perked up. "You bet!" She took Blake's hand again, and the young couple made their way downstairs, where they made sure they had everything they needed. Once satisfied that this was the case, they went outside, locking the door behind them, and walked to the side of the road where the long white sedan was waiting for them.

The driver got out and opened the rear door for them. Yang got in first, Blake second, and the Faunus realized the vehicle was a bit of a limousine, what with how she and Yang found themselves facing Ruby and Weiss in the backseat.

"Nice ride," Yang commented as she got comfortable. "I feel like we're superstars being driven to a red carpet event now."

"Hello to you, too, Yang," Weiss replied, but there was a bit of a smile on her lips. "At least you would look the part if it were the case."

Yang beamed. "Thanks!"

As the two girls finished adjusting themselves and the door shut with a muffled thud, the driver got back in the front seat and soon started moving forward.

"How long are you staying, Weiss?" Blake wondered, crossing her legs.

Weiss didn't answer, though – Ruby beat her to it. "Weiss and me are staying for a couple hours, then Weiss is gonna bring me home before people get too drunk."

"Awww," Yang cooed at the heiress. "I appreciate that, princess. Thanks for looking after my baby sister's innocence."

It was kind of a silly comment. Ruby was legally considered an adult now at the age of nineteen, and although still innocent to some degree, she had gained maturity and experience in a lot of ways over the past two years. Grazing death as she had during RWBY's second end of year field exam had caused the young leader to gain a bit more of an older edge, and all four girls had learned to appreciate life more deeply. Ruby would always have a cheery pep and optimistic outlook on things, but if anything, her drive and determination had definitely solidified themselves.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm just offering her the ride home. She's the one who decided to stay innocent."

Ruby beamed brightly to confirm this. The younger girl was not dressed up so fancily like the three others were – heaven forbid Ruby ever wear any heels of her own volition – but she still looked like…well, she looked like Yang had brought her shopping for the outfit. Ruby's red cape never left her, though. Still, she looked good and ready to party.

"Isn't this so awesome, though?" she chirped. "We get to celebrate two things tonight!"

"Totally wild," Yang agreed excitedly. "I am so taking advantage of the opportunity."

Blake merely smirked. She was glad her girlfriend was already having fun. This event was entirely up Yang's alley, and the Faunus had every intention of letting her break loose and watching the show. It was the only thought Blake could comfort herself with, otherwise she'd spend the evening being miserable – or at least socially challenged…which was almost the same thing, one could argue. And it wasn't that Blake didn't want to celebrate Team RWBY's accomplishments – quite the contrary, in fact – it was just that her idea of celebrating probably involved staying inside and eating a particularly good meal…and maybe throwing a bit of confetti.

Go, team.

But Blake was happy to do this for her friends, even more so for Yang. She was going to do her best to enjoy her evening, spend time with everyone, and make it all a good memory to look back on.

The vehicle came to a stop a few minutes later, and the driver getting out signaled the group's arrival at the nightclub. He came around and opened the door, and Ruby and Weiss were the firsts to climb out. Blake could already hear the music from where she was, and took a preparatory inhale to keep herself calm. Yang seemed to notice this, and she took Blake's hand and offered the Faunus a sunny grin.

"Let's go have some fun, hot stuff." She nudged Blake's shoulder with a wink.

This made the introvert roll her eyes, but her mood lifted and she got out of the vehicle now, too, pulling Yang with her.

Once they were out, the chauffeur shut the door and went back around the limo to drive away.

It was as the couple was turning towards their destination that Yang suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, this place!" Her gaze brightened in excitement as she looked on at the entrance of the building. There were purple and blue lights flashing through the tinted glass, Ultra Holo-Escence standing out across the frames. "Yesssss. Nice!"

"You've been here?" Ruby asked in surprise, pausing on her way to the double-doors.

"Ruby, who do you think I am? Of course I've been here. It's the best nightclub in Vale!"

"Well, let's not waste our time outside, then," Weiss declared, decidedly brushing past Ruby and walking in high heels with much more ease than Blake did in hers.

Ruby grinned and shrugged, and then Blake and Yang followed with her into the building after Weiss. The four girls were immediately greeted with the bass pulsing even louder in their very bodies, pink and blue and purple and red lights washing over them through the otherwise dark surroundings. There was a prison-looking gate ahead of them, two large and burly men in black outfits blocking the way in.

"Your IDs, please," one if them spoke gruffly.

The girls took out their scrolls and pulled up their huntress licenses, presenting them to the bouncers. Once they were verified, one of the men unlocked and pulled the gate open, letting the group in.

"Oh, wow," Ruby said with awe as the four girls advanced and took in the space. Blake had to momentarily share in this feeling, impressed with the design.

The dance floor was further up ahead and to their right, a huge twist of lights and jagged mirrors hanging low from the high ceiling above. It wasn't quite crowded at this time yet, but partygoers with glow-in-dark bracelets and necklaces took up a lot of the floor, a mass of jumping and gyrating bodies in front of the elaborate DJ's stage. Some others were standing around, holding strobing drinks in their hands while they chatted with friends. Large holoscreens against the walls zoomed in and out of pixelated figures moving in sync with the music, and there were round platforms floating around with intricately moving holographic men or women on them, too.

Lasers flashed through the steam created by fog machines, and Blake observed these with more intensity as her cat ears leaned backwards.

The music was really, really loud for her.

She held on to Yang's hand more tightly, doing her utmost to keep herself grounded. Naturally, Yang even pulled Blake against her side and firmly kept her arm around the Faunus' waist, causing some of Blake's tension to dissipate.

There was a glowing purple counter to their left with occupied stools in front of it – one of the bars to order drinks at. A short girl was leaning over the counter, talking to the bartender and gesticulating wildly.

"Hey, I think that's Nora," Yang mused with a grin.

Ruby immediately called out, "Nora! Noraaaa!" as she quickly made her way over to the small redhead.

Nora turned around, saw Ruby, and her expression lit up even more, rushing over to hug Ruby and even lift her off the floor. But then she saw the rest of Team RWBY, and let go of the younger girl to race over and greet them as well. "You guys made it!" she exclaimed with a lot of enthusiasm, giving Yang a big hug, too.

"Of course we did," Yang laughed. "Wouldn't miss this party for the world."

Nora grinned widely. "C'mon! We have a table for everyone on the second level. Follow me!"

She sprang off, and the girls followed her as instructed to their immediate right, where there was a fancy, lit-up staircase that led to a platform which overlooked the dance floor and stage. The thickest part of ornate mirror chandelier was so close one could almost reach out and touch it over the railing, and it did block a good portion of the view down below, but it was also beautiful to look at on its own, lights bouncing off the edges and twinkling in the darkness.

Blake noticed the music was somehow a bit more muffled and quieter up here, plus there were no distracting lasers, and her cat ears leaned out of their unease accordingly. There were brown tables and cream booths scattered around the platform, some of them taken, and the entire back wall was made of a glowing fish tank, casting comforting blue and white hues across the area. This was obviously the restaurant part of the nightclub – there were waiters weaving between seats, carrying platters of food and drinks.

Nora led the girls to a large booth wrapped around a low table near the back, where the rest of Team JNPR was waiting for them. "Lookie who I found!" Nora announced upon her approach.

"More like, we found her," Ruby quipped in amusement.

"My, my," Pyrrha started. "Do the eyes deceive? And I thought I was the celebrity. You all look wonderful."

JNPR had taken one side of the booth, allowing RWBY to scoot in on the other. "Excuse you. We always look wonderful," Yang tossed back, flipping her hair. "You guys aren't too shabby, either, though."

This caused a few chuckles and teasing comments to be sent back and forth.

"We were waiting for you before we ordered any food," Ren provided as the group calmed down from their initial greetings.

"And I was going to get everyone some shots to start 'cause I was impatient," Nora added, exaggeratedly waving at the bar's general direction, "but then, ugh, I was so rudely interrupted by these people walking in here like they owned the place..."

"You could have said something!" Weiss tried to defend her team – or herself – but then she realized it was just a joke and cleared her throat while straightening her posture, apparently trying to keep her prim and proper image intact. "I mean, I suppose I could own the place if I wanted…"

There was a pause as this comment sunk in, and then, as if reading each other's minds, Ruby, Yang, Nora, and Jaune began pretending to hit the table with their fists while chanting, "Do it, do it, do it…"

For whatever reason, this made Weiss flush red, her expression crumpling, and she retorted, "That's a terrible idea! I was trying to…be comical."

There were a few laughs at her expense, and then Yang said, "It's okay, Weiss. You'll get there."

"Don't patronize me."

Blake couldn't help the discreet smirk. As uncomfortable as she was, her friends interacting and having a good time had a contagious sort of good-mood effect.

Shortly after, a waiter came by to provide them with menus, introduce himself as Fabian, and tell them to let him know if they needed anything at any point. He asked if anyone wanted to order drinks right away, which they all did, and then he thanked them and walked off.

"Just water, Blake?" Pyrrha asked curiously after he left.

Blake shrugged a little, trying to appear nonchalant. "Alcohol affects me too easily."

"Yeah, but you could've gotten a virgin-something like me!" Ruby suggested, undeterred.

"Or, she could've gotten me," Yang retaliated with a wink.

"Yang, we all know you're not a virgin."

Coming from Ruby, the comment made Yang splutter and fail to find a witty comeback in her apparent embarrassment. Sometimes revenge was sweetest when the youngest person exacted it.

Still, attempting to save her, Blake remarked dryly, "I already have you, anyway, Yang."

"Ooohh, sounds like you two are having fun at home," Nora snickered.

It was Blake's turn to suddenly feel mortified. Please, no. Revenge was not a sweet thing at all. "I-I meant…uh, that's not…"

"Okay, that's not a subject everyone wants to know about," Weiss intervened, much to Blake and Yang's immediate and very visible gratefulness and relief.

"Yes, I'm not sure we'll ever be sufficiently drunk for that kind of information," Pyrrha added with a bit of an awkward laugh.

Yang, somewhat recovering from her initial flustered state, put her hand on the table. "Well, uh, it's nice to see the level of maturity around here is a zero." She gave Pyrrha and Jaune a pointed look, the corners of her mouth curving upwards. "Have you two even –"

"What did I just say?" Weiss asked in disbelief.

Yang and Nora started laughing again, causing Ren and Ruby to smile and lightening the mood for everyone else. Blake was just happy the conversation would now be moving away from that awkwardness. It was funny that Yang felt comfortable asking Jaune and Pyrrha if they "had even" anything, though, considering that she, herself, and Blake "had even" nothing – and it had been two years. Sometimes Blake wondered if Yang was self-aware at all.

The group then took the time to look at their menus, and their drinks arrived soon after, Fabian placing each glass in front of their respectful owners. They ordered their meals next, and once that was done and that Fabian was on his way again, Jaune lifted his passion fruit daiquiri.

With a smile, he said, "So, what about it, guys? Team JNPR and Team RWBY are now graduated huntsmen and huntresses. Let's celebrate!"

"Yeah! And Team RWBY is now members of Shields of Vytal!" Ruby added, lifting her virgin mudslide up next to Jaune's drink.

"Woohoo!" Nora exclaimed, immediately raising her drink, too. "Awesome work, everyone! We're amazing!"

Eyes bright, Yang lifted her strawberry daiquiri and agreed with, "I'll totally drink to that."

Blake and the others joined in on the toast with grins and joyous comments, glasses clinking, and this seemed to set the tone for the beginning of the evening for the group of friends. They continued their conversations, talking about Shields and then reminiscing on some of their memories from Beacon. It was while they did so that Fabian returned with some of their meals. He had to make two trips for them, but once everyone had their food, some of the conversation died down as both teams focused on eating. Nora got up halfway through to go order a round of shots for everyone – everyone except Blake and Ruby. Weiss got a few joyous comments for agreeing to have one, which made her blush a bit, but she looked like she was actually making the effort to involve herself in the fun tonight.

Blake, on the other hand, was beginning to experience an unfortunate conundrum by the time everyone was finishing their meals. She was certainly enjoying the company, gleeful ambiance, and good food, but the non-stop muffled beating of the music had started to cause a dull ache in her head, right in the depths of her cat ears. It was bearable, and she was able to ignore it for now, but she was hoping it wouldn't get worse. She did not want to put a damper on anyone's fun tonight, even her own. They all deserved this evening.

It wasn't very long after Nora wolfed down the rest of her meal that she hopped up and asked Ren to go dancing with her. Ren scraped the leftovers from his plate, and Nora impatiently switched her weight from one foot to the other, waiting, but then the couple eventually went off together, Nora chattering away animatedly to her partner.

"That actually seems like a great idea," Pyrrha commented as she watched them go. Her eyes landed on Jaune, curious and adoring – and silently asking.

Jaune nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, it does!" He smiled at Pyrrha and then took a sip of his daiquiri.

There was a pause.

"Uh, Jaune…" Ruby started with an awkward chuckle.

Even Ruby knew.

"Huh, what's up?"

Yang started laughing. "Jaune, I think Pyrrha wants to dance with you, is what she didn't say straight up."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha again, who was blushing sheepishly and nodded to confirm Yang's statement. "Oh! Yeah, let's go!" he exclaimed, immediately standing up and offering his hand to his girlfriend.

Pyrrha sent Yang a grateful glance, taking her boyfriend's hand and then following him away from the booth.

Still chuckling, Yang shook her head. "Oh, my God. Literally how do they ever get anywhere with each other? It's beautiful."

Weiss clicked her tongue in agreement.

While Blake had been following these different interactions, and noticing that only Team RWBY remained seated at their booth, she suddenly realized – for the first time since being invited to this party about a week ago – that she might actually be expected to dance, too. Oh, no.

"Hey, Blake," Yang nudged her shoulder, smiling tentatively, "I know it's not your thing, but wanna come with?"

Or, at the very least, asked to.

Blake froze, mind racing. Why had this not occurred to her sooner so that she could prepare? She had been to Beacon's dance before, but that hadn't been anything like this. This was wild and booming, not classy and pleasant. It was jumping and uncoordinated, not organized and smooth. Even for Beacon's dance before the Vytal Festival, it had taken a lot of major convincing from Blake's team to get her to go. True, she had been running herself down about Roman Torchwick and the White Fang at the time, but the dance hadn't held any appeal to her either way...until Yang had asked her to go.

But that was different. That was Yang. Not the dancing, itself.

Although, the two instances did have that in common – Yang asking Blake. With a sigh, Blake came to this second realization – she still couldn't resist Yang. Literally ever. For any reason. Blake was weak. So, she smiled tentatively back at her girlfriend and said, "Yes, I'll try."

Yang grinned brightly and scooted out of the booth before reaching her hand out to Blake, which the Faunus took with little hesitation, letting Yang help her up. Nervousness clutched Blake's gut and she felt the need to hug herself to Yang's side, but that was alright because the blonde accepted this and curled her arm around Blake's waist.

"Are you guys gonna come dance, too?" Yang asked Ruby and Weiss curiously.

"I wanna check out the holo-dancers later," Ruby piped up. "Those looked really cool."

Weiss waved her hand, looking much less tightly-strung that when she had first arrived. "I'm going to sit here and enjoy a second drink for a bit. Don't worry about me."

"Suit yourselves," Yang replied with a casual shrug, and then she started leading Blake towards the stairs. The two stepped down onto the main floor, and the music was suddenly louder and clearer, reverberating into their bodies. Blake's cat ears leaned backwards. She had forgotten that the upper level was somehow vaguely insulated from the noise.

But as they were heading towards the dance floor, where the mass of people were apparently going crazy, the current track playing came to an end, and by some miracle, the DJ announced a slower song for the couples in the crowd.

Blake nervously looked at Yang, who in turn looked surprised at first, but then she beamed at her partner and tugged her closer to edge of the gradually dispersing people-barrier. However, it turned out that the "slow song" was, in fact, not that slow of a song. The music that was beginning already had synthesizer melodies and a pulsating bass growing louder by the second. Yang hands found Blake's waist, making the young couple face each other, and unsure what to do, the Faunus draped her arms around her girlfriend's neck, moving closer against Yang hesitantly.

"This'll be different," the blonde commented with a wry smile. "You haven't done this before, have you?"

"Um, no…"

Yang blew a few stray strands of her grown-out bangs out of her face and set her twinkling lilac regard on Blake. "Okay, no worries. We can start slow. Move with the music – try chest-bumping me. But, like, not actual chest-bumps." The expression she received in response to this must have been telling because Yang decided to add, sheepish, "Like, you know, chest-bump at me."

Right... Blake creased her eyebrows and was suddenly acutely aware of how high her heels were. She didn't exactly have any trouble keeping her balance, but these were obviously not meant for this. It didn't help that for whatever reason, the situation was making her feel shy. And the drumming music was beginning to aggravate her headache. Still, Blake forced herself to give this a shot. Looking down to keep an eye on what she was even doing, she took a step away from Yang and stuck out her chest a few times, trying to sync the motion with the rhythm of the music.

Yang giggled, but she still moved along with her companion, her foot stepping between Blake's. "For someone so graceful, you're being sorta awkward."

Blake felt the warmth of a blush rising to her cheeks and her gaze snapped back up to her partner's face. "At least I'm trying…" she muttered.

Yang laughed. "Aw, Blakey…" Her expression softened. "Here, let's try this instead. Just move with me, okay?"

This was followed by Yang's hands gliding from Blake's waist to Blake's hips and pulling their lower torsos flush against each other. The Faunus almost let out a startled noise, but then her ability to make noise at all was knocked out of her. Yang started grinding her pelvis against Blake's, hips rolling, swaying her body – and, by proxy, Blake's, too – at the same time. The sociable girl leaned her face into the crook of Blake's neck, lips gliding along her companion's skin, and Blake tensed.

"U-um…"

"Too much?"

Blake tried to breathe. She tightened her hold around Yang's neck, her fingers threading through the curls at the base of the blonde's nape, resting her forehead on Yang's shoulder. "No, it's okay," she managed, swallowing hard. Her heartbeat was accelerating, adding to the pounding happening in her head. She hated how it ached, how the pain made it hard to focus and enjoy the moment properly. But both causes of her current dilemma were beyond her control, really – the music was too loud and Yang pressed up against her like this, dancing like this, leg between hers like this, was affecting her too much. Still, Blake did her absolute best to power through, timidly grinding back, shivering when Yang's lips brushed her human ear.

Yang's hands started gliding back up to Blake's waist, laying kisses along her jaw, and Blake had to lift her head, locking her gaze with her partner's. Yang smiled and rested their foreheads together, hands going even higher, grazing the side of Blake's chest before they continued on their way, along the sides of introvert's arms, and Yang said, "You can be more daring, you know." This was followed by Yang gently guiding Blake's hands away from her neck and lowering them down her front, just skirting the shape of her as she moved with the rhythm reverberating through them both.

Yang was definitely the more graceful one right now, her body rolling in hypnotizing vertical waves, hips gyrating tantalizingly, occasionally mixing in that suggestive chest-bump. Blake was fixated on the hem of the fit girl's skirt, watching the subtle lines of her thigh muscles working and the way they flipped and shook the frills beside them. It all looked far more sensual and fun coming from Yang.

Breathing was overrated, anyway. Blake kissed Yang, fire burning low in her belly, closing her eyes as she spread her fingers over Yang's abdomen, and it was the bombshell's turn to loosely drape her arms around Blake's neck, smiling against her lips. Daringly – doing as Yang had suggested – Blake allowed her hands to wander, but she was still anxious about it.

She was trepidating. Her head hurt so much, quick waves of pain radiating through her skull with every beat of the bass, the synthesizer melody blurring into a high-pitched hum in her cat ears. And her heart was pounding in every inch of her. She fought so hard to calm herself. Her fingers pressed into Yang's lower back, in the firm curve where the brawler's rear began, somehow trying to anchor herself to her girlfriend.

Yang broke the kiss and suddenly looked Blake in the eyes after glancing at her cat ears, slowing down her movement. She creased her eyebrows. "Blake? Are you okay?"

The Faunus clenched her teeth but loosened her grip around the golden girl. It was hateful – how she was ruining the moment because her stupid ears were too sensitive. And it was tempting to lie and just say she needed to use the bathroom, nothing more, that she would be back and they could resume dancing after, but Blake was afraid that the headache was reaching a point where it hurt to even keep her eyes open. A small break wasn't going to fix this.

The song was coming to an end, anyway. Blake stepped away from Yang and slumped her shoulders, cat ears flat against her head as she looked down at her feet. "…The music is too loud down here," she finally confessed with a morose sigh. Her throat tightened. Awful. Awful. She felt horrible for this.

"Oh, Blake, kitten… Hey, it's okay," Yang said gently, pulling the raven-haired girl's gaze.

Blake noticed that the crowd was dispersing some more, and she fidgeted, her discomfort increasing further. There were so many people down here, too, and she thought she caught a few eyes staring at her, frowning, judging. She felt so small. "It's not," she argued, wincing. "You're here to have fun, and I'm just…"

Yang took Blake's hand, a strong but soft, grounding grasp, and begun guiding her back towards the staircase that led to the dining area. She kept checking on her companion, worry evident in her regard, until they reached the back of the platform, where there were benches against the wall next to the fish tank. They sat down, but Yang kept Blake's hands in hers, rubbing circles on the back of them with her thumbs.

Now that they had returned to where the music was more muffled, the pain in Blake's head wasn't so acute, but the pressure was still almost making her nauseous. The light was dimmer here at the back, mostly glowing a beautiful blue color, and Blake allowed herself to rest her forehead against Yang's bicep, wishing she could just get relief from the agony. "I'm sorry, Yang," she whispered.

"Blake, it's not your fault. If anything, I should've clued in about your ears, like, before we even came here."

That made no sense whatsoever. Blake was the cat Faunus between them – not Yang. Blake was the one who should have anticipated this far ahead of time. "Yang –"

But Yang pulled Blake closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and using her other hand to press the aching girl's head against her collar. She laid a kiss on Blake's hair. "It's nobody's fault, okay? Headaches happen. The music could've done the same to me. Try not to feel bad, Blakey."

"But you could be having fun…"

"I could be. But I care about you more. You're my priority and you don't get to choose what's the best use of my time."

Blake huffed, but she had to concede to Yang's point. At the very least, she had to appreciate how attentive Yang was. It proved that she cared. So, Blake tried to relax in Yang's arms, closing her eyes while the blonde glided her thumb along Blake's jaw in light back and forth caresses.

The irony wasn't lost on Blake. She was usually the one who was rational and level-headed. Yet, ever since they had decided to move in together and started making plans according to that decision, Yang had been the one telling Blake to take it easy. Every time Blake got stressed, Yang was there, being the voice of reason instead of her.

She snuggled closer to her girlfriend and sighed. She wanted to be content, but the pain in her head had barely receded. It was so frustrating. Still, that didn't negate the fact that Yang was amazing – comfortable and beautiful like the sunset, refreshing and warm like the sunrise. Blake had no regrets about choosing this wonderful girl.

They stayed cuddled like that for a while – how long, Blake didn't know – but her state did not get any better. It was terribly harrowing, to the point that she didn't even hear Weiss' high-heeled footsteps until the white-haired girl was practically standing in front of the couple.

"Is everything alright over here? I thought you two went dancing."

"Blake has a bad headache," Yang provided. "Are you leaving now, Weiss? Blake and I could go with you and Ruby instead of going with whoever later."

"Yes. There's enough room."

It was a moment before this bit of conversation registered in Blake's mind, but when it did, she groaned and tried to sit up so that she could look Yang in the eyes. "No. You stay here. Enjoy your evening. There's no reason for both of us to go home."

Yang firmed her gaze. "Blake, I'm not gonna have fun knowing you're home and not feeling well. I want to take care of you."

Blake had to take in a deep breath and slowly let it out, one hand on Yang's shoulder as she creased her eyebrows. "I can take care of myself for tonight, Yang. I promise it's okay. This evening was supposed to be for celebrating. I want you to have that, to break loose and enjoy yourself. You don't get these opportunities very often, and you deserve it."

Yang looked like she was about to argue, but then she glanced towards the dance floor down below and seemed to re-evaluate her thoughts. She was silent.

Weiss spoke up. "I'm going to go find Ruby. My driver is waiting outside already, so whatever you decide to do, you have less than ten minutes." And without further lingering, Weiss turned her back to them and strode off.

Yang met Blake's stare. "Are you sure, kitten? I'm worried about you."

Blake tried to smile – really, she did – but she knew it probably looked more like a wince. "Don't be. It's just a headache. I'm going to go home and rest, and I'll feel better in the morning – nothing to it. I promise it's fine. Please, have fun tonight."

Yang didn't seem completely convinced yet. She kept staring at Blake, apparently searching for any signs of this not being okay, but then she let out a sigh and tried a small smile of her own. "Okay. I'll have fun. But at least let me help you to the car."

That, Blake was not going to argue against. They stood up slowly, Yang keeping her arm around Blake's waist to support her, and then the two began making their way towards the staircase again. This time, however, instead of turning to the dance floor to their right, they headed left for the metal gate where one of the bouncers opened the door for them. Blake had to shut her eyes, trying to block out the lasers and heavy bass assaulting her senses, letting Yang guide her out of the nightclub.

She inhaled deeply once they were outside, thinking she could breathe in the fresh night air, but the smell of cigarette smoke filled her nostrils instead. Blake's cat ears immediately flattened – more – and her nausea intensified. She coughed.

"Hey, hey. Check out the babes."

Blake glanced in the direction of the voice. There were three guys standing against the wall – the causes of the cigarette scent. She looked away, and Yang kept helping her forward, grip tightening, both girls simultaneously deciding to ignore the cat-call.

"Aw, c'mon, girls. You look like you need a ride. We can get you home safe!"

"I like the animal."

"Gross, man. That blonde is way hotter."

One of them wasn't speaking – Blake liked that even less. Either way, Weiss' white sedan was parked at the curb not too far away. Blake wasn't sure if Yang could hear what the two guys were saying as well as she could, but whatever the case, that blonde quickened her stride and they reached the car only a few seconds later. Yang opened the back door and then carefully helped Blake get inside.

Blake clasped her fingers over her girlfriend's forearm before she could go anywhere, though. "Be careful."

Yang rolled her eyes. "They're messing with the wrong girls, anyway, the idiots." She paused, hovering near, but then pressed a gentle kiss to the Faunus' lips. She tasted like strawberries and rum – much more pleasant than the stench outside – and her touch was tender, contrasting with the earlier sharpness in her voice. "Go home and get some rest. I love you, Blakey."

"I love you, too."

Yang then pulled away completely and shut the door with a muffled thud. The automatic locks then clicked in place. Blake watched through the darkly tinted glass as Yang started heading back towards the nightclub, her gait strong and confident – the way she walked when she was ready to fight. As much as Blake just wanted to lean back in her seat and forget the world existed, worry for Yang forced her to make sure the brawler made it back without incident – for anyone.

A little more muted and further away, Blake still heard one of the guys speak when Yang approached again – still not the third one.

"Honey, did you actually kiss that beast? Like, no offense, but you could be kissing one of –"

"Say another word, and I'll rip your throat out," Yang interrupted him, scathing, but she kept walking by, making for the entrance of the nightclub. "And I really want to, you racist prick. Leave us alone." Her hand reached for the door.

One of the two first guys grabbed her arm. Blake's eyes widened.

It was all the reason Yang needed, though. Her other hand immediately gripped the man's arm in turn, and without further warning, twisted him over her shoulder and slammed him into the cement ground, eliciting a loud, plaintive groan. "Hands to yourself," she snapped. With a series of audible shclicks, Ember Celica extended, the barrel of her left gun pointing at the other two men while she kept the third in a kneeling armbar. She sent a glare at the two standing, who both took a few steps back, and, apparently satisfied with this, Yang then disengaged before disappearing into the nightclub without saying anything else, none the wiser.

Blake breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, her heart was hammering against the front of her skull now. She moaned and closed her eyes before letting herself slouch against the seat. She heard the first guy call Yang something offensive under his breath, and Blake had to put in a difficult, conscious effort to remain calm, lest the high blood pressure caused her state to get even worse – although that hardly seemed possible at this point.

Yang had gone very easy on them. Blake knew what vicious spite looked like, knew how much further that situation could have gone. But Yang had merely deescalated the conflict – not...eliminated it. She was good.

Blake did her best to wipe her mind clean of any violent thoughts. Weiss and Ruby would arrive shortly, anyway. And then Blake could go home and forget this evening had happened.

---

The air mattress was no more comfortable on the bedframe than it was on the floor. This did nothing to soothe Blake's headache. If anything, it just seemed to create more tension in her neck and shoulders. She and Yang had yet to purchase painkillers – and what an egregious oversight that had been, one that Blake was thoroughly regretting. She laid there in the dark, sometimes on her side, sometimes on her back, and again considered taking the blankets with her downstairs to sleep on the sectional.

But she was too tired, her head hurt too much, and Blake didn't want to get back up. Yet despite these things, she could not sleep. She tossed and turned, hugged blankets closer to her, forced her eyes shut for minutes at a time, but the pounding beat of the music from the club was still somewhere in Blake's cat ears, making it impossible for her to relax. And, if she was honest, she felt lonely. There was no one else in the apartment except her. She was by herself, and it left a chill inside of her that the covers could not warm.

It was silly, Blake knew. Before Beacon, she had been used to this. Being in the White Fang had taught her to deal with solitude, to welcome it. And it wasn't that she had always been on her own – quite the contrary, in fact. But there had only ever been a select few people who she had been close to, and those people hadn't always been in her presence. Being secluded in a crowd or on her own was just part of the deal.

Beacon had changed that. Blake had been with Weiss, Ruby, or Yang separately or together almost twenty-four-seven, and had learned to view them as family. She had never truly been alone, despite the times Blake had needed to distance herself from the group for a little bit. Four years. She was twenty-two, an adult with her own apartment, a deadly huntress trained to kill monsters of darkness, an ex-lieutenant in a terrorist organization, and still Blake wished Yang would just come home already, if only to feel a bit safer.

Yang. Blake groaned and turned to bury her face in the pillow, the air mattress' PVC creaking slightly. Why did Yang have to dance like that? By all means, she was allowed to do whatever she wanted. If Yang wanted to get buzzed and involve Blake in her fun, then that was her decision. But why did it have to be that kind dancing? Why did Yang have to be so confident about it?

Blake huffed, the images of her partner's gyrating body flashing against her eyelids, and this seemed to cause a greater pang of pain in her head, making her wince. It wasn't like Blake had not liked it. She had even tried reciprocating, after all. But considering the circumstances, it tightened the coil in her stomach and made her wonder if this was fair.

Who was she kidding? This had nothing to do with fairness. Blake could have asked Yang to do something different. She could have left sooner. Heck, she could have even refused Yang's offer altogether. It wasn't Yang's fault that Blake hadn't torn her eyes away or controlled the spiral of her thoughts. It wasn't Yang's fault that Blake had encouraged the gyrating and desired her girlfriend so much this way.

Indeed, Blake could not sleep. The more she thought about Yang, the more her head seemed to want to explode, and the more that made Blake focus on the pain, the more she wanted Yang to just be here to hold her and soothe it all away.

Honestly, Blake wanted to cry. This was ridiculous.

She didn't know how long this misery lasted, but at some point, Blake's cat ears picked up the sound of a car outside – a car that did not continue on its way down the street. It was so silent at this time of night – whatever time it was, probably early morning, really – that she had no trouble hearing how it stopped in front of the duplex, and how the doors of the vehicle opening made the sound of Yang's giggling become distinct.

"Oooh, what a gentleman," she slurred after a short moment.

Blake frowned, cat ears twitching. Yang was definitely drunk. What a way to speak to the taxi driver.

"That's me, as always," came a second voice, deep and amused. Blake did not recognize it, but assumed it was the cab guy. "C'mon, beautiful. Let's get you to your door, at least."

Wait, what? Blake stared up at the ceiling. That comment was awfully familiar coming from a supposed stranger.

"Aww," Yang cooed, and then let out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a hiccup. "'Kay, but…but jus' the door cuz m-my kitten's 'n there…"

Blake heard them staggering closer to the front entrance. The man laughed, and now she wondered if he was a bit inebriated, too. "Your kitten? That's a first. Hey – whoa. Careful."

Then they were both snickering like children, and Yang was suddenly making a loud shhhhhh sound before more giggling ensued. "Yeah! She's super adorbs and I'mma…I'mma go cuddle herrrr…"

"Well, alright," the unknown voice said flippantly. "Suit yourselffff…" There was a pause, and Blake's cat ears strained to hear anything else, but all there was were the occasional crickets for a couple seconds. And then the man eventually said, "Goodnight, Yang."

Blake's eyes narrowed, heart beginning to beat a little faster. He knew Yang's name? She brought her hand to her forehead, restraining another groan. This so was not the right time for this weirdness.

Yang hiccupped and then exclaimed a bit too loudly, "'Night!" followed by more drunken chortling and the sound of the front door swinging open with a rattle. Blake nearly jumped out of her skin.

While Yang made a fracas downstairs trying to lock the door behind her and get her shoes off, Blake heard the man walk back to the vehicle, stay there for another moment, and then drive off. And Blake had no idea what to think. That had been one heck of a chummy cab guy. But an unsettled feeling formed in Blake's gut. She refused to let her mind pull her to its darker corners.

She also didn't have much time to ponder that, anyway. Yang, after apparently bumping into a few walls and cooing at the sectional like it was a puppy, began struggling up the stairs. Blake slowly sat up in bed. She wasn't entirely certain what she was going to say or do, since Yang seemed way too drunk to be coherent, but maybe something could be figured out before letting the blonde sleep. Maybe. If anything, even Blake wasn't sure she was being coherent or reasonable enough, what with the headache probably making everything seem worse than it was. It might have been better to just let it go for tonight and address the situation tomorrow.

Yang eventually made it to the top floor and then, shortly after, stumbled into the room, pulling Blake's gaze. Their eyes locked, and a happy, wide grin spread across Yang's face. "Kittyyy! You're awake!"

Blake winced. She was being way too loud and way too obnoxious. In other circumstances, Blake might have found the combination of the exclamation and the joyous expression kind of endearing, but not tonight. "Yang, please…"

"Oh, right," the energetic girl whispered – mercifully – before bringing a finger to her lips and going, "Shhh." She hiccupped and giggled quietly.

Blake shook her head, unamused. "Just change your clothes and come to bed, Yang." She would normally be much more patient with this drunken behavior, understanding that it was just another one of the ways that Yang had fun, but Blake just wanted to sleep and forget about the pain and the familiarity of the cab guy. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently, it was. Blake's response caused Yang to nod sagely. Too sagely. Much to Blake's amazed horror, the blonde began undressing right there in the dark. Her necklaces were thrown in the dresser's general direction but missed entirely. She began fumbling with the back of her dress' zipper, trying to reach it.

Heat rushed to Blake's face and the pounding in her ears grew louder. "Yang," she hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Just uhhh…" Sliding her dress down after unzipping it proved to be an endeavor that left Blake surprised Yang didn't topple over from all the struggling and hopping and twisting. No wonder she never finished her sentence and just laughed a bit at her own difficulty. Or maybe at her toes. At this point, Blake suspected Yang had lost all sense of maturity and the only thing that kept the Faunus from looking away to respect her girlfriend's privacy was sheer concern over whether or not Yang would trip and fall.

It got worse, though. So, so much worse. After stripping down to her bra and an offensive little piece of panties, Yang did not even try to fetch her pajamas. She climbed onto the foot of the bed, somehow keeping balance on her knees, and Blake inhaled sharply. She was too tired for this, in too much pain for this sight, but her eyes refused to obey. They were transfixed, staring at the defined lines of Yang's hips and how perfectly they framed the gentle, small hill of her lower belly, indented by a navel that stretched into the line that cut through the middle of the brawler's strong abdomen. The muscles were firm, sculpted like a goddess of war, and Blake swallowed hard as her eyes continued their journey, appreciating every sinful curve and contrast between how purely feminine Yang's figure was despite these proofs of her physical strength. Her ample chest was practically spilling out of her bra, promises of incredibly soft flesh outlining themselves beautifully under the harder shape of her collarbone. It was like staring at a work of art made for heaven.

Their eyes met again, and Blake unsteadily exhaled the air she had taken. Yang's gaze was unfocused, but the expression on her face had become serious, lilac irises holding smoldering intent, something Blake could not quite fathom the truth of and yet found it igniting a blaze way down in her core. What was this? What was Yang doing? This was not okay.

As Blake's mind began racing, Yang advanced, the air mattress creaking ominously, and when the blonde's knees pressed into the blankets on each side of Blake's upper thighs, Yang leaned forward, a dangerous smile slowly curving her lips. She was way too close – way too unclothed. Blake, overloaded with sensory information – Yang's auric warmth, Yang's vanilla and gunpowder scent mixed with alcohol on her breath, Yang's bared and tanned skin, Yang's gorgeous lilac gaze, Yang's everything – tried to move away, to put distance between them, but Yang only pushed Blake down on her back, partly following the motion.

Her scantily clad partner sitting on Blake's pelvis like this, hot and heavy, enflamed the magma in the Faunus' nether regions, sending a persistent wave of heat through her body, and Blake's mind pulled a brief blank before going into overdrive, heart hammering against her skull.

They couldn't have sex. They could not have sex. Not like this. Not when Yang wouldn't remember a thing. Not when Yang's mind was too addled to make the difference between a girl and a boy. Not when Blake's head felt like it wanted to split in half. Not when –

Yang pinned Blake's hands down on each side of her body, a lascivious smile on her lips. "You readyyy?"

Ready for wh – ?! No. Absolutely not. This could not continue. "Yang, you need to sto – "

But before she could finish that sentence, Yang started grinding her hips into Blake's, hard and slow, thighs tight against her, flooring the Faunus with how torrid, how mind-staggeringly erotic the sensation was. Yang pressed into Blake's core and Blake's pelvis into the mattress, and the filaments of electricity that raced up the raven-haired girl's chest and pricked at her temples nearly made her eyes roll back. The air seemed to leave her lungs, and for a moment trying to form a coherent thought other than oh, God, yes was impossible. This was Yang, the woman Blake loved and was attracted to more than anything and whose affection she was so starved for, not some random girl, and that reality was the reason why Blake was so very, horribly turned on right now. Certain parts of her were already pulsing and made her painfully aware of how fast Yang was working her up by this one, steady and sensual motion. Tucking forwards, constricting abdomen muscles, and then rolling backwards, pushing into Blake's crotch and releasing the strain – repeat until this torturous rhythm seemed to be the only thing that had ever mattered. Deliberately, again and again, Yang thrust her hips into Blake. And Blake was still in her pajamas. How in the world was she supposed to fight both herself and Yang?

But Yang suddenly spoke just then, and paused her movements as she did so, too. Breathing harshly, Blake almost moaned in protest, and hated herself for it. Oblivious to this internal struggle, Yang sounded confused and mildly disappointed when this one, drunken observation left her mouth, "Aw, kitty, you're missing something…"

It was both a blessing and a curse that this statement, combined with Yang's going still, made the last of Blake's patience dissolve and finished infuriating her. The throbbing in her head intensified, and Blake hissed with venom, "Of course I'm missing something, you dimwit! Get off of me!"

Yang seemed to stare at Blake with even more puzzlement, and even great wonder, as if this discovery of female anatomy was truly the strangest thing, but her grip loosened, and that was all Blake needed. She shoved Yang's hands away and, with a frustrated huff, pushed against the blonde with all her body to invert their positions. Blake almost shuddered at the feel of her hips between Yang's thighs, and it was so, so tempting to kiss and continue grinding against her, but she managed through gritted teeth, "Stay there. Don't move." And then Blake got off the mattress, scowling, and went to the dresser to find a pair of pajamas for her idiotic girlfriend. Once she had a shirt and pants in her hands, Blake tossed the articles at Yang, who failed to catch them thanks to her slowed reflexes, so they hit her in the face and chest. Blake was so done with tonight. "Put those on," she ordered. She didn't stay to see if Yang obeyed, though. Blake curtly left the room and went into the bathroom, where she shut the door, locked it, and then leaned her back against it for a moment. Slowly, as the deafening silence settled on her, she slid down until she was sitting, and dug her fingers through her hair stressfully, resting her forehead against her knees.

Her heart was still pounding in every inch of her body and that insistent heat in her core continued to linger, stronger and more demanding of attention than it had ever been before. She was still terribly turned on. Yet her head was in agony, a hammer repetitively slamming on her skull, and trying to process anything that had just happened only aggravated the ache. Tears pricked at Blake's eyes, and she tried to rapidly blink them away. This predicament was pure torment in so many different ways. She let out another huff, but it came out more like a sob this time. Maybe it was the excessive stress or the excruciating pain or the longing, unrequited desire or a combination of all this, but before Blake could really stop herself, she started crying quietly.

She wanted this intimacy with Yang so much, wanted to show the blonde how much she loved and appreciated her, wanted to make Yang feel amazing, wanted to share herself heart, body, and soul with her girlfriend, and tonight could have been that, but Blake knew better. It would have still been one-sided. It would not have meant a single thing to Yang because she was too drunk out of her mind to understand what was even happening, let alone remember that it had happened at all. And Blake did not care – did not want – to make love to Yang if Blake was the only one receiving some kind of lasting reward out of it. That felt far too twisted, far too selfish. Plus, drunken consent was meaningless. So, Blake wasn't even allowed to try tonight, no matter what it was she felt about it.

But it still hurt, and it was still incredibly distressing to push Yang away. Since they had started dating, she'd never had to do that once. Not once. It just wasn't in the nature of their relationship for Yang to force herself on Blake. And now Blake felt awful for getting mad at the blonde because Yang wasn't even responsible for her own actions – it was all the alcohol's fault. If anything, it was entirely possible that Yang had mistakenly thought she was doing a good thing, if somewhere behind the haze she had the slightest notion of how much Blake wanted this. Because that was how Yang was – selfless and caring and trying to make everyone happy. Blake should not have snapped at her.

Fed up with herself for making the situation worse than it was, Blake angrily wiped the tears away and stood, deciding that a cold shower was probably her best option right now. She needed to cool off, needed to think more clearly, needed to get into a better mindset. And maybe the cold water would help her headache, too. Maybe. Hopefully.

Aw, kitty, you're missing something... Yang's voice resonated in her head, and Blake let out a strangled noise of frustration. She turned the water on in the tub, a couple more tears falling from her eyes. As stupid as that observation had been, it did not erase Yang's genuine disappointment while she said it. And out of all the egregious, awful things that had happened in the last fifteen minutes, this was what hurt Blake the most.

Yang wanted something Blake could not give her, no matter how much good will they both had.

Holding back more sobs, a thick knot in her throat, Blake undressed and got under the spray of cool water. It caused her to shiver and clench her teeth but, ultimately, it already began to have to desired effect – the temperature of her body lowered and any remaining arousal eventually vanished. Unfortunately, even if her thoughts cleared, Blake's sadness lingered. She bowed her head, resting one hand on the wall and letting the water run down her back. With her other hand, trembling, she reached and turned the knob for the hot water, deciding that she needed the warmth now that she wasn't at risk of doing something regrettable – she couldn't let herself fantasize about Yang, and Blake knew all too well that was only thing she ever wanted to fantasize about. But she was in control now.

Yang had never made Blake feel like she wasn't enough, had never once admitted to disappointment or unhappiness with how things were. But this? This tore through Blake and shattered her confidence. She knew it was just one comment, one moment of inebriated inattention, but that was exactly the problem. Yang had slipped up – the truth was out. Blake couldn't give Yang everything the blonde might have ever dreamed of, couldn't make her completely happy or satisfied. They could try all they wanted, could fight through sweat and blood to make it work, but...Blake simply wasn't enough for Yang because Yang felt there was something missing. And there was no changing that. At some point, Blake's sobs quieted, leaving an emptiness inside that caused her to just stand there under the water, staring at the wall, thinking about nothing.

It was only when a trickle made it to one of her cat ears that Blake snapped out of it and turned the spray off. She didn't even like water. What did it say about the messiness of this night that she had used it for comfort? At least her headache had subsided somewhat, finally, much to her needed relief. Still, Blake made sure to keep her mind carefully blank as she dried off. She got her pajamas back on, soaked as much water as possible from her hair with the towel, brushed it, and then let out a short sigh.

She felt a little better. Not much, but a little. And now she had to go see if Yang had done what she had asked...which just made Blake's mood sour all over again. But she didn't have anymore patience for all this tonight, so Blake left the bathroom and walked into the bedroom without further letting the dread settle in her gut. And the sight that greeted her, mercifully, was Yang, in her pajamas, sound asleep on the left of the mattress. She was resting on her side, snoring lightly like she always did, looking peaceful and angelic and like nothing was wrong in the world.

Blake massaged her forehead for an instant, the tension in her shoulders slowly dissipating. Like this, she couldn't stay angry at Yang. She couldn't resent what had happened. It was a mistake, nothing more. They could talk about it tomorrow and figure something out. Because what else was there to do? Blake loved Yang too much and wasn't about to let this ruin everything. So, with another resigned sigh, Blake turned around and went downstairs, where she poured water into a glass and then came back up with it.

She approached her sleeping girlfriend and laid her free hand on Yang's shoulder, hoping that this wasn't going to be a mistake - another one - and shook gently. Yang mumbled something, and Blake shook a little more until groggy lilac irises became visible behind blinking eyelids.

"…Huh…?"

"Drink this, then go back to sleep." Blake showed Yang the glass of water.

The inebriated girl tried to sit, and Blake had to help her, but Yang finally took the glass and drank it all down. She then collapsed onto her back again, mumbling something else, giggling, and then…falling right to sleep.

Blake let out a sigh of relief and set the empty glass on the nightstand beside Yang, promising herself to go out tomorrow to buy painkillers. Both of them were going to need it. Blake then carefully managed to get the blankets on top of Yang, and after a moment of hesitation, she leaned down and laid a brief kiss on the blonde's forehead. Blake then walked around to the other side of the mattress and got under the covers, immediately finding comfort in her girlfriend's auric warmth. She drew closer to Yang's back, but only rested her forehead against it, curling up and closing her eyes.

…Only to immediately open them again. Something was amiss. Blake narrowed her gaze and inhaled deeply through her nose before slowly exhaling. There was Yang's regular, reassuring scent with a hint of sweat, there were sharper odors from the club, cigarette smoke and alcohol, but then there was…something else. Someone else. Someone that was not Blake. They were male.

She took another deep breath in, this time to calm herself. It's just the cab guy. Blake exhaled. She would confront Yang about him tomorrow – and it wasn't even that bad, it was just a couple flirty comments. Nothing more. Knowing Yang, she'd promise it wouldn't happen again, and that would be the end of it. Blake had nothing to worry about.

So, ignoring all other scents except the ones of vanilla and gunpowder filling her senses, and with a small feeling of safety thanks to Yang's mere presence blanketing her nerves, Blake was eventually able to drift off.

---

I think my problem is that I am a masochist. It's like I want to be hated or something.

Also, no scene spoof this time - that would be very tonally inappropriate, and Cowjump and I couldn't think of anything funny enough that would warrant the whiplash.

Now, I'll just be over here, anxiously awaiting your reviews…

Chapter three coming next Sunday!