Whew...so to use a running reference here, we just sprinted the last few chapters. But this one is going to be a nice jog. Something to allow you to catch your breath before the final leg of the race. I hope that everyone enjoys :) Thank you to everyone for the follows, favorites, and reviews. It means a lot to me! And, even though this one may be coming to an end, I have another story in the works that the bumblebee fans should really enjoy!
Happy reading AND happy Halloween!
The next day and a half after waking from her coma passed by in a complete blur for Blake.
Ruby and Weiss had made it to the hospital in record time after Yang had sent them the message that Blake had woken up. There were more tears as Ruby had jumped onto the bed, giving Blake a big (and still painful) hug while apologizing for getting Blake injured. For her part, Blake cried too as she tried to assure Ruby that it wasn't the younger girl's fault in any way, shape, or form. It was all Blake's fault - for being foolish enough to chase after Adam by herself.
Even Weiss had joined in on the tears, eyes watering as she patiently awaited her turn to give Blake a much softer hug. The heiress had whispered that she was glad to have Blake back. The sincerity behind her words caused Blake's tears to renew, streaming down her face in happiness.
Ruby and Weiss had stayed for a while until Blake couldn't stop yawning and felt her eyes fighting to close themselves once more. With nothing more than a quick glance to one another, the two girls had stood up in unison, bidding their goodbyes and promising to come back first thing in the morning.
As soon as the other two were gone, Yang had quietly shut the door and crawled back into the bed beside Blake. Laying down on her side, Yang had smiled at her while Blake tried to stave off unconsciousness. She knew that she was fighting a losing battle though, as her eyelids constantly fluttered in an effort to stay open.
Yang had remained by Blake's side, smiling as her hand still firmly grasped one of Blake's own.
Blake didn't know when it had become so natural to feel Yang's fingers intertwined with her own, but she now found that she was addicted to the sensation. The feeling of Yang's surprisingly soft fingers gently brushing against her own seemed to have become ingrained in her. When the touch was gone, even for just a few minutes, Blake found herself yearning for the contact.
It was almost as if the feeling of Yang's hand was the only thing that convinced Blake that this was all real, that she was really here. When it was gone, she felt like she could easily be back in her dream world, chasing Yang and never being able to catch her. Thankfully, she hadn't even needed to explain this to Yang…since her partner didn't seem willing to voluntarily release Blake's hand anytime soon.
As Blake had passed back into unconsciousness, she found herself grateful for the warm hand in her own. She knew that when she woke up, Yang would still be right there beside her.
The next day had been even more eventful, as the members of Team JNPR had come to visit her in pairs. Blake had finally opened Nora's present while Nora and Ren were both in the room to witness (i.e. supervise) the great reveal. Thankfully Yang had forewarned her about the potential gift, otherwise she might have screamed when she found that there was not one, but two large snakes living together in the cardboard box.
She had quickly closed the box and thanked Nora for being so thoughtful. Luckily, Ren had made the brilliant suggestion that since Blake was in no condition to take care of the creatures right now, maybe Nora should keep them safe until Blake was ready. Nora and Blake had both hastily agreed to the proposition. As the pair had left the hospital, Ren had stayed back a few seconds to assure Yang and Blake that once Nora became attached to the creatures, there was no way Blake was ever going to get them back.
On his part, Ren did not seem at all concerned that Nora would now have two (likely venomous) snakes living in their home. Blake could only imagine that the boy had become quite immune to Nora's antics, by now.
Professor Ozpin and Glynda had even managed to stop by, although they hadn't been able to stay for more than a few minutes. From what Blake could tell from their brief interaction, the pair were beyond exhausted.
In fact, all of her teammates and friends had seemed to be very fatigued. Blake was sure that things had been going on in Vale that no one was telling her about yet. Whenever she tried to broach the topic with Yang, the blonde had either changed the subject or dodged a direct answer. Blake had given up for the time being, figuring that they would clue her in when the time came.
Besides the constant stream of visitors sandwiched in between cat naps, there was lots of poking and prodding being done by the staff of the hospital. They were checking and double checking all of her vitals, clearly amazed at how quickly her system was healing itself. However, the internal damage and general exhaustion from the amount of trauma her body had experienced would take more time to heal completely.
But after much deliberation, her doctors had decided that they could release her from the hospital, provided that Blake promised to take it easy for a couple of days before trying anything too physically exhausting. Ruby had even convinced the doctors that she was knowledgeable enough to monitor Blake's condition from their home, and that they were adequately prepared to take care of her in the event that anything went wrong.
Which brought Blake to this moment, where she waited patiently in her wheelchair as the nurses prepared her exit paperwork. Yang was standing behind her, shifting her weight back and forth between her feet in a clear sign of impatience. She could understand how the blonde felt; being cooped up inside the hospital for a second longer than necessary seemed like torture by this point. They were both beyond excited to be leaving, especially Yang, who Blake knew had been cooped up inside for longer than the blonde cared to admit.
Weiss and Ruby had gone home ahead of them, having packed up all of the gifts Blake had received to take with them. Blake had made sure that they took special care of the lily Yang had discovered, which was still surprisingly alive and thriving in the pot Yang had transplanted it into.
While they were waiting for the nurse to finish up, Blake caught sight of a young doctor who seemed to be staring intently at them as he hugged the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. The man was tall, decently attractive, but with a bright blue splint taped across what must have been a recently broken nose. He almost looked like he wanted to turn around and walk the other way, but he must have needed to get past them badly enough to risk it.
She tilted her head, confused by his behavior.
"Hey Yang…" she said softly, causing the blonde to lean down close to Blake's head so that she could hear her better. "What do you think is wrong with that doctor?"
Yang glanced in the direction Blake nodded towards before straightening up with a laugh when she saw who Blake was referring to.
"Oh!" Yang yelled happily. She bounced across the space separating them from the doctor. When the young man noticed her coming, he froze like a deer in the headlights before turning in an effort to hightail it back the way he had come. Unfortunately for him, Yang grabbed ahold of his arm before he could get away and dragged him across the hallway to where Blake was now waiting in shock.
"Blake, this is Dr. Brennan. Dr. Brennan, this is Blake."
The doctor nervously stuck his hand out to shake Blake's timidly before trying to step away, only to find that Yang was still firmly attached to his left arm.
"Nice to meet you," Blake said politely after Yang had finished her introductions. It still didn't explain how Yang knew the man or why he seemed so frightened.
"Dr. Brennan tried to ask me out on a date while you were in surgery," Yang added helpfully.
"Oh," Blake responded lightly, still moderately confused. "Ohhhh…"
Blake smiled at Dr. Brennan as she finally solved the mystery of the broken nose.
"I must apologize for my partner's…heavy handedness," Blake remarked sincerely.
"It was my head, actually," Yang responded with a laugh, finally releasing his arm. The blonde clearly did not hold any grudges against him for trying to approach her in a time of need, but the young man didn't seem to recognize that. He leaned far away from her as if she would re-break his nose at any instant.
"I'm…glad to see that you're doing well," the man responded to Blake, giving her a slight bow of the head. "Now if you'll please excuse me…"
Without waiting for a response, Dr. Brennan raced down the hallway away from them.
Yang stared after him for a couple of seconds before shrugging her shoulders, completely unperturbed by his reaction.
Seconds later, the nurse gave them both a nod and a smile, signifying that everything was in order. Yang came around to Blake's side, looking down at her with a radiant smile.
"Ready to go home?"
Home.
How long had it been since Blake felt like she had a home to return to? Where she was not only loved, but accepted for who she truly was? Where she wanted to be as much as other people wanted her to be there?
She nodded her head slowly, smiling as she tried to keep her tears in check.
Yes, she was finally ready to go home.
Yang wasted no time in steering Blake towards the exit, receiving several high fives from nurses and doctors who must have become friends with the blonde during her stay. Once in front of the exit to the building, Yang pulled the chair to a stop. Blake placed her hands down on the armrests, preparing to push herself to her feet in order to walk out, when a certain blonde huntress appeared in front of her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Yang asked, arms across her chest as she peered down at Blake.
"Uh…standing up?" Blake replied, perplexed by her partner's question.
"Oh, no, no," Yang began. "You aren't allowed to walk out of here."
Blake's eyebrows knit in confusion until Yang stepped forward, slipping one arm underneath Blake's knees as the other slipped carefully across her back. Blake let out a small squeak of astonishment as Yang plucked her out of the wheelchair in one effortless motion, holding Blake in her arms as if she weighed nothing at all.
"I've always wanted to carry you like this," Yang whispered, grinning like an idiot as she pushed the wheelchair against the wall with her foot and walked out the front doors. Blake hid her face in Yang's shoulder, wanting to shield herself from the countless shocked looks they were attracting from the other people waiting in the hospital lobby.
She knew better than to try to argue with Yang right there though. The blonde would have only made a bigger scene and still wouldn't have set her down.
Plus, if she were forced to admit it, she kind of enjoyed being carried this way.
Even though it was evening and the sun wasn't particularly bright, she blinked when they stepped outside. Thought she had only been awake for two days, the seven she had spent sleeping had certainly made her eyes adjust to minimal lighting. There was a soft, chilled breeze blowing across the parking lot. It felt great brushing against her skin, before the cold was instantly diffused by the heat emanating from the strong arms holding her.
Parked out front was an expensive black town car, the driver already standing outside the passenger door as he waited for them. As they approached, he dutifully opened the door, allowing Yang to set her gently down on one of the seats. The blonde then jogged around to the other side of the car, popping open the door herself and sliding in beside Blake.
"Take us home, Jeffrey!" Yang said while her hand once again sought out Blake's on the seat beside her.
It didn't take long to return to Schnee Manor, and they passed the time in peaceful silence. Blake raptly watched the scenery outside the car window sliding past, feeling nostalgia when she saw buildings she recognized. Before she knew it, the car glided to a stop in front of their home.
Yang jumped out of the car like a shot out of a cannon and raced around to Blake's door, making sure to beat Jeffrey there. The older gentleman chuckled lightly at Yang's behavior before he returned to the driver's seat.
Pushing open Blake's door, Yang reached inside and scooped Blake up once again. The fiery blonde slowly backed her way out of the car, making absolutely sure not to hit Blake's head on the door as they exited. But as Yang turned to begin striding up the front walkway, Blake softly pinched her partner's cheek in order to gain her attention.
"Can I please walk myself back into the house, at least?" Blake asked imploringly, making sure to give Yang the best pleading look she could muster.
She didn't want to have to be carried as if she were still the same isolated girl who had just returned weeks prior. She wanted to walk back into her home proudly, happy and unbroken.
Plus, she really didn't want Weiss and Ruby to see Yang carrying her around like a toy. While Blake knew that the two wouldn't make fun of her immediately, she was sure that the jokes would definitely make an appearance at some point in the future for Yang transporting her around bridal style.
Her appeal seemed to have worked, as Yang bit her lip for a second before hesitantly lowering Blake's feet to the ground. Only when Yang was positive that Blake had her balance did the blonde release the arm around her back, although Yang still held one arm out as if Blake could topple over at any second like a baby deer.
She wished that Yang's concerns were completely off base, but, unfortunately, they were not. Blake's legs felt like jello as she moved in small steps towards the front door. She tried to play off the movements as naturally as possible, but the small wobble she made when taking the one step up to the front door was enough to bring Yang's arm instantly back around her waist.
She didn't bother asking Yang to remove her arm, finding that it provided a nice support for her to lean against.
Yang pressed her thumb to a brand new fingerprint scanner that had been installed on the front door. After a small beep sounded, the blonde then typed in a code before finally pulling the door handle to open the door.
The two of them slowly walked into the foyer, with Blake looking around fondly. A blast of rose petals later, Ruby stood in front of them, grinning from ear to ear.
"Welcome home!" she cried out happily, moving forward to give Blake an affectionate hug. Weiss appeared moments later, looking slightly grumpy. Blake could only imagine that Ruby had sped off as soon as she heard the front door open, leaving the heiress behind.
"Welcome back," Weiss said with a tired smile. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling ok," Blake began answering automatically, before she realized that she was actually feeling quite drained, just from the ride from the hospital and the walk up to the front door.
"You must be exhausted," Weiss responded, seeing right through Blake's attempt at a lie.
Ruby nodded her head up and down in agreement.
"Yang, you should probably take her upstairs and let her get some more rest," their leader suggested.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Yang said, sending a wink towards Blake as she tightened her grip around her waist.
"And then…we need to talk to you," Ruby continued, looking quite unhappy that she even had to say the words, but Weiss was looking at her quite compellingly at that moment.
Blake felt Yang deflate measurably at the comment, sighing in resignation.
"Yeah…I'll come back down after I get Blake settled in," the blonde responded.
The two girls nodded, smiling again at Blake before heading back into the living room together.
Blake looked at Yang in worry, wondering what it could be that the other two girls needed to speak to Yang about, but her partner didn't appear to want to discuss that right now.
"Shall we?" Yang asked chivalrously, bowing slightly as she raised one arm in the direction of the staircase.
Blake looked at the flight of steps and felt the rest of her energy leave her at the thought of climbing them right then.
"Yang," she whispered softly. "Could you…um…"
"What is it?" Yang asked, voice full of concern as she looked closely at Blake.
"I…don't think that I can make it up the stairs…" she finally said, voice coming out quickly as she looked down at the ground in shame.
"Oh…" Yang responded in surprise, before a smirk crept onto her lips.
"So you want me to carry you to your bed then?" she asked, loudly.
Blake slammed one hand over Yang's mouth, her face burning in embarrassment as Yang giggled in amusement. But when Blake released Yang's mouth, the blonde made no move to help her upstairs, instead just staring at her, eyes twinkling playfully.
"Yes," Blake responded quietly, keeping her voice down so as not to be heard from their teammates in the other room.
"Yes….what?" Yang responded teasingly.
She flushed deeper when she realized that Yang was going to actually make her say the words.
"Yes, I need you to carry me upstairs," Blake finally admitted, loudly enough for Yang to clearly hear.
Yang gave a small laugh before reaching down and collecting Blake into her arms once again.
"I could really get used to hearing you say that you need me," Yang commented offhandedly as she plodded up the stairs to Blake's bedroom.
It's true, Blake thought to herself, wishing that she could find the courage to say the words out loud. She knew that it was true though, by the way her thoughts always drifted back to the blonde. By the way her body yearned for the girl's touch and warmth. And by the way Yang's presence made Blake feel safe in a way she had never felt before.
Yang used her hip to bump open the door to Blake's room before angling herself sideways to scoot through, trying to avoid hitting Blake's legs or head against the doorframe. Once inside, Blake found that not much had changed in her absence; the only difference was the clutter of gifts now sitting atop her desk and dresser. The lily, much to her pleasure, had been placed on the end table directly beside her bed.
Yang set her on her feet carefully by the side of her bed, holding one arm out towards Blake as she leaned forward to quickly yank the covers back. Once that was done, Blake was going to get into bed herself, but Yang had already scooped her up again to move her the last few inches.
When Yang laid her down on the soft sheets, she leaned forward and gave Blake a kiss on the forehead before slipping her arms out from underneath her and straightening back up. Blake felt goose bumps raise all along her arms from the way Yang was looking down at her right now, expression filled with love and affection.
That is, until a veil of anxiousness fell across Yang's face.
"You'll be alright here tonight?" Yang asked nervously as she shifted her weight between her feet, hands clasping and unclasping together in front of her as if she didn't know what to do with them now that Blake no longer needed her support.
"I think so," Blake replied, letting out a large yawn at the end which emphasized her exhaustion.
"Ok…I'm going to go talk with Ruby and Weiss for a bit, but then I'll be right next door if you need me," Yang responded, setting Blake's scroll down on the end table near the lily and tapping the screen to signify that she would only be a message away.
She turned towards the door, but hesitated, biting her lip as she glanced back towards Blake. After pausing for a few seconds, Yang finally made her decision about something. She stepped back towards the bed and leaned down, capturing Blake's lips in a quick kiss before drawing away with a smile.
"Good night, Blake," Yang said softly as she walked out of the room, pulling the door quietly shut behind her.
Blake stared at the door for some time after her partner had disappeared through it, heart still fluttering rapidly in her chest from the unexpected kiss. Only after a few moments had passed did she begin feeling the surprising cold seeping into her bones even under the layers of covers. She shivered slightly as she pulled the covers more tightly around her.
Yang had been providing such a constant level of warmth to her over the past few days, Blake had never realized just how cold she actually was. It was a deep seeded cold that seemed to be spreading from within her.
Thankfully, the covers eventually began providing a small amount of comfort as they absorbed some of her body heat. Plus, by this point she was already so exhausted that it really didn't take much before she drifted into sleep.
Unfortunately, her sleep turned out to be quite restless, as she woke up several times over the course of the next few hours. It didn't help that she was trying to sleep on her side, which felt very unnatural to her. But that position put the least amount of pressure on her back, where the wound from Adam's sword was still a little tender to touch. It certainly didn't help that the chill in the air kept her from feeling as comfortable as she had been the past couple of nights. She forlornly came to the conclusion that she was simply missing the presence of her personal sun sleeping beside her.
She couldn't help that she liked to be warm when she slept – it was one of those feline characteristics she had been hesitant to admit around her teammates at first. When she had had the (extremely) good fortune to have the warmest girl on campus selected as her partner, she had found it increasingly difficult to ignore how much she desired to sleep near the girl. Of course, she had fought that temptation as much as possible, only giving in when she was sick or when it was deep in winter.
But now, when she was still healing from her injuries, feeling weak and cold, she was missing her partner dearly. She just didn't know if she had the nerve to call the blonde to her room and explain the problem to her.
She glanced at the scroll resting on the table beside her, trying to decide whether or not it would be worth it to call. She knew that her partner would likely think that Blake was in some sort of physical pain or danger if she did send a message. She didn't know if she wanted to alarm her partner just because she was feeling a little chilly.
Giving up, she stared towards the ceiling while letting out a loud sigh. She would just have to get used to being cold tonight and hope that she could get some sleep regardless.
Seconds later, a blue tinged glow lit up the room while a soft buzz reverberated against the table.
Blake looked over to her scroll, finding it had illuminated as a new message had been received. She smiled as she reached over and grabbed the device off of the table. Looking at the screen, she saw the short message from Yang sitting there waiting for her.
'You awake?'
'Yes,' Blake quickly typed, wondering how her partner would respond to the knowledge.
She stared at the screen intently while she waited for Yang's reply, feeling more and more disappointed as the seconds ticked by.
Maybe Yang had already fallen back asleep? She definitely wouldn't put it past the girl to fall asleep in an instant; she had certainly seen it happen more than a few times before.
The sound of her door quietly opening instantly drew her attention away from the device still clutched in her hands. She turned to find Yang slipping into her room, pressing the door gently shut behind her.
The blonde strode over to the opposite side of Blake's bed and slithered underneath the covers, pulling them tightly around herself. Only when she had made herself comfortable, laying on her side looking towards Blake, did Yang smile at her.
"You couldn't sleep either?" Yang whispered.
Blake shook her head as she exhaled happily, feeling the covers heat up around her as Yang's aura began to work its magic. The chill within her was already beginning to dissipate as Yang's warmth worked its way into Blake's muscles.
Sensing Blake's relief, Yang's brow creased in concern.
"Are you cold?" she asked, her lilac eyes giving away how worried she actually was.
"Just a little bit," Blake replied, trying to downplay it as much as possible. "I just can't shake this cold feeling in my chest…"
Yang thought for a split second before a grin lit up her face.
"I think I've got just the thing for you," she said.
The blonde scooted across the bed and gingerly slid one arm under Blake's side. Her other arm wrapped around her waist, being careful to avoid contact with the injuries on her chest and back. Blake initially stiffened at the contact, but found herself powerless to resist Yang's affections when the brawler pulled Blake into a tender hug.
Maybe she should have felt embarrassed or uncomfortable as Yang held onto her, but her partner was just so warm. Blake instantly melted into the girl, nuzzling against her neck as warmth broke through any remaining slivers of cold in her body. One of Yang's hands rubbed comfortingly up and down her back, carefully avoiding the bandage still covering up Blake's stitches.
To say that Blake was absolutely content would have been the understatement of the year. She was finally warm, inside and out, while a thick layer of warmth surrounded the bed like a thick blanket. She also felt incredibly safe inside Yang's strong arms. It was as if nothing in the world could touch her in this moment…
That's when she felt a foreign urge bubbling up from deep within her. Something she hadn't felt the desire to do in a long, long time. She struggled against it, striving to push the feeling down, to make it disappear. But with each breath, it became more and more difficult to fight against the desire brewing in her chest.
With the next breath she let out, she heard it escape from her, loud and crystal clear in the silent room.
A purr.
Blake held her breath as Yang's hand froze in place on her back.
Blake had never told her teammates all of her cat-like qualities. She knew that they accepted her as a Faunus and loved her regardless of her heritage, but she had always felt somewhat…ashamed…of her more feline traits. It was one thing to have the ears; it was another to purr...
Plus, she had always rationalized that she didn't need to tell her teammates she could purr because they weren't likely to ever hear it happen. She fought viciously against letting the sound slip out. Besides, she could only do it when she felt happy and secure, feelings which she hadn't exactly experienced very often in her life.
Not being able to hold her breath any longer, Blake finally sucked in a long gasp of air, hearing another purr escape as the air filtered through her lungs.
For years she had hidden this from her teammates, and yet here she was, purring like an idiot in front of her partner.
Yang let out a small giggle as her hand resumed tracing its course up and down Blake's back.
"Happy now?" Yang asked joyfully.
Blake felt her ears flick in confusion.
She couldn't really say what she had been expecting…but it had certainly been more of a reaction than that.
"Aren't you…?"
"Surprised that you purr?" Yang finished the question for her before moving her shoulders in a tiny shrug. "I already knew. You would do it at school when we would share a bed."
Blake felt her face flush at Yang's revelation. She had never had any idea that she was purring while she was asleep!
"So you knew all along?"
The question was muffled as Blake snuggled closer to her partner, wishing to disappear into Yang's long mane of hair from embarrassment.
"I did…" Yang replied quietly, resting her cheek against the top of Blake's head. "And it's adorable…"
Yang could probably feel the smile appear on Blake's face from that comment. If she couldn't, the continued renewed purrs would certainly have given it away. For the first time since she was a child, Blake did nothing to attempt to quiet her instincts. She allowed the purrs to rumble through her chest, each subsequent one louder than the one before it as her body struggled to express just how happy she was.
Yang laughed happily as the noise continued to roll from Blake like waves, each ebbing and flowing along with her breath. Hearing the cheerful sound from her partner, Blake heard her purrs grow even louder.
And…for the first time ever, she felt completely…free.
Free to express how she was truly feeling. Free to be…herself.
Her purrs began to soften to a comfortable level as her eyes slipped shut and a deep sleep began to call to her.
Only then did she realize that she should have asked Yang what Weiss and Ruby had wanted to speak to her about earlier, but…she just couldn't find the energy to broach that conversation right now. Plus, she was far too content to worry about any of the world's problems in this moment.
Whatever evils were left in the world to be faced, they would just have to wait until the morning.