Yang Xiao-Long's breath caught in her throat as her eyes flipped open like a switch. Her unwelcome guest, the nightmare, was back. Though the images of splintering wood had since changed to darkness, her heart still beat at the speed of light. The golden-haired girl brought a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound as she tried to register that it was over, the nightmare was over and she didn't have to relive it, not again, not again.
Yang sighed as her breathing began to slow, feeling her stomach settle more and more with each coming second. The nerves in her chest finally eased, and she allowed herself to sit up and acknowledge her surroundings. She was at Beacon, and Ruby was safe. Yang rubbed her eyes as exhaustion flooded over her, her usual energy sapped by fear and panic. However, despite all of it, she'd been...improving. Maybe it was being at Beacon, or maybe it was rooming with not just one but three other powerful Huntresses-in-Training, but something about her situation meant those nightmares had come less and less often. For Yang, it was almost a relief. She used to be able to count on one hand the nights in a month she'd spend the night without Ruby asleep at her side. Now she didn't have to worry about waking up her little sister so often, with panic in her eyes and fear in her heart.
But even so, every now and then she'd wake up nigh on screaming, her heart seizing and her breath catching as she woke in a cold sweat. For Yang, it appeared that tonight was one of those nights. Yet, it was less severe. She wasn't screaming, she could breathe, and though she felt a little unsettled, nothing felt impossible, as it had so often done. It was an improvement, and Yang would take as many as she could get.
Bringing the sheets up to her shoulders again, the golden-haired girl turned on her side, closing her eyes as she prepared to once again dive into the void, and hope her dreams didn't contain another painful memory. It was getting better, Yang decided. Better was good. Better was...better.
She wasn't really good with words. That was more Blake's forte.
Yang sighed, not really out of any particular emotion, but more out of general appreciation of her new life at Beacon. It was, like everything, an improvement.
Suddenly, she heard a rustle from beneath her. Yang's eyes snapped open again. Beneath her, a rustle sounded again. Then, a creak, as if someone had sat up in bed. Determined to investigate, Yang dangled her head over the side of the bed. Her hair hung from her head in a golden tangle of knots, knots and more knots.
"Blake?" she whispered, though it was really more of a shout-whisper than an actual attempt at keeping quiet. As Yang peered at the girl beneath her bunk, she could see that Blake indeed was sitting up, her blankets pooling at her feet. The Faunus girl blinked in surprise, as if startled, then shuddered.
"Shh," the girl hissed, avoiding eye contact.
Yang just tilted her head. "What's up? How come you're awake?"
Once again, the dark-haired girl avoided eye contact, keeping silent. Frowning, Yang righted herself, sitting back up on her head. She heard Blake sigh in relief, and chuckled to herself. Then, the golden-haired girl swung down onto the lower bunk, Blake recoiling in utter shock.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, her ears flattening against her head. Yang shrugged nonchalantly, nightmare forgotten. "You'll wake everyone else up! Go back to bed!"
Yang raised an eyebrow, surprised at Blake's usual cool demeanour being disposed of in favour of hastiness and hostility.
"What's up?" she said, tilting her head. Her mouth tipped into an expression of concern. "How come you're awake? You're all panicky, too."
Blake's shoulders were slightly hunched over, her blankets askew and her body tense. If Yang watched closely, she could see the Faunus girl's body heave slightly with every breath, as if she were only just catching it.
"Nothing's up," Blake insisted, eyes narrowed lightly and ears perking up as normal again. "Everything's fine. You're gonna wake the others up, okay?"
Yang's gave Blake a look of shrewd disbelief. "Blake, you look like someone dragged you through a hedge backwards. Something is clearly up." The girl's black hair was matted with knots, somewhat unlike bedhead but at the same time unusual for the girl who was typically so quiet and composed. Blake kept quiet, and Yang stared at her, eyes narrowed. Lavender met amber, and the two stared for seconds, minutes even.
Finally, Blake relented. She looked to the side, gazing down at the bed with a pained look on her face.
"I..." the girl sighed. "..had a nightmare."
Yang suddenly stood up, extending a hand to the Faunus girl.
"Say no more," she said, grinning warmly. "Get up, and let's go."
Blake blinked a number of times and she was lifted to her feet. "W-where are we going?"
Yang grabbed the duvet off of Blake's bed and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders, leading her towards the door. Blake looked around in confusion.
"We," said Yang, smiling, "are going to the kitchen. Hot chocolate. Me. You. Now."
Blake had no time to speak as she was dragged out of their shared dorm room, and into the hallway. Her ears twitched, shocked and...a little pleased. Yang grasped her hand with a surprising gentleness that Blake hadn't expected from the physically strongest girl on their team. The older girl just grinned back at her. Yang wasn't mad at the Faunus girl; everyone had nightmares sometimes.
The hallways were chilly; leading directly outside meant hanging out in the hallways at midnight was a chilly pastime. Thankfully, the two didn't delay in making their way to the Beacon Student Kitchen - essentially, the 'hang-out' for the students when they weren't busy training, attending classes, or sleeping.
Yang opened the door to the kitchen, dragging Blake along by the hand. The Faunus girl still seemed bewildered, or at least somewhat stunned into silence. Though really, with Blake, it could have meant anything. As Weiss had put ever-so-tactfully a few days prior, being moody, quiet and antisocial was kind of her 'thing'.
The kitchen itself wasn't particularly large - there were cupboards and stovetops and microwaves along the walls, with an island in the middle and stools to sit at.
"Up you go," Yang murmured as she guided Blake onto a stool, re-wrapping the duvet around the Faunus girl's shoulders. Blake just sat there, confused but somewhat pleased, her eyebrows raising in amusement as the bad mood from her bad dreams began to float away.
Yang kept her hands busy as she retrieved two mugs from the cupboard, spooning a heap of cocoa into each. Then, she headed to the fridge, filling both up to the top with milk, and microwaved them. Blake watched in awe as Yang deftly maneuvered about the kitchen, as if it was second nature. Seconds later, Yang removed the mugs, bringing one to her nose and smiling as she inhaled.
She set a mug down in front of Blake, and sat down beside her, close but not too close.
"Now," Yang said, smiling warmly at the girl beside her, "Talk. Spill the beans. What's up?"
Blake gazed down at mug of hot chocolate. Deep, rich cocoa-colour against a white background. The wisps of bubbles still lingered, and the concoction still turned in an anti-clockwise motion from Yang's stirring. It steamed a little, and it's warm, sweet scent washed over her. Blake sighed, resigning herself as Yang blinked, staring intently at her with a goofy smile. She wouldn't get anywhere unless she spoke up.
"It's the White Fang," she admitted with a hint of helplessness in her voice. Blake looked to the side, only to have her vision jerked back as Yang slung an arm around her.
"Didn't we already say we'd do something about it as a team?" Yang looked questioningly at the Faunus girl, and brought her mug to her lips, sipping at it. Blake stared at her mug, still on the counter-top, untouched. She shrugged her shoulders, still unsatisfied.
"Yeah, but we haven't said anything else about it," Blake said, her usual stoniness returning in the tone of her voice. "Saying we'll make plans is fine and all, but unless we do something about it, it's just empty talk."
Yang sipped at her hot chocolate, resting her cheek on her fist, and her elbow on the table. Blake continued, stopping herself from hissing in frustration.
"We need to be out there, gathering information, trying to figure out what they're planning!" Blake's voice got louder and louder until she was almost shouting. "I could get into a White Fang recruitment meeting, maybe, too."
Yang poked the Faunus girl's cheek lazily. Blake frowned, but didn't lean away.
"You," Yang said, smiling lopsidedly and raising a single eyebrow, "are speaking really loudly."
Blake felt a rush of heat spread across her face, and she stared into her lap, ears flat against her head. "S-sorry," she said, her voice decidedly hushed. "I just want us to take this seriously."
Yang grinned again, ruffling black hair. "It's cool," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I love it when you're feisty." Blake's face went pink.
The golden-haired girl sipped at her hot chocolate again, releasing a satisfied 'aah~'. Blake stared into hers, and brought it to her lips, earning her a smile from her partner. "There we go."
Yang looked to the side, twisting her mouth to the side as she thought. "I think I know a guy on the shady side of town who might have some info for me," she mused, scratching the side of her head. Blake's eyes light up, amber brimming with excitement.
"Weiss could see if her father's company has any records," Blake suggested, ears pricking up again. "And Ruby..."
"...could go with Weiss," Yang interjected smoothly. "The ice queen'd get all frosty on us again if we made her do something by herself. You know how lonely she gets."
Blake just rolled her eyes. "You're probably right," she admitted, letting a smile spread across her face. Yang grinned in tandem, happy she was finally starting to make her partner feel just a little bit better. Suddenly, the golden-haired girl shivered. Blake lifted the duvet, offering her partner a space beside her, and Yang quickly complied, snuggling up next to the Faunus girl and wrapping the duvet around both of their shoulders. It was warm, mostly, Yang noted as their shoulders touched. The two sipped at their hot chocolates in contented silence, satisfied with their baby of a plan. Eventually, it was Blake who broke the silence.
"I had a dream about it, actually, " she said, staring into her mug. "Ruby, Weiss, even you - Torchwick killed you all. I was the only one left. It was horrible," she finished, shuddering. Yang's expression dropped from contentedness to concern in seconds, and Blake found herself in the golden-haired girl's embrace.
"Well, it's okay now, alright?" Yang spoke firmly, but warmly. "Your dream's over, and we're all still here. And we're gonna smash the crap out of Torchwick and his buddies. Okay?"
Blake nodded, already calmed but now feeling a little more pacified. "Mmhmm," she mumbled into Yang's hair.
After a few moments of their embrace, Yang kissed Blake's forehead. The Faunus girl wasn't sure whether or not to be embarrassed. Yang didn't seem to think much of it, however, as the golden-haired girl rested her chin on the table.
"I'm tired," the girl said as she released a huge yawn. "I might just sleep riiiight here..."
Blake smiled, genuinely, and rested her cheek on her palm as she gazed her sleepy partner.
"Then just do it," she said, surprising herself as she said it. Yang smiled, yawning again.
"I do love it when you're feisty..."
Blake just rolled her eyes, a warm feeling budding in her chest. Yang, though she was loud, was actually a really good listener sometimes. The Faunus girl gazed at her happily as the golden-haired girl drifted off. She could hear her partner breathing softly in her sleep, torso rising and falling evenly. It was nice, really, being able to watch something so peaceful.
Eventually, Blake felt her eyelids, begin to droop.
She vaguely remembered resting her head on Yang's back, and draping her arms over the girl, before falling fast asleep.
Thanks, everyone, for sticking with this story, and thank you very much for the reviews and favourites/follows! Unfortunately, this is where the Nightmares Saga draws to a close :).
This was only ever meant to be a two-shot, but lookie here, it got extended xD.
If anyone's interested, I'm going to be starting an exchange student AU for RWBY soon, featuring French Blake and German Weiss, and of course, White Rose/Bumbleby.
You can find me at seacatsinspace tumblr if you'd like to contribute headcanons/ideas, too! All of the posts for the AU are tagged 'rwby exchange/transfer student AU' if you'd like to find them. Thanks again guys!