For now we see as in a mirror, darkly, but then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
/
Yang came awake slowly, drifting back into consciousness from a thankfully untroubled sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring at the ceiling. The barest hint of light was coming in through the window - it must have been just before dawn. She let out a tired mumble and rolled onto her side, and immediately remembered who she was sharing her bed with, as soon as she found herself looking at Neo's sleeping form. Sometime during the night the girl had rolled over so that she was facing Yang, curled up slightly. Her face looked peaceful, the barest hint of a smile on her face.
Immediately Yang felt all the mixed emotions from the night before rushing back. She felt proud of herself for finally being able to use her Semblance again, she remembered her anger and disappointment at Neo, her compassion when Neo had broken down in front of her...then she felt the deep affection she held towards her one-time rival, the same affection that had led to the two of them falling asleep together.
Yang did the first thing that came to mind, which was to reach out and wrap her arm tightly around Neo and pull her in close. She had a little trouble moving without her right arm, but she had long ago grown used to that, and besides, she wasn't worried about that right now. Yang wanted to hold Neo and make sure she was okay, since the poor girl would probably feel the same rush of emotions as soon as she woke up as well. Yang had meant what she had said about helping her heal.
As soon as she had grabbed hold of Neo, she responded by murmuring softly in her sleep and snuggling up against Yang, pressing her face into Yang's shoulder. Yang felt Neo's slender arms wrap around her waist, and smiled contentedly.
It was...a very good feeling.
Neo mumbled something and tightened her grip around Yang's waist - then suddenly stiffened. Yang smiled.
"You awake?"
"Y-yeah..." Neo whispered. Yang gave her shoulder a quick squeeze.
"You're okay, Neo..."
Neo relaxed, but kept her face hidden in Yang's shoulder. She took a deep breath, and after a moment pulled away from the embrace to look into Yang's eyes.
"About yesterday-"
"Shh, we don't need to talk about that right now," Yang said soothingly. Neo nodded and glanced away, then back at Yang.
"Then...can we talk about how good you did in that fight?" she suggested, her face brightening. Yang felt a broad grin spread across her face.
"It was amazing!"
"You were amazing," Neo whispered. Yang felt a thrill go through her and she hugged Neo tightly again.
"You helped me so much," Yang whispered, "Every step of the way. I couldn't have gotten there without you."
"It was worth it, to see you like that. You were so-"
Neo went quiet.
"...So?" Yang asked. Neo pressed her face into Yang shoulder, her voice muffled.
"...so beautiful."
Yang squeezed Neo tightly against her, though her face felt hot.
"Oh, Neo..."
A quiet moment passed between them. Yang's heart was beating unusually quickly, maybe she was just a little excited by Neo's sweet words.
/
Neo blushed and pressed her face closer against Yang's shoulder. She'd felt so safe and comfortable in Yang's warm embrace that she felt like she could say it. She could feel Yang's heartbeat through her chest, but despite its rapid tempo she found it pleasant, relaxing, even.
"How do you feel?" she asked in attempt to distract herself.
"About our fight? Amazing. I feel like...like I'm finally there. Like I'm back. Like I'm me again."
Neo felt a wave of excitement go through her. She had never been so pleased to share in someone else's happiness. This was what she had wanted for so long. She hugged Yang again and reminded herself of just how close she had come to missing it. If Neo hadn't broken down last night...
I won't make you regret this, she thought. It was a promise, both to Yang and herself. She was going to spend every day making it up to Yang.
Strangely, all of her burdens from the night before seemed so much smaller in the light of day. Right now, she and Yang were lying comfortably in bed, and it was a pleasant morning, and they were both happy.
Neo didn't know how much time they passed like that, wrapped up in each other's arms. When the moment was finally broken, it was by Yang.
"Neo?"
Neo hummed inquisitively.
"I think we should tell my dad who you are."
Neo was still for a moment. The idea terrified her, but at the same time...
She pulled away from the embrace and sat up, facing Yang. Yang propped herself up on her arm and met Neo's gaze.
"Are you sure?" she asked. Worries flashed through her mind. What if he was like Yang had been, and couldn't stand the murders she had committed? What if he sent her away, or worse? She...she couldn't lose Yang. Not now, not after everything.
"Neo," the blonde said, leaning forward and taking her hand, "I promise you're going to be okay. We can make my dad understand, but first we need to tell him the truth."
Neo shut her eyes and took a slow, shuddering breath. She supposed Yang's father had to know one way or the other...she didn't think it would be so bad with Yang at her side. He'd already welcomed her into his home before, maybe he'd take pity on her again. If they could make him understand the bond they had formed, maybe he would let her stay, for Yang's sake.
"Are you sure he needs to know?"
"I am. He needs to know eventually, and right now seems as good a time as any. Think of it as...your first step in making up for what you did."
Neo opened her eyes again. When she saw the warm, gentle smile on Yang's face...she decided she had to do it. She just wasn't sure if she could.
"Yang, I don't know if I can talk to him," she whispered. Yang nodded.
"Well...maybe you could let me do the talking?"
Neo shook her head.
"I need to tell him in my own words. Let me get my Scroll."
/
"How do we tell him?" Neo whispered as she stepped out of her bedroom. Yang glanced down the hallway, then back to Neo. She'd had gotten dressed and put on her usual disguise, green eyes and black hair done in a single braid.
Yang walked down the hall cautiously, wondering where her dad would be.
Probably the kitchen.
"I think we should just state the facts first. Tell him who you are and why you're here now."
"How do you think he'll take that well? What if he gets angry and doesn't let you finish? What if-?"
Yang turned quickly and stopped Neo.
"Hey, hey, calm down. This is my dad, okay? You know what a big heart he has. He'll listen, I promise."
Neo fidgeted with her Scroll.
"And..what if he wants me to talk? I have my Scroll but..."
"Hey," she said, laying her hand reassuringly on Neo's shoulder, "It's alright. I'll be right next to you."
Neo gave her a halfhearted nod, and Yang stepped forward and peeked into the kitchen. She saw her dad laying breakfast out on the table. He had just taken a tray of rolls out of the oven, still warm and with steam rising from them.
"Hey, girls, you two are up a bit late," he said cheerily, "Come on, I made breakfast!"
Yang glanced at Neo, and the two walked into the kitchen. She knew that was nervous as well, she just hoped she could voice her thoughts in the heat of the moment. There was so much to say...
Yang placed her hand on Neo's shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Dad? We, uh...we have something to tell you."
Taiyang's eyes flicked from Yang to Neo. He set his platter down on the kitchen table and nodded.
"Alright, what is it?" he asked, his smile quickly fading as his face grew serious.
Yang glanced at Neo, then took a deep breath.
"Florence...isn't who she says she is."
Her dad paused, then pulled out a chair and sat down, resting his elbows on the table, folding his hands in front of his face, and furrowing his eyebrows.
"Is that so?" he asked quietly.
Yang bit her lip. All the words she had been trying to prepare vanished, instead she could only say the first things that came to her mind.
"Yeah. She's not...not a student from Haven. She's actually..."
Yang went silent. How could she tell her dad? How could she explain that the girl that had been living under their roof for the past month had helped possibly the most feared terrorist in the history of Vale?
"Who are you?" her father asked, in a firm but quiet tone. Neo shivered and dropped her disguise, black hair turning to pink and brown, green eyes turning white in the space of a blink, her clothes changing as well.
"She was on the same team as Cinder, and the others," Yang said, the words tumbling out one after the other, "And she helped them with - with everything. But Dad, she's not with them anymore, she regrets all of that, and she's helped me so much-"
"Yang please, slow down," her dad said, raising a hand to slow her down. He mostly seemed confused, which was a change from the shock or anger Yang had expected.
Neo stood stock-still, tensed, every muscle in her body primed for flight. Yang kept her hand steady on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring, but her grip was tightening.
"Dad...Neo left Cinder's group after the Battle of Beacon. She turned against them, she wanted revenge, and she thought I could help her, so...she helped me get back on my feet. And during our time together..."
Yang paused again. How to explain what Neo had done for her? Neo had made her stronger, reminded her of who she was, made her feel good about herself again. Not to mention the way they felt about each other. How could she tell her dad just how much Neo meant to her?
"Why doesn't...Neo...say something for herself?" her father interjected. Yang wrapped her arm around Neo, drawing her in close. Neo leaned against Yang, but both her hands were busy typing away at her Scroll.
"Neo has trouble speaking. Especially when she's...when she's afraid."
Neo's fingers sped across her Scroll, typing out the words she wouldn't be able to say. Her father watched them quietly, unnervingly calm in the face of this new information.
"Dad, I trust Neo now," Yang said firmly, "I really do. Whatever she's done in the past...she wants to make things right."
Neo finished her message and stepped forward, handing the Scroll to Taiyang across the table. He reached out and took it, then stared carefully at the screen while Neo returned to Yang's side, taking her hand and slipping back under her arm.
/
[Taiyang, your daughter means the world to me. I came here looking to use her in my search for revenge, but somewhere along the line I realized just what a wonderful person she was, and just how much harm I had caused her. I deeply regret hurting her, and I want to spend every single day from now on making things right. It's what she deserves. I just hope you'll give me the chance to show her how much I care for her. To show her how much I love her.]
/
Neo's heart was pounding in her chest, her breath caught in her throat with every twitch of Taiyang's eyebrows. She imagined every one hid the flash of anger that would make him end her relationship with Yang.
He's Yang's father. He loves her, he wants the best for her...I should trust his judgement.
But at the same time, now that Neo knew just how much she had hurt Yang, as well as everyone else around her, it wasn't hard to see why Taiyang would choose to cast her out. Neo clung tightly to Yang's hand, hoping that they wouldn't be torn apart before Neo could even tell Yang how she felt.
Finally, Taiyang set down the Scroll and rubbed a hand across his mouth.
"Neo...do you really feel this way?" he asked. She gave him an eager nod. She had thought carefully about every word before putting them into that message. Taiyang looked at Yang.
"Dad, I told you. I trust her. Completely. And after everything she's done for me, I owe her so much."
Neo felt her heart sing at that. Knowing that Yang cared this much about her...it made her feel wanted. She had a place, and it was at Yang's side.
Taiyang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He stood up and leaned across the table to give Neo her Scroll back. She took it from him quickly and waited as he sat back down.
"You were with the people who started the Battle of Beacon, correct?"
Neo typed quickly and showed Taiyang her Scroll.
[Yes. I didn't join them willingly, but I helped them all the same.]
Taiyang grimaced and folded his hands again.
"And what did you do for them?"
Neo hesitated. If she told him her crimes, would he try and turn her in? She wanted to atone for what she did, but to Yang first and foremost.
[I killed people. I stole. I help hack the Atlesian Knights.]
She shut her eyes and clutched her Scroll tightly to her chest while she waited for his response. She leaned against Yang's body, seeking the comfort of physical contact.
Taiyang let out a heavy sigh. Neo opened her eyes cautiously and looked at his expression. It was the face of someone who was weighing two difficult choices, unsure yet serious.
"Neo, Yang is right," he began, speaking slowly, "You've done a lot for her. More than I could imagine. I'll never forget that. But you've also done a lot of harm, and I can't forget that either."
Neo felt her heart skip a beat as icy coils of fear gripped her gut. Yang's hand tightened on hers.
"Dad-" Yang began, but her father cut her off.
"If Neo really has left that part of her life behind, if she really does want to make things right...then I can accept that. You've forgiven her, but she's harmed more people than just you."
Ruby. Neo had often thought about Yang's sister, and how she had originally blamed her for Roman's death. It was her quest for revenge against Ruby that had drawn Neo here in the first place, but all that seemed so long ago.
"Dad, please give Neo the chance to make up for it. She can be such a sweet and caring person...I've seen it."
[Taiyang, I know I have a lot to make up for. Let me start by being there for your daughter.]
He nodded, and it seemed to Neo that a weight was lifted from him.
"I will. One chance," he said sternly, and Neo understood the veiled warning...but then a gentle smile crossed his face, and he relaxed his stance, "I have faith that you won't waste it."
Neo felt immeasurable relief. She turned and threw her arms around Yang' hugging her tightly, silently celebrating that fact that she wouldn't have to let go.
"Dad, thank you!" Yang was saying, "Thank you so much..."
"I told you, Neo's done so much for you, and that means she's done a lot for me. I can't ignore how happy she makes you," her father replied. Neo turned to look at him, smiling broadly. She wiped at her eyes, hoping she wasn't close to tears, and knew that she could trust him as well.
"Th-thank you...so much..." she whispered hoarsely. Taiyang simply smiled back at her, and the warmth there was so familiar that Neo knew where Yang had gotten her own kindness from.
"Welcome to our home, Neo. Please, have some breakfast," he said, gesturing to the chair next to him. Neo hesitated.
Is that it? It's over?
Taiyang quickly sensed her hesitation and stood up.
"Of course, how could I forget!"
He quickly wrapped his arms around her, taking her in a tight embrace. It wasn't long before Yang was next to them, and her father had added her to the hug. Neo slipped her arm around Yang's waist and savored the moment.
"Thank you, Dad. This means a lot...to both of us."
"Of course, firecracker."