Chapter 4

It didn't take her long after lunch to make it back to her front door when she was greeted by a familiar figure. Stood outside her flat waiting was a girl way under her height. Short brunette hair with a tint of burgundy, racing red hoodie, denim jeans and a black backpack, christened with a rose emblem on the strap. In no more than a nano second the merry girl had already wrapped herself around the blonde's neck and swung on it like an infant ape.

"Yannnggg!" she exclaimed in excitement

"You seem...happy today" Yang groaned in response

How much is re-corrective neck surgery these days?

"I misssed you big sis!" Ruby looked like she was topped up on sugar.

"I missed you too little sis, what did you get up to?"

Yang now spindling her keys in her hand and unlocked the door for both of them to enter. The sunlight was still shimmering through with a feint red haze but the temperature had dropped a little from the day before.

"Had lunch with Weiss, she has the most amazing table manners I have ever seen!" gestured the red hooded girl propping herself up on the kitchen counter.

"Haha aww my little rooby growing up!" she couldn't help pinch her little sisters cheek.

"..eww get off me...so are you okay? with me seeing someone?" she pushed her fingers together, awaiting the opinion of her bigger older sister.

Yang gave her an eager yet grossed out glance from across the kitchen.

"..Why?...you haven't...y'know...yet have you?"

"Yaaaanng...please, be serious!"

Yang laughed hard at her sisters lament. She loved to joke around with the girl, inexperienced at the coming of age sixteen.

"You are free to see whoever you want, you know that" she said "Just make sure you are sensible about it all...and by that make sure you come to me if she breaks your heart"

"Uuuhh...okay Dad" moaned Ruby

"Hey...I'm way cooler than Dad and don't you forget it."

Yang couldn't help but notice a sweet scent coming from her sister. Strawberry, with a whisper of floral rose.

"I never knew you were one for perfume sis."

"Oh I wore it for my date with Weiss" she said

"She like strawberries and she loves the smell of flowers from her gardens back home. Reminds her of her mother heh.."

Yang knew her sister very well. Naive and helpless would be an understatement. She always looked after Ruby. Always wanted to make sure she is safe and sound.

Mother..

That word brought Yang to a very dark place inside her memories. It was always raining in that part of her mind. It played a harsh melody on their hearts that day. That day when they're family tore itself apart. The loss of their mother came when uncle Qrow began to find himself in trouble. His gambling addictions and careless disregard for those who loved him were slowly catching up. He eventually got himself involved with the wrong people, neck deep in debt. She didn't owe him anything, Summer.

Yet she tried with all her might to help. To put what she could afford to those who were after him. Money. Change of clothes. Dealing with the cuts and bruises like a foolhardy child who fell off his bike. Then one day they came for her. Dragged her out of the house to never be seen again. Their father, Tai, did all he could to stop them and for his trouble, he was left with a broken leg and several stitches in his head.

However her own mother, Raven? She left without so much as a goodbye. Two mothers who left two little girls hurt and confused. Never to return.

I never want to see you hurt again little sis.

"I want to meet her"

"Umm...you do?" Ruby questioned.

"Yes I want to see if she's this big snow angel you keep describing her as" Yang now smiling right into her sisters eyes.

Ruby gasped in response.

"Whaaaat really?" she said. "Yay!, my sis wants to meet my new girlfriend!" Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Behaviour psychologist was it? Ha, I'll be the one observing her behaviour around you little sis!" she pummelled her fist into her palm.

"Ah that reminds me!" remembered Ruby. "I've brought some of her books home"

"Books?"

Ruby pulled out a pile a books and placed them on the counter. A-Z full of self help, psychology and new age thinking books with W. Schnee planted somewhere firmly on the cover of each. It even had her address to her offices and contact details on. She certainly takes herself seriously.

"She let me take a bunch of her books home with me to read" replied Ruby "I told her I loved to read and these usually are quite pricey in stores but she gave them to me for nothing" a sweet ember could be heard flickering around her heart.

It only took one look from Yang to see that these books were way more complicated than the normal adventure/fantasy books Ruby loved to read. She sniggered to herself in realisation that her sister was clearly not as well read as the author of these books.

"Hm...how thoughtful!" she joked.

"Oh and when I told her about you she recommended a book just for you sis!"

Ruby handed her a very large and intricate looking brick of pages.

'How to find love: From dirty, stuck in the mud flirt, to fanciful femme fatal'

This girl really did write a book about just anything. Yang's expression could have killed a small rodent.

"Ruby just.. what.. did.. you.. tell.. her.. about me?"

The innocent, lackadaisical looks from her sister was all it took. Ruby tried her hardest to look away but those red planets stared right back at her.

This book is...for me?

How thoughtful.

She's...I take it back..she's definitely no snow angel..

"...I really really want to meet this new girlfriend of yours Ruby."

It was a while after Ruby had left the apartment. They would meet back up tomorrow but had a lot of college work to take care of. Spending so much time with her new girlfriend was beginning to take its toll on her studies. Yang told her back home and study so she did just that.

Soon afternoon turned to evening, and evening turned to the brink of night.

Great, it'll open soon

Yang was ready to head back to the Wilt & Blush. She was hoping to maybe get a second chance at talking to the girl from the night before. Despite the fact that this is Coco's business and nothing to do with her, Yang felt something peculiar inside of her when thinking about that dancer in particular. The frailty and vulnerability radiating off of her was intoxicating. It was a feeling she had only come close to feeling when thinking about Ruby. Even then. This somehow felt different. A feeling that made her insides rush. She had to find out if this was a one off thing or something much much more.

Not wanting to go unnoticed at the club Yang decided to go all out, she donned a small and simple yellow cotton shirt, sleeves rolled up and top two buttons undone. Revealing a very tantalizing neckline that begged to be lanced with soft kisses and a cleavage that could blind even the heavens and gods above. She wore a pair of dark pants with a brown leather belt. Crowned with a fire emblem buckle made of shining steel. She also put on her pair of brown leather boots with zips. This girl was ready to go.

Still with an hour left, Yang decided to walk this time. Take in some fresh air, spark some deep thinking. Maybe she just wanted to prep herself, she'd never been in a position like this before. See you can mess with this girl's hair or make a snide remark. You can even recommend to her a book to find love. That will get you a heated response for sure. However that won't do a thing. Not when she's learned to take it and dish it back twice as hard. You can't touch this girl on the outside. She's way too strong for that..but..this. This not knowing. This mystery. That is the kind of thing that could tear this girl apart from the inside and she knew it better than anyone else.

Yang made it outside the club but the second time felt very eerie. She looked up at the front sign. The name of the club was plated below the logo. The logo was that of two deep red roses with the stems soothed into two sharp horns - how poetic.

The beautiful blonde stepped through the doors, and made her way to the bar. Another sickly sweet hue was saturating the club. She immediately downed a strawberry sunrise when-

"Oooh..you will do" and old man now brushing up against the blonde

"What you got hiding under there baby? a sexy little bunny tail? Lemme see"

An old goat. Probably in his sixties. Worn out tattered jeans and a oily complexion. Crinkled skin and flaked patterned baldness scraping off the top. Every bit as creepy as you could imagine.

"Hm..you really wanna see what I got packing, sweetheart?"

"Yes baby, very much so!" his snooty old lips opened up like a dirty crack in the mud. "You're so beautiful, why don't we go some place..private baby heh"

She turned around and, fluttering her eyelids, gestured the man to come clos-

One second later the old goat was clutching his face, trying to stop the blood from spreading out his nose. The blonde had suckered him in and let her forearm do the rest. Sure enough he backed off and gave a wimpy apologetic wave. Pathetic.

The apple of everyone's eye. The sexiest apple. Luring people in and playing around with their hearts, Yang laughed menacingly. It was her life's work after all. However what was a running joke to her, appeared to be of extreme notice to one of the guards who saw the whole thing.

Soon enough she heard her name called. She turned around and spotted a dancer coming towards her..but not the one she wanted. This one was the main interest of her best friend in law enforcement – Scarlatina.

"Hey, Yang, how is it going?" she asked

"Not bad bunny girl, I'm afraid Coco isn't with me tonight"

"Oh..okay" her face dropped a little in response.

"But if you can help me, then I'll do you a favour and give her a message the next time I see her."

"Really?"

"Yep" Yang replied earnestly "I'll even tell her what you were wearing tonight. That will drive her wild for sure"

The bunny girl blushed in response. This seemed to be the only thing that made her night so far. Can't quite say the same for the lecherous old goats who push their luck too far.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked

"I need to you tell me about a dancer who works here" Yang said

"She has black hair, kitty cat ears and is beautiful from head to toe."

"Hmm..I've only seen her a few times..I'm sorry I didn't catch her name" she replied "I think she is working tonight but she doesn't seem to be on the pole a lot."

Her reply was honest. Yang could see it in her eyes. Pure innocence and honesty. It seemed like a crying shame for her to be working here. Hopefully once Coco shuts this place down she can get her out of such awful conditions.

"No biggie!" Yang replied, brushing it all off. "I'll just keep on the lookout for her"

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help...um oh..I'm being called on main stage...could...you tell Coco I'm..thinking about her and I hope to see her soon?" the dancer asked.

"Will do, little miss sexy laces!"

Yang gave a smirk and watched the little bunny girl walk over to the poles. Behind the pole she noticed something. From afar. A black shimmer in the distance. As she moved a little closer she could make out black hair, with a pair of cat ears on top, same black outfit and a tray in her hand with empty glasses. It seems the girl was relegated to clearing tables tonight. Like incense Yang lit up inside once again. It felt like an itch that needed to be scratched.

"H-Hey!" she cried, hoping to get the girl's attention.

The pair of ears twitched and the girl looked over. It seemed as though she noticed her too, freezing on the spot as they briefly locked eyes. As Yang tried to close the distance through the heavy crowd, the girl moved away.

"Wait!" shouted Yang

It was too late. The girl had already turned the corner into the staff area and left the main floor. Bolting again at the sight of her.

Why...why does she run?

After scouring the floor for a while and giving a soft wave to the bunny eared Faunus, Yang decided to head home.

Frustrated wasn't the word. She had no idea why the girl could be like this to her. All she had asked for was one dance.

To hell with this..this girl is just a lost cause anyway...I should steer clear

With indignation Yang made her way back. The walk was long. Taking her past a lot of dark alleyways and streets now that nightfall fully broke. The wind was picking up too and in her outfit that would make anyone else cold, the hot glow of her chagrin warmed her up perfectly.

Eventually the girl found herself rubbing her arms together as the walk dragged on. Feint soft howls of the wind, accompanied by cluttering of litter on the streets was the soundtrack she had to listen to. The cluttering became more apparent when she turned the corner and heard a feint noise coming from behind. A one eighty degree turn...nothing. No one was there. She turned around and carried on walking. She passed an alcove and directly across from her was a bush wilting in the wind. She could feel something, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Suddenly the bush rustled-

"Is someone there?"

The silence further irritated the blonde. She didn't like being toyed with like this, especially after her night ended in total failure. She walked on and made it back to her apartment steps. Cluttering. Once more. From behind.

The blonde sighed.

"Look. If you're trying to play games with me it's not going to work. So just give up and go scare someone el-"

As she turned around all was revealed. Clear as day. The dark haired dancer stood opposite her cat ears wilting to one side. She followed her trail home. The blonde's insides once more lit up. She couldn't help it. There she was, facing her helplessly. Yang dared not say anything this time or a pattern would start emerging.

It took a few shakily movements and a few head turns later but eventually she spoke out to the blonde. Then she heard it. She heard the question that made her insides throb.

"Can I..stay with you?"