"That was the most awkward dinner I've ever had," Yang said, voice muffled by her hands over her face.

"I really wasn't expecting that kind of lecture. Or any kind of lecture," Blake admitted. The bed sank beneath her as she sat next to Yang and leaned against her. "I don't want to know how your dad knows so much about what two women can do in the bedroom. I didn't even know half that stuff."

"I have an idea," Yang thought made her shudder. "And I want to bleach my brain now." She was grateful that Ruby hadn't been present for that. Her sister would have probably gone catatonic. Which would have been kind of funny.

Tangling her fingers in Yang's hair, Blake started to massage at her scalp. "Let's pretend that never happened. We've got a busy few days to get ready and then it'll take at least a week to get to Mistral if we go by ship."

Groaning, Yang leaned into Blake's hand. "I really can't wait. I've been cooped up here for so long. But I'm also kind of… scared."

"Scared?"

Yang nodded. She put her hand over her chest. Admitting that she was scared wasn't easy. She'd barely talked about it with her dad. But Blake was her partner, and possibly something more. If they were going to reconnect, they needed to be honest with each other. "I've been stuck here for so long, I'm afraid that I won't be able to handle whatever is out there."

"That's nonsense. You can handle anything, and I'll be there to help you."

"Yeah…" Yang turned her head, meeting Blake's eyes. "I know it's stupid, and I know you'll be there. That doesn't change how I feel. I'm going to have to get over it and the only way that's happening is by doing it."

Blake was a little relieved that Yang hadn't called her out. Blake beat herself up enough about it. She had no intention of running, but she'd understand Yang being afraid of that happening again. She'd have to earn that trust back. "If we're lucky, in a few weeks Team RWBY will be reunited."

Wherever Ruby was, Yang hoped she was safe. Jaune and the others too. She had to trust in the four of them to protect each other since she'd failed. "Maybe we should look for Weiss first. Ruby has Ren and the others. Weiss doesn't have anyone and I don't think her dad has her back."

"When we pack and plan, we can figure that out." Blake got up, standing in front of Yang and putting her hands on her cheeks. "Do you remember how you told me that I need to make time for myself, to relax and rest and recharge?"

"Yeah?" Yang still had the laser pointer. She had been saving it for an opportune moment.

"You should take your own advice." Blake hooked her fingers under her shirt and pulled it off over her head. She was certain that Yang could hear how fast her heart was going and see the nerves that were etched onto her face.

Yang eyes followed Blake's shirt as it fluttered to the ground. Her heart started to pound and her fingers dug into the mattress as she turned her head back to Blake and tried to savor the view of Blake in just a bra.

She liked this confidence Blake had and honestly appreciated her taking the lead. She thought that going home might have helped Blake quite a bit. Despite that, Yang was nervous. She didn't want to assume where this was going and she didn't want to do something that would upset Blake. So she sat there like a tensed spring waiting permission to uncoil and decided it would really help if she actually said something.. "An Ursa could kill us tomorrow."

"Yeah it could."

"And I really don't want to die without knowing what you look like naked."

Blake laughed, hugging herself with one arm as her face darkened. "I really want to see you naked. Again."

"Are you sure walking in on my shower wasn't on purpose?" Yang flashed a grin at her as she jumped to her feet.

"It's my fondest memory." Blake deadpanned, swallowing hard as Yang stripped her own shirt off. She thought she might be getting a new fondest memory. At least where this sort of thing was concerned. They didn't really need excuses, they were both adults. Adults who wanted each other, who knew each other and yet were still discovering each other. "We don't have to rationalize this, Yang. I really want this.."

"I know." Yang kicked her clothing off to the side and planted her fists on her hips. She looked more confident than she felt, but the expression on Blake's face could only be described as hunger, and that buoyed Yang. She dropped her hands to her side and approached Blake. Gently, she put her arms around her. "Remember earlier?"

"Yeah?" Blake's skin was burning up and she hadn't even finished undressing. She carefully put her hands on Yang's back, and they started to inch downward.

"If we need to stop, we say so, okay?" Yang's voice betrayed her nervousness. She'd never done anything like this before with anyone and Blake's erotic fiction was turning out to be a lot different from reality. "I don't know if Adam ever-"

"No." Blake leaned up and kissed Yang. "Adam is not a part of this, not this moment and not any moment between us. I'm never letting him poison me or us again."

She kissed Yang harder, pressing bodily into her as her hands roamed across the expanse of Yang's skin. The feel of her breasts beneath her palm and the warmth of her thighs was something for Blake to savor.

Yang responded, trying to get the rest of Blake's clothing off without breaking the kiss or skin contact. If Blake kept saying things like that, it was going to make Yang cry. She opened herself to Blake's kiss, shivering as her skin burned against Blake's. Blake's hand trailed down her arm, hesitating at where flesh turned to metal. Yang pulled her head back. "Do you want me to take it off?"

"I want what you want."

Trailing a finger in a circle around Blake's back, Yang thought about what she actually wanted. "I want to be with you as me, but it's a part of me now. So I guess..."

Moving her hand down to Yang's, Blake threaded their fingers together, metal to skin. She brought the hand to her lips and kissed the knuckles. It smelled a little like oil and steel, but Blake had always associated those smells with Yang. It was a comfort that this hadn't changed, but she didn't think that would have affected how she felt about her if it had.

Sitting back down, Yang pulled Blake into her lap. Her nerves seemed to evaporate as she ran her left hand along the expanse of Blake's back. Little marks followed in the wake of her lips and teeth down Blake's jaw and throat and Yang felt Blake squeeze her hand as Blake shivered in her lap.

"Yang..." Blake's voice quivered, and Yang groaned when Blake's free hand stroked across her skin.

"Do you want me to-"

"If you say 'stop' I'm leaving."

That made Yang laugh, the sound reverbing through Blake's throat. Blake was trembling in her lap like a guitar string pulled taut and Yang's body was reacting in kind. Still, she hesitated, and Blake's fingers tugged at the hair on the back of her head.

"Yang, I trust you. Do you trust me?"

Yang searched Blake's eyes, and she nodded. "Yeah."

Blake pushed Yang onto her back, moving to straddle her. Smiling, she tickled her fingers up Yang's stomach. When Yang squirmed, Blake's smile turned wicked. Who knew Yang could look so adorable when she was turned on?

Laying down against Yang's right side, Blake trailed her fingers across her skin. The artificial hand at her back was warmer than she'd expected and Blake was surprised at herself when she realized it didn't bother her. If Yang had accepted it, she could. And accepting it made it a lot easier to focus on the hooded expression on Yang's face.

Just rolling a bit to the right let Yang touch Blake, flesh to flesh. Blake's hand left electric tingles in its wake and Yang ran hers down Blake's arm. "That feels nice…"

The air felt thick around them and as Blake's hand continued to drift ever lower, Yang started to explore Blake's skin in turn. Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, Blake started to cry. Before Yang could stop them, she surged against her, kissing her. She didn't want to stop, and she wasn't crying because she was scared or hurt or sad. This was what it was supposed to be like, and Blake had never felt happier.

It was almost too much. Yang had always been susceptible to other people's' emotions, and Blake's combined with her own was making her chest feel as though it were caught in a vice. So she started to cry too, just before she started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" A grin floated on Blake's lips as she gently brushed at Yang's hair.

"Nothing. It's just...look at us, we're a mess, and I'm just so… happy."

"You're my mess," Blake assured her. She rolled onto her back, pulling Yang on top of her. The expression on the blonde's face was worth the effort. Yang looked torn between surprise, arousal, and nervousness.

The latter faded as Blake's arms threaded around her shoulders. Yang's eyes grew hooded again, and she leaned down, kissing Blake's jaw and trailing her lips along the line there. She murmured, "I don't know what I'm doing, but think I can figure it out."

Tilting her head back and moaning softly at Yang's touch, Blake closed her eyes. That sounded like life in general. Neither of them really knew what they were doing, but they could figure it out, and figure it out together.

Any other thoughts along that line evaporated as she felt gentle kisses move down her throat, soft hair tickling her skin. Blake tangled her fingers into Yang's hair and Yang paused, glancing up and meeting her eyes.

"Blake?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Blake's eyes glimmered, and she stroked her hand down Yang's cheek. "I love you too."

She didn't think she'd ever get tired of those words.