Disclaimer: I do not own any RWBY characters nor am I affiliated with the show or it's creators

"I'll take that bet!" Ruby yelled slamming her fist down. The force jolted the large mahogany table, its legs screeching against the marble floor beneath it.

A chorus of shushing from secluded corners around them had Ruby sheepishly ducking her head, remembering they were in the library.

"You are so going to regret that." Yang responded, a wily smirk playing on her lips. "Now let's talk terms."

"Okay," Ruby tapped her finger to her chin, irises rolling back behind a half lidded gaze. "If we win, you two do the cleaning for a month!"

"Deal!" Yang hurriedly accepted. "But when we win, you do all the cooking and, we get first dibs on shower times for a month."

Yang glanced sideways at her partner who'd remained very silent the whole time. Blake had been disinterested in the whole bet, the two sisters were overly competitive and she and Weiss usually just let them wear themselves out and hoped the others didn't end up dragging one of them into a regretful situation. But the idea of getting dibs on first shower times did appeal to her.

Uncharacteristically she found herself nodding to the terms. Yang beamed before turning her attention back to her younger sibling. She offered her hand, holding it across the expanse of dark wood between them, waiting for Ruby to shake on the terms.

"There is no way I'm cooking all month." Weiss finally spoke up. Now that her and Blake's unspoken rule of letting the sisters hash out all the wagers themselves had been broken. "We all know Ruby can't make anything edible and I'm sure as hell not about to give up my shower-"

"You got it!" Ruby grasped her sister's hand sealing the deal.

Weiss threw her hands up in disbelief. "I can't believe you went against me!" Ruby twisted guiltily, the red cape of her ever present cloak rustling uneasily, trying to contort to her new fidgeting stance.

"I didn't go against you, we're in this together, and when we win we can be as messy as we want for a whole month and won't even have to worry about the cleanup!" Ruby reached out to pat the crown of Weiss' head, which she didn't seem to notice increased her partner's anger instead of alleviating it.

Weiss eventually succumbed to her fate. She slumped over, laying her head on the open book she'd been studying from.

"It won't be so bad." Blake tried to cheer her up.

The glare she received was extra frosty. Blake understood. She didn't think Weiss was capable of being messy if she tried. This bargain was one hundred percent Ruby wins or Weiss loses and the blue eyed girl knew it. At least Yang would do her share of the cleaning if she and Blake lost. In fact, Yang would probably be contrite enough for dragging her into their ongoing sibling rivalries that she'd probably do most of it.

"I'm not talking to you right now." Weiss spat. "You betrayed me and I'm not letting that go so easily." She straightened, averting her eyes and crossing her arms in defence.

Blake chuckled.

"I nodded my head. I didn't kidnap your sister or anything. Besides, having first shower privileges would be nice for once." She knew the jab wasn't lost on the young heiress, she was the one that usually demanded she needed to shower first. "And I wasn't the one who shook on the deal, that was your partner."

"Fair enough," Weiss relented before glaring at both Blake and Yang in turn, leaning far over the table in an attempt to be intimidating. "But I will not go down without a fight."

"That's the spirit." Ruby encouraged.

Blake caught Yang's eye as she turned to her expectantly. Blake shook her head, rolling her eyes playfully, but not willing to stoop to their competitive level. As long as they all survived she wasn't bothered who won the bet.

"You're no fun." Yang sighed but the small tug at the corner of her mouth betrayed her amusement.

"We should all pack and get ready, we leave in a few short hours," was all she contributed to the conversation.

"Always the practical one." Yang rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Weiss demanded. "I'm way more practical than Blake," she gestured wildly with her hand in Blake's direction. "I'm always the one telling you all we need to study and plan. How is that not the most practical?"

"I think you're confusing the word practical with the word bossy." Yang crossed her arms, leaning back to rear her chair up onto its two legs, her face sporting a defiant grin.

Blake couldn't help but smile at Weiss' aggravation as she stomped her foot and tried to deny it. Her silver ponytail, like a viper's tail, swayed in agitation behind her.

Blake rose from the table as Weiss and Yang were still bickering.

"See your partner can't wait to get away from you even," Weiss spoke louder noticing her retreat. "No wonder she doesn't see these bets as fun when you're always dragging her into them without even asking her."

Blake made her way behind Yang, dragging her fingers gently along Yang's shoulders as she passed in a silent gesture she disagreed with Weiss. She felt the tension in Yang's shoulders deflate a bit as the small touch alleviated her concerns that her partner might be mad at her. Blake continued her retreat but glanced back over her shoulder before she rounded the corner of the bookshelf.

"I don't find these bets particularly fun, not because I'm dragged into them against my will," she paused, making eye contact with each of them, "but because I am competitive and I just can't seem to pretend you two" she gestured to Weiss and Ruby with twitch of her wrist. "are even close to a match for us." Waving her hand between Yang and herself, Blake made brief eye contact with her partner and couldn't help the smile widen across her own face at Yang's giddy expression. She continued around the corner hearing Yang's yell of triumph.

"Team Bumblebee all the way, suckers."

Blake sliced through the beowolf's bulky arm as it came down on her. She twisted, kicking off a nearby tree, to spring back and take off the grimm's head in one fluid motion all while it was still stunned looking for its missing limb.

She didn't need to look for her partner, Yang was anything but a quiet fighter and Blake had learned from enough experience that continuing to check up on her when she had her own grimm to deal with just put them both at risk. It had taken her learning this lesson the hard way more than once though. It seemed, whenever she took the time to question whether Yang could use her help she ended up over run by grimm, and then Yang would have to come to her aid, sometimes getting injured in the process.

Trust was a fickle thing. Being partners meant you had to trust one another. that was one of the first rules they learned. In the beginning, Blake assumed that had meant only to trust your partner with protecting your back so she had done everything in her power try to keep Yang from taking a single hit. She felt as if she had to prove herself as trustworthy for some reason. It had worked for a time but eventually, as the missions difficulty increased along with the grimm numbers, she'd become distracted trying to keep up with both Yang and her own battles. She started to become tired twice as fast. And being tired in a fight slowed her down.

A particularly close call forced her to realize she had to trust Yang, not only with her own back, but to trust she could handle her own battles.

Now she'd compromised by listening to Yang's fight but kept her eyes and other senses on her own. Only when Yang called out to her or when Ember Celica became silent did she turn to offer her partner her aid.

Blake was just glad this mission wasn't dependant on their stealth. They'd lost nearly every bet Yang and Ruby made on missions that required them to complete in secret. Yang was just not good at blending in or being quiet. She was naturally, brilliantly over-the-top and as cumbersome as it could be with some missions, Blake wouldn't change it one bit.

Blake brought Gambol Shroud up, aiming it at the three beowolves crashing their way to her. Their jaws snapped, tasting her skin before they'd even come within fifty feet of her. She fired multiple rounds at the lead grimm. As it twisted to protect its face it lost site of her. Blake took the opening to grab the sheath off her back and hurl it at the effectively blinded grimm. It spun wildly before plunging deeply into the beowolf's neck causing the beast to roar out in pain, tumbling in uncontrolled summersaults towards her. She jumped and cleared the rolling monster as its two comrades ran passed, skidding to a halt they turned to face her.

Blake listened to the rhythmic blasts of Ember Celica behind her as she waited for one to make a move. She didn't have to wait long, as one leapt the twenty foot gap between them she rushed forward, slashing at its underbelly as she slid under the animals legs. The other was already in motion as it tried to catch her off guard. She pulled Gambol Shrouds trigger, releasing the hilt and her weapon flew the short distance, its blade Impaling the beowolfs belly.

The creature paused, its red eyes looked to the offending object dazed before it swiped at her. Blake released a shadow and flipped backwards springing up to rest on a lower tree branch. As the beowolf followed, confused at her tricks, she leapt again, clearing a higher, thicker branch, bringing her weapons strap with her. As she was falling to the ground behind the grimm Blake tugged on the strap at her wrist. She heard the sound of ripping flesh and knew the monster was dead before her feet hit the ground.

Her feline ears atop her head twitched as her eyes glared into the undergrowth of the surrounding forest. Making sure she wasn't in danger of another attack she made her way to the one beowolf still alive. It tried to swipe at her but her weapons sheath impaired its accuracy and she was easily able to deter the claw with a simple kick. Its tongue brushed over its teeth aggressively as it growled at her. The warmth of its foul breath seeping into her bones as she stepped closer. Blake lifted her boot only to bring it down into the grimms snout, it's growl died in its throat as it whimpered. She pulled her sheath out of its flesh, bringing it right back down slicing all the way through the sinew of its neck.

As the beasts body disappeared Blake noticed Yang's weapon had gone silent. She sprinted forward through the forest jumping up and springing from branch to branch silently when the undergrowth became too thick.

As she broke through the forests edge into a clearing she saw Yang stretching her arms above her head and rolling her shoulders to release the tension a good fight always left behind.

Yang smiled as Blake skid to a stop beside her.

"You okay?" She asked looking Blake over from her toes to the tip of each of her ears atop her head.

"Yeah, you?"

"Never better, now let's go we have some time to make up now." Yang jogged to collect their bag of supplies they'd left where they'd been ambushed. She shouldered the pack and Blake followed swiftly behind her as they jogged across the clearing.

Their mission was to make it to a small village deep into the forest they were dropped in and help rid it of a couple larger grimm that had been periodically attacking it.

As per usual, they were to destroy all grimm spotted on their way.

The village was mapped at a days walk from where their ship had dropped them, but both Yang and Blake were hoping to reach it in half the time. The two jogged in relative silence for hours, only stopping briefly to take a sip of water, a bite of their energy bars and to catch their breath.

"Let me take that," Blake gestured to the pack on Yang's back as they were making their last stop before hopefully reaching the village.

"No, I got it." Yang replied, adjusting the straps.

"Don't be so stubborn," Blake scoffed. "I am just as capable of carrying a bag as you. Just because you're stronger than me doesn't mean you have to do all the heavy lifting."

"I'm comfortable with it. We don't have far to go now anyway." Yang turned to continue their way south.

"If that were true you wouldn't be adjusting the straps so much." Blake pointed out as Yang was pulling on them again.

Yang stopped her adjustments and turned to face Blake once more. They stared at one another, waiting for one to back down. Blake kept her neutral expression on as she glared at her partner. Unlike her own features, Yang's eyes flashed through many emotions before looking away.

"You call me stubborn." Yang mumbled. Blake's ears twitched which caught Yang's eye. "You weren't supposed to hear that." Yang said loudly as Blake lifted an eyebrow amusedly. Yang seemed to be struggling internally, her brows furrowed deeply and lips pursed as if she were in pain, before her spine straightened.

"Fine," Yang whipped the bag off her back and tossed it to Blake.

Blake caught it with ease and quickly shouldered it, tightening the straps a bit as her frame was smaller than her powerhouse of a partner's. Blake smirked at Yang as she passed, having won the argument. She was about to take off at a sprint when she heard the unmistakable sound of Ember Celica being armed.

She'd barely had enough time to activate her aura and try to avoid the attack. Blake shuffled to the left and felt her aura shift to shield the right side of her head as Yang's fist was deflected by it. Blake spun around, or tried to, but Yang's other fist was on its descent. Her boot slid from under her, not having got her footing yet, it slipped on the loose dirt below as she struggled to avoid Yang's constant onslaught. Knowing full well her aura was protecting her completely from damage as she felt pressure every time it indicated a successful strike would have landed had it not been activated.

Blake was at a loss as to why Yang just attacked her and looked to her partners face, which was always an open book. All she saw was focus and determination. In her distraction a particularly heavy hit landed which knocked some air out of her lungs, even with her auras protection. It pushed her back several feet which Blake took advantage of. She finally got solid footing as she reached up to grab her own weapon. Yang was already pressing another attack as Blake pulled on her weapons hilt.

Blake's eyes widened as Gambol Shroud remained sheathed and all she could do was tug again as she back peddled to avoid Yang.

"Shit," she breathed. Jumping from side to side, with her superior speed, she was able to put a half dozen feet between her and her blonde attacker. She wrenched her weapon again with no luck.

Blake looked up to see Yang had propelled herself forward with a blast and she jumped sideways, instinctively releasing a shadow clone, knowing as she did Yang wouldn't fall for it. She tripped again on a boulder hidden in the tall grass and as she fell all she could see was a fiery blaze and a fist directed at her face.

Blake winced as she hit the ground hard, she quickly opened her eyes to figure out her next move and was faced with the armed fist of her partner not two inches from her face.

When she didn't immediately feel the blow she turned her attention further back to Yang's red angry orbs.

Confused, all Blake could do was gape at her partner. Yang was the first to move, she gripped Blake's arm and jerked her to her feet, spinning her around with the same force. The noise of Ember Celica disarming was louder than any shotgun to Blake's ears. Yang reached out and nearly ripped the pack from her shoulders.

"I know full well you are capable of carrying a fucking bag." Blake had rarely heard Yang's voice so tense with anger, it dripped with burning venom. Blake was surprised she hadn't burst into flames at the sound. Never had Yang's fury been directed at her so genuinely. Yang used her semblance rarely in their sparring matches but even when her eyes changed colours, Yang would still smile at her. This was different and she flinched not liking it in the least. "But a bag isn't going to affect me or my weapons in a fight if we are caught off guard. For fuck sakes, you depend on your speed and a damn bag will get in the way."

She was right, of course she was. No matter how she argued Yang's resolute facts Blake could never disprove them. Yang had shown her exactly what could happen, and Blake felt ashamed. Not only would she have been in real danger if Yang was an actual enemy, she would have put Yang at risk as well.

And that thought sobered her faster than any drive she felt, due to her embarrassment, to win the argument with Yang.

Yang sighed heavily stepping around Blake and came into view. Blake kept her ears pinned to her head willing the sound of Yang's echoing voice to fade. Yang tsked, observing her, before Blake suddenly found herself engulfed by the others strong embrace

She flinched before she realized it wasn't another attack and relaxed into the other's arms. Yang's soft voice permeated the silence.

"I'm sorry,"

"No!" Blake's eyes widened and she jumped back, out of Yang's comforting embrace. "You're right, I'm the one that should be sorry. I just..." she broke off looking to the grass beneath her feet.

"You're helping enough already, if I truly was exhausted or injured I'd let you have the bag," Blake returned her gaze to Yang's softer eyes. "In fact, I'd probably throw it at you, making you carry it if you wanted to or not." Yang's smile alleviated some of Blake's embarrassment.

"But my slight discomfort right now is not enough for me to put your life at risk, no matter how unlikely it would be to get ambushed with your senses or the off chance the straps did in fact affect your weapon."

"Pretty good chance apparently." Blake accepted, as she shrugged her shoulders. "We should get going if we are going to win that bet."

They slowed to a walk for the last couple miles before reaching their destination. Neither wanted to scare any villagers with their wild, sweaty, sudden appearance.

It wasn't long before Blake noticed she'd garnered her partner's attention. She tried to ignore it but after a few more minutes it was starting to get on her nerves.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" She asked chancing a glance in Yang's direction.

"Oh," Yang looked sheepish, having been caught. "I was just..." she let the words die out. "You know what, it doesn't matter."

"Tell me."

Yang's head dipped as her shoulders deflated.

"Just, out here," Yang indicated the trees surrounding the path they were on, "outside of school, your whole body is changed."

Blake scoffed and looked to her partner for more clarification. "That doesn't make sense, my body is the same now as it was this morning. I'm a Faunus not a magical being able to morph into anything different."

"No not the shape or anything," Yang hurried to elaborate. "It's... you're more twitchy?"

"Is that a question?" Blake's eyebrow lifted.

"No," Yang's cheeks tuned pink. "Well kind of I guess. It's like," Yang waved her hands in front of her looking for the right words. "Like me," Yang started again, resting her one palm atop her breast. "I'm the same here as in school. I'm ready for a fight but until I'm attacked directly I just sit back and wait for it to happen." Yang met Blake's eye. "But you, where you can relax and lose yourself in a book at school, here it's like you're constantly fighting." Yang looked lower, to Blake's feet, then gestured to them. "See, you're still walking in your fighting style." She caught Blake's eye again. "It's fascinating watching you, but" Yang paused before deciding to follow through with her question. "Isn't it exhausting?"

Blake howled with laughter and didn't miss the way Yang's eyes lit up when she did.

"Of course it's exhausting!" Blake shook her head in amusement. "Did you just notice now?"

"Well, no." Yang refused to meet her eye and continued down the path, Blake falling in step beside her. "I've noticed before, I just extra noticed today." Yang pulled at the worn leather straps on her shoulders. "After you wanting to carry the bag as your portion of the work it got me thinking."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm, you are always the one to indicate there are grimm in the area." The muscle of Yang's jaw tightened before she continued. "Which is why I never ask you to carry the bag, you have your own job. I mean, it's not something we ever discussed. We just kind of fell into these roles naturally right?" Blake nodded her head. "I just started thinking how exhausting being..." she struggled to find the correct word, "Well, just being on, all the time would be."

Blake shrugged. "Ever wonder why I'm nowhere to be found when we get back to school after these missions?"

Yang blinked back her surprise.

"You're off sleeping somewhere?" She asked and Blake tilted her head in confirmation. "I thought you were just off catching up on the book you hadn't been able to read while we were gone."

"Nope."

"Why did you never tell me?" Yang's feet stopped propelling her forward. "Where do you even go to sleep?"

Blake kept walking and shrugged. "Because, we each have our jobs in this partnership and honestly toting around the supplies would wear me out just as easily than what I am doing. But I knew if you learned I was off sleeping for the entire day you'd become worried." she noticed Yang never spoke up to deny it. "I didn't see being upfront about it was worth the hassle of you fretting over me. And there are many quiet alcoves I've found at Beacon that are good enough for a nap."

Blake motioned with her hand for Yang to catch up and when Yang came into view beside her she met her eye.

"There's no point in arguing or either of us trying to take some responsibilities off the other." She grabbed Yang's hand and squeezed before releasing it. "Our roles naturally fell this way because of our strengths. Besides, unless I'm asleep I don't think I'd trust your simple human senses to warn me I have a grimm on my back." She smirked and dodged Yang's attempt to hit her.

"Hey, I have great senses!" Yang defended.

"For a human." Blake deadpanned.

Yang's expression went from dejected to hopeful in a split second and it had Blake's head spinning at the other girl's drastic mood swings.

"But you trust my human senses when you sleep?"

Blake smiled, knowing she could make a sarcastic remark that would deflate her partner's sudden mood. But the banter she'd become accustomed to and enjoyed seemed to peak her interest less than giving Yang this one win.

"More than any other human on Remnant."

"I'll take it." Yang smiled as they continued on the path in comfortable silence.

It was only when the village came into view around a bend in the path that the silence was broken.

"I hope these grimm aren't too difficult to defeat. We've spent a lot of time, Well, not on the mission today." Yang spoke up.

"You just want to win the bet." Blake pointed out.

"Well yeah, Weiss is an amazing cook." Her eyes glazed over. "My mouth is watering just thinking of it."

"What about the shower schedule?" Blake asked.

"Oh, pff" Yang waved her comment off. "Nah, couldn't care less about that part. That was just for you."

Blake rolled her eyes and brushed passed Yang. But secretly she was touched and very happy that Yang would think of her comfort like that.

"Well, at least we learned not to try to mess with our system." Blake supplied. "It'll make future missions that much smoother and quicker to complete if you don't have to beat me into a learning a lesson."

"When you put it like that, I sound horrible."

Blake snorted.

"You said it yourself, I'm stubborn. I don't think I'd learn that lesson any other way." She stopped and caught Yang's lavender gaze, stopping her in her tracks. "We good?"

Yang nodded her head slowly, then nodded again more firmly. "Yeah, we're great!" She looked to the village and swung her arm around Blake's shoulders, pulling her forward. "And I promise to keep Weiss and Ruby out of the dorm if you want to sleep in your own bed from now on after missions."

Blake wrapped her arm around Yang's back and squeezed gently. "Thanks, that would be nice."

"Or," Yang continued. "You could sleep in my bed, it's higher up and you'd be less likely to be disturbed if one of them snuck by me into the room."

Blake blushed, thankful Yang wasn't looking at her. The pleasure that coursed through her at the thought of sleeping curled up surrounded by Yang's thick comforting scent was too good to pass up.

"Yeah, that sounds good." She congratulated herself on her voice keeping its normal aloof tone.

Yang nodded her head sealing the deal as they stopped in front of the villages small inn.

Yang entered first, as usual, and motioned the all clear for Blake to follow.

There were a dozen beat up wooden table and chairs strewn around the open space. There was a counter along the far wall that separated patrons zone and the multiple racks of alcohol lined up behind it.

There were a few tables already occupied, and Blake could smell the food the customers were nibbling on. It smelled unexpectedly delicious.

The pair made their way to the counter, as they neared it a man walked through the door to the right of the counter. He jumped when he noticed them, but he smiled pleasantly once they explained who they were.

They were brought to the room they'd be sharing and told when they were ready the town appointed officials would be summoned.

Greg, the inn keeper, was happy to answer their questions before he ducked out for the room leaving them in their privacy.

"He likes you," Yang's voice cut through the air as Blake was stripping her armour. Once her weapons were removed from her back she slipped her arms out of the sleeves of her white coat.

"Don't be silly." Blake replied making her way to the bowl of water sitting next to the dresser. She splashed her face a couple times before grabbing a cloth. Soaking it in the clean water she began whisking the dried sweat and grime from her arms and neck.

"What do you mean?" Yang's voice rang as Blake could hear her stripping as well. "He couldn't take his eyes off you."

"Me or my ears?"

"You're ears are cute, I wouldn't blame him if he was looking at them." Blake couldn't stop the butterflies in her stomach at Yang thinking of her ears as cute. Yang grabbed a second cloth joining Blake. She dipped the cloth in the water and rung it out before a mischievous smirk formed. "Besides, his gaze was obviously captured much lower."

"What are you talking about?" Blake gave her friend a skeptical look. Her only reply was Yang's eyes darting pointedly to her hips. Blake blushed realizing what Yang meant.

Yang laughed heartily and nudged her. "You should go talk to him." Blake couldn't help her reaction at the thought. "Oooo, that bad huh?" Yang said, catching her facial expression.

"What?" Blake asked confused.

"Well it looks like you'd rather cuddle up to an ursa than go talk to him. Not your type?"

Blake shuffled sideways as Yang gently pressed her to let her closer to the bowl. Yang dipped her hands into the bowl. She splashed her face a couple times before she brought the cloth up to drag down her neck and into her cleavage, soaking up the stray droplets.

"No," she softly responded before hanging her own cloth on the rack she'd picked it up from.

"Too bad." Yang replied, oblivious to Blakes change in mood. "He wasn't half bad to look at. Seemed nice too." After she finished wiping the sweat and dirt from her own arms and legs she straightened and turned to Blake who was sitting on the bed observing her. "Oh well, did you want to get something to eat before meeting with the officials?"

Blake flopped onto her back stretching out on the bed below her but didn't respond any other way to Yang's question.

She heard Yang's chuckle and followed her movements with her ears and she heard her return to the other side of the bed where her own armour and weapons were discarded. She listened as Yang got dressed. It was all very relaxing, being able to turn her senses off to danger and just feel her partner's presence.

Yang let her lay there for the better part of half an hour as she cleaned and reloaded Ember Celica. But when Blake heard her finish she knew it was time.

"Okay, enough rest, time to get up."

Blake stayed still, refusing to move. If she didn't move maybe Yang would think she was asleep. Blake knee she could definitely do with a nap already.

"Blake," there was an amused tone to her partner's voice and Blake found herself struggling not to smile herself.

She felt the bed dip and she almost opened her eyes to see what Yang was doing but she managed to keep her body relaxed and still.

"I know you're not sleeping." Yang's voice was closer than Blake would have thought. Forcing herself not to jump was one of the hardest things she'd done in awhile. "You are a good actress though."

Blake thought if she could keep her charade up a little longer Yang might second guess her faking sleep.

Blake felt a warmth above her body, and could only imagine what it was, or if she was imagining it. The realization dawned on her that Yang's hand was hovering above her body. It started at her thigh before burning a path up her body, passed her belly, between her breasts to her collarbone. She focused on keeping her breathing even, and her body from lifting to feel Yang's touch.

She was so focused on calming her body's reaction that she barely noticed the warmth move up to hover over her face. She nearly jumped at the contact of Yang's finger booping her nose.

"You sleep on your stomach, so get up."

Blake groaned. "How can you possibly know that."

"You've been sleeping in the same room as me for how long?" Yang chucked. "I have never seen you fall asleep on your back, you always sleep on your stomach."

Blake grumbled But rose from the bed. She quickly dressed realizing she was very hungry. With them both cleaned up, armed and ready, they looked each other over. With both approving of each others appearance Yang opened the door and followed Blake through the arch.