Writer's note: The uncensored version (about 800 words longer in this case) is available on AO3, as is a podfic version done by the talented Opalsong.

Audiophile

Her scent came through the door before she did, a happy mix of sunshine and charcoal that banished the clinging sterility of hospital ammonia. Blake's hands flew up to fix her hair before she caught herself. A mussed lock or two was the least of her worries, and she knew Yang wouldn't mind her messy hair. Long-nailed fingers ghosted across the bandage wrapped around her head, gauze shielding her eyes from the buzzing fluorescent lights.

The door creaked open, and a tentative voice called into the room.

"They said you were still awake."

The Faunus woman smiled as the click of Yang's boots brought her closer to the bed. "I refused to sleep until my girlfriend showed up."

A rough, calloused hand gently wrapped itself around her own, squeezing as Yang sat alongside the bed's metal railing.

"How're you doing? Any ... complications?"

Blake smiled as she laid her other hand atop Yang's. The blonde had been far more nervous than Blake about the operation, insisting on sitting through the preparation meetings, her face growing more and more ashen with unnecessary worry. While not routine, the procedure hadn't been particularly dangerous. To hear Yang tell it, however, Blake had been in mortal peril the entire time. Blake sighed at Yang's concern, annoyed and touched by her girlfriend's worry.

"I'm fine, Yang. Honestly, I'm just bored out of my mind."

She fought the urge to purr as Yang's hand ran through her hair, her head instinctively leaning into the caress. Yang grinned, stroked her fingers in just the way Blake liked. "Thought you might be. I brought some of your books."

"That's sweet, but it'll be a little while before I can take the bandages off."

Yang snorted derisively, one hand coming up to gently scratch at the feline ears. Blake's futile resistance crumbled beneath the onslaught, and her chest rumbled in a quiet purr. Something small and rectangular slipped into Blake's palm as Yang's hand closed her fingers around it.

"They're audiobooks, kitten. I'm not thoughtless enough to bring you paperbacks after eye surgery."

Blake blushed; she should have known Yang would go the extra mile. If anyone understood the need to stave off boredom, it was her wild brawler of a partner.

Setting the audio player aside, Blake wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, grateful for a presence she knew – someone whose sound, whose smell, was as much a part of them as their appearance. The hospital disinfectants droned out almost any other smell in the ward, but not Yang. Nothing could top her Yang.

Yang sat there for hours, chatting all the while, passing along their friends' well-wishes, whispering that she'd reminded them what flowers Blake liked. Nodding in happy silence, the Faunus sent quiet thanks to her friends, grateful that they'd given the two women this time to themselves.

All too soon, a quiet knock sounded on the door, a disinterested voice informing Yang that visiting hours had ended. Blake could feel Yang's reluctance to leave, her fingers tightening on Blake's hand. With a sigh, the blonde woman rose, kissing Blake's forehead one last time.

"I'll be back tomorrow, as soon as I can." Yang's voice hitched, and Blake could hear her girlfriend's worry, mixed with the relief that Blake would heal. "Get better, okay?"

Blake waved to Yang's retreating back, getting one last whiff of her perfume as the door closed behind her. Unable to stop herself from grinning, she set the audio player aside, waiting until the after next visit by the attending nurse. No more disturbances planned until the next morning, Blake slipped the little earbuds into her ears, fumbling blindly until she found the play button. Leaning back, she relaxed in the hospital bed, ready for someone to read her to sleep.

I'd bet you didn't expect to hear me right about now.

Blake jerked as Yang's voice chirped in her ear, needing a second to realize her girlfriend hadn't just snuck back into the room while no one was noticing. A little disappointed, she dragged her attention back to the recording.

...nestly, I was just going to fill this with the next few items from your wishlist. Then I had a thought: it's not fair for my girlfriend to be all alone in that hospital. This way, I can still keep you company when they kick me out at night.

She could hear Yang's grin through the recording, even the slight distortion of the compression unable to hide the happy note in her voice. Settling back into the pillows, Blake got ready for her girlfriend to read her to sleep.

That left one last problem: what exactly would be the best thing to read to my convalescing girlfriend? Your histories are too dry – I'd be asleep before I got through the first chapter. So ... I may have plundered your secret romance stash.

Blake eyes went wide, warrantless shame leading to panic. There wasn't really a reason to keep those books hidden – Yang was hardly prudish when it came to their relationship – but the idea of Yang looking through her 'stash' was embarrassing, at best.

Seriously, you have a lot of these Ninjas of Love books. Anyway, I thought it'd be nice to do a highlight reel from the more battered copies.

Yang's voice dropped, as though she was trying to whisper through the recording. You really shouldn't dog-ear pages like that, but it did make my job easier. Anyway, here goes.

Blake felt her worry ebb as Yang began to read, her voice rising and falling as she began the fifth novel's budding romance between the unlikely hero and the daughter of a rival clan's chieftain. Granted, the premise wasn't the most original, but something about those two characters made it one of the more endearing relationships of the series. The Trickster and the Princess were popular enough that they'd managed a sequel, rare in a series where recurring characters were few and far between.

She smiled as Yang skipped a chapter or two, jumping between dog-eared passages to focus on the pair's relationship, ignoring the political intrigue that cluttered the rest of the novella. Their contentious first meeting, the awkwardness, discovering their feelings for each other, all were regaled in Yang's charming ramble, keeping Blake awake late into the night as her girlfriend defied all logic to read her to sleep. Yang was even doing little voices for some of the characters. It might not be professional quality, but the effort she'd put into the project made Blake's heart soar. She must have stayed up all night recording the tracks.

Swept away by Yang's sweetness, Blake forgot which dog-eared scene was next. At least she had, until Yang began to read the battered section. Her face flushed with realization, Blake squirmed a little deeper into the slanted bed, embarrassed about what Yang was about to read. To be fair, this scene was one of her favorites. The hero had just slipped past the guard of the rival village, desperate to see the princess one last time.

The hero scaled the wall, hands clinging to the trellis, climbing to the bedroom of the only person that mattered. Straining arms pulled at the balcony's rail, hefting the muscled body up and over the ledge. Knocking softly, the hero called out softly to her love.

"Blake, are you awake?"

Wait, what? Blake might not have read that passage in some time, but she was fairly sure the princess' name was Himiko, not ... oh, Yang.

The door to the balcony swung open, revealing the princess in all her beauty. Golden eyes gleamed in the night, made ever more vivid by the raven hair that trailed behind her. The most adorable feline ears sat atop her midnight tresses, twitching softly in the cool night air.

The princess had red hair and brown eyes, not black and gold, and the original hero of the story had definitely been male, but Blake wasn't particularly keen to argue the point. Plus, she liked this version better.

Unable to wait any longer, the hero threw her arms around the princess, promising herself she would never again let go. Gentle arms reached up, returning the embrace as Blake buried her face against Yang's neck.

The buxom blonde bore her lover to bed, laying her down amidst the sheets. Lips pressed together, she cradled Blake's face in her hands, happy to simply be with the one she loved.

A gentle hand tugged at the hero's shirt, buttons sliding from the holes as the princess ran her hands along Yang's muscled chest. Touching and teasing, the delicate fingers trickled across her hard abs, sliding up to cup the hero's chest.

Blake was glad she had a single room – the privacy curtains of more crowded facilities wouldn't have been enough to hide her blushing. Before she could catch herself, one hand found its way down her chest, slipping beneath the loose pajamas she wore.

The kiss deepened, their tongues vying for dominance as the two women shed their clothes. The work of a moment, and the hero sat upon the bed, coat and shirt tossed into the far reaches of the chamber. Moonlight glinted off hard muscles and soft flesh, her perfect, perky breasts glowing in the soft light. She was one of the most beautiful woman the land had ever known, second only to the princess she treasured with all her heart.

Blake snorted in spite of herself. Trust Yang to throw in an unnecessary fanservice moment just for her. Although ... topless fantasy Yang did sound like a rather nice sight.

The hero reached over, pulling gently at the ties that held her lover's nightdress in place. Soon, the thin garment joined the others on the floor.

Blake glared into the pervasive darkness. Robbed of her sight, Yang's voice was overwhelming, making it almost too easy to imagine her girlfriend was there in the room beside her. That it was Yang's hands reaching into her clothes, tickling along her skin.

Kissing her once more, Yang worked her way down the peerless body beneath her, not one inch of skin left unkissed.

Blake's breath grew heavy as the imaginary Yang landed butterfly kisses along her neck. She knew visiting hours were tightly controlled, but she wanted Yang there with her.

Yang slumped atop her lover, their lips pressed together in clumsy, tired kisses as they let the high course through their systems. Drowsiness faded into sleep as the two women rested, each entwined in the arms of the only person either would ever love.

Yang's voice was starting to sound a little raw, either the hours of reading or the content itself finally starting to get to her.

Okay, so ... that happened. Um, I just wanted to say, you've only been gone a few days, but I really miss you. 'Course now, I'm really horny too. Just ... promise me you'll get better."

There was a pause in the track, Yang's voice catching before she could clear her throat.

I can't believe how lonely it is without you here, Blake. I keep expecting to roll over and you'll be there, but ... come home soon, okay? I love you.

Bandaged eyes welling with tears, Blake sighed into the pillow, warmth spreading through her with the knowledge that she was well and truly loved.