Some of you guessed correctly, so nice job! I hope you all enjoy!

And again, this final chapter is dedicated to Moongarm. Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Chapter 8. Weakness Turned To Strength

The minute Blake scurried away down the hallway, Yang very nearly collapsed to her knees – for several different reasons.

All last night, Blake had slept quietly and peacefully in her arms, and Yang had contented herself with holding her close, petting through her hair, and adjusting the blankets for her to keep her warm.

But Yang had been unable to sleep for more than two collective hours. It hadn't been due to discomfort, but rather too much excitement – about her leeway with monthly payments, and her own thoughts about what to potentially do with Blake with the extra cash by means of celebration.

But the writer had beaten her to it when she'd asked Yang out to dinner, so Yang's sleepless night had all been for naught.

Her fatigue had led to Yang's poor appetite that night as well, but it wasn't the only reason she had presently fallen to her knees outside her own door.

Her legs had been exceptionally weak since the second Blake had kissed her, and honestly, she considered it a miracle she'd managed to stay standing until the girl was out of sight.

She was still wearing Blake's borrowed coat, and the other girl's scent wafted around Yang, filling her lungs and making her heart beat even faster. It was dizzying, but hardly pleasant.

Yang was glad she hadn't answered Blake's confession right away. She really did feel it best to have a few moments to collect her thoughts before addressing such a sensitive topic.

Slowly, with the support of the wall, Yang got back to her feet and fumbled to fit her key into the lock, which took about an entire minute, considering how much her hands were trembling. She was truly a mess both inside and out, but not for all the right reasons.

Eventually, she stumbled inside the dark room, placing the container of leftover food onto the desk before slowly shedding Blake's jacket and leaving it on the bed. Her chest felt congested, but it didn't feel hurtful like it would during a bad cold.

It felt more as if... there were millions of little butterflies frantically flitting about inside of her.

Her stomach was still twisting, both from having eaten too much food for her fatigued body to handle, and now because of all these conflicting emotions.

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, she took several deep breaths and reached behind her back to unzip her dress. After a minute, she decided to change entirely out of the formal wear, instead slipping herself into some sweatpants and a sweater – which just so happened to be the pale yellow one Blake had given her seemingly so long ago.

Yang retreated back to her bed and sat down heavily. Her chest was still throbbing, partially due to the excitement and partially due to something less pleasant. She felt sick, and it didn't take her very much longer to realize that the tightness she was feeling in her gut wasn't due to Blake's confession.

Had she been well-rested and properly fed, Yang would have been ecstatic right now, as she was trying to force herself to be.

But that was only serving to make the dizziness worse, the breathlessness more stifling.

She'd promised Blake she would be at her room in just a few minutes.

Yang shivered, and it raked her entire body, leaving behind little aftershocks that squirmed beneath her skin like leeches.

She was so tired, so utterly exhausted.

But she needed to go to Blake, because-

-because Yang liked her, too.

And she wanted to tell her as much.

She had to go.

But the second she made an effort to move, there was a sharp pain in her head that was almost incapacitating. Yang yelped and sat back down, panting as she laid down on her side, clutching her stomach.

She closed her eyes, for what she'd hoped would only be a moment, until she could control her breathing again.

But against her will, she lost grip on her consciousness, her body seeking the rest it had been denied the night before, and Yang was dragged down into the depths.

When she woke again, the room was still dark.

She felt as though there was a large, heavy gray cloud hanging over her, but her eyelids were opening quickly, and her mind felt less fuzzy than she could last remember it being.

Sitting up, the numbness of slumber drained from her limbs, and there was no grogginess that still clung to her mind. She felt wide-awake, alert, and like she needed to move, to go somewhere...

The pain in her head and stomach had more or less vanished, and the nap – unintentional as it may have been – had served to give her some energy back.

But it was then when the dread settled in, and she remembered what she'd promised to do earlier...

She'd promised to go to Blake as soon as possible.

And instead, she'd fallen asleep.

Yang hissed a curse at herself as she scrambled in the darkness for her phone, swiping it. She was absolutely appalled to look at the time.

She'd left Blake a little after 10:30PM and now it was 2:26AM.

There were no messages from Blake either.

"Oh my god..."

All kinds of awful emotions seized her heart in that moment, and she felt as though she might pass out all over again.

Yang kicked off the shoes she'd still been wearing and raced for the door, slamming into it and forcing it open before dashing down the lit hallway, her bare feet pounding and echoing on the carpets of the otherwise-quiet building.

She reached the stairs and skipped two at a time as she jumped up them, taking only a fraction of the time to reach Blake's floor now than it normally would have.

She veered around the corner and sprinted, her legs weary and heart hammering until-

Blake's door looked so still, so forlorn.

Yang could already feel hot tears stinging behind her eyes, guilt for what she'd done - for what she'd failed to do - for the precious time she'd wasted when she'd told Blake she'd be right there...

She reached out for the knob, but it was locked.

Yang was trembling, consumed by the horrid thought that Blake had purposefully locked her out and wanted nothing more to do with her ever again.

Yang had made a promise after all, a very delicate one, and she'd broken it. She couldn't blame Blake if the other girl hated her now.

Yang didn't even feel she deserved to knock.

Blake had likely fallen asleep by now, but the blonde was scared of what tomorrow would bring if she didn't at least try to fix all of this now. She knew they'd lose the friendship they'd so painstakingly built up over the weeks, the thing that had become so crucial to their survival and respective mental states.

She feared that if this mishap tore them apart tonight, then tomorrow morning would never come.

There'd be no more text messages from Blake, no more calls or invitations, no more lunch dates, no more warm nights curling up together, no more heart-to-heart talks and sharing of things they'd never before shared with anyone else in the world.

Or worse, they'd try to continue on as though nothing had ever happened, they'd never address this issue again.

But they'd both know full-well. They'd both always remember, and Yang knew that eventually the pain of that knowledge would force them to drift apart.

If things didn't get mended tonight... then surely their relationship – romantic or otherwise – had no foreseeable future.

She was still frozen outside the door, her fist inches away from knocking, but never meeting the surface of the door.

Until she heard the soft sobs coming from the other side.

Blake... had been awake all this time, in pain, no doubt.

Waiting for her.

Yang's knuckles brushed against the door four times, their little secret knock now turned suddenly frantic. Her voice wobbled, but she kept it as quiet as possible.

"Blake...?" she mumbled.

The sobbing stopped for an instant, and Yang felt her hopes rising a little. There was a moment of pause, and she imagined Blake was sitting up and wiping her face, confused and hurt, but... perhaps just a little relieved.

The writer's voice was thick, as though she were speaking around a lump, timid and fairly disbelieving.

"Y...Yang...?"

If it was at all possible, Yang felt she could hear Blake's tears in that moment, hear her turmoil, her confusion, and her uncertainty.

There were a few short little breaths on the writer's end before she continued speaking.

"Yang... it's been... n-nearly... three hours..."

"I know," she whispered, biting deeply into her bottom lip and drinking down the blood as punishment, a silent form of penance. "I know..." she hissed again. "But Blake... Blake just... just lemme explain. Please. I'm beggin' ya..."

She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the door, her palms on either side of her head.

"But... I also... understand if... if ya don't wanna hear me out. I know that I... hurt ya real bad these last few hours, Blake. I can't say sorry enough..."

She felt sick all over again, terrified of a potential rejection.

Part of her wished Blake would shout and yell for her to go away and leave her be.

Despite Yang's best efforts, the tears had already started to slip down her cheeks, and she watched them fall off one by one and spiral down to the floor, dampening the carpet.

She waited, closing her eyes and trying to stop the crying, but to no avail. She could hear movement from inside the room, followed shortly afterward by Blake's voice.

"Yang...?"

A click, and Yang could see a bit of light from the crack beneath the door, telling her Blake had turned on a lamp.

Then, there were footsteps approaching the door, followed by a small tap. Blake was right on the other side, just a few inches of wood and paint separating the two of them.

Yang could tell the girl was still fighting back tears as well, a feat she herself was having trouble accomplishing at the moment.

"S-Sorry..." she mumbled. "I'm sorry, Blake... I just-"

She stopped the second she heard the knob click, and Yang took a step back.

Slowly, the door opened inward, revealing Blake to be in much the same state Yang had thought to find her in.

She'd changed out of her formal attire, and her clothes were ruffled, her hair frazzled, her face drenched with the trails of tears she'd undoubtedly been shedding for several hours and counting.

Her eyes were tired, and there was pain there as well, but when she finally met Yang's gaze, the prominent emotion she saw in those golden pools was concern – for Yang.

The blonde took another step back, not sure how to react. She wanted to hug Blake more than anything, but-

"Yang..." The familiar, subdued voice stopped her, and she listened carefully as the writer continued. "Are... are you okay?"

Shock showed clearly on Yang's face when she heard the question, and she shook her head to clear it.

"W-What? Blake, I wanna be askin' you that..." She wiped her arm over her eyes again, finding more warm wetness there.

The next thing she knew, there was a soft hand on her wrist, leading her inside the room. Blake brought her over to the bed and coaxed her to sit down, and the writer herself maintained a foot or so of distance between them.

Yang wanted to fill that space so badly, but more than anything, she wanted Blake to feel alright. So to avoid the risk of making her hurt even more, Yang stayed put.

In reality, Blake had only put the distance between them because she thought the blonde girl needed it; she wanted Yang to move close and embrace her just as badly as she wanted to do the same for Yang.

But first, she needed to hear some things.

Yang knew it was time to speak as well, and she wiped away the tears long enough to start.

"Blake..." She did her best to maintain eye contact with her, knowing Blake deserved that much at the very least. "What can I say other than sorry? I just... I wasn't... feeling so good a-an' as soon as I got into my room I just... kinda passed out. I... I didn't mean ta. Honest, I didn't. I wanted ta come up here 'n tell ya how I feel 'bout ya loud 'n clear. But now... now I went an' ruined everythin'... I'm sorry, Blake..."

Blake listened to everything, and all the while the dull thumping of her heart rang out louder and louder. She found her voice a minute later, after Yang had guiltily dropped her gaze to the floor.

"I knew it..." she whispered.

Yang looked up at her, puzzled, and the dark-haired girl went on:

"I knew something was wrong, Yang. I knew you wouldn't have just... left me alone after all that. Deep down, I knew something had happened, but... my mind just kept telling me that you weren't coming here because... because you didn't feel the same."

"That ain't it!" Yang blurted instantly. "Blake I do, I-I do feel the same! I-I just wasn't feelin' good 'n I didn't sleep too good last night either 'n then walkin' all over town 'n I just-"

"Yang..." Blake slid close to her, covering that devastating distance, putting a steadying hand on the flustered girl's arm. "It's okay. I... I understand now."

The blonde was already crying again, sniffling deeply.

"But... But fer... all this time... you've been here cryin' and hurtin' when I was sleepin' like an idiot. I'm so sorry, Blake..."

"Yang, it's fine," she said again. "Like I told you... in my heart, I felt that... I knew something was wrong. But I was too scared to call you or go back to you. I could only think you hated me... And even that... I knew it was foolish. I knew... I knew you never would..."

"Never," Yang agreed, sniffling again. "Never, Blake. I could never hate ya. After all we've been through? Not possible. Not in a billion decades. I love ya way too much, Blake. Way too much."

With her confession came a soft gasp from Blake, and she put a hand to her mouth.

"You... You mean that-"

"Not... just in a friendly kinda way," Yang clarified. "In the other kinda way, too. In the way that I wanna hold yer hand 'n kiss ya. Over 'n over..." She smiled. "'S been that way ever since... well, actually since the first night I met'cha. I fell hard 'n I fell fast, Blake.

"And it's only gotten stronger over the weeks. Honestly, just gettin' a text from ya gave me the jitters, and god, sleepin' next to ya was pretty much heaven..." she sighed. Her eyes then met Blake's steadily. "There's just... one more thing I wanna do... if ya'd let me..."

By this point, Blake was crying again too, but she was smiling slightly as well. She put her face in her hands for a moment, simply to get her bearings and breathe a little, something that had been difficult to do for the past three hours.

Yang didn't move, but waited patiently for her, also wiping more of her own tears. She waited until Blake lifted her face again, until lavender met gold, before she moved just a little closer.

But in the end, it was Blake who covered those last few inches between them, wrapping her arms around Yang's torso in a tight, much-needed hug.

Yang eagerly returned the contact, sighing shakily with the utmost relief as she breathed in the girl's mysterious scent, the one she'd grown accustomed to after so many days and nights together.

She was beyond joyous in knowing that those days and nights didn't need to come to an end.

Blake held onto her for a moment, before remembering Yang had made a request of sorts. She pulled away, blinking back the last of the tears as the blonde posed the question.

"Blake..." Yang said softly. "Can... Can I kiss ya?"

Blake smiled and nodded her head once.

"Yes..." she whispered. "Can I kiss you?"

Yang gave her trademark crooked grin.

"Yeah. You bet."

They inhaled a breath in preparation, gazes locked as they lost themselves in each other's eyes. There was but an inch between them now, and at last their eyelids closed slowly, until they could feel the shared breath they both released.

Lips brushed impossibly softly, like the light tickle of two feathers on the breeze.

But neither pulled away, nor hesitated.

Both kissed and were kissed, and even though they were a bit clumsy, they didn't stop.

It was just another of many firsts they'd shared together, though this one would surely prove to be the one they remembered best for years to come.

It was so warm, so gentle, so addictive, and neither wanted it to end.

But after a moment, they parted, if only to find the means to breathe again so they could do it all over.

Another embrace, and Yang pulled her close, burying her face into Blake's hair.

"I can't believe it..." she sighed. "I've been smitten with ya fer weeks an' not even in my wildest dreams did I ever think you'd..."

Blake squeezed her back, nestling into her collar, seeking her heartbeat to listen.

"I might not have been this way for as long as you were, but it was certainly long enough. I know that much. And I know I wouldn't have been able to keep up the 'just friends' act for much longer. I'm glad we don't have to anymore."

"Yeah..." Yang grinned. "Me too."

A few minutes passed as they savored the time, slowing the seconds as much as they could to relish each and every one. Blake pulled away only to kiss her again, cupping Yang's cheeks and feeling palms spread out across her back in turn.

They didn't care for time anymore, but it was the reminder of what Yang had said about failing to sleep properly last night that ultimately had Blake letting her go.

Without a word, she beckoned Yang over to the pillow and pulled down the blankets, ushering her underneath them before turning off the light and laying down beside her.

Yang opened her arms invitingly, a gesture Blake was more than used to by now, and she took her cue to press close to the girl.

"Are you alright, Yang?" she wondered. "You said... you weren't feeling well before. You said you passed out..."

"Blake..." Yang squeezed her shoulders and patted excitedly all up and down her back. "Blake, Blake, Blake, Blake, gooosh Blake. I am soooo much more than okay now. Whatever yer feelin', I'm feelin' it too. That fuzzy feelin' an' that pumpin' of your heart an' that big ol' smile. I got it bad for ya, Blakey." She kissed the crown of her head and snuggled close.

Blake chuckled softly at the little nickname she'd just been given.

"Okay..." she sighed. "I'm glad you're alright."

"And I'm glad ya didn't give up on me," the blonde murmured. "I'm glad ya waited fer me."

"Of course I did. I'll always wait for you, Yang." She kissed the girl's collar, then the side of her neck before closing her eyes.

Yang whimpered happily; until she'd met Blake, no one had ever cared to wait for her. At least now, the waiting was finally over.

They'd made it. Together.

Blake nuzzled into the blonde's neck and sighed, tired but content.

"We should sleep now. We can... wake up to all of this tomorrow... and remember everything."

"Mm," Yang nodded. "I can't wait. Can't wait ta wake up next to ya again tomorrow. Can't wait ta kiss ya again tomorrow. I can't wait, Blakey."

"Me either, Yang."

One last kiss - for now.

They laid down, and fell asleep before very much longer, wrapped in one another's arms.

Within just less than two months of knowing one another, they'd shared countless firsts together, and tonight's kisses were ones they'd be unable to keep off their minds for weeks to come.

Sharing those firsts – along with the struggles, the hardships, the secrets, the trust, the love – they were all parts in the great journey in life.

The journey of moving forward.

A/N: Thank you all so much for following this story all the way through! I hope you enjoyed reading! I'll see you for my next story!

You can support me on as Kiria Alice if you'd like!

Please review!