Chapter Three: Heart to Heart

Written by: JayEmEl

Edited by: Cowjump

Beta reader: Warwolf

Enjoy!

Yang awoke in a hurry. Heart pounding, stomach in her throat, bleary-eyed and head feeling like it would split in half, she got out of bed and rushed for the bathroom, panicked that she wouldn't make it in time. She threw herself to her knees in front of the toilet, not bothering to lift the seat, and proceeded to hurl any remaining leftovers from yesterday into the porcelain throne. Her entire body heaved with the effort, making her eyes water and the small room reverberate with her retch, and once the majority was out, Yang sat back a little and groaned plaintively. Her head hurt so much, and now her mouth tasted disgusting, and her tummy was definitely still upset.

Ugh. It was times like these that Yang had to give science a sarcastic thumbs-up – because nope, the prefrontal cortex did not finish developing until the age of twenty-five. Was partying so hard worth so horrible a hangover? No. Did Yang do it anyway? Yup. What time even was it?

Yang gagged, forgetting all about questioning life. All that mattered was the toilet. The toilet was her friend. She was one with the toilet, and the toilet was one with her. Her hands held the edges, and she sighed at the cool contact. Nice toilet.

There was a gentle pressure on her shoulder, and Yang managed to glance up, making out Blake's hazy shape beside her. The Faunus knelt down next to Yang and pressed something into the blonde's hand. "Here, drink this."

"Nnnn! Blaaake, don't talk so loud…" Yang knew Blake hadn't spoken much above a murmur, but every noise seemed to make her ears ring. It was awful. Why did Yang ever think drinking that much was an excellent idea? How stupid of her.

But she was repeating herself.

Blake let out a short sigh but said nothing else, only making sure Yang had a grasp on the glass of water. Yang brought it shakily to her mouth and managed to take a few careful sips. Her stomach grumbled unhappily, and she almost spit the water back out.

It wasn't like she did this all the time. No, in fact, the last time Yang had a hangover this bad was over four years ago! She did enjoy drinking and getting a decent buzz, but getting wasted like yesterday? She usually tried not to. Yang figured that was more reasonable, and she didn't enjoy the consequences of drinking too much either way. Plus, she knew Ruby was sensitive about inebriated behavior. Yang didn't want to be like Qrow. So, whatever had gotten into her last night was a terrible lack of foresight.

Yang winced hard and groaned again, resting her forehead on the toilet seat. Life hurt. So much. It was better not to think about anything.

She suddenly felt Blake's hands softly running through her hair, carefully undoing the braid from yesterday and a few tangles before bringing the wild mane back and away from her face. The Faunus managed to make a loose knot with it against Yang's nape, and the blonde sighed, enjoying the tender attention. Blake didn't stop there, though – her fingers even began to massage Yang's shoulders and the sides of her neck, digits pressing into her skin just hard enough to send a good kind of hurt towards her head, fending off the bad hurt.

Yang actually felt like she was slowly decompressing. It felt so nice. Blake's fingers were magical, and the pained frown gradually relaxed from Yang's face. She felt her girlfriend's thumbs press upwards along each side of her nape, finding the base of her skull, and go back down towards her shoulders, all of Blake's fingers squeezing and then rubbing deep circles along her shoulder blades. Yang couldn't help the soft moan that left her lips. Maybe being this hungover had an upside for the first time ever, after all? Although, Yang supposed that if she asked nicely, Blake would do this for her whenever, and Yang could melt into it more fully, minus the pain and nausea.

Honestly, Yang didn't know what she had done to deserve Blake. She was so sweet and thoughtful and patient and loyal and…ohhh…so magical…

These tender ministrations lasted for several more minutes, but Blake eventually stopped and said quietly, "I'm going out to get some painkillers. Are you going to be alright by yourself?"

Yang, whose eyes had closed and thought she might manage to drift again, nodded a bit. "Yup… I'll just… Bed…" It took a moment, but, finally, with a phenomenal effort and groan, she pushed away from the toilet.

Blake helped her stand and then offered her some mouthwash. After swishing and spitting into the sink, Yang let Blake wrap an arm around her waist, and she leaned most of her weight on her partner. A wave of dizziness washed over Yang, but, fortunately, despite Blake's slimmer frame, she was strong enough to keep her upright. After Blake flushed the toilet, they hobbled their way back to the bedroom, where Blake made sure Yang safely laid down on the mattress. The Faunus lifted the blankets up to Yang's chin, and the sleepy blonde felt Blake's fingers caress her cheek before a gentle kiss was placed on her forehead.

"I'll be back soon," Blake whispered.

Yang nodded, but she was already dipping back into sleep. She didn't even hear Blake leave.

Freshly showered and dressed and feeling better than earlier, Yang came out of the bathroom and brought her used pajamas to the hamper. She still had a bit of a headache and there was some grogginess that just wouldn't go away, but after taking the meds Blake had set out and resting a bit more, Yang was managing to be a normal human being. Her eyes once again glanced over at the empty room on the other side of the bathroom, and she let out a short sigh. Blake would get her office – Yang wanted to make sure of that. Blake more than deserved it.

Yang made her way downstairs, making a stop in the kitchen to drink another large glass of water. Once she was hydrated, she set about trying to find Blake – which turned out to be a less difficult task than she had imagined. She found the raven-haired girl in the living room, curled up on the sectional, nose planted in a thick book. Honestly, Yang should have known. They had elected to stay in today, considering Yang's hangover and Blake's need to take it easy for one day, so the sectional really was the only place the bookworm would have sensibly found a nook to read in.

From the living room's archway, Yang took a moment to admire her girlfriend. Blake looked fairly relaxed, but there was a slight crease between her eyebrows, betraying mild tension – maybe it had something to do with what she was reading. Her bright, liquid honey eyes were focused on the pages, quickly moving from left to right and back again, clearly intrigued. The long, dark lashes that framed them brushed against high cheekbones when she blinked, and the rays of the sun made twinkles of gold flash in her rum-ringed irises. They called to mind the early sunset, when the sky only first began to be painted with orange and yellow – or maybe precious, rare gems, ones never heard of or seen before. Easily, Blake had the most amazing eyes – and that didn't even cover their ability to see in the dark or their sharp vision. Yang was equally happy that she got to look at them so much and a bit jealous.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to join me?"

Blake had murmured the words, her gaze never leaving her book. She had probably known Yang was there from the start. This didn't bother the blonde, though. With a bit of a smile, she walked over and sat one cushion over from Blake and patted her own lap. The Faunus automatically uncurled her legs and stretched them out so that her calves and feet rested on Yang's thighs. This prompted Yang into returning the wonderful favor Blake had done for her earlier – she began gently massaging the limbs on her lap. And Yang was happy to do this in silence for a while, enjoying the sun on her face, too, and listening to Blake occasionally sigh and turn a page. It was early afternoon now, already, and Yang thought that she might just nap again in a bit. Her aura was accelerating her body's healing process from the alcohol intoxication, which was part of the reason why she was feeling this much better so soon, but it still sapped her energy pretty fast. And on a lazy day like this, sleeping some more couldn't hurt.

But she wanted to have a little chat with Blake, first, because Yang wanted her to feel appreciated.

"Hey, Blake?"

"Hm?"

Yang continued her ministrations on Blake's calves and feet. "Thank you for taking such good care of me. You're really the best."

It also said something about how much trust Yang placed in her girlfriend since she allowed Blake to even do any of that or didn't worry about facades or appearing weak to somebody else. Had it been Ruby, Yang would have tried much harder to hide how she felt and brush off the nausea (or at least the headache) so Ruby wouldn't get concerned. But with Blake? Yang knew for a certainty that she could let her guard down. And it was one of the reasons why she loved her so much and cherished what they had together. Blake was the only person Yang felt this comfortable with, this close to and at home with, like no matter what happened, she could always rely on Blake to be there. And Yang never wanted to take that for granted – because she knew the people she cared about sticking around wasn't ever a given.

The Faunus' eyes finally left the book to regard Yang. Blake's expression remained somewhat blank, but her intense gaze softened and her cat ears twitched adorably. "You know I'd do anything for you, Yang."

Yang's lips curved upwards. She was really grateful for Blake's presence. "Yeah, I know. I'd do the same for you."

For some reason, Blake seemed to think about this. She crossed her ankles on Yang's lap, moving her socked toes, and the blonde rubbed small circles into the soles of her feet. Blake watched for a moment, and then asked, "What's the last thing you remember from last night?"

Yang furrowed her eyebrows, trying to think past the mild headache that lingered. She definitely remembered dancing with Blake, dancing with her friends, and she remembered Blake leaving with Ruby and Weiss, but shortly after that… "Um, I'm not sure. Did I really drink that much? I had another round or two of shots sometime after you left, and I did dance more, and I think there was another guy I had to tell off, but...it gets all blurry from there."

Blake waited, patient as ever, but this unsettled Yang. The lilac-eyed girl gave her partner a concerned look. "Why? Did something happen?"

There were a few seconds that elapsed in silence, and Blake finally relented with a sigh. She marked her page and closed her book before setting it down on the floor beside her, and then looked at Yang again and revealed, "You came home with someone – a man. I didn't recognize his voice."

Her tone was calm, her gaze searching. Yang's eyes widened. She racked her brain to conjure any useful memories, but all she could remember were shadows and muffled murmurs, along with the constant music at the club. She could not for the life of her think of who could have possibly brought her home, and why she would have let a stranger from the club even do that.

"It's okay if you don't know," Blake intervened, somewhat reassuring. "I know you didn't do anything. You were just a little…friendlier with him than I was comfortable with, from the sound of it. But I just want to make sure you'll be more careful next time – at least for your own safety."

Yang passed her hand through her hair. "He didn't sound like a taxi driver?"

"He walked you to our door."

"Oh…" A small kind of panic rose in Yang's chest – not because she believed anything had happened, necessarily, but she never wanted to give Blake any reason to doubt her fidelity. Even unconsciously. But the problem here was that in her drunken state, Yang had allowed some random guy todrive her home and walk her to her door – and that was not anything a taxi dude would have ever done. So whether Yang liked it or not, and even if she was convinced she wouldn't have ever betrayed Blake – even drunk out of her mind – Yang knew very well that this small, seemingly infinitesimal thing could have put a chip in Blake's trust – because just like Yang, Blake's true trust was hard to earn and easy to lose. They both knew that about each other, and the mere act of putting it in any kind of jeopardy in spite of that knowledge was…bad.

Yang pressed her fingers to Blake's calves and looked her in the eye. That was the last time she would make this mistake. "I'm sorry, Blake. You're right. I was stupid. It's not gonna happen again – I promise. I'll be more careful with how much I drink in the future."

Blake nodded, an appreciative glimmer in her eyes. But the fact that she remained silent afterwards and looked down at her lap, cat ears leaning back, cued Yang into suspecting that wasn't the end of the story. In fact, Yang kind of worried that maybe Blake didn't fully believe her.

The silence stretched on.

Growing thoroughly uncomfortable and the panic rising in her again, Yang couldn't bear it any longer and asked, "Are we okay, Blake?"

Blake snapped her head back up, her cat ears on full alert before leaning backwards again. "Yes! Um, yes we are." She looked at her lap once more, appearing uneasy. "Sorry. It's just that…you did something…else this morning."

Any relief Yang might have felt at learning that Blake didn't have any other issue with the man-stranger event was quickly swept away by more dread. Ugh, no. This part seemed worse. What else had Yang done? If only she could just remember! She passed her hand through her grown-out bangs and inhaled deeply before slowly exhaling. Blake had said they were okay. So, if they were okay, then whatever else Yang had done couldn't have been anything related to cheating. That was a good thing. But if it wasn't cheating, then what…

"Um…you…came on to me."

She had spoken so low Yang wasn't sure she heard correctly. But Blake provided more information.

"Very hard."

"…What?" Yang lowered her hand from her hair.

Blake's face was red. Nevertheless, bravely, she clarified, "You took your clothes off and tried to have sex with me!"

"I…took my clothes off…" Yang repeated, her brain having difficulty registering what this entailed. "And tried to have sex with you?" She completely believed she had taken her clothes off – that sounded like the kind of stupid trouble Yang would get herself into, after all – but… "Like…how? What did I do?"

"Please don't make me explain this," Blake groaned. "The point is, you were in your underwear and you did…things that were not acceptable."

Yang had to take a moment to clear the confusing jumble of thoughts in her head, all vying to be addressed first. She had tried to rape Blake? No, no – it didn't seem to be that bad. Also, didn't Blake want to have sex anyway? No – whatever, that wasn't the problem here, obviously. Or maybe it was? It was definitely part of the problem. Blake wanted to have sex with Yang – that had been established quite a while ago. That wasn't anything new. But Blake said that whatever Yang had done was unacceptable. Blake hadn't liked Yang coming on to her. But why?

"Okay, but why?"

Blake furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean, why? How am I supposed to know why you forced yourself on me out of nowhere?"

Yang moaned and massaged her forehead. Why was she so bad at conveying her thoughts in the proper order when it mattered most? "I'm sorry, I meant why didn't we have sex?"

"Is that a real question?"

Apparently, Yang had stuck her foot back into her mouth. And despite having just showered, it didn't taste very great. Blake was upset – and she had every right to be. This was a sensitive topic. Yang tried to backpedal rapidly, figuring out where and how she had messed up in the conversation before this escalated any further. She let out a short puff of air and tried again. "It's just that – you had an opportunity, and if I was throwing myself at you, and we've been having such a hard time…"

Blake moved her legs off Yang's lap in order to better sit properly on the sectional and level a glare on her partner. "Are you serious right now?" She came closer, but her glare faltered, betraying a deeper vulnerability. "I want to make love to you, Yang. I want it to mean something. And if you think I'm just going to take advantage of you the moment I can…"

Yang grabbed a hold of Blake's shoulders – not too firmly, though – attempting to calm her down with a look. Never mind that Blake admitting things like that directly to Yang's face with that kind of sincerity and desperation made the blonde incredibly self-aware. It was flattering and humbling, there was no doubt about that, and it absolutely made Yang feel special and adored, but by the fact that she couldn't match Blake's fervency and desire made all of this difficult to be comfortable with. By all means, Yang wanted to make Blake feel good, too, wanted her to be happy and satisfied in their relationship, but it wasn't a sexual kind of want. She couldn't reciprocate that same…passion. And she also honestly had zero ideas on how to touch Blake so that it felt good for her – and that always, without fail, seemed super daunting for Yang, which caused her a lot of hesitation and awkwardness.

"I'm sorry, Blake," Yang murmured sadly. "I didn't mean it like that." Although, if she was honest, she wouldn't have minded if Blake had taken advantage of the situation – it might have actually helped them get somewhere, maybe.

But Yang knew it was also a matter of principle, and whether the act would have helped the physical aspect of their relationship or not, neither Blake nor Yang would have felt fantastic about it later – and that was the detrimental part, the part that Blake had dutifully kept in mind...and that Yang had not. "I'm sorry," she repeated, firmer this time.

Blake took a deep breath in and exhaled. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she looked calmer. "I'm sorry, too. It's just…right now, I'm not touching you if you're drunk, okay? I want you to be able to tell me to stop if you don't like something."

Yang nodded. It was heartwarming how much Blake valued Yang's boundaries…something that drunk-Yang apparently had no qualms with not returning the favor. Again, why was she so stupid? "Okay. And about this morning… I don't know what I did to you or what I said, but…" But Yang could only imagine how rough it must have been for Blake. Whatever had happened, it was bad enough that she had felt the need to address it today. And Yang was struggling with which words to use to apologize.

This caused another silence to ensue between them, where both girls were having trouble forming any sentences out of their thoughts, which made both look away from each other. It wasn't great. Yang seriously wished she could just magically grow a lady-boner for Blake. Wasn't she kind of already half-way there, what with how the rest of their relationship was like? Couldn't this one thing just come a bit more naturally?

"Yang…" Blake was eventually able to breathe, an odd tone in her voice that made the lilac-eyed girl look up. "Can we just try again?"

"Oh. Right now?"

Blake's face reddened again. This almost seemed like a sudden shift in mood, but she mumbled, "It's just that talking about it has me thinking about it, and…"

And Blake was horny. Well, to put it bluntly. Yang wasn't exactly a prude about stuff like this. But Blake wasn't looking Yang in the eyes anymore, her cat ears had flattened against her head, and for all intents and purposes, she already seemed kind of dejected. Like she was expecting the answer to be no, and maybe even felt ashamed for asking. If anything, these were all signs that Blake was not going to be horny for too much longer.

"Hey, Blake…" Yang said gently, pulling the Faunus' gaze. "It's okay to ask. Don't feel bad about –"

"You were on top of me," Blake blurted, and then promptly hid her face in her hands. "I mean, you were...moving on top of me, and it was... Well, I was more focused on you being drunk, but it was..." she sighed, shoulders slumping, dropping her hands to her lap, and finished in a mutter, "really good."

Oh. Yang had to first wrap her mind around what Blake was even trying to describe in her embarrassment, and then she was able to get a bit of an idea of what it must have felt like. They were both girls, after all, and Yang had some past sexual experience to derive from. If anything, it might have felt good for Yang, too, if she hadn't been too drunk to actually enjoy it.

…but, wait! Her eyes widened in realization. This was helpful information. It wasn't much, but it definitely gave Yang a starting point, didn't it? It had to be worth the effort, no matter how weird and no matter if Yang still had a slight headache. And if the attempt fell flat again, then they could always try some other time.

She therefore steeled her resolve, inhaling once and then quietly exhaling.

Courage gathered, Yang reached her hand out and gently cupped Blake's cheek, exercising a small pressure so the bookworm would look Yang in the eyes. When Blake's despondency met Yang's optimism, there was a brief pause, each girl admiring the other, and then the blonde slowly leaned in and kissed her girlfriend on the lips, closing her eyes. Her thumb caressed Blake's cheekbone, and for a moment all they did was exchange a few languorous but tender kisses, not in any hurry to dive into anything more right away. Blake stayed put, keeping her hands to herself, letting Yang lead the embrace, and Yang took the time to appreciate how nice it was to engage in this mark of affection with her partner. She still felt like Blake kissed her with such adoration, such amorous solicitude, and like it always did, this simple touch gave Yang the certainty that she was loved and cared for and made her want to reciprocate as much as she possibly could. She wanted Blake to feel same way.

Eventually, Yang gathered her courage even more and started leaning into Blake with her whole body, and the Faunus fortunately got the message – she followed the motion backwards until she was lying on her back on the sectional, Yang on top of her. The kiss broke for an instant, and Yang held her weight above Blake so that their bodies weren't quite touching. She rubbed the tip of their noses together with a small smile, trying to appear confident. Her heart was beginning to accelerate nervously.

Their gazes met, and Yang wondered, "This isn't too awful, is it?"

It was Blake's turn to smile, but she did it with her eyes, a happy glint appearing in their amber depths. She leaned upwards, the warmth of her skin and the pleasant, subtle smell of her soap grazing Yang's senses, and laid her lips lightly on Yang's jaw, then the crook of her neck. "It's nice," she whispered, breath tickling the extrovert's ear.

This boosted Yang's confidence a little. She kind of wanted to give Blake a big hug. But their current growing intimacy warranted something...much less friendly and more erotic. So, Yang carefully began resting her weight on Blake's body, and the Faunus seemed to almost melt as she welcomed this, accommodating Yang's legs as a long sigh left her mouth. That seemed to be a good sign. Yang made sure they were both comfortable, and then raised herself again, just enough to return to kissing Blake, one hand on her jaw. Blake's touch was more insistent now, her kiss more fervent – Yang followed as best she could, knowing her partner was beginning to feel the mood more deeply. It was nerve racking for Yang. She wasn't shy about taking her clothes off, but she wasn't sure she could say the same about Blake. So, it was kind of hard to figure out how to proceed. They could make out as long as they wanted, but if they wanted to go further, something else had to happen.

Yang felt Blake's fingers drift across her back, bumping over the folds of her clothes, first holding her closer, and then her hands wandered down, resting on Yang's hips. Yang had to breathe. She broke the kiss, realizing that Blake's own breathing was a bit affected, and noticed the awed, adoring glimmer in golden irises. This motivated Yang into laying a few kisses along the Faunus' jaw and throat, taking the opportunity to try and calm her nerves. Yang could not say that she was in any way turned on at the moment, much to her own chagrin, only that she wasn't not enjoying herself, despite the anxious twist in her gut. And seeing Blake so happy was all kinds of heartwarming and adorable. It was a very strange conundrum.

Blake adjusted underneath Yang, her fingers on the brawler's hips suddenly tightening. "Yang, is alright if I…?" She left the question hanging, but Yang then felt a very slight and very brief pressure against her pelvis.

The gears rotated in Yang's head. This lack of passion on her part was making her imagination slow to understand these unformulated desires. It was incredibly awkward, and she felt really bad for putting Blake through this. She had to do something differently here or Blake was going to catch on real fast.

Yang propped herself up and sat back on her haunches, intending to tell Blake what her plan was instead of what she thought Blake wanted to do, but this movement seemed to make the introvert suddenly tense and shudder. Lilac peered down into golden curiously and with mild concern. "Are you okay?"

Blake let out a puff of air, her eyes shutting tight for a few seconds. "Your position…" she started lamely.

Yang looked down, realizing she was sitting on Blake's hips, knees on each side of her. Cowgirl. Sorta. But was it still cowgirl if both partners were girls? And if their clothes were still on? But then Yang realized. "Oh. Is this how I was this morning, minus my shirt and pants?"

Blake nodded, sighing and looking anywhere but at Yang. She seemed quite uncomfortable.

"And was I…doing this?" Yang slowly thrust her hips forward, pushing into Blake's pelvis.

Blake inhaled sharply and covered her face with her hands. The "yes" that she responded with almost sounded like a moan. Yang had to consider this under a new light – well, a more precise one. If she based herself on how Blake was reacting to this motion within these much more controlled circumstances, then this morning must have been…torture for her to resist.

Blake lowered her hands. Her face was tinging on red, but she managed to say, "We don't have to do this, Yang."

"But I'm not drunk." Her reply had been automatic and not given any thought, and Blake's eyebrows creased in apparent frustration. Yang kicked herself mentally.

"Why is it both extremes with you?" the Faunus lamented. "You're fully into it the one time you get drunk and I don't have to say a word, or you're completely unaware when you're sober and I have to spell it out for you. I just…" Blake sighed again and mumbled, "…really don't want you to stop."

Yang blinked. She could see how that posed a problem. And she really didn't want to keep torturing Blake. That wasn't fair of her – and it explained Blake's perspective. She was offering Yang the opportunity to back away from the attempt before she became too wound up if Yang decided to continue – and failed to finish for lack of also being wound up.

Could they actually grind on each other to climax? Like, without taking any clothes off? …Maybe Blake could? For Yang, she was pretty sure it wouldn't be enough. And either way, that seemed like a really cheap method of having sex. Like two horny teenagers trying to be quick and discreet in public or something. Except one of them wasn't horny.

Should Yang just stop now? Or continue at the risk of making it more frustrating if (although, when was probably more realistic) she had to stop later? Because what if Yang enjoyed the motion, too? Wouldn't that at least get her going? Shouldn't she try?

Before she could decide on anything, though, Blake exhaled slowly and gently took Yang's hand. "Hey...come here. Don't force yourself."

Yang let out a bit an awkward, apologetic chuckle. She'd been caught. Still, she definitely wouldn't deny her partner this. Yang leaned forward, and at the same time, both girls moved so they could lie beside each other on the sectional. Their legs kept intertwined, and Blake wrapped her arms around Yang's waist and back, holding her close. Yang shut her eyes for a moment, pressing her face into Blake's shoulder and reciprocating the reassuring embrace. They stayed like that in silence, and Yang's nervous heartbeat slowly calmed. There was no doubt about it – being this near to Blake was a good thing. Yang liked being able to cuddle her favorite person like this. It was the most appeasing kind of hug, and it made her feel how real and present Blake was. And the fact that Blake continued to be so patient with her, never letting Yang truly feel insecure for her trouble with engaging in sex with another woman, made the blonde thoroughly appreciative of Blake's proximity. Yang hugged her tighter. She loved Blake so much, and it saddened her that they were struggling like this. Still, Yang wouldn't give up. They'd get there.

"...Yang?"

"Yeah?"

Blake didn't express what was on her mind right away. Yang waited, somewhat concerned, until the thought was revealed in whisper, "Do you...wish I were a man?"

Yang's eyes widened. Immediately, she pulled away from her girlfriend enough to stare at her face to face, cupping her cheeks. "Blake, no. Oh, my God. No." She would not let Blake spiral into that toxic worry. "I might be straight, but I love you the way you are, Blake. I wouldn't have you any other way." A thought crossed Yang's mind the moment she uttered her last sentence, and she cursed herself for speaking before thinking...again.

Because it occurred to Yang – bizarrely for the first time since beginning her relationship with Blake two years ago – that if Blake had been a man, the sex appeal would've been real. Yang wasn't blind, of course – she knew Blake was an incredibly attractive person, but if the cat Faunus had been male, Yang could imagine how the angular, brooding features, intense golden irises, lean and agile figure in dark, tight clothes would have been crazy hot. There would have been no sexual issue between them there.

But Blake was not a man, and Yang preferred her like that – sexy mental image of male Blake or not. Blake was Blake and Yang had fallen in love with the woman she was, and wanted to learn to desire her as the woman she was. Blake had plenty to offer, and Yang didn't wish for anything else.

"You thought of something," Blake noted, apprehensive.

"Uh." Sheepish, Yang tried a small smile. "Yeah. I did." Might as well own up to it. "And, let me tell you, Blake Belladonna, the male version of you would make my knees weak." Seeing Blake's expression darken, though, Yang was quick to follow up with, "But! That's not what I want. It's superficial, anyway. I'm head over heels for you as you are, and I'm only interested in how we can make us work the way we are because I'm confident our relationship will only get better once we do. And I don't feel like I'm settling for less, believe me."

There was a pause. Blake looked like she was contemplating Yang's words, debating their veracity in her mind. The concern didn't leave her eyes. "But...you're saying that I don't turn you on the way I am, Yang. How is that better than..."

Yang sighed, struggling with which words to use again. She would have to be flat out honest. "Okay, maybe not right now, Blake, but I'm telling you that once we can get into it more and be comfortable about it, then it'll be even better." And realizing that a flicker of doubt still reflected back at her, Yang added softly, thumbs caressing Blake's cheeks, "Because I love you, kitten, and I trust you, and I've never felt this way – this much – about anyone. If there's anything being with you has taught me, it's that hard work always pays off."

This seemed to convince Blake. But a different look took over her expression, something sadder, and she lowered her eyes. "...I just wish it didn't have to be that hard," she murmured.

Yang's heart ached. It always cut deep when Blake was harsh with herself – but it was worse now because her feelings mirrored Yang's. No matter what, though, the golden girl was determined to remain optimistic. "We'll get there, Blake. But we both gotta try and stay positive, okay?"

She was incredibly relieved to have apparently chosen the right words this time because Blake let out a short sigh and met Yang's stare, now with a small smile on her lips. "You're right. And I believe you."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief, too, and grinned in response. "Good! Now back to cuddles!" She then returned to snuggling up against her favorite person's chest, arms wrapping around Blake, content that they were finally on the same page again.

Blake was tracing soft patterns on Yang's back, breathing quietly and then laying a kiss on blonde hair. Yang turned her head just a little, and realized she could listen to the thudding of Blake's heart. It seemed a bit fast, but the longer Yang listened, the more it slowed into a relaxed, calming rhythm. It was discreet yet entirely constant, and reminded Yang of Blake, herself. If anything, that was just as reassuring as the hug. Yang kind of wished there was some way to melt into it, to feel it even closer, and imagined she could listen to its quiet secrets for the rest of her life.

Blake's train of thought must have been following a similar track because Yang began to feel something that was both different yet completely familiar prodding at the edges of her very being. She recognized Blake's aura, tentative but cool and mellow, a shady refuge to hide in away from the blistering heat of the sun. Yang welcomed it wholeheartedly, welcomed Blake within her soul. It seemed so natural, so easy, so comforting having the Faunus like this, and Yang swore she could feel the beat of Blake's heart in her own chest, a steady resonance that blanketed the lilac-eyed girl in slow, subtle waves of something that almost felt like the night sky, an immensity of scattered lights and engulfing darkness. It was like floating, like treading calm water, and Yang sighed happily, pressing herself closer. Blake's existence was so magnificent. Willingly, Yang lost herself to it, letting it soothe her ache and softly rock her into a drifting trance. She dreamed in hues of mauve and impressions of shadows, liquid skies of amethyst, and all the while Yang could feel her, Blake's love touching every inch of her being while the beat of her heart whispered spellbinding promises of eternity.

The experience was unlike anything Yang had ever felt, but she was infinitely grateful to share it with Blake alone – because Blake had always been special, had been the greatest thing that could have ever happened to Yang, and this kind of intimacy was wonderful in so many different ways. She had never felt this close to anyone.

They stayed like this for what seemed like hours. Maybe they fell asleep – they probably did. Blake's aura gradually retracted as she fell into her slumber, her breathing impossibly quiet and her arms relaxing around Yang. The murmur of Blake's heart carried into Yang's sleep, a gentle lullaby that chased the remainder of the headache away.

Yang was happy.

Yang also jumped right out of her skin when her scroll started ringing loudly into the silence.

Groggy but suddenly awake, she scrambled to get the offending device from her pocket. Blake, next to Yang, moved part way on top of her so that the blonde could rest on her back while she took the call.

Blake laid her head on Yang's upper chest, cat ears tickling her chin. Yang kept one arm around her and used the other to bring the scroll to her ear. "What's up, speedy?"

Ruby's voice came through the other line loud and excited. "Yang! Shields just sent us our first missionnnnn!"

It took about two seconds for Yang to process this. She blinked a few times and then grinned. "Oh, wow. That was fast. Awesome! They notified you?"

"Yup! Can you believe it?! I'm gonna forward the details to you guys right away. Looks like we're staying in Vytal, but we gotta go to headquarters so they can shuttle us to the location. Eeeee! This is so cool, Yang!"

Yang chuckled at her younger sister's endearing glee. But who could blame Ruby? This was really cool. "Yeah, I can't wait! Let's slay us some monsters and get our first paycheck as huntresses!"

"Yes! But we'll talk later, 'kay? I wanna call Weiss!"

"Alright, smell you later, Rubes. Keep us updated."

"'Kay, bye!"

And Ruby hung up. Three seconds later, both Yang's and Blake's scrolls beeped, notifying them of the message Ruby had forwarded them at the speed of lightning.

What a munchkin. But her enthusiasm was contagious.

Blake's cat ears twitched under Yang's chin, but she made no attempt to move or get her own scroll.

"Sleepy?" Yang teased her gently, meanwhile opening the message on her device. She knew Blake had heard the conversation no problem, so there was no need to summarize.

"Mm-hmm. When is the mission?"

Yang's eyes went over the details, not quite skimming so that she made sure she got the information right. Finally, she said, "In a week. It's a guard convoy on land type of thing. It'll take us about two days."

"A simple start. Nice."

Yang kept reading, using her free hand to run her fingers delicately through raven tresses meanwhile. Blake's hair was so soft. "Oh, Shields wants us to come in for a pre-mission check-up the day before we leave." There was a pause. "What's a pre-mission check-up?"

"Oh, Yang. Did you even read the documents they gave us?"

This question made Yang scramble to find a smart reply, but she was still too drowsy to truly say anything smart. Instead, she settled with a weak, "Uh, that's why I have you?"

It seemed like Blake purposely made her cat ears flick against Yang's chin a few times, which made the blonde snicker a bit. "It's to ensure we come back from the mission in the same general margin of health we left for it in," Blake provided, noncommittal.

"Oh. That makes sense. I knew that."

"Sure."

Yang grinned. Blake's dry humor was the best even in the small quips, no matter at whose expense they were. The sociable girl wrapped her girlfriend into a hug and nuzzled her face in silken raven hair, contentedly breathing in the subtle smell of oatmeal skin cream and soap. Cuddling Blake always felt like cuddling a big, velvety kitten. It just automatically made Yang happy and relaxed.

But then Blake made a bit of a wheezing noise. "Alright, I know you love me, but I need to breathe."

Yang laughed more openly now, releasing her hold and turning them over on their sides again, face to face. She cupped Blake's cheeks in her hands and, still smiling, kissed her affectionately. Blake reciprocated, her lips gripping Yang's upper one, and a sort of giddiness overtook Yang. She pulled away, resting their foreheads together, and stared into gorgeous pools of amber for a moment in silence, admiring them. "Do you know what makes me really happy?" she eventually whispered.

Blake didn't answer right away. Her eyes seemed to search Yang's, and then she must have found what she was looking for because she asked in the same tone, "What is it?"

Yang's smile turned into a beam.

"You."

And there it was again. That joyful glint, that tiny glow from within that made amber sparkle with flecks of gold like two little precious treasures, a reward that made every struggle so incredibly worth it. Blake lightly traced the side of Yang's face with her fingers, and her thumb did much the same to Yang's lips. They kissed again, tenderly, warmed by the love they shared, and then Blake snuggled against Yang, nuzzling her nose into the crook of her neck. Yang held her close, shutting her eyes and deciding that this was one of the best afternoons of her life. In fact, much to her wonder, a quiet rumble soon started up, a gentle sound that Yang felt against her own chest. Blake was purring. Blake was purring. Yang held on tighter, listening to the infinitely satisfied, discreet marble rolling like her life depended on it. Blake purred so rarely. But Yang knew her Faunus partner was truly happy and relaxed when she did so, which was why it was so special. Yang would cherish every moment of it.

And that was how the young couple stayed, intertwined on the sectional, taking comfort in each other and napping the rest of the afternoon away.

PRAISE THE SU – FLUFF. ALL OF THE FLUFF.

I mean, I had to, right? XD See you all in the next chapter!

(Be warned - the scene spoof below is explicit. Read at your own risk.)

SCENE SPOOF

Because it occurred to Yang – bizarrely for the first time since beginning her relationship with Blake two years ago – that if Blake had been a man, the sex appeal would've been real. Yang wasn't blind, of course – she knew Blake was an incredibly attractive person, but if the cat Faunus had been male, Yang could imagine how the angular, brooding features, intense golden irises, lean and agile figure in dark, tight clothes –

It was at this point that the author began questioning if this section of the scene should be present at all. What would the readers think of this? Is it wrong? But, more importantly...

How do straight girls think about guys?

Was it in the same way that gay girls think about girls? In the same way that the author drools over Yang? Was this another question for Facebook?

But back to the matter at hand, it seemed healthy that Yang would have these thoughts and then share them with Blake – so that their communication could remain open and honest.

"Ugh, what am I even writing?!" Jay exclaimed in frustration. She re-read her description of male Blake – and then decided that maybe straight girls were just as overt as gay girls? Maybe more overt?

– outlining the shape of her dick in the most tantalizing way. Yang imagined Blake was the kind to keep her shaft resting along her lower hip so that it wasn't cumbersome during combat. Or maybe she kept it strapped to the inside of her thigh, where it would less likely get hit.

...Would Blake have a big cock? Maybe just a reasonable size cock because of her reasonable size chest?

Why am I suddenly describing a futa?

Abort. Abort. Critical mission failure.