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The sun in Menagerie was still low on the East, moon fading in the morning sky when Yang got up. Like every other day since she got to the small hotel room – the only establishment of the kind in the island that would take her – the brawler started her push-ups and in-room exercises.
Talk and say whatever you want, but the Faunus in Menagerie weren’t exactly welcoming to a non-huntress human, friend of the Belladonnas or not. And as such she preferred to keep the running around minimum waiting until the day for sailing to Mistral came – which were after another two hot and dry days inside a shoebox of a room.
Yang didn’t got to finish the push-ups when she heard the knock on the door. It was unusual and for a second she thought she had turned mad after almost four days leaving only for small grocery trips. Then, she heard it again.
“Miss Xiao Long?” The voice as raised barely enough to pass through the wooden doors, but it served the purpose of guaranteeing the human that someone was at the door.
“Coming” She yelled in return, putting on a tank top and actual pants, Ember Celica right at her wrists right after. With a cautious moves she unlocked and opened the door to a very unconcerned cat Faunus. “Miss Belladonna?”
Kali was standing with a smile and a basket of small fruits that Yang had only seem in the markets of Menagerie. Behind her, in a very much more uncomfortable manner, was the familiar simian Faunus with his bared chest and stiff tail.
“And Sun…” She didn’t care to stop the venom at naming the second guest. The traitor, never trusted the guy. “What can I help you with?” She turned quickly to Kali, not as cheerful or welcoming as she could have been.
“You could start by inviting us in, the hallway seems as an odd place to our conversation.” With narrow eyes to the duo, Yang made room for them and watched as they entered the small bed and bathroom deal she got. “Well, now I can see why you haven’t returned to the estate. Who could change this for a guest room at the biggest house in town?” The jab made nothing to Yang’s mood, if only to make her appreciate the cat Faunus a bit more. She was just a fierce as… Well, better not go there.
“So, what’s it?” She asked closing the door behind her. The first possible answer to that question – the first to pass her mind – made her stomach turn: Blake, something bad happening to her while she was gone and… No. Her father would have warned her, but then again…
“Well, I think we are due a conversation, miss Xiao Long” Kali answered, taking the only chair of the small room to herself and setting her basket of fruits over the small study table in front. Sun got stuck in the bathroom door way, arms crossed and looking one growl from bouncing through the window. “You see… Ghira and your father are too thickheaded to try talking and I have passed the limit of nights I can keep up hearing my baby cry.”
Blake was crying? Oh, now she felt like shit. Well, a bit more than she felt for the last six months, but still. Worse than she had when she walked away that’s for sure, still doesn’t mean she should do the wrong thing. Again.
Taking a deep breath, she took her time instead of responding right away. She sat at the bed feeling the wood beneath the mattress while she turned to look Kali on the eyes.
“Talk about?” She didn’t hold herself, sending a dirty look at Sun the second the question was out of her mouth. And then turning back to Kali. It was clear he wasn’t there to add anything for the conversation.
“What you think? How you left my baby girl alone.” The hard stare didn’t match the friendly demeanor from outside and made Yang gulp. Yes, Omega parents are terrifying damn those who say otherwise.
“Miss Belladonna, I assure you I did what should be done.” She said quietly, putting her weapons aside on the floor by her feet. “She left me and has been taking care of herself since, she doesn’t need me and she has you to support her.”
She could feel the harsh look form Kali before she turned to the Faunus, trying to maintain some composure and avoid looking as uncomfortable as she felt under the gaze.
“So that’s it? You going to abandon her because she left you? Revenge for her actions?” The accusation was enough make all of Yang’s feelings turn to pure confusion. No, that was not what she was doing.
“How could you think that?” The question was pained and seemed to take Kali by surprise. “I loved your daughter. I mated her and I fought through abandonment thanks to that, but it never made me regret it. Never.” She wasn’t a monster, or a bad person. No, on the contrary. She was respecting Blake’s decision.
“Then, why…”
“She chose this. She left and came here, I’m respecting her wishes. If she wanted me to take part on what is to came she would have tried to talk to me, CCT is offline but letters still work.” She said in a harsh and somewhat pained tone. This was what was making her so restless, Blake didn’t even try to communicate to tell her she was pregnant. Or even that she was alive, that was enough.
“Oh, you two.” As the cat Faunus sighed the hostility seemed to leave her body replaced by tiredness and somewhat pity. “You two really need to talk.” As Yang started shaking her head, denied that anything of the sort was needed that Blake’s actions were clear enough, Kali jumped to continue: “Things are not that simple Yang. She came here because it was the only place that was safe for her, she is in danger.”
Alpha instincts kicked before she could ask what could be or she could reassure herself, and Kali, that Blake could take care of herself. Fists closed and teeth exposed the growl left before she could control it.
“Sorry.” She said after getting aggressive protectiveness under grip, which took a few minutes longer than it usually would. “Still getting a grip on this.” She didn’t know if Kali had experience or knowledge in post-abandonment changes in body chemistry and what-nots. She wasn’t looking forward to explain.
The Belladonna nod was enough to calm Yang’s concern for her judgment. That was the last thing she needed right now.
“Why don’t you talk to Blake?” The question was so simple and mundane that made the brawler self-aware at the answers. Because she was afraid of hearing she wasn’t needed, or that she wasn’t needed now, this way, this broken way.
“Miss Belladonna…”
“Please, call me Kali.” The request for talking in first name bases made Yang inside so happy. She had somewhat gained a bit of respect from the Omega, from her mate’s parent and— her former mate, her mind reminded her.
“Kali, I told you I doubt Blake has anything to say that I don’t already know.” She said, the phantom pain in her left arm causing a very embarrassed motion to try and calm it down, right hand massaging the flash. It seemed to catch enough of Kali’s attention that her eyes remained in the metal limb for some time.
“And I think you are wrong.” Not about Blake, her mind provided. She was never wrong about Blake, not after two years of relationship and months of mating, no. “Please, come to the estate tomorrow morning. Ghira and Taiyang will be looking over some security issues in the edge of town and I will be there in case something happens.”
She was tempted, very much so. To see Blake again, to hear her and to, maybe, fix whatever was broken between them. Except the thing that was broker was she… Before she could once again deny the invitation she heard the snort by the bathroom door.
“What?” She turned angrily. She had forgot about his presence. Being the focus of both woman made the Faunus jump in his skin looking once again ready to bounce away.
“Nothing.” He said with hands high in surrender, she didn’t buy it.
“Speak up.” She was up in her feet before anything else.
“I will leave.” Sun answered with a half-offended face. Was then that Yang realized she had been pumping hostile pheromones. She didn’t stop him, in fact she almost growled when he past through her. The bastard.
“No need to be so hostile, Yang.” The brawler turned to Kali as soon as the words were said. Which thank Dust was after Sun had left. “Sun might be a strong Alpha...” And not missing any limbs, and Faunus and… “But he has his own mate to worry about.” What? She didn’t remember Sun having a mate, of course he had his teammates, but none of those were Omegas. “Now, why don’t we talk about fixing the matter between you and Blake instead of gossiping about him?