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Chapter Text

“There’s my Sunny Little Dragon!”

“ Ugh! Mum!”

“Don’t give me that. Come here and give your mother a hug.”

Yang laughed softly, rolling her eyes as Summer Rose pulled her into a tight hug. For all of her complaints, Yang could never find it in herself to ever be truly annoyed with her mother. She sighed  softly and let the older women hold her close, almost feeling like a student coming home from school instead of the mature adult that she was. Summer had always exuded safety and home to her. Even now, she seemed stronger than the world and untouchable. Yang could always trust her to be real and true. It always made her day to see her mum and help her in the kitchen.

“Summer? Is that Yang?” A man with blonde hair poked his head out into the main hall and grinned happily before walking up to the two women. “There’s our girl!” Tai laughed, his blue eyes sparkling happily as he pulled Yang into a playful headlock and ruffed her hair playfully. “How’s school, champ?”

“Daaaaad!” Yang whined as she pulled away and glared at her parents' laughter. “Guys! I’m thirty years old! Don’t you think I’m a little too old for this crap?”

“You’re never too old to be embarrassed by your mum and pops!”

Yang sighed heavily before a slow grin crossed her face at the sound of two feet clumsily running down the stairs and soon enough, a young woman with dark red hair was running towards Yang.

“Hey, there's my favourite brat!” Yang laughed as she caught her younger sister in a tight bear hug and squeezed her tightly. “How are you? Are you eating? Are you drinking plenty of water? Do I need to go to jail for pummeling any assholes for you, kiddo?”

“I’m fine! I’m twenty-eight! I’m fine!” Ruby whined indignantly, desperately trying to wiggle from Yang’s grasp. “Let gooooooo!”

“Sure, if that's what you want, little sister.” Yang said with a smirk as she let go of Ruby and watched her fall to the floor. She snickered at her little sister’s pout and calmly stepped around her and into the dining room and sat down with a thump before giving Ruby a smug grin. “Soooo… how’s Lover Girl?” She teased, grinning as her sister flushed scarlet.

“Penny’s great.” Ruby mumbled shyly as she sat across from Yang and toyed with her necklace, a birthday gift from her girlfriend. It brought a smile to Yang’s face to see her kid sister so happy and in love with somebody that not only adored her back but also respected her. “We’re actually going on vacation soon. We’re probably going to go to Atlas. She wants to go on an art tour.”

“Whipped.” Yang said with a small laugh, her heart melting at just how happy Ruby was. “You've got it bad, little sister. So, so bad.”

“Just you wait until you get a girlfriend! You’ll be twice as bad as me! You always are!”

“Am not! You walked into a rose bush because Emerald Sustrai smiled at you and told you that she liked your hair!”

“When Pyrrha giggled at one of your jokes, you walked into a pole!”

“You spilled coffee over Weiss’s cashmere sweater because you were too busy staring into her pretty blue eyes!”

“Arslan flexed and you nearly died!”

“Oh yeah? Well, you-“

“That’s enough, girls.” Tai said tiredly as he leaned against the door and stared at his children with a fond and weary smile. 

“That’s right.” Summer added as she walked past her husband and smiled slyly up at him. “You’re both as useless as your father was… and still is to this day.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, dear. It’s not my fault that the truth hurts.” Summer giggled as Tai wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug, an annoyed huff leaving his lips as he did.

Ruby and Yang glanced at each other and pretended to gag before Summer walked up to the table and playfully, gently, cuffed them upside their heads and glared at her girls playfully when they laughed. Yang sat back in her seat and smiled softly as her family laughed and teased each other. It was great living on her own and being independent… but it was always nice to come back to her family

Yes. Life was good.

But it was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

In more ways than one.

Chapter Text

Yang laughed fondly as her students practiced their soccer drills. Every single child was set up with a partner and each partner took turns dribbling a ball back and forth to each other. They all seemed to be having a blast… all except one.

Cedar, a young girl of fourteen with gentle brown eyes and mousy brown hair, was sitting a distance away from the others on the soccer field with her knees pulled up to her chest as she gazed sadly at her peers. Yang frowned. She had noticed that Cedar seemed to be having trouble fitting in and finding a group of her own, more often than not being the last to be chosen in most activities. Yang had often seen the poor girl wandering around the school grounds, head hung low as her hair covered her eyes and her arms hugged a book to her chest tightly, almost as though it were a shield protecting her from the world around her. 

“Right.” Yang breathed out as she glanced back at the rest of her students to confirm that they were set on task before giving herself a determined nod. If one of her kids wasn’t doing okay, then she’d have to see if she could help. These kids were her world and she wasn’t about to let them down. Calmly, she pulled her lips into a lazy smile and began to walk across the room leisurely. She plopped herself down next to the young girl, keeping a respectful distance and winking playfully at her when she glanced up at her. “Hey, Cece. Enjoying the show?”

“I’m not joining in.”

“I didn’t ask you to join in, kiddo. I was asking you if you were enjoying the show.” Yang said softly, as she rested a hand on a raised knee. She carefully watched Cedar, quirking an eyebrow when the girl flushed with embarrassment and turned away from her. “Y’know… it’s okay if you don’t like sports, Cedar, but I need you to participate.”

“I like sports.” Cedar mumbled as she curled in on herself. “I just…”

“Just what, sweetie?” Yang asked gently, leaning forward to give the girl eye contact. “It’s okay. You can talk to me.”

“Everyone has their friends that they’ve known for years and I’m just… an intruder.” Cedar said sadly. “I’m just me.”

“Of course you’re you. Being you is awesome.” Yang said, smiling warmly when Cedar looked up at her. “Would you believe me if I told you that I was a total loser when I was your age?”

“No way!” Cedar’s eyes were wide with surprise and Yang bit back a laugh at the girl’s bewildered expression. “But you’re so cool!”

“Because I’m okay with being me. Being cool isn’t about how many friends you have. It’s not about what you can give people. It’s about learning to be okay with who you are.” Yang said with a small chuckle. “I was a total nerd. A nerd that could fight but still a nerd, nonetheless I had friends when I was your age but they were shallow and meaningless. They didn’t like me for me. But then, I started to be myself. And I soon found friends that truly cared about me. They knew who I was and loved me for it.” Yang sighed softly and looked out at her students and shook her head. “You’ll find your people, kiddo. And they are going to love you. You just gotta give them a chance to find you.”

“I don’t like being alone. But I’m too scared to talk to anyone, Miss Xiao Long”

“I know.” Yang murmured, her heart breaking for the young girl beside her. She paused as an idea came to mind. “What sports do you like?”

“Soccer.”

“What's your position?”

“Goalie.”

“Awesome.” Yang glanced at Cedar with a playful smirk. “How do you feel about showing off a little?”

“But nobody will buddy up with me.”

“I wasn’t talking about another student.” Yang laughed as she stood and grinned down at the girl. “C’mon. You and me, kiddo. Lets run through some goal drills.”

Yang laughed as Cedar’s eyes lit up happily and she scrambled to her feet and ran after Yang as she made her way to one of the goals on the field. As expected, her students stopped and stared, whispering among themselves as Yang stood five feet from the goal. She smirked challengingly at Cedar, grinning when the girl braced herself and narrowed her eyes. The kid knew what she was doing, now gloved hands ready to catch the ball. Yang dribbled the ball between her feet, purposely showing off a little. 

“Come on, old woman! At this rate, I’m going to graduate before you shoot your shot!”

Yang’s jaw dropped at the unexpected taunt and she glanced back at her students when they snickered at her. She gave them a playful glare and they all instantly gave her big, innocent smiles. She turned back to her opponent and felt a maternal burst of pride as Cedar kept her eyes on Yang, carefully watching her every move. Yang stepped back and made her move, sending the ball flying towards the bottom left corner of the goal. Cedar, however, had no intention of letting Yang win and threw herself to the ground, sliding and stopping the ball. The girl stood and threw it back to Yang with an excited grin as her peers gasped.

“Alright. Don’t get cocky, kid.” Yang growled good naturedly, as she dribbled the ball between her feet. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

After several more missed goals, Yang dramatically fell onto her back with a mournful groan as a few of her students approached Cedar. She couldn’t help but smile as they began talking. Sometimes, all it took was a little push. Just something small to get a conversation rolling.

And even though Yang knew that she was never going to live this moment down, seeing the bright and happy smile on Cedar’s face as she laughed with her peers made it all worth it. After all… isn’t that why she became a teacher? To make a difference and help guide students forward to a brighter future?

How ironic that, as young Cedar’s life became that much brighter, Yang’s would only become darker.

Yang let out a small groan as she entered the school’s parking lot. She was later than she would like getting out, the dark of night now falling across the grounds as she approached her cherished motor bike. The days were long and the kids made her want to rip out her own hair some days but she knew that this was what she was meant to do with her life. But as she neared her bike, the hair on the back of her neck began to prickle with the uncomfortable sensation of being watched from the shadows. She paused and narrowed her eyes, trying to peer into the darkness as she quietly shifted into a defensive position, legs shoulder width apart and arms coming up to guard her chin as she turned around in a circle as she inched closer to her bike.

“Who’s there?” Yang demanded loudly, her tone booking no argument as she kept moving and scanning her surroundings. “I’m not a fight that you want. Leave now and nobody gets hurt.”

“You sound just like your mother. So much fight but so… weak. So pathetic.” A man’s voice called from the darkness. Yang felt a nasty chill creep down her spine. There was something about that voice that set off every single red flag in her head. “So scared.”

“Who the fuck are you? How do you know Summer?” Yang growled. She was fiercely protective of her family. If this man thought that he could talk about her mother and get away with it…

“Summer? Oh. You don’t know… do you?” The voice moved closer and a man stepped forward in a red and black pinstriped suit. He had slicked back brown hair that had been dyed red, seemingly to match the red bull horns that grew from his head. An angry looking scar sat over his left eye, turning it from a sharp blue to pale. A cruel smirk crossed his lips as he stared down at her and, for a brief moment, Yang couldn’t help but wonder if the devil was real. “You poor thing. They’ve been hiding the truth from you for so long. How cruel of them.”

“Alright, pal. I don’t know who the fuck you are or what you want but I don’t think you know what you’re talking about.” Yang narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. She braced her body, her eyes darting to his left hip. A katana? She would need to be careful. Disarm him as soon as possible if this turned ugly. “I suggest you walk away.”

“My name is Adam Taurus. But perhaps you know me as The Raging Bull; leader of the White Fang.”

Yang felt her heart drop. She knew of him. Of them. Everyone in Vale did. They were one of the two rival gangs in town, the other being the Branwen Clan. Both were notoriously brutal, though the White Fang held the title of being the most destructive. Neither were  to be trifled with.

“What do you want from me?” Yang said evenly, her eyes going wide and her chest tightening as figures began to creep forward from the shadows. “I haven’t done anything.”

“No but mummy dearest has.” Adam sneered as he rested one hand on his sword. “No, not Summer. Care to guess who I’m talking about?”

“What are you talking about?” Yang hissed as the figures began to become clearer. Every single one had a weapon of some kind. 

“Raven Branwen has been a thorn in my side for far too long. I think that it's time to send her a message.” Adam chuckled. “And I think that the perfect messenger… is her only child.”

Yang froze, an uncomfortable chill taking a hold of her and leaving her unable to move. There was no way it was true. It had to be some kind of sick joke. There was no way that Raven fucking Branwen was her mother.

“Once we’re done here, why don’t you ask your so-called “parents” about the truth?” Adam suggested as he raised an almost bored hand and snapped his fingers. Almost instantly, Yang felt something behind her and her training kicked in. She turned and used her hand to redirect the baseball bat before wrenching it from her attacker’s hands and slammed it against their temple, effectively knocking them out. She quickly adjusted her grip, focused on regulating her breathing and braced herself. Her mind was whirling and her chest was beginning to hurt. Panic and confusion was beginning to set in. 

‘Her only child…’

The words circled in her mind as she fought back against the onslaught of assailants. She knew that she could fight them. But her mind was unfocused, her vision shifting in and out as Adam’s words taunted her. 

‘Her only child…’

It was wrong. It wasn’t real! It couldn’t be real. Summer Rose was her mother! There was no way that her parents would lie to her for thirty fucking years. It was impossible… wasn’t it?

‘Her only child…’

Yang’s vision began to swim and that was when she felt it. Her vision cleared as a searing pain burned at her elbow. She looked up and gasped at the sight of Adam just a breath away from her, sadistic grin on his face as he lowered his katana, now dripping with blood. Her blood. She looked down at her right arm and felt her chest tighten painfully, her lungs screaming as her throat closed up at the sigh of the sight of what Adam had done to her, warm blood beginning to pool around her feet as she dropped to her knees. Her vision was beginning to shift to Blake. But before she did, a rough hand gripped her jaw and made her stare into Adam’s cruel gaze.

“Send my regards to your mother.”

Yang’s body slumped to the side as her body gave out from blood loss, falling from Adam’s hand before he stood and snapped his fingers. On cue, several of his men picked Yang up, knowing their orders to leave her broken body outside of the Vale hospital.

Yes. It was cruel how one woman’s life can be unravelled when a single thread was pulled. How lies began to unveil themselves, leaving her to question who’s daughter she really is.

Chapter Text

Throughout her life, Yang had been familiar with pain. She suffered broken bones and cuts. She’d had multiple concussions and had more than once returned home covered in bruises. Taking up boxing to protect your kid sibling has a tendency to do that you, after all. But all of that paled in comparison to the day that she woke up without her right arm. The damage done by Adam Taurus had been too great to even attempt to repair, leaving the doctors with no choice but to amputate the limb. Even now, a week on from waking up, she could still remember her confusion when she had tried to use her right hand to remove her blanket and had felt nothing. The shock had been too great for the young woman and the medical team had been forced to sedate her so that she wouldn’t hurt herself in her panicked state. The second time she had woken up, her mother had been there, her silver eyes shining with tears as she stroked Yang’s head. Yang had let out a choked sob and curled into Summer, needing her mother’s reassurance. Summer hadn’t hesitated in laying beside her daughter and pulling her close, just as she had when Yang was a little girl and waking from a nightmare. It taken some hours for Yang to calm down enough for the doctors to talk her through what had happened and where they would have to go from there. But as they talked about organising a prosthetic for her… Yang found herself ignoring them. She didn’t want to hear about it. She wasn’t ready and she didn’t know if she ever would be ready.

“Your friend Weiss will be visiting you soon, baby girl.” Summer said soft as she sat beside Tai in the uncomfortable looking chairs by Yang’s bedside. “I know how much you enjoy spending time with her.”

“Hmph.” Yang said noncommittally, heer gaze locked onto a corner of the room. Her jaw was clenched and it was taking all of her willpower not to rip her hair out in frustration as she considered her words. She inhaled deeply and turned to look at her parents and gave them a firm look as she talked. “When were you planning on telling me that I’m not your daughter, mum?”

“What do- what do you mean?” Summer asked, an expression of bewildered hurt crossing her face. “Of course you’re-”

“That’s not why that Taurus bastard came after me.” Yang snapped, her left hand clutching anxiously at her blanket as she stared at her parents. “Said that- that he had to send a message to Raven Branwen’s only child. He told- he told me to send his regards to her.” Yang tried to swallow past the painful lump in her throat. “Tell me the truth; am I your daughter?”

Tai and Summer exchanged a look before Tai ran a hand through his hair, a pained expression entering his eyes as he groaned.

“Yang, kiddo, that’s- that’s a lot to unpack. I don’t think you’re ready-”

“Ready? Ready?! I’m thirty fucking years old, dad! You’ve had plenty of time to say something!” Yang snarled, turning her head to glare Tai down. “I want the truth!”

“I… Yang, baby girl… I’m not the woman that gave birth to you.” Summer said softly, her eyes gentle and kind. And yet, Yang still felt like her heart was being ripped into pieces. 

“Then… Raven is?”

“Yes.” Tai said quietly, sitting back in his seat, arms crossed and jaw clenched. “I met Raven in college. It was just a fling. But then, nine months after our graduation party, she showed up to my house with a bundle of blankets in her arms. She called me a whole slew of names and told me that it was my fault before she pushed that bundle at me and left.” Tai sighed and turned to look at Yang sadly. “That bundle… was you.”

“So… you lied to me.” Yang said softly, looking blankly down at her blankets as her eyes welled up with tears. “For thirty years… you’ve been telling me that Summer was my mum. You lied to me!”

“Yang, sweetie, I am your mother. You are my daughter. I didn’t have to give birth to you to know that you are my girl. My Sunny Little Dragon.” Summer said, slowly reaching out to Yang. “I know we should have told you the truth but we didn’t want you to feel abandoned. Especially not by some spineless, arrogant bastard like Raven.” 

“Thirty years.” Yang laughed bitterly, hurt seeping into her words as she tried to bite back her tears. “How could you lie to me for thirty fucking years?”

“Yang…”

“My mother is the leader of a fucking gang and no one thought that they should tell me this?!” Yang hissed , her body shaking as she fought to control her emotions. She recoiled from Summer’s touch, leaning away from her as she did. “Don’t! My mother is the leader of the Branwen Clan. What does that make me?”

“Yang. You’re still you. You’re still my baby. Who Raven is doesn’t change that.” Summer said quietly, her hurt voice cutting through Yang like glass. 

“I think I want to be alone right now.” Yang mumbled, turning away from Summer and Tai. Her chest hurt and her head ached. Everything felt wrong and nothing was okay. 

“I-oh. Of course.” Summer murmured as she stood and gave Yang a water smile. “We’ll ley you rest, sweetie.”

“Yeah, rest up kiddo.” Tai sighed as they began to leave Yang’s room. He paused at the door and turned to look at Yang sadly. “I know you’re hurting, champ, but you should know that the moment Summer saw you…you were hers. Nothing could change that.”

Yang didn’t answer her father, instead choosing to wait until the door closed before letting her tears fall. She covered her mouth with her left hand to muffle the heartbroken sobs that left her throat and she allowed herself to break and fall apart.

All without knowing that a shadow lurked outside her window,golden eyes watching carefully over her.

Chapter Text

“So… how are we feeling?”

“Fucking peachy keen.”

Yang said blankly as she watched a young woman, dressed in a skirt suit that matched her asymmetrical white hair, sit down in one of the chairs beside her bed. It had been two weeks since her outburst at her parents and she had barely spoken to them, hurt too much to so much as look at them without feeling a horrible mix of anxiety and anger bubble up inside her.

“Don’t get fresh with me.” Weiss snorted, giving Yang a hard look that made her scowl and turn away, fingers curling around her bed sheets tightly. “You damn well know that you’ve never been able to get rid of me like that.” She stared at Yang for a long moment before she let out a soft sigh, crossing her legs and softening her gaze. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t snap. But you can’t just lay in a hospital bed doing nothing, Yang. You have a life to get back to.”

“You mean I have a lie to get back to.” Yang muttered, staring down at the blanket covering her legs, her jaw clenched and heart twisting painfully. “Nothing that I knew before is real. I’m not Summer’s daughter. My real mother abandoned me. And that’s without mentioning that she’s the leader of one of the worst gangs in Vale! My life is fucked, Weiss.”

“You have every right to be mad. You have every right to feel hurt.” Weiss said calmly, narrowing her gaze at Yang, setting her lips in a thin, stubborn line. “But if you ever want to get better, to figure yourself out, you have to try. Now… When do you get out?”

“Next week, Tuesday.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up and take you to your house.”

“Weiss-“

“No. I’ll be here. I have someone I want you to meet, anyway.” Weiss said, her tone booking no room for argument as Yang clamped her mouth shut and growled under her breath. “You’ve been fitted for a prosthetic, correct?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Excellent. I’ll pay for it.”

“No, you won’t.” Yang snapped, glaring at her best friend, her jaw clenching when Weiss quirked an unimpressed eyebrow. “I don’t need charity and I don’t need a prosthetic!” Her voice was low, eyes narrowed an blazing, though it seemed to have little impact on Weiss.

“It’s not charity. What’s the point of having money if I can’t take care of my family?” Weiss said softly, her lips tilting upwards into a fond, albeit worried smile. “I’ll buy the prosthetic. You don’t have to wear it but I want you to take it… just in case.”

“... fine.” Yang muttered, turning away from Weiss and falling silent, eyes narrowed angrily. “So… who are you planning on introducing me to? Trying to get me a pity fuck or something?”

“Yang Xiao Long!” Weiss hissed furiously. In any other situation, Yang would have been amused by the way her cheeks tinted a dark red, her voice pitching upwards and cracking. But not now. Not when she could feel a heavy weight of anger and apathy settle around her. “Don’t be so crass!”

Yang shrugged, not particularly interested in arguing with her friend. She stared at the door, her head beginning to ache. She was tired. So very tired.

“It’s somebody who’ll be able to help you as you acclimate to your new situation. They’ve proven to be… beneficial in the past few weeks and I believe that they’ll be good for you.” Weiss huffed, cheeks still a dark red as she spoke, her hands smoothing out her skirt as she avoided eye contact with Yang. “I have to go but do try not to aggravate your medical team, Yang. They’re only here to help.”

Yang grunted, barely responding as Weiss hugged her, holding her tightly for far longer than she usually did. Yang watched Weiss leave, her hackles pricking as Weiss cast an almost pitying look back at her and walked away. 

She hated it.

Yang hated it.

She hated the way people stared at her, as though she were broken beyond fixing. She hated how they expected her to just move on. She hated how her brain hurt and her heart ached. She hated how her arm burned and throbbed andsent pain shooting through her. She hated how wrong she felt. She hated the fact that she simultaneously felt too much and felt too little. She hated all of it. But most of all… she hated how small she felt. How weak she felt. She hated how it took her twice as long to do anything. She hated how pathetic she felt, like a scared little girl shaking in her boots.

But perhaps that’s all she really was. She had failed to protect herself, leaving her broken down and hurt. She had been lied to for years because her parents hadn’t believed that she could handle the truth. Her best friend believed that she needed “somebody to help her” as she got acclimated, like a child needing their hand to be held.

Could she even get acclimated? Could she ever recover from this? At the end of the day… was she ever the strong individual she believed herself to be? Or was that a lie too?

Underneath all of the lies and pain… who, exactly, was she? 

Chapter Text

Yang let out a soft grunt as she collapsed onto her couch that following week, muttering under her breath about grabbing her bags from Weiss’s car in a moment, and watched Weiss delicately sit in one of the arm chairs adjacent to the couch. She quirked a tired eyebrow, silently watching as Weiss struggled to think of something to say.

‘Is it too much to ask that people don’t act as though I’m about to break apart?’ Yang thought to herself bitterly, her left arm moving to hold her right arm, flinching as her fingers grazed empty space. 

“You have your medication-“

“Weiss. I’m thirty years old. I don’t need you to mollycoddle me.” Yang said in an even tone, jaw tense. She stared forward blankly, leg bouncing anxiously. “When’s your visitor meant to be coming?”

“They’re-“

The doorbell rang, making both women jump and glance at each other. Yang felt a corner of her mouth twitch slightly as Weiss glared at the door, her lips twisting into a scowl. Evidently, the mysterious visitor aggravated Weiss almost as much Yang herself did.

“Right on time, apparently.” Weiss snorted, standing up and brushing out her skirt with an irritated sigh. “I swear they do this on purpose.”

Yang waited, inhaling deeply and counting to ten before slowly letting it go. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to meet whoever it was that Weiss was going to introduce her to. She didn’t want to hear their sob story nor give them her own. She didn’t want this.

“Yang? I want you to meet Blake Belladonna.”

Yang looked up, appearing disinterested until her eyes met that of her guest. She felt all breath leave her lungs as golden eyes stared at her, an elegant black eyebrow arched inquisitively and black cat ears flicked once, twice, before stilling. Their long, black hair was thrown over their right shoulder, the left of it shaved to reveal a tattoo of Deadly Nightshade flowers inked into their olive skin, starting at their head and traversing down behind their ear and down their neck, disappearing into their white button shirt. Long, slender fingers curled around their black tie and adjusted it before they tucked their arms behind their back and stood to attention. Yang ran her eyes over their body, unable to keep herself noticing just how well their suit hugged their body, matched by the heels that they wore. 

“Miss Xiao Long, I presume?” Blake Belladonna said, their voice silky and controlled as they tilted her head at Yang.

“Uh- Yeah? Can I help you?” Yang asked cautiously, glancing at Weiss and blinking in surprise at the nervous expression on her face. 

“Actually… Miss Belladonna is here to help you, Yang.” Weiss said quickly, stepping close to Blake and placing an arm on their shoulder, earning an almost bored look from them. “I- you’re in a lot of trouble, Yang. The White Fang are serious business and if their leader is after you… well, I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone.” Weiss hesitated for a moment, blue eyes darting to Yang worriedly. “I’ve hired Blake to be your bodyguard.”

“What?!” Yang snapped, jumping to her feet and glaring at her friend, lilac eyes blazing. “I don’t need a bodyguard! I can take care of myself!”

“Against your average thug, maybe.” Blake interjected as they stepped forward to where Yang stood, staring up at her obstinately. “But you’ve ended up on Adam Taurus’s black list. He’s a mad man but he’s smart. Sly. He uses far more men than he should in a fight and often resorts to filthy, underhanded and manipulative tactics. He uses psychological warfare to win. According to Weiss, that’s something you learned the hard way.” They were walking slowly around Yang, voice low and calm, movements assured and confident. “You’re not safe, Miss Xiao Long. Taurus will come back to finish the job. It’s in your best interest if I’m here to keep you safe.”

“And what makes you think you stand a chance against him?” Yang scowled, narrowing her eyes challengingly at Blake, her shoulders tense. “And how do you even know all of this?!”

“Because that’s my job.” Blake answered, standing before Yang and arching their brows almost boredly, hands slipping into their pockets as they stared back, undeterred. “I do my research, assess the situation and do what needs to be done to keep my client safe.”

“What if I don’t agree?”

“Then I spent a lot of money for no good reason.” Weiss said with an indignant snort, making Yang close her eyes and inhale sharply. “Well, excuse me for being worried about my friend!”

“You don’t have to like this.” Blake said, earning Yang’s attention once more. Their gaze remained as impassive as ever, seemingly in perfect control of their emotions. “But… I have a job to do.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Trust me… I don’t plan on babysitting you.” Blake drawled, as she stepped back and stood to attention once more. “I’m your bodyguard. Not your babysitter. Not your therapist. I’m not here to fix you. I am here to make sure you don’t get killed.”

“How long are they here for?” Yang said at last, turning to Weiss with a sharp glare. “How many months is this for?”

“For now? Six months.”

“And I presume you’re staying here?” Yang sighed wearily, turning back to Blake, who nodded. “Fine. But don’t even think about treating me like I’m weak.” She added with a low growl, eyes narrowed at her new bodyguard.

“That would be hard to do, taking into consideration how stubborn you seem to be.”

“Blake!” Weiss snapped, blue eyes glaring into Blake furiously. “How dare-“

“Yeah, well. You seem to be pretty fucking bullheaded yourself.” Yang threw back at Blake, the slightest of smirks twitching at her lips. At least someone wasn’t walking on eggshells around her. “I’m going to grab my bags.”

“Let Blake-“

“I’m fine, Weiss.” Yang groaned, ignoring the way her arm began to burn. She gritted her teeth and brushed past Weiss, refusing to back down from her words. She wasn’t going to let anyone see her as weak. 

She couldn’t let anyone see her as weak.

“What the fuck are you doing in my closet?”

To their credit, Blake didn’t even jump, merely flicking one black cat ear back towards Yang and letting out a small hum. “We need to be as discreet as possible. As far as anyone is concerned, I’m your new roommate that just got out of a messy breakup and you’re kind enough to let me rent a room here in exchange for me paying rent and helping out around the house.” Blake pulled out a flannel shirt and gave Yang an amused look… or at least she thought that it was amused. It was hard to tell. “You have a lot of flannel.”

“Thanks for noticing.” Yang deadpanned, rolling her eyes as Blake turned back to the closet. “But that still doesn’t explain why you’re snooping through my shit.”

“I need to know what level of dress you wear so that I won’t look too out of place when I escort you places.” They responded, before finally stepping back and nodding, pulling out their scroll and dialing a number. “Vasilias? I’m going to need a wardrobe of casual to semi casual clothes. Simple button downs, shirts, flannels and jackets… and tell Sun if he tries to add another “pussy” shirt to the collection like last time that I can and will stuff his throat with his own tail. Thanks. Talk soon.”

“You’re… trying to match me?” Yang said, her lip curling in distaste as Blake blinked at her, head tilted slightly. “You know that’s kind of weird, right?”

“I never said anything about matching you. But if you’re suddenly going out and about with somebody wearing a tailored suit, people might get suspicious.” Blake reached up and ran a hand over the tattoos marking their head, almost methodically. A nervous tic? “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to run checks over your house. I need to ensure that there are no weak entry points.”

“Right.” Yang said blankly, watching as Blake marched from the room. She sat on her bed and reclined back against it, groaning as her body hit the mattress. 

Blake Belladonna was… strange. Analytical and methodical. They held themselves like a soldier, always read for a fight. And they seemingly had no problem giving Yang the straight, honest truth, telling her how it is. Nor did they try to step on eggshells around her, seemingly having no problem with calling Yang out on her stubborn nature.

Yang hated to admit it… but she appreciated that. Even if she despised this whole… bodyguard situation with her entire being. But as long as Blake didn’t treat her like she was broken, Yang could tolerate her presence, at the very least.

Yang, who was tired and very much done, just hoped that this was the end of the surprises that life had in store for her.

Chapter Text

Yang groggily left her room, blinking away the sleep that still clung to her and stared blankly at the scene before her, squinting her eyes and tilting her head in confusion as she observed the sight  of Blake Belladonna sitting cross legged in the centre of her dining room table, their eyes closed. They wore a simple black tank top and sweatpants, their toned, lithe arms resting loosely in their lap. Their black cat ears were relaxed, almost blending in with the long, black hair that they had pulled into a ponytail. Long, slow and deep breaths were being taken through their nose and out through their mouth, giving them the image of being in complete control. Yang felt something in her chest twist violently, a sharp inhale being taken, as her gaze drifted across Blake’s arms and toned upper back, drawn not only by the impressive muscles that the bodyguard possessed but by the scars that littered them, even amongst the Deadly Nightshade tattoos that ran down her left side. Yang hadn’t been expecting Blake’s tattoos to continue down their arm but they did, curling over their shoulder and down their arm, disappearing into their tank top. 

Did their scars and tattoos continue down their body?

“Good morning, Miss Xiao Long.” Blake murmured softly, voice and face as expressionless as ever. The only sign of them noticing Yang was one cat ear swiveling back to face her before flicking forward again. “Sleep well?”

“Kinda?” Yang said dumbly, slowly moving towards her kitchen, a confused crease forming on her brow as Blake continued to breath deeply. “What the fuck are you doing?” She asked slowly as she began the slow process of making her morning coffee.

“It’s called meditation.”

“Right. I can see that. But why the actual fuck are you meditating on my kitchen table? At…” Yang paused, glancing at her microwave and squinting at the time shown on it. “Seven in the morning?”

“I prefer to meditate in areas where I have the best vantage point. Your kitchen table just so happens to offer that.”

“Fucking hell.” Yang muttered, rolling her eyes irritably, sighing heavily as she watched the coffee maker pour coffee into her favourite mug. “You’re just going to be full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Is that a bad thing?” Blake’s shoulders rolled back, lean muscles stretching and tensing as they moved. They braced their hand on the side of the table and vaulted off of it and turned to face Yang, expression unreadable as golden eyes stared at Yang. “The capability to adapt to the unexpected is an important skill to have.”

“Is this the part where you give me a pep talk about adapting to my injury?” Yang drawled, a bitter smile crossing her face as Blake leaned across the centre island, one brow quirking at Yang curiously. “Is that part of your job?”

“No. Like I said… Bodyguard. Not your therapist.” Blake said, one corner of their lips twitching slightly before falling back into their neutral mask. “As long as you’re physically safe, I consider my job done.”

“Gotta get that paycheck somehow, huh?”

“That is… one way of putting it, I suppose.” Blake said softly, a shadow flickering across their eyes for a brief before disappearing. Yang paused, coffee halfway to her lips, confusion filling her as Blake closed their eyes and inhaled slowly and held it for a beat before exhaling again. “But not everyone in this career is motivated by money.”

“If it’s not the money, then what motivates you?” The question falls from Yang’s lips before she could stop it, curiosity biting at her for the first time in weeks.

“Now… why would I tell you that and ruin the mystery?” Blake chuckled softly, an amused glint entering their eyes for a moment before they paused, once more inhaling and exhaling deeply as they schooled their features into an emotionless mask. “What are your plans for the day?”

“Uh-“ Yang blinked, still greatly confused by the coming and goings of Blake’s emotions. “This?” She gestured vaguely to the boyshorts and tank top she wore as pyjamas, heat creeping up her neck as Blake’s golden eyes ran over her body, left cat ear flicking once. “I’m not going out anywhere.” She scoffed, stalking over to her couch and placing her coffee on the table before falling on the couch with a grunt, ignoring the way Blake followed her and sat in the far armchair.

“Despite your medical team wanting you to get out as much as possible?”

“Yup.” Yang said, popping the P boredly, turning to Blake with a challenging stare. “Why? You gonna change my mind?”

“Not at all.” Blake Belladonna had the audacity to fucking smirk at her as they reached into the waist band of their pants and pulled out a gun, slowly taking it apart to examine it almost boredly, as if it were routine for them. Yang watched with begrudging interest as Blake’s skilled fingers quickly and efficiently worked. “I’m glad, actually. Makes my job easier.”

“Huh?” Yang blinked before turning to glare into Blake’s eyes, feeling a sense of irritation grow as Blake’s smirk grew more smug, making Yang’s stubborn nature flare to life. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… you staying put like a good girl makes it easier for me to keep an eye on you.” Blake shrugged, blank expression falling back into place as they clicked the pieces of their gun back into place with a loud click and leaned back in their seat. “Weiss told me you would be a challenge to work with but you seem pretty… easy .”

“Easy? Easy?! ” Yang felt her eyes narrow in irritation, her lips twisting into a scowl. “I’m not easy!”

“Boring, then.” Blake shrugged, crossing their legs and closing their eyes, once more appearing uninterested. “Perhaps you should just keep staying put like a good little girl, sweetheart . Make my life as easy as possible.”

Yang didn’t like that.

Yang really didn’t like that.

“You know what?” She said, standing up and glaring down at Blake as they opened one eye lazily, watching Yang carefully. “I changed my mind. I suddenly feel like going for a walk.” She turned on her heel and marched to her room, scowl still firmly in place. If Blake Belladonna thought that she was going to make this easy for them, they had another thing coming.

But as she stalked back to her room to get ready, she missed the way Blake’s smirk softened, their golden gaze taking on a pleased gleam as a small, satisfied smile crossed their lips.

“You played me.”

“I did.”

Yang turned her head to look at Blake from across the small cafe table they sat at, narrowing her eyes at the completely shameless tone. “You tricked me.”

“No, I challenged you and you took the bait.” Blake shrugged, the motion making them look far too attractive in their new purple flannel. They smiled warmly, though Yang wondered how much of it was an act for the people surrounding them. “You might want to work on that, sweetheart.”

“How the hell did you know that I hate that pet name, anyway?” Yang grumbled, her pride still wounded at having been played like a fiddle. She hated to admit it… but it was nice. Getting fresh air and stretching out her legs after being stuck in a hospital for over two weeks. 

“You seemed the type.” Blake smirked again and Yang felt something flutter in her stomach, making her mouth run dry. “Plus, Weiss told me.”

“Of fucking course she did.” 

Before Blake could respond, a large hand pressed against their table and leaned against it, making both of them look up at the intruder with matching glowers. A young man was grinning at Yang, a look in his eyes that immediately made her uncomfortable. “Hey there, sweetheart. What’s your name?”

“None of your business.” Yang said sharply, glancing over at Blake and expecting them to be prepared to take the potential attacker down… but Blake merely leaned back in their seat, sharp eyes narrowed as they observed silently. 

“Ah, c’mon. You and me-“

Unfortunately… the man made the mistake of trying to touch Yang’s hair. Her left hand snapped up on instinct built from years of training box, fingers curling into a fist that struck him in the throat in a sharp jab, sending him backwards as he clutched at his throat and gagged.

“You bitch-“

“She just made you gag. It seems like the only bitch here is you, sir .” Blake said with a smile that was scarily calm, drawing Yang’s attention as the man gasped for breath. Yang swallowed thickly as Blake stood and walked over to the man and lifted him to his feet with a grunt, twisting his arm behind his back and pulling a shriek from him as she marched him towards the door. “Now… I suggest you leave before I make what she did look like child’s play.” 

Yang tilted her head at the sound of something hitting the pavement outside, followed by a string of expletives as Blake slowly walked back to the table, heeled boots making her quiet presence known as she sat across from Yang and lifted her tea to her lips calmly.

“Why did you let me handle that?” Yang asked quietly, narrowing her eyes at Blake suspiciously. “Isn’t it your job to deal with assholes like that?”

“You made it clear yesterday that you don’t wish to be treated as weak. If I didn’t think you were capable of defending yourself, I would have stepped in.” Blake tilted their head, a wry smile crossing their features as they crossed their legs gracefully. “You don’t want to be a victim? Fine. You still want to be independent? I can respect that. I’ll let you fight your own battles for the most part. But understand this; if anyone lays a hand on you that you can’t shake off… if anyone poses more of threat than some two-bit punk trying to shoot his shot...” Blake’s smile turned sharp, golden eyes gleaming dangerously, ears pinning flat against their head as they picked up a knife and began to twirl it rapidly around their fingers.“I won’t hesitate to do what I need to do.” The knife stopped, caught between their middle and index fingers firmly before dropping into their palm.

Yang stared, heart racing as Blake stared her down. It occurred to Yang, then, that the person sitting across from her had the potential to kill.  

“Don’t look so aghast.” Blake muttered, looking away as something made their expression flicker, an almost sad note entering their voice. “I merely disable my opponents. Killing is reserved as a last resort.”

“So…. you don’t kill?”

Blake turned to Yang, a shadow crossing their eyes as a dark, almost pained smile made its home on their face. It sent a cold chill down Yang’s mind, making her throat grow unexpectedly tight. 

“Not anymore, Miss Xiao Long.” Blake murmured, closing their eyes and doing that same breathing exercise she had done earlier. “Not anymore.”

Yang fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, unsure how to respond to that. Blake wasn’t as emotionless as Yang had though, though they seemed to keep a careful lid on their emotions. We’re their breathing exercises a method that they used to control them? Who, exactly, were they? Where did they come from? What did they mean by “Not anymore?” Were they always going to be this cryptic?

Yang watched as Blake’s mask fell nearly back into place and they turned to stare boredly out of the window next to them, their swiveling ears the only sign that they knew what was going on around them. Yang lifted her left hand to hold her right bicep, her lilac gaze taking Blake in. Her eyes traced the Deadly Nighshade flowers decorating their head and neck and travelled among the sharp jawline, pausing to linger on the small splattering of freckles on their nose. 

Yang swallowed hard, anxiety beginning to prickle at her heart as she realised why her heart was racing. Why her skin felt hot. Why she had to bite back the questions threatening to fall from her lips, eager, for the first time in weeks, to learn more…

‘For fuck’s sake.’ Yang thought miserably to herself, her hand leaving her arm for the sake of hiding her growing flush with her coffee. ‘Weiss couldn’t have gotten a hotter bodyguard if she tried.’

Twenty-four hours in and Yang Xiao Long was already fucked. That was going to bode well for this arrangement.

Chapter Text

“Would you like any help?”

A week or so later,Yang glanced over her shoulder at her bodyguard, breath catching in her throat as Blake leaned against the door of her kitchen, a bored and uninterested expression on their face as they watched Yang prepare lunch.

“Nah. I got it… thanks to the thousand devices that Weiss has apparently decided to throw at my kitchen.” Yang snorted, rolling her eyes at the device currently holding the carrot in place. “That woman drives insane.”

“From what she’s told me, the feeling is very mutual.” Blake drawled slowly, quirking a brow as Yang turned to stare at them. “You are the Yang that set their college’s community centre on fire, yes?”

“Okay, listen!” Yang growled, turning around to point her knife at Blake, her eyes narrowing when Blake barely responded. “Some punk was harassing me and my friends. I just… kind of… knocked him into a lantern and it hit a curtain.” Yang turned back to the vegetables with a grunt. “Don’t even know why the fuck they had laterns around a bunch of drunk kids anyway.”

“If it makes you feel better-“ 

Yang jumps as Blake moves to stand by her side and glances over Yang’s meal prep with a neutral expression, the only giveaway to their amusement being the faintest twitch of their lips. “I set my mother’s kitchen on fire when I was a child.”

“How did you manage that?”

“I blame the fucking carrots.” 

Yang snorted, her lips twitching upwards into a small grin as Blake turned and walked out of her kitchen, steps even and methodical as they made their way to the kitchen table and swung up on to it, assuming their meditative position. She didn’t know if Blake was purposely trying to be funny but Yang found herself almost amused by Blake's dry tone

Or at least… as amused as she could be considering her whole.. situation.

“Sun.”

Yang tilted her head as Blake answered their ringing scroll, quirking a brow at the bone deep weariness that her bodyguard spoke with.

“You do have the security system I ordered, yes? Sun. I put that order in as soon as Miss Schnee hired me. What? No, I’m not introducing her to you. Because the last time you got involved with somebody connected to one of our clients, you were stabbed.”

There was a long pause in the conversation until Blake let out a loud and derisive snort, irritation sounding in her voice.

“Of course it's your fault, you horny bastard. You see one pretty face and suddenly, it’s like you have tunnel vision. You were too busy staring at her mouth to notice the knife.” Blake’s voice remains even, though Yang could hear an edge to it. “No, I don’t. Because I’m a professional, Sun. I don’t fall in love. I don’t date. I don’t do distractions. Period. Look- just get me the goddamn system and stop trying to hook me up with somebody. Goodbye.”

There was a long pause and when Yang glanced over, Blake’s body was tense, their ears pinning back against their head as they focused on their breath, their jaw clenched tightly… leaving Yang to wonder...

Just what, exactly, had that been about?

“Do send your regards to your mother for me.”

Yang felt something hit her from behind and, when she looked down, saw a long, red sword sticking out of her torso, covered in her blood. She fell too her knees and felt a hand grip her chin and force her head up to stare in the mask of a woman, her head hidden beneath.

“You disappoint me.”

Yang gasped painfully as the woman dropped her to the ground, stepping over her as she slowly bleeds out and removed the blade from her chest before walking away…

Leaving Yang to die.

Yang woke up with a scream, her right arm burning and her chest painfully tight as sharp, painful gasps left her lungs. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she muffled a sob, body trembling as her bedroom door flew open and Blake burst into the room, still wearing their casual jeans, though they must have been in the middle of changing if the fact they were wearing a sports bra under their open button down meant anything. 

“Miss Xiao Long!” Blake said quickly, glancing around the room and scanning it for a threat with their gun in their hands, golden gaze sharp and focused. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Yang rasped hoarsely, heart racing, left arm trembling as she pressed herself against her headboard, desperately trying to wipe her face of tears. “Just a stupid fucking nightmare.”

“I see.” Blake murmured, their voice softer than they usually allowed. There was the sound of a safety being switched off and Yang blinked as Blake sat in front of her and tilted their head at her. “Let me help you.”

“And what exactly can you do?” Yang snapped, eyes blazing as her chest began to burn, blood boiling from the lack of control she had in her nightmare. 

“Close your eyes.” Blake said, with no particular intonation, seemingly unaffected by Yang snapping at them. Begrudgingly, Yang relented.

It wasn’t like it could make her feel worse.

“Good. Deep breath and focus on five things that you can feel.” 

“Uh… the bed. My- my shirt. The blanket. My hair on the back of my neck. The headboard.”

“Good. Now… four things that you can hear.”

And so it went, until Yang’s chest began to relax and her heart began to calm down. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and blinked in confusion as Blake’s expression shifted back into a neutral mask, hiding the concerned frown quickly. Yang swallowed hard and rubbed her face tiredly, completely drained. “What was that?”

“A grounding exercise. Think of it as a form of meditation.” Blake said calmly, though the nervous flicker of their cat ears gave away at least some nervousness. “How are you feeling?”

“Peachy keen.”

“Miss Xiao Long, you should probably try to get back to sleep.” Blake said, glancing at Yang’s bedside clock and arching a brow. “It’s only one am.”

“Probably.” Yang shrugged, feeling more and more uncomfortable with her moment of vulnerability as the seconds past. Her gaze drifted down to Blake’s open shirt and she quickly snapped her eyes up before her eyes could drift any further than Blake’s exposed collarbone. “Thanks but I’ll be fine.” She said roughly, refusing to look at Blake as they stood and made their way to the door, pausing to glance over their shoulder at Yang for a long moment.

“The security system should be arriving tomorrow. Once it’s set up, no one will get in or out without me knowing about it.” Blake’s voice had shifted back to that surprisingly soft tone, their gaze drifting over Yang and almost seeming to stare into her. “Goodnight, Miss Xiao Long.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Yang’s voice was muffled as she dragged her hand over her face and sighed shakily before laying down and staring at the ceiling, throat growing tight as the shadows seemed to loom, growing bigger with each passing second.

“Easy. Breath, Yang.” Yang said tensely, her hand gripping her sheets for a long moment before she closed her eyes and began to focus on what she could feel, hear and see.

Maybe Blake had something going with that meditation thing.

Chapter Text

Yang quirked an eyebrow at the two yoga mats facing each other on the floor in her living room and turned to stare questioningly at Blake, who merely made their way over to the purple one, elegantly settling down and crossing their legs before arching an expectant brow at Yang.

“You wanted to learn meditation, yes?” Blake said calmly, their face as impassive as ever, hands resting on their knees. “Then you’re going to have to sit down.”

“Bossy.” Yang grumbled, sitting down with a grunt and mimicking Blake. “There. I’m sitting. Now what?”

“Just relax and do what I tell you.” Blake’s voice was strangely calming, their amber eyes watching Yang with a steady sort of calmness. “It’s your first time so we’re going to start with a simple exercise. Make sure that you’re comfortable and then we begin.”

“Uh… okay.” Yang muttered, shifting her weight a little before curling her hand loosely around one of her ankles, swallowing nervously as Blake silently watched her. “You’re a little unnerving sometimes, you know that?”

“I… suppose I am.” 

Yang winced internationally at the flat tone. She had meant for it to come across as a playful tease, a way to reduce the uncomfortable tension that existed in the house since Blake had started living with her. But, evidently, Blake had interpreted it differently.

“Keep your eyes open and do some breathing for me. Deep breath in through your nose and slowly release it through your mouth.” Blake says before Yang can correct her, their left cat ear twitching lightly as they began to follow their own instructions. “That’s it. Try to focus on the feeling of your lungs expanding with each breath and shrinking as you let go. As you feel yourself begin to relax, listen to your own breathing. Focus on them. How they sound and how they feel.”

Yang followed Blake’s instructions, inhaling through her nose and out through her mouth. She focused on the strain of her lungs as they reached their limits and slowly, with each breath, she began to feel her body loosen. 

“Good. On the next exhale, gently close your eyes. Feel the weight of your body against the floor. Notice where your weight falls. Pay attention to it.” Blake’s voice resonates calmly in Yang’s ears and somehow… it only servedto aid in making her relax. It was strangely grounding, she realised. “Focus on the weight of your arms and legs, wherever they may fall. Let your mind focus on them, bring focus into the body as you become more aware of your physical senses. Sounds are becoming more noticeable but don’t try to block them out. Notice them for a moment and now… bring attention back to your body and check in with it. Think about your head, your neck and shoulders. Your arms and chest and stomach. Think about your waist and legs and feet. The parts of you that relax and the parts of you that remain tense. Check in with each part of your body, Miss Xiao Long.”

Yang did as she was asked, taking note how most of her tension was in her shoulders and neck, how relaxed other parts of her were. Her breathing had fallen into a steady rhythm that felt far more grounding than she had expected. Slowly, the tension in her shoulders and neck began to loosen, the muscles relaxing as she silently followed her body guard’s instructions. It was nice, she decided. To finally feel truly grounded and relaxed for the first time in weeks. How had nobody talked to her about meditation before? 

“It’s okay if your mind wanders. Just gently bring focus back to your body and keep scanning down. You might be feeling a rising and falling sensation in your body. Focus on that. Notice it. Just concentrate on that rhythm for me.” Blake says gently, their voice calm and relaxed, soothing. “Count your breaths for me, up to ten. Then start again.”

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten…

“Thoughts will arise and that’s okay. Just try to bring yourself back to your breathing. You’re doing very well. Keep counting.” Blake praises quietly and Yang feels a slight fluttering in her chest. “Let go of your focus and let your mind do what it wants. Let it be free, just for a moment. Good, now bring your attention back to your body, becoming more aware of what you can feel and the space around you once more. When you’re ready, gently open your eyes.”

Yang opened her eyes slowly, exhaling slowly as she blinked around her. She caught Blake’s eyes and felt a small smile twitch at the corners of her lips when Blake tilted their inquisitively at her, amber eyes blinking slowly at her. “Um… okay. That’s… actually pretty cool.” Yang mumbled, stretching out her spine and groaning in relief when it cracked.

“How do you feel?”

“Relaxed? Maybe a little drowsy? Like a limp noodle?” Yang admits with a sheepish grin, rubbing her right bicep with her left hand and shrugging. “It’s nice.”

“That’s good.” Blake nods, and Yang struggled to tell if they were pleased or not. “Some find that meditation can help with preparing for bed. If it makes you drowsy, it might help to implement it before you go to sleep.”

“Huh. So… meditation is used to help relax you, right? How come you do it so often?”

“There are many different reasons for it. To relax, to deal with anxious and intrusive thoughts…” Blake raises their arms above their head, stretching far enough for their shirt to ride and up and reveal a scar on their hip. “I meditate because it keeps my emotions in check.”

“You… want to control your emotions?” Yang asked, her brows pinching together as Blake states impassively at her. “How come?”

“Emotions are a vulnerability and a liability that I can’t afford.” Blake said, their voice suddenly stiff and tense, their ears pinning back against their skull. They brush their hand along their cranial tattoos, a slight tremor shaking their hand. “Not with this line of work.”

“I… guess the whole emotionless, distant and brooding bodyguard is pretty standard. You gotta separate yourself from what you do, I suppose.” Yang said with a small snort, her lips twitching into a frown when Blake turned their head away, their jaw clenching tightly. “Uh, thanks for this whole… guided meditation thing, Belladonna. It helped.”

“Good.” Blake said tersely, standing up and quickly walking back in the direction of their room. Excuse me for a moment.”

Yang waited until she heard a door shut before falling backwards onto her back with a groan. It was beginning to feel like, every time she spoke to Blake, she’d end up saying something that made the bodyguard tense up.

“Yeah, good job calling them emotionless, distant and brooding. Really great to just… reduce them to a stereotype.” Yang muttered to herself, pinching the bridge of her nose. “C’mon. You’re better than that, Yang.”

 She wondered how else she was going to make Blake uncomfortable before their time was up.

Chapter Text

“Miss Xiao Long… I would like to introduce to Velvet Scarletina and Coco Adel.”

Yang stood from her kitchen table as Blake ushered in two women; the first, a woman a little older than her with long rabbit ears, brown eyes and a kind smile. The second was a much taller woman in heels, expensive looking clothing and aviatior sunglasses. “Uh… hey.” She said, grimacing when she realised she had reached out with a hand that was no longer there. She sighs, smiling to hide her discomfort and holding out her left hand to Velvet. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Velvet said with a friendly grin, stepping back and turning to Coco as she places a set of bags down in the centre of the floor. “Coco is my partner and we work on creating some of the most advanced security possible.”

“I’ve hired them several times thus far.” Blake said, placing a hand on Velvet’s shoulder and, much to Yang’s surprise, smiling warmly down at her. “I have nothing but respect and admiration for these two. Their setup will ensure your safety.”

“Aw, thanks, Blake.” Velvet said sweetly, curling her arm around Blake’s waist and hugging them. Yang’s eyes widen in surprise as Blake rolls their eyes in an almost fond manner before patting Velvet’s shoulder and stepping away. “Right… let me walk you through everything and then Coco and I can start booking up cameras, locks and sensors, yes?”

“Sounds good.”

Yang glances at Blake, growing in confusion by Blake’s reaction to the two strangers before looking away with a sigh. 

Better to focus on important security based information than the confusion that was Blake Belladonna.

“So… you and Velvet seem close.” Yang comments as she and Blake sit outside beneath a tree as they wait for the setup to be done. She can hear drills as Velvelt and Coco work, supposedly organising what needs to be done. 

“She is someone I trust.”

“Huh. Seemed more like affection to me… and here I was thinking that you were incapable of it.” Yang joked, once again completely inserting her entire foot into her mouth. “Uh- that’s not to say that I think you’re heartless or cold- I mean- you kinda are but it’s also kinda cool- not to make a pun out of it or-“ Yang clamped her mouth shut, preventing anymore word vomit from leaving her as Blake stared blankly ahead of them, their hand lifting to run along their scalp tattoo in a tic that was becoming more and more frequent. 

“Like I said… I trust Velvet.” Blake said, their voice devoid of emotion, though Yang can see the way they work their jaw. “And that is far as it goes so perhaps you’re correct in your assessment of my being cold. It’s preferable, really.”

Yang winced as Blake’s face fell into their neutral mask, passive and unemotional. Three weeks in and she was still saying the wrong things. Any attempt at a compliment or flattery seemed to pick at something beneath the surface, something that Yang couldn’t see. Every time she talked to them, Yang seemed to fudge something, make a mistake and send Blake’s mask up full force. 

A soft sigh escaped her and she adjusted herself so that she was laying in the grass with her left arm thrown ove eher eyes, comepletely oblivious to the golden gaze occasionally drifting back to her.

“Okay… So… you’ll get an alert if somebody tries to break in?”

“That is correct.” Blake said, glancing up from their stir fry and meeting Yang’s gaze passively. With Coco and Velvet finished on their end, they had left Blake to finish up the final setup protocols as she saw fit. “My scroll is connected to the security system. If so much as a feather lands on your doorstep or windows, I’ll know about it.”

“... pretty serious business, huh?” Yang sighs, grunting under her breaths s her right arm twinges painfully. She huffs, stabbing her food irritably as Blake silently watches her. 

“When it comes to the White Fang,” Blake starts carefully, twirling their fork around her fingers slowly, a faraway look entering their eyes. “It is best to take all protective measures possible. People like that don’t just give up when they hold a grudge.”

“Sounds like you’ve dealt with your fair share of people with a grudge.” Yang says slowly, watching as Blake runs a hand over their scalp tattoos, drawing Yang’s attention to them by accident. “So… your tatts are pretty deadly looking.” She says, searching for a point of conversation as Blake glances back down at their foot on the other side of the table. 

“They match their owner, I suppose.” Blake says with no particular intonation, drawing a frown from Yang.

“What do they mean?”

“... the Belladonna flower is a poisonous plant.” Blake says softly, their gaze distant and faraway as a shadow crissed their face while they glanced towards their left hand, where more flowers peak out beneath the sleeve of their button down. “Its entire design is to kill, to destroy. There is no beauty. There is no grace. There is only death.” Blake’s eyes darkened, their ears pinning back against their head. “A flower for each life taken seems only fitting. A flower placed upon my skin instead of a grave, so to speak.”

“Like… some kind of an apology?” Yang found herself asking, watching as Blake froze up, their eyes going wide as though they hadn’t meant to reveal that information. “I mean… they were all bad guys, right?”

A solem silence follows and Yang felt her eyes widen as Blake stared ahead of them, a shadow crossing them face, one full of such pain that Yang feels something in her chest catch.

“The world is not quite as simple as that, Miss Xiao Long.” Blake murmured, closing their eyes and inhaling deeply, their jaw clenching and unclenching quickly. “Thank you for the meal. It was as lovely as always.” They say quickly, standing up with their bowl and taking it to the kitchen before making their way quickly to their room, body stiff and tense. 

Yang leaned back in her seat and stared up at the ceiling as her left hand carded through her hair. She exhaled slowly, as her mind processed what had just happened. A low groan escaped her and she closed her eyes tightly as her head began to throb.

What the hell kind of bodyguard did Weiss hire? What did she mean by “The world is not quite as simple as that?” Where did she come from? What was her past?

Just who, exactly, was Blake Belladonna?

Chapter Text

“Miss Xiao Long? A parcel arrived for you.”

Yang jumped, glancing up from her scroll and meeting the ever guarded gaze of her bodyguard, watching as they calmly placed a rectangular box on the coffee table in front of her before sitting in an armchair, crossing their legs elegantly and folding their hands neatly over their lap. For a long moment, Yang’s gaze drifted to Blake’s arm, her eyes watching the way strong, lean muscle flexed beneath their skin as they shifted to get more comfortable.

Yang swallowed. Hard. Was it just her or was it getting hot in here?

“Thanks.” She muttered, clearing her throat when her voice cracks and letting out a slow breath. Perhaps it was better to not let her mind wander and become distracted by her bodyguard with a questionable past. 

Yang sighed, her eyes narrowing at the familiar symbol of Atlas shining brightly in the centre of the packaging. She didn’t have to be a genius to know exactly where it had come from and she can’t say that she’s particularly thrilled by it. “I told her not to bother buying it.”

“Weiss seems to be cut from the same stubborn material that you, yourself, are, Miss Xiao Long. She means well.” Blake commented, one of their black cat ears flicking towards Yang as they tilted their head at the box, a tired expression crossing their features just before a loud yawn escaped their mouth, ending in a high pitched squeak .

A high pitched squeak was the last sound that Yang would have thought to associate with Blake and she can’t help but feel strangely endeared by it.

“Look, Belladonna, I love Weiss to death and I’m grateful to her but I don’t need her to be spending her money like this.” Yang grunts, setting her jaw stubbornly and looking away from Blake and focusing on a smudge on the far wall rather than the cuteness of a bodyguard that probably knows how to kill a man twenty-seven different ways with a paperclip. “Wearing the prosthetic doesn’t change a goddamn thing; a part of me is missing and it’s never coming back. This is normal now and the sooner everyone gets used to that, the better.”

“Fine.” Blake said, their brows arching briefly when Yang snaps her attention back onto them, blinking in surprise at how easily Blake had relented. “I told you that my job is to keep you physically safe. I’m not going to act as though I know what’s best for you and force you to take that path. You’re going to do what you’re going to do, Miss Xiao Long. My one goal is to make sure that you don’t get yourself killed by the White Fang.”

“Yeah, well… the only reason they’re after me is because of Raven fucking Branwen.” Yang growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously as her left hand curled around her bicep, her fingers trembling slightly as she recalled Adam Taurus’s words. A shudder ran down her spine, remembering the cold expression in his eyes. “If I ever find her-“

“You’ll do what, exactly?” Blake asked, tilting their head at Yang with a disconcerting amount of calmness when Yang turned to glare sharply at them, their golden gaze watching her unflinchingly. “You have plenty of experience and skills when it comes to self defence but can you honestly say that you would use it against somebody that hasn’t attacked you yet?”

“It’s her fault that I’m in this situation in the first place!” Yang snapped, her hand gripping at her bicep a little tighter and her breath hitching slightly. “ She’s the one that abandoned me. She’s the one that started some kinda turf war with Taurus’s gang! If it wasn’t for her, wouldn’t be down an arm and stuck with you! ”

“A regrettable situation, I’m sure.” Blake said dryly, after a long moment of silence that gives Yang plenty of time to regret lashing out. They stand, rolling their shoulders back and tucking their arms behind their back and standing stiffly to attention, their expression shifting back into a mask of apathy as they meet Yang’s gaze. “Word of unwanted advice, Miss Xiao Long… spite is very unbecoming of you. Doesn’t suit you at all. Don’t let it turn you into something that you’re not.”

Yang watched, stunned into silence when Blake’s tone shifted from their usual neutrality to something that sounded almost pained, their gaze glazing over for a moment and becoming distant, before shaking their head and turning to walk out of Yang’s living room to their bedroom, movements stiff and rigid as they went. 

“Hey, wait-“ Yang flinched as the door to Blake’s room clicked shut, the sound of the door shutting echoing through the silent house. Sighing heavily, she fell back against the couch and looked up at the ceiling with a groan, bringing her hand up to pinch her nose irritably. “ Fuuuuuuuck.”

Maybe one day she’d be able to have a conversation with her own bodyguard without sticking her foot in her mouth.