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The soft snores of Ruby and Weiss across the room made Yang sigh in relief. Finally getting the chance to lay down in one of Jaune’s spare bed rolls, with the warm fire going made all the chaos a little more manageable, even if just for a moment.
Despite everything that had happened the past day, week, or however long they’d been stuck in the Ever After, Yang was thankful that Ruby could even fall asleep. Learning what became of Atlas, the Relics, and especially the fate of Penny had been taking a toll on her and all Yang wanted was to find as many blankets and pillows as she could and build a fort like when they were kids. She would find a crying Ruby and kiss her forehead and tell her to “Wait here, Rubes, don’t move!”, running into their bedroom.
After building some of the best pillow forts that anyone has ever seen, she would rush back to Ruby’s crying frame and pick her up and discard her into a stronghold surrounded by plushies and read her her favorite book, or just tuck her into her chest, letting her cry it out but making sure she was never alone.
But they weren’t little kids anymore. And they definitely weren’t in Patch for that matter, and Yang knew for a fact that Jaune didn’t have nearly enough pillows and blankets around to build a fort with. And Ruby has been quiet. She barely speaks and tries her best to convince everyone that she’s fine but Yang knew she was holding it all in. But what are you supposed to do when someone you love won’t ask for help, let alone even admit their pain aloud?
Yang felt helpless, and she felt even worse because even though her sister was in so much pain, Yang had to try her hardest to hold back her smile.
Turning her head towards Blake’s resting form on the bed roll right next to her own. The fireplace illuminated her face in a way that made Yang forget about her ongoing uneasiness about everything going on.
Blake was always beautiful, but sometimes Yang is struck by how gorgeous Blake was. Yang remembered once in Atlas, the two of them were on an assignment together, and shortly after slicing through the final Grimm they were supposed to clear out, Blake suddenly turned to face her, to ask her if she was ready to head out but all Yang could barely register a word she said because all she could focus on was the wind being knocked out of her.
Her hair was a mess. Little baby hairs sticking to the sweat that was on her brow. When she turned to look at Yang, the fierceness and concentration that would riddle her features when she was fighting hadn't fully faded, and Yang was once again reminded how attractive her best friend was. She could be fighting, reading, or sleeping like she was now but one thing always remained the same: Blake Belladonna was beautiful.
With one hand supporting her head underneath one of the thin pillows Jaune had provided, the other was laying face up on the ground next to her, in the small space between their two bed rolls. A gravitational pull that their bodies understood before either of them understood what it all really meant. They could never be too close and even during times like these where they’re right next to one another, it often didn’t feel close enough and their bodies just naturally moved towards each other.
Looking from her hand to her closed eyes she wasn’t sure if Yang should risk the potential of waking her up but decided to give in as she rested her left hand on Blake’s right one.
Yang’s line of vision is immediately brought away from their hands when she sees Blake’s lips move upward into a soft smile.
“Have you been awake this whole time?” Yang whispers as she fully interlocks their fingers together.
Blake’s golden eyes meet her violet ones and there’s a hint of amusement there, “Yeah, I could feel you thinking,”
“Sorry, a lot to think about…” Yang sighs, breaking their gaze to once again stare at their hands.
“Don’t apologize,” Blake whispers, giving her hand a slight squeeze in the process, “You have nothing to be sorry for, okay?”
“Yeah, you’re right. You know, you’re pretty smart, ya know that?” she replies with a smile.
Blake giggles, shuffling her body closer, “Funny you should say that actually, someone recently told me that I had a great brain.”
Yang can’t help the groan that escapes her lips after being reminded of what she said hours before. Not her smoothest moment, but she’s pretty sure that she’s never had a ‘smooth’ moment when it comes to Blake.
“Please forget I said that, definitely not one of my best compliments…”
“Hey, I thought it was very sweet actually,” Blake responds.
Yang doesn’t know what to say. She was pretty sure she looks like a lovesick fool as she gazed into Blake’s eyes but she was too happy or tired to care at this point. The comfortable silence was something Yang could live in forever but not until she cleared up one thing. Make sure Blake knows where her head is at.
She decides to disrupt the silence they’ve built and scoots closer to Blake, making the final inches between them become something much smaller. And this time it wasn’t the gravity pushing the two of them together, it was by their own accord. Their own wants and desires and love bringing them closer.
“Don’t uh, don’t forget everything I said when we were out there okay?” Yang murmurs, eyes flickering from Blake’s eyes to her mouth, then immediately back up to her eyes once more.
“What?”
“I told you to forget that I said that about the dumb brain compliment.” Yang says, with a smile, “But I want to make sure you know that I didn’t mean that about everything I said out there,”
Blake’s hand let go of Yang’s only for it to find its way into golden locks, brushing bangs from where they had fallen moments before. “I know, Yang. And I hope you know that everything I said today was also true. I meant every word. Don’t ever doubt that, okay?”
Yang wants to kiss her. She wants to kiss her until she’s stupid. Can she just kiss her now? Is that okay? But not until she says one more thing.
“Also, Blake, I said back there that I think I love you, but just know that it’s not a ‘think’ okay? I am in love with you,” Yang whispers. “And you’re great brain.” She adds with a smile.
Blake laughs, moving her hand until it rests on Yang’s cheek, “And I love you,”
Whoever moved first doesn’t matter because it was inevitable with how little space between them was left. But at some point, their lips found each other. Slow, like they had all the time in the world because that’s what it felt like when they were together. Their worlds were currently a mess but they found each other despite of it and neither one of them ever planned on letting go.