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"We got it now!" yelled Ruby as the rest of her team surrounded a massive ape-like Grimm.
Ruby and Weiss rushed forward first, dodging its flailing arms and striking quickly. They fell back and Blake and Yang were up next. They wrapped up the Grimm in Gambol Shroud's ribbon and Yang held it tight while Blake stabbed the Grimm in the chest.
It growled and spit dark goo onto Blake's face before it finally faded into dust. Blake coughed and sputtered as she tried to get the vile tasting Grimm goo out of her mouth.
"Blake!" Yang called.
"I'm fine. Ugh, that is so gross," she said as she tried to wipe it off her face.
"Wait, wait, you're just spreading it," said Yang. "Let me?"
"Please."
Yang untied her orange bandana and wetted it with a bottle of water Weiss handed to her. Yang then held Blake's face and carefully wiped away the black sludge. "There. All done."
Blake opened her eyes. She winced. "I can still taste it." Weiss handed her the bottle of water. Blake took a gulp and swished before spitting it out onto the sand. She sighed. "That's better at least. Thanks."
"You okay?" asked Yang, softly tucking some hair behind Blake's human ear.
"Yeah. That was nasty, but yeah, I'm good."
Ruby was checking out the sand around them. "I think that was the last one. I'll call in for transport back for us."
Yang swung her arm over Blake's shoulders. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I don't know. Something just feels...off, I guess?"
Blake reached up to squeeze Yang's hand. "Same, but I'm really okay."
"Okay." Then Yang repeated almost to herself. "Okay."
The team headed back to Shade and after dinner, Blake felt abnormally more tired than normal.
"Blake?"
Blake blinked and focused on the voice. It was Ruby, but Weiss and Yang were also looking at her with concern.
"Yeah?" Blake responded.
"Are you okay?" asked Ruby.
"I wish people would stop asking me that. I'm tired is all."
"Okay..." said Weiss. "I don't believe you, but I suppose it has been a long day."
Yang bumped her shoulder against her girlfriend's. "Let's get some rest."
"Yeah. That sounds great," Blake replied, as she took Yang's hand and stood up.
Blake leaned into Yang as they made their way back to their dorm room.
As Yang closed the door to their room, she asked, "Want some tea? Or I can start a bath for you?"
Blake shook her head. "No, honestly, I just want to sleep."
Yang moved towards her and felt Blake's forehead. "No fever."
"I'm not sick. I'm tired, Yang."
"You got gooed by a Grimm, you are weirdly super tired, and something still feels wrong about you.''
"That's a great thing to say to your girlfriend," Blake bit back.
Yang winced. "Sorry, I'm not explaining myself well."
"I'm...just tired."
Yang raised her hands in surrender. "Okay. You're tired. Why don't you get ready for bed? I'll join you soon."
"Finally," Blake said as she headed to the bathroom.
By the time Blake was in sleep clothes and getting into bed, Yang was coming back into the room.
"Where'd you go?" asked Blake.
"Needed to talk to Ruby real quick."
"Hurry up. I'm not waiting for you to turn off the lights," Blake said as she turned off the lights and pressed her face into her pillow.
Blake was instantly asleep. Yang however could not say the same when she snuck into their bed.
Something was wrong with Blake, but Yang didn't know what. This unsettling feeling itched at Yang's skin. It started when Blake got hit by the Grimm goo. It had to be the reason for her girlfriend's weirdness.
Yang had handed off her Grimm goo stained bandana to Ruby and Weiss. They took it to Pietro who said he would analyze the substance, but likely there would be no answers until morning.
So Yang did the only thing she could think to and kept watch while Blake slept.
It was only a few hours before Blake's eyes shot open. It had happened so suddenly, that Yang blinked and in that blink Blake was off the bed.
"Blake?"
"Don't follow me," Blake spat, before heading towards the door.
Yang rushed to get in front of her. "Hell no. Talk to me. What's wrong?"
"Move!" Blake snarled.
Yang held up her hands in what she hoped was a placating gesture. "Sorry, but no."
What Yang never expected was the tremendous sudden blow to the side of her head. It was a far stronger blow than Yang ever encountered from her partner and it sent her flying. Yang crashed against the wall and it dazed her for a moment as her aura absorbed the hit. She was up and on her feet after just a moment, but it was long enough that Blake was nowhere to be seen.
Yang rushed out to try and find Blake, pulling out her scroll calling her sister.
"Yang?" Ruby sleepily grumbled. "It's late."
"There's something wrong with Blake! She ran off, but not before flinging me out of her way!"
"This is bad."
"No Shit. Talk to Pietro! I'll find Blake!"
Normally Yang probably wouldn't have found Blake but clearly whatever was possessing her had no interest in stealth. Yang followed Blake's path outside Academy grounds. There, with only sand for miles, Blake's form was easily seen.
"Blake!" Yang yelled as she caught to her.
Yang didn't have time to breathe before Blake was launching herself at Yang, an angry sneer on her face.
Yang went on the defensive. She certainly didn't want to hurt Blake. If she could keep Blake fighting her, focused on her, maybe she could buy enough time to the others to find a solution.
As Yang took the beating of her life, she tried to reach out to her girlfriend. "Blake! I know you're in there! Fight! Fight it! I know you can!"
But as Blake's ferocity didn't phase one bit, Yang was starting to wonder if her girlfriend could fight whatever it was.
Then with a strong kick to the chest, Yang's aura broke, and she hit the sand hard. Her chest was on fire. She couldn't breathe. She struggled to push herself up, but then a hand was lifting her straight up into the air by her throat.
Yang met angry amber eyes. "Blake..." she choked out.
Oxygen would soon be an issue and if this was it for her she had things left to say. "It's not...your fault...I know...it's not you...I love....love you..." Yang gasped as her vision started to blacken. She tried to keep her focus only on though eyes as the darkness claimed her.
Yang blinked her eyes open. She was laying on her side on the sand, everything hurting but still very much alive.
Yang pushed herself up to standing and turned the sounds of struggling now overcoming the ringing of her ears.
Weiss was holding Blake, frozen in place, with one of her glyphs while Ruby was circling Blake in a rush of flower petals, hitting Blake sporadically.
Yang rushed over to Weiss. "What's..." Yang bruised throat wouldn't cooperate, but Weiss understood enough.
"We're trying to lure the Grimm out of Blake, get it to pick a new host."
"So..." Yang winced. "You pick Ruby?" she yelled hoarsely.
"We have a plan. Now be quiet and let me concentrate."
All Yang could do was watch anxiously as Ruby kept up her assault on Blake. Yang didn't like this. Surely Blake was almost out of aura by now.
Hit. Hit. Hit. Ruby kept at it. Then the moment which Yang was worried about happened. Blake's aura broke.
"Ruby!" Yang yelled as loud as her throat would allow. Ruby stopped and moved towards Blake slowly.
No! Yang thought and she took a step towards the two.
"No," Weiss said sharply. "We have a plan. Trust us."
Yang nodded. "I do." Yang watched as Ruby taunted Blake or the Grimm within her.
"Look at how pathetic you are," said Ruby. "How weak. Defeated by a girl! So embarrassing for you."
Blake growled, before starting to choke.
"Ruby!" Weiss called. "Now!" Blake spat a black glob of Grimm goo at Ruby, but she was ready.
Ruby held up a shiny cloth and the goo headed straight into it and Ruby quickly dropped the cloth into a bag, and sealed it.
When Blake fell to her knees, Yang surged towards her girlfriend and caught Blake in her arms before she keeled over.
Yang held Blake against her and held her tightly. "I've got you. I've got you," Yang whispered to her, her voice rough.
Eventually Yang felt Blake's arms wrap around her.
"Yang..."
"You're okay. I'm here. You're okay now."
Blake pressed her face against Yang's neck. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she cried.
"Not your fault," Yang rasped.
Ruby and Weiss came over. "It's been a long night," Ruby started.
"Ruby is right. You two need some proper rest," said Weiss.
"We'll all take tomorrow off. We'll need it," said Ruby.
Yang looked at her sister and mouthed 'Thanks' at her before helping Blake stand up. Blake kept herself tucked against Yang's side and leaned heavily into her.
The four made their way back inside and Ruby and Weiss headed to deliver their bag of Grimm to Pietro while Yang and Blake headed to bed.
The couple stayed quiet as they got themself tucked under the covers.
Blake sniffled against Yang's skin and Yang held her tighter as the two fell into an uneasy, but borne of pure exhaustion, sleep.
When Yang woke in the morning, she hurt. Her aura had started to come back, but her throat and chest still burned uncomfortably.
She reached out blindly for her girlfriend, but only met empty air. Yang cracked her eyes open, but didn't see her girlfriend. After last night, Yang couldn't push her fear down.
She sprung out of bed and cursed softly at the pains in her protesting body. Her pain could wait once she knew Blake was safe. Fortunately for Yang, just then the door opened and Blake came inside with a tray of food.
"Sorry, I was trying to get back before you woke up."
Yang let out a sigh of relief. "I- " Yang's voice was still a bit hoarse.
"Hey, don't talk. Rest your voice," Blake insisted as she placed the tray on the bed. "Drink something."
But Yang looked Blake over first, looking for any possible hurt there.
Blake moved towards Yang. "I'm not hurt.. unlike you," she said sadly.
Yang raised her hands to cradle Blake's face. "Not...your...fault..."
Blake shook her head. "I know. Please, sit. Eat with me."
Yang sat and drank and ate as Blake chatted lightly, nervously. When they were finishing up, Blake nudged a bottle of painkillers towards her.
"Blake..."
"Yang. I hurt you..."
Yang started to protest, but Blake interrupted.
"Fine, an evil Grimm in my body hurt you, but you still got hurt. Please, take the painkillers."
Yang was weak to Blake's request, and took the offered pills with a gulp of orange juice. Blake rubbed her hand up and down Yang's calf. "How are you feeling?"
"I should...be asking you...that."
"Yang..." Blake tried to chastise, but failed. "I hate that my body hurt you, that it nearly killed you..."
Yang placed her left hand over Blake's. "It didn't..."
"No, it didn't, but it doesn't stop me from feeling guilty."
"You...shouldn't."
"But I do." Blake sighed, before looking back at Yang. "Can you…can you let me take care of you today? I think that might help...if that's alright with you?"
"It will...help?"
Blake smiled small and nodded. "It will."
"Then...I will," replied Yang, smiling.
Blake sent her a grateful smile. "Thank you." Blake leaned over to give Yang a peck on the lips. "I'm thinking we finish up, then I'll get a bath prepped for you, and after, lots of cuddling and rest." A thought struck Blake. "Wait, I can go grab Jaune."
Yang shook her head. "They need...him in...the infirmary...more. I'll be...back to...normal soon."
"I guess. How does all that sound then?"
Yang smiled. "Great."
Blake returned her smile. "I love you."
"Love you too," Yang responded before pulling her girlfriend into a deep kiss.