Chapter Text

Winter

"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness" - John Steinbeck

"You're shivering," Yang observed, already unwrapping her scarf and moving to thread it around Blake's neck. Blake half-heartedly tried to bat Yang away, but she couldn't help the sigh that left her lips as the scarf, pre-warmed with Yang's body heat, settled around her shoulders and tucked into the crook of her neck.

Blake huffed as Yang drew back, but she still smiled through her chattering teeth. "Thanks," Blake said, shoving her gloved hands even deeper into the recesses of her pockets. "It's freezing." She threw an faux-accusatory look at Yang. "You said it wasn't that cold."

"It's really not," Yang countered with a soft, not quite fully aborted laugh, as though she already knew that Blake was winding up with a glare at the ready. "It's above freezing."

"It's not."

"Technically, it is."

"By two degrees."

"Yang."

"Blake."

"It's cold."

"Hence why I gave you the scarf." Yang inclined her head pointedly, her hand reaching down for Blake's with a gentle graze on the back of her palm. Blake's heart skipped a beat as Yang pulled her hand up out of her pocket and pressed a kiss to her gloved knuckles, and Blake flushed almost warm again as their eyes met. "It's only a little while further," Yang promised. "I promise, the cold will be worth it."

Blake's nose scrunched up as her ear flicked to the side, but she nodded, squeezing Yang's hand back in return as their hands swung down between them. "I know it will be," she said , and she allowed Yang to continue leading her down the path to whatever surprise she had in store.

"And I did tell you to dress warmly," Yang added after a moment.

"I am dressed warmly!" she protested, gesturing toward her layers and hat and gloves and the pocket warmers nestled in the palms of her gloves. "It's not my fault Vale is colder than Kuo Kuana."

Yang squeezed her hand again, the warmth suffusing through her touch. "We'll get you adjusted sooner or later," Yang promised.

"It's been four years," Blake grumbled. "I doubt I"m getting adjusted any time soon." But Blake nonetheless relaxed as Yang's gentle touch. "And I would love to see you in one of Kuo Kuana's summers!"

"We'll have to visit, then," Yang said, and damn her, if Blake's heart didn't skip a beat again at her usage of we. Six months together, together after all those years of friendship, and the idea of them as an unit still enticed her, still made her blood pulse and sing, and Blake couldn't stop, didn't want it to stop, didn't want any of it to stop. Six months together, and Yang was making plans for the future, for their future, and it was almost enough for her to forget about the biting cold nipping at her nose.

Almost.

Then they rounded a corner, and Blake immediately realized where Yang was taking her. "Are we going ice skating?" she asked hesitantly, her heart hammering as she turned more toward Yang for the final confirmation.

Yang's previously easy smile turned sheepish. "Yeah," she said, and her lilac eyes briefly darted down before meeting Blake's gaze once more. "You said before that you've always wanted to go, and I don't think you've actually been yet, so I thought- yeah." Yang shook her head, her golden waves falling forward over her shoulders with the motion as she snuck a smile at Blake again. "If you don't want to try it, they do sell hot chocolate, and I figured that would warm you up, at the very least."

"You really thought of everything, huh?" Blake asked, and she squeezed Yang's hand. "You're going to have to help me on the ice," she warned, and she pulled Yang toward the open air ice rink.

Yang laughed, allowing herself to be tugged along. "I'm fine with that," she said, and Yang wiggled her brows. "I'll be your personal escort."

"Good."

Ten minutes and two pairs of skates strapped to their feet later, Yang's hands rested on Blake's hips as Blake took her tentative first step onto the ice from the safety of the rink's floor mats. "Holy shit, that's slippery!" Blake swore as her foot nearly slid out from under her, but between Yang steadying her from the back and her own tight-fisted grip onto the siding, Blake managed to stay upright.

"Did you think it wasn't going to be slippery?" Yang asked, her almost-laughing voice warm on the exposed shell of Blake's ear.

"I didn't expect it to be this slippery!" she said defensively, but Blake nonetheless took another slow step onto the ice, then another, then another, and then she was holding onto the siding with her right hand as Yang effortlessly skated around to Blake's side to hold her left hand. Blake gave Yang a pointed look, but she squeezed Yang's hand as she tried to figure out how to move forward without landing flat on her ass.

Yang, for her part, made it look impossibly easy. "Try this," Yang suggested, and Blake looked down at Yang's skates just in time to see the toe of her skates point outward before coming to point inward once more, rippling in and out and tracing curving bubbles onto the ice below them. Blake unsteadily mimicked the motion, letting out an unexpected shriek as her feet glided forward, seemingly of their own volition. "Keep going!" Yang encouraged, still skating beside her, and Blake did.

"How do I stop?" Blake asked, still forming the bubbles on the ice with her skates. They were almost a third of the way around the rink now, she realized, but her heart raced in her chest, and despite her years of running, this was unexpectedly tiring.

"Stop moving your feet, and we'll simply skate to a stop," Yang said. "If you need to stop short, lift your foot and plant your toe in the ice behind you, but we can also just slow down."

Blake didn't particularly trust herself with raising her foot off the ice, so she allowed her movements to stop as her body continued to coast forward into a lazing glide. "Okay, okay, I think I'm getting it," Blake said, and once she was fully stopped, she started up again, her hand on the siding of the rink still holding on tight. She didn't dare to look up from her feet, not yet, but she could feel the warmth of Yang smiling at her, and Blake's face flushed with the certainty of Yang's affection. "How did you learn to skate?" Blake asked as they continued to slowly skate around the rink.

"I took lessons as a kid," Yang explained. "My mom used to take me and Ruby every week, but Ruby liked it a lot more than I did. I didn't take the lessons for very long, to be honest, I preferred softball and basketball and basically every other sport over this, but for long enough to get the absolutely basic basics down." Yang chuckled to herself, and Blake's mouth curved up in a tentative smile as her heart fluttered in her chest. "I think I can handle myself on the ice because of it, though."

Blake nodded, and she squeezed Yang's hand. "I'm surprised you didn't like to play hockey," Blake said, and Yang let out a snort.

"And risk losing this glorious smile? Nah, no way." Yang flashed a bright and toothy grin at her, and Blake rolled her eyes. "Plus, I would've had to get up at the ass-crack of dawn for practice, and Weiss was always a morning person, but even she struggled with early rink times back in school. I'm good, thanks."

Blake watched Yang pushed forward, no longer making bubbles with her feet but simply skating, and Blake decided to try and mimic the motion, her center of gravity briefly disturbed and nearly sending her careening to the ground before she managed to right herself between Yang's support and the wall. Without missing a beat, Blake said, "Some of the winter track meets used to run until after midnight, it was terrible."

"I bet." Yang rolled her shoulders back, and Blake burrowed deeper into Yang's scarf as a sudden chill overcame her. "You're doing a really great job," Yang added, and Blake dared to raise her eyes from her feet all the way to Yang's face as she managed a slight smile.

"I haven't fallen yet, so that's something," Blake replied wryly, but Yang only inclined her head.

"I'm far from an expert, but I'm pretty positive that's more than something," she pointed out. Yang's elbow gently bumped her side, not quite enough to set her off balance but more than enough to be felt, and Blake caught Yang's soft gaze. "Don't be so hard on yourself." A gentle chiding, one that impossibly pierced through Blake's feeble attempt to wave her off, and Blake averted her gaze to the ice once more as Yang's voice softened. "You're pretty great."

"Thanks," Blake said after a moment, and she meant it, even as her throat constricted and Yang's sincerity nearly knocked her off her unsteady feet. Blake cleared her throat, and she tried to take Yang's words down into herself, if only for Yang's sake. "I might need a break soon," she warned, acutely aware of the growing ache in her feet.

"Yeah, me too," Yang said, and they quickly skated over to the side of the rink and entered the box. Blake teetered onto the mat, and she took slow, deliberate steps before taking a seat and sighing. Blake watched as Yang tilted her head back, her breath misting in the air as she exhaled, and met her gaze. "Happy six months, baby," Yang said, pressing forward to kiss Blake's cheek.

"Happy six months," Blake said as Yang's lips brushed her skin, and, despite the shivering she felt in her bones, Blake nonetheless warmed at Yang's touch. She snuggled closer into Yang's side, laying her head on Yang's shoulder as she watched the other skates race by in front of them. Blake tucked herself into Yang's side, neatly folded against her, and she allowed herself to catch her breath.

For a moment, they both watched the ice skaters in front of them, quiet and holding each other. Blake reveled in the silent warmth between them, and she squeezed Yang tight to her. "You know, this is really nice," she said, and Yang's smile was audible.

"You sound surprised."

"Not surprised," Blake countered, "just… really, really happy."

She was.

Yang grinned back at her, obviously pleased with herself. "Good," she said. "That was the goal." Yang nodded at Blake's skates. "You wanna get skating again, or do you need a few more minutes?"

"We can skate," Blake said, and as she stood, she opened the gate to step out back onto the ice. She kept one hand tight on the rim of the rink as she skated forward, Yang following close behind her.

"Your feet are going to hurt after this," Yang warned. "But once we get some hot chocolate in you, you'll forget all about that."

Blake nodded, but the motion nearly set her off balance, and she scrambled to cling closer to the siding before her feet could slid out from under her. "You okay there?" Yang asked, already there and helping her back into a steady stance. Blake nodded, and Yang guided her up before her hand found Blake's with a squeeze. "Take it easy," Yang coaxed. "We're in no rush."

"I know," Blake said, and she squeezed Yang's hand back once, twice, three times before allowing herself to settle into Yang's grip. "Tell me more about this hot chocolate," she ordered, her eyes on the ice below them.

"It's hot chocolate," Yang answered cheekily. Blake dared to glance up to give her a look, but Yang was already continuing, "I think they have a special dark hot chocolate, sometimes, and they might have it today, but we'll have to check to be sure." Blake nodded. "They also had a white hot chocolate a couple years ago, I think, but I'm not sure if anyone liked it, because they haven't brought it back since."

"Well, white chocolate isn't chocolate, so that's probably for the best."

Yang chuckled. "If it's not chocolate, what would you call it?"

"White confection?"

"White confection?"

"Like a confection, like a treat, you know?"

"No, yeah, I know what you mean, you just came up with that really fast."

Blake shrugged. "I didn't," she admitted. "I got it from someone else, but I can't remember who. Probably Weiss."

Yang chuckled, and Blake cracked a smile. "Probably Weiss," Yang agreed, and she squeezed Blake's hand again. "Don't you like white chocolate?"

"I mean, yeah, but it's not real chocolate. Technically."

"Technically, a hamburger isn't made of ham, either."

Blake snuck a glance at Yang to find her smiling. "Alright, that's fair," she ceded. "Maybe it can be considered a chocolate, maybe."

"Oh, yeah?" Yang teased. "Maybe?"

"Maybe," she repeated, daring to elbow Yang lightly. "I'll have to take it up with the committee?"

"The committee?"

"Your sister, probably. If she'll accept white chocolate covered strawberries, then I'll accept it as a chocolate."

"You're on."

Spring

"The bees are flying. They taste the spring." - Sylvia Plath

"I'm warning you, I am going to be competitive," Yang said as they picked out their brightly colored putters. "Mini golf is my shit."

"All I'm saying is mini golf is my shit, too, so you're going to have to swallow that pride and learn to lose with grace," Blake teased, her pale purple golf ball in one hand and bright blue putter in the other. Yang's sunflower yellow ball was clutched tight in Yang's hand, the vibrant yellow almost blending in against the yellow and gray metal, as Yang selected the taller green golf club.

"Alright, then, what're we betting on this?" Yang asked, bright delight dancing in her eyes as she glanced up at Blake.

"Loser buys ice cream afterward," she said after a moment, and Yang nodded.

"You're on." A moment later, Yang's smile melted with curiosity. "Why is it that ice cream is so often found in and around mini golf places?" she mused. "Like, I can think of at least three separate mini golf locations I've been to that also simultaneously sell ice cream. What's up with that?"

"Ice cream is great, and so is mini golf. It's a good business model." They started walking toward the first hole, and Blake's ear flicked behind her as the waterfall crashed onto rocks ahead of them. "What are you going to get later?" Blake asked, inclining her head for Yang to go first.

Yang set up her ball on the starting spot and assumed prime putting position. "You're going to be buying me cookies and cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top," Yang said cheerfully, over-swinging her club and sending her golf ball clear to the other end of the hole before it bounced off the back siding and came racing back toward them once more. Blake raised her brow as the sunflower yellow ball rolled almost exactly back to Yang's feet, and Yang gave her sheepish grin. "Uh, do we get a Mulligan?" Yang asked, a flush covering her freckled cheeks and chest as her voice turned sweet, but Blake still heard the slight tremor of frustration there.

Blake considered. "I thought mini golf was your shit," she said, teasingly light, and Yang's grin cocked to the side. "I thought you wouldn't need a Mulligan."

"I don't," Yang said baldly, "but, y'know, your beauty-"

"Mhm?"

"You're just so distracting, standing there, all goddess-like."

"Mhm, of course."

"So distracting. I think I should get a Mulligan, just because, y'know, you're so beautiful."

"If you get a Mulligan, I get a Mulligan. And we should establish now if we're doing Mulligans on every hole, or just once, or on every hole but just on the first hit-"

"Brothers, okay, uh, the last one," Yang said, and Blake nodded. "So I plead my Mulligan for this hole."

Blake inclined her head, giving Yang an exaggerated go-ahead signal with a bow. "After you," she said sweetly. Blake couldn't hold in her laugh as Yang repeated the shot almost identically, but this time, the ball wound up three feet in front of Yang's feet after bouncing off the back. Blake rubbed Yang's shoulder, pressing up onto her toes to kiss her freckled cheek before bending down and positioning her own ball just so. Blake struck the ball, and she watched as it effortlessly glided over the course to just beside the hole, a mere six inches away at a cursory glance. Her eyes flicked up to Yang, who was grinning at her and giving a long, slow clap. "I want strawberry soft serve," Blake said, and Yang laughed, nodding.

"Alright, I think that can be arranged," Yang said, and Blake grinned. Blake walked forward to the side of the course closest to her ball as Yang said, "But it's not over yet."

"No, it's not," Blake agreed, and she watched as Yang's ball shot around the inside of the course like a pinball in a machine, "but I should have mentioned Ilia and I used to go to mini golf ever Friday during high school."

A brief silence, and then Yang groaned, tilting her head up to the sky. "Dammit," Yang swore, but there was only a smile on her face, no tinge of regret or anger to be found. Then Yang shrugged, squared her shoulders, and took another shot at her ball. "Guess we'll just have to see how badly you can beat me, then," she said cheekily, and Blake found herself grinning back at Yang.

"You're on."

One more stroke from Blake and four more strokes from Yang later, and then they were onto the next hole, one with a rounded hill in the center. Yang started first again, and Blake watched as her girlfriend's ball rolled almost all the way up the hill before quickly rolling back down. "Okay, I cannot watch eighteen holes of this," Blake announced, and she took up position behind Yang, reaching forward for Yang's wrists and guiding her into a better stance. "Let me help."

"Are you coming onto me right now?" Yang asked, mischief tinting her voice.

Blake pressed a kiss to Yang's bare shoulder before continuing in her practical instruction. "It's less like an actual golf swing and more of tap," Blake said, guiding Yang through the motions. "We can call this a practice round." They moved together through the putting, and Blake smiled as Yang's yellow ball rounded over the hill and coasted by the hole.

"Can't this just count for one of my strokes?" Yang asked, laughter lilting her words.

"I don't see why not." Blake took a step back, even as she was reluctant to leave Yang's side, and she returned to a more socially appropriate distance between them.

"Can't you just help me every round?" Yang's voice was innocently hopeful, even as she smirked, and Blake rolled her eyes. "You can be my lucky charm?"

"I think that would ruin our game," Blake pointed out, but she still smiled.

"I'm fine with that."

"No, you're not."

"Okay, that's true, I do want to lose honestly, but it sure is nice to feel your arms around me."

Blake laughed. "I can always just give you a hug before you swing?" she suggested, and Yang laughed with her.

"I'll take whatever you're offering." Yang gave her a dopey grin, and Blake's heart warmed in her chest at the sight. "You know, I haven't gone mini golfing in years," Yang said, and she rolled her shoulders back. "I thought it would come back to me faster than this." Blake watched as Yang pointedly stared straight ahead. "I thought it'd be easier than this," she admitted, a touch quieter.

"That just means we should come here more often," Blake said, and she watched as Yang's ball swirled around the hole before swirling away toward the side. "Closer," she said encouragingly, and Yang gave her a brighter smile.

"Thanks, babe," Yang said, and she inclined her head for Blake to take her turn.

Blake putted, and she bit her lip to keep a curse from slipping out as her ball rolled just past the hole. Blake looked up at Yang. "Mind if I just hit this in?" she asked, but Yang was already nodding.

"Go for it," Yang encouraged. Blake hit again, and she smiled as her ball struck true. "What did you and Ilia like about mini golfing?" Yang asked as the ball swirled around inside the hole.

Blake picked up her ball as she considered the question, her ears flicking to the side. "It was our ritual," she said finally. "We started it freshman year, one random Friday, and we just didn't stop. It just became our thing, and we would just go mini golfing and then get ice cream-"

"See! Ice cream and mini golf, it's a thing!" Yang cut in before looking sheepish. "Sorry to cut you off."

"It's okay," Blake assured her, and she leaned in to give Yang a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

"What did you used to get?" Yang asked as Blake pulled back. "With Ilia, I mean. Did you have an usual order, or did it rotate week to week?"

"It rotated week to week," she confirmed before slyly adding, "but I would usually get some variation of strawberry ice cream and sprinkles, to be honest."

Yang nodded sagely. "A solid choice," she proclaimed, stroking her chin as though she had a beard. "Very respectable."

Blake gave her a mock-salute. "Thank you."

Yang repeated the motion in return before turning her attention to the mini golf course once more and striking her ball almost into the hole, her face lighting up with excitement. "Look at that!" Yang said, obviously pleased with herself. "Now let me just-" Yang neatly putted the yellow ball into the hole, and Blake let out a whoop.

"Let's go!" she cheered just as Yang looked up at her with a wide grin on her mouth.

"You really are my lucky charm," Yang said, and even as Blake's face warmed, it was nothing compared to the blush flooding through Yang's freckled face. Blake allowed herself a moment to simply study Yang's expression, to take in the beauty of Yang's glowing features and brilliant eyes, as her own chest tightened. Yang grinned at her. "Come on, let's do this."

By the end of the night, they had long since stopped keeping track of the exact score between them. "You probably only beat me by one or two strokes," Yang said before carefully licking her cookies and cream scoop to keep it from dripping down onto her palm.

"Probably," Blake agreed. The taste of victory had never been so sweet, not with ice cream on her tongue and Yang's hand in her own as they sat outside the mini golf course on a wooden bench. She swirled the tip of the cone onto her tongue and allowed herself a grin. "Definitely."

"Totally," Yang agreed, and she laid her head on Blake's shoulder with a yawn. "Not gonna lie, losing is hard work."

Blake snorted, but she tilted her head back onto Yang's. "I can only imagine," she teased, squeezing Yang's hand. Yang let out a soft scoff, but her smile was still audible. Blake took another lick of her cone. "Losing does sound really hard. I wonder what that's like."

"Do we need to go back to the ice rink?" Yang asked, poking Blake in the side with her forefinger. "See who does better on ice again?"

"Hey, I'm getting better," Blake countered. "You said it yourself."

"I did," Yang agreed, "and I'm still better than you."

Blake rolled her eyes and elbowed Yang back in the ribs. "Jerk."

"Butt." Blake laughed, and a moment later Yang joined her, the sound warm and lovely. Blake rubbed the side of her ankle against Yang's bare calf before lazily swinging her foot back and forth beneath the bench. She looked up at the night sky above them, studying the far away stars before pressing a kiss to Yang's cheek. "I love you."

Yang squeezed her hand one, twice, three times. I love you, silent but not unheard as Yang nuzzled Blake's cheek. "You're pretty great, you know that?" Yang asked.

"I like to think so," Blake said lightly, but Yang didn't let up.

"You're great, and I love you, and I like you a lot," Yang finished, squeezing Blake's hand again. "You're amazing, and I don't want you to ever forget that."

"If I do, I trust that you'll remind me," Blake said, softening her tone.

Yang stretched upward with another yawn, partially disentangling herself from Blake's side as she did. "I will," Yang promised, "always." Then she elbowed Blake in the side again, and Blake rolled her eyes even as she still smiled.

"Yes?"

"I should also remind you that you have work tomorrow," Yang said, and Blake groaned, immediately burying her face in Yang's shoulder. "That we both have work tomorrow, so I should drop you off soon."

"Not yet," Blake said, a smile tugging at her mouth as she caught the aroma of Yang's perfume, sweet and smoky and warm, on her neck. "Not yet."

Yang sighed, but Blake knew she had already acquiesced. "Fine," Yang drawled, and she licked at her swiftly diminishing ice cream. "We'll finish our ice cream first, and then I'm taking you home."

"Take your time," Blake said, looking down at the half-eaten cone in her hand. "We've got time."

"You have to be up early!" Yang protested.

Blake shrugged. "That's a problem for tomorrow," she said, and before Yang could come back with some retort, Blake leaned in and kissed her, soft and slow. Yang immediately melted into the kiss, and Blake couldn't help her own smile as she felt Yang kiss her back. "I love you," she said as they broke the kiss, studying Yang's lilac eyes as Yang brushed a stray strand of golden hair back behind her ear.

"I love you too.”

Summer

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate" - William Shakespeare

"It's so hot," Yang complained, only mere steps ahead of Blake on the trail. Blake allowed herself a private grin as her grip on the straps of her backpack tightened with a step forward of her own, and she rolled her shoulders back to ease some of the building tension there. Yang twisted to look back at her, her freckled nose scrunching up as she groaned, "Aren't you hot?"

Blake shrugged, the weight of her pack moving with the movement. "It's fine," she said neutrally, doing her best to hide her instinctive and immediate smile. Yang tilted her head up to the sky with another groan, and this time, Blake couldn't resist a smile as she chuckled at her girlfriend's antics.

"Stupid heat wave," Yang muttered, toeing a pebble along the trail before giving it a full kick forward and sending it skittering up the path. "Stupid humidity index."

"You were the one who wanted to go hiking today," Blake pointed out with no small amount of delight. "What was it you said? That today was a perfect day for a hike?" Yang groaned louder, obviously playing up her discomfort, and then she slowed just enough to fall in stride with Blake once more. Blake gave her girlfriend a soft elbow to the side. "We're almost there," Blake continued, nodding to the path of ahead of them. "It isn't too much further." And then, just because she could, she added, "Aren't you glad we put sunscreen on?"

Yang sighed, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly. "Unfortunately," she said, rubbing the back of her neck, exactly where Blake had fretted earlier this morning would get burned and had spent maybe too much time applying sunscreen to. Still, she couldn't bring herself to regret it, not when the safety practice had allowed her hands to linger on Yang's skin for more than a moment. It was already mid-summer, and Yang's skin was completed covered in freckles everywhere the sun touched, and Blake smiled at the countless constellations on Yang's skin. Yang's lilac eyes slid up to meet Blake's, a teasing smile of her own in place. "And aren't you glad that you wore a hat?"

Blake rolled her eyes and elbowed Yang, a little sharper this time but still tender. "It's almost like we're good for each other or something," she said, and Yang's eyes crinkled at the edges.

"Almost," Yang agreed.

Blake rolled her shoulders back, her backpack moving up and down with the motion. "I think there's a pebble in my shoe," she admitted after another moment of silence, and Yang snorted.

"You wanna stop and shake it out?" Yang asked.

"Nope."

"Then why you'd say it?"

"I just felt you should know."

Yang let out another laugh, shaking her head this time. "Alright, then," she said. "We'll have to shake it out when we get there."

"That's the plan." Blake nonetheless jostled her foot as she lifted it for her next step, and the pebble move from the base of her heel to the flat of her sole with the movement. Blake winced as she stepped, and again, she shook her foot, moving the stone to just beyond her toes, and she grinned to herself in victory. "I'm good," she announced, only to find Yang already smiling at her.

"I know you are."

Blake rolled her eyes, but she was all too pleased with her work to even pretend at being annoyed. She looked up at Yang, took in her girlfriend's ever-smiling visage and blonde bouncing ponytail and powerful stride, and Blake smiled to herself once more. Yang looked like an Amazonian warrior from days of old in her tank top and running shorts, and Blake's heart stirred to life. "You're so beautiful," Blake found herself saying, almost out of her conscious control, and Yang turned her head to look at her, cocking her head to the side with a smile.

"Thanks," Yang said, her grin turning cheeky, and she gave Blake a pronounced twirl, her ponytail spinning out into a river of golden in the air before snapping back into place. "You're not half bad yourself, Belladonna."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." Yang's brows knit together, and Blake allowed Yang to study her for a moment. "You're gorgeous too, you know," Yang said, and a blush flooded through Blake's cheeks with the words. "Like, you're stunning, a total knock-out-"

"Alright, alright," Blake tried, but Yang wasn't done.

"And you're really important to me," she finished, and by the time Blake looked her in the eyes, Yang's face was flushed bright as her throat bobbed. A quiet pause settled over them, and then Yang blurted out, "What if we moved in together?"

Blake completely stopped in her step, but Yang came around to face her, already barging ahead with her proposition. "I mean, you said that your lease is up this month, and I have so much space, way too much space, ever since Ruby moved out, and-"

"Are you sure?" Blake asked, unable to help herself.

Yang's eyes crinkled at the corners. "I was the one who asked you," she pointed out, cocking her hip, "but yes, I'm- I'm sure. I've, uh, I've kind of given this a lot of thought." Yang averted her gaze, letting out a tight and breathless laugh. "I want to live with you. And I totally get it if you don't want to move into my apartment just yet, or ever, I just figured you'd be the one to move in with me because your lease is up and my rate's pretty decent and my apartment is closer to both our jobs, but if you wanted to find somewhere together, we could do that, too-"

Blake surged forward, reaching for Yang's cheeks as she kissed her. Yang was quick to melt into the kiss, and by the time they broke apart for air, Yang looked more than slightly dazed. "Is, uh, is that a yes, you want to move in, or a shut up, you're ridiculous kiss?" she asked, and Blake's chest lightened as she laughed.

"It's a yes, I do want to move in with you kiss, and a shut up, you're completely ridiculous kiss," she confirmed. "And a thank you for asking kiss."

"Oh, good," Yang said, relief cresting over her brow. "I was, uh, I really wasn't sure if you'd want to, I mean, I'd hoped you'd say yes, and I thought you would, but you never know, you know? And-"

"I need you to take a breath," Blake said, taking Yang's hand in her own and kissing the back of her palm without breaking eye contact. Yang sucked in a breath, her chest expanding as she did. "Good. Now exhale." Yang's cheeks puffed out, and Blake pressed their foreheads together. "I would love nothing more than to move in with you," she confirmed, not looking away from Yang for even a moment. "I love you."

Yang beamed at her, her smile breaching the border into full-on a goofy grin. "I love you too," Yang said so honestly, so earnestly, that Blake's heart stuttered in her chest. Yang pressed their foreheads even closer together, but her lovely eyes were bright as she said, "We're gonna need to figure out to move all your books. We're going to need a fork lift."

"Hey, I don't have that many books," Blake protested. "There's still room to grow!"

"Oh, totally, you've definitely got room to go," Yang agreed, "but that doesn't mean you don't have enough books for your own personal library." A beat. "I guess our personal library now?" she asked, raising her brows in question hopefully.

Blake hummed, tilting her head. "I suppose it can be our personal library," she said. "Especially since I know you have more than your fair share of books yourself."

"Not as many as you!"

"No, but plenty enough." Blake pressed up onto her toes and kissed Yang's mouth, sweetly and briefly, before pulling back. "I-" Her chest tightened, and she stared into Yang's eyes. "I really want to live with you," she admitted, heat creeping up over the back of her neck.

"Well, that's good!" Yang said brightly. "Because that's what we're gonna do." Yang bent down to kiss Blake once more before taking her hand and pulling them both up the path. "Come on, I think we're almost there, you said?"

"Yeah, we're almost there, it's just past these trees," Blake confirmed, but she allowed herself a moment to look down at their interlaced hands and to smile to herself before she focused on the hike once more.

They slowed their gait as they broke through the treeline, but instead of taking in the view ahead of them, Blake watched Yang as she saw the view for the first time. Blake knew well that the mountain and all its greenery made for a stunning landscape, especially with the lake down below, but that wasn't the point of this hike, not for her, not today. No, today was all about showing Yang one of her favorite hikes and getting to see the awe reflected in Yang's lovely lavender eyes that mirrored her own. Today was all about sharing her love of this place with Yang. Blake's throat thickened, and she squeezed Yang's hand once, twice, three times before taking a step forward together.

Around them, the wind whipped at their sun-warmed cheeks, and Blake inhaled, grateful for the mild and immediate reprieve from the heat. "This is amazing," Yang said, not taking her eyes off of their surroundings. "I can see why this is your favorite hike."

"Was it worth the wait?" Blake asked, and Yang nodded, only then meeting her gaze.

"Yeah," Yang said, throat bobbing. "It was." Yang took her time in reveling in the sight before them, and Blake studied her girlfriend all the while. The top of her golden head was wreathed in a crown of sunlight, and Yang's lavender eyes were as clear as the cloudless sky above them. The awe in Yang's eyes could have stolen Blake's breath away, nearly did steal her breath away, and Blake could only watch her.

After more than a mere moment of allowing herself to observe, Blake set her backpack on the ground and pulled out the supplies she'd snuck into her bag earlier that morning. "I brought us some sketch pads," she admitted, knowing full well that Yang was watching her now, "because I thought we should maybe draw for a bit." She handed Yang her own set of colored pencils, a small sharpener, and a drawing pad before taking out her own. "I thought it could be a cute thing for us to do, a nice memento to have."

"I love that," Yang said, already moving to sit down on the rock beneath their feet. "I love you."

Blake's heart skipped a beat, and she slowly sat down besides Yang, her heart racing in her chest. "I love you too," she said, and she opened her drawing pad up to a fresh page. Blake looked around them, trying to find the exact view she wanted to draw before settling on the edge of the lake as her subject.

Blake wasn't sure how long they sat there drawing for. Sure, she snuck furtive glances at Yang as they worked, even as Yang positioned her sketch so that Blake couldn't see it, but that wasn't what Blake was looking for when she looked at her girlfriend. By the time Blake moved on from sketching to coloring her work in with pencils, she felt sweat beading at the back of her neck and trailing down her spine from the sunlight shining down above them. "Do you want to move into the shade?" Blake asked without looking up as she shaded in the blue hues of the water down below.

"Nah, I'm almost done," Yang said, and Blake knew without looking that her face was scrunched up in concentration with the tip of her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she worked. "Are you?"

Blake studied her sketch, tilting her head back and forth. "I'm getting there," she said finally.

"It doesn't have to be perfect," Yang reminded her.

"I know," Blake dismissed. "But it's fun, and I'm enjoying myself."

"Good." Out of the corner of her eye, Yang looked up, rolling her neck around her shoulders before she dove back into her piece. "I'm enjoying myself, too."

"That was the goal," Blake said, a warmth stirring in her chest. "You've been drawing a lot more lately." A casual observation, even as Blake knew the weight her words warranted.

"I guess I have," Yang admitted slowly. "I didn't realize you'd noticed." A beat. "It's been nice, looking at the world through that lens again, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Blake said, because even though she wasn't half the artist Yang was, she knew exactly what she meant. "And maybe I like watching you draw, too," she admitted slyly, darting to look at Yang again only to meet Yang's gaze this time.

Yang's throat bobbed. "Yeah?" she asked, almost shyly, and Blake nodded.

"Yeah." Yang still beamed at her, but this smile was still shier, more tentative, and Blake nudged Yang with the toe of her sneaker. "I love your art, so this wasn't a wholly selfless act, to be clear," Blake confessed, and Yang rolled her eyes, but the expression was too tender to be anything but fond.

"Thanks," Yang replied, the softness of her voice strumming Blake's heartstrings. Yang rolled her head around her shoulders again in slow, purposeful stretch, and Blake watched her as Yang simultaneously pulled her right arm into herself. Blake allowed the silence to linger between them; it was not an uncomfortable, unsure silence but instead one of thoughtfulness and breath, for both of them.

Then Yang cleared her throat and shook her head. "I will say, one benefit of this thing is how much harder it is to smear graphite," she said, giving her arm a light shake. Blake nodded, and Yang continued, "I mean, it still does, but not as easily." Yang shrugged, and some of the tension held in her shoulders rolled off her back and down into the rock below them. "It's the little things."

Blake nodded again. "It's the little things," she echoed, and that smile twitched at Yang's mouth once more.

"Yeah," she said. Yang flexed her fingers, metal and flesh alike, studying her hands for a moment before picking up her drawing pad once more. Then she turned the drawing pad around to face Blake. "And the big things, too," Yang added, her smile turning wide once more.

Blake couldn't stop the soft, "Oh!" that left her as she took in Yang's portrait of her. Blake studied the familiar fullness of her cheeks, the slant of her own eyes, the curve of her own smiling lips, knowing full well her current grin was far wider than the one Yang had drawn. Blake swallowed hard, her heart suddenly racing in her chest as she searched for the words. "You were supposed to draw the view," was all that came out, and Yang was quick to tilt her head up toward the sky and laugh.

Then Blake was laughing, too, and her chest filled with warmth that wasn't from the sweltering heat, and her fingertips just ghosted over the paper, curving along the lines of of her drawn curls. "I was inspired," Yang said, and Blake looked up from the portrait to meet Yang's gaze once more. Yang shrugged, but there was a flush already creeping up over her cheeks and chest. "You're my muse, I guess." Yang shook her head. "No, not I guess, you are my muse, and I don't just mean artistically, Blake-"

"I know," Blake said, her gaze softening, but Yang still continued.

"-I mean, like, you inspire me every day to find the best part of the day in every day, and you usually are the best part of my day, honestly, and I want to live with you because you are the best part of my day." Yang's throat bobbed as she swallowed down a breath. "You're the best part of my day. And you have been, for a long time."

Blake took Yang's hand in her own and gave a forceful, tender squeeze as she leaned in and pressed her lips to Yang's, insistent and yet soft. "I love you," she said as they broke apart, their foreheads still pressed together. Yang nodded, but Blake only repeated, "I love you. All of you."

Yang nodded again, and Blake returned her nod in kind. "You're my best friend," Yang said, and she gently pushed her forehead against Blake's.

"You're my best friend, too," Blake said, and the edges of Yang's eyes crinkled.

"Good." Then Yang leaned in and kissed her once more, and Blake kissed her.

After a moment, Yang pulled back from the kiss, tilting her head. "I just realized," she began, "but is that pebble still in your shoe?" she asked, raising a brow, and Blake couldn't stop a snort as she nodded.

"Yup."

Autumn

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall" - F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Honey, I'm home!" Yang's voice rang out through their entire apartment, and Blake quickly wiped her hands off on the closest towel to her as she turned toward the hallway only a half-second before Yang appeared there. Yang wore an easy grin as she let her hair down from her work-standard ponytail, shaking her waves out as she spotted Blake standing near the oven. "What's cooking, good looking?" Yang asked, smoothly and quickly closing the distance between them as she kissed Blake's forehead and wrapped her arms around her.

Blake tilted her head up toward Yang, reveling in the warmth of Yang's embrace before saying, "It's a surprise." Yang raised a brow at her, but Blake smiled innocently, leaning up onto her toes to peck Yang's lips. "You can probably guess," she murmured as she pulled away.

Yang's face scrunched up as she inhaled and cocked her head. Then her eyes lit up in recognition. "Are you making lasagna?" she hedged, and Blake had barely started to nod before Yang fist-pumped the air, grinning wide. "Yes!" Yang's embrace tightened around her as Yang lifted her up and spun her around their kitchen. "What did I do to earn your lasagna?" she mused, and Blake couldn't help the way her own mouth twitched upward.

"Take a guess?" Blake suggested, and Yang grinned in delight.

"Alright," Yang said, and her brows knit together as she considered her options. Then her eyes lit up. "Was it that thing I did-"

"So specific," she teased.

"-with fixing the dishwasher? Because, babe, that benefits the both of us, and it really was an easy fix-" But Blake shook her head, and Yang cut herself off with a tilt of the head as she reconsidered. "Was it because I brought you lunch the other day?" she asked.

"Partially," Blake confirmed, and Yang beamed at her.

"Partially? I'll take partially!" Yang's wide grin made Blake chuckle, and she pressed their foreheads together as they slowly spun around their kitchen in a warm embrace. "Because I partially guessed it right, does that mean you'll tell me why you're making a meal as intensive as lasagna on a Thursday?"

Blake allowed herself a moment to revel in smiling at her girlfriend before she answered. "Because you brought me lunch the other day, and because I realized that it's been almost a year since I made it last," she said.

"So just 'cause you felt like it, then?"

"That, and because I was feeling sappy and I wanted to surprise you." Yang's mouth curled up with surprise, and Blake added, "You're not the only one who can do surprises, you know."

"Oh, trust me, I know," Yang agreed. "I just didn't realize you were this sly, Miss Belladonna."

"Sly?"

"Oh yeah. I didn't notice that anything was different until I walked in the door, babe, like, what, did you go grocery shopping for everything today or did you just hide it all in the fridge?" Yang asked. "Because if I knew we had slices of fresh mozzarella, I would've eaten it all yesterday."

"I can't give away all my secrets, Miss Xiao Long," Blake teased. Yang's eyes softened at the corners as her lower lip stuck out in the slightest pout, and Blake immediately found herself continuing, "But yes, I got the mozzarella today, because you know and I know it's better fresher. And if I'd gotten it earlier, you would've found it and eaten it, or I'd have eaten it all myself."

Yang let out a laugh, and Blake could practically taste the sound of her delight as it ran down the back of Blake's own throat. "That makes sense," Yang said, and Blake allowed herself to close her eyes as she leaned in and nuzzled against the side of Yang's neck. Yang's arms briefly tightened around her, pulling Blake in closer before relaxing back to a comfortable hold. "Do you have any more mozzarella?" Yang asked sheepishly.

"I do," Blake said, but she still didn't pull back, not until she kissed the corner of Yang's jaw. Then she stepped back and turned toward the counter where the pieces of cheese she had left specifically for them rested, still in the wax paper. Blake handed Yang a slice of cheese before taking one for herself, and then they simultaneously dipped their own slices into the sauce still bubbling away on the stove top.

Blake took a bite, and, immediately, the myriad of spices in the sauce flooded her senses alongside the sweet-savory blast of tomato. Basil and garlic and onion and oregano, all of it in harmony and delightfully sharp against the soft creaminess of the cheese on her tongue. Blake swallowed just in time to catch Yang as she let out an undoubtedly exaggerated moan of delight. "That is so good," Yang said, taking another bite. "How is cheese so beautiful?"

Blake shrugged, nibbling at her slice. "I don't know, but it really is," she agreed.

Then Yang wrapped an arm around her waist, and Yang's head came to rest on Blake's. "Thanks for making dinner, babe," Yang said, squeezing her side before kissing the top of her head. "You're the best."

Blake didn't bother protesting, instead allowing herself to take the compliment into her chest as her lungs filled with warmth and she polished off her snack. "How was work?" she asked, and Yang chuckled.

"Good. Most of the class turned in their papers, and those that didn't actually emailed before midnight last night to ask for an extension, so I'm pretty thrilled with that," Yang said. "I started grading some while still on campus, and they're actually pretty decent, especially considering it's only midterms."

"It's almost like you're a good teacher or something," Blake teased.

Yang squeezed her side but nonetheless continued, "I mean it, though! They're even better than usual. So either I'm at the top of my game, or these kids have actually been listening to me when I talk."

"Or both," Blake said, and Yang let out a snort of agreement.

"Or both."

Blake smiled, and she allowed herself to close her eyes, if only for a moment, before she stepped out from Yang's side and began to usher her girlfriend out of the kitchen. "Now, I want you to go and do whatever you have to do to get ready for dinner while I finish up in here," she instructed, shooing Yang out. Yang raised her hands up in surrender, but not before she ducked down to kiss Blake once more, swift and sweet.

"I love you," Yang said. Her voice warm and gooey, and Blake's heart melted.

"I love you, too," Blake said, and she allowed herself a moment more to study Yang's features before all but pushing her out of the kitchen. "Go do your grading so I can focus in here."

"Do I have to do my grading?"

"You just said that these papers are decent!"

"Yeah, but-" Yang let out a projected sigh, running her hand through her hair along the side of her scalp. "Can I grade in here?" she asked, and Blake nodded. "Great, I'll be right back, then."

Blake watched her go, and once Yang rounded the corner, she continued washing the dishes. The lasagna would come out in a few minutes and sit for a little while before it would be ready, but that gave her time to finish cleaning up and to maybe start lesson planning for the week ahead. One of the perks of working in a preschool was the early end to her days, even if it felt as though they started at the crack of dawn sometimes, and Blake had used that time to full advantage today by shopping for ingredients and by getting a jump start on cooking. As much as she and Yang wished they could trade schedules sometimes, or that their free time overlapped a bit more, Blake much preferred teaching earlier on in the day, and Yang didn't seem to mind the afternoon and occasional night class, not when she loved the material she taught so much. One of the perks of being a university professor, Blake supposed.

Blake set the table and not the counter they usually ate at, and she even bothered to grab the fancy china her mother had insisted Blake keep after her parents had visited Vale a few weeks ago. "You're making a new home together now, and you're adults," Kali had said then. "You two deserve some nice tableware."

You two, not just Blake. Yang hadn't heard that part, had been too busy laughing with Ghira, but Kali's words stoked the fire growing inside Blake into a roaring cacophony, and Blake knew her mother knew it, too. That Kali knew with the same certainty Blake did that she had found her person, and that Yang was a part of their family, as though she hadn't already been for years now, ever since Blake and Yang had met back in college and had been bonded at the hip since. And Ruby and Weiss were part of that family, too, but it was slightly more literal with Yang. Or it would be soon enough.

Maybe some might consider a year and a half of dating as too soon to propose, but those people weren't factoring in the years of friendship they'd shared before that. Those people didn't know about how Yang had made Blake's heart beat again, and they didn't know about how Blake had stood by Yang's side through thick and thin. They didn't know about any of the particular intimacies of their relationship, and they didn't need to know; it wasn't any of their business that Blake had begun searching for just the right ring at Polendina's Trinkets weeks ago, and it certainly wasn't their business how Blake had decided to design Yang's rings herself, with Penny's knowledge and technical input to guide her, of course. Some might consider them rushing into things, that Blake was rushing into things, but Blake knew they weren't. Blake loved Yang, and Yang loved Blake; it was that simple.

And they had talked about marriage before, over long evenings and quiet mornings spent together. Blake didn't know if Yang knew exactly when it was coming, but Yang nonetheless knew a proposal would come soon. Not tonight, of course, not with a day of work weighing on them both and a stack of papers to grade for Yang and then a matching mountain of lesson plans to do for Blake, but soon. Soon.

Once the table was set and the dishes were drying, Blake took up position at the counter with clear view of the oven as she began to organize herself for next week. Yang was a beat behind her, and Blake didn't lift her gaze from her computer, even as Yang kissed the top of her head and took her usual seat beside her. They worked in comfortable silence, save for their typing and clicking, and before Blake knew it, Yang had scooted right beside her, nearly on top of her. Their thighs more than merely brushed together, and, even as Blake's gaze drifted to Yang, Yang was fully concerned with her grading. Blake knew the magnetic drifting between them wasn't purposeful, and still, it warmed her heart that Yang felt comfortable enough to draw close to her, even unconsciously.

The oven dinged, and Blake slid out of her seat to take the lasagna out and let it sit. Then Blake set aside her lesson plans in exchange for making a salad. "Do you have a minute to cut cucumbers for me, or are you lost in the sauce of grading?" Blake asked as she washed the needed vegetables.

"I can cut some veg, yeah," Yang said, not looking up until she finished typing her last word. Blake slid the cutting board and knife toward Yang, and Yang began to pare the cucumber down into the proper bite-sized pieces. Blake assembled the rest of the salad as Yang cut the vegetables as she needed, from the cucumber to the tomatoes, and by the time the salad was on the table, the lasagna had rested long enough.

"Time to eat," Blake announced, and she served Yang and herself each a slice of the cheesy goodness as Yang filled each of their glasses with water. By the time Yang set each glass down, Blake was seated, and she smiled at Yang as she took the seat next to her. "Cheers," Blake said, digging her fork in to take a bite.

"Cheers," Yang echoed, and the imminent silence as the lasagna hit their palettes warmed Blake almost as much as the dish itself. "Fuck, that's good," Yang moaned, tilting her head back. Blake smiled, but Yang continued, "Seriously, babe, I don't know what you do, but it's amazing, every time you make it."

"Would it be too cliche to say it's made with love?" she teased.

"Oh, definitely," Yang said, "but you should say it anyways." Lilac eyes twinkled at her, and even as Blake rolled her own, she couldn't stop her grin.

"It's made with love," she obliged, and Yang beamed at her.

"I can taste it." Yang's nose crinkled as she laughed, and then Blake was joining in her laughter. Beneath the table, their feet instinctively sought each other out, and the arch of Blake's foot passed over Yang's ankle in a slow, comforting touch.

"We're disgusting," Blake said, even as she took another bite.

"We are," Yang agreed, "and we're usually not this lovey-dovey in public, so I think we're okay."

"You're not wrong," Blake agreed. She allowed herself a moment to look at Yang, to really, truly take in the woman she loved in their shared home, and she found Yang smiling and happy and content, above all else, content. What more could either of them ask for, beyond a warm home and warm hearts?

"Yang?"

"Mhm?"

Blake looked up from her dinner, and she found Yang already looking at her, a satisfied smile on her mouth. "You have a little," Blake said, miming toward the corner of her mouth. Yang swiped at the opposite corner of her mouth, and Blake shook her head. "Other side." Yang caught the spot of sauce with her napkin, and Blake smiled, satisfied. "There you go."

"Thanks," Yang said, and her foot pressed against Blake's. "How was your day?"

"It was good," Blake said. She lowered her gaze back to her meal and sliced her fork through to cut herself another bite. "One of the kids hit herself with her mat at nap time instead of taking a nap, but besides that, it was pretty uneventful."

Yang snorted. "Why'd she do that?"

"She couldn't sleep and thought that might help, like how in the movies getting hit in the head knocks someone unconscious."

"Ah, what excellent problem solving skills she has!" Yang's eyes twinkled in delight.

"She really does," Blake agreed. "And the mat didn't actually hurt her, so no need for a visit to the nurse, either. All in all, not too bad."

"Even better." Yang rolled her shoulders back. "Is this the same kid that's obsessed with mushrooms, or is that a different one?"

"Different one, but this kid is the same one who tried to sneak her cat to school, so-" Yang cracked up, and Blake chuckled with her.

"This kid! Brothers, she sounds like a handful."

"She is," Blake said, "but she's also really into listening to the rules. It's just if she doesn't know a rule, she's not exactly gonna think twice about if she should." Blake shrugged. "And she's sweet, so it's hard not to like her."

"Is she your favorite?" Yang teased, and Blake rolled her eyes. "C'mon, I know you said it's too early in the year to know, but you do keep talking about her."

Blake tilted her head back and forth from side to side as she considered. "Maybe," she decided on, and Yang's smile turned satisfied. "Maybe she is one of my favorites, I'll give you that. But you know I like them all! They're a really good class!"

"I know, I know," Yang soothed. "It's okay to have favorites, especially when you're so good with all of them." The emphasis wasn't necessary, but Blake appreciated it nonetheless.

"I know, I just-"

"I know," Yang finished, her smile softer now, filled with unspoken understanding. "I know."

Blake nodded at Yang, and she brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I love them all," she said honestly, earnestly, and Yang nodded back at her. "They're such cuties."

"They are," Yang agreed. "I'm excited to come in again this year."

"You know, I still get asked about Ms. Xiao Long," Blake said, and Yang's eyes lit up. Before Yang could ask for more information, Blake supplied, "My kids from last year all ask me about you, they miss me more than they miss you.

"I doubt that," Yang said, but her grin didn't budge.

A comfortable silence came over them as they finished their dinner, and, once their plates were clear, they cleared the dishes away together. Yang washed while Blake cleaned up and put away the leftovers, and once the food was tucked away, Blake came to dry the clean dishes. They worked in a steady rhythm, just as they always did, and Blake allowed herself to drift into the casual comfort of a routine as they worked.

When they were done, Yang came up behind Blake, her head setting over Blake's shoulder as she laid her cheek down. A thrill went down Blake's spine as Yang kissed the corner of her neck. "Thanks for tonight, babe," Yang murmured, each word rippling warmly through Blake's body.

"You're very welcome," Blake replied, and she closed her eyes to savor the weight of Yang's warmth against her.

"What could I have possibly done to deserve you?" Yang asked softly, and Blake's heart skipped a beat, even as she turned to kiss Yang's cheek.

"I ask myself the same thing every day."

Yang kissed the same spot again, slower this time. "I love you."

"I love you too."